Yoga Pants

Yes, yoga pants. Really. I go on regular walks, sometimes solo or with a friend, usually along the Coastal Trail. As I was leaving home one morning last week, I was debating aloud whether to wear my coat. We’re only on Day 12 of summer in Anchorage (days with sunlight and warmth). My coat has pockets, which are convenient for my phone and keys. But that particular day was warmish, so the coat may have been too much. Brian pointed out that yoga pants – which I typically wear on my walks – have pockets. I exasperatedly said that mine did not. Which led to a longer conversation which revealed that all of my yoga pants predate our relationship, are indeed teenagers, and include brands that no longer exist. And they do NOT have pockets.

Brian went to Costco yesterday. He brought home three pairs of yoga pants, with pockets. I did a test run today. They're pretty darn amazing. I think I have to retire some of my old yoga pants. And I love being with a guy who is so thoughtful.

 

~Lucy

Trumpeter Swan with Cygnets, Westchester Lagoon Today

 

Coffee

I don’t drink coffee. I just don’t like it. I think the root of the issue lies in childhood when I had Kona Coffee ice cream. It’s delicious. Coffee, sadly, does not taste like wonderful ice cream (but a hot version, which my brain was expecting). I’ve tried over the years to develop the habit. College. Grad school. Living in Seattle. Nope. Still don’t enjoy coffee. Which is fine!

 

Brian, on the other hand, likes coffee. He’s not a monster about it. He doesn’t act like a zombie without it. He’s happy to switch up and drink tea sometimes. But in his perfect world, morning should have a cup of coffee.

 

While we were traveling, Brian fell in love with the ease of Spanish coffee makers and compostable pods. We had a variety to try in the various apartments we stayed in. We even cruised past the Nescafe store in Malaga, but buying a coffee maker with the wrong plug seemed silly.

 

But upon returning to the U.S. Brian was disappointed. The Nescafe makers are available, but the pods are 3-4x the price. Which doesn’t pencil out. Instead, he’s invested in beans, a new grinder, and a pour over setup. Being as how I am more often the earlier to rise, I have now been trained in this process.

 

Which sounds silly, but as a non-coffee drinker why would I know how to make coffee? (The underrated film ‘Down With Love’ has a great scene involving women in the workplace, coffeemaking, and sexism. Heck, ‘9 to 5’ had points to make about that. So despite years in an office, I never bothered to be the person who makes coffee.)

 

But now! I am still working on the perfect cup. Brian likes it with honey and it turns out I am lousy at eyeballing quantities from a squeeze bottle. All part of the retirement skills and lifestyle we are building.

 

There you have it.

 

~Lucy