4+ hours of pure joy

I mean, pure joy and some pain.  This morning I set my alarm for 5:30 am, an hour I do not care to be awake often.  Then I laced up my shoes, ate a breakfast of champions (almond milk and puffed grain cereal), and headed into the cold to walk 13.1 miles (plus another couple miles walking to and from the starting/finish line in City Park).  And now I kind of wobble from side to side when I walk, favoring my right knee a little. Why?  Not because I had to.  I paid to do this!!  I knew my hips would be sore, but it is my knees that are bothering me now and not my hips.  But back to the pure joy!  I got to walk (and jog a little, too) with a great friend the whole way...Minerva was a co-worker first, and now I am so grateful and privileged to call her friend.  It was a gossip fest for sure, but just to be able to share what's been happening in our respective lives is priceless.  The miles melted away for me just to be with her!  Thank you, Minerva, for allowing me to join you! And then after we spent some time resting our legs, we got to meet up with AnnaBelle for lunch!  Brilliant!  What a holy Sabbath for me!  (Not to mention the movie and sushi with birthday girl Niffer!)