This morning my body was wide awake at 6:30/6:45 am. The world was still dark outside so I laid in bed for a little bit before both dogs got my attention by 7am. I was up and running. I put on some work out clothes to take the pups out but quickly realized that it was 1 degree (C) or or 34 degrees (F). I added a few layers and grabbed some socks and out I went. The sun isn’t rising until 7:40ish these days. That will change next weekend as we fall back a week before the US does. The world is getting darker and darker.

As I walked/shivered along with the dogs in toe, my first thought when I left the building was, “Here goes Monday again.”

How did the weekend go by so fast?

Ana and I have been looking forward to this last Friday for a long time because we made this very special dinner reservation months ago. Ana read about a Japanese restaurant that serves 11-13 courses in a one seating per night, three hour experience and decided to book it. You have to book your spots months in advance since they only seat 10 people per night. You must be vaccinated and ready for this experience.

When we entered, they took our coats and we were informed our experience would be 14 courses of delicious Japanese courses, mostly fish. We smirked at each other and opened ourselves up to what was to come . The next three hours were amazing. Each dish was carefully explained to us, what it was and how exactly to eat it. Each dish was carefully crafted with flavors and mouthfeel and how it would contribute to the whole. Each dish was a bite or a few bites and were amazingly delicious.

You can tell that Ana was having a blast and we both were. I was trying to take pictures of the meal but totally forgot after course 5 or 6 and just wanted to experience. Ana is hovering over her favorite course of beautiful sashimi.

At one point, Ana went to the bathroom around course 8 or 9 and I started to chat to the guys down the row. Two brothers from Brooklyn visiting Berlin for a bit. It was interesting to talk to these tourists who ventured into Europe once it opened once again. Our numbers are climbing again but it is hard to tell around here. We are all still masking and more vaccinations are happening and here we sit. Everyone seems to be adapting to best practices and best spaces and some have just given up on noticing corona at all. It is weird times everywhere.

After our 14th course, we left this place full of good food and gratitude and talked about each course on the way home. We tried to walk a good portion of the way home after such a feast. Our pups were happy to see us arrive at like 10:30 or so.

Then the weekend seemed to just fly by and I am not quite sure doing what. We met up with a few friends, hosted a few friends over coffee and cookies who will watch the pups next weekend while we venture to Hamburg, zoomed and facetimed with family and took the dogs on long walks. I read a book and prepped for class today (taking an urban housing class this semester). But overall each chunk of time seemed less than the whole until last night we looked at each other and thought…huh, a whole weekend has flown by.

And here we are again on Monday…both at our computers….I just went to the grocery store as usual and walked the dogs. The laundry is drying in prep for the week and Ana is catching up on slack. Here we go with Monday again, eh?

How’s yours?