When life is dessert

Life tasted like dessert every day this week. When it's not the usual fare, I tend to appreciate it more, knowing I won't dine on this every day. But today, this day, I eat dessert.

Monday, early evening, I biked to the Ballard Locks and ran across, ducking through the masses who came to watch the ships and salmon pass through. I relished the trail run through Discovery Park, the sun beating down on me, my sweat tempered by the breeze, the water sparkling like diamonds, the sun casting shadows through tall trees on my ascent up from the lighthouse beach to the bluffs, the tiredness of legs allowed to run again.

Tuesday afternoon and evening, I chauffeured Ricardo's family to the beach at Golden Gardens, picnic dinner in hand. For hours, we kicked a soccer ball, splashed in cold waves, skipped rocks, dug holes in the sand, ate sopa (soup) and ensalada (salad), and consulted my Spanish-English dictionary when needed in conversation. When the air grew chilly and the crowds thickened, we packed up our picnic, with our windblown hair, and said goodnight to the beach.

Wednesday afternoon, I met up with a friend at Greenlake, and with rented paddle boards, glided through the waters. From one end of the lake to the other. Much to our delight, we successfully located the area around the lake that is home to a hoard of turtles, where we admired them from a distance, alongside the elegant, gangly blue heron.

Thursday evening, I felt a rush of motivation to do some triathlon training, minus the biking. I ran myself tired and sweaty around Greenlake, then shed my clothes down to my bathing suit and plunged into the water. Perfect temperature in the water, I caught it, right before the sun disappeared. I swam hard, only my second swim of the year, and made it about half a mile, tired and grinning contentment as I sloshed out of the lake.

A customer commented today that this has been an amazing day for him. "So good, in fact, it makes me nervous. Things should not go this smoothly, and I'm just waiting for something to mess it up."

It can be a challenge not to live this way, I think. "I get that," I said. "But maybe you could just... enjoy it? As long as it lasts, eat it up."

He nodded slowly, "Yeah. I should try that."

Because life isn't dessert every day, but when it is, eat it up, nice and slow. And make sure to smear chocolate across your face.