Running in Concrete Sneakers: Recap of the summer (Part Uno)

I had an eventful summer this year. I had planned a mini vacation without the Joes and a family vacation with the Joes and my nephew, Bradley. I was super excited about both vacations. I was spending my mini-vacation with an old friend that I semi-dated in college in Puerto Rico and we were spending our family vacation in Toronto, visiting my younger brother, Jason. I had never been to either place. On the Tuesday before my Puerto Rico trip, I got a call while at my standing nail appointment (this is how I remember it was a Tuesday) from my friend from college (for convenience's sake, we can call him Steven). Of course, I couldn't answer because I was mid-Shellac and who wants to mess up their Shellac?? I listened to the message and found that he was cancelling due to work. I responded and told him that I was okay with going alone and that I would just do all the activities I scheduled alone. He selfishly requested that I not go without him. I stupidly obliged. The ticket that I bought was non-refundable but I had a layover in Atlanta so I decided to make some lemonade out of the lemons I had been handed. I bought a return flight to Cleveland, booked a hotel in Atlanta, reserved a car and called my buddies that lived there to make plans. I met up with a girlfriend from college, LuShaun, who is pregnant, for breakfast (my favorite meal of the day). She was absolutely adorable!! I shopped and ate with my girlfriend Nicole and her husband and then celebrated her birthday at a DJ Jazzy Jeff party. We also walked for exercise...around an outdoor shopping mall... I hung out with Shelly, my buddy from 6th grade (yes, 27 years) for drinks and then spent a leisurely day at the pool with her mom, her sister and her very adorable nephews. I also had lots of fun at dinner with my cousin Gary. Overall, I had a terrific time with my friends and family. I am a little bummed that I missed out on Puerto Rico. I wish that I had just gone alone but I am totally grateful for the much needed time away. I took one picture while in Atlanta. It's a selfie. The other two are stolen from other social media sites...