I went this morning with Kiara and a couple friends to Darien’s Dash, a 5 & 10K walk/run in South Saint Paul. Kiara and her friend Kim decided earler this year to walk or run this charity race as a motivating goal to get them to exercise together over the summer. I believe, however, that today is the first day all year that they’ve managed to walk together. Heh. Oh well.

We’ve all had our share of walking this year. I’ve lost 25 pounds since Christmas doing nothing different than walking a whole lot. I don’t really pay close attention to my weight, I was just nebulously aware that I was around 30 pounds overweight and out of shape. Hence the resolution to exercise. I might still be less in-shape than I’d like, but I’m a whole lot better off. Especially since I get to combine my walks with spending lots of time with my son.

I did not walk in Darien’s Dash, though. Instead I spent time in the bad coffee shop across the street, reading Details magazine out of desperation because I’d forgotten to bring my book. Time well spent: I learned about the International High IQ Society, an organization I understand even less than Mensa.

(Funny story: our friend S was at a party being subjected to someone’s swooning over how so-and-so had been accepted into Mensa. “Isn’t it wonderful,” the swooner gushed, “he is so brilliant.” S said that she didn’t really see the big deal. “Well! Have you ever tested genius?” the swooner shot back. S said yes. “Oh.”)

On the way back we stopped at Homesteader restaurant in Golden Valley, a great little family-owned place that serves very reasonably priced basic fare. Not much for vegetarians, but worth a visit if you’re the meat-and-potatoes type.

Now Kiara and Owen are off at the Uptown Art Fair (something I learned to hate when I lived in Uptown), and I’m settling down to watch an episode of All Creatures Great and Small, happily ignoring all the things that perhaps I should be doing instead. Ah, this is living.