Crossfit Day 3: skipped it for my birthday!

A 39th birthday only comes once in a lifetime. So, it was a tough decision whether to skip Crossfit or skip my birthday shenanigans.

Crossfit=0 Birthday=1.

After complaining about how I would be spending my birthday and the slight depression setting in, a sweet friend said, "You're coming to Tampa." Even though Mom and Dan were driving down to visit for the week I decided I needed to do something special for myself and headed to Tampa.

My friend surprised me with a trip to the Florida Aquarium, Downtown Tampa, then lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, followed by a much-needed trip to the comic book store, Emerald City Comics, where we found some comic books for my daughter, Amelia. She discovered "Snowbird" at another shop and I've been on the hunt for her ever since. Later that night we went out for drinks, food and billiards at the local watering hole.

Thank you, friend. You know who you are.

Saturday I "sat in" while my friend and his friends played Dungeons and Dragons. Wow, what an amazing experience! I grew up hearing about the game but never had the opportunity to see it. While complicated at first, after hours of observing and listening it started to make sense to me. To pass my time I drew in my sketchbook, which resulted in me attempting to draw a one-dimensional image by looking at a three-dimensional DND figure. I'm happy with the results.

After hours of listening to impromptu dialogue between hardcore DND players, it was time to close up the game room and get ready for the main event of the evening: the Mayweather vs. McGregor Fight. The testosterone switched from mental strategy to straight-up yelling at the TV as two famous men from different sports crossed paths to fight for a title only a few will ever achieve. Chowing down on a cheese and seafood platter, the tension rose as each fight ended leading up to the showdown.

While the highlight of the Showtime pay per view event should have been the American versus the Irishman, the"Cookie Monster" outfit definitely stole the limelight giving us about 30 minutes of continued laughter as we read other viewers social media feeds.

The living room heckling and stressed faces was enough to make anyone squirm. Even I was upset with the results (and I'm not into boxing). I think everyone left feeling disappointed with how the fight ended. I know I was aggravated. But that's part of being a sports fan; one can't change the results, he or she can only complain about the referee's bad calls.

Sunday was another relaxing day spent packing and going for a long swim in the pool with my friend's dogs. It took me nearly two and half hours to get home thanks to Florida thunderstorms and accidents on I-4.

All-in-all it was a great weekend. There is no doubt that my 39th birthday is at top of my best birthday memories. I can't wait for my next trip to Tampa and to learn more about the world of Dungeons and Dragons.

<3 Mel