With so much sad news in the world lately, I thought it would be nice to appreciate some the people and places that have made me smile this week.
New Friends
Every week on our group run we see this same older guy out on the trail. He has been out there for years standing next to his older model car kind of exercising/boxing while dancing around to his old school boom box. He is always so friendly and always waives to us as we run by. We kind of created a “story” about him and finally one day last week we decided to stop and chat. He was so nice! He told us about his past boxing career and passion for fitness. He seemed so elated that we stopped to chat and now we know we have a friend out there watching over us. So glad that we took the time to stop and I think we made his day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGXKxgWxuQf/?taken-by=deborahbrooks14
Legwarmers
We donned our best 80’s outfits and headed to a “legwarmers” concert. Apparently they are a well known 80’s cover band and they did not disappoint. It was really fun to try to emulate my big 80’s hair from college. I was quite the Madonna fan back in the day and loved pulling on those neon bracelets and fish nets gloves. Funny that we still remembered all the words to all the classics and had a great time just being silly dancing and singing. Check out my “Scruncci”. Remember those?
Family fun
We got tickets to do the “Escape The Room” challenge for my husband as part of his Father’s Day gift. Basically, it’s like a live game of “Clue” where you are locked in a room for one hour and have to solve a mystery to get out. The 4 of us went to the Escape the Room in Georgetown where we had booked the “double cross” room.
The challenges are a lot harder than I thought. They do not allow photos of the actual room for obvious reasons. There are clues around the room and you have to figure out how they all tie together and come up with a code to unlock your door. Some of the clues were maps with markings or a pair of special sunglasses that would reveal a code when you looked at a certain book for example. We had the best time working together to try to solve our clue.
A “game master” is watching you via camera and can actually call you to give you a clue when needed. We were so close to solving our game and I think had we had a few extra minutes we would have. Alas, we ran out of time! Such a fun family activity. I’d love to do it again. Not sure why they have you dress up at the end but hey why not?!
I loveee that you stopped to say hi to that guy and to hear his story. I’m sure you made his month – not just his day!
Jesse and I have been meaning to go to one of those escape the room places with our friends! Now is the perfect time to do it too as no one wants to do anything outdoors when it’s winter so indoor activities are a must!
The escape room was really lots of fun hope you have the chance to try it
We just got an Escape Room in Asheville. Glad you had fun in yours!
I love this idea of focusing on the good. It always helps with all the garbage going on the world.
OH you have to go do the room it’s a lot of fun! Yes focusing on good is necessary these days isn’t it
Very cute! I love leg warmers and your time with your family and friends sounds so nice!
Thanks! It was a fun time
Loved the night at the Legwarmers concert – going back to those days was so much fun! I say next time we dress up in ’80’s fitness attire with some white Reebok high tops and legwarmers, of course!
Yes we can go full on Jane Fonda!!
I absolutely love the story about the guy you see on your run. I really enjoy meeting new people that way and learning their story- never fails to fascinate me!
We were so glad that we stopped to talk to him and now we have a new friend
How great that you met that guy on your run! Years ago, there was a guy in my neighborhood who used to make fun of me when I ran by. It was all in good fun, and I’d stop and chat with him. We got to know each other. He runs now, and we’ve become friends. He’s really a character. Glad I stopped to talk with him!
I am so glad we stopped to chat him up he was so interesting and really seemed to make his day. Fun that you had a similar experience!
I love that you stopped and talked to that guy and got to know him! And the 80’s pic is hilarious! What’s made me happy this week are my friends….they are so full of joy that they make it hard for anyone to stay down for very long.
It’s wonderful to have friends that will always make you smile even when you are down.
Love this, so important to focus on the things (big and small) that make us happy. I’ve never done an Escape the Room, but it’s on my list to do this year (there are a couple in Boston). This week I’m smiling because my best friend flies into town today!! 🙂
Have a wonderful time with your friend! Hope you have a chance to check out the escape room sometime it’s fun
So fun! I want to try escape the room!
It’s a lot of fun!
No lie, I didn’t know that there was a preferred way to spell scruncci. I thought it was scrunchy. LEARNING NEW THINGS EVERY DAY (and yes, I had lots)
That’s what I am here for!! 🙂
Oh he sounds like such a friendly and interesting guy – that’s so great you said “hi”. And a great reminder to all of us to do that more.
I’ve always wanted to try and escape room!
I am so glad that we stopped to say hi and yes always nice to have a new friend
An Escape Room just opened down the street from us! I’ve been meaning to check it out. Sounds like a lot of fun!
You all would love it!
We have an 80s tribute band in Va beach too. The dolarens. They are awesome! How fun you said hello to that guy on your runs. I see many people during my runs that I wave to outside but I would not strike up a conversation. I bet he appreciated that.
Oh my gosh, I would love Escape the Room! I am a mystery fan from way back (yes, I started with Nancy Drew and never looked back). That sounds like so much fun!
You would love it! The clues are not so easy to figure out
I love hearing your story of talking to your new trail buddy. It’s always fun to make new running friends.
It really is nice to have a friend out on the trail
That escape room looks like to much fun!! Great job on your 80’s do- I can still remember those days 🙂 nice to know there are some nice people still out there- thanks for sharing!
The escape room was great fun and so was the 80’s hair 🙂
My coworkers have been talking about doing an Escape Room night. It sounds like so much fun!
We went to see an 80’s trubte band a few weeks ago, Rubick’s Cube. It was so much fun. Although we did not dress up, it was fun to people watch!
I hope you have a chance to do the Escape room it’s lots of fun. I loved dressing up 🙂
I’ve heard about the Escape Room! That is so cool that you did that!
It is such a blast!
I love the 80’s gear! I did a halloween 5K a few years back and went as an 80’s aerobics instructor, donned in a leotard with a side pony.
Ha ha we decided next time we needed to go in our Jane Fonda gear
I’ve seen the legwarmers here in Richmond!! Their shows are so fun!! 🙂 I love your outfits!
It was fun people watching!
The escape room sounds like so much fun, and love the 80’s look! It’s time to bring back the scrunchie 🙂
I miss the scruncci!
Ha! I remember scrunchies! I had so many!
So, confession: I don’t think I could do an Escape Room type thing. Even though I *know* it’s not real, I think my claustrophobia would be in high gear and I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking of the Saw movies LOL!
What fun!! Love that you stopped to talk to the boxing guy. That’s so great. Things making me smile: my orchestra rehearsals are going super well, practicing yoga is making me happier, and I’m getting so creative with my recipes!
Well those are all things to be happy about for sure!
All those pics are so fun Deborah! You look cute in the 80s outfit!
Ha thanks it was fun to dress up
Love a good reason to smile 🙂 These are great!
Thanks we could all do with a little more of it right
I love this idea. Sometimes it’s so easy to get bogged down by life and forget about the good moments. I need to start documenting the things that make me smile more often!
I was having a rough day and it really helped to stop and appreciate some of the little things
We’ve been talking about going to an escape room so we finally planned it. Can’t wait. Scrunccis. I’m sure I had every color imaginable. I look back and wonder why. Hilarious.
Hope you enjoy the escape room it was great family fun. I may lead a movement to bring back the scruncci 🙂
Hhmm, I could see having fun with my family with the puzzle solving. So cool about the man on the W&OD. Did you get his name? I see him too and always smile and wave because his positive energy always makes me happy!
You’ve seen him too?! He is always so upbeat and friendly.
The Legwarmers event looks so much fun…I love all things 80’s!
What’s not to love about the 80’s music?!
Your 80s outfits looked awesome! I love getting dressed up like that. Escape rooms are a lot of fun but they are definitely tough. My brain doesn’t work well in those situations so I’m not usually a huge help to my team.
LOL you do have to think outside of the box for sure!
I’ve heard nothing but great things about Legwarmers. Glad to hear that you had a great time at the concert!
You are welcome to tag along next time!
That’s so kind of you to stop and chat, people always seem so busy all the time (myself included). I was out walking last evening and passed three people who I smiled at and said a quick hello and neither were returned to me… So it’s refreshing to see this today ????
Everyone is busy but it’s nice to stop sometimes and make connections with new people right
The escape room does sound like a really fun family activity. It seems like they are popping up all over the place, but I have not yet been to one.
It does seem like they are quite the fad but lots of fun for sure
Thanks for sharing your experience at Escape Room Live DC! My girlfriends and I are going in July and we cannot wait; it looks like such a fun experience. Also, I must see the Legwarmers soon; I cannot believe I’ve lived in DC so long and have never seen them!
You are going to love the escape room! Yes legwarmers are a fun silly time
The escape room thing has not come to France yet. Not sure if the French would like it. I think it would kind of freak me out to be locked in the room.
LOVE your eighties outfit and the big hair.
You are not really locked in :). The 80’s concert was a blast