a portrait with friends

There is so much happening in the next few weeks I’m having a hard time even keeping my days straight.  I’ve been busy with consulting work, but also with editing and sending out agent query letters.  And all while the spring is charging toward summer and before I have a chance to catch my breath I’ll be back in America for a few weeks.  Until then, next week is Szeged, the following is an oil conference, the following is a short vacation in Croatia, and the following is a wedding.  And then it’s only about eight weeks until I’m at home, eating at Rocknes, Primos, watching the Indians, and drinking Great Lakes Dortmunder.

Sigh.  Now, back to Budapest.

On Sunday I walked out to the rakpart to take a walk with Barnabás and I was really shocked by the lack of cars down by the river.  We crossed the usually packed road and went by where the house/restaurant/touring boats dock during this season.  I wanted to take Barnabás down the steps to the water to see what he would do, all while keeping in mind how Katherine Hepburn fell into the canal in Venice and had a permanant eye twitch, which is only to say that I didn’t want him to actually go into the Danube because it’s probably similarly dirty.  Of course he tired to, getting his whole lower body (and new food cast) wet in the process.

I had totally forgotten that it was the day of the Margit Island races.  I think there was a fun run, a 5K and a 10K.  I don’t think there was a 1/2 marathon, but there could have been.

It started with just two front runners following a police car and motorcycle.  And since we didn’t take our chance to cross back over the street to walk home when we had the chance (before the pack caught up), we had to wait about thirty minutes for the other 9,998 people to run by.

It was nice, actually.  Perfect time of morning.  I wish I would have looked into it because I was feeling really envious of not running the race, especially because with those roads close down, the view would have been incredible as you got toward Margit Bridge and then back onto the island.  Oh well, there are more races this spring and summer, so once everything else settles down, I’ll make more concrete plans.   Until then…back to the grind.