Yesterday I went to the local YMCA ('The Y') to walk with my friends.

We've been alternatively walking and lifting/pushing/complaining (a.k.a., 'the weight machines') regularly since July. Usually we walk outside, but yesterday it was... hang on I'll check how cold it actually was.

Unreasonably.

So it was off to The Y to walk around their indoor track.

Well... really it was to talkaround their indoor track (the walking always feels somewhat incidental).

Anyway when I got to The Y and walked inside, things got VERY exciting very quickly.

There, seated behind a white plastic-topped folding table, were a gaggle of small humans... and PIES!

Well.

It turned out that these small humans are also Dolphins(I know!), which is the Y's swim team. And they were selling pies as a fundraiser.

On the day before Thanksgiving.

Dolphins have impressive marketing chops, I say.

So I told them that I would come back after my workout and investigate their pies further and they were very excited about that.

So, post talking and walking and laughing and solving most of the world/local/household problems, I headed back out to the Pie and Dolphin table.

And, again, those little water mammals were very excited to make a sale. And this was cool because it was apparent - by the lesser number of pies -  that they had already sold a bunch and it was only, like, 10:15 a.m.

They showed me several pies, ones they thought I might like...

Blueberry.

Apple.

Pumpkin.

And cannoli.

Oh, I am not kidding.

Cannoli!

I had them peel back the tin foil to show me that one. It had teeny little chocolate chips tucked into this sweet ricotta-y filling, which was kept from - well, from spilling out all over the planet - by a very cool-looking golden pie crust.

Cannoli pie sounded pretty dang good.

I excused myself to head out to Gronk* to get my money and, wouldn't you know, I had exact change and it was also all the money Gronk had, anywhere inside of his pockets and compartments.

It was meant to be.

I walked back in, toward expectant - and very helpful - faces, and made my choice. I went totally traditional, and I double checked it to make sure, and yes. The apple was the pie for me.

And do you know what?

Not only was my pie handed over with a smile, but my receipt was also thank you note!

It was signed by all the Dolphins!

I would like to thank Hannah, Ella, Kayla, Julian, Sage, Beatrix, Abby, and Other Hannah - along with Coach Zach and Coach Mike - for making my day, yesterday.

I know I'll smile again when I cut into that apple pie later on today.

By the way, yes.

Yes, I do realize the irony of going to The Y to work out, and leaving with a big ol' pie that I fully intend to eat most of over the next few days.

I'm not even sorry.

But I am... oh yes...

Thankful.

Thanks - and I mean it - thank you all, from the bottom of my apple pie-snuggled heart, for readin'. I love being here, and writing here. You guys make it even more special. Happy, happy Thankgiving.

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*Gronk is my truck. Just like the real deal Gronk, he's both tough and fun.