planetdanika

There was a strange layer of fog shrouding the streets of Seattle for most of this weekend. It created quite an eerie atmosphere and reminded me very much of the ambiance in the opening section of the new Harry Potter book Ive just begun. It was a very mellow couple of days around here. Especially given the fact that we spent 24 hours with a 3 year old (Simon), who G says is far less hyper than most boys his age.

Think I can blame my lethargy on the murky, misty sky? Yesterday I didnt run at all, but did manage to drag G around Green Lake with me for a walk. Today, I slept late and to be honest, was just too darn lazy to get up early for the weekly trail run. Around 2:30 I started to feel like a slug and decided to go for a 4 mile walk in our neighborhood. Halfway though it, I realized I actually wanted to be running, but wasnt wearing the right clothes or shoes. So I picked up my pace and made a beeline for the house, whereupon I promptly changed into running gear. Turned right around and went out for a 5 mile run. It was still foggy and getting dark but a lovely run, nonetheless.

One last thing: I was somehow convinced to venture to Tamarind Tree again last night. All the while, I had visions of poor sanitation practices in the kitchen but the place was hopping busy as usual. The meal was good, but nowhere near as good as last time. I dont think Ill be in any rush to go back. The amount of stress it caused me isnt worth it unless the meal is amazing.

Yesterdays run was very odd. It felt like my legs were disconnected from the top half of my body. Im not complaining too much- the run totally rocked otherwise. But it was a strange sensation. They truly felt as if they were moving on their own. Its hard to describe. But hey, I clocked 4.2 miles in 35 minutes, which is pretty fast for me, so I was happy. Not only was it fast, it was also easy. Cool.

Today I went to a spin class, which turned out to be 90 minutes long. Now THAT burns a lot of calories! The focus in these classes is endurance (obviously) as opposed to speed. It felt good to work hard. Im not sure what that holds for me as far as running this weekend. Well see how sore I am in the morning.

In other news I am thoroughly bummed because I found out that my new favorite restaurant was closed for health violations. King County has a website with detailed information about the health and sanitation at all area restaurants. Im not sure if I like the fact that this information is available. In theory, its great to know about the places you eat out but in practice, I fear I may never eat out again! You can read their latest report on Tamarind Tree (if you dare): here. OK, so theyre already re-opened, meaning theyve supposedly corrected all the problems. But that was one LONG list of violations and Im frankly a bit scared to eat there now. Back to Monsoon, I guess. Im pretty sure their hygiene practices are several steps above Tamarind Tree. That must be why they charge 3 times as much, huh?

Oh, and in case you dont already know, G has set up his own blog. Theres a link on the right side of this page (bluefacedpixie). Check it out

Baltimore was fun but it was an awful lot of flying for a weekend. I ran all 3 days I was away- much to my surprise! Friday morning after getting ZERO sleep on my red eye flight, I went straight out for a run. Did a little 10K route I found on the Runner’s World web site. What a great resource for travelling runners! It was a nice way to see part of the city. Boy, was it clear I was on the East Coast. So many differences from running in Seattle. First, Im pretty sure there arent as many people hitting the pavement in Baltimore. I seemed much more of an oddity and drew a few looks. Second, the cars are far less pedestrian-friendly. I heard much more horn-honking and the drivers were more aggressive. Finally, I realized again how lucky I am to live in a place thats so CLEAN. Seattle does not have a lot of litter in the streets and the air has a wonderful crisp, clean smell. In B-more.mmm..not so much.

Ah well, I ended up hitting the treadmill the remaining two mornings. I ran just about 4 miles each day. The weather was gorgeous but I was a bit short on time both mornings and the treadmill was my fastest option. Add all the walking around I did and Im sure I negated most of the extra calories I ate.

Food-wise, I ate pretty well, though I still think Seattle has a top-notch food scene. I tasted probably the best crab cake ever at a place called Berthas. Also had a cannoli in Little Italy, which was amazing. Thats one thing Im convinced you cant get west of the Mississippi (or if you can, its not very good). By and large, it was a successful weekend. 3 days later, Im finally feeling caught up on sleep again.