Kitchen Sink

This is a generic photo for a generic post. I found the picture by Googling "Botswana," in honor of the Alexander McCall Smith series about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This is a very unstructured post (euphemism for chaotic), so why not throw in a book reference or two? Btw, don't forget to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. If you enjoy crying on public transportation, be sure to take it with you as you commute--I did. You could also try Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (Deepak Chopra) if you'd like to experience some New Age wisdom couched in elegant, persuasive, yet at the same time authoritative, educated, and scientific prose.

Anyway. I'm at work, filling the time between proofreading projects. Haven't blogged for so long I may have forgotten how. Now stop being so darned quick to agree!

Z and I just got back from nine days on the East Coast. Happy to report I got in four runs and survived to tell of them all. The highlight was running on the Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. Running has been a constant for me over the last 29 (!) years as I've traveled here and there, and for that I'm grateful. In my regular journal (a private, hard copy blog?), I set aside a few pages in the back to record my away-from-home runs so that after I get home I can leaf through that section anytime and see where my feet took me after the plane or car took me.

I'm on a pace to run more than 800 miles this year, the most since 1998. Can't really explain my present state of running well-being, but a guess is that the vigorous walking I do every day to get from the train to work and back may be helping increase my stamina and strength. I feel blessed every day the well-being continues.

We were back East for my beautiful stepdaughter's wedding. She was a dream bride. Z and I even danced to the lively music--for hours. Following the wedding we went to Newport for a week, then spent our final night catching up with old friends (well, they're at least as old as we are) in Providence.

Taking a typical American cross-country trip and having normal middle-class experiences (meeting friends, walking along rivers, eating in restaurants) were slightly surreal for me when viewed in light of the situation in the Middle East these days. Even as I take a dawn run through a peaceful city I can't help but wonder what my "normal" life would look like if I lived in Baghdad or Kabul or Islamabad (not even bringing up Somalia, etc. here). I try not to let my apprehensions seep into my everyday life--how can living in fear benefit anything?--but I can't help but sigh deeply when I think of our beleaguered world. I believe very strongly in the basic goodness of people, so I never despair, but I find there are days where I search in the news for some tidbit to give me hope and I come away less than encouraged.

Don't know how I got here. I told you this was a potpourri of a post.

Some personal happy news--at my afternoon job I've started running with a co-worker. We go north on the Embarcadero to Fort Mason and back, taking in the muni pier as we go, making a wide circle on the pier (see photo).



She's fast, so I get what's essentially a 4.5-mile tempo run every time we go out. Also get a great view of the SF skyline!

The next day (or maybe two days later?):

Went for a dawn run on the Ohlone Greenway in Albany yesterday, my most frequent stomping ground, and-- and-- the path from Marin Ave. north was LIT!!! (I have it on good authority that the southern Albany section will soon be lit also.) I can't overstate what a thrill this is for me. Thankyouthankyouthankyou Albany Director of Public Works R.C. and everyone else who's been responsible for this project. This just could change my life. My shoulder that I injured when I tripped last year in the dark still aches--but this gives me hope that the bad fall I took back then was the last one I'll ever have while running.

I have to go take care of the breakfast dishes now (see title of post). May all your days be fine, and may all your dawn runs be illuminated and illuminating!