As I sit here and type tonight I can barely breathe through my nose and haven't tasted anything in 48 hours. Maybe I have my kiddos to thank or maybe it was just my time to get a spring time cold. Needless to say, much of my weekend was spent on the couch watching reruns of bad reality television. The sun did make an appearance and stuffed nose or not, I still had a training schedule to stick to. Yesterday I went for a walk and ended up wandering the downtown stores. How nice to combine exercise with one of my favorite past times. En route to downtown I stopped at the bank. I had to catch myself from staring at the customer in front of me. He (or she depending on how you look at it) was dressed in a short trench coat, a really bad wig, and knee high patent leather boots. He/She whipped out a large stack of bills and asked in a very feminine voice how to make the bills smaller. At this point I'm wondering if I'm in the presence of a transvestite hooker and it only got worse as I waited behind her(him?) and noticed that she(he?) was in a desperate need of a good leg shaving. Gross! The rest of my afternoon allowed me to bear witness to protests, a group of teenagers wearing Elmo birthday hats on the corner by Macy's and the filming of a movie. I don't think this movie is something that will hit theaters but there was a small crew and video cameras. For a moment I thought maybe I was bearing witness to the Japanese film that is being shot here which follows the story of the rise of Japanese immigrants and their subsequent fall out of Seattle. I then realized that my where abouts didn't really provide any good backdrop to history with the Lesbian bar on the corner and the homeless guy selling newspapers across the street. Instead I probably just saw students filming something for class. Again the thoughts in my head were creating much more entertaining stories than the reality of what I was seeing.
Despite my stuffiness I got my 3 mile run in today followed by more bad television. It seemed for every hour that I was up and functioning, I needed another hour on the couch. Thank goodness I wasn't scheduled for a long run this weekend as I probably would have keeled over somewhere. Hoping this cold leaves me quickly..............

Well the good news is that I'm able to sit here and type so I must have survived my 8 mile run today :-) It was a beautiful day here and I was in good company with many bikers and joggers this morning as I began my run. I chose a portion of a trail and I've seen signs for time and again but never really knew what it was. The beautiful thing about trails is that are mostly flat and something that I can handle. I started out along the water at Lake Union and wove around the outskirts of the University of Washington and then back behind a neighborhood I never knew existed but was quite pretty. With the sunshine and fresh air as my motivators (that and the little voice in my head that would not allow me to stop) I finished 8 miles in just under an hour and a half. I felt great afterwards and might just have learned what it means to get a "running high." Of course my toes hurt, I gained a blister, and there was some pain in one leg but other than that it was a triumphant experience! I must admit that this part of my weekly schedule came after my "easy walk" on Fridays as my trainer (Lauren) calls. Just to be funny I sometimes will send her "Dear Trainer" e-mails about something I did or failed to do. My e-mail to her on Friday went something like this...."Dear Trainer- Does it count as an easy walk if I'm wandering around Capitol Hill trying to find a bar with an open seat to enjoy a glass of wine and a few bites of dessert? Her response included the words "drop and give me twenty for the dessert." She's a tough one but keeps me on track!
We continued the nice weather day with brunch at a cafe that sits back in one of the neighborhoods. It's ranked as one of the top 10 brunch places and is known for its scones and cinnamon buns as well as its ambiance. It is a converted old Victorian home complete with the old fashion claw foot tub in the bathroom. We've found that with the good places you always have to wait; filling your mind (and stomachs) of the anticipation of what's to come. This place did not disappoint! I had probably the best raspberry scone I've ever tasted. A nice reward after my run. Our day continued with a walk through the Fremont market and sitting on the bank of the canal watching the boats go by.
I've been doing pretty good with trying new recipes throughout the week but I was defeated by a mango this past Thursday which left me a bit derailed off course. I was trying a recipe for Mango salsa and bought the mango on Sunday thinking that 4 days would be plenty of time to ripen. As I went to cut into the mango I wondered if there was a pit, or seeds, or something else hard that kept my knife from cutting through. The middle still remains a mystery to me as I never did get to the inside. The outside was soft enough to cut (and I use this term loosely as it was more like rip apart) the exterior. The recipe called for me to "dice" the mango. What does dice really mean? Dice or chop, to me they mean to cut without taking off your finger. I'm sure chefs everywhere would be insulted by my statement but at the end of the day there is the trusty food processor to refer to in your time of need.

Thank you Amanda for pointing out my 3 week absence. :-) After my trip out east and then settling in last week I completely forgot to update last night. Luckily I'm now back on track. I really enjoyed my Spring Break visiting with friends, getting my baby fix, and of course seeing so much of my family. Miss you guys! With the exception of the unexpected snowstorm I drove through (is Mother Nature trying to tell me something?) it was a wonderful trip. As I waited at Newark Airport for my return flight I sat looking out the window staring at the New York City skyline and felt nostalgic for Broadway musicals and roasted peanuts from the street vendor. I made friends with the girl sitting next to me who is from Washington and just spent her first time in NYC on a solo trip. I was eager to hear what she did and so she got out her map and took me through her week. I gave her credit for spending the whole week alone in New York. After my celebrity sighting in Chicago (Rick Fox from the Lakers) I was hoping to double my luck and spot someone in Newark. No such luck.
My week brought routine again (and some pretty bad jet lag on Monday). We had an unexpected weather surprise on Thursday- a hail storm like I have never seen! It just kept coming. The preschoolers were in awe and thought it was snow. It's neat to see young minds discovering things for the first time. Luckily the sun made a grand appearance this weekend. I got a nice run in along Green Lake Sunday morning before Joe and I wandered downtown. Of course the nice weather brings out the Seattle spring/summer fashion. There really is nothing like it.
Trying to get through the busy week and prepare for my 8 mile run on the weekend.....the longest so far. Hope I can make it