Sunday, January 23, 2005

On a cold winter's night ...

It's 15 degrees outside, five inches of snow cover our doorstep, cars, and rooftops, and a bitter wind soughing through the leafless trees makes it feel downright arctic.

So here are a few things this SoCal girl is thankful for on these chilly East Coast midwinter nights:

1) Heated leather car seats. I scoffed at this "luxe" option when we got our new car. But, oh, my frozen tush is forever grateful.
2) The dry sauna at our local YMCA. The best way to end a grueling 10-mile interval run.
3) A smooth shot of espresso with a dollop of sweet condensed milk in a delicate porcelain cup. Otherwise known as Vietnamese coffee. The iced version, cafe sua da, is a summer favorite.
4) Wintersilks long underwear.
5) The short stories of Paul Bowles, one of my favorite writers.
6) Planes. To get one from a bone-chilling place to a sunny, tropical locale. Hawaii. The Cook Islands. Bora-Bora. You get the picture.

We Loved You Well: Johnny Carson, legendary talk-show host, dies at 79. I grew up watching "The Tonight Show" on a tiny portable television in my bedroom with the sound barely audible while the rest of my family slept, laughing silently at Carson's jokes. Leno and Letterman are okay, but they don't hold a candle to Johnny.

Running Update: Ran 10 miles on the treadmill at my local YMCA today. The gym was packed, so I had to run in 30-minute increments (you can only run for a half-hour at a time if people are waiting). I ran 3.25 miles in the first 30 minutes. Then I hopped on another machine and ran 3.75 miles in the next 30 minutes. After waiting a few minutes, another machine opened up and I ran the final 3 miles in 24:00. Afterwards, I stretched, then relaxed in the dry sauna. Totally relaxed and blissed-out afterwards.

1 comment:

  1. That's a good way to get some distance on the treadmills with time limits.

    Stay warm.

    ReplyDelete