4:56

I woke up from the jello pool, that is dreamland, at 4:56 this morning. Alert and refreshed. So I tossed on my running shoes and bandanna and iPod and went on a run.

I love getting up before the sun. It makes me feel like I've got a jump start on the day and the rest of humanity, but I'm so lazy it happens about as often as the Vikings win a Super Bowl. The streets are normally teaming with angry taxis and a black haired sea in a rush to hop on the bus or subway. But not quite yet. The streets were silent and I felt completely alone as I ran. It started to drizzle when I hit the Bird's Nest and turned into a full out downpour when I turned for home. And 12.24 miles later I slowly climbed the steps up to the Cloister, smacking my lips to turn on the lights (Here in China, a lot of lighting in stairwells / outside are turned on via sound, so whenever I walk into a dark room I'll smack my lips. Turns out this is a tough habit to break.) as a soggy body of jello.

It was a treat to run in America - clean air and quiet roads. But I'm running a marathon on November 17th in Hangzhou, China, so I better get used to blackened lungs and dodging taxis.

- m -

Back in the Big B

I'm back in the Big B!

Our flight rolled in at 4:50 am.

Jon picked us up from the airport and we rode the subway. He brought roses, but they weren't for me (I was on the same flight as his wife, Kim).

As I looked out and saw a smoggy city and heard the honks of an armada of taxis and smelled the glorious smell of grilling chuan'r and hugged my friends from the alley I thought to myself, "It feels good to be home."

- m -