Category Archives: jogging

LAX layover

jogging, places

From Aviation and Century we climbed on the Big Blue Bus #3 and rode Lincoln St for 20 minutes. At Ocean Park Blvd. we jumped off and headed west on foot for a little over a 1/2 mile. We stumbled upon a local farmers market already in progress and had fun tasting the fresh fruit samples. Onward a few more blocks to the beach. North or South take your pick. Jogging, biking, roller blading, walking, people watching. No thongs or string bikinis. I guess that’s only Hollywood stuff. The Venice Beach / Santa Monica Ocean Walk is a bit seedy. The hippie jewelry, incense and tarot card vendors look like refugees from Nor Cal, immigrating by way of Big Sur no doubt. I half way expected to see Fletch bumming about 🙂

Google Earth Placemark

SAN layover

jogging, places

Go left. Find famous Balboa Park. From 6th St. and Laurel St. is the Cabrillo Bridge. Stay on the grass and keep it to your side as you traverse downhill, through the Dogs and Owners Off Leash romp area. Discover a park utility road which crosses under the bridge for a nice jog route. The park is 1400 acres and I presumed that there was more than botanical gardens and old museums. Google searches turned up tease phrases like Old Bridal Trail and Florida Canyon but the route that I describe is not well marked and certainly not advertised. Local knowledge only and this is the way to see San Diego in the wild. The majority of this run parallels the old Cabrillo Highway [163] so the natural aspect is spoiled somewhat by the dull roar and din of traffic. I did cross many trail forks leading through ravines filled with flowers and Coastal Sage Scrub. ( One such diversion led me to a shanty, and not wishing to intrude, a quick 180. If the well-to-do dwellers on the rim above only knew… )

Google Earth Placemark

SFO layover

jogging, places

Big city nature.

Fabulous jog this morning on the San Francisco Bay Trail, next to my layover digs…
Oyster Cove (north of SFO) is representative of the clean view.

Google Earth Placeholder

Portland, ME

jogging

great running route on the Back Cove. Fresh sea air and sights and smells from the tidal marsh.

Portland, ME

jogging

great running route B

Portland, ME

jogging

great running route A

TPA layover

jogging, places

Safety Dinning. Settling in to a booth for a late-lunchearly-supper at the P.F. Changs I decided on Kung Pao. Chad, the waiter, makes note of my choice and then asks: any dietary requirements or allergy concerns ? [blink] Maybe Chad is gun shy? Another patron didn’t survive his meal? We live in a litigious society and must sign a release acknowledging that the coffee is really hot? Naw says I. Jazz it up. I take full responsibility for myself. and Chad dispatches my order to the kitchen. Perplexed from this interview , I realize that it’s the PEANUTS (listed in the menu description, although, a fine print disclaimer on the menu might have been more PC) Ah so! But I have an iron stomach. Those slippery buggers are a challenge with the chop sticks though. You have to position them from 12 O clock high otherwise they squirt away. Hard to nab one at a time.

Google Earth Placemark

trail

jogging

The Washington and Old Dominion right of way is 100 feet by 45 miles. The trains stopped in 1968. Virginia Power strung towers and transmission lines while the NVRPA built the greenway. The length is paved for cyclists and a parallel utility road of crushed rock and sand serves as a bridle access. I used the dirt path for my exercise as it offers more cush, and to avoid mixing it up with the fast 2 wheeled traffic. Starting from mile marker 21 I followed this route to the Sully Rd. overpass just short of marker 24 before doubling back.

Google Earth Placemark

higher level of consciousness

jogging

I felt self conscious to strip down to my shorts and running shoes. I was still some distance from any actual beach and could be there was some local ordinance about being shirtless on the outside of the SPA. The sidewalks of Palm Beach are lined with Bling and paved with Palms. Jogging across the ICW drawbridge from West Palm, I was struck that every other brick and mortar is a Private Bank, Brokerage House (private), Yacht Sales or Exclusive Realtor’s Office. A Jaguar Showroom that I passed had massive plate glass windows though which I counted seven (7) Aston Martin Coupes and Convertibles. The other sub-six figure luxo cars inside and on the lot were mere filler. I moved to a less traveled side street of multi-million dollar Villas, also lined with Palms and each of them well manicured (otherwise the dayhelp’s Kia might be pelted with palm fronds or falling coconuts). Very Rich. I’m the only one on foot. Everybody else is in a creme color Bently wearing topsiders, off-white slacks, polo shirt and panama. Better keep my shirt on.

What is old is new again

flying, jogging

The trees were wiped clean by Hurricane Andrew ’92 but the nature trail / sea wall loops that I explored just the same, were lush with sea grasses, palmettos, shrubs and native plant restoration. My jog route was landmarked by the Cape Florida Light house on bottom and No Name Harbour at the top boundary. Lots of warm sun. I had the idea to contact the realtor to find us a winter home 😉 but BOURGIRL sez, “it’s kinda high rent” here. Aw shucks.

Flew Normals 1 in the Airbus Sim today which included a raw data, hand flown approach to Washington Baltimore Intl. While this stage involves deep concentration, this is because we are still absorbed in understanding what does what when why and how. The mechanics of the beast will become instinctive after a period of time as we progress. We will get into additional routines and abnormals, that will make these early lesson plans look like piece o’ cake.