Visiting Old Friends

It's Labor Day in Norway, so naturally I dressed all red. Not on purpose, but nevertheless I did. Tonight I'm going over to some old friends' house from my days at SLAC for dinner. It's been over a decade since I lived here, so I completely misestimated traffic. I'm only going 40 miles, so I looked at 4:30 to see when I should order an Uber. Google Maps said it would take 2.5 hours to get there, and Uber said it would cost $120. Shit. I messaged Sharad and he said to wait until 6:30 and try again. So I did. Then it was 2 hours and $120. Double shit. So now I'm in the most expensive Uber ever on a marathon ride that'll take me through Dublin (where I lived as a kid - yay!) on my way to Brentwood. I feel really stupid for not just leaving earlier. One must lived with one's mistakes.

Sitting in the back of the car typing in traffic I may be on track to relive another childhood memory from living out here - car sickness. Yesterday on my run I forgot my water bottle, so when the snot started to stick in my throat as it got dried out I did some serious dry heaving. Like bent over on the roadside dry heaving by a monastery. Meanwhile, my water bottle sat filled on the bathroom counter back at the hotel. I was never so happy as to discover there was, in fact, a water fountain at Foothills Park when I got there. So, yeah, some of that nauceousness has carried over into today.

I have been so spoiled by the excellent public transportation in Norway. I tried to look for a bus route at 4:30 when I saw the $120 Uber price, but I wouldn't make it there until tomorrow! Well, at least according to Google Maps. It's times like these when I question the decisions that I've made that have put me on this path toward Mission Peak in what seems to be neverending rush hour traffic.

Such a contrast this sunny, dry place draws with Seattle and it's lush greenery. Both are beautful, but in different ways. Repeated themes! I am certain they'll continue to weave their way through my life.