Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Home Again

Once again I am hopelessly behind in reading and updating. Once again I am in a running and updating slump. I have nothing to say and too much to say.

So here goes nothing.

RBF MEETUP!:
First I went to Toronto. And met this cool and charming guy:
(Blogger friend Adeel)

We spent Thursday night hanging—no CLOSING DOWN—a Starbucks. We talked about elephants, qualia, words, running, and what the hell the name of his blog means. (Which I now know.) Then he got up and ran the Detroit half-marathon in the time it takes me to tie one running shoe.

RUNNING/NOT SWIMMING:
Thursday morning I hauled myself out of bed after about one minute of sleep and ran a few miles toward Parliament, Queen's park and back. The weather was just this side of cool. A dense fog covered everything, which, though beautiful, worried me because I was a) asleep, and b) could see nothing. I didn't actually realize I was running by Parliament at the time that I was running by Parliament. I ran around the park twice, solely by mistake, since I couldn't see a thing. Let the cursing commence. I saw quite a few runners out.

Torontonians are not so big on telling you anything much about their edifices. I ran by this:


which didn't really fill my need for info. The South Building, most excellent!

The hotel had an Olympic-sized indoor-outdoor pool, so I thought I'd try some laps during Friday lunch, and allow myself a glorious sleep-in 'til 7:00ish. Only to discover that the pool was closed for repairs. What to do? Well, obviously, there was only one thing to do: Follow the signs pointing to massage. So I did. Glorious. Then back to work 'til late Friday night. (We didn't win the Online News Awards, but we were finalists.)

Saturday morning dawned breezy. Like hurricane level-breezy. Like blow my freakin' head off breezy. I headed out toward Lake Ontario (quick: name the Great Lakes! Clue: SHMOE) for what I hoped would be six miles, or an hour-long run. Loads of construction and traffic lights kept stopping me but I did some kind of running.

I also made it to Union Station and to St. James Cathedral—two sites that Adeel had suggested. Actually, I had to go thru Union Station due to street closings. I headed over to the Cathedral dressed in my finest running duds. All locked. I noticed two people shuffling in a back door so I politely knocked and asked if I could come and look around. A very elderly man explained in broken (what sounded like Russian-) English that they were mopping and could I wait 10 minutes until they opened at 9 a.m.?

As if! Listen, buster, you're talking to an American. Do I LOOK like I have 10 minutes to wait to WORSHIP GOD? NO? Right. Next!

(Both buildings were actually worth looking at, if you are into old buildings, as I am.)

WALKING:
The conference ended Friday night, so I planned to spend Saturday visiting the city. After running, showering, changing, and checkout, I took myself and my trusty camera to see the sites.

Four hours later it was time to leave.

I visited Chinatown, Kensington Market, The Royal Ontario Museum, Queen's Park, and walked until I thought my feet would fall off. It's a terrific city, there are recycling bins everywhere, people are so polite. I did NOT get the feeling that everyone was running around angry all the time. Which is kind of the feeling I have here.

(Queen's Park)



(They knew I was coming)

(This is the main building.)

(Royal Ontario Museum, Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Only had time to visit the gift shop.)

Well friends, I had many more adventures, too numerous to recount here.

I find I am so D-O-N-E with running. I mean really. I am done! I haven't run since Saturday. Let's see if It can force myself to lope around 3 miles in the a.m.

Meanwhile, have I mentioned that I'm going to sign up for this?

I hear that all the cool kids are doing them.

29 comments:

21stCenturyMom said...

Yay!!! Another entrant to the crack house. You won't regret it - I promise!

Nice trip! You certainly took advantage and saw a lot of stuff.

A Deal Or No Deal said...

Wow, you really got around. Nice pictures. I always wonder how Toronto seems to an outsider.

By the way, our Great Lakes mnemonic was always HOMES. SCHMOES works if you're like a friend's substitute teacher who insisted that Lake St. Clair was also one of the Great Lakes and actually marked them wrong for claiming otherwise.

Rhea said...

oooh, cool! I aim to do a tri next year myself. Now, WHAT outfit do you plan on wearing tomorrow to you-know-what?! I couldn't hear you on my cell phone.

LBTEPA said...

Just about to say what a lovely place Toronto looks - love that pub also the lego building LOL - and then you tell us you're doing a tri, all casual like?
You'll have such fun!! I'm so thrilled for you!! BTW thanks for calling me a cool kid *beams*

a.maria said...

looks like a great trip... welcome to tri-life! :)

Nancy Toby said...

Uh, so what's up with burying the news of COMING OVER TO THE DARK SIDE in links, eh?

Hmmm, that looks like a nice event, and I haven't done a sprint tri in a few years.... but are you going to do the Olympic?? 2008 is an Olympic year, after all, it's only fitting....

Laurie said...

Superior
Huron
Michigan
Ontario
Erie

You asked.

jeanne said...

Well, i'd reverse Michigan and Huron.
thus resulting in: SMHOE.

well done!

Neese said...

another one going tri! :-o
neesey's gonna be left behind trot trot trotting along

Runner Susan said...

a tri? when did this begin? don't go to the dark side Jeanne. Stay. stay with us.

Anonymous said...

I just want to point out that I have no plans to do a tri and, yet, I am uber-cool. The coolest. Really.

I am also a kid.

Putting all this together, I am a cool kid who does not do these dark side activities. ;)

Danielle in Iowa in Ireland said...

I got my purse with my *entire life* stolen off the back of a chair in Chinatown in Toronto. They must have seen me coming from a mile away "Look at that girl! She looks like she is from Iowa, land of no crime and corn! Her purse should be easy to nab!"

Rae said...

Great pics!!! It looks like a beautiful city!!!

Ooooh, I love Philly. That would be a fun tri to do.....

Vickie said...

Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Swam in everyone but Huron (I think) all for triathlons. I see you're thinking of coming over to the dark side? If you ever get to Michigan, make sure you let me know so we can duke it out to the finish. You know, you and me, running about 12 min. miles.

Vickie said...

OMG, I didn't even read Nancy's comment before I made mine. Doesn't it scare you that we both refer to triathlon as "the dark side"?

jeanne said...

vickie: err, um, yes it scares me!

Rich said...

I'm torn bewteen wishing you well in your tri and wanting you to not leave us pure runners (who can't swim or bike worth a crap) for that dark dark dark dark dark oh so dark side.

Rich said...

Oh, and yes, Canada is good for some things, and looks like you found them.

MNFirefly said...

Wonderful pictures, Jess.

MNFirefly said...

Wonderful pictures, Jess.

David said...

What is in the water in Toronto? Is it SHMOE water? Why on Earth are you compelled to think tri? Do you know you can lose a tooth in that water?

susie said...

Done with running. Naaaa. I don't believe it.
Hey, we're still running the F-burg half in December. Remember getting lost while driving my car all over the city? You were such a great photographer!! Can you believe it's been a year???????

Rhea said...

Update your blog, woman!

This has been a special public service announcement.

Neese said...

Happy Halloween!! :o)

Anonymous said...

bex, thank you for speaking for the people. The people have spoken, Jeanne. Get on it!

peter said...

I know you're back, Jeanne, because I saw you Saturday. Why are you hiding and not writing? We're all busy, and tired. Tell the world how you're deep into training for your next RUNNING event, the Gar Williams Half on December 1st (yes, in 31 days as in one month) in Alexandria. And give that bike back to Susie please. Either that or start taking rude lessons (you could spend time in Quebec instead of Toronto next time you go to Canada, for instance) for every time you climb aboard. True story--Running on the CCT, I saw two bicyclists in their colorful spandex dressups go by a couple of runners toiling away on the trail, who weren't even runnning two abreast which REALLY infuriates bikers. The lead biker stood on his pedals and shouted to his companion for all to hear: "If you ever hear I've taken up jogging and you see me going at that speed, please remind me to have my myocardial infarction!" Yeah, he was a typical biker alright.

Anonymous said...

We might as well talk to each other if Jeanne isn't going to talk to us! I agree with you about bikers, Peter. One time, about 8 years ago, I very carefully and cautiously entered the road, in my car with my young daughter, when a pack of cyclists came around a bend at break neck speed. They had to slow down slightly so they all called out FU and held up the famous finger with an intensity that still has me upset to this day. Where's the joy in that kind of exercise? I've never seen a runner do anything like that!

jeanne said...

hmmm. interesting. well, check out the running boards at let's run if you wanna see some runner LOVE! NOT!

No, I don't agree he was the typical biker, Peter. I think he was a RUDE biker.

I've also seen rude runners, rude swimmers, rude black people, rude white people. Rude people DRIVING! CARS! Imagine!!

I'm planning on being my l'il old polite self. Of course!
:)

Anonymous said...

well, peter... he may have been rude, but sounds like he was pretty funny. my kinda guy.

more power to him!