hoo-boy! oh, my new neighborhood is so cool.

today i took advantage of the fact that my bosses aren't here to go for a nice lunchtime run (and post-run shower) without worrying if i were a little late coming back. again, i want to stress how much i love living close to the job - i was home, had made a sandwich, and was watering my plants within 8 minutes of leaving the office.

so then i took off on a little run to check out my neighborhood. what i like about hollywood is that it's a real neighborhood. don't get me wrong - i've liked the other places i've lived and stayed down here. for example, the condo or ed's place. but they're in very controlled environments, mastered by the homeowner's/condo association. while this prevents people from, say, leaving a junked car in the front yard, it also takes out the possibility for much character. where i'm living now is different. we have our share of junky-looking places, but also some houses you have to stop and look at. a place with shells and plants and nautical things everywhere outside. a house with a HUGE front yard and a tree so big it shades the whole thing. stray cats lounging around by dumpsters (obviously, it's not all quaint & happy).

then i got down to young circle, where i was lucky enough to witness the dismantling of what must've been a fun little festival yesterday. today it was men moving porta-potties. but i got to see the baobab trees! i think there are five or so in the circle. they're totally out of place and totally cool.

baobab tree.

then i ran down one of the streets and went by a dozen restaurants and pubs and some cool little shops too. apparently i can take belly dancing classes at the goddess store.. or just buy the cute little lotus candle holders i saw in the window.

so i had a good little half-hour run, which is equivalent to a 7 or so hour run if you take into account the 80-degree air and 11,000-degree sun. just approximately, of course.

i really gotta start doing some exercising and watching what i eat - no more rocky road dinners. unless i gained 5 lbs of muscle from last week's 5k alone, i have something to worry about. and if i go to the bahamas in july, i want to be (closer to) fit! so we'll see how that goes. i may keep updates here so i don't go being a shit and eating badly.. without witnesses.

:)

  ¶ 2:32 PM