Climbing Mount Whitney
At various times today I thought about how to fit my P90X routine given the crappy room, sucking out the motivation from my very being. I finally decided to forego it today and tomorrow, and, instead, just walk downtown Seattle. After all, I’m in a town notorious for its cooler weather and hilly downtown. What better walking conditions could you ask for?
So, I took to the streets and headed east. This seemed especially a good idea since I was supposed to meet up for dinner at about 7 PM, which is like 5 or 6 PM anywhere in Southern California. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the sun sets at about 9 PM in the Pacific Northwest. In other words, twilight ends at about 9:30 or 9:45 PM. That’s at least an hour more daylight than Southern California. The nights don’t even seem as dark as Southern California!
In any case, I ended up walking past the local hospital and university. I saw some beautiful buildings. Sitting here writing this (with some remaining daylight at 9:31 PM) I realize my posts could use pictures of locations I visit. So, from now on, you’ll get those too. They may be pictures from my phone, but at least you’ll have a more intimidate feel for what I see.
Overall, I had a short walk of about 3 miles in one hour. It was slower than usual, but I was also walking hills, not just flat streets. So, I was happy with the progress and I’m looking forward to a longer and more rigorous walk tomorrow night.
My dinner friend didn’t show up, but…hot dog…I ended up at the Purple Cafe. This place is a wine-lover’s haven, not that I’d know. Nevertheless, I met a couple of great guys here and enjoyed relaxing after my walk. The food was very enjoyable and our bartender, a Maine native who had lived in Los Angeles for 13 years before settling in Seattle, was plenty knowledgeable about drinks and food.
The whole experience made me realize why I love traveling, walking the earth, and sharing a meal: it’s fun meeting new people that share the same zest for life and bring a new perspective to it. The whole experience made me realize that I was exactly where I needed and wanted to be at that moment. I only wish Ferchie and Veda were here to share it with me!
As a very important side note, I got an Instant Message from a good friend today. Apparently he read the posts here and wants to join me for the hike in 2012 and, possibly, the climb in 2013. Hurrah!!!
We have room for 15 people in our outfit. Any other takers?
What Do You Think?
As always, feel free to share your comments below.