16 Jan 2010

R: Unexpected visitors V and K changed my weekend plans, and I ended up at one of my favorite museums this afternoon - American Museum of Natural History. Usually I'd be cranky going to a tourist spot on a holiday weekend, but it has been a long time since I visited AMNH, and there's a live butterfly exhibit going on through the end of May. After meandering through the regular exhibits, K and I realized we didn't have much time before the museum closed so we scrambled around in the maze to get to the Butterfly Hall. Despite the overwhelming heat and humidity, hanging out with exotic butterflies was definitely a highlight of my day. None of the lovely critters landed on me, but I saw one land on an unsuspecting baby and a beautiful blue one eventually spread its wings on K's coat.

We are celebrating our 55th mensiversary today and spent our day so far trekking from Brookline to Allston (stopped by new Blue Asia Cafe) taking photos. I started the day with a brisk run to Cleveland Circle and back, which left an unfriendly burn in my lungs. I feel as if I must be one of the few people who refuses to workout because I believe it makes me bigger, not smaller. I live on the top of a hill, and I hate that I cannot get a good run without meeting a steep incline which is sure to bulk up my calves and quads an additional 3 inches that I just do not want. The sisters got me new, custom-designed (thanks R) shoes for my birthday this year, but this only has resulted in a refusal to run on days that are anything but sunny, dry and at least 50F. One of my favorite races was the National XC Championship my freshman year - it was February, and despite being North Carolina, it was 30-40F with freezing rain pouring down. I braved that day in nothing but my split shorts, singlet and a pair of gloves....and came home with a trophy.

I often miss running along the trails of the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachia, but in the city-where I end up stopping as frequently as the MBTA, there are no safe and accessible green trails, it's dark by the time I get home, and icy cold for at least 4 months of the year-I have developed a slight aversion for the sport that I once lived and breathed for nearly a solid decade.