New Direction

I think I missed posting a jog and playlist. I'm pretty sure I did because I did go on another dog swapping jog. Yes. Really I did.
Tonight I decided to leave the dogs at home because I wanted to go out on some less dog-friendly roads. I went over the Interstate, up Gay Street, and over to the Art Museum. Once around the pond and back. Oh and it was around 11:00 PM, so it was pretty quiet. And cold.
I was somewhat surprised at how quickly I could get almost downtown. I like that route. A bit more scenic than just around the neighborhood.

The Playlist: Rock and Roll in more or less alphabetical order
Shake a Leg -AC/DC
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
Love Me Two Times -The Doors
Epistle to Dippy -Donovan
Rock and Roll, Part 2 -Gary Glitter
Christine Sixteen -Kiss
The Song Remains the Same -Led Zeppelin
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
I Wanna Be Sedated -The Ramones

Total time, 33:33

New Year's Resolutions

So it's a New Year, and looking back on my resolutions from last year. I don't think I did so well on my resolution to drink less. However, I did not drink more, so that is achievement of a sort. I did much better on my resolution to eat more salad. I ate a salad just about every day through June, and then at least four times a week until December. With all the traveling at the end of the year, it was tough to keep up with it, but I'm back and settled and ready to recommit to salad eating. Maybe I'll try to drink less as well, eat less processed food, and of course, keep running at least three times a week.

So I finally went on my first jog since I got back to Auburn. While I was in South Africa my family got a new puppy, which matches our older dog Trixie. So I had a bit of a quandary; the puppy, Jin-Jin, is still quite a fresh young thing, so I didn't want to take both dogs out together. So I decided to go out with Trixie first, then Jin-Jin. That worked out pretty well, since running around the neighborhood is a series of loops anyway.

Playlist:
Our Lips Are Sealed -The Go-Gos
Blind Mary -Gnarls Barkley
When Doves Cry -Prince
Cold Sweat, Part 1 -James Brown
(This is where I switched dogs)
Carbon Monoxide -Cake
Watching the Detectives -Elvis Costello
Veronica -Elvis Costello
Total time 26:13

Sonoma Valley Regional Park

Last Sunday I engaged in something I'd rather not do: drive somewhere to go jogging. We're up in Glen Ellen, in Sonoma County California, and there's not much of an alternative.
The alternatives are to go up and down the short landing strip several times, or to drive for five minutes to get to Sonoma Valley Regional Park. SVRP is a nice place for a short jog.
Playlist
Thul'ulalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Beaux Dimanches -Amadou and Mariam
Lady Luck -Billy Eckstine. A recent addition to the Tune-o-matic. I have this one CD (No Cover, No Minimum), and some 45's by Mr. B.
Never Get Weary -Toots and the Maytals
Bedy -Kanda Bongo Man
The Battle of Evermore -Led Zeppelin. Okay, one of these things is not like the others, and there is a reason. I received a 'tater bug mandolin as a Xmas present, and I've been trying to learn to play it. As with most instruments I've picked up, I come to enjoy songs that feature the new instrument, so there may be more mandolin-containing or mandolin adaptable songs in future playlists.
Total time: 25:48.

Mountain Lake Park again

Hi and Happy Boxing Day
I did manage to get out again this morning, after ministering to the needs of my kids. I went out around Mountain Lake Park again, with a lovely boof of eucalyptus trees, and the San Franciscans out mendicating. I was out a bit longer than yesterday, and had much less hacking and gasping from the microbes in my bronchi. Hooray for that.
Playlist
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
Transdermal Celebration -Ween
Tried and True -Ween
I Gotcha -Joe Tex
One Nation Under A Groove -Funkadelic
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker -The Ramones, for the kick
Total time out: 26:01

Back in the Northern Hemisphere

"Where have I been?" You probably haven't been wondering. Well, after leaving South Africa, crossing Africa and Europe to arrive late in Amsterdam, getting rerouted through Paris, and arriving back in Atlanta, I was home for a couple of weeks before coming to spend Xmas with the inlaws in San Francisco (Yes, the one in California). However, due to the rerouting in Amsterdam, I spent over a week without my running shoes, and the rest of my second checked bag. And also, thanks to some nasty microorganism that has decided to take up temporary residence in my lungs, my breathing has not been at it's peak. Thus for want of a nail (and due to coughing fits), the kingdom hasn't been jogging.
So, with those excuses dangling over my tenuous grip on fitness efforts, I haven't been running since I got back from South Africa. At least until this morning, which is why I bother posting.
As I said, I'm staying with my in-laws in the Richmond District, and finally felt well enough to go on a run through Mountain Lake Park, which is next to the Presidio. I did alright, not wanting to be out for too long after the hiatus, and only had coughing fits for the last half K or so. I did have a very nice and comfortable kick down 14th Ave, which I felt I had to extend, which is a rare feeling indeed.
It was a bit moist out there, just a thick fog or a very thin rain, so the tune-o-matic did come along and here is what it sang...

Playlist:
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama -Amaswazi Emvelo. Do you get the impression that I love this song from how often I listen to it? Yes, it's true, I <3 this song quite a lot.
Can't Forget About You-Nas. This song also reminds me of South Africa, since it was on the radio quite a bit when I was there last year.
Gamma Ray -Beck
Academia -Sia
California Love -2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman. Dolle (obligatory), given my current location.

Time out: 21:and change, I didn't stop it in time for an accurate assessment.

Another run through Brooklyn

No, not the one in the Big Apple, the one in Pretoria.
I managed to get out this morning and stay out for 35:49, without Scotch (I didn't have his lead).
But it was probably for the best, as I jogged down to Magnolia Dell and up Queen Wilhelmina Street to Nieuw Muckleneuk Trim Park. Scotch probably wouldn't have been welcome in the parks.

Playlist:
Round and Round -Ratt
The Sky is Falling -Queens of the Stone Age
You're pretty good looking (for a girl) -White Stripes
Jumping Jack Flash -The Rolling Stones
19th Nervous Breakdown -The Rolling Stones
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
Won't Get Fooled Again -The Who
Blitzkrieg Bop -The Ramones
A hard rockin' playlist. I'm feeling a bit more sore than usual. Maybe because of the hills and uneven terrain. Maybe because of last night's dinner of beer, biltong and cigarettes. Yeah, probably that last one.

Dog Jog

Yesterday went for first jog since decamping to Brooklyn. I took my host's dog, Scotch, with me. He's a big German shepherd who loves to play with his volleyball in the yard. My housesitting neighbor had taken him for a run shortly before I got back, but what dog wouldn't go out for two runs in a day, if he had the chance? So we went out for a short one, only 18:52. He wasn't the best jogging partner. Our dog Trixie back in Auburn is a lot better, for the most part, if a little lazy. But around the neighborhood there's a lot of other dogs to provide distraction. I may get out again one more time before I head back to the wintertime.