Chillin' with Little Sis!

Greetings from Philadelphia!

I flew out early this morning for a few days of R&R with my little sister, Karyna. Currently, we're eating Peanut Stir Fry and watching Bridget Jone's Diary. Lots of fun!!! No matter how many times we watch this movie, we still have a great time together and really enjoy the movie. Let's face it, we've all got a little Bridget in all of us. Some things never change, I guess.

I flew out really early this morning from Pensacola, with my flight leaving at 0620. Through some miracle, I only packed ONE suitcase - and it's one that I carried on with me... Surely some kind of record for me, as usually I pack a bike box, a huge bag of clothes and gear, and then a backpack and/or purse... in fact, this is the first time in recent memory that I haven't traveled with my bike. It feels wrong, weird, and foreign. I feel like I'm missing something, but as it's 1)the end of my season and 2) only a few days, I'll be able to manage.

And bonus, no $80.00 bike fee. Excellent!

I arrived to misty gray skies, foliage of deep crimson reds, vibrant yellows, and bright oranges, and a chill in the air: it was apparent that fall was here and winter was just around the corner. After a brief fiasco at the airport (me + no working cell phone for 45 minutes = panic!), Karyna eventually found me, slightly panicked and alone at the Airtran Baggage Claim D. Luckily the pay phones out here work brilliantly, and after leaving a message with Karyna and then getting hold of Nathaniel, things eventually worked out. (Can you believe that we used to get by without cell phones? It's amazing to think how much technology has progressed, and how far we've come in just a few years/decades. I hope you can detect my sarcasm).

Afterwards, Karyna and I made a brief detour into Delaware (sweet - another state to add to add to my list, even though it was completely by accident. Let's just say that Karyna isn't the greatest with directions. So occasionally she'll end up in another state. But her fantastic sense of humor, and taste for adventure always gets her through) - and then ended up driving through Winchester, Bryn Mawr, and a few other neat suburbs outside of Philadelphia. After a quick stop for some shopping and lunch, we headed back to her apartment to grab the laptop and then went out to Starbucks so she could work on grad school applications while I devoured Graeme Obree's "Flying Scotsman". It's such a fantastic book, and I'm getting so much out of it, that I'm almost sad to finish it. Reading a good book is like going on a fantastic vacation: first you discover the local area, then you gradually get into the rhythm of life, and by the end you're sad to leave. Books are the same way for me: I bury myself in the pages and find myself furiously reading page after page. I have to finish, yet I never want the story to end. A great read will do that for you, I suppose.

After we got back, Karyna headed out for a quick run - but me... well, as it's my "off season", I took the day off and instead made Peanut Stir Fry. Cooking is a lot of fun for me, and I was happy to do it while Karyna got in her run. Extra broccoli and red peppers infused with the spicy flavor of sweet peanuts... yum!

I'm just really happy to be out here: Karyna and I don't get to see each other often enough, and it is wonderful to have this chance. I'm just looking forward to the whirlwind adventure of the next few days. I'm returning to Pensacola on Wednesday, but until then, Karyna and I are going to hang out, sip the local coffee, check out the local shopping venues, and enjoy all the historical aspects of downtown Philly. Great to be out here, spending time with my one and only wonderful sister!

Thanks for reading - nothing "too serious" today, just a quick update. I'm still digesting a few blog ideas from Clearwater and what it means to race/compete and some topics that deal with the moral/ethical side of sports. But that's for a later time. Now, well - K. and I have Bridge on, and a fresh batch of cookies in the oven. Good times and treats all around!