You will remember back in the spring when it was time to find out if my entry in the NYC Marathon had been accepted. You will remember this because I reposted that post today so you would. You will remember that after a much botched selection process I was not chosen and I was very disappointed.
A lot has happened since then, I had a trip to New York which was a flying nightmare,
I've started training for a half marathon in San Jose which was a blast and the latest? New York is waiting out Hurricane Sandy which is said to be the storm of a lifetime, which hits -sometime soon, not sure when but would have made for horrible flying conditions -and buy conditions I'm not referring to the bumpiness on the flight but just trying to get there.
The half marathon was perfect-every thing about it! Plus at this point I've resigned myself to not needing to go to NY to run a marathon or whatever. I can run them anywhere-with a lot less hassle.
Sometimes the stars align and you don't always get what you want but as the Rolling Stones said "You get what you need".
So here are the top 10 reasons why I'm glad I"m not running in the New York City Marathon (although of course I'll try again next year).
10. There's a hurricane coming
9. I hate packing
8. I would have missed Halloween at my school-oh wait wrong list.
7. I would have had a panic attack crossing the bridge in a large crowd.
6. The closest the Verrazano bridge comes really close to falling down from the pounding of feet of the people in the marathon
5. I would have been really tired from all of that training
4. I would want to stop and buy pretzels on every corner
3. Winning the event would have put me in a higher tax bracket
2. It would make my knee hurt.
and the top reason for not wanting to run in the NYC Marathon?
1. Why would I run through the 5 burrows when there are perfectly good subways.
So New York, I'm not really sorry that I am missing this event, although I will gladly do it if I'm among the 8% of people who make it through the lottery system.
If I do a marathon I will do it as part of a race that really wants me there, not one that has made it clear-you're not welcome people from other states/nations, etc.
I love San Francisco. It's a pretty great city. So every month or so I make a real effort to lose these Little Town Blues-as Frank Sinatra says and get my big city fix.
My daughter Meghan's birthday is September 1st and Sunday was October 20th but it takes that long to coordinate schedules. We planned on a trip to San Francisco to shop and buy her stuff. We do this every year, only usually at Valley Fair Mall.
I always take BART-which is the hub of public transportation here in San Francisco, is not named after Bart Simpson and is only 40 years old. It's the Bay Area answer to the Long Island Railroad only it doesn't really reach that far out of San Francisco. Long story.
It's worth it to avoid the traffic and also not have to pay to park. I sincerely try not to think about what would happen as we careen through the underground tunnels if there were to be an earthquake. I chose to think they are super earthquake built. It's a good thing the 5.3 shaker happened at midnight not at noon. Just sayin...
When you emerge from the underground of BART at the Powell St. station you step into a haven of shopping and tourism in a really compacted square. (I never understand why the tourists don't go down a couple of blocks to get on the cable car-but whatever).
I contend there are more stores in a smaller area here than anywhere else. They are piled next to and on top of eachother in a span of a few blocks. Even the mall there with it's spectacular escalators that careen through Nordstroms are an archetectual marvel.
So we hit the huge Gap, stepped out the door and hit the Huge Forever XXI and then we stepped out the door and hit Sephora.
This is where my trip took a demented twist. I love Sephora-for a girl it's a candy store. It's awesome-brand after brand of make up, skin and hair care all there and ready to try. My heaven will have a Sephora (my hell will have a Chuck E Cheese-hence I try to be a good person) All I really need was Smashbox Primer. If you don't know what that is-it isn't really important.
It was right there by the entrance-right there. What slowed me down was there were 7 varieties based on skin type. I'm 49 I need them all. Well the saleswomen saw me and I was toast.
You don't want that Primer you want this primer. I think it was called Hourglass and it's so much better. Before I knew what was happening she had taken off my makeup and started applying both the primer and the foundation which was so much better than what I used and Meghan tipped me off was 60 dollars. I left the foundation and took the primer in my basket.(big mistake -NEVER take the basket)
The whole time up the aisle I was tormented from not getting the Smashbox because I love it. On to wipe down my face and put on some more makeup because I have to have make up on.
A few steps foward and a few more things placed in my basket and over walks a woman dressed up like Skar. (Have I forgotten to mention they are launching a line of Cinderalla makeup and some of the sales people were made up like Disney characters?)
Well Skar ( I don't even know who Skar is) actually had an answer for my daughter's question about something which led to the Stila aisle to something called BB Cream. Which supposedly does everything you need include make your breakfast.
So Skar used the back of my hand and it's wrinkly texture to show how great his BB Cream is and of course I walked out of there with one for me and one for Meghan, Skars business card should I need a consultation and instructions on how to give her a good review.
I really wanted to look at the skin care products and some Bumble and Bumble hair care but I just couldn't afford to walk any further in the store.
I made it out of there and continued on. I was starving and a little lightheaded from all the Cinderella perfume. I'm not sure which way to Macy's. All I had to do was look up-walk a block and there it was.
Macy's meant lunch at the rooftop Cheesecake Factory (there's something criminal about eating at a chain in San Francisco-but when the trip is shopping the energy for food adventure takes a back seat). Then Macy's shoes, a quick trip to the Nike Store, Disney, Old Navy and back to BART.
San Francisco is a great city-it's world class. And for a commoner with the blood of a city girl-it's just what the doctor ordered.
Where has the commoner been? There's so much she should be writing about! Her half marathon! Her party! Her year of living fabulously.
I will, I will, I promise. But right now I'm exhausted -. I would list them but that would be complaining. I never complain. But I'll be back soon.
