Reasons I like living downtown

The past few weekends I've challenged myself to drive as little as possible while getting out of the house and staying active as much as possible. Living downtown makes that so easy. This past weekend I wore myself out - Friday night I met a friend for dinner (did have to drive to the location - several miles and not able to walk). Saturday morning comprised of an extra long workout all along the hood. I love getting out early on the weekends - most of my neighborhood is made up of old stately houses that have been converted into law offices or counseling centers. It's quiet, low traffic, but still feels like a neighborhood, with shady streets, wide sidewalks and deep lawns. My friend RJ met me and we walked down to the farmer's market on Main Street. I wasn't sure what the selection would be like, as we're fast approaching the end of the summer crop. But I left with two huge Biltmore tomatoes (bright red and juicy), a pound of fresh green beans, an onion, and a free reusable bag from Earth Fare, all for less than $5.

The roomie and I headed back downtown, walking to Saffron's for lunch outside and then hitting Art in the Park. It was such a great day! There were all kinds of vendors and artists, and we saw some really great exhibits. And good conversation covering a wide range of subjects. Saturday night Tucker and I went for another long walk around downtown. Sunday was more of the same - early morning workout walk and church. Sunday afternoon I went back down to Art in the Park w/ C, Lem and Tiff. We stopped to draw w/ sidewalk chalk, breezed past a lot of the artists (most of the exhibits seemed a bit more fragile/breakable with a 6 and 2 year old in hand) and had a great time at the Kids Tent making our own "art".

I just completed my fifth week of tracking calories and workouts on the daily plate. Livestrong has a great tool - http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate. It's free and easy to use. As of Friday, I'm down 23 lbs and have tracked exercise for two consecutive weeks. It's a good feeling to have a record, and I'm trying to search out some new ideas for routes around the area. As of this morning I've been averaging 45 minute routes and jogging between 10-15 mins. in intervals of 4/5 mins. I have a long way to go, but my goal is to run the Cooper River Bridge Run in April.

There are so many things out of my control, but this is something I can control and work towards. It has helped me clear my head, make room for good quiet time, and Tucker thinks our early morning adventures are great!

There was a definite chill in the air this morning when we headed out - I even grabbed a pair of gloves to keep my fingers warm. I love the sounds of early morning - the thud of a newspaper on a porch, the occasional rumble of a truck downshifting towards Main Street . . . this is when my little city is at it's best. When the streets are quiet and the sidewalks are fresh - predawn calm before the storm of the morning commute. Everything seems so clear, so sharp. I try to mirror my mind in the same fashion; to clear my head and focus on the goals of the day, and to spend time reflecting and praying over the things that push up through the cracks. I've never thought of myself as a morning person but I certainly look forward to them lately.