downtown adventures

my downtown adventures used to mainly consist of fun outfits, cocktails, dancing, and cab rides home. lately, my downtown adventures have been in the afternoons running.

laaaame-o. whatever.

when the time changed (blasted daylight savings time), i wanted to still run outside when it was somewhat light outside. i resorted to running downtown because i feel like it's safe at rush hour and a great terrain. i just said terrain - that sounds redic. anyway.

i change my clothes at work and hit the ground running at like 4:15.

it gives me enough time before the sun has fully gone to sleep to get my miles in.

but, with the hustle and bustle of rush hour in downtown nashville,

it always makes for a little adventure.

yesterday for lunch, i had spicy tuna sushi. yumfreakittyyum. super spicy. super tasty. lemme tell ya - burping up spicy tuna sushi on mile 4 of 6 doesn't leave you wanting to run out for sushi anytime soon. *grumble*

not only was i burping up sushi - the sewage system was seeping poop and my stomach was rumbling. i guess with the warmer temperatures the past few days, the system is heating up and emitting the most rancid smells ever. about every 3rd block, i was having to stop until the little ped sign allowed me to play frogger getting across the street. it seemed like only those intersections were being cursed with the fumes. and by frogger, i'm not kidding. people have no regard for the whole "yielding to pedestrian" law.

the most exciting episode of the run was not the sushi or the flatulence of the sewage system, however. i nearly got hit two times last night....

the first was by a dim-wit girl on a bike. not a speedy 10-speed or a cool all-terrain (i had to use terrain again...) mtn. bike. no, she had one of those cruiser bikes. she was probably from east nashville. (i have a secret crush on people that hang and live in east nashville. they're groovy) anyway. she was heading in one direction. i was heading in the opposite. yes. the sidewalk is somewhat narrow and she had pedals. she wins. but, don't you generally always move to the right when you meet someone coming at you? i mean, it's what you do in a car, in a boat, and i thought it's what you did as a pedestrian. the funny thing is - she was in the middle of the sidewalk as she was approaching me. i sidestepped a bit to the right to allow her room and she came to her left. i literally had to jump off the sidewalk and out of her way. to top it off - she had on a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. fail. i was running faster at my snail pace than she was scooting along on her banana seat cruiser bike. so, yea - i almost got hit by a biker.

the best near collision i had was with a car. crazy, i know. but, i literally laughed out loud to myself as this was happening. my running route takes me right by nashville's finest strip club, deja vu. it's 4:30pm and the place is open. do strip clubs ever close? i mean - who goes to a strip club at 4 in the afternoon? do people sit around at happy hour when the sun is still shining and say, "hey, let's go watch these girls dance...." ? um, scary thought. but, as i was minding my own business running across the driveway into deja vu - a busted up silver monte carlo didn't see me as it was trying to enter into the parking lot. *screeeeech* the driver - which i quickly saw was a she - slammed on her breaks to just miss hitting me. oh yea - she had her window cracked.

i was able to enjoy the sights of a bleach blond with acrylic nails on her boost mobile phone with make up about 2 inches thick. this broad was turning into deja vu on two wheels ready to get her dance on.

yes, i almost got hit by a stripper.

i mean, i'm not sure that any other place for my 6 mile run would have yielded such excitement.

happy friday everyone!