Day 81:

JE summed up our diet today when he said, "I feel like all I've eaten is bread with toppings on it."

There was no work for me today, so I was able to sleep in a bit--not on the agenda, but it felt really good. We drove through the slight sprinkle to JE's work. There is a great trail running by what in other states would be a river, but here is a storm drain. A storm drain is a ditch that follows the natural river/flood plain. It is walled in with 15 foot walls in places. Often there are pedestrian trails along these with passes going under major roads. In the more modern storm drains, the bottom is dirt and allows plants and shrubs to grow there until they get scoured out by heavy rain. We have had so much rain in SoCal that the storm drains are filling up with dirt and debris. Debris ten feet up on the wall showed the latest high water mark.

I headed toward the mountains on the trail. At the underpass to the freeway, there was a barricade with yellow "caution" tape across it. It doesn't say not to cross, I thought as I ran past the barrier. When I got to the bottom, water was running over the path. It didn't look deep...

I turned around and ran toward the ocean (miles from where I was, but it is the Mountain to Sea Trail, so toward the sea I ran!). I set my intention to see what a 5K feels like. I ran over Railroad tracks, through the Incredible Edible Park, and through a neighborhood. I over shot my 5K by about a mile or so. Admittedly, I didn't run the whole thing. I stopped my time and distance pedometer at 5.45K (just under 40 min I am soooo slow!!!) and walked another 23 minutes.

As I was getting closer to the car, the storm was beginning to settle on Orange County. It has been raining here all day and getting bigger and gustier. Crazy day! It never rains like this here.

JE met me at the car and asked if I would mind getting him and his coworker some breakfast at 85*c AKA (God's own bakery). Certainly! They had my favorite--the Cheese Rose. A big ball of seed flecked white dough surrounding a pink rose scented puffy, chewy, cherry flecked dough baked with a sweet cheese in the middle. That was my breakfast and lunch!

Rain related adventures abound today. Driving alone in this area is an adventure! Good grief!