Saturday 091512

I thought I would wake up early and get in a good amount of running before the trip to Dublin.  Instead, I woke briefly at 4AM, called my family (it was 8PM there) and chatted with them for a bit.  They went to bed and I went back to bed too.  I woke up late AM and so a larger window for running and exploring was lost.  I screwed around for a bit – packing and checking on the results of the RRR race before I laced them up to get out for a bit.   I did get in seven however, lumbering around a bit with legs that feel heavy from a week of good food and wine and did enough exploring that I was briefly lost.  Best part was a bus driver pulled over and asked me for directions. 

I learned something about toasting at the table with the French.  You never cross someone else’s toast while you are toasting.  When toasting, you must make direct and clear eye contact.  And you don’t put your glass down until every one has had a drink from their glass.  There might be other rules too, but these were the ones we spoke of.

Also, the French apparently shake your hand at the first meeting of you every day.  So, even though you might work with Bob every day, the first time you see him any day, you shake his hand.  It makes for an interesting start to meetings.  With women, men do the “side kiss” thing instead of the hand shake.

KZ ran in the Liberty Bell XC meet yesterday, and so I got to talk to her about it a bit before she went to bed.  She was pretty stoked as she continues to PR in the 5K, and even bested a team mate she has not beaten thus far this year.