On and Off the Road
Back from my Sacto-Houston-Miami-Dallas-Houston-Sacto trip, pimping Sokol Blosser to south Florida and Texas, two huge wine markets. Snuck in two short runs in Miami -- actually, Hollywood, Fla., a beachtown north of Miami, near Fort Lauderdale. I liked the slightly rundown old two- and three-story pastel-colored art-deco-tinged hotels along the beach in Hollywood. Steelers placards in many windows and old folks walking along the promenade in the morning. We also ventured farther up 95 into Palm Beach county. Yawn.

Houston: Why do cities choose 14 slight variations on a theme for street names? Atlanta has its Peachtrees. In Houston, it's Post Oaks. We were lost and said we were on Post Oak and the concierge at the hotel we were trying to find asked which Post Oak.

Dallas: Dallas has neighborhoods with homes that people live in, and restaurants nearby with outdoor seating, and lots of people in them, and it has Central Market, my God, makes Whole Foods look like a Safeway. Dallas is not all bad.

Home to Napa late Friday, I snuck in a swim just to loosen the joints. This morning, I was on the road putting in a 15-miler in two hours. Napa couldn't have been more gorgeous, all fresh and clean and sunny after early morning showers.

Napa Valley Marathon is four weeks from tomorrow. As usual, I wish I had another two or three weeks to work in a long run. It will always be thus.