Love in San Francisco

OK, may be I am in pain, I am not sure about Saturday's run and my races this year, I made a decision to have a surgery done by the end of the year, and I will have ups and downs inevitable throughout this season, BUT...I LOVE this city! There is nothing in San Francisco I don't like...well, may be the cost of living, but it all well worth it.

Anyway, I have a 10 yo son, Stephen. When he was a year and half, we met another Russian couple in NYC, and they had a little girl Sasha, and then it was LOVE...We stayed close friends for about 5 years, then life took us apart, our families met may be once in 2 years afterwards, but Stephen stayed true to his feelings no matter what. He may have had different friends and played with different girls, but always did he have Sasha's pictures all over his room. And so when this year I proposed to take him with me for a school spring break to SF while I run a race - his heart skipped a bit and he bought a calendar, learned how to cross days and couldn't wait...Oh, yes, one more thing about this young lady - she is a Dancer... a very good one, with many wins in competitions on a national level to her credit. And for the last 2 days we watched her practice...

Man, my son didn't take his eyes of off her dancing! I have to honestly say her and her partner are the best dancing couple in this school for sure, and they have a great future. Their excellence and energy made me want to take dancing lessons!!

Anyway, enjoy the picture - isn't she the most beautiful girl there is? I can say that, I don't have girls:)

I am meeting Jason and Rick tomorrow to go over my crewing details, I spoke to Lisa about my inflamed yet again compartment, I went through breakdown and healing through a fantastic session of Ashtanga yoga. Tomorrow I'll go rock-climbing and visit a Russian-style sauna (if you ever saw movies...that’s the one). My friends are wonderful and it feels we were never apart for the last 4 years; it's so easy to talk and enjoy each other's company. It is so interesting to see Sasha's dad, who at the beginning of our friendship was a first year Med student, mature into a Fellow spinal surgeon, and his lovely wife, the warmest person I ever met. I haven't had a real vacation in a couple of years - all was race-related or Russia trips. I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO!!! I am even looking forward to all the mud promised for Saturday on the course of American river:) may be not to the pain, but hey, it's the price I have to pay!