Italy

I have not written in a while. I have a new used computer so I will try to keep up with it just a little more reguarly. We spent our December holiday in Italy. Wow, was it fantastic! I had not been to Europe in decades. Still cold when you travel in the winter. Espcially when you leave from sunny southern California.
What can I say? The food was incredible!!!!! I had more or less lost my taste for red sauce over pasta. Too many quick "out of the jar meals" if you know what I mean. Well, I ordered the most phenomenal basic pasta dish with red sauce. Oh my goodness was it good! I will have to start making some from scratch myself. Pizza..... Completely different level than what we consume over her in the "new world". Pizza in Rome not to be matched. The Coloseum was bitchen. What it must of been like to see the sporting events back then. Although, now we have monster trucks and mixed martial arts, the equivalent of chariots and gladiators. Too much to list......
More importantly I found single track to run. It was quite nice to be able to get out on my own for a bit.

My new toy

Been out of the country for a bit. Since we were traveling we decided to open our presents the night before we left. Early presents yeaaaaaa!!!!! I received the coolest gift from my lovely wife, Micro spikes! I love to run in the snow! Unfortunately in southern California there is a lot of melt and freeze so ice is a constant on the mountain. I could not wait to get up and check out my new crampons. I went out for a few hours just about 9000ft. The view was spectacular where I decided to stop for a snack. So nice to be able to run across the ice and not worry about falling on my butt or worse off the trail.

http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html