5K HooHa

There are those who are designed for running . . . and there are those who are not. I am not. Unless it involves running after a tennis ball or running to first base or running away from an ax-murderer, running in and of itself just for the sake of running, does not appeal to me on any level. Yes, yes, I know the benefits of running are many - but just because I know spinach is good for me doesn't mean I'm going to eat a pound of it every day. Did I lose you on that analogy? Sorry, it's early.

Anyway, yesterday morning at 10am, prompted by the extremely frigid temperatures and a gunshot, Jen and I powerwalked our way through the downtown 5K course for the Predators Foundation (they help kids - c'mon now, what kind of person would I be if I didn't put forth the effort to help kids!? well that, and . . . they gave participants free tickets to the game that night). Motivation aside for the moment, our goal was to NOT cross the Finish line last. You'll be happy to know, not only we were not last, we even beat out the couple with the stroller and the older gentleman with the dog. Yes, truly we are the elite walkers.

The 5K was followed by celebratory red beans & rice and bloody marys at the Sportsman with the rest of our gang who actually ran the race. And after a hot bath and a long nap, I was ready to brave the cold again and attend my first Preds game. It was a sold-out game against the LA Kings and we can attest to the traffic and parking challenges to prove it!

Parking in any city's downtown is a headache - it's the just the nature of the beast - you accept it and move on. Under normal circumstances, Nashville's downtown parking isn't all that bad, comparatively. Under Saturday-night-sold-out-game-cold-temperatures circumstances, it's a pain in the ass. We did finally find a cozy spot for Roxy (Jen's car) in a lot only 4 or 5 blocks from the GEC. HOWEVER, it was one of those unattended lots where you pay for your ticket at an automated ticket kiosk and then display said ticket in your window.

Again, under normal circumstances, this arrangement seems to work out well for all parties involved. But, of course, we were not operating under "normal" circumstances. The line at the kiosk to acquire the necessary ticket was at least 20 people deep (I am not exaggerating and may even be underestimating the quantity). The line was also moving at a snail's pace due to the extreme slowness of the stupid, motherf***ing machine. Add to that, the 28 degree temperature, and we spent a very unpleasant 30 minutes just paying for a parking tag.

Once inside, beer in hand, parking drama a distant memory, I had forgotten how much fun hockey games are! Ultimately, the Preds lost, but it was still fun and totally worth all the 5K HooHa!