Running in Buffalo

We’re staying with Ken in Buffalo. Ken doesn’t read this blog, so I don’t feel too cautious in saying, I’m not the biggest fan of Buffalo. Love Ken, though.  One of my oldest friends, but at this point, he feels more like family.

We’ll be here for a few weeks.

Tonight, I went running on the University of Buffalo campus. As always, I had my ipod, and as I run, the music shuffles through almost five hundred songs. Each one reminds me of a particular time or moment in my life.

I was listening to That Dress Looks Nice On You the day Noah’s grandmother died. The same day we put our cat Paloma to sleep because of kidney failure.  Guster reminds me of our last New Year’s in New York City, when we went to the roof of our building to watch fireworks over the river and the annual Christmas tree burning on the Cheever side of the street. Anything by Green Day reminds me of my MTV days and of the friend who gave me all their albums for my ipod. Then Baby Bitch comes on. That takes me right back to that little closet on the 24^th floor of the Viacom building. No carpet and full of computers.  I remember the song playing over and over as we tried to reach another ridiculous deadline. We did. What else? Ah, yes,  Noah put together a CD of music to take to the birthing center. Lila’s birth went so quickly, we didn’t have time to hear it there, but I played it endlessly when we got home. Late nights and early mornings with my tiny newborn on my shoulder, rocking back and forth to Phish’s Farmhouse or the Allman Brother’s Blue Sky.

One by one, these memories return. That’s why I love running so much. Lord knows it’s not being out of breath and sweaty. And now, I remember all my other runs on this trip. In the alps. In the pastures around Saint Remy en l’Eau. Through the streets of La Spezia. It brings it all back.

(ps Ken has read this entry over my shoulder. Mind you, he still does not read the blog. He says it is unfair for me to say I don't like Buffalo without saying why, especially since I haven't really seen all (Ken says I haven't seen ANY) of Buffalo yet. So i will retract and withhold judgement until later).