Interview with Santa

While we were in Houston for the Sunmart race last weekend, we took advantage of a spare hour or so to visit a mall so Gavin could meet Santa. The interaction went something like this:

Gavin:	So are you really Santa?
Santa:	Yes, I'm Santa. What do you want for Christmas?
Gavin:	I want toys, Santa. (Looks dubiously at Santa's grotto) Is this your house?
Santa:	Yes, that's Santa's house.
Gavin:	Really?
Santa:	Yes.
Gavin:	Hmm, so you travel around with your house? Are those your decorations? Can I go inside?
Santa:	(little flustered) So, er, what kind of toys do you want?
Gavin:	I like your Christmas tree. Is that Rudolph? (Considers the fact that "Rudolph" is plastic - decides to let it pass.) I want a spiderman and a dinosaur Santa.
Santa:	Have you been a good boy this year?
Gavin:	Oh yes, I've been a very good boy this year. (Pause.) Did you write that down? Have you got a pen?

We managed to keep him quiet long enough to take the photo above. On the way back to the car he wanted to go back because he "forgot to give Santa my address". We had to assure him that Santa knew where all good boys lived.

On the running front I've had a lazy week - I worked a lot and didn't manage to get back out on the trails until Wednesday night, but it was worth the wait. I have switched up my training from speedwork (for Sunmart) to hills (for Bandera), so I started off with repeats on the Hill of Life. At one point I was running back up the hill just as the sun was going down behind me. For a few glorious minutes I was surrounded in a golden glow as I ran toward a huge full moon high in the sky ahead of me. Later I met some friends for a nightime run and it was about as perfect a running night as you could wish for. The trail was bathed in moonlight and it was an ethereal and effortless run. Those are the kind of runs you live for.