5th Leg: Woodstock to Holgate Library

Date of run: January 24, 2014
Time of run: 3:00 pm
Temp: 41 degrees F
Conditions: Clear, sunny & windy, 55% humidity, winds 20 mph
Distance: 2.2 miles each way (4.4 miles total)

Shortest run yet! And a route so direct even a directionally-challenged guy like me could find my way:



Beautiful sunny day for a library-to-library run. Only two downsides: Ankle still sore, and whipping winds in partially shaded streets made for a bracing experience for half the run. But no matter: Onward to Holgate Library.

Some interesting sights along this route, including a chiropractor who specializes in "Wii injuries" (actually the reason I first saw my new chiropractor several years ago), a store that sells a table and clothes for one woman, and a bus for hippies (wish I could get a better picture of that bus, it was quite Ken Keseyian):





After a wind-in-your-face, chilly 2.2 miles of running, I arrived at the Holgate Branch library, which looked vaguely familiar. Once inside, I realized why: Architecturally it's the same layout as the Capitol Hill Branch.




One thing I noticed about this library, which was cool, was the international flavor of the videos section: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian...you name it, they've got it:




On to the CD section, and for some reason (who knows?) I chose some CDs from the "B" section: Baths (electronica), Blue Oyster Cult (classic rock), and Boris (experimental Japanese rock). Couldn't decide, so I ran back with all of them. (Not too hard if you carry them like a football.)



On the way back, I noticed that the route between Holgate and Woodstock featured an unusually high number of church-related buildings. "Got religion? We've got you covered! Compassion! Victory! Sorrows!"





Musical side note: That first church sign reminded me of this great Todd Rundgren/Utopia song. Always good for a spiritual pick-me-up:



One last cool sight: In lieu of a front yard, these people planted a basketball court. Me want!


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As for last week's CD: The Braids 2011 release Native Speaker. Pretty neat stuff. The first thing I found online described the Braids as "shoegaze" but this was certainly quieter, and less guitar-oriented, than what I usually associate with that genre. This music was rather delicate, electronic, and frankly, a bit trance-inducing. Quite nice, actually: