The lupines are back. The purple punctuated the hillsides along Farren Road last week, and I snapped a photo through the rain this morning. 

Before the rain drenched Ali and I this morning, we saw the full arch of a rainbow stretch across the sky (which is where they usually are if you’re ever looking). 

Through some miracle, my camera survived the downpour.

 

I also forgot to mention the Superbowl 4-Miler Race on Feb. 1. It was my first time running the relatively new race, and I enjoyed the course. I vote for more races in Goleta! It started off along La Patera, Cathedral Oaks and Fairview, and then it wandered through neighborhoods, around Lake Los Carneros and back to Stow Grove.

I ran 31:18 for the 4 miles, and I am satisfied with the sub-8-minute miles because, hey, the night before it was cosmopolitans and eclairs with the ladies. We all make choices, and for this particular race I prioritized chocolate and vodka higher than PRs. That’s the joy of being a recreational runner. When I finished, there wasn’t a coach to scold me for not performing my best. Instead, there was a friend waiting with a cup of water for me. The same friend served me a cupcake that night. My friends are very very cool.