Ice Cream Sundae Building

The tallest building in downtown Charlotte is the Bank of America headquarters, something like 60+ stories. When it was built years ago, we called it the ice cream sundae building, because the top is lit up with bright white lights except for the blinking red dot on top. (It’s in this photo on the right; it looks shorter simply because it’s farther away.)

As my plane descended last night, I could see that the clouds were very low; you couldn’t see the ground, but you could see the clouds lit up by the city underneath. “Wouldn’t it be cool,” I thought, “if I could see just the tops of downtown above the clouds. Like maybe just the top of the ice cream sundae building.”

Then the airplane banked, and like magic, that’s exactly what I saw. The top of the ice cream sundae building poking up above the cloud tops, like a beacon drawing me in. I couldn’t help but smile and think “ah, Charlotte.” I do love coming home to Charlotte.

I went running today, completing my scheduled long run with two 5.1-mile loops. I did my 11/1 run/walk routine just like last week, and my sister ran with me for the whole first loop. It was her longest run in a while, but we took it nice and easy — we talked the whole way and the 5.1 miles took us 1:02 and change, so that should tell you something about our pace! She has just started running regularly again with the goal of doing a half marathon here in Charlotte in April. I’m hoping to join her.

Anyway, I set out for the second loop alone and without anyone to talk to, I ran it in just under an hour. My total for the 10.2 miles was 2:01 and change, or just under 12:00 pace. I wasn’t surprised to end up with a slower average than my long run a week ago, especially because of the hills here. But I didn’t expect to be quite a sore! I feel much more stiff than I did after last week’s 10-miler. Must be the hills.

Finally — yesterday just before leaving for the airport, Jose and I stood outside my apartment scanning the sky and straining our ears. We saw the space shuttle — a bright white speck screaming across the sky at breakneck speed — and then heard the sonic boom. Turns out we didn’t really need to strain our ears; it was loud enough that it scared the birds from their perch on the power lines.

The space program is the coolest.