I tried a new sushi restaurant tonight, the Sui Shin Teahouse. It's been open about a year, but its new enough to me. Reasonably priced, and quite good. They were out of salmon, which was too bad, as I'd had my heart set on a salmon skin roll. The chef recommended the albacore, and sure enough, it was about the best sushi I've ever had. The unagi (always my favorite) was good, though not exceptional. I also had the mackerel on the chef's recommendation; I'm not usually a fan, but it was just as fresh as the chef promised. As the name promised, they also served a wide variety of teas; I tried the Moroccan Mint green tea, which was excellent. A pot of tea and a decent variety of sushi set me back $25 with tax and tip. A bit extravagant, but except for once when I was visiting Michelle, I hadn't had sushi in some time. In any event, if you find yourself in Hillcrest, give them a try. Great fish, nice low-key ambiance, and great service.

Before dinner, I went running with the group I was training with for last weekend's 10K. I didn't think many of us would still be running with the group now that the race was over, but there were at least ten of us. I've always said I view training as a solitary pursuit, but I must admit one or two group runs a week really helps break up the monotomy and keep you motivated. I've agreed to run with a few of them in the San Diego Half-Marathon in January. My original goal, you might remember, was the Silver Strand Half-Marathon in November. I cancelled that due to my knee problems, which now have gone away completely. I considered calling it back on, but I think the January goal, with the training support of my friends from the group, is probably for the best.

School is off to a good start. Oceanography can be a bit dull, but as science goes, is pretty gripping stuff. Revolutionary-era American Literature is also a tad dull, but doesn't seem particularly challenging. Nature Writing is the only class that really interests me.

Did I ever mention I saw Lost in Translation the other day? I enjoyed it. Bill Murray is a genius.