Pizza and Pumpkins...The Best Way to Recover!

After running the Baltimore Half Marathon with MLR (formerly MLJ), I went back down to Virginia and stayed overnight. This was the first time I'd been to ML and P's house, which is really cute. They've been doing work on the house, and it's paying off in my opinion. When I seen nice kitchen's like theirs and backyards, I always wish I owned my own place.

Anyway, since ML and I had run, P made dinner. Pizza! The best type of food for after a race. And he made all of it, including the whole wheat dough!

He made a pepperoni pizza and then a supreme.


He may not have tossed the dough in the air, but it made for a great base for some tasty pizzas. I get hungry just thinking about it: Pizza and good red wine!

I was a horrible dinner guest, though, I had to do work. I kept checking my emails and updating stories. I felt very bad. But I tried to make up for it by going for ice cream, or I should say this great frozen custard place near their house. Frozen Dairy appears to have been around (at different locations) for over 60 years. It was great!

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay up too late. The race and then the extra three miles kind of zapped me. I fell asleep on the ride back from Baltimore (but me in car usually means I'll fall asleep). I was out by 10:30 p.m.

P had garden in the backyard. Aside from tomatoes and peppers, he grew pumpkins. They were really cute!

Anyway, I don't think it was the inspiration for breakfast, but it makes a good segway. After a great night's sleep, albeit plagued by dreams (or nightmares, really) of work, we had pumpkin pancakes for breakfast! And ML even made a pumpkin shaped pancake -- granted by accident, but it went with the theme.

Despite having to work, it was a great weekend with running, great food and even better company.

What Would Batman Do?

With the presidential election season already underway (only 13 more months until the election), here are the really important endorsements. Who would comic book heros support?

Dreaming About Work

Why is it that whenever I dream about work it usually tends to be a nightmare. The last couple of days, I keep dreaming that I forgot to set something in the page and the wnyc.org has some gaping hole do to me. I usually wake up and then just check the site to make sure. I'm not always the most detailed oriented person -- and have been known to mess up copy -- but I think I've got the hang of setting the page by now. I'd just like a good night's sleep!

Fall Foliage

I went to Ithaca, NY, this past weekend to visit with AA and her family. It was a fun, relaxing trip for me. (I did get in a run - which you can read about in the other blog.) AA and I had an interesting discussion in light of the fact that our 20th HS reunion is coming up. How much have we changed/not changed. Looks-wise I think we're pretty much as we were - I bit older. But A was right, it was our demeanor and confidence levels that have changed really. I think about the shy girl I was in HS -- and I still am shy -- but I care less what people think and more about how I feel. Maybe that's just the selfishness that comes with age. But at a certain point in your life you know what you want, what you want to do, and what you're willing or not willing to put up with. Am I wrong in thinking this?

Anyway, I was upstate in the fall, so there were plenty of leaf peeping and hiking. During the short hike we took, I found another bench/chair that I love to photograph when I travel. This is one I took in Ithaca.

There is something sad about an empty chair. It's purpose is to wait for someone or someones to come by and rest. But, on the other hand, it's usually got the best view around. It gets to see the minute changes day by day or the vast vistas in front of it (depending on where the chair/bench is). One day, I'll actually get around to framing all of the ones that I have. The other cool thing that we saw, was this tree with mushrooms growing out of it -- I guess I should say fungi.

It made me wish that I actually knew how to forage in the forest. I know I'm really an urban girl, but there are some country things that I wish I knew how to do - like make jam and preserve things. I know I can learn and there are classes here in the city, but honestly, it's not like a have berry bushes outside my door or a garden to grow things that need to be preserved. One day, I'll have my place in the country. But for now, I'll hit the farmers market for some good jam.

Go With Your Gut

That seems to be what most people will tell you. Well, I went with my gut, but I kept doubting myself and switched back, only to hate myself for it. I'm going to go with my gut, next time and not over think things.