Currently: January

I thought I would squeak this one in just before the month ended... This week was going to feature a post about hiking, one about life in general, a continuation of last week's road trip and/or a straggling "best of" post that has been waiting for over a month to get posted. But instead, you get this.

Current Book - Fall of the Giants by Ken Follet: I am about half way through and am liking it so far. It's a good story while still teaching me a lot about WWI. I am also listening to an audiobook: A Beautiful Blue Death. 

Current Running Path - 

Current Drink -Vanilla Bean Black Tea 

Current Excitement - Weekends! They are filling up fast, but there are so many fun things to do. I have a trip planned to see Lisa, an SF Beer Week weekend, a couple of big race weekends, and a trip to the Grand Canyon!  

Current Fashion Trend - Patterned tights. They are everywhere, and are normally paired with tiny shorts.

 

Current Favorite Blog/Website - I have been trying to catch up with some current events, so have been spending some time on sites like NPR and BBC World.

 Current Garden Item - Lemons and Camellias  

Current Love - Audio books! I get so much more "reading" done with them, since I can read them while running and/or going to the gym. And you can borrow them from the library! Double score.  

Current Food -White Bean soup made with homemade turkey stock 

Current Indulgence - 

 

Currently Pondering - What to do with my itchy feet...I am really feeling the need to do some traveling!

Current Mood - Overwhelmed 

Current New Find - My library has a site where you can download music, it's called Freegal. You can download 3 songs per week or stream up to 3 hours a day. The library also has a site for learning languages, finding new book suggestions and reading magazines and newspapers online. As you know, I am a huge fan of the library! 

Current Outfit - Lately I've been hanging out a lot in hoodie and jeans. 

Current Peeve - sparkly iPhone cases, bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk, people who put their backpack on the only empty seat on the bus
 
Current Song - 



Current Triumph - I am ready to do my taxes. Mind you, I have not FINISHED, but I am ready to start, and that is triumph enough!  

Current TV Show -  Cash Cab, BBC World News 

Current Wish-List - A round the world trip. Seriously. Like I said, itchy feet.  

Currently Delaying - buying my ticket to Boston. I am still waiting for prices to go down / waiting to firm up dates..

What are you watching these days? Do you have any fun trips planned this year?

It's a Small World After All

Thanks to MLK, I had an extra day to play around with this weekend. It was going to be a road trip with a couple of friends, but when they both flaked out, I decided to just go on my own.

I actually like (and even love) traveling on my own. If I want to stop for a three hour run that may become a 1 hour run or a 5 hour run, I can. If I feel like taking photos of rocks, I can. If I am hungry, I eat. I never have to worry that I am putting someone else out or that they are not having fun or that I am making them wait.

Originally, I was going to go to South Lake Tahoe with two people. Person number one LOVES to gamble, loves to drink, but does not ski, doesn't really like to hike, does not run, does not love waiting for someone who is taking photos of flowers.

Person number two does not run, loves to hike and ski, does not love to gamble, likes to drink, and does not love waiting for someone who is taking photos of flowers. So, having the two people with me would have been interesting.

Why? Because I do not like to drink that much, am not a huge fan of gambling and would go to Tahoe mostly for activities (mainly skiing, hiking or running). But both people did not go. So, after a little consideration, I went alone. The main thing holding me back was the cost. A hotel room is a lot cheaper when you are sharing it with two other people! However, I threw away my frugal hat and decided to go for it, regardless of cost.

I left Oakland on Saturday morning around 7:30 am. My first stop was Starbucks (yes, it was) for a road trip coffee. You cannot have a road trip without coffee. It's just not possible. My second stop was an old favorite in one of the agricultural areas of California. It used to be a tiny fruit stand when I was a young child, and has now blown up to a fruit stand, snack stand, pit stop. They still have some of the cheapest and freshest fruit and veggies around! I got some dried fruit, some real fruit, and some nuts for the ride north. Again, a road trip would not be a road trip without SNACKS!

My plan was to stop somewhere for a run in the middle of my trip and then head north to Tahoe, where I would take photos of mountains and lakes and sunrises and then get some dinner.

So, first I stopped along the way near Auburn, where I ran on the same route as the Western States 100 mile race (WSER). I have to admit, I was not really in the mood to run, but it was a nice route all the same. The views of the American River are stunning.

I went UP.

Middle Fork American River

After the run, I ate most of my road trip snacks (dried strawberries anyone?) and headed up the road. I arrived at the lake about 20 minutes before sunrise and I checked into my hotel and took a shower at warp speed, so I could hustle back out to the lake to get some good shots while there was still light.

Afterwards, I was on a mission. As a lone traveler, I want a dinner place where I can eat at the bar so I don't have to sit at a table alone. However, I don't really want it to be ONLY a bar, or to have crappy bar food. I also wanted to find a brewery with local beers that I could try while also having fabulous food. I found 2 of my 3 requirements. I actually stumbled upon a nice pub where I found more than I could ever ask for.

First of all, I wanted to sit at the bar. When I got there, the bar looked full, but I said to the guy that I kind of wanted to sit at the bar and he not only made a place for me, but he introduced me to the guy I would be sitting next to. I ended up having not only a great conversation with my new friend, Dozer, but also getting a ton of great recommendations for hikes and food for the next day. In addition, it turns out he used to be contracted to the same company I used to work for, he grew up near where I live now and he has traveled to many of the same places as I have. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I would like to state that he is probably in his late 50s, so there was no romance there. However, I had a great time sitting at the bar chatting with him while having a great meal.

Speaking of a great meal, I got a hamburger that was ground in-house and was on a bun that was also made in-house. Not only was the hamburger delicious, but the bar staff was kind and the local flavor was top notch. Plus they had Pliny on tap. To top it all off, when I got the bill, I noticed that they had given me the local discount, which was 20 percent off my bill. Basically for under $20, I got a homemade hamburger, a couple of delicious beers and a great conversation. I call that a major win.

After that it was back to the hotel for some reading. Why is it that reading when you are traveling is so much better than reading at  home? All in all, it was a great first Road Trip day! 

Do you prefer traveling alone or with someone else? What kind of snacks/drinks do you like to have on your road trips? Do you go out to eat by yourself? If so, do you meet/talk to people or do you stick to yourself?

Coffee Talk

Thanks for meeting me for a virtual coffee! I'm glad you're here!

If we were meeting for coffee today, I would get a large french roast with milk and splenda and you would get your favorite coffee and we would catch up on what we have been up to lately.

- I had a great time at New Years with friends. It was a very small group, which is the way I like it. I wore my comfy pants and ate a ton of crab and listened to Michael Jackson. At the end of the night though, two of my friends had an argument about whether or not one of their photos should be put on Facebook and one of them left in a huff. It was a strange beginning to the new year.

- I have started learning how to pickle things. Do you know how easy it is? It is so easy! All you need is some vinegar, salt , sugar , jars, dill seeds and peppercorns and whatever you want to pickle! Put the raw item in the jar, heat up the vinegar, salt, sugar and the spices to a boil, pour in the jar and voila! You have pickles. I didn't really use a recipe, but you could use this one if you want to give it a try. I made pickled cucumbers, picked green beans (dilly beans), green tomatoes, pickled jalapenos and pickled beets. So far, they have all been pretty good!

- I signed up for the Boston Marathon again (back in September). I looked into airline tickets the other day and they are Expensive! It may be because it is also Easter weekend, or maybe just that it's also the Boston Marathon, Patriots day and the Red Sox game...whatever it is, I can't decide whether I should buy them now because they may go up more, or if I should wait and hope they go down. I always do the same thing, wonder if I should buy now or wait.

- I started using the library again. For a while, I have been using the Kindle, especially since it if often lighter than the books I get from the library and it was giving me a backache to carry around the darn things! However, I am tired of reading the bargain books from Amazon and want some more recent ones, so back to the library I go! Of course, when it rains it pours, so I have about 10 books to pick up tonight after work!

Other than that, it's work, running and life in general. What have YOU been up to? What did you do for New Years Eve? Have you ever tried canning? What's your take on buying airline tickets? Do you use the library?

Best Of 2013: Books

This was not a stellar year for reading, both in quantity and quality. I did not really read many books that I couldn't put down. I also did not really read very many books period. However, there were still some that were pretty darn good. Here are the top five in no particular order. 

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum: I usually enjoy WWII books, and this one did not disappoint. This is a dual story about a modern day daughter of a German woman who went through the war. The daughter tries to find out more about her mother's story, even though her mother does not want to talk about it. At the same time, we learn the mother's story, and it is a heart-wrenching story of survival.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell: This is an interesting take on how success is not always due to brains, but sometimes is due to positioning. For example, it opines that the best hockey players are born in a certain month, giving them a few month's advantage on the other players and causing most of the pros to be born in this month.

 

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory:  I like how Gregory takes a real story and embellishes it enough to make it interesting but doesn't lose the truth of it all. This is a story about Anne of Cleves, Jane Rocheford and Katherine Howard, and of course, King Henry VIII, who you see as a gouty womanizer. Anne of Cleves is one of King Henry's only wives that he doesn't have killed, and as you know, he had a lot of wives! The story is full of lies and deceit and adultery. It's very entertaining.

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hossein: A story about two women in Afghanistan, where the rights of women are not quite the same as you or I are used to. The two woman are two generations apart and both end up forced into the same household, yet they find a commonality and a friendship that cannot be matched. 

State of Wonder by Anne Patchett: This story was strange but it drew me in because of it's subject matter. A story about an Amazonian tribe in Brazil and a scientist who goes there to try to find out about a miracle drug that is causing miracles within the tribe. The characters find out some pretty interesting things about the tribe, find out what's causing the miracle, and they make friends and learn things about themselves along the way.

Hopefully this year I will get more chances (or MAKE more) to read and will find a lot of new great books for 2014! Do you have any recommendations? 

What were your favorite books for 2013? What is your favorite book ever? 

Out With The Old

I had high hopes for a nice long run on New Year's day, but instead I had one of those days where you start one tiny project and it leads to another and another and all of a sudden the day is over. Maybe it didn't quite go the way I wanted it to, but I did get a lot done.

My mom's friend says that she always does a big clean out on New Year's day: the fridge, the cabinets, the closet. So I took a page out of her book and did the same. It started out with writing my Thank You notes for Christmas, which led to cleaning out my stationary box, which led to my file box. I threw away all my old files and scraps of paper that I had saved for (??) some reason. I threw out all of the pens that didn't work, and the envelopes without matching cards.

This led to the sock drawer, which led to the other drawers, which lead to my closet. I threw away any sock that had even the tiniest hole, even though my instinct is to save them "just in case". I threw away all of those too short shirts, which I was going to "wear under a sweater" and then kept accidentally wearing and having to tug down all day. I threw away those pants that I would "fit into some day".

Then I went to make lunch and noticed the salad dressing in the fridge was past due, which lead to a fridge clean out, which led to a freezer clean out. Freezer burned veggies, be gone. Old hot sauce? See ya! It felt so good.

Yes, this was in the fridge.

I also completed a lot of small projects that I have been meaning to do, such as backing up my computer, downloading photos and creating my master address list that I update after each Christmas. All in all, it was a very productive day. 

So, I am all ready for 2014 with hole-less socks and non-moldy salad dressings.

Are you ready? Do you do any "winter cleaning"?

Best of 2013: Running

It's that time of year again! Time for the recaps to begin! In 2012, one of my favorite running experiences was my first 50k. Let's see what makes the list this year, shall we?

Amber did kind of a fun thing and talked about how many posts of hers were related to running. This year, I did not write as many posts as normal  (only 80 vs over 200 in 2012), but of that number, roughly half were tagged with "running". That's a lot of running! Approximately 2000 miles of running (just barely squeaked over). I just want to say: thank you all for putting up with all of the running talk! I know as a non-runner, it can be boring and I don't blame you if you skip over some (or all) of it. We can still be friends.

So, what were the highlights of the year, running-wise? It is hard to pick as there were a lot of great moments related to running this year. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Travel: due to running, I got to travel to several far off destinations, such as Washington DC, Boston and British Columbia, as well as several close to home hidden gems, such as Tahoe, the Marin Headlands, Saratoga and of course, my backyard, the East Bay hills and their many parks and open spaces.

Vancouver, BC

2. Exploration: this goes hand in hand with the above, but I love finding new places that I would not have seen otherwise and exploring new cities on foot, which gives me such a more extensive tour of the city than I would have been able to accomplish had I only been walking or driving. I have seen sunrises and been places where there are no other people around and it's moments like those that really make all the difficulties worth it.

PCT -- Oregon

Lake Merritt, Oakland

3. My First 50 Mile race: This year, I trained for and ran a 50 mile race. This was a great experience which taught me patience and perseverance as well as made me realize (as always!) that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Plus it was in my own backyard and it was great to be there, seeing my familiar trails in a different light. To top it all off, my Dad and Grandma were there and my Dad ran the final 6 miles with me.

4. Family: My family has been so supportive about my running. This year, they came to Boston, they were there for the 50 mile race, and came to support me at the Quad Dipsea after Thanksgiving. They are so patient and have braved the crowds and the unfamiliar places to be there for me and that has been priceless.

Quad Dipsea -- Mill Valley, CA

5. The Tahoe Rim Trail: This was not even my race; for this race I paced a friend for the last 20 miles of his 100 mile race. Not only was this course beautiful (think 8000 feet, alpine, views of lakes) but being there with him really was an eyeopening and uplifting experience for me. He was such a trooper and he made me realize that if he could run 100 miles, I could definitely run 50!

Tahoe Rim Trail

6. Volunteering: I did a few different volunteering gigs this year and once again, it makes me really have a warm place in my heart for all the other runners out there and the running community as a whole. People who get up at 2 am to drive the shuttle for the runners, or who spend their whole year preparing for this one event, or people who go out and volunteer at many events, are so inspirational. Some people are not even runners; they are just like my family, coming out for support without asking for anything in return. It is really fun to be a part of that group and to see things from the other side of the table sometimes!

7. Local Trails: I know I already said travel, but I also really enjoy the trails that I can get to right from my house! From my house, I can run about 3/4 of a mile and I am at a trail system that could take me easily 50 miles or more! So I really have NO excuse to not go running!

PCT -- Northern CA

8. Running Friends: I usually run alone, but I have had a great time meeting up with people when I travel for races. When I went to DC, I got to see friends I hadn't seen in over a year. In BC, I got to meet Amber. In Boston, I ran past Jill, saw Nancy and met up with friends from both the Bay Area and Back East. I also joined an ultra racing team, and while we do not run together, we still give a hearty "good job" if we pass each other during a race! I also did quite a bit of running with Broski again this year.

9. Squamish 50k: This was easily the hardest 50k I did this year. In total, I completed five 50k races (6 if you count one Fat Ass), but the steep downhills of the Squamish really did me in.

Squamish, BC

10. Boston Marathon: This was An Experience. A BQ. A new PR. An explosion. You can read about it here and here and here. It was so monumental that I  have 6 of my 80 posts dedicated to it. That is almost 10 percent! I won't forget it.

Finish Line, Boston, MA

 
What were your top running moments of 2013? What are the majority of your posts about?

Looking Back: November

What better time to do a November recap than at the end of December? I actually wrote this at the beginning of the month and then neglected to post it! So, good-bye November, hello and good-bye December!

To sum up November in three words, I would say: Work. Eating. Fun.

Work: has been crazy; we are still working a lot of overtime, since the end of the year is near and everything needs to be done by year end. We have been going in on Saturdays, which I actually like, because without the phone ringing and a new email popping up every second, I actually get some work done! On top of everything else, we had a guy go out on Paternity leave and the temp who was supposed to cover his desk fell through, so we have been doing his work too. I was already pretty swamped; doing his work as well has made me way behind. In addition, his wife had some complications and the babies came two weeks early, so we have been doing it for a few weeks now.

Morning view from my office window

Fun: comes before eating because a lot of the eating was fun too! However, I had a girls night at the house at the beginning of the month, which was a ton of fun. I made a bunch of muffin inspired foods and there was plenty of wine and a dance party was commenced. The weekend after that, my brother had an end of Harvest party and it was good to hang out with some of his girlfriend's friends who I had met before but didn't know very well. The next day we canned some pickled veggies and then had Sunday dinner because it's CRAB season! The next day I took the day off and volunteered at the local food bank. It is near my aunt's house and when I asked if she wanted to join, she, my uncle and two of my cousins came too, so it was a fun family affair (plus I chalked it up as a workout since I had to move so many cans of food). Thanksgiving was spent doing a bike ride and then I got to hang out with my extended family, some of who I have not seen in a while (and who are all grown up all of a sudden).

Food: has been plentiful this month! At girl's night, I served muffin shaped foods: mac and cheese bites, southwest chicken cups, mini chicken pot pies, mini quiches, artichoke and spinach dip cups, and....salad. The recipes were kind of thrown together from things I already liked making. At the Harvest party, there was brisket (I ate SO MUCH brisket!), corn, cole slaw, beans (with Jalapenos), and salad. There is always salad. For Thanksgiving there was turkey, of course, and some super good mashed potatoes. My favorite were the two different kinds of stuffing. At one party, it was brie and artichoke stuffing; at the other it was cranberry, sausage and apple stuffing. Both were delicious, even though they were pretty different. Finally, I took the turkey carcass home and made turkey stock, which will be used soon!

Aside from the top three, there has been some running (163 miles), a bit of reading (2 books), a bit of yoga, one trail race, a bit of biking and a little too much TV watching (Parenthood, Greys Anatomy, Top Chef).

What did you do in November? What is your favorite food to serve when people come over? Do you enjoy crab season?