November 3 Run/Walk: Meet at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead in Schenley Park. Change your clocks - Fall back!

Meet at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead in Schenley Park.  And change your clocks – fall back!  Newcomers: the legendary Wendy Bennett Trailhead is unmarked, but easy to find, on the corner of Greenfield Rd. and Overlook Dr.  Here's a map.

Last week, two new walkers joined us on the Annual Halloween Decoration Walk, Jan, who arrived with her golden retriever,  Ruby, now unofficially, Ruby 2, and Ann, who worked on the Hilary Clinton campaign with Roye.

Post walk/run we had some fabulous treats at Roye's, including homemade kugel, babka from Zabars in NYC, and Jane's famous frittata.

Braking news:  Earlier in the week, Sharon stopped her car so Elaine could cross the street.

Runners can still catch up with Jonathan in Squirrel Hill on Wednesdays and Fridays with a new (late) start time of 6:00 AM.

Many new Kamala endorsements, including a batch of ultra-conservative Republicans, e.g., James Murdoch. 

Endorsements:

• The babka from Zabars in NYC was delicious, but babka-lovers can also order from Zingermans.   
• Not delicious, and hopefully not useful: Jane endorses her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Aaron Taylor
• Ignik  Foot Warmers – they’re foot-shaped and last up to 72 hours.

Podcasts worth listening to:  

• “My Senior Year”  high school kids from Gaza – This American Life
• “How I Survived”   

She was there too:  we forgot to ask her name. 

...in their brilliant Buffalo Creek Half Marathon shirts

Thank you Roye!

October 27 Run/Walk: Annual Halloween in Regent Square viewing, starting at Roye's house, 1017 Milton St.

Let's meet at my house (1017 Milton St. in Regent Square) and head out to see the many wild Halloween decorations that grace our neighborhood.  Virginia knows where the best ones are.

Last Sunday, we finally got the timing right to see the sun rise over the Highland Park reservoir, which was at its late October spookiest.  This was followed by a scrumptious brunch at Joanne's, and our accustomed scintillating conversations which should have been recorded but instead have vanished, ghost-like. The one salvaged recommendation was the Annual Ohiopyle Buckwheat and Pancake Supper, which somehow, magically, made you "almost forget that politics existed." Sigh.

October 20th Walk/Run: Meet at Tazza D'Oro, 1125 N. Highland, for a Highland Park run.

We'll see how the trees have been transformed in Highland Park, and listen to the autumn crows, meeting at old favorite Tazza D'Oro, 1125 N. Highland. 

Last week had us reveling in the fall extravaganza of Frick Park, around which runners made a full circuit (see below) and took in some early spookiness in the neighborhood.  Discussion under the tent at Biddle's was rich, and endorsements tended towards the health-inducing, particularly the gin:

• Read:  The invisible life of Addie Larue, Tell me everything
• Eat:  LOTS of protein, the gram equivalent of twice your weight in kilos (something like that).  Also:  Yogurt at the East End Food Coop, both Bulgarian and La Fermiere (the cutest).  Or make your own.
• Watch: You are what you eat, a twin experiment
• Save:  a pig, via Pig Squealers Rescue. They need you. 
• Clean: with SalSuds Biodegradable Cleaner
• The Saturday East Liberty Farmers' Market - open all year! 
• Hoopla from Carnegie Library is terrific.
• Gunpowder Irish Gin
• Not sure about what you put on your face, or elsewhere?  Look to EWG.
• No question, hair product works.

October 13th Run/Walk: Meet at Biddle's Escape (401 Biddle Ave. in Wilkinsburg)

We'll meet on Sunday morning at Biddle's (at Biddle and Trenton in Wilkinsburg) and get a head start on this neighborhood's famed Halloween decor on the way to Frick Park, starting to turn gold right now.  

Reporting on last 2 weeks, one in Edgewood and the other Downtown:  both had great weather, sights, comradeship, photos and endorsements:

• Pros and Cons of the JCC locker rooms: fancy or regular.  Fancy is a bit pricey, but you get extras (sauna, free classes) and regular has more nakedness (which could make you feel somewhat better, comparatively.)  Concerning the classes, Group Power is not for the accident-prone.
• Watch Nobody Wants This on Netflix
• Delightful visits from Galit, and my friend Leslie
• Updates on births and weddings, resulting in statements: "my 2 ex-husbands have never entered my house" and "every marriage is an intermarriage." 
• Discovery that the renowned Tom Paxton was staying at Gretchen's house that weekend!
• Biking trips - next group one will be the Hudson Valley Tour in May.  Recommended:  Vermont Biking Tours (I think this is it.)
• En route to or from said trip, do not put your wallet on the top of the car.
• Visit Bryce Canyon, much prettier and less crowded than Grand.  Also, get your Senior Pass to National Parks. This is more useful a Real ID, instead of which you can generally use a Passport Card.
• Don't forget to request your free Covid test (OMG why do we still need it.)  
• May we all be written into the Book of Life, wherever you think it might be.  And may Kamala and company be written into all the Ballots too.

October 6 Run/Walk: Meet at the new La Prima, 1100 Smallman St. for a downtown excursion

We'll check out Oktoberfest dahntahn and start off at the newer La Prima, at Smallman St. at 11th, across from the Convention Center.  

Lots to say but no time, except for this:

Excellent volunteer opportunity - Mission of Mercy, a free, two-day dental, vision and hearing clinic that serves patients in need, happening Nov. 1-2.  Endorsed yearly by RG!  See more and sign up here.  

Next week:  double the fun! 

September 29 Run/Walk: Meet at Spigolo Cafe, 101 Edgewood Ave. in (where else?) Edgewood.

A new find, c/o Elaine: we'll meet at the Spigolo Cafe, 101 Edgewood Ave. (map).  Don't worry about Great Race traffic - we have it on significant journalistic authority that this won't be a problem.  And Edgewood is always an elegant surprise.

Last week:  we await the tales of our intrepid Grand Canyon bikers! But our buoyant stay-at-home group got to Schenley Park and back to 61C and produced a 3-napkin confab with endorsements that can only be touched on here:

• Books to TV series:  Mick Herron's Slow Horses series or books,  Carl Hiassen's Miami books or Bad Monkey on TV.  
• Just TV: A very royal scandal, Madam Secretary, Call My Agent,Veep, the original Sex in the City
• Anything with Jodie Foster esp., Nyad, and True Detective
• Just books:  Neal Gaiman's American Gods 
• Boring sounds for middle of the night:  BBC Radio, Rain from iTunes
• Life before computers - would we go back?  Ahhhhh
• Buddhism, pain and suffering - I started to look this up and it was overwhelming.  But maybe right.  Especially when considering life after computers.
• The Dark Park (really called Cherry Springs State Park) for amazing stargazing in Coudersport.
• The Kinzua Skywalk - but get there before Nov. 19 - close to where the bike trip was!
• Weatherbury Farm Milling Certified Organic Estate Flours

September 22 Run/Walk: Meet at 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill

Keeping in mind the long-awaited RG bike ride taking place this weekend in the glorious Grand Canyon (of PA), those remaining in the Burgh will meet at old fave 61C and maybe head over to Schenley Park to celebrate the first day of autumn among the trees.  

Last week, after skirting the banks of a glistening Allegheny, we paid homage to another old friend, La Prima on the Strip - it's sidewalk seating as tawdry as ever. (Coffee and meles are still great but they really should put in a bathroom.)  Besides the masterly bike trip organizing, there was also talk of:

• Old-fashioned baking delights - hermit bars, kichel, rugelech - as in, ancient Russian grandmother meets the Moosewood Cookbook.
• Another blast from the past - the kidney-shaped leather wine flask from college days, holding the only vintage we knew about: Mateus?
• The Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club - lots of interest, and we will ask Cheryl more about it.
• Watch streaming:  The Perfect Couple, She Came to Me
• Repair your appliances:  Zergan
• Power your own house:  EIS Solar
• Ride on, compadres! 🚴🚴🚴   Looking forward to the stories -