East End Runners

So many decisions could have been bad!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Nov 6 Run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead/ Turn your clock back

Reminder: Turn your clocks BACK (Fall back) an hour before you go to sleep on Saturday Nov 5th.

Next week meet at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead - the start of trail below the Schenley Oval at Bartlett and The Boulevard)- for a run through Schenley Park while there is a bit of morning light, thanks to the time change (See above).

Tom took us on a very traditional Halloween run through Squirrel Hill this morning, somehow conjuring up fog to complement the theme. We not only saw tombstones, ghosts, cob webs and Halloween Inflatables (that were inflated) but there were also Halloween snowmen - which has to be a first for us. It was a good run for a chilly morning.
Coffee lasted delightfully longer than usual and included three walk-ons: Paula the Brit, Jan and Judy. I don't think there was one mention of Game of Thrones so perhaps that spell is broken.


Monday, October 24, 2011

Oct 29 Run: Tom's House for a Halloween Run

Perhaps by next Sunday Tom will have found a hidden cache of Halloween Inflatables. But what ever run Tom thinks up is bound to be interesting. Meet at his house (5434 Ayelsboro, close to Forbes) at 7AM.

I was grateful that despite my repeated absences, those that showed up for the run humored my wish to run in Homewood Cemetery. It was a perfect autumn run: slightly misty, sun rising, trees blazing and deer posing - we could not have asked for a lovelier fall morning. With a small group we took over the cozier seats at Commonplace. We were joined by the new physics teacher at Alderdice, a friend of Jan. Without thinking about it I contributed to the continuing "Game of Thrones" references but as usual there were many other topics of conversation.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Oct. 23 Run: Commonplace for an on-the-fly run

Next up: on the fly, since numerous runners will be in West Virginia and possibly elsewhere, and will begin at Commonplace Coffee.

Yesterday’s Sukkah run was an attempt to correct the impression we got from last year’s, namely that all sukkahs (or sukkot, or sukkos, whatever – temporary huts built to celebrate the Jewish holiday of the same name) are made with PVC pipe and plastic sheeting. (Brings to mind the Hanukkah menorah run, but never mind.) They were: understated yet elegant at Temple Sinai, Martha Stewart-ish at Rodef, struggling to survive the wind and rain at Pitt, and non-Jewish and quirky at CMU, where we also had to dodge insanely speeding buggies. Aligning with our practice of ignoring “Do Not Enter” signs, we ran by a few gigantic mansions in the somewhat hidden Diocese-Bishop/Hillman Family neighborhood – not sure whose was whose. Excellent planning resulted in crossing paths with a Hasid carrying Lulav and Etrog (too complicated - look it up).

At coffee we actually tried and failed to get up and leave several times, and went over the complexities of title insurance, disease or lack thereof in Africa, plumbers we have known, what you can sell at synagogue gift shops, etc. Endorsements: for unputdownable books – Ken Follett, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth George, Philippa Gregory, Ann Patchett (and of course George R.R. Martin who at this point seems like a member of the group). Also: Defending the Caveman, at a theater near you - http://pittsburghclo.culturaldistrict.org/production/30207/defending-the-caveman – which we hope will soon be followed by: Menopause, the Musical - http://www.menopausethemusical.com/.
Shout-out to PtB, who is traveling and receiving honors in her native land.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Oct 16 Run: Commonplace for a Sukkah Run

Autumn = Sukkot = Sukkah
Join Elaine and Roye as they make a tour of the entries in Pitt's Sukkah contest. Meet at the Commonplace. For those who are not Jewish read about Sukkahs here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkah and http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm

Someone may still send out a description of this past Sunday's run.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Oct 9 Run: Frick Park: Blue Slide

Since this past Sunday's run was rained out there will be a re-try of that run. Meet at the Blue Slide Park on Beechwood Boulevard for a run to Duck Hollow and back. Note that it was not clear who is leading so it might end up being a jaunt around Frick Park and its environs.