1.Sept. 2 Run - Lowe's at Waterfront; Labor Day Run - 7:30 at Commonplace

At Jan’s inspiration, we will be starting at Lowe’s parking lot at the Waterfront, and taking the trail to McKeesport (probably not all the way).  Coffee will most likely be somewhere around there – Panera is open at 8.  Will expect to hear more from people who can offer a ride and the intrepid R-to-R crowd.

Labor Day run starting at Commonplace at 7:30 a.m. as is our wont.

In a bit of a rush, so no real report on last week except to say that it was the usual delightful gabfest and felt way more hilly than this (compliments of PtB) would indicate.

Aug. 26 Run: Commonplace Coffee

Next Sunday’s run will start from Commonplace Coffee, and will take us through Chatham and perhaps Shadyside depending on our whims.  Please come with your whims handy.

Last week our tiny group traversed a refreshingly cool and leafy Schenley Park, stopping only to give lengthy directions to out-of-town visitors.  Scintillating talk as always: endorsements for Nigel Slater’s cookbooks, Dr. Leslie Bonci’s nutrition advice, the Aeropress coffee maker, and apples from Wendy’s tree.  

Aug. 19 Run: Schenley Park starting at Wendy Bennett Trailhead

Next week’s run: Schenley Park starting at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead (Aimee reflected that we haven’t been seeing much of lovely Schenley Park this summer.)  Coffee at Commonplace of course.

Yesterday was just perfect running weather, and we headed out to the hidden streets of Morningside and Stanton Heights – endless hills and a scene like a 1960’s movie set - to end up at Mildred’s Daughter’s Farm,  a tiny spot of rural homesteading in our own Gotham City.  Also traversed more zucchini and tomato fields, a serious bocce court, and the customary bushwhacking shortcut discovered by Teri. 

PtB, our mapmeister, has kept track: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/123773011

Chat at the hip Tazza D’Oro started out with vacation recommendations including one for a group trip to the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, but really got interesting as we dived deep into female medical matters – runner MD’s: where were you? – to be continued!  Tom, Jonathan, David: you definitely want to be there -

August 12 run: Highland Park starting at Tazza D'Oro

Next up:  starting at Tazza D’Oro on Highland Ave.  Much talk of farmer’s markets and CSA’s over coffee last week led to a wish to visit the Mildred’s Daughters farm in Morningside (or thereabouts), so I’m going to try to remember how to get there from Highland Ave. – we did this at least once before.  If not, well, we’ll just mosey on through the park. 

Last week’s run consisted of a small but hardy band of non-vacationers, and we visited the Water Lilies garden at Phipps, and the estates of the 1% up above CMU.  Tom continued his Zelig-like activity of suddenly appearing where we were, just as he had been spotted by Cheryl  in Quebec City – where will he materialize next?  Is this related to the underground bunker that was just installed  in front of his house?  Questions will be asked.