Photo: running through Chatham

                                                   


                                        a vision of us a few weeks ago:  courtesy of Teri

Feb. 3 Run: Tom's House on Aylesboro almost at Forbes

Next week we will start at Tom's house, without Tom's permission but with hopes that he, Paula, and Jonathan will reveal where they have been going. Evidently once you are in this running group, it is very hard to escape.

Though today and the rest of this week conjure up the Wicked Witch of the West ("melting...melting!") last Sunday was more Nanook of the North, and we learned there are not only underpants for running in the cold, and but probably more useful: fleece-lined running pants from REI (our retail correspondent, Teri, reports that "they can order them for you over the phone and have them shipped to your house for free if you are a member.  They are item #836331 and they are still on sale for $31.93 - # is (412) 488-9410".)

Our route up Penn (Garfield) down Coral (Friendship) and back through Shadyside/Mellon Park took us by some extremely hip locales and was followed by a sunny coffee hour in Bakery Square, where we covered:

• what's up with those weird medieval-style gowns wore by academics and graduates, and how many of them are naked underneath (at least one, we know)
• how to trace marathon runners in REAL TIME with RaceMyRace - cheers for Cheryl's daughter Laura!
• how depressing it is that our airport is empty but at least we're contributing a lot less to global warming
• the movie Flawless with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert de Niro (can anyone follow this stream of consciousness?)
• buffs again!  We tried but none could compete with Yi (pictured left) in buff-hipness. A BYOB (bring your own buff) run planned soon - but not in the buff, PLEASE.  (Sorry!  but needed to bring it back to the beginning.)

Jan. 27 Run: Bakery Square parking lot for a Penn Ave./Friendship run

Next week is supposed to be frigidly cold, so we are trying to avoid icy places.  We'll start at Bakery Square, head down the "street collage" of Penn Ave. (recently made famous in the New York Times) and pass by some of the great old houses of Friendship; coffee to follow at Coffee Tree Roasters at Bakery Square.

Today our hardy band set out in a howling wind from under the looming shadows of the Homestead Smokestacks as the temperature started plummeting (cue orchestra) but actually the path by the river was sheltered, and we were warmed up by the time we headed back into the wind for some serious resistance training.  We did take one of our usual retail detours to revisit the Tin Front Cafe and nextdoor Annex Cookery store in quirky downtown Homestead, where there is also the endorsed Smoke Taquería - reasons to get back there!

Back to Commonplace Coffee, where we started with appy talk (sorry) about Spotify, WAYZ, and the new Google Maps app, hugely enhanced, which we all must download immediately after hearing Wendy's moving description of the calm, wise, comforting friend now living in her purse.  The new Anna Quindlen book came up, somehow bringing us to the point where Chris said "let's talk about death" which was a bit of a downer (appy no longer) until we realized it was about estate planning.  Luckily at that point a celebrity walked in - writer and most recently winner of the Moth Grand Slam Competition last week, David Harris-Gershon (pictured here with our own Moth correspondent, Lainy) - watch out for his new book!

More stories were told, these involving the phrases "Kennywood is open" and "Going commando" - you probably have some too!  Bring them next week.

Jan. 20 Run: Homestead run starting at Waterfront Smokestacks

Next run will tour the Homestead hills and monuments and anything else that turns up - perhaps another member of the clergy will offer a church tour!  Start is at the Waterfront parking lot at the foot of the giant smokestacks (which for some reason remind me of Stonehenge - there has got to be a theme here somewhere.)

At our last run Pam once again was our very own Rick Sebak in uncovering yet another Pittsburgh discovery: the most exquisite place to see the sun rise in Pittsburgh, which is (seriously) from the ridge over the slag heaps that are now Summerset, where the wide rosy view toward the Waterfront, over a river breathing trails of mist, lent unreasonable romance to housing and retail development.  It was so lovely that we took the same route there and back.

And of course the subsequent baby shower was huge fun, highlighted by the appearance of Aimee, of course, who looks pregnantly fabulous, as well she might after all the running she was doing.  We also held our own Moth storytelling competition, starting with Cheryl and ending with Lainy; Charles Dickens could not have provided more wild coincidences, eccentric characters or hilarious situations.  The theme was:  "We're finished!" but we hope not.

Many delectables were provided as could only be expected. Pam and Chris were as ever gracious hosts, and their amazing coffee making equipment was surpassed only by the weirdest knife ever seen.  (I am responding here to requests for the scones recipe, shamelessly identical except for the secret addition of a few drops of Fiori di Sicilia.)

This Thursday!  Chris invites everyone to a planning meeting at his and Pam's house (2200 Beechwood) of local citizens and politicians exploring avenues for Pittsburghers to control guns and gun violence, starting at 7 p.m.

Also this Thursday!  Super-Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Competition (the real one) - get tickets here - Lainy is sure to be there along with others of the group - you'll undoubtedly want to find each other, so texts will undoubtedly be flying.

Also endorsed!
Goodreads - social networking for bookies, naturally some of us are on there -
Roots Jungle Retreat in Dominica, experienced by Paula the Brain and Jonathan (also brainy) - and we want to hear more about the "jungle dining"
People of the Book - a novel
Must stop now before this turns into another novel.

Roye

Jan 13 Run: Pam Murray's House

Switching off posting with Roye - today is my turn to try and capture the run and the after-talk in words. A tough job but I have a glass of wine here to fortify me.

Next week meet at Pam Murray's House, 2200 Beechwood Blvd, for the run and Aimee's baby shower afterwards. Pam says just bring whatever you want to share, as we know it will be delicious even if it is all some form of carbohydrate. 

We met at Biddle's Escape (I keep wanting to call it Biddle's Retreat or Biddle's Revenge) for a  a scenic run through Edgewood. We ran past some gorgeous big houses, many still decked out for Christmas - one had two Christmas trees another a golfing snowman! Jan says these were occupied by Westinghouse employees when it still had a site near-by. There were also cozy bungalows and nice brick row houses along the way. Everything looked appealing in the snow. I promised myself I would not mention the hills.

Coffee was long and chatty, even though (or perhaps because) the tables were all higgly-piggly.  Some topics covered (I used Roye's napkin recording method):

• Pittsburgh's Inaugural GrandSLAM Championship: Fish Out of Water, Thursday, January 17th, at the Hazeltte. There is also the regular Moth this Tuesday on the South Side. 
• Peete's Coffee - Better if ordered directly, we are waiting for Wendy to tell us how to store the beans
• Restaurant Supply Store in the Strip recommended by Pam and Chris. I think it is Restaurant Depot
• Chicago as a good place to visit
• Book Recommendations:
• Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, Anna Quinland
• Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, Andrew Solomon

This is the just the report from my corner - I am sure there were others items just as interesting  discussed elsewhere.

Jan. 6 Run: Back to Biddle's Escape, corner Biddle & Trenton, in Edgewood

Next week we’ll return to that adorable coffee house in Edgewood, Biddle’s Escape, corner of Biddle and Trenton.  An Edgewood run is planned but not specified – perhaps some are hoping that Virginia will figure it out for us :-) - but we’re nothing if not spontaneous.

The New Year’s run was bracing and a bit slippy (great word), so we were grateful nobody hit the pavement.  Chatham campus and Shadyside had their winter wonderland look, making me aware of the contradictions in wishing for more income equality while adoring the loveliness of the fairytale homes of the 1%.   But we balanced it out later by letting  Dunkin’ Donuts, with its comfy chairs and lots of space, beat out the fancy schmancy coffee at Starbucks.

Endorsements:

• Could not get enough of Buffs, especially as Elaine modeled her astonishing expertise at shaping them.  We think she should get her own website, like Wendy of last week’s scarf-tying fame!  Of course we returned to the Lookbook, and continued marveling at her brilliance.
• Two unorthodox and cool museums not far away, just over the OH border: Plastic Brick Museum (unofficial Lego) and The Museum of Ceramics – from East Liverpool, the Pottery Capital of the World (who knew?)
•  Cheryl sends this worthwhile petition to consider signing:  One Million Moms for Gun Control
• Documentary:  Craig’s List Joe – which evidently will bring back your faith in humanity, even after thinking about what caused the above petition.
• Even with hotties, we need good gloves – where else but Costco?

Stay warm!

Roye