Jan. 12 Run: Mexican War Streets on Northside, starting at Federal and E. North Ave.

Sunday's run starts and ends at the Crazy Mocha coffeehouse on the Northside - a block down from Allegheny General Hospital on the corner of Federal St. and E. North Ave.  There should be parking on the street.  We'll tour the Mexican War Streets, but in our quest to cover all neighborhoods, perhaps we can also sneak into Fineview and California/Kirkbride which may be still untouched.  No plan yet, so if anyone wants to devise one, let us know.  And might I suggest that post-coffee, anyone with a car might want to stop at Breadworks Bakery close by on Brighton Ave. - it opens at 8, and has a giant selection of their famous fabulous breads cheaper than anywhere else.

Two runs to cover last week, New Year's day had a good turnout (perhaps this is an indictment of our partying skills) and the only thing I recall is that we had a surprisingly homey time at Dunkin' Donuts (right.)

Sunday, Karen stepped up and led a delightful Highland Park tour, involving a hidden street with the Hobbit house (left), frozen swimming pools, a stairmaster sequence, a footbridge, and warm scones at Tazza D'oro.  So we have at least double the endorsements:

• Films:
• Run for your life - New York Marathon story
• Veep - Julia Louis Dreyfus one step away from the nuclear button
• Lilyhammer - The Sopranos meet Kristin Lavransdatter
• The Killing - crime drama also related to a Nordic land
• Blackfish - "mesmerizing psychological thriller with a killer whale at its centre" 
• I Sodi restaurant in NYC - found years ago by Teri
• a party card game:  cards against humanity - weirdness with laughing
• the word "bollard" - advancing further in our vocabulary development thanks to PtB
• life in Montana where it's so cold that your ear can snap off (maybe the opposite of endorsed)
• Yiddish - we need more of it in our lives - try the magnetic poetry
• Bear Paw boots - forget those leaky Uggs, these keep you warm

We need those today!  Stay warm everyone -