January 25 Run: Strip to Lawrenceville starting at parking lot at 21st and Liberty

Next week will be a "real" (says Virginia) Lawrenceville run, starting at the parking lot at 21st and Liberty, with the traditional Italian stand-up coffee at La Prima.

Last week we had only a moderately-Lawrenceville run, since we ran through it pretty quickly and headed over the longish, scenic and historic 40th St. (aka Washington Crossing) Bridge to Millvale - this time checking out the original Pamela's (we must have breakfast there sometime), the place that used to be the weird acrylic furniture store (things that are not there anymore), the Grist House Brewery, which is next to a canal-appearing waterway evidently called Girty's Run (which has its own Facebook page, updated 7 hours ago!)  Aimee said it was a bit like the Netherlands in Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh being the operative word.)  Also spotted:  an inflatable to rival Our Lady of the Inflatables (see earlier post) - Santa and his entourage up on a rooftop.

Various thumbs up for Espresso a Mano cafe where we could set up a long table (great attendance!) and endorse:

• The Greens Cookbook
• Instagram? or Facebook?
• Shining Light Prenatal Education - evidence-based
• Local honey
• Miracle berries - taste-changers
• Not endorsed:  Fire-retardant anything, now shown to be poisonous - let's hear it for evidence!

January 18 Run: Rite Aid parking lot on Butler at 40th St. in Lawrenceville

Next week we'll have a Lawrenceville run, starting at the Rite Aid parking lot on Butler St., corner of 40th St., to check out its new shops, restaurants and galleries, get some great coffee at Espresso a Mano, and generally get in touch with our inner hipsters.  (We'll deal with our hips some other time.)

Last Sunday we ran through Highland Park, through some frigid temperatures and in some new directions - not all of them deliberate - all of which seemed to go uphill.  At the top, when we reached the icy reservoir, we found our reward:  certainly one of the most glowing sunrises RG has come across, captured perfectly here by Aimee.  More rewards:  passing many tastefully restored old houses, a solid 4.8 miles traversed, and of course a leisurely coffee at the exceedingly cozy Tazza D'Oro.



General exhilaration resulted in many endorsements:

• The Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup, inspiration for Joanne's aforementioned brave freezing dunk off the Mon Wharf.
• New and old potty-training methods
• Honey cardamom lattes and ginger hot chocolates
• Sweden!
• Addictive watching: The Returned on Netflix (the French Twin Peaks)
• Addictive listening:  Serial (this is already so popular that if you Google the word "serial" you will see nothing else for pages)
• Many books!
• All the light we cannot see
• Love in the time of cholera
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow
• The Position
• The Joy of Sex
• The debt to pleasure
• The happiest toddler on the block
• The Boston girl
• And the new bookstore in Squirrel Hill - Classic Lines - ironically opened by the guy who brought the Internet to Carnegie Library years ago

January 11 Run: Highland Park starting at Tazza D'Oro on Highland

I only know the basics because I was in NYC for the last 2 runs:  this coming Sunday, we'll start at Enrico's Tazza D'Oro on Highland Ave. near Bryant.  Joanne - this run's for you!  Not only because we really like it when you lead the HP run, but we are celebrating your New Year's bravery.  (But if you can't come, we'll understand and celebrate it anyway.)

I only have one endorsement: mine! Article in Grist.org about international running maps.  Full disclosure, my daughter Eve just got a job there, and is getting health insurance!  Also, I have the answer to the author's Boston question:  it's because almost everyone who lives there is under 25.)