New Year's Day Holiday Run: Starbucks in Sq. Hill - and Jan. 3 Sunday Run: the Ace Hotel, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty

Once more, an embarassment of running riches this week:  2 runs - holiday New Year's Day default run at 7:30 from Starbucks (on Forbes) in Squirrel Hill, followed by the Sunday run at 7:00 starting at the new Ace Hotel on 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty.  We're not sure about coffee availability there but Zeke's is around the corner, also great and open at 8.  If nobody else wants to lead, I'll take it up to the Allegheny Cemetery and back.

Last week I not too hopefully asked for ideas for the Squirrel Hill runs, assuming there is nothing new under the Forbes@Murray sun, but how wrong I was. PtB and Iain took us out some unaccustomed streets over to Fernwald and its romantic view of a misty sunrise all the way down to the Carrie Furnace, not to mention a surfeit of stunning mid-century modern homes, all expertly described by Wendy.  Our sadly unfulfilled search for holiday decorations last week was totally redeemed in many yards this time, especially one on Marlborough that absolutely ruled them all and included tiny dancing and singing snowmen (photo thanks to Pam.) Then on Sunday Pam took us into every hidden cul-de-sac off of Beechwood and Shady (good interval training as every one goes straight uphill.)  More architectural gazing at secret mansions we never even knew were there (how many Pittsburghers are in the 1%?) including the Scaife estate on Braeburn Place, which as you can see below is creepily blocked out on Google Maps street view.  Now that's power. 


Had to race back with bagels for visiting rambunctious nephews, so no endorsements recorded - though feel free to write in with anything essential.

Dec. 25 (Xmas Holiday Run at 7:30) at Starbucks on Forbes and Shady AND Dec. 27 (Normal Sunday Run at 7) - at 61C Cafe on Murray at Bartlett

Wow, that was a long subject line. But it had to include the default 7:30 a.m. holiday run on the 25th (Starbucks on Forbes and Shady), as well as our usual 7 a.m. run on Sunday (61C Cafe on Murray at Bartlett.)  And I might as well add the New Year's holiday run at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 - also at Starbucks - but will send a reminder next week.  A lot of running time coming up!  No special routes planned yet - bring your ideas. 

Last week we had a rather deflated tour of holiday inflatables - a few sad puddles of plastic, and not much else to look at.  Even the glowing Moravian stars on Hastings are gone.  Maybe it's hard for homeowners to get in the seasonal spirit when it's so damn warm.  Sorry, but winter should come with icicles, snowdrifts, frigid air blasts, drippy noses, numb toes, etc.  Call me Scrooge, but I love that nice warm feeling you get after a good run in the freezing cold, especially when a group coffee is involved.  Also, we need it so that we can wear buffs.

Speaking of which, many endorsements!

• For families that are combining Chanukah and Christmas:  special glasses that turn Christmas lights into little Stars of David
• Christmas Music events - Pittsburgh Camerata , Heinz Chapel, and madrigals at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church (note for next year) 
•  Leaf and Plate on Ellsworth - teas to cure whatever ails you - seriously
• smitten kitchen cooking blog - and we were just asking about gingerbread!
• the new Ace Hotel in East Liberty - great lunch, and how did we get so trendy?
• the story of Kaufmann's Department Store and the family behind it - a real saga from the PG - so many things we didn't know!
• Kenyon Jewelers in Wilkinsburg - provides jewelry therapy as well as repairs
• Another don't miss series:  The Man in the High Castle - not the heart-warming kind though
• Future runs:  Troy Hill and its Shrine, and Aspinwall/Sharpsburg

Stay tuned for more...

Dec. 20 Run: 61C cafe on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill

It's Inflatables Time!  We're starting and ending at the 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill and will try to make an efficient circuit of the most unusual and outrageous holiday inflatables in a 2-mile radius.  This will be a group effort, so try to keep the address of your favorite one in mind.  My own favorite was the Virgin Mary on the North Side (pictured here) which we saw last year on that terrific run led by Cheryl - but I guess that's too far.  Hopefully we'll come up with some challengers this time.

Last Sunday was the running equivalent of comfort food: Downtown revisited in its holiday best in the early morning, no traffic, great turnout (more than in the photo!) and led once again by Tom. We then had the antique and homey elegance of the William Penn lobby practically to ourselves, after viewing the new and improved ice rink, the hundred gingerbread houses (from afar this time), the Vatican-sized creche, towering lit-up Christmas trees, some totally charming store windows (a surprise now that Macy's/Kaufmann's is defunct) especially the one below from the Children's Museum, and 2 unexpectedly decent menorahs.
The Shrine to Famous Lawyers at Tom's place of work was magnificently, um, lawyer-like.  We gazed up at the sparkling new Tower at PNC Plaza and are trying to figure out how to get inside one day.
This may sound like we didn't run at all, but we did - honest - more than 4 miles according to Aimee's watch! But with stops.
I have no notes from coffee and so endorsements will have to wait, but storytelling was definitely a theme - and we are still trying to get a group to go to a Moth StorySLAM - next one apparently is Jan. 5 at the Rex - let's try!

Dec. 13 Run: Annual Downtown Holiday Run, to start at the William Penn Hotel lobby

'Tis the season to be running dahntahn!  On Sunday we'll make our annual visit to the heart of the Burgh in all its holiday glory - starting and ending at the venerable and magnifique Omni William Penn Hotel lobby (entrance on Wm. Penn Place between 6th Ave. and Oliver Ave.)  Rumor has it that Kaufmann's/Macy's that is not there anymore NEVERTHELESS has festive Christmas windows.  Many old and new decorative landmarks (including the horrible PVC-pipe menorah) will be visited - and the run may, just may, be led once again by...  Tom!  Please write in if you need a ride.

On Sunday we thought we should try to locate Lainy's keys, which somehow fell out of her pocket on the route last week, so the reverse Bird Run it was again, this time with all of us staring at the ground.  All we found was a spoon, unfortunately, but we did stop and see the 6 million aluminum tabs encased in hundreds of glass blocks, all in the shape of a Jewish star as seen from above, forming the eloquent Holocaust Memorial on the corner of Beechwood and Forward.  Perfect Hanukah run.

Coffee time gave us surprise visits by Cheryl and Tom, and so many endorsements!

• Annual Hanukah Parade of Cars and Bikes later in the day - some of the group biked it, so we hope to hear a report on Sunday, HOPING there were no PVC-pipe menorahs this time. (I'm a little obsessed with this.)
• Wisdom of Tom on Twitter
• Making your opinion count on gun control - tweet to local politicians - or write - or call.  Even to Sen. Pat Toomey, who actually sponsored gun control legislation and deserves credit.  Or contact our runner Chris Horwitz at elgrip@gmail.com, who is organizing about it.  
• Twote as the past tense of tweet 
• Newest runner Rachel!
• Star Wars inflatables in Marlborough St.
• Another delectable Israeli cookbook by Pittsburgh native Mike Solomonov:  Zahav.  
• Pam's awesome Pittsburgh running pants, pictured.  Get them at the Great Race Expo!
• Overheard about a young man stretching outside: "He's got great hips!"  (He did.)

December 6 Run: 61C Cafe (again) on Murray in Squirrel Hill

Next week:  back to our current default:  61C Cafe on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill.  It's the call of the familiar, and we can certainly go in a number of directions from there, TBD.

Last week, being both a holiday and a calorie-crammed one, we had a good group on each of 2 runs.  On Thanksgiving, Virginia led - through Schenley Park I think? Once again, I was talking too much to notice.  But it was definitely a needed invigorating start to a day of roasting, sauteing, whisking, chopping, slicing, etc.  In my case, as usual, bandaids were required.  Lainy and her neighbors, however, got to stand around, wine glasses in hand, watching successive turkeys being lowered into a barrel of boiling oil.  So naturally, on Sunday, what could be more fitting than going on our legendary Bird Run - and visiting the bird-frying spot itself - which gave it some meaning since the original birds are so long gone that nobody remembered exactly where they were.  (If you do, write in!)  We did spot an amazing antique doll collection in a window on lower Murray, though.

Coffee time was full of endorsements:

• Exhibit at the Carnegie Museum - Silver to Steel: modern designs of Peter Muller-Munk - gorgeous appliances of the Mad Men era, many created in our fair city
• Love the Coopers - let's hear it for yet another movie filmed in Pittsburgh!  (But are there RG members in it?)
• St. Philomena's, aka Community Day School - local monument to ecumenicism (someone needs to update that entry)
• RG appearances in the PG SEEN column - they do happen - please tell! 
• Handmade Arcade on Saturday Dec. 5 - local creations, great for gifts and also inspiration.  (This is where I got the cashmere mitten idea that took over my entire winter)
• Possible new ice rink in Shadyside's Hunt Armory (location of a previous Handmade Arcade in fact) - fingers crossed
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries- this was served alongside that fried turkey and was a huge hit
• Medical consultations provided at coffee - it was a Norovirus - luckily we have our own infectious disease expert.
• Musical offspring!
• Margot and her group Hourglass at the Smiling Moose, Dec. 10 and 11
• Jules and his group SacréFunk at the Club Café, Dec. 5 - not to mention the Jewish Soul Stew of Chillent at the Squirrel Hill Sports Bar on Sunday night
• Overheard:  "The Running Group Has Spoken"