October 29 Run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead

My notes for this week's run say:  Wenbennett trail ---> stairs.  I have no idea what that means! But it surely starts at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead, where all good things begin - map here for anyone who needs one - also be there by 7 am.

Last week we went urban sightseeing - making our circuitous way through the gigantic Googleplex - more brand new hipster living spaces than we ever imagined tucked into the edges of Shadyside and East Liberty.  We saw Annie Dillard's childhood home.  We made it to the Trash Raccoon! (pictured - hint: it's upside down.)  Also Chris' very own factory (ElectroGrip) for nanofabrication system support (customers include NASA) - wow!  And some rather philosophical graffiti.

Zeke's Coffee turned out to be perfectly accommodating - a cozy corner table, fine coffee options and very toothsome pastries. 

And many, many things under discussion:
Ultimate frisbee in Australia
The amazing Harry Houdini and various entertainments with him as a character:  Side Show (musical) and FairyTale (movie).
Letters (aerograms!) that we used to write - now what?
A romantic Pam and Chris story
What to do about Equifax?
The Dino skeleton on Solway and the Zombie on Aylesboro
Pronouns - who knew they would become so complicated?
Prison Break (TV) and tattoos therein
FREE tickets (with membership) from Seatstir.

October 22 Run: Meet at Zeke's Coffee at 6015 Penn Ave. in East Liberty

We'll try out another new coffee venue:  Zeke's Coffee at 6015 Penn Ave. in East Liberty, and head east.  Zeke's is apparently also a bakery, so that offers some intriguing possibilities:  mocha chip muffins, apple cheddar scones, etc.  Run route is not set - but I'm hoping for a glimpse of the trash raccoon.

Last Sunday went exactly as planned, and the Greenfield Bridge is indeed ready for business, and very nicely done.  Even the barriers to keep people from jumping off are attractive.  Also, we discovered that its true name is the Beechwood Blvd. Bridge - really?  We traversed the Greenfield streets for a while, and behind St. Rosalia's, found our favorite bushwhacking hill so blocked off with invasive plants and threatening signs that even we didn't dare to go on.  It reminded me of the scene from Sleeping Beauty where all the vines start proliferating.  Fittingly, 61C was comforting as usual.

Many fun endorsements!

• Jazz and other live music at Wallace's Whiskey Room at the Hotel Indigo in East Liberty:  also Happy Hour.... time for another one for the group!
• Finding Your Roots program on how Bernie Sanders and Larry David are connected
• Attack Theatre's Down and Dirty Dance Party - oh, just realized that's tonight!  Read this fast.
• The Twisted Frenchman - new restaurant in East Liberty - if you just inherited a fortune
• The fact that Pittsburgh was named as Zagat's No.1 Food City was actually a mistake - it figures.
• Going on a personal retreat to Prince Edward Island - shellfish caught that day, biking heaven, reading all your books, etc.
• But a "family vacation" is an oxymoron
• The PG's NewsSlide - read the paper like never before - to be followed by its new Podcast to be unveiled soon
• Books of course:  Fierce Kingdom; Ken Follett's latest: A Column of Fire; new book by Philip Pullman, La Belle Sauvage, for those who have been waiting since His Dark Materials took over your life.  Also see above reference to the personal retreat.  We can dream.

 

October 15 Run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead for a visit to the new Greenfield Bridge!

We'll start at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead (map here) at 7 am as usual (just putting that in for new people on the list) and see if we just might be able to run across the brand new Greenfield Bridge!  It doesn't seem like that long ago that I went with my 3 young nephews to watch it implode: they were transfixed.  As were some of us, too, long ago at one of our most spectacular runs - to 3 Rivers Stadium on Feb. 11, 2001, to watch it crumble into dust. We raced like hell down Blvd. of the Allies to get there by 8 am and just made it.  

So last week we had a slightly misty run around the South Side at 18th Street - avoiding the Sunday am grossness of E. Carson and heading past previously unseen treasures like this weird storefront called pghnites.com (purpose unclear), also a VERY promising view into potential cashmere at the Salvation Army.  The new coffee place, Delanie's, had the perfectly sized table in a balcony, and all required offerings.  I have no recollection of our scintillating talk since some of us soon headed out to run the 4.12 K for Casa San José which gave out the most adorable t-shirts - to be modeled soon.

October 8 Run: South Side run starting at Delanie's Coffee.1737 E. Carson

We've got a South Side run planned because some of us are going on to another South Side run that starts at 9 am - and we're starting at Delanie's Coffee (on E. Carson at 18th St.) because it's right near that starting point and opens at 8.  A new coffee experience to add to the list.

It's past my bedtime so it's too late to give a whole spiel - but the important thing was that we wished a very fond farewell to Carrie who is moving to Oregon very soon.  She's been part of the group forever - maybe since she started running marathons with Karen in 1999 (and is still running them!) But she promised to come back to the Burgh and give us Sunday morning visits and report on life out West.  We'll miss you!


So two photos from the week before last, and one from 2010 with Carrie in it, will have to suffice for the rest:
(Also the fact that Biddle's Escape now features pastries from La Gourmandine!)