Tomorrow! 1/1 New Year's Morning at 61C @7:30 am; 1/6, Coffee Tree in Bakery Square@ 7:00 am

Tomorrow! 1/1 New Year's Morning at 61C @7:30 am; 1/6, Coffee Tree in Bakery Square@ 7:00 am

We met at the Frick gate entrance in Point Breeze this past Sunday for a spirited and well-attended walk and run. Afterwards, we attempted to coffee at the Everyday Cafe “We are open every day, 7am-3pm” but alas, it was closed.

Endorsements:

• Lainy’s new obsession: Shtisel, a Netflix series
• A Very British Scandal, an Amazon Prime three part series featuring the excellent Hugh Grant

Other topics:

• Mink cuffs (are they acceptable for mittens and if so, how to wash?) which led to discussion of a 50s mom obsessed with mink and a mink baby
• Roye’s full story of the trash raccoon (note: Roye did not attend coffee so some explanation is in order)
• Notary home delivery: Josh Reisner 412-521-3020 josh@resinernotary.com

Upcoming Runs/Walks:

• Tuesday, Tomorrow!!, January 1, New Year’s Day Holiday Run 7:30 am; meet at 61C in Squirrel Hill
• Sunday, January 6, 7:00 am; meet at Coffee Tree in Bakery Square

And don’t forget:

Wednesday, January 2, 5:00 pm, meet in lobby of William Penn Hotel for Happy Hour drinks, and to take a first stab at drafting the RG family tree

Dec. 30 Run: Meet at entrance to Frick Park at Reynolds and S. Homewood.

It's been a few months since we dived into Frick Park and it's turned entirely brown and sere (I just had to look that up) and is eerily romantic right now.  So we'll meet at the entrance at Reynolds and S. Homewood and head for the Rollercoaster Trail.  Coffee probably at 61C.

Last week we started under the Oakland morning's raucous crow-filled skies, along with a giant full moon (Moonset?) - and then saw their diving reflections shooting through the mirror-filled installation on the Carnegie facade.  Unfortunately you can't see any of that in this photo, but everyone here will attest to the awesomeness.  At the other extreme, we witnessed how CMU is trying to cover every inch of space with concrete. Aimee was able to map our somewhat ridiculous but charming route.  The Christmas run was spare but took advantage of Anne Jane's encyclopedic knowledge of Homewood Cemetery ("the Cemmie".)

So, keeping track of our ever-useful endorsements:

• RunKeeper App - see example at right
• Again the British Baking Show, but the added feature of actually baking cookies while watching!  It was admitted that our cookies are not as good as our kids' now.
• Glitter - kids adore it, but for moms, "it's probably still in my skin". So popular it recently had a major feature in the NYT (this is actually fascinating, including a satisfying tale of Newt Gingrich being glitter-bombed.) 
• Slime, equally unavoidable if you have kids
• Abandoning Facebook, Amazon, Google - but can we do it?
• Figuring out what to do with digital photos - where exactly are they, anyway?
• Podcasts:  Believed, Bagman, Slow Burn
• Movie: Mary, Queen of Scots
• Lucille Ball - the first pregnant person on TV=

Christmas Holiday Run Bulletin: forgot to mention it! Meet on Tuesday at 7:30 am at Starbucks, corner of Forbes and Shady

By Thursday we'll have a report on next Sunday's run.  This is just to announce the Holiday Run on Tuesday, of course:  7:30 am at the Starbucks, corner of Forbes and Shady.

Also, in reference to the discussion today about the gift popularity of slime, and kids gifts in general, I want to share this adorable article - which includes how to spell slime in Spanish!

But meanwhile, in the Spirit of Sparkle Season, we're bringing back a special treat from years ago, from our poet-in-residence, Lainy:

T’was the run before Christmas and all through the town

The runners were waking to rain coming down

With temperatures rising alongside the sun

The rainfall was heavy and dampened the fun

The plan was a flat one, on Walnut to meet

Outside of the Coffee Tree… patter of feet

First Sarah and Lainy, then Sandy and Yi 

But soon it was clear they were all there would be.

No Wendy or Paulas, no Karen nor Roye,

Just FOUR East End Runners, all ready for joy.

They loitered, they waited, for hopes there’d be more

By 10 after seven, they wondered “what for?”

On Walnut they headed toward mansions on Fifth,

To gaze at a manor all wrapped like a gift!

Then down Panther Hollow, more modest abodes

And up a steep staircase to Oakland’s back roads.

Now Tom should not read this, of this I must WARN

For then…a spontaneous route change was born

See, Sandy, it turns out, had yet to discover

The most beloved Shrine of the Sweet Blessed Mother.

So onward the foursome did head in a line

To take in the Queen of the Parkway Shrine

As always, a treat full of awe and some wonder

The sky remained grey with some rain, but no thunder.

Now back into Oakland and towards the Cathedral

(And now comes the trespass that wasn’t quite legal)

Though fire alarms flashed and speakers spewed warnings,

We’re used to the Cathedral being open most mornings

Now, back at the Coffee Tree others arrived

And into the ritual chatter we dived

We spoke of good movies, and holiday treats

And next week the run starts in Oakland at PEET’s!

In keeping with Christmas Day rituals and rites

We’ll meet at the Starbucks, in jackets and tights

Not ‘til 7:30 (you get to sleep in)

Then promptly the Christmas Day Run will begin.

But meanwhile we hope that the week will bring fun,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good RUN!

December 23 Run: Meet in front of Phipps Conservatory in Oakland

We are meeting in front of Phipps Conservatory (map) so that Elaine can initiate us into the mysteries of "crows over Oakland."  Don't ask, just come and you will be enlightened!

It must be said, it rained on the downtown Holiday Run.  Seriously, it was sacrilegious, though at least it was mainly a drizzle.  I think the photo says it all.  But we did see the sights: the SuperVatican Creche (always a standout), many lit-up trees, the full-of-tchotchkes Holiday Market, and especially one major improvement: Menorah.net! which has FINALLY replaced the tacky PCP pipe menorahs with state-of-the-art internet-connected glossy steel candelabras. We won't quibble that Menorah.net seems not to know that Hanukah ended last week.

We lounged in our damp running gear in the brocade chairs and under the crystal chandeliers of the Wm Penn Lobby and it was lovely as always.  Endorsing:

• The Wednesday and Friday morning runs, 5:45 at the corner of Murray and Forbes, are reportedly in FULL FORCE.
• Happy Hour in this same William Penn lobby, 5-7 on weekends, so good that we set a date:  Wednesday, January 2 - meet everyone there at 5 and we'll drink to... there's lots we can think of.
• Movie:  Roma, maybe the best picture of the year - don't miss the chance to see it on the big screen.
• TV: Mrs. Maisel, especially now that they're in the Catskills
• Shows: Hamilton, of course - many people are going!  How did they get tickets?  By being clever and persevering, unlike yours truly, who will have to wait until the next decade.  Virginia says that there is another lottery coming up, though.
• Yoga retreats, especially if they're in Aruba or the Mexican Caribbean (and of course Linda Meacci's)
• Not endorsed:  copulation in Gateway Center Park - evidently a problem

Dec. 16 Run: Annual Downtown Holiday Run! Meet at entrance to Omni Wm. Penn Hotel, 530 Wm. Penn Place

Meet everyone at the warm and wonderful Wm. Penn Lobby entrance to begin our annual holiday trek through sparkly dahntahn - much to visit.  Here's a map. We still think of this as Tom's run, so Tom, if you're reading this, we promise to follow our leader!  Coffee inside under the giant chandeliers.

Last Sunday we threaded in and out of picturesque Wilkinsburg, Swissvale, and Edgewood and then warmed up at funky Biddle's where we opined on all things seasonal:

• White Christmas: the thing and the movie - also Holiday Inn: the movie but not the thing.
• Which brought us to - how to watch old classic movies, preferably lined up for you in some clever and adorable way, if you don't have cable with TCM??  Please write in with the answer if you have it. 
• It may have something to do with Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV.  Again, please write in.
• Four Frozen Farmers - best place to get Xmas trees, at Construction Junction
• The Rivers Casino is a nightmare vision.  It feels like "an adult Chuckie Cheese."
• Ditto Las Vegas, where you end up with sex stickers on the bottom of your shoes.
• A murder of crows - this was either the crows themselves (more on that in 2 weeks!) or the movie.
• Sheets and towels - seriously the best are at Macy's or Target? But dispose of old ones at the Humane Animal Rescue Shelter.
• What about duvets?  They are swanky and European but somehow the quilt keeps moving down and then you freeze.
• We appear to have been kind of cranky last week.  Hopefully the Sparkle will be with us on Sunday!

Dec. 9 Run: Meet at Biddle's Escape, 401 Biddle Ave. Wilkinsburg

Short but sweet coverage from Elaine: 

Last week:  It was a terrific morning in North Park. 

This week:  Group decided to meet at Biddle's Escape (map) for next weeks run. Ill see if Councilman Mike would like to host a tour, or maybe Virginia or Michelle or Galit might escort us around the hood and/or frick park.