January 5 Run: meet at the parking lot at the Hot Metal Bridge and 2nd Avenue, and New Year’s Day Run at 61C- 7:30 am

January 5 Run: meet at the parking lot at the Hot Metal Bridge and 2^nd Avenue, and New Year’s Day Run at 61C- 7:30 am

Don’t forget to join the New Year’s celebration run at 7:30 am this Wednesday morning, starting at the 61C café in Squirrel Hill.

Next Sunday, we’ll take in some Southside from the parking lot by the Hot Metal Bridge and have coffee at the Indigo Hotel’s Eliza restaurant ,after.

This week’s runs included an ethereal cemetery tour through the thick Christmas morning fog on Wednesday, and a slow climb up Troy Hill, on Sunday, to tour that hidden gem of a neighborhood. We befriended an authentic 40 year local who sang the praises of the overstuffed hoagies at   Pear and the Pickle (see endorsements). The views from Troy Hill were astounding and, as expected, rain held off until the run was done. Oh ya, and going DOWN Rialto street is way more reasonable than climbing up!

A few endorsements:

·        Troy Hill Restaurants:

·        Pear and the Pickle (which evidently carries Boar’ Head meats and loads them onto oversized hoagies)- doesn’t open early enough for running group coffee

·        Scratch f&b

·        Movies:

·        Knives Out

·        Uncut Gems

And of course,  Little Women - most notable for its amazing costuming, especially the SONTAG shawl, which Roye will no doubt be sporting in cashmere well before Spring!

Bingeworthy:

The Durrells in Corfu- the daily adventures of a most imperfect British family embracing life on the Greek Island of Corfu (on Amazon Prime) .

EM

December 29 Run: Meet at Herrs Island, in the parking lot under the bridge

That's it: meet at Herrs Island, aka Washington's Landing (map here).  From Penn Ave., go over the 31st St. bridge, take a left onto River Ave., then your first left onto the island and you'll see the parking lot to your left. 
Too much going on this week to provide more info.  Stay tuned!

December 22: Phipps Conservatory Oakland, plus Christmas run: Starbucks Forbes and Shady (7:30 am start)

December 22 run: Start at Phipps Conservatory Oakland, plus Christmas run: Starbucks Forbes and Shady (7:30 am start)

Last Sunday we did the annual downtown Christmas tour.  The tree at the point shone brightly against the dusky morning sky. We ornamented the giant ornament and were dwarfed by the giant figures of the creche, and the tree at the City-County building (now featuring a video showing the raising and decorating of said tree!). No Hanukah menorahs in sight might actually be better than those PVC pipe versions of yesteryears. We trespassed onto the courthouse yard to view “where the Christmas tree used to be” and passed the old Kaufmanns’ department store where the Christmas windows “used to be”. It was delightful to have Sarah Wallace back for her first of two holiday downtown runs of the day. In the elegance of the William Penn Hotel lobby, napkin topics (including the true meaning of  Okay Boomer and Wendy’s well-maintained rhomboids) were plentiful, but were not actually recorded on a napkin.

This Sunday we're starting at Phipps Conservatory for a visit through Oakland.  Also don't forget the default holiday Christmas run at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at 61C.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Dec. 15 Run: Annual Holiday Run Downtown - meet at Market Square

It's that time again - we'll be visiting all the seasonal delights of dahntahn, starting in Market Square.  I'm sadly going to miss it but wish everyone a Merry Everything!

Last Sunday was as Victorian as Christmas Pudding - angelic statues in Allegheny Cemetery - the big hearth at The Abbey - we were just waiting for Pickwick.  We also saw geese walking on water.

We were so comfy that a whole slew of endorsements came up:

• The new Gingerbread House Display at the City County Building - well curated and including several gingerbread buses in sinkholes.
• Buti-Yoga, starring "intentional shaking & vibration to release trauma stored at the cellular level"
• Sing, an Irish Christmas at the Benedum this Thursday
• Many, many water filters - very confusing but our scientists Beth and Galit will figure it out soon
• RG member Maia's poetry reading TOMORROW night at the Steel City Slam, FullPint WildSide Pub
• Acupuncture at the Center for Integrative Medicine takes insurance (sometimes.)  Good for anxiety, shoulders, etc.  Ask for Tricia.  There is evidently Dog Acupuncture somewhere too.
• Movie:  Dark Waters
• Book:  Gift from the Sea
• People who look like their dogs, as in 101 Dalmations, but it's true!
• Not endorsed: cursed plastic - now found in sea salt and fleece jackets and whales.

Dec. 8 Run: Lawrenceville next - meet at The Abbey at 4635 Butler Street

In preparation for another icy run, we'll meet Sunday at the warm wooden coziness of The Abbey, on 4635 Butler Street near 47th St., (open at 7 so we can wait inside) and then we'll maybe go High Victorian in Allegheny Cemetery - or else see what the Lawrenceville shops are offering.  'Tis the season!  Speaking of which, there are also plans for the Downtown Holiday Run which will take place on Dec. 15, so get your Santa hats ready.  Or is it Pussy hats?  It's that season too.

Last week - Shadyside?  It's all a blur.  Great coffee though!

Endorsements:

• Misfits Market Box - year-round discount organic vegetable delivery with a twist!
• Airborne super vitamin remedy for incipient colds - works for me
• the JCC Group Power class - maybe for those who are mourning the demise of Club One. (For a few of us this was our entree into the running group years ago.)
• the Pittsburgh Girls Choir Holiday Concert
• TV:  Last Breath on Netflix; His Dark Materials on HBO (that was in last week, but still)
• Bears: someone found one in their car.  Also one is starring in His Dark Materials.
• Book:  Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
• Popsockets for your phone
• Or, no phone
• 79 climate-friendly gift ideas