Nov. 29 Run/Walk: meet outside the Waterfront Starbucks --- and Thanksgiving Holiday run (tomorrow at 7:30 am) at the 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill

Getting this out in the nick of time to remind everyone of the Annual Thanksgiving Holiday Run tomorrow at 7:30 am at the 61C Cafe on Murray in Squirrel Hill.

And in plenty of time (for once) for the Sunday run - which will return to the Waterfront Starbucks at 7 am as usual, with hopes for a sighting of our friend the Lt. Governor, who is now world famous, and his family.  Though it's unlikely they are spending the morning outside on a gloomy November morning.  Unlike us!  Bringing a chair would be a good idea.

Last Sunday walkers and runners headed off in opposite directions, to ascend to the picturesque heights of Herron Hill Park and The Shrine of the Blessed Mother, respectively (views below.)  Then we availed ourselves of the unlikely open space in front of Fuel & Fuddle smack in the middle of Oakland to eat Munchkins and schmooze awhile.  

Vaccines!  Dr. Sharon, infectious disease specialist and bringer of hope, telling us that the report on vaccines is Great News, "the antibody to spike protein is protective!" (I hope I got that right.)  As promised, she answered a million questions.

Also endorsed:

• Steri-strips, or as CVS calls them, Wound Closure Strips (thanks Wendy!) for those who, like me, cannot be near a knife without slicing fingers. 
• Dolly Parton's new Christmas album, her help in bringing on those vaccines, and just being herself!
• Live captioning on Zoom through Microsoft Office (not sure how this works, ask Lainy)
• COVID Alert PA - app which alerts you when you are exposed to the virus - yikes!
• Do you want to be in the vaccine clinical trial?  Register here (more information here.)

Nov. 22 Run/Walk: Meet at Oakland Ave. between Sennot and Forbes - bring a chair!

We'll convene in Oakland in front of the mysteriously named Fuel and Fuddle (212 Oakland) which I can't help but notice is cheerily open indoors, luring undergrads in the midst of our plague emergency. But we'll be outdoors, so bring your chair.  This is getting exhausting. 

Last Sunday walkers enjoyed the Chatham campus and surrounding mansions - including one Modernist glass house buried in leaves with a long view to the chapel tower - though we were not exactly invited over.  Perfect post-exercise confab at Wendy's: here we are toasting our hero Joanne after she answered our million questions about electoral news and ballot counting under the eye of 39 surveillance cameras.

Also endorsed:

• The Girl Scouts - made Joanne who she is today
• Vertical farming in Braddock
• Kamala Harris in curlers
• Watch: Cory Booker's mayoral race documentary "Street Fight"
• Bidenfreude
• Governors
• Vaccines! Sharon, we have another million questions for you.

Nov 15 Run/Walk: Meet at Wendy's House, corner of Wilkins and Beechwood (park on Beechwood.)

Wendy has invited us to meet before and afterwards in her back yard, 6425 Wilkins - delightful!!  And, across the street from 5 Points!  Bring chairs just in case.  Many routes possible - we'll go with the most inventive.  Or the fewest hills.

Last week was characteristically November-y in Frick Park, some yellow leaves still hanging on, lots of crunchy ones underfoot.  Goats are still under contract.  What would we do without the Pittsburgh Parks?  And then it was a treat to gather everyone outside in the backyard after a week of nail-biting, breath-holding, and ultimately cathartically, joyfully exhaling.  Can we please return to no-drama?  Answer: we now have hope.

Here are some tidbits:

• Joanne!  We are thinking of you but you probably have NO TIME to read this email - still please take care and then take the best vacation ever!! 
• Related:  "How Allegheny County delivered PA to Biden"
• Watch:  Recount (the hanging chads of 2000), Class Action Park (documentary about the theme park you never want to go to), The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, and especially Emily in Paris, that has just been renewed for another season!
• Our friend John Fetterman is a star:  Gov. Wolf buys him a tie; he has a new nickname, and his tweets are awesome.
• The Four Seasons Total Landscaping story - 
• La Fermiere Yogurt - available at the East End Food Coop - comes in adorable blue ceramic cups
• Leaves - we love them!  Leaf blowers - we hate them!
• Interview with Evan Osnos of the New Yorker about Joe Biden's enlightening history
• Recipe for Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts that can also be Munchkins.  Secret: melted butter/cinnamon sugar finish.

Nov. 8 Run: Meet at the entrance to Frick Park, S. Homewood and Reynolds in Pt. Breeze.

On Sunday we will watch the last of the leaves float down in ravishing autumnal Frick Park, meeting at the entrance at Reynolds and S. Homewood.  Afterwards, all are invited to hang out in my leaf-strewn and messy backyard (305 S. Lang Ave.)  Coffee and baked treats will be provided and we will hope that the cursed leaf-blowers will hold off until 10.  Also, a bathroom!  I have some chairs and if some of you bring them too we'll be fine.

First of all, we are all sending our ❤️❤️❤️love❤️❤️❤️ to Joanne! who at this very moment is handling the vote count in Allegheny County, in a situation more challenging than I can even imagine. Here she is explaining the most important thing in the world right now.  

Last week we had numerous walkers traversing Frick Park and visiting the goats and Hobo the Donkey who are residing there.  Numerous runners, on the other hand, checked out what's happening in Wilkinsburg.  Madeleine's was a lovely place to kibitz, but such a long line! I think there were lots of endorsements but I only noted:

    Watch:  Trial of the Chicago Seven, and the new Borat, and Sarah Cooper's Everything's Fine.

In the meantime, as Janet promised, we are living "in the shine of hope."