Appropriate, I guess

In our household, Josh is the designated mail-getter.  There's no real strategy or reason behind this - it's mostly a product of having only one key for the mailbox between the two of us.  It is a little bit of a nonsensical dynamic because I get much more mail than he does, courtesy of my unabiding, excessive love for magazine subscriptions.

So it's not an unfamiliar experience to stand next to him as he opens the mailbox and sifts through the mail, saying "yours...yours...yours...yours..."  He has also taken to designating all junk mail as mine.  But a few nights back, he tossed a postcard my way.  It was some awful hybrid of random junk mail and a freakishly, creepily personal salutation:

"That is me!" I said. "I am Pizza Lover!"

"I know," he said. "That's why I gave it to you."

P.S. Take in this gross but true tidbit: If you couldn't tell from the postcard messaging, we love Domino's now.  The commercials are spot on: The pizza is totally better.  I try to picture telling my college self that and find it inconceivable.  (I am half-scared they are going to try to find me to be in a commercial now.) 

P.P.S. This seems like an appropriate low-brow place to mention that I recently went to my local liquor store to purchase a bottle of wine and bought a $5 bottle of Ed Hardy pinot grigio on a dare--the same Ed Hardy as the purveyor of those scary tattooish t-shirts some men wear as "dress-up t-shirts" for a night on the town.  I should also confess that said "dare" involved me texting my friend Sara and inquiring if she dared me to buy said bottle.  She readily agreed.  And no, it wasn't good.

Marvelous Monday

Today I'll take a cue from a friend and note five marvelous things about today--or perhaps more accurately, lingering from the weekend:

1) My long run on Saturday (with only one more long-long-long run looming before tapering starts!): For the first time in my marathon training history, I was part of the Capitol Run tradition.  Three weeks before Twin Cities Marathon, when lots of local runners have 20 miles on their schedules, a bunch of the area running clubs meet on the Capitol steps, which also marks TCM's finish line.  Everybody runs 10 miles down the course and then turns around and runs the second half back up it to practice for race day.  

There were so many runners on Summit and the River Road--hundreds, even? I'm terribly at estimating crowds--and it made such a fun atmosphere.  Even though I cut the run a little bit short because I was only scheduled for 18 miles, it was good camaraderie to be heading back up Summit and knowing that all the runners around me were also in the long, long run zone and quietly rooting for each other.

2) I got to hang out with my crew of friends from high school on Saturday afternoon for a baby shower.  The mama-to-be is due in early October, and I got to meet another new addition to our group for the first time: another friend's new baby.  It was great to catch up with these women and hang out with the sweet, sweet baby, even though she did stuff a pen in her mouth within the first three minutes of me holding her. Oops. (No harm done, I promise.)

3) I celebrated a Rocky Top victory over the weekend!  Josh and I DVR'd the game, and he was fabulous and patient about providing commentary and assistance.  Honestly, it felt like we were watching film for the first half--we were rewinding and rewatching the plays that much.  I have a lot to learn, but I also learned a lot. 

Watching football is a ton more fun when:

A) you have read articles and done research on the team, players, and coach

B) the team comes through with a monstrous 45-23 win

I really, sincerely enjoyed the game. Since it was the first Tennessee game I have watched on TV, I got to see Neyland Stadium and the sea of 100,000 fans all dressed in orange and white.  I also saw that some of the women in the stands wore orange and white sundresses, which I may need to investigate when my visit comes closer.  I also saw some of the traditions, like the Vol Walk (when the players and coaches walk past fans into the stadium) and the T formation (when the players run past the marching band members onto the field). 

Plus, how can you not love a head coach who wears these pants?

Credit

Maybe Josh and I spent some time after the game learning the words to "Rocky Top." Maybe we've had the song in our heads since Saturday night.  Just don't be surprised if you see me marching down the streets of St. Paul this week belting out:

Wish that I was on ole rocky top,
Down in the Tennessee hills.
Ain't no smoggy smoke on rocky top,
Ain't no telephone bills.

4) The next day, my family all met up for the first soon-to-be-monthly progressive dinner.  My parents drove to St. Paul and we started at my brother's apartment, where he had prepared salsa.  

This photo is my favorite because it shows the family tendency to get distracted by animals. Just as my mom was about to snap the photo, someone (I have my eye on my sister's boyfriend, next to her in the photo) said, "April, look at that squirrel on the neighbor's roof!" and my sister's eyes darted over:

Then we progressed to my home and enjoyed chilaquile casserole. This photo is the chilaquile, mid-assembly and pre-oven, so I will add the caveat that it looks weirder than it tastes:

Afterward, we headed to my sister's new apartment.  She baked a magnificent, beautiful apple pie.  Heaven.

5) Last but definitely not least, Josh and I hit up Myth Nightclub for the 16+ Jersey Shore Bash on Saturday night. He dressed as Ron and I dressed as Sammi for the $100 Give Away For Best Look A Like.  We also were among the first 50 partygoers and received free Red Bull as a result.

No, I'm totally kidding on #5.  I just really wanted to post the picture of the flyer I came across.  I had you going, right?

September in my city

This week in St. Paul, leaves are reaching the tipping point of maximum green, just before they spill over into oranges and reds and yellows.  I love both color stages, of course.  I found an outside spot for lunch last week in half-shade, and when I looked up, I saw how pretty my shade looked:

The days are starting to get shorter, and that's all I can bear to say before sinking into one big blob of Debbie Downer.  I guess the positive way to frame the next several months is that I get to see many more sunrises and sunsets than in the summertime.  How's that?  Pretty good!

Josh and I had dinner at India House on Friday.  The restaurant is ideally situated next to Grand Ole Creamery, my favorite ice cream shop in the Twin Cities (possibly the world).  Tofu masala + copious amounts of naan + Black Hills Gold/Birthday Cake/Cookie Monster = foods I could eat daily for the rest of my life.  When we left the restaurant, it felt like a warm summer night, but the sun had already set on Grand Avenue.

I'm wary of even trying to capture on camera the colors of a sunset against black silhouetted trees with the streetlight.  I gave it a valiant effort.

"Goodnight, city," said the lights.

It's 9-10-11!

Let's take a mini-break from the trip recaps, shall we?  

I've regaled you about the wedding festivities and Half Moon Bay, but Reader, I still want to tell you about our day in San Francisco. It's coming!  After that, I promise to resume normal blogging topics such as dogs, caprese salads, my impending marathon, and other assorted malarkey.

For now, take a deep breath, kick back your feet, and enjoy another cloud picture.  This time, it's from 38,000 feet!

 

Yes, I was That Passenger. I peeked out the window on the flight home and, much to Josh's chagrin, I couldn't resist digging out my camera for a snapshot.  It's a cloud photo, from a totally different vantage point!  Never fear: I snapped the photo subtly and with solemn dignity.

I will basking in the remnants of summer sun this weekend, with highs in the 80s through Monday before fall swoops in with a 65-degree high on Tuesday.  Whoa!  Happy weekend and go Rocky Top!

I HRT HMB

Loyal blog readers (hi, Mom!) know that I am an early bird, especially when my internal clock is cheerfully but non-negotiably on Central Time and my body is physically on Pacific Time.  I woke up early on Monday morning, and with 12 hours left in California, I wanted to start exploring.  

As most of you know, I love to do this on foot.  I put on my running shoes and got pulled back toward the beach.  I discovered a trail that ran parallel basically to Highway 1 but even closer to the water, alternating between a paved path and a dirt/horse trail.  Along the way, I saw campers waking up, locals walking their dogs, and surfers hitting the rough waves early. The weather matched the night before--foggy and cool--but somehow it didn't strike me as gloomy at all.  Also, the air smelled good.

I was drawn to the beach houses and the quirky character displayed by the locals.  They have a lot of pride in Half Moon Bay, and I don’t blame them a bit.  It’s a great community.  I even saw an "I HRT HMB" license plate in one of the yards. I assume it means "I heart Half Moon Bay" and not "I hurt Half Moon Bay."  That would be less appealing, obviously.

Here’s a sign marking one family farm, on a barn’s roof:

 And this is a colorful barn mural set against the foggy hills:

I made a deal with myself that I could take as many pictures on the leisurely way out as I wanted if I could hustle back during the run's second half.  And take photographs I did!  I loved looking at the plants and the hills, and I loved hearing the waves crashing against the shore even when they weren’t in my sight.

When I got back to the beach we had visited the previous day, I saw the morning surfer crowd making their way into the waves, which were a lot choppier than the night before.

Then I arrived back on the street by our hotel and was greeted by the following three items: the heart, the bemused sun, and the flowers. 

 

Again!  I ask: Could anyone be an angry person if he or she walked by the Love fence daily?