Washington DC April 2015

DC is not a city with a personality.  I once read it was a city of museums, monuments, and maybe a few politicians, and that is perfectly correct.  It’s not a place where interesting people can be seen wandering the streets, mostly because it is set up into distinct areas.  Most people visit the tourist areas with the monuments and the museums and if that is the only place you travel to, then you won’t really see the denizens of DC.  In fact, when we were on our pedicab tour we asked our driver Kevin where he lived.  He lives in Maryland, said it was cheaper. 

DC is a city where you see stuff.  We went to four museums:  Natural History, Air & Space, American Indian, and the Postal Museum.  We also went to the Zoo to see the pandas.  And then there are monuments and memorials:  Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Martin Luther King, WW II and Vietnam.

There is a lot of walking, and that’s why the pedicab is ideal.  For $ 75 the driver will take you wherever for one hour.  Kevin took us around the Tidal Basin (where the cherry trees bloom) and stopped at the MLK monument and Jefferson.  He also took us to the American Indian Museum for a little bit more.  He was so helpful and knowledgeable.  The taxi drivers on the other hand were the most surly and awful people I’d ever meant.  No conversation was a good thing.  One driver said he would not take us down towards the monuments and back to our hotel.  He says, “If you asked me now to take you to Virginia I would say no.”  He complained that he did not want to be fatigued as he still had four hours of work left.  He didn’t get a tip.  Another driver (who did not get a tip) sassed me.  As I got into his car at Union Station I politely asked if he was available.  He responds with, “would I be sitting here if I wasn’t?”  Really pal?  There are many incidences where a taxi looks available but the driver is waiting for a person to get to the car.  Geez!  It doesn’t pay to try to be courteous.  Needless to say, my feelings were hurt.  I do not like to be humiliated.  That in turn makes me turn so cold my mother said she was uncomfortable and sensed that people around us can tell how I feel.  Good, I don’t like to be treated poorly and I’ll let you know!

Taking the train to DC was fun and I highly recommend it!  The North East Regional has some stops, but mostly you just keep going.  The station was walking distance to our hotel (Hotel George, also highly recommended ).

I had thought there would be more beauty, but I think it was partly because it was early spring and the winter had been so harsh that the ground was recovering.  There were a lot of pansies and hellebores out, but the winter was so cold, and the spring not much better.  The famous cherry blossoms were not open at all!  You could see that the bud was on the tree and a pinkish red, but that was it!   That’s so late that it will likely set a record for the latest bloom! 

Would I go back?  Sure, if someone wanted to, but I’ve pretty much seen what I needed to (well blossoms open would be nice).  And yeh, we didn’t even see the White House!  Nor did we see the communities where real people live.  Getting around is not as easy as NYC.  Taxis are plentiful, but the bus is non-existent on the weekend.  The subway has a weird multi-priced payment system that requires configuring mathematically before purchasing a ticket (but it is clean and timely)!

Still, mom and I had a lot of fun!  Getting away is always good and spending time with someone you love is too!

Moi OC is damn tired of this historical winter

Seriously!  Trust me, this one is going in the weather record book.  So, we have had day after day of below average temperatures.

Typically, Albany is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit in January and February.  There will be days colder and days warmer, all that averages out to around freezing.

Not so this year.

January gifted us with about 5 days in the 30's, but otherwise it hovered in the 20's.  However, it is February that is truly evil.  For two weeks we have endured temps that never reach 30.  Temps that are 20 degrees below typical.  I always look at New York City weather.  They are always a little warmer than Albany, but this year they are 20 degrees warmer at times.  Then it dawned on me...they are having the temperatures that would be normal here in Albany.  They are below average also!

I won't even talk about snow, it's more than usual, but not all that much worse.

Nope, it's the temperatures.

Look at this:

There is nothing that can be done.  If I didn't mind running up my credit card I would just spontaneously get out of here and go somewhere warm!

Instead, I took a series of winter pictures downtown.  I wanted to capture Albany while under the cold and snow of February.  I was inspired by the instagram I follow: instagram NYC

Here's my version of my city, that is so cold it should be in Ontario!

I love living in a city.  Even if it is a small city!

Last Run 5 K

Last night I completed one of my goals for 2014 which was to run four 5K races.  My year started with the Freihofer's Run for Women in May, then there was the Boilermaker 5 K in July, followed by the Falling Leaves 5K in September.  By late October I was worried I wouldn't find another run by the end of the year.  [Let me tell you I am super glad I didn't pick a Turkey Trot since we had a foot of snow this Thanksgiving].

Sure enough, one of my many "junk mail" emails delivered the idea to do the Albany City sponsored "Last Run".  So I signed up, but I didn't tell anyone because I was so afraid the weather would be horrible and I'd chicken out.  I didn't want to give advance notice of my failure.  As the day neared I watched the weather forecast with trepidation.  Clear skies were abundant, except for the one day that mattered:  race day.

Yep, yesterday was 34 degrees (that's 2 degrees Celsius)  and rainy.  Not on and off rainy, nope.....steady drops all day.

But I couldn't back out.  Why?  Because I'm alive and well.  How could I not put up with a little discomfort when I had a fully functioning body that could do this event?  How could I squander my own health when so many people can't even walk this distance?  And most of all, when I knew my cousin Cheryl was in Hospice care and she would never run a 5K ever again.  So I did this run for Cheryl and all those who are ill and wish the simplest of health.

I like to run in honor of those I love.

To avoid parking issues, I took the bus downtown.  By the time I walked to the bus stop (which is so ridiculously close to my house)I was acclimated to the rain and cold.  It wasn't windy and with all the layers I was wearing I felt warm and dry.  I got to hte race early and waited with a bunch of other crazy people (1100) to be exact for the race to begin at 5 PM.  Before the race started there was a 10 minute fireworks display that was gorgeous.  Then we were off.  Despite not having run but twice since September, my body felt limber and my breathing fine in the cooler air.  There was only the tiniest incline to start and then it was all flat.  We ran down this section of State Street, which I think of  as NYC like.  Before I knew it I was running across cobble stones and I realized that I was already crossing Lark Street.  A minute later and we entered the park.  For two miles we ran the roadways where the "Lights in the Park" decorations glow.  My favorites were the tree with four colorful birds and the big NOEL sign.  I also liked running under the light bridge and the leaping reindeer.

After the park, it was all downhill for the last mile.  I finished in 36 minutes, which is slow, but like I wrote, it had been awhile since I ran.  I ws still warm and dry (thanks to a semi-water proof jacket) and not at all tired.  I walked another 1/2 mile to catch the bus home where I had tea and bread and jam.

It was a lovely time, but it was lonely.  Next year I have to share what I am doing so that I can run with some crazy friends!!!

The above pictures are not my own and were taken from the web.

I took only one shot because my phone was buried deeply under three layers of shirts.

I went over the river today for no reason except sometimes I enjoy a mindless drive.  While coming across a bridge at a high point, I saw them...the northern part of the Catskill mountains.  And even though these are the mountains I see in the distance everyday I drive into Greenville, it was like seeing them for the first time.  I never knew I could see them from Albany!  Even in Greenville they sit more than 10-15 miles away.  In Albany that is at least 40 miles away, yet there they were in all their snowy glory.

It made me think how many things we miss every day.  Things of beauty that are right there present with us.  Those mountains are visible from the Patroon Island Bridge as you cross the Hudson River, but somehow, I never saw them!  Mostly they are obscured by buildings.  Somehow this makes me think of how in our lives we miss moments, miss beauty, nature, people...all because we obscure them with clutter, noise, work, laziness, and rushing about.

You don't have to search far to find joy.  It's right where you are, it's always been there-waiting for you to slow down.

A Garden A Month

While wandering the yard two days ago I started to really look at my garden spots.  Sure they are dormant now, but I like to inspect each little piece to see where they are at.  I also have a favorite, my alysem.  It usually makes a flower every single month of the year-even in winter!

So here are the garden spots of January:

Lamb's Ear, actually growing.

Every month alyssum

Ivy that is growing and green!

Front bank

Tomatoes!  I still have 4 jars of salsa left!

Living and growing Dusty Miller!

Falling Leaves Road Race

I’ve discovered that when I run I am truly lost in the moment.  Last weekend I traveled to the homeland (Utica, NY) to run the Falling Leaves 5K.  I’d signed up much earlier in the year at the motivation of my cousin Dana and friend Traci.  I need to sign up for races or I’d never motivate myself to get out there and run.

It turned out to be a family thing.  Race day was cloudy with intermittent drizzle.  It was about 10 degrees, so it was cold when I arrived in downtown Utica.  I knew it would feel good once we started.  Also running that day was Dana’s husband and daughter.  Her youngest was participating in the kids’ fun run.  Before the race I looked around for my cousin Tim and his wife, and sure enough they were there too! 

But the best surprise was when my cousin Kim showed up unexpectedly.  Her husband had just had some surgery the day before and I wasn’t even sure if she had signed up.  But there she was all of a sudden, sneaking up behind us!  This was Kim’s first 5K.  She’s been the most religious exerciser out of all of us for sure.

The race started soon after she arrived and immediately we took off fast.  There were only about 800 people running, which seems like a lot, but is not really.  So it was pretty open from the start.  I ran fast my first kilometer, but reminded myself to slow up in the middle so I would have energy to go as fast as possible at the end. 

This race to me felt so spiritual.  I had a big happy smile on my face the whole time.  We ran up Genesee  Street past all these Utica landmarks.  Maybe it all felt like the ancestors were watching, I don’t know, but I felt light on my feet.  As we came up on this apartment building, a woman was out on her balcony watching.  I looked up at her and waved like I knew her and she waved back.  That’s what I mean, it felt so much like our souls had connected.  There wasn’t much of a crowd watching, there was too much drizzle.  So having any spectator felt good.

Right after seeing the woman and her beautiful soul, I thought of my cousin Dan and my eyes got all misty.  It was hard to tell that mist from the rain, but I took deep breaths and got back into the moment.

My legs felt great the whole run, only my lungs hurt some from breathing so deeply.  At the end, I ran as light and fast as I could, but it was slightly downhill on wet pavement, so I was careful too.  I finished at 31:39, which is not my personal best, but is really respectable given I don’t practice all that much.  I felt all energized after running and so I took off up the sidewalk to find Kim.  I wanted to cheer her on.  I ran with her a bit until she got near the end and then I headed inside for treats.

My reward at the end was Hemstrought’s half moon cookies!

And knowing I ran with family, and I finished well!  Lots of fun!

Groceries

Here's what $ 80 bought me today.  I'm not sure if this is good or bad.  I had made out a menu ahead of time and also made a list that I stuck to.  My goal is that this lasts easily for 2 weeks given what I already have at my house.  I don't buy nor eat much meat.  Buried in that pile is a pound of turkey burger which I will be making into a meat loaf next Sunday.

$ 80 of food

Things I will make from the pile are a Buddha Bowl (it's couscous and spinach with a bunch of veggies), a carrot salad with chick peas and feta, a breakfast casserole that I can make into ready to eat pieces and freeze.  Some of these items are for snacks over the next two weeks.  Many will go towards breakfast.

I try to make a main meal for lunch and then have something more simple like a salad at dinner.

I bet if I put my mind to it I could go three weeks on this and all the food already in my cupboards and freezer.  Want to see me try?  I'll start by listing some of the "stock"  I have and then the menus to support them.

In the freezer:  Two servings of chicken (enough to create 6 servings of a meal).
                      One serving of shrimp (enough to create 1-2 servings).
                      4 veggie burgers, and several veggie morning sausages.
                       Peas, corn, spinach, asparagus, onions and peppers
                        brussel sprouts
                       Peaches, blueberries, mixed fruit
                       One loaf of bread

In the cupboard:    6 cans of various beans
                               1 can chicken
                             4 large cans of tomatoes
                             3 cans tomato sause
                            2 boxes of cereal
                              4 things of rice
                             4 things of quinoa
                              couscous
                              a pound pasta
                               9 snack sized bags of smartfood popcorn

In the fridge:         18 eggs
                           3 litres milk
                              big bag spinach
                             feta, parmesean, cheddar cheeses
                              10 yogurts
                              two peppers
                                lettuce
                                various dressings and marinates
                                olives
                               carrots shredded
                               parsley
                                10 individual packs of hummus


Wow!  Making the list was eye opening.  When you have that much food, it's time to get cooking...not shopping.  I've no doubt I can do 3 weeks.

Here's this weeks basic menu outline:

Week One:  Breakfast = cereal
                    Lunch = gnocchi with shrimp and asparagus
                     Dinner- salad with tuna, feta, a few olives and my garden fresh tomatoes

Later in the week I will make the carrot salad and eat things like an egg fried in a diced tomato base, tomato and cheese sandwich, a buddha bowl.

Week Two:  Breakfast Casserole
                 Lunch = meatloaf and brussel sprouts, snacks of yougurt
                  Dinner= could be any of the following: salad, yogurt, eggs, cereal, hummus, buddha bowl, quinoa                   with beans....etc.....


Week Three:  Breakfast:  There are still eggs and veggie sausage to eat with fresh tomatoes
                      Lunch :  Quinoa with chicken
                         Dinner (see above)

As always, there is smartfood, cheese, hummus, fruit, yogurt and bread with peanut butter and homemade jam to snack on.

So here goes nothing!  Three weeks, no grocery store!  Wish me luck!