Then and Now: November

Okay everyone, let's say it all together now: I can't believe that November is already over! I know; you have heard it before. But yes, it's December (already). November is over. What happened? Luckily I take photos, because lately I can't remember! Due to my blogger issue with photos, I am doing this collage style this time (thanks everyone for the comments -- I am uploading to flickr and then pasting the code into the blog). So here you have it, the Who, the What and the Where of 2011 vs 2012. 

2011: 

Who: Baby A (aren't crying photos the funniest? Look at that face!). 

What: Chicken Feet and Bran Flax Muffins

Where: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, San Francisco, Sierra Nevadas

2012: 

Who: Ladies who lunch brunch

What: Crabs, Oatmeal pumpkin cookies

Where:  Santa Rosa, Oakland, San Francisco

The Extras: 

Books: 

2011: 10 / 2012: 4

Last year in November I read 10 books. Clearly I had a little more free time than this year! This year I only read 4. Last year, many of those books were really great. The greats included The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Book Thief and The Help. This year the best of the four was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which was an interesting book about a girl gone missing and her husband's adventure once she is gone. 

Miles: 

2011: 126 / 2012: 131

It's weird; I thought I ran less miles this year than last, but I beat my last year mileage by 5 miles. Who knew? 

Races:

2011: 2 / 2012: 1

Last year I ran 2 races, a half marathon and a 5k turkey trot. This year, in lieu of the turkey trot, I ran on my own, but I still completed one obstacle race instead.

Do you like crab? What's your favorite holiday treat? Did you run a turkey trot this year?

Then and Now: October

Another month over, another month closer to a new year. October was a fun filled month and I love sitting down and looking for photos to put on my monthly round up. However, as I was sorting photos to do this post, I got a little sad. Last year in October, I went to California, Missouri, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. This year, I went to....California, and I didn't even move around very much. Comparing the two years makes me realize where I am doing things differently. Sometimes this is a good thing and other times it makes me realize that there are areas where I need to get back on track.

Without further ado, here are the Who, the What and the Where of October 2011 vs October 2012.

THE WHO:

In 2011, I got around. 

I hung out with the Parentals, the East Coast family, running friends, 

work friends and high school friends.

 In 2012, it was local family all the way. 

I even accidentally ran into some of them at a Giants game! 

I also spent time with my favorite girls and some new friends too!

(The bagpipe player is my cousin. He can wail on that thing!)

THE WHAT:

Running Miles:
2011: 147 / 2012: 149

In 2011, I was ramping up for my first marathon, so I was putting in a lot of training miles for that. In 2012, I was busy doing more races with only a few miles thrown in on the weeks between. Raced miles counted as about 40% of all miles run this month.

Races:
2011: 2 / 2012: 4

In 2011, I did the cupcake classic (virtual race) and The Green Stride Half in MA. This year, October was the month of races and I had a race every weekend of three different lengths! They took me to Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Cloverdale and San Francisco! See my races page for more info.

Reading:
In 2011, I read a whopping 7 books, my favorite probably being The Hunger Games or Room. In 2012, I read three books and all of them were about running. None of them knocked my socks off. Check out my bookshelf for more info.

THE WHERE:

2011: 

Home, Newport RI, NYC, Missouri, Cambridge MA

2012: 

Oakland, San Francisco, Marin Headlands, Sonoma County

The Verdict? Like I said, last year I went all over the place, but this year I only went to the four places where I had races (see above). I am realizing I need to make some travel plans! However, this year, as far as the Who portion, I am really loving getting more time to spend with some of my favorite people, which I was not able to do as often when I was traveling for work. It's really nice to be able to do things with people on shorter notice (and more often) rather than having to make a big thing out of the times when I was home. I have been having lunches or brunches with friends and I am remembering how important those little half an hour visits here and there really are!

How has your year been different than last year? How has it been the same?

Wordless Monday

Did you watch the game? If not, what did you do yesterday?

Last Week (5)

Have you ever felt like your brain only operated for a few minutes at a time? Do you know how lawyers bill in 6 minute increments? My brain lately has been billing in 6 minute increments. Once the 6 minutes is over, a new billing cycle begins and the old one is forgotten, paid, finished. You know when you walk into the kitchen to get a spoon and when you go through the doorway you just stand there for a few minutes, wondering what you came in for? That's been happening to me more and more. It happens mostly at work but has been trickling into my personal life as well. I blame technology. It seems we  rarely focus on any one thing for very long any more.

Since I can't concentrate enough to form a paragraph, I will let some photos tell my story of last week for me.

MONDAY:

I wore an appropriate outfit to work. Go Giants!

Then I went to the game, which we won. 

World Series Baby!!

Sorry Nilsa.

TUESDAY, it was unseasonably hot. 

I took a nice walk for lunch and enjoyed every minute of it. 

 

WEDNESDAY:

An evening trail run is always nice. 

It always makes me feel refreshed. 

Even when it's halfway run in the dark.

 

 THURSDAY:

I took a walk around the neighborhood to check out the decorations. 

This was my favorite. 

SATURDAY: 

I took advantage of the sun and went for a run in the headlands. 

You could see the city as clear as day.

This is not always the case.

SUNDAY:

Broski's first half marathon. 

He lived to tell the tale!

(more on that later)

 

Since our forecast was rain (which we are getting), 

it's important to harvest your veggies or they may spoil.  

This meant LOTS of peppers. 

So I dried some. And made some into this. 

It will knock your socks off.

 

 Who needs socks, anyway? 

How was your weekend? Do you decorate for Halloween? Have you ever tried canning fruits or veggies?

Then and Now: September

Every time I do these posts, I think that it doesn't seem that long since I did the last one, even though a month has gone by. I have had many people tell me that as you get older the time goes by more and more quickly. Well stop it. Stop it now.

As you know, I like to recap my last month with a comparison to what I was doing last year at this time. It started when I could say, "Last year at this time I was traveling in ____". Now I can't say that, but it's still fun to look back and see what things have changed and which ones stay the same. Without further ado, here are the Who, the What and the Where for September 2011 vs 2012.

WHO:

2011: 

Dad, Lisa, Raquelita 

(not pictured: Red, Gma S, The B family)

2012: 

Kalish, J&E, K&A and the goats

(not pictured: the broski, his lady friend, Gma B)

WHAT:

Read:
2011: 4 / 2012: 3


My favorite September book in 2011 was probably The Guernsey Literary Potato Pie Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. In 2012, I really enjoyed Emergency Sex by Ken Cain, Andrew Thompson and Heidi Postlewait, which is about being in some seriously dangerous countries while working for the UN during the 90s.

Run:
2011:  95.2 / 2012:  187.4

In 2011, I was training for a half marathon in September. This year, I am training for a marathon. However, it is still a surprisingly high amount to me, even though I did run two 20+ runs this month.

Raced:
2011: 2 / 2012: 3

In 2011, I ran my first half marathon since 2009 (see photo above with Dad). After that, I went to MN and raced a great 10 miler with Lisa and Raquelita (see photo above)! In 2012, I ran Mommy Run Fast's  Labor Day Virtual 10 mile and Labor Day Virtual 5 mile  as well as joining up with a friend, and thousands of Giant's fans for the Giant Race! 

WHERE:

2011: 

The M States: 

Missouri, Massachusetts, Minnesota

2012: 

The Bay Area: 

Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley

As you can see, last year I traveled more than this year. Nearly every weekend in September I went somewhere. I went to MA the first weekend, Dad came for the race the next, then it was MN, then Kansas City the last weekend! This year I have stayed closer to home!

I also met a lot of new friends both years. Last year it was Lisa and Raquelita; this year it's some new running buddies, new people at work and new local folk.  September in both years have been busy with running! This year I feel as if I have more time to foster old friendships as well as making new. Last year with the traveling and working away from home, I felt as if I were doing the opposite and losing touch with old friends, even as I was making new ones. So this year has been a welcome change in that aspect!

What things have changed in your life since last year? What has stayed the same? How many "M" states have you been to?

The Sign Says...

You know that I love to take photos, and as a spreadsheet making, hoarding organizer, put it in a box and check it off kind of person, I like to collect sets of things, especially photos. I take photos of trails, trees, flowers, roads, houses, animals and everything in between. One of the things I take the most photos of (besides running paths, trails and vistas) is signs. I take photos of them everywhere. Sometimes it's fun to interpret pictures that are not accommodated by words; sometimes the language barrier makes the sign have a different meaning; sometimes the grammar makes the sign amusing. I like them all!

Genuine Irony is cheap these days. Fresh Ideas are not.

Sign on Muni: Information Gladly Given but Safety Requires Avoiding Unnecessary Conversation

I need these folders

At the tire shop: things we found in tires

Seen when I was paddle boarding

Before you can eat it, it will clean your kitchen

Maybe the quotes should be around the word "dump"

This house does not have a back door

Seen in a bathroom near the running trail

As seen in New Orleans

See also signs from: More USA, Vietnam, Even More USA, Thailand, Chinese, South America.

What makes a sign funny to you? What's the funniest sign you have seen? Does bad grammar on signs make you cringe/laugh/whip out your camera?

The Old Ball Game

This last week has been very fun filled and was gone in a flash! I thought that when August was over, things would slow down, but that hasn't been the case so far. I am having a hard time lately juggling fun, family, friends, work, running (I am not counting that in the fun category, even though it is) and necessary things like grocery shopping and errands and chores (and eating. Who has time to eat as much as I do?). But that doesn't mean I am not doing some of each of those categories anyway!

I found an old end table on the street and did a quasi DIY project. 

My version of DIY: paint it white. Voila. 

Note the other half finished painting project next to it. That is done now too.

I went to A's vs Red Sox game (with my friend, who is a Sox fan). 

I am still a Giants fan but it was fun. 

Do you like this guy's "shirt"? 

 

Running, running, running...

This is the French Trail I talked about before. 

Total this week: 52 miles.

 

I harvested. 

This week: round zucchini, scallop squash,tiny tomatoes. 

I went to the Giants game. 

We saw a double rainbow. It was awesome. 

The Giants lost. It was not awesome. 

 

I went for a long run and then ate this.

Okay, I am joking, kind of.

I did make carrot cake with butter cream frosting.

So, maybe I only ate half of this.

I will eat the other half tomorrow.

 

These ladies came over to help me make (and eat) the carrot cake. 

While we waited for it to bake, we went to visit the goat next door. 

 

I packed my lunch for today. 

White bean chicken chili, edamame, carrots/celery and hummus, 

grapes, plum, salad. 

I am very hungry. Every day. All the time.

(not pictured: craisins, almonds, and the 5 cups of coffee I will also have before lunch)

 

How was your weekend? Do you pack your lunch the night before / the morning of / not at all? Have you ever seen a shirt as sweet as that guy's shirt?

Then and Now: August

August is a month of family and friends and times spent outdoors! I have had most weekends filled, and it's been exhausting, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have been lucky to see several family members not once, but twice in one month, when we often don't see each other more than the once a year at Christmas. I also cooked a lot, ran a lot and read a little. So, lets see how it adds up against last year, shall we?

The Who: 

My favorite comparison is this little lady.  

Her birthday is in August, and I've been lucky to spend both of them with her!

Last year I spent time with co-workers in MO, I went to baseball games in St. Louis with Dad and I hung out with family and friends at home. 

This year, it was more family, including a wedding where the boys got kilted up. 

Then there was lots of hiking with H and good times in Santa Rosa with family after the marathon.

 

The What:

Foods and Recipes: 

Last year I made my favorite easy blackberry cobbler from fresh picked berries. This year it was zucchini chocolate chip muffins from my garden haul. I ate three the first day. I just noticed I post a lot of desserts and not so much "food". I swear I am actually NOT a sweet junkie!

Running miles: 

2011: 94 / 2012: 132

Last year I was training for the City of Roses Half and the Women Run the Cities 10 miler, where I met up with Lisa in MN for the weekend, so I logged a good amount of miles. This year I logged slightly more, mostly because of the two long races I did, not because my regular runs were that frequent.  

Races: 

2011: 0 / 2012: 4

Over half my miles were run in races. There was the Run With Jess Virtual Olympics, Suz's Wounded Warrior Virtual Half, The Skyline 50k and the Santa Rosa Marathon, for a total of 80 miles of racing!

Books: 

2011: 6 / 2012: 4

This month has not been a huge reading month for me. As the photos and numbers above show, I have been doing other things. That's okay because soon the fog will set in and I will have plenty of time to read! Last year's favorite read was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Did you know I had seen dozens of versions of movies (my favorite of course: The Muppets) but had never read the book!? This year's August favorite was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chomsky. It was a quick, easy read about a high school boy and his trials and tribulations and was narrated in letter form, which I find very easy to follow.

The Where: 

I have been loving where I am living lately. In 2011, I was in Missouri and it was great, but it was hot. All those miles I put in were in 90 degree heat with icky humidity. This year, I have been very lucky to be near the sea, where the breezes are cool and the water is blue and it's rarely gotten over 75 degrees. I love it. The best place to spend an August is in the Bay Area! 

San Francisco, Santa Cruz, St. Louis, Dog Rock (CA)

I am sad to see the summer go, but I gladly welcome September, and am looking forward to Autumn! Hello apples and boots and books! I can't wait!

Where was your favorite place that you went this month?  Do you find that you are more or less active in the summer?