Weekly roundup: Halloween edition

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Halloween potluck!


HALLOWEEN SUGAR HIGH

Wonder how long it will take to run off that Reese's peanut butter pumpkin?
The answer: More than 40 minutes, according to data compiled by the American Institute for Cancer Research, which has a list of the calorie content (and minutes of exercise needed to burn) some of the most popular "fun sized" Halloween candy.


TIPS FOR RUNNING IN HEELS

If your Halloween costume involves a pair of stilettos, and you get chased by zombies, DC runner Inertia - winner of the 17th Street High Heel Race - has you covered with tips for running in heels.



SCARY!

Want a good scare?

Read the ingredients in a Chicken McNugget... Researchers, published in the American Journal of Medicine, dissected a couple of nuggets and found that

"The first nugget was about half muscle, with the rest a mix of fat, blood vessels and nerves. Close inspection revealed cells that line the skin and internal organs of the bird... The second nugget was only 40 percent muscle, and the remainder was fat, cartilage and pieces of bone."

And if that's not scary enough for you, try giving your loved one a skull flower.


IN MY KITCHEN...

I'm not even going to pretend this week's culinary adventure was healthy or wholesome. In fact, for it's diabetes-inducing level of sugar and refined carbs, it's downright... frightening.

But it was a birthday week in our household, and birthday boy wanted bread pudding.
First... Who am I to say no to a birthday request?
Second... Damn, it was good!

Good, old-fashioned, refined carb goodness -- bread pudding

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As if some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--Only this and nothing more."
Edgar Allan Poe

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck and it's Marine Corps Marathon weekend!


WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?

My favorite on Buzzfeed this week: 25 Things non-Runners Don't Get About Runners.
What's wrong with showing off your black toenails?!?
And doesn't everyone plan vacations just to try out a new running trail?


PIZZA PIZZA

If you call for a pizza after your next long run, this pizza proximity map is for you... it shows the (average) closest pizza place for every county in the U.S.

I guess people in the mountain west don't have much pizza around?


AROUND TOWN

My twitter buddy @Tai_Fung wrote a great post about one of my favorite local running routes: the Mount Vernon Trail.


STUPID PEOPLE TRICKS

So... Do you remember those (now former) Boy Scout troop leaders who destroyed an ancient rock formation in Utah's Goblin Valley State Park?

Yea... they're such a nice bunch of people that the guy pushing the rock was in the middle of a lawsuit claiming a back injury that resulted in "great pain and suffering, disability, impairment, loss of joy of life" and that the injury was "debilitating."

Your back injury was soooo debilitating that you couldn't push a giant boulder?

Riiiiight.


RUNNITTING?

So there's joggling (juggling while running), but what should we call knitting on the run, runnitting? Clearly it needs a name, because at this year's Kansas City Marathon one runner set a new world record for the longest scarf knitted while running a marathon. (I wonder what his training runs look like?)
Thanks @chiarraigrrl for the link!


IN MY KITCHEN...

Continuing the pumpkin-flavored trend from last week, I baked pumpkin-raisin bars.

To make the recipe healthier, I substituted whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, and I used only half of the recommended sugar. (I think the sugar could be cut down even more, especially with a hefty portion of raisins added to the batter...) Still, these were a good, portable breakfast for the week!


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Running should be a lifelong activity. Approach it patiently and intelligently, and it will reward you for a long, long time."
Michael Sargent

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: post-shutdown potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!
Today's theme... In addition to being thrilled that my colleagues are back to work (and getting paid) and local parks and bike trails are open again (since in the DC metro, everything local is really federal), there's a ton of fun stuff in the news... Today is a true potluck!


BUILT TRI TOUGH

Triathletes really are tougher than the average bear. According to new research, triathletes experience pain at the same rate as mere mortals, but they can tolerate pain for much longer. (I seriously hope this holds true during labor and delivery...)


HALLOWEEN BUMP

Creepy baby bump costume via Buzzfeed

I love my Halloween runner costumes, but with no dress-up-dash on my calendar this year, I might go with a pregnant Halloween costume instead.

(My favorite: The "Alien" style costumes where baby is climbing out the hard way. My husband thinks that's sick and twisted. But, hey, it's Halloween, right?)


AMERICAN FOOD

I'm not sure what to think about this post "What do other countries think is American food?" Along with a photo of the "USA" food section of a local grocery store, the author writes:

It's almost embarrassing to think that this is the kind of food that other countries really think of when they think of American food -- processed junk! Shelves filled with mac 'n' cheese, salad dressings... canned soups, beef jerky, roasted nuts, and all sorts of condiments, many with sugar as the first or second ingredient.
Is this the food culture we want to be perceived as having in the United States? I sure don't!
Then again, the items weren't too far off from what fills the shelves of many convenience stores across the country.

But if I think about the "Mexican" food section of my local grocery store, it is filled with canned salsa, oil-laden mole sauces, and other prepared and preserved foods.

Yet I lived alongside the Mexican border for years, and I traveled often to places like Tijuana, Ensenada, Cabo, and Nogales. I know that "real" Mexican food is often fresh and local.

But we can get fresh vegetables in the produce section. The "ethnic" section of any grocery store is generally reserved for the preserved spices and sauces that aren't stocked in the produce, dairy, and meat aisles, no?

So... is that "USA" section of the market really an indictment of "American" food? Or is it just how grocery stores merchandise their products?


IN MY KITCHEN...

It's autumn.
That's pumpkin season.
I'm baking my favorite whole-grain pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin oatmeal bread

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
 L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gable

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!


DON'T SWEAT YOUR COMMUTE

If your job is across a river or bay from your home (I'm looking at you San Francisco, New York, and D.C. workers!), there may just be a new option for your commute: water biking. Pontoon-like floats turn any bicycle into a water-cycle.
The only drawback... Getting sweaty on the way in to the office is one thing, taking a spill and getting drenched is another.


LIAR. LIAR. PANTS ON FIRE.

Today... in things I don't understand... 
According to a survey in the U.K., nearly two thirds of adults lie about reading classic books. The most lie-inducing books, in order of percent of people who lie about reading 'em:

• "1984” by George Orwell
• “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy
• “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
• “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
• “A Passage to India” by E.M. Forster 
• “Lord of the Rings” trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
• “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen 
• “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte at tenth

Why lie?!?
I tried reading Great Expectations, got about 50 pages in, and realized Dickens is better on screen or in a theater than in print. I quit. Big deal.


RUNNER COSTUMES

It's that time of year again... time for dress-up dashes and haunted 5k races! If you're planning to race in full Halloween regalia, check out my gallery of runner-friendly costume ideas. (And please suggest your own - with links - I'd love to add more ideas to the list!)


IN MY KITCHEN...

Given the change in the weather, this week has been all about soup. One of my favorites is a "creamy" asparagus soup that uses no cream. The broth is thickened with rice, pureed using an immersion blender. (I use brown rice and cook it longer than called for in the recipe.) I make the soup with chicken broth, but the soup can easily be made vegan by substituting vegetable stock for chicken.

Source: Food & Wine Magazine

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read."
Samuel Johnson

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: the shutdown edition

After a long (and much needed) hiatus during which I moved, bought a house, started a new job... yada... yada... yada... I welcome you back for another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love:

Friday potluck!

This week is we're going to party like it's 199...5. Government shutdown 1995.


THIS MUST BE A VERY BAD JOKE?

Since I've moved to DC, we've had a mass shooting, a federal government shut down, and all national parks and monuments are closed.


Read: almost every public space in and around DC is closed. Runner friends, this includes closing almost all local parks and bike/run/hike paths. Local run clubs are scrambling to re-route planned weekend runs, at least two races are being postponed until November, and an upcoming Ragnar race has to be re-routed, but the Marine Corps Marathon and the Army 10 Miler will go on, as scheduled.

Granted, bike path closures are not nearly as bad as pulling funding from Head Start and WIC, but the point here is that the District is a mess.

A tropical storm might be headed straight for my old home in Pensacola, but the Gulf Coast never looked so good...


SHUTDOWN PICKUP LINES

Thankfully the days here in DC are not entirely dark.
The funniest thing to come out of the shutdown? Shutdown pickup lines.

Some of the best (or worst?):

• You must be furloughed from the Center for Disease Control, because your smile is infectious.
• Are you furloughed from the Library of Congress, cause us getting together is overdue.
• Baby, you've chained up my heart tighter than the Lincoln Memorial.
• The only thing nonessential about you are those pants.
• My resolution continues ALL NIGHT.
• Congress might be closed, but we can always have a caucus at my place. 

IN MY KITCHEN...

If you can't beat 'em... whip up some pancakes?

Fluffy whole wheat pumpkin pancakes (modified from the original in Epicurious)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, oil and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. (Whisk by hand for an excellent arm workout!) Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, re-spraying the pan between batches.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Baby, I let the government shut down, so I could spend the whole day with you. #shutdownpickuplines @MattVas

HAPPY FURLOUGH FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme: heat, exhaustion, and cool cocktails.


TOO HOT TO... TAKE OFF?

While the east coast was getting battered with day after day of rain, the western states were broiling in a record heat wave. One of the consequences? Cancelled flights!
Who knew that many airplanes can't take off in temperatures over 118?

SWEET DREAMS FOR ENDURANCE RUNNERS

New research suggests that extreme endurance runners (we're talking the 50-100 hour events here) may actually be less fatigued in longer races than in shorter ones.
(Call me skeptical, but I need to see more evidence before I believe this one...)


WHO DRINKS THE MOST BOOZE?

Have you ever wondered whether or not generalizations about Russians and vodka are true? The Economist tallied annual per capital alcohol consumption by country, and the results are both surprising and not surprising. (Yes, Russians drink a whopping 13.1 liters of vodka per person per year, but they're far down the list on most other spirits...)

Alcohol consumption by country (from The Economist)

OTHER BOOZE NEWS: IT'S GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!

MillerCoors is going landfill free, recycling, reusing, or composting all waste from its production operations. (That might still not be enough to get me to drink their beer... but wait... Coors makes a non-alcohol beer. Maybe I'll try that for the next 4 months.)


IN MY KITCHEN...

Still no furniture or housewares... and taking photos of my microwave oatmeal seems a bit extreme. Hopefully the movers will arrive in time for next week's edition!


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"There is no such thing as bad weather..."

(Unless you're on an airplane in Phoenix?)


HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: truth stranger than fiction

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme: You just can't make these things up...


SHOULD BE BEHIND BARS

This guy should be behind bars... and not the happy-hour kind.
The repeat DUI offender showed police a beer can, instead of identification, when pulled over for his latest arrest.


SUBWAY RAILS ARE NOT PARALLEL BARS

A naked gymnast has been harassing transit riders in San Francisco.
Enough said.

Image source

A THREE HOUR TOUR...
Just sit right back and I'll tell you a tale. A tale of a fateful trip...

How long would you survive trapped inside a sunken shipwreck?
1 minute? 2 minutes? 5?

Oh... Gilligan!

Would you last underwater for a three hour tour?

How about THREE DAYS?

When his boat capsized, Okene Harrison, of Nigeria, found an air pocket inside the ship. By staying in the trapped air bubble, he survived for more than 60 hours underwater until rescue divers saved him.


LONGEVITY AWARD

When my family drove up Mount Washington some 20 years ago, my mother wouldn't even look out the window because the road was so steep.

Yet every year a group of thrill-seeking (masochistic?) runners line up to race their way up the mountain's 12 percent incline to reach the peak at 6,288 feet in the annual Mount Washington Road Race. The weather can be fierce and has been described as the worst weather in the world.

Sounds like a difficult run, right?

Try running Mount Washington at age 93, like George Etzweiler just did. Etzweiler finished just over the official race cutoff time, in 3 hours and 15 minutes, but finish he did.


IN MY KITCHEN...

I'm not sure this counts as truth-is-stranger-than-fiction, but if you told me 6 months ago that I'd loathe leafy greens, we wouldn't be friends anymore. Them's fightin' words!

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of pregnancy is that my taste buds seem to have gone on vacation. Pre-pregnancy, if you asked my favorite vegetable, I'd have told you spinach was high on the list and swiss chard a close second. Now, sadly, every green vegetable tastes bitter and horrible. For the first time in my adult life, I emapthize with little kids who don't want to eat their broccoli.

And then I realized that if I pour enough dressing on my vegetables, it drowns out the cries of "bitter! horrible! stop!" that are coming from my hormone-addled tastebuds. (Yes... I have become that person who drowns broccoli in alfredo sauce, spinach in parmesan cheese, and salad in thousand island dressing.)

So this week has been the week of the taco salad:

Taco salad

Mix leafy greens, diced tomato, sliced bell pepper, chopped onion, sliced olives, julienne jicama, minced jalapeno, shredded cheddar. Top it all with a guacamole-and-salsa "dressing" and you have veggies even this pregnant lady can love! (Hey... it might not be the most "power foods" filled salad... No kale or quinoa. But at least I didn't break down and eat nachos for dinner!)


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't"
Mark Twain

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: funny stuff!

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme... well... let's just say there's a bit of bathroom humor. Enjoy!


SO MUCH SIDE-SPLITTING FUNNY STUFF TO SHARE!

1. Hilarious letters to teachers...

2. How do you get an avowed non-runner to run?
Tell her "You just hate the marathon because you wouldn’t survive it for a mile." (And that's just the beginning... add in cussing and a case of runner's trots, and this newbie runner's tale will make you laugh out loud. Also, clearly she's never read SUAR's blog.)

3. By now you know I have a pet peeve about dog owners who don't clean up after their pets.
Solution: Move to Brunete, Spain!
Residents of the little Spanish town were fed up with dog s***, so they cooked up a scheme to mail the feces back to the dog owners.
Bingo! 70 percent drop in droppings on the sidewalk!
(Puns completely intended.)


FLYING THE (UN)FRIENDLY SKIES

Is anyone surprised that Spirit Airlines is the s****iest airline ranks lowest in customer satisfaction?
Anyone?

Their CEO has been quoted as saying: "People adapt. Your choices at 30,000 feet are pretty limited."
Um. Yeah. That's not reassuring...


NOT SH...ABBY

At 40 years old, Deena Kastor took 4th place (1st American woman) in the grueling, high-altitude 10K that is BolderBOULDER.


IN MY KITCHEN...

It's summer.
That means zucchini.
Zucchini at farmers markets.
Zucchini in grocery stores.
Zucchini left behind on doorsteps by zucchini-overwhelmed gardening neighbors.

Summer's bounty (including zucchini)

And this Smitten Kitchen recipe for a quick zucchini saute is perfect for a light evening meal. (Or a meal cooked when you have only 2 kitchen utensils... Not like I'd know anything about that...)


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"How did NOBODY inform me that when you start distance training you will be consumed with the constant fear that you are going to poop yourself?"
From: The Awful Truth About Jogging

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme? Oh, hell, it's a potluck. There is no theme this week. Just be happy no one brought jello salad.


HOW TO MAKE A JOGGER ANGRY

The Angry Jogger put together a list of comments we're all sick of hearing from non-runners, including the eternal runner vs. jogger debate. My favorite on AJ's list: "I only run when someone is chasing me!"

One corollary "I only run when" comment AJ missed, and one that annoys me most:

"You ran how far? I wouldn't DRIVE that far."

(Um... of course you wouldn't. You lack both motivation and wit.)


BUT(ter)...WHAT?

Just when you think she can't take her diabetes-inducing cooking to new lows, Paula Deen launches a new line of flavored butters for sale at Wal-Mart.

*shudder*


NOT SO FAST!

There is good news on the nutrition horizon! Fast food accounts for a smaller share of calories in the U.S. diet!

Before you go cheering a return to slow-cooked, home-grown meals, note that the report from CDC shows fast food calories as a share of daily caloric intake... So it may be that Americans are eating just as much fast food as they did five years ago, they're just eating more calories overall.


THIRTY'S THE NEW TWENTY

Source: someecards.com via Jana on Pinterest

 

Yep. I'm glad I lived that decade, and you couldn't pay me to re-live the era when I lost more than one pair of shoes because a stranger hurled on 'em at a bar.
(I'd MUCH rather lose a pair of shoes because a runner hurls on 'em at a finish line.)


PARK IT

ParkScore ranks cities by the level of public park access.

Does your hometown make the list of Top 10 Cities for Parks?
(My score: I've lived in 2 and traveled to all but one of the top 10...)


IN MY KITCHEN...

Mmm... coffee!

Yep, I'm still a coffee addict.

I drink (mostly) decaf now, and will for the next few months, but it's good to know that my habit is a healthy one.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee drinkers have higher mortality risk than non-drinkers BUT coffee drinkers are also more likely to be smokers.

Once you account for the effects of smoking, coffee drinkers are healthier than non-coffee-drinkers! (The NYTimes has a good summary of the findings in: "This is your brain on coffee.")


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Bad weather always looks worse through a window."
Tom Lehrer

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme: couch potatoes and other things to eat.


Couch potato nation!

According to a report released this month by the CDC, only one 1 of 5 American adults gets an adequate amount of exercise, based on the Physical Activity Guidelines:

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging, or a combination of both.  The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups, or activities using resistance bands or weights.  These activities should involve all major muscle groups and be done on two or more days per week.

Readers, if you don't call yourselves "athletes," it's time to start. After all, if you're reading this lil blog about running, chances are good that you're in the top 20% of the nation's fit people. (That said, runners, be sure not to neglect your strength training!)


Reaching the highest heights (alt. title: NOT the couch potatoes)

With this week's record-setting base jump off Mount Everest, and last week's record-setting "oldest person to summit Everest," it's no surprise that The Economist decided to run the numbers on the world's deadliest peaks...

Image source

The deadliest by total number? Everest. By rate (relative to the number of attempts): Annapurna and K2.

Note: The oldest person to summit the world's tallest mountain is Yuichiro Miura of Japan. He was 80 years old when he reached the peak this time. He successfully made the climb at at 70 and age 75.


In My Kitchen...
... or rather, in early morning kitchens around the world.

This photo essay of breakfast traditions around the globe will leave you drooling. My personal favorite is now (and probably always will be) breakfast in Mexico. Beans, eggs, and maybe some savory shredded beef or chilaquiles on the side, served with a stack of warm tortillas. Mmm... heaven on a plate.

Image source

On a somewhat more eye-opening note, see Time's photo journal of family food consumption - quality and quantity - for a week, in different nations around the world. (PS - I'd like to think the American families are an aberration, a statistical anomaly, an un-representative sample... but I know I'm wrong.)


Quote of the week:

"Cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back sandwiches..."
(shared by J. Weeks)

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme: running and not running


Running: PSA for run-commuters

Alma's post on things to absolutely ALWAYS remember if you run-commute had me chuckling.

Why was I laughing?
Because I've done exactly the same thing... and forgotten a crucial piece of work-attire at home. Oops! (Read The Average Woman Runner's run-commute snafu for yourself.) In my case, I didn't have a backup plan, so I high-tailed it to Macy's on my coffee break to replace the missing articles of clothing. Fit-commuting was definitely more expensive than gas that day!


Not running: Stupid People Tricks

As someone who's already getting fed up with unsolicited pregnancy and baby advice, this video MADE MY DAY:

Side Note: I think I'm going to write a book that's titled: "Billions of people on this planet raised perfectly healthy babies without high-tech advice from self-proclaimed 'child experts.' Why don't we all give that a try? Hmm...?"


Running: Shoes to save the world?

Researchers at Rice University developed shoes that collect the power we "lose" when our foot hits the ground. This might be the polar opposite of the barefoot running movement, but it sure beats getting tarballs stuck to your feet after an oil spill...


Not running: In My Kitchen...

My kitchen is still empty...

Just me and my folding chair...

 ... like echo-chamber empty.

But I have made several trips to the Alexandria farmers market!

Alexandria farmers market

I only have one pot and one frying pan, no measuring cups, and few cooking utensils, but that just means I need to get really creative with my culinary plans. Omelette with swiss chard? Check! Soup with kale, chicken, and brown rice? Check! Plate of fresh chopped veggies and hummus for dinner? Check!

A few more weeks like this, and I'll be prepared for one of those culinary survivor "reality" TV shows!


Quote of the week:

"It is impossible" said pride. "It is risky" said experience. "It is pointless" said reason. "Give it a try" whispered the heart.

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: new home edition

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!

This week's theme: I'm officially a Virginia resident! (And a homeowner!)


People Power

Waiting around for utility companies to re-start my water, electric, and gas service was a bear. If I had been really crafty, I could've skipped the whole waiting game entirely and used running to generate power for my home. Really! Runners generated electricity at the Paris marathon. Why can't I try that at home?
(Thanks to Chi for sharing the link!)


Stupid People Tricks

I think I'm going to register for a giant human bowling ball set as a housewarming gift...

Human bowling ball (image source)

... because, you know, we're not having fun until someone is zipped into a giant hamster toy.


Perspective

If I thought my week was stressful, with lost-appraisal chaos potentially delaying the closing date on our new home, the gas company "accidentally" cancelling my service appointment, and hubby and I spending a small fortune at home improvement stores... I was mistaken.

People who are having a worse day than you really put things in perspective.

(And if that Buzzfeed list of rough days isn't enough to prove that schadenfreude is alive and well, an Austrian hotelier was stuck in an elevator FOR FOUR DAYS.)


In My Kitchen...

This week my (new) kitchen had running water, but no hot water and no gas. So my culinary adventures were be limited to whatever the Whole Foods salad bar had to offer. (Could be worse, right?)


Quote of the week:

"Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares."
Jim Fixx

... so now, I'm going out for a run!

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!


Stupid People Tricks

Give someone enough time, and they'll devise a clever way to part a sucker from his (or her) money... Something like... oh I don't know.... a $40,000 cocktail?

Image source

(How drunk does someone need to be before they think it's ok to order a drink that costs more than most cars? And what must that hangover feel like the next day? I suspect it's got a hefty does of regret mixed in with cotton mouth...)


Same data, opposite conslusions

Paul T. Williams "achieved a feat that's exceedingly rare in mainstream science: He used exactly the same dataset to publish two opposing findings." Williams used data on exercise habits to show both that walking is better than running AND that running is better than walking. Read Daniel Engber's article in Slate to find out why "flip-flopping advice on exercise may not be as contradictory as it seems."


You can have your ice cream...

... and eat it, too!
With a bicycle-powered ice cream churner, you can burn calories before you consume those (delicious) calories!


Best thing I read this week

I loved MCM Mama's "Running does that for me."


In my kitchen

Seeing as I'm whittling down the pantry staples to empty cupboards (Oh! The joys of moving!) my kitchen experiments are not document-worthy this week... But I will soon be visiting New Orleans for one last round of crawfish, po-boys, and beignets before I pack up and move north.

Oysters at Acme Oyster House

AND since ONE OF MY PHOTOS is going to appear in Paula Garriott's new book Signature Tastes of New Orleans: Favorite Recipes of our Local Restaurants, I'll leave you with this image for the week... Because this book will, indeed, be in my kitchen soon

Quote of the week:

"Laissez les bon temps rouler!"

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup -- pardon this interruption

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled Weekly Roundup: Friday Potluck to bring you a break from wall-to-wall Boston bombing news coverage...

Source: runwiki.org via Lindsey on Pinterest

Be well, friends.

The Potluck will return, with all of its bizarre news and Stupid People Tricks, next week.

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Back and not at all well rested after a brief "vacation..."

...Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!

Food Fact and Fiction

Evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk of the University of California–Riverside explains the fact and fiction around the paleo diet in a recent article on Slate... it's definitely food for thought.

But on the flip side, it's worth keeping in mind that there's an entire industry dedicated to making junk food addictive.


Do Not Disturb (Runner at Work!)

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Leona on Pinterest

Stupid People Tricks

Because there's always room for one more ridiculous product on an infomercial... Forget doing situps. Just strap a plastic grid to your beer belly, and poof. That keg o' lard turns into a six pack!

Just $9.95 plus shipping and handling!* And we'll throw in a second one... ABSOLUTELY FREE (*Fine Print: Shipping and handling costs a million dollars, and our product doesn't work, but that's your problem not ours!)

Source: flatsexy4bs.blogspot.co.nz via Crystal on Pinterest

In My Kitchen

This week I made the Whole Wheat Sesame Soda Bread from Epicurious. It was a quick and delicious side dish alongside a spicy beans-and-greens soup.

I substituted flax seed for the sesame seeds, used buckwheat flour in place of whole wheat, and whole wheat "pastry" flour in place of all-purpose (white) flour, with excellent (and higher-fiber!) results.


Quote of the week:

"There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither."
Alan Cohen

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: Friday's awkward potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck! This week's theme: Umm... Awkward!

Fact Check

A reporter, covering the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans marathon and half marathon, didn't recognize Olympian and race winner Mo Farah and treated him like an amateur when she interviewed him. Oops. (Thanks to Gourmet Runner for the link!)


For shame!

The person who wrote this "Embarrassing Workout Issues" article has obviously never worked out a day in her life. The biggest embarrassment is bad makeup after a workout? Seriously? WHO WEARS MAKEUP DURING A WORKOUT?!?

My open letter comment to the author:
If you're so worried about visible panty line that you encourage women to wear a thong while they're doing dead-lifts, you're in the wrong line of work...

REAL embarrassing workout issues include: running so hard you lose bladder control, chafing so badly that your bloody nipples show through your shirt, taking a spill on your bike, or having a big gob of snot stuck to your face after a few laps in the pool.


Double take

This "big dog purse" developed by the Carmichael Collective cannot go unnoticed... (The accompanying video is amusing.)

Image source

Carmichael Collective's art work also includes urinal cake cupcakes, a censorship towel, and (my personal favorite video) running from transitions:


At least it's a prize?

Voting is underway to name the "Oddest Book Title of the Year" for 2012.

Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter and Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes are among the titles vying to be known as the most bizarrely-titled books.

Last year's prize winner was Cooking With Poo.
(Seriously, people, I couldn't make this stuff up...)


Best whoopie cushion. Ever?

Source: bobsblitz.com via Beth on Pinterest

Quote of the week:

"Anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough."
Alain de Botton

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!
This week we're serving fitness news, funnies, poultry, and adulthood.

Oh... and it's National Margarita Day!
One of my favorite margaritas ever EVER is a grapefruit margarita made as simply as possible: grapefruit juice + tequila + triple sec. Cheers!

Grapefruit margarita

The more you know (about yoga)

I love yoga. I would not, and could not, claim otherwise. However, yoga is an athletic pursuit, just like any other, which means that there are risks to yoga. Muscle strain and... surprisingly... stroke are among the potential hazards.

This does not mean that yogis need to roll up their yoga mats and quit, but it is important that participants have full information, just as it is important for runners to know about the risk of stress fracture, and football players to know about the risk of concussion.

William J. Broad's new book The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards aims to fill in some of those gaps in knowledge - documenting both the risks and the benefits of yoga practice.


Effing PF

Surprise, surprise... Doctors and scientists have no idea what causes plantar fasciitis, but new tests indicate that it is not caused by inflamed tissue. (Does that mean I can stop icing my right foot? Maybe heat would be a better treatment after all?)


Because you know we're all thinking it...

Image source

ABCs of PE

In an attempt to protect physical education classes from budget cuts, and to ensure that every second of the school day is used to prepare children for standardized tests, schools are turning to math and vocabulary instruction during gym class.

Image source

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this turn of events...

As a teacher, I know that different students have different learning styles, and perhaps physical learning will illuminate subjects that a classroom lecture might not. On the other hand, as a runner, I know that sometimes the mental "down time" of my workout is the time when my brain makes connections and gathers insights that do not flow when I am engaged in active thought.


Wild Turkey

Turkeys are terrorizing one California town...

The turkey takeover started in November. Perhaps it's payback for Thanksgiving?

Florida Governor poses his daughter for a photo with the Thanksgiving turkey
 before dinner (Thanksgiving 1959). No wonder the turkeys are mad. Source.

Adulthood

This week I did adult things like meet with a lawyer to do the paperwork for a will and power of attorney, surf real estate ads for property, apply for jobs in DC, and... load the dishwasher:

Source: themetapicture.com via Beth on Pinterest

Quote of the week:
(Learning to count while working out)

At the gym doing push ups... "1... 2... 3..."
Attractive person walks by... "97... 98...99."
Unknown

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: winter storm edition

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!

First, before we go any further, let me say as a born-and-bred New Englander... No snowstorm should have a name. Ever. And if we insist on naming snowstorms, they most certainly should not be called Nemo. (He's a fish. Not a snowstorm! Who's responsible for this ridiculousness?)

For those of you in storm affected areas, I hope you've stocked up appropriately...

...and by appropriate, I mean restocking your party supplies and making sure your sleds are in good repair.


Flight cancellations

Airports all around the northeast are closed in advance of the storm, but that won't stop us from gossiping about them! Travel Leaders, an industry group, conducted a survey to identify the best (and worst) airports in the United States.

Top in almost every category: Atlanta.

The airport everyone loves to hate: Chicago O'Hare.

Neither of those ratings comes as a huge surprise. But I find it suspicious that airports like DFW wind up on both the "preferred for connections" and "avoid at all costs" lists.

The only two I really disagree with are: Phoenix taking a top 10 spot for connections (that airport is a sprawling mess) and Seattle not making top 10 on the amenities list! C'mon people. One of the best pedicures I ever had was in Sea-Tac!


Running in heels

Apparently the hottest new workout craze is step aerobics in stilettos!

Call me crazy, but I don't see a workout here. I see future bunions and broken ankles. Clearly these women haven't heard about the minimalist shoe movement... Maybe I should send along copies of Bad Shoes and the Women Who Love Them?


Cooking up a storm

This week our household culinary adventures included an experiment in making homemade gnocchi. (I had leftover mashed potatoes. It shouldn't have worked. But it did. And I will never look at mashed potatoes the same way again..)

And Hubby made flan.

Flan with spiced rum

We ate half of it during the Superbowl blackout...


What's your job... really?

NPR's Marketplace Money team asked people to describe their jobs in honest terms. The responses to "What's your job, really?" are hilarious.


Quote of the week:

This week's quote was proposed by my friend M. I couldn't have said it better myself...

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!'"
Hunter S. Thompson

Happy Friday, friends!

Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!

Today's assortment includes 80s music, nude running, writing advice, bad puns, and foam surfing. Bon appetit!


Nu Shooz

While there might not be new life for that old song, there can be new life for your old shoes. Recycling programs, like Nike's Reuse-a-shoe program turn old shoe materials into paving material for playgrounds.
Soles do live on!


No more nudity

A new ban on public nudity takes effect in San Francisco today. (Legal challenges, so far, have failed.)

I suppose the Bernal Heights bikini runner will be ok, but...

What will this do to Bay to Breakers?!

21 bun salute (photo from A Trail Runner)

Nude runners at Bay to Breakers (photo from ZeroDrop)

Ahem...
... moving on.


Stormy Foamy seas

Extreme weather conditions resulted in 9-foot-deep waves of foam along Australia's eastern shore.

Intrepid swimmers turned the tides... into a new sport: foam surfing.
(Apologies for the bad puns. I'm on a roll today...)



Un-blocking writer's block

If you've ever struggled through a case of writer's block, this list of writing prompts might be a useful tool to get un-stuck.


Travel writing fibs

When writing about your travels, it pays to be honest. We'll know if you're lying.

For example, extolling the virtues of London as a burgeoning culinary wonderland is just bald-faced fabrication. Sure. It's better than it was. But if my experience is any indication, there was nowhere to go but up. (Think overcooked-to-oblivion vegetables and boiled everything.)

Don't get me wrong. Some British foods are amazing. The cheeses, for example, are phenomenal. But calling London "Europe's new food capital?" Either the authors need to tone down their praise, or they need to get out more...


Quote of the week:

"Write drunk; edit sober."
Ernest Hemingway (allegedly)

(And one last link... about the power and meaning of simple quote.)


Happy Friday, friends!