Current Events

Went to the U.S. Open the Tuesday after Labor Day to see the mens' 4th round and women's quarters in a night session. Federer and Wozniacki both won in straight sets, so we got out at a reasonable hour which is nice in my old age, but slightly disappointing compared to 2005 when I saw Agassi beat Blake in a barn burner. Still glad I went and my date declared we should make it a yearly tradition, which is exactly what I've been wanting someone to say to me since I was 14. Victory tastes sweet.

Now I can work on getting to Wimbledon.

Did a sketch for a friend's birthday card yesterday. I need to revive my hobbies or I'm in danger of dissolving into a hybrid couch potato/barfly in my free time. Right now it feels like I'm dabbling in everything and it's not sticking. I've got a Le Carre book languishing on the bed stand, a stalled needlepoint project (I told you, I'm old), and a twice a week running schedule. Ugh.

While waiting for the train home from the Open, my friend and I were talking about current events. I admitted I don't really follow the news anymore. I read the New Yorker and follow NPR via my Facebook feed (it hurts me to come clean about that, I usually refer to it as a "news feed."). It took a long time for me to inquire more about ISIS. Because really, do I want to know more about these people? It's disgusting.

I spent most of my twenties engaged and enraged about the death and suffering caused by the ignorance and righteousness of this country -- that's your takeaway when you study American History at NYU. But at about seve months pregnant with my daughter my fascination and anger turned to sadness, and I realized in order for me to live powerfully I couldn't do it anymore. I've transferred that over to Mr. SevPrez and now he fights the good fight on that front.

I confessed to my friend that I went through old journals and correspondence when we moved and found evidence of a smarter, wittier, more relevant, firecracker version of myself. I was so sure of myself and my opinions! I used to write better. I was unabashed.

Am I a complete milquetoast? Does that come with the territory of marriage, motherhood, and mid-thirtydom? It's disorienting to feel you've lost your shine, but with that comes humility, and with humility comes the opportunity for grace. I do slightly less embarrassing things and make much better sartorial decisions. I can finally cook. Everyday my daughter eats, sleeps, and dances. So if I'm a bit of a dud, at least there's that.

Still. Gotta finish that book, sign up for a race, learn needlepoint, and get to Wimbledon. These are great projects and I should keep them alive. Never give up.

Progress

Since my last post I've been doing the January thing... Eating more green vegetables in my dinners (then, against my better judgement, following it  up with Twizzlers AKA poison, and waking up feeling terrible). Cleaning out my closet (triumphant without caveat). Going back to the Power Center where I have found that my fears of working out with 18 year old Division I scholarship athletes has been replaced with the even grimmer reality of working out with 13 year old boys. A horrifying situation for sure, but when I get past my urge to run out the door, I find it's actually an opportunity to put my middle school gym class feelings of inadequacy and isolation to rest once and for all -- which is not to say that I don't always finish last in all the exercises, or that I don't feel like screaming out "You know I had a baby 5 months ago!!!" but I'm getting there. Actually I find that my mom tendencies are more predominant -- I want to yell at the kids for being obnoxious, half-assing everything, and not doing all 3 sets of reps. Then I just tell myself, they are kids, and not your kids. Let them learn life's lessons at their own pace, which, after all, is the only pace at which anyone learns anything anyway. 


Yesterday morning I was mentally patting myself on the back for not buying anything in the month of January (sure it was only 12 days but it felt like SO much longer) when I got an email from my boss alerting me to a flash sale of brightly colored pillows on One King's Lane that she felt I just couldn't miss. Damnit! I ended up buying two pillows for our new couch (which still hasn't arrived yet). At checkout, next to the total you're spending, it says "You're saving $X amount!" which triggered all my rage and shame about our American consumer culture and made me feel like a stooge for making the purchase. But I did love the pillows, and we will give them a good home, and I can use them in any of the rooms of my house for a long time so I got over it. (Also in this category: I am looking to get a rug for P's room and have decided only to get a rug she won't grow out of and that we can use in other rooms. I had visions of a baby pink rug on the curb in 8 years.)

At the end of the day I will never be a minimalist.  
Hopefully just a manageablist.

Next. I was cleaning out my desk at work (for maintenance, I'm not going anywhere) and couldn't bring myself to toss this very old doodle. Ridiculous. This morning I decided to scan it and get over myself. I feel better, even if it is only a slip of paper. Does this count as posting a drawing? I have been meaning to draw something for a while now. Sigh.

Admit it: this would be the illest print on a pillow.
Totally worth keeping for 4 years.

Full disclosure, I also bought a bunch of watercolor markers yesterday. I think I must buy art supplies every winter, since all I aspire to do is stay in all weekend and make stuff (which actually happens once a year). Which is probably why I am so creative in all my fantasies about what our lives will be like if we move to Maine. Promise to post something I make with them soon, since that will further justify their purchase. Also I swear I am going to get my office organized, which means all my art supplies will have a beautiful nook to dwell in. More fantasies!!

And coming up: Stolen Goods Bake Shop will be popping up at The Market at Porta for Valentine's Day, on February 11th, noon to 4. We'll be bringing some excellent alternatives to Whitman Samplers that you can impress your valentines with. Thank me later.

Oh! And little P is rolling over, sitting up, and eating solids. Time flies!!!

Happy January.

Visions Of P.C.B.

I'm obsessed with the Waffle House. There is one on either side of where we are staying, probably 100 yards right or left. They are so iconic, and I love the lettering. I hope they never update their look. We plan on going on Sunday after the race for some really greasy food. Chicken fried steak has been invoked.

The gulf is beautiful. Happy to report no traces of oil. I went in yesterday after a tough run. Just took off my shoes, socks, visor, and t-shirt and went in. The water is warmer than the air, it was like a bath. This must have been the most liberating thing I've done in years. It was awesome. And the waves in the Gulf are just about the size I like. It is my kind of body of water. So glad BP didn't permanently destroy it. That would have been a shame.

Oh, and our cab driver told us that BP has been amazing at fulfilling claims. Seven to ten days and they FedEx you your check. And some people are getting more than they asked for. How about that for good news?

Here is the sunset we watched last night from our room. New vacation criteria: let's go places we can see amazing sunsets, because we don't see enough sunsets.

Keeping The Doctor Away

Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to fill my sketchbook with things I want for my future when I'm not the most technically proficient illustrator. I have a lot of big ideas that I can't figure out how to represent on the page. In instances when I solve the riddle of how to work with my skill level, it makes me very happy.

Click for full size.

Yesterday I woke up sick, after running an awesome half marathon on Sandy Hook. I think one of the ROTC kids working the aid stations must have had a cold and passed it along with the gatorade. As unpleasant as I feel, I'm really excited that my new favorite drawing came out of it. I'm also grateful that I had some beautiful apples left from apple picking with my favorite West Coaster. Sometimes everything comes together.


Oh, and the Pats won! All in all it was a good Monday, despite the head cold.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

We drove about as far northeast as humanly possible in one day and arrived at our destination. We had glorious weather for a week. We forgot about our regular life. We didn't worry about how much time we had left. We were both lazy and industrious. 


We were view junkies. 

We ran, we hiked, we biked, we baked, we canoed, we climbed, we ate and ate and ate.

All in great company. It's really a shame for the rest of the world that the best B&B in Maine doesn't take reservations. You have to know somebody, and man am I sure glad that I do. 

From the top: Hiking up Giant Slide on the way to the top of Sargent, Acadia Nat'l Park; Mr. & Mrs. SevPrez admire the views at Great Head, Acadia Nat'l Park; Lobster Rolls three ways at Cafe This Way, Bar Harbor; Chez Frick, Orono.

Visions Of Providence

Clouds rolling by Narragansett

Rainbow over Federal Hill.

Sunset after pre-race dinner.

Ironmen run through downtown.

Passing the capitol on the way home.

A Couple Of Things

I know, I know, it's been silent around here. I've been busy with a lot of different things, which doesn't always stop me, but then my camera broke. Then a couple other things broke too. I threw a pity party, which I'm only now leaving -- and no goody bag.

But there have been a few things I've been meaning to tell you, especially referring to this lovely time of year.

1. Katy Elliot's coverage of pumpkin-adorned homes in New England was particularly inspiring to me.

 I don't have any amazing doorways or cornices, though, so i just bought 4 petite pumpkins and placed them on the railing of my white wood front stoop. They've been making me quite happy.

2. Butternut squash soup is still amazing. Check out this very healthy, cream-free recipe from the Times, but add curry.

3. Remodelista.com is a cool home design resource. Check out their coverage of kitchen sinks, for instance.

4. Martha Stewart Living's November Issue included a piece on purple toned table tops and floral arrangements. I knew I was onto something.

5. I have fallen in love with a man who's not my husband. For more of an explanation, look up Paul Chek and the C.H.E.K. Institute. This Christmas, everyone in my family is getting How To Eat, Move, and Be Healthy whether they want one or not!

6. On the spur of the moment, I did a sprint duathlon (run-bike-run) and was the second place female to cross the tape. It was more fun than any running race I've ever done. I'm in this photo. If you can spot me, you win a prize!

Ryan Hall Wins The Philadelphia Distance Run!

And I finished 55 minutes later,* taking more than a minute off of my Spring Half time. It was a beautiful day, as it has been the three previous years I've run it, and my running tribe of a half dozen people all had great races (even the ones who swear they didn't). Next time though, I will remember that the course is almost entirely shady and I need to bring my sleeves.


One other note: what is it with racers who wear shirts with pompous and/or obnoxious sayings on the back? It's race pollution, if you ask me. It just makes me want to pass them... Maybe I shouldn't condemn them, if it's good for me. 


* Well, not in real time. We started in waves (a great idea) so I actually finished more than an hour later. They let the fast people go first, and put the walkers in the back, etc.

If You Ever Get To Nantucket...

Be sure to do the following things:

1. Rent a cruiser with a wicker basket.

2. Explore the bike paths.

2. Ride to Sconset. When in Sconset, be sure to pick up supplies at the market, like cookies as big as your head, water, fudge, and cigars, if you're into that. Enjoy these items at the beach, or store them in said wicker basket for later.

2. Go down strange streets that lead to nowhere.

3. Get some ice cream in a hand-rolled waffle cone at the Juice Bar.

4. Watch the Pats score two touchdowns to come from behind and win their home opener.

These are my personal recommendations on exploring a far away isle in New England. Enjoy the wildlife and the silence. And the ice cream.  And the football dynasty. Make plans to come back again.

A Gem In The Woods of New Hampshire

Mr. SevPrez just completed a half-Ironman in Laconia, New Hampshire called the Timberman. This was our third time at the race and though our accomodations were lacking (I think people actually start booking their rooms 364 days in advance, which leaves slim pickings for those of us who believe reserving a room in June is plenty early), we found the greatest breakfast place in the Northeast, the Heritage Farm Pancake House.

I have to give you some background here. One thing you must know about half-Ironmans is that it takes the pros more than 4 hours to complete them. Many people will take almost twice as long. Luckily Mr. SevPrez is a superstar so I don't have to hang around all that long, but you add gear set up and take down, these suckers eat up the majority of your day. Pun intended, because as a spectator, if you don't think ahead and bring food from the outside world, you are cruising for a bruisin'. The athlete you are rooting for may end up assisting you back to the car instead of the other way around. And even if you manage to eat a sandwich and a banana, by the time you get showered up and ready to go out into the world again, you will be hungry. You will also be going out to eat with a person who just covered 70.3 miles without any help from a gas powered engine. So you will end up consuming a large amount of fatty foods surrounded by senior citizens who are getting their early bird special on. This will be your only meal of the day. You've been up and at 'em since 6 a.m., and your triathlete companion will be more pooped than you are, so you will go to bed ridiculously early.

Therefore you will need to seek out the assistance of a Pancake House the next morning to restore you to normalcy. We'd been eagerly noting the sign for the Heritage Farm Pancake House since we arrived in Laconia, and our high expectations were met by this quaint, old style family restaurant. Located about 4 miles off the main drag down a windy country road, the ambiance and food were exactly what we needed. I am not going out on a limb by saying these were the best pancakes I've ever eaten. They were nearly an inch thick, with your choice of about twelve flavors. They also came with bacon, eggs, home fries, juice, and coffee. For $10 per person. Here's the menu so you don't think I'm just making this up.

See?

And there's a petting zoo in the back with goats, ducks, hens, lambs, cows, and a donkey. Accordingly, this place is very kid friendly. We left with restored spirits and full bellies, prepared for our long journey home. Lucky for Mr. SevPrez, the discovery of the Heritage Farm Pancake House means I will always be up for rooting him on at the Timberman.

Tri Tri Again

This weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr. SevPrez to his first triathlon since his knee surgery last spring. He has put in countless hours of rehab and training since then, so it was a great day for the SevPrez family to see all that hard work, commitment, and sweat pay off in the form of a successfully completed race and -- wait for it -- third place in his age group! What a stud!

The race was in Hammonton, New Jersey, on the Western border of the Pine Barrens. It's not a very glamorous race, as triathlons go. There is no booming rock music playing at the start and few spectators on the course. It brings out a tough crowd of gung-ho triathletes seizing the opportunity to tuneup before the race season really gets going. And there were some serious cyclists there: more than one Lance Armstrong-style Time Trial helmet and countless bikes that cost upwards of $6000. As the racer with the fancy bike next to Mr. SevPrez said after the race, these bikes buy you minutes. I commented privately that these bikes must have been bought in the boom-times (before the onset of The Great Recession), to which Mr. SevPrez replied, these are 2009 models. Yowza.

I quickly escorted him out of there before either one of us decided he needed an equipment upgrade. 'Cause hey, the proof's in the pudding -- he could race well on my old puple 10-speed Huffy.

We'll be at the Metroman, the Timberman, and the Bassman this year, if you're interested in participating or spectating. Bring your cowbell.

Don't Call It A Comeback

On Sunday I fulfilled one of my goals for 2009, which was to train and run well in the Long Branch Half Marathon. It was a gray, drizzly day, but armed with my visor, some $1 gloves, and my homemade Ray Allen sleeves, I managed to achieve my goal of breaking nine minute mile splits. 1:57:34. I was pretty pleased with myself, since my personal best time of 1:53:12 at the Philadelphia Distance Run came five years ago, and it's been many 2 hours plus halfs since then.

Next up on the agenda, the Spring Lake Five on Memorial Day weekend. I put a little three week training program together with the aspiration that I finish in under 40. This is also something I haven't done in five years, but I think it's worth a shot.

After a few more hot and short local races through June and July, I'll be upping the speed work and taking on tougher nine week training program for the Philly Distance Run on September 20th. Then maybe the LBI 18 miler... And beyond??? 

One race at a time.

Cross Country Skiing Is Not For Everyone...

But it's worth finding out if it appeals to you. I've never been downhill skiing, but I know that for people who have, cross country skiing doesn't have much appeal. It's a lot of hemming and hawing until you get the smooth, NordicTrack motion down, (if you ever get the smooth, NordicTrack motion down) but I like it because you can explore the woods while working muscle groups you didn't know you had. 

My uncle took us over to the University of Maine fitness center, where you can rent skis, poles, and boots for $5 with a University ID. Even if you don't fraternize with the Black Bears, you can still rent skis, but it'll cost you $11. I know what you're thinking: it's steep up here in Maine.

Once you get outfitted, there are miles of lovely trails through the woods on campus for your skiing pleasure. Lots of trees, snow, and the occasional skate skier. No moose, unfortunately. Did you know they don't come when you call? It all starts to look the same, but it's beautiful, especially if you are from New Jersey.

This was only my second try at this sport, and the first for Mr. SevPrez. He is naturally athletic, so it only took him about twenty minutes to really get in the groove. Still, we fell a lot. I am a poor turner, and I especially can't turn after picking up downhill speed. The reasons for Mr. SevPrez's spills were less predictable. But we were both able to get up without assistance. The first time I went, 12 years ago, I needed a large brother to come over, stand on my skis, and pick me up. Well, I'm a big girl now, and I was able to get up by myself after I took a few minutes to stop belly laughing and compose myself.  I really enjoyed my time down in the snow, though. This is the view.

All in all, it was a great time, and my uncle was very patient with us. Every once in a while he'd disappear around a bend, and without fail, a couple minutes later he'd reappear, gliding towards us to come deliver some helpful tips or reassurance. 

He is one of those naturally talented people who plays every sport and most intruments, cooks well, is conversant on the most important topics of our day, but is also a Buddhist, so he doesn't get all riled up about his opinions, like some people I know... I mean, like me. This is a long way of saying that not only is he an excellent ski guide, he's an amazing person to be around. The kind of person you'd drive eight hours North to visit. In March.