Washington Monument Update

Nice day for a long run in Washington, DC. There was a light breeze, sunny, and ~55 degrees. The scaffolding is coming off of the Washington Monument--yay!  

Happy Christmas Eve! I've Rejoined the Land of the Living

Let it snow!

It has been awhile and that is because… I haven't been running in almost a week!  What began as a severe sore throat turned into double ear infections with sinusitis. First trip to doctor was too early to detect anything and then a return visit confirmed full-blown infections. Anyway, GOOD NEWS--I'm feeling empowered enough by the antibiotics to try running again. It is cool here today--I missed killer 65 degree weather over the weekend--but it only adds to the feeling of Christmas. Best wishes to you and yours.

Christmas Decorations

Early run this morning in the pitch dark, around 35 degrees. It definitely feels like winter and it is starting to feel like Christmas too. I love this time of year. Heard there is a heat wave coming this weekend--bring it!

Real Snow Day!

Washington, D.C. schools, city government, and federal government are all closed. Thank you--that means my work is closed as well. There will be no banking for the world today. ;)

Of course, this did not deter me from getting my coffee at Bruegger's; and thankfully, Whole Foods was open so I could get some bread, butter, Parmesan cheese, cat food, and sardines. (Yes, I had sardines in Rome and loved them; so I'm going to give them a go here.)

The prediction is three to six inches by 2 p.m. As of 9 a.m., the roads and sidewalks were a slushy mess. I did not see one city snow plow. 

Guy Mason Recreation Center Playground

Snow, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Rain

Snow day! Although there was very little accumulation in D.C., many schools are closed or on a two-hour delay schedule. Julia is home! I did venture outside for my coffee and there is quite a bit of ice and a steady drizzle of rain. I didn't see any major limbs down due to the ice. There was one light flashing at Tunlaw and Calvert, but otherwise no obvious signs of power outages.

Check out the ice!

Georgetown Tree

The advantage of the pre-6 a.m. run is the nice view of all the holiday lights in Georgetown. Below is the iconic silver tree at the west end of Georgetown on M Street.





Running in Rome

Buongiorno!

JFK's Residences in Georgetown as Senator

Friday, November 22, marked the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. The Georgetown Patch featured a great article that lists all nine of the homes where the Kennedys lived.

Below are three where he lived as senator.

1528 31st Street: Pondered presidential campaign while living here.

3321 Dent Place: Lived as newlyweds here.

2808 P Street: Lived here before launching presidential campaign.

JFK's Residences in Georgetown before Marrying Jackie

Friday, November 22, marked the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. The Georgetown Patch featured a great article listing all nine of the homes where the Kennedys lived.

Below are three homes where JFK lived prior to his marriage with Jackie.

1400 34th Street: JFK lived here before meeting Jackie.

3260 N Street: Lived here during senate campaign; met Jackie.

3271 P Street: Planned their wedding in this home.

JFK's Residences in Georgetown from Presidential Campaign to Post-Assassination

Friday, November 22, marked the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. The Georgetown Patch featured a great article that lists all nine of the homes where the Kennedys lived.

Below are three on N Street.

3307 N Street: Kennedy's home during the 1960 presidential campaign.

3017 N Street: Lived here after the assassination for a short period.

3038 N Street: Jackie lived here after JFK was killed.

Christmas Decorations at Georgetown Waterfront

Since Thanksgiving is so late this year, it seems odd to see decorations up--but Christmas is around the corner! They have put up lights in Georgetown as well; I'll have to get some nighttime pictures.

Georgetown Waterfront

37 Degrees--Galaxy S4 Performs Well

 It was cold this morning, but my phone survived with no hiccups whatsoever. Yay!

Looking back toward Georgetown, quiet traffic day.

  

60-degrees, Penguin, and Snowman--Really!

Washington, D.C., is cloudy but pleasantly 60 degrees! Although we were planning to go ice skating today, it just doesn't feel right to go in such warm weather. As you can see, the rink is open and people are skating. This is their first big weekend; thus, the penguin and snowman skating around.

Large Coffee, Small World

I am a fan of the Bruegger's bottomless cup of coffee. I am so happy to take advantage of it, with one shop by my home and one shop by my work. My two, new best friends are Rick and George, managers from the two Bruegger's respectively. I didn't think it would be a big deal to be greeted every visit by my first name--but it is!!! I love it.

Admittedly, I now need two 20-ounce coffees…one first thing in the a.m. and another around lunch. Well, at my second fill up of the day, Rick was pumping me for some market intelligence of the L Street Bruegger's (by work). They have been struggling with having enough help and he wondered if it affected service there. I hadn't noticed; however, I don't visit during their peak times (according to Rick). I also offered up some info on my observations of the 9th Street shop that I visited while attending a conference last week.

Rick said that the Glover Park shop is the strongest seller in the area and isn't going anywhere. Good.

We were talking about coffee and Rick said his favorite was a Wegmans brand. I told him I worked at Wegmans in Rochester a long time ago and low and behold… Rick is from Rochester. He grew up in Fairport. It was nice to talk about the city and various landmarks--small world!

Georgetown Ice Rink Open

The ice rink at Washington Harbour opened Monday, November 11. Check out "the largest outdoor ice skating venue," with 11,800 square-feet of space to skate. It will be open everyday, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Adults $10, children $8, skate rental $5. There are also season passes for people like my family--who love to skate! Can't wait!

Happy Veterans Day--Check out the Freebies!

Lovely, crisp morning run on this Veterans Day. There were a few road closures around the Lincoln Memorial that made it extra nice and quiet. 

USA Today featured an article, Vets can Rake in Freebies all day and all Night, listing some of the places that veterans can catch a break. Way to go Krispy Kreme, offering a free doughnut and small coffee. Several chain restaurants are mentioned--Olive Garden, Applebee's, Red Robin, etc.--I hope some of the local restaurants are also offering the same free meals.  

World War II Memorial; Lincoln Memorial in Background

37 Degrees = iPhone Crash

I am not happy with my iPhone. This morning, I was thrilled to be running in the daylight at 6:30 a.m.; however, the 37-degree weather did not agree with my iPhone. This is not the first time that cold or hot weather has caused it to crash. 

Steven traded in his iPhone today for the HTC One. I am seriously considering…iPhone 5C or Android. Hmmmm...

Fill Up the Pool Please

Great run around the monuments today, but happened to notice that the water level at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is quite low. I couldn't find any official news about it, so I guess no one else cares or it isn't really a big deal. ;)

Gorgeous weather in Washington, DC, today--sunny, high 60s, light breeze. The tourists were out in droves. 

Picture from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

Iced vanilla coffee post-run--yum!

Highlight of Morning: Running to Bruegger's

The temperature felt like it was in the 70s. I don't know why my run was so slow this morning. The pumpkin spice coffee at Bruegger's hit the spot!

Halloween Decorations!

Halloween is Thursday and I captured some spooktacular decor on my afternoon run home.

Pumpkin carvings by Chris & Julia. The squirrels especially liked Julia's.

Congrats Marine Corp Marathon Runners

Runner's Club: What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

I am in Las Vegas, NV, for a work-related conference. I was so impressed to see on the itinerary the option to join a runner's club or yoga class each morning at 6:15 a.m. Now, I am not one to enjoy running in a group, at all. However, the idea of being able to follow someone else and not get lost was more appealing to me than the idea of running with a pack. 

Of the 1,600 attendees here, about 50 people showed up for the run. We then further separated into two groups; the majority (35-ish) going for the three-mile run. The rest set out for a five-mile run; only one other guy had earphones and an iPhone. Ugh. And even he ran with another guy and chatted (while keeping the earphones in). Whatever. I stayed at the front, listened to my podcast, and tried not to dwell on the awkwardness. And as for the ease of just following someone...well the leaders were not local and had planned on an out-and-back run. This is trickier on the strip than you think, with construction and walkways; we had to go through two hotels and over a bridge. 

Tomorrow, I will venture on my own--out-and-back. I don't have to run the same route and the Cosmopolitan is hard to miss. The weather is gorgeous here, sunny and low 80s.

Normal running attire for Las Vegas.

Even the Potomac Looked Nice Today

Today's weather was hard to beat. Many people were out enjoying the sunny, 60-degree day.

Potomac River with Kennedy Center

Bathrooms Open...and Monuments Too

It looks like everything is back to normal. Yay.

Lincoln Memorial exhibit open.

Lincoln Memorial bathrooms.

I thought he was protesting the Redskins, until I read his sign..."This used to be Indian Land, but everything went to crap." Hey now!

Installing Washington Harbor Ice Skating Rink

Yay! The Washington Harbor Ice Skating Rink is getting ready to reopen in November! I cannot wait to go skating with Steven and Julia. 

Georgetown Waterfront getting ready for winter!

Government Shutdown: It's Over after 16 Days!

I did not see signs of the government reopening this morning--but it was quite early. I did not enjoy my run in the dark this morning (although temp was delightful). However, I look forward to seeing happy park rangers, dodging hoards of tourists, and throwing trash into empty garbage cans.

Dark path along the Potomac River.

Captured a couple of crew boats and coach's boat this morning in the pitch black.

Government Shutdown: Day 15...Foggy with a Glimmer of Hope

According to a USA Today article, there is hope for a deal to reopen the government.

 

This morning, the temperature was perfect (low 60s) with plenty of fog and clouds. The slick fallen leaves are the only hazard on the early, dim runs.

 

After reading USA Today at the hotel over the weekend, I am reminded how much I like that paper.

Foggy shot of Georgetown Waterfront

Rain in Pittsburgh--ugh!

The rain is supposed to roll out by mid-morning; however, not soon enough for my last run in Pittsburgh. Great little city!

Carnegie Sleeping Bag Weekend

After a rainy drive to Pittsburgh, it was a mild, dry day. We enjoyed the info sessions at Carnegie. 

I ran a slow five-mile run in the afternoon. 

Enough Rain Already!

Washington, DC, has had enough rain this week--over three inches alone yesterday. This morning I ran through the mist. The Potomac was a mucky brown. Although the flood walls were up in Georgetown, the actual level of the Potomac did not look that high. There is actually an iPhone app to check the levels of the Potomac in addition to local paddling news.

Georgetown Waterfront

Georgetown Flood Walls