Shorts!!

November 8, and for the second day in a row, warm enough for shorts while doing yard work. Gotta luv it! After a dreadful October, I think we were due. I now have the yard ready for winter. All the raking is done and the flower beds are cleaned up. It was a good day for the Vikings to have a bye week so I didn't feel like I wanted to be inside watching "the game".

Back to yesterday. Here's a comparison of regular cocoa and dutch-processed cocoa. I can't get the dutch-processed in Rochester any more. I need it for those killer chocolate cookies.

Went to Winona to hear Matt's band concert. We went to Jefferson Grill for supper. I had the Mandarin Chicken Salad. Boring, actually. I was trying to find something without: 1) mayo; 2) bacon; and 3) cheese.

Matt says it's a "no shave November" so he's letting his beard grow all month. He last shaved on Halloween. He also got a 1/4" buzz. :-) But I like the look.

The concert was very good. It was also an honor band (high school) concert.

This morning I ran down to the Y to lift and swim. Absolutely no leg issues on the run (and without compression sleeves). Yippee!! My legs were cramping in the pool, though, so I got out after about 45 minutes. :-( That happens when my legs are tired and/or I'm dehydrated. Hi to whoever drove by on the way home in a grey Ford pick-up and honked and waved. I waved and smiled back, but didn't recognize the vehicle.

Went to the library this afternoon. Got a few books. Books on swimming ...

 Baking ...

and last month's book club novel. Maybe I can get that read on the plane going to and coming from NY. BTW: I saw the homeless guy I was talking to yesterday near HyVee at the library today. Small world. Speaking of NY, Kelly is putting together a little itinerary for us:

Friday: While Kelly and Ben are at work, explore the area aroud her house which is right on the Hudson River then 3'ish go into the city to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Broadway Play.
Saturday: Breakfast at West Point, visit a winery, view a few of the Hyde Park mansions (Rockefeller, Vanderbuilt...), Culinary Institute of America for dinner...
Sunday: 5K at Yankee Stadium (still up in the air), Brooklyn flea market, Chelsea market, Chinatown/Little Italy, 9/11 site, Battery Park, etc.

It's going to be the best birthday weekend EVER!!

I picked up my brand new 2150s today. My 2140s are reaching the end of their useful life. These are a fun color. Get them at Running Room!! I lament the fact that new shoes eventually have to get dirty ... They're soooooo pretty.

Supper tonight was Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup (Trader Joe's).

I added some sauteed onion and red pepper, some roasted corn and freshly ground pepper. It was DELICIOUS.

Tomorrow evening my Cooking Light supper club meets at Mary's house. On the menu, which sounds wonderful as usual:

Wine: Kathryn or Pam
Appetizer of choice: Kathryn or Pam
Honey Buttermilk Rolls: Renee
Tarte Tatin: Diane
Bourbon and Orange-Glazed Ham: Mary
Nutty Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad: Margo
Roasted Root Vegetables with Sorghum and Cider: Laura
Wild Rice with Apples: Barbara

I made some Pecan Praline Sandwich Cookies after supper. I made some of them open-faced. I think I'm going to drizzle some caramel over the top just to "gild the lily" as they say.

Congrats to some River Runners: Sharon Hobbs and Mike Murray for their awesome performances at Ironman Florida and Nikki Bergh for her BQ at Outer Banks. Well done!! I talked to my friend Ellen at church today and she ran a marathon with her son this fall. In Sioux City, IA. His first. That's a dream of mine--to run a marathon with one of my boys.

Some midwest mentions in Runners' World of late: 1) Our MN RRCA state rep Kim Maxwell was quoted, 2) Chris Raabe, St. Cloud River Runner and winner of Grandma's Marathon got a little sidebar, and 3) the Rotary Lights Run/Walk 5K in LaCrosse was mentioned as a race to run (and I'm thinking about doing it--and they're running an ad in the December RTC News :-)

Well, I'm fresh out of news. Time for a quote for the day: "“Optimism is the foundation of courage.”  -- Nicholas Murray Butler

Ciao!