Blizzard!!

Sounds like we're in for a good one. I'm soooo disappointed at the timing. I was hoping to go up to the Holiday Lights run with the St. Cloud River Runners on Wednesday evening, but it looks like Mother Nature will put the kabash on that. I had my Santa hat ready and everything.

My book club meets Wednesday evening. Maybe I'll be able to make it, if it's not cancelled, even though I'm not prepared to discuss the book (Quilter's Apprentice). I read it several years ago, but couldn't tell you the first thing about it.

So ... yesterday was Julie Murray's birthday celebration (actual day is later in the week).

Her sister Jean prepared a wonderful spread for the occasion. Delish!!

Later in the afternoon I went to the Y to lift and swim. No running. My legs needed a rest day after Saturday. Sunday afternoon it was all 20-something guys lifting. No (other) middle-aged women anywhere in sight. ;-0

I was just whipped yesterday. Sleepy, sleepy all day long. I actually laid down on the couch for a couple hours in the evening. Watched a miserable Vikings performance until I just couldn't watch any more, at which time I went to bed. This morning brought a run. I had a bunch of stuff to be delivered around town and had planned to do it via car this afternoon. But decided that I might as well do it on foot. I wanted to run (slow) and could save a little gas. So ... I loaded up (a backpack and a shopping bag) and headed out. First stop was the Y with 3 dozen cookies. Next stop, my friend Mary's house with her cake plate (8th Ave/15th St NE). Next stop, Mike Schmitt's house (roughly HyVee north) with some track club mail. (Found 40 cents on the street a short time later!) Next stop, my brother's house (roughly Children's World NW area) with a bag of misc stuff (baby wipes they left here, an advent calendar, glow-in-the-dark stars, a Goldfish cracker container :-). Mark Wernstrom drove by me on the way and honked. :-) Then ... home. 13.12 miles. My legs actually felt good. Tomorrow I'll be back in the pool.

At noon, it was the final cookie drop for 2009 at the Y. In attendance: K.C., Ross, Jamie, Jim.

Jamie said he's "in" for cookies of the month next year. There's still one opening if someone else wants in. ;-) The bidding opened today for 6 dozen holiday cookies. To bid, just post on the RTC website Or email me if you don't have access and I'll place your bid. After I left the Y, I picked up my niece Kaleigh and we headed over to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.

Saw several people I knew, including "whales" (Tom Landherr--in the yellow cap in the photo above, to my left), Gary Larson and Rochester Half Marathon 2010 Race Director herself -- Jen Woodford, who works at Channel One. The holiday train was a fund-and-food raiser for the food shelf.

The train was delayed, so Kaleigh and I walked over to HyVee. She loves HyVee (I think she takes after her auntie "Nay Nay"). They have kid-sized shopping carts. We got her a free snowman cookie at the bakery.

She seemed to enjoy every last crumb. :-) We didn't stay too long. The lights weren't very visible in the daylight and Kaleigh wasn't too into it. But we had a fun little outing. A nice crowd showed up.

Santa made an appearance too.

Dinner tonight was "beets and sweets" and some leftover brown rice. Love those root vegetables.

(BTW: If you mouseover these photos and your cursor changes to a hand, you can click on it for a larger version of the photo.)

I stopped at Good Food Store and got some cannellini beans for Minestrone soup tomorrow. A new Cook's Illustrated recipe. It sounds like it'll be a perfect day for soup. Maybe I'll make some bread, too. Tomorrow evening is the monthly social gathering at Beetles at 6 pm. The weather could put the kabash on that, too. Don't risk life or limb to get there ... Larry Pederson said he'll be there (weather permitting, I imagine) with his laptop to process any membership renewals (or new members!). Tom O'Leary/Team R.E.D. is doing a track workout at the indoor track at the University Center at 5:30 PM should anyone care to join them.

I'm slowly getting the Christmas decorating done. Carried the tree up from the basement today, but haven't decorated it yet. There's still time.

Quote for the day: "You can either complain that rose bushes have thorns-or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses."

Stay warm. DRIVE CAREFULLY.