Running For The Fun Of It

I've been getting out a little more on the bicycle, but yesterday I enjoyed my exercise vicariously, watching the DH run in another local 5K . I made myself useful taking finish-line photos for a local running shop that had looked in vain for a volunteer photographer. It was a perfect day for running: clear and sunny, cool and dry. Here he is coming over the finish line:

He makes me so proud. No excuses, no extreme training, he just goes out and runs because he likes to. What a guy.

Olivia Does Key West, Part 1

Ken let Olivia drive the last leg of the trip into Key West. (I thought it set a bad example for the boys, what with her being unlicensed and all, but she brings out the scalawag in everybody!) He had to work the gas and brake, of course.

It turned out Olivia was well-know in the southernmost city; here, Ken and Alex give her a boost so she can pose next to her name on the street sign:

Well. I can't begin to tell you how excited Olivia was when we arrived in Key West to find out her name was all over town. She was pleased as punch to have so many photo ops, but I confess I didn't do a very good job of lighting her in the street scenes. Mea culpa, sweetheart. We'll shoot more in the daytime next trip.

Ken Gets A Shout-Out

Usually, our postal mail is boring. Bills, ads, solicitations. But today, today there was a package, and what did it contain but two inscribed copies of a new hardcover novel by Kim Ablon Whitney. In the acknowledgements, she thanks Ken for reviewing the manuscript! I am proud as punch, and so pleased to have this soapbox from which to shout it.

So today, we interrupt the never-ending saga of What's Going On In My Backyard to mention this great new novel for young adults, The Other Half of Life.

It's based on the true story of the MS St. Louis, which left Germany bound for Cuba, and eventually the U.S., on May 13th, 1939. She carried 937 passengers, most of them Jews escaping Hitler's persecution, and a ship's crew of Nazis. Whitney's novel imagines the lives of two of the passengers, illuminating this heartbreaking but little-known event.

Olivia's Spring Break

So, guess who stowed away in Ken's carry-on when he went to Florida last week?

The little girl had to be in the center of the action.

Olivia tried some extreme sports while down south......although the sailing lessons didn't go well...

She had a great time hanging out by the pool, enjoying the flowers...

...and relaxing in the shade.

In the evening she hung out, goofing around with the guys. Here she is posing with Ken as though she's got Daffy Duck on the end of her fishing pole. What a stitch!

Of course, spring break came to an end, as all things do, but the memories would be there forever.

We're Back

As time goes by, everything naturally goes....south. And so do we, every so often.

We took a few days last week to visit friends and family in southeast Florida. Here's Olivia enjoying the ocean breezes. It was her first visit to the Sunshine State, and she made the most of it, insisting on a visit to the beach despite the cool temps and overcast skies. Although a few hardy tourist-types braved the waves in swimsuits, we kept our black-leather New York uniforms on and just enjoyed the wildlife.

The egrets danced along the edge of the water:

And the blue heron stalked, elegant, with now and then a sudden down-and-up swoop, like an erratic sewing-machine bobbin, catching tiny creatures swept in by the waves:

The white ibis preferred the inland waterways, nearer the hotels. This photo was taken by Ken during a morning run around the commercial district:Another highlight of the trip (at least as far as I was concerned) was this - a mall wall! I'd scrambled over a small share of the Shawangunks, albeit in a most casual manner, sans equipment, in my college days, but since then I've always wanted to essay one of these faux rock walls.

Here was my chance to do it! Here was my chance to climb *almost* to the top, turn around, and shout out to those below, "Does this harness make my butt look fat?!"

How could I resist?I can't understand why nobody else wanted to try. Oh well. (Photo by DH)

The church named after me was still in business:

The bougainvilla was in bloom:
And we saw signspinners on the drive from Cooper City to West Palm Beach.

On the way home, we noticed the Southwest Airlines Gate at Palm Beach International Airport had gone all out for Valentine's Day:


Friends and family: well and happy. Who could ask for more?

My Hero

The first snow this winter fell last night, but didn't interfere with the running this morning of DH's first official race, a 4-mile run benefiting the Lynbrook community. He came in 286th out of a field of 484, with a very respectable time of 39 minutes, 7 seconds. Pretty darn good for his first competition!The Lynbrook Middle School ,where the race began and ended, was open and full of sponsor tables handing out water, fruit, and little giveaways. Kenny went inside while I waited at the finish line for a few more minutes to watch other people coming in. Then I went inside to look for him. Hm.... he's not in front of the tables full of apples and bananas...or looking over the various awards and raffle baskets. Where could he be? Oh, of course... collecting the best swag of all: the complimentary massage!

Happy Birthday Ken!

Happy Birthday to my DH, who is the simply the best. And who is still in Florida, but not for much longer...

Postcard From Home

And so the summer this far has been restorative, with fireworks and outdoor food, friends in from out of town for the day, all the plants flourishing (though the butterflies are scarce to none this year) and of all things, Fiona has decided she does not mind, just once in a while, to sit quietly in my arms and (get ready for this...) purr. Yes, purr. Maybe it's the heat, but it's happened three times now, that I scoop her up to put her away in the evening, and... she doesn't struggle. So I just hold her lightly, ever so gently and, great Caesar's ghost, she purrs! For, as I said, a few minutes. So yes, it's been a lovely summer and I haven't even told you yet about the Most Intrepid Spider!

Cooperstown Hall of Fame Game Parade

Olivia relaxes with Ken before the parade starts. She knows she'll have a good view from here. Ken's photos came out much better than mine, so the following are all his:

This man on the train float is firing explosives from a miniature cannon.

Mighty Casey waves to the crowd. He and his fellow dead heroes Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle were the friendliest players there.

The Aqua String Band

Fire Truck

The Big Green Monster

The Money

So we're back from a few days of vacationing in Corning, Watkins Glen, and Cooperstown, New York.

The last day we were in Cooperstown, the Cubs and the Padres were in town to play the Hall of Fame Game, a tradition since 1940, now coming to an end as a result of contract negotiations.

There's a big parade before the game, featuring the players riding in a trolley. The townspeople put on a great line-up, with the Cooperstown Community Band on a flatbed, the Edward P. Maloney Memorial Pipe Band (and another pipe band whose name I didn't catch, that's two pipe bands,) a fire truck, a lawman of some kind on a very large horse, Mummers from Philly, special appearances by Micky Mantle and Babe Ruth, and lots more, interspersed with cool classic cars (from a major sponsor.)