busy good Saturday

Saturday I got up early (for a Saturday) and read a little, then drove to Richmond. I hung out with Sunni, then we went with the grandparents and one aunt to visit my other aunt in the hospital (recovering from surgery). From there we went to lunch, but it took a while because the internet lied to me about the location of the Turkish restaurant and there was lots of yelling about where Chester is and how we weren't in Chester and in the end we just stopped at an all-American joint. Which turned out to be just fine, because Grandma really liked her meal and that's what counts. After lunch we went back to the house and I did some more reading.

Then I left and drove back to Charlottesville, but only to pick up Josh. Then we drove to Harrisonburg. That's where a co-worker had us over for dinner, and it was lots of fun. We ate chorizo cooked on the Portuguese pig, delicious goulash, and homemade "choux" pastries. We also had coffee, brewed in a "coffee balloon." It was like a science experiment, and the perfect way to end the meal. Plus the coffee was necessary to help get us back to Charlottesville.

bumps in the road

So last week when I ran fifteen miles I apparently hurt my right foot in the outer ankle region. It hurt some after the run and I was hobbling just a little, but I didn't think much of it because I always hobble just a little after a really long run. But it came back during Tuesday's run.

Tuesday Josh tried to get in the fifteen miles he'd missed on Saturday. He tried this after work, a dental appointment, and taking a test at school. He ran seven miles, then I joined him to run my eight. Once I joined him we were going pretty slow, but he wasn't going to make it his full fifteen. So after about four and a half miles (eleven and a half for him) he headed back to the car while I took off to finish my eight. I ran my final four miles with sub-nine minute miles, which is pretty fast for me. And I think that's what really did my ankle in. The next morning I was definitely limping into work.

So here's where we stand: Josh is going to switch gears and aim for running the half marathon, and I am currently injured.

UGGHHH.

I didn't run on Wednesday or Thursday, but I tried on Friday. I went to a park and jogged very slowly in soggy grass. I made it two miles, but then decided I'd really better stop. Then I cried.

After crying and talking through my frustration with Josh and reading up a little on running injuries (and how common they are for beginning marathoners and how missing a week or two of training won't be the end of the world) I headed to the gym at Josh's apartment. I rode the bike for four miles and did some weight training. I was reminded that missing a workout on Wednesday didn't turn me into mush. I felt better.

Today I was determined to get a workout in that was somewhat comparable to the sixteen-mile run I was missing. So I went back to Josh's apartment gym (which is different than the gym we usually go to after work) and rode the bike again. For three hours. Thirty miles. It still wasn't nearly as intense and exhausting as the long run would have been, but my thighs (and rear end) were sure sore. And luckily the bikes there aren't super boring, and my rides were through computer animated scenes like a beach at sunset, Mayan ruins, and a redwood forest. I feel well traveled.

Now we're crossing our fingers that my ankle will heal quickly and I can get back into training later this week. Please.

the weekend

This weekend's marathon training was a 15 mile run, which I had to do by myself. The saying "misery loves company" is sure true because it's nice to be able to moan and groan toward the end of long runs with Josh, but by myself the moaning and groaning is just depressing.

The plan was to meet at our usual spot near UVA and run at 10am, but at 9 he called to say his back was hurting (flair up of an old injury) and there was no way he could run, much less roll over comfortably in bed. So I re-mapped a different run leaving from my place and set off at 11.

I haven't mentioned it here yet, but the marathon I'm planning on running is pretty intense. There are multiple mountains involved. Go big or go home I say. So I'm trying to train on hills around town, but they don't really compare at all to what the real race will be like. I'm going to have to figure something else out, which might just end up being medium runs on the treadmill at a steep incline. Anyway, there is a pretty substantial hill (with an observatory on top) in town, so I ran up that twice. Afterwards I was pretty tired and achy, so I stopped in a building on campus for some water and to stretch, and a few minutes after running again I took a GU gel. This was the first full gel I've ever taken, so I'm not really familiar with them or how to notice if it worked, but I think it helped a little. At this point I had about 4 miles to go. When I had only 1.5 miles left I started to get a cramp, and I was going pretty slow. When I finally stopped at 15 miles I still had several blocks worth of distance to walk back to my apartment (which didn't look that far when I planned it on the map, it looked like a nice cool-down walk), and it was miserable. I was achy and thirsty and really wish Josh had been there to commiserate with me.

So yesterday's run was hard and didn't feel excellent at the end, but I will say that I wasn't nearly as stiff and rickety the rest of the day like I was after last week's 14 miles. That seems like improvement.

Then yesterday afternoon Josh and I drove to Richmond, where we visited with my family. In the evening I hung out with Grandpa and my aunt, then watched a bunch of tv on my own (when I probably should have been reading). This morning I read, visited Grandma, and then the whole family went out to lunch. After lunch Josh had his back popped in hopes that it will feel better soon, we took naps, did a little more homework, and then drove back to C'ville. Now I need to read more and then I plan on watching Downton Abbey.

Overall a pretty good weekend.

this and that

Sorry for the hiatus.

We're still running. And I'm still really excited about it. Saturday Josh and I ran fourteen miles. That was the farthest either of us had ever run. From here on out in our marathon training that number will just keep going up, and I will keep thinking to myself, "wow, that's the farthest I've ever run!"

I went ahead and got a sports watch with GPS. Now we can see how far we've run as we're going AND see our pace, and after plugging it into my computer it will show us the route we took, the elevation changes, how many calories I burned, etc. etc. etc.

So let me report on tonight's seven miles:

mile ave. pace
1 -- 9:49
2 -- 8:49
3 -- 9:48
4 -- 8:33
5 -- 9:49
6 -- 9:17
7 -- 8:37
Summary: total time 1:04:41.5, distance 7.00, average pace 9:15

In other news, Josh's birthday was yesterday. Saturday we had dinner at a German restaurant with his grandparents, Sunday I took him to dinner at a South African restaurant, and last night I made him a mango lassi, per his request. Next time I will puree the mango better and use a little less sugar. But overall it was still pretty good.



And finally, let me remind you that school is back in session. I'm going to class (in Fairfax) once or twice a week, and Josh is in class (not in Fairfax) twice a week. And we have jobs. So things are busy around here. Hopefully I'll still find time to blog, but you may have to suffer through mostly posts about marathon training. Get excited.

nice and icy

This morning Charlottesville was covered in ice. All the trees were white, and looked almost like blooming cherry blossoms. It was beautiful. It was also cold. Josh, his roommate, and myself headed out at 10am in about 34-degree weather for an eleven-mile run. I planned the run and made sure it had plenty of hills, which was good for training but not always fun. It drizzled for most of the run, but I never felt too cold. The guys were a little colder because they wear five-finger minimalist shoes and their toes were frozen for a while. The coldest part was after we stopped for a bathroom and water break at the bus station. I guess all the rain and sweat had a chance to thaw, which made things feel more brisk when we went back outside. By the end our legs were pretty achy and we were all glad to finally be done with the eleven miles, but I think we all agree it was a good time, too.

a little obsessed

Okay, I'll just come out with it.

I want to run a marathon.

And since the bug has bit, I want to do it sooner rather than later. So I'm training for an April marathon. Josh is doing it with me. (In turn, I'm supposed to do Tough Mudder with him later this year. That scares me.)

I think about my marathon training all of the time now. I bought new running shoes last week, and I got a foam roller. I even tried yoga for the first time ever by finding a "yoga for runners" video online and trying it out in my apartment. I'm thinking about getting a sports watch with gps. I've discovered a whole new world of running blogs, and spend way too much time reading them. I'm obsessed.

DC

(Gasp, two posts in one day!)

My parents have still been around since before Christmas. Last Monday they came to Charlottesville and stayed in a hotel for three nights doing touristy things while I worked. Then Thursday the three of us drove to DC for a few days. Our first stop was Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home. We toured the house and visited the museum and I finally got to experience the multi-media film where it really snows on you!



After Mt. Vernon we took the scenic route along the Potomac and drove from Alexandria to Leesburg, where we went to dinner with Uncle Richard. Then we stayed at his place.

Friday after breakfast we drove to a metro station and took the train to the National Mall, where we walked around the WWII memorial and the new MLK Jr. memorial. Then we went to the American History museum for a couple hours, and to the Portrait Gallery for a couple hours. We ate dinner in Chinatown, then headed back to Leesburg for the night.

Saturday we had breakfast with Uncle Richard and he showed us around his condo complex, and then we drove to the National Cathedral. We spent a couple hours there, then drove to Old Town Alexandria to eat. After walking around a little more and getting ice cream, it was time to head back to Charlottesville.

It was a fun little trip, and now my parents are on their way back to New Mexico.

NYE

I know this post is a week late, but I want to backtrack to New Year's Eve. Last Saturday I was in Richmond with my parents and grandparents, but after lunch and hanging out all afternoon (and I guess by "hanging out" I mean shopping with my dad for a new coat) I came back to Charlottesville.

Josh picked me up and we headed to the Downtown Mall, where we ate sushi for dinner. After enjoying a few fancy rolls we decided to order the two specials: a plum and avocado roll, and roasted garlic. As you might imagine, we thought the roasted garlic would come in a sushi roll. Turns out roasted garlic was really just cloves of roasted garlic on a plate. So we had that for dessert, then headed out to wander the busy pedestrian mall.

While walking Josh found a pistachio shell!



For a new view and to kill time, we rode up to the top of a parking garage and looked around some more. Parking garages are often good for views around here.





At 11 we went to the pavilion to listen to a local cover band, and then at 11:30 there was a laser show that ended with a laser ball counting down the last ten seconds of 2011. A little cheesy but free and fun. After that we had a garlicky kiss and headed home.

Happy 2012!

Christmas 2011

My family spent Christmas in Richmond this year. My parents and Ryan flew out from the West and the four of us stayed at a hotel downtown by the state capital. Here's how the holiday went down:

Thursday after work I drove to Richmond and met the family at my grandparents' house. Then my parents and I went to our hotel for the night, and Dad and I walked to Capital Ale House for a beer.

Friday morning Dad and I went to the airport to pick up Ryan. Then we wrapped a bunch of presents before meeting up with the whole family (including Grandma!) for pizza near Carytown. After that my parents and I visited the art museum, where I finally got to see the giant whale! After that my parents dropped Ryan and me off at the hotel for naps. Friday night the four of us saw the lights at the botanical garden, then had pho for dinner.

Saturday (Christmas Eve) I got up early-ish to go for a run, then we went to the grandparents' house where Mom got to work cooking posole, I made cookies (Sunni helped), and Dad and I ran last-minute errands, including stopping at four different stores looking for eggnog. Saturday evening we all went to church at 7, then went back to the house for our traditional posole dinner.

Sunday (Christmas) I woke up earlier than planned (too much Christmas excitement I guess), so I got Dad up to go for a Christmas walk with me. Then we headed back across town to the house, where cooking was underway. I made rolls. Everyone (including Grandma!) came over for lunch, which was delicious Beef Wellington. Then we opened presents. Later in the afternoon my family headed back to the hotel for naps, and once rested went back to the house for more eating and hanging out. I finally ate some pie, and we had a fire in the fire pit out back. Josh had joined us by this point, and he and I performed a song ("It's Cliched to Be Cynical at Christmas") for my family with his ukulele.





Monday we slept in a little, then Dad, Ryan, Josh, and myself went for a long walk downtown. We walked along the canal and then back through Church Hill, and everyone (including Ryan, despite what me might say) had a good time. After the walk we ate lunch at the Tobacco Company. That afternoon we went to the mall (a mad house) so Ryan could get new house slippers, and that evening lots of us saw Tin Tin.





It was a pretty good Christmas, I'd say.

pistachio sightings!

On Saturday I took a break from working on my papers (which are over now, whew) to go to Richmond for lunch with the whole family. Then some of us went and saw The Muppets, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When we got out of the theater I had a text message from Andrew with a pistachio sighting! He said it was "Outside the movie theater." Now this confused me for a minute, because I was outside the movie theater, and there happened to be a guy named Andrew with us. But he doesn't have my phone number, or I wouldn't have him in my phone as "Andrew," and thus I deduced this pistachio sighting was coming from Colorado, where my pal Andrew must have just seen a movie. Or at least he was hanging outside a movie theater. Either way, pistachio sighting!



This sighting reminded me of the two I had in Santa Fe at Thanksgiving, which I never posted. So let me share them now.





Happy sightings y'all!

semester wrap-up and the Christmas season

The problem with being in school is that stressful schoolwork butts right up against the holidays. Today I received a choice of essay questions, and I now have exactly one week to write two ten-page papers. That has to happen after work in the evenings and this coming weekend. So I'll finally be done next Monday, and that means you probably won't hear from me again any time soon.

But today I got a Christmas card from Uncle Richard and in it he said he likes my blog, so I thought I should write something quickly before tackling my first essay. I will take this opportunity to let you know that I haven't put up my little Christmas tree yet, and probably won't unless I succumb to a good bout of procrastination later in the week. But I did buy a little poinsettia and my parents sent me a nutcracker, which is displayed on a bookshelf with Christmas cards, so I'm not completely missing out on a holiday feeling in my apartment.

Okay, gotta get to work. After I eat something...

Thankful for Grandmothers

The week before Thanksgiving I decided I should probably go ahead and fly home to Santa Fe for the holiday weekend. I'll be here in Virginia for Christmas, so I wanted to see my New Mexico grandparents sooner rather than later. The week before Thanksgiving my Grandmother had surgery on her spine, which was a pretty big deal. She's still in the hospital but is doing well and has moved to rehab. Obviously she couldn't join us for our Thanksgiving meal, but I got to visit with her three days in a row during my short trip.

On the other side of my family, another pretty big deal is going on this week in Richmond. In the past few months my Grandma has been severely affected by Alzheimer's, and tomorrow she will move into the memory care ward of an assisted living facility. As you might imagine, the whole family is struggling with this change in various ways. I got to visit with Grandma on Sunday after I got back from New Mexico. We went out for lunch and had a good time.

I'm very blessed and grateful to have such great grandmothers. I also have great grandfathers, and my heart goes out to both of them during these difficult times.

a list of things I've squeezed in between homework

Sorry I never post anymore. I'm pretty busy these days. And by "these days," I mean this semester. It's the same old story about work and reading, blah blah blah.

Anyway, I do manage to fit in a few fun things, and I'd like to share them here, mostly because this blog is the only journal-type-thing I keep and maybe I will want to remember these some day.

Last weekend I went to Richmond to spend time with my family. My grandma isn't doing so hot these days, but it was good to be with her and the others. I had to spend a lot of my time reading, but we enjoyed meals together, including a good Indian lunch.

The weekend before that I spent most of Saturday at Wintergreen (a ski resort) watching Josh and four other guys on his team complete the Tough Mudder challenge. It was a nine-mile course with lots of obstacles, including a pool of ice, dark tubes, ropes to climb, and live wires to run through. They had a good time and no one broke any bones, so that was good. I took pictures when I could actually get to the obstacles, but there were about two hours when I didn't see them so I ate lunch, drank a beer, and rode the chair lift.

The weekend before that Josh and I went to his grandparents' house. We ate food and played games, and I got a little reading in there, too.

I'm not exactly sure on the timing because we're going back several weeks here, but I think two weeks before the trip to Josh's grandparents I was in Richmond for the weekend while my mom was there, so I got to spend time with her and the rest of the family.

There was another weekend sometime before that when I went to Fredericksburg on a Saturday night to visit my friend Ryan and his wife. They made good Japanese food, and we played poker.

So, as you can see, my nose isn't always stuck in a book. But after doing fun things I have to make up the homework I missed, and then I don't have time to blog. Sorry.

keeping busy

Today after work Josh and I worked out at the gym. But then we both had homework to do (me: read about the California Gold Rush; him: study anatomy). Usually I come home from the gym with great intentions to get lots of homework done, but after a shower and dinner, I'm pretty tired. So tonight we went to the library straight from the gym. Yes, that means we smelled very bad. But I'm finding myself short on time for homework a lot these days, and desperate times call for desperate measures. I didn't get quite as much reading done as I'd hoped, but overall I'm pleased with how it went. I'm also pleased with this picture Josh drew of me on his whiteboard while he took a short study break:



P.S. I'm also having a bit of a fruit fly problem in my apartment (and "bit" is an understatement), so going to the gym saved me from wasting a lot of time wandering around trying to kill them. My traps seem to be working though, so here's to hoping they're all gone soon.

they're baaack

The first stink bug (that I've seen) of the season has entered my office space. They sprayed outside the building last week to try and keep them out, but I'm afraid we'll just have a hoard of mutant stink bugs now.

same ol' same ol'

I don't have anything much to report y'all. I go to work, I sometimes go to the gym or for a run, and I read for school. That's about it. Today I met with a professor on Skype, which wasn't as awkward as I thought it might be. Oh, and today was chilly outside. I'm not ready for cold weather. Okay, that's all for now.

recent goings on

A week ago I experienced my first earthquake. That was exciting. I was at work and the building was rumbling quite a bit. In case you don't know, Charlottesville is only about 35 miles from where the epicenter was. But even though I had an armchair and coffee table precariously set upside down on my couch to make way for the carpet cleaners, they didn't fall off or anything. I also woke up a couple nights later to an aftershock.

Then a hurricane headed for Virginia. I went to Richmond on Saturday to visit with my family, which meant I headed closer to the hurricane. After lunch we lost power at my grandparents' house, which we were pretty sure was going to happen eventually anyway, and it was then that it finally dawned on my aunt and myself that maybe Grandma and Grandpa shouldn't be stuck in a house with no power. So with wind and rain and branches thrashing the windows, we frantically ran around the house packing up food and clothes and bedding and loaded up the van. Then we all headed through the storm to my apartment in Charlottesville, where it was only lightly raining. Five of us and Danny the pug spent two cozy nights in my one-bedroom apartment, and while it wasn't ideal, it wasn't so bad either. They got their power back Monday morning and didn't waste time getting back home.

After the crowed cleared out I had a little time to straighten out my apartment, join Josh for lunch, and then head up to Fairfax for my first night of classes. I'm taking seven credits this semester instead of the four I took each semester last year, so I'll be keeping busy. I sure enjoyed my summer break, but I'm also ready to get back at it.

Arizona was pretty great, too.

So Wednesday (the 10th) we arrived in Flagstaff around 7:30 or so. We stopped by Ryan's house, which was fun to see, and then drove on to Sedona. He works at a resort there, where Josh and I stayed. After checking in the three of us had some dinner, but then we had to drive back to Flagstaff (45 minutes and over 2000 feet up in elevation away). That was so we could drop Ryan off but keep his truck. That also meant I had to drive back to Sedona on a windy mountain road and through a canyon in the dark in Ryan's giant truck that I don't recall every driving before. So that was scary, but we lived.

The next day we used his truck to drive to the Grand Canyon. That was pretty exciting. And first things first, we had a pistachio sighting!





We also hiked down about a mile and a half.


While hiking we saw two California Condors, and a big horned sheep. Plus lots of greedy and bold squirrels.

After the Grand Canyon we drove to Flagstaff for dinner. Then it was back to Sedona. Ryan was working, which was lucky for us because when a group of javelinas ran through the grounds of the resort, he called us so we could run out and see them. Those things are big!



Other than wild javelinas running around, the resort was really nice. Friday morning we had breakfast sitting down by the creek.


After breakfast we explored Sedona a little. But then we got roped into going to a timeshare sales talk, which was not so exciting. (And don't worry, we didn't buy.) On the way back from the timeshare talk we stopped to take some pictures of Sedona's red rocks.




As our reward for enduring the timeshare ordeal, we got a free jeep ride!


We did that Saturday morning. It was lots of fun and our guide was great. The views were amazing.






After the jeep tour we had lunch with Ryan. Then we used his truck to drive back up past Flagstaff to...Bearizona! At Bearizona you drive around like a safari looking at western animals.




After driving you get out and there is a small zoo with the baby animals. Look at these adorable bear cubs.


They also have a petting zoo.




Saturday night we had dinner back at the resort in Sedona and played a little Scrabble. We also said goodbye to Ryan when he got off work that night. Sunday morning we caught a 7:15 shuttle to the airport in Pheonix, and spent the rest of the day traveling back home.

This trip out West was really really great. We saw lots of stuff, and I got to spend time with my family. An excellent vacation, I would say.

say cheese

I forgot to tell you all that our time in Durango also involved taking this gem:

then we went to Durango

Now for more trip updates. Let's see, Monday morning Josh and I had breakfast at the Chocolate Maven, then went downtown. He bought himself a knife made out of dinosaur fossil, which is pretty awesome, and we looked at art on Canyon Road. We also ate green chili burgers for lunch.

Monday afternoon we all drove to Durango, Colorado. That included my parents, Ryan, Josh, and me. It took about 4.5 hours, so we got there in time to check into our hotel and then head downtown for dinner. After dinner we walked around a little bit and got dessert at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Then Josh and I hit the swimming pool back at the hotel for a few minutes before it closed.

Tuesday everyone but Mom rode the narrow gauge train to Silverton. It took 3.5 hours to travel about 45 miles, but it was a lot of fun. Here we are waiting to leave from the station.


And here is the cute station.


There were lots of great views from the train, including steep drops into a canyon with a roaring river.


The train takes you up to Silverton, an old mining town that is now just a tourist stop for people riding the train.


Mom drove up to meet us there, and we all had lunch. Then I bought some shoes.


Instead of taking another 3.5 hours to get back to Durango, we just rode back with Mom. It took about an hour. We stopped on the way at Honeyville and bought some honey. Ryan even got a bag with 100 flavored honey sticks. When we got to Durango we had a little bit of time to kill, so we walked around downtown again and made sure to drink caffeine. Because next up was the chuckwagon!


Josh and I wore our boots for the occasion.


At the chuckwagon you eat outside off of tin plates and listen to a western stage show. My favorite song was "Old Matt Palmer had a misfit farm."


The next day we headed to Durango Mountain Resort to ride the alpine slide. Here we are at the top.


And here Dad is at the bottom.


After that we went back to downtown Durango for lunch, and then Ryan, Josh, and I hit the road for Arizona while Mom and Dad stayed another night in Durango before going back home. It was a 6 hour drive from Durango to Flagstaff, and we made sure to stop at the Four Corners Monument.


Josh wanted to run around the four states, so we did that, too.


As we continued on the drive we saw this ominous western rock formation. Pretty cool.


Stay tuned for the Arizona portion of the trip!

we got to Santa Fe

Saturday was our travel day. First there was the drive to Richmond, then the flight to Dallas, and then the flight to Denver. We had a long layover in Denver, so my Colorado friends Katie and Andrew came to the airport to hang out and eat a meal, which was very nice of them. We also stepped outside of the airport to look at mountains and take this photo.


After Denver was the flight to Albuquerque, where my dad picked us up at the airport and took us to dinner near UNM. Finally there was the drive up to Santa Fe, where we arrived about midnight and went straight to bed.

This morning Josh and I got up and went for a run. Only running at 7,000 feet when you're not used to it is pretty hard. We did at least three miles though, and Josh even threw in some other exercises because he is more hard core. After getting cleaned up we (including Ryan, who drove in from Flagstaff the night before and got in at 3am) met up with dad at church. After church we had a Mexican lunch with my grandparents, which left me stuffed for the rest of the day. This afternoon we walked around downtown for a while and visited shops and the Basilica. We also stopped for this photo at Burro Alley.



The evening was spent at my grandparents house, eating dessert and visiting with family on the back patio.

This is a super short trip to Santa Fe for me (I guess my shortest ever), because tomorrow we all head to Durango!

headed west

Josh and I are headed west tomorrow for a nine day vacation. I'm pretty excited. We'll spend time in Santa Fe, Durango, and Sedona. Lots of sights will be seen, and we'll get to hang out with my family. Stay tuned for updates and pictures!

drive-in

Last night Josh and I joined a few of my co-workers for a night at the Goochland Drive-In. It's about thirty miles away, but worth it considering you get to see two movies for only seven bucks. We got there in time to grab dinner from their snack bar. Between the two of us we had two cheeseburgers, a Goochland dog, a regular dog, fries, popcorn, and two large drinks with refills. Yikes.

The first movie was Captain America. I thought it was fun. And I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality since it was through the radio. Our group sat outside in chairs we all brought, so we used portable radios. The second movie, which I was hoping we wouldn't bother staying for since it didn't start until about 11:30pm, was Transformers 3. I had never seen any of the Transformers movies, and to be honest, I still wish we'd left early.

Overall we had a really fun time though. It was nice to sit outside where you can also see stars and bats flying around. A perfect summertime excursion.

day 2 of Philly conference

So that wasn't my UPS advisor getting in the elevator. I was just overzealous I guess. But professors from two schools combined with current work colleagues means this is still a clash of worlds for me, which is kind of fun.

Today I went to two morning sessions, then a graduate student lunch session, and then an afternoon session. I skipped the last session and instead walked a few blocks to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. I only had 40 minutes before they closed, but I went ahead and paid my admission and walked around anyway. It was worth it. They have several paintings by various members of the Peale family, and recently I've decided I really like Charles Willson Peale. Not just for his art though. He was an awesome guy I think. My favorite piece at the museum was his Self-Portrait with Spectacles. I used to think portraits made for really boring art, but as a history lover (especially of early America) I've come to really appreciate portraits because they let us see the people we read about. And some of them, including Peale and his contemporaries, made some really good portraits.

Philly

So I'm in Philadelphia for a history conference. It doesn't start (for me) until tomorrow, but I actually got up here yesterday so I could spend today doing some research for work. So let me give you a rundown of my day.

This morning I wandered around the streets of Philadelphia looking for breakfast, and I finally found a nice little cafe where I got oatmeal, fruit, and coffee. It was a great start to the day. Next I went to the Library Company of Philadelphia and looked at some old stuff.

From there I walked over to the American Philosophical Society and looked at some more old stuff. I also took a lunch break and wandered the streets of Philly a little more until I found this place where Josh and I ate lunch a few years ago. I had a sandwich. After finishing up at the APS I decided I would forgo museums or historical sites and instead I trekked many blocks to drink some beer. On the way I passed this gem:



Seriously, how awesome is that?! The beer I was walking so far to imbibe was at the Yards Brewing Company. When I finally arrived at their tasting room I sat right down at the bar and ordered a flight of their "Ales of the Revolution." They have a George Washington porter, a Thomas Jefferson ale, and a Benjamin Franklin spruce ale (that tastes like a tree). I also ate a cupcake, to reward myself for all the walking and successful navigation. And just as I finished tasting all my beers they announced that they were doing an impromptu tour of the brewery, so I went on that.



By this point I decided I should head back downtown and toward my hotel. I walked along the Delaware River and had a pistachio sighting! It took three tries crouching on the sidewalk to get this shot with my phone.



After more walking I happened upon Christ Church, so I looked at that and walked around its gardens, and then a couple blocks later I came to the rest of the church's burial ground and saw where Franklin lays. This day was pretty full of that guy. From there I kept walking and finally arrived back at my hotel. I dropped off a few things, and then headed out again, because apparently my feet weren't tired enough yet. After more walking in search of a light dinner, I finally came upon a Whole Foods, where I secured dinner and tomorrow's breakfast for under $9. Score.

So back to the conference. It starts tomorrow. And my history worlds are colliding. I had dinner last night with my NCSU advisor. I will see my GMU advisor tomorrow. And I think I saw my UPS advisor just step into the elevator. I'm excited.