Democracy Is My Homeboy

This morning my American boy roused himself out of a deep slumber at 5:30 to hit the polls. For a few minutes I lay in bed considering my Canadianism (yes, I did vote in the recent federal election), and at the last minute decided to join him in line at the polling station.

Outside the polling center, the line wrapped around the corner and well down the next block. It looked insane, but moved quickly, and once we were inside the elementary school gymnasium, we only waited a few minutes. We saw a few voters still wearing pajama pants and even a bathrobe at that early hour.

It was awe-inspiring to see that many people out to cast a ballot. Democracy is good times.

Vote.

Because you can.

Chicken Squash Action

As is oft the case, last night I was ambitious. We wanted to go to First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum (British rock! Fun!) and in honour of the NYC Marathon this morning, I had supportive signs to make (Go Tiernan! Go Dawn! Go Jim! Go Robert! Go Paula!*) and plans to make a batch of Sticky Cinnamon Rolls to share with my fellow cheerleaders.

Two out of three ain't bad: We danced to Blur and Elastica and I managed to eke out a couple of Bristol board signs, but the cinnamon rolls remained at their first rise overnight. I completed them later this afternoon with great success. Really I should be blogging about those, but I also made a delicious meal tonight that involves all things Thanksgiving, things which happened to be in our fridge even though there are 3 weeks until the culinary event of the year. And despite previously detailing how to create a Bunny Cake, I've never posted my very own recipe. And so, without further ado, I give you:

Chicken Squash Action (named by Ken)
Makes 4 servings

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c celery, diced
1 T fresh sage, minced
1/2 c red wine (I used Vampire Pinot Noir)

3 c butternut squash, in 1/2 inch dice
1 c chicken broth

1 c cooked wild rice
6 oz cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced

In a large pan with a lid, sautée the onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and half the sage over medium heat until onion is caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining sage.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine (this part smells delicious). Add the squash and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until squash is fork-tender (this will depend on the accuracy of your dice), about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and the chicken breast and simmer a few minutes more, until chicken is heated through. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serve with wine and, optionally, a purring cat nearby. A few toasted sliced pecans would also be a delicious addition, or a few dried cranberries (in fact, I think I'll go add a few of those to the leftovers right now). Bon appetit!

*We met Paula on the subway on Friday night. I didn't see her running today but I'm sure she did very well!

NaBloPo... Something

Two Novembers ago I participated in National Blog Posting Month, and since I'm not doing anything silly like running a marathon this November, I'm going to give it another go. Aren't you excited? Unfortunately, I remembered to write this post at 12:15am on the 2nd. Fortunately, tonight is the night the clocks go back! So I'm rolling my clock back and timestamping this for the 1st. And I can assure you that at least one of the next 29 posts will be more interesting than this one. Two, if you're lucky.

Happy Halloween!

A local non-chain drugstore, the Prospect Gardens Pharmacy, came through with an ample supply of Peeps Ghosts. It's a Halloween miracle! Fueled by a glass of - what else? - Ghost Pines Merlot, I spent the night baking and decorating and giggling at my creation. And while I did that, The Boy carved up a smoochy jack o'lantern. Happy Halloween!

UFF APB: Peeps Ghosts

My most favourite holiday of the YEAR is tomorrow (colours: black and orange! carving big ORANGE gourds! scary movies! ghosts! costumes! CANDY CORN!) which means that tonight I will partake in one of my all-time favourite activities. And after that I'll make the brownie graveyard. Making this thing makes me insanely happy, in no small part because the Peeps Ghosts are so perfectly to scale with the Milano cookie headstones. Also they're crazily cute AND delicious!

One glitch: I can't find them this year. I've been to several Duane Reades, Target, a Food Emporium, a Walgreens and a CVS, all to no avail. My last hope is the Key Food in my 'hood, but if you've seen them anywhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn, please let me know. You could save Halloween - I'm just sayin'.

Breeding Ambivalence

More in the Perspective Series

Running Dork

For the record, those are not longhorns. That's rock 'n' roll, baby.

It's Funny Because It's True

Run Forrest Run

On Sunday I ran the Nike Women's Half-Marathon in San Francisco for the 2nd year in a row (well, the third, if you count that I did it in 2006 as the first half of the FULL marathon!). Last year, I PR'd on this course, which is insanely hard. Obviously I hadn't been pushing hard enough during easier (read: flatter) races. Anyhoo, I went out yesterday just 3 weeks after Berlin and not having run more than a few miles since then. I started out all gung-ho (with the 9:44 pace group, natch) and at about mile 3 my legs firmly indicated that they were having none of it. About halfway through, up yet another ginormous hill, I decided to relax and enjoy the race, which meant taking the uphills easy, pushing a bit on the downhills, and smiling a lot. And also not trying to beat last year's 2:12 finish, which I think was an excellent decision, especially given how sore my calves were this morning anyway.

I finished in 2:19 and I had fun doing it. After the race, we spent about 2 hours cheering the full-marathoners until we were hoarse. We met new friends (hi Lin!) for lunch in Mountain View, then went home and drank wine and ordered pizza (because we were really and truly too tired to move - there was almost a fight over who would answer the doorbell when the delivery arrived) and caught up on True Blood. It was kind of perfect.

After the race, with my favourite cheerleader:The deets for you running nerds:
Time: 2:19:37.430
Pace (Min/Mi): 10:39
Overall Rank: 2935
Female Rank: 2704
F30-34 Rank: 472
Splits:
5k 0:32:47.420 10:33
10k 1:05:06.320 10:28
15k 1:41:34.370 10:53

I Like TV

I started a big long post about my new (Brooks) running shoes that made my heels bleed the first time I wore them (so sad) and my even newer (Mizuno) running shoes but then I drank 2 beers and instead decided to share with you my top 10 favourite things about "Gossip Girl":

1. Chuck


2. Chuck


3. Blair's hair


4. Little J's hair (seriously, thank god it doesn't look like this on the show)


5. Chuck


6. Rufus having the balls to tell Lily to go blow (SUCKA)*


7. That Vanessa and Nate weren't in last week's episode


8. Getting rid of Prince Whatever and the incesty Duchess Whatever - GOOD JOB WRITERS


9. While the girls are certainly thin, none of them is in dire need of a Happy Meal like the chicks on (the new and colossally inferior) 90210


10. Chuck

*Liking any story line about the parents officially makes me old. And as I'm also curious about Chuck's dad's dirt on Lily, I'm probably old AND uncool. With bloody heels.

Official Teeny Tiny Pics from Berlin

Then We'll Take Berlin

Guten tag from Deutschland! Thanks to delicious German brew and copious amounts of Nutella I'm well on my way to recovering from running 42,2 km yesterday through the streets of Berlin. The weekend was really amazing. We landed Friday morning and met up with my friend Meredith (also running) and her fiance Philip (from Copenhagen) on Friday afternoon at the race expo. At the expo we ran into my friend Erik, who I knew from NY and who now also lives in Copenhagen and was here to run the marathon. Sometimes the world is very small. Both Ken & I were melting at the expo after our overnight flight, so we only stayed long enough to get my number and then came back to the hotel for a nap.

Saturday we met up with 2 more of Meredith & Philip's friends from Copenhagen, Lotta and her boyfriend, Kim (it's a man's name in Danish!). Lotta was also running, and all three boys were here for moral support, cheerleading, and post-race massages (at which they excelled). At lunch we had a discussion about race goals, and both Kim (a spinning instructor) and Philip (an Ironman triathlete) were adamant that we should have specific goal times. I secretly decided then that I'd try to finish in 4:30, bettering my NYC time by 17 minutes. The course here is very flat, and the forecast was perfect (a high of 68F, and sunny), so I thought I'd go for it.

The first half of my race was perfect. I crossed the 21.1 km mark at 2:10, well on track to finish in 4:30. But I wavered in the 2nd half, and as much as I pushed my legs (and push I did!) I slowed down enough that I finished in 4:37. Which really means that my first half wasn't perfect - I could definitely have paced better to have more energy at the end. I also realized that my 2 18+ mile runs weren't enough, and next year (!) I'll do at least 3.

In the end, though, I felt a lot like the Rancho Carne Toros at the end of "Bring It On": I didn't exactly get the result I wanted, but I'm incredibly happy and proud of what I accomplished. And, yes, I'm planning to do another one next year. But for now I'm taking the week off. Prosit!

I. Am. Freaking. Out.

Usually I count down to important events using the number of sleeps to go until the event, for example, "8 more sleeps until Puerto Rico!" or "4 more sleeps until payday!" (One notable exception is my birthday, to which I count down in shopping days.)

However, in my attempts to count down to the Berlin Marathon I've found myself confounded by the overnight flight. That can't count as a sleep, can it? Maybe as half a sleep? Let's make the safe assumption that for once I'll remember to bring one of the myriad inflatable neck pillows that line the floor of our closet, and that I'll take a Benadryl as soon as I'm buckled into my seat. I think in that case counting the redeye as a sleep is fair, in which case:

ONLY 4 MORE SLEEPS UNTIL THE BERLIN MARATHON!

Whew. I don't suppose hyperventilating right now will help, either in the short- or long-term.

Berlin will be my third marathon, which is really hard to believe. It's also the first time I see the value in a training journal, which I haven't kept regularly the last couple of years, and certainly didn't this year. It would be nice to have answers to such burning questions as:

• Was I freaking out this much last year before the marathon? (Answer: Probably.)
  
• Was I eating as much crap as I have been this week? (Answer: Definitely.)

So I guess I'm on track after all!

The race will be broadcast live on the interwebs. I think you can also sign up to get text messages of my progress. I can't find the exact link right now but it's somewhere on the marathon website, and maybe someone who isn't freaking out right now will find it and post it in the comments. Oh and there are profiles of the top female runners - they must've overlooked me but I'll email them about that right now. It might even be fixed by the time you read this - I hear the Germans are an efficient bunch.

Pay It Forward!

A few weeks ago, my friend, fellow blogger, and talented photographer Elizabeth posted a Pay it Forward chain on her blog. She pledged to send a treat to the first three commenters on the post, in exchange for their promises to do the same on their blogs.

It was my lucky day - I was the third commenter! And on Labour Day, Miss Elizabeth arrived at my apartment for an afternoon brunch bearing this lovely tin:


Isn't it pretty? Let's have another look:


In the busy-ness of hosting brunch I didn't open the tin until much later that day, and nestled inside I found rows of neatly-wrapped homemade caramels. Little did Elizabeth know that caramels are my absolute favourites, and these beautiful sweet treats barely lasted two weeks sitting on my coffee table.


I'm so grateful to Elizabeth for these treats (and I'm hoping she'll be kind enough to pass on the recipe, as I'd love to include them with my Christmas cookies this year!). Now it's time for me to pay it forward. The official rules of the exchange are:

I agree to send something fun, cute, and nice to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and so on. Unfortunately, due to postage costs, I can only pay it forward within the United States. If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 blog owners to leave a comment!

You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, and then send something to the first three people who comment on your blog so that this continues. When the first three have commented I will email you a request for your shipping address and I will send out something that I hope will make you smile!

The only thing I like more than receiving something fun, cute, and nice is giving something fun, cute, and nice - so comment away!

Bark the Vote

1. Go here.
2. Vote for Puppy!
3. Read Puppy's owner's blog, which is really funny.

PS: If you put lipstick on Puppy, he's still Puppy.

Oops

I met fellow TNTer Amanda earlier this season in Brooklyn. She moved to Boston about a month ago, and since I'm here (that is, in Boston) until tomorrow morning, we decided to go for a run together this evening. We met at (in? I don't know the lingo, help me out) Boston Commons and crossed the Longfellow Bridge into Cambridge, then ran west along the Charles. Amanda had mapped out a six-mile run, which seemed quite reasonable for a school night, but after we'd been running for... a while, and it was dark, we both wondered if the map had been wrong or if we were just running really slowly.

It was definitely the former.

We ran to Harvard and crossed back into Boston over the Larz Anderson Bridge. I think this was our fatal flaw - the original map had us crossing over the Boston University Bridge. I think. At any rate, I ran over 12 miles tonight, 12 miles for which I prepared by sitting in a conference all day, wearing heels, and eating ice cream. Twice. (Really. My boyfriends showed up at lunch for a quickie, then at the break this afternoon there were make-your-own sundaes, to which I have never said no. And during this important political season, we all know how important it is to have a consistent voting record, right?)

Holy smokes, I'm tired. Anyway, I'm not sure what effect this is going to have on the 20 mile run I have slated for this weekend, but I suspect at the very least I'll have to move it from Saturday to Sunday. Or not. I'm hardcore that way.

90210 Tasting Menu

Last Thursday I sprawled out on a blanket under the Brooklyn Bridge to watch "The Shining" and, inspired by a post on Chowhound, brought spinach frittata cut into the shape of a hedge maze, accompanied by rum punch (redrum, anyone?). Last night's season premiere of Gossip Girl was accompanied by dirty martinis (and Virgin Marys for my pregnant friend, who was kind enough to sit through my exclamations of "Oh no she di'int!" even though she hadn't seen the show before. She claims she's hooked).

Tonight, my friends, is the big event: The series premiere of the NEW 90210. Sadly, so sadly, I am in Boston for a conference and will miss Kajal's viewing party, which will almost certainly involve oversized t-shirts and spandex biker shorts, with a few slouchy socks and scrunchies thrown in for authenticity.

My absenteeism did not, however, stop me from brainstorming a tasting menu - perhaps for the season finale next Spring?

We'll start with Brian Austin Green Beans served alongside a Joe E. Frittata. Homemade pizza Doherty is always delicious (be sure to punch it down well after it rises), especially when it's extra cheesy. To wash it all down? We're talking about Beverly Hills here, and certainly only champagne will do. Finally, we'll have fresh, seasonal stone fruit for dessert (be careful not to bite a Peach Pit), accompanied by a glass of Donna Rémy Martin cognac, of course.

Bon appetit!

P.S. The obvious culinary choice for tomorrow night's 2 hour season premiere of America's Next Top Model is to chow down on Doritos and Little Debbie Snack Cakes, then throw up during the commercials.

Who Decides?

> More in the Perspective Series

Morning Commute

Context
Originally uploaded by Kitty LaRoux.

This morning I boarded the Q-train as usual at 7th Ave. in Brooklyn. I glanced down and noticed grass wrapped around each of the poles that run up the middle of the car - just little patches of wheat grass. It was lovely and unexpected and passengers smiled when they saw the grass. I noticed other people photographing and sketching it, and heard one woman comment that she wish she had coloured pencils with her.

When the train stopped at 14th St., there was an announcement of a brief delay so that one of the cars could be cleared because of vandalism. We gathered ourselves and shuffled off the train amidst quiet comments of "bummer" and "that sucks," and most of us continued our commutes on the R-train that had pulled in across the platform.