a life beyond running shoes.

ninja with his sister after his class party okay, is she a teenager?? we only made it about 5 minutes before the wig was tossed.  zombie soccer player, ninja, and rapunzel. our cul-de-sac!! trick or treating with friends was SO fun!!! best year ever. (maybe because we didn't have a stroller and didn't have to carry anyone!!)

visiting the academy of science in golden gate park griffith observatory with mimi and mr. denny (the hollywood sign is in the background) santa barbara with g'pa adams sweetpea's cousin's first bday our time in tennessee with family we had lots of other adventures including golfing, more cousins in palm springs, a road trip via I-40 to tennessee, signal mountain with friends, monterey aquarium with more friends, and more exploring "the city" . and hello september.

but i finished the LA marathon last sunday morning while my family sat in church. i can honestly say i am was not sure that i would have but sweet friend, T, pulled me through every step of that blasted marathon!!! we were shooting for a 4:30 (4 hours and 30 minutes) finish time. mom and dennis took us to the start (traffic to dodger stadium will be another post). we got to the starting line 3 minutes before the gun went off.  we were behind the corrals where the handy dandy pace groups were situated.  somewhere in there we passed the 4:45 group.  then somewhere in there we managed to pass the 4:30 group.  i was pretty darn pleased with us.  we were feeling good.  mom and dennis saw us at miles 6....  then saw us at mile 12...... then saw us at mile 17...... where i know i was not feeling good and was starting to worry that with over an hour and a half left to the race, i would not be able to finish.   then the 4:30 pace grou...

(by the way those are two ninjas and one rapunzel) the day was full, full, full. each boy had a party in his classroom - which sweet pea and i attended both.  then had a parade at school. than trick-or-treating.... that ended in rain.  phew.  and now the battle over candy.  yipee!!!

we went into the mission district for a sabbath outing.  we played on a playground, kicked the soccer ball, saw a tightrope walker, ate vietnamese food, had great company, and saw a naked man (peanut asked if it was because he was poor....nope, just san francisco)..... all in a day's adventure out of marin. 

please, please one more game of wall ball.....  this is by far the saddest part of school ending.... no more recess. graduates (5th graders and kinders) participate in a "fashion show" and since peanut is in a K/1 combo class he got to participate....... can you tell how much he loved it. and fun visit from a brooklyn friend..... so, glad you let us come meet you!!! (see people we do drive to you if you let us know you are coming!) and fun exploration of more west coast beaches..... the wind & waves were cold! but i got to try a lobster roll.... rated one of the top 5 sandwiches in the US.  bummer i did not get a photo of that.

okay friends.... i have a had a great group to run with.  i have always had awesome running partners...... but never a full group.  when we are all there (which is seldom), there are eight including me. i will miss this group.  and yes, i might find others to run with in california but none like this.   so i came up with some adjectives (and specific definition that suited) for each since it is such a funny, strange, awesome, random combination of individuals...... i have enjoyed every lap, mile, and conversation. thank you for letting me join your group. you were a balm to my wounded soul...... MS - GRACE (a temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve). it was (is) so nice to rest in your gentle spirit. in you i found a reprieve. CS - HONEST (not false or misleading; genuine). you are refreshing, straightforward, and a faithful companion. in you there is no guile. SS - UNDAUNTED (resolutely courageous). you gospel orient the group with your bo...

or at least it can feel that way. living in a borough of one of the greatest cities in the world.... and most of my life is playgrounds, diapers, homework, and dinner.... with a bit of running thrown in..... i can get down on my lack of cultural experiences. between the financials of getting out much less getting a babysitter. ...... fu'gettaboutit. or at least it can seem that way. in the midst of surviving life with three small kids, major surgery, the anniversary of loss.... we have had an uncanny season of cultural opportunities: a concert. (that is glenn phillips from toad the wet sprocket.... the band i saw) a top modern dance company's performance. (albeit three weeks post-op) the opera. (see previous post ) the ballet. (mind you lincoln center twice in a month.... i have not been once in the six and a half years we have been here). plus, a small off-off-off (not even near) broadway play. it is because we have experienced the overly generous kindness of f...

dear sole sister, thank you for joining me on my journey in becoming a runner. the journey of discovering how to do something for myself..... something that challenges me..... frees me..... you were my pavement pounding partner during my discovery that i am a runner; that it really is something i do. thank you for being a wonderful friend.... counselor.... listener..... encourager..... pacer..... leader.... supporter..... training partner...... confidante..... friend. we met and i was not yet a fully actualized mom..... prego and therefore a mom, but not fully actualized...... in six and a half years, you have traversed some of my most major milestones ....... 3 babies, 4 apartments, parents getting married, parent dying, grief, silly anecdotes, identity crisis, depression, contentment, relief, humor...... and then there are the running milestones....... 3 half marathons, 1 full marathon, 15k, 5 milers, a personal best mile time.......and many, many, many, many loops around the par...

i yell that whenever we drive past a police car. it drives my 5 year old crazy. but this actually refers to my book club's 50th book. ghostwritten . by david mitchell we finished and discussed this past friday. i was 20 pages from the end but thoroughly enjoyed the discussion....even though the book did not lend itself to too much discussion. that being said, it was a divisive books. some really didn't like it and called this first novel attempt annoying while trying too hard; some thought it rather innovating and interesting. i was somewhere in the middle. it was like nine short stories that somehow intersect and while not completely coming together at the end all circle around interesting thoughts on chance, fate, and the idea of destiny versus random atoms bumping against each other. it was fun to find all the intersection between the stories. but there was some strange stuff as well..... but i agreed with my group that the middle of the book was by far the strongest....

spiderman on broadway. it was fabulous.... and it doesn't hurt that i have a little bit of a crush on the lead. peter parker played by reeve carney. friend, steve, came from LA to do the east coast thing. he hit some football games, some hockey games, but i got to tag along for this. it was awesome!!! we hung out after and said hi. steve knows reeve.....a little. reeve is a little dreamy. okay, the show is excellent. the music by bono & the edge.....rocks. sitting next to some guys, i realized my first major concert was U2..... fall 1992 dodger stadium....zoo tv tour. choreography was stellar. there were a few weird things about the spider (arachne) mythology.... okay, really weird... on the verge of creepy....but i still loved it!

got a night out. my dear friend, jb, flew up here SO that she could drive with me and my three kids to florida. that is right.....she is spending two days in the car with us. as a small thank you, we went and saw a broadway show. got half price tix. we were open for anything. american idiot . music by green day. on broadway? yup. think rent vibe with punk costumes and sonia tayeh choreography (from so you think you can dance ). it was great but i had that thought during the opening number, "what have i brought jb to? is she going to hate this?" there were moments when she did but overall really enjoyed it. can i admit that i loved it? can i admit that i had flashbacks to a previous era? can i admit that it made me think of my crush on that straight-edge skater kid who lived down the hall and played kerplunk on vinyl for me my first semester of college. or that tape he made me that i played in my car (very loudly) on the way up the mountain to go snowboarding? so str...

for whatever reason.... we had a day off of school today. we also had kindergarten orientation. found out about keyboard once a week, the cafeteria, saw classrooms, and got free bagels & coffee. then we went to the beach. yes, we have them in new york city. riis beach. with a very good friend who is getting older and will be gone for the summer. thanks, robbie! no.....sweet pea did not like being buried.....in case you were wondering. we didn't touch the water, but enjoyed our sandwiches & the playground. it is amazing how you can still bring home the smell of the beach. just figured out how to survive part of the heat this summer.... it was wonderful.

can i post about a book i am almost done with? i love my book club. going on five years. i think we found our core group. six women. different as can be. we all come because we need it. in some way, it gives us something. we have had a wide variety of characters come through our book club doors. some have stayed; some have moved on. some needed us only for a time; some might come back. this discussion's book: sophie's choice . discussion helped me see its merits past the sex, foul language, and laborious narration. it is the type of book that warrants discussion. it almost necessitates it; it is too hard and too complicated to just sit in the private thoughts of its reader. it has to be grappled with, wrestled with, hated and loved. had it not been for this group, i would not have finished. because i finished, i would put it on the list of books i would like to teach one day and am probably not qualified to teach because it is so complex, difficult, sensitive, and raw. my...