on the go

I took a little roadtrip this weekend...left VA after work on Thursday and stayed at my sister Sarah's house in Durham. My original plan was to drive straight thru to GA but I was too tired. I stopped at Sarah's and it ended up being the right decision. Sarah has a very cute apt. and I was happy to get in a good visit with both she and Tom. Tom and I both like watching 'Dangerous Catch' on the Discovery Channel; the show follows the adventures of several different fishing boats in the Baltic Sea. The fisherman are rough and tumble kind of guys and it's amazing how much cash they can earn in a short season hauling in king crabs.
I was very thankful to have a great in-between place to crash last night. I continued the journey this morning and listened to my i-pod through the radio adaptor the whole way. I love my 'on the go' playlist feature that allows you to compose an instant playlist from the playlists already loaded on your i-pod. It was a fun trip and I'm so happy its actully spring here in the south. It's been nasty in VA - rainy, snowy, cold, gray days.....
My brother R. (James) is also home this weekend - he is a blast to hang out with and always up for adventures. There's a golf tournament going on in my neighborhood - a Nationwide Tour event - so we'll probably hang out on the deck and drink beer and watch golf.

A Message of Hope for the Hokie Nation

Living in Virginia has offered an up close and personal view of the VA Tech tragedy. There are Hokie flags and other signs of solidarity everywhere. One of my co-workers has a daughter who was directly involved. To me this event is akin to Sept. 11. There is no explanation for the apparent hatred of other people. My thoughts and prayers are with all of my Hokie friends.

Happy Easter...

And thank God for mothers and sisters. This morning I hosted a brunch for a few friends since I couldn't go home for Easter this year. Thankfully my mom and sister armed me with advice and recipes so I wouldn't have to go it alone.
The menu:
cucumbers with cottage cheese and sprouts
smoked salmon with dill and whipped cream cheese on pumpernickel

Aunt Kate's breakfast caserole
blueberry muffins
canteloupe

rice pudding

I would say it went very well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I missed being home, but this was a good second place.

Chipotle is Excellent

Tonight, after an hour run on the trails, I headed to Chipotle for a burrito bol. It's basically a burrito without the shell and includes steak, rice, black beans, peppers and onions, fresh salsa, and a little cheese. I've been on a chipotle kick lately. I could eat it everyday!

I've been running a lot on the W&OD trail - it stretches for 45 miles through Virginia crossing over all the major highways and snaking through nice woods. It's perfect because it's right of the main road by my house so I can access it in minutes. I've been running for almost an hour everyday - I have to suffer through the first 25 minutes - for some reason I can't hit my stride until then, but when I do I feel like I can run forever!

Echoing Sarah, I can't believe it's only Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!