ex(PR)essed

Jeff ran the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday. So did my cousin Chris, Jamie’s husband Brad and brother-in-law Kevin, our neighbor Sheila’s son Bill, and about 7,994 other people. We met up with my parents, my aunt and cousin, and Jamie, Brad, Silas and Jamie’s parents for a weekend of marathon fun in the Steel City.

I spent the week feeling a bit unsure about our travels — I was fully immersed in swine flu preparations here at the College and knew exactly enough to be completely paranoid about spending two nights in a hotel, eating out, and rubbing elbows with 15,000 people at the marathon. I also wasn’t feeling well, thanks, I think, to a snuffly bout with allergies. So, I left for Pittsburgh a bit hesitantly on Saturday. However, once we arrived, it was impossible not to love being with all my favorite people in one of my favorite cities!

Marathon day was grand! It was overcast and cool — perfect for the runners and not too shabby for us spectators. I met up with my parents and aunt at their hotel so we could watch the start together before jetting down the street a few blocks to catch our runners again at mile three. It was quite a sight — runners and spectators as far as you could see! Much different than any of the other races I’ve seen Jeff do.

All the guys that I was there to cheer on were running different distances and different paces, so it was going to be a challenge to keep up with everyone. Of course, I was most devoted to my guy and wanted to see him as much possible. Therefore, I not only rushed to the 16th Bridge, but then back into downtown Pittsburgh, onto the subway, over to Station Square, and down to the street, just in time to see him pass by there. Then, it was back into downtown on the subway, walk to the hotel, and scout out a spot at the finish line.

Because the course was headed into eastern Pittsburgh, an area I couldn’t get on foot, I was going to go 16 miles without being able to see Jeff. So, we signed up for text messages so I would at least get a sense of how he was progressing, whether he was keeping on pace, and when he might finish. I was estatic each time I got a message because I knew he was keeping a perfect pace for a PR, a personal record. Sure enough, at 4:07:55, he crossed the finish line, minutes ahead of his Harrisburg Marathon time and a significantly better showing of his fitness and training than the awfully hot Erie Marathon.

I’m not always a good sport about Jeff’s training; I get frustrated by the hours he spends running and the money he spends on shoes. I don’t understand his dedication, but I admire it. And, on Sunday, when we parted ways so he could find his pace marker and I could get to the start line, I felt choked up like I have at every other one of his races. It’s just such a significant accomplishment to run a marathon, and, in those moments, I couldn’t be any prouder of him. He competes with such a great attitude.

It was also especially fun to spend this marathon with my parents! They yelled as loud as I did, and I know their hearts swelled with pride when he ran across the finish line. I’m so appreciative of how involved they are in our lives…how much joy they take in our accomplishments (big and small). Their love and appreciation for Jeff is such a wonderful sense of support and security in our marriage.

After the marathon, our gang headed to the Strip District for a celebratory meal.

Jeff and I wrapped up our Pittsburgh stay with a blissful 11 hours of sleep on Sunday, delicious breakfast on Monday morning, and rainy trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo. Before you feel bad that it rained on our zoo trip, let me tell you that I’m now convinced that rainy days are the best days to be at the zoo. No crowds and many of the animals seemed especially active and playful. We had a lot of fun…even if we were soaked and chilled to the bone!

And, though it was a fun weekend, I must close on a sad note. I posted more than a week ago about a sick fish that I was keeping an eye on at Bethany Village. When I checked on the fish last Tuesday, I found the little guy washed ashore. I was sorry to see that he didn’t make it. I hope the small acts of kindness that mom and I showed him brought at least a little sunshine to his last days.

This past week, Jeff’s parents treated us to a weekend away in colonial Williamsburg. We met them on Friday night (after surviving terrible I-95 traffic and pouring rain), and we spent all of Saturday and Sunday morning exploring the colonial shops, homes, museums, and churches of Williamsburg. The weather was dreary, but there were plenty of lovely sites to see.

A primitive kitchen, as it might have looked on a planatation.

Everyone was in their best colonial garb!

The palace gates…where the governor lived.

A church where the members of the House of Burgesses once attended service. I sat in Thomas Jefferson’s row!

Signs of Spring, even on a dreary day.

A random red window…what can I say? I’m a girl who loves red!

I’m also a girl who loves squirrels…people were feeding these little guys, and I was thrilled to take a dozen pictures while the critters enjoyed bits of ginger cake or oatmeal cookie!

And, who doesn’t love shorn sheep in the spring?

On Sunday, on our way home, we stopped in Richmond and spent a few hours catching up with our good friends Sarah and Shawn. It was such a relaxing, comfortable time…only to be followed by yet another crazy experience on I-95. This time we did it to ourselves though — to avoid some of the traffic around D.C., we opted for the HOV lane (where we saw cars moving much faster than us on Friday). However, the HOV lanes lasted much longer than we anticipated, and we missed our exit for the bypass around the city. Next thing we knew, the Washington Monument was looming on our left! We were in downtown D.C., following signs for Baltimore, and hoping for something familiar! Thankfully, we get our bearings and got headed in the right direction…it just made for a longer trip. Lesson learned though — avoid the HOV lane unless you know exactly what your exit options from it will be!

It’s a sad day for the squirrel community here in Grantham. This morning, around 8 a.m., a squirrel, probably over-anxious to stockpile his nest with delicious acorns, “investigated” a transformer and lost his life. How do I know this, you ask? Well, at 8 a.m., I was trudging up the stairs to my third floor office in Old Main. The lights went off. They flickered back on; they went off again. Then it was just dark, save for the emergency lights.

Turns out, the squirrel’s misfortune brought misfortune to the entire campus in the form of a campus-wide power outage. A little after 9 a.m., just when we were all anticipating an early dismissal, the electricity came back on and has stayed on ever since.

As my cute friend Kim said, “I had really hoped that no innocent animals had been harmed.” Me too, but, sadly, we were wrong.

The loss of a life has put my own disappointment about this morning into perspective. I was supposed to lead a mock news conference in a 10 a.m. newswriting class. Morning classes were cancelled, so obviously my plans got changed. Now, I’ve got to look my PR best on Monday too. But really, it’s a small price to pay. After all, some paid the ultimate price this morning.

RIP, Grantham Road squirrel, RIP.

Well, the alarm clock was a rude reminder this morning that vacation is over! Jeff and I had a wonderful week — lots of reading, sleeping, and just general lounging around. Here are just 10 things I want to tell you about my week.

1. I got to eat pumpkin ice cream twice. Love that.

2. I did a lot of sleeping, and I really like to sleep. For six days, I didn’t set an alarm clock or worry about what time to get up. As a matter of fact, for the portion of our vacation spent at Keuka Lake, it was warmer (by far!) to just stay under the covers. So I did.

3. I got reacquainted with my mountain bike. My Army green Trek mountain bike used to be my baby. Then Jeff came along. And then a red, faster, sleeker Trek came along, and, well, I’m afraid of mountain biking really. Jeff and I rode a bit in the woods behind my parent’s house. And, my mom and I used our mountain bikes to stalk, er…I mean encourage, Jeff during the marathon. We probably pedaled a total of 20 miles that Sunday morning, which allowed me the opportunity take these photos:

4. I like to read. Alot. I finished one good book on vacation, “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, and started another, “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett. One of my favorite moments was being spread out on the bench of a picnic table in the warm Friday sun drinking tea, reading, and dozing.

5. Hurricane Ike made a stop in Meadville. On Sunday night, we lost electricty around 8:30. Jeff and I laid in our room with flashlights balanced on our chest reading while the wind howled outside. I thought it was a bit creepy. Forced everyone to enjoy an early bedtime though. (Please see #2 for more on this topic.)

6. I climbed 800 stairs so that I could enjoy the wonder that is Watkins Glen. It was a cool, sunny day, and we enjoyed our climb up the gorge. The lighting made photography difficult, but I got a few shots worth sharing:

7. I can’t talk about visiting Meadville without talking about going to Pymantuning to feed the fish. This time the fish were all too deep, and the geese and ducks ate all our bread. Jeff was even brave enough to feed the seagulls by throwing bread into the air and watching them pluck it out of the sky. Mom and I just squealed and covered our heads in fear of an awful, unfortunate seagull accident that would leave one us with an unwanted present in our hair!

8. Ben. Ben who I babysit when he was only months old and is now a first-year student at Penn State. Ben and his brother and sister are like grandchildren to my parents. So, we were all so pleased that Ben was home for the weekend. Then, Jeff and I took a little State College detour on our way home yesterday so that we could take Ben his bike. In exchange, Ben took us to the Creamery! More ice cream…mmmmmmmmmm!

9. On Saturday, Jeff and I went to his cousin Angie’s wedding. First of all, kudos to the couple for chosing to get married in the Chautauqua Institution. That is one of my very favorite places, so I was thrilled to be on the grounds again, especially for such a happy occassion. Angie was a stunning bride. Truly. She was gracious and kind. And, sometime ask me about the special father-daugther dance. (Bring a tissue.)

10. Sadly, in the stack of the mail that was waiting for us was a note from the county. I’ve been summoned for jury duty. It’s official. I’m totally an adult. And, it’s definitely back to real life.

Phil, the famous forecasting groundhog from the fine town of Punxsutawney, predicted today that spring was just around the corner. Of course, I find any critter from the squirrel family (groundhogs, like squirrels, are members of the rodent family known as marmots) to be nearly perfect, but, ironically, it is snowing in Grantham today for (no exaggeration) only the third time this winter.

Certainly Phil couldn’t be wrong! Amazingly, it’s February 2 already and a frantic trip to the grocery store for milk and bread in anticipation of accumulation hasn’t yet been necessary. No two hour delays for area schools. No sound of snow blowers or late night salt trucks. And, what I miss the most: no local newscasters standing beside a busy highway with their hood pulled tightly, their gloved hands shaking while holding the mic, the snow blowing in their face, and traffic crawling along behind them. Ah…instead the big news is a decapitated statue of Ronald McDonald.

Phil, by the way, has been at this business of predicting the weather since 1887. Other random facts: Groundhog Day is Feb. 2 because that date marks the “cross-quarter day” between the winter solstice and vernal equinox; groundhogs are also known as woodchucks (how much wood could a woodchuck chuck?) and whistlepigs; groundhogs primarily feast on grass, clover, garden vegetables, leaves, twigs, dandelions, and the occassional insect; and one Internet site will rent a groundhog costume for a reasonable $638.

The spring semester starts on Monday. It will be a busy semester of lectures, concerts, films, and athletic events. Really, it can’t come fast enough — blogging about rodents will eventually get old for me and you…