Lots of legwork today, rewarded by good food

NYC Marathon. 47,438 runners. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a course record. The Times had great coverage. Listen to this self-affirmation by a female runner: "I am strong, I am powerful, I am relaxed,” she said. “All that stuff that your mind wants to tell you the opposite.”

Hmmm, when I huffed and puffed with my friends this afternoon, as we walked up hills at Forbidden Drive, Wissahickon Park, I was just listening to my heart beat and hope I didn't have to stop to rest. I didn't. Remember, I've just started walking again since my two-year hiatus for sciatica.

We parked on a side-street.

The Wissahickon flows beyond the fence. It's a 23-mile-long stream that empties into the Schuylkill River.

After the walk, the four of us ate at Bruno's. Here's our waiter Ben. Bruce and I ordered veggie chili with cheese on top. The two other guys were halfway done w/ their hoagies before Bruce and I realized we hadn't gotten our chili.

They had forgotten us!

Then they brought us chili with meat! I was five hungry spoonfuls into eating it - and talking, of course - when I realized it was meat I was eating - with no cheese.

We certainly weren't gonna insist on getting all-bean chili, but we did want our cheese.

It was a good bargaining tool, however, b/c I asked if we could have free dessert. I had a hot fudge sundae.

When I go to Bruno's I like to eat on their glassed-in porch. They have gas furnaces as heaters. You get a great view on the porch.

The Philadelphia Bike Club was there. Very friendly people. One guy wore a tiny little mirror on his sunglasses so he could see behind him. I'd like to get one for my daily walks, but I think it would look like I'm paranoid.

I wanted to photograph the gal behind Bruce, so I simply snapped him so I could look at the woman later on. The picture isn't very good. She had what I believe is called a "lantern jaw," a really long oval face that I had never seen in person. She was a cyclist.

I'll tell ya, when those cyclists come in, to me it's like seeing a movie star. They have these great trim bodies and awesome outfits on. The b'ful old buildings of Chestnut Hill College are in the background. From Wiki:

Chestnut Hill College is a coeducational Roman Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Imagine how hungry they must've been! I love the way Bruno's looks....the aqua-colored door.

A man and his coffee. When I saw that coffee mug, I wanted to order some myself. But I don't drink coffee.
Cottage fries with melted cheese. The significance of ordering them is as follows: Last time I was at Bruno's I was waiting for my kidney transplant. I was on a special diet and could not eat potatoes. Two very nice men sitting at a table near me offered me a taste. I told them the story. Click here and scroll down and you'll see the two cute guys. But hurry back cuz I'll miss you.

On our way out of Bruno's saw this great old car. Can't remember the name of it. Scott will know.

Only 6 minutes until Masterpiece Theater is on. The British Secret Service. MS-1 or something like that. Hurry Ruthie Hurry. (Is that from a Dick and Jane book?)

In first grade at Taylor Elementary School in Cleveland Heights, we read the Dick and Jane reading books. Spot is the dog. And you know what? I wished I had blond hair and a dog. No wonder I loved the gentiles and wanted to be just like them. I finally wrote my piece "The Lure of the Gentiles." Have no idea what to do with it.

Look who visited this morning.

Grace was in my upstairs office while her dad was fixing my computer and scanner. She found my calculator and thought it was a phone.

Thanks, Dan, for making it all better. I watch the Rifleman on ME-TV. Really great show with good themes. Chuck Connor, who plays the Rifleman, Lucas McCain, calls his son Marc, "son" all the time. Occasionally, I call Dan that. Just to see how it feels.

That kid moves so fast I took several shots of her and she wasn't even in them!

Stroll around the back yard.

Grace says a few words. She just learned "car" this morning. At 7 this morning (I thot it was 8 b/c of daylight savings time), listened to Christa Tippet's Show on NPR. Her guest was the pioneering linguist Jean Berko Gleason who spoke babies and the acquisition of language. They seem to have an innate ability to learn the names of animals b/c throughout the eons we've had such close relationships with them. Grace knows the sounds that animals make.

Grace, what does a horse say? A cow?

Got up early today and baked more whole wheat bread. The bread in the stores sucks and is filled with preservatives.

Am coming along great on the Compass. Should finish by the end of the week. Need a psychiatrist, tho, to write an Ask the Doc column. I just contacted one - took a risk - emailed him - and hope he says yes. If he doesn't I have a back-up who I'm pretty sure will do it. But, as always, I like NEW FACES.