April Running

Last weekend in Nashville, John and I joined Kira and her mom for the last half of their long run. Since they're training for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, they needed to get 20 miles in. We met up with them after 10 miles and finished out the last 10 to make a new personal distance run for me, John, and Kira. The weather was 100% perfect in my book, and we ran on the Brentwood Trail in Nashville, which was shady and super green. Even though I was glad when it was over (and hungry!), I'm so glad we ran with them since it was a real confidence booster going into the end of my 10K training cycle and planning for my first half-marathon.

John had an even better experience than I did and ran around shirtless after we were finished. After he shouted, "I feel like a fucking warrior!!!" Kira kindly reminded him that there were children running around all over the place. It looks like he'll be joining me for the half in Fort Wayne, and I'm stoked that he'll be able to keep doing long runs with me.

In the short term, I have the Forest City Road Races 10K coming up in just over a week, and I'm trying to just focus on that for now. The past week involved a lot of eating out and celebratory meals (re: cake), so I've decided to go on a kind of food streak between now and then. My plan is to not eat dessert of any kind so that I eat a particularly clean diet until the race. It might not sound like much of a challenge, but I actually eat some kind of dessert pretty much every day - melted chocolate chips over berries, a piece of candy or 5, a handful of chocolate chips, etc. It adds up. I want to focus on eating well. After the race, of course, I'll go to town on one of the chocolate bunnies that my mom sent me back with. I'm really hoping to PR in this 10K, I've trained well for it, and a little change to my diet can increase my awareness that the race is coming and help me focus on good preparation. First running. Then chocolate bunnies.





















On a related note, John and I started listening to a podcast called Garden Variety Triathlon. It's written and produced by a friendly southerner who makes triathlon sound like a completely achievable and fun idea. He doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, but I've still found the information and discussions on his podcast to be interesting and helpful. I've never done a triathlon, but I have an interest in them, and his comments about running and swimming are up my alley. It's also nice to get an idea of what issues you face when you're new to the sport and just want to compete against yourself, as the author of the podcast does. Two thumbs way up.

Kira's Ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests

My bff Kira was ordained last weekend and it was an incredibly moving experience in which to participate. Moving and personal. So instead of going into a lot of detail, I'll just share a few photos of the elements involved.

Ragdoll cats.




















Shown here: Duke Ellington, the cat who thinks he's a dog. Or a supermodel.



Cake.



















This was from a local lady and it tasted like some kind of magical almond paste.


Champagne!

























The order of events went like this: super long run on Friday. Ordination and 2 parties on Saturday, with champagne in between. The Episcopalians know how to party!


White chocolate crosses.




















A few people debated whether or not eating a cross was weird, and we decided to go with it because the chocolate was so good. The Episcopalian church ladies know how to throw a good party (see above).


I got to read the Litany, during which I noticed that the Queen was conspicuously absent (Anglicans in Canada pray for her and other world leaders). I was honored that Kira included me in the ceremony! It was beautiful and she picked some killer hymns.






















Kira got to wear very pretty vestments, which she modeled for me.

























Since the discernment process and her seminary training lasted several years, it was exciting to be present for her actual ordination, the culmination of so much work. I'm also a little surprised at how well the timing worked out, since I asked her to marry me (...you know, to John) several years ago, and now she has the authority to do so. This weekend was so much fun, I wish we could go back in a few days and do the whole thing again.


Congrats again, Mama K!*























*Click the link above for a full explanation. Basically male priests are often called Father ____, so Kira can be addressed as Mother Kira. But the kids at the camp where she was a chaplain last summer abbreviated it to Mama K as a nickname, and luckily for the rest of us, it totally stuck.

A Tale of Three 'Villes - Nashville

Last week was the second half of our Summer Roadtripstravaganza Oh-11. It's less epic than last year's, but we've still gotten the chance to visit a lot of people we miss in Indiana and Tennessee. After a short visit to Memphis where we saw John's family, we made our way east.
Here are some random pictures I took along the way.

First we went to Nashville to visit my bff Kira and to see John's friend Tanner get married (that needs its own post, I think).

Kira's cat, Thelonious Monk, hanging out in the hallway.










Unfortunately we didn't get to spend a ton of time with Kira because she was the chaplain at this awesome church camp. But it was a nice, short visit.

Here's her other kitty, Duke Ellington. I love this picture because Duke looks like a cat-shaped pillow with eyes.






Also, Kira, I hope I have the cats' names right!






























He seems to love having his picture taken, and put on a brooding face.


While we waited for Kira to come back from camp for a visit, her husband Joe took us to a cool restaurant called Bread and Company, not unlike Panera but local and nicer.


















Joe and I studied the menu carefully.















Lots o' granola.












Joe and John both chose omelettes, something Bread and Co. is known for.





John's omelette - broccoli, tomatoes, and cheese (or some other veggie combo) with sourdough bread.














Joe regaled us with stories from his job as an anesthesia resident at the Vanderbilt Med Center.



















While I wish Kira had been in town longer, it was really great to talk to Joe. Normally when I visit Kira and I talk 90 miles an hour and no one can get a word in. I always wish our visits to Nashville could be longer. John can't get enough of this face:

Sweet Nasvhille

So far in Nashville we've admired a lot of gorgeous food.
































Some friends of Kira's were having a bake sale today to raise money for the flood relief.




















I ate that strawberry cupcake. A+.








We were there to do our part.






















Kira made these festive looking peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies (shown above).























And one very clever person, channeling Paula Dean, made bread pudding out of rum and Krispy Kreme donuts.


Then Kira took us to the Yazoo Brewery.





























First we had a pint.





























Then we took the tour and looked at the vats of brewing beer.

























We were given a single hop to taste - my favorite part of the tour.

























Tonight: honky tonks. Tomorrow: BBQ. We like Nashville.