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THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Image Source)

One morning in London, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson receive an intriguing visit.  Dr. James Mortimer, of Devonshire, has come to London to report strange happenings on Dartmoor.  First his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, was found dead under suspicious circumstances – apparently frightened to death in his own yew walk, not a mark on the body, but mere feet away from the print of a giant hound.  Dr. Mortimer believes the baronet was haunted to his death by a spectral hound that has plagued the Baskerville family for generations – and now he fears for the safety of the heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, recently arrived in the country to claim his title.  Sir Henry has already experienced strange and mysterious circumstances – since arriving in London, he has been followed by a strange man, had two single boots stolen (and one returned), and received a cryptic warning.

Holmes is intrigued by the case, but he doesn’t believe for a moment in the ghost-dog theory.  He dispatches Watson to Dartmoor to guard Sir Henry and report his findings, and what Watson finds is a complicated web of intrigue surrounding the new baronet.  The danger seems to mount daily – will Holmes unravel the threads of the mystery in time, or is Sir Henry destined to meet the same fate as his uncle?

I really enjoyed my first visit with Holmes and Watson.  The mystery was absorbing, the characters intriguing, and the setting spooky.  This is one that has been on my list for some time, and I’m so glad I finally made time for it.  As a reader of both classics and mysteries, there was no excuse for my continuing unfamiliarity with Sherlock Holmes!  And after this delightful encounter, I’ll be seeking him out again very soon.

I am submitting this review to The Classics Club challenge.  Check them out here!

Buy The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, here (not an affiliate link) or support your local indie bookstore.

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Reading Round-Up: May 2014

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Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby.  I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book.  Here are my reads for May, 2014…

Henrietta Sees It Through: More News From the Home Front 1942-1945, by Joyce Dennys – You may recall that I read and loved Henrietta’s War last month, and the first thing I did upon closing that volume was pick up the second installment of Henrietta’s letters to her “dear childhood friend” Robert.  Much is the same in the sleepy Devonshire village, but there are some changes.  Lady B has moved into smaller digs, Faith is finally married to the Conductor, and tempers are beginning to fray from the lengthy war effort.  These letters contain some bitterness about the restricted role of women in the war effort, and I think the bitterness is rather a good thing – it both tempers the sweetness and paints a realistic portrayal of what folks went through.  All in all, a lovely read and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with Henrietta.  Fully reviewed here.

The Pericles Commission (The Athenian Mysteries #1), by Gary Corby – Nico is training to follow in his sculptor father’s footsteps, and none too happy about it, when a dead body falls literally at his feet.  The body is that of Ephialtes, Athenian statesman and father of democracy.  Ephialtes’ friend Pericles engages Nico to investigate the killing and what Nico finds is an Athenian political landscape more treacherous than a pit of snakes.  To be honest, I wasn’t overly thrilled with this.  I found the language too much of an anachronism and I wasn’t over-fond of Nico, the hero, of Pericles, his boss, or of any other character.  I try to make allowances for the first novel in a mystery series because it can be difficult to introduce characters and plot arches while also putting forward an absorbing mystery, but even with those allowances The Pericles Commission fell flat for me.  I may or may not continue with the series but it’s not going to be high on my list.

Miss Hargreaves, by Frank Baker – Norman Huntley has a most distressing and surreal problem: the things he imagines come to be.  One day Norman and his friend Henry, on a lark, invent an eccentric old lady that they name Miss Hargreaves.  Taking the joke too far, they mail her a letter… and are shocked when she writes back and invites herself for a visit.  Norman is about to discover the kind of chaos an overactive imagination can create when his imaginary friend gets well out of hand.  This book was funny and clever, and Miss Hargreaves was a wonderful character (well done, Norman!) but the conclusion also left plenty of food for thought.  Highly recommended.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir, by Marcus Samuelsson – Marcus Samuelsson is a truly international chef.  Born in Ethiopia, he and his sister were adopted by a Swedish couple and raised in Goteburg, Sweden.  After a disappointment in his burgeoning soccer career left Marcus without a sport to play, he devoted himself fully to his other passion: food and cooking.  Soon Marcus was applying the lessons he had learned at his grandmother’s stove to his experiments building flavors in highly regarded restaurants in Europe, on a cruise ship, and finally in New York.  Marcus is best known as the former head chef of Aquavit, a Swedish restaurant in New York, as the winner of Top Chef and as a celebrated cookbook writer.  His memoir was a joy to read: honest and engaging, and full of the layers of flavor he adds to his foods.  Marcus is not perfect, but he readily admits to his mistakes and explains how he is trying to right any wrongs he has caused.  He’s a likeable writer and his love of food comes through in every page.  It’s no coincidence that I cooked dinner three nights in a row after finishing this book!

Inkheart (Inkworld #1), by Cornelia Funke – When Meggie was three years old, her father Mo, reading to the family, accidentally brought to life three characters from the book Inkheart.  One of those characters was the diabolical villain Capricorn, and another was his henchman Basta.  Capricorn and Basta have been wreaking havoc ever since.  Now Meggie and Mo must find a way to harness the evil Mo accidentally released and rid their world of Capricorn’s vengeful presence forever.  This book was entertaining, but went on a bit too long.  I did enjoy it and will most likely continue with the trilogy, but I didn’t find it quite as compelling as I’d expected to.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are surprised when they receive a visit from a Devonshire doctor with a tale of a giant spectral dog that hounded (excuse the pun) the Dartmoor baronet Sir Charles Baskerville to his death.  Even more distressing, the new baronet Sir Henry, recently arrived from Canada, is already being terrorized by strange events.  If anyone can solve this bizarre riddle, it’s Holmes and Watson!  I’ve been meaning to read Sherlock Holmes for some time now and I really enjoyed The Hound of the Baskervilles.  Full review to come on Friday.

May was a fairly slow reading month for me.  I had some events that took up time during the weekends and am still getting adjusted to my new, tighter schedule since returning to work.  But a smaller book count doesn’t mean a less enjoyable reading month, thankfully!  Henrietta continued to delight in early May, and I also particularly enjoyed my visit with Holmes and Watson.  Next month I expect another short stack, since between house hunting and marathon training my weekends are looking pretty hectic.  But I have a stack of bookish delights waiting for me so if quantity is low for a little while, quality will be high.  Stay tuned…

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Skyride 2014

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The Skyway is the popular name for the segment of New York State Route 5 which passes over the Buffalo River, connecting downtown Buffalo with the Southtowns (what Buffalonians call their southern suburbs).  The road has a certain utility, since it provides the most convenient route for thousands of people to get to their jobs each day.  In general, though, it’s reviled here as a massive eyesore, a barrier to the kind of development Buffalo wants, and possibly “structurally deficient” (the government’s words, not mine).  There’s a large camp advocating for the city or the state or whomever is responsible for such things to just tear it down, and that may happen if they can’t find a way to repurpose it into something the city really needs.  (There are other routes in from the Southtowns, so it’s not like ripping the thing out would deprive people of their ability to get to work.)  I heard an idea floated that it should be turned into something akin to New York City’s High Line, which I love, but hubby pointed out that it’s too windy up on the Skyway for walkers.  So I’m back in the tear-it-down camp… except for on this past Saturday, because I discovered one great use for the Skyway: riding my bike over it.

Go Bike Buffalo organized a new bike event this year: the Skyride, starting with an epic climb and hair-raising descent and continuing through 29 miles of Buffalo streets.  I had such a blast at the Five Boro Bike Tour that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do another bike event, especially when it was right in my backyard (seriously, I rode my bike to the starting line) and posed such a cool challenge.  After all, how many people can say that they rode their bikes over this monster?

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Before Saturday, probably hardly anyone could have said as much.  But now, about 700 of us claim the honor!

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The ride was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.  I headed down to the start line a little after 8:00 to make sure I had plenty of time to sign in and hydrate.  To be honest, I wasn’t really feelin’ it – I’m sick, thanks to Peanut who picked something up on the playground and shared it with me.  I took my temperature on Saturday morning and was running a 100.1 degree fever, which is very high for me – I normally run cool and so to run a temperature at all means I’m pretty sick, and I don’t remember the last time I was over 100 degrees.  Hubby and I also had a 2:30 appointment to see more houses with our realtor and I was a little worried that I’d make it back on time.  I knew that riding 29 miles in the blazing sun, with a fever, was probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but I really wanted to do this event.  So I promised myself that if I felt too sick to keep going after the first half, I’d peel off to the finish line early (quite a few people took this option), and if I decided to keep going but either ran out of time or felt sick during the second half, I’d head home early (since part of the ride swung by a point less than half a mile from my house).  I decided to just play it by ear and see how it went.

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A little after 10:15, we were off!  The first part of the ride circled a few Buffalo city streets before making for the Skyway, which had been closed for the morning, just for us.

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(Accidental snap.)

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Annnnnnnd there’s the ramp… up we go!

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It was a gorgeous day for riding, and the views over the Skyway were breathtaking.  My snapped-while-pedaling iPhone photos do not do it justice.

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Honestly, I found the Skyway to be one of the easiest parts of the ride.  I thought the climb would be deadly, but it was fine – probably because we did it on fresh legs and got it out of the way!  I was enjoying the view and having a fabulous time.

Just as I reached the crest of the Skyway, I heard a cracking sound like a gunshot and then the two words no cyclist wants to hear – “Flat tire!”  I looked over to my left and a rider was hopping down to perform triage on his bike.  Poor guy.  I felt badly for him, but we had a do-not-stop order and I was just about to begin the descent (and I stink at changing tires anyway), so I shot him a sympathetic look and put my phone away for the descent (I’d promised hubby I’d try not to go over the side).

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When we reached the bottom of the Skyway, a guy riding near me shouted “Let’s go back up and do that again!”  I couldn’t have agreed more – what a ride.

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Sadly, we only got to go over the Skyway once, and now we were on our way toward Tifft Nature Preserve and the Outer Harbor area.

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The ride continued through the South Buffalo streets and into the Botanical Gardens, where I waved hello to the beautiful building that houses Peanut’s best friends in the koi pond.  From there, we swung through more South Buffalo neighborhoods and then rolled back into the downtown area.  As we approached, a volunteer was directing riders who wanted to finish only the first half of the ride back toward the finish line, and motioning those who wanted to ride the full 29 miles onward.  I was feeling decent (relatively speaking) and saw on my watch that it was only 11:30 a.m. – I’d done the first fifteen miles in just a little over an hour and had plenty of time before we had to meet our realtor.  So I decided I’d continue on the route.  Go big or go home, right?

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We rode up Delaware Avenue and all I could think, the entire time, was “We’re going the wrong way!”  The Turkey Trot runs down Delaware Avenue and it’s a lovely downhill.  Riding my bike up the hill for several miles was considerably less relaxing.  I distracted myself by staring at the gorgeous architecture and looking for the course markings to make sure I was still on the right track.  At this point the crowd had thinned out and there were times when it was just me and Blue.  But we always found other cyclists.  After Delaware – which felt much tougher than the Skyway – we rolled into the Japanese Gardens and Delaware Park.

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Delaware Park was my decision point.  It was the last spot where I could peel off and head home if I wanted to.  After a quick glance at my watch, I saw that I still had plenty of time to finish the ride and get home in time to clean up before our afternoon appointment, and the ride was heading for the Scajaquada Creek Trail – one of those mystical bike paths that I’ve heard about but for which I’ve never been able to find an entry point.  Turns out I’ve run and biked past the trail head countless times and never realized it.  Fail.  Anyway, I wanted to see the trail so I kept pedaling.

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The views were beautiful!  Especially when the trail popped out next to the river.

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The water was a beautiful blue and I enjoyed the views of the Peace Bridge and Canada in the distance.  As we got closer to downtown there were families enjoying the trail and old men fishing (and quite a few of them had something on their lines as I rode by).  I waved to the kids and soaked up the sun.  The trail ended near the downtown area and I continued on my way, rolling into the finish line just after 12:30.

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Because I rode so quickly, the party hadn’t really gotten started yet.  I rehydrated, refueled, and chatted with a few other early-finishing cyclists before heading home.  I wish I could have stayed to enjoy the finish line party, but I had to get home and get ready for our house-hunting expedition (yep, that’s still going on, and getting progressively more stressful with each day that we come closer to our lease expiring).

Fever notwithstanding, I loved the Skyride!  I’ll definitely do this ride again next year (hopefully, sans illness).  The ride was well-organized, the volunteers were helpful and friendly, and the course was beautiful.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in such a cool event right in my own backyard – and especially for the great cause of making Buffalo more bike-friendly.  Riding the Skyway was the perfect way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning – and definitely a cool, unique experience!

Anyone else enjoying the outdoors this weekend?

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HENRIETTA’S WAR and HENRIETTA SEES IT THROUGH

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Henrietta Brown is the wife of a hardworking doctor in a sleepy Devonshire village.  Her days are filled with wedding the garden, participating in village functions, entertaining friends and navigating the thorny path of the doctor’s wife.  (You’re not supposed to know anything about your husband’s patients, but if you don’t ask them about their ailments when you meet them out and about, they’re instantly offended.  What to do?)  With World War II raging on the Continent, Henrietta has another role: that of correspondent to her “dear childhood friend” Robert, off fighting for King and Crown.  Henrietta writes delightful, newsy letters to Robert, keeping him up-to-date on all of the village happenings: Faith’s romantic conquests, Mrs Savernack’s latest project for securing the home front, and the irritation of the villagers – who are living in fear of a German invasion on their shores – when told by London refugees that they don’t really understand what war is like.

Henrietta’s War is breezy and fun, filled with snapshots of a village life that goes on much as it always has – notwithstanding the blackouts and the bombs falling in the next-door garden.  Lady B copes with the war by writing to Hitler every night “to tell him what she thinks of him” – and oh, how I wish some of those letters had been included in the book!  Faith dances around her faithful admirer, the Conductor, and Henrietta copes with her guilt over not doing more to help the war effort.  (Taking care of a busy doctor is a full-time job.)  Henrietta Sees It Through, the second volume of Henrietta’s letters to Robert, is a bit less breezy – but only a bit.  Tempers are beginning to fray as wartime stresses take their toll on even the most determinedly upbeat villager, and Henrietta spends a good number of pages lamenting the limited role of women in the war effort.  But there are still funny moments – such as when Henrietta plays the triangle in the village orchestra, and when she and Lady B spend a morning creeping about after an old gentleman they mistakenly believe to be a spy.  Henrietta chronicles it all – the difficult moments and the fun – with charming prose and delightful drawings, and I imagine Robert must have looked forward to every letter as a ray of sunshine from Devon.

I absolutely loved Henrietta’s War and Henrietta Sees It Through – I read them back-to-back, devoured them, and wished devoutly that they were longer.  The epistolary format worked perfectly, and I loved getting a glimpse at a village full of wonderful characters through the eyes of one of their own.  Fans of gentle fiction (especially Miss Read, of whom Henrietta constantly reminded me) and epistolary novels will enjoy diving into Henrietta’s letters.

Henrietta’s War and Henrietta Sees It Through, available here and here (not affiliate links), or support your local indie bookstore!

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What I Love in May 2014

I see “What I Love” or “Favorites” or “What I’m Into” posts all over the blogosphere and I’ve always thought I should get in on the action.  It seems like such a great way to share what I’m excited about all in one place.  I’m not linking up with anyone, but just thought I’d give monthly “What I Love” posts a whirl for awhile.  So here’s what I love in May, 2014.

This video is hilarious.  I can’t stop watching it and, on top of the fact that the parents are pretty good, I laugh my head off at the kid in the backseat who is just! so! excited! that his mom and dad are singing “Love is an Open Door.”  This one is for all the parents out there, who have heard the “Frozen” soundtrack eighty-four dozen times, can’t get it out of their head, and still kinda sorta like the songs.

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These ladies!  So proud of my team for our strong showing in the Buffalo Marathon Relay!

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Running in general – I’m really feeling good about my runs lately.  Which is good, because marathon training starts in early June.  It’s so true that the only way to make running easier is to run.

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Brighter lipsticks for summer!  I tend to play lipstick really safe.  It’s one of my favorite beauty products and I own quite a few tubes of lipstick, but they’re all in the same shade of dusty rose.  It’s a good color on me and I feel pretty when I wear it, but I wanted to try something new.  I went shopping with my mom last weekend and picked up two new lipsticks in brighter raspberry shades: Tarte Amazonian Butter lipstick in “Tulip” (described on Sephora.com as a “mauve rose” but a little brighter than what I usually choose), and NARS lipstick in “Niagara” (which I totally bought for the name, but which also happens to be a gorgeous coral-tinged pink).  I also convinced my mom to buy a tube of NARS lipstick in “Dolce Vita,” which is my go-to shade for job interviews, presentations, and pretty much anything important in my professional life.  (Image sourced from Google.)

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The new Lululemon store that just opened in the Walden Galleria!  I might have bought two pairs of shorts the first weekend.  (Image sourced from Google.)

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Spring!  It’s finally here!  So happy to see leaves on the trees and flowers everywhere.  It’s been a long road to get here, and it feels so good now that we’re into the warmer season again.  (Cold rainy days last week notwithstanding.)

What’s making your month this May?

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Buffalo Marathon Relay 2014

Faster than a speeding toddler!  More powerful than a supermarket tantrum!  It’s Paula Radcliffe!  It’s Kara Goucher!  Noooooooo… it’s SUPERMOM!

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Yesterday I ran in the Buffalo Marathon Relay with Team Fit4Mom!  (Informally nicknamed Team Supermom because we wore matching “Supermom” t-shirts.)  You may remember that signing up for this relay was one of my bold acts for January – I’m not the fastest runner out there and I normally shy away from group events because I’m worried I’ll let people down.  But I am trying to put myself out there more this year and committing to this race was one way for me to do that.

The Buffalo Marathon is a massive event in our city!  Of course, there are the truly hardcore marathoners who set out for 26.2 miles.  There’s also a half marathon, a 5K, and a relay event.  The relay teams field four runners; the first three legs are 10Ks (6.2 miles) and the anchor runs a 12K (7.4 miles).  I signed up with three of my Stroller Strides friends and was assigned to run leg #2.

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The race started at 7:00 a.m., but since I was running the second leg I didn’t have to be there right away.  We headed out the door a little after 7:00, made it downtown by 7:25 and I was at my post, right after the 10K mark, waiting for hand-off around 7:35.  Our first runner was our fastest team member, so I wanted to make sure I was there waiting when she arrived.  While I waited I amused myself by taking selfies and pictures of my feet.

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Let’s run!

Our leg 1 runner cruised up to the 10K mat around 7:56 or so (I think; I’d looked at my clock a few minutes before she arrived but had been keeping my eyes on the runners after that, so I’m estimating her arrival time).  She handed me the team belt with our timing chip and I set off on my run, buckling the belt as I went.

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I think I lucked into the best leg of the relay, by far.  When I signed up for the team, I told them I’d run any of the 10K legs but would prefer not to run leg 1, just because I figured I’d be one of the slowest team members and I didn’t need start line crowds slowing me down even further.  My team asked if I’d be willing to run leg 2, and I said sure – not realizing until I looked at the map the day before that most of my leg was down by the waterfront.  That meant that, for the bulk of my run, I was treated to views like this:

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And this:

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I spy a lighthouse in the distance!  Seriously, how could anyone possibly complain about this route?  It was gorgeous and awesome.  I guess it can get rather windy on that part of the course, but Sunday’s weather was perfect for running – just a very light, refreshing breeze – and I had no trouble with the leg.

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Spectator support was great on this part of the course, which surprised me a bit because I thought it would be fairly difficult for people to park down there due to the road closures.  I wasn’t really expecting to see many spectators at all, and I was thrilled to discover that most of my route was lined with people – volunteers and folks waiting for their runners to come by.  There was even a band!  As I ran I got plenty of cheers – “Looking good, Supermom!  Way to go, Supermom!” – that turned my big smile even bigger.  I kept an eye open for my aunt and uncle, because my cousin and her fiancé were running the full marathon, but didn’t see them.  (I spotted them after I’d finished and they said they had been at mile 6 – before I took off – and mile 14 – after I finished.)  But I saw plenty of other people and gave out high-fives to all of the kids and to the world’s cutest golden retriever puppy.  Basically, I was grinning my face off the entire time.

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After we left the waterfront we headed down near First Niagara Center.  The last time I ran through this little alleyway was in the Freezer 5K.  It was a lot colder, and the roads were covered in snow and ice.  Today was way more fun.

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Go Sabres!  I snapped a quick picture of the arena as I ran by, but I knew I was getting close to my finish line (the hand-off to runner #3) and I was cruising.

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Mile 12!  I had to get a picture of the last mile marker of the course (for me).  My hand-off point was coming up fast at mile 12.4.

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Approaching my finish line – see the huge crowd under the bridge?  That was 20K, the hand-off point for leg 3.  I started to worry that I wouldn’t find my teammate in the crowds, but as I cruised up I spotted a tall red-headed guy, who I thought (incorrectly) was my teammate’s husband.  Her husband is tall and red-headed, but he was running the relay with the dads’ team and had left about fifteen minutes before I arrived.  But I didn’t find this out until later, because my teammate was standing right next to random husband lookalike dude.  She reached out her arm, I passed her the belt, and she was off.

I got out of the way as quickly as possible and took out my phone to call hubby and let him know I was done.  I had a feeling I had finished more quickly than I’d expected, but I was shocked when I saw that it was just after 9:00.  My secret “don’t embarrass the team” goal had been to run under 11:00 per mile and I wasn’t totally confident I could pull it off.  With race-day adrenaline I knew I was running faster than usual but I had forgotten my Garmin at home, so I had no idea what my pace was.  You can probably picture my amazement when I quickly calculated that I was running just off 10:00 – that’s a pretty good pace for me and my fastest 10K by far, even without an official time.  Woo-HOO!

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I finished so quickly that hubby, Peanut and my mom hadn’t even found their way to the 20K to see me hand-off to my teammate.  We reunited about a block away from the hand-off point and set off to kill some time while my final two teammates ran their legs.  We headed first for the car to pick up my water bottle, then we alternated between playing in the various green spaces, wandering around the city and cheering on the runners.  Peanut spent a good chunk of time playing in this little square in front of City Hall and cheering on the full marathoners as they approached mile 26.  (As one woman ran by, Peanut shouted “Good finish!”  I die.)  We spotted my aunt and uncle near the finish line and hung with them for awhile, before one of my teammates texted me that our anchor runner was on the course.  I headed over to meet up with the rest of my team and we waited to cheer our runner on for her final mile, then all headed to meet her at the finish.

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Go Supermoms go!  Final time: 4:45:11, for a team pace of 10:53/mile.  So proud of us!

I can’t end this post without saying a few words about how much these ladies have meant to me.  When we moved here, we knew very few people in town other than my in-laws.  Aside from a sorority sister who lives in the ‘burbs, I had no Buffalo friends.  It’s not always easy for me to reach out, and the Stroller Mamas provided my first community here.  They gave Peanut and me a reason to get out of the house at least once every week throughout the long, frigid winter months.  They cheered me through laps around Glen Park, hundreds upon hundreds of squats at the mall, an epic 10-minute wall sit, and more burpees than I want to think about.  They consoled me when I didn’t get a job, had a bad week, or was plain old lonely.  They were unreservedly thrilled for me when I got a job and went back to work.  I made a new year’s resolution to attend Stroller Strides classes because I wanted to get back into workouts, but this group has been so much more than just “mommy and me” group fitness classes for me.  They’ve been a lifeline and a community when I had none.  Thanks, mamas – I’ll see you in class next weekend!

Anyone else running strong in a superhero shirt this weekend?

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And Whither Then? I Cannot Say.

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The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then?  I cannot say.

From The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

I’ve been living in a state of uncertainty for so long that I’ve gotten rather used to it.  Not knowing what happens next has been the only constant for a long time.  It started with college applications.  Where would I do my undergraduate degree?  Would I get into a good law school?  Where?  What would I do that first summer?  (It took me until April to find out).  What about the second summer?  (Until May.)  What about after law school?  (Until the November after I graduated.)  And that was a clerkship – what would happen after that?  Would I find a good job?  I did, doing just what I wanted.  But even then, the uncertainty continued.

Hubby had been looking for his permanent place ever since he moved to D.C. and still hadn’t found anything that excited him.  He had a job but it was nothing more than a paycheck and he was starting to dread going to work.  We both knew that his situation wasn’t sustainable.  It ultimately motivated us to pull up stakes and move to Buffalo, where he had an opportunity to do what he loves again.  But that meant me leaving my comfortable, familiar job, which I still enjoyed, and embracing uncertainty in my own career again.

I did that, as you know if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, and it meant seven months at home while I searched for just the right opportunity.  That seven months was one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.  I didn’t worry about what was around the next bend in the road – I just enjoyed every moment I had as a stay-at-home-mom.  I didn’t stress about tomorrow, I just lived today.  And it was magnificent.

Of course, the right opportunity did come along, and I was ready for it when it came, and now I’m back to practicing law.  I was lucky to find a place in a top firm, and to get to practice exactly the type of law I most enjoy.  I was rested and ready to get started again, and it’s been great.  But there are still questions – new questions, which arose when I started working again and have become urgent.  There’s the question of where Peanut will be when she starts preschool in August; we’re touring places and have it narrowed down to two choices, but I just want to get this item crossed off my list already – I’m tired of worrying that by the time we make a decision and register, she’ll have lost her spot.

And then there’s a bigger question: where will we live in September?  Our lease is expiring.  If I was still looking for work, we’d just have renewed for another year.  But since I’m working and we’re in the position to buy a home, we want to do that.  We really didn’t want to live in our rental for another year, for many reasons I won’t go into here.  And we just miss being homeowners, having our own little space.  We’ve engaged a realtor and have been seeing houses.

The problem is that inventory in Buffalo is extremely tight at the moment.  There are very few houses in our price point that also fit our size requirements.  And it’s a seller’s market, so even if we did find “the” house, we’d almost certainly be competing against other offers.  We’ve been getting progressively more stressed out, because we can’t seem to find something that feels like home, and our lease is ticking away.  Our landlord refused (unreasonably and obnoxiously) to allow us to adopt a month-to-month arrangement that would give us the opportunity to continue seeing houses over the summer.  (It’s a good thing that hubby has been dealing with the landlord, because I used some very unladylike language when we got that news.)  That means that we’ve got to be under contract within a matter of weeks, to give us enough time to close and move out before our lease expires.  And we can’t even find something we like, let alone enough to make an offer.

We’re both verging on panic at this point.  Fortunately, our realtor has the patience of a saint and hasn’t made a single comment about being peppered with emails every time our landlord upsets us.  We’re seeing three more houses today and I sincerely hope one of them is “it.”  Not only can we not afford to be cantankerous and picky anymore (okay, that’s mostly me) but I’m just tired of the hunt.  I want to be settled for awhile.

I want to have all these big items checked off of my list, for the first time ever.  Job for hubby?  Check.  Job for me?  Check.  Preschool for Peanut?  Almost check.  House?  C’mon.  I want to look ahead at a road that is stretching straight for miles.  I’m tired of seeing a bend and not knowing what’s around it.  I don’t necessarily need this situation to be “forever.”  I can embrace the idea of a bend in the road somewhere in the future.  But I need a break from the uncertainty, at least for awhile.

Wish us luck today…

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When a Book Builds a Bridge

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I’d been meaning to read the Amelia Peters mysteries, by Elizabeth Peters, since they popped up in my Goodreads recommendations.  I don’t know what they linked back to, but I’ve read so many mystery novels that it really could have been anything.  The first title – Crocodile on the Sandbank – sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place it, or the series.  Still, I read the description and was sold.  I’d definitely read these books.

When I finally got to it, I tore through Crocodile on the Sandbank, and then immediately read The Curse of the Pharoahs and The Mummy Case.  I started stockpiling the mass market paperbacks, gloating over the stack I had yet to read.  After all, there are nineteen books in the series!  Such riches!  I also, because I can’t resist sharing when I come across a real gem like Amelia, started singing the series’ praises to my mom.  “They’re soooooo good,” I told her.  “Amelia is such a great character!  And the settings are fantastic!  And they’re so well-written!”  My mom nodded and said that she might give them a try.  “You’ll love Amelia,” I promised.

Finally, after a few days of my prodding, my mom picked up Crocodile on the Sandbank and asked, “Is this the first one?”  When I confirmed that it was, she looked more closely at the cover and said, “Oh!  Elizabeth Peters wrote these?  Grandmama loved her.  She cut out articles about her and kept them in a binder – like she did with all her favorites.”

Grandmama had certain celebrities that she followed closely.  Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  And Elizabeth Peters, although I don’t remember Grandmama ever mentioning her.  That seems odd, because I have loved Agatha Christie since I was in middle school, and bookworm that Grandmama was, I’m sure I mentioned my soft spot for whodunits.  But it’s possible that she did tell me, “If you like Agatha Christie you’d like Elizabeth Peters too,” because from the moment I picked up Crocodile on the Sandbank it felt familiar – not familiar as something I’d read before, which I know I haven’t, but familiar as something I’ve at least seen.  And maybe I have.

I can picture the books lined up on the den shelves at Grandmama and Grandpapa’s house on Long Island.  Was Elizabeth Peters among them?  I don’t remember.  (I remember The People in Pineapple Place, by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s daughter, also named Anne, and which I have too.  And I remember, later, the Harry Potter books lined up on the shelf, not in the den, but in the kitchen, where they greeted anyone who walked into the house and wanted to immediately grab something to read – which was me, many times.)  But Elizabeth Peters could have been there.  She would have fit right in on those shelves.

I am thoroughly enjoying the Amelia Peabody mysteries.  I’m about to pick up another one.  I like them for themselves, because all of the things I told my mom about the books, before I learned that Grandmama loved them too, are true: Amelia is a great character, the settings are fantastic, and they’re really, really well-written.  But now I also love them for another reason: because Amelia built me a bridge back to Grandmama’s house.  Now when I pick them up, I see myself reading them stretched out on a lounge chair in Grandmama’s perfectly landscaped backyard, listening to the cicadas and eating ice cream (there was always ice cream), as I did with so many other books.  I never read Amelia in that place, but I could have.  What a gift to find a series, fall in love with it on its merits, and then find out coincidentally that I share that love with my grandmother.

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Morning Wanderings at Knox Farm

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Now that the weather is finally improving (welcome, spring!) we’re on the hunt for some new hikes within an easy driving distance of our house.  A partner at work told me about Knox Farm and I knew right away that we had to check it out.  The farm was once the country estate of the wealthy Knox family (the original owners of the Buffalo Sabres, and they’re still revered to this day for bringing the NHL to the area) and now it’s a state park, with over 600 acres to explore and plenty of trails.  We knew that it would be a perfect family-friendly morning activity: removed enough from the hustle and bustle of the city to let hubby and me feel like we were really escaping, but close enough to get a good morning’s walk in without treading on Peanut’s naptime.

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The farm is situated among rolling green fields.  I loved this tangle of fences.  We spent a few minutes taking in the panorama and deciding where to walk.

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Peanut was having a blast up there in her chariot!  She loves her good doggie-spotting vantage point.  She kept up a running commentary:
“Doggie!  Doggie!  Hi, doggie!  Hi!  Woof!  Woof!”  I lost count of how many dogs we saw – there were a lot of dogs out with their moms and dads, enjoying the sunshine.

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Do you see what I see?  A pretty country lane, with actual leaves on the trees!  Words cannot express how happy I am to see all this green after the winter we had.  (Our Stroller Strides class moved into the park on Saturday, and I don’t think I stopped smiling throughout the entire workout, for the same reason.  I am just! so! happy! to be outside and to see views like this.)

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We explored the paved trails for a little while – and I thought about what a nice area this would be for marathon training runs – and then figured out how to get off the beaten (asphalt) path and into the woods.  We headed across a green field, making for a large grove where we thought we might find some classic beaten-dirt hiking trails.  We were very happy with what we found – a network of beautifully maintained wooded trails.  Peanut was especially excited, because she got to hop down from her chariot and walk for awhile too.

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Peanut was a hoot on the trail.  She immediately found a stick and did some raking in the dirt, and – being a typical curious toddler – she made several attempts to escape and get (literally) into the weeds.  I gave a few mom-style lectures about how we always stay on the trail and we never ever EVER touch a plant unless we know what it is.  After I’d finished my spiel, she looked up at me, pointed, and said “Green grass!”  As if to say, “I know that one, Mom, so can I touch it?”  Tricksy hobbitses.  I amended my lecture and lamely added, “And we also don’t touch plants even if we know what they are.”

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I wanted to take a picture of our whole family with feet on the trail.  Peanut thought this was her opportunity to climb up on top of one of my feet.  I snapped the picture anyway, and I love it because it so perfectly captures what our family outings are like right now: hubby’s well-worn hiking boots, my running shoes (my hiking boots never turned up after our move, and I needed new ones anyway… and I know I shouldn’t hike in my running shoes, but my old sneakers also disappeared into the void with my boots), and two little pink Saucony sneakers standing on top of a parental shoe.

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Here’s a cool discovery: we found a Little Free Library in the woods!  (I don’t think it’s an official one, because I checked the map later and didn’t find it, but the idea was the same.)  We didn’t look at any of the books, but when we returned the same way, there was a dad and two little kids who’d grabbed a few titles and were reading aloud at the nearby picnic table.  Peanut was completely enthralled with this and now probably expects book-reading opportunities on all of her hikes.

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I’ve been on many a hike, and I’ve taken in many a spectacular view.  But the view above is my favorite of all time.  I’ve been waiting a long time for that one.

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How was your weekend?  Did you get outdoors and enjoy some spring sunshine too?

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TD Five Boro Bike Tour 2014

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The Five Boro Bike Tour is a massive bike event (it’s not a race, and there are no timing chips, but it’s as well organized as any big running race) – forty miles of traffic-free roads through all five boroughs of New York City.  My dad and brother rode in the event last year, and this year, my brother’s girlfriend and I got to join them!

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We left Buffalo around mid-day on Friday, stopped overnight in Albany, and then headed down on Saturday for Bike Expo NY and packet pickup.  The rest of our crew left early on Saturday morning and had an easier time at packet pickup as a result, but hubby and I hung back with Peanut until noon (a good time for her to start her nap) in the hopes that she’d get her sleeping done in the car.  She did, but I paid for the decision later, because the expo was a mob scene.

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I waited in lines starting a few blocks away to even get into the expo.  Once I finally made it inside, we were herded toward packet pickup, which fortunately was running like a well-oiled machine.

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After I got my packet, I headed over to the tour merchandise and bought two t-shirts, then made a quick loop around the expo and headed out to find hubby and Peanut.  We reunited outside the expo, went back to the hotel, and carbed up with an Italian dinner.

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We were in the silver wave on Sunday morning, which meant that our start time was 9:15 a.m. – right in the middle of the chaos.  (Last year, my dad and brother had a 7:15 a.m. start and they definitely preferred the earlier start.  Maybe we’ll luck out and get an earlier time next year…)  Anyway, we took two cars into the city from our Jersey City hotel.  Hubby and Peanut and I found parking right by the start line and then began the long process of looking for the rest of the crew.

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Peanut was in rare form.  As we were getting set up in the parking garage, she saw three cyclists zip down the ramp and announced “Bicycle bicycle bicycle!”  We weren’t sure, at that point, whether she was going to announce “Bicycle” every time she saw a cyclist all day, but I guess she figured we got the idea.  She also shouted “GO FAMILY!” which was adorbs.  Best cheering section ever.

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I finally found the rest of my crew, and before we had time to get too comfortable…

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We were off!  The first part of the ride went through Manhattan, past Radio City Music Hall and through Central Park.  The park was my favorite part of the ride – it was a beautiful spring day, the flowering trees were in bloom, and I felt as if I was on a Sunday ride with 32,000 of my best friends.  From Manhattan we crossed into the Bronx for a very short while, then were back in Manhattan for miles 10-14.  Just before mile 15, we crossed the Queensboro Bridge into Queens, and that was my other favorite part of the ride, because how could this be anything other than epic?

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I never, in a million years, thought I’d ever ride over a bridge like this on my bike, let alone with hundreds of other cyclists around.  It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

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Right before the Queensboro Bridge I bumped into this guy ^ and we hung together while we could, but I lost him somewhere before the bridge.  I saw him again briefly in Queens, but he was waiting for the rest of our crew and I decided to continue on.  To be honest, I was nervous about pulling over to the side of the road and waiting in the crowds of people.  With our late start, the roads were significantly more crowded than they were last year, and I’d already seen several crashes.  I decided I’d feel safer just continuing on my way and finding the rest of my “team” at the finish line, so that’s what I did.

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Astoria Park!  There was a “mandatory rest stop” here, so I took advantage of the opportunity to grab a banana, then got the heck out of there as fast as I could.  It was a long haul getting through the park and back on the road.  I used some of the waiting time to Instagram – since I couldn’t ride, why not?  Finally, I made it back onto the road.

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Before I knew it, we were crossing into Brooklyn.  We still had a ways to go before the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Staten Island, so I plugged along as best I could.  This was definitely not a race; I’ve never been shouted at to “slow down!” quite so much.  (No one ever seems to worry that I’m running too fast in a half marathon.  I wonder why.)  It wasn’t just me – everyone was getting instructions to go easy.  The last thing anyone wants is a crash, so I totally get it.  It was tough for me to slow down, though, because I have a fast bike, and even riding the brakes I was passing people left and right.  I just hung on tight and went with it.

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Adorable interlude – if you’re wondering what Peanut was up to, she was checking out the runners and “Horsie! Neigh neigh!” in Central Park with Nana and Daddy.  They walked by the zoo, got bagels with lox, rode the subway and then watched the Staten Island Ferries come in.  It really bummed me out that I didn’t get to experience Peanut’s first trip to NYC with her.  (First trip on the outside, that is.  She’s been there twice before, but the view wasn’t quite as good.)  But there will be plenty of other opportunities, and I was having a ball on my bike.

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I plugged away all through Brooklyn and over the Verrazano, which was a beast of a bridge.  It seemed as though almost half of the riders had gotten off and were walking their bikes up the bridge, but I really, really wanted to ride the whole thing.  I gave myself a pep talk: “Just keep pedaling.  You can pedal as slow as you want, but don’t get off this bike.”  Finally, finally, after what seemed like days, I made it to the top… and then it was pretty much all coasting to the Finish Festival on Staten Island!  I cruised in, found a spot on the grass, and waited for the rest of our family team to come riding up, which they did about thirty minutes later.

Here’s a fun secret: the “Finish Festival” is not the end of the biking for the day!  Even once you get through the festival, you still have about four more miles to ride to get to the Staten Island Ferry and back to lower Manhattan.  We decided to bypass the food and entertainment and get right back on the road, since my brother and his girlfriend had to get home.  So it was off to the ferry, where we waited about twenty minutes to get on a boat.

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Once we made it onto the ferry, the views were breathtaking.

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Totally worth the forty mile bike ride!  Heh.  All joking aside, this was an awesome day.  The Five Boro Bike Tour is organized with military precision and the event seemed to go off without a hitch (at least from where I was sitting).  I had so much fun riding – or at least, starting and ending – with my dad, brother and brother’s girlfriend, and I’m definitely on board for next year!

Have you ever ridden in a bike event?  Were you white-knuckled the entire time too?