A personal best

How did the month of December slip by?
It has been a busy month, although not with a lot of running for me. My final 5K of the year happened Dec. 3, when I clocked my fastest 5K of the year.
That was a nice little surprise. I've run the course around Medlock Park in Decatur before, and I know how hilly it is. During the race, a spectator on the sideline yelled "It's all uphill from here!" He wasn't kidding.
So imagine my surprise when I round the corner to head to the finish line and I can see it is a sub 35 minute race. I knew if I gave it a little extra kick, I'd clock my best 5K time of the year. That is exactly what I did!
I was hoping to run one more 5K in December, but then I got the crud that has been going around and I was under the weather for a good two weeks.
That doesn't mean I haven't been signing up for races in the new year. I'm going to run the Resolution Run 5K on Jan. 1. This will be the first time I've ever done a New Year's Day race. I think it is a good way to start 2012.
And on New Year's Eve I plan to break open the piggy (well, not BREAK open) and see how much found money I found in 2011. I think I'll keep that tradition going. It has been fun to put that money aside just to see what I get at the end of the year.
Don't worry, I'll blog about the "earnings."

Is it really December?

Goodness! Is it really December?
I started this blog back in June and here it is the end of the year.
I know I have written a lot about running and gardening -- oh, and that brief affair with Leo Tolstoy!
But running and gardening have taken up a lot of this year.
Just today I have been online searching for probable 5K races I'm going to do in 2012. I've even been looking at various Komen Race for the Cure 5K races in other states to continue my effort to run or walk a 5K in all 50 states.
And I've even pulled up the Web site for the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Fla.
A little explanation...
I started becoming a "serious" runner while I lived in Jacksonville, about 10 to 12 years ago, and the Gate River Run is THE race in Jacksonville. It's 9.3 miles on a relatively flat course.
Flat, except for the two bridges on the course. The Main Street bridge (which is not its real name, but for the life of me I can't remember it's real name at the moment) and the Hart Bridge.
It was on the Main Street bridge, or the "blue" bridge if you have ever been to Jacksonville, that I had one of the worst running injuries EVER.

My nemesis, the Main Street bridge

The Main Street bridge is a lift span bridge and at one point there is no road. It is simply metal grating. That's the part that lifts at various times to let boats traverse the St. Johns River under the bridge.
Well, one year, I managed to catch my foot on something on that bridge and fell straight into the metal grating. As one friend said, "You fell into a cheese grater."
Yep. That's exactly what I did. I have never been so bloodied by a fall in my life. The orthopedist I saw AFTER the fall said he was surprised I didn't break both my wrists.
I actually had scrape marks on my left shoulder from where I rolled after I fell.
Yikes. It gives me the willies remembering that race!
I've been back in subsequent years to run that race, and I always am conscious as I run over that bridge to shuffle my feet so I don't trip again.
I haven't been back in a couple of years. But I find myself thinking about that race again.
It may be December, but it is time to start planning for the year ahead, and what races I want to cross off the bucket list, or simply conquer again.

Late harvest

I have been a bit remiss on blogging my running lately. I have run two more 5Ks in the last couple of weeks.

The Nov. 12 race was the Uptown Rhodes Race 5K near Rhodes Hall in Atlanta.

The Uptown Rhodes Race 5K

The race goes around Ansley Park, and it was hilly, but not too terrible. I had a good time for me.

This morning I ran the Lakeside Viking 5K with my friends Carolyn and Susan. I hadn't seen them in a while and it was good to catch up.

Now, this course was hilly. It goes through a subdivison called Sagamore Hills in the Oak Grove area of Atlanta. Sagamore Hills is aptly named!

Carolyn, Susan and me at Lakeside Viking 5K

I'll have no more 5Ks until December, so today's run was a good one to get in before a bit of a break.

The downside is I haven't found any cash as I've been running lately. The piggy bank is going to get very thin.

Atlanta has had its first freeze of the fall and last weekend I went out and pulled all the remaining tomatoes from the vines. I pretty much neglected them after about late September, and I guess that was a good thing! Look how many I pulled off.

Lots of green tomatoes

I literally filled a box with the green ones. Some riper ones are on the bottom and I've been having those in salads lately. I'm getting some of the green ones to ripen on the kitchen counter, but I think I'll be frying up a bunch today for a snack.

I also got my lone eggplant.

My one eggplant

After thinking my eggplant would not produce anything, I got this guy, and there was another small one just starting, but I didn't pull that one and I'm sure it's ruined now.

So I guess I'm going to have to neglect my garden a little more next year. Seems that's the way to get a nice late harvest.

Anything is Possible

I ran one of the most unusual races early this morning, the Anything is Possible 5K.
Here in the United States, Daylight Saving Time ended at  2 a.m., and some race director somewhere came up with a bright idea to run a 5K race just before the time changes back and hour -- so the runners can say they finished the race before it started.
The race started up in Kennesaw, Ga., around Town Center mall. It was cold and when my alarm went off at midnight to get up for the race I really had second, and third, thoughts about having signed up for this race.
I bundled up and drove up there around 1 a.m. It was the only time I have ever been able to set my cruise control on a highway in metro Atlanta and keep it on for the whole drive.

All bundled up before the Anything is Possible 5K

I wore some glow necklaces and those blinking arm lights from the Firefly 5K I did earlier this year.
The course was twice around the outer street of the mall, so it was relatively flat, but parts of the course were pretty dark,which I didn't like. I'm always fearful of tripping and taking a bad fall. I've taken two really bad falls while running, so that's why I am fearful of ever doing it again. (I'll blog about those later!)
And while I was running I spotted two dimes. Can you believe? As dark as it was out there, I happened to spot them under some of the street lights. But there were runners behind me and I could not get them. I'm hoping a walker or two along the course found them.
I had a fairly fast time, for me.
And the funny thing about this race was my Runkeeper application got fooled. Because of the time change, Runkeeper showed my time for the race as -22 minutes! YES! I'm a rock star!!
I guess it DOES go to show, Anything is Possible.

Naughty kitty

I've heard it said that you are not a cat owner, you are cat owned.
I suppose that is true.
I have three cats. Each one has its own naughty habit.
Minnie has this one.

Unwinding the toilet paper

Why in the world does she love to do this? I've come home to find entire new rolls of toilet paper unwound. And although I have NEVER caught her doing it, I know it is Minnie that is the culprit. But just because she's the one doing the deed, I am sure she has accomplices.
In my mind, I see Felix egging her on saying "Faster! Faster! You can beat your last time!"
As the weather turns cooler, I keep thinking I will be faster, faster, beating my last time.
That hasn't quite happened yet.
You would think on a cool morning like today I would finish my training run or walk a little faster, if only to get back into a warm house!
I have noticed that hunting for stray coins on my walks and runs has become more problematic. The falling leaves are keeping hidden treasure hidden!
I've begun to realize the pig might be getting quite thin this fall and winter, and then I found a nickel and a penny in the grocery store parking lot this week. Yesterday, I found a penny on my walk.
Now if I can just find a way to remember to keep the bathroom doors shut all the time!

Run Like Hell

I ran one of my favorite races this morning, the Run Like Hell 5K that starts and finishes in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.
Oakland is an historic cemetery and absolutely beautiful. Golfer Bobby Jones is buried there, as is Margaret Mitchell of "Gone With the Wind" fame.

The lion statue dedicated to unknown Confederate soldiers

The race includes a costume contest, and it is fun to see lots of people running in costumes. This was about as dressed up as I was willing to get this morning, since the starting temp was 37 degrees!

Lisa wearing the Ted's Montana Grill bison hat

I'm wearing the Ted's Montana Grill bison hat, which I got at the Ted's Montana Grill Bison Stampede 5K several years ago. Unfortunately, the race is no more, but I love that hat!!
The weather has really changed here in Atlanta this week. Much cooler temps. I could see the change on my running route, too. :)

Getting ready for Halloween

The Run Like Hell 5K is usually the weekend of Halloween, but for some reason it was a week earlier this year. So I don't have a Halloween run this year (well, the Run Like Hell is STILL a Halloween run.)
So I guess I get an "off" weekend next week as far as organized races. But I'll still run like, well, hell.

I love to eat and run

This was a busy week, full of restaurant events at work during the week, and running on the weekend.
I had a great pleasure of attending the opening of Southern Art, a new restaurant by chef Art Smith, in Atlanta.
I had the even greater pleasure of sitting with him at the preview lunch! He shared stories of his childhood, his recipes, his family. It was really enjoyable.
Unfortunately for this blog, my iPhone bricked out after I uploaded a new Facebook update and I could not take any photos of the yummy food. Let me just say, however, if you are in Atlanta and try out Southern Art, be sure to have some of Addie Mae's chicken & dumpling soup. (Addie Mae is Art Smith's mother, and I am sure glad she shares her recipes with him!)
Later that night I headed over to The Melting Pot for a new menu preview.
My friend Gina was there, so we got caught up and had a really yummy meal. My iPhone was working by that time, so here is a sample of the goodies we tried.

Cheesy fondue. Mmm...

A wedge salad. That's a big ball of blue cheese next to the tomatoes. My favorite!

Steak, pork, buffalo chicken, lobster and ravioli made up the main course.

All manner of sweets to dip in the chocolate for dessert.

Later in the week, I attended Aqua Vino, an annual fundraiser at The Georgia Aquarium. The food was from several local restaurants and I don't think I missed a sample from any of them. It was dark, so my phone wouldn't take very good pictures. But I did get a shot of this friend, who was up against the window to say hello.

The octopus's garden

Saturday I ran the Dunn Run 5K in Sandy Springs -- and found a Sandy Springs penny along the route for my piggy. But the bigger haul came when I found my first paper money, a $1 bill, in the Target parking lot later that day. It wouldn't even fit in the small piggy bank! Now piggy has something to stand on. I am now more confident I will be able to have a cup of coffee at the end of the year.
This morning's run was over to the horse farm. Many of the horses were out in the fields, enjoying the lovely morning. It has been such beautiful weather here in Atlanta the past couple of days. Perfect running weather.
Perfect to eat and run.

Breakfast with Andy

Friday morning I had a great breakfast meeting with Andy Warhol.
Because of my job, I got to attend the media preview of the High Museum of Art's upcoming exhibit "Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters."
Coffee + chocolate croissant + modern art = bliss.
My love of modern art started early.
My father is an artist. I grew up with his abstract art and sculpture.
I remember going to art fairs in the New York City area where Dad would show his art and hope to sell something. What a tough life to be an artist. Dad had a family to feed, so he could not give 100 percent to his artwork, but I know he would have rather done that than work in the factory.
Yet, it provided me a wonderful framework for art appreciation. Not everyone gets modern art.
Truth be told, there are some types of art that I don't care for.
Byzantine art leaves me, well, flat.
But modern art. Well, I LOVE modern art.
Friday morning it was nearly heaven to wander around and see the artwork, some of which is on loan from the Museum of Modern Art in New York (one of my favorite places to go in the city.)
What fun to see Andy Warhol's iconic "Campbell's Soup Cans."

Andy Warhol, "Campbell's Soup Cans."

(c) 2011 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

 The exhibit also has his "S&H Greenstamps" painting and I had to laugh when I saw it because I'm just old enough to REMEMBER S&H Greenstamps.
I got my first blender out of college by saving S&H Greenstamps! It wasn't long after that the little green stamps disappeared forever.

Another artist in the exhibit is Jackson Pollock. I like Jackson Pollock's work.

Jackson Pollock, "Number 1A"

(c) 2011 Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

In fact, I named my cat Pollock after the artist.
Pollock is my "found" kitty. She was dumped in my neighborhood and is declawed. It makes me so angry that people would dump a declawed -- or any -- animal, but particularly one that cannot defend herself.
She is a tortoiseshell cat and has about the darn ugliest coat you can imagine. She looks like Jackson Pollock himself threw paint on her fur. No rhyme or reason to its pattern. Hence, her name!
She even has a white tip on the end of her tail that makes me think of a paint brush.
But she has the most beautiful gold eyes and he is the sweetest animal I think I've ever had.

My Pollock. You can just she the white tip of her tail in this photo.

I could have spent all morning at the High Museum in Atlanta, but alas, work called.
The exhibit runs Oct. 15 through April 29, 2012 and if you are in Atlanta and love modern art as much as I do, go.
I'll be back as well. I'll be the one gazing at the art with a big grin on my face.

Float like a firefly

I had great fun over the weekend participating in the Firefly Run 5K in Atlanta.
This race started and finished at Piedmont Park, and it was at night. This is one of my few night runs that I've done. I think this one was by far the most fun.
I ran with my friend Rachel, who was organized enough to get us all kinds of glowing objects to attach to our heads, fingers and necks. The race fee included some LED lights that flashed that we attached to our arms and legs.

Rachel and me before the race

Once the sun began to set, the glowing began.

One of the firefly 5K emblems that glowed

At the starting line, the race started with the song "Fireflies" by Owl City. That was fun. And then it was really great to see this swarm of blinking LED lights running up Piedmont Road (clearly I wasn't in front!! ha!)

Me and Rachel, post-race and aglow

All dressed up for a rave. ha ha

We joked that with all of our glow stuff we looked like we were headed to a rave.

Gals dressed as true fireflies

"Ready for the rave" Rachel

"Lit up" Lisa

I think I'll run this one again next year. The one thing that really glowed after this race was me, and how I felt that evening!

The Seventh State

I have participated in another 5K in another state.
On Sept. 24 I walked the Komen Race for the Cure in Greenville, S.C., with friends and family.
It was a wonderful, if quick, trip.
I drove up the Friday before and then had dinner with my mother, sister from New York and a family friend.
We were up early Saturday for the walk. It was a bit overcast, but it did not rain, which was wonderful.
The 5K started and finished at Flour Field, where the minor league Greenville Drive play.
I even found a penny as we walked to the starting line! The piggy got fed a South Carolina penny. :)

Leslie, Jody, Mom and Candace

Me and Jody

Doing another 5K in another state was just fun. A new venue allowed me to see a little of a new city. And it was a day of celebration with friends and family. Can't ask for anything better than that.

Dinner and movie

Another entry in the "what I had for lunch" category.
Again, my job allows me to try out some new restaurants and other venues in metro Atlanta, and yesterday I went to the new CinéBistro movie tavern that opens today.
It is an adult only movie theater (no crying babies!) that sells food -- and not just typical movie fare like nachos and hot dogs (although I did see some popcorn, so I know they serve that!)
The theater has an actual chef, Isaac Stewart, on staff and he rolled out a sampling of the menu.
I think I'd go for the full bar alone. There are a few movies I wish I'd seen while drinking. Might have made the movie better.
But I'd also go for the calamari. Maybe just for the presentation. How clever!

Fried calamari

But I also loved the bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Gorgonzola.

Bacon-wrapped dates

And the lamb lollipops were really yummy with pomegranate glaze.

Lamb lollipops

There is even a crab dip that had actual crab in it.

The Bay crab dip

All of the above are listed on the appetizers menu. For full on yummy, I also sampled off the entree menu, like the Habanero-glazed pork tenderloin, blackened ribeye, salmon, shrimp risotto, and seared free-range chicken.

 Habanero-glazed pork tenderloin

I will say the risotto was undercooked for the media lunch and chef Stewart and I had a conversation about it. I didn't mean to embarrass him, but in my opinion, risotto shouldn't be crunchy. :)
Now, who's up for dinner and a showing of "Moneyball"?

I can outrun the po po

I can out run SOME of the po po, anyway.
This morning I did the Beat the Badge 5K in Tucker. I clocked my fastest 5K so far this year on the very flat race course, pretty much an out and back on LaVista Road.
The day started out a little wobbly. I forgot to set my alarm, and was very thankful that 1) I woke up before 8 a.m. and 2) it was a 9 a.m. race start!
But I could tell I was flustered by the late wake up. I put my contact lenses in the wrong eyes this morning. I kept wondering why I couldn't see clearly as I drove to the race start. A quick switch in the parking lot before the start and I realized my mistake!
The race started and finished near police headquarters, and this is the new 9/11 sculpture that was dedicated about a week ago. I really like it, and there is a piece of the Twin Tower structure at the base of the wing.

New 9/11 sculpture at DeKalb County Police/Fire Headquarters

I found a penny on the race course, and then two pennies later today when I walked to and from the car repair shop. My car will now pass emissions and it will also now stop. :)
That will keep me ahead of the po po, too.

What I had for lunch yesterday

I will say that sometimes my job is fun. I mean REALLY fun.
Take yesterday for example. I got to go to a chef's table tasting in metro Atlanta. (I write about restaurants in real life, so I do get invited to these types of events.)
Chef Nick Walker prepared watermelon and toro as our first course.

Watermelon and toro

I would never have thought to pair fatty tuna with watermelon, but it was really good.
Next came chilled sweet corn soup with roasted red pepper flan. I ate it before I thought to take a picture. :(
The third (and main) course was pork, pork and more pork. I think chef Nick likes pork. :)
We had sweet tea braised Berkshire pork belly, parsnip puree, crispy fois gras trotter tot, smoked tomato jam and pork demi glaze.

Pork belly and fois gras trotter tot

The pork belly was so tender you didn't even need a knife to cut it and it just about melted in your mouth.
Just when I thought it could not get better, out comes dessert, chocolate pavé with dark chocolate granache and peanut butter sorbet.

Chocolate pavé with dark chocolate granache and peanut butter sorbet

The peanut butter sorbet was to die for.
It is a wonder I did not slip into a food coma when I got back to my desk at the office.
He sent the guests home with candied bacon strips. They did not last the drive home last night.
So it should come as no surprise that I ran yesterday, and today.
The recent runs have been profitable.
Sunday, on Sept. 11, I actually found 11 cents, a dime and a nickel.
I found a penny yesterday and I found two pennies tonight. Tonight's pennies were nice and shiny, which was good because it is getting darker earlier and they needed to be bright for me to spot both of them tonight.
I'm going to have to keep running this week to work off yesterday's lunch, but it was so worth it.

Green means go!

This weekend has been absolutely spectacular in Atlanta. The kind of weather we delight in.
As a runner, this weekend has been near ideal.
Saturday morning's Green Awareness 5K saw temps in the upper 50s at the start. And fortunately for me, my speedy friend Michelle helped push me a bit at the beginning of the race through Georgia Tech's campus.

Michelle and me at the start of the Green Awareness 5K

I just wish I could have KEPT pace with her. She went on to win second in her age group!

Michelle gets the plaque!

Turns out, I was no slouch in this race. I posted my second best 5K time this year.
I didn't find any cash during this race. I was too busy running! :)
This morning's weather was also near perfect for running.
I was ready to get out this morning.
I had turned on the news and started watching the coverage of the Sept. 11 memorials and it was just too much for me. Just watching the video of the first tower coming crashing down did me in.
I ran this morning to do my own reflecting on Sept. 11 and those lost on that horrible day.
I hit shuffle on my iPod and the first song up was Simon & Garfunkel's "Only Living Boy in New York." A little later on my run, S&G's "Bookends" played. I started crying when I heard that.
I'm certain "Bookends" was written about the Vietnam War, but the lyrics are so appropriate for Sept. 11, too.
Here they are:

Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you

My quiet reflection on that run included prayers for the families and friends left behind. Sometimes it is very hard to be a survivor, no matter what kind.

A rainy end to a sizzlin' summer

I ran the Big Peach Sizzler 10K this morning.
I have to say, I was not looking forward to this run. I signed up early, thinking a running buddy was going to sign up too, but she didn't. Then the weather forecast made me regret the race sign-up, too. Tropical Storm Lee was going to make this a wet run.
But, as with many things in life, what I did not look forward to doing, turned out to be fun and rewarding.
First, the rain held off for most of the race. There were occasional drizzles, but not the driving rain I was expecting. I've run a race in driving rain and it is no fun.
Because the sky was overcast and there was rain, the temps were cooler, making this nearly ideal running conditions.
Second, after the finish, I got to talking to a fellow runner and we realized we were about the same pace, so we exchanged phone numbers. I hope to run a race with Cassie soon.
Lastly, I actually did very well on this race. I came in 1:17:42 -- beating my Peachtree Road Race 10K time this year! That made me very happy. I can tell I am regaining some of my speed and strength. That's the most rewarding part of today's race.
Well almost.
I found a penny along the 6 mile route! I found 4 cents earlier in the week when I changed up my running route near my house, so this week the pig got fed.
Here I am at the start. It was early, and overcast, so it's kind of dark.

At the start of the Big Peach Sizzler 10K. It's dark out!

And here I am at the finish!
http://truespeedphoto.com/Races/View_Picture.speed?Picture_ID=490545
All in all, a very good race. I definitely put some sizzle into one of the last runs of the summer season.

I can't pronounce it, but I can run it

This morning's race was a new one for me, the Lekotek Run, a 4-mile run through Dunwoody, GA.
I kept calling this race the Lakota Run, but at the race start I heard the announcer pronounce it properly -- Leck-O-Tech.
The Lekotek  Run was hot and hilly. I didn't do too badly with my time. I was faster than the 4 miler I did in July, but slower than the one in June.
The pig didn't do too badly today either. I found a penny and a quarter!
Later this afternoon I went to see the movie "The Help" with a friend. What a wonderful movie. I still want to read the book. If anything, the movie made me want to read the book more.
I saw the movie "The Secret Life of Bees" before I read the book and I wasn't disappointed with that, either.
But I have been disappointed in seeing the movie based on a book I've enjoyed.
If you've read "Eat Pray Love" skip the movie. I was so disappointed after having loved the book.
It's the reason I'll never watch the movie "Cold Mountain." I loved the book so much I was afraid to see the movie.
Oh well, it happens.
After seeing "The Help" I found a penny near a restaurant where I went for lunch, so the pig got a whole 27 cents today. I might actually be able to get a shot of espresso in that coffee after all. Ha!

Pennies, dimes and quarters from heaven

As I've said before, I'm having fun with my "found money" experiment.
After this past week's haul, I feel like I can at least come close to a cup of coffee.
I found one very lucky penny while I was touring my former Alma Mater, the University of Missouri on Aug. 13.
Then it has been some bigger finds. I found several dimes this past week and Monday I found a quarter.
I did have to leave one dime behind. On the Komen Race for the Cure Greater Kansas City I spotted a dime, but it was embedded in the street's asphalt. That wasn't coming out without a fight.
I will say, the dimes and quarters were NOT found on my usual running route, although I still find an occasional penny.
The silver coins have all come from parking lots or other "outside the norm" walking/running routes.

Still, I consider them feed for the pig. He's getting heavy.
I have a four mile race on Saturday. I will be invoking the "Power of Motown" again. And I'll be on the hunt for some pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters from heaven.

An addendum from this evening: I found a nickel on my running route tonight! So much for not finding silver coins on my well-traveled circuit. :)

The Sixth State

I bet you didn't know Missouri is the sixth state.
Well, for me it is.
See, a few years ago on a trip to visit my sister in New York, I signed up to run the Komen Race for the Cure 5K in New York City's Central Park. It was a hot, humid run -- not the lovely mid-September weather I was expecting in New York. I think that year I brought the Atlanta weather with me.
But that run, in a new state, got me thinking how I'd like to run a 5K in every state.
That's a very ambitious goal, and I'm not really sure I will actually achieve it, but it sure is fun trying!
So the recent trip to Kansas City was not only to visit my former college roommate Patti and her family, it was also to walk the Komen Race for the Cure 5K in Missouri with Patti and her daughter Erin, thereby checking off Missouri on my running bucket list.
If I have friends or family with me who do not run, I walk the 5K with them. If they are willing to do it with me, I'm willing to slow down a little. ;)

Patti, Erin and Lisa

Patti and Lisa

The walk started at Union Station and went through some beautiful and recently revitalized areas of Kansas City.

Along the Komen Race for the Cure Greater Kansas City

In another month, I will be able to check South Carolina off of my running list.
The tally so far, in the order I've completed a 5K, is: Florida, Georgia, New York, California, North Carolina and Missouri.
Patti and I are already thinking about doing a Komen 5K walk in Houston so we can visit and reconnect with another college friend we haven't seen in years, and we've talked about doing one in Kansas and Colorado. I think Erin might even come along for the fun of it if she can.
I've got friends and family all over the United States, so I'm hoping to get Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Arkansas and Nebraska at some point. Alabama and Tennessee are nearby and I may try to get one or both of those in the next couple of years.
As I said, I may not be able to run or walk a 5K in all 50 states, but it sure will be fun trying.

Be True to Your School

Spent a great weekend in Kansas City visiting my college roommate Patti (she goes by Pat now, and I may be the only one who calls her Patti!)
What made this trip so special was Patti and I drove to Columbia, Mo., back to the University of Missouri, where I had not been since graduating in 1985. What memories it brought back!

Back on campus!

The Columns and Jesse Hall

When we stepped onto the Quadrangle, where the Columns and Jesse Hall are located, I was suddenly very emotional. I never expected to return to "Ol' Mizzou" and this was really a gift from Patti -- to agree to drive two hours each way back to campus.
Here we are at the Columns.

Patti and Lisa at The Columns

Funny enough, we met a couple and their two children who were doing exactly what we were doing -- revisiting the campus and enjoying the memories. Thanks to them, we have this photo.
Another beautiful building on campus is Memorial Union, dedicated to the students who fought and died during World War I.

Memorial Union

We had lunch at the new Old Heidelberg, which burned down in 2003 and has since been rebuilt.

At the Old Heidelberg

And where else but Mizzou would you find this gem:

Only a true fan would have this toilet

We had great fun on campus. I got a little fresh with Thomas Jefferson.

Getting fresh with T.J.

Why a statue of Thomas Jefferson at Mizzou? Because the University of Missouri is the first land grant university west of the Mississippi in the Louisiana Purchase. :)
We visited the School of Journalism, where I spent many an hour. We even found an open door and went in. School starts next week, so the campus was pretty empty. We weren't sure the building was open, but it was.

Wise Shall Be the Bearers of Light

This building is on one corner of the buildings that make up the School of Journalism. The edifice reads "Wise Shall Be the Bearers of Light."
To end the day, I stopped by and had a beer with my buddy Beetle Bailey.

Having a beer with Beetle Bailey

And why is there a statue of Beetle Bailey on campus? Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker is a Mizzou grad. And the statue is very near an iconic establishment called The Shack, which burned down in 1988. How The Shack survived serving cheap beer to under aged students all those years, I have no idea. But you went to The Shack, got beer and carved your initials somewhere on the wood booths. Notice the little pen knife in front of Beetle? I am not a beer drinker, but I went to The Shack just once during my four years at Mizzou and my initials were dutifully carved in one of the booths.
We drove by our old dorms and apartment. We lived in two different dorms and then an off-campus apartment during our four years on campus. We were shocked to see a beautiful outdoor pool on campus. We never had that! And we were surprised, a bit, that we got somewhat turned around on campus -- one that I knew better than the back of my hand as I was running from one end of campus to the other. (Why was Hatch Hall on one end of campus and my journalism classes on the other???)
No matter, Mizzou was familiar and new all at once.
While it is true you can't go home again, you certainly can go back to campus, and relive many wonderful memories with a friend who made that time so very special.