All in a weekend

Saturday: I joined the Runners club for the first time on their 'Saturday morning long run'. There were about 20-25 of us who met by the zoo in Johnson Park at 9 am (great meeting place...restrooms are nearby, and if you get there early, you will never get bored waiting). It was not really a "group run"...everyone ran different distances at different paces. At 9 am, we all took off, with Kelly, Caroline with her baby stroller, and yours truly bringing up the rear.

The route was very scenic, cutting right through Johnson Park with the Raritan River on either side. It was another cold and windy, but thankfully, sunny day. We amused ourselves by watching the Canadian geese and their playful antics as we ran. All along, we met other runners, waving, smiling and heading in the opposite direction. I was told there was another group (training for different marathons) who met an hour or so earlier for their weekly long run, so there were people on the trail running anywhere from 3-22 miles.

Kelly headed back after 2 miles while I went on 1/2 mile further, then turned back. At one point, we had to stop and walk over slippery and loose rocks. Guess who slipped, lost her balance and drenched her gloves and shoes completely...not Caroline with the baby stroller (no, she expertly maneuvred herself and the baby across)...it was clumsy moi, of course!

I completed 5 miles, then joined the rest of the group. About 12 of us went to breakfast after the run. They were a real fun and warm group of people. I enjoyed the conversation and friendly banter. What a diverse bunch...all brought together by the love of running! I will be doing more group runs, even if it means me trailing behind the rest of them. The camaraderie is too good to miss out on.

Later, I visited Ulla and her 4 cute foster kittens (James, Merlin, Bandit & Miss Sophie). I am generally a dog person, but baby cats are too darned cute...especially when they are playful, soft and cuddly. What is it about a piece of string (or my hair!) that makes them so happy?

Dinner was Ulla's home-baked bread and sausage, pork and bean stew...delicious! We also watched Mama Mia (the movie) on DVD and pranced all over her polished hardwood floor. ABBA rocks! Their songs will never grow old.

Sunday: After working up a sweat at spinning class, I cooked DH his favorite breakfast - Sabudhana kichidi (don't even bother to try and pronounce it), in an attempt to cheer him. The poor guy has developed elbow epicondylitis which is an overuse injury. He probably got it from the wrong drumming technique. He is down in the dumps that he is off drumming for awhile. See, runners are not the only ones suffering from unpronounceable overuse injuries!

Sabudhana kichidi is a concoction native to Western India. It is made of sago, potatoes, green chillies, cumin, grated coconut and lemon juice. This gooey dish is not really a favorite of mine, but it evoked satisfactory and gratifying noises from DH, so definitely worth the effort.

More cooking to stock up the refrigerator for the week. I anticipate another long week at work. So, what's new?

Turkey and bean stew (a slight variation from the the Turkey Quinoa stew on Itzy's kitchen.) Again, thank you, Erica! I think your recipes are rave-worthy. But I won't go on, because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Pasta, chicken and broccoli (sorry for the lousy pic!)

Gobi masala

And now, I really need to get off the blog and get some office-work done (yippee, I get to work on weekends too!) before the Oscars. Who are your favorites this year?