The Toronto Marathon

Logo #788 - Qian #488 - Mario

Qian and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 6am on a cold, rainy, and windy Sunday October morning in Toronto. A slice of toast, banana, and cup of black coffee later we bummed a ride on the Holiday Inn marathon bus to the start of the 11th Toronto Marathon. We huddled together with 1,500 other marathoners in the lobbies of several obliging businesses within view of the starting line. Stretching while recounting past races and discussing the route we constantly eyed the skies and prayed for the rain to stop - which it did minutes before our 9am start. The cars honked, spectators cheered, and volunteers served water while we made our way down the 42km (26 mile) route to the finish. 3 hours and 48 minutes later I crossed the finish line with Qian following at 4 hours 29 minutes. Personal best times for both of us on a challenging course in less than perfect conditions. A couple of hours and a hot shower later we were proudly displaying our medals - a token of months of training that finally paid off. Now, almost a week later, the agony of the last couple of miles are forgotten and we're already dreaming of even faster times next year in New York City.

Tiny Bubbles...

Bubble Tea Bubble Car

One of the great mysteries of life was finally revealed to me. Ever since I moved to Toronto a couple of weeks ago these Bubble Tea signs all over Chinatown piqued my interest, particularly since Qian didn't know what it was. So... after dim sum last Sunday we ventured into a corner store specializing in the fine product. It turns out to be nothing more than fruit flavored iced tea with tapioca pearls at the bottom that you can get to with a straw double the regular size. Apparently this started as a school yard vendor gimmick in China and really took off. Definitely worth trying. While we're on the topic of bubbles... Qian and I happened to drive by this classic car show and this "bubble car" caught our attention. It's a 1955 BWM Isetta. Apparently this little cutie saved the German automaker from bankruptcy after WWII when most of its factories were destroyed. I still love my 4x4 though...

It's Apple Time!

Tractor ride Golden Delicious Our harvest

October in Canada equates to a very full social calendar. Holiday wise there is Rosh Hashana (L’Shanah Tovah, Jeremy!), Thanksgiving, and Halloween that accounts for family gatherings and lots of food. I'm more excited about the final opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors without snow gear. This is the time for that fall marathon (Qian and I are doing Toronto this year), foliage expeditions, and of course, picking apples. We recently made a trip to Applewood Farm just outside the city and collected a year's worth of Golden Delicious. Now where did I put that apple pie recipe? Trivia for the day: The best time to pick fruit in the northern hemisphere:

Ode to a Chicken Bouillon

Dan's Graphic

New York based comedian and writer Dan Allen composed this poem and is publishing translations in several languages on his blog. I got sucked in and submitted a rendition in Afrikaans. Trivia for the day: The Taalmonument (Afrikaans Language Monument) was erected in 1975 to honour the Afrikaans Language. The Monument's design has specific meaning: Three linked columns symbolize the contribution of the Western world to Afrikaans, three rounded shapes represent the contribution of Africa, and a wall for the contribution of the Malaysian people. A fountain symbolizes new ideas and a pillar soaring 187 feet above the fountain represents the growth of the language. The pillar is hollow, and light from above pours down it, illuminating the fountain. A second pillar represents the political development of South Africa and its close associations with the growth of Afrikaans.

The Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail Blaze

Jeremy, Tim, and I got up early to do a day hike in the Kittatinny mountains along a 5.5 mile stretch (11 miles out and back) of the Appalachian Trail (see below). The New Jersey stretch of the A.T. is 74 miles long and I hope to see more of it in the near future ... and to lay my grubby little paws on another couple of Jeremy's home made trail mix - peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms (which is pretty much the American version of Smarties).  We made pretty good time and I managed to get back home in time to see Roger Federer destroy Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open. Trivia for the day: The Appalachian Trail, called simply "the A.T." by those who hike on it frequently, is the premier recreational hiking trail in the United States. The route of the A.T. closely follows the ridge line of eastern America's Appalachian mountain chain for 2174.1 unbroken miles, beginning on the summit of Springer Mountain in northern Georgia and ending on the summit of Mount Katahdin in north central Maine. As it winds its way through the mountains, it passes through fourteen states, eight national forests, six national parks, and numerous state and local parks. About 99% of the route is on publicly owned lands, and no fee is charged nor is special permission needed to hike anywhere on the footpath itself.

Manhattan Halfmarathon

Race T-Shirt

Got up at 4:30am to be on time for the 7am start of the Manhattan Halfmarathon. We had a good time. It was a bit humid, but the course is relatively flat and the scenery is beautiful. Jeremy, who now lives in Manhattan, provided some moral support and was richly rewarded with breakfast afterwards at Panorama Cafe (1640 2nd Ave @ 85th St). We then headed about 30 minutes north to visit my cousin Costa, his wife Barbara, and daughters Celine and Alix - recent arrivals from Switzerland. Trivia for the day: 5 things you probably didn't know about Switzerland: Beer is often cheaper and more readily available then soft drinks. The Red Cross was started in 1864 by Henri Dunant from Geneva. The symbol of the red cross is based on a reversed Swiss flag. The alphorn was devised by Swiss herdsmen to allow them to communicate across mountain valleys. The instrument was made of a hollowed pine trunk up to 4 metres (13 ft) in length. Originally built in 1891, the Jet d'eau fountain in Geneva is the tallest fountain in Europe at 130 metres or 425 feet. The legend of William Tell, Switzerland's best known folk hero, was based on Swiss defiance of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th century and an overture was written by Wagner about the story.

The Windy City

John Hancock Building

Got back from Chicago in the early hours of the morning after attending a conference on Business Rules last week. It was my first visit to the city and I have to say it's one of my favorites - clean, beautiful architecture, good food, shopping, parks, Lake Michigan, friendly people... the list goes on. Unfortunately it was a business trip and I didn't have too much time to do the tourist thing, but I've uploaded a couple of photos to Yahoo. Trivia for the day: Five things you probably didn't know about Chicago: The Chicago Public Library is the world's largest public library with a collection of more than 2 million books. Lake Michigan is more than 10,300 years old and is 307 miles long and 118 across at its widest point. There are various legends as to why Chicago became known as the 'Windy City,' but the most popular ascribes it to the fact that over the decades it has hosted so many presidential nominating conventions with all those politicians generating so much hot air. Back in 1890, Chicago's Rand McNally Building was the tallest building in the world. Today, Chicago is home to three of the world's ten tallest: the Sears Tower, the Amoco Building, and the Hancock Center. The Art Institute of Chicago holds the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside the Louvre in Paris.