Defying Gravity

I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from a recent hike. They're a bit silly - but that's the fun in it. To put them in context however, below is one of my favorite photos from about 4 years ago. It's one of my only published photos and was taken on an abandoned airstrip. This one was an accidental success, but the photos following are sillier interpretations of the gravity defying idea.

(c. 2009)

Super strength

Jedi mind tricks

Plank

Just for fun...

These two are just funny

Adventures with Sunsets and Landscapes

A nice part of my week off is discovering sunsets outdoors again. It's been a cold, dark winter and generally I see the sun setting through the blinds at the office or on a lucky day, while sitting in Lincoln Tunnel traffic. 

This week I decided to take advantage of the "golden hour" and get outdoors. It was seasonably pleasant out (I would say warm, but it was 50 degrees and the sun was setting so it wasn't quite WARM) and the light was just gorgeous. 

I took a mini tour of the little parks along the river near our house - below are my favorites:

Sunday Funday

What a beautiful weekend! 50+ degrees and sunny. This means actually enjoying my training runs outdoors!

I took a little detour at the end of my run today to take a few photos of the abandoned tracks by our house . . .

Homemade Limeade

Limes are so pretty. They're like little green lemons with more flavor.

The other night I made a delightful limeade with these pretty little citrus fruits. I used 3 simply ingredients. Fresh limes, amber agave nectar, and water (well technically I also used ice, but I think that can go under the category of water). This recipe couldn't be any simpler.

For 2 servings:

3 Limes

3 TB Agave Nectar 

1 Qt. Water

Juice the limes 

Stir in the agave until it dissolves

Add water

Pour over ice!

Tuesday in December

Happy Tuesday. Fighting off lingering cold symptoms from the weekend. The 10K we ran on Saturday (in the COLD) provoked a sore throat, which I have been valiantly fighting a (winning?) battle with. 

I hope to get more time to cook and bake again soon - in which case I will definitely update with recipes and food photos . . .

I have been editing a lot of photos as of late. Hope to get some more good ones up here soon! For the moment, here's a bit of skyline.

This was taken about a month ago from the car window (as a passenger of course)

Blue Ridge Mountains

Though I have driven through the Blue Ridge Mountains once or twice in the past, this was been the first time seeing them in the blazing sun and bright blue sky. Wow. What a magnificent sight. There's little else to say, the Blue Ridge Parkway is quiet, windy, with few cars and incredible views. While it takes about three times as long as taking Rt. 81 (through VA) it is SO worth it if you're travelling through. There appeared to be some amazing hiking trails too, which I would love to explore in the future!

Here are a few shots of the mountains from the parkway. Plus a cow and farm or two. Enjoy!

A Little More October Please?

So as you may have noticed, the lovely month of October zoomed past at lightening speed. We closed the month with a nasty hurricane and then just like that - it became November.

I'm not quite ready to accept the impending reality of winter, not just yet. Just a few more colorful leaves please? Leave the green grass for another week or two? Here a few last looks at October - taken the weekend before the hurricane. 

(I sure hope that nor'easter threat is a lie . . . )

Anderson Park in Montclair, NJ

Some leaves. Some grass too.

Our little pumpkin friend.

A few lemons for good measure. 

Instagrams from my Strange Week with Sandy

I must first say how extremely lucky we have been during and after 'Superstorm Sandy.' Living on the outskirts of NYC during the aftermath of the hurricane is something to remember. We were very lucky to only lose power for 36 hours, while thousands still go without heat, light, or water. Being that my commute (three hours to go 5 miles on Thursday!) was the worst of it for me, I really can't complain!

NYC is a different place now, as are the outer boroughs, NJ, Long Island, and parts of CT. There certainly is so much more to say, but much of it has already been said before. My thoughts go out to everyone dealing with the aftermath. I haven't seen any of the places that were hit the worst, but from what photos and stories I've heard - it's like the zombie apocalypse. Wow! Just a few trees down in our neighborhood . . .

Here are a few instagrams that I took this week. Some prettier than others! Stay warm and safe everyone - 

The GWB on my commute this morning (don't worry, I wasn't driving). Blue skies are back!

The office dogs are starting to feel pretty cooped up since the park across the street is still closed!!

Gas lines in NJ. They stretch for blocks and blocks. One side for people with cans, one side for cars. Insane.

A Hurricane-y Sandy Sunday

I took full advantage of the "impending doom" warnings regarding the apparent Hurricane Sandy that is supposed to hit the tri-state area in the next few hours. It hasn't rained a drop, the breeze is mild, and it's no colder than 55 out - but hey, an excuse to stay inside, right? I certainly hope that this storm is not nearly as bad as is predicted. However, a little rain might be nice, and if the power goes out for a little while I wouldn't mind playing scrabble by candle light and drinking wine.

I claimed that my excuse for staying indoors was the pre-hurricane grayness, but really - it was Adobe Lightroom. I have finally switched from clunky Photoshop (I say clunky only because I'm not that great at it and have an older version)! I am absolutely delighted with this program, and thanks to Adobe I was able to get the student edition for MUCH cheaper with my not-yet deleted Purchase College email address. I got bored with watching the YouTube Lightroom tutorial so I'm no expert yet, but getting there. It makes editing incredibly smooth and intuitive!

Here are a few photos from the week, enjoy! If you are on the East Coast stay safe this week!

The Arlington diner near our apartment. I spend a whole lot of time staring at this place every morning waiting for the looong light on my commute.

Easiest and best peanut butter cookies I've ever made. 1 1/2 cups peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla. Yup, that's it.

Straws and pumpkins.

Leeks. Pre-soup stage.

Lemons and tile.

Dead leaves on the not-so dirty ground.