Old Houses Have Old Pipes

 

And sometimes old pipes leak.
The person working on the air conditioning
took this picture while under the house.

Lucky for us the pipe that needed replacing was behind a
wall in the mudroom, not behind tile in the kitchen. 

You might not be able to see, but a part of the cast-iron pipe was
removed and replaced with a piece of black pvc pipe.

The person who patched the wall was
willing to paint it, too. Looks great!

Does Anyone Really Know What Day It Is?

 Ok, that is not really the title of the song, but the answer is that we DO know what day it is.

In the upstairs bathroom we have Atlas Obscura again.

A friend gave me a Jewish calendar because her
daughter didn't want it, saying no one her age uses them.

The family calendar is on the refrigerator.

This is by the downstairs desk.

The downstairs bathroom has a history calendar
(photo taken day later than other pictures)

and the everyday-is-a-holiday calendar.
We use it to keep track of important events.

Long Lost Post from January

I love to celebrate everything. Yesterday we had soup with long noodles, which is supposed to be good luck for the Lunar New Year.

Some of our goodies for Tu B'Shevat,
the New Year of Trees.

I tried a recipe for a new kind of Three Kings cake.

This had apples inside. It was good, but nothing like
the kind we at in Catalunya.

I did not buy a little baby to put inside, but did put
in a bean wrapped in foil. The finder will bake
next year's cake, or maybe the year after that.

What I Saw Around Town

 

I went for a walk with a friend and
then another one with her mom.

The freesia smelled great

and the azalea looked great.

I was not excited to see a swarm of bees
finding a new home in a tree in front of the library.

Not the usual place for a bicycle.

This is not a little library.

There is always something new to see in town.

Combination Trip

A. and his friend spent the night in the Denver airport on the way to California for spring break. Heading back they had a non-stop flight, but out of LAX at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. That was better for them but maybe not so great for us. We tried to make the best of it by planning a beach visit after drop off.

The beach is pretty empty at 7 a.m.!

We found a breakfast place that had tables in the sunshine 

and then walked over and watched the UCLA crew team.

It was a little chilly for swimming
but it was good to touch the ocean.

We'll see whether we try this again.

New Season

 I love the spring flowers in our yard.

I love the new leaves on the trees, too!

So small, but it gives me hope.

Our new tree is growing!

Such a beautiful shade of green.

Inaugural Staggered Start 5K

 I have been enjoying running and thought about signing up for a 10K event. I found one not far from here, but it would still involve getting up quite early and driving to the start, not to mention the entrance fee. The other thing I learned was that it was a hilly course so my time would be slower than on my usual flat-ish course. I was undecided and then D. said if it were a 5K that he would do it. That got me thinking and this is what I ended up with.

Ready for fun? Instead of a typical 5K when we start together, the plan is to start at different times and finish together. We will follow the Turkey Trot route (except for a start and finish in the same place on First St. - see photo below) and aim to finish at 8am on Sunday, March 6. The route will NOT be closed so as you consider what time you start please remember to allow time for safely crossing all intersections.

Q. When do I start?

A. That depends on how long it will take you to run the course. For example, if you think it will take you 26 minutes, plan to start at 7:34 a.m.

Q. May I use a timing device?

A. This is an unofficial event so you get to decide.

Q. Is this a USATF-certified course?

A. No. It might not even be exactly five kilometers.

Q. Will there be shirts and prizes?

A. No, but I would be happy to bring some bananas to enjoy afterward.

Do you have other questions? Feel free to ask and I’ll answer if I can.

My running partner and my swim partner both agreed to do it, along with D. and A., who was in town for spring break. I told a few other people, but I was not sure who would show up. I was the first one to leave and no idea how many people were behind me. 

I started just after 7:30 and finished a few seconds before 8am. Ta da!

Two people finished quite a bit ahead of me, A. finished just a few seconds before I did, and five people finished behind me. I think it was a success and I am sorry I won't be here for the second annual event on March 5, 2023.

February Leftovers

Store owner in town shared bird-of-paradise flowers.

Valentine's Day gift, designed and woven by my beloved

View from the grocery store

Twosday (did not think to wear a tutu)

New flag

World's Best Chocolate Cake
It was pretty good.