Even the Tunnel Is Festive

Approaching the Holland Tunnel

Heading Into New York City

Shane and I are driving to NYC for the weekend!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Annie Lennox

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #267

I will be requiring a Braille menu.  Didn't you notice my seeing-eye bees?

This is my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #267.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too! 

Maude Is Not Always Ladylike

There's Still My Joy by the Indigo Girls

Celebrity Siting: Mary Poppins?

At the Magic Kingdom

Surprisingly, Disney World is quite crowded the day after Thanksgiving.

Three Generations at Thanksgiving

Shane's grandmother, his mom and him get ready for their Thanksgiving
feast. The glass door behind Shane and his mom reflects the view.

Thanksgiving in Florida

I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner and i'm thankful that it turned
our pretty good. The turkey was moist and tender--the best I ever had
actually... if I do say so myself. We started with Butternut Squash
and Apple Soup. The second course was an Apple Salad with craisins,
blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans in a spring mix of greens with
either blue cheese or pomegranate vinaigrette dressing. The main
course was a buffet of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, glazed
carrots, cheesy corn medley and biscuts. Shane's mom made a delicious
apple pie for dessert. She also did the hors d'oeuvres, including her
yummy deviled eggs. The photo is, from left to right, Shane's
stepdad, Jerry; Shane's grandmother, Jesse (Nana); Shane's mom,
Sharon; and Shane. We ate out on our Lanai. Hope everyone's day was
as nice! Happy Thanksgiving!

Beach Sunset

Have I mentioned I'm at the beach lately?

Beach Read: Here We Go Again by Betty White

I am reading this on my Kindle at the beach. I just started it today,
but I love me some Betty. It is basically a re-issue of a book she
wrote in the 90s about her early career in TV.

My Monday Afternoon View

The water, the sand, the gulls, and some fat guy looking for shells--
almost paradise... Almost.

Blogging from the Sky

The WiFi is rather slow on my AirTran flight, but it is free (for a
limited time), so I can't complain. Plus, they gave me a whole can of
soda! Flying to Florida for Thanksgiving vacation! So why do I look
so grumpy?

Running the Cranberry Crawl 5K in DC

This is actually a re-enactment of me approaching the finish line.

My co-workers, Sara and Karlye re-enact their finish.

This was the most unorganized race I've ever run. It was at Haines Point in SW DC, so it was a pretty run along the water, but there wasn't any bagels at the end. There wasn't even a clock to indicate your time. That's what you get when you pay $6 for a race--next to nothing. Live and learn. It was my co-worker Karlye's first race, so several people from the office came out to support her. She did great, and I am sure she will always remember her first race as being very ghetto. Way to go Karlye! I hope your next race is a bit more classy.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #264

How can you have lost the key? 

This is my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #264.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too! 

Top 10 Favorite Tweeters

This is a list of my top 10 favorite famous Tweeters that I follow on the Tweeter Machine.  I didn't include actual friends and family I follow.

10.  @SteveHayesTOQ  Each week actor (Trick) and old movie lover STEVE HAYES comments on and dishes the classic movies he loves. You can also see his Tired Old Queen at the Movies segments on Joe. My. God. each week.

9.  @instant_netflix  Breaking news on what's just been released to Netflix's Watch Instantly library.

8.  @RIPLEYTHEBAND  Broadway star (Next to Normal) Alice Ripley Tweets in ALL CAPS!

7.  @paulapoundstone  I think NPR comedian Paula Poundstone and her many many cats are a hoot.

6.  @TKTS TKTS Discount Booths offer tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays at up to 50% off.  These Tweets help me pretend I live in NYC!

5.  @QRANK This trivia game gives a daily hint to help me rack up a high score.  

4.  @SarahKSilverman  She makes me laugh hard (or at least as hard as I would laugh if I were a laugher).

3.  @BroadwayGirlNYC She has all the dirt about the great white way (man, that sounded racist).  I want to move to NYC and be her best friend.

2.  @arjunbasu He posts Twisters, 140-character short stories.  Always interesting.

and my #1 Favorotie Tweeter is. . . @BreakingNews The latest breaking news alerts around the world.  

Dinner Party Aftermath

We had our friends, Honey and the Boyfriend, over for a practice Thanksgiving dinner. I am cooking dinner on actual Thanksgiving for Shane's family in Florida, and I wanted to do a dry run. This is the result. Our DC kitchen is tiny, but we got her done! I learned the hardest thing about this is coordinating it so everything is ready at the same time. How do you do it?

Honey took this shot of Shane and I at Practice Thanksgiving.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #263

Are you sure you're straight?  It's just a vagina. 

This is my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #263.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too! 

Top of the World by Patty Griffin

Just because I love this song. So it may play a bit out of synch. So what, who cares?

Goodbye Jill Clayburgh

This is from Running with Scissors and features Jill Clayburgh as Agnes, the semi-sane wife of Brian Cox, who plays the shrink. Jill just died yesterday of leukemia at age 66. She was battling the disease for 21 years.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #262

No, this is your 10 o'clock.  The leprechaun is at 10:30. 

This is my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #262.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too! 

Signs from the Rally for Sanity and/or Fear

We Attend Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Shane and I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear yesterday on the National Mall.  It was quite the well-attended event.  It was VERY crowded.  Of course, it probably didn't help in our quest to get a good view that we started out after the event already began.  We walked down from our house and squeezed our way into the crowd.

I have to say that I was not that impressed with the entire thing.  I realize it was staged by a comedy show and their primary intention was to entertain, but it seems to me they wasted an opportunity to do something much more meaningful.  There were an amazing amount of people that I think were expecting something more.

I have to say that I did get goosebumps when Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) began singing Peace Train, but then they turned it into a silly bit.  They had Cat Stevens!!!! and they wasted him.  When they introduced him, I thought someone was going to come out dressed as Cat Stevens, but I was amazed it was really him.  They didn't even let him finish his song.  Unforgivable.  

The rest of the show was not very memorable.  Perhaps I'm having memory loss from inhaling large amounts of pot smoke that was around us.  It was fun seeing all the young people,  many who were dressed up for Halloween.  There were lots of older people... even older than us, that braved the crowds. Another bummer was that my camera died... I took the shots below with my iPhone.

This was our view.  We could see the Jumbo-Tron a bit.

At least the weather was nice.

Why are we here?

This guy said he pitied the fool that didn't restore the sanity.

But we did find Waldo. 

My Army 10 Miler Results

I ran the Army 10 Miler today to mixed results.  I actually ran it faster than I did 2 years ago, but I didn't run as fast as I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler earlier this year.  I ran the Cherry Blossom in 79 minutes, 35 seconds, but ran the Army 10 Miler today in just under 82 minutes (81:57).  My pace was 8 minutes and 11 seconds, while my pace was under 8 minutes at the Cherry Blossom.

I knew I wasn't going to do as well today.  I haven't been running longer distances, and just didn't feel great today.  It was warm out there today too for the end of October.  I needed my blue sponge.  However, I did a bit better than I thought I would.  I ran it as hard as I could.

My division results were pretty good though, considering I'm at the high end of my division -- I'm 49 and the division is for 45-49 year olds.  I came in 411th out of 1609 finishers.  Overall, I came in 4,216 our of 21,636 finishers.

Gun / Net Overall Sex Div  6.5Mi Split   Net Time   Pace   1:26:11  /  1:21:57    4216 /21636   3416/12040   411/1609   0:54:29   1:21:57   8:11

Virtual Run from DC to Punta Gorda, FL

"A" is my start, "B" is my current position, and "C" is the goal.

It has been many months since I updated my virtual run from DC to our house in Punta Gorda, FL.  It all began as a New Year's resolution before we even owned the house in Punta Gorda.  I'm still running, but time is running short.  I went through a streak of 25 days in a row running at least 3 miles a day and also have gone days in a row not running.  Now, I have to buckle down if I'm going to make my goal. 

The good news is that I have crossed the border into Florida!  The bad news is that there are still 265 miles to run to get to Punta Gorda.  I ran the Army 10-Miler today and as of today, I have run 738 miles since January 1, 2010.  My goal for the year is 1,003.  With 68 days left in the year, that means I have to run just an average of just under 4 miles a day, everyday, or about 28 milies a week to meet my goal.  I have got to quit pussyfooting around and run to make my goal, and I intend to do just that. 

I'm in the part of Florida (virtually) that is famous for its speed traps... Starke, Waldo, and Lawtey.  These are secondary roads that provide a shortcut between I-95 and I-75, which is the highway that crosses the west side of the state.  Be careful if you are driving in this neck of the woods, as you will get a ticket for the slightest offense. 

Maude Is Not That Into Halloween

I really hate that I'm one of those cat people that dresses up his pet, but apparently I am. Sorry Maude. Don't get me wrong... she loves the treats, and she got lots of them as I tried to get this shot.

Halloween Preview: Guess Who Is the Cowgirl

Our Last Day at the Beach

We have to head home tomorrow.

More Zoo Pics 2

More Zoo Pics

They had a very cool exhibit where you can pet and feed the sting rays.

Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa

Since we had to come to pick Shane up at the airport, my sister and I
decided to come to the zoo to hang out today.

Romantic Punta Gorda Sunset

From the romantic sunset cruise with my sister.

Going On a Romantic Sunset Cruise

With my SISTER!!!

At Least I Rememered My Swim Trunks

I thought I left our beach chairs and umbrella in the back of the
car. I was so sure that I didn't even check before we left. Luckily,
we made the best of finding the back of the car empty. I am spending
the week here in Florida with my sis. Shane is on travel and is
meeting us on Thursday.

Another Beautiful Sunset In Florida

Sent from Mark's iPhone.
www.runningwithbluesponge.com

Where in the World Is Shane?

Shane is traveling on business and these are the views outside his hotel window.  Do you know where he is?

Shane Sort of Won an iPad

Shane joined an association at work not knowing there was a recruitment contest going on.  He was notified this week that he won a $550 gift card to the Apple store that can be used to buy an iPad.  So, today, we went to the Apple store and bought one.  It's the version with both wi-fi and 3G and 32 Gigs, so we had to kick in a little extra money, but we're not complaining.  We also bought a cover and a cord to allow us to connect it to the TV, so we can watch movies and iTunes downloads when in Florida (where we don't have cable).  In this photo, Shane is listening to singers from around the world on the Glee app.  We've also downloaded Kindle and synched my Kindle books I already purchased.

Lady Gaga Does Speechless Live

My niece, Kelly, sent this too me. I'm hip to the Gaga! Shane is impressed she can play an instrument.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #257

Thankfully, that eye doctor was a quack.

This is my submission for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #257. Let me know if you come up with a one too.  I think this could be my worst one ever.

On the Beach ar Manastota Key

Shane and I are spending the afternoon at the beach and having a great
time. It's hot, but nice and breezy under the umbrella, and it is
very nice in the water. It is a beautiful day!

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #256

How did that salesman ever talk me into buying a Miata?

This is my submission for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #256. Let me know if you come up with a one too.

Outside Shane's Hotel Window

Shane is traveling today.  He's at Soaring Eagle Resort and Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.  He gets back late Monday night.  He has to give a speech... something about emptying his backpack. 

Officially Addicted to Qrank

My friend Honey, from My Honey Wears Plaid, told me about Qrank.  Honey and the Boyfriend have gotten together with Shane and I for many a game nights involving Trivia Pursuit, so he knew I liked the trivia games.  Qrank is a free app for the iPhone (and iPad and can also be played online).  You can only play once per day.  There are 20 questions, of which you choose 15 to play.  They are rated by difficulty -- there are eight 200-point "easy" questions, eight "medium" 400-pointers, and four "hard" 1,000 pointers.  Added to the mix is three hidden bonus tiles, making those question worth two or three times more. 

The object is to get more points than other people in the world.  You can look at how many points your friends got, people in the local area, in your state, in the United States, and in the world.  It knows where you are using the GPS in the device (or your IP address from the computer I assume).

In addition, you earn award points for various accomplishments.  Out of a possible 1330 points, I've earned 160.  For instance, I earned 5 points for the Hot Hand Award, because I got five questions right in a row.  Also, I earned the Spicoli, also worth 5 points, for missing five questions in a row.  You also earn points for playing in different places.  I got the Stud Stache award for playing in five different U.S. states.  I soon hope to earn the Road Soda Award (20 points) for playing in 10 states.  I'm up to eight states I've played in (including DC as a state)--DC, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.  I expect to get Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Florida soon.  As far as I know, there is absolutely no value to earning these points, but I seem to be obsessed with getting them.  I'm not sure why.  As all trivia games should be, it is all pointless.  I can't stop though. 

The only problem with the game is that it is easy to cheat if you're a devious person. If you sign in with a different email address, you get the same questions again when you play as someone else, so its easy to see the answers and get a crazy high score. I'm sure some people do that.  They know who they are.

If you want to join the fun, add me as a friend in Qrank.  My name on the game is the same as my Twitter name -- Bluespongerun.  You can see my scores on Twitter (in my sidebar).  I can get more points if I score high among  lots of friends... so don't join if you're real smart or plan to cheat. 

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #255

What makes you think he's been seeing an inflatable doll?

This is my submission for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #255. Let me know if you come up with a one too.

Seeing Sean Hayes In NYC

We took my sister and nieces to New York City today. I went with my
nieces to see American Idiot and Shane went with my sister to see
Promises, Promises. AI got out early, so we waited at the stage door
at Promises and met Sean Hayes, who came out to sign autographs.
Shane and I saw the show back in August. Kristen Chenewith did not
make an appearance. American Idiot was really good, but very loud.
Am I getting old?

Our Last Sunset This Year in Maine

With Hurricane Earl barrelling toward the coast of Maine, we enjoyed our final sunset this year at Moose and Squirrel, the house we rent in Little Deer Isle, Maine, this year. So, who needs the sun?   It is supposed to start raining later tonight and the heavy rain is set to be here as we start driving in the morning. We plan to drive all the way to DC tomorrow.  That is the not fun part of the vacation. Oh well, we've had a great time. Until next year!!!!

Watching the Sunset With a Special Wine

Shane and I went to Italy 3 years ago and bought this bottle of wine at a winery called Castello di Meleto.  It was a Chianti Classico from 2003.  We've been saving it for a special occasion ever since then.  It survived in Shane's suitcase all the way from Europe.  We were going to drink it on an anniversary or when the sale of our Florida house went through, but for some reason we just never drank it... until tonight.  We sat on the porch of Moose and Squirrel and drank every delicious drop as we watched the beautiful sunset.  It was a wonderful evening.  

I just looked up what it would cost to buy more of this exact bottle in the US.  There was an online listing of a store in the Bronx that sold it for $16.99.  It was priceless to us.