Let’s Have Coffee

 

Let’s have a coffee date so we can sit and talk. We need to catch up. Maybe I will have some delicious cappuccino like I drank when Hubby and I visited Italy last month.

Our hotel had a deluxe coffee machine that would dispense latte, cappuccino, cafe Americano, espresso, macchiato or hot chocolate from freshly ground beans at the touch of a button. The only thing it did not dispense was anything decaffeinated. I don’t usually drink beverages with caffeine, but I made an exception for this vacation and put up with the mild heart flutters and racing pulse I get from drinking caffeinated beverages in return for one cup of heaven each morning.

The picture shown below of my training log says it all. Zero miles for the week we were on vacation, then over 33 miles for the following week. Of course, seven of those miles were on the elliptical, but still…

I am slowly, slowly coming back from the injury that had me sidelined in late August and most of September. Between the marathon on August 19, and the week shown above, beginning September 24, my total running miles were 2.75, not including the miles I did on the elliptical. 2.75 miles in over a month!!!

Last week, there was one day where I “ran” on the elliptical for an hour, then ran/walked around town for an hour, for a total of about 11.5 miles. This week, I will attempt to lengthen that time to three hours (one hour on the elliptical and two hours run/walk), and the following week, I will increase to four hours (one hour on the elliptical and three run/walk). That will be the totality of my marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 28. My goal is to finish before the seven-hour time limit.

We went to the Station Taproom in Downingtown, PA (just outside of Philly) with a group of friends last weekend, and let me tell you, I had the best shrimp and grits ever! This dish has assumed the status of legend among our gang and it did not disappoint.

The first time I ordered it, several years ago, I looked at my plate after the server put it in front of me, and thought “I am still going to be hungry after I finish this.” Let me assure you, I was not hungry. I was barely able to polish it off. The dish is so rich and so creamy, I could not possibly have eaten one more bite. I did look longingly at my empty plate, however, and wish licking the plate would be more socially acceptable. My friends guaranteed they would not be embarrassed, but I showed restraint and gave up the last few molecules of the delectable sauce when the table was cleared.

The last thing I want to tell you over coffee is this guy is retiring! It’s official. My hubby has informed his place of work that he is retiring in December. He has worked for the same firm for over 40 years. He began working there the summer after we both graduated, two months before we got married.

We have lots of plans for his retirement. We are getting a trailer hitch installed on our car to support a bike rack so we can take advantage of the many rails-to-trails in our area. I love to ride bike but am too intimidated by the combination of narrow road shoulders and speedy, distracted drivers to ride on the roads. Riding on bike paths and trails is something we have done in the past and look forward to resuming once we have more time.

We plan to visit family in Florida (my sister and brother-in-law), Oregon (our middle son and daughter-in-law) and Colorado (our oldest son, daughter-in-law, and grandson) more often, as well as exploring other parts of the world.

And, of course, we hope to have many afternoons to do just what Hubby was pictured doing above, relaxing, sipping on a glass of wine, having a savory snack, and enjoying our time together.

 

I am linking up with Coco from Running With Perseverance and Deborah from Confessions of a Mother Runner for their Ultimate Coffee Date.