The Time I Accidentally Walked to Brooklyn (and Back)

Guys, thanks for all of your kind responses on my last post. It's nice to have all of you on my team! Sarah and I are running the Bronx 10 Miler on Sunday morning, so please cheer from us from your beds, which is where normal people (without children) are on Sunday mornings.

One of the new things that happened this summer is that I kept finding myself in Brooklyn. What's that about? Honestly, I am usually one of those obnoxious Manhattanites who complains about how far away Brooklyn is from everything. But that's mostly because usually I would go on the weekend, when subways are all wonky and it takes forever. But in the summer, when I have more time, I discovered that Brooklyn is not actually so far away! (I know, I know. No need to say anything. At least I admit to my obnoxiousness.)

And I discovered all of this partly when, purely by accident, I ended up walking from my apartment on the Upper West Side to Brooklyn one Sunday.

What??? You say. That's crazy! And yes, it was a little, mostly because I wasn't wearing sneakers, which meant my feet really hurt at the end of the day. My Naot are comfortable, but not that comfortable. But I did it!

Here is what happened. I made plans with my friend Samantha to walk across the Manhattan Bridge. However, I had a few other plans over the course of the day, each of which found me walking progressively further south, rather than getting on the subway, because I am cheap and don't have an unlimited ride Metrocard, which means that I sometimes do crazy things like walk to Brooklyn. By the time I reached the west 20s, it became clear that the easiest way to meet Samantha was to just keep walking. So I did. And then we walked across the bridge, and then decided to walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge. (Don't worry, then we went straight to the subway.) I didn't smell great by the end, honestly. But man, those bridges are gorgeous.

See?

And now, time to go back to work. The prospectus might be sort of almost ready to go to my committee! And also, today is a VERY big day. But I'm not telling why yet. Want to know more? Come back next time!

SBL2.0: The Running of the Balls

Or, that time I took a picture with a giant testicle.

 Dear readers, if you ever want to feel terrible about yourself, I recommend reading running blogs. These are not things that I usually read, but in the course of my googling to learn more about the course of the Staten Island Half, I found some blogs that wrote about the course. And while I got a little more info about how many hills to expect, the main thing I found myself feeling was bad about myself. Because there's nothing like someone writing about how they didn't get to train because their Crohn's Disease was acting up, so they only had a seven minute mile pace instead of a six minute mile case. Seriously, just kill me now.

ALL OF THE SWEAT

 Well, dear readers, this will never that type of blog! Because here at Curly Hair With Glasses, we want everyone to feel good about themselves, no matter how slowly they run, or if they choose not to run at all!

These pictures are from a 10K I ran on Fathers Day, known (because it raises money for testicular cancer research) as the Running of the Balls. And yes, there was a mascot dressed as a testical. And yes, I took a picture with him. (Obviously.) And yes, it turns out that one of my former students knows him. It's a small world, folks.

The day was sunny but very hot, and we were at Roosevelt Island, which is flat but shadeless. As you can see in the picture above, I was extremely sweaty. I also ran my first 5k too fast (in a little under 29 minutes) and then tired out and took longer on the second 5k. But I finished in 59:57, which I felt really great about. Runners blogs be damned. We are all winners here!

My training is progressing slowly. I'm supposed to do one long run a week, so yesterday I did seven miles. It was one of those days where I felt like I was going to die with every step. But I didn't! Let's hear it for not passing out in Riverside Park! The idea of running almost double that is feeling pretty intimidating right now, but I still have time. And please leave encouragement! I can use all of the cheering I can get.

Me! I finished! Yay!

 One note about my t-shirt. You might notice that it says "Property of Ravenclaw Quidditch", and you might be thinking, What Rachel??? Not Gryffindor? To which I saw, I would clearly be in Ravenclaw, so I'm just being true to who I am, and also does anyone else feel like the Gryffindor people maybe got themselves into a little more trouble than was strictly necessary? RAVENCLAW FOREVER!!!

Time until the half marathon: two months and four days

What I'm wearing: Look Human Ravenclaw t-shirt, Kirkland yoga pants, Adidas sneakers (similar here)

Love Trumps Hate: The Hope Edition

Sorry to get sort of political for a minute, but hey, it's my blog. I am blogging while I watch the DNC and Hillary Clinton just passed the threshold needed to become the official nominee of the Democratic Party, and I admit that I am crying. As a woman who was raised to believe that I could do and be anything, I didn't think that this milestone would get me, but here I am, at work getting ready to teach and crying over my computer.

I mention this partly because the state of America has me really sad these days. My blatant liberalism aside, when did we become so negative and so divided? When did fear become the predominate emotion that we seem to feel, instead of hope and the belief that we can make the world better?

Two days after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, I went to Museum Mile with my friend Marci. Museum Mile takes place up and down Fifth Avenue, where one night a year, all of the museums are open late and free. In addition, the street is closed and there are performers, activities, and people of all shapes, colors and sizes. It really represents the best of New York. It felt very strange to be there doing something fun in light of everything that was happening in the world, but then I noticed something...

A butterfly landed on my skirt. That has to be a good sign, right?

All up and down the street, there were buckets of chalk. And all over, messages of peace and love and hope and solidarity were covering the street, in all different languages and colors. Marci and I got in on the action, in a way that we found strangely therapeutic. Our illustrations are the first two below:

We ended up not going into any museums because the lines were so long and there was so much going on on the street. It was a lovely evening, and helpful to remember that for most people in the world, we really wish to live in a world where love can trump hate. Our children are watching us. What will it be?

The Met's Fountain

The Gugenheim

We are stronger together. Love is love.

SBL 2.0: Family 5K Day/ You Can't Handle the Ruth

Here is the continuation of last week's blog post-- the time we ran the 5K in the 10000% humidity.

Here's the story. Our original plan was to "run" (it's a relative term) a family 5K on Mother's Day, before we did our usual event of eating a lot of brunch. But then we went to the baptism and were worried about not making it in time, so we pushed off the race until Memorial Day. But then the forecast was for crazy rain, so my parents bailed. LAME. So off the sisters went, with a Simon in tow, to represent the family in a great feat of athletic prowess.

In the end, it didn't rain. That being said, the race probably would have been more pleasant if it had. It instead was so humid that my glasses kept fogging up and we were all sweating before we even started running.

This was the view out of the tram.

Gloomy indeed. But we persevered. The challenge of running with Simon is, he likes to sprint for about 10 seconds and then starts complaining about how he's too tired/ his skin is itchy/ he doesn't want to run anymore. Apparently seven year olds are not known for their endurance. Eventually Rebecca, who was somewhat injured anyway, stayed back to walk with him, and Sarah and I ran the last two miles and then circled back to finish with them again.

Eventually, we all made it across the finish line. Points for all of us. Even Simon smiled for a minute (before reverting to his signature Simon Scowl.)

This race was more for fun than for anything else, but it also kicked off my "time to get my butt into gear" time. That has since gotten to be more for real (as this was more than a month ago), and it will only get to be more so in August. Last week I ran to the Little Red Lighthouse and then most of the way back (I would say I probably ran about 8 of 9.5 miles, if not consecutively), so we are on our way. Except for the part where I periodically wonder why I decided that it would be fun to try to run 13 miles. Unclear.

The Simon Scowl. Patent Pending.

You might notice that all of our t-shirts are coordinated. They are from the Look Human RBG line, which is a favorite of mine, since RBG is so freaking cool. But also, as you might know, my mom's name is Ruth, so we bought these shirts in honor of Mother's Day. (See above.) One day, we will all wear them together, but in the meantime, here is part of the Ruth Crew:

Time until half marathon: 2 months, 29 days. Eek!

What I'm wearing: Look Human t-shirt, Kirkland yoga capris, Adidas sneakers via DSW (similar here), Penn hat (go Quakers!)

Introducing... SBL2.0!

I learned a lesson from the last blog post. If you say "Big News!" in the title, you will get a lot of traffic. Hyperbole= good, apparently. Lesson learned.

So... big news! It's Bucket List time! My fall/ winter bucket list, similar to my winter blogging, was not super successful. But now it's summer and so it's time for fun. We are calling this SBL2.0, which is not to be confused with the Society for Biblical Literature, which has the same acronym. If you look, you will see some favorites from last summer, as well as a host of new activities.

I kicked off this year's list with Shaina (and Noam!) by waiting in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets, to see Taming of the Shrew. I'll write more about the show when I show you my outfit from that, but in the meantime, this is one of my favorite quintessentially New York experiences. We went the second day, which meant that we got there at 10 and still were very close to the front. When it comes to Shakespeare in the Park, the earlier in the run you go, the later you can get in line. Important lessons from Real New Yorkers.

We didn't plan so well so ended up chairless and towel-less. However, I had been smart enough to wear one of my favorite dresses, which looks like a dress but feels like a nightgown. Pajamas on the inside, proper outside clothing on the outside is the best.

The Line.

 It turned out fine in the end, when we improvised with one of Noam's baby blankets. Thanks Noam! He had a great time waiting, which he mostly spent playing with a package of wipes. Babies are weird. But he was a good sport, even though he didn't get tickets. (They used to give babies tickets, but now you have to be at least five. Bummer.)

As the line started moving, we were serenaded by this doo-wop group, which was actually really good. I would have even given them money if I hadn't forgotten my wallet at home. Oops! Good thing tickets were free.

I'm feeling good about this bucket list. It's only June 9th and I've already done 3 things, with two more (so far) scheduled for the next 10 days. Want to know which ones? Come back and keep reading! And let me know-- what's on your summer bucket list???

What I'm wearing: Downeast Basics dress (similar here), Downeast Basics camisole, b.o.c. sandals (similar here)

Fall/ Winter Bucket List: A Day at the High Bridge

Ironically, these pictures are from October. Ironic because I look like I'm dressed for December, whereas I have not had to put a hat on since then, even though it's now actually December.

Anyway. Cold weather aside, one Sunday afternoon, Talia, Talya and I set out for the High Bridge. (They are not pictured because they never signed their release form. By which I mean I promised not to put them on the blog without their permission, which they never gave me.)

For those of you not familiar with what the High Bridge is-- it's the oldest standing bridge in New York City! Many years ago, the High Bridge was a main connector, allowing people to walk from the Bronx to Manhattan and back. Then, for many years, it was closed and left to decay. But after a renovation, it's now back and really beautiful. There's a park on the Manhattan side, including many outdoor sculptures. Hence the picture above.

 After spending a little bit of time exploring the park, we wandered over the bridge itself. It was described to me as a less crowded High Line. That wasn't completely accurate; it lacks the urban agricultural feel and flowers that you have at the High Line. However, it is also very beautiful, and definitely less crowded. It has been beautifully restored, and there are plaques on the ground which tell the history of the bridge, its surrounding area, and the different ways water has been transported into the city. I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

The view from the bridge.

 Let's talk a bit about my outfit, and then I will leave you some more pretty pictures. I wanted to dress in layers because of the freakishly cold weather. I went with my transitional seasons coat, which I believe I bought at Filene's Basement back when that was a thing, which tells you how old it is. It has held up very well. But because my coat and skirt were both black, I also wanted to add some color. The solution? Colored tights, a patterned scarf, and a sparkly hat. I am super into this hat. It's not itchy and warm but not too warm. It's sparkly, but not obnoxiously so. What else could a girl want?

What I'm wearing: Guess coat (similar here), NY and Company skirt, Hue tights, Born boots (similar here), GAP scarf (similar here), hat bought at a random stand in Israel (similar here)

The Blog Hits Nepal: Monkeys, Parades, and How to Help

Warning: Picture heavy post ahead! As I finish up on the Nepal stories. Also, I forgot to take blog pictures, so sorry about that...

Because I went to Nepal a couple of days late on account of Sarit and Abe's wedding, I spent my last couple of days in Nepal catching up on some of the things that I had missed at the beginning of the trip. My favorite? Swayambhunath, AKA the Monkey Temple!

To get there, my uncle David and I climbed up 365(!) increasingly steep steps. Luckily, we were greeted with a beautiful view, an even more beautiful temple, and lots of monkeys! Including a baby, and one who was drinking a can of soda. This temple used to have a functioning monastery, but it shut down a number of years ago, even before the earthquake. As you can see in the picture above, there are a number of cracks in the dome, all from the earthquake. There were piles of rubble all around, next to the standing structures. Everywhere you go, there's a constant reminder of how much destruction there was.

From there, after some epic bargaining, we caught a cab back to the hotel, where I met my dad to go to Boudhanath. Boudhanath is the center of the Tibetan Buddhist community in Nepal, and the holiest Buddhist site outside of Tibet. It used to have a huge stupa, but it totally collapsed in the earthquake, leaving only its dome behind. Despite the destruction, it is still overflowing with people, all of whom are lighting candles, turning prayer wheels, ringing the bells, and walking around the stupa only in the clockwise direction. The monks weren't chanting when I was there, but the place itself was so beautiful that I could understand why it is was so holy. My favorite part was the room filled with candles, which reflected over and over against the copper walls. See a small taste below:

On our last morning, the rest of the group hit the road to go to India, but my uncle Joel and I stayed back in Nepal for the rest of the day and then flew back to New York that night. We decided to go to market and then to Durbar Square. It was overflowing with people because of the festival. And also, overflowing with pigeons. I have literally never seen so many pigeons.

As it turns out, it was Dewali! So we kept running into parades, everywhere we went, both in the market and in Durbar Square. What struck me most was the colors. They were so vibrant, everywhere we turned. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

Tika Powder

Finally, not to sound like a broken record, but we saw earthquake damage everywhere we went. Most of the people we met were incredibly resilient and positive, considering the circumstances, but it was impossible to ignore how bad things looked. There were constant reminders of how much was destroyed. That, combined with the petrol crisis, has made things very difficult.

So if I've inspired you to get involved, I would make the following recommendations:

First, if you can, visit Nepal! It is a beautiful country that is super affordable once you get there, and they are really hurting for tourists right now. We traveled with Sports Tours and Travel, who were so wonderful. And feel free to email me if you want to know more!

Second, there are some organizations doing great work in Nepal, rebuilding and supporting NGOs on the ground. I recommend American Jewish World Service, and my uncle recommends Catholic Relief Services, Oxfam, or Save the Children. General donations are always the most helpful, but you can also earmark for Nepal.

Finally, educate yourself about what's happening there. Nicholas Kristoff was recently there on his Win a Trip journey, and there's great coverage about that and the petrol situation here.

And finally, what might be my favorite picture I took the whole trip:

That's all for now. Thanks for reading about my adventures. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week. Namaste!