Something to do with Five

What do you do when you have a quartet of a cello, 2 violins, and 2 violas?  Ah, no, this is not a joke... You have a quartet night of Mozart Quintet, Mendelssohn Quintet, and Haydn Quintet followed by quartets of movie and tv-themes (optional second viola).  Good times.

So, this all started because Viola Man and I were discussing quartets.  Normally it's hard to find a cellist, but as my brother is one, I've got that covered.  My brother's flatmate plays viola, and Viola Man (who is also a violinist) has a friend staying from Canada - who also plays viola.  All in!  I think the Mozart was written (this is just a theory) because he had either a violinist he didn't like, or a violinist he really liked who wasn't any good.  It was the most boring Mozart part I've ever played - but the most interesting my brother has ever played.  The Haydn had Joseph's name on it but was apparently really by his brother, Michael.  And Mendelssohn.  Ah, Mendelssohn.  A teensy bit hard to sightread, especially as Mendelssohn likes to do a bit of the Jackson Pollock style so you wash about a bit, hoping you've counted correctly, until you all miraculously have the theme at the same time.  Love it - but a bit unnerving if you're unfamiliar with the part.  Or even if you are familiar with the part. 

We held this at my place, so I got to cook.  I've had a Tana Ramsey cookbook for a few years now and have cooked almost everything in it.  I'm not a fan of lemon chicken so have always skipped over the recipe for lemon chicken stew, but it stood out the other day.  Apparently the chopping is meant to take 30 minutes - I did it in half that time (go me!).  Knowing what her recipes are like with quantities (massive) I browned the chicken, in batches, in my frying pan, then proceeded with the recipe after that - all in the pot, basically.  Simple.  And tasty!  The lemon was more a suggestion instead of the overpowering force I expected, so I was happy.  Also, note the crusty bread in the background...  The serving suggestion is for rice but I'm not a fan of rice.  I made sure we had real, not imaginary, crusty bread, to soak up the saucy bits (unlike Monday).

I wasn't sure how much we'd want dessert, but with 3 blokes I thought it would be wise.  I was correct.  Earlier this year I bought, on impulse, a cookbook for fruit.  So far I've made fruit and cinnamon muffins... but nothing else.  I looked through the entire book, with my current stash of fruit in mind, and settled on the date and cinnamon squares.  (Yes, I love cinnamon).  Really yummy.  I put out half the slice, and it was all gone by the time we'd finished laughing at side-splittingly funny Youtube videos.  The slice is your standard slice mix, but because of the liquid with the dates, it is fabulously moist.

(Recipes available on request, I didn't want to take up buckets of space and reading attention with them though!).

Today's photo:

I walk past this tree nearly every day.  I love the carpet of green that encompasses the roots - but it is proving awkward to photograph.  I expect there will be a few more attempts before I capture it to my liking.

Movie #18 - Frida

I watched Frida last week, over 2 nights, and very much enjoyed it.  It would have been very annoying for anyone watching this with me -  I take notes when watching movies now, and so a 2 hour movie can take substantially longer.  It has taken a bit to digest Frida though, a process I suspect will continue for some time.  Right now, it's still unfocused in my head so I'm hoping writing this will help it settle.  I wonder if watching this movie is totally different for non-creative types?  Well, it must be, as everyone sees things differently depending on their situation.  It would be interesting to be someone else though to see this movie from a different perspective. 

I like seeing things.  I've noticed that if there is a lot of dialogue, I notice less visually.  (Incidentally, I just watched the episode of NCIS which includes the line from my sub-heading; I've also been reading a Jasper Fforde book which includes descriptions of the RealWorld from a BookWorld perspective - the narrator is amazed at how much detail is in the backgrounds.  I was on high alert for backgrounds while watching the show).  While there was a lot to absorb aurally, the visuals were so well done in Frida.  Which is a good thing for a movie about artists.  The way in which Frida's artwork was incorporated into the movie was seamless and so clever, and the camera work - mwah.  Actually, the first thing I noticed was the setting.  One of my favourite authors is Isabel Allende, and the setting, particularly of the parents' house in Mexico City, was just like looking into my mental image of many of Allende's books. 

There were four things about the messages in the movie that stood out for me.  1 - relationships.  2 - why we do art.  3 - life isn't perfect, it's how we live it that matters.  4 - you can achieve as much as you think you can achieve.

1.  Seeing the way marriage is approached - from a Mexican, Communist, artistic, early 20th century viewpoint - was interesting.  Especially for someone who is artistic, single, and who plays at weddings.  Frequently.  I know that relationships can work - my parents are still together after more than 4 decades, and I have other couples in my circle who look like they'll be together forever.  But I'm single, and I have many couples in my circle who have not remained together forever.  And, playing at weddings, you can get very cynical.  Aside from the soppy vows and princess syndrome, if cracks are evident to outsiders on the wedding day, it doesn't bode well for a long and happy life together.  Not to mention the statistical likelihood of divorce.  There were a few lines in this movie that caused me to pause and write down the quote.  The first was at Frida and Diego's wedding, from a Communist Party guest: "Marriage is, at worst, a hostile political act, a way for small-minded men to keep women in the house and out of the way, wrapped in the guise of tradition and conservative religious nonsense.  At best, it is a happy delusion, these two people who truly love each other and have no idea how miserable they are about to make each other".  In this current climate, it's probably not quite so much the first option - although it's not out of the question - and I would hope it's not really too much the latter.  But I guess it depends on your choice of partner.

Frida entered into this marriage fully aware of her new husband's character.  She knew he was a womaniser.  Early on, she asked her father "What do you think is important for a good marriage?" "A short memory" is his reply.  But, after one of many 'indiscretions', which happen too often to be slipped under the rug of a short memory, she says she cannot love him for what he is not.  And, she loves him (sometimes, in that very passionate borderline love-hate way).  Women, of course, see love and fidelity differently.  We want to find a Leon Trotsky (maybe not with the affair-with-the-artist bit, but nobody's perfect), "someone who's willing to sacrifice a little of his own pleasure instead of hurting the woman who loves him".  The fact that Diego comes back to her late in life and is true to the end made me cry, to be honest.  How lovely - but how frustrating!  Maybe creative men can only be true when they've had all their (extensive) running-around time.  And what that means for me... it can be a little disheartening.  But, moving on.  I'm going to jump to numbers 3 and 4 here.

3.  Even though Frida had a challenging life - a traumatic accident, a life of physical pain, a philandering husband, being an artist - she really lived.  She really loved.  (4) - She set her own goals, based on her own ideas for her life.  Doctors telling her she would never walk again did not stop her from walking again.  Society saying young women should marry and reproduce did not stop her dancing a tango with another woman (and more...), marrying late and not having any children (except for one who died at birth).  She lived her life and endured much more than she thought she could.  There were some things that seem to be universal, though.  Infidelity hurts.  The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  The kitchen is the best place to get to know someone, and cooking is a great way to bond, even if it's with your husband's ex-wife who is living upstairs and still cooking him breakfast.  Our hopes and expectations are two different things: we can hope to marry someone who will be faithful, but if we expect it we will be disappointed.

2 - I could really identify with Frida's drive for art.  My most productive practice sessions, and inspiring or passionate performances, all come from emotion.  As someone who has a generally ordinary life, this can be a bit of a drag.  But that need to turn to a creative outlet - a bit like the 'pensieve' that Dumbledore uses in Harry Potter - is such a huge part of life, a natural reaction.  How do non-creative types deal with heartbreak???  And not just as a way to deal with what life throws at you.  "If you're a real painter you'll paint because you can't live without painting, you'll paint til you die".  Of course, this also comes with the existential angst with which I am well-acquainted - "My little paintings can't mean anything to anyone but me".  On one level, there is little purpose in what we do - at least, in terms of furthering humanity (we're not curing cancer or anything) - but there is something to be said for creative expression which connects us and makes us feel.

Writing this has helped the digestive process, as hoped.  Accept others for who they are, with all their blessings and faults; live your own life the best way you can; live as much as you can; do what you are driven to do and you will have lived your life well; happiness and fulfillment are not the same thing.  And, perhaps, make sure you can cook.

Nearly forgot the photo for today:

Winter sunlight hitting the last pear and lemon in the bowl.

Mint Sauce and Dinner Guests

Tonight I had several people from church over for dinner.  Three had been for dinner here before, but three had not - in fact it was the first social thing with those three, I think.  After finding out the dietary requirements for one guest (lactose intolerant, not a fan of seafood, allergic to prawns, Nando's mild sauce is too spicy) I decided to do a roast.  Thank goodness there were no vegetarians!

I worked out this afternoon that the last (and first) time I used my roasting tray was 4 years ago.  Needless to say, I'm not a big roaster.  I think I could get into the habit a bit more though.  It's so simple, so comforting, relatively healthy, so aromatic.  Being not in the habit, though, meant I was a tad nervous looking for a bit of meat to stick in the oven for a few hours and still be big enough to feed 7 people.  Lamb was the best option available.  It looks like I'll be having lamb for a little while - I remember seeing a recipe for rogan josh using leftover roast lamb so that might be Sunday...

Jamie Oliver promised to hold my hand through the whole process, which was lovely - except he didn't warn me about bursts of steam (which looks like smoke) escaping from the oven every now and then.  Maybe I need to have the seals checked, but this caused a few panicked temperature changes.  Eventually, the lamb was cooked and the roast vegetables roasted.  The gravy stayed quite runny - we were at the stage where everything else was good to go so I didn't hang about with too much cornflour.  Being a lamb roast, though, mint sauce was suggested.  I have a healthy mint plant at the courtyard door - how easy can it get?  Now that I think of it though, I don't recall actually eating any... I hope it tasted ok.  I'll have some leftovers, no doubt.  (Speaking of leftovers, a couple provided dessert... drool... just polished off the leftovers while writing this.  So I can wash up sooner, of course.  Raspberry and white chocolate croissant pudding.  Just in case you're wondering.  Recipe is on its way...).  Meanwhile, mint sauce is really unattractive and un-photogenic.  My apologies.

Dinner was wonderful.  For starters, it prompted me to do something with my holiday.  Well, for a day at least.  I'm still in the post-goal-achievement lull and feeling a bit down, so having people over was a great incentive to clean.  And these are great people, just having them around is good for the soul - great company, interesting conversation (I wish I could have videoed the evening - it felt rude to put quotes into my phone all night), and the sort of people around whom I can be Me.  I discovered we are all coffee drinkers - not that this is a surprise, but this was the first confirmation of fact.  My coffee machine has not had so much work before!  Yes, that is a Pride and Prejudice mug.  Given to me by a niece and nephew for Christmas, last week I posted a photo to Facebook of it, with coffee of course, in front of the tv with the menu screen for the BBC 6-episode series.  So many people liked it, and one of them got to use it tonight.  We're thinking of having a Pride and Prejudice evening...

Today's photo:

Separating the bulbs of garlic for roasting, I noticed the pinkness in the skin looks like veins.  After a bit of peeling, they look so delicate and fragile.

In Retrospect - Second Quarter

It's that time of year.  3 months since my last retrospective, so here's how I feel I've changed since then.

Food:  Something you wouldn't know - unless you've been spying on me in a serious way - is that my school lunches have changed.  For quite some time (more than a year, that is), my school lunches were really predictable.  This term, I've started taking non-salads occasionally.  Especially welcome in colder weather to have a hot lunch!  A great food behaviour change has been the introduction of No Cook Weeks.  These are the greatest.  I have fresh organic fruit and veges delivered every fortnight, and the week following will be a Cook Week, the week after a No Cook Week.  I still have quite a stash of frozen meals in the freezer, plus it's holidays right now and I'm cooking quite a lot, so this wonderful destress habit can continue for a while.  Knowing that I don't have to do anything except thaw and heat is such a calming feeling.  Obviously, I love cooking, but I love not needing to cook as well.  An added benefit is I am more likely to cook the fresh produce before it's past its best instead of needing to ditch it.  The other food behaviour change is another not many would have noticed - I no longer buy peanut butter.  I gave it up for Lent, then went a bit crazy with it after Easter.  Peanut butter is no longer my friend.  I had decided I couldn't trust myself with it, when a quote came up on Facebook - if you can't eat it responsibly, don't keep it in your house.  Good advice.

Clothes:  The 'search keywords' that lead people to this blog are usually fairly ordinary (recipes, movies, that sort of thing).  By far the most searched item though is stockings.  This has been a bit of a surprise... and a little unnerving...  Nevertheless, I am far more adventurous with my stockings now, and they definitely initiate comments and conversations.

Organisation:  I have a slightly more organised house.  Not by much, but every little bit helps, right?

Photography:  I'm loving the Daily Photo.  Partly, it's feeling like I have an excuse to take those photos I'd normally walk past because I'm a local.  But I'm also enjoying getting up close and personal with my environment again, and seeing my world through the lens again.  And seeing the colours in the northwest of the state - so different from Brisbane! - made for an even more interesting trip to Mt Isa and Townsville.

Running:  This feels like the big one.  Running is a brain thing for me, and to train for the half marathon involved not just running but brain training as well.  Taking different routes and doing different gym workouts, as well as different running shoes and tweaking little things about my running practice - these all helped the Gold Coast Half Marathon to be a successful and positive experience for me.  Having run many, many kilometres in these shoes now, one big bonus about them is the grip.  To get anywhere, I need to run down a fairly steep hill, which is often (usually) covered in leaves.  When it's been raining, this makes for a slippery descent.  Similarly, the downhill slopes on the bike path can be a bit on the slippery side after (or during) rain.  I can feel these shoes really gripping though, and I no longer worry I'm going to slip.

Coffee and Movies:  Looking at the list of blog posts for the last 3 months, I see a lot of coffee places listed...  Now when I have a catch up with someone, we purposely find somewhere I haven't been before, so it can get to the blog.  I also see on the list many movies I wouldn't normally have watched.  I like that people will ask if I've seen something, then if I haven't they loan it to me.  This is not just broadening my movie experience, but I am flattered that people want to know what I think!

The Term 2 Goals:  Well.  The facial expressions were a bit of a disaster after the first week or so - it was so hard!  I am very pleased to report, though, that I was successful in putting away teaching materials after each day.  I think I can say now that the practice has now become a habit.  Woohoo!

Tuesday's Daily Photo:

Gin cocktails - experimental, of course!  Needs something like lemonade or tonic water.  But, the shelves looked far more interesting through the glass.

June Spending

Budget, smudget.  My excuse: stocktake sales.  Plus there's less of me than before...  But still, please don't hate me!


June 1 - I was so relieved we'd started a new month, I spent more than half my budget in the city the first day:
Target: Leopard stockings; Marle stripe stockings - $7 each = $14
Lifeline Adelaide St: Table Eight skirt (below left); Jeanswest dress (not pictured) - $26 each = $52

Subtotal $66

June 8, and I was really on the hunt for new boots.  On the way to finding my new brown boots, I found - finally! - the colour block stripe stockings in my size at Target, $7; and cowl neck tops from Tokito...on sale... I love this brand, and these tops are so beautiful to wear.  I couldn't decide on a colour so bought one in navy and one in purple (according to the label - I think it's more mulberry, myself- pictured left).  $45 each = $90

Total = $163

I did also find the new brown boots, on sale - a very good sale indeed.  I'm cheating a bit here, not including them in the total as they are not only a high-price item and guaranteed to put me over just on them alone, but footwear is important.  Given the state of my other boots - they still look fine but I don't feel fine after a few hours in them - I count these more as a replacement item rather than a more frivolous extra.

And now, to appease my guilt at such over-indulgence, I think I'd better make yet another resolution: if I go over budget, I need to donate the same amount of excess to a charity.  I have to give my dad credit for this idea - years ago he started a similar scheme, so if he bought a shirt, for example, he'd donate the same amount of money to a charity.  It really makes you think twice about the word 'need'.

Viva Espana

This morning was the 4th of 5 mornings I woke at stupid o'clock for a sport-related activity.  Thursday and Friday were for practice runs, waking around 5am.  Saturday I had a delightful sleep-in (thankfully I'd cancelled my morning students - the first is usually scheduled for 8am, arriving 7:55 or so, but I woke up at 7:59 - it was bliss).  Sunday was the lovely 4:20am wake up for the Gold Coast Half Marathon.  Today I woke at 4:30 in preparation for the Euro Cup Final.  Admittedly, my plan of making a cup of coffee to help things along didn't pan out, and I fell asleep again until about 5:45...

It's not often that I alter my sleep habits for sport.  And it's not that I'm a massive soccer fan.  But I did feel that this would be one of those games, and I didn't want to hear about it merely second hand.  Plus, my brother and his flatmate are big soccer fans.  So, once I woke and made myself less scary-looking, I hobbled down to their place.  And got to see the sky lightening beautifully.  There are definite benefits for waking stupidly early.

When I arrived at their place, I thought maybe they'd fallen asleep.  Then, when I saw them sitting attentively on the sofa with a doona each, I had the impression they were watching a movie.  But no, they were being considerate neighbours.  Of course, it is soccer, not known for goal-scoring.  And as I arrived early in the second half with a score of 2-0, I didn't expect to see any goals.  Surprisingly, I was wrong, and I got to see the next 2 goals as well.  I'm not sure I've seen so many soccer goals in total before, let alone in the one game.  As it turned out, this was a record for a Euro Cup final.  Next bonus - seeing the sun peeking over the city as I hobbled up the hill.

In honour of Spain's win, I decided to make a Spanish dish for dinner tonight.  Originally I intended to make empanadas (yum!) but there was just too much effort involved.  I should mention here that my day involved breakfast...a load of washing...coffee...phone call with Dad...made bed...extensive nap...lunch...walked to the shops to buy ingredients for tonight's dinner...made dinner... you get the idea.  It felt like mostly sleeping.

Tonight's dinner, then, was Spanish Prawns with Spicy Lentils.  Unlike last time I tried to follow a recipe, this time I was much more diligent.  You can find it here if you want to try it.  My brother came over as well - even though he isn't a fan of lentils and I warned him what dinner would be.  Moreover, he said a couple of times how tasty it was.  I consider that a win.  Both of us were still hungry by the end though, so maybe it needed more imaginary crusty bread.  Oh yeah, I'm not good at remembering things like crusty bread, so you have to use your imagination here.  We did.

Today's photo:

My mega achievement for today was walking to the shops.  Slowly.  And I got to see the layered sky with the moon rising.

The Gold Coast Half-Marathon

...Or, things that make me happy:

#1:  Going Away (if only for a night).  It is especially exciting (or happiness-inducing) when associated with a running event - the general buzz that surrounds these, as well as the mass of like-minded enthusiasts, makes for a great atmosphere.

#2:  Beating the Queue.  Once checking in (to a more-budget-than-expected-hotel, but blessedly close to the race precinct), we had a practice walk to the start line, then went back to the pub - it was on the way home, after all.  We were about 3rd in the queue.  By the time we ordered, the line went out the door and then some.  Dinner in a Gold Coast pub on a Saturday night is a slice of the roil Straya.  The IGA slogan, "the way the locals like it", came to mind, but there were also many runners.  Some had done the 10km on Saturday (some as a warm-up) and others were just there for the half and full marathons.  A large group commandeered several tables next to us and were a stereotypical bunch of runners. 

#3:  Although I was really tired, I couldn't sleep (heart rate was up around the 100 bpm mark) - but having a store of music in my head was really helpful.  Unfortunately, I had a mariachi tune on repeat in there as well, but I tried to drown it out as much as possible with Rachmaninov's Isle of the Dead, which is my sleep music.  Even so, I had very little sleep - I was still wide awake after 11, woke several times during the night, and the alarm went at 4:20. 

#4:  Knee Pain Disappearing.  I went running Thursday and Friday, and my left knee developed a weird, new pain, which didn't respond to stretching or rolling-out.  I was resigning myself to a substantial stretch of walking, but by Saturday evening the pain was minimal, and when I woke Sunday morning it was gone. 

Pre-race nerves. 

(Not sure what the weird light is at the bottom corner of these photos, we think it's something to do with the flash...)


#5:  Amenities.  After leaving my bag at the left luggage place (no queue), I then joined the rather lengthy line for the toilets.  I was in this queue for about 40 minutes.  I actually reached a toilet at 5:58am - the race began at 6am.  Yes.  This made me happy.

Bring it ON!

#6:  Watching the sun rise over the water.  How good is that?!  Especially when you're not just in pajamas, hands wrapped around a cup of coffee, slippers on your feet, maybe on a balcony...or still inside because it's still a bit chilly...  But running.  Love it.  And, seeing perfect reflections in the canals, birds waking and having a morning fly - beautiful.

#7:  Preparation.  Little things and big things.  I've changed a few things about my longer running procedure that have made life easier.  I now put pre-emptive Bandaids on each foot at problem spots (I have weird feet).  I prefer to run in a cotton tank.  I carry lip balm for when my lips are dry but I'm not thirsty.  I wear a cap if I'll be running during daylight.  I know how far I can go before I need a drink (about 7.5km is good).  I am immensely glad I did the practice run on Monday.  Any thoughts of that being too soon beforehand, or not a good idea to run the full length at all beforehand, vanished as my brain recognised features.  Although it seemed to go quicker today (well, it actually did), I know that was partly because it was not the first time I was seeing these landmarks.  Not only that, but I knew, quite consciously, that I could run this distance. 

#8:  Shirts.  I was boring, and just wore my newest Lorna Jane.  Shirts I saw that made me smile included: Like A Boss; You Should Quit Now While I'm Ahead; and Crossfit Foxes.  The last was one I kept seeing as we kept overtaking each other. 

#9:  Running.  Well, duh, but this is a big one.  When I first decided to do this, I figured that a time of about 2 hours 10, maybe 15, would be respectable.  But then I realised that I'm not a fast distance runner.  About 6 weeks ago, I stopped trying to be fast, and started trying not to walk.  I feel this has been hugely successful.  Now I only walk if I'm in pain - and today, I was in no pain.  Instead of having a time goal, I really wanted to run the whole way, and walk only for drink stops (so, not stopping movement at all).  I accepted that if my knees were really sore - and, from experience, I knew this would probably happen - that some walking would be involved.  But it was only in the last 3 km that I even noticed my knees, and it was definitely not bad enough for me to need to even think about walking.  And if I did happen to start to think that thought, I'd see someone ahead of me who didn't look as fit as I feel, and I'd keep running.  Having trained on a route with some hills, I am more inclined to go faster up hills - this wasn't so important on the way out, but was really noticeable on the return.  The last bridge (these were responsible for the slight rises in the route) I overtook many others, and was so happy I really lengthened my stride on the way down - which was also a spot chockers with photographers.  I also knew that, by doing a steadier pace throughout, I'd have more left for a stronger finish.  I didn't want to be one of those who starts really strong and cocky and is walking the finish.  Instead, I could feel my pace pick up in the last quarter, and I was really running the last 400m with a big sprint finish.  And even better (yes there's more) - the slowest pace marker was 2 hours 20, and I only saw them right at the very end, crossing the line on her heels.

#10:  Cheering Onlookers.  Being a fairly solitary runner, this surprised me.  But seeing kids in pajamas and dressing gowns, and people holding signs, and people clapping (or using clappers) really made me smile.  And the signs!  U Make it Look Easy; Smiling Makes You Run Faster; and, my favourite (my brother's too), Go Random Stranger, Go!  The crowds were much thicker for the last 2 km, and hearing people cheer on strangers made me quite emotional.  Especially right at the end when it was obvious they were cheering me - it was all I could do to hold back the tears.  Not just the feeling of total strangers cheering me on of course, but knowing that I've run this, further than ever before, when a few months ago 10 km was a long run, and oh hello running high...

#11:  Ministry of Funny Runs (followed by a coast-ful of funny walks).  I have often thought, I hope I don't look that weird when I run.  In fact, one of my excuses for not being a runner (before I stopped caring what other people thought) was that I probably looked silly.  So, someone is probably saying the same thing about me right now, but I saw some interesting running styles.  I don't mind so much when I overtake and that's it.  But when a funny runner is ahead of me the whole time - what's with that?!  The funniest I saw was the slap-footed, elbows out, hands by hips run.  By a guy with serious hair (which always caused 'Give me a head of hair/long, beautiful hair' to start up in my head).  I'm quite thankful for my body shape, with hips over knees so my thighs don't have to skirt around each other.  And afterwards, seeing a whole lot of fit-looking people limping around Southport - even if they weren't wearing a finisher's shirt.  On a more serious note though, watching the marathon runners... whoa.  When they had about 15 to go, most were still going ok, if a little over it, but you could see some doing the knee limp.  When I was waiting by the finish line for my brother to finish, I saw a man do the really serious knee limp - arms flailing and you just felt sick watching.  20m from the end, he collapsed.  The announcer called for sports medicine to the finish line, but 2 other runners helped him up and practically carried him over the line.  Huge cheers and tears from the crowd.

Finisher's Shirt and Medal

#12:  Achievement (even if it's for others).  This was my brother's 2nd marathon, and he wanted to do it in under 4 hours.  So when I hadn't seen him yet at 3 hours 55... and then 3 59, the announcer called out that it was less than a minute before 4 hours, and all these runners ran!  I spotted my brother, cheered him on, and got a bit emotional as I knew he'd made it.  With, I discovered later, 10 seconds to spare.  And that was the gun time so his net time would have been faster. 

#13:  Being Part of Something Big.  There were 10 thousand people doing the half marathon.  And it sounded like it!  There were parts where it was fairly quiet... except for the slapslapslapslap of thousands and thousands of feet hitting the road.  And although it thinned out a little, it took many kilometres for that to happen, and it was still relatively thick the whole way.

#14:  Feeling Sore.  For a good reason.  After the practice run, I had slightly sore knees the next morning (going downstairs only) but was fine by the afternoon.  Today, I have sore knees and hips and calves and ankles and arms.  Chafing was not as bad though, mostly because I didn't carry my phone this time, and the preemptive Bandaids were welcome but not 100% effective.  I'm not bleeding anywhere though and I think with a good stretch over the next day or 2 I'll be back to normal in no time.  Having a little nap this evening I could feel my feet and lower legs twitching and this I found immensely satisfying.

But for next time...  I was inspired by those who were running and raising money.  So, next time will be not only a different location (it's a secret - but I wonder if anyone will guess?) but I'll sign up for everyday hero and make someone else happy, too.