Buffalo 100 recap

Snow and cold in Layton on the way
to the start ~

I had a sinking feeling as I drove to the start of the Buffalo 100 on Friday ~ 33 degrees and snowing in Layton, just a few miles away from Antelope Island.  It was ominous.

The Island awaits ~

When I arrived at the start-area at White Rock Bay, I busied myself with arranging my gear, dropping off my drop-bags, and saying hello to a few friends.  I kept my headphones on to distract myself with some music because the pre-race talk always gets me a little more jittery.  I also left my fleece-lined ski pants and puffy coat on until the very last minute.  I considered racing in my puffy coat, but decided to keep my other 2 puffy coats that I had in my drop bags as reserves and try to tough out the first 19 miles without them.

It was windy (understatement).  Sustained winds 20-30 mph with some gusts probably up to about 40 mph.  I think the high on Friday was in the low 40s.  That translates to a temperature around 30 degrees if you factor in the windchill.  And that was while the sun was out.

I opted to pull a "Meltzer" at Elephant Head, and while the rest of the race went on a 4-mile out and back, I did the 6 mile loop first.  I did this for two reasons:  1) I love running by myself, without listening to the chatter of other racers and the snorts of snot from them which make me gag.  and 2) I was hoping that some of the faster racers (who had done the 4 mile out and back first) would catch up to me and I would see them.

Indeed, both assumptions played out nicely.  Although I missed running with Karl (he was just too fast), I did get passed by Craig, Bob, and Aaron as we headed back to Elephant Head.  I moved out of the way, cheered them on, and they gave me some words of encouragement as well.

On the way to Elephant Head, moments after the start ~

Despite the chilly, windy weather, I had an awesome marathon ~ I ran 5 mph until the first pass through Lower Frary Aid station at mile 27.  I got some broth and a perogie from Roch, Seth, and Sara and felt really good.  About a mile after the aid station, I felt a little "twinge" in my left knee, at the IT band insertion and also below the knee and thought to myself, "Uh oh.  This is not happening."  I took out a knee compression strap and fiddled with it a bit until I found a placement that alleviated some of the pain, popped a couple of Ibuprofen, and continued on to the Ranch.

Split Rock bay from Elephant Head ~

Feeling pretty good despite the cold and wind ~
mile 14-ish ~

I got to the Ranch aid station (mile 33) and said hello to Erik and John.  I mentioned my knee issue to Erik, and he reminded me of the cold temps.  Yes, I hadn't had any issues with my knee in about 2 1/2 years and was pretty sure he was right.  My knee was just stiffening up because of the cold.

The sun went down and the mountains to the east glowed pink with the setting sun (Alpenglow reflected from the setting sun in the West).  The wind continued to blow, and as the sun went behind Stansbury Island to the west, the temperature instantly dropped about 10 degrees.  It got a bit colder as it got dark, but the trail was smooth and I put off turning on my headlamp until just before I went through Frary again at mile 38.

I said hello to Roch and Sara again and they hooked me up with some hot green tea (which I mixed in my handheld water bottle with a Honey Stinger gel ~ so delicious) and a turkey and cheese quesadilla.  That food held me for nearly 10 miles!  I also put on my puffy coat from my drop bag ~ so cozy.

Ogden Alpenglow ~

The wind was blowing so hard from the north ~ probably 30 mph sustained, that I felt like it wasn't even worth running against it and wasting my energy.  I could walk 4 mph without knee pain, but as soon as I tried to pick up the pace and run, my knee would hurt after about 10 steps.  Bugger.  I was starting to get tears in my eyes.  Everything else felt good.  Why did this have to happen?

A couple of times when I took my tights down to pee on the side of the trail, I took my gloves off and felt the skin on my legs.  Then I understood why my knee hurt so much.  My skin was like ice.  The wind was going right through my winter-weight tights and I wasn't able to keep my muscles and tendons warm enough to prevent the stiffening up of my knee.  The cold really only affected my knee that I had ACL surgery on 6 years ago ~ my other knee was fine.  I wondered to myself if I would have been better running in my fleece-lined ski pants after all!  But they were in my car at the 50-mile aid station, so there wasn't much sense in dwelling on something that couldn't be changed.

I talked with another runner named Mike, and he said that his hips and knees were bugging him too, from the cold, and had opted to put some wind pants on over his tights.  I though about putting a second layer of tights on from my drop bag at Frary, but honestly have you ever tried to run in two pairs of tights?  I was afraid I would be walking like the Tin Man.

I called my friend Mark (who was a few miles ahead on the trail at one of the aid stations volunteering) and told him what was going on.  I said I was going to drop at mile 50.  He said for me to continue to his location and we would talk.  When I got there, what seemed like an eternity later through the cold, windy torture chamber (the temperature was now 25 degrees, with 30 mph wind, translating to a temp in the single digits) I dropped about 4 or 5 f-bombs and I think I scared the crap out of Zac, the other aid station volunteer.  Poor guy.  We had just met at the half-marathon event in Moab the previous weekend and I had to laugh at what he must have thought of my outburst.

On my way up the hill to start the Bridger Bay loop, I walked next to my friend Leon.  As we were going up the hill, Karl came cruising down the hill, already well into his second loop of the Island at mile 70, as we were at mile 43.  He was nearly 30 miles ahead of us!  What an amazing athlete, I thought to myself.  What a jerk!  Leon and I talked about how he would certainly get a course record, as many of the rest of us were struggling just to make it one time around the Island in the conditions.  We saw a huge flash of lightening off to the west and a rumble of thunder.  Leon said, "Oh, it WILL storm again!"  And I thought to myself, "I do not want to be out here when it does."

I told Leon to go on ahead, as he was mustering a nice jog and I was only able to speed walk on account of my knee pain.  It was eery going out to the Bridger Bay campground by myself, on a rudimentary trail through the sand and dead waist-high weeds.  I met up with Quintin who was drinking some broth at the aid station at mile 46, and the volunteer showed me the way around the tent to continue on my path around Buffalo Point.

It was dark out there.  So dark.  It was also sheltered from the wind and very calm.  I looked up at the stars and saw them twinkling in the jet-black sky. I could see storm clouds off to the west and I could see the lake just a few yards below me, reflecting in the moonlight.

Quintin came along from behind and I stepped aside to let him pass.  He gave me words of encouragement to continue and I appreciated his ever-positive attitude.  Feeling a little low, I had another bite of something to eat and thought the aid station at 50 miles would never come when moments later, I was on the pavement again, just a mile away.  I caught Leon and Quintin again as we headed in to the last stretch of lap one and jogged into the tent.

I gave my race number to the volunteer (who was drinking a beer at 11:30pm) and he replied with, "Are you sure that's your number?"  Well, asshole, I've only been out here for eleven and a half hours, through half a dozen other aid stations, checking in with the number that is on my race bib, so I'm pretty sure that's what my number is.  I gave him a blank stare and said, "Yes.  I'm sure."  And proceeded over to a camp chair where my friend Britta got me a hot cocoa and my friend Kim would would have been my night pacer (had I not dropped out) gave me a steak and potato burrito from Rancheritos.  Delicious.

My knee continued to stiffen up as I sat there and I was sure I made the right decision to drop at mile 50.  Here I was, eleven and a half hours later, and Karl would go on to set a new course record in 14hrs 34min.  I went back out to Frary to pick up my drop bag and say thank you to Roch and the other volunteers there (Sara was sleeping and would win the 50 mile race the next morning).  I marveled at how beautiful the cities along the Wasatch front were as viewed from the east side of the Island at night.  It was one in the morning when I got home.  I heated up the rest of my burrito, took a shower and went to bed.  My knee was killing me and I took 800mg of Ibuprofen.

Reward ~

Here I am now, 4 days later, and my knee feels fine.  My legs never really did get sore.  Hopefully that is a testament to me being in pretty good shape.  I'm certain that if the conditions had been different (warmer) I would have finished the race, having not had the knee issues that I had.  I look back at last year when I volunteered at this race at Lower Frary and it was 80 degrees for a daytime high.  Back on that day, I said to myself, "I think I'll run the 100 here next year."  The Island tricked me and lured me into its beauty.  I wasn't able to overcome the cold temperatures and the winds.  But never fear, my knee feels much better now, and I think I averted a grander injury had I kept going. There are lots of races this summer and the Island will be there next year.  And next time, I will have Windstopper tights.

Good for the soul ~ rest, running, and laughter

Wow, after my 4 big running weeks in a row, I was super tired last week.  I decided to give things a rest.  I napped in the afternoons and took 5 days off in a row.  By Friday I was running again, and put together 20 miles over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  It felt good.

Now, this week I'm up to 20 miles already over Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I ran two 5 1/2 mile runs yesterday (one with the dogs).  My running partner, Mark, told me that it felt like I was running faster on the afternoon run.  I looked down at my watch, and the pace-clock said we were doing 30 seconds per mile faster than usual!  And I felt relaxed and was chatting away.  I guess that rest did me some good.

The weather has been sunny this week ~ first cool, and brisk, and sunny, then today a bit windy and warm.  It got up to nearly 60 degrees here in Salt Lake!  Running with the dogs was relaxing and nice this afternoon.  We've got some weather moving in tomorrow evening, and hopefully it will hold off for the first session of Girls on the Run that starts tomorrow.  I'll be coaching again this year at Uintah Elementary with my friend Suzanne.

Since I gave up sweets for Lent a few weeks ago, I've dropped a couple of pounds.  I really think I feel leaner and lighter, and my pants are fitting a little looser too.  All good for the upcoming Buffalo 100 in two weeks!  Yikes!  I'm so excited.

My friend Tiffany is in town this week from Seattle for a work conference.  We hadn't seen each other in over 20 years!  She is exactly the same.  It was so good to hear her laugh.  I love her laugh!  We went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant near my house, along with my friend Mark, and Tiffany's friend Laurence from work.  Delicious food, good company, laughter, and hugs.  I felt transported back to when I was 18 years old and didn't have the stress of being a "grown up" and having to worry about grown up things.  Maybe that's why I like a lot of the things that I do:  working at Student Health, coaching Girls on the Run, and running with my dogs.  Sometimes acting like a kid and being around younger people makes one feel more young at heart, I think.  And laughter is always good for the soul.

Me and Tiff at Little World Chinese restaurant ~

Enjoying the bright sunshine on the porch ~

Tired pups after a run in Memory Grove
and City Creek ~

A nice place for a nap ~

Thank you ~ may I have another?

Yup, another 40-mile week of running!  After a long week of work (I worked six out of seven days, only taking the Monday Presidents' Day Holiday off from work), I ran 6 miles in the basement on the treadmill Friday night, followed by 14 miles on the treadmill on a snowy Saturday.  I had wanted to get out and test another one of the new Nathan packs, but it was too cold, snowy, and icy out.  I watched Skyfall (the most recent James Bond movie) and the two hours and twenty minute run on Saturday flew by!  I was able to crank up the speed during the action scenes and felt really great during my run.

Then Sunday morning rolled around and I was committed to ski touring but didn't want to get out of bed.  The new snow and high winds made me nervous about the avalanche conditions, but after dragging myself out from under my cozy covers, I checked the forecast and it didn't look so bad.

Off I went to pick up my touring partner ~ we explored a new canyon, one we had hiked around in with the dogs and had looked at last year as a possibility for ski touring but never made it back to.  We were at the parking lot at 8:30 am.  Three and a half hours later (ugh) feeling cold, tired, and very hungry (all I could think about was bacon and eggs with home fries), the 20 miles from the previous two days of running on the treadmill had caught up to me.  I almost bailed out halfway up the mountain, and choked back some tears at one point.

My hard work was rewarded.  (Well, more like the hard work of my partner who convinced me to get up to the ridge line at the top, and the others who passed me who broke trail for us.)  Some of the most amazing powder skiing I've ever skied.  18 inches of fresh, perfect fluff on a perfect slope.  I'm not too proud to say it ~ I was the caboose this fine day.  But I'm so very glad I got out.  It was an amazing day.

Halfway down the canyon is where things go interesting.  I swore I was following my partner's tracks, but somehow I got off-course and ended up way too far to the left.  He came and found me, wondering where the heck I was going, and we tromped through the deep snow in the flats and through brushy bushes to get back over towards where we could exit the canyon.

Many tree branches to the face later...  we were skiing out the creek bed to the main trail.  I managed to get stuck cross-wise in the creek bed a couple of times, but was not too exhausted to get myself out.

We made it back to the car, and got to the cafe for our bacon, eggs, and home fries 10 minutes before they closed.  The wait-staff was not thrilled to see us come in right before the doors locked, but we ordered quickly without menus and ate fast, left a healthy tip, and were not too much trouble.  They were vacuuming around us as we finished up our meal, but it was kind of like when you were a kid sitting on the sofa and your mom came by with the vacuum and asked you to lift your feet up for her.  I love that place.

One more rally and we took the dogs for a walk on the snow-covered golf course to end the day.  And a nice sunset to boot!  I was tired on Monday morning from all of my fun-having, but it was all worth it!

Snack time and new skis ~

Start of the day ~ not tired yet, and still smiling ~

View of the Salt Lake Valley below ~

Quiet aspens ~

Majestic peaks ~

Feeling the ache, close to the top~

Top of the Canyon ~

Glittering snow crystals caught the sunlight
as they broke off of the surrounding flocked trees ~

The hills that we skied ~

Sweet, patient dogs ~

Three strong training weeks ~

I don't have much to write about, except for the fact that I've been running a bit more lately, in an attempt to get three weeks in a row of 40 miles.  And guess what?  I succeeded!  I only have to walk the dogs when I get home from work tonight and I will have it in the bag.

My body has held up well with my increase in mileage.  I've only had a few small aches and pains.  I've transitioned to my Altra Torin shoes completely and have been totally pleased with how my feet and legs feel.

I've also been trying to eat a little better the past few weeks.  I have to admit, on Fat Tuesday I had a bit of a binge on the sweets, but have now given up all chocolate, cookies, cake, donuts, candy, etc until Easter ~ 40 days hath Lent!  I was a bit shaky the first few days, but I think my insulin and glucose levels are figuring things out.  Now if I want something sweet to eat, I have a bowl of cereal or a piece of fruit.  I'll feel a little better physically after the challenge as I have done this every year for the past 5 or 6 years and I always feel better mentally as it's quite a sacrifice for me to give up my beloved sweets.  I have quite the sweet tooth!

Friends of mine tell me that if I really wanted a challenge, I would give up coffee, but I'm afraid that if I tried to do that, I wouldn't have any friends left come Easter (I tend to get a little crabby without my coffee).  And besides, when I give up sweets, I tend to lose at least 5 pounds in the process as well!

Lots of road miles the past few weeks, but that's ok, because things in Salt Lake are still really snowy.  I have put together a great route that loops around the north and east benches of the city, half on road and half on the Shoreline trail.  It's a really nice loop, and the last bit is all downhill back to the house.

Skiing is only mediocre right now with variable conditions (wind and sun crust and wind-affected snow) so I haven't been all that motivated to get out and tour.  It's ok.  Only 4 more training weeks until the Buffalo 100 on March 22nd!  I was more nervous a few weeks ago, but now that I've strung together some good training weeks, with a couple of long runs (a 20-miler and a 16-miler with lots of 8- and 10-mile runs in between) I feel much more confident in finishing.

I have not completely neglected the dogs, either!  I've gotten them out to romp on the Shoreline or take a leash-tour around the 'hood most days of the week.

On the east-bench Shoreline
on my 20-mile day ~

Franklin feeling frisky at
Bonneville golfcourse ~

Artie on the old bridge at
Bonneville golfcourse ~

Dogwalk near Mt. VanCott above the University ~

Franklin, enjoying the view from the east bench~

I wore my red shirt on the Valentine's Day 16-miler ~

I deserve a cookie ~ or maybe four

The current instability in the snowpack and some warmer days this week helped me in attaining my goal to get 40 miles!  I mostly ran on the streets in Salt Lake this week, which were quite like a war zone what with the recent heavy valley snows.  Probably only about 3/4 of the residents here feel it is necessary to shovel their sidewalks.  And usually the ones that don't shovel and allow their sidewalks to turn to ice are the ones that park their cars across the sidewalk, making it nearly impossible to pass and remain with dry feet.  The city plows have had a tough time keeping up with keeping the streets clear, and it feels like we are running out of places to pile the extra snow.  Between that and the hipsters not sharing space or giving way to passersby, it was a rough week on the streets!  Yipes!

But really, it's not all that bad.  The temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s the last few days, with clean air and sunshine here in town.  Getting my mileage up a bit this week meant that I was extra hungry and so I decided that after eating Huevos Miguel at Eggs in the City today after my ten-miler (hamburger patty smothered with chile verde and two eggs over-easy) that I deserved a cookie.  I ended up eating not one, but four.  I pretty much ran all week in my Altra Torins.  They are quickly becoming my favorite shoe.  And they are pretty in pink just like the cookies I ate.

pink cookies ~

pink shoes ~

Hopefully this week the snowpack will stabilize out a bit and allow for safer backcountry travel.  Next storm on the horizon is about one week away.  There have been a few avalanches in the backcountry, but not too many ~ and the sunny weather is bound to lure lots of people out this weekend.  It's not that there have been that many slides, but if one does go, it is likely to go deep and go heavy.

I got the dogs out a couple of times for some romping in the snow ~ they dug it!  Artie did a really good job at getting snowballs stuck to her undercarriage.  She also had a couple of adventures chasing deer and elk which put us out a bit, having to wait for her.  Franklin got his staples out of his face and has pretty much healed after his surgery (the mass was benign).  And Vernon decided to go into our friends' house (thru the dog door) because he was, oh I don't know, bored?  on one of our hikes.  The friends live just off the trail a ways and he came up missing, only to be found moments later hanging out with the friends' dog at their house.  Silly Vernon.

I'm working tomorrow at the urgent care in Layton, Utah.  It's Super Bowl Sunday, but I won't be sad to miss the game.  Hopefully I'll be able to get an easy run in while I'm there.  Looking forward to next week and hopefully some skiing also.  It's only 7 weeks until the Buffalo 100, my first race of the year (March 22nd).  So concentrating on running is ok too if the skiing is not super-great.  I'm happy to get out and enjoy the outdoors either way, whether it be skiing or running.  As Jim Fixx put it, "Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things.  Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares."

Love begets love

After a great day ski touring for 6 hours last Sunday, I developed a bit of a sore throat and some achy-aches (I actually started getting sick on the tour, but toughed it out and ended up in bed most of the day on Monday) and had quite a mellow week.  (Mellow week for me is thirty miles total for the week and no more ski touring.)

I worked a couple of days, ran a bunch on the treadmill in the basement (Downton Abbey episodes get me through that) all the while with the dogs watching me, longingly, wanting to go out for a walk.  We had freezing rain on Thursday and Friday so it was really too treacherous on the sidewalks to get them out.

On Friday, I went down to the Outdoor Retailers show to just look around and hang out for a while and I ended up spending six hours there visiting with friends, looking at gear, and picking up some new shoes.  I met all of the guys at the Altra booth, and introduced myself as one of their new ambassadors, and they were so great to me!  They brought out some new shoes for me to try right then and there ~ the 2013 Torin ~ and I got on the treadmill for a bit.  We talked about what races we are all going to do this year and how their products have really taken off in the last couple of years.

I started my new job at an urgent care in Davis County and will be working there a few days a month for some extra money (I can pay for Frank's surgery that he had last week to remove the lump on his face, and I'll be able to get the new couch I've been wanting for so long).  Thankfully, I got a bit of free time to take my new shoes out for a four mile spin and I loved them.  Running in the neighborhoods around Layton left a little bit to be desired, but I was just happy to be outside and not running on the treadmill.

We had a few minutes of sunshine today just before the next winter storm blew into town.  But, alas I didn't run in sunshine rather light, drizzling rain with overcast skies.  I did get ten miles done on the Salt Lake streets with my friend Mark, and he shot some video of me in my new kicks, so hopefully I'll have some images to pass on soon.

Poor dogs still have not gotten out ~ haven't really gotten out all week except for their 3 mile walk in Summit Park on Monday.  I'll be more motivated to get them out this week what with the fresh snow and the lack of pollution in the air.  So glad it finally cleared out and we are getting dumped on with snow right now.  I'll be working the next couple of days, but later in the week should be able to get some good skiing in!

Afternote:  Frank's mass on his cheek was a benign fibrolipoma and he is healing well.  He was a bit groggy for a couple of days but was soon back to his kibble-eating self.  He only spent a few hours in the "cone of shame" and hasn't scratched at his staples at all.  Artie was quite concerned about him when he first returned home, and kept nudging him with little love nudges.  He has been sleeping on my bed every night since the surgery (on Tuesday) and I'm afraid I might not be able to talk him into ever returning to the floor and his own bed.  It's ok ~ there's nothing better than giving an old dog a little bit of extra love.  Because you know what you get in return?  Love.

The Monitors ~ where we skied last Sunday. 

Me on the Wasatch Crest ~

Franklin, post-surgery snoozing on the couch ~

Artie looking on lovingly towards Franklin

Frank checking out my new shoes (the Altra Torin)
after I returned from the OR show ~

Kickin' it at the new job ~

Ambassador Missy? Yup, I like it!

I'm really excited to announce that I've been named an Altra shoe ambassador.  A few months ago, I decided to head down to the Wasatch Running Center to just try on some Altra shoes and see what they were like.  Several of my trail-running-ultra friends are wearing them and like them a lot, so I thought that I would see what the shoes were like.

I have to tell you, the Altra Superior trail shoe is one of the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, straight out of the box.  This is a pretty "minimal" shoe, meaning that it doesn't have a whole lot of cushiony midsole, and the "drop" or the height of the shoe from heel to toe is "zero", meaning that it is flat across the shoe from tip to tail.  I originally purchased the shoes to train in once or twice a week, for some foot strengthening and to work on my stride efficiency.  They are so comfortable and I am running so well in them now, I'm pretty excited to be in the process of transitioning to them as my standard shoe.

What does zero drop mean?  For some, who have been used to running in a standard running shoe (which can be about 12mm of drop) it can be a tough transition.  I have been running in the Hoka One One Mafate and Stinsons for about three years, so for me the transition took about a month, running only 30 miles per week.  For those not familiar with the Hoka, it has about a 4mm drop and a very thick midsole.  (See comparison photo below.)

Hoka Mafate 2 (left), Altra Superior (right)

I alternated running with the Hokas and the Altras the first 3 weeks, and only did up to 4 miles in the Altras at any one time for the first couple of weeks.  I also did a lot of 2-mile walks either on my lunch break or with the dogs after work.  I talked to a Sports Med doc at work, and he advised running at least a little bit in the shoes daily, as opposed to only once or twice a week, for an easier transition into the shoes.  This way, the foot has a daily exposure to the new shoe, and is not "shocked" into wearing them for a longer distance once or twice a week.  I'm glad I talked to him about it.  I think the plan definitely worked.  The first couple of weeks I had a little bit of anterior lower leg soreness which I attributed to the change in shoes, but I was just very patient with the process of transitioning ~ running slowly, relaxed, and not pushing (things that I am very good at doing anyway!)  I'm happy to report that I did my first 9 mile run in the Altras just yesterday and have no lower leg soreness (or over-all leg soreness at all) today.

As for being an ambassador, I will be wearing an Altra shirt and visor or hat as well as the shoes, and basically saying nice things about them at the races I participate in and volunteer at.  I'm honored to be named an ambassador for such a great product ~ I feel like I have been recognized for my participation and dedication to trail running (over the past 14 years!) which is so much more than winning races and being on a podium ~ to me there is such a strong sense of community and camaraderie with trail running.  Being able to support a great product and talk about it at races with other participants will be very rewarding for me.  One thing you can count on, I never endorse a product that I don't believe in.  I rarely get "free gear", so the gear that I do invest my money in, I hope that it will work for me.  If it doesn't work for me, I spend my money elsewhere.

Altra Superior shoes with Kahtoola microspikes,
out on the Rail Trail in Park City

Rail Trail, Promontory, Park City, Utah

I am a member of the Wasatch Speed Goats Mountain Racing Team again this year, and am looking forward to swapping stories with my team mates about the races we have planned for 2013.  I'm really looking forward to my running season in 2013.  I plan on volunteering at Wasatch 100 and the Antelope Island fall races again this year.

Events I am planning on running in 2013:

Buffalo 100, Antelope Island, Utah ~ March 22
pacer at Bryce 100, Bryce, Utah ~ May 31
Bighorn 100, Sheridan, Wyoming ~ June 14
volunteer Speedgoat 50k, Snowbird, Utah ~ July 27
El Vaquero Loco 50k, Afton, Wyoming ~ August 10

Couldn't resist adding this one ~
the dogs and I walked to Starbucks for a
coffee and a snack.  Don't let them fool you ~
they enjoyed every minute of it!