Home Again Home Again

Whew! So happy to be back on the left coast, people. Get ready for a marathon (pun! snort snort!) of posting, because let me tell you, there were incidents. And there was running. And there was picture taking and of course, some good times(tm) as well.

Running
I ran about half the number of days we were actually there. I ran a very flat 4.2 mile loop about once every two or three days. Michael had to kick me out of the house at least twice. Only one incident with a greyhound and its owner who refused to share the sidewalk. And we did get some snow which made some parts of the route treacherous. Just another reason to live in the Running Capital of the World. I am happy to report that I probably averaged 9:30 minute miles.

I also got running gifts for Christmas:

• The Fuel Belt with two bottles for my long runs: (Side note: my relatives could not seem to wrap their heads around the idea of a "long run" for more than an hour and a half. My cousin, of course, wanted to know how fast I could complete 9 or 10 miles just to see if I could kick her ass. I could). I wore the Fuel Belt around the house on Christmas for a good half an hour. I looked good.
• The Stick, which I have always wanted. Now, with a foam roller and the Stick, there is no reason I can't control my IT band issues.
• Pepper Spray from Michael. This will come in handy when I encounter the bob cats and bears in Forest Park. FYI--the NYPD uses the kind of spray that I got.
  
• A donation in my name to Friends of Forest Park. Michael really came through with this one. You all know I love Forest Park and I'm so glad that we gave money to help them keep up the trail! Really Good Times(tm).

I did run today and yesterday up on the trail. The trail was a bit difficult because I haven't run hills in a long time. But it felt great to be back up there and I finally feel like I'm getting some of my speed back.

Unlike the Elf, I do have resolutions, and most are about running:

1. Stretch after a run. Duh.
2. Do speedwork once a week. Yuck.
3. Run the Shamrock Run, run the Helvetia Half and ultimately train for a marathon this fall.
4. I would LOVE to do the Dirty Half with the Wagers, but we'll have to see.
5. Follow a training plan for those runs.
6. Log distance, times and shoes.
7. Get the Nike Plus system working. Shaunmarie swears by it.
8. Long run every week.
9. Guilt all y'all for not running with me.
   

Antietam
Visiting the Antietam Battlefield was a highlight of our trip. There are a lot of Civil War battlefields close to my parents' home: Gettysburg, Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Manassas. So far Michael and I had only visited Gettysburg. So my parents graciously stayed home to watch the kids and Michael and I drove two hours due south to Antietam, located in Sharpsburg Maryland. (the battle is also known as Sharpsburg).

So this battle has pretty much one huge claim to fame: the bloodiest single-day battle in US history with 23,000 deaths (even more than D-Day).

Having said that, let's say you're in the neighborhood and you have your five, six and nine year old children with you. Why not stop by Antietam and watch the one-hour documentary which shows in graphic detail, the three major parts of the battle, including the crossing of Burnside Bridge where Union soldiers were picked off one by one and left to float in the Antietam creek. I'm sure young children would totally understand and appreciate this wonderful film complete with decaying bodies and skulls and intense hand-to-hand combat.

Seriously, what is wrong with people? And one other thing. Wherever a general was killed on the battlefield there is an upside miniature cannon to mark the dying place. Some idiot parents let their two stupid ass teenagers run wild and we came up on them sitting and playing on top of these statues. Absolutely zero respect. I felt it would have been just as disrespectful if they had just urinated on it.

Just another example of why I hate people so much. And kids with stupid parents. Anyhoo, here is your pictorial lesson of the battle of Antietam.

Me sitting in front of Dunker Church, the meeting/staging place for the Confederates. Many people died here and ironically enough the Dunkers were German baptists and pacifists.

The Miller Farm cornfield. No corn during winter so it was a bit difficult to get a feel for the size of the field. Union soldiers marched through the cornfield to be gunned down willy nilly. Many people died again.

The Sunken Road, a.k.a Bloody Lane. Confederate soldiers lined the fence to wait for Union soldiers coming up over a ridge (not seen in pic) and then again picked them off. I'm not sure why McClellan never scouted the topography before the battle.


Burnside's Bridge. This is looking toward the side of the creek where the Union soldiers came from. Many men died trying to take the bridge because a bunch of Georgians set up shop on the other side of the bridge on the hill and just shot anything that moved. Kind of like target practice (again).

And that is your capsule of the battle of Antietam. It's really much more than these popular landmarks and you should totally do some research. For one, about five days after this battle, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. And another, if McClellan hadn't let Lee scurry away the war probably would have ended. And it was the first major battle on Northern soil, etc. etc.

In the first Saturday in December they light one luminary for each fallen soldier...over 23,000 in all. I hear it's pretty amazing.

Whew. Join me next post as we discuss Zoo America and the Two Plane Flights From Hell.