The Kindness Of Strangers

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Coco

This weekend I wanted to run to Hain’s Point with my friend, since she missed out on that fun when she bailed on the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler. Our route would be about 8 miles, which is the distance we wanted to cover, and flat, which is what my ITB/piriformis needed. To the extent that we still have predictable, seasonal weather, it was unseasonably warm and humid, so I finally got to wear the new top I bought back in March at the Rock’N’Roll Half Marathon expo.


Yes, it was that warm!

My friend uses a small hand-held water bottle, and usually stops at a water fountain mid-run to fill it up. I don’t know if it is too early in the year for the water fountains around Hain’s Point to be on, or if the one we tried was just broken, but she was out of luck. While she was trying it, I noticed a limo parked nearby (limo drivers seem to wait in the local parks for their appointments) and thought, “I bet he has some water.”

As we got closer, he was standing behind his trunk–with two water bottles in his hands!  He had seen her try the water fountain and asked, “Do you want some water?” My friend was reluctant to take it, but I quickly said “Sure!” and “Thanks!” While she was a bit creeped out, I was trusting in the kindness of a stranger–or at least a bored limo driver.

When we finished our run, I was very hot and sweaty. I had planned to take a shower at the office gym before spending some time at my office, but we were told on Friday that the locker rooms would be closed all weekend for some maintenance work, although the gym would be open. Before my run, I thought I would be OK with just changing clothes, but I felt really gross.  Since it still was early, I decided to see if there was any way that I could finagle a shower. The trainer was at the gym, but the workers weren’t. The trainer took pity on my sweatiness, and agreed that I probably had time for a quick shower. Ahhh!

After a shower, some clean clothes, and a grande bold from Starbucks, I was ready to put in a few hours of work.

Garmin Data
Total Distance: 8.01 miles Total Time: 1:13:26 (avg. pace: 9:10 min/mile)
Split Times: 9:18, 9:03, 9:09, 9:13, 9: 13, 9:01, 8:54, 9:28

Has your day been made better by the kindness of strangers?

(Did you see my PicFrame App review and giveway? Enter by Friday May 11.)

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Bored With The Bible?

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Coco

Last week I listened to an interview with author Anna Quindlen on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” The interview focused on her new memoir:

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

According to the description on Amazon:

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead—and celebrating it all—as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. 

As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about marriage … girlfriends …  stuff … our bodies … parenting …

All in all, it sounds like she has some interesting perspectives, some of which I agree with and others of which I don’t.

This part of the interview, on “leaving the Catholic church,” really struck me:

“I think not going anymore made me realize how much of the good had been imprinted deep inside me, and how much of the rest I didn’t need,” she says. “I don’t have to listen to the Gospel on Sunday to know the stories of the New Testament. They inform so much of what I write that they’re practically like a news scrim that goes through my brain 24/7. And I don’t have to listen to a sermon to know what to think or feel about them. It’s almost as if I absorbed completely what mattered most to me, and the rest could go.”

As her words sunk in, I think I started feeling sorry for her.

One of my favorite parts of going to church is hearing the readings from the Bible. Like Anna, I grew up hearing the same stories, but I still find something new in them. Sure, I can recount the stories by heart as you might find them re-told in a children’s Bible, but the rich language of the Bible (even in the more “modern” translations) really is like a good book that you find new meaning in each time you read it.

While the words may be the same year in and year out, I am not the same person from day-to-day. The stories I heard as a child take on a whole new meaning from an adult perspective. The Psalm I read when I am lonely strikes a different chord when I am feeling blessed. The serious Gospel story I know by heart catches my sense of humor when I’m in a snarky mood. I would be missing out on all of these insights if I decided that I don’t need to read the Bible any more because I know what it says.

I also enjoy the sermons, but I probably wouldn’t if they were trying to tell me what to think or feel. To the extent that my priests’ sermons even address the “meaning” of a Gospel reading, they are more likely to offer alternative interpretations–one more lens through which we can read the Word. I usually come away with a new understanding, a challenge to apply my faith more sincerely in my life, and a new appreciation of the magnitude of God’s love for us. (Both of my priests post their sermons in their blogs.)  

I don’t blame or judge Anna Quindlen for her decision to leave the Catholic church. Clearly her experience with her church was vastly different from mine. (I’m Episcopalian, not Catholic, but I’m sure that there are former Episcopalians who feel the same way she does.) But it does make me sad that Anna–and others like her–might be missing out on an opportunity to deepen their faith and their relationship with God because of their jaded views of “the church.”

Do you attend any religious services regularly?

If you do, what is your favorite part?

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Fun Photos Friday: PicFrame App Review & Giveaway

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Coco

A few weeks ago I came across this cool new app on iTunes:

PicFrame

As described in the iTunes App Store:

PicFrame helps you combine multiple photos into amazing looking frames and share them with your friends and family via Facebook, Email, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr. With 60 fully adjustable frames, rounded corners, photo effects, shadows, plenty of patterns and an easy color picker you will always have a unique look.

I don’t have any fancy photography programs, and have been frustrated by my inability to do side-by-side pictures on WordPress.com blog, so I thought I’d give it a try. Now that I’ve played with it a bit, I thought I’d write up a PicFrame App review.

It is very easy to use and has lots of features. As highlighted in the iTunes App Store:

I used it to make these collages from pictures on my iPhone:

I picked a frame color to complement the cherry blossoms.

I played with different special effects.

I tried out different frame styles and the 99-cent “label” add-on.

I used it for this picture of my GW Parkway Classic race number and t-shirt.

And this picture of the three things I bought in preparation for race day.

There are tons of options for frame styles and sizes

(one of many pages of options)

and options for frame thickness, frame color, picture effects, etc.

Once you finish your project, you can share it on Facebook or Twitter, send it by email, or just save it to your iPhone. Since I have the WordPress app, I can upload the saved projects from my iPhone photo library right into my blog. It’s really quite a fun tool for its 99 cent price tag!

**PicFrame App Giveaway**

I paid for my app, but when I contacted the developers to ask if they might be interested in supporting a giveaway on my blog, they offered me three free codes that can be used on iTunes! So, if you have an iPhone and are ready, willing and able to download an app and start having fun with your pictures, here’s how you can enter:

  1. Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite iPhone App is.
  2. Send this Tweet and leave a comment saying that you did:

I entered to win the PicFrame App giveaway from @Got2Run4Me http://wp.me/p131gw-1fH

One comment per entry, up to two entries per person.

I will select three winners from entries received by midnight east coast time on Friday, May 11. Make sure your comment includes an email address where I can reach you or you may be disqualified!

**FTC Notice** I reached out to ActiveDevelopment and they provided coupon codes with no influence over the content of this review. The review here reflects my own personal opinion of this product.

Posted in Life, Product Reviews | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Three Things Thursday (The Pricing Errors Edition)

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Coco
  1. I have a series of back-to-back meetings in different parts of the country in June, ending in California. I thought I’d see how much extra it would cost to visit my daughter in Colorado on the way home, and it turns out that it will cost $500 less to break up that cross-country trip home! The flight from San Diego to Washington, D.C. was going to be about $900, but flights from San Diego to Denver and Denver to Washington, D.C. are only about $200 each. Crazy, but I’m looking forward to seeing her new apartment!United Airlines
  2. I noticed that our cable bill was getting more expensive, so I called Comcast to see what was going on. It turns out that they were charging us for a digital box that we used to get free. They also were charging us for our two DVRs (we have one in the family room, and one in our basement “gym,” so both are indispensable!). I pointed out that our premium digital package is supposed to include one free digital box, but the CSR “explained” that that only applies to “Outlet 1,” while our digital box is at “Outlet 3.” Apparently, when our cable service was installed (three years ago!) the technician decided which outlet is which, and that can’t be changed. Sounds like a total scam to me, but she was able to adjust our account so that we won’t be charged for the DVR at “Outlet 1.” Still, it makes me mad that I have to check my cable bill every month for mystery charges and changes like this.
  3. I love using the self-service “Scan It” tool at my Giant grocery store. I scan and bag items as I add them to my cart, and then when I get to the checkout line I just have to scan the “finish and pay” barcode at the register, swipe my credit card, and I’m done. While the prices usually are accurate, there have been a few times when they were off–usually a sale item that scanned at full price. Whenever I’ve pointed an error out to a manager they have given me the mispriced item for free–even when it was a package of steaks!

Have you found billing errors on your cable bill?

Does your grocery store have a self-checkout option? Do you use it?

Posted in Life | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Wireless Wednesday

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Coco

Last week I attended a meeting in downtown Washington, D.C. As I checked my email on the way out, these wireless networks popped up on my iPhone:

My first thought: Occupy DC is still here?

Yes they are–I looked across the street and saw a few tents in the park.

My second thought: They have a wireless network?

I guess being connected is essential to the modern-day protester.

Have you encountered any interesting wireless networks?

Did you give your home wireless network an interesting name?

Posted in Life | Tagged , | Comments Off on Wireless Wednesday