The Vault.

So I started this post a week or so ago and it's been sitting in the vault since then.  Here are a few updates for my loyal followers...

So a couple weekends ago in NY it wasn't all about garbage plates.  Saturday night Amanda and I went over to Micah and Julie's house to watch game 3 of the Dodgers/Cubs series with my dad, Ben, Tim, and his girlfriend Kristen.  We had an awesome time, and not just because the Dodgers ended up winning the game and sweeping the Cubs in round 1.  It was great hanging for a few hours, catching up with everyone, and talking some baseball.  Here's a pic from after the game:

On Sunday morning Amanda and I wanted to get an early start so we could get back to Virginia and get our long run done for the week.  Our plan was to tackle 20 miles which would be our longest run yet and our last really long run before the race.  Well, we were about an hour from Rochester when we started to see signs for Elmira, where I went to college.  It was a seriously beautiful day outside and I have really been looking forward to showing Amanda where I spent "the best four years of my life."  So spontaneity took over and our long run was put on hold temporarily.  About a half hour later we were in Elmira and I was walking around a campus that I hadn't seen in 3 years.  It was fairly surreal, and I was a little less nostalgic than I thought I would be, but it was really great to see all of the purple and gold again.  A quick 20 minute tour ended at The Branch where I spent many, many happy hours and happy nights drinking cheap beer.  Luckily Amanda was into having a lunch-time drink at The Branch and I bellied up yet again.  Here are a couple pics from around campus:

 

"Simeon Benjamin was the name that began Elmira's fame..."

I can tell you more facts about that fountain than you could possibly imagine

Mark Twain - many connections to Elmira, NY and the college

Local waterin' hole

I took Amanda to Ithaca, NY after our stop in Elmira.  Robert Treman State Park, one of my favorite places in the world, was a must see since we were so close and we had already decided to ditch our run.  Once in Ithaca we stopped for lunch in the commons, and without getting into too much detail, we ate at a little restaurant owned by a cult.  Of course we didn't realize we were eating cult-prepared food until shortly after we began our meal, but it was interesting to say the least.  Check Amanda's recent post (right after the picture of Mark Twain's study) for more info on this one.  Here are a few photos from Robert Treman.  Despite the incredibly low water levels, it was still great to see the falls again: 

It was a great weekend and we're really glad we decided to take the day long detour.  I probably could have written more if I finished this up last week when I started, but I'm going to have to end this post here for now!