Halloween and Other Randomness

Here's the rundown on the last couple of weeks:

• MCM 10K - Another race, another medal, another chance for mom and dad to load up on swag
• Practice Thanksgiving - There is no such thing as too much turkey...or cider...or pie.
• Halloween - Brit-com with zombies and close encounters with the deer-kind
• Ravens v Broncos - A winning equation: purple sweater + purple Coach wristlet = 30-7 stomping of previously undefeated team.

MCM 10K

My last big race of this year was the Marine Corps 10K, which was the same day as the full marathon (we just started at the Smithsonian and ran 20 fewer miles...hahaha!). Mom and Dad came with me to the race again, as they were on the hunt again for freebies. The morning was cold but clear, and about 6000 people ran the 10K. I did ok and attacked The Wall (VERY steep hill leading to the Iwo Jima Memorial) at the end of the race. My knee was acting up again, though, so I got checked out by the ortho physician on duty and iced it until I couldn't stand the cold anymore. I met up with Mom and Dad before heading off to the refreshment area to grab some snacks and then head home. Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy it, and I did appreciate the moral support. Mom told me later that she was at the bottom of The Wall, cheering me on, so that was nice, even though I didn't actually hear her over the rest of the crowd.

Practice Thanksgiving

Anne invited some folks over to practice her Thanksgiving feast-preparing skills on Saturday, and if the test run is any indication, she's going to have a really good meal on the actual holiday. There's probably nothing as comforting (food-wise) as warm turkey, mashed potato, and stuffing, so helping the Vances polish off a turkey was a good way to spend the evening. Much better than manning the door, waiting for pint-sized candy panhandlers to stop by.

Halloween

After I left Anne's house, I headed to Silver Spring to see Shaun of the Dead with Beney. I don't usually like horror movies, so a British comedy that happens to feature zombies was a much better fit. On the way to the theater, though, I was driving along Rte. 29 when I suddenly was hit on the right side of my car by a flash of white. The impact dented an area around the rear passenger side of my car, just around the wheelwell. I figured it must have been a deer because no one would possibly run across 29 in the middle of the night for no reason. Then again, it was Halloween, and there could have been some drunken idiot running around, so I called the non-emergency number for the police to report the accident, just in case. I didn't get a call back, so I think Bambi just picked a fight with my Honda and lost. I got to the theater right on time and had a good time at the movies.

Ravens game

Yesterday was also a lot of fun, as I got invited to the company box at Ravens stadium. Since the big boss was going to be there and we were entertaining clients, I didn't wear my actual Ravens gear and stuck with a purple sweater instead. It also gave me a chance to break out a purple Coach wristlet that I saw at the mall recently and bought on a whim. The clouds breaking and rain stopping just as the game started should have been a sign that the football gods wanted the Ravens to have a good game. They ended up breaking their losing streak, and the Ravens looked really strong all game long. It was a good result for my new favorite team!