Will Work For Food

I am excited to say that I got through Hell and high mileage, that is, the high mileage week that was last week. I ended up running 6 days, which isn't ideal, but it included two short 3 - 4 mile lunch time runs, which are a great way to get out of the office and see the gorgeous weather. So those ones don't even count as work.

View on my lunchtime run.

However, Saturday WAS work. 20 miles on an already dehydrated body on a hot day was not the best thing I've ever done, or the smartest. I blame Roger, the 70 year old man who kept filling my wine glass on Friday night. You have to watch out for those old guys; they are sneaky. The more wine he poured, the more I lamented about how I was going to be hurting the next day (as I cheerfully swilled wine from the glass). When I woke up on Saturday not quite feeling 100%, I knew I only had myself to blame (and Roger, of course) so I bucked it up and put on my shoes.

The run was long and hard. The end. Normally afterward, I am Starvin' Marvin, but this time, I was only so, SO thirsty. It carried over into the next day, when I ran a trail race (100% better than Saturday's run! Recap later!) and had brunch afterward but wasn't really that hungry otherwise.

Then Monday rolled around, and the beast reared it's ugly head and screamed, "feed me, Seymour"! This happens quite a lot, where my rest day is also my "eat everything you can put your hands on day". So I thought I would do a quick rundown of what I usually eat on a normal day when I training (actually this list is what I ate on Monday, March 25).

5:45 a.m.: Steel cut oats with banana, sunflower seeds, almond milk, chia seeds, flax and coconut. Coffee.

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: 2 - 3 cups of coffee

9:30 a.m. (or 10 if I can hold off): Apple, some almonds

11:15 a.m. Salad with apples, grapes, almonds, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, quinoa and spinach

Breakfast salad?

12:00 p.m.: Lentils with rice

1:30 p.m.: Brussel sprouts with sesame oil and salt (lots of salt)

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Orange, carrots, celery with hummus, grapes, a mango, pirates booty, nori/seaweed snacks, trail mix (and anything else I have in my secret snack drawer at work), an applesauce

5:30 p.m.: more brussel sprouts, more lentils and rice (I was eating up left overs)

7:30 p.m. Corn chips with homemade "red pepper & hummus salsa", cous-cous salad with asparagus and orange bell peppers

8:30 p.m.: Greek yogurt with honey

In looking over this list, I realize a couple of things. One, I didn't really eat a lot, just a lot of times per day! Also, I didn't eat any meat, which is fairly common for me anyway. Also, the breakfast salad would have been really good with Craisins. Just saying.

Do you ever have days where you just can't stop snacking? What is your weakness / your go-to snack food? Are you hungrier the day of a big activity, the day after or both?

Read More

Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Araç Kiralama

Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Araç Kiralama

İstanbul
Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı, Türkiye’nin en yoğun
havalimanlarından biridir. Atatürk Havalimanının yolcu trafiğini
de azaltmak için yardımcı olan İstanbul Sabiha GökçenHavalimanı 2013 yaz aylarında Amsterdam, Londra, Gatwick, Paris,
Viyana ve Milano’ya yapılan THY seferlerinin de ev sahibi olacak.
Ödüllü mimarisi ile yolcularının ruhuna ferahlık üfleyen
Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havalimanı hizmet veren rent a car
firmalarının bolluğu ile sizi şaşırtmasın. Otorento.com web
sitesi sayesinde Sabiha Gökçen Uluslar arası Havalimanında hizmet
veren tüm rent a car şirketlerinin fiyatlarını karşılaştırabilir,
istediğiniz model ve istediğiniz renkte bütçenize en uygun
kiralık arabayı kendiniz için ayırtabilirsiniz. Rezervasyonunuzu
otorento.com web sitesi üzerinden online kendiniz yapabileceğiniz
gibi, 444 30 09 çağrı merkezini arayarak gerçekleştirebilirsiniz.
Otorento.com Rent A Car web sitesinden ayırttığınız kiralık araba terminal
binası önünde dilediğiniz saatte sizi bekliyor olacaktır.

Sabiha
Gökçen Uluslar arası Havalimanından teslim alacağınız kiralık
aracınızla 50 km sonra İstanbul şehir merkezindesiniz. Ticaretin,
tarihin, Türkiyenin kalbi İstanbulun güzelliklerini, metrapol
şehrin binbir çeşit ve renkteki hayatını kiralık aracınızla
birlikte deneyimleyin.

Dört
dilde hizmet veren otorento.com web sitesini faklı milletlerden
arkadaşlarınıza da önererek onlara yardımcı olabilirsiniz.
Otorento.com hizmet kalitesiyle, full kaskolu araçlarıyla, 24 saat
hizmet veren çağrı merkeziyle tatilinizi, iş gezinizi en huzurlu
şekilde gerçekleştirmenizi sağlar. Seyahatleriniz, Güvenli ve
konforlu uçuşlar ve güvenli ve konforlu kiralık arabalarla
güzelleşir.

Read More

Jabez Banks Invitations

Jabez Banks, Jr.

In the recent post about the Mendenhall Mob I wrote about how nice it is to occasionally get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the 19th Century residents of Mill Creek Hundred, and how helpful it can be to come across something from their lives with which we can easily relate. Assuming that everyone has at one time received a party invitation, I have another example. A few months back I was given an envelope containing items relating to three events, all of which once belonged to an ancestor of the donor. There are two party invitations and one commencement program and ticket, all once belonging to a MCH native named Jabez Banks (1855-1927).

If the name sounds vaguely familiar, Jabez was mentioned briefly in the post about his brother, the local automotive pioneer Richard Banks. He was the son of Jabez and Jane Banks, English immigrants who settled originally in Christiana Hundred in the 1840's. In 1850 they were living in the area just west of Wilmington, near Dupont Road and Maryland Avenue (Rt. 4). Interestingly, this was very close to another newly-arrived English family, the Browns. By 1860, Jabez and Jane had moved to the same area in which several of the Brown sons also settled -- just west of Stanton.

Frustratingly, the Bankses never appear on any of the maps, even though their holdings in 1870 were as much as twice as great as some of their neighbors who were shown on the 1868 map. My hunch is that Jabez, Sr. first leased a farm from Joseph Wollaston near what is now All Saint's Cemetery, then bought a farm outright in the same general vicinity. One of two things probably happened -- either they were just missed by the mapmakers, or their timing was bad. Jabez could have bought his farm between 1868 and 1870. He died in 1880, so the 1881 map may have omitted the family because they sold their farm, or maybe because ownership was unclear and leaving them off was easier. I don't know. Either way it's frustrating.

Front and inside of program (top and middle) and ticket (bottom)

But now on to the items at hand. The first of the three events was the Commencement for the Boys High School in Wilmington on June 28, 1877. The high school had only been created earlier that decade, and was housed in the No.1 School located on French Street between 5th and 6th (probably about where the courthouse parking garage is now). The 1877 Commencement represented the school's third graduating class, and was held at the Masonic Temple, more commonly known today as the Grand Opera House. It had only been opened for a few years at that point, too.

Since there's no list of the graduating class, I'm not completely sure that Jabez was the one participating, but since the items came from a granddaughter of his I think that's the most likely scenario. The envelope has written on it "Mr. Jabez Banks", presumably for Jabez, Jr. But since he was actually 21 at the time, the possibility exists that the envelope was for his father, and that the graduate was Richard Banks, who would have been 17. Since school attendance was a bit looser then, either is possible. I still think that the commencement was for Jabez, though.

The second item (chronologically) is the party invitation seen above. It's for a "Social Hop" on Thursday, January 26, 1882, at the home of James K. Lynam. Lynam was obviously a friend of Jabez Banks, since at the bottom you can see that Jabez, along with Robson Banks (presumably his brother Richard R.), James' brother Quimby Lynam, and Gus Columbus comprise the "Committee". Since no Columbuses are listed in Delaware in the 1880 Census, I don't know who this final man was, planning the party with the Lynam and Banks brothers.

I was able, however, to figure out where the "Social Hop" took place. Unfortunately, James K. Lynam's house no longer stands, and in fact I doubt you'd even think that there was a house and farm at the site. As the invitation states, it was located near Christiana in White Clay Creek Hundred. More specifically, Lynam's property was just south of where the Christiana Mall is now, to the east of Route 1. You know how you sort of go through a wooded area on Route 1 between the mall and Route 273? Lynam's farm was in what's now that overgrown area, to your left if you're going south, to your right coming north. Although the area was farmed well into the 20th Century, James K. Lynam sold his farm in 1889 and moved away.

Almost three years later, it was apparently the Banks family's turn to play the part of party host. On Thursday evening, November 27, 1884, an "Evening Party" was held at the home of J. W. Banks. Of the three items, this one has by far been the most confusing and frustrating to research. Initially, I assumed that the party was held at the home of Jabez Banks, since the other items pertained to him and came from his family. Since the invitation states the gathering is "At the house of J. W. Banks, Riverside", I assumed that "Riverside" was the name of the Jabez's farm. But as was noted earlier, none of the Bankses ever appear on any maps, so I'm not completely sure where they lived at any given time. I know they were generally in the area west of Stanton, and the donor of the items said the family lived at one time in the old white house in the middle of the White Clay Creek Country Club (Delaware Park) golf course. I thought since it's near the creek, maybe they sort of tongue-in-cheekily called it Riverside.

Eventually, though, it occurred to me that I didn't know what Jabez's middle initial was, and I had never seen him called "J. W.". I soon realized that the party host was not Jabez, but rather his older brother John W. Banks (1852-1931). The next step was to try to figure out where John was living in 1884, and what or where Riverside was. Censuses are not much help, since it's more than four years after the 1880, and 16 years before 1900, the next available census. In 1880 John was living in New Castle Hundred in the vicinity of the 13-40 split, probably near School Bell Road. Since nothing about that area screams "Riverside", I kept looking.

I couldn't find much, but I did run across one item that I think gives at least the general location of the party. This report dealing with cattle health lists in its survey a J.W. Banks, Riverside. He was visited less than two months after the party, and his position directly after the Edgemoor Iron Company is the vital clue. At that time, the PW&B Railroad station just north of Edgemoor in Brandywine Hundred was called "Riverside". Assuming that the area around was also referred to as Riverside, this puts John W. Banks' house somewhere in the vicinity of Bellefonte or Gordon Heights. I don't know precisely where he lived, but if I ever find out I'll be sure to update.

One last note on the Banks party invitation has to do with a word conspicuously absent from it. Did anything about the date stand out to you? I even went back to verify it, and yes, Thursday November 27, 1884 was the date of Thanksgiving that year. It's possible that John's party was in part a Thanksgiving party, but I think it goes to show how differently the holiday was thought of then. Could you imagine someone today, A) throwing a party on the night of Thanksgiving, and B) not even mentioning the word Thanksgiving on the invitation if they did?

Jabez and Sarah Banks, daughters Jessie, Bessie, and Annie (Nan)

This all leaves me, in the end, wondering why Jabez Banks saved these these items through the years and several moves. The following is purely romantic speculation, but I have some ideas. The high school commencement items he probably saved just because he was proud of having graduated, something still not common at the time. Jabez and Sara (Chambers) were married in 1883, only a year after the Lynam Social Hop. I wonder if this had some significance to them -- maybe they met at the party, or perhaps announced their engagement there. Their first child, daughter Jessie, was born in July 1884, only four months before the J.W. Banks party. Was this the first time they got to show their new baby off to their friends? Again, all speculation, but fun try when dealing with emotions and feeling we can directly relate to.

Read More

KRISZTIAN BERECZKI 02

Read More

Principles for Eating Right for Life!

Principles for Eating Right for Life!

ü  Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day

ü  Eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of rising

ü  Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal

ü  Eat sufficient (two or three servings) healthy fats everyday

ü  Drink two to three liters of water per day

ü  Carry a cooler packed with clean foods everyday

ü  Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins and minerals

ü  Learn proper portion sizes

Read More

Live it Up Like a Local

I used to travel a lot. If you are a new reader, you probably didn't know that. You were probably wondering why this blog is called Travel Spot. You may have thought it was because I do a lot of foot travel. Well, that is true; I do, but I used to actually go to other countries, backpack on back and hiking boots (or flip flops) at the ready.

It's been been almost two years since I have been out of the country. That is a sad state of affairs.

I have friends that travel sometimes. They stay in 5 star hotels and do package tours and all-inclusive vacations. I am not saying that this is a bad thing; it's just not my style. Okay, sure, I like to put on a fluffy robe and lounge on a king sized white pillow top bed just as much as the rest of them. However, I also like to go to countries and experience them the local way. I like to ride the bus with the chickens and stay in the rattan hut with the mosquito nets. I like to find my own way. For me that is part of the fun.

Albania

When I went to the Himalayas to hike to Everest Base Camp, the fun part was slogging up the mountains (no, really!) with my pack on my back, making my own way up the mountain, without help. When I got to the next place to lay my head, I felt pride and a sense of adventure because I had done it myself. There were times when Mr. Lovely and I were all alone, without another soul around, and we could admire the majestic mountains and the endless peaks without a bunch of fellow tour members. That's how I like it. It may be more work to get there on my own, but in the end, it is totally worth it.

Nepal

I have stayed in a wide variety of accommodations. Sure, sometimes the low end route is pretty crappy. In India, I stayed in a mold infested room with mosquitoes keeping me awake all night, and it was not something I would like to repeat. I see no reason to subject myself to that! But I do like to experience some of the local flavor. Why go to Mexico if you are going to stay in an American hotel and eat American food? You may as well go to Newport Beach or Fort Lauderdale for that. 

India

I realize that everyone travels their own way. But what do you do when you are of one camp and your travel buddy is of another? A friend and I are trying to plan a vacation and she is one of the 5-star-hotel package-tour all-inclusive people. I want to get down and dirty, eat what the locals are eating, how they are eating it and I want to do what the locals do. This is difficult, as I don't want to spend $200+ for a hotel in a country where people make ten dollars a day.  She wants to stay in a place with fluffy robes and pillow top mattresses. She wants to be guided; I want to find my own way.

We are at an impasse. I ask you for help. What do you think we should do?

What camp are you in? Live it up? or Live like a local?

Read More