Christmas dinner.

 I joined family friends’ Christmas dinner.

Pre-Christmas Hike

 

I hiked 13 mile with 3300 feet elevation gain along Sams Ridge Hazel River etc. with a meetup group today right before Christmas.

I went grocery shopping after the hike and then ran 7 miles in the dark to finish my 20 hike/run weekend mile goal before Christmas Day feast!

Hot Pot Legend

 

I introduced hot pot to a friend today who experienced it the first time, although I just had it at a different restaurant last week. Hot pot is such an easy cooking method that all it takes is a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table, to cook a variety of foodstuffs and ingredients. I had mushroom base soup and a lot of seafood, meat, and vegetables today (almost no starches except lotus roots).

"Hotpot tradition came from Mongol warriors and horsemen who camped outside and had dinner together circled around a pot on the fire – it was a way to keep warm, while eating at the same time." The current trend is each individual has his or her own pot.

Nicholson Hollow/Corbin Cabin Loop

 

I hiked 15.3 miles with 3600 feet elevation gain with a group in 50f along Nicholson Hollow/Corbin Cabin Loop via AT and Indian Run Trails. I fell in one stream crossing and soaked at the early on of the hike yet it was warm enough to air dry my pants and part of my boots. It rained at the end of the hike so we rushed via one spot without taking a group photos.

Thanks to leader Wanda for the taste eggnog and banana breads and Ji-hyeon For the brownies.

I ran 4.7 miles after the hike to finish my 20 hike/run weekend miles goal.

Hike + Hot Pot

 

On Saturday, l hiked with a few friends on the difficult run trail to Great Falls National park for 12 miles, and then tried the hotpot buffet at the mosaic district.

On Sunday, I ran 8 miles to meet my 20 run/hike miles weekend goal.

Social

 I enjoyed social life today with a Chinese lunch at Mama Chang and a meetup at Reston Town center.

Cedar Run, Hawksbill, White Oak Canyon Hike

 

On Saturday, I enjoyed a 10-mile 3100 feet elevation gain hike in the Shenandoah National Park (Cedar Run, Hawksbill, White Oak Canyon) with a meetup group today. The sunny 40f weather was perfect for winter hike, and we shared delicious banana bread and Puerto Rican eggnog prepared by Wanda at the end of the hike. What a wonderful day!

On Sunday, I ran 10 miles to meet my 20 run/hike mile weekend goal (I realized the wrong settings of tracking app after 2 loops then reset).

First Stage new play: Secret Things

 

I ushered at First Stage @ Tysons today for a new play: Secret Things. My main task was to check vaccination cards and photo IDs of the patrons. The play lasted 2hrs without intermission which was hard for me to keep my concentration for the story about Mexican-Americans claiming to have hidden Jewish roots.

As said in a review： Secret Things is a theatrical exploration of Judaism, mystery, and romance (a topic more likely for Theater J). I learned a new term: Crypto-Jews who secretly adhere to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith. The term is especially applied historically to Spanish Jews who outwardly professed Catholicism to avoid prosecution.