So, two mornings ago, I got out of the shower and I was standing on my dot (that is what we call the bathmats in the master bath because they are round) drying off when Cal came into the bathroom and sat down on my foot. I started giggling and talking to him about what a goofball I thought he was because my foot was wet and he should therefore be avoiding it. When he got up and walked away, there was shit on my big toe.
This morning as I was getting dressed, Grimmy, his brother, was interested by the toilet. He's been interested by the toilet quite a bit lately, actually, but today he just couldn't contain his enthusiasm any longer, and he jumped in. In the toilet. Seriously. And immediately jumped out. Water went everywhere and I laughed my ass off.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Best Day Ever
Oh.My.Gawd!!!! Yesterday (specifically yesterday afternoon) was the best day ever. Best news. Ever. Awesome, just freaking awesome. You know sometimes you lose faith in other people or in an organization, but then someone (or someones) pulls through and does something that really restores your confidence/faith/zing? Look for big changes in my life just after the New Year. That's all I'm saying for now.
4 miles in 40:49 this morning. Felt good. Tried a couple of pick-ups, they felt good too. I need to make a habit of this as I seem to be stagnating at about the 10 minute/mile pace.
Wow wow wow!!!
4 miles in 40:49 this morning. Felt good. Tried a couple of pick-ups, they felt good too. I need to make a habit of this as I seem to be stagnating at about the 10 minute/mile pace.
Wow wow wow!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Holiday Meme
1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Wrapping paper. I feel like it just looks better - makes it look like I really care. Oh, and I love to open wrapped gifts better, too. There's something about really tearing into something when you don't know what it is...
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. One time expense, less mess, longer life.
3. When do you put up your tree? Thanksgiving weekend.
4. When do you take down your tree? New Year's weekend.
5. Do you like eggnog? I don't dislike it, but I think it is a pretty serious diet no-no.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Sugar the cat. Best Christmas present ever.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. My mom does, though. It is an Avon one. My granny was an Avon lady and she gave mom a new piece of it every year. She always let me help pick it out. Mom's actually stays up on a side table year-round.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad and Preston's dad.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom.
10. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received? JaMIL's fruitcake. When you have to start off your gift-giving sentence with, "I know everybody hates fruitcake, but..." then just don't go there, m'kay?
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I'm afraid that I'm the worst Christmas card sender ever. But I sure love receiving them, via mail.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Vacation, Donovan's Reef.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually around June. But it is shopping without a purpose. I just start keeping my eye out for anything that anyone I need to buy for Christmas for would like. Then around September I get a little more serious. With all that, though, we've still got one present to go this year (for Preston's Dad, go figure).
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've recycled it into the company "yard sale" for charity.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything sweet.
16. White or colored lights? Colored are my favorite. I know that they are passé, but my family always had colored, and I just can't seem to see past it. With that said, ours are white.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Sleigh ride, Winter wonderland, Carol of the bells, Noel, Silent night...
18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home? I'd prefer to stay home, but now that we live so far from both our families, travel will be the norm. May I just say that it sucks donkey balls to have to be back at work on the 26th.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? *singing* Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vizen; On Comet, on cupid, on Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph!
20. Angel or Star on top of tree? Star.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People.
23. What I love most about Christmas? The memories, the coziness, the feeling of being a kid again.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. One time expense, less mess, longer life.
3. When do you put up your tree? Thanksgiving weekend.
4. When do you take down your tree? New Year's weekend.
5. Do you like eggnog? I don't dislike it, but I think it is a pretty serious diet no-no.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Sugar the cat. Best Christmas present ever.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. My mom does, though. It is an Avon one. My granny was an Avon lady and she gave mom a new piece of it every year. She always let me help pick it out. Mom's actually stays up on a side table year-round.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad and Preston's dad.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom.
10. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received? JaMIL's fruitcake. When you have to start off your gift-giving sentence with, "I know everybody hates fruitcake, but..." then just don't go there, m'kay?
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I'm afraid that I'm the worst Christmas card sender ever. But I sure love receiving them, via mail.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Vacation, Donovan's Reef.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually around June. But it is shopping without a purpose. I just start keeping my eye out for anything that anyone I need to buy for Christmas for would like. Then around September I get a little more serious. With all that, though, we've still got one present to go this year (for Preston's Dad, go figure).
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've recycled it into the company "yard sale" for charity.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything sweet.
16. White or colored lights? Colored are my favorite. I know that they are passé, but my family always had colored, and I just can't seem to see past it. With that said, ours are white.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Sleigh ride, Winter wonderland, Carol of the bells, Noel, Silent night...
18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home? I'd prefer to stay home, but now that we live so far from both our families, travel will be the norm. May I just say that it sucks donkey balls to have to be back at work on the 26th.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? *singing* Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vizen; On Comet, on cupid, on Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph!
20. Angel or Star on top of tree? Star.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People.
23. What I love most about Christmas? The memories, the coziness, the feeling of being a kid again.
On Texas Weather. Again.
Oh my gawd is it ever cold outside.
I knew last night when it was 42 when I went to bed that I was in for a cold morning. When I woke up the thermometer read 36, but it is mounted right up against the house, so less than 32 is a reasonable guesstimate. I quickly donned my under armour compression top, nike slouch jacket, nike capri running pants, a stocking cap, and some gloves. Then I went out into the bedroom to sip some water and kiss my husband goodbye. The water still had ice in it. In Texas. 8 hours after making the water, there were still ice cubes in it.
I put on an additional shirt and decided to mount my watch on the outside of my shirts so that no skin got inadvertently exposed to the cold when starting/stopping/glancing at the watch.
Good thing I did. The outer-mounted watch was a good set-up that I'll use again. I never took off any of the layers I had on, even when I was warmed up. That's how cold it was this morning. Ran 4.75 miles in 50 minutes. Coldly.
I knew last night when it was 42 when I went to bed that I was in for a cold morning. When I woke up the thermometer read 36, but it is mounted right up against the house, so less than 32 is a reasonable guesstimate. I quickly donned my under armour compression top, nike slouch jacket, nike capri running pants, a stocking cap, and some gloves. Then I went out into the bedroom to sip some water and kiss my husband goodbye. The water still had ice in it. In Texas. 8 hours after making the water, there were still ice cubes in it.
I put on an additional shirt and decided to mount my watch on the outside of my shirts so that no skin got inadvertently exposed to the cold when starting/stopping/glancing at the watch.
Good thing I did. The outer-mounted watch was a good set-up that I'll use again. I never took off any of the layers I had on, even when I was warmed up. That's how cold it was this morning. Ran 4.75 miles in 50 minutes. Coldly.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Today I Grew Balls
I buy my groceries at the same place every Friday. Today, as usual, I swiped my card while the checker was checking me out and I put my coupon at the end of all my stuff. She missed the coupon and hit enter, completing the transaction. I asked her to add the cou know pon. Here's what followed:
Checker: Well, your transaction is complete, I can't do the coupon.
Me: Yes you can, I've seen it done here before.
C: Well, it is only my second day here and I don't know how.
Me: Great. Call your manager.
What did she expect - that her second day was going to make it ok with me for me to lose my dollar???
I told Preston and he said, "Isn't it nice to grow big balls?"
It is. It really is. I'm proud of me right now.
Checker: Well, your transaction is complete, I can't do the coupon.
Me: Yes you can, I've seen it done here before.
C: Well, it is only my second day here and I don't know how.
Me: Great. Call your manager.
What did she expect - that her second day was going to make it ok with me for me to lose my dollar???
I told Preston and he said, "Isn't it nice to grow big balls?"
It is. It really is. I'm proud of me right now.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dreams
In the past two nights, I've had two vivid dreams, with images that I can remember after I wake (unusual for me).
I don't know what last night's dream was about, but I was left with one extremely vivid image: me wearing shorts with leg hair as long as a man's glinting in the sun (I'm a natural redhead). And I was embarassed about it - I knew I needed to shave. But in the dream that 2 months worth of hair growth had occurred in 1 week. Weird.
The dream from the night before was much more strange. I dreamt about Alan, who was my best friend for 6 years (last two of high school and all of college). The background story is that when I returned from my New Mexico archaeological dig after graduation, I gave him a call. He was visiting his parents (in the same town that I was in - not the same town he lived in), so I asked if I could drop by for a bit and see him before he went home and show him some pics from my dig and all that. He said no, he was too busy. I was pissed off and really hurt -- I had been gone for 3 months, I had missed him, I hadn't even been able to call since I didn't have a phone out in BFE, and he couldn't even spare 10 minutes to give me a quick hug and check out some pics?? Anyways, I never called him after that, because it is my nature when pissed/hurt to make the other person come to me, and he never called me either, and just like that, he was gone. That was, what?, more than 4 years ago. After a year or so, I stopped thinking about him and missing him, and I really haven't thought about him in a long time, now. So I was totally shocked when I had this dream that Preston and I were in line for a movie, but it was a really long line like an amusement park ride line, and I see Alan behind us as we are winding our way through it. I ignore him. (That's me, always the bigger person.) And then suddenly he comes up to us and starts talking. He apoligizes for losing touch, for not seeing me that day, etc. And that was it. It started raining on the line, and Preston and I go to find a seat at the top of some bleachers under a little overhang.
This dream brings up some important issues for me, though, that have been skating around in the back of my head for awhile now. Have I really gotten over everything that happened back in high school? Regarding some people, absolutely. But regarding others? When there was a feeling of betrayal, pain, loss, or shame -- I'm really not so sure. Will I go to my high school reunion in 2 years? If I do, will I still be this vengeful and bitter person inside? Will I portray the happy great-to-see-you person I want to be, or will I actually be that person? At what point does losing a friend stop hurting? Would I ever be able to look him in the face and pretend like none of it ever happened and make small talk?? I just don't know. And that bothers me. What do I need to do to get to that peaceful place with regards to every aspect of my life?
I don't know what last night's dream was about, but I was left with one extremely vivid image: me wearing shorts with leg hair as long as a man's glinting in the sun (I'm a natural redhead). And I was embarassed about it - I knew I needed to shave. But in the dream that 2 months worth of hair growth had occurred in 1 week. Weird.
The dream from the night before was much more strange. I dreamt about Alan, who was my best friend for 6 years (last two of high school and all of college). The background story is that when I returned from my New Mexico archaeological dig after graduation, I gave him a call. He was visiting his parents (in the same town that I was in - not the same town he lived in), so I asked if I could drop by for a bit and see him before he went home and show him some pics from my dig and all that. He said no, he was too busy. I was pissed off and really hurt -- I had been gone for 3 months, I had missed him, I hadn't even been able to call since I didn't have a phone out in BFE, and he couldn't even spare 10 minutes to give me a quick hug and check out some pics?? Anyways, I never called him after that, because it is my nature when pissed/hurt to make the other person come to me, and he never called me either, and just like that, he was gone. That was, what?, more than 4 years ago. After a year or so, I stopped thinking about him and missing him, and I really haven't thought about him in a long time, now. So I was totally shocked when I had this dream that Preston and I were in line for a movie, but it was a really long line like an amusement park ride line, and I see Alan behind us as we are winding our way through it. I ignore him. (That's me, always the bigger person.) And then suddenly he comes up to us and starts talking. He apoligizes for losing touch, for not seeing me that day, etc. And that was it. It started raining on the line, and Preston and I go to find a seat at the top of some bleachers under a little overhang.
This dream brings up some important issues for me, though, that have been skating around in the back of my head for awhile now. Have I really gotten over everything that happened back in high school? Regarding some people, absolutely. But regarding others? When there was a feeling of betrayal, pain, loss, or shame -- I'm really not so sure. Will I go to my high school reunion in 2 years? If I do, will I still be this vengeful and bitter person inside? Will I portray the happy great-to-see-you person I want to be, or will I actually be that person? At what point does losing a friend stop hurting? Would I ever be able to look him in the face and pretend like none of it ever happened and make small talk?? I just don't know. And that bothers me. What do I need to do to get to that peaceful place with regards to every aspect of my life?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Stoopid Coccyx
I forgot to mention in my earlier blog that when I woke up this morning, my coccyx was pissed. Just like that. I went to bed last night fine, and woke up this morning feeling like Preston had pushed me out of the bed and I had landed directly on my ass. Only on my ass. My arms and feet must have been stuck in the covers or something. And the carpet must have magically disappeared because it feels like I would have landed on concrete.
But I've had no falls. I biked on Monday, but not yesterday. I did Core II last night -- did Core II hurt my coccyx??
It didn't hurt to run.
It did hurt directly after the run, if you know what I mean.
It doesn't hurt to stand.
It does hurt to sit (which I do 10 hours per day at work - not counting hour commutes to and from).
WTF???
But I've had no falls. I biked on Monday, but not yesterday. I did Core II last night -- did Core II hurt my coccyx??
It didn't hurt to run.
It did hurt directly after the run, if you know what I mean.
It doesn't hurt to stand.
It does hurt to sit (which I do 10 hours per day at work - not counting hour commutes to and from).
WTF???
Topic Change
Well, I was going to bitch about Texas weather this morning. You know, about how it is mid-December and freaking 70 degrees for my run this morning. And rainy. And how the other day a cold front "blew through" where it rained like hell all day, got cold for like 5 minutes, then turned around, tucked its tail and ran, because the big scary Gulf of Mexico told it to. And you know, the Jingle Bell run that I had wanted to do last Sunday, how it seems to make good sense to plan a December fun run for early afternoon when the sun will have broken the chill and created almost perfect running weather. Unless you're in Texas, in which case the sun will have made it 80 degrees and humid as hell by 2pm. In December!!! On some days. If they had had the run a week earlier, it would have been 50-60 and beautiful. Because that's how we roll.
But I'm no longer going to talk about that. My run this morning trumps even weather angst. Because oh my goodness did I ever have a crappy run this morning. It started off slow. I was feeling, well, slow and lethargic and dead-legged. I tried to distract myself by purposefully noticing the holiday decorations that have gone up around the neighborhood - this worked for one of three loops. On loop two, I just kept telling myself that you should never judge the crappiness of a run until you are more than 2 miles in, so I dogged it out. As I got ready to start loop three, I noticed that when I was done running, I may need to go to the bathroom. The issue didn't seem pressing, so I continued on. (You can see where this is going now, can't you??) I noticed that I was really using poor form: abdomen was loose, arms were floppy and creeping up, head was jiggling around, etc. So I focused on running this last loop with better form. Until my stomach happened. I was maybe half a mile from home when I hit t-minus-one-minute-ago with no warning at all. My eyes popped open, and I started running faster. Then it got worse. (Worse!!) Around a quarter of a mile away from home, I started to panic, taking long loping strides. I realized that my turnover had gone down, so I reminded myself to pick that us. I was freaking flying up this giant hill to home. And I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I turned down my street, only one tenth of a mile now, and started fumbling my key out. I saw Preston's car leaving the driveway, and hoped he wouldn't mind when I flew right past him - I had no time. Powered up BM's driveway, unlocked the door with a shaking hand, and made it. Made it. Sat there quivering, panting, dripping sweat all over the place. But I made it. That is the closest I've *ever* come to not making it. And it was really really close.
Bathroom emergencies make me fast. I was running slow enough that I was looking at 3.5 miles in 40 minutes, until the crisis hit about 35 minutes and 3.25 miles into the run. I ended up with 3.75 miles in 40 minutes, and I know I was going faster than 10 minutes per mile as this run was "progressive" paced relative to my level of panic.
Wow. That's all there is to say. I made it.
But I'm no longer going to talk about that. My run this morning trumps even weather angst. Because oh my goodness did I ever have a crappy run this morning. It started off slow. I was feeling, well, slow and lethargic and dead-legged. I tried to distract myself by purposefully noticing the holiday decorations that have gone up around the neighborhood - this worked for one of three loops. On loop two, I just kept telling myself that you should never judge the crappiness of a run until you are more than 2 miles in, so I dogged it out. As I got ready to start loop three, I noticed that when I was done running, I may need to go to the bathroom. The issue didn't seem pressing, so I continued on. (You can see where this is going now, can't you??) I noticed that I was really using poor form: abdomen was loose, arms were floppy and creeping up, head was jiggling around, etc. So I focused on running this last loop with better form. Until my stomach happened. I was maybe half a mile from home when I hit t-minus-one-minute-ago with no warning at all. My eyes popped open, and I started running faster. Then it got worse. (Worse!!) Around a quarter of a mile away from home, I started to panic, taking long loping strides. I realized that my turnover had gone down, so I reminded myself to pick that us. I was freaking flying up this giant hill to home. And I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I turned down my street, only one tenth of a mile now, and started fumbling my key out. I saw Preston's car leaving the driveway, and hoped he wouldn't mind when I flew right past him - I had no time. Powered up BM's driveway, unlocked the door with a shaking hand, and made it. Made it. Sat there quivering, panting, dripping sweat all over the place. But I made it. That is the closest I've *ever* come to not making it. And it was really really close.
Bathroom emergencies make me fast. I was running slow enough that I was looking at 3.5 miles in 40 minutes, until the crisis hit about 35 minutes and 3.25 miles into the run. I ended up with 3.75 miles in 40 minutes, and I know I was going faster than 10 minutes per mile as this run was "progressive" paced relative to my level of panic.
Wow. That's all there is to say. I made it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)