Busy Weekend

I've had a nice but very busy weekend. It's time for those pesky mid-terms-- two online multiple-choice tests and one four page essay. No huge deal, but more than I really felt like doing. Still, it's a small price to pay to stay in loan deferment for a bit longer. I also intend to write a paper tonight that's due next week. Yes, I'm just so much fun this weekend!

Speaking of fun, when I went for my Saturday morning run, I noticed the Bayou City Classic 10K was going on. So I arranged my run so that I could see some of it because it's a race that encourages costumes. The LifeSavers were out again this year-- a group that runs wearing big cardboard tubes that look like LifeSavers. They toss little rolls of LifeSavers to volunteers, costume judges, cops and spectators, which is kind of fun. I also saw a rodeo clown and the Grinch and Max. Hey, since when could you bring your dog to a race? I guess when he's part of your costume, it's okay. The best individual costume I saw was Martha Stewart-- a woman in a convict stripes and a blonde wig carrying a tray of fruit and pastries. The best group costume I saw was Michael Jackson, glasses, mask and all, with his lawyers and entourage, including one guy holding an umbrella over him to shield him from the sun. It must be hard to run a 10K like that! I'm sure there were other good costumes, but that was all I noticed while trying to get my own run in at the same time.

After running near the race for a bit, I went west on Memorial and then decided I wanted to do something different, so I followed a route that my Houston Fit group used to do years ago, up the 610 feeder road to Post Oak and around some back streets to San Felipe and then through River Oaks. It wasn't the greatest route ever, but it was something new to do. I finished my run by heading east on Memorial toward downtown to see if there was a completely sidewalked and safe way to get to a little park I've noticed for years but never been to. There wasn't a good way to get there, but I did it anyway. Nice little park, good sidewalks, might be fun for short runs. But none of the water fountains worked. What's up with that? Hello, City of Houston.... anyone home?

I spent the rest of the day eating, napping, taking tests and writing an essay. Then I popped in a movie I have to write about and watched it until 3 am. Oops. Time sure gets away from me sometimes. It's like I have so many things I want to get done in a day that sometimes I have trouble understanding why time refuses to expand to accomodate my needs.

Oddly, I wasn't tired today. I got up and ran a few errands, then did a bike workout on the trainer, ate a big lunch, did a bit of housework and started a batch of ratatouille going in the crock pot. This evening will be spent in front of the computer working on another paper. Hey, at least I have the outline done, even if I'm not enthusiastic about the subject. It was the best of many bad topic options, what can I say?

In the New Projects category, I've decided to create a Tidbit garden. I purchased three cilantro plants and some parsley seeds which I'm soaking tonight so I can plant them tomorrow. That will use up the pots and soil I have at present, so I'll have to make a little trip to buy some more this week. I think I'll also plant baby carrots and do a little research on clover and dandelions. I think I can just go to where some are growing and dig up few. I may even buy a really big pot and plant the eyes from a few of those fingerling potatoes I got for the West U ride I didn't do. (See my Private Idaho post from February.) Obviously the potatoes would be for me, not the bunny. It's funny, but even though I grew up with a gardener for a dad and even though I helped out and have a good understanding of how to grow things, now that I'm trying to do it on my own, I find I'm feeling a little unsure of myself.

I have also found that my patio is infested with wasps. Well, that's what husbands are for. I knew he was the man for me when I woke one morning to find him catching a bee that had gotten into my apartment. He picked it up by its wings and put it outside. Yes, that's the kind of man I need-- someone who can do something useful!

So I sure hope Dan gets after those patio wasps soon. Tidbit is anxious to have a garden of her very own!

Weekend Workouts
Saturday: Run, 10 miles per GPS, but I think it was wrong and it was more like 11
Sunday: Bike, two Cyclerobx videos-- one 55 min, the other 45 min