Sunday, August 27, 2006
Productive Day
I sure got a lot of pesky tasks and errands done today! I went to the grocery store and pet store, bought a new digital camera and all the accessories, did some housework, including the once a week stuff, and topped it all off by paying the bills and coloring my hair.
I still have to do the ironing, and with any luck, I’ll finish the latest edit of my manuscript tonight, too, and get another query out.
Whew!
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
I still have to do the ironing, and with any luck, I’ll finish the latest edit of my manuscript tonight, too, and get another query out.
Whew!
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Bayou Run and Plans
I was up late Friday night and none too thrilled with my alarm clock this morning. I was even less thrilled to find that the cat managed to dump over his litterbox in the night—a first, and hopefully also a last.
So it was almost 7:30 before I was able to hit the trails, and so humid it felt like I was running through soup. I kept things simple, though. I ran the Bayou loop, including part of the downtown trail, and when I was done, I changed direction and ran it again. That made about 12 miles. I finished with a little-loop (Shepherd/Waugh) at about 10K pace, which wasn’t fun at all. Some clouds were moving in and a breeze was picking up, so that helped, but only marginally. It was still hot and humid, and I was tired.
But it was a surprisingly strong run, overall. My calves had been so tight the night before that I hadn’t expected much, but I think the hills on the bayou trail and the way I broke up the pace helped my legs. I was forced to use different muscles, rather than just punish the same ones for mile after mile.
I was thinking today that I might try to bring my long run mileage up to about 18-20 by the end of October and run the San Antonio Marathon on November 12. Yes, I’m registered for Houston in January, so I wouldn’t be running San Antonio as an A race. I would take it slow and walk frequently. I’ll wait and see how I’m feeling in October, since I don’t want to jeopardize my January (birthday!) marathon. I also would have to consider how doing a marathon in November would dovetail with my plan to do the Luke’s Locker Half Marathon on October 29.
But I’ve always wanted to do San Antonio. I lived there for three years as a kid and have fond feelings for the city. And with their new course route, it looks like fun. But I’m leaving my options open at this point, and I’ll make a decision when I get a better idea how my body is holding up. Last year’s hip injury freaked me out and I still haven’t gotten back up to my same long run mileage. I hope all these successful 12-14 mile runs followed by Sunday morning 6-milers are an indication I’m back on track and ready for better things.
In other news, I think I’m going to buy a new camera tomorrow. I don’t have the time or the right tools to muck around endlessly with our broken camera, and we’re about due for a new one, anyway.
This blog needs more bunny pictures!
Today’s Workout
14 mile run
So it was almost 7:30 before I was able to hit the trails, and so humid it felt like I was running through soup. I kept things simple, though. I ran the Bayou loop, including part of the downtown trail, and when I was done, I changed direction and ran it again. That made about 12 miles. I finished with a little-loop (Shepherd/Waugh) at about 10K pace, which wasn’t fun at all. Some clouds were moving in and a breeze was picking up, so that helped, but only marginally. It was still hot and humid, and I was tired.
But it was a surprisingly strong run, overall. My calves had been so tight the night before that I hadn’t expected much, but I think the hills on the bayou trail and the way I broke up the pace helped my legs. I was forced to use different muscles, rather than just punish the same ones for mile after mile.
I was thinking today that I might try to bring my long run mileage up to about 18-20 by the end of October and run the San Antonio Marathon on November 12. Yes, I’m registered for Houston in January, so I wouldn’t be running San Antonio as an A race. I would take it slow and walk frequently. I’ll wait and see how I’m feeling in October, since I don’t want to jeopardize my January (birthday!) marathon. I also would have to consider how doing a marathon in November would dovetail with my plan to do the Luke’s Locker Half Marathon on October 29.
But I’ve always wanted to do San Antonio. I lived there for three years as a kid and have fond feelings for the city. And with their new course route, it looks like fun. But I’m leaving my options open at this point, and I’ll make a decision when I get a better idea how my body is holding up. Last year’s hip injury freaked me out and I still haven’t gotten back up to my same long run mileage. I hope all these successful 12-14 mile runs followed by Sunday morning 6-milers are an indication I’m back on track and ready for better things.
In other news, I think I’m going to buy a new camera tomorrow. I don’t have the time or the right tools to muck around endlessly with our broken camera, and we’re about due for a new one, anyway.
This blog needs more bunny pictures!
Today’s Workout
14 mile run
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Runnin’ in the Rain
Who would’ve guessed that today’s 30% chance of rain would all come pouring down at once, about an hour into my morning run?
I headed out under patchy, slightly overcast skies. I was glad for a break from the sun, and for the cool breeze. Such a rare and welcome relief in August! I trotted along the bayou trail toward downtown, through the art park and along the new trails past the aquarium and Wortham Theater. Very nice. I came back on the Allen Parkway side, and that’s when the thunder began.
It started as a low grumbling off to the south, where the skies were darkening and thunderheads piling up. But the sky to the north was still blue. I decided to keep running. I’ve seen systems swirl all around my part of town without ever dropping any rain.
I finished the bayou loop and started up Memorial Drive. I stopped at the runner-friendly Shell station for some cold water, and when I came out, the sky was turning black toward the south. More thunder. My plan was to run up to Chimney Rock and back, but if this storm meant business…
Oh, what the heck. I don’t much like running in the rain, and I won’t do it at all in cool weather, but in August? Might be nice. I continued.
When I got to the 610 Loop, I looked to the south and now the darkness was spreading out across the sky, full of mumbling thunder and punctuated by high flashes of lightning. It’s pretty typical though, for storms to hit one part of the city and not another. Maybe it wouldn’t make it this far. And if it did, it would pass quickly, right? Summer storms always do.
I went on, while streetlights turned themselves on and the first misty drops speckled my arms.
Somewhere around Antoine, the rain began coming down. It was a pleasant shower at first, and it was so nice to be having a cool run in August. What a treat! But then the skies opened up and it began pouring! Well, I was already soaked through, so I could see no point in stopping and seeking shelter. Sure, the thunder was crashing and booming all around and there was some high lightning, but the lightning wasn’t actually hitting anything. It’s a funny thing about inner-city lightning— it seems to almost never actually strike.
So I pushed on, splashing through the puddles, raindrops fogging my glasses, fully expecting the storm to blow right on through. No luck. I got to my turnaround point and headed back, and still no letup in sight. The dips in the sidewalks were filling with water and I was getting seriously annoyed at the way the rain just kept on coming. This was not 30% chance of rain. This was not a passing summer shower.
But hey, stopping would’ve only given me a chance to get chilled. Might as well keep moving.
The rain finally started letting up around the time I got back to Memorial Park. I had been running in a downpour for half an hour! But as the skies lightened and the rain dwindled to a light shower, I saw to my delight that Memorial Park was deserted.
10 am on a Saturday morning and I had the whole park to myself! This was definitely worth a drenching.
Three miles later and I was home, taking off my squishy shoes and socks outside the door. I was no more wet and drippy than I ever am after an August long run. But because it was rain and not sweat, I sure smelled a lot better!
Today’s Workout
13 mile run in the rain
I headed out under patchy, slightly overcast skies. I was glad for a break from the sun, and for the cool breeze. Such a rare and welcome relief in August! I trotted along the bayou trail toward downtown, through the art park and along the new trails past the aquarium and Wortham Theater. Very nice. I came back on the Allen Parkway side, and that’s when the thunder began.
It started as a low grumbling off to the south, where the skies were darkening and thunderheads piling up. But the sky to the north was still blue. I decided to keep running. I’ve seen systems swirl all around my part of town without ever dropping any rain.
I finished the bayou loop and started up Memorial Drive. I stopped at the runner-friendly Shell station for some cold water, and when I came out, the sky was turning black toward the south. More thunder. My plan was to run up to Chimney Rock and back, but if this storm meant business…
Oh, what the heck. I don’t much like running in the rain, and I won’t do it at all in cool weather, but in August? Might be nice. I continued.
When I got to the 610 Loop, I looked to the south and now the darkness was spreading out across the sky, full of mumbling thunder and punctuated by high flashes of lightning. It’s pretty typical though, for storms to hit one part of the city and not another. Maybe it wouldn’t make it this far. And if it did, it would pass quickly, right? Summer storms always do.
I went on, while streetlights turned themselves on and the first misty drops speckled my arms.
Somewhere around Antoine, the rain began coming down. It was a pleasant shower at first, and it was so nice to be having a cool run in August. What a treat! But then the skies opened up and it began pouring! Well, I was already soaked through, so I could see no point in stopping and seeking shelter. Sure, the thunder was crashing and booming all around and there was some high lightning, but the lightning wasn’t actually hitting anything. It’s a funny thing about inner-city lightning— it seems to almost never actually strike.
So I pushed on, splashing through the puddles, raindrops fogging my glasses, fully expecting the storm to blow right on through. No luck. I got to my turnaround point and headed back, and still no letup in sight. The dips in the sidewalks were filling with water and I was getting seriously annoyed at the way the rain just kept on coming. This was not 30% chance of rain. This was not a passing summer shower.
But hey, stopping would’ve only given me a chance to get chilled. Might as well keep moving.
The rain finally started letting up around the time I got back to Memorial Park. I had been running in a downpour for half an hour! But as the skies lightened and the rain dwindled to a light shower, I saw to my delight that Memorial Park was deserted.
10 am on a Saturday morning and I had the whole park to myself! This was definitely worth a drenching.
Three miles later and I was home, taking off my squishy shoes and socks outside the door. I was no more wet and drippy than I ever am after an August long run. But because it was rain and not sweat, I sure smelled a lot better!
Today’s Workout
13 mile run in the rain
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Stinky
Dan and I have been running together in the evenings again. It’s nice, and the temps are usually cooler after dark. But tonight we stepped outside and the heat and humidity hit us like a wave.
“It’ll be better at the park,” I told him. “More trees. Less concrete.”
And it was a little better. But not by much.
I started at a conservative pace, but after my first stop for water, I found myself behind a particularly odiferous person, and by now a stiff breeze had picked up, wafting everything back to me.
Lucky me.
I picked up the pace and passed him. It was faster than I wanted to go for only my second mile of what would be a little over 4 miles, but with Stinky on my heels, I had no choice but to keep my pace. No way was I letting him get upwind of me again!
So I tried to be philosophical about it. When I first started distance running, I regularly had to contend with stinky people. In some ways they inspired me. Or they at least forced me to keep going when I was tempted to slow down. I became a better runner because of the motivation they gave me.
Tonight Stinky and I parted ways at about the 2.5 mile point, when I stopped for water and he went on. I was a little overheated by this point and dripping wet. 80% humidity will do that to you. So I finished my run at a more reasonable pace, fighting down a rare bit of exercise-induced nausea. I wasn’t exactly smelling like roses myself, at this point.
I can only hope I motivated someone.
Today’s Workout
4.25 mile run
“It’ll be better at the park,” I told him. “More trees. Less concrete.”
And it was a little better. But not by much.
I started at a conservative pace, but after my first stop for water, I found myself behind a particularly odiferous person, and by now a stiff breeze had picked up, wafting everything back to me.
Lucky me.
I picked up the pace and passed him. It was faster than I wanted to go for only my second mile of what would be a little over 4 miles, but with Stinky on my heels, I had no choice but to keep my pace. No way was I letting him get upwind of me again!
So I tried to be philosophical about it. When I first started distance running, I regularly had to contend with stinky people. In some ways they inspired me. Or they at least forced me to keep going when I was tempted to slow down. I became a better runner because of the motivation they gave me.
Tonight Stinky and I parted ways at about the 2.5 mile point, when I stopped for water and he went on. I was a little overheated by this point and dripping wet. 80% humidity will do that to you. So I finished my run at a more reasonable pace, fighting down a rare bit of exercise-induced nausea. I wasn’t exactly smelling like roses myself, at this point.
I can only hope I motivated someone.
Today’s Workout
4.25 mile run
Monday, August 14, 2006
NEWS!!!
The very first agent I queried about Tin Soldier has requested the first 30 pages!!!
OMG!!! I just know I'm going to print it out and immediately think it SUCKS!
(Yeah, yeah, I know it doesn't, but... you know.)
Now, just to keep things in perspective here, publishing is a business. Regardless of skill or talent (assuming I have any), an agent has to think s/he can successfully market my book. This is not ars gratia aris, here. I know that. And I'm totally okay with it. Really.
But...
My very first query ended up with a request for a partial!!!
I'm off to hyperventilate, now...
OMG!!! I just know I'm going to print it out and immediately think it SUCKS!
(Yeah, yeah, I know it doesn't, but... you know.)
Now, just to keep things in perspective here, publishing is a business. Regardless of skill or talent (assuming I have any), an agent has to think s/he can successfully market my book. This is not ars gratia aris, here. I know that. And I'm totally okay with it. Really.
But...
My very first query ended up with a request for a partial!!!
I'm off to hyperventilate, now...
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Just Another Weekend
I’m rapidly reaching a point where I’m going to have to see my massage therapist. Of course, I also have no idea when I'm going to have time for it. It’s the end of the fiscal year, I’ve had lots of projects dumped on me, and it’s so hard to concentrate at work with people calling and dropping by all the time to discuss the reorganization that’s going on.
Last week I had hoped to take a day, or even a half-day, to work at home. I get a lot done on my projects when I can just settle in and work. But too many other things were going on. I think I’ll pull out all the stops to make it happen this week, and use my lunch break to go see my massage therapist, since she lives just a few blocks away.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
I get way stressed out when I have so many “have to” things on my plate.
This was a pretty typical weekend, in terms of working out. I did a 14 mile run on Saturday morning, or at least I think it was about 14. It might’ve been closer to 15. Add “get GPS watch battery replaced” to my to-do list! This morning I did 6 miles and followed up with some weights and rowing machine at the gym.
We got my “new” printer set up this weekend. Yay! I now no longer have to feed sheets of paper one at a time into a persnickety little beast of a machine that would rather chew up paper than actually print on it. I say it’s a “new” printer because I got it at the garage sale last weekend for $10. So it’s new to me, although not new in general.
I continue to be very lazy about writing the third novel in my peak oil trilogy. Bad bunnygirl! I think I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m doing queries and synopses of Tin Soldier to send to agents, I’m still coming off the high of finishing my second, as yet untitled, book, and writing the third in the series is taking a back seat to all that. Instead of a page a day, I’m averaging more like half a page.
I’m even considering taking a break to work on a totally different novel that has a highly marketable premise, but that I botched in the first go-round many years ago. My first version has some good elements, but I tried to do things with it that were: a) beyond my skill level at the time, and b) too clever, in a bad way. So I’ve been doing some pondering as to how I should approach a serious re-write. It’s too good a plot to just abandon. And I think I may now have the skill and perspective to give it the treatment it deserves. If not, well, it’s just another kind of training, right?
Do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Something tells me the answer is yes.
WeekendWorkouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Last week I had hoped to take a day, or even a half-day, to work at home. I get a lot done on my projects when I can just settle in and work. But too many other things were going on. I think I’ll pull out all the stops to make it happen this week, and use my lunch break to go see my massage therapist, since she lives just a few blocks away.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
I get way stressed out when I have so many “have to” things on my plate.
This was a pretty typical weekend, in terms of working out. I did a 14 mile run on Saturday morning, or at least I think it was about 14. It might’ve been closer to 15. Add “get GPS watch battery replaced” to my to-do list! This morning I did 6 miles and followed up with some weights and rowing machine at the gym.
We got my “new” printer set up this weekend. Yay! I now no longer have to feed sheets of paper one at a time into a persnickety little beast of a machine that would rather chew up paper than actually print on it. I say it’s a “new” printer because I got it at the garage sale last weekend for $10. So it’s new to me, although not new in general.
I continue to be very lazy about writing the third novel in my peak oil trilogy. Bad bunnygirl! I think I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m doing queries and synopses of Tin Soldier to send to agents, I’m still coming off the high of finishing my second, as yet untitled, book, and writing the third in the series is taking a back seat to all that. Instead of a page a day, I’m averaging more like half a page.
I’m even considering taking a break to work on a totally different novel that has a highly marketable premise, but that I botched in the first go-round many years ago. My first version has some good elements, but I tried to do things with it that were: a) beyond my skill level at the time, and b) too clever, in a bad way. So I’ve been doing some pondering as to how I should approach a serious re-write. It’s too good a plot to just abandon. And I think I may now have the skill and perspective to give it the treatment it deserves. If not, well, it’s just another kind of training, right?
Do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Something tells me the answer is yes.
WeekendWorkouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Checking In
Not much is happening here. It’s a dull week, so far. I was lazy and didn’t work out last night, but I did update my writings blog. It now contains the latest edit of Chapter One of Tin Soldier, and a draft version of Chapter One of the sequel. I will add other writings from time to time, and I’ll try to keep the most recent edits up, instead of letting the posted version lag behind my word-tinkering.
A friend of mine started a new blog today, The Incredible Shrinking Man. I hope a few of my regular visitors will drop by, say hello and ask him to post more pictures of his new cat, Thor.
In the good news department, my new running shoes arrived today and the air conditioning in the gym at my complex has finally been fixed. So that means when I skip an afternoon workout to run with Dan at night, I have another workout option if he bails on me. I think I’ll still use the university rec center after work a couple times a week, though. The time seems to pass more slowly there, but they have a lot more equipment. I’d forgotten how much I missed the rowing machine until I used it this past Sunday. And the rec center has a quarter-mile indoor track!
And finally, my cousin Chris in El Paso wrote to me about the flooding they’ve been having. He lives and works on a side of town that was not affected, but he had plenty to say about it, nonetheless. Kind of scary to think that a dam in another country could wipe out a big chunk of your city. The flooding has been fairly widespread in southern New Mexico and the El Paso area. My father got stranded at a job in some little New Mexico town while he waited for the water to recede. But he says the worst of the rains have generally missed the family property. The arroyos are full, but no real flooding.
Water in the desert is always a fascinating thing, both blessing and curse.
Have a good week, friends!
Scheduled Workouts
Tuesday: ~4 mile run, unless it rains
A friend of mine started a new blog today, The Incredible Shrinking Man. I hope a few of my regular visitors will drop by, say hello and ask him to post more pictures of his new cat, Thor.
In the good news department, my new running shoes arrived today and the air conditioning in the gym at my complex has finally been fixed. So that means when I skip an afternoon workout to run with Dan at night, I have another workout option if he bails on me. I think I’ll still use the university rec center after work a couple times a week, though. The time seems to pass more slowly there, but they have a lot more equipment. I’d forgotten how much I missed the rowing machine until I used it this past Sunday. And the rec center has a quarter-mile indoor track!
And finally, my cousin Chris in El Paso wrote to me about the flooding they’ve been having. He lives and works on a side of town that was not affected, but he had plenty to say about it, nonetheless. Kind of scary to think that a dam in another country could wipe out a big chunk of your city. The flooding has been fairly widespread in southern New Mexico and the El Paso area. My father got stranded at a job in some little New Mexico town while he waited for the water to recede. But he says the worst of the rains have generally missed the family property. The arroyos are full, but no real flooding.
Water in the desert is always a fascinating thing, both blessing and curse.
Have a good week, friends!
Scheduled Workouts
Tuesday: ~4 mile run, unless it rains
Sunday, August 06, 2006
My Weekend
Not a whole lot of interesting stuff to report this weekend.
I think the highlight was a Saturday morning yard sale, if that says anything. The seller was an acquaintance of ours from the university and we wanted to get there early because there are semi-pro yard sale shoppers who descend on these things like vultures.
So I rearranged my Saturday long run. I got up extra-early and ran to the George R. Brown convention center, which was on the way to the yard sale. Beyond this point, it’s not safe for a woman to be alone on foot, so Dan picked me up. He brought a towel and t-shirt so I could clean up, and off we went! I found a few cool little things for myself, bought a few things for my Romanian friends, and got to see some really great furniture that I just couldn’t think how to fit in my apartment and therefore had to pass up. I also picked up a combo printer/fax/scanner for $10 that matches the color of my new computer. This allowed me to give my old printer to the Romanians. So we are all happy now.
After we finished up at the yard sale, Dan dropped me back at the convention center to finish my run, while he took the Romanians shopping for school stuff for the kids and new shoes for himself. (The errand was really all about him needing new shoes. And pants. And underwear. He invited the Romanians to tag along, since they won’t be getting their car until sometime this week.)
I did some editing on my story last night, stayed up late and today I got up early for a run to Memorial Park and back. At the park, I ran into my friend Linnie and her husband, who is my ex-landlord. Linnie and I ran together for a couple miles, chatting about stuff. Her son and his wife had a fight and now Linnie is caring for their kid for awhile, so we talked about the seemingly endless capacity early twentysomethings have for drama. (I sure was glad to grow out of that phase!) And I mentioned the Romanian kids and she told me that there’s a lot of Romanians at the school where she teaches, which is the one we’re trying to get the little girl into. Apparently a lot of the rich families in the area adopt from Romania and Russia, so this particular school has a lot of experience with them.
After my run, I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some treats for my Romanian friends—gourmet coffee for the grownups, cookies for the kids. And then I went to OfficeMax and bought paper for the printer I was giving them, as well as an extra print cartridge and stuff like that.
I also priced digital cameras. Ours is broken and although I think I can fix it, I suspect I can get a new and better one for a price that makes the hassle of repairing the old one not worth it. I’m going to ponder this for a few days.
Then I took Catalin to the gym, and he shot baskets while I worked out in the weight room. He had been up late babysitting for a neighbor and I was feeling a little asthmatic, so neither of us was really in much of a mood for swimming or anything like that. I had my manuscript and red pen with me, just in case he wanted to do something that gym rules said required my supervision. But I was glad not to need it. I dropped him off at home, ran a few more errands and settled in for the rest of the afternoon.
Tonight Dan is trying to re-learn how to play the guitar. He bought an inexpensive starter guitar and instruction DVD this afternoon, and he figures if this new hobby sticks, he’ll upgrade to a nicer guitar once he gets his skills back. Many years ago when Dan lived on an ashram in Espanola, he met former Animals guitarist Vic Briggs, who gave him lessons. I’ve always found this sort of amazing. But that was nearly thirty years ago. I hope Dan continues with this new hobby. He's a creative sort, and it would be such a good outlet for him.
Weekend Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
I think the highlight was a Saturday morning yard sale, if that says anything. The seller was an acquaintance of ours from the university and we wanted to get there early because there are semi-pro yard sale shoppers who descend on these things like vultures.
So I rearranged my Saturday long run. I got up extra-early and ran to the George R. Brown convention center, which was on the way to the yard sale. Beyond this point, it’s not safe for a woman to be alone on foot, so Dan picked me up. He brought a towel and t-shirt so I could clean up, and off we went! I found a few cool little things for myself, bought a few things for my Romanian friends, and got to see some really great furniture that I just couldn’t think how to fit in my apartment and therefore had to pass up. I also picked up a combo printer/fax/scanner for $10 that matches the color of my new computer. This allowed me to give my old printer to the Romanians. So we are all happy now.
After we finished up at the yard sale, Dan dropped me back at the convention center to finish my run, while he took the Romanians shopping for school stuff for the kids and new shoes for himself. (The errand was really all about him needing new shoes. And pants. And underwear. He invited the Romanians to tag along, since they won’t be getting their car until sometime this week.)
I did some editing on my story last night, stayed up late and today I got up early for a run to Memorial Park and back. At the park, I ran into my friend Linnie and her husband, who is my ex-landlord. Linnie and I ran together for a couple miles, chatting about stuff. Her son and his wife had a fight and now Linnie is caring for their kid for awhile, so we talked about the seemingly endless capacity early twentysomethings have for drama. (I sure was glad to grow out of that phase!) And I mentioned the Romanian kids and she told me that there’s a lot of Romanians at the school where she teaches, which is the one we’re trying to get the little girl into. Apparently a lot of the rich families in the area adopt from Romania and Russia, so this particular school has a lot of experience with them.
After my run, I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some treats for my Romanian friends—gourmet coffee for the grownups, cookies for the kids. And then I went to OfficeMax and bought paper for the printer I was giving them, as well as an extra print cartridge and stuff like that.
I also priced digital cameras. Ours is broken and although I think I can fix it, I suspect I can get a new and better one for a price that makes the hassle of repairing the old one not worth it. I’m going to ponder this for a few days.
Then I took Catalin to the gym, and he shot baskets while I worked out in the weight room. He had been up late babysitting for a neighbor and I was feeling a little asthmatic, so neither of us was really in much of a mood for swimming or anything like that. I had my manuscript and red pen with me, just in case he wanted to do something that gym rules said required my supervision. But I was glad not to need it. I dropped him off at home, ran a few more errands and settled in for the rest of the afternoon.
Tonight Dan is trying to re-learn how to play the guitar. He bought an inexpensive starter guitar and instruction DVD this afternoon, and he figures if this new hobby sticks, he’ll upgrade to a nicer guitar once he gets his skills back. Many years ago when Dan lived on an ashram in Espanola, he met former Animals guitarist Vic Briggs, who gave him lessons. I’ve always found this sort of amazing. But that was nearly thirty years ago. I hope Dan continues with this new hobby. He's a creative sort, and it would be such a good outlet for him.
Weekend Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Friday, August 04, 2006
Tagged
Okay, Laura tagged both me and Tidbit, so I guess we'll play.
Here are the rules:
The player of this game starts with "5 weird things/habits about yourself ". In the end you need to choose 5 people to be tagged and list their names. The people who get tagged need to write a blog about their 5 weird things/habits, as well as state this rule clearly, then tag 5 more victims. Don't forget to leave your victim a comment that says "you're tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
Me:
1. When I’m tired or stressed out, I speak Spanish and struggle with English, even though English is my native language.
2. My preferred sleep/wake cycle is to sleep twice a day. I wake up early, take a 2-3 hour nap in the late afternoon or early evening, then stay up until about 2:00 am and sleep again until 6:00.
3. I have almost no patience for “pure” entertainment. If I’m not learning something new or growing in some way from the experience, I prefer to do something else. I would rather do sports than watch sports, for example. I almost never watch TV unless it’s a classic movie or documentary. My books are all classic literature, history, or information of some kind. I don’t do it to be a snob. It’s just that I feel like I’m wasting time otherwise.
4. I’m slightly OCD when it comes to food. I’ll get hooked on a particular food and eat as much of it as I can, as often as I can. After a few months, or sometimes years, I wake up one morning and never want to see that food again. I then repeat the cycle with a new food.
5. I can solder and fix small machines and appliances. And I’m good at it, too! What’s really funny though, is that my husband doesn’t have a knack for mechanical things. So inevitably, I’m the one repairing bunny-chomped cables and electrical cords. I’m very particular to splice the individual wires at different levels, shrink-wrap them individually and then shrink tube the whole mess. When I fix something, it stays fixed!
Bonus: I hate household chores, unless they are clothing-related. I love clothes (I’ve got enough for at least twelve bunnygirls) and I’m all over any chore involving clothes. I enjoy washing, ironing, starching (including heavy starch), mending, alterations… the whole nine yards! And I love hand-sewing. I want to learn how to do fabric reweaving.
Tidbit:
1. I think cats are really cool and would cuddle with my cat all day if he would let me.
2. I don’t like cilantro.
3. I stomp my foot when I’m happy or want you to look at me, not just when I’m angry or scared. In fact, I spend a lot of time stomping. Thumper is my hero!
4. I hate my cage and will stop at nothing to destroy it if I’m locked inside.
5. I love chewing holes in Dad’s clothes, but won’t touch his socks. Wait. That’s not weird. That’s survival instinct!
Okay, I’m not big on tagging people, but if any of the following folks haven't done this one and have a few minutes to spare, I’m tagging: Wil, Bolder, and Nytro, because I know if they do this, they’ll make it a lot funnier than I did. I’m also tagging Spider63 and Riceman because they’re so good at writing posts that get me thinking. And I’m unofficially tagging GoldenLucy and anyone else who wants to share their quirks.
I hope no one feels obligated by this. It's supposed to be fun, after all.
Here are the rules:
The player of this game starts with "5 weird things/habits about yourself ". In the end you need to choose 5 people to be tagged and list their names. The people who get tagged need to write a blog about their 5 weird things/habits, as well as state this rule clearly, then tag 5 more victims. Don't forget to leave your victim a comment that says "you're tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
Me:
1. When I’m tired or stressed out, I speak Spanish and struggle with English, even though English is my native language.
2. My preferred sleep/wake cycle is to sleep twice a day. I wake up early, take a 2-3 hour nap in the late afternoon or early evening, then stay up until about 2:00 am and sleep again until 6:00.
3. I have almost no patience for “pure” entertainment. If I’m not learning something new or growing in some way from the experience, I prefer to do something else. I would rather do sports than watch sports, for example. I almost never watch TV unless it’s a classic movie or documentary. My books are all classic literature, history, or information of some kind. I don’t do it to be a snob. It’s just that I feel like I’m wasting time otherwise.
4. I’m slightly OCD when it comes to food. I’ll get hooked on a particular food and eat as much of it as I can, as often as I can. After a few months, or sometimes years, I wake up one morning and never want to see that food again. I then repeat the cycle with a new food.
5. I can solder and fix small machines and appliances. And I’m good at it, too! What’s really funny though, is that my husband doesn’t have a knack for mechanical things. So inevitably, I’m the one repairing bunny-chomped cables and electrical cords. I’m very particular to splice the individual wires at different levels, shrink-wrap them individually and then shrink tube the whole mess. When I fix something, it stays fixed!
Bonus: I hate household chores, unless they are clothing-related. I love clothes (I’ve got enough for at least twelve bunnygirls) and I’m all over any chore involving clothes. I enjoy washing, ironing, starching (including heavy starch), mending, alterations… the whole nine yards! And I love hand-sewing. I want to learn how to do fabric reweaving.
Tidbit:
1. I think cats are really cool and would cuddle with my cat all day if he would let me.
2. I don’t like cilantro.
3. I stomp my foot when I’m happy or want you to look at me, not just when I’m angry or scared. In fact, I spend a lot of time stomping. Thumper is my hero!
4. I hate my cage and will stop at nothing to destroy it if I’m locked inside.
5. I love chewing holes in Dad’s clothes, but won’t touch his socks. Wait. That’s not weird. That’s survival instinct!
Okay, I’m not big on tagging people, but if any of the following folks haven't done this one and have a few minutes to spare, I’m tagging: Wil, Bolder, and Nytro, because I know if they do this, they’ll make it a lot funnier than I did. I’m also tagging Spider63 and Riceman because they’re so good at writing posts that get me thinking. And I’m unofficially tagging GoldenLucy and anyone else who wants to share their quirks.
I hope no one feels obligated by this. It's supposed to be fun, after all.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sunday Stuff
Today I went for a six mile run, then went to the gym and lifted weights and did some swimming.
Yay, me!
I have determined that the chemicals in the pool at the university rec center are acceptable to my nose, so long as I don’t plan on sleeping within the following four hours or so. That means I could swim before work, at whatever point I’m ready to resume two-a-day workouts and/or get serious about my swimming again. Early morning swimming is always a bit of a challenge for me, with my distaste for cold and water, so I’ll wait for the motivation to come, as I know it will.
I did some more editing last night and now that the house is quiet I’m going to do some more. I’m also pondering an alternate ending to the draft of my second novel, which ended on such a dark note that it depressed even me. And I like unhappy and ambiguous endings! From a marketing point of view, I have a feeling I’d get nowhere with the ending the story has now. I can always keep the depressing ending in a separate version.
I’m a little worried about Dan tonight. He was feeling kind of run down all last week, and then tonight he had what he describes as a blood sugar drop, leading to chills and shakes until he ate something sweet. I’m suspicious about this. He ate a fairly big meal only a few hours before this happened. But he also ran three miles during the hottest time of the day today. He’s been slacking on running, and today was so hot that even I wouldn't have tackled a run at 3:30 in the afternoon. And I run regularly and have a high heat tolerance. So maybe it was a delayed reaction or something. He’s talking about going to the doctor for a blood workup and I sure hope he follows through. I'm concerned that there might be more going on here than meets the eye.
Not much else of note around here. I’m doing a demo tomorrow of a new hire orientation presentation. Ho-hum. And I’ve got lots of org charts and spreadsheets to work through this week. It will probably be even duller than it sounds.
Today’s Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights, 500m swim
Yay, me!
I have determined that the chemicals in the pool at the university rec center are acceptable to my nose, so long as I don’t plan on sleeping within the following four hours or so. That means I could swim before work, at whatever point I’m ready to resume two-a-day workouts and/or get serious about my swimming again. Early morning swimming is always a bit of a challenge for me, with my distaste for cold and water, so I’ll wait for the motivation to come, as I know it will.
I did some more editing last night and now that the house is quiet I’m going to do some more. I’m also pondering an alternate ending to the draft of my second novel, which ended on such a dark note that it depressed even me. And I like unhappy and ambiguous endings! From a marketing point of view, I have a feeling I’d get nowhere with the ending the story has now. I can always keep the depressing ending in a separate version.
I’m a little worried about Dan tonight. He was feeling kind of run down all last week, and then tonight he had what he describes as a blood sugar drop, leading to chills and shakes until he ate something sweet. I’m suspicious about this. He ate a fairly big meal only a few hours before this happened. But he also ran three miles during the hottest time of the day today. He’s been slacking on running, and today was so hot that even I wouldn't have tackled a run at 3:30 in the afternoon. And I run regularly and have a high heat tolerance. So maybe it was a delayed reaction or something. He’s talking about going to the doctor for a blood workup and I sure hope he follows through. I'm concerned that there might be more going on here than meets the eye.
Not much else of note around here. I’m doing a demo tomorrow of a new hire orientation presentation. Ho-hum. And I’ve got lots of org charts and spreadsheets to work through this week. It will probably be even duller than it sounds.
Today’s Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights, 500m swim
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Checking In
Okay, I’ve been slacking on blogging this week.
I have started querying agents and have had to step up my editing process accordingly. Page after page with a red pen. Not fun. This is the part of writing that really is work, and it’s terra incognita for me, since I’ve never sought publication before. Now I see why writers actually get paid!
Work is a mixed blessing. One of my bosses is gone, which makes for a phone that rings far less often. But I’ve been given some additional “Buck Stops Here” responsibilities, which is keeping me busier than I might otherwise be.
I slacked a bit on my workouts this week, due to issues of time, weather and laziness. I used to prefer evening workouts—come home from work, take a nap, then work out. But since I started writing again last fall, I’ve found it easier to work out right after work. That way I have my evenings entirely free for writing. But now that it’s almost August, even my high tolerance for heat and humidity is sometimes challenged by conditions at 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon.
So I renewed my membership at the university’s rec center. Yes, I know I have a YMCA membership. But I’m always daunted by the prospect of having to head downtown during afternoon rush hour. Traffic and parking are a pain, and the gym is full. So I’m going to try using the university gym after work on days when running outside is just not realistic. It’s only $25/month, taken directly out of my paycheck, so we’ll see how that goes.
I had a decent long run this morning, although the heat and humidity were getting to me a bit more than usual toward the end. And then Dan and I had lunch with our Romanian friends and some friends from work. It was very nice and sociable.
The plan for Sunday is to go for a short run in the morning, followed by a workout at the gym and maybe a bit of swimming. If the rec center pool doesn’t set off my allergies, I might decide to swim more often. I really want to get back into triathlon, it’s just that there are only so many hours in a day, and writing has hijacked a lot of those hours in the past year.
Today’s Workout
Saturday: 13 mile run
I have started querying agents and have had to step up my editing process accordingly. Page after page with a red pen. Not fun. This is the part of writing that really is work, and it’s terra incognita for me, since I’ve never sought publication before. Now I see why writers actually get paid!
Work is a mixed blessing. One of my bosses is gone, which makes for a phone that rings far less often. But I’ve been given some additional “Buck Stops Here” responsibilities, which is keeping me busier than I might otherwise be.
I slacked a bit on my workouts this week, due to issues of time, weather and laziness. I used to prefer evening workouts—come home from work, take a nap, then work out. But since I started writing again last fall, I’ve found it easier to work out right after work. That way I have my evenings entirely free for writing. But now that it’s almost August, even my high tolerance for heat and humidity is sometimes challenged by conditions at 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon.
So I renewed my membership at the university’s rec center. Yes, I know I have a YMCA membership. But I’m always daunted by the prospect of having to head downtown during afternoon rush hour. Traffic and parking are a pain, and the gym is full. So I’m going to try using the university gym after work on days when running outside is just not realistic. It’s only $25/month, taken directly out of my paycheck, so we’ll see how that goes.
I had a decent long run this morning, although the heat and humidity were getting to me a bit more than usual toward the end. And then Dan and I had lunch with our Romanian friends and some friends from work. It was very nice and sociable.
The plan for Sunday is to go for a short run in the morning, followed by a workout at the gym and maybe a bit of swimming. If the rec center pool doesn’t set off my allergies, I might decide to swim more often. I really want to get back into triathlon, it’s just that there are only so many hours in a day, and writing has hijacked a lot of those hours in the past year.
Today’s Workout
Saturday: 13 mile run
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Rabbit and the Romanian
This morning I arranged my long run so that the Romanian boy, Catalin, could join me. When I got to their apartment, the whole family was up and the girl was excitedly waiting for my husband to pick her up and take her to see our rabbit. Dan had told me the night before that he wasn’t sure if he would be up for dealing with a kid today, so I cautioned the mother that Dan was really tired and that they should wait for him to call, but the girl seemed unfazed by this news, confident she would get to play with a bunny today.
Whatever.
Catalin and I went up through one of the nice neighborhoods near Rice, did the loop around the university, back to Montrose and back to the apartment. The humidity got to him a little, which didn’t surprise me. It takes time to figure out how to run long in hot and humid conditions. I’ve been running seven years now and I think this is the first year I can truthfully say that I can run without suffering in all but the very worst summer conditions. But I’m not worried about Catalin. He’s fourteen. He’ll adjust to the climate in no time, if he trains consistently.
After running with him to his apartment, I went back to the bayou, did a loop and went home. By now it was quite hot, I was dripping sweat and seriously needed to use the bathroom. So of course I stumbled in the door, and there was Anna Marie, full of seven year-old energy and no English skills. Her first instinct was to fling herself on me for a hug, but I deflected that (come on, kid, I’m wet and I stink!), and hurried off to the bathroom.
That matter taken care of, I took stock of the situation. Somehow, we had ended up with sole charge of this tyke, the parents having decided they needed a little break, I guess. Dan hadn’t realized what he was getting into, and was already muttering about how glad he was we don’t have kids while trying to keep Anna Marie from decorating our new sofa with a marker.
Dude, never give a hyperactive kid markers! Never, ever!
I found her some colored pencils, but she soon lost interest.
Then I asked how Tidbit was taking to the stranger.
As it turned out, Tid had been friendly enough at first, but had grown annoyed at Anna Marie’s attempts to pick her up. After stomping and grunting at her, Tidbit had gone off to hide. I iced my legs, hoping Tid would come out and visit me, since hanging out on Saturday morning is one of our little traditions. But she was still sulking and wouldn’t come out. I finished icing and took a shower.
Feeling better now, I came back out to the living room to watch the Tour and make sure Dan wasn’t giving the kid markers again, and now Tidbit came out. I showed Anna Marie the correct way to pet the bunny and Tidbit seemed to let bygones be bygones. She nosed around the little girl, friendly as could be. For a long time, Anna Marie played with Tidbit, feeding her wisps of hay and using the stuffed bunnies to interact with her. She pretended to read The Runaway Bunny to her. She scooped Tidbit’s breakfast pellets into her palm and allowed me to show her the correct way to let the rabbit eat out of her hand. They both had a wonderful time.
I had always suspected Tidbit had been a child’s bunny, and from the way she behaved today, I continue to think so. She was friendly and patient, but stood her ground on things she didn’t like. She never got hostile, but simply removed herself from the situation if the kid got rough. Amazing. People pay big bucks to train their dogs to behave this way, and here’s this little unwanted rabbit from the shelter who does it by instinct.
You’re the best, Tidbit!
And you, too, Floyd! Great comeback—now go get that hip fixed, okay?
Today’s Workout
Saturday: 13 mile run
Whatever.
Catalin and I went up through one of the nice neighborhoods near Rice, did the loop around the university, back to Montrose and back to the apartment. The humidity got to him a little, which didn’t surprise me. It takes time to figure out how to run long in hot and humid conditions. I’ve been running seven years now and I think this is the first year I can truthfully say that I can run without suffering in all but the very worst summer conditions. But I’m not worried about Catalin. He’s fourteen. He’ll adjust to the climate in no time, if he trains consistently.
After running with him to his apartment, I went back to the bayou, did a loop and went home. By now it was quite hot, I was dripping sweat and seriously needed to use the bathroom. So of course I stumbled in the door, and there was Anna Marie, full of seven year-old energy and no English skills. Her first instinct was to fling herself on me for a hug, but I deflected that (come on, kid, I’m wet and I stink!), and hurried off to the bathroom.
That matter taken care of, I took stock of the situation. Somehow, we had ended up with sole charge of this tyke, the parents having decided they needed a little break, I guess. Dan hadn’t realized what he was getting into, and was already muttering about how glad he was we don’t have kids while trying to keep Anna Marie from decorating our new sofa with a marker.
Dude, never give a hyperactive kid markers! Never, ever!
I found her some colored pencils, but she soon lost interest.
Then I asked how Tidbit was taking to the stranger.
As it turned out, Tid had been friendly enough at first, but had grown annoyed at Anna Marie’s attempts to pick her up. After stomping and grunting at her, Tidbit had gone off to hide. I iced my legs, hoping Tid would come out and visit me, since hanging out on Saturday morning is one of our little traditions. But she was still sulking and wouldn’t come out. I finished icing and took a shower.
Feeling better now, I came back out to the living room to watch the Tour and make sure Dan wasn’t giving the kid markers again, and now Tidbit came out. I showed Anna Marie the correct way to pet the bunny and Tidbit seemed to let bygones be bygones. She nosed around the little girl, friendly as could be. For a long time, Anna Marie played with Tidbit, feeding her wisps of hay and using the stuffed bunnies to interact with her. She pretended to read The Runaway Bunny to her. She scooped Tidbit’s breakfast pellets into her palm and allowed me to show her the correct way to let the rabbit eat out of her hand. They both had a wonderful time.
I had always suspected Tidbit had been a child’s bunny, and from the way she behaved today, I continue to think so. She was friendly and patient, but stood her ground on things she didn’t like. She never got hostile, but simply removed herself from the situation if the kid got rough. Amazing. People pay big bucks to train their dogs to behave this way, and here’s this little unwanted rabbit from the shelter who does it by instinct.
You’re the best, Tidbit!
And you, too, Floyd! Great comeback—now go get that hip fixed, okay?
Today’s Workout
Saturday: 13 mile run
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Working From Home
Well, the third world nation that is my office building was without power today. It was a scheduled outage to fix some things associated with the air conditioner. They said the power would be out from 9:00 to 11:00, but of course no one with any sense believed that. From the emails I got, it looks like the work began around 10:30 and power wasn’t restored until 3:30.
Good thing I can work from home!
What’s kind of scary is how much more I can get done at home than at the office, at least when I’ve got data-intensive projects going on. I finished one project that had been dragging on for awhile, and completed a new one that I had said probably wouldn’t be ready before Monday. But hey, with no phone ringing and no other distractions, I was able to dive right in and get it knocked out.
We expect to have no other a/c or power-related problems tomorrow, and with these two projects off my plate, it ought to be a good day for catching up on the types of little things that really can’t be done from home. Nice.
I’m beginning to think that I should work from home more often, at least when I have big projects to complete. I got more done at home today than in a typical day of workplace distractions, and this was in spite of going for a morning run, taking down some trash, taking some things to the dry cleaners (located here at my apartment complex), doing the laundry and loading the dishwasher. Of course, I also didn’t have to open doors for people, take phone calls or deal with people dropping by my office distracting me with random questions and chit-chat. Sometimes my boss calls me half a dozen times in the space of an hour, and it completely wrecks my concentration. Nothing like that here at home!
So I’m feeling a little spoiled tonight, wishing I could spend Friday at home too, and start things fresh on Monday. But I guess I’ll just be grateful for the little break that I got. I should learn not to complain so much about working in an old building on leased property off campus. Sometimes it really does pay off!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 6 mile run
Good thing I can work from home!
What’s kind of scary is how much more I can get done at home than at the office, at least when I’ve got data-intensive projects going on. I finished one project that had been dragging on for awhile, and completed a new one that I had said probably wouldn’t be ready before Monday. But hey, with no phone ringing and no other distractions, I was able to dive right in and get it knocked out.
We expect to have no other a/c or power-related problems tomorrow, and with these two projects off my plate, it ought to be a good day for catching up on the types of little things that really can’t be done from home. Nice.
I’m beginning to think that I should work from home more often, at least when I have big projects to complete. I got more done at home today than in a typical day of workplace distractions, and this was in spite of going for a morning run, taking down some trash, taking some things to the dry cleaners (located here at my apartment complex), doing the laundry and loading the dishwasher. Of course, I also didn’t have to open doors for people, take phone calls or deal with people dropping by my office distracting me with random questions and chit-chat. Sometimes my boss calls me half a dozen times in the space of an hour, and it completely wrecks my concentration. Nothing like that here at home!
So I’m feeling a little spoiled tonight, wishing I could spend Friday at home too, and start things fresh on Monday. But I guess I’ll just be grateful for the little break that I got. I should learn not to complain so much about working in an old building on leased property off campus. Sometimes it really does pay off!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 6 mile run
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Monday, July 17, 2006
Underclass
I got to work this morning, opened the door to the building and was hit with a wall of hot air. It got hotter and hotter as I walked toward my office at the end of the building. I checked the thermostat. Mid-nineties. Ugh.
I nosed around and finally found the HVAC guy, who explained that the a/c had failed over the weekend, but that we had a backup chiller and he had turned it on. He said we could expect cool air shortly.
I waited. And waited. The temp came down to the high eighties.
I thought about working from home, but I had to finish a project for an afternoon presentation and I needed feedback from a key person. So I waited.
The temp dropped to a bit below eight-five.
I continued to wait.
Then the temps started climbing again.
I got the phone call I was waiting for so I could finish my project, and I also got the phone call I had been dreading, that HVAC could not guarantee a fix on the a/c by the end of the day. Great.
By the time I finished up, it was nearing ninety again, and I had to get out of there. I sent out the presentation, locked up and left.
Two Mondays ago, no water. This Monday, no a/c. Sometimes I swear I work in a third world country.
I nosed around and finally found the HVAC guy, who explained that the a/c had failed over the weekend, but that we had a backup chiller and he had turned it on. He said we could expect cool air shortly.
I waited. And waited. The temp came down to the high eighties.
I thought about working from home, but I had to finish a project for an afternoon presentation and I needed feedback from a key person. So I waited.
The temp dropped to a bit below eight-five.
I continued to wait.
Then the temps started climbing again.
I got the phone call I was waiting for so I could finish my project, and I also got the phone call I had been dreading, that HVAC could not guarantee a fix on the a/c by the end of the day. Great.
By the time I finished up, it was nearing ninety again, and I had to get out of there. I sent out the presentation, locked up and left.
Two Mondays ago, no water. This Monday, no a/c. Sometimes I swear I work in a third world country.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
An Embarrassment of Riches
On Friday night, we took the Romanians grocery shopping. What usually takes us an hour, took nearly four, by the time we picked them up, tried to explain American food, chased the little girl all over creation, then took the them home, showed them how to use their electric oven, etc.
Then on Saturday, Dan went to help a professor friend move some furniture. It was sweat equity in exchange for use of his friend's truck to pick up some furniture we bought from some friends of ours. Problem was that the truck was too small. So a job that should've taken 3 hours, turned into all day.
Meanwhile, I went for a 13 mile run, then went to tell the Romanians that Dan wouldn't be by with their sofa (our old one) until much later in the day. I ended up taking Camelia and the kids to the library and then to Hermann Park to see the ducks. When I dropped them back at home, I felt so bad for the kids (they were bored silly) that I went out and bought them a TV. (Yeah, I'm an old softie sometimes.)
By now it was almost 3:00 and I still hadn't eaten after my big run, except for a cup of yogurt. So I went to Central Market and got some goodies from the deli, but had to stop off at the pet store on the way home and get bunny food and litter. And as luck would have it, there were two cashiers on duty and at the head of each loooooong line was some fool with a complicated transaction involving returns, coupons, rain checks, Golden Tickets and radioactive waste. Why I'm not still waiting in line is both a mystery and a miracle.
I got home, grumpy and shaking with hunger, only to field a phone call from the hubby telling me to clear the entryway and lock up the bunny in the bedroom so she wouldn't be underfoot when he and his friend delivered our furniture. That required an additional fifteen minutes of work, primarily in finding things to block the bunny from going under the bed. But finally I settled down to eat my now-cold lasagna, which I ate so quickly I don't think I got a chance to taste it. Then I put in some earplugs and took a nap.
When I woke up, we had gorgeous new furniture! Yay! But it was so much bigger than the old stuff, that now the living room was all out of proportion. So we moved furniture around until midnight. We raised up just enough old dust and bunny fur that I developed an entertainingly serious asthma attack that didn't respond to meds and required a boost from a couple cups of strong coffee.
Oh, yeah. Coffee at midnight. I was up until 4:00 am!
I thought today would be quieter and I'd be able to get some writing done, but after a morning run and lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant, we dropped by the Romanians' apartment to drop off a DVD player we no longer needed. They were so obviously eager to get out and do something, that the next thing I knew, we were driving them around town. We showed them how to get to the nearest Social Security office, then showed them some of the local sights and ended up going out for coffee. We lingered for awhile, then took them to a park so the little girl could run around a bit. I hung out with the boy, Catalin, and found that he's just a step away from being a triathlete-- he likes swimming and mountain biking, and distance running. I made arrangements to do some Saturday runs with him, and promised to take him to my YMCA on Sunday mornings. I figure once he starts school, he can join the cross country team.
It was nearly 6:00 before we got home, and meeting my parents for dinner was just not in the cards.
I don't know where my weekend has gone!
But I've been really impressed by how nice people have been to this Romanian family. Dan's professor friend gave them a table and two bookcases. A friend at work promised to get radios for them and pay for six months of basic cable TV. Another friend offered to take them to dinner. And one of their neighbors gave them a desk and a set of chairs.
This has been an opportunity for me to see some interesting things about American culture through other eyes, and one thing that I'm really struck by is how rich we are, even those of us who are poor by the standards to which we aspire. In Romania, this family was solidly middle class. He was an electrical engineer, and she was a nurse and published writer of children's books. But they didn't have a refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning, microwave oven, or a dishwasher. In America these things are common among all but the very poorest.
I've been struck for the second time since Hurricane Katrina by how generous we are in this country. But I'm also starting to really understand how rich we are, even those of us who can recite a litany of ways in which we have failed to keep up with the Joneses. If you're reading this blog on a computer in your own home, if you have food in a refrigerator, clothes you never wear, furniture you never use, an air conditioner cooling your home and a running vehicle or two (or three) in your garage or driveway, you're richer than the middle class of all but a handful of nations.
Rejoice in your riches, friends!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run
Then on Saturday, Dan went to help a professor friend move some furniture. It was sweat equity in exchange for use of his friend's truck to pick up some furniture we bought from some friends of ours. Problem was that the truck was too small. So a job that should've taken 3 hours, turned into all day.
Meanwhile, I went for a 13 mile run, then went to tell the Romanians that Dan wouldn't be by with their sofa (our old one) until much later in the day. I ended up taking Camelia and the kids to the library and then to Hermann Park to see the ducks. When I dropped them back at home, I felt so bad for the kids (they were bored silly) that I went out and bought them a TV. (Yeah, I'm an old softie sometimes.)
By now it was almost 3:00 and I still hadn't eaten after my big run, except for a cup of yogurt. So I went to Central Market and got some goodies from the deli, but had to stop off at the pet store on the way home and get bunny food and litter. And as luck would have it, there were two cashiers on duty and at the head of each loooooong line was some fool with a complicated transaction involving returns, coupons, rain checks, Golden Tickets and radioactive waste. Why I'm not still waiting in line is both a mystery and a miracle.
I got home, grumpy and shaking with hunger, only to field a phone call from the hubby telling me to clear the entryway and lock up the bunny in the bedroom so she wouldn't be underfoot when he and his friend delivered our furniture. That required an additional fifteen minutes of work, primarily in finding things to block the bunny from going under the bed. But finally I settled down to eat my now-cold lasagna, which I ate so quickly I don't think I got a chance to taste it. Then I put in some earplugs and took a nap.
When I woke up, we had gorgeous new furniture! Yay! But it was so much bigger than the old stuff, that now the living room was all out of proportion. So we moved furniture around until midnight. We raised up just enough old dust and bunny fur that I developed an entertainingly serious asthma attack that didn't respond to meds and required a boost from a couple cups of strong coffee.
Oh, yeah. Coffee at midnight. I was up until 4:00 am!
I thought today would be quieter and I'd be able to get some writing done, but after a morning run and lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant, we dropped by the Romanians' apartment to drop off a DVD player we no longer needed. They were so obviously eager to get out and do something, that the next thing I knew, we were driving them around town. We showed them how to get to the nearest Social Security office, then showed them some of the local sights and ended up going out for coffee. We lingered for awhile, then took them to a park so the little girl could run around a bit. I hung out with the boy, Catalin, and found that he's just a step away from being a triathlete-- he likes swimming and mountain biking, and distance running. I made arrangements to do some Saturday runs with him, and promised to take him to my YMCA on Sunday mornings. I figure once he starts school, he can join the cross country team.
It was nearly 6:00 before we got home, and meeting my parents for dinner was just not in the cards.
I don't know where my weekend has gone!
But I've been really impressed by how nice people have been to this Romanian family. Dan's professor friend gave them a table and two bookcases. A friend at work promised to get radios for them and pay for six months of basic cable TV. Another friend offered to take them to dinner. And one of their neighbors gave them a desk and a set of chairs.
This has been an opportunity for me to see some interesting things about American culture through other eyes, and one thing that I'm really struck by is how rich we are, even those of us who are poor by the standards to which we aspire. In Romania, this family was solidly middle class. He was an electrical engineer, and she was a nurse and published writer of children's books. But they didn't have a refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning, microwave oven, or a dishwasher. In America these things are common among all but the very poorest.
I've been struck for the second time since Hurricane Katrina by how generous we are in this country. But I'm also starting to really understand how rich we are, even those of us who can recite a litany of ways in which we have failed to keep up with the Joneses. If you're reading this blog on a computer in your own home, if you have food in a refrigerator, clothes you never wear, furniture you never use, an air conditioner cooling your home and a running vehicle or two (or three) in your garage or driveway, you're richer than the middle class of all but a handful of nations.
Rejoice in your riches, friends!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The Romanians and Me
Wow, what a week!
I spent two days buying stuff and getting an apartment lined up for my Romanian friends. (The apartment is better than my own and cheaper-- am I a fool, or what?) Today, they were supposed to catch the bus at the airport, and I would meet them at the downtown station.
Well, by the time they called, exhausted and jet-lagged after more than twelve hours of air travel and two hours clearing customs and going through their final immigration interview, they were beyond being able to figure out how to get to the correct terminal and find the bus. So even though it meant heading outbound at almost precisely 5:00, and even though I was tired, hungry and cross-eyed from spending all day in front of a spreadsheet, Dan and I decided we'd go pick them up.
The trip required both of our vehicles, and it was a hellacious bumper-to-bumper smogfest getting out there. And then I had trouble finding my friends, but we finally figured that out and got them to their apartment.
Lots of unloading and unpacking of stuff ensued. My friends' little girl speaks no English and has enough energy that I'm thinking they could probably just skip looking for jobs and instead hook her up to a few wires and sell the energy to the electric company. She's a sweet little thing, but exhausting. The boy is fourteen, with a subtle sense of humor and a way about him that gives the impression he never says everything he thinks. Thankfully his English is quite good. I had been worried about how he would do in an American school, but I'm not worried at all any more.
We were busy getting them settled in until nearly 9:00. This included a run to the grocery store, where little Anna-Maria was hell on wheels, or rather, hell with wheels. She took charge of the shopping cart, completely oblivious to the fact that other people might be in the aisles. I spent a lot of time hanging onto the cart and getting only a big smile for my efforts to communicate before she was off again. Oh, my. Enough energy in that girl for at least three more just like her.
They're a very nice family and I'm looking forward to doing more with them this weekend. But I sure am tired! Not nearly as tired as if I'd spent over twelve hours on planes today, though. Thank goodness for that!
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: n/a
I spent two days buying stuff and getting an apartment lined up for my Romanian friends. (The apartment is better than my own and cheaper-- am I a fool, or what?) Today, they were supposed to catch the bus at the airport, and I would meet them at the downtown station.
Well, by the time they called, exhausted and jet-lagged after more than twelve hours of air travel and two hours clearing customs and going through their final immigration interview, they were beyond being able to figure out how to get to the correct terminal and find the bus. So even though it meant heading outbound at almost precisely 5:00, and even though I was tired, hungry and cross-eyed from spending all day in front of a spreadsheet, Dan and I decided we'd go pick them up.
The trip required both of our vehicles, and it was a hellacious bumper-to-bumper smogfest getting out there. And then I had trouble finding my friends, but we finally figured that out and got them to their apartment.
Lots of unloading and unpacking of stuff ensued. My friends' little girl speaks no English and has enough energy that I'm thinking they could probably just skip looking for jobs and instead hook her up to a few wires and sell the energy to the electric company. She's a sweet little thing, but exhausting. The boy is fourteen, with a subtle sense of humor and a way about him that gives the impression he never says everything he thinks. Thankfully his English is quite good. I had been worried about how he would do in an American school, but I'm not worried at all any more.
We were busy getting them settled in until nearly 9:00. This included a run to the grocery store, where little Anna-Maria was hell on wheels, or rather, hell with wheels. She took charge of the shopping cart, completely oblivious to the fact that other people might be in the aisles. I spent a lot of time hanging onto the cart and getting only a big smile for my efforts to communicate before she was off again. Oh, my. Enough energy in that girl for at least three more just like her.
They're a very nice family and I'm looking forward to doing more with them this weekend. But I sure am tired! Not nearly as tired as if I'd spent over twelve hours on planes today, though. Thank goodness for that!
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: n/a
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