What a Year

As the final eve of 2006 approaches, I realize that I have yet to write my "Year in Review." Here are some accomplishments and pitfalls...

Book Review: These are the books I've read (amongst others - these just stand out).
Lords of Discipline (fantastic!)
Heart Shaped World (pretty good)
The Dead Secret (fantastic!)
The Woman in White (a bit long-winded)
Wicked (the musical is better)
Crime and Punishment (took me FOREVER, but good story line)
Grapes of Wrath (yes, I've never read it prior to this year... but I loved it!)
Cold Mountain (just as good as the film)
A barage of chick lit and popular fiction

Of the "new" books I read this year, I think the best one was definitely "The Grapes of Wrath." I taught it to my sophomores this year, and I would definitely teach it again.

Re-reads:
The Count of Monte Cristo (last year's Best Book Read by Erica)
Rebecca
A Tale of Two Cities

"A Tale of Two Cities" was a bit difficult for me to catagorize. Technically it's a re-read, since I read it in college. But I couldn't remember ANYTHING about it when I picked it up this year, so it was new-ish to me. And that's definitely my favorite re-read because I am enjoying it (I'm almost done).

Books I want to read this year:
Germinal
Oliver Twist and/or David Copperfield
East of Eden
Whatever else looks good! :)

Running
Races I've run:
Houston Half Marathon
New Orleans Half Marathon
Rodeo Run 10k
Bayou City Classic 10k
Crescent City Classic 10k
Country Music Marathon
Astros Race for the Pennant 5k
VA Beach Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon
Fleet Feet 25k relay (I ran the last 3rd)
Uptown Turkey Trot 10k

Races I plan on running this year:
Houston Half Marathon (if my doctor lets me walk it... I'll find out Tuesday)
Surfside Half Marathon (if my doctor lets me)
Rodeo Run 10k (if my doctor lets me)
Bayou City Classic 10k
Maybe the Crescent City Classic
Cincinatti Flying Pig Half Marathon
A half marathon in NY state (maybe Brooklyn)
San Antonio Half Marathon
A sprinkling of 10ks and 5ks

I joined a new running group, the Striders, and am having fun so far. I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with their activities (as soon as the doctor clears me, of course).

Injuries
Torn cornea (two days before the New Orleans Half Marathon)
Sprained ankle/strained Achilles tendon (on my birthday! in NYC!)
Jacked up knee - diagnosis TBA Tuesday... probably a sprain or a tiny crack

Places I've Traveled
Nashville
New York
Washington DC
Virginia Beach

Places I'll travel next year:
Cincinatti
New York (probably)
Canada
Wherever I go on a vacation

Movies
I can't remember all of the films I've seen this year, but the best are...
The Departed
Marie Antoinette
Casino Royale
A Good Year
United 93
Hollywoodland
The Lake House
Clerks II


Overall, I think I had a pretty good year. I've had my frustrations, my low moments, my heartbreaks, my stresses but I managed to do a lot. I'm still in a job I enjoy, I've managed to experience so many things this year (and I met the Emperor, how cool is that???!!), my family and friends are safe and healthy, and as I sit here I'm in a relatively good mood.

I have no clue what 2007 will bring, other than the Rodeo, a couple of weddings I'm attending, school and a longer summer break. I'll probably teach summer school for extra money. I'll be moving to a new apartment in a couple of months.

But do I have any resolutions? Tons. Some are private and secret, but some are not. For example, I plan on eating more vegetables and less sugar. I plan to smile more. I plan to finish 2 scripts. I plan to learn to relax. I plan to take a sushi preparation class. I plan to take tango lessons. I plan to drink more water. I have high hopes, but I'm not going to count them as resolutions because I refuse to feel like a failure at the end of next year. But I hope that many of my hopes will come true. Some are very far-away hopes, but life would be very boring without hopes and wishes and dreams.

Happy New Year everyone. Don't drink and drive.

Cheers!

I Surrender! I Surrender!

Imagine me waving a white flag, not so cheerfully.

Mom's doctor boss says it sounds like I tore a patella ligament/tendon. My nurse best friend says that it sounds like I fractured my kneecap. My medic sister says that my insistence on the lack of swelling doesn't mean anything. My boyfriend won't stop bugging me. Andy and Mom both say that I'm hardheaded and they won't even try to convince me to do the right thing (i.e. go to the doctor).

Therefore, I surrender. I have an appointment with my orthopedist Tuesday afternoon (when he gets back from vacation).

Last night, Mom and I removed the steri-strips to discover that my gashes closed up nicely. It was then that I realized that the pain wasn't due to the gashes, as I said before. My flesh wounds don't hurt, but my kneecap does. Just a light tap on the top makes me jump slightly.

I love to self-diagnose myself, so I went to a website about knee injuries. I did the activities that doctors might ask me to perform (i.e., bending, squating, etc.).

Here's what hurts...

1) Bending to sit down.
2) Bending to stand up.
3) Moving it after keeping it still for a bit.
4) Walking down stairs.
5) Walking up stairs.
6) Squatting.
7) Doings lunges (yes, I tried one).
8) Jogging (I jogged three steps before the pain kicked me)
9) Hyperextending the knee.
10) Bending it while sitting (not major pain, but there is a definite twinge).
11) Walking for an extended period of time (aka 60 minutes in the Galleria).

The above, combined with the insistence on friends and family, prompted me to make the appointment. Plus the slight fear of work next week - I'll be on my feet to teach and have to walk up and down stairs to get to my classroom, so if something's wrong I need to know now.

Too bad the doc is on vacation.

Cheers, I guess.

Scarey... then Better

I'm a terrible patient. I make no excuses, reasons, nor lies about it: I hate being sick and/or injured.

Yesterday I decided to unwrap my knee and get some air on the gashes. I unwound the ace bandage, unwound the slightly bloody gauze and allowed some oxygen to the kneecap. This was also my first sight of it post-ER. Yep, it's still bruised. Yep, the gash still is there. Yep, my knee is slightly swollen.

While allowing oxygen (and whatever noxious fumes gather into houses from the outside) caress my wound, I decided to also walk on it, post-wrap. Not bad at all. I realized that the pain does indeed come from the bruises and the gashes because without the padding and pressure, it does feel better. After about an hour, I happened to look down at my legs. Upon looking at my right leg, my first thought was "Damn, I've really gained weight; my leg is fatter." Then I compared the two. Holy cow! What the hell is happening down there???!!! My right ankle and foot were so swollen that the ankle bone was not protruding as usual. And I realized that my leg was also tingling. My mom's explanation was that the binding was too tight and finally the blood is flowing more properly down my leg and that the swelling would fix itself.

Hours later, it did. Thank God.

I re-wrapped my knee, but left the gauze out. The steri-strips are starting to loosen, so I'm keeping the Ace bandage on it for protection. No pressure pain, only surface pain. I think I'll be out jogging sooner than expected. I don't want to rip open the gashes again, so I'll still take some time off, but I don't think the damage is as bad as the ER doc, my mom and I thought.

Relief!

Merry Christmas!

Wow! I guess I was good this year, because Santa was nice to me! Amongst my presents...

1) A new watch
2) A new running watch
3) A new stereo
4) A Magic Bullet (the food chopper/mixer as seen on tv!)
5) A Star Wars Hallmark Christmas tree ornament (I collect them)
6) Earrings
7) A wine vacuum sealer set

Ahh. Presents. I can't wait to start playing with them!

Here's the pain update...

I still hurt. My bruises are still here. I've been illegally walking on it, and will be driving this evening, so we'll see how things go. The sitting and standing don't hurt, but the motion to do so does.

Cheers!

Pain Update

After 24 hours, here's what still hurts...

1) The small bruise on my chin.
2) My deltoid muscles (from the landing, I guess).
3) My biceps (from the landing, I guess).
4) I have a few tiny bruises and scratches on my left leg.
5) My right knee.

Here's the update on the knee: Against doctor's orders, I did a bit of walking today, to test the waters. Putting pressure on it does not hurt, but bending it sure does (I guess due to the placement of the gash). Also, my kneecap keeps popping and I feel like it keeps coming out of socket when I walk, causing me to almost fall over as it buckles (but yet it doesn't hurt when that happens). I unwrapped the Ace bandage and adjusted the gauze bandage (ewww... the blood that seeped through...) and then re-wrapped it and now I'm better. The tighter bandage really helps with the walking.

I know, I know. I'm not supposed to walk. In fact, I've been having people on my case about it. Right now, I am forced to sit down because my Mom and the Sailor won't let me leave my bedroom. Thank God my computer is in here. Andy told me that he's not going to lecture me this time because he knows that I'm too hard-headed for my good and he knows that I'll just ignore his advice. My family and the Sailor keep lecturing me, so ignoring them makes them do it more. I have to humor them I guess.

I hate staying still. I hate relaxing. I hate not moving.

I am going to go out of my mind.

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

It's a chubby runner flying through the air after tripping on a jagged piece of sidewalk, her arms flailing and her face and knee falling into more jagged pieces of sidewalk!

Ouch.

Today was the Strider's Longest Long Run, the last long run before the full and half marathon. I was up and out there at 6am, ready to put in my 13.1 miles. And brrr! It was cold.

June, Bill and I started off and we stuck together for the first 8 miles, averaging a 12:30 pace. I was struggling, and then at mile 7 I realized why: I gave blood Thursday afternoon. Running 13 miles at a good speed (for me) probably wasn't the smartest thing.

At mile 8, I let them run on ahead, since I was turning around at mile 9.5 anyway. A few minutes after they left, I started on as well (I was chilling at a water station).

After passing Starbucks, I saw a creepy man. Unfortunately, I then became immersed in thoughts and wasn't paying attention. Right after passing the creepy man (I was thinking about my pepper spray), I stumbled upon a very bad sidewalk on Montrose (past Hawthorne). Then I really did stumble. No, calling it a stumble is an understatement.

At mile 9, I flew through the air. Ironically, I tripped about a mile before, but managed to catch myself. This time, I was not so lucky.

So my right toe got caught in the jagged edges and as I flew through the air, my thought was "Fuck, this landing is gonna hurt." Oh, and it did. I landed and slid on the rough concrete, wrist, knee and chin first. Sadly, I wondered first how bad my face looked, before the pain of my knee kicked in. I immediately called mom, but couldn't talk (thus freaking her out). Barb, Steeeve's wife, was jogging by and she took the phone from me to talk to my mom. My hands hurt and my knee hurt so bad that I was crying. I was terrified to move it. I finally did when I saw the blood seeping through my pants (which didn't rip). I pulled the leg of my pants up and was greeted with a smiley face of gashes. One wasn't that bad, but I knew that I needed stitches (AH!) on the other one. I finally moved a few minutes later.

Luckily, some woman saw me fall and she drove over and sat with me until my mom came, and a lady who lived across the street came over to me too, so I was never alone. She helped me over to her car where I stood and leaned. Then I got woosey and naseaous and slid to the ground and shivered until my mom came (I was wearing sweaty clothes and it was freezing!).

Finally Mom came (about the time one of the ladies acquired a hot tea for me!). We drove to her hospital, which is fantastic. The ladies wanted to call an ambulance, but I wouldn't let them - I knew I would hate waiting in a busy ER. Mom's hospital is a surgical hospital, but by law they have to have an ER. No one ever goes to their ER, so I was the only patient.

The doctor loaded me up on very strong Motrin, the nurse took my blood pressure three times because it was freakishly low (70/40) and my pulse three times because it was also freakishly low (45) and I shivered. Wow! Sitting in the cold in sweaty clothes for 30 minutes was borderline torture! And let's not even discuss the pain of cleaning out the gashes.

The verdict: who knows. I managed to talk the doctor out of ordering x-rays for me (I hate my insurance). He said that the treatment would be the same for the first week anyway, so I'm heavily bandaged and I'm not allowed to move it or bend it for a week. It's my right knee, which means no driving! The other good news - he just put steri-strips on my knee to close the gashes - no stitches for me (I can live with the scarring)! I'm too keep an eye on my knee and if it gets worse or not much better, then they'll do x-rays on me.

Basically, I think I'm out of the running (punny!) for the half-marathon. It's three weeks away and I'll be out of running for 1-2 weeks, and I don't know how comfortable I'd feel attempting to jog it. So I might walk the half-marathon instead. No running for me until I'm sure my knee is not cracked.

In other pains and aches: my left shoulder is sporting a very large bruise, my palms are raw with tiny blood blisters under them, my left knee is slightly bruised, my chin is scraped only minimally (thank God) and my right knee is a bit f***ed up. I have a tiny bruise on my right wrist from jamming the top of my hand into my Garmin when I fell and my arms hurt for some odd reason (maybe the impact).

Onto happier stuff: Yay! June and Vic finished their 21 miles! I heard Bill's knee was bother him (poor him). Overall, I hope everyone who ran had a good and safe time.

Now, since I'm couch-bound, I'm going to get some reading done.

Cheers!

It's (Almost) Rodeo Time!

I'm in the midst of my third year on a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo committee. This year is the 75th anniversary year, commemorating "The Year of the Volunteer." They're adding a bunch of new stuff for the anniversary year, two things in which I'll be involved.

1) Singing the National Anthem! Yes, ladies and gents, I will be singing the National Anthem at the Rodeo. I had to audition for a part in the choir, and 10 of us were chosen. What they're going to do is make a recording of our ten voices to play nightly, and I think they're going to add members of various committee on the staging area to sing along with our recording (as a guide of sorts). They're still working out the details, and I think we'll be out there many nights as well. Like I said, the details are fuzzy on my side, but I get to sing the National Anthem at the Rodeo!

2) Show Pride. Last year, the Rodeo had some special displays, showing scenes from the Rodeo throughout it's 74 years. This year, as an added bonus, they hired an outside source (she calls herself the "hired gun") who owns an acting troupe. She held auditions for "living characters" and again, I was chosen! So many times during the livestock show, if you're in the arena, look out for me - I'll be one of the ones in period costumes (either a person in Texas history or Rodeo history) and I'll be acting that part for 4 hours at a time. I'll be dressed in period costume, put on the persona of the character and mingle with the audience in character. This type of acting is seen mostly in museums and Renaissance Festivals.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

There She Goes!

Today's mileage: 6 miles baby!

Mile 1 - 10:40. I decided to run this one all out, taking no walk breaks. Towards the end I was ready to fall over, but I like to run fast miles every once in a while to remind myself of what I'm actually capable of.
Mile 2 - 13:42. That's because I had to walk 3 minutes to recover from mile 1. :)
Mile 3 - 12:20

At this point, I made it back to my car and f***ed around for about 5 minute, getting my iPod shuffle out of my car, refilling my water bottles, trying to decide if I wanted to go another lap around Memorial. I didn't feel all that great, so I decided to do another one (using reverse psychology on myself, I guess). But I was going to take the last three miles a bit slower.

Mile 4 - 13:13
Mile 5 - 13:14
Mile 6 - 13:20.

I'm getting ready for the LLR this Saturday with the Striders. But, at this point, 13 miles isn't impossible. I didn't do a long run this past weekend, so my legs will feel pretty fresh.

Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Today's goals: movies (Blood Diamond!), finish Christmas shopping (I have one present left for my sister to acquire), run errands for those who have to work this week, and get some reading done. Oh, and continue editing my script. I'm getting it ready to send to the competitions this year!

Cheers!

Rubber Duckie, You're the One...

...You make my desktop lots of fun!

I collect toys. My toys entertain me while writing at my desk (because I have a short attention span and need things to play with). Mainly my toys aren't really toys, though. I have a plaster skull, a stress-out voodoo doll, the Star Wars Hallmark Christmas Ornaments, letter openers in the shape of swords, etc. Little eclectic things.

I have a new toy.

Yesterday, as the Sailor and I were Christmas shopping, I dragged him into a Bath Junkie store, in which I've never been. Wow - great store! But the shop was WAY too girly for him, so we stayed for only the briefest of moments - but brief enough for me to spot a cool rubber duckie!

What's so cool about this bath toy? It's an LSU rubber duckie! It has the body of a typical rubber duckie, but is orange with black tiger stripes, it's wearing a purple LSU shirt, has tiger arms/paws/claws, has a tiger-shaped head (with ears and nose), but it has a duck beak - with tiger fangs!

It amuses me.

:) Cheers!

Adventures in Cleaning

I'm spending my first week-day off cleaning out my desk and listening to the new Josh Groban CD (go ahead and laugh, Andy). Whilst cleaning, I'm finding the oddest assortments of odds and ends. I don't know what to do with some, and I have no idea where others came from. Amongst the things I'm finding...

1) A checkbook register from 5 years ago. Trash.

2) An LSU Confederate flag that my evil ex-stepfather bought me. I have no desire to hang it whatsoever (despite my affection for LSU). I guess I just crammed it in my desk to hide it. Does anyone want this?

3) 6 year old bullets. They're bad, so I have to figure out a way to get rid of them (not in the trash, though).

4)A collection of Starbucks cards, from when I worked there. I don't want to trash them, but don't know what to do with them.

5) A Halloween card I bought for someone three years ago and never gave it to him.

6) A CD-ROM for a Cannon bubble jet printer. I don't recall owning a cannon bubble jet printer. Trash.

7) 17 boxcutters that I filched from my store the day I left (I was angry and wanted to make the new manager go insane by snatching the boxcutters. I'm slightly passive-aggressive). Does anyone need boxcutters?

8) A canister of used film. I don't know what's in it.

9) An expired passport and my LSU ID - both horrendous photos!

10) A receipt from clothes I bought in 2005.

11) My one ticket. And it's non-exciting. My registration had expired.

12) Lots of batteries. Do batteries expire?

13) A cell phone charger for a phone that I haven't had in 4 years.

14) Another random canister of film.

15) A pookah shell. Who knows where that came from.

16) A third random canister of film.

17) A fourth random canister of film. Apparently I have a problem.

18) An A/C plug thing that I have no clue what it goes to.

19) A metro card for the DC metro subway.

20) A LOT of theatre ticket stubs.

Amongst other random things.

Laundry time!

Freedom!

I'm free for two weeks! Free for two weeks! I better enjoy this, for this may be the last 2-week Christmas vacation I get. Rumor has it that Texas schools (or HISD) will have only 1 week for Christmas break starting next year, to make up for the extra week in the summer (grumble to the Texas legislature).

How will I celebrate this freedom? Well, I ate quite a bit earlier, so I'm going to go on a nice 6-8 mile jog in an hour or so.

Yay for holidays!

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering... the pain got worse. I'm still sore, but it's going away.

Cheers!

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

I went through a wrinkle in time, a time warp, whatever.

First of all, after my slightly somber posting last night, I started doing my Tae-Bo boot camp DVD, the Ultimate Bootcamp/advanced one. I've only done the advanced twice, and so sporadically, that whenever I actually do it, my legs are on fire the following two days, almost worse pain than a post-marathon pain.

Anyway, I did a lot of lunges and squats, despite knowing I would be participating in the Strider Holiday Run. So, needless to say, my hamstrings, quads and ass hurt today. After tonight's 4 miler, I'm going to either be in a whole mess of pain, or I'd've run the pain out.

During the 4 miler, in which I was with the "super comfortable" pace group (AKA the snail pacers), I was HURTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then I went through a wrinkle in time. After my Garmin beeped for the third time, I looked down. 3 miles. I look down a few minutes later. 3.3 miles. I look down a minute later. 2.01 miles. What the hell? It rewound AGAIN (having done this before).

How ironic is that? My Garmin goes back in time a day after I was wishing to go through the childhood/past.

Life's funny.

Cheers!

Figuratively True

I'm running on empty.
I feel like a wire that's stretched so thin it's about to snap.
I look like a zombie.

Yes, ladies and gents, it's the end of a semester. Finally, after Friday, I'll get two weeks to recharge, two weeks to find myself, two weeks to relax, two weeks to catch up on sleep, two weeks to write quizzes in advance so that I'm prepared next semester, two weeks to remind myself of all of my capabilities, two weeks to turn myself back to what I used to be, two weeks to do what I enjoy.

At first, I wasn't quite sure why this year stressed me out more than last year. Last year, I was a first-year teacher. Last year, I was also taking university classes in the evening. Last year, I was creating a portfolio and other assignments for my alternative certification. Last year, I was training for a marathon (then 2 halves, then another full). Last year, I was in a production.

So why are things so much harder this year? I've finally come to my conclusion. This year, I'm no longer a first-year teacher, and thus I know what I'm supposed to teach. This year, when I miss a concept, I'm cognizant of the fact (man, last year was "ignorance is bliss" year). This year, I have four preparations (instead of last year's two). This year, I'm dating someone (my longest relationship last year was 2 months... this one's been going on for much longer than that). This year, I'm teaching new novels, therefore I have to read and/or re-read them and create assignments, quizzes and tests, all of which suck up a HUGE amount of time. This year, I'm finding less personal time and therefore becoming stressed out.

I find myself scarily slipping into harmful bad habits, bad habits which I want to be rid of, bad habits which have harmed me in the past, bad habits which could cause harm in the present and future. Don't worry - none of those bad habits are illegal or costly, but they are habits which make me feel like a worse person. They are habits which have begun to kill the hard work I did a few years ago. They are habits that I hoped would be gone forever. They are habits I do not wish to have when I'm old.

Sometimes I wish I was a child again, wish I had innocence again, wish I could do things differently. Oh, to be a child and have no pressures upon you, other than passing a test or coming home on time; to find happiness in little things; to be a child again and heal from wounds quickly because a little bruising wouldn't stop you from having another adventure; to feel that home is safe and feel excited about the endless mysteries tomorrow might bring.

Adults are very cynical. We find problems with little things. We stick to routines because it is safe. We forget to laugh, unless we're laughing at someone for the wrong reason. We forget to smile at flowers, the dog running across the street, the birds chirping overhead. We forget to go outside and play because that time can be spent on cleaning the house or working overtime. We work and we frown and we worry and we stress and we think about what went wrong today and what went wrong yesterday and we think of the problems of our lives and we forget that solutions are right in front of our faces. We become blind, we become deaf, we become bitter, we become jaded, we become old. We fear the future because it is not certain. We hate the past because of mistakes we've made. We're uncertain of the present because it is new, and adventures seem like foreign, abstract ideas to us.

Or maybe I'm just talking about me.

This is the Day That Never Ends

Yes, it goes on and on my friend. I just started living it, not knowing what it was and I'm just living it and living it just because this is the day that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend...

No, I'm not insane, and yes, the above is an allusion to "The Song That Never Ends." Why is my day never ending? Let me start from the beginning (which happened oh, so long ago)...

2:29am. I woke up. And I just lied in bed. And stayed there. Wide awake. Not sleeping. Counted 20 sheeps. Counted toothpicks. Balanced my checkbook mentally. Wondered what I did to deserve this unexpected bout of insomnia. Looked over at the clock. 2:35. Geez. After 5 more torturous minutes, I finally got up. I walked over to the fridge, but alas - no red wine was in the fridge (wine makes me sleepy). So I plopped on the couch and flipped on the tv. Surprise, surprise - nothing is on at 3am! I watched a bit of Emeril, a bit of the film "A Knight's Tale", a bit of MSNBC's special on inmates at Brushy State Penitentiary (sp). At 3:50, I figured I'd try to go back asleep, despite the fact that the alarm was to wake me up at 5. I think between 3:50 and 5, I slept 5 minutes.

At 5, my alarm sounded off and away I went to the 30k in Sugarland. Having once been a Starbucks manager in that area, I knew that they were open at 5:30, so I planned on getting coffee. No such luck. Apparently in the 2 years that it's been since I've worked over there, they moved their hours to 6am. Drat!

I went to the 30k, met up with my fellow Striders and proceeded to put out the water station and we began to hand out water to grateful runners from 7:15ish to 10:30ish. Go Vick! Go Steeeve! Go Steve B.! Go Jessica! Go Bill! Go everyone who ran in the freezing cold rain!

After the race, Junebug and Jen(who were at the water stop with me) and I went to cheer on Vic's triumphant finish, and then we joined other Striders and the Sailor for lunch at the pub. Mmmmmm. Burgers.

Afterwards, the Sailor and I ran errands, I came home to grade papers, and work on school stuff (finals are this week... Thank GOD!!).

So, it's 6:27pm and I've been awake since 2:30. I'm exhausted. My head hurts. My body hurts. I'm tired...............

But Junebug has decided to join me for the London Marathon! Yippee!!

Yes, Those Are Tears

I just spent an hour glued to my tv, tearing up. No, I wasn't watching a cheesy chick flick or a cheesy romance movie. I caught the last hour of the re-televised Ironman Championship in Konda. Wow. Talk about inspiration. My leg soreness went away, as did my negative mindset about why I'm doing this to myself (as in running). I now want to do one. Of course, not for a while, but I think one of my new goals is to complete it by the time I'm 40. There was a 76-year-old nun who finished it for the 20th time! The time cut-off, I believe, is 17 hours, If I can do the swim and biking in 10-11 hours, I'm set.

Since I won't even start thinking of the Ironman for a while, my mind wandered to my next full marathon. I said I wasn't going to do another full marathon until I drop 30-40 pounds. I'm still serious about that, but I've decided what my next full marathon is going to be: the 2008 London Flora Marathon. That gives me a year and a half to drop the weight and train to run a good race. And the best part is that the majority of my training will happen in nice weather. :)

Got Spam?

I finally rolled myself out of the warm bed at 8am. I originally planned to wake up at 5am, grade papers for a while and then go running at 7. Nope. Too cold. I woke up at 8, watched tv until 9. Still too cold. I left, went to SuperTarget, spent too much time in there, and when I came out, I realized that the temp wasn't going to warm up that much and I should just go ahead and run.

So I did. Getting to Memorial Park at 10ish, I donned my new gloves (bought at SuperTarget because I don't know where my other ones are) and went off. 2.5 laps and a short out-and-back out of the park later, I finished my 12th mile. I saw no one familiar, but did run into some kind of Marine Corps boot camp for, what looked to me, non-Marines. These poor kids were getting screamed at by these Marines while running. I just sang along to my iPod shuffle as they went past me.

Speaking of my lovely new tiny iPod shuffle... I have come to really appreciate it. After the Marine Corps Marathon last year, I started not using my other iPod. I just started enjoying the runs without music. I still used my iPod at the gym, but it started to wear down and I figured I'd get the new tiny one. It's fantastic! I also put some new songs (finally) onto my playlist, and so I've been listening to it while running. Today, as I made it back into the park, a song from the musical "Spamalot" came in. Sigh. Sometimes a bit of Broadway is what you need to get you through that last mile.

I haven't quiet decided if I'm running the Jingle Bell 5 miler tomorrow. I'll be at the 30k in Sugarland tomorrow, manning the Striders water station with June et al. There's talk of going to a pub afterwards, but I might just mosey on down to the race. I'd love to run in a race where everyone wears jingle bells on their shoes, but I don't know if my legs can handle it. I'll bring my running clothes just in case, but I probably won't use them.

Well, time to grade papers. And maybe eat something. I'm hungry.

Cheers!

I'm Alive

I promise! I'm alive! And there are witnesses that can attest to it (my most public outing being the Striders Christmas party last night).

Speaking of the party... it was great seeing everyone... Junebug, Vic and wife, Steve B. and wife, Steeeeeve and wife, Nancy, Bill... and whoever else I met and neglected to say. :) Vic - let's start working on our slow caterpillar for the Bayou City Classic 10k now. Maybe we can dress up as turtles or snails!

I ran last Sunday... 10 miles. I ran today... 2.5 miles. Work is hectic, I'm tired, I'm not managing my time well at all.

But the semester is almost over and I shall be more diligent in my blogging!

Oh, and I'm re-reading "A Tale of Two Cities." I read it in college, almost 10 years ago, but can't remember it at all. Since my sophomores are reading it in January, I figured I'd re-read it - and I'm enjoying it thoroughly! In fact, I just wish to lie in bed and read all day. Who knew Dickens could be considered enjoyable?

This week:
5 miles tomorrow (if I feel up to it)
12 miles Saturday
5 miles Sunday (the Jingle Bell run)

Next week... who the hell knows.

Cheers!