I know, I know. I disappeared again. I'm sorry. And I keep meaning to tell you how my race went that I was training for (it was freaking hot and I'm glad I finished and didn't stop and didn't die though my time was a bit slower than I would have like). Also, I ran a 5K a couple of weeks ago that was a lot of fun, and I did better than I had expected. There are plenty of other things I've meant to mention over the past couple of months but the motivation apparently has been lacking. At any rate, I'm back at least for the moment because Brianne has tagged me. Thanks for giving me a swift kick in the butt, Brianne. I clearly needed it. And I'm glad that you look forward to reading whatever inane ramblings I put up here. Hope this will give you (and my other handful of readers) a few minutes of something to do other than work.
So, here goes:
3 Joys
- My friends
- My family
- Walking along the waterfront on a beautiful day
3 Fears
- Not finding true love
- Losing the people who are closest to me
- My parents' mortality
3 Goals
- Have a family
- Write a book
- To live the most fulfilled life possible
3 Current Obsessions
- The Olympics!!! (Specifically swimming and my future husband, Michael Phelps. No, you can't have him, he's mine.)
- McDonald's vanilla iced coffee - I think they put crack in it or something
- Reading brand new and exciting things
3 Random Surprises About Myself (this is a hard one as I'm not a very secretive person so I don't have too many surprises I don't think)
- My elbows are super hyper-extended and often freak people out
- I am afraid of heights (let the tall jokes commence)
- I am often harder on myself than anyone else possibly could be
So apparently now I'm supposed to tag other people but as I don't have too many friends that have blogs (and any that I do would most likely despise me for tagging them for something like this) I think I'll skip this part. But hopefully Brianne will forgive me for punking out on this one minor detail since I have finally given her at least a little something to read (and I promise to try to be better about updating in the future - no, really, this time).
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Karma Chameleon
A little long distance blogging for you today. I am currently sitting in the Denver airport taking advantage of their free wireless. Of course, I wouldn't need to take advantage of their lovely free wireless if my flight had taken off when it was supposed to (right now). I have been on a business trip to New Mexico since Friday morning and I have been cursed with the worst travel luck of my life on this particular trip.
I left my apartment before six Friday morning. An hour when no one should have to be up and about in my opinion. My flight from Newark to Denver was delayed taking off while we (once again) sat on the runway waiting to take off. Once we got to Denver, we had to wait another 45 minutes for a gate to open up. I was supposed to have an hour and a half to get my connecting flight to Farmington, NM, but as it ended up, I had 15 minutes to get from one concourse to another and run through the terminal to get to the gate in time. And when I got there, I was a bit dismayed at what I saw.
I had entered the teeny tiny airplane section of the airport. The plane I would be taking to New Mexico seated 19. I hate these small planes. They make me nervous. Though I have to say that everyone affiliated with Great Lakes Airlines really could not have been nicer. So, we taxi out to the runway, which seemed to be about 30 miles from the gate. And just as we're about to take off the pilot announces that there's a mechanical problem and we have to go back to the gate to have it checked out. Ok, fine. Better safe than sorry. So we go back and everything checks out fine. We don't even have to get off the plane. So we taxi back out to the runway and take off. About 25 minutes into the flight, another announcement from the captain tells us that the problem has returned and they've asked us to return to Denver and get a new plane. We turn around and fly back. We land back in Denver at the time I was supposed to be landing in New Mexico. At this point, I haven't eaten since I had breakfast in Newark 8 hours before. The people at the airport tell me I don't have time to go get any food because the new plane will be ready imminently. But after waiting for 20 minutes I realize that this is clearly a lie and I could have gone and come back twice by this time. Thanks to some nice people who are willing to help me and watch my stuff and the nice woman from the airline who wrote down my name to make sure the plane didn't leave without me, I was able to run to the other section of the airport (where the big planes are) to get a much needed snack. I finally arrived in Farmington at around 3:30 - twelve hours after leaving my house.
My time in New Mexico was enjoyable and I figured that I surely must have gotten all the bad travel karma out of the way for this trip and that surely my flight back today would be smoother. Not least of all because, even if everything went according to schedule, I wouldn't be landing back in Newark until midnight and getting back any later is just going to make Monday that much more painful.
My flight from Farmington was delayed, but with a 2-hour layover in Denver, I wasn't concerned about making my next flight. Nor need I have been since when I landed in Denver I discovered that due to weather, my flight to Newark had been delayed an extra hour and a half. They then tacked another hour onto that (which they have since - thank god - subtracted). I feel like I've spent the majority of my weekend in transit and it's beginning to wear a bit thin. I had been lulled into a false sense of security after my last 2 trips had been so entirely uneventful and everything had gone as planned. Looks like nothing can ever be certain where air travel is concerned. At least I can't blame it on American Airlines this time around.
I left my apartment before six Friday morning. An hour when no one should have to be up and about in my opinion. My flight from Newark to Denver was delayed taking off while we (once again) sat on the runway waiting to take off. Once we got to Denver, we had to wait another 45 minutes for a gate to open up. I was supposed to have an hour and a half to get my connecting flight to Farmington, NM, but as it ended up, I had 15 minutes to get from one concourse to another and run through the terminal to get to the gate in time. And when I got there, I was a bit dismayed at what I saw.
I had entered the teeny tiny airplane section of the airport. The plane I would be taking to New Mexico seated 19. I hate these small planes. They make me nervous. Though I have to say that everyone affiliated with Great Lakes Airlines really could not have been nicer. So, we taxi out to the runway, which seemed to be about 30 miles from the gate. And just as we're about to take off the pilot announces that there's a mechanical problem and we have to go back to the gate to have it checked out. Ok, fine. Better safe than sorry. So we go back and everything checks out fine. We don't even have to get off the plane. So we taxi back out to the runway and take off. About 25 minutes into the flight, another announcement from the captain tells us that the problem has returned and they've asked us to return to Denver and get a new plane. We turn around and fly back. We land back in Denver at the time I was supposed to be landing in New Mexico. At this point, I haven't eaten since I had breakfast in Newark 8 hours before. The people at the airport tell me I don't have time to go get any food because the new plane will be ready imminently. But after waiting for 20 minutes I realize that this is clearly a lie and I could have gone and come back twice by this time. Thanks to some nice people who are willing to help me and watch my stuff and the nice woman from the airline who wrote down my name to make sure the plane didn't leave without me, I was able to run to the other section of the airport (where the big planes are) to get a much needed snack. I finally arrived in Farmington at around 3:30 - twelve hours after leaving my house.
My time in New Mexico was enjoyable and I figured that I surely must have gotten all the bad travel karma out of the way for this trip and that surely my flight back today would be smoother. Not least of all because, even if everything went according to schedule, I wouldn't be landing back in Newark until midnight and getting back any later is just going to make Monday that much more painful.
My flight from Farmington was delayed, but with a 2-hour layover in Denver, I wasn't concerned about making my next flight. Nor need I have been since when I landed in Denver I discovered that due to weather, my flight to Newark had been delayed an extra hour and a half. They then tacked another hour onto that (which they have since - thank god - subtracted). I feel like I've spent the majority of my weekend in transit and it's beginning to wear a bit thin. I had been lulled into a false sense of security after my last 2 trips had been so entirely uneventful and everything had gone as planned. Looks like nothing can ever be certain where air travel is concerned. At least I can't blame it on American Airlines this time around.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Lloyd Dobler Gets Political
I love John Cusack.
And, damn, does he still look good. (I know, trust me to take a meaningful political statement and reduce it to the level of a Teen Beat article, but really he looks just as good now as he did when he held a boom box over his head.)
And, damn, does he still look good. (I know, trust me to take a meaningful political statement and reduce it to the level of a Teen Beat article, but really he looks just as good now as he did when he held a boom box over his head.)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
After the Rain
In between thunderstorms I stepped out onto my back porch to enjoy the cool night air (now that the heat has finally broken). Our backyard is not known for its landscaping (though it is finally now mostly weed-free). So imagine my surprise when I surveyed the scenery and saw this:
Apparently a rogue branch of a rose bush has escaped from our neighbors' (beautifully landscaped) lawn and grown up on our side of the fence. Needless to say this was a particularly nice surprise on an otherwise relatively uneventful Saturday.
Apparently a rogue branch of a rose bush has escaped from our neighbors' (beautifully landscaped) lawn and grown up on our side of the fence. Needless to say this was a particularly nice surprise on an otherwise relatively uneventful Saturday.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Even Spicoli Wasn't That Dumb
If this is for real, then this guy may just be the biggest idiot on the face of the earth. Throwing raw meat into an area where people surf is just the most irresponsible thing I've seen maybe ever. Fair enough if he wants to get himself killed, go right ahead. But this is a hazard to everyone else around him. Why are people so dumb sometimes?
Random Update
So this whole updating every time I go for a run is boring, I've decided. I was getting bored writing about each run and I'm sure it was far from the most scintillating thing you've all read in a while so I've decided to go with less frequent updates. Here's your update on my last week of both running and non-running related activities (apologies in advance for the helter skelter nature of this post, all the little bits and pieces didn't seem to each warrant their own posts):
Tuesday morning - Ran 1.75 miles, slightly more than 10 minute mile pace.
Thursday - Flew to Oklahoma for work, where I was welcomed by an incoming tornado. I kid you not, I was sitting in the hotel restaurant outside Oklahoma City when we were all ushered to the storm shelter because the tornado sirens were going off. The tornado ended up going past us but I did get to see some golf ball-sized hail. Apparently in Oklahoma, the wind really does go sweeping down the plain.
Friday - Got in a 30-minute interval run on the treadmills at the hotel fitness center. It was much more enjoyable than running on concrete (comfort-wise) but my shins were still a bit sore.
Saturday - Another run in the fitness center. Shorter this time as I wanted to give my shins a bit of a break (I tried using the elliptical machines, but I'm really not a fan). After this run I've decided to take a few days off to give my legs a little bit of a break. I'll be in Virginia from Wednesday for my cousin's wedding and I think we might be going for a little bridesmaid run on Thursday so I'm resting up until then.
Oh and remember how I said that American Airlines could bite me? Well, I guess they must be trying to win back some good will after their recent spate of extraordinarily bad PR, because my flights to and from Oklahoma (2 each for a grand total of 4, as I had to switch in Dallas both ways) were all great. No delays. I think we arrived early on all flights. It was unbelievable. Maybe they're not dead to me after all. But they're still on notice.
Tuesday morning - Ran 1.75 miles, slightly more than 10 minute mile pace.
Thursday - Flew to Oklahoma for work, where I was welcomed by an incoming tornado. I kid you not, I was sitting in the hotel restaurant outside Oklahoma City when we were all ushered to the storm shelter because the tornado sirens were going off. The tornado ended up going past us but I did get to see some golf ball-sized hail. Apparently in Oklahoma, the wind really does go sweeping down the plain.
Friday - Got in a 30-minute interval run on the treadmills at the hotel fitness center. It was much more enjoyable than running on concrete (comfort-wise) but my shins were still a bit sore.
Saturday - Another run in the fitness center. Shorter this time as I wanted to give my shins a bit of a break (I tried using the elliptical machines, but I'm really not a fan). After this run I've decided to take a few days off to give my legs a little bit of a break. I'll be in Virginia from Wednesday for my cousin's wedding and I think we might be going for a little bridesmaid run on Thursday so I'm resting up until then.
Oh and remember how I said that American Airlines could bite me? Well, I guess they must be trying to win back some good will after their recent spate of extraordinarily bad PR, because my flights to and from Oklahoma (2 each for a grand total of 4, as I had to switch in Dallas both ways) were all great. No delays. I think we arrived early on all flights. It was unbelievable. Maybe they're not dead to me after all. But they're still on notice.
Monday, April 28, 2008
More Running
Today I officially registered for the race, which is exactly 2 months from now. I'm excited to be official. I went on another long run yesterday. 3 miles in 33 minutes. Not too bad for just a couple of weeks of training. I'm really psyched I was able to run 3 miles. It didn't seem too hard either. I'm well on my way to being able to do 4 miles. Another run is scheduled for tomorrow morning (though I'm not looking forward to getting up early to do it) and then I'll be away on business from Thursday till Sunday where I'll get to use the treadmills at the gym at the hotel, which I'm really excited about (yes, I am easily amused). It will be a nice break from running on concrete. I'm sure my legs will thank me for it.
Me, Myself, and I
My amazingly chic and cool friend Sarah has an amazingly chic and cool website - Pink of Perfection. If you haven't checked it out before, do it now. Sarah has started a new segment on her blog devoted to monthly projects. This month's project was to take yourself out on a date, to woo yourself. I gave some thought here and there about what I might want to do for myself on my big date. In the end, the date ended up being rather impromptu, as I suppose are some of the best dates.
It all began with a trip to the grocery store where I procured the ingredients to prepare myself a delicious dinner. I also picked up some wine and fresh flowers (tulips, my favorite) to brighten up my room. I came home and cooked myself some tasty mushroom risotto along with a salad full of fresh veggies and a nice, cold glass of sauvignon blanc. All in all, it was a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday evening and I enjoyed spending some quality time with myself. A highly underrated pleasure. I highly recommend it. And thanks to Sarah for the excellent project idea. Can't wait to see what next month's project is.
It all began with a trip to the grocery store where I procured the ingredients to prepare myself a delicious dinner. I also picked up some wine and fresh flowers (tulips, my favorite) to brighten up my room. I came home and cooked myself some tasty mushroom risotto along with a salad full of fresh veggies and a nice, cold glass of sauvignon blanc. All in all, it was a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday evening and I enjoyed spending some quality time with myself. A highly underrated pleasure. I highly recommend it. And thanks to Sarah for the excellent project idea. Can't wait to see what next month's project is.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Disabled List
Another day another run. Went to the gym after work and then ran home from there. I didn't quite manage as fast a time as I pulled off on Tuesday but still not bad - a mile and a half in 16:08. About 10:30 per mile. Not bad. However, my shins were sore. This is not good. And I got new fancy running shoes and everything. I've had trouble with my shins off and on for years. I've played basketball for 17 years, pains in my shins and knees are commonplace and I've rather come to expect them. But with 2 months until the race and my training only just started, this is not a very auspicious happening. I've found some exercises online that I think might help. Time will tell. I'll just have to play it by ear, take it a bit easy, not push myself too hard, keep trying out the exercises and stretches, ice, advil, etc. I'm heading to Target (my favorite place ever though I should never be allowed inside because it is never a cheap endeavor) on Sunday to run a couple of errands so I think I might pick up some arch supports for my running sneakers and basketball sneakers, see if that helps. The plan was to go running tomorrow morning. Have all my running gear laid out, coffee machine programmed. But I'm thinking a day of rest might not be such a bad idea. So far this week I've gone running twice, gone to the gym three times and played basketball last night. I think the game last night impacted my shin health today. Fingers crossed I can get everything under control. And if anyone has any tips for general shin well-being, feel free to send them my way.
Eggs-traordinary!
Someone has way too much time on their hands. But man is it fun to watch (even if I can't bear to think of Cadbury Creme Eggs being mercilessly slaughtered).
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