I had that today. Seven months after my last eye exam, I finally chose frames and ordered my new glasses. Oh, and it's been several months since my last blog entry. Almost sounds like a confession, except it's not!
Busy Q1 of 2015.
The most amazing boots ever...late Christmas gift from Poseidon (NYE 2014):
Zola Jesus, my girl crush (January 2015):
Kim Gordon's book release and signing (February 2015):
Early spring at our house (March 2015):
March madness ending with a Duke win in April (April 2015)!
I made a last minute decision to run a 10K on Saturday (ashamedly, I was waiting to see what Mother Nature was going throw down on us). I've been working on my pace for the last few weeks, thinking it might be possible to beat my time from last year for this same 10K. I could not have been more wrong.
Apparently, running a good race requires sleep, and I counted 0 sheep the night before. Not 1 tiny little lamb (I wasn't even near the pasture). Bedtime is my nemesis. My adult years have been plagued with erratic sleep patterns and poor habits. I've had a particularly annoying two weeks in the sleep department and not functioning at 100% (60% is generous). I proved to myself just how low-functioning I am on Saturday by running my worst race ever. Not only did I not beat my time from last year, I added 6 minutes to my total. An entire minute to each mile.
I started out much too fast and I knew it before I got to mile 3. I was toast. Day old toast. I considered throwing myself to the side of the road and wait for Poseidon to report me missing. I don't know how, but I pulled it together, opting not to look for the nearest ditch. I was dragging. My effort was pitiful, but I managed to run the entire 6.27 miles, though the last quarter of a mile was more like a determined-not-to-trip-over-my-own-feet jog. I've said it before, I'm not fast and my form is never pretty, but oh my, this run takes the cake!
I felt terrible for thinking I could just show up and do this thing, and I thought about literally kicking myself, but I didn't have the energy. So, now what?
1. Running a race does require sleep. OK. Got it.
2. I ran 6.27 miles without stopping, knowing my time would be terrible. How about instead of kicking myself, I give myself a little pat on the back? Done! Feeling better.
3. Shake it off! I was online this morning searching for my next race. Anxiety and that nagging fear of failing again is strong, but so am I. Gordon Pirie (British runner in the 1950s) said, "Any runner who denies having fears, nerves or some kind of disposition is a bad athlete, or a liar."
I had to stop reading the news and Facebook yesterday because of the ish out there this week, so I'm looking to sacchariny things to turn a rubbishy week into a pleasant week. Only kittens and flowers allowed.
Photo source: no reliable identifiable source found
This sweet birdie yarn bowl is the gift I've asked Santa to consider dropping down my chimney this Christmas. I took up knitting earlier this year, and I'm happy with my progress, but I manage to drop my yarn on a regular basis, and even the cats are no longer amused.
Fitbit. Poseidon and I have the Fitbit One™ and this little activity tracking gadget is a fitness motivator, for sure. I wear it everyday, and try to push myself to get in at least 5000 steps/day. During the day, I'm motivated to move more (which is great for the neck and back). The One™ tracks steps (even when biking or on an elliptical at the gym), stairs climbed, calories burned (including "existence" calories, calories you burn breathing, blinking, moving in your sleep, etc.), and miles traveled. This will make a great Christmas gift for folks looking for an extra push to stay healthy and active. The Fitbit One™ can also track sleep habits, but I don't use that feature. I already know I sleep.
If you know someone who lost a pet this year, consider giving them the gift of making a donation in memory of a pet. There are many charities out there. Petsmart Charities is one example. This precious angel is my own Kat, from December of last year. She wanted to help us wrap Christmas gifts, and she did a great job. Our apologies to everyone for the cat hair stuck in the tape.
Know anyone traveling in the near future? I bought a set of these Herb Lester maps for Poseidon two years ago (for our future European trips). The artwork is super, and these maps feature off-the-beaten-path sorts of things for major cities. A map devoted specifically to donut shops in New York. Paris for single travelers. Untamed London. The description they give for their Clandestine London map makes me giggle:
"The desire to see and be seen is not shared by all. For those who prefer to conduct business away from prying eyes, this map is for you.
We list 31 places with hidden alcoves and easy exits, neglected restaurants, unreconstructed wine bars, ancient pubs and even natural isolation. In these locations discretion is assured, it's entirely up to you to decide how you make use of that."
While I'm on the topic of travel, my passport expired in May, and I have to renew. I can't believe how expensive this is going to be! I might add this passport holder to my Christmas list for next year. More birds. I would have expected the whole bird motif thingy to be dead by now. It's a slow death.
I can't even believe I'm going to post these, but I can't help myself. Poseidon sent me a link to these several months ago (I'm not ever going to ask what is was he was searching for when he found them). Gnome shoes. These are neither in my budget nor my heel range, but so adorable (and sold out by now). For the cool, happy person who has everything (and a gifter who has too much), perhaps some gnome shoes for Christmas?
I'm waiting for a server bounce, and because idle hands are the devil's playthings, I've decided to type something; the first thing popping into my head...a five-for-friday post featuring the random junk on my desk.
I'm embracing the sacred grunginess that is my desk today:
1. Mocha orange hand cream.
2. Two monster finger puppets (I stage impromptu puppet shows with these little guys when I need to let off steam). They were in my Christmas stocking last year.
Suppose you are on the lamb, or recently placed in a witness protection program, and you have to pick a new name? How would you choose your new name?
I'm not on the lamb (or in the witness protection program), but Poseidon thinks I should have a new name, and he's spent a good deal of time thinking about this. Here is his list. I'm trying to picture myself at the DMV, replacing my name on my license with one of these:
Toffee-nosed Ringlefinch - This one leaves me feeling verbally beaten up
Bubbles Maxima - This is not a game, man, this is my life!
Yammyschmidt McStingshine - Saying this outloud feels an awful lot like scraping knuckles on my cheese grater.
Prudence Woolingsworth - Has potential. I'm strangely OK with this name
Eunice G Quattlebaum - This is a mess begging for help up off the floor (and what does the G stand for?)
Felicity Sunshine - this one leaves me feeling boundary-challenged, and I don't really know why
Mrs. Ariel Johannessen - I could never spell this correctly. Never
Travellers Check McLuggage - Sounds like a menu offering at a McDonalds in Edinburgh
Ragnhild Synnove Olson (honoring that Swedish heritage) - That's a troll's name
Trudy "Bubbles" Flowers - See what he's done here? Poseidon has already given this name a nickname
Sandi-Lyn Slavenovich - Hmmm, the pebble in shoe analogy applies to this one. It doesn't seem all that bad when you first give it a test run, but after a few miles? Issues
Virginia West - Nope
Goodwife Snavely - Just makes me feel dirty
I want to be flexible, but honestly, I'm mostly just worried about my capacity for change, at this point.
Hippies and food-spitters! I was cleaning out my inbox today, and I found this gem, sent to me by my friend Sorren last year. Rereading it made me giggle under my breath, so I decided to post it as a Five for Friday:
Five Good Things to Absorb While You're Still Young:
a lot of hippies are selfish, unpleasant, and not particularly funny
people who argue well aren’t necessarily right
cars are kind of a weird thing to spend a lot of money on
people will do things for you if you ask them as a favor
I'm fond of all of my coworkers, but one in particular puts a wide smile on my face. He is so pleasant and funny, and he is real. He often uses this phrase: "Oh, my soul." With his deep southern accent though, it sounds more like, "Ole, mah sole!" I love it. I can't recall having ever heard this phrase used before I met him.
As sparkly as "Oh my soul" is, and as giggly as it makes me, it was outdone by this gem (used by another coworker last week when describing an annoying relative): "She looks like death sucking a sponge." I had to cover my mouth to keep from spitting my water on her, and even then, some of that water leaked through my fingers.
Hold your horses - Who hasn't heard or used that old dull phrase, right? Well, I worked with a guy from Russia who used to say to me, "Calm down your horses" when I would get all panicky about project deadlines. I like his translation better, and it's so much funnier hearing it with a Russian accent.
Lawd love a duck! - A guy in my 5th grade class was a frequent user of this phrase (he actually said Lawd instead of Lord). Yes, 5th grade. He was an old man before his time.
My dad liked to use this one when one of us was blocking the television: "You make a better door than a window." My dad was also a fan of, "You're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine." OK, this is fun. One more. Dad also spouted this one out from time to time: "She's deader than a doornail." I never understood this saying either. First, what is a door nail? Second...do you think my dad had some strange obsession with doors?
Saturday mornings, growing up Gen X, were the best (and I've blogged about Gen X Saturdays more than once). We got up, fixed our Cheerios, and parked ourselves in front of the television to watch cartoons. Saturday morning cartoons were followed by the ABC Weekend Special (hosted by Willie Tyler and his ventriloquist puppet, Lester). I lived for those episodes in the early 80s, especially the spookier episodes.
Today's Five for Friday - 5 of my favorite ABC Weekend Special episodes (and a YouTube link, if I could one):
"The Haunted Mansion" - Original aired in 1983, in two parts (the great ones were always in 2 parts), and starred a very young Christian Slater. This was my favorite, and I'm sad I couldn't find it on YouTube. New girl in the neighborhood. Christian Slater's character tells her house was owned by a creepy old miser who disappeared. Secret room in house, searching for fortunes, etc.
"The Red Room Riddle" - Also airing in 1993, this story is the typical, if-you-want-to-be-part-of-the-cool-kids-club-you-must-prove-it fare, but it was (and still is, in my opinion) spooky. I like the graininess of these clips. Takes me back. Way back.
"The Haunting of Cassie Palmer" - This one wasn't actually a part of the official ABC Weekend Special series, but it aired in the early 80s, around the same time, over several Saturdays, so I'm including it in my list because I associate it with ABC Weekend Special. It was a British children's drama, consisting of 6 episodes, and I found them on YouTube! I've linked to the first episode. Cassie's mother was a psychic who has been accused of fraud. It turns out that Cassie may have the "gift" herself and conjures up a spirit in a graveyard. I won't spoil it! If you can get through the poor quality of the recordings, it's an eerie good time.
"The Gold Bug" - Part I and II aired in 1980. It is based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Gold-Bug," starring...Anthony Michael Hall. Secrets and buried treasure! What more could a Gen X kid want out of a Saturday afternoon?
"The Ghost of Thomas Kempe" - Originally aired in 1979. I would like to watch the entire episode again (this one aired in 2 parts also). Family moves into new house. Young boy encounters poltergeist. Creepy.
