EclectChick

Rollerskiing on a Friday Night

2010-09-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Marching - or rather, rolling - orders for tonight: 45 minutes.

I set out into some major wind and threat of rain. There had been at least 20 mph winds all day, so again the hubby (and his bike) and I set out for the Gateway Trail, which has a good deal of shelter, thanks to the surrounding woods and trees. We arrived at the trailhead around dinnertime by design, hoping that the foul weather and folks being home around the table would keep things quiet and low volume. We guessed right!

I definitely felt better right off the bat than my last attempt. The thanks goes in equal parts to (1) my new poles and proper Velcro wrist wraps, (2) being ready to ward off the attempt of my feet to stabilize me, and (3) muscle memory, of course.

I did quite a bit of good old double-poling, trying to maintain good form. I had watched the video at Thorax Trainer numerous times in the prior days, and tried to burn that perfect motion into my brain. Double-poling is a bit like swimming - well, I keep realizing that cross country skiing in general is - in that it is highly, highly technique-driven. You may THINK you’re going through the exact same motions as someone fast and fluid, but the subtle differences are there and make a huge difference in efficiency, power and speed.

Had my first tumble. Very mild, thank goodness, more of a tip-over onto the grass than an actual crash. Getting up again was surprisingly complicated! Of course, not being to quit laughing didn’t help me get up any more quickly, but even though the "sticks" of rollerskis are much shorter than full skis, getting them untangled took a bit of doing.

Tried a bit of diagonal stride, but that isn’t coming very fast. I’m getting better at keeping my skis under me so I can "kick," but . . . I only can do bits at a time, when I come to inclines. I was a good deal better at keeping the skis from winging off to the sides at the front or back, however. So that’s good. One of the coaches at my wintertime ski club and I were corresponding today, and he put the fear of the skiing gods into me as regards rollerskiing and diagonal stride. He talked about how terribly difficult classic rollerskiing is, especially maintaining balance. Thus most people end up sticking to strictly double-poling. Most importantly, he warned me against "the dreaded late kick." It’s easy to let that happen with rollerskis, apparently. Hopefully I’m on guard now and will stay OVER my skis. The last thing I want to do is get into bad habits on rollerskis which carry over into my actual skiing. Nightmare!

It was definitely time to call it a day by 45 minutes. Instead of my feet being tired this time, my shins were. So bizarre. It’s as if my body is gradually working its way up to the proper stabilizing muscles - my glutes. I’ll get there.

Despite the cooler temps and high winds I overdressed, as it turns out. With every new sport, it takes some trial and error to learn what to wear. I’ve learned that with skiing, I need to choose my clothes as if I’m running. Not that I yet trust that 100% (to my detriment). With the wind and decreased effort (ha, not so much), I thought I’d be MUCH cooler than if I were running. Wrong! I was a little too warm (note to self).

The capper to the session was a rollerblader passing me headed the other direction as I was double-poling back to the car, the gusting wind occasionally blowing my right pole right into my leg. "The Birkie’s only a few months away!" he called. That gave me a great laugh.

Session 3 coming up tomorrow night! Whee!

First Rollerski Outing!

2010-08-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was well on my way toward cross country ski geekdom last fall. I loved the sport and couldn’t WAIT for a good snowfall. However, like I said, I was pretty burned out on multisport, and really wanted to try something different. So I started researching rollerskiing. Something new to get me out enjoying the fall and moving my body in a different, but familiar way, and - bonus! - to further my skills. I mean - what could be better than stretching out skiing into a 4-season sport??

Gear West was kind enough to let me check out a trial pair of Elpex classic rollerskis for a week. Lemme tell you, rollerskiing is one hard thing to get used to! No classic tracks laid down to keep your feet from going in different directions, heavy wheels on each end of the “skis” to pull them totally out of line, and no soft snow to tip over onto. But I thought double-poling along trails lined with fall colors was the BOMB! I only was able to get out to mess around on them a couple of times, as that 7-day period ended up including 5 evenings of rain. Still, I liked it enough to come thisclose to buying a set. In the end I decided $400 for the skis and bindings/mounting was too much to fork over at the time, and that was okay.

I passed the true test of impulse vs. true desire. This spring, I still was super keen to get a pair of rollerskis. But how in the world would I fund such a purchase? I was out riding my road bike one day and the perfect plan just popped into my head: sell the seldom-ridden cyclocross bike! That would give me enough cash to buy the rollerskis, bindings and then some. Of course! A few weeks later I had listed my bike on Craigslist, and a few weeks after that a buyer found my mint condition bike and I bought my rollerskis! Nothing like a plan panning out just the way you visualized it.

I’ve been busy training for tri, but my injured calf gave me some unexpected downtime to play with. I finally got out on my rollerskis last week on the Gateway Trail, choosing 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday as the time when perhaps the trail would least populated with cyclists to scare with my lack of skillz or to scare me by riding up on me without warning. Classic rollerskis are NOT terribly conducive to fast motions right or left to get out of anybody’s way - let alone to stop quickly without hurting yourself. My hubby rode off on his bike and I putzed around on my rollerskis, giggling my head off at how clumsy I was. I FB’d later that I really should have been wearing a bright orange warning triangle and a “Studen Rollerskier” sign. I was dangerous at any speed.

Double-poling isn’t bad - mostly a matter of keeping the rollerskis track-distance apart and trusting the motion. Kick double-pole was one step more difficult, but doable up an incline. I’m still trying to get used to the weight of the wheels on each end of my skis. That is a bizarre sensation, and one that can easily throw you off balance. Every now and again, when I saw no bikes coming from either direction, I would try a few steps of diagonal stride. Yipes. Truly a no-go at this point. Hmmm. This is obviously going to take some time to master.

I’ve since watched some YouTube videos of skilled rollerskis and have an idea where I was going wrong. Unlike in “real” skiing, both rollerskis are in contact with the ground at all times, though only via one wheel. You don’t lift up and "kick" (jump) from ski to ski, like in actual classic skiing. Ohhhh, I get it now!

One more expenditure on this new sport: I did end up having to buy new poles, rather than using an old pair of my hubby’s. I stopped over at Finn-Sisu to simply replace the loops on my poles with velcro ones to wrap around my wrists, like my regular poles have. But it turned out that would have cost 3/4 of the cost of a brand new pair of carbon poles. Mine were of aluminum and too bendy for rollersking. The shop guy and my hubby convinced me just purchasing a new pair - more properly sized, too - was the better idea. Ooookay. I felt guilty, but okay.

When all was said and done, 30 min. was all I was able to ski for my first time out. I found my right-to-left body asymmetries/weaknesses strongly highlighted by the rollerskis. My right foot quickly got tired and sore from being the main stabilizing agent, when my glute medius decided it was going to shirk on its job. I have to fight that on snow, too. My right glute always tries to hand off the work. Phew. I’m sure my body will learn, but it’ll take some time, practice and training. 30 min was all I could safely do for day 1 and I had to ice my foot when I got home. But it was a fun time and I learned a lot. Judging by the light soreness in my core and lats the next day, that was a good first workout!

Until next time . . . I’m back to multisport for now, with one more tri and a du on the schedule. But I was pleased to note a cross-training opportunity on my schedule this week. You can BET that I’ll be rollerskiing that day!! W00t!

I'm Baaaack!

2010-08-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, blog. I’m back. Never thought it would happen, but here I am, back to chronicle . . . well, a whole lotta nuttin’, in the wider scheme of things. But it feels good to write. To sort out my thoughts and feelings in written form is really the only manageable way to organize it all. My brain has been very busy and jumbled of late. Kind of spinning its wheels and getting nowhere. But it’s time to sort it all out and make a neater sense of it all. I warn you, this blog might be jumbled as a part of that process.

I also have something interesting on the horizon. A big new - dare I say epic - challenge, and am very excited about it. Still sports, yes, but entirely different. I’m very stoked!

But first, where were we and what about this jumble?

I’ve talked about this before. The way triathlon, or rather my pursuit of excellence in the sport despite injury after injury, has insidiously become too big part of how I define myself. When I have a great race or workout, I feel great about myself and life in general. When I have a bad one, well, you get the idea. So silly. Well, I’m mad as hell about that, and I’m not gonna take it anymore! To paraphrase Tyler Durden, I am NOT my fucking multisports!

The 2009 triathlon season, I often thought at the time, would be my last. I have many, many interests and most of them were/are falling through the cracks. I was SICK of training, SICK of the schedule ruling my life, SICK of worrying about how my body felt everyday as I struggled with injury, SICK of the anxiety filling the nights before races, and perhaps as much as any of it, SICK of feeling those nerves until the gun went off race morning. Problem was, I LOVED racing, and was totally hooked on the rush of pushing myself and crossing the finish line feeling like I had really achieved something. Ideally and at most events, an age group podium spot.

Also, you tend to become the creature that is how you spend your time. They say triathlon is not a sport, it’s a lifestyle - and that is really true. I can’t imagine a me that doesn’t swim/bike/run. My training schedule is the scaffolding over and around which I build my days. I love doing all 3 of those activities and how much it gets me out of doors and into the natural world. And hey - if I’m doing those three things, what for if I’m not racing? And vice versa? It’s a conundrum. Or so my brain tells me.

My feelings during the past season aside, I trained through the winter as always. But I added several hours of cross-country skiing, which I was growing to love more and more. I did a couple of XC ski races, which were more exhausting than even the 1/2 Ironman events I had done. I kept training, and training, until next thing I knew, it was already February and I hadn’t formed a triathlon season. There was no question that I would. But while in the past I would already have been registered for 50% of my races, I was now having a hard time mustering enthusiasm and figuring out which 2010 multisport events made me go “Oooooo.”

I wanted something epic. A new love. Something BIG I could get enthused and obsessed over. No NOT Ironman. Thinking about that distance doesn’t get my juices going anymore, as IF my body could even consider it. Not another Half Ironman, ditto the above. But something . . . something WOW like the Leadville 100. But I don’t own nor have I ever ridden a mountain bike, NOT that, either. Plus, too expensive. So what then??

I was coming up empty, and expressed this to my wonderful coach, Jennifer Harrison. She responded with a question to hold in mind: If this was the last year I was going to do triathlon, what would I want to accomplish? . . . crickets . . . crickets . . . more crickets. I got buppkiss. Hmm. This was just weird and not like me at all.

I went almost this entire multisport season not knowing the answer to the “Oooooo” question. (I did figure it out tho and will let you in on the answer soon.) I have done 3 triathlons, 1 duathlon, 1 running race and 4 cycling time trials so far. While lighter all around than the past years, it has a been highly successful season for me. I raced harder than ever, scored some rewarding podiums and learned a lot about pushing myself and what I’m capable of when I set my mind to it. Very good stuff, though it has ended - or hopefully only stalled - somewhat abruptly due to inflamed calf muscles.

So here it is. Strangely, though I registered for it a few months ago, I only just realized today while reading Fat Cyclist's Leadville 100 Race Report that I indeed found that epic event I was searching for back this spring: the American Birkebeiner 54K classic ski race. I skied those two 25k events last year, and that was fun. I’m now on to a new frontier, skiing more than twice that far along with thousands of ski buddies.

I’m still very jumbled, and still fighting my worst enemy - my limiting brain. Yes, before you spout off about it, I do know that switching my main focus away from triathlon and to Birkie training is not a solution to that. But it feels like I'm streamlining things a bit and have a reprieve. For once I know what I want - at least for the short term - and am set on getting it. And now I have something I feel like blogging about. Let the Birkie training commence!

Once In a Lifetime Photo Op

2009-06-29T12:00:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad I said yes to the hubby's request to drive by the boat sale at the Fairgrounds as we left a nearby antique show.

If we hadn't gone there to stroll amongst the boats, we would've missed this extraordinary sight: a mating pair of Cecropia moths clinging to an adjacent chainlink fence.

Just another reason to keep saying "yes" to whatever off-the-beaten path opportunities are thrown our way. Yes?

Kitty in a Basket

2009-06-19T13:23:00.001-07:00

I recently discovered the BEST cat beds EVER!

My mum and I went to a local cat show, to ogle the various breeds. Cats you don't see everyday, such as Ocicats, Bengals, Sphynx, Abyssinian, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, Maine Coons, Birman, etc. I even got to hold an Ocicat! AFTER I throughly applied antibacterial gel to my hands.

We had a great time walking up and down the aisles of cats, talking with people there to feature their felines, very occasionally having the opportunity to hold or pet one of the gorgeous beasts. I started noticing that many of the enclosures contained at least one woven-cloth basket-style cat bed - each containing a comfortable and contented cat.

There were many vendors there at the show, as well, including Patt from Patts Cat Beds, the maker of these basket beds. I couldn't resist and I brought one home to my own spoiled domestic shorthair - Noni. She loved it! It's been at least 2 months now, but I'm still getting a kick out of seeing her curled up in her basket. I often bring in fresh catnip from the kitchen garden and rub a leaf around the inside of Noni's basket. ENDLESS fun.

Highly recommend these beds to any cat owner. Cats like them snug, so keep that in mind if you order. The baskets also can be made dog-sized! Check it out!

Hello, Hello!

2009-06-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

(Some of the flowers I've been taking time to stop and smell while out on the bike. Phlox??)

Whoa - long time no blog! It’s not that life has been so dull as to be unbloggable. Actually, I’ve been very busy, internally more than anything else.

Living with, fighting and training for triathlon with uncomfortable and annoying sacroiliac joint dysfunction has been something else again. I had NO idea back in March 2008 that an injury that happened in a split second would impact me for over a year. Craziness! Some days/weeks are good, others are mediocre, still others are flat out torture. Anything which requires me to sit for long periods of time or bend/lean over requires second thought and planning. “Do you REALLY need to bend over and pick up that piece of paper from the floor right now?” LOL! That’s seriously the kind of decision I make several times a day!

And if you’re thinking, “Well, gee, you knucklehead. If you only had quit swimming, running, cycling and skiing, you’d be over this by now,” think again. The days I am active, I feel much better than on the days I take off from activity. My doctors and PTs tell me if I quit my sports entirely, I’d be much worse off. Bizarre, but true. Motion is the lotion!

It’s been frustrating to be injured so much and never being able to really to perform up to my potential. I’m still grappling with having to step my competitive goals back a bit and am working to figure out some kind of balance for myself. The question: To what extent will I continue allowing my athletic life to dominate my life in general? Still trying to suss that one out, but the effect on my triathlon season has been notable. I’m doing only a few tris, but throwing in other stuff to keep it all fun and challenging. I still have that competitive drive and desire to excel, but it's also very important to me to shake things up a little, making sure this summer is DIFFERENT than the past 7. I'm going for a kind of unstructured structure, if that makes any sense.

I’ve raced a few standalone running events this spring of different distances. It's been great fun as I haven’t done that in 3 seasons. Then last week saw a couple of FUN firsts. Raced my first cycling time trial - the Cervelo P2C’s racing debut! - and swam my first open water race. Both were rewarding in their own ways and I’m eager to do more.

It doesn’t really look like it from the above, but I’m trying to slow down and smell the roses a little. I'm hoping to rediscover dormant parts of myself that have been ignored since this onset of adult athleticism nearly 10 years ago, and wondering if I just might discover new talents that I’ve been too busy to explore. I’m the first to admit that I haven’t been very successful at the slowing down part yet. I LOVE my sports! The seeds of my goals have been planted though, and I’m just waiting for germination. I wonder what the flowers will look like?

Random Coolacious Bloggy Pics

2009-04-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

The poor blog has been soooo lonely! So, here are some random photos which have been languishing on my phone.

Here, blog. Don't you feel better? Nom nom nom.

If I were a chest of drawers, I would look just like this.

Just add a greyhound to this scenario, and I would agree!

Mushroom cloud over Wausau, WI. Oh - you didn't know Wausau was gone, eh?

I wish I could afford this set - it would drive my hubby bonkers. He doesn't share my Anglophilic leanings.

Discovered this phenomenon after our last winter storm of 2009. I'm guessing it was a human-assisted occurrence, but it's still cool.

Ahhh, skiing at idyllic Winter Park, Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Cool bike - made of wood!

More Winter Park - I miss skiing there already.

While skiing at Winter Park, I stopped for a drink of water, looked down and saw this. I haven't found anyone to tell me what plant this is. Any ideas?

My birthday cupcake. Spidey rules.

The "Puffy Coat" - outerwear equivalent to Jerry Seinfeld's famous Puffy Shirt. I convinced Barq to try it on. It looked just as awful as expected - and it wasn't Barq's fault.

Spycam: Things You Forgot to Pack

2009-03-06T10:33:00.001-08:00

Spycam recently found this creepy collection of eeeeeevilness at a cheerful family gift shoppe in Minocqua, WI. This is only the half of it. Literally.

Can someone tell me what in the world someone needs a wicked knife like THIS muthah for? Wait. I take it back. If you know, please don’t tell me. I have too active an imagination already.

On the other hand, we were intensely amused by the collection of baby axes. I ultimately dubbed the smallest one a “travel axe,” causing myself - and Sophzilla - to collapse into a lengthy paroxysm of helpless laughter. This did not exactly nestle us deeply in the heart of the shop owner, who was patently unamused at our finding her goods so hilarious.

Maybe you had to be there.

Note: The most mind-bending thing about this collection of sharp objects is that directly facing the display is a rack of cute ‘n fuzzy stuffed toy critters. So. Wrong.

Your Attention, Please

2009-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

“The main thing is to pay attention, pay clear attention to everything you see.

Notice what no one else notices and you’ll know what no one else knows.”

City of Ember (2008)
Loris Harrow (Tim Robbins)

Some Hmmm Fun

2009-03-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

I don't usually go in for this kind of fortune cookie enter your birthdate stuff. But this one was actually kind of neat, giving more off-the-beaten-path info.

For example, I learned that my Native American Zodiac sign is the wolf, and my plant is the Plaintain.

Some of you will claim that last part isn't at all surprising, as you always thought I was kind of bananas.

Some less oooooh cool surprises were learning that I share my birthday with Erykah Badu and Michael Bolton. I claim similarity to neither of those parties, nor their hairdos.

Click here and see what you can see.

Competing Chapeaux

2009-03-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

I know there are many people out there absolutely COVETING the infamous igloo hat. BUT I recently found some competitors for this amazing piece of headwear.

In the right corner, we have THE CHAMP!!!

But is the igloo hat any competition for our first CONTENDER - The Crown??????? After all, who doesn't want to be the Queen of all they survey? She Who Must Be Obeyed?

Don't speak too soon, because we also have the amazing, somewhat offensive and unabashedly phallic - ELEPHANT HAT!!!

So mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the most outrageous hat of all?

Untold Story

2009-02-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

of last night's slow 'n snowy commute home.

Spycam Gets Morbid

2009-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

Spycam was exceedingly glad I got my arse off the trainer and outside for a 2.5 hour cruise 'round the east side this past weekend. The new Dr. Who has been keeping me plenty entertained. But there's nothing like getting outside with my pal, Spycam, to move around a bit and see what we can see.

It was a breezy 16 degrees when we started, 21 when we finished - but nice and sunny out. I was toasty as could be. Spycam didn't see anything snapworthy until nearly the end of our ride, along Main Street in North St. Paul. The merchants had been out carving snow sculptures. I can't resist snow or ice sculptures, so we cruised up and down the street to see them all.

This towering white lovely drew Spycam like a ghoulish beacon from the far end of the street. Hands down our favorite. "The Angel of Death" sponsored by - you guessed it - the local mortuary. Who else? I'm sure Sandberg's think of her as simply a tranquil angel, placidly holding her lyre. But we know what's what, don't we?

Spycam thought a snowy Grim Reaper would have been much more fun. I totally agree, but realize our love for the macabre isn't shared by everyone. C'est la neige.

Extreme Hunger + Curiosity + Gas Station Mart

2009-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Equals THIS.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles - in my hand, up to the cash register and into my gaping, too-close-to-bonking-for-comfort maw.

Very hungry, yes. Mostly tho, I was just too damned curious as to what these would taste like. Who comes UP with this stuff, anyway???

I chuckled when I looked at this photo today. I'll bet my bottle of 15-year old Glenfiddich will never forgive me for allowing it to be photographed in close proximity to such a loathsome and base snack food as Bugles. And heavens no! I did not sully the scotch by drinking it while Bugle-sampling.

As for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles review, they're more or less edible, but I won't be purchasing them again - that I know of. Not of my own, clear-headed free will. I shudder to think that next time, it might be something even worse.

I'm Sorry to Say

2009-02-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

- this is a perfect quote for me, today. Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

“You annoy me, therefore I exist.”

Defiance (2008)
Shamon Haretz (Allan Corduner)

You Need This!!!

2009-02-02T10:07:00.001-08:00

Only saw one of them though, not enough to go around.

Would reveal the location, but don't want to cause a Who concert scale incident.

Osmosis

2009-01-30T14:31:00.001-08:00

The hubby called a bit ago, exclaiming that there had been "a catastrophe." The story finally emerged that Hobbs had come in from the backyard, bleeding like mad all over the house. Apparently, he lost one of his ailing nails (long story) while doing his usual figure 8s at full speed out back.

So, I instructed my frantic hubby on what to gather for a bandage, and while he was on the phone, told him how to apply it all.

He sent me pics of his handiwork, and I say - what a fabulous job he did!!! You can't be married to a CVT for as long as he has and not have some of the skills rub off, eh?

Well done, hubby!

This Changes EVERYTHING

2009-01-22T10:05:00.001-08:00

Things just got a LOT more exciting at The Firm. The Truth IS Out There.

(Oh, yes. Actual attorney time entry.)

The Eyes Have It

2009-01-21T06:42:00.001-08:00

At least when it came to my recently buying a product based solely upon the packaging.

Perhaps I was seduced by this pair of bedroom eyes, cuz I am usually immune to marketing (with the occasional exception). I found myself almost involuntarily tossing a can of this coffee into my cart. I just HAD to know if "Serious Java with Attitude" was better than/as good as my usual fare of French or Italian Roast.

And was it?

Hmmm, not really. It was strong, yes, but to my palate lacked the depth and richness of flavor I look for in a coffee. Warn't bad tho.

Bonus: I can use the cool can to store . . . well, something . . . when it's empty. Not eyeballs, I promise.

Ski Withdrawal

2009-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

(Taken at William O'Brien State Park on New Year's Day. A wonderful day of sking - enjoyed the best conditions yet this season.)

I'm in ski withdrawal and having the ski-lerium tremens after failing to get my Tuesday night fix. Mother Nature played one of her favorite jokes: delivering a fresh batch of white stuff concurrently with plunging the temperatures into the negative digits BEFORE windchill. Some may go ski anyway, but me - nooo, thank you.

If the weatherman is right, things will warm up for some fine weekend sking. For now, at least I have some of my recent photos to gaze upon while dreaming of gliding over good track. Hope you like them.

Christmas Eve provided a lovely day for getting out on skis at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. Bonus - it's relatively close to home.

William O'Brien again.

Got out last Tuesday in the sunshine for another nice ski at Lake Elmo. I love that place, a classic skier's paradise with only one loop for skaters. Only problem is its being adjacent to a shootin' range. Somewhat destroys the ambience. These scary signs are everywhere at Lake Elmo. I eventually figured out that they're simply a type of "one way" sign. This one was the first I came across. It cracked me up because of all the ski tracks beyond it. Hardly needed a sign here, what with all the gunfire coming from that direction. Argh.

A lovely spot beckons at Lake Elmo.

Lake Elmo, once again. In time I might get weary of the blue effect my camera phone lends to a lot of pictures like this one. For now, I love the evocative effect. Is it the sun? Or is it the moon?

Lake Elmo - twin picnic tables with identical "frosting."

Heh - this was at William O'Brien. You can't tell here, but I'm at the top of a substantial and long downhill, with a lovely view of the surrounding area. I found myself on a very difficult loop, purely by accident. Everything was fine until I tried to get down from here. There's quite a drop after this gradual downhill! I was a superdork and ended up swallowing my pride, taking off my skis and walking down. I already had a slightly sprained ankle/foot from wiping out a few days earlier, so why be stupid(er)? The learning to be smart has taken awhile, but I'm finally getting passing grades.

Thassall for now! Hope you're staying warm, wherever you are. :-)

Reavers in the Workplace!!!!

2009-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

That's what this makes me think of, anyway. Hmm, attorneys vs. reavers? Now there's an interesting thought.

Employee Happiness Kit

Each employee will be supplied 2 paper clips and rubber bands. (See Fig 1.)

Figure 1

Assemble items as shown in Fig 2.

Figure 2.

Apply as shown in Fig 3.

Figure 3.

Enjoy your day. This new office equipment will help you to reach the end of a productive work day with a smile on your face!

The Management

Spycam: The Terminator Was Here

2009-01-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Spycam is used to spotting various evidence of unsavory goings on when arriving at the downtown Minneapolis ramp in the morning. We're talking garden variety stuff like broken liquor bottles, urine puddles, nice stuff like that.

This abused elevator, however, might seem to indicate there's even wilder stuff happening overnight. Here there be monsters.

I am Insane - Are You?

2009-01-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

By this definition, anyway - as concerns my "career," anyway.

Now, if only I could find that damn key . . ..

“Insanity is coasting through life in a miserable existence when you have a caged lion locked inside and the key to release it.”

Wanted (2008)
Sloan(Morgan Freeman)

A Little Help from the Movies

2008-12-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

Some great quotes here. Given the time of year, they made me think of New Year's resolutions.

Do you still make resolutions? Me, I quit making New Year's resolutions a number of years ago. I figure, if something is worth doing, I'll just do it NOW.

Why wait for some mark on the calendar to do something I, in this moment, think is worth doing, or to make a change I think is worth making?

One thing I know about myself is that I've gotta strike while the iron and blood are hot. Admittedly, sometimes I 'ping' rather than really STRIKE and end up moving more stodgily into something, or procrastinate a little bit. But I like to think I'm getting better about that.

So whether you are currently writing up that list of resolutions, or already working on a bunch, I hope these quotes offer up a little charge of energy to you as we end an old year and begin the new.

Cheers!

“I think we can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include.”

Chocolat (2000)
Pere Henri (Hugh O’Conor)

“I want to feel my life. I want to stop agreeing to things I don't really want.”

Living Out Loud (1998)
Judith Moore(Holly Hunter)

For Your Consideration . . .

2008-12-23T12:27:00.001-08:00

Tragic News from Up North

2008-12-22T06:59:00.001-08:00

Dear Santa: Beware the Cyclists

2008-12-19T07:28:00.001-08:00

Spycam Visits the Liquor Store - Again

2008-12-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

Spycam couldn't quite believe this latest find at the neighborhood liquor store.

I have this idea that most of the bottles sold are being given as anonymous gifts - left on doorsteps, sent in unmarked packages. Break-up gifts, perhaps?

Brought along by passive aggressive types when invited to dinner, "No really! I just heard the wine is simply yummy!" Uh huh.

Another version on a message in a bottle. Ouch. Well, here's hoping it tastes good, at least.

Cheers!

I Can Relate

2008-12-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

You?

Crowning Glory

2008-12-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

TGIF!!

One last wonderful offering from the British Television Advertising Awards. This is a Gold Award winner in the category of household appliances - 60 to 90 second commercial/European advertising. Arguably the best of the bunch.

Hope you enjoy it!

Dangerous Ground

2008-12-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

Little things can be bigger obstacles than you'd expect.

That's what I've found in my indoor biking and running life over the last couple of days. It's also a fitting theme for today's winning advert, tho in a much more serious way, of course. We'll get to that in a minute.

The little thing that's been mucking my training about is a short in the ceiling fan/light which is over my bike and next to my dreadmill. At first I thought it was just a blown lightbulb, but it turns out to be nothing quite so simple. It's evidently a short in the light fixture, which is the only light source for the room. First the refrigerator, then the microwave, then my car, now - the ceiling fan. Argh.

The darkness makes doing interval training and watching my heartrate pretty tricky. Even when I hit the backlight on my watch, there's a whole lotta squinting going on. 6s look an awful lot like 8s, and vice versa. And it gets annoying pretty fast to have to keep hitting the backlight button, and keep from veering right off the dreadmill as I stare at the numbers.

I know it's a completely silly thing, but there you are. I find myself hitting that sucker over and over again as I (hopefully) near the end of harder efforts. This battery is gonna die more quickly than others, I'm bettin'!

My overriding thought in this goofiness is - thank goodness the fan still works!

All obstacles definitely are not created equal, as you'll see in this Brit TV Advertising Awards diploma winner for cinema charity commercials:

Wheee - That Was FUN!

2008-12-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last night was my first time on XC skis this season. What a blast!

I wondered what it would feel like to get out skiing again and worried that I might have completely lost any know-how I had gained over last season. I'm happy to report that indeed - it IS like riding a bike! The body does not forget. It may need to be reminded of technique and learn/relearn fine points about the sport, but the motion is still there. Gotta love that muscle memory, baby!

The best news was that through all of the core training I have had to do over the last 8 months in an effort to repair my SI joint - I am starting out at a much stronger place than last season. I still have a ways to go on that front, but wow - I felt very strong with a solid base of strength to draw from.

My strong core made a BIG difference. Double-poling was a whole new ballgame, I'll tell ya. At one point near the end of class, we were going down a hill and I started double poling, easily passing one guy. As I whooshed by, he said "Wow, fast skis." I laughed aloud. Yeah, if you're being passed by a chick, must be her equipment. The joke is on him - my current skis are an ancient, waxless pair which were used by my mom at least a decade ago. They are super pokey slow and I dream of having the $$ to get a friskier, waxable pair.

Great fun! Can't wait to get out there again.

Anyway, here's a more light-hearted offering from the 2008 Brit TV Advertising Awards. It ties as my favorite with another you'll see in a day or two. Enjoy!!

Stop the Bullets, Kill the Gun

2008-12-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today's award-winning ad went home from the 2008 British Television Advertising Awards with a bronze award for New Advertiser.

See what you think. It sure got a bit of reaction from the audience.

2008 British Television Advertising Awards!

2008-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Sophzilla and I made our annual trek to The Walker for the 2008 British Television Advertising Awards. And a trek it was! Darned bad weather but well worth the trip. 90 minutes of fantastic displays of artistry and imagination.

I've decided to post a favorite ad here at the blog each day. So if the tickets sold out before you got in the fun, ENJOY!

What You Didn't Know About Bubblewrap

2008-12-05T12:16:00.001-08:00

You might want to think twice about enjoying a popping frenzy next time.

Silly Man

2008-12-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Bum!!!

No, Lance isn't the silly one. The hubby actually e-mailed me this photo of LANCE'S BUM! Cracked me up.

Okay, okay - along with a bunch of other photos. Still -

Lance's BUM!

Note to self: Must get a pair of the LiveStrong shorts. Fab.

It's Not Just a Ride

2008-12-03T11:46:00.001-08:00

It's an "artist's date."

So when I decline to go on group rides, really, it's not that I'm antisocial. Well, okay, I am a little bit. A lot? Mostly, it's because I crave being able to stop on a dime whenever I see something that strikes me as beautiful, unusual, or just plain quirky, to take a closer look and/or a photo.

Here is a selection of shots taken with my phone's camera from last weekend's ride around the north suburbs on the Redline. However, if you care to see all of the shots, you can view them here.

Hope you are all enjoying the early winter!

Long Story Short

Storybook

Mixed Media

Iceanemones

Bikeman's Noose (aka Dead Tire in a Tree)

Art in Ice

Over Sea Under Sun

Found Soon Lost

People With Wings

2008-11-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

"Those people with wings keep them folded up, under their suits and dresses, but at the right moment, just when they need to fly, the wings unfurl and off they go. They never go down with the ship - they lift off at the very last moment. When everyone else is sinking into the sea, there they go, up into the clouds."

Skylight Confessions
Alice Hoffman

I adore magical realism. Whenever my mind becomes too tightly tethered, earth-bound and literal, I can always count on author Alice Hoffman to set it soaring again.

P.S. Yes - the picture is from Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," one of my favorite films.

Dog as Ostrich

2008-11-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

I've now found Bennet like this too many times to think it's accidental. He's the silliest dog!!
Before and after.

When the Going Gets Tough

2008-11-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

The tough get creative.

Over the last couple of weeks, it has dawned on me that I feel . . . different. For one thing, I’m better able to stand being at work, and people at work (i.e., attorneys). Why, suddenly when I smile at people who usually get one of those “smile therapy” smiles from me - you know, the kind that don’t actually reach your eyes - I’m actually smiling at them. And it’s easy and, dare I say - sincere? No really! I’m even able to engage in conversation with some of these people and feel authentic, not just as if I’m being requisitely cordial. Huh.

What’s different, you ask? Maybe it’s partly because my body is feeling better by degrees. But I mostly attribute my rejuvenation to my mind feeling better. To changing my narrative. To giving myself the gift of getting back in touch with my creative self at the class I recently finished at The Guthrie.

My monologue class at The Guthrie ended last week and it was all I’d hoped for. As I’d expected, terrifying, exhilarating. Just walking into the theatre after all these years without a ticket in hand felt so odd. It gave me a stomach ache, yet at the same time, I was deeply at home. Traveling up that 4-story escalator into darkness each Monday night became a transformative ritual - ascending out of mundane, everyday meaninglessness back to the world of emotion and exploration.

It was a joy to talk the talk and walk the walk again. But it did take a few weeks to get my brain to work down those pathways again. Even longer for me to completely free up enough to play without being too cerebral and watching myself, critiquing every word and movement. But little by little the door creaked open. I had SO much fun.

I worked on two pieces. My classical/comic piece was Shakespeare’s Rosalind, from “As You Like It,” and my contemporary/dramatic piece was from “A Narrow Bed.” As I’ve always loved language, performing a Shakespeare piece was magical and an adventure, with its rhythm, imagery and breadth of emotion. My contemporary piece was a joy in its relative simplicity of language. It was also a piece I connected to immediately upon reading it for the very first time. Our rhythms of speaking were so alike I could have been reading my own dialogue and I completely understood the quirky poignancy of the character.

The week before the class was to end, our teacher surprised us by saying he was inviting guests to our last class session. He asked us to bring people as well. I was horrified! I’d become pretty comfortable performing before my classmates. However, having strangers in . . .. This was simply playtime for me, and turning it into a performance sounded like my worst nightmare. Just the idea made my heart pound.

An attack of illness, including a nice case of laryngitis, made my last week of rehearsing a bit of a challenge. I had at most 15 min per night to work before descending into coughing fits and losing my voice entirely. A ha! Maybe I wouldn’t be able to perform my pieces on “graduation day” after all? To my surprise, having an excellent excuse to sit out did NOT give me any kind of solace. Huh - turns out I was absolutely KEEN to get up and perform!!!

Finally, it was my last Monday going up, up, up into theater heaven. I nervously hoped I would have enough voice and fend off a coughing fit long enough. We all sat in the lobby, waiting for the “stage manager” to call us into an unfamiliar room and “audition” for the strangers. One by one we were called into the dance studio - much bigger, different acoustics. What fun!! My pieces went very well, and I had an especially wonderful time with Rosalind. Having a bigger space helped me bring her to life even more.

After receiving both glowing comments and helpful pointers from our “auditors,” it was all over. We all bid one another adieu, wished each other well. One of my classmates encouraged me to get out there and audition, because, he says, I’m “great.”

Well, I don’t know about that. But I really enjoyed this foray back to myself. As always happens after I perform, I find myself wondering, seriously, how I have lived without it. I’m definitely still in love.

Damn it.

Is Your Cat Plotting to Kill You?

2008-11-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

You don't think so, huh?

Well go here and check into the matter - cuz you're probably just oblivious.

So Grateful

2008-11-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

To have had MY dad.

Lost 6 years ago today, and still missed more keenly than words can say.

Feed Me!!

2008-11-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Click on us to feed hungry dogs and cats!

How Do I Feel?

2008-11-05T07:36:00.001-08:00

The election is finally over, the votes are in and . . ..

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a film clip must be worth at least a million.

Death Pumpkin

2008-10-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Holy wow!!!

A pumpkin carved as The Death Star.

Un-fracking real. Oh wait, I'm jumbling my sci-fi.

That's Battlestar speak.

You, too, can sculpt a Death Star Pumpkin - go HERE to obtain your carving orders.

FREE Miracle Blood Pressure Reducer!

2008-10-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

No chemicals or pharmaceuticals needed! Lower your blood pressure while simply looking at your computer screen! 100% natural medicine.

Instructions:

Gaze at the photo below. Do not be surprised if an involuntary smile reflex is activated, often accompanied by a verbal response, such as

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW."

This response is normal.

You may find you want to gently stroke the kitten belly on your screen. Please indulge this impulse - it will only enhance the positive effects.

There - don't you feel better?

:-D

An Illustrated Wish

2008-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

for when hunting season gets underway.
(click 'toon to enlarge)

Label Me a Victim

2008-10-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Of a meowsome wine label.

If you know me, you know just about anything with a cute cat on it is catnip to me.

So when I went to the liquor store recently in search of libation for a Friday evening and spotted a prominent display of Kitty Kat wine . . . I was helpless to simply walk away.

I mean, really - how in the world could a bottle NOT follow me home? Check out this adorable pawprint detail!

Filled with anticipawtion, I removed the cork, expecting it to have a fabulous cat on it, too. However, it was entirely blank. Hisssssss.

You're undoubtedly wondering if the wine was any good. I don't know from Merlot, being a Shiraz, Cab and Chardonnay gal, so I found it to be serviceable, I guess.

But that cork . . . a real disappointment.

This Post Could Save Your Life

2008-10-16T11:26:00.001-07:00

While checking out the soon-to-be-a-classic "Ask a Ninja Presents The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon,"** I discovered this important anti-zombie tome.

How have I survived this long without it?

"The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain."

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack

1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair. [Whoops - didn't realize my long hair was endangering my life!]
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike. [Well-equipped here, what a relief]
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

Buy a copy for yourself and your loved ones, NOW! Before it's too late . . .

**For the true of heart or the extremely lucky, this powerful and honorable manuscript contains such phenomenal ninja wisdom as:

•How to create and name your very own lethal ninja clan
•The proper weapon to use when fighting a vampire pumpkin
•Why clowns and robots are so dangerous on the Internet
•Easy-to-follow charts showing when to slice and when to stab
•How to execute such ultradeadly kicks as the Driving Miss Daisy
•Why pretty much every ninja movie ever made sucks
•How to make a shoggoth explode using well-placed foliage
•What the heck a shoggoth is and why you’ll need to make it explode
•Death Aide certification
•And much more ninjafied enlightenment on every shuriken-sharp page!**

Old Timey Trail Ride

2008-10-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

I can just picture one of these lovelies in my own backyard. Even perhaps acting as a trellis for some creepy-crawlies - from the colorful, floral world.

Spotted this bike art along the Lake Wobegon Trail the other day. The hubby wanted to ride - a trail as usual. So I agreed, but ONLY if we could go somewhere new! Gas being a little more reasonably priced (at least temporarily), we undertook the appx. 75 min. trek to the Avon, MN trailhead. (As expected, there was a Stratford Street right there in town :-D )

It was a nice ride, passing through some charming, older MN towns (Albany, Melrose, etc.) But don't let the bucolic blue skies in these photos fool you - we got drizzled on some and battled some persistent winds on the way back.

I do prefer the more off-the-beaten path type trail rides, if I've gotta do them. Nonstop woods, lakes and quiet landscapes suit me better. But this was definitely a nice diversion for a lovely, fall day.

Ma-Ma-Ma My Pomona*

2008-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

The apple-crazy time of year has returned. It's Honeycrisp season again - hurray! Plus, I hear Honeycrisp has a tasty new friend I've yet to meet, CandyCrisp. Not to be punny, but they sound Delicious!

In reading up on the lore of apples, I've learned it all doesn't stop at "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Find some entertaining magical uses for apples here, but here are some for healthy livin'. Supposedly:

To keep colds away for a year, eat an apple at midnight on Halloween.

To keep up the strength, sniff an old sweet apple.

To remove warts, rub the warts with an apple and bury it. When it rots, the warts will disappear.

John Gerard, author of the famous Herbal of 1598, recommended a cosmetic salve to keep the skin soft and supple: apple pulp, lard, and rosewater. Known as pomatum (pomade), it was popular well into the nineteenth century.

Mmmm, rubbing lard on one's skin. No thanks - I'll stick to lotion.

I found a few additional pomade recipes online, for those of you who aren't Dapper Dan men. This one seems like it would be quite nice - excepting the ox marrow:

Cantharides Pomade:
Ox marrow........ 300 drachms
White Wax......... 30 drachms
Mace oil........... 1 drachm
Clove oil........... 1 drachm
Rose essence or geranium oil....... 25 drops
Tincture of cantharides............. 8 drachms

*Who in the world is this Pomona? Amaze your friends:

"Pomona was the Roman Goddess of fruit trees, especially of apple trees, and was also know as the “Apple Mother” who gave the “apples of eternal life.” Roman banquets ended with apples and an invocation of Pomona’s blessing."

Politicians: An Astute Observation

2008-10-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

“Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons.”

Man of the Year (2006)
Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams)

Sorta Personality-Free . . .

2008-10-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

. . . today, yes I am.

But these two have plenty of drama to go around:

To Get Your Week Off to a Good Start

2008-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

A wonderful quote:

“Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely.”
The Land Before Time (1988)
Littlefoot's Mom (Helen Shaver)

Spycam - Shakespearean Villain Runs for Office

2008-10-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

Spycam's eyes (lens) just about bugged out upon seeing this sign - briefly thought it could be an excellent prank put on by some high school class studying "Othello."

Phew. A tough name to run under. Wonder how he'll come out on the women's vote?

Hurray for the Hobbster!!

2008-10-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Way to go, Hobbs!

Platelet count is now at 60,000 up from 30,000 last week. Woo hoo!!

He still needs about twice as many of the tiny things, but is no longer in danger of bleeding and the bruising has stopped. Phew! Still under many restrictions, i.e., no chasing bunnies, but the gloom and doom has lifted significantly.

Hobbs' 11th birthday is this Monday the 6th, so we bought him (and Bennet) a couple of beautiful new beds. New toys, etc., will be coming as well, but not until we get more platelets on board. No flouncing about with his favorite screaming gorilla toy until that count goes up up up. For now, he's just happy to be able to stroll about the yard without being on a leash (though still watched carefully) and to eat his normal food again. Canned food was really no big thrill for Hobbnob - he's a kibble boy.

Okay - off to ride. I've been a victim of screen suck this morning, so will have to ride closer to home than I'd like. Heading off to Scandia from White Bear Lake. Tomorrow, a new route either out west or from River Falls, WI.

P.S. I'm busy mapping my rides so you can enjoy them, too, if you'd like. Hope to post them soon.

Cautiously Optimistic

2008-09-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. When I took a week off for my fall Minnesota Hellweek, I didn't mean THIS kind of hell.

I'm sitting here gazing at Hobbs, who is resting comfortably on his cushy bed by the fireplace. We had a scary few days there, but things appear to be looking up - especially as he has no new bruising to show for yet another trip to the vet for bloodwork today. That is a hugely positive thing! Hobbs has come home from all of his previous trips covered in more nasty new bruises.

It's been a rough week which just kept getting rougher. Hobbs had us terrified when he began bleeding into his GI last week. GI hemorrhage is a major cause of death for dogs with ITP, so our panic dial got turned up even higher than it already was.

Friday: I was able to leave work early and take Hobbs to MVRS for ultrasound. For one thing, we wanted to see if he had any tumors on his spleen, a common cause of ITP. He does have at least a couple of very tiny ones, 0.5 centimeter or so in size. The vet isn't sure those are big enough to be causing this problem, but it's possible. Platelet estimate - only 1 platelet was found on the entire slide. Not what we wanted to hear. We need at least 1 per field. Not normal range by any means, but enough to stop his bruising. A chemotherapy drug (azathioprine) was added to Hobbs' steadily expanding medicine cabinet to try to further whomp his immune system far enough into submission to cease its messing with his platelets. We began feeding only canned food, to minimize trauma to his GI system.

That evening, Hobbs began looking unsteady on his rear legs, and was becoming more lethargic. He had been standing for a very long time at the clinic, so we hoped this was from stress and fatigue. He continued to show a typical sign of GI bleeding, melena (black, tarry stools).

Saturday: Hobbs ate a little better, but continued to the tiniest bit wonky in his rear end. Nursing new bruises from his trip to the clinic.

Sunday: Hobbs' weakness was more pronounced, and he was a little pale. Back to MVRS for a PCV. We were shocked and dismayed to learn his PCV had dropped 13% from what had been nothing but normal results thus far, due to blood lost to his GI. He was now considered anemic for a greyhound. Hobbs certainly needs no more items on his problem list. Melena continuing, of course. Not much interest in food, but we were able to get Hobbs to eat some by taking his food to him, so he didn't have to stand to eat. Late Sunday night, early Monday morning, I took Hobbs outside and - wonder of wonders - no melena!!

Monday: Phew! Moving like a normal dog and pinker gums! Eating a little more, interested in sniffing around a little out in the yard. And (drumroll please) no melena ALL day! It's not every day one is thrilled nearly to tears by looking at poo.

Tuesday: Again, no melena. That's 48 whole hours of normal poo. A huge relief. I was having a good feeling about our pending visit to the vet for recheck bloodwork. However, we were disappointed upon learning his PCV had not risen a lick from Saturday. BUT - it hadn't fallen, either. The CBC equipment was broken, so Hobbs' platelet check had to be sent out to the lab. They did make a slide though for an estimate, and the tech reported seeing actual platelets on it! Some fields had 1, some had 2 or 3!! Sweet lady - she was so very excited to find platelets for our boy. I only hope the lab seconds that opinion. (Photo: Those tiny purple beauties are the much sought after platelets.)

It sure has been a hell week. Simply a hell of a different color, thankyouverymuch. I've been able to get out on my bike quite a bit as planned (more on that later), just sticking closer to home, rather than venturing out on day trips, and riding shorter distances. My Hobbsgoblin is SO worth the alteration in plans, tho!

Keep your fingers crossed for us - thanks again for the good vibes, everybody.

Out of Sorts

2008-09-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sweet Hobbster was diagnosed with ITP last week. His body has decided his platelets are foreign invaders which must be destroyed.

We discovered the problem when literally overnight he became covered in bruises. One night I was laying on the floor, regarding Hobbs' adorable and completely normal-looking abdomen as he towered over me, enjoying a belly rub. The next, we were shocked to find horrendous, red-purple bruises and petechiae peppering his body. I even found the purple spots in his ears and between his toes, under his tongue. Bloodwork revealed the obvious - his circulating platelets are nearly nonexistent.

To our dismay, his recheck bloodwork the other day was as dire as the first round. His vet has upped the steroid medication threefold and we hope for better news next week. There's simply not much out there to help dogs who need platelets. We have to keep our normally bouncy Hobbs very quiet right now, because his ability to clot is severely impaired. The least impact could cause him to bruise further - or worse.

Hobbs is not in pain, thank goodness. You wouldn't know he was ill if you met him. But he does seem a bit out of sorts. The worst thing for him is suffering the side effects from his prednisone. Despite eating normally (and getting lots of extra treats from his adoring and worried humans), he lost 3 pounds in the 5 days between veterinary appointments. He wants water all of the time, and is peeing like one of his equine racing counterparts, even though we're restricting how much he gets in his bowl. I've been getting up 2-3 times a night to see if he needs to go outside, but my timing hasn't been 100% successful. Oh well. We can replace our carpeting, but not our Hobbsgoblin.

We're stressed out at our place. Please send good thoughts. After all, Hobbs has his 11th birthday to celebrate in just a couple of weeks.

Thanks.

The COOLEST Thing

2008-09-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

That I've learned this week is from the wonderful people who offer up my favorite weekly podcast, Discovery Friday News Feedbag. Try this out and report back!

Apparently you can get a rough estimate of the outside temperature by listening to crickets!

From (of all places) the Library Of Congress, where they apparently know way more about insects and chirping than I ever imagined. Then again, it is a library, so they probably know just about everything:

The frequency of chirping varies according to temperature. To get a rough estimate of the temperature in degrees fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37. The number you get will be an approximation of the outside temperature.

That is the best science party trick ever and could also help you if you are stranded in the woods and aren't sure exactly how cold you should feel.

Hmmmm, but I wonder if this applies to ALL crickets or just the Snowy Tree Cricket, aka the Thermometer Cricket? Inquiring minds want to know . . .

BTW, my hubby stole my sunshine by pointing out the challenge of being sure you're counting the chirps of only ONE cricket. :-P

Spycam - Another Office Expose

2008-09-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Unlike me, Spycam frequently has fun at the office. Examples here and here.

For a little more office fun, Spycam wants to play a little game called "Edible or Inedible?"

Are you in? Okay. Here ya go.

Mmmm, Spycam found a clementine. Edible? or Inedible?

A Ninja of a Different Color

2008-09-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

This got me giggling in a decidedly un-ninja fashion.

Let's see how YOU do.

Hair of the Dog?

2008-09-12T13:40:00.001-07:00

I’m terrified.

I’m exhilarated.

I’m overcome with dread.

I’m tingling with happy anticipation.

Oh merde. What in the world have I gotten myself into??

No, I haven’t changed my name to Sybil and begun hosting multiple personalities. I’ve signed up for a class at The Guthrie Theater. I’m returning to my roots - at least to gnaw on them a bit - and it feels . . . well, mostly really good. At least in theory. As for in fact - we’ll have to wait and see how the next act pans out.

Confession time: My name is EclectChick and I’m a thespian. I spent most of my life in the arts.

Curtain up. It all starts innocently enough with dance classes at 3 and a steady diet of MGM musicals, courtesy of my dad. One day I receive as a gift the trifecta of Shirley Jones soundtracks: “Oklahoma,” “The Music Man” and “Carousel.” It turns out I actually have talent - an ingénue is born. Montage of productions, scholarships, awards - all following briskly and easily. Fast forward a number of years to find me making my living for the best part of my adult life performing around the Midwest in musicals, opera and light opera. But then - long story - I leave it all behind. Curtain down.

None of my current friends and acquaintances ever knew me when I was an actor. I don’t talk about it much. Just self-preservation, pals. I am an act-dict. An emotiholic. Just talking about acting gets my juices flowing. Actually going to the theater - even to an orchestral concert - is being given a sip of the Forbidden and I WANT it again. So badly it hurts. The shoulda, coulda woulda’s attack and I’m down in the dumps for days. It’s really best just to stay away.

My former life and I have tried very hard to part ways, but it’s in my blood. Like a sickness. I’ve always thought that somehow, in some form, I’d be back. Every time I left a singing gig over the last many years I would think - how in the world do I live without this? WHY do I live without this?? Then I’d stomp all of those thoughts and feelings back down, I'd go to an AA meeting (Actors Anonymous - kidding), the numbness of the office job would return and on I went.

I have kept moving in a leftbrainwardly direction, finally striding right up to the brink of going back to school to begin another medical science career. But at the last minute, as I drove to the infamous reading test, I started panicking a little, the thought coming out of nowhere -- What the hell am I doing? I’ve been a creative person so much of my life, yet here I am again running full tilt in the opposite direction.

I started entertaining the idea of taking a class to feel out my rusty acting chops. I could do it - I could just go to one little class and see what it feels like; how different I am as an actor now, with a decade more life experience and tenfold the courage. The final voice saying “yes” was George Carlin’s in a 2001 interview I happened to be listening to the other day:

"An artist has a kind of song to sing, something to get off his or her chest. There’s something you gotta kinda keep on telling the world, and you keep looking deeper in yourself and at yourself vis a vis the world as it changes and as you mature and get a richer matrix. The thing is with age, you have a richer background of information with which to compare new information. So when I see something at 63, it’s a much more textured mixture of what my reaction than when I was 23 or 33. So you just become more and more of a craftsman and an artist as well. And that person is always on a journey, I think. I think an artist kinda doesn’t know where they’re going, necessarily, but they know it’s kind of like out there, and its down this road, and I’ll just keep challenging and looking under it a little more. So that’s where it comes from. It comes from the need to be this thing I am in the universe."

I don’t believe in signs or coincidence, but I do believe in words - and these felt like me. Thank you, George. I think.

It all starts tonight. Leaping off the wagon and into a monologue class. Eep. Hey, at worst, it'll be a very interesting experiment, a blast from the past. Right?

Oi, I feel kinda sick. Say break a leg, somebody.

Gulp.

In a Sentimental Mood

2008-09-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

"I think we have the kind of friendship where if I were the devil,

you'd be the only one I would tell."

Broadcast News (1987)
Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks)

How Do YOU Spell Cranky?

2008-09-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I spell it: S-O-C-K-S.

An alternate spelling: P-A-N-T-S.

I LOVE the onset of fall here in the midwest. If only there weren't that pesky, gradual reintregration of items and layers of clothing to the daily wardrobe (as well as to cycling and running wardrobes).

Shirt, skirt, sandals, GO! = ahhhh

Pants, shirt, vest, socks, shoes, etc. = grrrrr

Signed,
EclectChick - Blithely socks- and pants-free from 4/?/08 to 9/8/08. (sigh)

What'll He Think of Next?

2008-09-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

I do love this man.

Colbert's DNA to be shot into space

NEW YORK (AP) -- Should this world ever cease to exist, Stephen Colbert will live on.

Stephen Colbert, host of "The Colbert Report," will have his genes included in a time capsule of human DNA.

The comedian's DNA will be digitized and sent to the International Space Station, Comedy Central was to announce Monday. In October, video game designer Richard Garriott will travel to the station and deposit Colbert's genes for an "Immortality Drive."

"I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to
my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001," Colbert said in a statement, referring to the 1968 landmark science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Garriott, one of few private citizens to travel into space, is collecting material for a time capsule of human DNA, a history of humanity's greatest achievements and personal messages.

The host of "The Colbert Report" will essentially be preserved so that aliens can clone him.

"In the unlikely event that Earth and humanity are destroyed, mankind can be resurrected with Stephen Colbert's DNA," Garriott said in a statement. "Is there a better person for us to turn to for this high-level responsibility?"

Gee, I'm drawing a complete blank.

Product Labeling

2008-09-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

A coworker just called me:

"A distracting force in the Universe."

(Pssst, is that a bad thing??)

Don, I Miss You Already

2008-09-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Don't think you know who Don LaFontaine is? Well, you might not know it, but you do.

RIP, Mr. LaFontaine.

Don LaFontaine, voice of movie trailers, dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don LaFontaine, the voice behind thousands of Hollywood movie trailers, has died. He was 68.

LaFontaine's agent Vanessa Gilbert says the voiceover artist died Monday as a result of complications from the treatment of an ongoing illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

LaFontaine has been a fixture in Hollywood for decades, working on about 5,000 movie trailers. Much of his fame stems from his trademark movie-trailer catch phrase, "In a world where..."

More about Don (born in Duluth, Minnesota), here.

Don in action:

Spycam Goes to the Saints Game

2008-08-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Spycam, along with me and a few Bellas, went to a St. Paul Saints game last week. There's a real good-clean-fun and nostalgic feeling to these games, what with the silly goings-on between innings, wacky promotions, etc.

For example, note Princess somethingorother, complete with tiara at the lower left of this photo. She's one of several Saints "ushertainers," who help lead cheers/songs/games.

This was one of the greeters as we entered the stadium. After all, it was "Caps Off to Nurses Night," presented by the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. I pitied her - it was hot and humid. It's a miracle she didn't suffocate in that mask and keel over. Oi. Well, it would have been a good night to do so, what with all the healthcare folks about.

And this, this is Mudonna, the Material Swine. One of the mascots.

It pains me to have to tell you that this is none other than Boarack Ohama, the other Saints mascot. This hard-working pig's jobs are: Come to all St. Paul Saints baseball games and entertain the fans; carry baseballs out to the umpire between innings; and spread the St. Paul Saints message that “Fun is Good” wherever he/she goes.

Spycam has saved the best for last - a walking, talking, dancing urine sample cup.

What kind of person comes up with such an idea?? I know! To promote our urine testing company, we'll have . . . a live action urine sample!!!

The mind reels.

And to tell the truth - I kinda love it.

I'll definitely go out to the ballgame again next summer. A great way to spend a summer evening - and only $5.00!!! Best deal in town.

Hello, Lover

2008-08-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

You two do make a lovely couple, Bennet, but the Cervelo P2C is with me.

Oh, yes. She is mine. Allll MINE. Finally, mine.

You can sniff her anytime you want, sweetie.

Even give her a lick or 2, or 3.

But that leg stays down.

I'm the jealous type.

Cervelo -

2008-08-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

A bike worth fighting over.

It's Official

2008-08-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

The results are in: I can READ!!

Stop looking so surprised.

I'd like to know what Tyler would have told them to do with their test.

Thank Goodness for an Empty Stomach

2008-08-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Otherwise, I might have had an even more unpleasant beginning to my day.

I climbed on the trainer at 0’dark-thirty this a.m. to start a little brick workout. I hadn’t had time to eat a real meal the night before, only had inhaled a bowl of cereal 12 hours earlier. Running on empty, I grabbed a gel from my stock. Mmmm, mocha Clif Shot. Perfect.

Or so I thought.

Stuck “The Best of the Colbert Report” in the DVD player, climbed on the bike, started pedaling, ripped the gel open, took a big “drag” and -

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!! I really and truly gagged. What the . . . COLA??? That is RANK! C’mon, no one can really think this foul flavor o’ goo is tasty. Through my dry-heaving disgust, I recalled a bunch of free gels (now we know why they were free) handed out at XC skiing this past winter, tossed into my gel canister and promptly forgotten in a happy, summer-long Carb-boom/Clif Shot Blok haze.

I have way too much of an opinion on the topic of sports foodz. You may even be one of the unfortunate who has listened to me, the Sally Albright of this subject, wax on about what flavors/brands of gels and bloks are palatable. Perhaps you even sat and rolled your eyes as I went on to elaborate regarding in which SEASONS each is deemed edible or foul. In case you aren’t one of these unlucky few, let me add you to the list right now.

Alrighty then - gels. Quite simple: chocolate, mocha, and the like are fab, but ONLY stomachable in fall and winter, occasionally on very cool summer mornings as a pre-workout food or in heavily air conditioned environments. If it is summer or a warm spring day, only fruit flavors will do. If racing, only Carb-boom banana peach or apple are tolerable because, well, they taste like real fruit, not chemical imitations of fruit. (Though to be entirely honest, even these are torture come the end of a 1/2 IM bike leg.) Vanilla is plain squicky or worse, depending on the brand and how sodium-y they taste. To be fair, I think I OD’d on vanilla in my early days of running. Plus, my mind tells me it should be white ‘n creamy in color and texture, and if you make the mistake of looking at it glurping from the package, it’s oozy syrupy brown in color. (shudder) Carb-boom looks like it should - fruity.

As for Bloks, they are the BEST, but only for eating on the bike during training or casual rides. If racing (or running), it’s too hard to chew and breathe (read: suck air) at the same time. Flavor choices are really down to one: Strawberry. Black Cherry is also tolerable (barely), but bitter; only truly edible if you must force yourself cuz, like yours truly, you ordered an entire box online. Pina Colada tastes like gack - don’t buy it. If you DO buy it, be sure to hold your breath when opening the package and until you put them in your mouth, because - and this is no lie - they smell like vomit and stinky socks. They DO! I know some people go all drooly and dreamy over the Margarita flavor, but their taste buds must be of a different make and model than mine. Similar, but milder, vomit odor applies.

Those Jelly Belly Sport Beans are velly tasty, but are a rule-out due to a similar Bloks problem - their needing to be chewed. Sport Beans also have a higher difficulty start value as they are shiny-slippery and tend to scatter about if you’re not super careful while eating them and riding. D’oh! My food is all over the road! This makes them something of a bonk risk, plus they don’t seem to take up room in the stomach like Clif Shot Bloks do. Arg. Still hungry. Tip: Do not buy with plan to munch while in motion.

So there you have it. The basic sports food rules.

Read me now, believe me later.

Turtleman TriUmph

2008-08-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

"It ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky (Sylvester Stallone)

Thank you, Rocky. A perfect jumping off point for my last tri report of the season, though it wasn’t much of one. I had 10 events in my sights in early March, but due to injury was only able to complete 3 of them. However, I podiumed in my age group in 2 of the 3, so . . . hey, that’s a happy fact I’ve got to keep tacked prominently on my mental bulletin board.
(Photo: 3rd AG Lake Minnetonka Tri hardware)

Having taken all of July off from racing and the training schedule, I felt very out of sorts going into Turtleman. It seemed I had been out of the loop for a year, rather than a month. During that time, I thought about triathlon surprisingly little, other than to ponder whether my heart was really in it anymore. So sue me - 3 years of chronic injury will do that to a person. You may start out feeling like a warrior bent on victory; however, after hurting and being down for that long, the idea of waving that white flag from atop the injury battlements starts to appeal. But my plan over the last 4 weeks had been to lay low so I could hopefully make some progress on healing and participate at Turtleman, and by gum, I was gonna do it! (Battle cry here.)

Which did not stop me from minute-to-minute waffling in the week leading up to the race.

Amendment to battle plan: If - IF I finally received my new tri top from our AWOL Velo Bella clothing order before race day, I would have to race. Of course Wednesday’s mail brought my new duds. (deep breath) Okay. Guess I’ve gotta do it.

Which again, didn’t stop me from waffling as I stood in line for over 30 min. at packet pickup the afternoon before the race. Yeah, but - no, but - yeah, but . . . hmmmmm. After much hemming and hawing, evening did find me performing the ritual Readying of Detritus in preparation for the event. Watching the opening Olympics ceremony was the perfect preamble. Breathtaking, awe-inspiring and, most importantly, distracting.

Swim: Water temperature reading FINALLY came in about 30 min before race start at 77.9 degrees. Guess they played Dunk the Thermometer until they found the deep hole in which our magic number was hiding. Wetsuit-legal, yea! For unknown reasons, really, my right pec/shoulder had been pissy and painful for a week, and my babying it made me unusually crappy at swimming a straight line. I was pulling harder with the non-pissy side, therefore needing to frequently correct resultant zig-zagging. Ugh, what a time-waster. The last half of the swim, my SIJ surprised me by twinging a number of times. Crap, not already?! By the turnaround point, I’m usually really pushing my pace in to shore. Today, I just held steady while thinking, sheesh - I’m tired out here! Way too soon the water became overly shallow to keep swimming. I stood up and slogged through the muck foreeeever, ‘til finally hitting solid shore to run to T1.

Bike: Yaowch! Tempo and intensity totally not familiar to these legs anymore. No one passed me for aaaages except the younger, big-gun males, giving me a false - tho welcome - sense of buffness. Nice! I glanced down at my heart rate from time to time to find it 5-10 beats lower than I was accustomed to seeing. Weird. I pushed myself to keep going at a somewhat steady pace, while the effort felt in my legs had me worrying that I might leave too much on the bike course to have a decent run. Oh well. All too soon my injured side started sending me the not so subtle message of "HEYTHATSENOUGH!" Merde. Just before the 15 mile mark, I glanced over at someone passing me and - drat, a woman this time. Her age was no longer legible on her calf, but she looked like she might be in my age group (turned out to be the age group under mine). Oh, well. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Bubbye illusions of buffness. Thank you for taking this long to go *poof.* Heading up Hodgson Road to the park is one of my least favorite parts of the bike leg. A headwind from up the hillette is usually present to make things a bit more challenging. Today - hurray! - a whisper of tailwind. Passed several people going up the hill, and next thing I knew I was in the no-pedal zone, and heading down into transition.

Run: I had felt quite light-footed in the other tris this season, but apparently the month off from bricks had taken its toll. I felt slow, heavy and TIRED. Ack. 5.2 miles to go. I had run the distance once the week before to prove to my brain and body I could still do it, but it hadn’t felt good. Now coming off the bike . . . I found myself daydreaming about how happy I would be later, lying on the couch, drinking a celebratory beer in the A/C and watching the Olympics. I passed the first mile marker and glanced down at my watch. Erg, slower than I’d run all season. Mile 2 passed at the same pace. Well, I was running an even pace if not a zippy one. The sun was now out in full force, making for a cheery but hot course. I gave some guys with a spray hose the thumbs up and won a liberal frontal and rear-al soaking. Ahhhh. As usual, I was passed by lots of guys and more than a few women, running fast and light, as if they’d done nothing else all day. It was at once inspiring and depressing.

The miles passed much the same and I just hung on, again noting a much lower heart rate than usual. Wtf? Normally, this would inspire me to push harder but I was too uncomfortable to do anything about it. By now, my left pelvis was so far out of true that my left glute and leg were pretty much out of the game, leaving it to the right side to work twice as hard to take up the slack. I thought about laying down for a moment to try and get things back into place, but decided that the time lost doing that would be about the same as just trudging along as-is. Such is the non-logic of decisions made in the heat of battle.

After several decades, I hit the grass leading up to the finish line. In my relief to have made it that far, it never even occurred to me to see what I had for a kick in. I heard the announcer mention my name and some good finishes I’d had, which was nice. One volunteer took off my chip, another pointed me toward the fantastic cold multi-shower machine. I made a beeline for it - if a bee were to have a head injury, bum wing and heavy load of pollen.

Eventually, I staggered out of the shower - then went back again - then staggered out a final time to head toward the food. On the way I spotted the results printer thingie. I looked at my printout and stopped. What? Next to division place it said "2." No way. That can’t be right. At about that time, the hubby found me. I showed him my soggy printout, telling him it couldn’t be right. I’d have to come back and check the results in a little while. I wouldn’t believe it until I saw my name on the actual results sheets. But sure enough, when I checked back there was my name in the 2nd place spot. NO way. One more printout had to go up before I really would believe it. Next sheet went up and nothing had changed. I won second place in my age group!!! I had crawled up onto the freakin’ podium!! Absolutely surreal. (Hardware below - "commemorative cowbell" with a plaque-thingie on the back.

Stats: 2:13:57
2/23 AG; 42/288 female
AG: 3/23 swim (26:38); 1/23 bike (1:03:03/20.4 mph); 7/23 run (42:12/8:17 mi.)

A most happy ending for this non-season of triathlon. Going into the event, I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep on tri-ing; in fact I was pretty sure I didn’t. But having finished, finished well and enjoyed it has renewed my desire to get back to being one solid, healthy piece again. Some days that seems possible, others it quite honestly doesn’t. But I’ll keep moving forward somehow. How? Well, as always, the answer to every one of life’s questions can be found at the movies:

“Where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within.”

Chariots of Fire (1981)
Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson)

Typos as Rorschach Test?

2008-08-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

I just typed "crate a scone" instead of "create a second."

What does this mean? Simply that I'm hungry? (I am.)

A twisted desire for baked goods domination? (Not likely.)

Simply that I've typed too much today? (I have.)

I think it means I need to go ride my bike. (I will.)

P.S. The inkblot above looks like a pelvis to me. No surprise there.

In Case You Wondered . . .

2008-08-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

what is meant when someone is referred to as a "red shirt."

An excellent explanation:

A Loss, A Tragedy

2008-08-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

“He was a man, take him for all and all, we shall not look upon his like again.”

William Shakespeare, Hamlet

The banal and the tragic meet. I glanced down at the paper while in the lounge buying Pop Tarts a few minutes ago (well, it is pretty much off season for me), and couldn't believe my eyes:

Joe Kudla aka "Snot" of Puke and Snot, has died. Story here.

These two crazy guys made me laugh like a fool each and every summer at the RenFest. I had seen the shows and heard the jokes numerous times over, but still I laughed until I cried.

Rest in Peace, Joe - and Snot. You will be hugely missed.

Too Sexy

2008-08-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is my supersexy undergarment. Oooooo lala!! (That is not my bum, however. I haven't worn a leotard nor tights in a very long time.)

This sexay thang is what incalcitrant SI joints get as penance for not playing well with other body parts and healing. Asleep, awake, active, just sitting around . . . back in April/May I had been ordered to wear this thing 24/7 to hold my SI joint together so it could heal up already. But it really wasn't helping, so I was okayed on putting it aside. Now that my SIJs are a bit more stable than they were in May, I've decided to give it another go during non-athletic waking hours. My hope is that perhaps one more dose of the belt will be my ticket to the happy land of the healed.

My doctor refers to SI joint issues as "The plantar fasciitis of the pelvis. Very hard to heal and usually lasting for a long time." This has been going on since the beginning of March. What adds up to "a long time," anyway? 2 months? 3 months? 5??? I'm already past that milestone. I guess like everything else, "a long time" is relative.

I'm honestly not sure if the belt thing helps, but what the hell, eh? One of my friends suggested I get some puffy paint to pretty it up. But all the pretty puffy flowers and such might show through my summer clothes. The belt is surprisingly ninja at this point. At least, I think it is. Perhaps the truth is that people are too well-mannered or embarrassed to inquire as to what I've done to deserve my chastity belt.

That would be a much more interesting subject to weave yarns about than a stupid pseudo-girdle, anyway. Hand me the puffy paints.

Anything Wrong With This Picture?

2008-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

My darling bike during a ride last weekend. Does something seem amiss? Incongruous, maybe?

A closer look.

Heh - these were a gift from the hubby, who had been trolling the $1 section of Target. He knows I love a) cats and b) pink stuff. Put the two together and you get these wonderfully absurd Hello Kitty water bottles.

What can I say? Another case of So Terrible It's Actually Brilliant, if you ask me.

Thank You, Spellcheck

2008-07-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

A little afternoon pick-me-up, courtesy of our friend, Spellcheck.

Having mistyped "Shari," I was given the suggestions of Sahib, Sahara and Safari, among others.

Suddenly, there I was in the desert with none other than the smoldering Ralph Fiennes. Well, I guess in this case, the PRE-smoldering Ralph Fiennes. Heh. Sorry.

The mind is a strange thing.

ACK! I've Been Tagged

2008-07-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Lifebikin', for tagging me, therefore saving me from the funk I was in over failing to get a particularly interesting Spycam photo I was after last night. Here goes:

If you could have any one — and only one — bike in the world, what would it be? Cervelo P3C. I’ve been in lust ever since Chrissie Wellington won IM Kona on hers.

Do you already have that coveted dream bike? If so, is it everything you hoped it would be? If not, are you working toward getting it? If you’re not working toward getting it, why not? Ha! I wish!!! I’m totally not worthy of a P3C, but still enjoy coveting it. I have started to save my pennies for a Cervelo P2, however. Probably still not worthy, but they don’t call pride stupid for nuttin’. I won’t let it totally get in the way of buying lotsa bike. P2SL or P2C. I’m saving my overtime $$, gathering stuff to sell on Ebay, buying Powerball tickets, crossing my fingers. I’d get a second job, but what with the new additional demands on my time, forget it. I’ll err on the side of sanity - or something like it.

If you had to choose one — and only one — bike route to do every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why? What? This question verges on the sadistic. Hmmmm. I guess that would be the “Wine and Number 9” route of Texas Hellweek, which rambles through scenic Hillcountry and includes an evil climb to a bat cave and stunning overlook. Locally, if I had - HAD - to choose one route, it’d be a rolling to hilly, scenic one I like to do in spring and fall out a bit east of my area. It goes from White Bear Lake, up northward then over east to Withrow, keeps going to Square Lake (stop for a swim if it’s nice), over to Marine-on-St.-Croix (stop for a cuppa excellent French Roast and a scone at Roberta’s (which in looking for a link I just learned has closed. Sob!)), up the nasty hill to Copas, over to Scandia, then back around south again. Both rides have plenty of terrain variety, are beautiful AND great workouts.

What kind of sick person would force another person to ride one and only one bike ride for the rest of her / his life? This guy or this guy. ("It seems that you’ve been riding TWO rides . . ..”)

Do you ride both road and mountain bikes? If both, which do you prefer and why? If only one or the other, why are you so narrowminded? Well, I ride a road bike and cyclocross bike. So get off my back, wheelsuckah! Heh. I prefer my road bike because of the zippiness factor. Plus, I gawk at the scenery even more if I'm offroad and, well, yipes - TREES!

Have you ever ridden a recumbent? If so, why? If not, describe the circumstances under which you would ride a recumbent? Heavens, no. Watching people on those things, I still can’t work out how they find their center of balance. The only circumstances under which I would ride a recumbent would be if I were suffering some terribly debilitating illness/injury and that was the absolute ONLY way I could ride. Again, stupid pride vs. riding? Riding wins.

Have you ever raced a triathlon? If so, have you also ever tried strangling yourself with dental floss? Well, yesssss, of course. Lots. That is, in answer to the first half of the question. As to the second, no - but I’d be happy to try strangling YOU with it, Mr. Questionnaire-writer.

Suppose you were forced to either give up ice cream or bicycles for the rest of your life. Which would you give up, and why? Ice cream, of course. Without a second thought. I’m totally an eat to live gal, so no contest there. A more relevant question would be if I were forced to give up COFFEE or bicycles . . . nah, still no contest. Bubbye, coffee. But only if I were really, deadly-force forced.

What is a question you think this questionnaire should have asked, but has not? Also, answer it. Why do some people wear underwear under their bike shorts? I seriously haven’t a clue. Maybe because they LIKE panty lines, the heat and slippy-chafe-factor of an extra layer of clothing AND how painful the seams feel ‘twixt their bum and saddle.

You’re riding your bike in the wilderness (if you’re a roadie, you’re on a road, but otherwise the surroundings are quite wilderness-like) and you see a bear. The bear sees you. What do you do? Give it all of my Clif bars, Clif Bloks, etc., and worry about the resultant and inevitable bonk later.

I tag: Mud Sweat and Gears, 3 Speed Blog, and Struggling to Find my Form.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

2008-07-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

“When you do things without thinking, you ain’t making the choice – the choice is making you.”

Ghost Rider (2007)
Barton Blaze (Brett Cullen)

Well, I suppose . . . but -

Click click
scrolllll
chew nails
click
stop
scritch scritch
tick tick tick

grooooan
click click
scrooollllll
type type type
breathe
scritch scratch
sigh
oof

That was the sound of me mucking around at my college website, trying to decide what to do about the impending tuition “pay up or forfeit your spot” date. I have to make a 20% down payment on my fall class or the claim I've staked to a seat in biology goes to some other happy pioneer. Deadline: Midnight, July 28, 2008. Just days away.

What’s cooler than cool? ICE COLD. What’s ice cold? My own feet over going back to school.

6-9 months ago, those same feet were burning hot and just itching to take me on a running leap into a better future. I had done my thinking and was thrilled by the idea of jumping back onto the school wagon. But due to obligatory hoops, red tape and resultant waiting, I’ve had hours, days, weeks, months - TOO MUCH TIME to think about what a huge impact a return to higher learning will have on life as I know it. Even more, it’s become clearer just how dang LONG it all will take.

Hmmmm.

I’m 99% sure I’m going to go ahead and do it. Dip one icy toe in. Take on one class on for fall semester and see how school fits. But have I taken those assessment tests? But have I made my payment yet? Nooooooo. I will though. Really, I will. Just got to get my feet back up to room temperature. After all - the drop date is a good month from now. Not that I’ll need to know that date. Right? Um, right.

Words of wisdom from a rat:

“Change is nature, the part that we can influence, and it starts when we decide.”

Ratatouille (2007)
Remy (Patton Oswalt)

Looking for Something to Do? How 'bout a Fish Pedicure?

2008-07-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

I scoff at pedicures and like my au naturale feet just fine, thanks. But, ooooo, I bet this would feel really neat! This Pisces is ready to dive in - so long as it's not harmful to the fishies.

Fish Pedicures: Carp Rid Human Feet Of Scaly Skin

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.

Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.

Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.

Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time.

Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available -- including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.

State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health department -- which does regulate pools -- required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer.

The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish.

"It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.

For the whole story - click here.

"So Terrible, It's Actually Brilliant"

2008-07-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

"Somehow what happens is the cumulative weight of this terribleness coming off the screen and these indestructible songs - which are, I mean they - it's in their genetic code, you can do what you want with them, you can set off small thermonuclear explosions, it doesn't make any difference, the songs survive - and suddenly you're going, 'I've gone with this, I've gone all pink, I've come over completely, you know, cuddly . . . the next thing I know, I'm welling up ."
Dr. Mark Kermode on "Mamma Mia"

Early last week, my mum said she wanted to get together and do something on the weekend. We left it open 'til later in the week to decide what this togetherness would entail. When I realized the film version of "Mamma Mia" was opening that very week, my figurative skies clouded over and all I could do was hope mom wouldn't hear about it. I didn't get that lucky. Sure enough, that is precisely what she chose as our motherdaughter activity for Sunday.

"Mary asked me if I'd go see it with her, but I said no. I'd much rather see it with my daughter!"

Oh, woe is me.

Mom saw this mess at least twice onstage. Eventually, and with great glee she dragged my dad, and the hubby and I (admitted stage and film snobs extraordinaire) to see it one long ago Thanksgiving. We played nice and went along with it, kicking and screaming all the way. Very nearly literally. It lived down to our expectations.

So, back to my movie experience. I'm in utter agreement (per usual) with my man, Dr. Mark Kermode. See/hear his fantastically entertaining singing, dancing review HERE on BBC Radio 5 Live.

I laughed, I cried, I sat jaw gaping and agog in horror. But ultimately, I have to admit I had a darned good time. Even worse, I later downloaded some Abba onto my iPod. Can it get any worse?

Later this week, going in for palate cleansers in the form of "The Dark Knight" and (Sheer heaven! I can't believe it's finally here!) the real attraction, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe."

Some Kermodian highlights:

"The closest you're ever going to get to seeing A-list stars basically doing, you know, drunken karoake."

"Is that the QE2 docking or is that Pierce looking for a C?"

"The most brilliant thing about Meryl Streep - this is fantastic, right - Meryl Streep approaches the songs of Abba like they are a Shakespearean text." [EC: She is freaking brilliant singing "The Winner Takes it All" - Here comes the Oscar nom.]

"I'm not being funny about this. Mamma Mia is terrible, and yet it's one of the very few movies that passes right through the wall in the Star Trek way that they reverse the polarities . . . you come out the other side and you go, 'It's strangely wonderful."

Spycam Spots COLBERT at Local Grocery Store!!

2008-07-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

Well, what did you THINK I meant? Heh heh.

Dr. Horrible: "Didn't you have a double date with Bait and Switch?"
Moist: "Yeah. I kinda thought I was going to end up with Bait, but ..."

Dr. Horrible, Act I

I was actually looking for this ------>

But perhaps it already went here.

Rats.

Spycam as Crime Spotter!

2008-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Crime against coffee, that is. AND coffee drinkers. One shouldn't even have to endure the suggestion of such an atrocity. It is, in a word, offensive!

This highly repugnant item was spotted in our office lounge. "Please take." Yeah, you wish.

Whose wacky idea was this? Surely not an actual drinker, admirer or connoisseur of the brown elixir known as coffee.

More likely an evil ENEMY of coffee beans everywhere. An arch nemesis of coffee! (<--- hmm, has someone been hitting the sci-fi a little too heavily of late?)

I rate this up there - or rather, down there - with other such abominations as raspberry coffee, apple coffee, etc. ACK!

Hear this - while coffee and fruit desserts can definitely be said to have a symbiotic relationship - Fruit flavoring and coffee are not - NOT - mixey things!!

Word.

Horrible-y Excited

2008-07-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Less than 24 hours away from a Whedon fix!!!

I'm gonna be getting up Horrible-y early tomorrow. Doctor Horrible (first installment) premieres HERE tomorrow 2:01 a.m. CST. (You can also watch the trailer at that link.)

Who is Dr. Horrible?
WHAT is Dr. Horrible?? Find out here.

Next on the sodarnedfabulousIcanhardlystandit horizon, THE X-FILES!!!!! If you haven't seen the newer trailer, it's heeeeeeere.

Oh, to be 10 Again

2008-07-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, youth.

I love the kid, Colin Duffy, profiled in Susan Orlean's, "The American Man, Age Ten." It'd be incredibly fun to hang out with him for a day. Probably an impossibility tho, as at this point in time, he and his friends think girls are "stupid and weird." Oh well.

Here's an excerpt; the closing paragraphs of this wonderful essay:

Most days, he spends his hours in the backyard building an Evil Spider-Web Trap. This entails running a spool of Jim's fishing line from every surface in the yard until it forms a huge web. Once a garbageman picking up the Duffys' trash got caught in the trap. Otherwise, the Evil Spider-Web Trap mostly has a deterrent effect, because the kids in the neighborhood who might roam over know that Colin builds it back there. "I do it all the time," he says. "First I plan who I'd like to catch in it, and then we get started. Trespassers have to beware."

One afternoon when I came over, after a few rounds of Street Fighter at Danny's, Colin started building a trap. He selected a victim for inspiration - a boy in his class who had been pestering him - and began wrapping. He was entirely absorbed. He moved from tree to tree, wrapping; he laced fishing line through the railng of the deck and then back to the shed; he circled an old jungle gym, something he'd outgrown and abandoned a few years ago, and then crossed over to a bush at the back of the yard. Briefly, he contemplated making his dog, Sally, part of the web. Dusk fell. He kept wrapping, paying out fishing line an inch at a time. We could hear mothers up and down the block hooting for their kids; two tiny children from next door stood transfixed at the edge of the yard, uncertain whether they would end up inside or outside the web. After a while, the spool spun around in Colin's hands one more time and then stopped; he was out of line.

It was almost too dark to see much of anything, although now and again the light from the deck would glance off a length of line, and it would glint and sparkle. "That's the point," he said. "You could do it with thread, but the fishing line is invisible. Now I have this perfect thing and the only one who knows about it is me." With that, he dropped the spool, skipped up the stairs of the deck, threw open the screen door, and then bounded into the house, leaving me and Sally the dog trapped in his web.

Basking

2008-07-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

A little while ago, a coworker up and told me I look 21-years old today. Huh?

Whoa. The lighting must have been particularly dim in that section of hallway.

Addled tho the speaker be, I'm gonna hang onto that one for awhile.

“No matter how cleverly you sneak up on a mirror, your reflection always looks you straight in the eye.”

Angel Heart (1987)
Louis Syphre (Robert DeNiro)

Waving the White Flag

2008-07-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Alright! Alright, already! I'm surrendering to my doctor's wishes and am going into recovery mode. I've given this the definition of: no focused training nor training schedule, and absolutely no racing for the month of July. My hope is that this 4 weeks of penance will get me to my goal of a pain-free, pelvis/spine-stable state, with the added carrot of enjoying the fall running season.

I'd like to at least participate at Turtleman in early August - BUT am making sure that goal stays very liquid. AND if things aren't better in a month, I'll add another month to the recovery cycle. *Gulp!*

It took a long time (and I know this seems obvious to the casual, non-athlete onlooker), but I finally came to grips with how backward it is to put training and getting to start lines ahead of recovery from injury. For example, not doing PT exercises A and B because they might cause me to drop workout C and D is not a brainiac choice. In the end, logic has finally won out. I don't like having to step down, but decided I would rather get over this sooner than later. My nightmare is to still be nursing this over the winter when I should be XC skiing. It seems unreal, but given SI joint dysfunction's recalcitrant nature is still a real possibility.

Sooo, this month's programme is cycling and swimming as much as I want. But the focus will be on FUN and I'll be keeping a detailed log to track what makes things worse, with a solemn pledge to cut back on volume/intensity as necessary - erring on the side of caution. AND only one day of low mileage on-land running per week, plus 2 days of water running, that is, unless I die of boredom first. The on-land day goes if I even get a whiff of suspicion it is sabotaging my recovery.

I don't know if you've tried it, but water running is definitely THE #1 most boring exercise ever invented. Hopefully adding in some intervals, plus doing it outside and at various lakes will help - and I'm ordering up a cheap, waterproof radio thingie. (Note to self: Don't forget to order this!)

Recovery, here I come! But first - a cortisone injection in my hip bursa tomorrow. YIPES.

Masters Athletes Redefined in One Fell Swoop!!!

2008-07-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Or maybe that was two fell swoops.

Freakin' awesome!!!! Even more exciting than the Federer/Nadal marathon at Wimbledon yesterday. Well, for us over-40's anyhow.

"American swimmer Dara Torres has opted to drop one of two individual events she won while making a splash at the U.S. Olympic trials this past week.

Torres won't be competing in the 100-metre freestyle, USA Swimming announced on Monday. With the possibility of swimming in two relay events, it was decided the toll of four events in eight days would be too taxing.

Torres, 41, managed to grab some of the spotlight from powerhouses Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff at the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., qualifying for her fifth Olympics.

She won the 50-metre freestyle, setting an American record three times over two days in the event. Her winning time in the final was 24.25 seconds. Lacey Nymeyer now takes the second Olympic berth, with five-time Olympic medallist Natalie Coughlin already qualifying.

Her winning time in the 100 was 53.78, 0.5 seconds faster than Coughlin. Torres had
hinted during the trials she might ultimately drop the event from her Olympic
schedule.

Torres has won four gold medals, one silver and four bronze at Olympics dating back to the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She also competed in Seoul, Barcelona and Sydney.

She is competing just two years after giving birth to a daughter. "

More about the amazing Dara Torres - and how she has hung tough enuf to beat the younger fishies, here.

From a Wild and Crazy Guy -

2008-07-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Really good quotage for when you find yourself wedged into a tight corner:

"Through the years I've realized there's no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration."

"Born Standing Up"
Steve Martin

Lake Minnetonka Tri: Taming the Tiger

2008-06-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend at Lake Minnetonka Triathlon, I had an unexpectedly decent race, placing 3rd in my age group (HARDWARE!), 18/175 females, 104/399 overall, and had the 10th best female swim time. Which is all fanflippintastic! But the happy stats are merely a footnote to a much bigger story. Those demons I referred to . . . well, this race slayed a big one.

At the very crowded Buffalo Triathlon a few weeks back, I had my worst swim experience in years. Being in wave 23 of this extremely crowded event gave me lots of time to feel increasingly anxious about how my SIJ and low back were feeling (very poor). I wasn’t thinking about the swim at all. However, right after starting my goggles got kicked and filled with water. I lost my breath, experiencing an acute case of swamnesia. Not able to find my rhythm for the entire 1/4 mi. course, I basically side-stroked my way in. As a strong swimmer, I was positively bewildered. It was the strangest thing. I went on to finish the race, with a crappy bike portion (I’ve been unable to train with intensity on the bike), but a run segment I was quite proud of. In retrospect, I was disgusted and amused at the swim incident, but not wigged out about it. Yet. Placed 12/72 in my age group (10-year age groups - would have placed 5th in 5-year groups). The best part was my run being 8/72 age group.

I felt a little sore for the next couple of days, nothing unexpected given my injury. But then I started with a new physical therapist with new ideas of how to fix me - a major debacle leaving me with far worse SIJ/back pain than before I walked into her office. As the week wound down the pain escalated, and I reflected on the bad swim. Out of nowhere, I began feeling anxiety about swimming around other people. Pain and fear became oddly linked until pretty soon, whenever I thought of swimming at a triathlon, my heart began pounding and I felt nauseous. It got worse and worse. The more my back hurt, the stronger my anxiety became. I got back in the open water that week for a short swim, and was fine, but it did nothing for the fear of swimming with others.

The weekend and Manitou Sprint Tri were closing in, and now my mind was in as big a pickle as my body was. I was no longer able to imagine triathlon as part of my life. I never wanted to do another event. Again I considered just ditching everything for the summer - not because of injury, but because I couldn’t overcome my sudden horror of swimming in a group. My brain had been hijacked. While I was aware the intensity of my reaction was totally irrational, I was powerless to turn off the switch. I had planned to go to Manitou and just do the swim, but had too much back pain that morning to even consider it. Not going only made the frantic-o-meter shoot higher. The last nail in the coffin, I thought. By not jumping right back on the horse, as it were - the waterhorse - I worried that I had now turned my fear of swimming into an insurmountable phobia. Great.

I fretted and fretted, then fretted some more over this sudden and overwhelming abduction of my desire, ambition and common sense. I could make head nor tail of my brain being so beyond my control - had never experienced anything like it before. By the next weekend, my body was finally ready to handle exercise again. Casting about for a way to restore my mysteriously vaporized confidence, I advertised on the tri message board, looking for open water swim opportunities with other bodies. Step 1: a trip out to Square Lake on a Saturday morning with around 250 pounds and well over 6 feet of HUGE guy. We put in a mile of swimming back and forth, with him making my life as miserable as possible. Each length he changed his tactics - blocking me, swimming into me, grabbing various body parts, destroying my composure and forcing me to restore it - over and over again. It was exhausting, and a bit scary at times, but it helped. I wasn’t ready yet, tho.

I have to say my coach was nothing but patient with me throughout this nightmare. I told him I was considering just forgetting tri for the summer, hoping to come back for du and running season. He refused to let me back down just because I was scared. He sent me long e-mails filled with encouragement and common sense reminders of who I am as an athlete and all that I have accomplished. The most helpful thing he did however, was to send me an e-mail with only this now favorite quote: "The tigers of the mind are more ferocious than the tigers of the forest." Just reading those words through once started quieting my mind.

Step 2: Trekking out to Chanhassen and doing this swim across the lake with a bunch of other triathletes. My nerves were hopped up on the drive out, anticipating swimming in an unfamiliar lake, with unfamiliar people at the typical time one would be at a race location. As we all started swimming that beautiful morning, I did have a few seconds of thinking "I hate this! What am I doing???" But it faded right away and I enjoyed myself again. Being out in the middle of the lake, just swimming along on a sunny morning felt wonderful. Swimming = happy. This seemed to remind my brain that swimming was something I knew how to do, did well and just plain loved. On the return trip across the lake, I purposely put myself behind a bunch of swimmers, hoping to have to fight my way around them. But I just slipped effortlessly between them, soon finding myself alone again in the middle of the lake. Another stride back to myself. I felt more at peace and content than I had been in weeks. I was able to visualize a triathlon swim and remain calm. Still, Step 3 was needed to complete my recovery: Successful swim in an event.

Though I nearly turned tail and ran last weekend several times on the way out to Lake Minnetonka, I ultimately made it out to tri. I was still very nervous standing on the shore, still had thoughts of wanting to never do a triathlon again, wondering why I put myself through such mental acrobatics. But once I started swimming, it all melted away and I enjoyed myself immensely in the water.

Euphoric, I e-mailed my coach to tell him how well things had gone. To be honest, the bike was extremely painful, and I was in a scary amount of back pain by the time I arrived home from the event and for several hours afterward. So I told him I still wasn’t sure I would keep competing this summer. But at least now if a lay off has to happen, I could rest easy, knowing it would be to get my body healthy, not from bailing due to fear. He responded promptly, with great enthusiasm. "You should take so much confidence from this race. The deck was stacked against you and your hit the ball OUT OF THE PARK! What a gamer?!"

"Great job," he said, in closing, "You tamed the tiger today." I certainly did. And THAT is the real story of this race.

You KNOW You Needed to Know This

2008-06-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

David Hasselhoff has his own social networking site. Oh, thank goodness. Perhaps this will help me sleep again at night - not. I just don't get the Hoffmadness and have only one word in response - HoffACK!

"Alas, the fad of loving David Hasselhoff is waning, thanks to Hasselhoff himself. Now, however, Hasselhoff is trying a new trick - launching his own social networking site at Davidhasselhoff.com. There, fans of the Hoff can go to Hoffspace and the Hoffblog to read and discuss their favorite topic, the Hoff. Hey, that's Hasselhoff's favorite topic too! Perhaps you'll see him there."

Whole article here.

Oooo, That's Classy

2008-06-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

Nevermind the Reavers

2008-06-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Heh - I just happened to type "nevermind" in the title and the rest magically appeared from out me fingers. It's the recent title of a Joss Whedon-centric podcast episode.

But really, it's okay, no reavers here. And thank goodness!! Reavers anywhere is NEVER a good thing.

So nevermind. Nevermind what? Nevermind . . . the latest doctor's advice? No, I'm actually coming to grips with heeding it - having engineered a compromise.

Went to a spine specialist/pain management doctor the other day, hoping to find some more guidance and answers for my ongoing sacroiliac joint/low back pain/wonkiness and resultant trochanteric bursitis in the opposite hip. Yes, they're happy traveling companions - one invited the other to come along for the ride. My biggest struggles right now, physically, are my vertebrae not wanting to stay still and my pelvis tipping forward, especially on the left. Too bad glue can't be injected between bony body parts.

I’m spending a lot of time awake during the night. The bursitis pain often wakes me up and once I'm awake, I start stressing over aches, pains and shoulda coulda wouldas, and all the tossing and turning turns me into a one-woman percussion section. Every time I roll over in bed, at least 3 things will crack in my spine, one or two around my thorax, the finale being a click from whatever hip I'm rolling off of. Pretty!

So the doctor rundown:

Yea! She thinks my SI joint is very close to being healed.

Boo! She believes the bulk of my current pain/wonkiness is from mild arthritis spotted in my last MRI. Ugh. That "A" word makes me feel old and decrepit, despite the "mild" in front of it. (For the record, I don't know that I buy this as the wonkiness precipitator.)

Yea! My discs look great and normal - I saw them on the MRI. With the exception of a couple I herniated a number of years ago, which are narrower, darker hockey pucks, as compared to the healthy, plump and 'shmallowey ones.

BOOO HISSSSS!! She initially advised me to stop running for a few months. STOP. CEASE. DESIST with running. And to keep avoiding aero position on the bike. To think of this as a recovery cycle, rather than competitive season, allowing myself 3-6 more months (ACK!!!) to completely heal the pesky joint and lessen the stickiness of my vertebrae.

After some discussion, she tempered this to "minimize" running, i.e., halve my mileage/time for a few months and also minimize aero. BUT with the caveat of if I don't get better in maybe a month, I have to stop running for awhile. She says, however, that I have a highly functional spine, one that'll do me just dandy for triathlon.

Sigh.

Truthfully folks, my motivation to keep struggling to get to scheduled/paid-for events is waning. The roller coaster of feeling good one day, horrid the next, is scrambling my brain. As a Type A, driven athlete, it feels mighty weird to say this, but I’ve been tossing around the idea of ditching this tri season and just having fun. Ride and run when I please, go to the lake/pool when I feel like it. But dammit! With events beckoning out there on the horizon - I haven’t been able to surrender. Anybody got one of those flashy-flashy things from “Men in Black”? I need a little memory erase here to forget what's on my calendar. Every time I congratulate myself on making a decision to give it up for a while - I find the next minute I’ve decided to keep trying. Sybil much?

Chronic pain is a bitch, and the worse the pain, the more intense my anxiety. I was in tears this morning over again lying awake for hours, again getting up to my body feeling like crap, again not being able to decide one way or the other what to do with myself . . . I am stressed out. But one thing seems to hold true, if I can just get moving, I start feeling better. So, though I barely was able to drag myself onto my bike to begin a teensy brick workout this morning (seriously, it was a tremendous mental effort just to put on my shorts), I did it. By the time I took off on the run portion, I was feeling fit, light, speedy and wonder of wonders - healthy. For the moment, anyway. How can I be so fit, yet so entirely trashed? And the big question always is - how will I feel later today? Or when I get up tomorrow? Next week?

So the pendulum swings yet again from despair to elation, back and forth again and again, in time resting finally at the purgatory of tortured, Type A indecision in between. And as I close this rambling entry, I find myself thinking of reavers yet again and chuckle as I realize how they got into my mind. Hell, I CAN say nevermind the reavers - sometimes it feels like I'm already eating myself alive. Heh heh heh.

What is the Perfect Way . . .

2008-06-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

. . . to start the day? A step by step guide.

Get up at 4:30 a.m.

Leave house by 5:00 a.m.

Drive quiet highways 50 min. to Chanhassen (squelch feelings of guilt/horror over gas $$ and usage, as they tend to interfere with feelings of harmony)

Most important step to perfect day's start:

Swim across Lake Minnewashta and back (2/3 mi. each way) with about 19 other triathletes on a sunny morning in calm waters of perfect temperature. Ahhhhhhh, heaven.

Ahhhh. The only way this could have been better is if I'd not had the next steps to complete: Shower, dress, battle traffic to get to work in downtown Minneapolis by 8:00 a.m.

But I was only about 5 minutes late. Nicely done, really.

Highly recommended.

The State of Things

2008-06-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

“If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being. You'd be a game-show host.”
Heathers (1989)
Veronica Sawyer(Winona Ryder)

“You need to resign yourself to the awkwardness of life. Only if you find peace within yourself will you find true connection with others.”
Before Sunrise (1995)
Palm Reader (Erni Mangold)

A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it’s the only weapon we have.”
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer)

“I know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong.”
Into the Wild (2007)
Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch)

As usual, Reel Life Daily Wisdom has the uncanny knack of seeming as if it is sneakly skrying into my life. I don’t mean to sound mysterious, and would say more, but have this weird superstition that if I speak of monsters “aloud,” they will become more vividly manifest. Silly, I know, but . . . words are undeniably powerful.

Suffice it to say I’ve been busy wrestling demons of different kinds - physical, emotional, mental. And being me, expending a lot of energy trying to appear just-dandy-thank-ye! to everyone. Exhausting.

Hopefully I’ll soon climb out of the pit, victoriously brandishing a bloody sword, and will relate a glowing tale of despair, battle and triumphant liberation. Stay tuned - and in the meantime, please send good thoughts.

The best for last -

“The tigers of the mind are more ferocious than the tigers of the jungle.”

Is It Just Me, Or . . .

2008-06-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Is this headline absolutely high-larious?

"Marijuana Potency Hits 30-Year High"

SO good. Come on - there is no way anyone could write that and not intend it to be funny.

I was enjoying the headline so much, I went googling around and reading silly stuff about wacky weed. Hmmm, I wonder if I'll be called up to HR to discuss inappropriate computer use.

Anyway, found a great site with various slang terms for and involving marijuana. Some samples:

Bammy
Zig Zag Man
hubbly bubbly
Johnson grass
Indiana hay
Lakbay diva
Lucas
"tighten someone's wig" (provide marijuana)
Wacky terbacky (of course, but I liked the spelling)
KGB (Killer Green Bud)

AND my very favorite of all:
Assassin of Youth

Of Melon Bondage

2008-06-03T08:45:00.001-07:00

But Wouldn't This Be Cannibalism?

2008-05-22T12:29:00.000-07:00