I Can't Believe I Ruined My Own Birthday

I know I still owe that race report (which is half-done, btw). I wanted to have everything off of my desk by today.

Alas, to no avail.

So much writing to do, so few days.

I hope to have a really cool surprise for you (me) later on this week, though.

And, no, I don't think it's bad form to announce and celebrate your own birthday on your blog.

I Did It!!!

I ran every step. Body: destroyed. Will: stronger than ever.

Race report: here.

One foot in front of the other. Repeat.

Well, I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I can't believe I'm really going through with this marathon business. Even if I have to crawl, I will finish this.

Unless the weather's bad...then I'll spend the morning with Scott, Ana, and mimosas. :D

Happily, the weather report predicts clear skies and highs in the upper 50s. It should be a great day; a grand adventure.

I really, really, really want to have a great story when I return. Yes. I am nervous, excited, frightened.

This first semester back in school has kinda put me through the wringer, so I am looking forward to the 26.2 miles of running back to myself (my old stomping grounds, my old friends, my old athletic self).

Anyway, thanks for stickin' with me through my absence and non-posting. Just three more weeks of school, 90 pages of writing, 850 pages of reading -- not that I'm counting.

Oh yeah...I've lost 20 pounds since I got here.

Ten Things

I am thankful for…

1. My parents being so caring that I never once questioned whether I was loved (call your parents).


2. Having friends from childhood who can share earlier (ridiculous) memories of my parents (I’m an only child…call your siblings.)


3. My two best friends from childhood being married to each other – saves me a phone call.


4. Laughter.


5. Sports.


6. My last day in Las Cruces…lunch in the park with Dinah and my students letting me sneak her into class. (She lay in my lap while I graded their speeches.)


7. Having her as my co-pilot for the drive to Iowa.


8. Being able to spend the last two days of Dinah’s life holding her while she lay on my chest.


9. My rental manager being willing to hug me when the vet wouldn’t.


10. You.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

My parents are crazy...or drunk

Oh for crying out loud. I got this e-mail from my parents in the Philippines. Based on the time stamp, they _couldn't_ have been drunk -- right? First of all, they're never this chatty. And is that a "video of me and your mom doing it" joke in there? Yikes.

Hey Kiddo,

Your mother and I just wanted to wish you a Happy Holiday but I can see that you are reading this but not really understanding any of it... your head is somewhere else... isn't it... You should be getting into the SNOWY season here real soon... if not already... well I have attached a picture of me and ma I just took today... about ten minutes ago... with my little camera... I messed it up and pushed the video button and got some candid moments... trashed them... don't want that kind of stuff out in the open... GOTCHA... got cha thinking now huh... nothing to blush about... your mother was just saying she had her eyes closed for both shots and we had to do it over... How's my dogs dealing with the cold weather... they still getting outside to play and chase the ball?? NO... you lazy brat...

Love you Knuckle Head

Best Excuse Ever

I know, I know...it's been so long. But I have been a busy student-bee all month, and today I got my first paper back. I'm only posting this here because I really can't share this with any of my local peeps, as you will soon see.

Also, it's a big deal to me because I've been seriously doubting why the admissions committee let me in, certain I would be exposed as a fraud sooner rather than later...and this paper would be the first flake in the snowball of my demise. (Here's the deal: I kinda found a way to work Madonna song titles into the headings of a paper about early American and European social theory -- we're talkin' Marxism, folks. Yeah, I called Karl Marx the "original Material Girl"). See why I was worried?

Anyway, here's the first sentence in the comments:
"This was a fantastic essay -- perhaps the best of this round of papers."

Aw, crap. I think I just pulled something patting myself on the back.

Um...I'd like to say marathon training has been going as well. I've only been playing ultimate sporadically and squeezing in some mid-length runs on the weekends. Oh yeah, and I skipped the half-marathon in Des Moines because I was working on another paper. But as of today, I'm all training, baby.

*storm clouds gather*
*recipe for injury brewing*
*swollen head on the verge of explosion*

I Am My Own Nemesis

So I got up, had breakfast, got all dolled up in my running outfit and gathered my things: sunglasses, visor, race number, safety pins, gels. With my hands full, I told the dogs to be good little babies and then closed the door behind me.

Notice anything missing from that list?

KEYS! Sonuva!

That's right. I locked myself out and by the time the locksmith worked his magic, I missed the race by 10 minutes. What an idiot I am.

I managed to pull a hip flexor last week and NOT stay off of it (beautiful weather + lure of ultimate = painful ultimate). SOOO, it is probably a good thing for me to have missed this race to give myself a little more time to heal. (I've got a bag of ice tucked into my shorts right now.)

Missing this race means I must do the Des Moines half-mary in a couple weeks -- and I should learn the lesson of staying away from sprinting sports for a little while.

Double-dog dang. :(