CATABLOG: Sneek Peek and the Need for Wii-Lief

Howdy Chuck,
Nala and StinkyPants are doing fine. I checked up on them tonight. I brought in the mail, refilled their food, and cleaned out their litterbox. Work was really rough today -- didn't get the coding put in review as desired... just roadblock after roadblock -- so I destressed by playing some wee (I bowled a 170 and a 199!). When I opened the door, the cats were both right there seeing who it was. StinkyPants poked around my Happy Meal dinner, while Nala laid down on the loveseat for pretty much all evening; she must really miss you not to hide from me (did that thought make sense... it's late and I'm not sure what's making sense anymore).

I think that I'm doing what you're doing and staying up. I think that I'd SO miss my flight if I went to bed thinking that I was getting good sleep. I've slept through multiple alarms before.

Anyways, just wanted to post some Kitty pics tonight so you'd know that your babies are okay. I put out three extra bowls of water on the counter just in case. I'll check on them when I get home Sunday night.

Here are the pics:

Nala
StinkyPants
The Mail
Food and Water
The Kitty Litter
Treat
Yeah, I gave them a bonus treat tonight because it'll be a few days before I'll be back and I want them to think of me fondly. Oh, the bribing...

Anyways, I hope that all is well with you in California. I'm also looking forward to the change of scenery.
~Cedric

RUN: 4x 1mile @6:30 (LONG ENTRY)

Howdy,
I know I haven't blogged in a while. The bloggy feeling's just been swelling up inside of me, and with the recent stresses at work, I just can't hold it any longer!

Granted, the crunch here at home sort-of disaffords me the time to add pictures at the moment, but all that means is that when I again have the time, I'm going Picture KRAZY!!!...

Okay, I seriously either have to go eat or shower... one or the other.

Anyways, tonight, I had to tear myself away from non-working code and/or test-data and head to running practice.

For lunch, I attended a brown bag presentation of the first 3 of 6 videos in a short film series called "Trombone Player Wanted". It's by Marcus Buckingham, a Row Lowe meets Ethan Hawk meets David from Design Star with a Aussie/Kiwi-accent looking guy, who asserts the idea of building on a person's strengths, instead of today's prevailant mindset of focusing on areas in need of improvement.

Is what you're doing exciting you? Do you enjoy your job?

Scary questions, I know, and it's the piece of advice I keep hearing from tried-and-true professionals. And I believe them. I really do. I'm just like a lot of people... scared -- I need the security of income and health benefits, etc.

If I look deep inside of me, I know that there's a strong burning... a strong will to take life by the horns and just GO FOR IT... my co-workers feel my enthusiasm for a career in packaging science, and I truly believe that that is one thing that I will enjoy striving for.

But when will it happen?

I know that this is a small example, but my giving up cable tv... it was something that I was very afraid of. I felt that I needed that source of distraction, that somehow without it I would be this empty shell. But in the three weeks without it, I've found the opposite to be true. Life has never been so busy.

I've been able to focus more on running, on getting house projects done (VPP!). I've been spending more time with friends both in town and over in Orlando. I've maxed out on overtime at work a couple of the weeks, and I've picked up some responsibility in maintaining the website for the local LGBT group (I'm still performing my initial assessment of the current pages). And I've been trying to keep up with the blogs and photo distributions.

That first step towards independence has opened quite a number of doors of opportunities for me to discover what my Strengths are -- which Marcus Buckingham define as the things that makes us feel STRONG, RESTORED, FULFILLED... and these are things that we are not necessarily good at. I know that I enjoy having meaningful interactions with people and that I feel strong when I feel like I've made a positive contribution to the general good of my environment.

Oh, I'm getting too far off...

Work. Practice.

I was going to for-go running practice to try to get this coding/testing issue resolved, but I was on the brink of imminent burnout. I realized that running practice was my restorative activity (exercise, positive interactions with other people), and which without, I would be utterly of no use to anyone.

Anyways, so I went to practice.

4 times 1 mile at :10 faster than race pace with 1:30-2:00uh... 2:30 rest inbetween. I was never all too good about figuring what those paces were, so I just ran them at Stressed-level and ended up running them in 6:20, 6:45, 6:30, and 6:15... not bad not bad... but my form and facial expressions must've been HORRENDOUS... oh well.

Oh, and at mile 2, a adolescent in the passenger-side of a white truck started making Chinese noises (which I haven't heard since... 4th grade, and that was oddly enough from Filipino kids at an Asian function of some sort back in SC... ignorant pricks)... so I flicked him off as I started my third mile. Had I had a couple more seconds to think about a course of action, I would've punched the side of the truck because tonight, I was all "don't-eff-with-me".

But I ran with John G. and also spend some time with my officer friend, plus I had a cookie and gatorade after the better-than-I'd-imagine/hey-I-pushed-myself run I had tonight, so I'm currently in good spirits and in need of food and a shower.

Sorry, no pics tonight... I'm already "out of uniform" and "unfit/inappropriate" for photo-ing.

It's been a while since I've run with John G. and he mentioned how it looks like I've lost a lot of weight. I really must've since Robin told me the same thing a few weeks ago at Tiger Dash. I don't know what it is. I'm definitely not "more muscular"... maybe just more frail since my times have been pretty slow this season.

Oh well, no rush for fast times... I am hoping for many more years of running.

Okay, anyways, I'm almost tired of thinking/typing about myself... okay, not really... but I've got to eat, shower, pack, sleep, and perhaps knock out a few much-belated holiday cards (my new project. yay...), plus it's an early rise tomorrow.

Have a great night. :)

JOURNAL: CAT-A-BLOG coming soon

My friend Chuck will be going on a month-long field assignment and has entrusted yours truly with the keys to the kingdom where lives his two most precious things in the world lives: Nala and Stinkypants, his two cats.

I'll feel good because I'm helping out a friend and because it'll be a much-needed (and much-appreciated) change of scenery... any excuse to get out of my house.

Bring in the mail, check their food, water, and litter box (three separate things), then some reading or perhaps a Disney movie. So-called "chores" are much more fun when done at someone else's house.

I know that there are those avid readers of this blog who are dog-partial -- but let me reassure you that my caring for the cats takes nothing away from my love for my favorite nephews in the world.

Think of the upcoming Cat-A-Blog entries as a companion project to the Bullog. You can look forward to pussy-updates and pictures starting next week.

I'm excited. I have a couple kitties to care for. Low maintenance... a good start, a good first-step towards living with other warm bodies.

:)

RACE: HFMC 5K Fun Run @ 20:42

The Inaugural Harris Family Medical Center 5K Fun Run was this morning at 9:00am, a late start for a morning race. The race was free for Harris employees, and probably the reason for the late start (slackers! um... me included).

Here's a picture of the course. It started on Gateway, went to Nasa, to Harris, to Woody Burke, then to Hibiscus with a bonus in-and-out on Broadband (yay...).

It was hot, windy, and ... yeah, whatever other excuses you can throw in. Perhaps the late start wasn't that great of an idea anyway... Anyways, here's a picture of my race number pre-folding and pre-pinning.

There were quite a number of dogs there: a couple French bulldogs, a black lab, a golden retriever, and a jack russell terrier (pictured below with Zippy the Running Zone Gecko).

Still despite the quasi-unfavorable race conditions, I managed 1st in my age group (me win another bobblehead!). That would've been unpossible had Steve and John not gotten 1st and 2nd overall. Woo! Another bobblehead!

It was a nice event. I got to see a lot of familiar faces, and I also got some medical schwag (sp?)... I like the pens and pads the most.

Now it's eat and shower, then heading to Downtown Orlando to see a friend run the 3:00pm Outback 12K over at Lake Eola (holy crap it's going to be hot)... then perhaps tonight's the night for some fireworks... um... literally.

Here's a link to the updated Running Chart: http://home.cfl.rr.com/cching/running/XML_Running_Table.xml

JOURNAL: Today in 5 Pictures

TOP 4: Online Shows for the Weeks 1 & 2 of No Cable

1. Ugly Betty: UB's gotten in its groove. I like the world it creates, the openly gay characters (heh, "Mantasy Island"...), and the love that the series is centered around. The series is doing a fantastic job keeping their storylines moving quickly, and each of the recent episodes feels complete and significant. Plus it is getting all the A-List guest stars, it can pull off using contemporary music.


2. Brothers & Sisters: at this point and time, B&S has also found its groove, and I'm enjoying it... especially the gay character, of course. I do have to say that I think they recruited all the guest stars from Alias onto this show... still, not Too distracting, and it's good.


3. Grey's Anatomy: G'sA is still doing well, but I want more Christina! G's A is at an odd state for me. I'm... somewhat skeptical but hopeful at the moment. It's still doing well, but I want more Christina and less of the Addison/Karev romance.


4. Heroes: Heroes is still a good show, but like Lost, it's losing some of the heart that it initially started with. I just find it odd that everyone's becoming so... comfortable with their powers at the same time, and there's no more of the awkwardness that I found so endearing to begin with. Sylar's bad, and it just pains me to see more innocent people die. Plus the show's moving along quite slowly right now. And not that it has anything to do with the show, the way that NBC website does their online streaming is not as good as ABC (who, if you noticed, took the top 3 spots of this top 4 list... go ABC?!). Oh well... to Heroes: "save the world already, and let's move on".

RUN: 10x 330s @:58

Today at work, they had the Engineering Week luncheon at our campus (no pics, sorry). I worked at the Toastmasters booth for an hour, and it was nice seeing a number of people that I haven't seen for literally years. And I managed to get two people to sign up, so yay!

Today was a throw-away day... one of those days that I would not think about charging more than the normally allotted number of hours. I honestly didn't get much done and would've probably been better staying at home, but for every productive week, one off-day is fine.

I'm going to rest up tonight and finish off the work week on a good note. Still a lot of work to be done, but I think that I'm up for it. I have a trip to Baltimore to look forward to. And some potential Disney time this Sunday *closing eyes, crossing fingers, crossing fingers*.

Anyways, tonight, we ran 330s with 1:15 rest. My target time was 1:00, but I ran then in :56-:59. I had worn boxer-briefs to work, so when I went to change into running shorts, I had no option but to free-ball (to prevent chaffing). We were to do 10-14, so I did 10 since I'm in the building-up stage and because I ran distance the past couple days. I did a one lap warm-up, and a lap for cooldown. Here's the pic (and no, I didn't pee myself):

This week at practice, we've been celebrating the birthday of one our fellow runners, Jim. On Tuesday, Michelle had brought a banner and some cupcakes for the occaision:

Tonight, there was cake. Here's a picture of Jim front of his celebratory foods (he looks so happy and cute):

And here's a picture of Michelle and Jim:

And here's a picture of my cake-cookie sandwich (!!!):

Here's Suzie in on the action (oh no, another camera!):

And here's a picture of Jim with the Ladies:

Happy Birthday Jim!

RUN: Brevard Zoo Fun Run Week 1 of 3

This evening after work, I went to the Brevard Zoo for the first of three fun runs they're having to prepare the animals for the racers for the Buzzard Bait 3K on March 10, 2007 (link to application).

It was nice. Asides from the fact that tonight's the first night that I'm not going back to the office to work (I'm maxed on overtime at the moment), I took the opportunity to run to the zoo from my house (less than a couple miles away)... Still, it was a rush to get there.

Anyways, it was a very nice behind-the-scenes easy run. There was a couple handfuls of people there, and a lot of the animals were out and curious. I ran the course twice and took mostly cloud pictures. And here are some of those pictures:

Brevard Zoo's Logo

Buzzard's Bait 3K Race Course

The Award to Be Given to Winners

Colorful Cotton Candy Clouds

I'm Not Dumb... Just a Little Slow


Anyways, now it's time for some soup and hushpuppies. I'm taking tonight to DECOMPREss. I don't know why I've been SO attracted to drama as of late... it's not good (even if I'm right)... I've been heavy on the work and have a lot of personal emails and projects at home to work one, but I'll be pushing those onto the weekend.

Oh, I haven't had the time/energy to blog last Friday's "Much Needed" trip to Epcot, but here's a link to the pictures: http://public.fotki.com/CedricCSCFL/much-needed-epcot/

I may take the next couple days off from blogging in order to catch up on emails, but don't worry, there'll be drama to be blogged... check out this link in the meantime: rickey.org

WORK: Girl's Looking for a Fight.

(Despite the title of this entry, it's not so serious.)
This morning, I was pinged for running data through the system while other people were performing tests. The guy (we'll call him Miss Hissy) was like "I sent out an email saying NOT TO SEND DATA THROUGH THE SYSTEM". I was visiting my boss at the time, and after Miss Hissy left, we just looked at each other and shrugged shoulders. We checked Outlook and found the said email, but it was sent the middle of last week.

About an hour later, the department gets the same said email, resent but this time with certain WORDS BOLDED and snively, passive-aggressive, leading comments added.

Oh, I know you didn't.

I replied to his email (I cc-ed my boss) saying that it was nice that he added the date of the test to this latest email.

Oh, I know I didn't... wait, I DID!

An hour later, he responded that he did have the date on the last email, and I again replied (with my boss cc-ed) that I didn't run any data through the system last week.

(and in my Christina voice...) I Won.

MOVIES: I can imagine... the 2nd thing, not the 1st

From a blog entry over at OscarWatch.com:
"If Dreamgirls had been nominated, it would have best picture." Yeah, if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

My response:
"Niiiice..."

WORK: Fire Drill

I'm feeling a little better this morning... just feeling predominantly unresolved. I'm hesitating getting back to the office because I just feel taken advantage of as far as the refrigerator goes, and also because I'm not completely sure what I'm supposed to be working on at the moment... (feeling like I'm duplicating effort).

I'm dreaded the 5-day work week, and I haven't run since last Thursday. I know that attitude can make or break a day, and I've gotta be more disciplined so it doesn't affect me so much. IJNAH.

This morning I made a mug of toffee-caramel instant coffee and was enjoying it when the fire alarms went off. I just took my planner and the mug of coffee as we herded ourselves outside.

I headed to the car and checked for any early-morning messages (none) then ended up in a car with three other ladies, waiting out the ordeal while everyone else dealt with the feels-like-42 plus mega-winds, progressively forming a cuddle huddle. The four of us girls just sat in a car in the parking lot, just gabbing about anything... oh I miss that. I need to change fields.

After 15 minutes or so, we saw everyone else start heading back in, so we begrudgingly followed, and instead of the office, I tore away to here, the unclass to document this morning's timely break... and to postpone going back to the office, to my conservative-Christian not-so-happy place. This morning, I'm drowning myself with music.

Anyways, I need some moral support and/or just to get away from it all. I need to be dead to the world for a few days. I need to find some happy music, instead of the [good but introspectively depressive] music - "Bibo No Aozora/Endless Flight" from Babel OST, and JT's "What Goes Around".

A nice walk in the park would help but too bad there isn't a place like that for people like me in situations like this.

Seven hours ahead for the week; three hours from my overtime cap... but I know that it won't stop. So do I let work consume me this week? I've gotta give my body up to something, and it's too cold to run (or so I tell myself).

Too much thinking and about not the right things this morning. I need a glimpse of sunshine for the week - something to keep my head up and in anticipation - instead of the corridor of dark-and-twisty I currently see.

TOP 5: Um... from Yesterday and Today

I'm officially not avoiding the TOP 3 entries anymore, but I'm also not going to go through the formalities of the typical TOP 3 entry. The think-backs, listing, organizing, gathering, the blah blah blah, was just too much pressure. So I'm easing back in with Top (whatever number) of (whatever timeframe)... until I get steady with it again.

So there.

Here's the Top 5 from the past two days (February 16-17, 2007):

1. Tonosama Combo from the Yakitori House at Epcot's Japan - OHHHHHH... I've been craving this O-SO-Tasty meal for a long time. It never fails to draw spasm-of-delight from my tongue to my toes. I love this stuff. And what makes it better was that I had toured the World Showcase counterclockwise and had bought a kick-ass cap from Canada that was A) on sale!!! [me good shopper] and B) keeping my head warm; it was a cold day. Also, was also able to snap a couple good squirrel pictures. But back to the food: yum yum, me love long time. [FOOD, DISNEY]


2. Brothers & Sisters on ABC - What a great show. I didn't care for the first part of the pilot or a few of the early episodes, but this series has found its stride. And I suspect that it may take a sudden turn for the better (a la Grey's Anatomy, not so much as wide appeal, but in its intensity with cult support). I kind of started watching when I heard about the gay character (yes, I'm still shallow like that), but really, he's a really good character. I like the feeling of family the show has, with Sally Fields as the crazy mom... I watched a couple episodes tonight, and halfway through my mini-marathon, I just had to call mom (all together now: awwwww...). Anyways, really good show, give it a chance, then give me a call :) [TV,GAY]


3. Dinner with Friends - It's nice meeting someone new, and it was nice to introduce friends, plus the restaurant is nice "just the way it is" - beautiful inside and outa nice meal at a very reasonable price. [GAY, FOOD]


4. Laundry Baskets - I got the caramel-pumpkin orange laundry baskets (6 of them) at Wal-Mart late at night on the way back from Disney. I love the color - it's just so... different. The sticker on the shelf was $5.00, but when I scanned it... *bing* $2.00, and I was like... "I'm getting 6 of them!"... Actually, I may totally go back and grab the rest. [GAY]


5. Pom Pom's Tea House - I stopped by after Disney to grab dinner, but ended up staying and helping out. I enjoy spending time there - it's my home away from home, and they're (literally) "my family". It's such a contrast from life in Melbourne. Cori and Miah (sp?) were working, but I was able to see Pom and Mike for a little bit. [GAY, FAMILY, FOOD]

FOOD: Mahi Mahi with Friends

This early evening, my friend Ernie and his friend Drew picked me up from my house, and we went to Orlando for dinner at Friends Restaurant with my friend Herb before Drew's flight back to Philadelphia.

I had forgotten what it was like to go out with a group of gay guys and have a really good time. I really needed that.

Okay, let's get the food pic out of the way. I had the Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa. The Mahi Mahi was well done; the salsa was... not so much what I expected, but it wasn't bad. The mashed potatoes were really good - I like the small potato pieces in it. Here's the pic:


And we took some people pictures too:

Ernie and Drew
Me and Herb
Ernie, Drew, and Me
Ernie, Drew, Me, and Herb

We also had dessert: ernie and drew each had apple pie, and I got some sort of pig's something cake (YUM! I was so tempted to eat the icing, but I didn't want to hurt on the way home... wait... icing doesn't have any dairy in it, does it?... well, I'm going to assume there was cream cheese).

Anyways, it was nice Not driving -- Ernie's now on my kid-hostage-approved list -- all I had to do is navigate. And I learned that yes, there is a lot of Orlando that I don't know, but I do know what I need to know. Perhaps that's reflective of my work situation. I need to be more of a nerd.

Well, once I got home, I watched a couple episodes of Brothers & Sisters while I downloaded today's photos. I'm going to go to work early tomorrow... either that, or go running, or running, then to work... all before bowling -- I didn't hear back from my co-worker about moving the fridge, so that's going to get pushed back another week.

Okay, shower and sleep time.

FOOD: Ginger-And-Leftover-Marinade

Today, between trips to Wal-Mart to develop/pickup supplementary pictures for the VPP, I made some chicken wings. They've been marinating for a day. I bought the wings from Petty's and used the leftover marinade from the last time I made wings. I supplemented the sauce with some soy sauce, shredded ginger, salt, and pepper.

Here's the picture:
Also, oh, here's a picture of the VPP, all laid out:
I've got one more quick trip to the photo center (4 prints) before that portion is done... then it's writing the notes, burning the photo cds, packing the items, and bringing them to the post office to be weighed and mailed. Yay.

Okay, another blog to write before an early bed.

RUN: 8x 440 w/220 jog

Tonight, was a cold-air night. I ran a warm-up lap then ran with John D, Juan, Scott, and Kyle. My times were 1:24, 1:25, 1:18, 1:32, 1:18, 1:35, 1:23, 1:14. I was wearing my "bulldogs" sweat-jacket. And I felt okay okay okay okay okay. Wasn't too serious of a run but not lax either.

I just finished watching this past Monday's Heroes online. I thought it was okay... I would've kind of like to see it move a little faster or have a little more... "substance".

I've gotta shower and mail out a letter then it's off to bed... and an early start on Disney tomorrow. :)

WORK: It's Thursday!

It's Thursday! It's Thursday! Just 7 more hours, and I'm FREE!

It's set in my mind that I'm taking Friday off to head over to the Happiest Place on Earth, but I'm still not sure about Saturday or Sunday. I will be close to the office on Sunday because there's Gay Bowling that afternoon (not at the office).

There's some things I want/need to get accomplished at work first:
1) testing a re-worked peer-reviewed code change
2) setup the logging messages for the new codings
3) updating my "key results expected" (KREs)... I don't know what's expected of me

I think that's enough for me for today considering training this afternoon (boo).

Anywyas, back to work. The morning half almost over!

JOURNAL: I have a belly.

No... there aren't going to be any pictures of me today. I ate A LOT, and I'm a little red in the face because of some juice concentrate. For Valentine's day, I bought myself clam chowder and oyster crackers - and I used a coupon!

Tonight I ate as I watched 2 episodes of Due South. And now I'm writing this quick blog before I finish listening to Andy Trudeau's evaluation of the first two Best Score nominees (link) then head to bed.

Nothing much else tonight... I'm putting off the Vancouver Pictures Project for a night... I'm SO tired, and I need to let the food digest - I SO have a belly now, and my pushing it at running practice could be playing a part in the jostled GI I've had this week (tmi?). I also need to do laundry and wash my bedsheets... it's been a while.

I tried to gchat with mom at 12:30am this morning/last night, but I don't think that she knows how to use it, but still... I was FIRST! We traded emails a few times throughout the day but only after calling dad and leaving him a voicemail did I realize that I had forgotten to call her! It's too late tonight. She's waking up at 4am to drive dad back to Columbia. I'll call her tomorrow afternoon.

I talked to Cindy while I was at work. She and the bullies were snowed in at home. Cute cute pictures at their bullog (<-- Click. I love the pictures of Euchre sleeping!). And tonight I talked with Camille. Sounds like she's having a nice dinner at home with her guy. What was extrememly weird/funny/scary was that they both got mom a "Cover: Happy Birthday/Valentine's Day From Your Smarted/Most Talented Child -- Inside: What do you mean which one?!" card. Now, I have to send her a "Cover: Happy Belated Birthday/Valentine's Day From Your Favorite Child -- Inside: What do you mean which one?!" card to send with the VPP album.

Anyways, a few online videos and the rest of the scores, then it's off to bed. By midnight!

Happy Valentine's Day. <3 :) <-- that's a heart and a smiley, not someone getting t-bagged.

RUN: 4x 1mile

Tonight we ran mile repeats (perimeter of Wickham Park) at supposedly :10 slower than 5K race pace and with 90 seconds inbetween. Um... I ran faster than I should've - 6:17, 6:26, 6:34, 6:17.

I do have to admit that the last one, though was kind of running with someone, the racing/competative/paranoid/pride sensation resurfaced and I was running scared and too hard, and afterwards my right knee kind of hurt. It's fine now.

It's been 2 1/2 hours since practice, and I haven't taken a shower yet. This is not unexpected. Boo. It kind of keeps me from "getting on with my night". Okay, that'll be something to work on next time.

I cooked squash while To Catch A Predator played in the background (NBC's the only channel I have now). Here's a picture of the squash:
And here is tonight's Kitchen Photo:That was the only pair of running shorts I had in the car.
(Note: I cropped the photo because I thought the look on my face looked a little creepy.)

Anyways, work was good today... what there was of it - I also had two meetings and a training class. The meetings were okay; I found out that I had a 0% timecard error rate (third quarter in a row baby!), plus lunch was provided (free food!). The training class again wasn't much use; class size is too big and the way the course is organized doesn't present itself to be effective. I did grab a couple packs of twizzlers, two bottles of water, and eleven packs of toasty peanut-butter crackers (everyone had left and the leftovers were going to get trashed anyway... and I still left some there... doh!).

Okay, going to shower now and figure out the next project to tackle here around the house.

JOURNAL: TV on the Computer

Okay, so I haven't totally kicked the TV habit. I watched a lot of tv on my computer last night. After the running club meeting, I got home around 9:00 PM and went to the computer to type up the minutes (didn't want that on my head for days as beforetimes). In the background, I watched/listened to 1) The Apprentice, 2) Lost, 3) Desperate Housewives, and 4) Grey's Anatomy -- each available at the major networks' website.

Yes, that's a lot of tv. But I did manage to git-'er-done. It's just before, I wasn't able to work and watch tv at home because 1) I don't have a laptop, and 2) splitting the Brighthouse cable input between the tv and a computer has given me issues many-a-times before.

Now, I'm thinking that I should update my video card and get a second flat-panel monitor, so I can have an expanded desktop... but that'd be spoiling. I'm still holding off on buying an iPod because I'm undecided as to what size/flavor I want-versus-need.

I just need to think: "flexible" and "resourceful"... and with the idea of "minimizing my footprint" because I have a whole lot of crap in my house; and the recent purgings (to charity and to trash) have produced a sense of relief each time... to know that I don't "need this", that I can live "without that"... I feel less tied down, and more mobile, which is how I would envision as myself as being successful... that, plus owning 1) a car with a sunroof, and 2) a front-loading washer and dryer.

Anyways, work's been really busy, but that's good because 1) I'm asking for help more when I need it, 2) it makes the day go by much faster, and 3) for the past few days, I've been getting a little sense of accomplishment each time I come in.

So, with no race scheduled for this weekend, I'm thinking Disney (EPCOT and maybe one of the resorts) on Friday, then housework (incl. some cooking!) on Saturday and/or Sunday.

The weather's supposed to be rough tonight (for practice - mile repeats) and tomorrow, but I'm in no rush. I have stuff to keep me occupied. Plus, I could use an extra hour of rest here-and-there if offered.

Okay, from one meeting to another to another... later. :)

JOURNAL: Week 1 without cable

This past week without cable hasn't been bad; there's been no stress from missing any tv shows. Instead, I've watched movies I borrowed from a friend, and have started going through my Due South, Season 2 DVDs (though I did catch up on this week's Ugly Betty).

Even without the demands of spending time with the DVR, life has been extremely busy... work, friends, housework, traveling, work, cooking, running, pictures. No, really... there's been plenty to keep me busy, and though it's only been a week, I feel an improvement of my "space".

It's amazing how it feels once you finally stop procrastinating and do something you know would be good for you.

RUN: TRS update

I just checked the webpage for the Titusville Racing Series, and the updated results show me in 12th place, which currently equates to $25! But I know that I shouldn't get excited yet because my standings are primarily due to the fact that I've run all 3 races so far -- of "those" people, I'm 12th out of 13 *shrug*. There are three people who only ran 2 of the races and who are likely to pass me in the standings should they run the last two races... so this is going to be quite suspenseful.

Anyways, there's no real chance for me in the SCR series, and though I really shouldn't let that make a big difference in my participation, but the money factor now takes precedent, and I'm cutting down on my race registrations... I've gotta put in the training before I go back to competing so heavily. I'm in the "I'm running for fun" stage of my up-and-down training...

RUN: 2 miles + some walkings w/Fravel

Last night I ran with my friend Paul. I was supposed to call him mid-afternoon, but I forgot. I was busy planning other things, and that takes an amazing long time (really, where does the time go?!).

Anyways, we only ran a couple miles, then did a couple loops inside his neighborhood, but that was good enough. My stomach wasn't feeling very good... and it still doesn't feel good. I'm not sure if it's stress, "unclean" food, or having worn compression shirts for the past couple days; at Tiger Dash, I was pushing myself pretty hard and serious would have thrown up had I eaten something that morning.

It was also a bit chilly outside, and this morning, I've been having abdominal pains, and general malaise, but I've gotta keep working... gotta keep working. I wrote up my weekly schedule, and though it's a "short" week, I've got something after work and meetings during lunch for each day of the week.

I need some time to heal.

Anyways, perhaps I need a smoothie and a walk-around the lake...

JOURNAL: Sunday Sunday Sunday

What to do? There's just so much ToDo.

The morning session has consisted of making stuffed mushrooms, ironing clothes, cleaning up the bedroom, and watching both Stick It and The Black Dahlia.

I'm about to get the Vancouver Picture Project moved along, then either going shopping (Avenue) or going to the office. Hmmm...

But I'm likely to get distracted by working on updating my racing calendar...

*****
UPDATE 2:10 PM - okay, so I haven't gotten around to the VPP. As predicted, I got distracted and did manage to update my racing record/schedule. Check it out! :)

Now for some food then work on the VPP.

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UPDATE 9:57 PM - pictures are ordered! I didn't end up going to work, but that's okay. I got some shopping done and went for a run with Paul. I ate well, and now I'm finishing up a couple of things before I take a quick nap. *wink wink* :)

RACE: Tiger Dash 10K @ 45:03, Wickham BCC PL

This morning was the Tiger Dash 10K, my first race in... 3 weeks? (Titusville).

The day before, Coach wrote all of us campers "a few keys to have a successful Saturday race". Let's check them out

1) Run 2-4 miles very easy on Friday. Leave the watch at home and just get out for an easy 30 minute run. Pace should be recovery pace, and conversational. Take a running partner along and have a good chat.
No running partner, but I did make it out for a good 3.2 miles. Check.

2) Eat and drink properly Friday. Be sure to avoid the fried foods and dairy products. Avoid McDonalds and be sure to hydrate with water. Avoid large quantities of alcohol!!! It will dehydrate you.
No alcohol, no fried foods (Little Caesars pizza is greasy but not "fried" so that was okay). Check.

3) Get to bed early!! Save the late night out for Saturday night. A good night sleep of 8-9 hours will do wonders for your hard working body.
Um... 1am = 6 hrs of sleep... oops (but sort of expected). No check.

4) Pack your gear on Friday night. When you are wide awake and have plenty of time, it is better to pack all you will need for race morning on Friday night.
Just needed the camera, and I have a mess of clothes in the trunk of my car, so... Check.

5) Allow yourself plenty of time in the morning. You will race better when not stressed about making it to the race in time.
Instead, I didn't waste time before the race. I left the house early enough that I wasn't worried about making it to the race on time. Check.

6) Avoid the caffeine on race morning. Coffee has about 225 mg of caffiene in a 10 oz cup. This will be great if you are racing anything under the mile. But after that, BONK! : )
I didn't eat or drink anything before the race. The bag of popcorn I had the night before really didn't help me though. Check.

7) Get to the race 60 minutes before the start. This allows you plenty of time to pick up the race packet, go for a warm up, hit the bathroom, change into racing shoes, and make it to the starting line, "before" the gun goes off.
I think this one was directed at me. I went to the bathroom many times at home before heading out and got there 20 minutes before the race started. I knew it was friggin' cold outside, and I figured that I wasn't likely to attempt a warm-up, being so tired and all. No check.

8) Do not stand around for 5 minutes waiting for the race to start. Do not let your heart rate come down to resting and then sprint out the first 200 meters and run it to max. Jog in place, do strides down the starting line, but keep the heart rate slightly elevated.
I didn't stand around the start line for 5 minutes. I was only there for 2, and still I was using that time to stretch the important stuff... um... Check please.

9) Go out at the correct pace. Do not get caught up in the race excitement and go out faster than you know you should. You even splits, you will run your best times when you do!!!
I ran the first mile in 6:45 when I should have been aiming for 7:15. Miles 2-4 were about 7:30, then mile 5 (Post Rd) was about 7:00 flat. I ran the last mile at about 7:15-ish, but kicked it a couple times on the final stretch (I have good leg speed, even though I felt like throwing up). Half-a-check.

10) Last but not least, Have a "POSITIVE" attitude!!! To run your very best, it starts at the top! You need to believe to achieve!
I was feeling good. Not a lot of stress before the race. 6.2 miles was more than my long run has been, so I was glad to run it without stopping. My goal was sub-45, and I ended up with a 45:03, so Almost, but I'll take it, happily. Check.

Now for a few pictures...

A couple friends asked if I had lost a lot of weight; they said that I was trim/thin. What do you think? Here's what I wore:
I think it was the slimmingly-dark sleeveless compression shirt I sported (don't worry, this isn't the same one from last night. Yes, I have two purple compression shirts).

Here are a couple of my friends, Robin and Wayne. Robin is fabulously back from injury. And Wayne and his wife Fiona (not pictured) are marathon MANIACS!:
There was a lady who had a couple of doggies for sale. And don't you know it, they were pugs!!! I just had to hug a puppy (don't worry, I won't eat you):

Asides from the obvious fact that I don't know how to hold a puppy, my hands/arms don't retain much heat and the poor thing was shivering. If I had known, I would have brought extra blankets, and hug him, and squeeze him, and call him Sweetie.

I didn't get a puppy (as I was reminded of how much I'm not at home), but I did get a cat... a tiger... a bobble-head tiger! (Bobble-Head!!!) I got 3rd place in my age group:
I was SO excited! I knew that John and Ed were ahead of me, and I wasn't sure how many other people were in my age group. Turns out there were 8 total (so it was actually pretty competative). This is going in the office.

Okay, that's the race report and all. I'm now going to upload the photos and send out the link... then rest, fold laundry/finish watching Little Miss Sunshine (my 2nd time), then off to work, how ever late that is... then I may have tomorrow free... maybe.

RUN: 3.2 miles "Blackout"

Tonight I ran from home to the Avenue light and back in 29:00... very easy pace. I wore a purple sleeveless compression shirt and some thick(er) athletic shorts. There was also a thickness of cars on lake andrew and wickham road due to a local power outage.

I was at work until 7pm, and when I reached my exit 191, something was different... lots of cars. It took me a moment to realize that the traffic lights were out, then it was eerie how dark the area was. No Chevron, No Burger King, No Target, No Starbucks, No Wal-Mart!

It was like 2004 when there were the hurricanes, except it was at night, and that there was a large quantity of cars on the road.

I had to use the hidden key to get into the house and as I prepared to go out to run, the electricity was restored. I went out for my run and saw a family outside in their driveway around one of those fire pits.

All the stores were still closed (or their power had not been restored). It made me wonder how long the power outage had lasted.

Anyways, I've stayed up way too late considering that I have an 8am race tomorrow morning...

Okay, sleep time.

And here are a couple kitchen photos for your viewing pleasure: