HOUSE: Auto Insurance

I just saved $135/6-months on auto insurance by switching to Progressive Direct Insurance, and this is also with better coverage. Soon I will officially be done with Allstate, who earlier in the year put me in a panic when they dropped my home insurance policy (and ended up saving money there too). Anyways, just wanted to note that I was pro-active today. Woo Hoo. Oh, and I ran 2.2 miles with Fravel early this morning before my near-full day of work at the office. Plus I folded my laundry. And cooked breakfast for dinner. And washed the dishes. My life is so exciting. It's time for bed.

RUNS: Monday and Thursday

I'm supposed to be keeping track of my diet, sleep, relaxation, exercise, and social...ness -- and also rating my stress and mood. It's a project to try to get on some sort of regular routine. But I've been slacking. Oh well. I'm not going to stress about it.

Gotta catch up on the run record though. Not much activity there... just a couple of outings this week. Monday, after the running club meeting, I ran with my friend Paul. 3 miles, nothing woo, just at 7:52 pace, then walked a couple quarter-miles loops for cool-down. And today after work, I headed to Wickham Park and ran a half-mile warm-up then a couple miles at 7:05 pace. Then I ran/walked the half-mile back to my car. My right knee was bothering me, so I didn't push it.

Tonight I'm heading to see the early showing of Shrek the Third. It's at 10:00pm... (no midnight showing), which I guess is good. Tomorrow night, I'm going to try to go see my friend Emily in the Henegar Center's production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (aka. Little Shop of Whores (and I mention that all in good fun)). I'm expecting it to be a lively production. Woo! Then Saturday's the Running Club's Annual Picnic and Awards Ceremony. I won't be getting anything, but there'll be food and a lot of photo ops. Then Sunday's all about the Disney. SUCH a hankering for it. I'm SO THERE - RAIN OR SHINE!

Anyways, there's no "kitchen pic" tonight... but here's one from the home office:Have a safe trip, Sweetie :)

RUN: 8x400 @1:23, Wickham Park

[This post is ATF.]

Tuesday wasn't a good day at work either. The unfounded pressures of an imagined supposed-to-be office work day was compounded by the unconscionable extrusion of blood and piss. Unsure of where I'd channel these toxins, I held long enough to carry past the end of work, but not tight enough to make it to the start of practice clean.

Luckily my friend Paul was there to catch me as I began to spiral down. "Let's run it off," he said. And we did. 8x400 spaced with 3-minute therapy and meaningful cheer-leading. He's an incredible friend and a caring father.

It's amazing when I talk with friends and see how they each cope with their stresses. It's admirable how they carry themselves. I feel like an Alice journeying through a wonderland, getting a feeling of the different set of challenges that various life paths offer. I'm feeling more like the witness, the spectator, the tourist. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm still relatively young, still out to make my set of mistakes. I just have to be willing to learn.

Strip away the unnecessary to open myself to be ready to take on the next challenge.

And then again, there are those challenges that inherently take build-up and planning before it should take head.

[I'm going to continue this line of though on the next/current/UTD running entry.]

[but to finish the run and night...]

I ran the eight quarter-miles with my friend Paul, and we hit them pretty evenly. I ran 1:10, then a series of six 1:23s, then finished with a 1:05. And this is without warmup. I was able to convert most of the angst from work into speed and though, and I really appreciate Paul being there.

We did a half-mile cool-down a hydrated some before heading out. I stopped by Crispers on the way home and picked up a Pot Roast Potato using a coupon off the back of a Publix receipt and the gift certificate that my little sister and her friend gave me for Spring Break.

I also stopped by Target on the way home to pick up some wine because if there was ever a night to drink... I picked up a small (2-bottle) box of red sangria and a backup bottle of riesling. Waiting for me in the mailbox was the Disney YOAMD Vacations DVD so that went into the player as I poked open the wine and prepared the potato au jus.

I talked to my sister while I ate (the potato was incredible), and I had had a glass and a half in me before the first bite (the potato was incredible). My head was full, and I was imagining a life up north.

After I got off the phone with her and the potato was gone, I took a shower in lukewarm hot water (remember: water heater's been turned off) and attempted the first half of B&S before heading back to the couch to d&d my guy. I reached another high-point of wishful thinking before we let each other go again. And I passed out right there until the repetitious music from the Disney Vacation DVD's main menu and the overhead living room lights was worth attending to, and I moved to the bedroom and had a deathless sleep.

Okay, here are the pictures:

Me, not so sweaty anymoreThe Box of WineThe Incredible Potato