RUN: 7.56 miles@~1:00:00, Gym<-->Viera Blvd/I-95, Viera, FL

So many choices tonight: 1) a Toastmasters meeting, 2) a PFLAG meeting, 3) volleyball, 4) run. I had to stay late(r) tonight because I got to work late and had a TM meeting over lunch; that did help rule out the first two options. And I did get myself to the gym in time for volleyball, but decided that I needed to run since I didn't yesterday (I got my taxes done instead! Woo!).

I was first thinking about running the Stadium loop a couple of times, but I figured I'd have a hard time going back for 2nds there, plus the stretch on Lake Andrew was too familiar. I needed something more remote and... exotic, so I ran up Stadium and ended up at Viera Blvd. I wanted to get back to the gym at a good time and knew I wouldn't/shouldn't run all the way to Murrell but instead compromised and ran to I-95. I ran all the entire way with a 10-second break on the bridge to take in the scenery.

I ran in shorts and took off my tech shirt after the second mile. I didn't feel great but was persistent and managed a pretty good breathing rhythm. I got back to the Pro-Health just about one hour after I left and figured 7 1/2 miles (I'm pretty good with estimating distances). I got to gym and did some stretching as some friends were finishing up volleyball. I was just enjoying the endorphins.

Tonight, we didn't head over to Uno's but ended up talking for a while under the carport. It was nice to see Kirk and Susan again, and I'll see Brad soon enough -- this Sunday for a semi-planned venture to Florida's other coast.

Anyways, sweaty Ceddy jumping pics to follow. I'm needing a haircut tonight, then maybe some food then bed. Today was a mildly-productive but good day.

TOASTMASTERS: ACC Tall Tales Contest / RUN: 1.09+2.50 miles @??:??, Home<-sL->Gym+, Melbourne, FL

Tonight, the Advance Communicators [TM] Club held a Tall Tales Contest, the first of its kind that I've attended (or even heard of). There were eleven (11!) contestants!... nearly all of the District 84 and Division B officers. It was a great great showing and a hoot. All through the contest, I was imagining myself having to be up there giving a humorous speech. And in all honesty, I'm still intimidated getting in front of others to give a no-notes speech. Anyways, all did a good job. There were four or five who were pretty outstanding. And it was nice that I agreed with all of the placings (though, among friends, it almost seemed like the awards didn't matter). It was a nice experience, and I'm glad to have attended.

Well, the contest had started late and as mentioned, there were eleven contestants. The Tall Tales ran 3-5 minutes each, so the meeting ran just under two hours. Piccadilly Cafeteria typically closes at 8:30pm, and it was near nine when we quickly herded out. I was going to be really late for volleyball the gym, but I didn't worry so much. A nice drive home, I quickly got changed and ran out the door, shortcut to the Pro-Health.

Oh, forgot to mention that I had an entire Little Caesar's cheese pizza for lunch today. I was probably able to finish the pie because I stretched my stomach from all the sushi this past weekend (thanks Joy!). It was good though. Oh, and I also had a large Tropical Smoothie. Yeah, so I'm not remotely hungry tonight and will probably just have a small scoop of strawberry-banana frozen yogurt (and yes, the fake LC cheese did affect me tonight... *blurg/oh well*).

Getting back to the Pro-Health, I walked to the gym, saw the young kids goofing, waved to Brad, and signaled to him that I'd be upstairs running. And Good karma today. This morning I found out that I was put on a list for a Hospitality Pass (I'm staying vague on this one *wink/nod*), and tonight at the gym, I passed by the guy from work that I just light up from seeing. Small moments of happiness that's holding back the D&T urge. Don't get me wrong, I felt like I made progress at work today, which is fantastic, but I've been expecting a fall from Saturday morning's ContestMastering high. It's a short and busy week, so I may be able to fend it off... oh gosh, I veered off on another tangent. Ramble.

Again, getting back to the Pro-Health. I got in a ten laps (1 mile) -- I don't like the corners -- then spotted Brad on the 2nd floor... the kids were too much. I totally understand. So he did some weights as I put in some extra laps to hopefully accumulate my 3+ miles (I want my sticker!). The gym was closing, and we talked some more about this Sunday and Busch Gardens. I'm looking forward to a new park! (I will have to control myself). And then we just called it a night. I took the long way home. 1.09 miles on the road, 2.5 on the track. Woo!

At this moment it's just about 11:00pm. It's going to be a little longer before I select and add photos from, especially since I'll be combining posts *shrug*. Anyways, it feels good to blog. Here's tonight's sweaty Ceddy pics:

RUN: 3.95 miles @??:??, Home<-LL->Avenue+Lexus, Melbourne, FL

I know I said I'd rest today, but I just Had to run. Inspired by many a scholarship essay and the need of an escape, I'm reacquainting myself with how much of a wonderful stress-relief running is.

This morning, I was again late at work, but having stayed at work til 8:45pm last night, I was an hour ahead, so I was fine with leaving normal-time. I attended a TM club contest, and it was a mix of familiar and the unfamiliar. Feeling a bit over-whelmed, I realized that there were others there for whom such ambassador trips were more a common occasion. I needed to be out more anyway.

It was late coming home, with meeting minutes still needing to be done and sent out. But I figured if I was efficient with my run, photos, and this blogging, I could sneak another 3+ miles in (I want my sticker!). So I changed clothes and headed out equipped.

I ran with music (ipod: Top 25 Most Played [incl. "Nothing But a Miracle", "Walking On Snow", "1901", "Float On", "Need You Now", "Telephone", "Lazy Eye", and "Us"), and my attire (as will be shown below) reminded me of something a fellow SCR board member said to me at a race one time... "You'll never find a boyfriend dressed like that."

...

But I'm owning it. Plus, I'd like to find someone who'd like me despite. :)

Anyways, the run started off brisk and didn't have the benefit of a built-in break after the first 1/2 mile. I ran a little above my means but didn't stop lest a 10-second stretch after I reached The Avenue. I ran consisted throughout and even had a large-stride kick final stretch. Different from the past couple nights, I didn't really ever get my breathing down... music I was listening to was odd tempo and my pattern was off-the-beat but still somewhat regular which sustained me.

It was a good run though. Not many cars on the road, I ran down towards the Lexus as Brad suggested for last night. Plus I saw a raccoon on the sidewalk -- he gently cleared the way as I approached. If it had attacked me, that would've also been pretty cool. But he didn't.

Anyways, work was work, and I am going to miss a personal work milestone with pressures still on. Actually, this morning I was "The Calm One" in the midst of debugging a test issue. And when dealing with "to-do's" I felt like I was quite direct and able to get stuff resolved. I was a train that didn't like obstacles or distractions,... and that's probably why I was short-fused with NCAA bracket talk. (this here was my Aha moment).

One more day before the weekend. Still unknown are plans for after Saturday morning's Area Toastmasters Contest (and I need to review the script a few more times). I'd rather be able to say that I could support the afternoon contest then participate in Sunday's SCR social then go easy park-hopping with friends I haven't hung out with for over a month. I realize that I need any semblance of structure or plans in order not to go [temporarily] insane. And I know that I'm going to end up being Kid Hostage... and a somewhat willing one at that. :|

I'm sure all will turn out with an optimistic and open mind. Though I've abandoned any chance of cleaning up my house (a wreck more than usual) given no real notice. I will have it clean in a week for my little sister's visit (Baloo!).

Alright, I can't ramble too much. I have a shower to take and some minutes to knock down. Here are tonight's sweaty Ceddy pics. Enjoy.

RUN: 3.55 miles @??:??, Home<-LL+->WM (fun loops), Melbourne, FL

Tonight, I was at work until 8:45pm (got to work late, had a long TM lunch, making up a little time from yesterday...). I stopped by Chic-fil-a on the way home to pick up a free 3-pc Chic-n-Strips pack (coupon!), chowed it, changed, then was off and running to the Pro-Health for the last half-hour of operations.

I checked into the gym and was quickly recruited to fill in a spot for a 4 vs. 4. Brad was there, and he assured me that it was actually a pretty awesome night. And it kinda was. Three new faces and all with nice talent and temperament (energetic but/and controlled). Another 10 minutes, and we were 3 vs. 3. I was rusty at first but played it out. I was sure to stay back (jumped at one though *eh*), and I was 100% when it came to serving (awesome!).

Afterwards, Brad and I talked about an upcoming outing to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. I'm excited. I'm really liking him because he works hard, communicates well, and is respectful. It's in line with a trend lately that I'm finding more comfort with those who I don't necessarily share certain viewpoints with. (I'm an open-minded liberal.) Anyways, I guess that I'm digging the sense of sharing a space, effort, moment.

So I ran to the gym (blue Adidas, black tennis shorts, black Deland tech, and thin bright-yellow Anderson RRs singlet), played a half-hour of volleyball, talked with Brad, then as a light drizzle was felt, continued my run (no more drizzle, but mild chills and winds).

I ran to the WM side and decided against continuing on to The Avenue (too much away away). As I took the long way back, I really wanted over 3 miles, so when I reached the end of Lake Andrew, I turned back and ran to my neighborhood's first entrance and ran a weaving pattern through the north half of streets before looping back to the normal long route back home.

From the side of WM on, I didn't stop running -- and that's surprising me. It's definitely a confidence booster. The speed isn't there yet, but I'm was happy to last that long. I do feel some trouble in the center of my left foot (arch), but I'm going to monitor it and take tomorrow off.

During the run, I heard some rustling along the bushes along Lake Andrew -- it was deer that would sometimes spot on the road when I'm driving home at night. I just imagined one coming up and attacking me and how awesome of a story that would be. Also, I seem to have no problem spotting the Orion constellation, no matter what time or year it is... my eyes immediately find it when I step into the dark.

Anyways, I'm sure that I could ramble on and on about whatever, but I need to stop and post this before I run into a roadblock. It will feel good to finally press "Publish Post" again.

Here are tonight's sweaty Ceddy pics. Enjoy.

yeah, my kitchen floor is dirty...

RUN: Night around Wickham Park, Melbourne, FL

Tonight, I ran the roads around Wickham Park. I ran in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, the older Asics shoes, and with music (This American Life "Middle of the Night").

I ran slow but managed not to stop. I made a bad step with my left foot while running on the grassy side of Croton. It was cold but not too bad. I had trouble catching my breath at first; as the run went along, my breathing caught up.

The route is supposed to be 4 miles, but I figured that I ran somewhere around 25 minutes, and I totally didn't run 6-minute miles... weird. I'll have to measure and post the route another time (I'm skimping on routes and photos in order to just get entries up).
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This week has been National Engineering Week. I've had activities during lunchtime every day of this week (three of them being Toastmasters related). Today, I traveled down to Palm Bay for a presentation about Engineering at Disney. It was pretty fantastic. If I find my notes, I'll try to post more about it (I've got plenty of other things to catch up on).

Work has been a lot more consistent this week. I've been taking a "Bode Miller" approach to life and am "sacrificing some heart" for "more time on the podium". Also, all of the free leftover food was a big comfort.
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Anyways, tomorrow, I'm off to Orlando to help build ramps for the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida -- Rampage 2010! This is for my "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" hat & pin set -- then Sunday is a Disney Day! I'm glad it's the weekend.

JOURNAL: Busy week...

...so I'll have to be lame with my blog entries. But I'm going to try anyway.

Today was unseasonably calm as compared to last week. I watched a video of an interview NBC Olympics had with US Alpine Skier Bode Miller, and it was "inspiring" (I put the word in quotes because his shared advice was more instructional than motivating). I could go into it here, but I think I need another couple days to digest.

Tonight was this month's SCR Board meeting. I had almost forgotten. It ran the entire length but did feel productive. I'm not sure where I'm going to find the time to write up the minutes. We had a couple of guests this time around looking for some suggestions for their first-time 5K event -- they left me hopeful because they seemed to be confident without being the least bit cocky; they were attentive and respectful; and I'll just say that they were charismatic. It was just nice to know that there's people like that out there.

In contrast... I got to the gym an hour past time, and I could already feel how the rest of the session would go. My team of regulars were getting frustrated with the team of goofballs that show up and constantly act the fool. I like the regulars too much to stop going to the gym. I just probably need to give up volleyball for a while and focus on getting back into running because I need that way of getting rid of frustration.

Anyways, the rest of the week is jammed-packed with lunch obligations and plans for after work... every single day. Then this Saturday is my Disney VoluntEar opportunity -- Winter Park Rampage 2010! -- which will be fun but it's still a commitment. Sunday, I'm taking off for myself -- a MUCH needed Disney Day.

And that's about it for now. Pictures are a bit too much work for my level of sanity.

G'night.

JOURNAL: Tonight, I Pack

Endorphins coursing through my veins. I haven't run since the HFMC 5K (which I've been too busy to post about), but I finished my second night back of volleyball, and it was a pretty good night. I like my team, and we worked better together as the evening went along.

I know it's only Wednesday, but it's my virtual Friday, although I've been wishing for it for a couple days now -- this week at work has not been nice to me. I'm trying to re-adjust to 1st shift, to any sort of sleep schedule, and I'm still getting used to my new mattress... I can't seen to get accustomed to "proper furniture". I may just sleep on the couch tonight.

If I've learned anything these past few days is that perhaps a faulty memory is a good thing, and that if things are bothering me, perhaps I should just call it a bad day and leave it at that -- don't elaborate, don't vent, don't give it more than its due. Bad memory leads for a healthy mind.

I'm caught up on this years photos (on my fotki page) except for the first weekend at the parks and WDW Marathon weekend. I'll probably get one of those done before I leave tomorrow.

Anyways, I'm glad to be able to spend some time with MOM, playing Rummikub and watching TV (the Winter Olympics start on Friday). This should be relaxing.

JOURNAL: It's been a while

Howdy all,
It's been a while since I've posted... which usually means big events that I think about posting then get overwhelmed. For instance, last weekend was the Disney Marathon. Sisters came down plus Anthony and Baloo. It sleeted the entire half-marathon, but we had our snuggies on. The marathon was Camille's first, and she did awesome. I was trying to get over a cough I've had since the Sunday after New Year's. A friend and I ran the New Year's Eve 5K then went over to Disney for a weekend. And I'm thinking that I'm ready for a solo park trip just to decompress. There's issues I need to sort out with it all, and so I've been taking a blog break until I can figure.

Anyways, just wanted to post something so as not to fall completely out of practice. I'm trying to get a group of us volleyball people together and out to the parks... with more people than passes. Who gets priority? I think that I have it kind of figured out.

Okay, this entry sucks, but it's an entry. G'night.

RUN: ~2 miles @7:29 & 6:51, Home<-LL->WM, Melbourne, FL

Merry Christmas!

Tonight was my fourth day of running in a row, and my legs are starting to not like me very much... jk, they have a high tolerance level. Anyways, I just went out for a quick two -- a pseudo-timed mile out and mile back.

I ran sans music or anything asides from a long-sleeve tech and "normal" running shorts. The weather was nice -- night-cloudy but not cold -- and my body was feeling a little dehydrated but fine enough.

The roundabout was deserted so I didn't have to stop. I ran the entire way. I clocked a steady 7:29. Within half-a-minute, I was on my way back, trying to run a negative split. My motivation level was above average, and I also ran the entire way back, shaving 38 seconds off. I felt good with just the two miles. I'm getting tired of this course.

On the last stretch of Lake Andrew, a truck passed me, and it had Christmas lights lining its bed. That was cool.

Here's a sweaty ceddy gif(!):

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Anyways, I didn't spend Christmas alone. I went over to Volleyball Susan's parents' house and spent the afternoon with her extended family -- parents, uncles, sisters, nephews, in-laws. I don't remember a Christmas being around so much family. It was really heart-warming and nice. Everyone got along and they had their traditions -- whiskey shot before dinner, Polish food (sauerkraut-, plum-, and peach-filled pierogies), scratch-off lottery cards, and camera-ing. There was a lot of diversity and love, and I appreciate them welcoming me into their home and their holiday.

In subtle contrast, my family hasn't reach that level of serenity yet. A bit chaotic, but whose isn't at some point? It's fine. Right now, it's nothing I can't handle -- like, on the way to Susan's, I got a call from my brother, and I willingly got into an argument with him. No worries on my part because I was clearly in good mind the entire time and was able to conduct some necessary discussion -- I considered it my way of giving my brother an opportunity to grow. Anyways, I really believe that had my family been able to have all gotten together this year (for Thanksgiving or Christmas), we would've been able to resolve many of our issues with each other. Anywho...

"Christmas with other families" appears to have been this year's theme, but hopefully, we each can come together soon and apply our new perspective positively and productively.

I believe that life is a series of opportunities and that from time-to-time we need to accept some of them in order to live and grow. I'm looking forward to another week to reflect... and to catch up on a lot of half-completed blog entries.

Merry Christmas.

:)

RUN: 5.33 miles @untimed, Home<-LL->Stdm Pkwy Loop (CCW), Melbourne, FL

Happy Christmas Eve!

[had to use MapMyRun because Gmap-Pedometer has been buggy
along with a lot of other Google tools]
This morning, I was feeling the results of two long runs after two weeks of not running. If my legs were feeling like this after a 6.60- and 5.35-mile run, how will it feel after a 13.1- and 26.2-mile run? Anyways, it's been a very nice Melbourne day. I ran some errands (shopping) which was fine given the circumstances. At WalMart, my legs weren't particularly well-working but my arms were... (that didn't sound right) -- I was crossing the street when a woman talking on her cellphone in her SUV almost ran me over. I slapped the back of her car and felt good that I did.

I did a load of laundry, made a big batch of Chex Mix (my 5th or 6th batch this season), watched some Alias (almost done with Season 4), and worked on my report. The report has been quite daunting, and I just need to press on and get through it... I don't want it taking up my entire holiday.

Coworkers, friends, and others have been concerned with my decision to stay in town for the holidays and about the possibility of me spending Christmas alone. Personally, I don't think that I would have much of an issue with it. Still, I received a few invitations, and I've decided to accept one -- to spend some time with my volleyball friend Susan and her family. She's been a great friend and very supportive since day one, and I appreciate her and all my other friends at the gym. And I'm looking forward to some great food and great company tomorrow.

Anyways, about tonight's run... I went out with a goal of an untimed 2-mile just to get my legs loose again, and I did start off gimp-ish and short-strided, but when I reached the side of WalMart, my legs were feeling warmed up, and I just kept going. I ran sans watch, sans music, sans shirt, and sans skull cap. I did wear windpants and decided en route to convert my large long-sleeved OUC Half tech into a sleeveless as a project sometime later this holiday. My new shoes are feeling good.

I very happy that I ran without stopping (except for minor traffic near one of the churches); and I'm not as worried about the Goofy... (in a couple weeks? holy!).

Also, like the past couple nights, I went out for a run when I was starting to feel really tired, and I think that my body settles into a good, happy state right before it thinks it's going to bed (yeah, it's going to catch on and punish me later). Still, this self-oriented insight is encouraging.

Alright, I'm going to get cleaned up and put some food in me... maybe a drink too (I replenished my stock of spirits this afternoon)... caramel apple anyone? It's going to be a good evening... probably finish up Alias S4 and put in another couple hours on the report before getting to bed.

Here's tonight's sweaty ceddy pics (I miss my other camera):

RUN: 6.60 miles @58:44, Home <-LL-> Stdm Pkwy Loop (CCW) + WM+ (CW), Melbourne, FL

Oh Hai. My name is Cedric, and I used to blog here. (as Jake would say)

Yeah, it's been a while... busy at work and writing assignments that are easy anxiety fodder. But tonight I went for an hour-long run and am full of blog juice, so here I go.

Today is my holiday eve... eve. One more day of work before I am free (until Jan 4). This season, I've decided to just stay in Melbourne because family plans were too much in flux, and as hinted, I have a writing assignment looming.

Work's been challenging... more in the coordination of efforts -- I'm still trying to get everyone's story straight and figuring a path to plow forward on. Stacks of calorie-intensive holidays goodies and distractions abound -- and you'd think that dwindling office numbers prompted by the prospect of family gatherings (or justified laziness) would help, and it does, except when part of the affected are the people you need to coordinate with.

(yes, I'm rambling... better than too little?)

Anyways, one more day, and I'm looking forward to making more progress and setting myself up for a win early when we get back.

Stuff I need to catch up on: I have a post almost ready about the OUC Half Marathon earlier this month (except for the pictures & video), and I may get that completed towards the start of the true holiday; also, a few Disney trip reports, which will probably come after the big report -- this past weekend, I just got done with sorting through 1700+ photos, whittling them down to a neat 770.


Okay, about tonight's run. I hadn't run since the OUC Half a couple weeks ago. The weather had turned cold, but moreso I've been putting my pressure to work on the report ahead of my own personal well-being. And when I don't let myself out to run for a couple weeks, I really start to feel it. I've been getting more sleep these past couple nights (thanks to a new friend), and I thought that I'd capitalize on the self-pointed vividness and do this good thing.

I knew that it was really cold outside, and I didn't want to under-dress, so I wore my undies, running tights, running shorts, and sweatpants... long-sleeve cotton shirt, short-sleeved tech-shirt, and sweatshirt... two pairs of socks, gloves, and a skull cap. By mile 1.5, the gloves were off and tucked in my tights, and my sweatshirt was off and around my waist. I did run with a safety light (clipped onto the cap, so that had to stay on) and music: This American Life ("#1 Party School" episode).

Instead of being focused on the course/distance, I went out time-oriented -- I was going to run for an hour. I ran up Lake Andrew and did the Stadium Pkwy loop (CCW) sans VHS (since it was really dark). I ended up tacking on a CW WM+Stores loop, and made it home with 1:16 to spare (close enough). Traffic was heavy but not too bad.

By mile 2, my chest was feeling tight -- bad endurance, and I really felt like my form suffered. I slowed it down until I felt better then got into a better rhythm. As I was running the back stretch, I was running patient, feeling really good, and almost forgot that I was running... hence, the tacked on loop with no issues.

The weather was really quite perfect, and I wasn't hungry/thirsty/anything. I didn't really sprint it home tonight because of the leftover time and because it was a pleasant run (just right). And it was a good break-in run for my new shoes: Adidas SuperNova Glide, size 9 1/2 (they're still clean!).


Anyways, I seriously ate too many so many cookies at work today. This holiday saw quite a number giving cookies away as gifts, and they've all been delicious! I was able to take pictures of a couple of the sets -- one from my officemate and the other from another coworker's family.

Fantastic!

Anyways, I've gotta get a shower and some food/beer in me, then perhaps another early-to-bed.

One more day. Woo!

Oh, here's the sweaty ceddy pics (clothes on because it's chilly... okay, one shirtless):

RUN: 2.32 miles @??:??, Home<-LL->WM, Melbourne, FL

Yes, tonight I ran on my own for the first time in probably over a month -- I had two [Disney] races since then, and yes, I am very far behind in postings and will [hopefully] eventually have time to write those up soon.

Anyways, I ran in the rain after getting home from volleyball -- no happy hour tonight. Volleyball really kinda sucked. Most of the regulars were there (no Cara or Vivi), which was nice, plus HB wasn't there to tantrumize, but DB/ED and SG were there acting stupid. And SP, who I previously thought well of, was making peacock noises all evening like a jerkette. Seriously. I had to tell her that that kind of behavior was dick-ish.

Side note: Monday at work, I [quite-loudly] called someone a jackass and an a##h### -- because he comes into my office and provokes me and my officemate with political stuff. He's known as the "Mini Rush Limbaugh" and as disturbing as that already sounds, he does have a radio platform to spout unsubstantiated statistics (total bs). Anyways, I wasn't going to any of his crap, so I told him off. I probably could've had to handled it... differently... but meh.

Yeah, it's been one of those weeks so far but I've also managed to be more productive nonetheless, so it kinda balances out.

Getting back... it's been a couple weeks since I've played, and I was on-and-off. The team of regulars rocked the rotational play. Also, I've been finding myself a bit distracted on the court. Susan knows. And I have mixed feelings about it all. Oh well. I realize that I don't need the extra drama.

Anyways, I'm making a lot of progress on my project at work. Most of the coding is done, and I'm transitioning onto testing, which is a drag but necessary -- time to get refreshed on operations. I'm glad that I'm able to stay busy at the office, but the thing is, there's a lot of project at home for me to do too. That said, I'm going to end this post here and give you a couple sweaty ceddy pics (did you miss them?):

don't make me angry
ran to walmart for cooking spray
more people need to see the bottom of my foot
[eop]

JOURNAL: Still trying to get back into the habit.

It'll take some time to get back in the habit of posting. The mass of photos is intimidating and life's forever busy. Anyways, I did want to mention some random mentions:

yeah, I didn't go to either one of last Saturday's Area Contests for Toastmasters. I slept in and then focused on planning a multi-stop shopping-with-coupons excursion; and it was successful.

in procrastinating the speech I should I had to do for this Wednesday, I did manage to setup my computer's backup. I don't think that it's working but the sentiment and effort was there. Also, my car got a couple new tramp stamps... an SCR decal and I replaced my Clemson license plate frame with a "Love the Land" (i.e., Disneyland) frame.

last Friday, I rearranged my desk and bookshelves at the office so that it doesn't face the hallway. I figured that it'd be less distracting, I'd have better access to my whiteboard, and I just needed a change. So far, so good.

volleyball was okay last night. I did too many cat-jumps for the ball (where the ball was too high for me to should've tried). there were some serious donkeys on the court heckling (seriously?). happy hour with the regulars afterwards was a lot of fun. once I got home, I passed out on the couch while watching a S2 ep of Mad Men.

catching back up on S2 of Mad Men this evening, I'm definitely intrigued with Salvador, then I realize that that character's wife, Kitty, is played by Bianca from Wonderfalls (ep. Karma Chameleon); that actress is great!

the sign-up sheet for this week's Toastmasters meeting was sparse, so I sent out an email with a challenge with homemade rice crispy treats as the bribe reward. It worked. I'll still be pulling double-duty but food has a way of keeping things light.

Alright, this is enough for now. I have a bill to pay and a letter to finish and send out before bed. G'night.

:)

[eom]

JOURNAL: Saturday

I should've gone for a run today. I think that, even after 8hrs, I woke up sleepy. I ended up skipping out on both TM area contests -- choosing instead to stay home, watch many episodes of Mad Men (now in Season 2), going to a massive errand run (shopping with coupons upon coupons), and cleaning up around the house.

I'm still anxious about the past month and the task of "catching up". I'm likely to say that most of that won't ever happen, but I think that I just a free free weekend and enough sleep. Tomorrow's a free day, and I'm torn between applying the hours to the office or the parks.

We'll see.
[eom]

JOURNAL: Weekend in Review

Okay, it's close to bedtime, so I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

I think that this three-day weekend went well. I managed to get an amazing lot accomplished... quite a few procrastinated tasks performed and staying in good spirits.
...
I completed my Teenie Beanie Baby search Thursday night after work and also managed to post on a funny Gentleman's Club sign pic then went to bed early.

Friday, I went for an early/not-early-enough run then completed a round of Orlando (UCF area, Downtown Orlando, I-Drive Outlets, DHS/Epcot). I came home to Melbourne that night.

I slept in on Saturday then posted Friday's trip report before setting off bug bombs and escaping to the movie theater to watch the latest Harry Potter (great cinematography, but overall meh), then I went for a run.

And today, I slept in again then watched at least half-a-dozen episodes of MacGyver while re-washing all the dishes/utensils in the kitchen. I put the bedsheets back on the beds in the guest room and finished putting together a project I was doing for our Toastmasters club before making a quick catch-up post of my friend Herb's garden. I went to Lowe's to pick up some stuff for my troubled lawn mower then went for a run. I re-fashioned the back sprinkler when I got home then gave myself a haircut before jumping into the shower.

When I'm at home for stretches of time, I like to cook. It's mostly frozen foods, but it's still all good. Having a temporary crown since Thursday morning hasn't hampered the hobby too much; I just know to stay away from hamburgers and other sandwiches.

Anyways... that was my weekend, and I've gotta get ready for bed since I can't sleep in tomorrow.

G'night.

JOURNAL: Viera Chick-fil-a Grand-O Visit

Today was a fine day. I was a bit tired from having exercised so late last night, but I managed.

After work, I stopped again at McDonald's... well, two of them. I've started to become a bit obsessive with the whole Teenie Beanie Babies promotion again. And even though I'm not trying to collect all 30, there are a few that I'm really hoping to score.
...
Yesterday, I already got the Koala that I wanted for me, and today I picked up the Chihuahua for Jim&Dan and the Guinea Pig for Kathleen at the office who is super-excited about G-Force opening tomorrow ("Poop in his hand!"):

Left to get are the Panda and/or Tiger for Camille and perhaps the Flamingo for JJ ("Get off your ass" [from Wonderfalls]); also, the Unicorn and Sheep are cute... but I have prepared myself for the case in which I'm don't accomplish this quest. I'm okay with that because I'm actually charged up from the search for something to get excited about.

Yeah, one of the McD's I visited was the one right beside the new Viera Chick-fil-a. There were a few employees directing traffic in the parking lot, and against reason, I drove into there instead of the more-available, less-busy McD -- I guess that I was ready to be immersed.

So I went into Chick-fil-a -- packed as expected on their Grand Opening Day. There were balloons everywhere, and they had their cow mascot mingling with the crowd dining in. I wasn't really hungry but wanted to purchase something; I ended up just getting a small plush cow ($3):

and a couple quick pictures of the inside:

The dining area was what you'd expect: clean, but not particularly exciting (once the balloons come down).

As for the McDonald's across the street that I went to next... their clean, dark earthy-toned interior was impressive with its stone facades, wooden railings, and fireplace! They had a great selection and variety of seating, used their space well, and did provide a transportative environment -- it had a lodge-ish feel. I have to say that I'm again very impressed by many of the renovations McDonald's have implemented to stay competitive in the fast-food market (LINK: my DAK McD article). It's just been pleasant visits and my current place-to-go-to.

[I didn't take pictures of the new interior of this McD's, but it's not far from my house.]

It felt a little funny to be walking Happy-Meal-in-hand to my car at Chick-fil-a parking lot, especially when there was such a contrast in business. And on my way out, the cow mascot had escaped the building and was mingling with the cars lined-up for the drive-thru.

So, I made it home having adopted three new plushes and having ingested two hamburgers and two child-sized drinks -- and I got apple slices instead of french fries (to be healthy).

I suspect that I'll be back to there at least once sometime this weekend, which I haven't defined yet -- am I staying the night at Pom's?, am I coming home after TM officer training? -- I'm needing a Melbourne weekend to catch up and also prepare -- I signed up for a prepared speaker role for next Wednesday's meeting (a "canned" speech about "Going Beyond Our Club"). I suspect that I'm heading back to Melbourne right afterwards.

Anyways, it's past time for bed. G'night :)

JOURNAL: Take It Off

Alright, I know that I will have some serious gaps in activity logging in the past couple weeks. It's been very busy at the office, working towards an all-too-near code cutoff. Too bad I'll be away all weekend with no chance of putting time in. Still, there are other projects that beg my attention. And I've been all too tired lately... needing more discipline in implementing priorities.. but that's another post for another time.

I'm actually blogging because I'm hyped on endorphins from tonight's volleyball. I was really tired leaving work, but still decided that I needed some exercise, and boy did I sweat. I tamed the usual over-excited me and went in on the calm. There were nine of us tonight, and I played on the 5 team. There are definitely some strong personalities out there and that's one of the reasons that I was playing it down.

During this week's counseling session, I recognized the strides I've made these past years on how to handle personal conflicts and stresses. I recognized how I still have ADHD tendancies -- to which I'm trying to put more effort in taming myself in general. I also acknowledged my desire for someone to nag me, my inclination for complaining, and my need for quickly feedback.

And I guess that's where volleyball's entering the picture recently... I'm not an awesome volleyball player, but I'm not a bad one either. I'm in the "diamond-in-the-rough category" (as far as I see it) and set myself up for others to give me suggestions on how to improve, etc. And there's always the possibility to take such comments the wrong way, but I do have a big-picture in mind and appreciate that others are trying to teach me.

But I also can see where sometimes I have to take some "suggestions" with a grain of salt -- I can tell when a person's suggestion is meant to open more opportunities for that person... and I'm alright with that. It's a matter of people getting overly-competative or over-anxious, and I recognize when I should step away.

The person playing the center usually takes the second hit to set the ball, and tonight, as Not-the-center, I went for the ball and got both an elbow to the chin and a sharp criticism from the center saying that he has the second ball no matter what.

On another day, that could've broken me, but I knew it'd be no good to over-react either way. This was recreational volleyball, and I was just there for exercise. And as karma had it, during the next play, the second hit on our side was falling right towards me, and I just took a couple quick, gentle steps back and let the ball hit the ground.

It was an "oh snap" moment if I knew one, but I was relishing the chance to demonstrate a lesson learned.

And like yin & yang, there was a female voice on our team that was more nurturing, and I heard her a couple times come to my defense for my drifting ("having a lot of energy and being able to cover space isn't necessarily a bad thing") plus I was able to demonstrate a suggestion she had for me -- which was to bend my knees more when I dig a ball so that it goes more vertical.

Anyways, it was an okay night -- a little more __??__ that I'd like but was still a good workout. But I think that I'm going to need a night or two away, much like me and Toastmasters this morning.

As I mentioned, work has been very busy for me this week and it will be again next week. With hardware and help available this morning, I decided to forego the Toastmasters meeting to continue working. I delegated my responsibilities (TMoD & Business Session), and I heard afterwards that it was quite a pleasant meeting.

I took from that that sometimes it really is good to have take a meeting off every now-and-again. Take a day off. Take a ______ off. Just take it off.

I even missed the Toastmasters meeting at the gym this evening (too tired to remember) -- and it was one I said I'd go to too. Oh well, it's nothing I can't be forgiven for. Yeah, it's about priorities and making decisions.

And revisiting the points from this week's counseling session, I feel like I did handle stressful situations well both at work today and at the gym tonight. I will try to do better to get all I need accomplished accomplished tonight. And I will give myself the positive reinforcement I require for making the decisions I need to make. *group hug*

Alright, below are a couple sets of sweaty jumping ceddy kitchen pics -- from Monday night and tonight. Also, I'm going to shoehorn-in some pictures from Monday's shuttle launch of Atlantis (really should be a post of its own -- I'm not lazy, just efficient and more time-realistic)... and a picture of the pineapple upside-down cake I made last night. Anyways, good night.
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Atlantis launch (5/11/09, 2:01pm) from the parking lot at work:and a few of my co-workers:Monday's Post-Gym pics (5/11/09):Tonight's/Wednesday's Post-Gym pics (5/13/09):Last night's pineapple upside-down cake (5/12/09, using crushed pineapples instead of sliced):