A Work in Progress

Brick

2009-10-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

1:30/:30 brick this morning. Went well; managed 24/3. Missed running over a squirrel by about 1/2 inch, little bastard. Legs were still Jello-y at the start of the run, but managed to get my "land legs" back after about 10 minutes, so it's all good.

My sister, her BF, and my nephew are visiting for the nephew's birthday. We took him swimming (where I managed a mild sunburn on my back/shoulders, despite a liberal coating of SPF45,) I napped when we got home, ate a tasty dinner, and had a deeeeelicious SpongeBob birthday cake. It's all about the icing for me ;)

mmmmm, buttttttttercream...

Pics coming soon!

Ten Second Book Review - New Moon

2009-09-04T16:34:00.003-04:00

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

So being basically a 15-year-old girl at heart, I bought into the teenage girl mass hysteria surrounding the Twilight books. After reading the first book, Twilight, I was left wanting a vampire boy of my very own. Having finished New Moon, I'm now thinking werewolves are the way to go and I'm firmly ensconced in Team Jacob, despite knowing how this series will turn out.

If Bella doesn't want him, she can send him my way ;)

Checking In

2009-08-28T21:50:00.003-04:00

Well, I've been neglectful of my blog since I've been spending all my time over on Facebook (Hey, Kurt--Get a Facebook!! ;) )

I'm already working on my race schedule for 2010. Yes, it's a sickness. In happy news, there are four marathons on the schedule. I will be reclaiming my MarathonGirl status! :-D

Several of the races will depend on where I'm living when, so I can only really do it for part of the year. But the marathons stand!

RR: Kiwanis Midnight Run 5K/10K

2009-07-05T00:33:00.001-04:00

Subtitled: The Second Worst Idea I've Ever Had ;)

Headed from Hudson to "Delightful Dunedin" (according to the Chamber of Commerce commercials) around 9:45 PM. Seriously, it's a nice little town that I would consider moving to if I were to stay in Florida. Not that you could see much of it in this race, but I digress. It was pretty gross out--80F with 88% humidity at 11 PM. Got my chips and goody bag, which I was pleased to see was a cloth bag. Now if they would only quit stuffing all those paper flyers that I just end up tossing in the recycle bin...Looked for Slow Twin Bill, didn't find him, but found my co-worker Wilson and his wife Diane, who was doing her first race in five years, so I hung out with them until it was time for us to line up. Diane was very nervous, so I kind of "adopted" her, and we went and stood in the middle of the 1000 or so 5K'ers (my estimate--no final numbers published yet) and chatted.

Diane is very young, like 23 or 24. Diane is very tiny. She is the size of your average fourth-grader. I felt like Fiona (Shrek's girlfriend) standing next to her. Seriously, she didn't even come all the way up to my shoulder. I bet she's not 5 feet tall, maybe 90 lbs after a huge meal and soaking wet with rocks in her pockets. So I was very suprised when she told me that she had looked up some of my races and was intimidated to run with me. Whaa?? But I guess when you're just starting out, the sheer volume and distance of what I've run might seem a bit daunting. I assured her that this was strictly a fun run, and no land-speed records would be broken on my part.

We took off, and as is usual in crowded 5Ks, we bottlenecked, got darted in front of and practically run over by people who were late to the party and trying to get further up in the pack. We came upon the first bridge at about 1/2 mile and Diane waved me on. The rest of the race was pretty uneventful. Finished in 32:01, with Diane coming in about three minutes later. I had about 15 minutes until the start of the 10K, so I BS'ed with Wilson for a few minutes while I slammed down some Gatorade and a couple of sport beans, then I swapped race numbers and lined up for the next race.

Found Slow Twin Bill in the middle of the pack. He had run the 1-mile and the 5K that night. Chatted briefly, then the air horn went off. I did okay the first couple of miles, but the heat/humidity made me feel kind of like an old limp dish rag. Felt really horrible after about 2.5 miles, but managed to hold a 12:00/mile pace, praying that I would just puke already so I could feel better. Didn't happen. Swung through Honeymoon Island, where it was completely dark except for the candles in the empty water jugs lining the course. The frogs were extremely loud in the marsh, and I heard some rustling in the bushes next to me, which I tried not to think about too hard. The mosquitoes attacked me viciously, biting me through my clothes. The bug spray was rendered mostly ineffective by the massive amount of sweat coming out of every pore in my body. I scratched the inside of my left elbow bloody, and I now have a welt and a lovely companion bruise :-P I totally fell apart just past mile 4. I was nauseated. I had a pounding headache. I had huge, itchy welts from the rat-bastard mosquitoes. Sweat was running down my legs and into my socks, which is an unpleasant sensation. I was running S-L-O-W. I was walking way more than I had intended. I managed to finish in 1:19:31, which is easily the slowest 10K I've done in the past two years. So bottom line, the 10K was all bad. Not even fun.

For now, I'll be spending lots more time on the bike than in my running shoes, starting with a planned 20 mile ride tomorrow morning.

But I'll come back to kick the 10K's ass at the Turkey Trot this year, when the weather is much more conducive to running fast. And I'll be back at the Midnight Run again next year, doing only the 10K. Because I never learn.

Baby you're all that I want...

2009-06-29T14:56:00.003-04:00

Back in "the day" (middle school,) I was a Bryan Adams FREAK. And this song was the single most romantic thing I'd ever heard in my young life. Sent my little tender heart all aflutter ;)

It's aged well, and I think I love it even more with Jason Aldean singing it:

RR: Mad Beach Sprint Tri

2009-06-05T23:46:00.002-04:00

Sunday, May 31, 2009, Madeira Beach, FL

1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 5K run

1:52:49

Swim - 18:04
T1 - 2:42
Bike - 53:29
T2 - 3:1
Run - 35:19

I've got a lot of work to do, particularly on the bike, although for me, that's a decent time. I was pleased with the swim time, and okay with the run. I did great when we were on pavement, but the second half was on sand, which sucked, but what can you do. Got popped on the back of the head during the swim, not hard, and the girl apologized profusely. It really wasn't that bad, but it was nice of her to be concerned :) And my transitions are fine, but I should probably stop chatting with everyone on my rack. Then again, like Linae says, they ain't paying me to do this, so I may as well enjoy myself.

Enjoyed the free beer at the end, and had a great time with Linae, Kurt, and Joe at the Angry Pepper afterward. This was actually the best I've felt about racing tris, ever. There were few "WTF am I doing here??" moments, and NONE of them on the bike, which is a first. So I guess Linae's Evil Plan is working ;)

Next race: Taphouse 5K, Oldsmar, FL, June 12. Starts and ends at a pub! Hell yeah!

RR: Hog Hustle 5K

2009-05-22T01:00:00.003-04:00

Six days late and probably about $20 short ;)
==============================================
Dunedin, FL, May 16, 2009, 8 AM

I wanted 30-ish. I got 30:32.

This is a fun little race that runs through Dunedin. I can't remember exactly the story of how it got its name; something about rounding up thewild hogs that lived on Caladesi Island, which used to be called Hog Island. Anyway, the race starts and finishes at the ballpark where the Blue Jays do their spring training, goes through the downtown area, through a couple of the nice little neighborhoods, and along the water. There were over 300 people this year. The shirt usually has some kind of tacky, colorful pig cartoon on it, and this year's was no exception. It had a pig dressed as a pirate. How friggin' awesome is that?? ;)

Met up with "Slow Twin" Bill, who isn't slow at all, but is marginally slower than his brother. After hanging out and BS'ing a bit, Bill went to warm up before heading to the race start. I had briefly thought of finding him and drafting the first half of the race off of him, but it was kind of hot and I didn't feel up to running at puke speed, so I just settled into a nice, even pace. Hung off the right shoulder of this big dude for about half a mile, but he slowed down, so I reeled in this other guy, who had some pretty bad-a$$ tats on his arms. Spent the next mile or so trying to figure out what some of them were, but then I got ahead of him, too. Just kind of zoned out after that. Walked the second waterstop. It was hot and I was tired, and I wasn't going for a PR anyway. Right before mile 3, this lady pushing a jog stroller came up on my left. She was barely sweating. I'm distrustful of her. Oh HELL no. You are NOT passing me!So I pushed a little more and finished about 10 seconds ahead of her.

All in all, I'm not disappointed with my time. I was only here for the tshirt and the socialization, anyway, and we're a few months past prime running PR weather here. Plus, I got what I wanted, time-wise, so it was a good day.

Next race: Mad Dog Sprint tri, May 31, my first of the season. Bring it!!

Need a Break

2009-05-11T15:16:00.005-04:00

Life'll make sure that you got your troubles
Life'll make sure that you work too hard
There ain't nobody that don't get tired
Of watchin' troubles pile up big in your own backyard
Everybody gotta get away sometimes
Forget about yourself for a while
If you live your whole life up there on that shelf
You got no one to blame but your own damn self
It's okay, it's all right, heaven only knows what's gonna happen tonight
I'm okay, I'm all right, carry on...

--Pat Green, Carry On

Happy Anniversary!

2009-04-23T00:51:00.002-04:00

Happy 26th Anniversary to my parents, Carol and Steve. Who'd have thought they'd make it this far? True, if Dad had a regular 9-to-5 job, we probably would be looking at a homicide situation, but still, way to go, y'all!

Road Trip!!

2009-04-17T01:21:00.002-04:00

Big Blue the Trusty Racemobile is ready to ride again. She's washed, vacuumed, and gassed up to go to Jackson, Mississippi. (What you can't see in this photo are the Polish flag hanging from the rear view mirror and the obnoxious pink Hello Kitty car seat covers, which several people have been begging me to get rid of :-D )

Rather than a race, this time Big Blue is transporting Linae and me to Holly's wedding. Pics later!

What I'd Give

2009-04-10T21:32:00.004-04:00

Wow. There are no words to express how much I adore Jennifer Nettles. Amazing.

Nothing exciting happening in my life right now: school, work, practice, train, repeat. Will probably have some roadtrip/wedding photos next weekend. Hopefully something fun and mildly embarrassing ;)

Ten Second Book Review: The Mercy of Thin Air

2009-04-08T11:39:00.004-04:00

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

Part passionate love story, part ghost story. This novel, set in and around New Orleans, is told from the perspective of a young lady who died in 1929 and stayed "in between," which is explained as where you hang out after you die and before you go...wherever. Beyond. But not like the "Beyond" that I'm used to (hahaha. Yeah, that wasn't funny.) Anyway, in the mid-2000s, she finds this bookshelf that belonged to the love of her life and is drawn to the young couple that purchases it. She follows them and their marital troubles, finding more ties to her lover along the way.

Very well-written, the author manages to suck you into the lives of all these people, past and present, and keeps you turning the pages. I know *I* stayed up way too late reading this. And the sex scenes--wow. Tasteful, but hot. If you're into that kind of thing ;) Also, the narrative going back and forth between past and present storylines was seamless. Beautifully done all around.

One thing I found very interesting was the concept of scent. Whenever a character had a strong thought about a lost loved one, their scent would come into the room. For several years, I have gotten a whiff of a very male essence at times. Sometimes it's very faint, but other times it's strong, almost like a cologne someone sprayed into the air. My dad is very rarely home, and it's not like anything I've ever smelled around him anyway. With this new theory, I wonder if it's not someone attached to me in some other realm. My first crush, who gave me my first kiss at age 14, died in a car accident in 1989. Maybe it's him?

It's probably just my imagination, but I'm intrigued anyway.

4.75 stars out of 5.

Obligatory Country Music Post

2009-04-02T22:38:00.001-04:00

This one's for you, guys.

Don't be afraid to be a dude :)

Ten-Second Book Review - Sister Mine

2009-03-25T23:32:00.004-04:00

Sister Mine by Tawni O'Dell

Okay, I loved this book. I didn't want it to end. The main character is a hard-drinking, cussing, bad-ass former cop with a propensity for getting into bar fights in her small Pennsylvania coal-mining town. Yes, HER town; she's a chick. The sister she thought had been dead for 18 years shows up, nine months pregnant and being followed by a New York attorney, a Connecticut socialite (who basically bought the baby,) and a Russian thug. Makes my family seem normal :) There's an interesting and well-written cast of secondary characters that round out this novel beautifully. Sharply-written, wickedly funny, and an extremely likable heroine.

4.5 stars out of 5

Ten-Second Book Review - The Pirate's Daughter

2009-03-19T21:56:00.003-04:00

The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

Meh. It was okay; I thought it'd be better. I was looking for some light chick-lit, which it was, but I also got a dose of politics of Jamaica past, the struggles the country and its citizens went through while gaining independence. And the whole Errol Flynn thing was interesting.

Three stars out of five.

Pat F'in Green!! Concert

2009-03-18T22:01:00.004-04:00

**Before I start, could someone PLEASE remind me to use my mom's WAY more ginormous, but infinitely better-quality camera next time I go to a concert?? Thank you :)**

Anyway, in keeping with my fine tradition of stalking hot country singers, Wendy, her (now-fiance) Louis, and I headed to the Dallas Bull in Tampa to see Pat Green last Friday (3/13) He's not exactly a common feature on standard country radio stations, even though he should be. Check out "Carry On," "Wave on Wave," and "Three Days." The audience was probably half Texans, including our two new friends, Daphne and Bill, from Austin. They follow Pat around, which is pretty cool. They were very friendly and kept buying us drinks, including a shot of Jaeger, which is vile, but I did it anyway. Didn't want to be rude ;)

Wendy and me. And Louis' finger up in the corner

Jaegermeister banner. Not that you can see it with my inferior camera :-P

Cowboy Troy opened the show. "Hick Chick" and "I Play Chicken with the Train." He's a 6'4" black country rapper. What else can I say??

The MC was Rick Monroe. I don't know who he is, but he did a friggin' AWESOME cover of Cross Canadian Ragweed's "Boys From Oklahoma." While I don't personally indulge, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy hearing about it from others ;)

Randy Houser was the second act on the tour. He was really good. Louis liked him best, so there ya go.

The man of the hour, Pat F*ckin' Green! That's how he's greeted by his fans when he comes out on stage. I explained this to Wendy before he came on, but I don't think she believed me. So we got Daphne and Bill in on it, and they confirmed that I was NOT making this shit up.

He put on an excellent show, *almost* as good as Gary Allan. I will be stalking him in the future :)

Disney Princess Weekend - Sunday, Post-Race

2009-03-16T00:08:00.004-04:00

Nancy had to leave soon after the race to catch her flight back home, leaving Holly, Linae, and me to wander around Downtown Disney and Epcot.

Me and the world's biggest dalmatian. Go Pongo!!

Penguins and Tri-Deads in Downtown Disney. Front, Linae. Back row, Karen, Kay, me, Holly, Daria

Yes, another margarita.

Holly in front of the Lego dragon

Apparently, I was fascinated by this dragon

Me in "Italy"

"France"

"Germany"

Multiculturism at work. Drinking a margarita in "Norway." (Yes, yet ANOTHER margarita. What are you implying, exactly??)

Holly and Linae in "China."

Illuminations at Epcot

We also hit MGM and rode the Rock n Roller coaster twice. And we managed to get Linae on Tower of Terror, which was friggin' AWESOME!! While I *love* roller coasters, I'm not usually a fan of drop-rides; but ToT was very well-done.

Disney Princess Half Marathon - Sunday

2009-03-15T23:16:00.004-04:00

Judging by how I was dressed for the race, I did not intend to actually "race" this event. But I took off fairly fast (for me,) and was on PR pace until about mile 10. Despite the tutu, tiara, and stopping to take pictures of characters every 50 feet ;) Finished in 2:27:03, which is about 5 minutes off my current half PR.

Nancy and me waiting for the shuttle to the start

That tiara has some miles on it...

In the corral. Don't judge ;)

Cinderella's castle. We ran through it

Chip and Dale

Malefacent from Sleeping Beauty

Prince Philip and Sleeping Beauty (aka Aurora.) I was caught in mid-blink :( I apologized to Aurora for looking like I did at that point.

Aladdin and Jasmine

Fairies. I almost didn't want to stand between them, they were so beautiful

Muu-Shuu and Mulan

You gotta love a dude who is *this* secure in his masculinity

Linae and Holly, Princesses Supporting Princesses

In front of Epcot, about 1.5 miles from the finish

The characters were awesome. They were always gracious and smiling despite the fact that they had to put their arms around smelly, sweaty runners all day while wearing those heavy costumes and spackled-on makeup. And I'm still bummed that I missed Stitch, who is my favorite Disney guy. Gotta love the bad boys ;)

Disney Princess Weekend, Part Un - Saturday

2009-03-14T23:47:00.004-04:00

Yes, I'm a slacker. I'll get parts deux and trois tomorrow. They all also need to go up on Facebook and/or Flickr, so I'll be busy computin' tomorrow. I apologize to both of you who read this blog ;)

Anyway, these are pictures from Saturday, March 7, mostly at Epcot.

"Mine! Mine!"

Dory!

Nemo X 2 (Nemoes? Nemi?)

The train at the Magic Kingdom was on Parade Delay

Nancy and Linae

Me and Holly

Margarita in "Mexico"

Bangers and mash, a most delightful pre-race meal, at Raglan Road Irish Pub

I dunno. Could be trouble brewin'....

Does this tutu make my butt look big??

2009-03-06T21:40:00.006-05:00

Subtitle: Random Friday Night BS

But before we get to the randomness, here are some pretty pictures I've been remiss in posting:

Ooooh!

Ahhhhh!

Okay, now that that's out of the way, it's time to focus on the topic at hand, namely Sunday's Disney Princess Half Marathon. Which I will be running wearing a tutu, which *does*, in fact, make my ass look three feet wide. Similar to this:

I didn't count on the tulle being quite so itchy and annoying against my legs. I had originally bet that it would last six miles; now I'm thinking three. But I'll make sure to get some photos before it comes off, because it's too ridiculous to NOT have pictures.

So I should be finishing up packing right now, yet I'm sitting here eating Swedish Fish and downloading pictures of dancing hippos :) I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to make the drive into Orlando. It *should* take me 2 hours. I'm guessing more like 1.5, since I'm a known lead foot. Just ask the Alabama State Patrol. Anyway, I'm mostly packed, I've got Pat Green and Gary Allan CDs for the drive, I'll be hitting the expo (which I'm sure will be a zoo,) meeting Linae when she rolls into the Happiest Place on Earth, then we'll hook up with Holly and Nancy in one of the parks. Fun! I haven't seen Nancy since IMFL 2006, and it was MCM 2007 for Holly. And I haven't seen Linae since...uh, last weekend.

I seem to have regained my Mountain Dew addiction. What is it about sugar pop that is so irresistible to me? I think they lace it with crack or something. Whatever; all I know is if I don't quit drinking so much of it, I'm going to give myself diabetes :-P

School is still frustrating the hell out of me. They insist on forcing us to use this program that basically grades us in realtime writing, and since we all suck at it without the benefit of editing, we've all been knocked down 20 wpm. This is NOT helping us get any faster. So we're planning a mutiny next week.

Work: blah. I don't call it the Hellhole for no reason. Sometimes the Shithole. The Rathole would be appropriate too, since we have several of the little buggers running around eating the candy in the front store room. Anyway, I found out my favorite assistant manager, Wendy, is leaving next month. I am completely bummed about that. Now who am I going to go drinking with at Chili's after a Saturday night shift??

Okay, that's enough BS for now. Look for pics and a race report early next week.

Later, y'all!

RR: Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K

2009-03-04T23:51:00.008-05:00

Saturday, February 28, 2009. Downtown Tampa, Florida. Warm and slightly muggy at the start. I finished in 1:34:51, which is about 14 minutes faster than my previous PR, and 16 minutes faster than last year. And, of course, there were pirates :)

Linae and me at the start. Linae did almost all of the camera work here.

Sea of humanity at the start. 4200 in the 15K, even more in the 5K. I heard around 8700 in that race. Wall-to-wall people, no chance of ever spreading out. Noooo thank you....

Bayshore Blvd, which runs along Hillsborough Bay

That's me on the far left. If you're wondering why my legs are so pale considering I wear shorts 10 months out of the year, all I can say is: SPF 45 ;)

Again, there's my big ol' butt in the middle of the frame. Upon seeing this picture, a co-worker said, "Wow. You've got, like, good form and shit." Thanks. I think.

Cotton tshirts for the 5K/15K runners, but cool tech shirts for the marathon/half runners. Only fair, I suppose. But orange?? Really??

Of course the medal ho is going to post a picture of the bling. (Orange?? Really??) Although, I suppose it's better than last year's tacky Publix-green ribbon and the goofy parrot-dressed-as-a-pirate medallion.

Post-race, Linae, her hubby Joe and I went to their favorite local pub, The Angry Pepper, in St. Pete:

The location doesn't suck, especially on a sunny, 75-degree day

Me with a tasty Orange Blossom Pilsner

Linae with her chick beer

Joe with...some beer. I can't remember what he was drinking here :)

Nice atmosphere, wonderful food. An excellent time was had by all

Just Curious

2009-03-03T16:35:00.003-05:00

In light of two separate conversations I've been involved in recently, I'm looking for opinions:

Why is it okay for a guy to be older in a romantic relationship, but it's less desirable for a girl to be the older one? What is the difference? Is it a childbearing/survival of the species thing ingrained in humans or what?

Any thoughts, anyone? Guys in particular? Bueller? Bueller?

(I owe a race report and pics from Gasparilla. Coming after work tonight or tomorrow afternoon.)

Fat Tuesday!!

2009-02-23T22:45:00.002-05:00

Or, Happy Paczki Day, as we Polacks like to say ;)

I always miss real, authentic paczki from Hamtramck on Fat Tuesday. They usually try to pass something similar off here in the Publix bakery, but they're just extra-lardy jelly donuts :(

Ciesza sie, Midwesterners!

Lowry Park Zoo

2009-02-21T23:37:00.006-05:00

We went to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. Two weeks ago. Yes, I'm a slacker....

It's a really great little zoo. Pictures I did not get--my nephew running around kissing the goats at the petting zoo ;)

I love that you can get so close to the kangaroos

LT :)

This guy was my favorite

Random Friday Night BS

2009-02-06T23:59:00.002-05:00

I am spawned from crazy people.

If you spill Faygo Rock & Rye pop on a white tshirt, it will not come completely out even with a Tide Pen, OxiClean, and the toughest stain removal stuff on the market.

Death to people who sit in the middle of a parking row for five minutes (blocking me in, but I digress) waiting for someone to pull out of a spot TWO SPACES UP from an empty spot. Really?? Is that extra 10 feet of walking going to kill you, fatass??

I also hate people who shop at Sam's Club. They are the same assholes who shop at Walmart (aka the Tenth Circle of Hell,) only they're buying in bulk. And they block me in my parking spot.

I was watching Oprah this afternoon (don't judge,) and I found out that in Mauritania, overweight divorcees with stretchmarks are considered the most desirable mates. Where's my passport....

Pat Green's new CD friggin' ROCKS. Even if all my friends flake out on his show at the Dallas Bull next month, I am going to see that boy in concert. Even if I'm sitting there drinking beer all by myself like a big ol' loser.

Sign of the Apocolypse

2009-01-30T18:50:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm officially skeerd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVn-uH61gTc

Someone please make it go away....

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-23T23:51:00.001-05:00

Where I spend 6 hours a day Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Possibly for the rest of my life :-P

Sunset January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T22:59:00.001-05:00

Taken out the front door of the store where I work. We're west-facing, about 1.5 miles off the Gulf of Mexico. Not too shabby, eh?

Good Weekend :)

2009-01-19T00:55:00.004-05:00

On Friday, I passed my speed test, thus enabling me to (officially) move on to the next level. Which I had been (unofficially) practicing at for a month anyway :)

On Saturday, I ran a 10K in St. Pete Beach in 59:06, which is a 3.5 minute PR and the first time I've ever broken an hour. Just a year ago, I was running 1:12-1:14 at that distance.

I had to work at the Hellhole all day today, but it's all good--I'm still slightly giddy from the good stuff ;)

2009 Race Schedule

2009-01-16T23:33:00.002-05:00

On the eve of my first race of 2009, here is my race schedule this year. So far :)

Running--

1/17 - St. Pete Beach Classic 10K
2/14 - Suncoast Classic 10K
2/28 - Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K
3/8 - Princess Half Marathon
3/15 - Bay to Bay 12K
3/21 - Armadillo Run 5K
7/4 - Kiwanis Midnight Run 5K and 10K (I may do both this year. 'Cuz what's more fun than running 15K at midnight in Florida in July??)
11/26 - Turkey Trot 10K
12/12 - Thunder Road Marathon, Charlotte, NC (??) Undecided on this one. It just seems weird to not have a marathon on this list. We'll see how everything goes....

Triathlon--

Mid-May - Mad Dog Sprint
Early August - Top Gun Sprint
Late August - Hammerhead Oly
11/7 - Beach 2 Battleship HALF iron

Advisory

2009-01-13T23:00:00.002-05:00

I'm going to a friend's housewarming party on Saturday night. I just found out there will be a karaoke machine. And tequila. I just wanted to warn all the dogs in the area so that they don't howl back at me.

Rain Be Gone!

2009-01-13T15:45:00.003-05:00

From my absolute favorite country song EVER:

Rainy Night in Georgia, Kentucky Rain
Here Comes that Rainy Day Feeling Again
Blue Eyes Crying in the early morning rain
They go on and on, there's no two the same
Oh, how I wish I could blame all these songs about rain

It's chilly, it's dreary, it's depressing. Enough, already!!

Although, I guess there's no better day to be stuck in the Hellhole for five hours :-P

Ten Second Book Review - Serena

2009-01-11T19:17:00.003-05:00

Serena by Ron Rash

Wow. What a brutal story. Or, what a story about brutal people. The book starts with a murder and ends with one, with several in between. But with all this killing going on, what makes me squeamish to the point where I almost pass out while reading? A graphically detailed account of a blood transfusion. Not the first time that's happened, by the way....

Anyway, the premise of the book is lust for power and how it destroys, and this plays out in a logging camp in western North Carolina in 1929, and a secondary plotline deals with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. George Pemberton brings his new bride, Serena, back from Boston, and she quickly proves herself the equal of any man out there. Before Serena was in the picture, Pemberton fathered an illegitmate child with a 17-year-old camp worker, Rachel. Rachel quickly became my favorite character in the novel, along with a Greek chorus of camp workers and Sheriff McDowell, one of the few people who try to bring the Pembertons to justice. It is impossible to like the viscious, evil Serena and her almost-as-vile husband. Actually, there was a time in the last quarter of the book where I kind of felt bad for ol' Pemberton, but it didn't last long. It's hard to have empathy for people who just cold-bloodedly kill people that get in their way.

Well-written, haunting, with a satisfying ending.

5 stars out of 5.

Sunset at Frenchy's

2008-12-31T17:07:00.002-05:00

Linae, Joe, and I met up last night with the Bruces from Chicago, who are in town for the Outback Bowl (GO COCKS! That was for you, Eric, lol.)

Sunset on Clearwater Beach

Heather, Eric, Linae, and me

To the triathletes! That's Joe on the right.

Ten Second Book Review - Last Night at the Lobster

2008-12-30T14:48:00.003-05:00

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan

The Red Lobster in New Britain, Connecticut is not performing the way corporate would like, so they're pulling the plug five days before Christmas. Manager Manny, a decent guy, wants to make the Last Night a great one. Unfortunately, he's got a bunch of no-shows, a few terrible employees that *do* show up, and a blizzard is keeping the customers away. He's also got a pregnant girlfriend at home, but is in love with one of his waitresses, with whom he had an ill-fated affair.

At only 146 pages, it's a very short novel, but a very good one. I pretty much devoured it in two days. (It would've only taken me one day, but I had to go to my own dead-end job.) Who'd have thought that the minutiae of a day at a chain restaurant could make for such a good story? I liked the characters, especially the well-drawn Manny. I found myself wanting things to go right for him. It's the sign of a good book that I'm curious as to what happened to the characters after story ends.

5 stars out of 5.

My To-Be-Read Stack

2008-12-29T14:20:00.004-05:00

Actually, I've read several of them already. I just ran out of shelf space on my other bookcase, which is 6 feet tall and crammed full. My dream is to buy a little house and turn one small room into a library. I'm talking floor-to-ceiling book shelves on all walls where it's possible, and a couple of enormous, overstuffed, comfy chairs.

(Okay, I also got a new camera for Christmas, so I'm trying it out. Thanks for playing along :-D )

Ten Second Book Review - Enemy Women

2008-12-28T19:10:00.003-05:00

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

Near the end of the Civil War in divided Missouri, the main character's father is arrested by the Missouri Militia, who then steal their possessions and try to burn their house down, sending our heroine, Adair, and her two sisters on the road to St. Louis to try to find their dad. While on the road, Adair is falsely accused of spying for the Confederacy and cutting telegraph wires, is arrested by the Union Army, and sent to a women's prison. She's drawn to the commanding officer, Major Neumann, and he to her. He's being transferred out to a fighting unit, and he helps her to escape, promising to find her after the war. It's not a sappy love story, but a nice element to a story of a young woman's fight for survival and to make it home.

Adair is feisty without being annoying, the way Scarlett O'Hara could be, and I was intrigued by Major Neumann and wanted to hear more about him, although he was really a secondary character. And there is not an antebellum mansion to be found in the entire novel! An excellent book.

5 stars out of 5.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T23:17:00.005-05:00

A few photos from Christmas Eve :)

We, as Midwesterners, think this is funny. It's also appropriate, since it was 82F here today. It *is* cute, though :)

The annual apple pie

My first attempt at deviled eggs. I couldn't find my star decorating tip, so I filled them by squeezing the filling out of a baggie with the corner snipped off. Also, the paprika kinda got away from me a time or two ;) Not pretty, but quite tasty.

Roscoe, the only fur kid left in the Newton household

Our temporary house guest, Patrick. He lives across the street. His mom and dad went out of town for Christmas eve. He's very friendly, but quite needy ;)

My favorite gift so far. What does one get for someone who loves the Dallas Cowboys AND has a weird thing for garden gnomes?? There ya go.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, EVERYBODY!!

Ten Second Book Review - I Love You, Beth Cooper

2008-12-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

Valedictorian geek shakes up his life during his valedictory speech by professing his love for head cheerleader/homecoming queen. Improbably, cheerleader and her bitchy, uber-popular friends take geek and his equally dorky, is-he-or-isn't-he-gay, movie quote-spewing, bad Spanglish-speaking friend out on graduation night. Chaos and hilarity ensue. This includes a crazy Army-assassin boyfriend, co-ed showering, a towel-snapping scene, and a grad party to end all grad parties. I had always wondered what the cool kids did in high school ;)

3.5 stars out of 5.

Currently reading Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles and friggin' LOVING it.

Ten Second Book Review - Then She Found Me

2008-12-17T15:14:00.002-05:00

Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman

Prim schoolteacher is contacted out of the blue by her brassy, slightly obnoxious, semi-pathologically lying birth mother. I actually like the main character, April. I can relate to someone who becomes comfortable doing their own thing (also known as "stuck in a rut") and tends to close herself off emotionally from people. However, I would have told the birth mother, Bernice, to hit the bricks about halfway through the book. And then moved and changed my name :-P

4 stars out of 5

RR: Gulf Beaches Holiday Halfathon

2008-12-14T23:58:00.000-05:00

Nice race that runs through some of our little beach towns, starting in Madeira Beach and running through Redington Beach, up the Pinellas Trail, and ending with a loop around, and then into, Taylor Park, which I'm pretty sure is in Largo. About 1200 people showed up, and the weather was perfect for running--cool, overcast, and not too breezy.

2:22:12, which is way better than my last PR (2:30:59) last month, and *significantly* better than this same course last year (2:57:05)

This one was for Lili the Great Dane, whose cancer had caused her to deteriorate rapidly over the past week and we had to have her put down last night. She was a very good dog.

And I ran like I stole it :)

Holy Tacky Lawn Ornaments, Batman!

2008-12-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Our new neighbor's front lawn (well, part of it, anyway):

The "band" plays actual music, which just adds to the experience ;)

Santa is new. It seems like there is something new and exciting every time I come home from work. I was very excited when The Grinch showed up.

Our house. Mom refused to buy any 8' lawn ornaments. Killjoy :(

Our house, only darker

Which reminds me--I need to make time for my lights run soon :)

Official 70.3 Pre-Training Kickoff

2008-12-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

Since I hadn't been on my bike since the Suncoast tri (like, six weeks ago,) Linae decided that I needed to ride today, so I met her about 12 miles up the road in New Port Nowhere and we rode part of the Suncoast Trail and through Starkey Park. We saw two deer (I don't think it was the same one twice) and the biggest effin' grasshopper I've ever seen in my life. We have some weird @ss bugs here. I ran through a mini-swarm of lovebugs the other day. I knew they were lovebugs because they were "hooked up," the gross little fornicating ba$tards.

Anyway, I slowed the injured fast girl waaaaay down (y'know, so she wouldn't aggravate her hip further. Riiiiight...) I have a LOT of work to do. 18.5 miles, which is as far as I've ever gone on two wheels. About a mile before we hit the parking lot, Linae turns to me and says, "By the time we finish today, you'll be 1/3 of the way there!" (For my non-tri friends, the bike portion of this race is 56 miles.) My reaction: Holy sh!t. My butt hurts NOW. And I'm slow. She assured me I'd get faster if I actually RODE THE BIKE once in a while. Hmmm. I suppose it's worth a shot....

And so begins 70.3 training.

Thanks, Dr. Pusher! :)

PORN - 12 miles in the morning

Failed Spectacularly

2008-12-06T12:34:00.000-05:00

Guess yesterday just wasn't my day. Oh well. There's Tuesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And the same next week. I'm bound to hit two of them :-D

Testing, Testing

2008-12-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

After missing one test by five words (FIVE WORDS! AARGH!!!) two weeks ago and then completely train-wrecking one the next day, I am testing again tomorrow. And I will pass. If I do not, I will post my Goodbye-Cruel-World missive here tomorrow afternoon ;)

All positive vibes/crossed fingers/whatever it is you do for good luck will be greatly appreciated!

Drank the Koolaid

2008-12-02T00:09:00.000-05:00

Participant: Shawn Newton
Event: Beach2Battleship Half 2009
Date: Saturday November 7, 2009
Invoice: R-I-88785-50506
============================

Yep, I signed up for a half-iron distance triathlon. For those not in the know, that's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. Yes, all in the same day.

Funny. About a year ago, I was telling my friends there was no way in hell they'd ever get me to do a tri. Guess I showed them ;)

By the way, my pushers, Nancy and Linae , are both doing the full (2.4/112/26.2)

Let the training begin!!

Not the Right Girl

2008-12-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

He seems to be interested in a polished, big-city type of girl. I'm basically a Southern girl with a Northern accent, infinitely more comfortable in small towns.

He seems to want champagne, caviar, and the opera. I'm beer and brats and country music. Football and hockey. Though I'm not opposed to the opera.

He seems to want a girl who is thoroughly put together: Perfect hair and makeup, dressed well all the time. I pretty much live in beat-up jeans, shorts and flip flops. Low-maintenance hair, little makeup. I run, therefore I sweat. It's not really attractive. Salt forms on my face, arms, and legs. NOT put-together by any stretch.

He seems to want someone who is "on" all the time. Sometimes I just want to BE. I don't have a zillion fascinating stories to tell you and your friends. A lot of war stories from my marriage, sure. But who wants to hear those? Running or race stories? Probably would bore people to death. Court reporting, books, dysfunctional families. These are the things I know best.

In the entire time I've known him, though he's flirted with me relentlessly, he hasn't really asked me any questions about myself, and so really knows very little about me. It's a shame; he's missing out.

I can only surmise that he's not really interested, and he's merely a flirt. Which is fine. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'm not the right girl anyway. So when I see him from now on, I'll smile at his flirty little comments, and know in the back of my mind that there's someone pretty cool out there somewhere looking for beer and brats and hockey.

Probably in Nashville or Charlotte :)

New 10K PR

2008-11-30T18:56:00.000-05:00

Old PR - 1:10:23
New PR - 1:02:44

That's over 7 minutes off. I'm pretty stoked :)

And that is all I can say about it at this time....

For Linae

2008-11-26T13:53:00.000-05:00

Target practice? He *looks* relatively harmless, what with the flowers and all ;-D

(Is anyone surprised that I own a gnome, BTW?)

And if my mom is reading: Yes, I need to dust my bookcase....

Key Lime Pie!!

2008-11-26T13:28:00.000-05:00

My favorite!! The biggest challenge is going to be to not eat it in the car on the way to Daytona tomorrow.

I normally make my own crust, but I was going for quick and easy this time.

For all non-Floridians: Key lime juice is yellow; thus, the pie is yellow. It's NOT SUPPOSED TO BE green. Green Key lime pies are evil and must be avoided at all costs. That is all.

Diabetes on a Plate

2008-11-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

This is the dessert that I am semi-famous for. I get requests for it for every pitch-in, holiday party, and PMS cycle ;) The first office pitch-in I brought this to, when I worked for Indiana State Emergency Management Ops, my friend (and work husband) John came up to me, gave me a hug, and told me it was better than sex. Awkward, sure, but I'm glad I, uh, made him happy.

It's not low-fat or healthy in any way, unless you count the peanut butter, which is protein. The health benefits are pretty much washed out by the stick of butter and three cups of confectioner's sugar that also goes into the mixture. And the loads of chocolate. And the crust, which consists of crumbled butter cookies and melted butter.

I made it today for a Black Friday party at work. I made it last week for an early Thanksgiving party at school. They went before lunch was over, and my poor little lemon squares, which I actually prefer because they're not as rich, got the shaft :(

Tomorrow: Key lime pie!!

These pictures brought to you by the letter "G"

2008-11-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

For "graceful." Yeah, riiiight....

Took a spill on my run this morning. Hit a crack in the pavement, turned my ankle, and went down like a sack of wet cement. The ankle is fine; my ankles are really weird anyway--kinda bendy. Another reason I've always been a lousy ice skater ;)

I'll be back out on the roads tomorrow morning. Hopefully without extra road rash....

Hockey Night in Tampa

2008-11-16T23:33:00.000-05:00

Thursday, November 13, 2008. Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wings won 4-3 in an exciting game that went down to the last minute. TB pulled their goalie and everything :) It was kind of weird to be rooting against my current hometown team, but being from Detroit, I have been a die-hard, rabid Wings fan since I was 4 years old. No question which team I was there to support.

There was a nice ceremony honoring our veterans before the game started.

There was almost as much red in the stands (including myself) as blue and black. It almost looked like a Red Wings home game. I attribute this to two things: 1) The Wings won the Stanley Cup last year, so there are lots of bandwagon fans, and 2) there are tons of Midwestern transplants living in the Tampa Bay area. Five of my neighbors alone are from Michigan.

The big group of people in red and white jerseys near the right side of the photo was part of a group of electricians from the Detroit area. They chartered two buses and drove down here specifically for this game. There were about 90 of them scattered throught the Ice Palace. I kept running into one guy, the guy who told me all of this information. He was drunk when he got off the bus ;) Anyway, before the game, he saw me in my Wings shirt and hollered, "Wings shirt!! This chick ROCKS!!" and some of his buddies cheered. So I played along, doing the "raise the roof" thing, and he started talking to me. I somehow managed to run into him at both intermissions AND on my way to the bathroom after the game.

Mikael Samuelsson (37), Niklas Kronwall (55), and Kris Draper (33).

Mom and me

Victors! Goalie Chris Osgood (30), backup goalie Ty Conklin (middle), and Brian Rafalski (28).

At the first intermission, I went up to visit my friend Wendy, whose boyfriend's sister's best friend had a skybox; it was a pretty sweet setup. I drank their free beer, ate their free pizza and brownies, and chatted with a bunch of native Michiganders. Felt like home ;)

Ho Ho Ho and Deck Them Halls

2008-11-10T22:52:00.001-05:00

Since they insist upon shoving Christmas down our throats starting right after Labor Day, and I've worked retail for the past three and a half years so I'm slightly Grinchy anyway, I've decided to think of some things I actually *like* about Christmas, despite the obnoxious commercialism and the depression and the unrealistic expectations put upon loved ones ;)

*Christmas Lights. When I lived in Michigan, we used to drive over to Grosse Pointe Shores and go up and down the streets looking at the fantastically-decorated mansions. Even when I got older and moved, I enjoyed walking around the neighborhood with my then-husband looking at the lights. These days, I do a "lights run" around the subdivision, which is fun. Maybe next Christmas someone will run with me :)

*A Charlie Brown Christmas. It just never gets old.

*The Nutcracker ballet. Cheesy, I know, but I've loved it since I was a kid. "The Waltz of the Flowers" is my favorite, and the Pas de Deux.

*Certain Christmas movies. The original Miracle on 34th Street. A Christmas Story. And, of course, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Did you really expect anything different?)

*Candy canes. I can take or leave Starlight mints, but I can never pass up a candy cane! (A regular old-fashioned one, none of those gross fruity flavored ones...) When our dalmatian Barney was still with us, we could only hang candy canes on the top half of our tree because he would take them off and eat them, wrapper and all. Freshest dog breath in town :)

*Homemade sugar cookies. I make awesome ones, super-thin and crispy. If you want to try them for yourself, let me know; I'll make ya a batch ;)

*Wearing my holly barrettes. They jingle.

*Some Christmas music. I inexplicably love "Jingle Bell Rock." "Blue Christmas." "Mele Kalikimaka." Gary Allan's version of "Please Come Home For Christmas." Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas CDs. And, of course, Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck Twelve Days of Christmas" (Twelve pack of Bud, eleven rasslin' tickets, tin of Copenhagen, nine years probation...)

*Eggnog milkshakes from Steak 'n Shake.

*Watching someone open that one perfect gift. I screwed myself last year by giving my mom tickets to George Strait. I can never top that. But she loved it, so it was awesome.

RR: Orange Blossom Half Marathon

2008-11-09T22:55:00.001-05:00

November 9, 2008. Tavares, Florida.

Reader's Digest version: 2:31:02, about 13-1/2 minutes off my previous half PR from back in January. I heard separately from two guys with Garmins that the course was about 1/2 mile long, which Linae and I both figured since mile 3 seemed really really LONG.

Saturday afternoon: After driving the two hours from Hudson to Tavares, we pretty much wandered around this little town looking for City Hall. The only directions given to us was, "It's by the lake." What they failed to mention was that were TWO lakes. Apparently, they just assumed everyone knew which lake they were talking about. No address. No cross streets. Nothing. And the website was no help, either. So finally, after driving around the wrong lake, going the wrong way, Linae with her GPS and me with my TomTom (neither of which was much help,) we finally stumbled upon packet pickup. Right across the street from O'Keefe's Irish Pub. Guess where we wound up :)

After a glass of cider (above,) we drove into Clermont to Dave's Tri Homestay. Dave is a pretty fun guy. We made friends with his conures Frick and Frack, and I scratched the ears of a cat or two he had running around outside his house. He had some pro triathletes staying there, which was cool. Dave, Linae, and I headed over to Olive Garden for some cheesy, starchy goodness, then we came back, watched a program on Lance Armstrong that Dave pretty much insisted we see (I think I may have nodded off--Linae referred to it as the Lance Infomercial,) then cleaned up a bit and hit the rack.

Sunday morning: It was kind of chilly, and Linae had the foresight to bring a couple of trash bags to keep us warm. We tossed them right before the horn, and then we were off. I hung with Linae for just under 4 miles (or it might have actually *been* 4 miles, since mile 3 was long,) and then I dropped back a bit. I was feeling pretty good through about 7 miles, and then I started to hurt a bit, so I slowed down and eventually walked a little. My "A" goal was 2:35, and I had a bit of a cushion thanks to Linae's pacing, so I figured it wouldn't hurt. What I forgot was what it does to me mentally once I start walking--I tend to not feel like *running* because walking feels so much better. And that was my undoing for the next couple of miles :-P I started playing mind games with myself: "Okay, I'll run to the cone, which is mile 9." I'd then get to the cone, forgetting that there was also a cone for mile 8. "F*&k!! All right, second cone is mile 9. Next f*&king cone, next f*&king cone, I can walk a bit when I hit the next f*&king cone...." So that went on until about mile 11 :)

When I hit mile 10 and realized that I could pretty much walk the rest of the way and make 2:35, I settled into a comfortable, sustainable pace. Right before I hit mile 11, I saw a pink top and striped pink skirt walking a bit ahead of me. I figure I'm hallucinating--No way is that Linae. So I sped up a bit, and sure enough, it's her. And she's limping pretty badly. I pull up to her, ask her if she's all right, which I don't know why I asked because she obviously wasn't, but you know....She says she's in excruciating pain and tears up, which makes me tear up (because if I'm in the room, nobody cries alone,) then she gave me the car key since I'll get to the finish line before her. I take the key and keep walking next to her. She looks at me and says, "Why are you walking?? RUN!!" So I did. As I'm pulling away, I hear her call out, "If they have any beer, save me one!"

Right at mile 13, I reeled in this dude I had been leapfrogging all morning, looked at my watch, which read exactly 2:30, and told him how I had wanted to go sub 2:30. He looked at his Garmin and said, "If it makes you feel any better, we're actually at 13.5 miles." Huh. Yeah, it does a little. We crossed the finish line, I got my medal and a bottle of water, went to the car to get our long-sleeve race tshirts, went back to the post-race party, and pulled two beers out of the cooler. The guy behind me laughs and says, "9:30 on a Sunday morning and you're double-fisting it! My kinda girl!" I said, "Yeah, I earned these bad boys!" He said, "Especially since the course was long," and showed me his Garmin (sounds dirty, but isn't.)

I met Linae at the 13 mile mark, gave her her beer, we ate donuts (suddenly we're Homer Simpson with the beer and donuts,) hung out a bit, I went and got the car because she could barely walk at all at that point, and we headed back to Dave's to clean up. We headed back home and stopped for cheeseburgers along the way (heaven...)

Next month's half: sub-2:30 on an accurate course ;)

Me in Five Years

2008-11-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

"Your Honor, could you ask the killer to speak up?":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFRjs17rM8o

Crossing Mississippi off my Places to Potentially Move To list:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0x4guxBLGQ

DEFINITELY in the Beyond Section

2008-11-07T01:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, one of my esteemed colleagues (read: goofy co-workers) showed me a new line of "personal massagers" sold on our company's website. It was good for a few laughs and several immature and inappropriate comments:

Per the web page:

"Form 6 Personal Massager - Blue
Treat yourself to a personal massage even while on vacation with this compact 7" long unit. This vibrating massager has six vibration modes and is both waterproof and rechargeable. Every surface of the unit vibrates, so you choose which contour will best suit the needs of your own body. Made from phthalate-free medical grade silicone and metal. Runs on one lithium battery, included. Includes charging base and power adapter. UL listed. One-year limited warranty."

Per me: This can be yours for only $184.99 plus shipping/tax! And if you place your order in the store, you can use your 20% coupon. What a deal!!

Well, we *used* to be a G-rated store anyway ;)

I'm waaaaatching yooooou....

2008-11-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

LOL--Scary, eh? This is what happens when I get bored

10-Second Book Review: The Memory of Water

2008-11-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

Complete chick-lit, but a good little escapist drama. Sibling rivalry, mental illness, parental love, unspeakable acts, repressed memories--good stuff! I would have liked to have delved into the relationship between Marnie and Quinn a bit deeper, but I'm in kind of a weird place right now.

4.25 stars out of 5, if you're looking for something lite :)

And because I'm in a random mood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-KX3XuUXpc

Word.

Weekend Pictures

2008-10-27T22:48:00.000-04:00

Saturday night: Hockey Game

Hockey babes: Linae, me, Lisa

Tampa Bay Lightning (white sweaters) got their asses handed to them by the San Jose Sharks (dark sweaters.) Maybe next time :(

Sunday: Busch Gardens

Steven feeding the lorakeets

Joe and Lisa

The Scorpion! I'm in the fifth car, right hand side. Not that you can see it

RR: Suncoast Sprint Triathlon

2008-10-27T00:33:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 25, 2008. 660 yd swim/10 mile bike/3.1 mile run

Reader's Digest version: 1:41:07, four and a half minutes faster than my last time on this course back in August. And this course was a bit longer, so it's all good :)

Extended version: Linae and I were lucky enough to spend another fantastic weekend with Lisa Limper, who descended upon the Bay area to play sherpa and volunteer extraordinaire for the Suncoast triathlon :)

I picked up Lisa at the airport on Friday afternoon. After getting us lost at least twice, despite TomTom, I finally managed to make it to Linae's house. Stupid road construction :-P We dropped off our stuff, gave the Dobie some lovin', and headed out to eat. After some moderately decent Tex Mex, we girls hung out around the computer for most of the evening while Joe and his school band played the high school football game. So instead of picking up our race packets in a timely fashion like responsible triathletes, we screwed around online updating fantasy football rosters and picking out my new ringtone for Linae's phone (It's "Some Beach," in case you were wondering :) )

Race day was cold and rainy and windy. The four of us woke up between 0500 and 0530. We all stumbled around for a bit, got our gear together, and headed off to Fort Desoto, near St. Pete, to pick up our packets. Lisa volunteered doing body marking while Joe, Linae, and I headed to the start. We ran into Linae's friends Sherry and Jared, who were doing their first tri. We decided to try to stay out of the wind by huddling behind a sign on the beach. The sign said, "Dangerous Currents. No Swimming." I found this ironic, as it was about 1/8 mile from the swim start.

When the sun started to come up, we went in to do a quick warm up swim. The water was fairly cool, probably around 75F, but tolerable once you actually got in and started moving around. Once again, our wave started last, so we stood around waiting, teeth chattering. When Joe's wave went off, we noticed a pod of maybe eight dolphins in the water, really close to the swimmers, like maybe 10 feet away. Way too close for my comfort. As everyone was ooohing and aaahing over how cool it would be to swim with dolphins, I just kept thinking, "I hope they leave before I get in there." I have a healthy respect for marine life, and there are certain parts of it I don't want any part of. A wild dolphin encounter is one of them. I guess I've been hanging out with the marine biologist for too long ;)

Anyway, by the time we went in, the dolphins had left, but we then had the problem of the rough swim. I tried to calm myself beforehand by breathing deeply and telling myself that I wouldn't drown. We swam along the sandbar, and I could almost touch bottom if I needed to. The current helped, making the swim faster, but it still felt like an eternity because of the swells. I swallowed a fair amount of seawater, and if I didn't swallow it, it went up my nose. It was not a fun day in the water, and I was grateful to be done.

Saw Lisa on my way into transition, got a high five, and it was on to the bike. On my way out, a lady came up beside me and said, "Great job! Jesus loves you!" I said, "He must, because I didn't drown and I wasn't molested by dolphins, so it's a good day." The ride was fairly uneventful, despite wet pavement and a vicious headwind from miles 5.5-8. What with all the marathon training I've been doing, I hadn't worked on my cycling. I no longer have an excuse, and it's GOT TO get better if I ever hope to have a decent 1/2 IM.

Saw Lisa again on my way out of transition, pointing us in the proper direction. She later told me, "You were *not* in your happy place." And how ;) The run was okay. It takes me a half-mile or so to get my legs to not feel Jello-y, so that combined with the loose-sand beach run in the beginning of the run made for a slow first mile. But I picked it up a bit, and felt decent toward the middle and finished fairly strongly.

Final time: 1:41:07, which is almost four and a half minutes faster than my previous race on that course. And this course was longer, so I'm pretty happy about that.

After champagne in the parking lot (no tequila this time--sorry Neil!) we cleaned up, gorged ourselves on hot wings and Amber Bock, took a nice nap (hey Linae, do you have a black snake I could borrow??) had a beer at Andreychuck's, went to the Ice Palace, where the San Jose Sharks spanked our Lightning (but we still had fun,) went to a Halloween party thrown by Joe and Linae's friends, went home and crashed at 1300.

Today was Busch Gardens with Lisa's friend from college and her family. I think we're all pretty much beat :)

A HUUUUUGE thanks to Lisa for volunteering. You're awesome, girl, and it was fantastic to see you again!! See you in February for Gasparilla!

Mount Desert Island Marathon in Pictures

2008-10-20T22:31:00.001-04:00

Sunday, October 19, 2008. Bar Harbor (Bah Hahbah,) Maine. C-c-c-cold at the start (for me, at least--it was about 30F.) Fantastic race, friendly Mainers (not Maine-iacs,) gorgeous scenery, awesome schwag, diabolical hills. Due to said hills, I was hoping for sub-6:30. I ran 5:44:20, which is awesome for me, a mere 2 minutes over my PR from flat flat flat Kiawah Island. Thanks to Kay for pulling my carcass over the line!

Pics from the day before, as we were wandering the village:

Me in front of Frenchman's Bay

Frenchman's Bay

I'm 99.7% sure that's Cadillac Mountain

Gazebo by the town pier

Church in town

Pics from race day:

Freezing, whiny Florida girls

Why I miss Up North

Bait shop! I loved the lobster on the building

Indeed....

Where do I check in??

Mickey Mouse hands. The gloves never came off

Still alive and in good spirits past the halfway point

Kirsten!! She walked the marathon, finishing in 8:02 and change

Somes Sound, right around mile 18. The wind kicked up mercilessly and the temp seemed to drop about 10 degrees, so the throwaway shirt came back on for a few miles

Happy finishers! I'm sporting the unexpected and much-appreciated microsuede windshirt that was part of our schwag bag. And dig my mylar-chic skirt ;)

Bling! Shirt and medal. Who the hell looks good in this color?? Whatever. At least it's technical fabric

Blurry close-up of the medal. The past two years' sponsor was Red Lobster, so there was a Red Lobster logo where the crow is. I prefer the crow, especially after the race director told us the story of how Crow Athletics got its name, how crows and runners are similar. If you'd like me to retell his story, hit me up ;)

This has GOTTA be some kind of record

2008-10-16T23:51:00.000-04:00

It's October 16, and I'm already burned out on Christmas music :-P They set up all the Christmas stuff at work last night after I left.

It's gonna be a looooooong holiday season.

In other news, I'm running Mount Desert Island Marathon in Maine this weekend. I'm leaving for the airport at about 4:45 AM. If I go to bed right this second, I'll get about four hours of sleep :)

DONE!!

2008-10-15T11:41:00.000-04:00

Since tomorrow is the end of the quinmester (and I'm ditching,) that means--I am FINISHED with the pain in the ass medical testimony class that has been the bane of my existence for the past nine weeks!! Maybe now I can stress a little less and worry more about my speed progression. I didn't pass my speed this quin, but I think I can make it within the next two weeks or so. God (and fingers) willing.

While I detested the medical class, I did really well in it. My instructor even wrote a note on one of my transcripts that medical testimony specialization may be in my future. Frankly, at this point, I'd rather take a stick to the eye, but I'm not completely ruling it out for the future. Never say never.

Random music note: This is my new favorite underplayed song on the radio. I wish the radio stations around here played some of the more underrated country artists rather than All-Kenny-and-Carrie-All-the-Time. As much as I love Keith Urban (and most of y'all know I do,) I really don't want to hear him three times an hour :-P

No reason, I just like it

2008-10-13T23:02:00.001-04:00

I wanna be a bad ass when I grow up....

So how exactly does one develop an "edge," anyway? Perhaps life hasn't hardened me enough. Or is it something you're born with, and I'm shit outta luck?

Because I'm beloved by my family....

2008-10-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

On my sister's latest blog post, these two pictures were labeled "For Shawnie."

As far as the second one goes, I guess when someone gets you, they get you ;-D

I have absolutely NO idea

2008-10-12T23:51:00.000-04:00

where this came from:

But there it was this morning, on the left side of the front of my right ankle. Of course, most of you know an unexplained bruise is not an unusual occurrence for me, but this one is pretty big and it's kind of tender.

All I know is if I have some kind of weird, fatal blood disease and I only have, like, three months to live and I'm spending them working at the Hellhole and frustrating the hell out of myself at school, I am gonna be SO. PISSED. OFF. when I get to Hell or wherever I'm going :-P

Happiness

2008-10-11T11:59:00.000-04:00

It's Mallomar season again, with all its chocolatey, marshmallowy goodness :) It's been a long summer without them. (And yes, I got into them before I even left the Publix parking lot.) Is it sad that something this small makes me stupid-happy??

Speaking of which, I've decided to go into my shift at the Hellhole with a good attitude today. I'll smile and mean it, make small-talk with the customers, and be nice (and not in a condescending way like usual) to Sparky the Ass Clown. I'm probably going to be stuck there for a little while(that's not to say I'm not sending my resume to a temp agency when I get back from MDI; that's still my plan,) so I may as well make the best of it.

The whole "power of positive thinking" thing actually worked for me yesterday. Melanie, who is working on her 225s, gave me some advice to practice more efficiently. I practiced a 2-1/2 minute dictation at 180 wpm, which is 20 wpm higher than what I've been working on. Even though it was complete slop at the beginning and the speed made me want to curl up in the fetal position under my desk and cry, I decided that wasn't going to get me anywhere, so I kept doing it. Lo and behold, the more I did it, the more words I could make out. After a while, when I slowed it down to 160, I only dropped a few words. Before that, I was tanking 150s. I stand in awe of Mel and her fantastic advice :)

Hopes and dreams for the future: BACK ON!!

Meme Time!

2008-10-09T00:56:00.000-04:00

Swiped from Lisa. Thanks, Lisa!!
========================
A is for age: 34, but I usually claim 29
B is for beer of choice: Amber Bock, but I'm kinda digging Shock Top
C is for career right now: Retail Hell, but I don't consider that a "career." Court reporting student
D is for your dog's name: Lili (Great Dane) and Roscoe (MinPin.) Neither one is mine, but I'm kind of their surrogate Dog Mom
E is for essential item you use everyday: Toothpaste :-D
F is for favorite TV show: "The Office"
G is for favorite game to watch: Hockey and football. But I'll watch just about any sport except basketball (zzzzzzz....)
H is for Hometown: Detroit (Go Wings!)
I is for instruments you play: None. I'm painfully musically-challenged :(
J is for favorite juice: Cranberry
K is for whose butt you'd like to be kicking: Oh, there are a few butts that I'd like to stick my foot up right now....
L is for last place you ate: Like which restaurant, or which room in the house??
M is for marriage: One. Didn't stick. Again? Who knows?
N is for your name: Shawn Christine Gross Newton Walke Newton :-D
O is for overnight hospital stay: Never had to stay overnight
P is for people you were with today: Several co-workers--Wilson, Brian, Maura, Nidia, Lindsey
Q is for what's your best quality: How do you just pick one when you're as awesome as I am?? I guess humility ;)
R is for what are you currently reading: The Memory of Water. Chick Lit.
S is for relationship status: Unattached
T is for time you woke up today: 6:45 AM
U is for the type of underwear you have on: Bikinis
V is for vegetable you love: Spinach
W is for worst habits: Not filtering. I guess you shouldn't just always say what you're thinking as you're thinking it....
X is for x-rays you've had recently: Dental x-ray a couple of months ago when I chipped my tooth
Y is for something candy : (Why is Y for candy?) Take 5. Little-known fact: Secret ingredient is crack.
Z is for zodiac sign: Gemini

Suck it, Alabama!!

2008-10-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

Paid my effin' speeding ticket this morning.

So the State of Alabama, its speed traps, and its 15-year-old Opie Taylor lookalike cops can bite my ass.

Have a fabulous day :-D

The Newton Girls

2008-10-06T17:33:00.000-04:00

We're taking Steph over to the Mons Venus and gettin' her a job!

This is going to be my future Internet dating site profile picture...

LT's First Birthday Party - October 5

2008-10-06T17:25:00.000-04:00

Yay! Presents!!

Obligatory Stupid Hat Photo

Nemo Cake!! The dark blue border didn't stain our tongues and teeth. Believe me, we tried...

Smash cake

This is how we ALL should eat cake

Obligatory Stupid Hat As Horns Photo (family tradition)

Baby Evel Knievel, Redneck Version ;)

Busch Gardens - October 5

2008-10-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

Mom and me at the Hospitality House. Mine was Shock Top, hers was Bud Light

Montu

SheiKra

Pretty bird :)

LT in baby jail

(Okay, he was actually on a ride)

LT and Tony

Ten Second Book Review - I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

2008-10-02T23:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, this one might take longer than ten seconds. There's kind of a lot to cover. Let me start off by saying there's some adult content here. Don't blame me--I didn't write the book ;)

So the title caught my eye on the table at Borders. When I flipped it over, the first sentence on the back cover is, "My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole." Yeah. I *had* to buy it after reading that. At least the dude is honest. The guy is a dick with seemingly few redeeming qualities, as evidenced by the stories he recounts. But he's funny and his stories are entertaining. His life seems to revolve around getting blackout-drunk and having sex. A LOT. No one would ever accuse me of being puritanical, but this guy made me blush a little.

My favorite chapter was the one where he got kicked out of a minor league hockey game for fighting with the mascot on the ice (while drunk, of course.) THAT was some hilarious stuff right there. I also enjoyed the chapter of blowjob vignettes.

Not only was the book entertaining, it was kind of educational, too. For instance, did you know that it's difficult to wash ejaculate out of your hair? I didn't, but I do now, because he mentioned it twice. This is good information to have. I guess.

His writing style is good, although he uses the word "f*ck" WAY too much. Don't get me wrong--I've been known to drop an F-Bomb (or ten) on any given day, but when you're using it as a verb, a noun, and an adjective in the same paragraph, it might be time to expand the ol' vocabulary a bit. He could have used a bit better of an editor, too. I noticed several basic punctuation mistakes and a few spelling errors. Now, a normal person might not notice stuff like that, but since I've been trained to spot stuff like that as a profession, it drives me batshit crazy to see it in published works like this. My own little form of OCD.

A final thought: After doing some quick math, I determined that the author is about three years younger than me. As someone who was married to a guy 15 years my senior, I'm worried that this behavior is the norm for guys in my age range, which is enough to either keep me dating old guys or send me running to see if the nearest convent has room for a skeptical lapsed Catholic.

Anyway, it was a pretty good read. I give it 3.75 stars out of 5.

Makeup and Big Words

2008-10-01T13:13:00.000-04:00

((Okay, y'all--count all the big words!))

So for the two of you who read this and aren't on my clandestine double secret-squirrel running list, here is a recap of a conversation I had with someone (not on said list) who has known me for over three years. I'm not even exactly sure how we got on the topic of guys, but when we do, it usually turns to the fact that I can't seem to find one that is acceptable. Or that finds me acceptable ;)

First she tells me that I should wear a little more makeup, because a lot of guys aren't into the "natural" look I've got going on. Now, I've never been a big makeup girl. A little mascara and lip gloss, and some concealer to attempt to cover up the dark circles and random zit. I don't see the need to trowel on a layer of goo to go to the grocery store. There is no reason I can think of for me to look like a Vegas showgirl every day, especially in the oppressive humidity that is prevalent here in Florida, where it will just melt off within an hour anyway.

The second, and more dubious, piece of advice I got from this fount of wisdom (who has the moral turpitude of an alley cat, but I digress...) was that I should basically dumb down. Her quote was, "If you use big words around guys like you do around us, you're probably intimidating them." **Blink** (My immediate response to her was, "Well, you could probably expand your own vocabulary if you read a book once in a while." Because I'm a bitch that way :-D)

Allow me to defend myself here: I do not walk around talking like Ms. Merriam-Webster 2008. But I read a lot, and I pick stuff up. I have a pretty good vocabulary. But I'm being told not to use it around a person I potentially could be spending the majority of my time with, because it might threaten him. And then I wondered to myself, "Who the hell is this girl dating that she thinks this is helpful??" because it was just so...stupid.

As far as the dumbing-down thing goes, I think my friend Lisa said it best: "If you dumb down, you get dumb guys. No thanks." AMEN, sister! I've already dated (and married) dumb. At some point, you want to actually have a conversation. But maybe that's just me.

Yet another reason to keep my moratorium on boys in place.

Milestone

2008-10-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

A pathetic milestone, but a milestone nonetheless :)

After three years of flat-out refusing, tonight at the Hellhole I let W talk me into conquering one of my fears in life: I stood on the top of a 12-foot ladder, one leg swung over the bar, while he handed boxes of Aqua Globes or some such stupid shit up to me. My head was a full 17.5 feet above the ground. My balance is not ideal under normal circumstances. But I put those stupid boxes up on that high-ass shelf practically at the top of the store (go into any BBB if you don't know what I'm talking about--they're all laid out pretty much the same.)

I'm not afraid of heights at all--I've stood on the second-to-highest level you can go at the CN Tower in Toronto. I've ridden 300-foot-plus tall roller coasters over and over again until I was ready to puke. It seems I'm just afraid of ladders. More specifically of *being on* ladders. Mostly of falling off the top of them.

So one fear went down tonight. Next up: Public speaking.

Or maybe not....

Chopped

2008-09-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

Carol, who actually remembered me this time, went just a bit shorter than we had discussed, but it's fine; my hair grows pretty fast. It'll be perfect in about a month.

Most of those who have seen it like it. Weird, slightly creepy moment at the Hellhole on Saturday: This middle-aged guy checks out and says, "Oh. You cut your hair. I liked it long." I have no idea who this guy was. I usually at least recognize the "regulars." Like the dude who comes in every Wednesday night with his wife, and wanted to sprinkle holy water on me when he found out I was a Cowboys fan. At least I *knew* who he was and forgave the moronic comment ;)

Minus Five Inches?

2008-09-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

I have an appointment with my hair stylist tomorrow. She rarely remembers me since I only get my hair cut about every four months or so. Whenever I go into the salon with my mom, Carol looks at me a few times and then says, "You look soooo familiar...." Uh, yeah. You've been cutting my hair for the past three years. Anyway, the last time I saw her was right before my birthday. Memorial Day. Which explains why it looks like shit now ;)

I'm thinking of going with a medium-length, lightly layered bob, which would entail hacking off about 5" of hair. Since I don't have a boy whispering "Don't cut your hair! I *love* long hair!" in my ear, I'm currently 60% in favor of making the chop.

So what say you, readers (both of you?) So far, as of 4:25 PM, I have two votes for Chop It! and zero for Keep It!

And, yes, this is a big deal to me. Girls tend to get attached to their hair :)

Vienna

2008-09-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

My all-time favorite song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YGh23ZEWcI

"Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight"

Things are as they should be. Life is not random.

That being said, I'd *love* to "take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while." I can't tell you how many times I've been on my way to work or school and almost turned north and then west. I wonder how long I could hide out in Mexico on what's in my checking account? ;-D

Also, Billy Joel is a friggin' GENIUS. And I will argue that to the death with anyone :)

Ten-Second Book Review - Hidden

2008-09-22T22:43:00.000-04:00

Just finished Hidden, by Paul Jaskunas. An excellent read IMO--kind of a mystery, a bit of a thriller. Did the husband do it? Will she ever find out what really happened? The mind and memory are fascinating things. Once you think you know something, you can convince yourself that it is the truth. But it's sometimes only the truth as you see it. And I could totally identify with the flawed protagonist, Maggie, who fell for a charming guy that *everybody* loves, a real Mr. Everybody's All-American type, who, in reality, is kind of a dick.

And extra props to Jaskunas for writing Maggie so well. It's rare that a male novelist can pull that off.

4.5 stars out of 5.

Sunk to a New Low

2008-09-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I would officially call this "rock bottom," but I'm getting close.

E was making out the schedule for the week after next at the Hellhole this afternoon. I had a backup cashier at the service desk, and we were in a lull, so I sidled up to E and said, "You know, E, If you need me an extra weeknight next week, I'd be *glad* to come in." A nice smile, an ever-so-subtle bat of my eyelashes, a light touch to his shoulder.

Jesus H. Christ. I'm practically whoring myself for hours at a job I can't stand. And THAT, kids, is what $4 per gallon for gas will do to you.

But it worked. I got three weeknights and--hooray!--SATURDAY evening!! NOT Sunday.

If I'd worn a push-up bra and a low-cut shirt, I probably could've gotten a raise ;)

Hell, maybe I still got a little somethin' goin' on.

Ten Years

2008-09-19T15:57:00.001-04:00

I don't really think about him that much anymore. When I see an old Thunderbird driving down the street, which isn't that often. On a run when I see a garage door cocked in its track. When we're telling redneck stories, definitely. I didn't remember him on his birthday back in February. (Well, not until March, anyway.) I didn't think about him on August 4. But I guess I couldn't escape him today. We would have been married 10 years today.

I no longer place the blame for the split squarely on his shoulders. It's never just one person's fault, is it? It was never quite right. Two totally different personalities trying to mesh, turning toxic toward each other near the end. Don't get me wrong: the chicken-shit way he went about things was completely ball-less. But I see now that it wasn't all him, and, as much bile as it produces to say this, he was right to leave. What else can you do when you don't really like each other anymore, much less *love* each other? You cash in your chips and leave the table.

After three years, there's nothing left. No more hate, not really any more hurt. I never got "closure," whatever the hell THAT is, but it's okay. If it weren't for him, at least partly, I wouldn't have become the person I am now, and I like me now. I learned a *lot* from our relationship, so I'll have a leg up if I ever get another chance at this love/couple thing. So even though my mom loves to remind me about how I wasted seven years of my life with him, I don't consider it a waste because I'll know how to avoid the same mistakes next time around.

"But the struggles make me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has its own way
Of taking its sweet time
Life ain't always beautiful
But I know I'll be fine
Life ain't always beautiful
But it's a beautifu ride"
--Gary Allan

Cousin Itt

2008-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

Just screwing around with the camera instead of doing something productive.

I'm thinking of hacking the hair off, actually. Steph, I know *you'll* have an opinion....

Take Me As I Am

2008-09-14T09:58:00.000-04:00

"We all live with the scars we choose
They might hurt like hell
But they all make us stronger

Slow to trust but I'm quick to love
I push too hard and I give too much
I ain't saying I'm perfect but I promise I'm worth it

If you want it, come and get it
If you want it, come and get it but understand
You take me as I am"
--Sugarland

Well then. Jennifer Nettles seems to have been reading my diary ;) After a small glimmer of hope with yet another Mr. Almost But Not Quite, the Boy Moratorium is back in place. ((sigh)) Maybe I need to move. Wouldn't it be a cruel cosmic joke if The Right One was in, like, Alaska or something??

For Steph :)

2008-09-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

Go to the store, buy a hat, and hold the f*** onto it!

Is It a Bad Thing?

2008-09-12T20:34:00.001-04:00

Like It's A Bad Thing

So my heart's been broke
So I keep on falling
I'm nothing but all in when I let go
I wear it on my sleeve
Yeah, they call me a fool 'cause I still believe
Like it's a bad thing

I don't know about you but I was put here to live and love
So what if I don't do it like everybody else does
They say I'm out on the edge, I'm too willing to risk
Every bone, every breath, they say all I am is a crazy dream
Like it's a bad thing

Ten-Second Book Review - The Doctor's Wife

2008-09-11T22:45:00.001-04:00

Just finished The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage. A really good read. Sex, abortion, extreme right-wing religious crazies, attempted murder, art. All the good stuff :) I'd give it four stars out of five.

I'm trying to decide on my next book. I've got it narrowed down to three: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max; Hidden by Paul Jaskunas; and The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt.

Or I may re-read The Sun Also Rises, which is an all-time favorite. One day I'll make it to Key West to see the Hemingway House...

Anyway, any opinions or other suggestions are welcome. Hit me up :)

Only Slightly Deeper Than a Puddle

2008-09-10T23:03:00.000-04:00

Wednesday nights are mind-numbingly boring down at ol' Death & Beyond, so I have a lot of time to ponder life's mysteries while doing super-intricate stuff like making sure the citronella candles are lined up perfectly straight (LOVE the smell of citronella, BTW. So we can blame this post on the fumes.)

I'm aware that this is nothing new, and everybody and their dog has thought about this, but tonight I was thinking about the people who come into our lives, the ones with whom we choose to have friendships/relationships (however loosely defined,) and how they change who we are. My question is, are these people in our lives for a specific reason, maybe to teach us something, or to bring something that's been missing to us? Are we *supposed* to find these people, or is it just part of life's weird randomness that comes from the choices we made before? Would we have eventually found them anyway?

For instance, if I had married my boyfriend in Michigan according to The Plan (and there was *always* A Plan. And you must never deviate from The Plan or chaos and disorder will ensue. But I digress...) Anyway, if I had married him, I never would have moved to Indy. I wouldn't have met and married my ex. I might not have started running when things started to go downhill. I then wouldn't have gotten involved with the online running groups that have been such a great source of support, both in running and life in general. I wouldn't have moved to Florida. I wouldn't have become friends with Linae. And then I wouldn't have ever even THOUGHT about doing triathlons. (And God only knows where THAT is going to lead....) And there you have it; I'm not me. You play a few hands a bit differently and you've got a completely different life.

Then again, I may just be really really tired and overthinking things and assigning more importance to these things than is warranted ;) I have no answers, only more questions.

Oh well. If you're reading this, chances are you're in my life in some way, whether it's online only or in "real" life. Either way, I'm glad you're here, no matter how you got tangled up with me. Blame it on a weird hop of your dice ;)

All better now

2008-09-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

So I had a bit of a meltdown this morning that had me seriously considering quitting CR school after three years, despite the finish line being in sight. (It's down a ways, but I can make it out...)A big Thanks! to my friends, both in person and online, for talking me off the ledge :) This is quite literally THE single most frustrating thing I have ever done. I mean, if I take a dictation, transcribe it, and capture 94% of it, including proper punctuation, that is a big fat FAILURE. 94% - No Pass. I have missed so many tests by, like, five words. EXTREME frustration, I can't even tell you. And then you pass, finally!! And you're elated for about ten minutes before it sinks in that you have to do it all over again, only 20 words per minute faster. And then you need a drink.

So between this frustration, the BS at work, picking up my cat's ashes yesterday, and some other random life things that haven't gone quite the way I would have hoped, it all came to a head this morning. A Perfect Storm of self-pity, if you will ;)

Of course, I'm not actually quitting. As usual, sitting there stewing about it just pissed me off and made me more determined to work even harder. More friggin' finger drills and speed ladders :-P

Letting it go

2008-09-08T15:58:00.001-04:00

I'm tired. I'm tired of worrying about stuff I can't change. There are just things I cannot do a damn thing about:
*The fact that some people are sneaky, lying rat bastards who are able to go through life without a conscience. Congratulations, ass clown.
*The fact that, as long as I remain in my current employment, I'm going to continue to get jerked around, and I'm pretty much at the mercy of the aforementioned ass clown.
*How people feel about me. Or don't.
*My current living situation. It's only temporary, anyway.
*The fact that I have shoulders like a linebacker ;)

So I'm letting it all go. Not wasting any more time on it. Instead, I'll focus my energies on things I actually CAN do something about, like finishing school, finding other temporary employment, and shrinking the size of my ass. Besides, don't swimmers have nice, broad shoulders?

One final random thought: Much like Kid Rock, who is only a couple of years older than me, I grew up in the Detroit area, hanging out at the lake in the summer. Watching his latest video, it occurs to me that this depiction has little in common with how I spent *my* high school summers at the lake.

Must be because the boats I hung out on didn't have a stripper pole ;-D

T-minus 2 hours!!

2008-09-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Aaaaah, football season. My most wonderful time of the year. It has been a loooooong spring/summer. Welcome back, Romo, T.O., Witten, Ware, and the rest of the 'Boys. May you kick ass all season long, and perhaps I'll see you in Tampa on February 1. I may stalk you a little, but I'm harmless, I promise :-D

Yes, it's pink. I *am* a girl. But I still know as much about football as any guy, and more than many of them.

Another cheesy self-portrait :)

Pointless Rant

2008-09-06T22:24:00.001-04:00

What is it with guys who seem to want to go out with me, but get scared off because of the whole marathon/triathlon thing? This has been the case for the last THREE potential guys (one of them turned out to be a douche, so no great loss there, but I digress....) The first one was thrilled that I had finished my marathon because then I could spend all my free time with him. Until he found out about the next two marathons in rapid succession I had coming up. I kept thinking, Dude--I've been doing this for 7 years; you've been around for 7 MINUTES. It's insane to think I'm going to give it up for you! I didn't hear much from him after that; just an IM every now and again to say hey when he sees me online. The Douche flat out told me I was wasting my time and money, that it was a pointless endeavor. All right then. Buh bye. And I don't think the most recent guy knows WHAT to make of me.

To be fair, it's probably at least partially my own fault. I don't just run a marathon once in a while; I run several a year, as well as a lot of shorter-distance races. I just got into the tri thing this year, but I'm already committed to an Olympic distance race next year, and I'm 95% talked into a half iron distance for next year as well. So I'm most likely a bit obsessive. It's well-documented that I shouldn't be around "normal" people, what with all my talk of PRs, split times, and bodily fluid expression methods (i.e., snot rockets.) One poor guy at work asked me how my tri went, and after I finished the story about puking on the run, I think he learned his lesson about talking races with me. (Disclaimer: this is not *all* I am capable of talking about; it just seems to come up a lot :) )

So either I'm a hopeless case or I'm just hanging out with the wrong people :)

Labor Day

2008-09-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

Typical Newton Family Photo

Seeing this, it occurs to me that I need some clothes that actually fit. Too bad I spend all my money on races....

I didn't think it was possible, but I believe he's actually *whiter* than I am.

If the whole NFL linebacker thing doesn't work out, he's got a future as a plumber :)

Yep. I'm thinking defensive tackle for the Cowboys in 2028...

Lili, looking kind of weird. That's 130 lbs of love puppy right there :)

RR: Tupelo Marathon

2008-09-04T21:44:00.001-04:00

Tupelo, Mississippi. August 31, 2008. Finish time: 6:04:06

===========================================

Marathon #14, state #13. Wow. It was brutal. It was hot. Humid. Sunny. With relentless hills, some of them really big (at least for me.) It ain't for sissies. The end result wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I find it difficult to be disappointed with my finishing time in those conditions. I earned that skull-and-crossbones.

I left my house in Central Florida at 4:15 Saturday morning. It was an uneventful drive through northern Florida and all the way up the middle of Alabama. 10.5 hours door-to-door, which was pretty good time. Got the the running store where packet pickup was, got my tacky neon-colored tie-dyed t-shirt and my chip and headed over to my hotel. I was bored, so I drove around Tupelo a bit.

Saw a Bed Bath & Beyond at a strip mall, and because I'm a glutton for punishment, I stopped in. (Even smaller than my store.) I never hooked up with the Tallahassee 50 Staters, so I just found a couple of slices of pizza and headed back to the hotel, where I settled in for the evening, reading and texting some friends.

Woke up at 3:30 AM again, got dressed, and headed out into the darkness to find the race site. It was out on country backroads, and I just assumed that the only people dumb enough to be out in the middle of nowhere at four o'clock on a Sunday morning were other runners :) Hung out, chatted with a few people, then went to find the starting line. Took off at 5:05 AM. In the dark. Pitch black dark. A few people had glowsticks and headlamps, but mostly it was dark. Which was good because it was hot, already in the high-70s, and very humid. But still a little eerie.

So the first ten miles were run in the dark. Then the sun came up. Then it started getting hairy. The eventual winner, Chuck Engle (certified hottie and all-around nice guy,) who pretty much owns this race, passed me on the out-and-back course when I was near mile 11, and he had just passed mile 15. I got his picture as he was running by. (Update: It didn't come out well. He was very small in the photo.) He told me I was looking good. Speedy lying b*stard ;)

Moving on up and down the friggin' hills, it was probably in the mid-80s by the time I hit the halfway mark, where the marathon runners turned and the smart people (those running the 14.2 miler) went on ahead to their finish line. We were off the backroads and in a really nice subdivision with ginormous houses for this part of the course. Not too many people out yet, but those that were were really supportive. Then it was back out on the roads. Around mile 15, I slowly reeled in this cute guy who was looking pretty ragged. He turned down my offer of Clif Shots and/or salt tablets, so on I went. I don't know if he finished. Right around mile 16, my race strategy changed from Run Like Hell and Don't Die to Just Don't Die. I decided to walk up the hills and run down them, and run the "flats." Not that there were many of those.

Around mile 17, I made my way up Mt. Kilamanjaro (or so it seemed.) This hill lasted the whole friggin' mile. I was not amused. Then at mile 18, the craving started. All I could think about was an icy cold pop. More than life itself, I wanted a fountain beverage, one of those Ginormo-Gulps. I'm talking 108 ounces of high fructose corn syrupy goodness. That thought spurred me on until mile 22, when the Calf Cramps From Hell started. Crap. Every time I started to run, both calves cramped right up. I'd stop and stretch them out, try to run again, and they'd cramp up again. My salt intake was good and steady, so I'm guessing the combo of heat and hills I wasn't completely used to. So I wound up walking entirely the last 3.5 miles, which pissed me off. This is NOT how I wanted to finish. But I just wanted to finish. At this point, I knew sub-6:00 was out of the question. I rolled across the finish line at 6:04:06, got my medal, and stood under the little sprayers they had just past the line, thankful to be done.

(Some cheering spectators)

They had a nice little setup: grilled hot dogs, the thought of which turned my stomach, and a cooler full of water, Gatorade, pop, and beer. I had one of each :) Chatted with some of the volunteers, stretched out in the shade for a few minutes, and thought about how disappointed I was with my time. But then I decided not to be, because just six months ago, I ran New Orleans (super-flat and not nearly as hot) in 6:28, and in April I ran Nashville in 6:24. I'm not sure how the hills stacked up, but Tupelo seemed worse. And Nashville wasn't nearly this hot. So I can't really be too bummed out with my time.

Went back to the hotel, cleaned up, and started my drive home. Got a speeding ticket in Alabama from a cop who looked to be all of 15 years old. I wanted to ask him if this was his after-school job, but didn't feel like being cuffed and frisked (although he was a cutie--red hair and freckles.) I just kept thinking, "I can't believe I'm getting a speeding ticket from Opie Taylor...." Made it home at about 12:45 AM.

Next up: Mount Desert Island in Maine. I looked at the elevation chart. Those hills are diabolical. Time to crank the treadmill up :-P

(Where can I NOT wear this bad boy??)

Lovely

2008-09-03T16:01:00.001-04:00

Hmmmm. Looks like it may be time to move again. I hear Kansas is...oh hell, never mind :-P

Dixie Newton, 1997 - 2008

2008-08-26T13:23:00.000-04:00

Her name was Dixie, though she went by many others: Dissy (Dixie slurred, lol,) Demon Cat, Evil Kitty, Pissy, Smelly Cat, Princess Furball. She was born in early April 1997. I decided April 1 was appropriate. We found her up a small tree at a friend's house near Danville, Indiana, in May of that year, right before my birthday. I told John I was keeping her. There was no discussion. She was mine.She was feisty right from the start. Some called her mean. I called her selective. She would let most people stroke her three or four times, then she'd bite them. I could get away with it for much longer. She liked getting her ears rubbed while lying on my chest, poking her head up underneath whatever I happened to be reading, purring and drooling. I had never seen a cat drool before. She was a weirdo. She and I went together like peas and carrots.
The dogs were scared of her, especially Lili, the Great Dane, even though Lili outweighed her by 120 pounds. A couple of smacks to the snout, and Dixie took control of the Animal Division of the Newton Family. She was a really cool kitty. She was my kitty.

When I took her to the vet yesterday for her shots, I was stunned to find out she was so sick. Her little lungs were riddled with cancer, her little heart failing, her breathing incredibly labored. Today I had to do the only humane thing I could for her. I had to end her suffering. After being her cat mom for over 11 years, it's extremely hard to let go. But it's all I could do.

So here's to my little Demon Cat, who I'm sure is up at Rainbow Bridge right now terrorizing her dalmatian brothers who went before her: Dugan (2004) and Barney (2006.) Give 'em hell, girl.

Damn Cat

2008-08-25T10:34:00.001-04:00

So I took Dixie the Demon Cat in for her vaccinations and exam. I came home without a cat.

I told the vet that she hadn't been eating much over the past several weeks, and I had noticed last week that she was breathing funny, like panting for no reason. And she doesn't come out from under the bed much anymore. Dr. M. wanted to address that before anything else. She weighed her--6.5 lbs. She had lost about 3 lbs. About a third of her body weight. So she did an x-ray of her lungs, and they're filled with something. Whether it's fluid or tumors, she couldn't tell. So they're keeping her overnight and doing some bloodwork and giving her a shot to dry up her lungs, if it's even fluid in there, and then she'll do the x-ray again. I should know tomorrow.

None of the situations look good. It could be cancer, primary heart failure, or, best-case scenario, secondary heart disease from hyperthyroidism. It looks like I may have another horrible decision to make tomorrow. I'm not sure I can deal with this right now. But what can you do.

I know a lot of people will say, "She's just a cat." But she's been with me for over 11 years. Sort of the only constant in my life. When my husband took off, she was still there. When my parents didn't speak to me for two years, she was still there. She was there when I was fat. She was there when I dropped a good chunk of the weight. Through training for every marathon, for both triathlons, for my decision to go back to school, she was there, doing her 3 AM breath checks ("Okay, the Food Lady is still alive. There will be kibble in the morning.") Every book I've read in the past 11 years, she has plopped her big furry butt on and purred away. Sorry guys. She's not just a cat to me.

Sadly,
S :(

Holy. Mother. of. God.

2008-08-21T20:04:00.001-04:00

My afternoon class is Medical Q&A. I have to stenotype words like antihypertensive, thrombophlebitis, atheromatous, costophrenic. Crap. I'm having enough trouble with, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, a crime is a violation of a statute of this state."

:-O

My friend Melanie took this class a couple of terms ago. I've already offered her $20 per transcript ;)

Hurricane Panels

2008-08-18T19:28:00.002-04:00

Here they are. Aren't they attractive?? The neighbors (and the homeowner's association) had better get used to them, because these bastards are staying up for a while. Maybe my dad will take them down when he does his Annual Cuss-Like-a-Trucker-Christmas-Light-Hanging Extravaganza (earmuffs, kids!!)

Update 8/19: Ummm, nothing happened. Barely even got any rain. Which is a good thing...

Laziness extended by one more day

2008-08-18T15:37:00.000-04:00

Hillsborough County (where I go to school) has shut down the schools tomorrow, along with everyone else except Pasco (where I live.) That's fine; I was dreading getting up at 0430 anyway....

Brooke just called, and we were talking about what it was like when she lived in St. Pete for several years. I guess people would hole up in bars for the duration of the storm and make it one big party. Sounds kinda fun :)

Hurricane party at my house!!