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Everything
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: unfinished
Dear Blog Readers --

A great many apologies for my errant blogging behavior.

Here’s a catch-all for what’s been happening with me in 2005. And I’ll try to be more regular with all this stuff shortly.

It is March 27th, so Happy Easter to those who are inclined to be religious or who simply enjoy eggs and bunnies.

Job:
-On the job front, frustrations of working for a poorly organized company lacking specific strategies and ability to make decisions are taking a small but significant toll on me. I see it as a new challenge and continue to enjoy the work. They are trying to give me more responsibility, but talks of formal title change are slow.
-The teaching has not panned out so far – not enough demand for classes in the winter semester, we’ll see how it goes in the spring.

Training:
-I am proud to report wondrous progress, vs. all the other years.
-A total of 6 races/formal have been completed since the beginning of the year:
1. x-ski race
2.10K Trail Run – took third out of 4 for age group….
3.1/2 Marathon New Orleans (under 10 minute ave miles!!!)
4.Wacky 5k – did poorly – can’t break the 9 minute!
5.Momentum Fun Run – did poorly. Can’t break the 9 minute!
6. 15k Rock Cut Trail Park Run – the toughest run of my life. Youngest female runner J. By the way, this one was really tough – running on sheets of ice, running on snow, through mud, on tough ridges around trees and branches over and under logs. With wind, snow, and ice rain. If I could do that, I can do anything, ladies and gentlemen.
-Training has been going well overall. Got the bike out once already this year, and warm weather is finally here. Need to put air in tires and splurge for cleats. Running – am able to run in controlled conditions multiple 8 minute miles, hopefully can translate that to racing. Need to do more speed training – number one point of slacking. Swimming – going really well – I’m doing miles in the pool weekly. Actually that’s where I’ll be soon as I finish this.
-Upcoming races:
1. 4/2 Shamrock Shuffle 8k
2. 4/18? 20k (God help me) Rock Cut Trail Park Run
3. ? Milwaukee ? marathon?
4. 04/10/2005 NCO Spring Ahead 8K Trail Run & 5K
5. I’ve signed up for the sprint distance Chicago tri. I’m already sorry – I am doing x2 in distance in training already. So guess I’ll try to go for speed!!!
6. Plotting to do ? Chicago marathon
7. Plotting to do DC Marine Core Marathon
8. At least one more tri this year.
9. Countless other runs.
10. plotting doing an indoor triathlon in May, once swim coach teaches me to flip.

I really really really want to do an adventure race. Need to learn how to do the kayak part. I have one more girl that would be willing to do it. Need a guy who’d partake. If anyone knows anyone anywhere that would be up for beginner level adventure racing, please send him this way.


Travel:
-New Orleans will become an annual thing – what a great time. Soon I’ll get off my lazy butt and post photos of the race and the dome – what a well managed event, only I wish New Orleans would wake up to support the runners!
-Visited AY and SG in San Jose for a surprise engagement party – that was awesome.
-Planned trips: finally, hang gliding – 2nd weekend in May. Vegas maybe late April or June. Europe, May 28th till June 7th: London, Vienna, Prague, Florence. FUUUUN!

Love life:
-cleaned up some – am proud to report that I’ve been seeing one guy only for now just over a month, and am completely head-over-heels-somebody-pinch-me.

Currently reading: Devil and the White city, still.

Sailing:
-opportunity has appeared to help a friend’s friend move a boat from East Coast to the Great Lakes.
-writing an essay to try to land a spot on the Land’s End boat for the Mac
-sailing classes start late May/June


Family:
-started making for more time for spending extended family.

Pets:
-all 3 are still alive

Other:
-New psycho neighbors moved in upstairs. Police visiting biweekly.
-House hunting – know how much I can afford and where I want to buy. Planning to make the move June/July timeframe.
-Master program – have done nothing. Need to get off my butt and do it.


So there. Updates and some detail will be available soon.

blogging has gotten worse
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Day to Day
I've been a terrible blogger because
1. i don't want to hit my blog from work
2. i couldn't anyway, it's blocked by the firewall.

But I will start emailing in my entries which is possible on this blog service.

Roundup so far this year:

New year resolution of learning to snowboard accomplished.

Met, dated, and broke up with (today) Joe.

Doing well at the job, I hope.

running a 1/2 marathon in new orleans in less then two weeks. My first! (um, that would be another goal of the list)

i'm so pooped. ran 9 miles and swam some too today. OUCH.

swimming improving slowly but surely. Lung capacity not too good, need to do lots of strength training for that.

what else? i have no idea, it's been so long!!! I'll write more another day. now must eat and sleep and pay parking tickets.

week roundup
Topic: Day to Day
ok, so I've been a very very bad blogger. This is because I am working a lot and still trying to maintain a crazy social life.

so, week's roundup:

sun: tried to break up with all 3 dudes, failed.

mon: can't remember what the heck I did after work. Hmmmm. Day one of being sick.

tue: din din with the ter tu group at excellent restaurant, got to try aquadiente, very interesting drink, don't think I like the taste, but it gets you buzzed quickly. great place nice dance floor. place was Hals pick, btw, pueblito viejo. I went even though I was sick.

wed: oh great can't remember. we had a holiday party at work and a holiday lunch. only i missed the party because I had a fever and did the sensible thing and got sleep instead.

thu: went somewhere...oh my god, i need sleep. what did I do? oh yah, went to ec, met some dude named elliott that never called, although never fear, dudes like to wait a week sometimes, or till monday. only if a guy waits that long, i'm going to try to adhere to the rule that they want to play games and not call them back. dude is 32, should know better. Oh boy, i meet real winners.

fri: dinner with LT at tampopo, jk's gallery opening which was fabulous, and clubbing with Halls, LT, at Estate - awesome club, will definitely hit again.

sat: Had a hot carpet cleaner dude clean my carpet and hang out with me. men in uniform. yeah. only I was "dating bm" sort of still so I didn't act on it. Stupid. Wrapped presents, dumped bm. aha! that's when i did it. then went to the holiday party at r's house. it was mundo fun. performances, dancing, home made foods, and of course great conversation. Hals gave me my christmas present and I have to say it is one of the most special things anyone ever gave me. I'll post a picture shortly. wow.

sun: freakidy rich called 3, that's right, I said 3 times today, from yet a new number. Lucky me. My own, personal , stalker. went to see cg and rs perform beautifully at the museum of science and industry. I'm so proud of them. again, if I get to it, pix will be posted. Upgraded my digital camera, which readership yet has to see proof of. Ate and hung out with cg and tanya afterwards in hyde park, discovered some off the beaten path diner with crazy coffee drinks - hence i'm wired and can't go to sleep. Tanya has the same hand thing I do, how cool is that. CG explained indian caste system and astrology, very interesting.

My cat is sitting in the guinea pig cage right now. I'm letting him hunt briefly. He's such a cute predator. He doesn't think they are mice, he's just curious. He knows he can't eat them because they are too big so he doesn't try anything. He's just looking.I'm half a foot away, no worries.

schedule upcoming, so that i can remember later

work work work

grandpa's b-day tomorrow; terrible tuesday. badminton wednesday? dunno what to do for the days off over christmas - will try to ski somewhere maybe.

family friends visiting on friday till beginning of january. wanna go to michi with hals and cali to visit A, but can't due to: 0 vacation and not a good idea to spend the $ right now.

so what happened, you might ask?
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: my own bachelorette show
I broke up with Mike. Left him a message on his voicemail, just for his closure. See how nice I am? I was nice and didn't yell at him or anything, just told him I'm done. I did cite his couch and his E.D. as one of the causes, but not in a mean way.

I then deleted his # out of my cell. I now don't have a way to contact him even if I wanna. Ta-Da! Dear readers, you should be proud.

I tried breaking up with BM but we ended up "discussing it" and I stayed and somehow I ended up taking care of him while he's sick. Um, now I'm not feeling too hot. Got a fever.

I now have deleted all the loser numbers off my cell, including BF. Readership, you have to be very proud of me, because that was very hard. Next step - delete his email. May need someone to pull the trigger on that for me. Nah, I'll do it. Wait, I'll do it now, while I'm in the mood!

Ok, I did it. every single contact is gooooone! Woo hoo!

Statistically, according to people who did research on this stuff, there are fewer good men out there then great women. There is a great chance that I'll never have anyone in my life to love forever. No one to marry. That's fine. I would rather be single then wait for some dude that is not that into me, just hurting myself more and more. Or a weird dude, or a stupid dude. REader audience, please remind me to pull the plug on BM if he does any one bad thing again to me. Thank you. No more assholes or losers.

I feel so... liberated. Stay tuned to this channel for more terrible stories of bad dates... and hopefully some day a very good story... with nothing to complain about.

camera! and what I want for christmas
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Day to Day
Here's what I want for christmas, by the way, in case you people are going to bother:

1. belly button rings, i'm bored with the two that I have.
2. small portable digial metal detector for treasure hunting
3. gift certificates to www.chicagosailing.com.
4. gift certificates to vp salon
5. printer paper
6. gift certificate to fry's electronics (towards portable weather station, lava lamps, scooters... ok, more like, CD/dvd burner, actually...)
7. gift certificate to amazon.com
8. small compass suitable for orienteering
9. gift certificates to mark shale
10. subscriptions to: popular science, national geographic, smithsonian, scientific american, in that order.
11. microphone for the computer, so that i can talk to you all on messenger
12. something like a blackberry or a palm or other kind of hand held to which i can download e-book like stuff, that can be used in the dark if needed. (hint, ebay)
13. offer to count my shoes
14. champaigne truffles
15. learn to speak japanese, german, french CDs or DVD's

ok, that's all for now.


today I:

had lunch with the original Nao, dinner with my parents, and saw national treasure with MD. Um, still have to...er ... pack. Gina, it's 12:31 PM and you are so freaking dead on you know me so well no I still have not packed.

By the way, the parents gave me a digital camera for New Years! my present early. I'll use it right away. Expect picture links soon at this location, as I will probably have my pc and email access in the UK.

Hey if any british people from Leeds and Manchester read this site, I'd love tips on what ancient things I could see there. I've exhausted the web stuff, I want to know about the stuff I'm not likely to find or know about unless I'm a super duper local who knows everything about their town's deep deep history. Especially since I'm all about reading about the Masons and the Knights Templar, that kind of stuff would be way cool cuz i just read everything by dan brown and saw national treasure and know that the knights templar took over leeds for a while so like I'm all excited to see any cool architecture and learn some lore. Also celtic stuff too. And also, how does lunch work in europe???

BM's company party
Mood:  chatty
Topic: my own bachelorette show
Saturday night I went to a stupid holiday company party with BM, and ended up babysitting him after he got totally trashed half way through the night.

It was a hotel party, so I basically managed to get him to his room and get him into bed and he kinda blacked out. I had to get his shoes off for him and everything. Then I went back out and partied with his friends. The crowd and his friends were pretty lame though. Most of the guys were immature jerks and their girlfriends/wives, despite the guys being in their late twenties early thirties, were way too young - most around 21 and really stereotypical. I ended up spending more time with Rocco, a dude from a pretty famous local band that was hired for the party who was bummed out because he just got dumped. And I made a new friend out of one of the only wives there, who was somewhat around my age. So it's not a total wash, but it's all about opportunity cost. I'm going to have very little free time from now on, and I think I'd rather spend it on my friends then on someone who's just OK to date. I missed two friends' bands concerts playing for this. I don't mind being supportive and all, but it's kinda shitty to bring a date that doesn't know anyone at a party, and get smashed? Because then the date is on her own. Which for me is not a problem to get acquainted with new people, but he doesn't know me well enough to assume that, plus jeez, what am I suppose to think about a guy that does that at a work party... And he was rude to me while we were getting ready, and then I end up having to take care of him. I pick real winners! He flew out to costa rica (I had to get him up at 5:30 and on the plane) this morning, and I didn't have the heart to dump him before his vacation. But I'm looking forward to it when we both get back into town. Straw, camel's back. Yeah, it shouldn't have to come down to this, but I guess I feel that I should give people a chance. Less then 2 months wasted, I guess.

rich called 3 times today.
Topic: Weird stuff happens to me
What????

SY's B-day
Topic: Friends
happy B-Day to SY! I had a great time at the party. SY has this awesome new dance move she does, it's really cool!

But, dear Alumni Club in Schaumburg, you suck!

You:
1. melded the icecream cake even though I told you 10 times to be careful with it.
2. took 45 minutes to serve drinks
3. re-negged on your offer to give all of her guests 2 free drinks
4. had shitty music that recycled itself multiple times. Come on, "lean back" 3 times in 4 hours? Gimmie a break!
5. are grossly understaffed.
6. you wouldn't bring the cake with candles lit
7. your manager is retarded.