Mountain Grown. Because it's manly.

Blogging for choice

I'm pro choice because I don't believe that someone should have the right to legislate my body.

I'm pro choice because I do believe that the women who are pregnant, may get pregnant, or have been pregnant should be trusted to make choices, or to have made choices that are sane, logical, and best.

I'm pro choice, because whether you choose to carry a pregnancy, put a child up for adoption, or have an abortion, I believe that you should have that choice. It's not for me to tell you what to do, why would you want to tell me?

My fingers have just thawed.

I'm supposed to be in Houston. But I'm not. I'm here! In my normal state! (Well, normal is a relative term, yes?) When I attempted to fly out yesterday, the ice storms in Houston stopped me. This meant that packing adult clothes and choosing an adult outfit to wear the night before, getting up at four am, leaving the house at five am, driving to the airport, going through security, shoving my quart size ziploc bag of liquids in TSA's face, taking my shoes off, taking my laptop out, consequently almost leaving my laptop behind by forgetting to shove it through the machine, putting my shoes back on, putting my laptop away, putting my liquids away (with one last shake in TSA's face), buying a Cinnabon and orange juice (requisite flying food, as everyone knows), eating said Cinnabon and drinking said orange juice, and sitting for two hours in Southwest's terminal were a complete waste of time.

Ice storms suck, at least I wasn't there for it. But, I get to rinse and repeat the above activities next week.

Marathon Followup

OK, as promised, the marathon stuff.

• How much I love being around runners
• I love being around runners, because no matter what they're doing in the rest of their life, they still share runner traits. Runners will think it's no big deal to pee in a bush because you're running and don't have the time to find a real bathroom. (And what's more real than a naturriffic bathroom anyway?) Runners obsess over the same things, understand chafing so much that you bleed, can sympathize when you have more blisters than toes, can appreciate the dedication it sometimes takes to get out the door, and most of all, they know why it makes sense to run when you're sore. I could go on and on, but I think you get it.
  
• The Jesus Freaks in the first 4 miles
• We took off in 29 degree weather, which was ridiculous because the marathon is in Phoenix for cripes sake, (and since when is it 29 degrees in Phoenix?) and right around the first mile marker there is a young blond woman holding a 3' by 4' sign that had something about Jesus on it screaming about how Jesus is the only way, that we should not be tempted because Satan is everywhere and we will go to HELL! Understandably, we continue running. Around the second mile, there was an older man holding a 3' by 4' sign with the same Jesus type messages and he was screaming essentially the same things. There was another young man sometime before the 4 mile mark, and his sign said something about Jesus and how religion and church don't matter, and he was screaming that we can only find salvation through Jesus, and if we didn't we would be going to hell. One of the runners in front of me turns to her partner and says, "At least it'll be warm there." Apparently the Jesus Freaks need a lesson in knowing their audience. People about to slog through 26.2 miles in freezing weather are not looking to be saved.
  
• Team In Training
• Is awesome! They had about a zillion coaches and friends and family members on the sidelines pretty much the whole way, and this really lent a positive mood to the whole event. I don't know what their success rate is, but anybody interested in training for a marathon who wants outside support should check them out.
  
• Rebellious legs
• I am fairly strong. I have run until I threw up, run until I got dizzy, run until I needed to sleep. I have never run until my legs wouldn't run anymore. I reached that point at about 21 miles on Sunday. My mind was in it, I was in it, I was tired but it was OK, I was sore, but it was OK, my feet hurt, but it was OK, I only had 5.2 miles left and I was going to make it. But my legs didn't want to move. I physically could not go any faster than I was going, which was getting progressively slower. Worst sensation ever.
  
• Not being able to walk right
• I could barely walk on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was a bit better, and today isn't better yet, but maybe it will be. See above.
  
• How awesome our SAG Team is
• We would not have been able to complete our marathon without our awesome support crew. They did a fabulous job being where they were supposed to be and giving us our Gu or water or Gatorade or whatever. Thank you to all.
  

Hello Public!

Today I am flying for my job to a different place (I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with Juice-ton, Mexpass) and consequently I'm at the airport right now.

There are people at the airport and while most of them are OK and nice, there are a few that are not and that makes me want to go home.

When I was packing last night, I was going through my packing routine, and then I realized! That there were new rules about liquids! On board! And I wasn't planning on checking baggage! And I didn't know the new rules about liquids on board!

Lucky for me I am an enterprising individual, and was able to chickedy check out the rules online, thusly saving the day. (I know thusly is a grand word that I really don't have the right to use, but I don't care. I like it . . . . and thusly use it.

Now I am here, freshly fed with a Cinnabon, even though I really wanted coffee, but it was too far to walk (see, post marathon leg pain) and killing time.

Marathon Victim

I completed my first marathon today. It was incredible and challenging and I'm very tired and also very proud of the accomplishment. I came in at 4:33:09, and as such am too tired to go over everything right now. However, notes to myself for tomorrow are;

• How much I love being around runners
• The Jesus Freaks in the first 4 miles
• Team In Training
• Rebellious legs
• Not being able to walk right
• How awesome our SAG Team is
  

P.S. The Mom finished her first marathon today too, like the champion she is. And also, so did our friend SE.

"Oh what a family"

I finished moving into my very first official office yesterday. I'm pretty excited about having a small place from which to work, with an actual ceiling, and four real walls, and yes, even a window. I may not make the move from this office to another one when the company I work moves to another state, but at least I can enjoy this one while I have it.

There are times where I hate planning to do things in the morning with my brothers, because they never get up in time. We talked last night at about 10pm, and I said, "Hey, be here by 6:30 OK? Then we can leave by 7:00." I made sure to get a verbal agreement. I also made sure that the brother I was talking to gave the information to our other brother.* I heard the information exchanged. I extracted another verbal agreement from my other brother. Then, I went to bed. Yet here am, at 7:04, and I just got the second phone call assuring me that they're on their way. They called from their house. We are now late. Not that I'm particularly upset about being late to where we're going, but because I'm sleep deprived and I wanted to get some coffee before we left. And now, I don't know if that's going to happen, all because they refuse to wake up when one of their 5 alarms go off.

This is surprisingly hard to accomplish because even though they live together, they act like they're moving the Taj Mahal for you if you ask one to go across the house and hand the phone to the other. "Hey, let me talk to your brother." ". . . . . . Why?" "Because I need to talk to him. Just give him the phone." "I'll just tell him what you want me to tell him." "Yeah, because that works so great all of the time. Give him the phone." " . . . . . . . (huge sigh) Fine." And then whoever I'm talking to starts yelling across the house for the other one.

Children of Men

Best movie in quite a few months! I think that everyone should see it. It's totally worth the $400 tickets and loss of sleep on a weeknight.

Smack that

Ugh seriously, I hate that Akon song. But I like his new contribution with Gwen Stefani. What's a girl to do with Itunes?

Eat Our Wednesday did not go into effect because my company ordered food for everyone from this Italian place. This did not bode well for me. I have a hard time with buffet style eating, because people are germy and gross. No offense to you, but as a rule, other people's germs are more grosser than my own self made germs. And . . . more people skip the washing hands part of the bathroom experience than you think. Double and . . . there are people who cough on their hands and then have no problem breaking bread. I could go on and on and on. Ultimately though, it all leads to the same place. I didn't eat the lunch provided by my company because I couldn't make it downstairs in time to get to the food before it got all manhandled. So while yes, I ate out rather than bringing my lunch, I ate out alone. Without my work friend, SF. And it was a little sad.

I have 4 days until the marathon. I am nervous.

Talladega Nights? I vote no. Unless there's nothing else on, and you're faced with watching this movie, or say, trimming the shrubs outside.

Still haven't purchased a TiVo and I'm wondering if that's a mistake. Or perhaps, I only theoretically want one, rather than really want one.

"Push it real good!"

SaltNPepa here! OK, not really. But they are kind of here, because they're in my head. "Doo dee doo doo doo doo doo dee dee dee doo. Swah! Push it!"And does anyone know why Salt and Pepa had the theme and Spinderella kind of chilled on her own? Something for Google, maybe.

I sent about 5 work emails from home tonight. I am becoming one of THOSE people. And by THOSE people, I'm saying that it's difficult to talk about not letting THE MAN get you down, and fighting the system, and anarchy in the UK if you're working from home occasionally because you might, just might, be part of the system now. And voluntarily working from home.

Speaking of work, who signed me up for three classes this semester? That was a terrible idea, and I would like whoever is responsible to immediately step forward and take 1.5 classes worth of work away from me.

Speaking of me, who's tired? Who's main motivation for getting out of bed tomorrow will be the coffee that she can get on the way into work (EARLY AGAIN, see above) as well as the fact that it's Eat Our Wednesday?

Speaking of Wednesday, it's not Friday.

"You make a woman go mad"

OK everyone, I just want to tell you that instead of writing witty and acerbic things here, I was over on good ole Blackboard trying to post homework assigned on the first day of class and having issues because my version of Java is trying to out whine the version of Blackboard that my school is using, thereby making me repost the same damn introduction 4 times before it let me save and post it for the class to see.

Periods are overrated. And sleep, which I'm about to go do, is very very underrated.

Sunday numberings

First, check this out. It's pretty cool, and it speaks for itself.

Second, before I forget, "Mr. Young Lady" has put in his notice and will be leaving. Good for him. I am, in all honesty, glad that he's getting out before stuff gets bad, and also because I benefit from his absence more than I do his presence.

Third, I need a nap. Who stole my hours?

Fourth, I really wanted to watch "Children of Men" this weekend, and didn't get to. Again, who stole my hours?

Fifth, I bought some wall sconces this weekend and a clock. That's pretty domestic. I am therefore proud of myself. Our house is fluffing up nicely.

Sixth, this month is busy and it is only the first month of the year. Is this a preview of 2007?

Seventh, JB starts his new job this week. Yay for us!

Eighth, I miss AT and would like it very much if we were able to arrange a visit soon. And by soon, I mean, when I'm not in school again. Or at least until I can figure out how the new schedule will look.

Ninth, The Mom has said that she found our next marathon. Then she said that it was in October. Then she said that it was downhill, on a trail, with no rocks, and a 12 foot wide path. Then she said that because it's downhill, perhaps it would be a good one to try and qualify for the Boston Marathon in. Find the statements that were a surprise to me.

Tenth, I just found out that one of my loathed cousins is living in Snobsdale with her second husband. This has just been added to my reasons for not driving to the Streets unless absolutely necessary. (Point of reference, I live on the west side of the Valley, also known as the Avenues. The east side of the Valley is called the Streets.)

Eleventh, JB has started playing "Call of Duty 3" and it is loud. We share a den. His excuse for this is that it's about World War II, and that you cannot expect World War II to be quiet. I find this hilarious.

Twelfth, how sick am I? I think that I found the marathon that The Mom is talking about, and I'm like, "Yeah, we should do this." Let's see how I feel after actually completing (or trying to complete) one first, OK speedy?

Thirteenth, I swear on everything holy to me that if Bro2 got me sick, he will pay. He will pay dearly. The poor kid has been laid up, and came out to hang out today, and I'm afraid that he will have passed the death germs to me. Be strong immune system! Be strong!

"It's very elegant. Very sophisticated." And more expensive than your car.

Today was the big wedding expo downtown and I was there. It was the strangest thing ever, and more of an endurance event than I had thought. There were approximately 5,382,764 people there, and 80% of them were women. Most of them were in groups (as were we) composed of one bride (denoted by name tag) and 3 or 4 other women. We were herded through the civic center through aisles and aisles of booths where people in the industry were pushing their wares. Caterers, photographers, videographers, resorts, florists, sex toy shops, invitation makers, wedding planners and all of the rest of ilk. There were also a ton of dressmakers, dress shops, and dresses. Oh yeah, and some menswear too. Altogether, I wasn't impressed. The hour long fashion show was pretty cool. There was this one model who obviously thought that she was shit. She kept twirling around the stage, and holding her dresses up in such an odd way that it made them look bad, and her look even weirder than she would have before the dress holding. And there was this little girl who kept modeling flower girl dresses, and the entire audience oohed and aahed over her every time she came out. I wanted to scream, "Can't you see this is how that one self absorbed woman started thinking that she was most important thing ever!? She probably modeled as a child and never found self worth anywhere else!"

But hey, you know, it wasn't my thing. Or my world. So again, who am I to scream judgements from my chair?

"All she wants to do is dance"

Good evening. Welcome to Friday evening. Tomorrow The Mom and I are going to a wedding expo, with one of her friends, and her two daughters, one of whom is getting married. Now, I don't know if you're new, but I'm not one for the girlie stuff. Our wedding was a simple affair, there were 10 people there (including the Reverend), and it was the best wedding for us. Even now, I don't think that we would have changed much about it, except finding a way to fly JB's parents in.

That being said, I'm not sure how this thing is going to go down tomorrow. I over heard SE (The Mom's friend) on the phone saying that it was going to be supremely difficult to keep the affair under 10k. Perhaps there is something I'm missing, but if I had 10k, I would pay off my car, not have an elaborate wedding.

So, the challenge tomorrow is . . . blend. Why should I rain on anybody's parade? If she wants a million dollar wedding, what business of it is mine? Just because I wouldn't personally do the same thing doesn't mean that she's wrong.

I'm also pretty stoked about the fact that we're getting coffee from the coffee shop on the way to their house though. It should be a good start.

The Good Word

Hilarious! Hilarious!

Is there a 12 step program for that?

We just watched "Thank You For Smoking" and maybe I'm just tired, but I didn't think it was as great as everyone said it was going to be. Everyone being the average Netflix rating and my younger brother. Perhaps I should have done more research. The bonus is that I get to send it right back in the mail.

I woke up hungry today. That's probably one of the top three worst ways to wake up. I know that I have nothing on the people in Somalia, but still, I didn't like it.

One of our new family members, Sunita, (Suni for short) has developed a startling addiction to sucking on flesh. She knows that she won't get sustenance this way, and she's even got a little belly from her kitten food. But that doesn't stop her from sitting on my arm and trying to suck on my fingers. While I'm typing. Right now.

BEST BREAK IN STORY EVER

(or at least that I've ever heard)

KV: I thought so

CZ had a rough day...his office got broke into again

its quite possibly the best story I have heard in months

It's the second weekend in a row, so over the week he hired a security guard

SO....

The hoodlum that broke in...

me: and?

KV: broke into the body shop...its the other half of the building that they lease out

he jumped the FORK LIFT

because the battery has been dead

Drove it out to the front of the building

drove through the front window...WITH BARS

Returned the FORK LIFT to its rightful place

me: Considerate

KV: Went into the building

moved a desk (BIG AND OLD)

up against the second door

rummaged through some stuff and then left

me: Where was the security guard?

KV: Well that was CZ's first question at 1am when he had to drive to (redacted) to talk with the police

He was making his rounds...

and didn't hear a thing

me: Are you fucking kidding me?

KV: That was his second question

LOL

me: And the answer was?

KV: Its not a REALLY big building

Um, he just said "don't take that tone with me"

Needless to say he isn't the security guard on tonight...or any other night

me: Ever again, right?

KV: Yeah

me: BEST STORY EVER!

KV: Can you believe...DROVE A FORK LIFT THROUGH THE WINDOW

AND re parked it

that might be my favorite part

me: Like I said, a considerate thief is the best thief there is

KV: Well clearly...not as good as a dead security guard

deaf or sleeping

KV: CZ was SOOOO mad

Having to go to work at 2 AM is what managers do...

Well, I don't think I'm a failure

But Nerve does. I just took their 2006 Year In Sex quiz, or at least it's titled something like that, and I scored a 9 out of 20. I thought I had my finger on the pulse of all sexy news, but apparently I'm just looking in the window of the people who really do know what's hip in sexy.

"ITT Tech helped me gain the confidence I never had before." I feel cheated that I did not receive a bundle of self esteem from my college. Instead, I will have approximately one million dollars in student loans (plus interest), and a degree no one will ask for proof of, probably.

I'm embarassed to admit this, but we also just watch the Reno 911 movie preview, and I think that I want to see it.

On a sad note, Bender has chewed off Tigers eyes, one ear, and chewed a large hole in Tiger's head and pulled out all of his brains. Tiger is no longer with us. I did not take photos as it was too graphic.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! 2007 is all bright and shiny and I'm pretty excited to see where it takes us. I already feel like Team Hyperboles is one up from last year, because JB and I are actually in the same state, and this should be the first full calendar year that we'll be living together since well, ever. Woo!

I am busy shredding old docs and clearing out the filing cabinet. JB has just taken down the Christmas lights, and mopped the kitchen floor. There's laundry spinning in the washer and dryer and we are pretty much just being busy bees. We should run out of productivity juice just in time to go back to work tomorrow. Perfect.

We just ordered pizza from Papa Johns (Spinach, Tomato, Alfredo, yum!) What a great way to start out the new year!