Just imagine there are pictures: thursday 13

Dear Diary,

The wind is blowing like crazy outside and I am curled up under a quilt with Sweet Baboo, three cats, and Tom Waits keeping me warm. Getting up to put the promised pictures of the exercise room profiles of runs, and such, would involve leaving this all behind. Sooooo...placeholders for now.

don't you know there's no devil; it's God when he's drunk?

13.  Friday, two mothers and their respective children showed up at 3 pm, each claiming a 3:00 appointment.  Unfortunately, they were both correct: someone had double booked me.  I saw one at 3, and the other graciously agreed to wait until 4. 

Lunch had been Lean Gourmet Swedish Meatballs, and the package of Trader Joes Peanut Butter Goodies cookies that my Secret santa left in my inbox.  Urp.  I started eating Lean Gourmet because it's all I really have time for, and at the BX, it's about 80 cents.  NO, i do not want to know how high in sodium it is, or that there is a list of ingredients with chemical names longer than Moby Dick.

 It's food. It's cheap, it's portion-controlled, and it's pallatable.

12.  Saturday, I ran about 4 miles on the trail.  My legs felt heavy, which was attributed to the lunges and squats I had done during the previous week. Then, i went to a holiday party with the people who work with Baboo.

Each year I make the same potlock meal: curried yams, and brown rice. It's vegetarian, it's yummy, and it's wildly popular. I take home an empty dish.   But here's the thing: only Sweet Baboo's coworkers, psychologists, eat it.  My fellow counselors or social workers don't touch it. Ever. What's up with that?

11.  Sunday, I did 14 miles of a planned 50K FatAss that will be held on New Year's Day.  Here is the profile:

*placeholder for missing run profile here*

10.  Monday, Lunch was Lean Gourmet flatbread.  It wasn't bad.  It was the size of my hand.  I recognize that this is a normal portion.  Also on monday, I found out that the kid whol told me Friday I'm not fucking going upstairs with you for an assessment was hospitalized over the weekend. I told her so.

9. Also on Monday, it snowed. Again. We have had an unprecedented amount of snow so far this winter. Right now, as I'm typing this, the wind is howling and more snow is coming down, and they have closed I40. 

Now, New Mexico I thought we had a deal: you give me moderate, sunny winters, and I look the other way regarding the whole dust thing.  What happened?

*placeholder for snow pictures here*

8. Tuesday, I went to a local hospital's psych ward to see a kid that had tried to escape. He went over the wall around the facility the day before carrying, of all things, his lunch box.  

Also on Tuesday, I couldn't find my car keys. Anywhere.  I finally went outside to see if I left them in the car, and behold: they were there. 

In the ignition.

With the car running.

Yes, that's right. I parked my car at noon, got out, leaving my car running in the parking lot for four hours.  In th parking lot of a mental hospital. Have you ever done anything so stupid? I say you have not.  

Tuesday's lunch was Santa Fe Beans and Rice (Lean Cuisine).

7.  By the way: Lollicup.com Sugar-free flavoring syrups for coffee.  I'm just sayin'. It's the secret to me being a morning person.

6. Wednesday, the lunch of the day was shrimp scampi from Lean Gourmet. That night, we ate with folks from my the office at a local steakhouse, and the starters menu had calorie counts after each choice. It. Was. Horrifying. Few starters were under 1000 calories. I wound up having a 6 ounce fillet with sweet potato fries, and steamed brocolli.  I was very proud of myself. 

5, Most of the people I work with are in their mid-twenties. It was an interesting evening.  I found out things that I never knew about my coworkers.  Like, nearly all of them are half my age. 

4. Also wednesday, i had to caution an adult who wouldn't shut up and let me ask about their kid. It was all, me, me, me.  I get that people with disordered kids are grateful to find anyone who will listen to them but I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD. I DO NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THE VOICES IN JUNIOR's HEAD. 

3. Also on Wednesday, I made the following law, called GeekGirl's law no. 5150: 

if you name your kid Chaos, don't complain to me about his behavior.  

Ever.

Also, Greek Goddesses. I'm just sayin'. Greek mythology is a soap opera, so you're asking for trouble by naming your kid after one of the principle players.

Unless you're Greek, and then it's okay.

2. Also on wednesday, i discovered that 1) all seasons of 'Bones' are on Netlix, and 2) apple tv has closed captioning.  Thus, my new winter running is in place, in my new exercise room.  Bliss!!!

Pictures:

*placeholder for missing exercise room pictures here*

1. Okay. Here it is, my 50-mile running plan.  I hope this formats right. I used to code in HTML and am perfectly capable of creating a table, but why do that when I can copy and paste from Numbers?  

Recall: I. Am Lazy.

Week of:      Week. M.    T.     W.    Th.   F.    S.    Su.   Total

Dec 5, 2011 1 0 2 2 2 0 8 6 20

Dec 12, 2011 2 0 2 2 4 0 10 6 24

Dec 19, 2011 3 0 2 2 4 0 12 8 28

Dec 26, 2011 4 0 2 4 6 0 14 8 34

Jan 6, 2012 5 0 4 4 6 0 16 10 40

Jan 13, 2012 6 0 4 6 6 0 18 10 44

Jan 20, 2012 7 0 4 6 8 0 20 10 48

Jan 27, 2012 8 4 8 6 0 0 10 8 36

Feb 6, 2012 9 4 8 8 0 0 22 10 52

Feb 13, 2012 10 0 4 10 8 0 22 10 54

Feb 20, 2012 11 0 4 10 8 0 24 10 56

Feb 27, 2012 12 0 4 10 6 0 10 8 38

Mar 5, 2012 13 0 4 12 8 0 0 31 55

Mar 12, 2012 14 0 4 12 8 0 24 10 58

Mar 19, 2012 15 0 4 12 8 0 26 10 60

Mar 26, 2012 16 0 4 10 8 0 16 10 48

Mar 5, 2012 17 0 4 6 6 0 10 6 32

Mar 12, 2012 18 4 3 2 0 0 50 59

Each week I will post that week's running plan and the actual mileage, making me direrctly accountable to the half dozen people who still read this blog :-/

Last week, i was 2 miles short on my training plan.  This week, i was 2.3 miles short. 

The week day runs are all treadmill. The weekend runs are all on the hilly trails behind our house.

Ta-daaaaa!

...

Vanity and ultrarunning are not mutually exclusive. At least not to me: Thursday 13.

Dear Diary,

13. I truly, truly, truly believe that I may commit some sort of violent crime if I have to watch any more of thise Aflak commercials with the pidgeon in them.  Major medical, Booyyzzzzzz.

12. I have basically been off training since the San Antonio marathon and, oh, by the way, people love telling me about the guy that died during the half marathon. Non runners are almost gleeful about that.

 Which leads me to make the following observation: In any group of more than 20,000 people doing anything, one of them is likely to die. It's statistics  

11. I had my hair done last week. I used a groupon. Meh. Not so thrilled about the results. It's kind of brassy. Jim, oh Jim, (my usual hairdresser) I will never stray again, I promise. Not even for a groupon. i like the cut, though. I pretty much get the same cut now. I have a picture of the cut I want on my ipad, and I just flash it to my hairdresser(s) and say, "that's the cut."  Apparently it's an easy cut, because it turns out the same way each time.

10. Saturday, I got waxed.  Yes, one of those waxes.  It shouldn't be much for an ultrarunner but it was. I had a groupon.

The girl who did it was all chatty, and she would pause in her talking just long enough to rip...  She was all, so what do you do for a living? RRRRIPPP.  Oh, really? I had another customer this week that RRRRIPPP! does the same thing.  RRRRIPPP! hey, you're doin' great!

It was the most painfull one I've done, since I hadn't done it in three years.  But it was also the fastest.  

Waxing is so cruel. At first, you're all, hey, that warm wax feels good, this won't be so bad, I think, and what's that? A muslin strip? So now you'll HEYYYY!  OW! OW OW FUCKING OW!!!

RRRRIPPP


I asked her if she had seen 'that scene' in the movie, 40-year-old Virgin, and she said, Did you know they really did wax him?  

RRRRIPPP.

9. I started a new 50 mile training plan.  I tried to talk mini baboo into doing it.  He had lots of questions about trail running, but so far, is not interestested in running with his mom.  Go figure. 


I'm trying to figure out a way to upload my training plan, in case anyone is interested.  

8. Monday we had a nasty storm here, and I stayed inside all day and burned wood.  I called in lazy.  Actually, I called in snow. I can barely see here,  I said, and then writhed in the guilt of my lie. Luckily, I was saved when the major freeway that takes me to work was closed down.  See? It really was bad out. i relaxed, and read on the couch.

And waited. And then....about two in the morning, Sweet Baboo came home. He has been gone all month. I showed him his Christmas prresent: new components, many of them Apple, set up for streaming movies and listening to his favorite music, whenever he wants.  He was less interested on the gift and more interested in the giver. 

7. As part of my Year of Vanity, I bought a curing lamp and Gelish stuff to do my own gel nails. I'm hard on my nails, and these are fantastic.

6.  Also, the skin experiment hS been successful. i've managed to get rid of a lot of spots through a careful regimen. Yes, yes, I know, it's what's on the inside that counts, blah, blah.

I was asked recently about marathoning (probably because I keep a whole buttload of my medals hanging on the wall in my office) and I told them, truthfully, it all comes down to the math.  I have to eat less, or move more, and I LIKE TO EAT. Vanity trumps laziness, yet again.

5. Meanwhile, along the same "vanity trumps laziness" thread, in my desperate bid to be the world's biggest 'Johnnie come lately' I started doing the Power 90 workout this week. I like it. I can only do five pushups in a row. That's up from last year, when I could do three. Still, I like it. 

I parent my pets like I parent my kids: You
got yourself up there, you can get yourself
back down.  I don't care if you're blind.

4. The other thing I did this week was switch over to a mac. I've had it with Microsoft. I bought a mini mac and a wireless keyboard and trackpad, and it just uses my tv as a display. I also bought a CD/dvd superdrive, and spent considerable time ripping Baboo's favorite CDs to The Cloud.

3. Blind kitteh is doing well. She even climbs up into the Christmas tree. Here's a fun fact for you: blind kitties always climb back down backwards, that is, they descend butt first. She likes to chew on my feet while I'm putting on makeup. From the two teaspoons of kitteh formula she was taking in six weeks ago, she is now eating a full can of cat food a day, plus some dry. 

2. I will begin running on the treadmill during the week. I have always said: i don't mind running in the cold, or the dark, but bitter cold plus dark, well forget it.  And those Holiday edition Hershey's kisses aren't going to burn themselves off.  I'm still at 156, and my butt feels big.

But anyway.  I like running on the treadmill.  The key is to tip it up a little, so that there's some incline. That shortens your stride and makes it a better workout.  

1. My next year is going to be somewhat barren of travel, at least for a while. I have to complete an internship, which will last 8 months, and so that will keep me busy 6 days a week. I will graduate in August, so I'm planning on doing something special for the fall to celebrate.  I might try my hand at another 100K, or I might try to do an Ironman again.  I'm still in the planning stages.

... 

Untitled. The on-time version.

Dear Diary,

13.  One of the reasons I"m on time this week is this: from Think Geek, it's a ipad case with a tiny built-in keyboard.  Bliss!  Between this an an app called Blogsy, I'm much more able to do everything I want from the iPad.

Now: The tooth saga.

12.  Okay.  I was born with very soft enamel (a genetic gift from my father), was a mouth breather, and then had braces as a kid and as a kid was a lazy brusher.  And there you have it: a recipe for dental disaster.When my braces were removed, I had cavities wrapping around every single tooth. Since then, it's been an uphill battle staying ahead of time and age.

11. By my 20s, I'd had had six root canals, paid for by my parents. Later, as a student and single mom, I had molars on my lower jaw pulled, since I could not afford root canals. After I graduated and got my first real job, I had more three root canals, bringing the total to nine.

10. haven't been very public about this because, well, it's embarassing. When I think about the shape that my teeth are in, I feel like I am one step away from an off-broadway version of Deliverance.

9.  After a decade of no lower back teeth I've been chewing on my front teeth, putting increasing stress on those teeth, and shifted my jaw forward. Those teeth are now giving way.

8. I have put this off for years because even with good dental insurance, the cost is pretty enormous and I. Am cheap.  But, I have finally decided once and for all to take care of this. I'm to have two more root canals which, thankfully, are my last. I'm also about to get partials for my lower jaw.

7. I am pretty excited about this. The expense is going to be enormous, but hopefully this will be the last of it. To be DONE.  That.  Is exciting.

So pretty soon I will start smiling bigger than I used to. Look for it.

End tooth saga.

6. I am running every morning, back on a training plan, and sticking to it. Mostly. I love the way I feel when I go to work, all mellow and stuff.  I love the feeling of accomplishment when I put in those numbers each day.  MOSTLY,  I love knowing that when I come home, I don't have to run in the heat. What's the point? I'm not training for any long hot races. So, I get up insanely early run in the dawn, when it's cooler, sit out for a while with Baboo and drink coffee, and then heard for work.
AWESOME.

5. Unfortunately, just in time for this revelation, they shut down all the parklands around the city, including the trails, to protect the lands from idiots with fireworks. So, I'm running around the hilly neighborhoods where I live, which itself is not all that unpleasant.

4. My internship starts the week of the 18th. I am STOKED. We had to pick two rotations, one in medical social work and one in behavioral health. My rotation in medical social work will be a split rotation in 1) poly trauma, which includes TBI and comorbid PTSD, and 2) spinal cord injury. So I will be working with some of the newer veterans.

3. During the two days I am at internship each week, since I won't have an office there, I bought a bag. Well, of course you knew I would use this as some excuse to shop...anyway, I needed something to haul around my phone, wallet, ipad, and sundries. It's called an Uptown Bagg by Baggellini. It's a crossbody bag. I got one in charcoal gray.  I searched and searched, and so, well, maybe I'm the only one who is excited about it, but this is my diary, so there it is.


2. My morrning runs are getting to be a habit. How much of a habit it will remain when its below freezing I do not know, but hopefully by then I will have put together my treadmill room. Unlike many, I don't mind running on the treadmill in the winter, so long as there is a dvd player and movies.  I enjoy running some of those mornings with Sweet Baboo, although I often run much faster than I should, and wind up blowing out around mile 3 or 4.

1. Sweet Baboo and I began Salsa dance lessons this week.  It is harder than I expected, or maybe it's as hard as I expected but I somehow fantasized I would be much better at this than I am.  Of course, it's only one lesson.  We had to switch partners continuously, and there was a guy in there that reminded me faintly of Ben Stiller in the scene in "Along Came Polly" where he's dancing, but overall, a great time. We both had fun.

Enjoy!


...

Trivial things to think about: I has them.

13.  I got the Tetris app for my iPad. I've discovered I suck as badly as it as I always have.  But I enjoy it just the same.  I'm hoping someone will come out with the Dr. Mario app.  Blissss!

UPDATE: I just was notified that there is an app for that: Flu Fighter. I'm going to look into this later and see if I want to pay for it. 

I LOVED Dr. Mario.  In fact, multi-tasking queen that I am, I used to breastfeed while playing Dr. Mario on the Nintendo.  No lie. 

12.  On my summer reading list, if I can stop playing Tetris and sudoku long enough to read:

• Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha
• Wherever You Go, There You Are 
• Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
• Learning Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: An Illustrated Guide
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (I've actually already started this recently.  Pirate is going to shit when she finds out I've never read this)

 11.  This summer, I will finish the fantasy exercise room I started last fall.  This will involve the following:

• Taking all my clothes that need to be altered to the tailor so they aren't piled up in this room.  There are a bunch of these, and I'll have to pick away at them over the next couple months.
• Taking clothes "on probation," that I haven't worn, to Goodwill. Or maybe selling them on ebay.
• Listing the computer hutch on Ebay to be sold.
• Moving the dreadmill from the garage (have you done this? I may have to hire someone; these things are heavy.)
• Mounting some sort of medium-screened TV/computer monitor on the wall in front of the dreadmill, for playing movies and exercise videos. 

10.  I am currently tapering for Big Horn, in June, my last "A" race of the year. Here is the profile for Bighorn:

I have five hours to make it to the Footbridge aid station at mile 18.  After that I think most of the cutoffs are workable for me. 

9.  Runs I want to do for the rest of the year, after Bighorn will be mostly 10Ks and half marathons.  Here is what I'm thinking:

• Some 10K up in Colorado in about 3 weeks, whose name I can't remember.
• Several 10ks (local) in June, July, and a couple this fall
• A few local half marathons in August, September, and a local marathon in October.
• A couple of sprint triathlons, one in August and one in December.
• 8/7 - La Luz Trail Run (9 miles)
• October: Sandia Crossing (25 miles - this is a mountain in back of my house; you start at one end , climb up about 4000-5000 feet or so, and cross it along the ridge.

8.  I attended the first internship meeting at the VA where I noted with satisfaction that I was probably the oldest intern in attendence (six were selected) but I'm pretty sure I could outrun everyone there.

I was informed that the three-day orientation to working at the VA, otherwise known as "Life In  a Beurocracy" and "Acronyms 101" (my names, not theirs) would begin in middle to late July, some time.  And, that the internship would start immediate after that.  Once I start my internship, it's four 10-hour days per week at the children's treatment facility where I work, and two 8-hour days at the VA.

7.  I'm really bummed that Garmin doesn't have an app for that.

6.  I have a poster up on my wall that is very timely for the Jemez experience that I had Saturday: CHALLENGES

5. Did I mention I'm done with my coursework? I really don't know what to do with myself these days.  I'm still kind of hypervigilant about my time, imagining that anything and everything will just suck it away. I wonder how long it takes to get over that.

4. So this was my first recovery hike/run after Jemez:

 3.  I'm back up to 149/150 at this point, but the clothes aren't fitting any differently, so I'm not worried. Of course, eating two Lean Cuisine meals a day probably isn't helping any, but I'm just so darned hungry all the time these days. 

I suppose that one regular healthy meal would be cheaper than two Lean Cuisines a day, too.  Then again, I eat a first lunch around 10:30, and a second lunch around 2:30.  They're around 230 calories each.  I'm thinking that I should just start packing leftovers in two containers and eating them that way.  Hmm.

2. I confess my addiction to Groupon.  Actually, it's not a true addiction. It's just that, for a long time, I've looked at a couple of self-indulgences, namely, spa treatments and cleaning services, and always turned them down as being too expensive.  With Groupon, I get them cheaper, at least 50% off.  Monday, I had a Groupon day:  I took the day off from work, and did the following:

• I had a maid service come and clean two years of dust off my baseboards, woodwork, mirrors, and floors.  
• I had a massage that was so awesome that I fell asleep for a few moments in the middle of it.  It was with a complete stranger, and I made the decision not to talk, which made it even better.  
• I then went to my favorite all-you-can eat binge bar and had a meat fest.
• I went and had my car vacuumed and washed, while I waited, which wasn't long. 
• I then got a large pizza for himself and the Daughter, and a salad for me, for $1.68, which of course meant no cooking.

Then yesterday, I was noticing that my feet are badly in need of a pedicure, and what should cross my email today?   Pedicure AND manicure and herbal wrap....hmm. 

1.  Okay, so this is bragging, but I have to say this: there is a woman I work with, a psychiatrist, I think she's in her late forties or early fifties.  Anyway.  She was asking me about my Jemez run, and I was describing it to her, and she made some sort of comment about how it would be "great to have" all my "energy" and then asked, how old are you anyway?

"Forty-six."

>cricket< >Cricket<

What?  You're forty six?  I though you were a lot younger that that...

OHHHH, Yeah.  Nothin'; feels better than that.  :-)))))

...

 Posted from my COMPUTER because my iPad won't do HTML.

Dear Diary,

13.  My standard rule regarding my weight ticker is that once I've hit a weight and kept it there for a week, I change my ticker, whether it be up or down. This week, a new low: 146.

12.  Then I got a Groupon for a local Greek restaurant, and ate a shitload of Greek food, and Poof!  Back up to 148, for a day or two, but then dropped again.

11. So, yes, I got THE CALL on Tuesday morning, would I like to come and interview for an internship at the VA?  Oh, wait, let me think HELL YES I would.  So, my interview was today, at noon.

10.  I went to my favorite clothing store to see about getting something decent to wear for the interview.  As a former teacher, I had few summer work clothes to begin with.  In the past two years, the only ones I've amassed are too big.  So, I stopped to get a nice warm-weather office jacket at my favorite store.

While I was at the store I tried on some slacks.  What size, said the sales lady.  "8".  I replied.  She brought me some 8s.
Um.  Miss?  Well....These are too big.

She brought me 6s.  They fit - just a tad snug, but they have spandex in them, so they work.  For the first time since I was a junior in high school, I'm in this newer, lower number.  Cool.

9.  WELL.  Should I be a slave to numbers?  Well, I am anyway, so it might as well be a small one.

WHY am I so hung up on this number?

But the weird thing is taht when I looked into the mirror, I didn't see a smaller number.  I saw--in the words of David Letterman--my pasty white thighs.

*sigh*

I'll just focus on the smaller, new number, and ignore the pasty white thighs.

8. So, I walk into this interview with a sense of confidence because I know a lot of shit.  Being smaller doesn't hurt either .

7.  The interview was a highly structured interview where people took turns asking questions.  I hope I had good answers. Nobody frowned and tapped their pens impatiently.  Nobody looked bored, or unhappy.  Most of the time, they were smiling.

Why do you want to do an internship at the VA?

Tell us about a time you had a conflict where you worked, and how you resolved.

In what way have you used social work in your previous work?

Occasionally there is no stipend available.  Are you still willing to do the internship if that is the case?

How have you worked with veterans in the past?

What strengths do you have to bring to this experience?

and so on...right up to my favorite (and last) question:

What software applications, if any, are you proficient in?

Seriously?  This is the last question? The one that will, hopefully, resound after I leave?

I was flustered for a moment, but just a moment.  Then I said, That's hard for me to answer.  I mean, 'proficient'...I've taught excel, and powerpoint, at the college level, and conducted training in web authoring.  I guess I'm what you might call a 'power user'.  I use email, I spent all day these days using Word.  I'm familiar with your computerized record system; I've used it.  

Smiles all around.

And then I asked my questions.  And then, well, it was over.  It's all over except for the waiting.  It's a highly competitive internship.

6.  Here in 'Burque, where I live, we had Ladies Night at the local cycling store, The Kickstand.  These beyond cool.  There was wine, beer, snacks, and people who represented various cycling interests. I showed up in Outlaws Multisport Regalian, to, you know, represent.  

5. AND, I broke down and bought a pair of cycling knickers this week.  yes--cycling.  Knickers.  I also committed to doing Albuquerque's first women-only triathlon, to be held in August.  I'm very excited about such a thing being in New Mexico.  The finishers will get necklaces, and they are planning a very basic sprint course.  If you live in Albuquerque, come out to Rio Rancho to support this event.  http://livelovetri.blogspot.com/

4.  I also put in my name for the La Luz trail run, which is a local run that happens every year.  I don't think it raises money for charity.  It's 9 miles long.

Oh, c'mon.  You know there has to be a catch.

Well,

Take a gander:





 I know, right?  RIGHT?  I mean, how could I NOT?  It's a 9-mile climb to the top of a mountain.  The mountain is just a few miles from my house.

So, it's a lottery.  I'll find out April 16th if I was selected.

3.  I'm not sure why a kid would show up in an office where someone is deciding if they need mental health treatment and swear constantly at their parent, call them foul names, and believe that it's going to end any way but bad for them.  I really don't.

2.  This is my last build weekend.  10 miles tomorrow, 24 miles on Saturday, and 17 miles on Sunday.

1.   After this weekend, I start tapering down to the first double at the end of the month.  In the meantime, I have assignments to finish, and internships to (hopefully) win.  And numbers to obsess over.  I don't know if things will turn out the way I want them to turn out. For this double coming up, I haven't kept my training up the way I should have.  But for the rest of it, the internship, the La Luz lottery, it's not up to me any longer.  So I'll just focusing on relaxing, and accepting what happens.

...

13 Peepy Things.

Dear Diary,

Peeps rumble.

13.  Ever have one of those verbal interchanges with someone who is so nasty and condescending, telling you in every word that they think you're an idiot, and questioning your every bit of professional competence, so  that it's all you can do not to snap your fingers, bob your head side-to-side, and say, BITCH - I WILL CUT YOU                                                                             
?
Oh. well.  No, me neither.

12.   I. love. American Nijnja Warrior.  I'm not ashamed to say it.  If you love it too, you'll love this commercial.

11.  There is a woman in my family therapy class who--well, I have to back up a bit.  As part of our class requirements, we have to partner up with someone and do a role play.  The role play is to simulate a family therapy session.  Two people, family role play.  Yeah, I know.  But anyway.

Peeps sushi rolls (with fruit roll-ups in
place of seaweed wraps, and
marshmallow rice crispies.  

So this woman, she watches each role play with a checklist in front of her, and then at the end of each role play, she tells people what they got, and what they missed.  She is not the teacher, nor is she a practicing therapist; she is a student, actually less experienced than many of her fellow students who are beginning to grind their teeth with hatred for her. When she does this we all kind of roll our eyes at each other.  I wonder if she knows how much she is mocked.  Probably not.  Anyway. If you do this, go ahead and stop.  You're pissing everyone off.

10. Countdown the end of the semester - I turned in an application last week to interview for an internship at the VA hospital.  If I get it, not only will I possibly be a step closer to actually working there one day, but it will be terrific experience.  I had decided that for my final internship year I wanted to work with grownups, or at the very least, clients who no longer lived with their parents. The VA is at the forefront of the latest in evidence-based treatments for mental disorders, including PTSD, and I love their non-woo-woo, show-me-the-research attitude.

If I got this, I could commute in with Sweet Baboo twice a week.  Now I'm sitting on my hands waiting for the cell phone to ring.  RING, phone.  RING.  We are admonished to take the first internship we are offered, so I have put off interviewing for any others until this one.  This means that other openings are drying up.  If they don't call, well, then I may be totally screwed.

The Trouble With Tribbles, starring
the Peeps.

9.  I thought I got a D on one of my midterms, but I was wrong; I got a B-.  Suh-weet!  I've been bummed about that all week.  I'm muchly cheered up.  My other midterms I got a B+ and an A-.

8.  I hit a new low this week: 145.  I don't put it on the ticker until I've held it for a week, so we'll see if it sticks.  I tend to hit my low on Wednesday after days of eating lightly and being dehydrated.  Still, it is a new low, so we'll see.  Dehydrated weight counts, right?  Sure it does.

7.  Believe it or not, even PC therapists say some very non-PC things, like when watching reality shows on A&E, like Hoarders and Heavy.  I wish I could share them with you.  But they would be way too offensive.

Bucket o'Peeps

6.  PEEPS!  PEEEEEPS!  That is all.

5.  The daughter experiment is better.  I put her on a schedule, which I figured would result in resentment and rebellion, but she seemed relieved, and is following it.  It divides up her day so that she is more productive.  Somewhat.

What makes all this interesting is that I teach an NEO in family systems at work twice a month.  I have 30 minutes to teach family systems.  yes.  So, but what I highlight is how we often slip back into our roles when we're around our family of origin, no matter what strides we have taken to become self-actualized human beings since leaving home.  Ergo, I present to you my visual aid: My daughter, who is no longer 23, she is a boy-crazy teenager.

4.  I binged on Japanese food today.  I know that seems like a contradiction in terms, but *urp*.

3.  I attended a DBT workshop today, and am ready to get down with my Wise Mind.  Honk if you know what that means.

2.  So I'm not running today.  I'm exhausted.  I've been getting progressively less sleep and rest at the week wears on, and I can feel  it, that sick, empty feeling you get when you're short on sleep.  And it's hell on my skin. Once a bad lifestyle choice begins to affect me cosmetically, look out. So I'm giving myself permission to ditch my run tonight, even though that will put me about 13 miles behind for the week.  I will rest and sleep.  The current plan: run about 10 miles tomorrow when I get home.  It's a seminar day, I expect to be well-rested.

Then, Saturday morning, heading out with some peers for a long hike in the mountains (about 12 miles, after which I'll run home to finish out another 5 miles.  Then Sunday, a 22-mile, mostly flat or downhill run.  Then I'll be all caught up.

1.  I'm considering the Mt. Si run in Washington state in April.  It just came up.  Himself is doing a training there, so he'll be there the week of, so all we have to do is foot the bill for my plane fare.  Plus, it will give me state #13: Washington.  Hmm.  I keep ya posted.

...

Death Valley looms! BUWAHAHAHA! Thursday 13.

Dear Diary


13.  Dead Legs.  I'm feeling better.  But not sure I'm all the way back for two back-to-back marathons this weekend.  So, it's time to decide. I can run my ass off and try to beat the cutoff, by running faster than I ever have in my life for 23 miles the day after another marathon, or I can dress up as Mrs. Elvis, renew our vows, and then relax and settle into the half marathon.  I've decided on the latter.  I know I keep flipping back and forth, but I can feel that my legs aren't all the way back.  And I want to have fun.


12. Beauty Day.  The day before the Las Vegas Marathon, I'm doing the Death Valley Trail Marathon.  GORGEOUS.  There is a 6 hours cutoff, so sorry, no pictures.  I won't have time to meander.


11.  New Plans. I'm now registered for my first double-double in 2011.  So far, my 2011 season looks like this:

• January: Ghost Town 38.5, which is going to be its last year.  My goal is to knock 1 hour off last year's time.
• February: Rocky Racoon 50-miler.  My goal is to knock 4 hours off last year's time.  (I was emailed by the race director and told that I was, indeed, in the race.)
• April 30/May 1: Country Music Marathon/Cincinatti Flying Pig Marathon DOUBLE.
• May 7/May 8: Wisconsin Marathon/Kamazoo Marathon DOUBLE
• June: Big Horn 50-miler?? I hope...I hope...  

So this means I'll have five new states in my marathon or longer collection!  Yay!


10.  Old Plans.  I'll be finishing my MSW coursework in April.  Then I start my internship in August.  That's when my race year effectively comes to a grinding halt, while I finish that.  

9. Short Cuts.  Last year I bought Sweet Baboo this book: 

Now, there were two important reasons why I bought Himself this book.  First, I thought he'd enjoy it. Second, and perhaps most important, I wanted to know what was in it and I'm too lazy to read it. Himself doesn't just read books so much as he absorbs them.  I then have a readily available resource, e.g., Himself, who can then tell me what's in it.

So far, I've discovered my ideal body fat percentage is 22%, at a weight of 137. And that animal protein has more bioavailability than vegetable protein.  This is an odd feeling for me, after nearly a decade of being a strict vegetarian.  Several friends have suggested that I saved a lot of lives during that time, so I've 'paid my dues'.

Anyway.  I had already started incorporating lean chicken and fish into my diet over the past six months or so, and I credit this, along with running, for my weight loss.  I drink scads of skim milk and sugar-free Nestle's Chocolate Quick.

which brings me to....

8. Weight Watchers. WTF, Weight Watchers?  I had it down.  I could estimate points based on caloric content.  Now you've changed your public domain formula to one that's secret.  The good news is, it now takes into account fat, fiber, AND protein.  Good for WW.  I'm interested in knowing if this will work as well for me as the old Weight Watchers.  

7. Indoor Running.  Progress continues to clearing out the 3rd bedroom, previously (and optimistically) referred to as "the study."  In fact, it was not a study, it was full of my shit that I hoarded instead of tossing.
Self, it's time to move on.  I'm no longer a teacher with kids who lives in a 2-story 2300 square foot house.  I'm now a mental health specialist who lives in a 1500-square-foot ranch.  I mean, seriously: Binders, page protectors,   compasses, protractors.  Who needs all this?  I gave away stuff, sent some stuff to Goodwill, and shredded other stuff.  The ultimate goal is to get the treadmill in there, maybe a cycling trainer setup.  This may well take me until spring.

6. Days off.  On December 14th, I'll have been at my job for one year.  That will be one of the two days that I'm allowed to wear jeans.  That will be my only reward.  Due to a freeze at the corporate level, I'm not eligible for a raise until December 2011.

5. Well, to hell with that. So last month I got a mailing for a corporation that handles mental health stuff for jails and prisons.  When I first sent in my resume, I didn't get a response, so after 2 weeks, I called, and I guess they had listed the wrong email address on the mailing - the woman I spoke to said she hadn't gotten a single email  or resume from anyone for my county.  Well, she has mine, now.


4. Ebooks. Amazon now has an app you can download for free to read Kindle books on your PC.  AWWWESOME.  Did I mention that one of my textbooks for next semester is on Kindle?  No?  Awesome.  Oh, okay.  Maybe I'm just being a techhie geek.

3. Job Stuff.  So like, interesting stuff happens in my office.  I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW AWESOME AND INTERESTING MY WORK IS.

Seriously.  I can't tell you. Dammit.  Do you know how hard that is for me?  I love to write my experiences.  But these ones, I can't tell.  Stupid Ethics.

2. But. I can tell you that RatBastard, the IT guy, is insufferable.  He's, like, watching me and shit. Yesterday he practically pounced on me for having a flashdrive in my computer, until I pointed out that the drive was assigned to me by the company.  Dude is seriously getting on my bad side.  He's not even all that good at what he does.  We have a printer that keeps malfunctioning, and he's futzing around talking about templates and stuff.  It hasn't even occurred to him that there's a driver issue.  I'm not going to tell him.  Screw him.  (Yes, I am that petty).

Also, I saw him earlier this week, and I was laughing about  Dilbert cartoon that was on my Dilbert calendar  YESILOVEDILBERTSOJUSTSHUTUP and he asked what was so funny, and I said, "do you have a sense of humor?  Can you laugh at yourself?" and he said, 'Sure'.

--> For the record, I now know that everybody thinks they have a sense of humor.  And nobody enjoys being the butt of a joke.

But anyway.  So I showed him this cartoon:

and of course, he immediately got all serious and said, 

"where, that depends on what you mean by usability"

Seriously.  He said that.  He got all serious and concrete about a DILBERT cartoon.  

Hence, hereforth, he is not longer ratbastard.  He is now MORDAC, THE PREVENTER OF INFORMATION SERVICES.

1. NERVOUS.  I'm kinda nervous about this weekend.  I had such a hard time coming back from Javalina. I won't be able to  be online until Saturday night because apparently, there's little cell phone or internet service in Death Valley.  OH, I LOVE THAT I'M DOING AN EVENT IN DEATH VALLEY, IT SOUNDS SO BAD-ASS!

But. The best part is...

is...

THIS (link)

Oh, YEAH, baby. I'll earn 50+ WW points doing the trail marathon. Guess how I'll spend it?

...

Tuesday Twelve

...because I have something else planned for the Thursday Thirteen.

1) oh, THOSE thoughts. You know the ones. They start out as a whisper...why, she's the same size as me, not much younger, and she just did a _________...then a murmur. I wonder if *I* could do a (fill in the blank here:) _________...then the next thing you know, you're narrowing it down to which crazy-assed race you're going to sign up for. Which is what I did.

I eliminated the Pinhoti hundred-miler, for now, because you should always train like you race, and for my first hundred-miler, I can't train for a southern, semi-tropical pine forest, given that I live in Albuquerque. However, I reserve the right to do this one some day, because it's really close to where my sister lives, and they have fried egg sandwiches on the course. Not that this is all that unique, mind you...most ultras are basically a run from one buffet to the next.

I eliminated the Rocky Racoon hundred-miler, because if you sign up for the hundred, and finish at least 50 miles, they don't give you credit as having finished the 50 mile race which is on the same route, on the same day.

That leaves me with the Javalina Jundred, which as the same course that exists in my back yard (rocky, high-desert) and if you finish at least 4 of the 6-1/2 loops, you get a "whimp out" 100k option, a 100K belt buckle.

DP has kindly offered to be my boss lady for the event.

However, I still have to get down to 160 before I'll sign up (72.5 kg for our international friends).

2) WEIGHT. I'm losing a half pound a week.\At this rate, I'll be sending Javalina my money sometime in January. I would like it to be on record that given that I eat between 1300 and 1800 calories a day (depending on my workout that day) and run a minimum of 25 miles a week, I think 1/2 pound a week is rediculous, but given the alternative (not losing anything), I'll take it.

3) THINGS I SAID I'D NEVER DO. I went to Trader Joes last week. They had the cheapest Tofurkeys in town. I also bought some corn soup. So there.


4) Gaaa! Since I can't eat soy any more, the hot flashes are coming fast and furious. I wake up every two hours, drenched in sweat. Baboo is most sympathetic, but obviously helpless; there's not much to do when your wife suddenly rises, strips off her shirt, and walks out in to the back yard in the middle of a cold, cold night. This is not as attractive as one might think.  Or maybe it is. I don't know. 

5) High. Baboo, Courtney, and I climbed up to the South Peak of Sandia on Saturday. It was a 14-mile round-trip, and I was pretty sick that afternoon. I think I need to get used to that altitude. I felt great on Sunday, though.

6) Why, YES, HELL DID FREEZE OVER. I went for a 30-mile bike ride with friends Sunday. It goes without saying that since I haven't sat on a bike since September, my butt hurts, but not as bad as I thought.  More importantly, my legs didn't burn or hurt. I was expecting a miserable, cold time, and I had a wonderful time on a beautiful day with some of my favorite friends.

7) George's LEGACY: Why an I just hearing about this whole Real ID thing?  Will I be able to travel next year without a passport in my own country?  Who's working on this? WHO?


8)  ONE PERSON at school has noticed that my hair is a completely different color.  What.  The.  Hell.  everyone else is, like, "Oh, your hair is a different color?"
YES!  YES!  It is BROWN now!  Geez!


9) *SPAM ALERT* FREE STUFF!  L@@K!  Last year Tech4o asked me to review their watch with the built-in pedometer.  This year, they've asked me to review their women's watch with a heart-rate monitor strap. The Tech4o company is sending me an extra watch, so that I can do a contest giveaway.

So, this is what I've come up with:
What you have to do is guess what my finishing time will be at Ghost Town 38.5 in January.  The person closest to my actual time without going over will win a Tech4o watch with heartbeat monitor on which I have drawn a smiley face with a sharpie on the back.  Whee!  in the case of a tie, I'll be asking those in the tie a trivia question.
Happy guessing.


10)  JOB.  Still don't have one.  Still working on that.  Given my druthers, I'd still rather do therapy.  I'm headed to some agencies tomorrow with copies of my resume.  If I could get 15 paying clients a week or more, I could make a go of it.  Perhaps I've been at this agency too long.  In two months, they've given me two clients.  TWO.  Time to move on.

11) CHEESE! As I write this I am watching a show about cheese on Modern Marvels.  It's surprisingly interesting.  One time I watched "The History of Cereal" and it was also surprisingly interesting.  No, really.  Oh, also: Americans eat 100 acres of pizza a day.  You're welcome.


12) TRAINING.  I'm back on track.  This week I'll be running 2, 4, 6 (monday, tuesday, wednesday) 14, and 8 (saturday, sunday).  The 14-miler will be a hike. 

...

Thursday Thirteen

1. Hair. It's as dark and straight as I remember it being about 15 years ago. I was expecting a lot of gray, but the gods who gave me hypothyroidism, asthma, and a host of allergies decided to give me a break on this one. Yay!

I liked being a blond, but my hair grows nearly an inch a month, and there's lots of it. Plus, the 18% humidity here, chemical processing, swimming, and crappy hotel shampoos at race venues are just a bit drying. Less $$ for maintenance = $$ for race entry fees, right?
My hair dresser says my dark hair is really going to make my green eyes, "pop".
I suggested to him that using the word, "pop" isn't so good for describing what eyes might do.

2. Reboot. I had an interview this week, but no call came from HR. :-( I'm hoping for another interview soon.

3. CHEAP!! Since I've been off work I've reverted quickly to the survival mode from when I was a single parent. Last week I dug a cactus needle out of my thumb that had been stuck in there for a week because it just seemed silly to pay someone else to do it when I had Orajel and a knife handy. Soon I'll be splinting injuries with sticks and closing wounds with super glue.

4. Training. I was invited to do a coffee ride this past Sunday (As you know, I love trying desperately to catch my super fast friends on one of their "rides"). I took one look at the forecast for snow and rain and typed back, COUNT ME IN! because I knew we'd never go.
I was right. It was 30 degrees and snowing, the ride was canceled, and I spent the day in with a fire and movies.
But now I have the benefit of having come across as being as a motivated joiner. Unless they read this.

5. Ankle. I'm hiking on trails again. The ankle moves forward and backwards, but not so much side-to-side. I have started gently manipulating it by hand. It still hates me, but now the hate is more like a pout than a scream.

6. UP. I went hiking with Sweet Baboo and Courtney anyway. I took it easy because of the ankle thing, and only climbed up to 9400 feet. Next week, we're headed to the south peak.

7. Future Races. I have been stricken by the "never say never" curse and plan to sign up for a hundred-miler when I reach 160 pounds. I haven't decided which one. I'm looking at Pinhoti (near my sister), the Javelina Jundred (cool buckle, and a 100k "wimp-out" option) or Rocky Racoon (flat, flat, flat but boring, boring, boring). Each of these races is superbly organized and supported.

8. WEEPY. Does getting older mean you cry at every damned thing? Even movies I've seen a million time do this to me. In fact, movies I've seen a million times are worse: I start to get choked up in anticipation of what's about to happen. I'm pathetic.

9. Foot. A new development: a pain between two of my toes on the bottom of my right foot. Mostly felt going downhill. I hear it's called a neuroma, and is hard to get rid of . Oh, YAY.

10. Training, P.2. I've started over with the 50-mile training plan. I'm a bit behind because of the ankle thing; I've only done 47 miles this month so far.

11. FIRE! Sweet Baboo has gotten really good at making fires! His fires are roaring and burn away any accumulated soot on the glass, so you can see them clearly. This means they burn out accumulations in the chimney, too.

This was Sunday's fire:

12. Cookies. Sunday Sweet Baboo asked if we could have some sort of cookie. Well, hell, the man had made a kick-ass fire, so sure, I started looking for healthy PB cookie recipes.
One recipe said "low fat" but included a cup of butter-flavored crisco "or butter."

Another one required olive oil. Olive oil? in cookies?

Another one required maple syrup, which people like to imagine is safer than sugar, because it's all natural and junk. Of course, snake venom and botulism are also natural, but trying to explain that to certain people is like trying to explain to them that quartz crystals are chemically identical to window glass. It creates a cognitive dissonance that they cannot overcome.
But I digress.
Anyway, I don't like maple syrup. I like Mrs. Butterworths. So there.

Well, after looking at various recipes, I decided to make up my own. How hard could it be?
And, Oh, My, Goodness. They sucked. Apparently, baking is, like, a skill.

Plus, my oven thermostat is broken, and of course, I won't get it fixed because I'm too cheap and I only use the stupid thing twice a year anyway. So, unless I go over to the oven and turn it off for about one minute out of every 5, everything BURNS..

The recipe yielded 5 decently cooked bland cookies and about 15 peanut butter charcoal briquettes.

I will continue to experiment. I'll post a recipe when I have one that works. Meanwhile, just go ahead and skip telling me about PB cookies at Trader Joes. Remember: I will not join your Trade Joe's cult.

13. Motivation. I have a friend that calls me every 4-5 months to tell me how much she really needs to get fit. I'm not naming names. I don't think she reads my blog, anyway.
So. She tells me how badly she needs to work out, and makes a date to go on a trail hike or short run with me, doesn't show up, and then I don't hear from her again until the next quarter. This has been going on for a few years.
She was supposed to come over the same day I agreed to cycle with my very super fast cycling friends. Of course, I was not troubled by the double-booking, as I was relatively certain the weather would cancel the cycling and my friend would not show up.

I was right. I relaxed all day, until i did a late afternoon hike with Baboo. Win-win. Meanwhile, the door's always open for her.

...

Thursday Thirteen.

1) Home Gym. Is awesome.  Mind you, we bought nothing, we'd collected this stuff over the years: a stability ball, bands, dumbbells, weight bench, treadmill, trainers...an industrial fan, mini fridge, many workout and training DVDs.  But now it's consolidated in the garage with the TV and DVD player from the guest room.  No cable.  (Yet.)  
Ahhhh.  The life of the empty nest couple is a spoiled, wonderful life!!
(You may commence with the hate and envy)

2) Ankle.  much better.  Lunges and certain yoga moves, are are still out.  Lots of soaking in an icy goldfish pond and diclofenac has been working.  I can jog with no pain, but only on the treadmill for now. 
I thought it was all healed up, but then Tuesday when I was pushing my foot down into a shoe--OWWWWWW.  Ankle does not want to be maneuvered in any way.  Swelling is gone, but no trails for me until at least a week AFTER it stops hurting. (And thanks - I've been stretching my archilles every day.)
 
3) Circuits and Strength training.  I downloaded some workouts from fitsugar.com,   On my no running days, I cross-train: walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes, then 2 sets of the 3 resistance/strength-building exercises, walk another 10 minutes, and then do 2 sets of the next 3 exercises, and so on...while a movie is playing.  I like circuits; they break up the time.  So does an old movie.   

4) My running plan.  New training started this week.  I get my run plans generated here. I'm jogging easy for now, on the treadmilll.

5) Shoulders and arms endurance.  Strength training is becoming a big part of my weight loss and training and ankle recovery plan.  On the treadmill, I use 1 pound weights in each arm.  I need to build up my endurance for swinging my arms for 9....10....14....hours.  I alternate 1-minute of punching and doing bicep curls as I go (on the treadmill.). The 1-minute wil increase to 2, and so on. I use low weights, lots of reps.

6) Dreadmill.  Raise the incline to a 3, and it will shorten your stride and take the stress off the front of your legs. Also, you can do walking lunges on a treadmill. 

7)  Thought for the day. 
If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and every day you have the opportunity to write a new page. Mark Houlahan

8)  Weight.  169 still, probably because I haven't done much in 3 weeks except walk a bit (Recovery from Palo Duro, Ankle twist) Ideally, I'd like to be at 150 when I toe the start line at my first 100-miler, but if I get down to 160, I'll know my body is at least serious about losing weight, and I'll sign up.
(Note how I put all the responsibility anthropomorphically onto my body, not my crappy willpower). 
On the plus side, I just put my size 14 jeans away, and took out my size 12s.

9) Oral Fixation.  Does anyone but me have a weird cat that nurses on clothes?  You'd think after 8 years of living with this cat I'd be used to how weird she is, but--no.

10) New shoes.  Since New Balance betrayed me by redesigning their shoes, I'm trying a new one (Asics). Some day, when my ankle heals, I'll get to wear them again.  (Sigh.)

11) Work.  I've been working for free.  I didn't go to college to work for free.  I've decided I'll probably  return to teaching 'till I'm done with social work school.  The upside to this is more amusing stories.

12)  Teaching. Full time work and full time school doesn't leave a lot of time.  We'll see.  I may have to put off my first hundred-miler, even if I do make my self-imposed weight limit by December 31st.  In fact, I'm not even sure I can pull off Ironman training for St. George on May 1st. 

13)  Bucket list.  Despite all my rantings about how I will never go back to Alabama, there is this one trail run that I simply must do before I die.  Not only is it very close to where my sister lives, but the race website actually claims that the trail is unmolested.  Seriously.  How can I avoid an opportunity to molest a trail?  i ask you.  SRSLY. MO. LEST.  a Trail. 

...