Phog's Human Food Tally.

Within 2 weeks he has managed to devour:

1. 1/4 bag of Garrett's Honey Roasted Peanuts.
2. A half sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.

He's in so much shit, it's not even funny.

Meh.

Yah. That about sums up tonight's 30-minute swim.

Shoulda gone running instead.

...speaking of running...if you haven't read runner pants' post on the love/hate seesaw that is running...you need to go over there and take the time to read it. She's brilliant...and has once again validated why she's one of my favorite RBFers out there.

Complete and total randomness.

So after a freakishly hectic work day yesterday (which included our cleaning lady coming down with the flu and cancelling our scheduled appt...which is no bueno since we have guests coming in a few days) all I wanted to do was go swim. Buuuuuuuuut...I didn't.

I'm so lame. I know.

Partly because I had absoltuely no energy to go to the pool. But mostly because my Jayhawks were battling Oklahoma. It was a game that was too close for comfort--and a game where 2 of our 5 top scores had a whole whopping ZERO points (stupid freshmen). I had to watch the last five minutes with the TV muted because the sound of the Sooner fans made me want to throw something through the television screen. I gave colorful commentary to mouse (poor girl doesn't have cable) and screamed at the TV like a maniac when OU tied the game. It wasn't pretty.

In the end, they gritted it out. It was an ugly victory. But a well needed one. Anytime we're ranked high than 5 we fall flat on our face. At this juncture, I don't care what happens in the Big XII Tourney (ok, we all know that's a blatant lie) as long as we make it past the first round at the big dance nobody will get hurt.

So...where's the complete and total randomness of this post? Here ya go...

When I took the dog out one last time in the evening, I had the most bizarre thought mysteriously pop into my head...

Mortimer Ichabod Marker.

Yah.

Remember that?

The endearing beeps as he grazed along the Picture Page? How he'd come to life for Bill Cosby? And promoted reading and learning through fun!!! :D Those were the good ole days.

I have no clue what sparked that sudden vision in my head...or why I started singing the Picture Pages tune...but it was nothing short of...well...odd.

In other news...
Tonight...we return to the pool from a 2 week hiatus. My lil' fins are itching to swim lap upon lap upon lap. I will likely try to hit the treadmill too for 2-3 miles...something nice and light and easy. (Thank goodness we have Tivo, god forbid I miss an episode of American Idol)

Oh...and for anyone who's keeping score...we found a replacement cleaning lady to come in. Three cheers for not having to clean yourself!! Except for the whole cleaning before the cleaning lady comes...which I totally don't get...but still do to an extent.

One heckuva week.

The past week has been nothing short of crazy. Work has been...well...more work than usual. And I've got crap to do this weekend for Monday as well. I hadn't done a lick of running for nearly 2 weeks until this morning, but it felt good to get back out there.

As usual, 6:30 a.m. came way too quickly. I've been having a bunch of issues falling asleep lately, despite my exhaustion. I managed to pull myself out of bed and get the proverbial ball rolling. A short time later, we were back at the Wilson parking lot along running path...just as we left it only a few moths ago. Except now it was ridonkulously cold....28 degrees with gusts of wind that were upwards of 35-40mph (Holy Headwind, Batman!).

We headed south for our first run with the team. A simple 45 minutes...seemed like a good place to start training for our half on April 28th...hahahaa...we are sooooooo not going to be ready. Looks like we'll just have to "wing it." :) Whatever. I'm not out for time. I'm just out to have fun, meet some fabulous RBF folk, and get the foot tour of Nashville. I'm quite looking forward to it. I'm hopeful that there will be no pre-race yakage going on this time (one can dream, right?!).

But the 45 minute run passed by quickly. My first two miles were 11:20 and 11:09 and then my hip flexor started tightening up. I stopped to stretch it out, but that only seemeed to aggravate it more when I returned to running. I forgot to restart my watch back up, but I think the return two miles were around the 12:30-13:00 range. Blech.

Which can only mean one thing.

I'm going to have to start doing a better job on the stretching front. Hardcore. On a regular basis. Or else this hip flexor issue is going to set me back big time. Anyone have any stretching suggestions for this other than the usual lunges?

But yeah...things have been hectic 'round here. Although it seems to be paying off...I got a double digit raise which pushed me into a new salary bracket--I'm pretty psyched about that. My best friend is buying a house. Our tax return is going to cover the remaining balance for our cruise (and then some). We've got some good company coming into town in a few days, and there will be some Kansasizing goin' on, fo' sho. And it looks as if our credit card is about to be paid off in its entirety (THANK.GAWD.). It seems like good news just continues to roll in.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while...and my apologies for not reading/posting on your blogs this week. I'm optimistic that this week will be less hectic and that I can actually take time to catch up in y'alls lives.

We all get wrapped up in the buzz of reality every once in a while.

...but hey, we're allowed to be. Because the best part about blogging, is you can pick up exactly where you left off.

...answerless.

Editor's Note: This is in no way a running post, despite the fact I mention some derivative of the word 'run' twice. If you've come to this blog for your weekly dose of a jayhawk training report...I'm sorry to disappoint. You're just going to have to wait another day or so...effing deal with it. I'm in a funk and need to just write.

have you ever just sat back and wondered how the hell did i get to where i am today?

...and not just today as in...right now, this minute...10:19 am on February 15, 2007...i got here by walking to work and going to the 20th floor crap...

...but here...in life...the ideals of the moment...encapsulating the intangible...

stuff like like why am i here in chicago? ...sure, i love the city, but it's not where i want to spend every last day of my life...and I'm effing sick of this craptastic weather, for the record, which is huge considering winter is my favorite season. ...or why was it my sister who was diagnosed with cancer and not someone else...or why did i start running...but more importantly, why haven't i stopped? ...what am i running from? ...and why the hell am i going for a triathlon? (oh.come.on...we all know i'm in over my head) ...and what made me lose that spontaneous spark i used to have... and why, aside from dumb luck, am I here, at this job, and not somewhere else... why was I picked? ...and why the hell do i roll with the punches so much now? ...what happened to that fire...that fight...that drive? ...can we change fate? does fate exist? ...why do i wear my heart on my sleeve? ...it goes on and on and on...

...if i could turn back time and shift one small decision of a fraction of an inch...would i still be sitting here...in this cube...in this chair...in this life...

...i think it goes both ways. maybe not a drastic shift...but perhaps one to sway my/your smile a little brighter...or make me/you a little more humble...

one small, seemingly insignificant decision can instantly impact your life forever. but more importantly, we often fail to realize that that small, seemingly insignificant decision, can and will inevitably impact someone else. sometimes for the better...sometimes for the worse...

your life is not your own. ...and right now, more than ever, i want to scream this from the top of the sears tower.

i think people get so wrapped up in satisfying themselves, that they lose sight of this.

it's funny how one college course forever changed my outlook on life (nevermind the fact i failed the first paper, although receiving my first D- was a humbling experience for this overachiever, but it made me a better person). because of j101...i argue smarter. i actually thirst to understand an opposing perspective. i want to wrap myself in a situation to completely understand it. i am actually capable of admitting that there is a chance that i could be wrong (and the fact that sometimes others are totally not able to do that drives me insane).

that course should be a prerequisite for life. because maybe then, people would live a little bit better...think a tad more smarter...be a little kinder...and maybe, just maybe the world would be a better because of it.

...but i'm coming to terms with the fact that some situations, perhaps aren't meant to be understood (whether i like it or not...which i don't for those of you keeping score). they're out of reach. above my head. out of sight, but never out of mind. and that is where i struggle. i want answers to questions that can't be asked...or maybe answers to questions i'm too afraid to ask (i'm not sure...perhaps i fear the answers more?). i want to wrap my head around things that i know i'll never understand. such questions plague my mind. i want things fixed. i want to fix...and be fixed. and not in the bob barker 'have your pets spayed and neutered' type way.

.......i..........i just want answers. life's answers. my life's answers.

but there are none.

so i sit here. in this cube. at this desk. in this comfy black swivel chair. in this moment at 11:24...

...answerless.



Now Playing: tinkering between Coldplay - Fix You and Smashing Pumpkins - Adore (yes, the whole album)

He's not that innocent.

Oh no...

No, he's not. Don't be fooled.



This lil' angelic face is in BIG TROUBLE.

Last night when we returned home from the Everclear show, we walked into the condo to the lil' snot wore his guilt in his smile. I walked over to the couch and noticed shreds of plastic wrap alllllllllllllll over the place. And then it hit me...he got into the quarter pound bag of honey roasted peanuts I had just bought from Garrett's. These peanuts...not so cheap.

So of course, I go off on this motherly-instinct, tirade. First, I'm so angry. Livid. Wanting to spank his lil' rear. Then I freak out. What if he has an allergic reaction!?!?!? What if he spends the night getting sick?!?!?!? So...I do what any paranoid pooch parent would do at one in the morning...I panic and call the 24-hour emergency vet.

Turns out, honey roasted peanuts aren't toxic to dogs (phew!) however, the amount that he consumed and given his size was supposed to lead to some major constipation, and could arguably end up needing an enema (which he probably would've deserved). Let's just say...lucky for our lil' punk of a pooch, he's been poppin' out peanuts all day long. Gross. I know. But at least he's fine.

Anyways. The concert? Awesome. I forgot how much I :heart: that band. We show up around 9:30 and they took the stage an hour later. We rocked out. Sang along. Watched a fight break out on the floor in the sea of old people (haha...). And life was grand!


We can live beside the ocean...linger far behind...swim out past the breakers...watch the world die...woo!

Today has been nothing short of relaxing. I went to the YMCA this afternoon. Did a nice, easy 2 mile run on the treadmill and then hit the pool. I stopped counting when I hit 1200 yards...but ended up swimming for close to an hour.

Now...it's all about relaxing with the hubby and the puppy pants. Good times, campers. Good times.

What a fabulous (but cold) day!

10 Reasons why today has been FABULOUS...


1. Woke up with no hangover. WOO! That's always a good thing.

2. It was the first day of training for the Chicago Marathon...except it was too damn cold to run (-1 when we woke up, ugh)! So we headed out bright and early for a fun morning at Momentum with breakfast and the getting started clinic.

3. I got a nice, ridiculously long, well-needed nap in...and well, what's not to love about naps? Naps are FABULOUS.

4. We went to a drag show last night with some friends for a birthday (in which he had to wear a d*ck in the box since it was his birthday...A.W.E.S.O.M.E.). I'll admit, some of the ladies (or were they men?) were...well..........arguably hot...and, of course, fabulous.

5. Kansas beat Mizzou. Yeah. Enough said.

6. Blockbuster finally got its copy of High School Musical returned. And I may or may not be watching it right now...and totally basking in its fabulousness.

7. I got to talk with one of my favorite bloggers earlier. And well...that's always a hoot and a half...cause well...she's fabulous.

8. We've got butterscotch pudding and chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge...two of the world's most fabulous desserts, just waiting to be devoured by yours truly after dinner.

9. Chicken Satay from Hong Kong Bay = ten shades of fabu-tastic!!

10. Mike surprised me with tickets to see EVERCLEAR...tonight! I'm as giddy as a school girl. This band reminds me of all things fun and fabulous back in high school. So yeah...this chick is all smiles!!!



Not too much else is going on here in the frigid land of Chicago. I think we're all ready for a break in the weather...and it looks like we just might...by at least a few degrees. So let's hope the fabulous momentum can carry everyone through into next week...

Finally feeling human again...

So it's been a rough few days in Jayhawk-land. During Sunday's loss to the colts I may or may not have had a sickly incident at the end of the game at Yakzies (hahaa, how ironic)...that may or may not have been induced from alcohol (it wasn't, actually...I have witnesses). Said incident may or may not have resulted in me riding the couch for the following two days...living on toast and gatorade...and driving Mike bananas with my constant whining and need for chick flicks (I'm outraged that High School Musical wasn't available at blockbuster).

It's been a rough few days battling some weird, funky, stomach/intestinal bug of sorts. But luckily, it was contained just to me and no one else was affected. And I'm finally feeling human once again...

This morning was the first time in...oooooh...about 5 days where I've had an iota of an appetite. Normally I'll eat anything and everything in sight.

So I'm looking forward to hitting the gym and pounding the pavement once more...now, if there was something we could do about this ridiculous single digit weather.

Maybe then I'd be motivated?

Nah...who am I kidding...

BEAR DOWN!

Need I say more?

Chasing away the winter blues...

It's cold.

Damn cold.

Single digit high, negative wind chill cold.

It's winter in Chicago cold.

And it sucks.

And what better way to chase away the winter blues than to think about all things warm...and summery...

Like the pool (except it's indoors)!!

We hit the pool again tonight...and I actually put in 1350 yards. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah. That's a hella long way. I did some pull drills, and kick exercises, and breast stroke and worked on my freestyle. It was a great workout and I made a concentrated effort on relaxing my body during my strokes. Over twice the distance I'll have to do in the triathlon. Woo! I know I still have lots of work to do...improve technique...focus on speed...all that jazz. But tonight was definitely a tiny victory!

On Monday night was also another swim night. No clue how far we went then, but it felt good.

In other fun lets chase the winter blues away news...we booked two excursions for our cruise in August!! We're taking a canopy zip line tour in Jamaica as well as an afternoon of snorkeling with a visit to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Still trying to decide what to do in Cozumel...dolphin swim? visit Mayan ruins? parasailing? So.many.choices!!!! Eep! I figure I've got all of February's cold weather to figure that out.

At least tomorrow is Friday and we've got the TNT kick off event this weekend...and then Da Bears in da Super Bowl!

It's going to be a very good weekend. Very good, indeed.