Hot Peppers, (Home) Sweet Home

I flew home today after work (and boy are my arms tired...) for Thanksgiving. I'm glad to be back in Michigan and am excited to see everyone :)

Before my flight I got a sandwich/sub at Potbelly, and without my permission, the guy apparently put hot peppers (or jalapenos?) on my sandwich. I thought at first that it was just some spicy salami or something, but that changed when I crunched into a pepper. Yuck. Now I know for sure I don't like them (not that I had much doubt in the first place).

Ninja!

Guess I better get out there...

Bye Bob & Tom

The local radio station that had Bob & Tom on in the morning changed their mornings to music :( I love music, especially classic rock, but I listen to that all the time. I need my laughs!

Mmmm & Mmmms

Tried strawberried peanut butter M&M's last weekend. Tasty!

From One to Another

I pick the cities with the good mayors...

Baltimore Mayor Indicted in Theft and Perjury Case

NEWleywed Game

Apparently there's a new version of the Newlywed Game, with some lady as a host who is a sex therapist. She's NOT a good host. The show isn't as fun. Boo.

Duck, Duck, Parrot?

Hahaha. The guy on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire had to ask the audience on the very first question. Question was "Duck, Duck, ?" - here's how the audience voted:

15% Duck
5% Parrot
79% Goose
1% (forgot what this one was)

Only 79% said goose? I can understand the idiots saying Parrot or something, but really? 79%?

SNL

Taylor Swift didn't sound very good on SNL tonight...

Maybe I should actually just go to bed :)

This Little Piggy

Sorry, but this commercial doesn't work for me:

"This little piggy went out tonight. This little piggy should have stayed home. This little piggy was killed by a drunk driver."
"Are you going to kill someone tonight?"

A little blunt?

Good Music

Definitely not what this is:

Russian Roulette by Rihanna

As Charles Barkley would say, it's terrible. T-r-b-l, terrible. I'd like to hope there's actually some kind of good message behind the lyrics, but the likelihood of that is rather low.

Rock to R&B

I was curious as to why at lunch I heard Luther Vandross on 104.3 (rock station). I am pretty sure that I was listening to the radio show in the morning, and then it changed to an R&B or "hits" station today. Weird.

Also, I thought I had canceled one of my magazine subscriptions before the free trial expired, but apparently it didn't? Guess I doubt they linked my two addresses...oh well. Agh.

Shin Splints

Well, last week I developed some shin splints that forced a short run Thursday and no run Saturday. I ran 3 on Thursday, but otherwise haven't run in a week now. Gah. I hate this.

But what's better than steak for dinner and Girl Scout cookies for dessert? :)

Happy November everyone (time flies).

Hats Off!

Anyone else find it funny that the Air Force lady who sang the national anthem at the World Series game tonight didn't remove her hat?

In other news, hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! And I hate my internet.

Wiggy?

So I was out on a short run Tuesday night in the city, and I turned a corner (slowing down, because you can't see around corners in the city because of the buildings) and almost ran into a kid - probably about a 10-year old boy. He said "Oh man, I was about to get wiggy on him!"

I'm not sure what that means, but I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Guess I'm glad he didn't get wiggy on me?

Gettin' wiggy wit it?

Maybe I am getting old...

Speaking of old...I'm off to Bucknell tomorrow after work for Homecoming! :)

Good Morning Baltimore!

Saturday was the Baltimore Marathon! My family was in town for the weekend, which was really nice. Friday I took a half day at work so I could meet up with my parents and brother. We went to the expo and dinner, and then picked up my sister and her husband from the airport. Saturday morning was the race. We went out for lunch with some other relatives and spent the rest of the day hanging out and dinner and all. Sunday after church we went for brunch and hung out before they had to leave. We had dinner in Ellicott City after Vicki and Alberto had to catch their flight.

The race.

I went into the race prepared to take it a little easy (as "easy" as a marathon can be) and use it as a training run. I should have known better. My competitive nature kicked in once we started and I got caught up in the event. The weather was a little warm at the start, but it actually cooled as the morning went on. There was actually a time or two that I was chilly because of the occasional wind and rain. The course was tough, so I am really pleased with my time. Somewhere along the way I also got the crazy idea in my head to run the whole way. I didn't take one walking break, even at the water stations! Never thought I'd do that...

Anywho, I ended up running a 3:35:21, which I am very happy with for a tough course, and not overworking myself. My legs ached afterward and are a little tired, but not that sore. It's the best they've felt after a marathon before. My last mile was 7:42, which is the fastest I've had, other than possibly my first one (Detroit). Guess it shows how much I still had left? I tried the Wazzu kick at the finish, but I don't think it worked that well, and there wasn't a picture on the photo site. Not worth it.

But...

10 states down, 40 to go!

:-D

Almosts

Well, so far this year has been a year of "almosts" for Detroit-area sports fans. Michigan State men's basketball lost the NCAA title game in March and the Red Wings lost the Stanley Cup finals in 7. Now the Tigers were overtaken by the Twins, capped by an extra-inning tie-breaker game last week. At least we know the Lions won't have an almost like that...

Hopefully I won't have an almost in Vegas!

Entry to come about the Baltimore Marathon weekend :)

One Week

One week until the Baltimore Marathon! I'm actually looking forward to seeing my family more than the race - probably partly because I'm not racing for any particular time. Looking forward to it!

Spent last week (not this past week, but the one before) in Orlando for a conference for work. It was nice to be away and semi-informative. Running sucked because it was so warm and muggy. Even at 5:30 AM. I visited the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday when things were over. That was kinda neat, though I didn't get to go on the bus tour of the place (just the visitor's center stuff - IMAX, shuttle launch experience).

MSU beat Michigan today :) They blew a 20-6 lead at the end of the game, but won in OT. Good times. Too bad the Tigers didn't follow suit.

I'm convinced the Tigers don't actually want to make the playoffs. And I have to hand it to the Twins. They've won 16 of their last 20 games without an MVP-caliber player (Morneau). Big games tomorrow...I'm just worried if they end up playing the tie-breaker in Minnesota on Tuesday, they'll lose because it's in Minnesota. That, and they've been the opposite of clutch lately. Fingers are crossed.

Note to Self

Don't order anything fragile while I'm living at my current address. They essentially threw my CDs over the fence towards the back door. Hopefully none of them are damaged! Stupid people. If they don't fit anywhere and I'm not home, keep them at the post office or something.

PR!

So I'm super excited about my PR at the Harrisburg Half Marathon yesterday morning. I ran a 1:31:16 (6:58 pace), eclipsing my previous PR by over 3 minutes! This gives me a little more confidence about qualifying for Boston this December. I was pumped for the race, and I am still pumped. Baltimore Marathon is less than 4 weeks away - I'm using it as a "training run" - or as much of a training run a marathon can be...haha. Thennnn, 12 weeks until Vegas!!

Oh C'mon Fran!

So on the way home tonight the lady on the radio said Louis Armstrong, but pronounced it like "Lewis" - gah! Come on lady!

Iris

Had a great long weekend up at Bucknell with my friends! Bowling, crooning and more.

Heaven again.

Cool Cool MI

Flew home to MI last night! For some reason or another we taxied on the runway for 15 minutes after landing. Guess the parking spots were all full...

Started off my vacation day with a funeral for a neighbor, unfortunately. Very sad :(

Went for a 16-mile run at Dodge Park in the afternoon with Vic & Dad. It poured at the end, so we got a bit wet. Went well though! Plus it was in the Low 60's...so much cooler than Maryland!

Relatives are in town for the wedding tomorrow, so we had dinner and visited with them tonight. They didn't get any less crazy since I moved to MD =D

A little nervous about singing/playing at the wedding tomorrow! It's a tougher song than last time, but I think it'll be fine. Looking forward to having lots of fun though! :)

Not Ready For Football Season

I root for the Lions, why should I be ready for football season? =P

Today I found out that I probably shouldn't try going anywhere near the stadiums when the Ravens have a home game. They played a home exhibition game tonight.

Also, one of my neighbors from home passed away tonight. Very sad :( Please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers.

19.19

Usain Bolt is not human.

Plaxico Burress is looking at 2 years in prison for carrying a gun into a nightclub (and, ultimately, shooting himself). Guess he should have finished college.

The water is very blue.

Made me a nice orange chicken stir-fry today. 'Twas d'lish.

20-miler on Saturday :)

One week until I'm home in MI!!

Hide Your Beagle

Okay, so I couldn't help but laugh at one of the signs protesting the Eagles signing Michael Vick...

"Hide Your Beagle, Vick's An Eagle"

Anywho...I'm fine with giving the guy another chance.

And go away, Brett Favre!

Back Online!

Well, after going all week without the internet at home because of a bad router, I'm back online. I went out and bought a new router, which hopefully will not be really slow and intermittent like it has been sometimes at the beginning here...

Here's a little "Did You Know" about baseball:

Did you know that until 1859, the umpire sat behind home plate in a padded rocking chair?

Interesting...

Catch Up II

Another couple weeks has gone by already...

Family reunion was awesome, as usual. A really fun dinner Friday night, running and Oh Hell! and mini croquet on Saturday, reunion (family, food and lawn games including extreme croquet) on Sunday.

The next weekend I went up to Lewisburg to see some friends in Hamlet. They all did a great job on the play. I think I got a little poison ivy or something when I "fell off the cliff" playing tennis ball baseball Sunday... It was a long fly ball to left field, where the creek was. I just missed the ball and didn't quite have enough room to stop, so I suddenly disappeared into the bushes - not knowing it was a steep drop of about 6 feet into the creek. Luckily the plants caught me and it wasn't straight down. Probably more luckily, it was about two feet to the left of where it WAS straight down (via a wall).

Running has been going pretty well. I've started doing some 800s on the UMBC track with a group of guys. Have averaged 2:58 for six each week, including 2:44 on the last one. Going for eight this Tuesday, hopefully around 2:55. Did 18 good ones up on the NCR (partly, at least) this weekend.

After my long run Saturday I helped a 50-year-old lady get to Towson. She apparently just got out of AA, was sick and passed out and got a concussion. Some people found her and helped put her up for the night at Red Roof Inn (where I had parked). She also was telling me how she was homeless and recently lost her mother and father to cancer. Anywho, I was nice (though I should have been careful enough to check her story with the hotel) and drove her for about 10 minutes from Timonium to Towson.

On a related note, don't go to the Burger King in Towson. They charged me $2.39 for two $1 items. Why is that strange, you ask? Well, I don't know of any place that has 20% tax...so I asked the girl at the window if it was really 20% tax, and she said yes. So, either they charged me more than $1 for an item or she's just not bright. I doubt they charge 20% tax...

Last Wednesday was the first playoff volleyball game. We lost the first game and were down 23-17 in the second, and so in danger of losing the match. I served us 8 straight points and we came from behind again in the third game to take the win! This Wednesday is the semis and finals if we win the first match.

Saturday night I sat alone and watched Serendipity on the Oxygen channel. Perhaps I'm a woman...

Today it was in the mid/upper-90s. Tomorrow is going to be near 100...sweet...

Catch Up

A lot has happened since I last wrote, so I'll try to cover at least some of it...

I moved from Elkridge into Baltimore City. Had a little trouble sleeping at first with the new noise (though it's not really too bad), but I'm more used to it now. E-Z Pass makes me feel important.

Softball playoffs are currently under way. We didn't win this week, but it's best of five, so we get to play at least one next week. I've been playing a little better after a mid-season hitting funk.

Indoor volleyball is going well and I'm starting to get much more comfortable and hit the ball better.

I'm back into running, training for the Harrisburg Half (9/13), Baltimore Marathon (10/10), and ultimately Las Vegas Rock n' Roll marathon (12/7).

Wal-Mart printed my receipt double-sided. Never seen that before.

Even back in the 1920s when Cyclone opened at Coney Island, people waited 3-5 hours!

There's been something almost every day I feel like writing about but with all the craziness of moving it has been tough to get myself to do it. Now that I'm settled in a little, I'll check in more.

The last week and a half of work has been crazy.

Family reunion this weekend in Youngstown! I'm so ready to see everyone and have a great time :)

Out!

One More Night

Well, after tonight I have just one more night in Elkridge. A little bittersweet, actually. Let's see what city life brings. Makin' the move tomorrow and Saturday (wish me luck!)

Learning v. 24

I usually list some things I've learned (and sometimes firsts) over the past year around my birthday, so here we go...

- Actors used to only work for one studio, which is why you'll see people in a lot of movies together, such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
- Colin Hay was part of Men At Work
- Actress Colleen Haskell (The Animal) was on the first season of Survivor
- Toilets flush in the key of E-flat
- 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year??
- What babaghanoush is (an eggplant dish) - I think that's how you spell it...
- The movie "Rollercoaster" took place at Six Flags in CA
- What notarized means
- Arby's isn't very good leftovers
- How to actually play tennis
- Louisville is the 16th largest city in the U.S. (according to their airport...)
- How to bet on horse races
- Windows + E = opens "my computer"
- Windows + L = locks computer
- Ctrl + H = find and replace
- 60,000 prisoners transfer themselves via Greyhound/public transportation each year (minimum security or halfway house people)
- 4'3" is a song by John Cage...4 minutes and 3 seconds of silence
- I've re-learned how confusing girls are
- Colon, MI is home to the world's largest magic supply manufacturer
- The University of Michigan was founded by priests, orginally named Cathelepistemian, and was originally located in Detroit
- Novi, MI was named for its stagecoach stop number 6 (No. VI)
- Michigan is the only place in the world with a floating post office
- Michigan has the largest freshwater shoreline in the world
- Don't try to drink something in the middle of a yawn...
- Baboons can be used to scare away tigers/lions/etc. in Africa
- Kimchi (Korean health food) is quite spicy
- I've re-learned the difference between Miss and Ms.
- I don't need friends around 24/7 like in college (though it would be nice)
- I've resorted to the fact, as a long distance runner, a lot of my time is spent training
- Positional play in indoor volleyball
- It is very humid in Maryland
- I still haven't adjusted from the college schedule
- The Office is an awesome show
- MLB pitcher Antonio Alfonseca and blues guitarist Hound Dog Taylor had polydactyly
- Bucknell won the first Orange Bowl!

What will the quarter-century mark (=/) bring?

Finally

Okay, so I'm finally updating. Let's see...

Business trip was sort of interesting, though I only stayed for about 24 hours. Flew from there to Minnesota for Grandma's Marathon (in Duluth). The race was hot and had very little shade, so it was pretty tough. I felt good for the first 8 miles, and then I tired quickly. Halfway I decided it wasn't worth it and held back a little. Nonetheless, I walked a lot in the second half of the race - the most I've ever walked in any marathon. Ended up finishing in 3:45:49 - so I'll be running Las Vegas again this year to try and BQ. I saw the black flag along the way and my dad saw 92 degrees on the bank sign...they were darn close to canceling the thing.

Sunday we skipped our typical stairs/waterfalls/hiking trip and caught most of a Twins/Astros game in Minneapolis for Father's Day (I had to catch a flight).

I took about a week off of running (well, with an easy 4-miler that Tuesday) and started back up this week. I had a real bad calf cramp Wednesday morning getting out of bed, so I had to kind of slow my start up for the training. I went 8 today for the first long run of Baltimore/LVM training. My next race will probably be the Harrisburg 1/2 Marathon in September. Depends on if I find a 5k or 10k along the way...

I decided on a place to move to in Baltimore. Finally. Looking at places and deciding took a lot of time and I kinda got tired of it. I move in next weekend, so I'm starting to pack up (forgoing the holiday stuff). That being said, my room's a big mess...haha. We're still trying to find someone to take my spot here since the guy that was going to bailed on us last minute. Trying out the city life...

I turned 24 last Friday (not yesterday). Saw Transformers, which wasn't all that great, but entertaining enough. Then Saturday I went up to PA for some fun games and to see people. It was a good weekend :)

I started watching The Office from the beginning and finished Season 5 last night, so I'm all caught up. A good cliffhanger, but it seems pretty obvious... I guess the next season starts in September. It's a hilarious show and I greatly enjoy it. I'm definitely a Jim.

I started playing indoor volleyball last week, so I've learned quite a bit about the positions and everything. It's fun and I'm getting more comfortable out there (or in there?)... I've meanwhile been sucking at the plate in softball, but at least my defense is okay-ish. I'm such a rookie =P

Okay, back to making a mess of my room. I mean...packing.

Back...

Ok, so I'll update tonight after about 2 weeks off. I've just been busy with work, running and finding a new place to live!

To Grandma's!

I'm actually in Utah right now for work. Flying out tomorrow evening to Minneapolis for the marathon Saturday in Duluth. I'm ready! Here we go!

New Favorite Site

Found a new favorite website to putz around on. It's got a lot of weird, funny and amazing things.

It's called Oddee.com

Enjoy!

Centennial Light Bulb

So apparently there's this light bulb that's been burning continuously for 108 years. Why didn't we build more on that technology so that we have light bulbs that never burn out?? Judging by the picture, I'm sure it's not drawing a lot of juice, but still...108 years!?

Centennial Bulb

DET vs. PIT

Tonight's a big night for the DET/PIT sports match-ups. Well, the Tigers/Pirates game isn't that big, but since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals are tonight and Detroit is playing Pittsburgh there too, it adds a little to the match-up. I am actually going to the Orioles/Braves game tonight at Camden Yards, so I need to leave early to catch the second half of the hockey game. That is, of course, if the thunderstorms tonight don't postpone the baseball game. I wouldn't be too upset about that, to be honest :)

GO WINGS!!!

Also, I think I hurt my left wrist at softball last night. It was wet, and I slipped on the grass. It's probably never going to be 100% after fracturing it in college.

I need to workout.

Did I say this yet? GO WINGS!!!

Lightning Run

It was 83, sunny and humid when I started my run after work today. 3 miles in it was pouring rain and I had to take a 30-minute break because of a severe thunderstorm. Let me tell you...running in a severe thunderstorm is rather scary, and something I'd like to avoid doing in the future. It sure made me run a lot faster...Here's the crazy weather (started just before 5pm, did 3 miles in 20+ minutes, waited 30 min, ran a 6:21 mile back to my car):

It's pretty ridiculous that it dropped 17 degrees in 20 minutes!

Apt. Hunt

Well, to give you an idea of where I'm looking for places in Baltimore...(it'll probably make you zoom in)


View Apt Search '09 in a larger map

Lint Roller 1, Hoover 0

Why am I not surprised that my lint roller does as good or better of a job on my carpet when compared to my little Hoover vacuum? =/

Fishes

There are a lot of fish in the sea. I'm either not getting the bite or fishing in the wrong waters.

I'm selective - or picky, if you want - but I'm okay with it. Because I don't settle.

It was low!

Quote of the day for Memorial Day...

"I told him the ball was low," Bloomquist said. "He said it wasn't. I told him the ball was low. He said not to say another word and I told him the ball was low."

Royals 3B Willie Bloomquist explaining what happened, leading to his manager being thrown out of the game by the umpire for arguing.

Curse You, Cranberry!

Last night was an interesting night...

For some reason or another, I wasn't all that hungry, and so didn't eat much of my dinner. I felt better after going for a run later. The night was then ruined, however, by a glass of cranberry juice... I was putting my laundry away in my dresser drawers and on top of the dresser was a nice full glass I had just poured. I guess opening a few drawers at a time was not a smart idea, and made the thing heavy to one side, and it began to fall over. I caught it, but obviously not the drink, which proceeded to spill all over things and splash everywhere. I was able to clean most stuff, but the carpet is still a little pink in a few areas. I'll have to figure out how to clean that better. Needless to say, I learned why Ikea puts those things on the back of the dresser to attach it to a wall =/

I haven't done much today on the holiday off. It's good, but also bad. I had lost most of my motivation after having to clean up that mess (which was like from 12:30 to 2:30 am). Short work week this week!

Also, I burnt my back pretty good on Saturday's 20-miler, but aloe is helping it along.

Big 500

The classic rock radio station in DC (100.3) did a Top 500 rock songs this weekend. I caught a few towards the beginning, and then the last 8 today. I say I guess I'd agree with most of the top 8:

8. Hotel California (Eagles)
7. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
6. Layla (Clapton/Derek & The Dominoes)
5. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
4. Dream On (Aerosmith)
3. Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
1. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

See All 500

I have 90 of the top 100 songs, and will probably get a few others. I'm surprised "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd wasn't in the top 100.

Wedding & New Blog

Well, the wedding was pretty awesome, and it was nice to have the whole week off of work and be home to see everyone! I sang and played (guitar) during the Mass, and that seemed to go pretty well. I still can't believe my sister is married and my brother graduated from college...

I got back to Maryland Sunday. I've had a lot to do this week and it was a long work week (the "normal" 44 hours) and I've not slept much all week. Hopefully now that a few things are taken care of, I can get back to getting on the right track with that... I had to make sure I was enrolled in the right benefits (re-enrollment time), find flights/hotels/car for my business trip / Grandma's Marathon next month (I still have to get a hotel for MN and the car for work), running, thinking about moving into Baltimore (looking for places), a class and softball on Thursday, shopping - among the normal things.

I also started a new running blog that I'll put all things running in: articles, news, links, thoughts, quotes, etc. You can find it here: Boston or Bust

Did You Know?

A little "Did You Know?" courtesy of the (Elkridge) church bulletin...

It is illegal to fire torpedoes within the city limits of Destin, Florida.

Good to know!

Oh, and I'm home in MI for the week :)

Friends

I think part of my problem with finding friends is that I'm not as comfortable being friends with older people, and now that I'm out of college, I guess I may have to...

I also need to move to the city.

Kentucky Fried Marathon

Well, it was hot in Louisville last weekend. Given the weather conditions, I'm pretty satisfied with my 3:34:47 (63rd). Race report as follows:

Flew in Friday morning. Remind me not to schedule any more 6:30 AM flights if I can help it... The parents picked me up at the airport and we had a good brunch at a quirky place called Lynn's Paradise Cafe. The expo was at the Exposition Center by Six Flags there. It was small, so that was a little disappointing, considering how many people run the mini-marathon (1/2). We ate pre-race dinner at Rocky's across the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Very good food for a reasonable price, and it was not crowded at all. We did go a little early (5:30) so maybe we just beat the crowds.

Race-Day

Perfect weather...for the beach!

It was a hot one! 71 degrees starting temp, and 78 by the time I finished. I had a great first half, including a 6:59 mile for Mile 6, where I did the Y-M-C-A. I was actually a little ahead of pace for a BQ, coming into the half just under 1:35. I started to fall off a little and by 16 I decided that there was no way Boston was happening in that weather. I ran up to that point with another guy and the women's leader (who ended up finishing 2nd), so it was really nice to have the company. Running with a leader was definitely a first for my marathon experiences!

Where the mini-marathon and the full marathon split around Mile 12, it gets lonely for those going the whole way, since there were around 9500 mini runners and what ended up being only just over 1000 marathon finishers. It was supposed to be 12,000 and 2,000 - but I guess some couldn't handle the heat (understandable). The hills weren't terrible, especially in Iroquois Park (miles 3-5...ish) since it is so early in the race and there are 10,000 people around you.

The uphill in the second park (Cherokee Park) is what did me in - or what made my decision for the race anyways. I was surprised there weren't many people AT ALL that passed me when I was slowing the second half of the race, which made it feel even lonelier. I was just like "WHERE IS EVERYONE!?" I didn't mind the loneliness too much though. I liked the course and by that point I was really just having fun. I did a lot of walking on and off the last 6-8 miles.

The return crossing of the bridge over the Ohio River was tough. The bridge itself was longer than I expected and coming back there was a stiff wind to go against as well. My calves started cramping a little before the return crossing, and an official on a bike was helpful enough to give me a bottle of water.

I survived the cramps and heat and had a good last mile or so to finish in 3:34:47 (good for 63rd). I'm pretty happy, considering the weather (and that I missed a week or two of training due to bronchitis). My parents were a big help, providing me with some icy sponges and cold Powerade along the way.

The race itself is more focused on the mini-marathon, but it doesn't completely forget about the full runners. There were probably enough aid stations...it just seemed like so long between them because of the heat. The officials on bikes were really helpful and all the organization seemed to be pretty good overall. The food at the end is nothing really to speak of, but I don't mind that too much. I get my bananas and bagel and drinks, and then shower and head out to lunch. You do get a free beer ticket on your bib if you so choose to partake.

After a good burger (on an english muffin!) at Bristol Bar & Grille, we headed over to Churchill Downs and watched some races. That was a new experience, though I wouldn't want to stay there all day because of the time between races (half hour). I ended up with a net gain of 40 cents on my bets! I liked Louisville, and everyone was really nice there, though parts of it seemed a little dead. If you're looking for night life, definitely 4th Street Live (downtown on, you guessed it, 4th Street).

Made our way to the Louisville Slugger Museum (gift shop) between church and the lunch on Sunday - then home.

RunningAhead Log / Map

Early To Bed...

Goodnight! I'm off to bed really early so I can get up for my 6:40 AM flight to Louisville! Marathon on Saturday. Wish me luck!!

A Little Warm

First 10-day forecast is a little warm for my liking...we'll see if/how that changes...

Taper Time!

It's getting close to the Kentucky Derby Marathon!! 10 days, and the first forecast for overnight Friday is low of 53. A little warm, but I can't see Saturday yet. We'll see tomorrow... I am ready for this thing, and after today's good run my worries about being tired or weak when I get there have gone away. I felt real strong and my tightness was gone. I love taper time.

Went camping with C&H last weekend. It was COLD. Got down below freezing at night, and was windy when we were outside during the evening. Now a bunch of my clothes are smokey too, and probably need to be washed (again). Still fun though. Hershey Park this Saturday! :)

GO GREEN!!!

The last week has been pretty good. Plus the weather is starting to get nicer :)

I spent last weekend with the C&H crew up at Cowan (retreat center), which is always lots of fun. Mattress games, outdoor games (extreme bocce, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, football...) and other indoor games, including Mafia. I'm also happy that We Didn't Playtest This At All was a pretty big hit :)

MSU won both games last weekend, beating Kansas and upsetting Louisville and then UConn today in the Final Four! I went up to Towson to watch the game with the Baltimore MSU Alumni group, which was tons of fun. I'll be back up there Monday night for the championship game against UNC (Ford Field rematch)! GO GREEN!

Work was just alright I guess, but I'm feeling valuable and mostly busy at least.

Running has been going pretty well. Had some hamstring tightness after jumping up and down at Cowan all weekend, but it's mostly loosened up now. Ran a couple 10-mile tempo runs during the week and then my big ol' 22-miler this afternoon. TAPER TIME! :)

Yesterday I got measured for my tux for my sister's wedding, got an oil change and did some shopping. I spent 2 hours at Borders, including a long time deciding which music book I should buy (piano/vocal/guitar). Tonight I was updating my guitar binder, and I'm up to 33 songs (including 3 Christmas, 3 Mass)! Woohoo!

I <3 Cowan

I had a great weekend with C&H up at Cowan - best weekend I've had in a while I think.

Also, there's a place in Largo, MD called "Gladys & Ron's Chicken & Waffles" - strange.

And Their Brother, New York

I was watching Wheel of Fortune a few days back and they were doing teams night in Sea World Orlando. There was a girl, named Paris, and her brother, named L.A. I can understand Paris, but did the guy say "my sister's name is a city, I want to be a city too" and go by his initials? Wonder if they have any other siblings...

Oh Those French

Random fact of the day:

In 1740, a cow was found guilty of sorcery in France and publicly hanged.

My 2 Cents

So on the way home from basketball tonight, I heard a commercial on the radio for a special at a bar this weekend. All-you-can-drink from 8-9 pm for a penny. Who thinks that's a good idea? =/

Mike in the City?

I've decided that I think I may want to live in a city after all. I never thought I did, but being out in the real world, and not having any opportunities to meet people or just hang out around town, I think I've changed my mind. I'm also turning into my sister in terms of needing to be busy all the time. Though, I think that the reason I need to be busy all the time is so I don't start thinking and analyzing everything and getting depressed.

Not Again...

It's strange. Every time I get depressed, I seem to re-evaluate my whole life situation and beat myself up about all the bad things. I wish that when something really good happened I would take a step back and see how awesome my life is sometimes...

And the Oscar goes to...

Even watching shows about movies inspire me. I also now really want to see Slumdog Millionaire. I have heard so many great things about it. Also, Alicia Keys looks like she put her face on before the show. Way too much makeup?

Sick Man's Desk

Nyquil, Sudafed, prescription bottle, Vitamin C, ibuprofen, Robitussin, honey, sugar, tea, jello.

Sickie

Well, I had a great weekend, but I did get the flu I think. Started yesterday, really, and I've been pretty miserable today =/ Not what I envisioned for my day off work (holiday)...oh well. It was very important for me to hang out with my friends on Valentine's Day.

Cali

Last Monday night I got back from my weekend trip to California to visit Vicki :) It was lots of fun, refreshing, and just all-around good.

I flew in Thursday night. Friday we went to the Long Beach Aquarium. That was pretty neat. We got to touch some stingrays and small sharks, and play with the birdies (Lorikeets). The little stingrays are soft and slimier, and the big ones feel almost like they have a hard shell. The sharks were kinda scaly. Saturday after the run in the morning - which was refreshing ;) - we went down and spent some time in San Diego. Sunday we went to Six Flags Magic Mountain and met one of my high school friends for dinner. Six Flags had a couple really cool and different rides. X2 and Tatsu. X2 rotates the cars 360 degrees throughout the ride and is just plain awesome. Tatsu is a flying roller coaster, which was pretty darned neat too.

It was nice to be away from everything. I also got a little more perspective on moving to a new area for work, and how tough it is (I don't think that it's just me). I love the friends that I have, but I do need to find some here. Going up to Bucknell is what holds me together right now, in some ways, and it's almost like a vacation everytime. I love it up there, but I know I can't go back forever.

Belonging

It's kind of funny that when I was in college, I sometimes didn't feel like I belonged there. Now I feel like I belong in college and sometimes don't feel like I belong in the real world! I think I belong somewhen else. Somewhere or somewhen.

Santonio FTW!

Wow! That was an incredible fourth quarter, and one of the most exciting Super Bowl finishes that I've seen. Great throw and catch for the winning touchdown. Congrats to the Steelers, and also the Cardinals for a great game.

Overall, I'd say I was a little disappointed in the commercials. There were a few good ones (Doritos and a moose), but nothing like past years. I wonder if the economy had anything to do with it.

Men At Work

So today I learned something. Singer/songwriter Colin Hay was a member of the 80's band Men At Work. I would absolutely never have guessed that!

800 Miles!?

Okay. Either people are insane or this is a typo that is supposed to be meters...

Snow!

Well, this is the first snow I've seen since moving to Maryland. It's supposed to be all icy and stuff tomorrow, so I'm not looking forward to the roads being crappy. I noticed in the parking lot at work that a lot of cars had their windshield wipers sticking up. I can't figure out what the reason is for it. If it's to prevent them from freezing to the windshield, wouldn't it make no difference, since then the windshield would just have ice on it and the wipers not work anyways? I don't know. If you do, let me know :)

Movie Count

So, by my list, I've seen 580 movies and want to see 389 more. I can do it. And still not be a loser. Ha!

The "Perfect" One

Okay, so I was thinking... if you made a list of all the qualities that you would look for in a potential mate...the "perfect" match...what kind of percentage of that list do you think the average relationship meets?

Making a list like that is bad, and I'm picky enough as it is, but I'm just a little Curious George.

American Beauty

I just finished watching the movie American Beauty. It was rather interesting, I guess is how I would put it. Sort of dark in some respects, but also about the beauty around us and the beauty of life. How fortunate it would be to see the beauty in some things where you would never find it (like a dead bird or flying plastic bag, for example). I know I see lots of it, especially in certain things/people, and perhaps more than others. I wish we could all see it all.

Win, Place or Show?

So I decided that it was too cold (19, wind chill of 9) to go running after work today. I figured I'd be running enough at my basketball game tonight. I know, don't complain...it's 8 with negative wind chills at home in Michigan. Note to those in MI - don't go out for a run tomorrow morning...it's supposed to be 3 below with a -20 wind chill. I also am using the fact that I signed up for 2 marathons today, for my running for the day =D

Kentucky Derby (Louisville), April 25th
Grandma's Marathon (Duluth), June 20th

Yay!

Maybe I should make it 3 and register for Baltimore now...ha

Relaxing Tide

Is it just me or is folding clothes a soothing activity?

Cranberry, You Jerk

I thought I'd try Cran-Pomegranate juice. Yuck. What's next, Cran-milk?

As Requested

I got yelled at for not writing in here much the last couple weeks, but I tend to write less when I'm home in Michigan...so here's a real entry:

I drove home to MI for the holidays on the 20th, the day after it snowed a foot there. Weather and traffic were awesome though! A shout out to the priest on the 4th Sunday of Advent who managed to work "persnickety" and "picayune" into the homily. Impressive. Went out for a reunion-type dinner at The Capital Grille on Monday night. I've never paid $44 for a steak before, but it was the best I've ever had (as it should be)! Christmas and such. Bought a new car on Friday. Went up north for the Niebski side Christmas on Saturday. Game night Monday night. New Year's and such. MSU lost their bowl game (just couldn't take advantage of their chances!). Drove back to MD on the 3rd.

The latest is that I passed out in church this morning, so today has been kind of weird and depressing. I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.

We Are Rivers

I am a river. You are a river. Our courses have met. You are full and flowing, and have rocks blocking me. I must continue my own course, but should you dry up and desire my water, I will gladly be here to provide it. However, rivers change their course with time, and so we may drift.