Today was a really nice day out. After looking at my car this morning and wondering if I should drive, I took the train into work, as usual, and I spent my lunch break outside. Yesterday, the marketing people sent around emails saying that we should plan our routes home from work carefully, as Obama is in town today to speak at the convention center. I pretty much ignored the emails, since the convention center is east of my work, and I live to the west. As it turns out, after the President landed, they stopped train service and bus service around the convention center. No biggie, right? Except the train that I take that runs west has to go right by there. I ended up riding the bus home. It was a beautiful ride, through the hills.
The people weren't quite as beautiful, though. I saw a woman hand her 2 year old son cheetos as a snack, while she poured pepsi into his sippy cup. I wanted to cry.
I started trying to call Scooter at about 8:20 tonight, since she hadn't called me yet. A mere 5 calls to various people (including messages left with her dad and her dad's girlfriend) later, Scooter called me around 8:45. Since it was so late, our call got cut off after about 5 minutes by her dad's girlfriend. That happened yesterday, too. Ugh.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ode to Rob
I went for a run yesterday. I've been doing this without gusto for a few weeks, now. Run/walk on M-W-F (except for last week, when I just sat around Wisconsin eating rich food). Well, yesterday, I walked for a warm-up, and then just ran (well...more like jogged) for 2.5 miles before slowing down to walk a little cool down. It felt nice, as far as running goes. I kind of hate running. A lot. With gusto. As I was watching the lights on the treadmill round the track, keeping count of how far I'd gone, I thought about my friend, Rob.
He used to run marathons. Fast. Until he was waylaid by a torn labrum in his hip. I met him just before his arthroscopic surgery and we became fast friends (or, at least I hoped so). He's basically the person I've always wanted to be. Nice, fit, and smart. Luckily, he's also gay, so there's none of that fear that I'll accidentally become attracted to him. In the words of Anne of Green Gables, Rob is a kindred spirit. I keep trying to talk him into running the Portland marathon next year for his triumphant return to the world of marathon running.
So as I was "running," I couldn't help but think that if we were side by side on treadmills, and he was doing his walk a mile, run 1/4 mile routine, he'd still be beating me. Oh well. At least I was trying.
Today was kind of a bad day. The weather was beautiful, but I got some bad news this afternoon. **Insert recent developments in my life here.** Kind of a bummer, but again, I thought about Rob and had to smile. Instead of all the actual poetic "good thoughts" I've already posted and could have thought to myself, all I could really think was, "well...at least a monkey didn't rip off my hands and face." It's a little gem that Rob used to tell me if I was having a bad day, and it would always cheer me up. Because seriously...at least a monkey didn't rip off my hands and face.
He used to run marathons. Fast. Until he was waylaid by a torn labrum in his hip. I met him just before his arthroscopic surgery and we became fast friends (or, at least I hoped so). He's basically the person I've always wanted to be. Nice, fit, and smart. Luckily, he's also gay, so there's none of that fear that I'll accidentally become attracted to him. In the words of Anne of Green Gables, Rob is a kindred spirit. I keep trying to talk him into running the Portland marathon next year for his triumphant return to the world of marathon running.
So as I was "running," I couldn't help but think that if we were side by side on treadmills, and he was doing his walk a mile, run 1/4 mile routine, he'd still be beating me. Oh well. At least I was trying.
Today was kind of a bad day. The weather was beautiful, but I got some bad news this afternoon. **Insert recent developments in my life here.** Kind of a bummer, but again, I thought about Rob and had to smile. Instead of all the actual poetic "good thoughts" I've already posted and could have thought to myself, all I could really think was, "well...at least a monkey didn't rip off my hands and face." It's a little gem that Rob used to tell me if I was having a bad day, and it would always cheer me up. Because seriously...at least a monkey didn't rip off my hands and face.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Bathroom
I have a small obsession with using the bathroom in public places. If there are any breaks in the ceiling tile or vents directly overhead stalls, I give pause. Too many Dateline or 20/20 episodes have lead me to believe that EVERY bathroom in America is teaming with hidden cameras, deadly germs, and peeping toms. So I am always very particular about what stall I use. It's an important decision which is not to be taken lightly. (could this be another reason why girls take longer than boys in the bathroom?)
Anyway, at my old job, I had my "favorite" stall. It was spacious and far enough away from the askew ceiling tile that I felt pretty safe in there. It had its drawbacks. The booger stuck to the wall in the corner, the questionable smell that would sometimes come up from the drain in the floor, etc. No stall is the perfect stall. The move to a new job has brought along with it all new insecurities regarding the bathroom situation. Luckily, the 9 people on my team are the only ones who really use the basement bathrooms (unless there's training going on down here), and there are only 4 girls, including myself, on the team. There are 3 stalls. Unfortunately, there are vents located directly over the first two, and the vent over the second one is such that there is a clear line of site into the third. What does this mean? There are no safe bathroom stalls. At all. I briefly thought about going upstairs anytime I need to "go," but I realized recently that I'm pretty territorial about who uses "my" bathroom, so I probably shouldn't impede on other people's spaces. I also thought about trying to "hold" it all day. But between the walk and the train commute and the fact that I drink a few liters of water everyday, I decided that doing that wouldn't work out, either.
So I've decided to use the third. Don't get me wrong. It has its drawbacks. The biggest being that it's an end stall: huge gap for passers-by to look through. And, of course, the vent issue, but that was going to be a problem no matter which stall I chose. It won me over for one reason: it's the one that always has the lid up. So either it's the cleanest, or it's the one the male transients sneak into use.
Anyway, at my old job, I had my "favorite" stall. It was spacious and far enough away from the askew ceiling tile that I felt pretty safe in there. It had its drawbacks. The booger stuck to the wall in the corner, the questionable smell that would sometimes come up from the drain in the floor, etc. No stall is the perfect stall. The move to a new job has brought along with it all new insecurities regarding the bathroom situation. Luckily, the 9 people on my team are the only ones who really use the basement bathrooms (unless there's training going on down here), and there are only 4 girls, including myself, on the team. There are 3 stalls. Unfortunately, there are vents located directly over the first two, and the vent over the second one is such that there is a clear line of site into the third. What does this mean? There are no safe bathroom stalls. At all. I briefly thought about going upstairs anytime I need to "go," but I realized recently that I'm pretty territorial about who uses "my" bathroom, so I probably shouldn't impede on other people's spaces. I also thought about trying to "hold" it all day. But between the walk and the train commute and the fact that I drink a few liters of water everyday, I decided that doing that wouldn't work out, either.
So I've decided to use the third. Don't get me wrong. It has its drawbacks. The biggest being that it's an end stall: huge gap for passers-by to look through. And, of course, the vent issue, but that was going to be a problem no matter which stall I chose. It won me over for one reason: it's the one that always has the lid up. So either it's the cleanest, or it's the one the male transients sneak into use.
Book Review
My current "train reading" is "A Diary of a Girl" by Anne Frank. It's convenient because the "chapters" are short enough for me to pause and make sure I haven't over-shot my stop. But it does make me want to apologize to anyone who may be reading my blog. I'm sorry I'm not as compelling or well written as a 13 year old girl.
In my defense, you could pile up all the experiences in my life, and none would be as interesting as the subject matter that Anne writes about. I've only gotten about 2 months into her journal, and I'm already wishing my train commute was 40 minutes instead of 17. To anyone who read this book in high school or earlier, read it again. It's amazing what a little college history and "Band of Brothers" can do to put some of Anne's experiences in context. I feel like I'm understanding this book for the first time as I read it through more knowledgeable eyes.
I will work harder to be a better writer, though.
In my defense, you could pile up all the experiences in my life, and none would be as interesting as the subject matter that Anne writes about. I've only gotten about 2 months into her journal, and I'm already wishing my train commute was 40 minutes instead of 17. To anyone who read this book in high school or earlier, read it again. It's amazing what a little college history and "Band of Brothers" can do to put some of Anne's experiences in context. I feel like I'm understanding this book for the first time as I read it through more knowledgeable eyes.
I will work harder to be a better writer, though.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
New Saying to chew on
While at Powell's books today, I browsed the magnets. It's what I do. I love those things. I found one that struck a chord with me, and I think I'll add it to my arsenal of positive things to think about on bad days.
"What if we just acted like everything was easy" --Mary Anne Racmacher
I also have 3 magnets that I used to keep at work.
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" --Anon
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." --Henry Ford
"Well behaved women rarely make history." That one is unattributed, but I'm guessing it sounds like something Eleanor Roosevelt would say.
So anyway, I'm just going to continue to move forward, behaving badly and pretending it's easy. I think you should, too.
"What if we just acted like everything was easy" --Mary Anne Racmacher
I also have 3 magnets that I used to keep at work.
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" --Anon
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." --Henry Ford
"Well behaved women rarely make history." That one is unattributed, but I'm guessing it sounds like something Eleanor Roosevelt would say.
So anyway, I'm just going to continue to move forward, behaving badly and pretending it's easy. I think you should, too.
Sunday bike day
My bike is back in action! I changed my own bike tire last weekend, but didn't get to ride because it was raining on Saturday and I left for Madison on Sunday morning. Today, though, I hopped back on that thing for a little ride. I went over to Center Street park, which is a nice little park in a neighborhood that we'd like to move to once the dust settles. The ride is bike lanes and sidewalk the whole way, so I'm sure if we're still in the apartment when Scooter comes out, we'll easily be able to ride there together.
I also rode to Powell's books, which is a Portland area book store. Kind of like Barnes and Noble, but 1. locally owned, 2. cheaper than B&N and 3. they also buy and sell used books. Yay! On the way there and home, I thought about how nice it would be to ride to the grocery (same strip mall) with the family and load up Bubba's chariot with groceries and ride home. It'd probably take about the same amount of time as driving, and now that Scooter is an ace on her bike, it could also be fun.
I got a few books at Powell's. Devil in the White City, which was recommended to me by Jessica last week, after she heard how much I enjoyed Low Life (non fiction book about NYC between 1860s-1930). I also got The Diary of Anne Franke and Touching the Void. When I got home, I skyped with Ben and the kids, and told them about my purchases. I also showed them Bubba's Superman outfit.
The only problem with riding my bike around town is that I go too fast to spot any coins on the ground. And we all know that Portland's streets are lined with copper. I'm up to $0.59, as I found my first nickel yesterday. This city is going to make me a very rich woman.
I also rode to Powell's books, which is a Portland area book store. Kind of like Barnes and Noble, but 1. locally owned, 2. cheaper than B&N and 3. they also buy and sell used books. Yay! On the way there and home, I thought about how nice it would be to ride to the grocery (same strip mall) with the family and load up Bubba's chariot with groceries and ride home. It'd probably take about the same amount of time as driving, and now that Scooter is an ace on her bike, it could also be fun.
I got a few books at Powell's. Devil in the White City, which was recommended to me by Jessica last week, after she heard how much I enjoyed Low Life (non fiction book about NYC between 1860s-1930). I also got The Diary of Anne Franke and Touching the Void. When I got home, I skyped with Ben and the kids, and told them about my purchases. I also showed them Bubba's Superman outfit.
The only problem with riding my bike around town is that I go too fast to spot any coins on the ground. And we all know that Portland's streets are lined with copper. I'm up to $0.59, as I found my first nickel yesterday. This city is going to make me a very rich woman.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturdays are for lounging
And that is what I did. I had trouble sleeping last night after I got home. I yutzed around on the computer (posting blogs and photos), and finally went to bed around 1:30 or so my time. And then I couldn't fall asleep. I finally did, but not without a fair amount of tossing and turning. This "morning," Ben woke me up at 11 or 11:30. yipes! I ate some breakfast, unpacked a little, had some lunch, and talked to Ben a few times on the phone. Then, I went to go get my hair trimmed. It didn't actually happen, but I have an appointment for Tuesday.
I found a nickel on the sidewalk! Coupled with the penny I found last night, I'm up to 59 cents so far in Portland. Not bad! Scooter* came home with Ben after soccer today, and they hit the Wabash Trace for some bike riding...well, Scooter rode and Ben ran. Between last weekend and this weekend, Ben was FINALLY able to teach that girl how to ride a bike. We started when she was 4. It only took three years for her to catch on, but catch on she did! They ended up biking/running 4 miles, and she's able to get herself going, now. She's free! All she has to do is ask to make sure someone knows, and she can do the rest herself. Nice! She asked if she could get some bike gloves when she moves out to Portland. That's my girl.
I got Bubba* a halloween costume today. It's a Superman costume. I went to the Halloween store in the mall where GI Joes outdoor store used to be. It was filled with "sexy" lady's halloween costumes, and the selection for kids - especially Bubba sized kids was pretty limited. Batman, cowboy, robin, dracula, or superman. Robin was $10 more, so I went with Superman. It has a cape. I laughed when I saw the selection for women, though, as Jessica and I were just laughing about the ridiculous "sexy" costumes they have these days. I did not see sexy gorilla, but I did see sexy ladybug. Seriously?
And since I did all my traveling by foot today, I still have over half a tank of gas from when I gassed up when I first got into town. If I were still in Omaha, I'd be 4 tanks down.
*I changed my kid's names because I love them. If you know me personally, you know my kids. If you're a random, it doesn't matter what my kids are named. Right?
I found a nickel on the sidewalk! Coupled with the penny I found last night, I'm up to 59 cents so far in Portland. Not bad! Scooter* came home with Ben after soccer today, and they hit the Wabash Trace for some bike riding...well, Scooter rode and Ben ran. Between last weekend and this weekend, Ben was FINALLY able to teach that girl how to ride a bike. We started when she was 4. It only took three years for her to catch on, but catch on she did! They ended up biking/running 4 miles, and she's able to get herself going, now. She's free! All she has to do is ask to make sure someone knows, and she can do the rest herself. Nice! She asked if she could get some bike gloves when she moves out to Portland. That's my girl.
I got Bubba* a halloween costume today. It's a Superman costume. I went to the Halloween store in the mall where GI Joes outdoor store used to be. It was filled with "sexy" lady's halloween costumes, and the selection for kids - especially Bubba sized kids was pretty limited. Batman, cowboy, robin, dracula, or superman. Robin was $10 more, so I went with Superman. It has a cape. I laughed when I saw the selection for women, though, as Jessica and I were just laughing about the ridiculous "sexy" costumes they have these days. I did not see sexy gorilla, but I did see sexy ladybug. Seriously?
And since I did all my traveling by foot today, I still have over half a tank of gas from when I gassed up when I first got into town. If I were still in Omaha, I'd be 4 tanks down.
*I changed my kid's names because I love them. If you know me personally, you know my kids. If you're a random, it doesn't matter what my kids are named. Right?
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