Visiting Vizcaya

Through the college I teach for, I got two free tickets (offer through the Smithsonian) to visit any museum in the area, so Jerry and I decided we wanted to see Vizcaya, which is a historical mansion on the shores of Biscayne Bay in Miami. It was an overcast day yesterday, so the pics are kinda dark, but this is the side you enter the house through: The house itself is pretty cool -- very ornate with hand-carved doors and ceilings that are beautiful. It was owned by John Deering, who owned International Harvester, and it was simply his winter home. He died in 1925 and left a minimal staff to live in and maintain the house; apparently, it then fell into some disrepair over the years until Miami-Dade county bought it as a historic house in 1952. Now it is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Here's Jerry giving it two thumbs up:
The house, like I said, sits facing Biscayne Bay, so it has a pretty stellar view of the bay and downtown Miami. The tents here in the pic were set up because some (very rich) girls were apparently preparing for their Quincera (hope I spelled that right) party. We saw them on the grounds having their pictures taken, and at first we mistook them for brides, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were teens, and without the presence of grooms, we deduced that they were celebrating the Latin tradition of a girl's 15th birthday party. Which, by the looks of the preparation, was gonna be $$$.
So, while the house is pretty spectacular, the grounds are really the best part: Lots of formal gardens and stone structures that make it feel like something you'd see in Europe, but with a tropical touch. Here's Jerry and I:
And here I am in front of one of the many fountains:
All in all, we thought the place was pretty dang cool and we enjoyed seeing it, especially for free. So, after touring Vizcaya, we went out for a nice dinner and then finished the evening off by visiting the bookstore and picking up some new reads. It was a fun Saturday.

The Damages

Yesterday, I dropped the Escape off at the body shop so they can fix this: And this:
And this:
And they thought it shouldn't take too long, and I might even have it back by the middle of next week. In the meantime, I got a PT Cruiser as a rental. Driving it makes me feel like I aged 35 or 40 years and I feel like I should be haggling with the grocery store cashiers about the cost of soup and complaining that the kids never come to visit. But, hey, at least I don't have to pay anything for it (so far, going through the other driver's insurer -- Geico -- has been easy and uneventful).

After class yesterday, I went for a quick 3 miler, and then I got ready for an evening of Rock Band 2:
We drank some beer, ate some sloppy joes, and rocked out!
We rocked until after midnight, and combine that with a few too many beers for Jess, and you have the formula for a pounding headache this morning. Oh well, that's the price of Rockstardom.

Car Accident

This morning when I got up, a brief thought flashed through my head: "I don't feel like teaching today. Maybe I could use a personal day today and just stay home...nah, I'll suck it up and go to work."

Well, I shoulda listened to that brief thought and stayed home.

On my way to school, I got smucked from behind by...wait for it...wait for it...yes, a college student on his way to the same place I was headed (no, he wasn't actually one of MY students, but still, the irony is kinda funny, right?). Thankfully, we were on a side street and weren't going more than about 20 or 25 mph, so neither of us was injured and the damage, while bad, isn't terrible. And my Escape is drivable.

However, this sucks the big one. I mean, I've only had my Escape for 3 weeks (haven't even made the first car payment yet!) and now it's gonna have to go in to the body shop for some healin'. So, I ended up taking a personal day anyway because I have all this insurance shit to sort through (it was the other driver's fault and he has taken the liability for it, so thankfully his insurance will be covering the damages, as well as a rental car, so that's good that I don't have to pay my deductible). Right now, Jerry and I are trying to determine where to take it for repairs: Looks like we'll take it to the dealership where we bought it, but we just need to hammer out some details.

Blech. Car accidents suck. Where's the beer?

3 Miler and More Costume Ideas

This evening I fell asleep on the couch after dinner, and when I woke up it was already getting dusky out. So my first thought was "Screw it, I'm not gonna run." But then as I slowly woke from my cat nap, I decided that as much as I didn't want to get out there, I should. So I laced up the new kicks and did an easy 3 miler. It was already getting dark, and because it rained earlier, it was also nice and cool. Still muggy, but much cooler.

Glad I got up off the couch and got out there.

Now, back to the Halloween costume debate. Yes, yes, I know it's a little early to be kickin' costume ideas around, but I gotta hop on it early because every year I procrastinate and then end up with something kinda half-assed. So, thanks for the comments on the costume ideas below, but now I don't think I'm going with any of those ideas: Juno just isn't much dress up for me (aside from the preggo belly), Rainbow Brite costumes only come in one interpretation (totally sexed up -- which I'm cool with some "sexy" quality to a costume, but I don't want to look like a stripper), and Sandra Dee in that skin-tight spandex just looks like a yeast infection waiting to happen.

Also, I should specify that Jerry will NOT do a "couples" costume with me. He hates that kind of thing, so even though there are tons of cute ideas for couples' costumes, he's not down for it. And neither is Scooter willing to step in and be a replacement. For one thing, Scooter won't stand for anything but a collar on him, but for another, Jerry is strictly against dressing animals up. One year, I suggested that I wanted to be the Wicked Witch of West and make Scooter my winged monkey, and Jerry said "no." That was the death of that idea.

So, anyway, after wasting many hours on the internet looking at costumes, I have narrowed it down to a few possibilites that were not even remotely a part of my previous list. And again, I solict your feedback.

First up: Princess Leia. No, not in the gold bikini. I'd have to be high to do that costume. Except maybe in the bedroom (wink, wink). But this Princess Leia: I think I like the idea of toting around a blaster all night the most. Second idea is Judy Jetson. Cute, right?
And my last consideration is Red Riding Hood. My only problem is that it kinda resembles my Beer Wench costume from last year, but with a cape and a basket. Although...a cape does sound awesome.
Whatch'a think about these?

Halloween Costume Debate Cont'd

Today, Jerry emailed me a whole bunch of Halloween costume ideas for me, and here's just a sampling of some of my favorites. What'cha think of one of these?

Sandra D

Toadstool from Mario Bros
Gizmo

Animal
Alice from Resident Evil
Juno
Rainbow Brite

New Shoes

New running shoes help not just with the renewed physical comfort, but they also help with a much needed mental boost. I know that they gave me the necessary "oomph" to have a new attitude about my running for today's 4 miler (38:08). And the fresh cushioning couldn't hurt.

On a non-running related topic, Halloween is just around the corner and I need a costume idea. For our bowling team, we've pretty much settled on an idea for the four of us (but I don't want to reveal it here -- I'm not sure if it's a secret, but I don't want to be the one to spill the beans before the others are ready to unveil our idea), but I need something just for me for our Halloween party.

At first, I wanted to go as Wicket. The Ewok from "Return of the Jedi." But guess what? That's a hard costume to find. In fact, I've essentially scoured the Internet and no luck. Jerry felt that he could construct it from scratch, but he said he'd need to buy a sewing machine in order to do that. I nixed that idea. I don't want to shell out the $$$ for a sewing machine that Jerry uses once a year to construct our Halloween costumes.

So with the idea of Wicket out the window, what should I be?

MoGo for my Mojo

Yesterday, feeling crappy about my crappy weekend running, I went to the running store in search of that one thing that lifts every runner's spirits: shoes. My old shoes were approaching 300 miles, and I like to trade them in around that mileage, especially since I've been experiencing some shin discomfort, and for me, that's a tell-tale sign that the shoes are wearing out.

So, I went with the same shoe I've been wearing for nearly 3 years now: The Brooks Adreneline GTS, which is now in series 8. I almost ordered them online from Zappos, just because they had them available in yellow there, and I think yellow would make me look fast, but ultimately I feel loyal to my local running store, and I prefer to shell out my cash to local establishments when I can, and they just had the same boring ol' blue and silver. Oh well, just looking at their gleaming new tread and threads renews my desire to run.

However, today I'm taking a rest day -- besides, we have bowling tonight -- but I plan to put those new kicks to use on tomorrow's run, and hopefully they'll be the cure I need.

Failed 10 Miler: Take Two

After yesterday's unsuccessful 10 miler, I determined to get up early this morning and get it done at dawn. My alarm went off at 5:30 am, and I got up and was ready and out the door by 6 am. At first I felt good, but then that feeling quickly dissolved and by mile 2 again, I felt the same feeling I did yesterday: total fatigue. I went about a tenth of a mile more and then threw in the towel and turned around to make it an even 4. A slow, crappy 4. Those 2nd two were uncomfortable and tiring, and my mind was cluttered with frustration and disappointment, despite my best efforts to shove those thoughts away.

On the one hand, I'm thankful that the reason neither run didn't go well isn't because of injury or illness. While that would give me a concrete reason for the poor runs, I don't want to deal with either potential problem. However, on the other hand, it would be nice to have a concrete reason instead of just a vague "I didn't feel good" and "I felt just completely zapped" because neither provides a specific reason, and that makes it feel like I should have been able to work past it.

I don't have a lot of experience with running, but I have been doing this for more than 3 years, and that's been enough for me to experience some great runs and races, as well as some truly terrible ones. And I know that the terrible ones don't always need a reason to go badly; there can be a combination of reasons, both mental and physical, but ultimately they "just happen." And usually I can dismiss them as part of the running process and move forward without being too hard on myself.

But, it's one thing to do that with one bad run; two in a row is a much tougher mental hurdle because those bad runs erode the confidence and create self-doubt. But putting them behind me is what I have to do in order to not carry them as baggage into my upcoming runs.

So, this morning after I got home, I took a shower, and crawled back into bed for 2 hours. When I woke up, Jerry was making pancakes and the smell of syrup combined with the scent of fresh coffee helped wash my memory clean of the weekend's failed runs. So, I had two bad runs this weekend, but now I put them behind me, and I move forward.

Crappy Run

Today was supposed to be a 10 miler, and when I went out, it was 90 degrees. That's not an extreme temp here, but I decided to head out around 6 pm instead of waiting until the sun begins to set around 7 pm like I usually do, and that was a mistake. I don't do well in heat + sun. 2 miles in, I knew I made a mistake in the timing and I was paying for it.

I got to 2.5 miles and was spent. There was no specific thing wrong, no dizziness or nausea or anything, but I just felt zapped. I know that sounds like a vague complaint, but that's the best I can do -- I was completely drained. So, I turned back and figured I'd take a shorter route home and make it 4 miles. But at 3.5, I just couldn't go anymore and I walked the last half mile home.

It's frustrating when a planned run doesn't go as planned, especially when there's no specific complaint, but I can't do anything about it now, so I showered, made dinner, and now I'm gonna chill for the rest of the evening. No worries. I think I will set the alarm for early tomorrow morning, and try again. Hopefully it will be cooler then and I can get my 10 miles done. That's all a girl can do when things don't go well.

Garmin Down

As I was getting ready for my 3 miler today, I strapped on the Garmin, fresh off its charger, and turned it on. Nothing. I pressed the "power" button harder. Nothing. Held the "power" button down for 5 seconds. Nothing. Ack! I then tried pushing the power button over and over hoping that magically it would remember that it was supposed to turn ON. But...nothing. So I pressed every button on the Garmin and, yup, you guessed it. Nothing. I put it back on the charger and the screen remained blank. Nothing. Nothing. And more nothing.

So I ran my 3 miles without the Garmin, and vowed to deal with it when I got home. Running the 3 without the Big G was a bit like running blind, and I even caught myself looking down at my wrist a few times only to then remember that Garmy was at home.

After the run, I consulted the owner's manual only to discover that it offers no troubleshooting directions regarding a problem of this nature, and because the Garmin is 2 years old, the limited warranty has worn off. However, with a little more careful reading in the manual, I found a section that directed me to hold the "lap" button and the "mode" button simultaneously to reset the unit. And...it worked! I healed it! So, now it seems to be working just fine.

Phew! That gave me some panic. I mean, I wouldn't mind having a legit reason to finally go out and purchase the 405, but by getting the most life out of this one, I can save myself the dinero of an upgrade. Ahhhh, now I can go enjoy my Friday evening. Thank you Garmin gods.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

After work today, the thunder clouds gathered, the lightning flashed, the thunder boomed, and it rained. Not a good evening for a run. Instead, I settled in with my sweats and with a few brews. (Has anyone tried this MGD 64? I wouldn't highly recommend it; it tastes like water, and I'm not entirely sure if it even had any alcoholic content, but that didn't keep me from drinking a few of them -- with their low calorie content and uncertain alcoholic percentage, I figure I can have twice as many!) Then, Jerry and I rocked out on Rock Band; here's Jerry on the drums:
Here I am on the mic:
Well, drinking while holding the mic. Hey, a rockstar needs her brewskis, okay? We played a LOT of Rock Band and we did a decent job, earning some beer money for our two bands: One is called "Scooter Dawg" and the other is "The Copper Tops" -- both names in honor of our number one fan. Below, I take my turn on the drums (they are fucking hard!).
Below, our number one fan looks less like the kind of enthusiastic fan we were hoping to draw as Rock Gods, and more like a copper-colored dog who wants us to play with him instead of playing video games.
Is it me, or does his stuffed frog even look bored?

Playlist

Yesterday, I did get my planned 4 done (39:34) and today, I got a 5 miler in (48:32). Not much was interesting or exciting about either run, so I don't have much by way of reportage; however, I did add some new tunes to my Shuffle, and I re-arranged the playlist to mix up the variety on there. Looking at the playlist made me realize how clear some of my favorites are, just in terms of volume.

So, I thought I'd give you guys a little run-down on some of the bands and songs that Jess prefers while running:

1. Foo Fighters.
They win by a big margin with 10 songs on the playlist. My favorite song of theirs to run to? "The Pretender." It rocks. I am also a big fan of their newer song "Let It Die" -- also off the new album.

2. My Chemical Romance
I have 4 of their songs on my Shuffle, and my favorite one to run to is "Helena"; my favorite one of theirs to sing along to in the car is "Teenagers" because I like to belt out the lyric "Teenagers scare/ The livin' shit outta me!" They mean it as an irony, but I mean it pretty much literally.

3. Jimmy Eat World
Actually ties with My Chemical Romance for the #2 spot for number of songs on the Shuffle, but I like an orderly list with some sense of rank, and while I love Jimmy Eat World, not all of their songs are kick ass for running. My favorite running song of theirs is "Pain." 'Nuff said. But I also really like their newer song "Let It Happen."

4. Paramore, The Fratellis, Fall Out Boy, and The Arctic Monkeys
They really are tied, both for number of songs on the playlist and for a ranking for their runn-ability-qualities.

5. Rage Against the Machine
If you ever need a song that's just straight up kick-ass, you can always count on this band to deliver it. Plus, there's a proficient use profanity, which I like in a running song. My favorite of theirs is "Killing in the Name" simply because of the repeated lyric at the end: "Fuck you/ I won't do what you tell me"; too bad they're not together anymore. Audioslave (the band made up of Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and the remaining Rage members) churned out some good tunes ("Cochise" is a good running one), but they too aren't together anymore. Maybe Tom Morello is too good for any of those guys.

6. Against Me!
Okay, so I only have two of their songs on the playlist, but they really do friggin rock. Both "Thrash Unreal" and "Stop" should be on everyone's running playlists.

Now, I gotta go. We inherited Rock Band from our friend Ryan, and now Jerry and I are gonna go rock out here in our living room!

Bowling Report: Week Two

Our second week of bowling was a bit more relaxed than last week, and because the team we were bowling was a little slow, we ended up having more time for drinking. Oopsie. Had more than my planned 3 beers.
And that didn't really help me out with my scores; although, I still managed a 120, 128, and 130. However, the low scores reflected in my game were a plague that inflicted our entire team, and we did not do very well against our opponent. So, despite the fact that we were in 3rd place, I think we sufficiently dropped down in the ranking after last night. Oh well. They serve Bud Light whether we're in the top of the placement or the bottom.

Anyhoo, I felt just fine this morning; I may not be able to type while intoxicated, but I bounce back the next day pretty easily. So, this evening I want to get out for a 4 miler. I haven't been running since Saturday morning, and I need to get back out there. Of course, it's like a gazillion degrees out there, so I'm sure it will be a sweaty, miserable 4 miles, but that's the way it is. I just have to roll with it.

Okay

Jerry wouldn't let me stay at thebowlung alley and keep frinkg, Drinks. I'm mean drinking.

Anyway, it was not stellar for us as a team, but I did alright, adn I live beer, I mena "love" it.

Yeah, lots of love for it.

Anyhoo,,,I wantred to keep drinking beer and watchign Monday night football, but Jerry said "elts go home, and I' was like "fine." So we did.

Tuesday's gnnna kind asuck.

What should I be for Halloween?

Got Myself a New Bowling Ball

It's shiny, right? Now I'm ready to conquer that league! Yeah.

Fall Fling 5K Race Report

This morning's race wasn't a PR, but it was still a good race, and it was a personal course record. Two years ago, I ran this 5K as part of a challenge from my friend Ryan -- we wagered to see who could set a new PR for themselves, and I'm sad to report that he won, and I had to buy him breakfast. Damn him. I'm still bitter. Kidding.

Anyway, at that time, I ran this course in 30:27.

This morning I ran it in 28:51. Granted, that's about a minute slower than the new 5K PR I set at the Weston 5K back in July, but like I said, still not too shabby.

The splits were like so this morning:

Mile 1: 9:03
Mile 2: 9:09
Mile 3: 9:16
Mile .16 (yeah, I guess a bit of weaving, huh?): 1:21

So, all in all I was happy I got up this morning and did the race, but I do have one bit of bitching to do. Sure, it was warm this morning (car reported outside temp to be 82 degrees at 6 am), but that's not my gripe; my real complaint about this race is one that applies to nearly all small, local 5Ks: Timing chips and the lack of mats at the start. What is the validity of the timing chip if there is no start pad? The whole point of chips is so that people don't crowd the start line and so that their individual race time won't start until they cross the start line, but if there are no start pads, then their start time is the gun time.

Personally, I mostly go by my Garmin because I'm pretty exact with hitting the start/stop, but it would be nice to have an accurate chip time as well. If these races aren't even gonna use the start pads, then what's the point in chipping the event? Is it psychological? To trick all of us into not crowding the start line? Are they just using the chips as crowd control?

I Found My Mojo

And it was in the last place I would have thought to look: The gym.

Yup. After class today, I donned my running clothes and hit the campus gym for some one-on-one with the treadmill, and I pounded out 3 miles in 27:11. Granted, that's on a treadmill, in a temperature controlled environment, but it still made me feel pretty good, so I decided that I will do the planned 5K tomorrow morning.

It's a shame I decided this after 1 pm this afternoon since that's when online registration closed, but I can still register at the race tomorrow morning. Again, I'm not sure I will PR (although the 27:11 on the treadmill today puts me on track to at least tie my 5K PR of 27:49), but it should still be a decent race.

Or, if it sucks, I'll just blame you bloggers for forcing me to go.

To 5K or Not to 5K

I have a 5K on my race calendar for tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure if I really want to do it, so I figured I'd elicit some blogger help in the decision process.

Pros:

• Since I've been a running slacker this week, a race may be just the thing I need this week to motivate my running.
• I haven't had a race since July, and this 5K is on the calendar as a way of jump-starting the fall race season, which will be relatively busy (I've planned for a 10 miler, 10K, 3 half marys, a 5K, and a partridge in a pear tree); see sidebar for race schedule.
• The race is first thing in the morning, and if I get up, race, and get home before 8 am, I will feel like I accomplished super things before the start of the day.
• I've raced this 5K before, so it's a chance to set a new course record.
• It's at 7 am, so the temps should only be in the 80s.

Cons:

• I've been so tired this week, I would really like to sleep in tomorrow. And getting up early and preparing for a race seems almost silly when it's "just" a 5K.
• I have not been doing any speedwork lately, so I doubt I will PR.
• Despite being scheduled at 7 am, it will be in the 80s, and it has been so humid in the mornings lately (like my sunglasses fog over kind of humid) that I think this won't be the kind of prime weather conditions for racing.
• It's kinda spendy for a 5K ($30 on race day).
• I've raced this 5K before and the course is not great -- it doubles back on itself -- and the t-shirts are blah.

So, what'cha guys think? I have an equal number of pros and cons, but do they each carry equal weight in the decision? I just don't know. A huge part of me is saying "Why bother if you're not that in to it?" But another part of me says: " Jeez, Jess, you're such a whiner this week! Get your ass out there and race!"

Which part should make the final decision?

No Running: Take Two

Again, I just didn't feel like running today, and again, I just felt absolutely drained after my day at work. So, I didn't run. Didn't even take Scooter for a walk.

Instead I baked cookies and watched "Penelope" (pretty cute story -- plus it has James McEvoy, rarh!). Pretty relaxed evening. Maybe tomorrow I'll get my act together and do some running; or, maybe I need a mainline of espresso to kickstart my mojo.

Walking with Scoots

I'll be honest, after work today, I felt pretty worthless and running was the last thing I felt like doing. Generally, even when I don't feel up to running, I know that once I do run I feel refreshed and revitalized, and knowing that is usually enough for me to muster up the reserve motivation and get out there. But today, I just really didn't want to run.

Yet, I knew that if I skipped running I would feel the inevitable guilt that all runners feel after skipping a planned run; I also knew that the guilt would be even worse if I skipped exercise altogether. Thus, I decided to take Scooter for a long walk instead -- that way, I could rest assured that I had gotten in some exercise even though I didn't run.

So Scooter and I went for a 2 mile walk. And I know that it took us longer to walk those 2 miles than it would have taken me to just get out there and run 3, but I figure that's okay. I needed the break today.

Besides, Scooter lurved the walk.

Breezy Ain't Easy

While Ike has totally missed FL, (I'm sorry, SW Texas -- you guys have to be pooping your pants right about now looking at those forecasts!) it is sweeping nearby Cuba, so we've had gray and windy weather the past two days. Today, it has been particularly windy, with gusts around 25 mph.

Now, if that breeze brought cool, fresh air with it, I wouldn't mind it; in fact, I would errect a church in its honor and worship there on designated holy days. But that's not the case. It's still 91 out there, with 85% humidity, so that wind basically just feels like Satan is whistling at me.

Therefore, you may aptly conclude that my 3 miler this evening was a wee bit of a struggle; with a total time of 29:39, you'd assume correctly.

Bowling Report

The first night of league last night was, well, a little stressful. This league is much bigger and more serious than the casual summer league we've been participating in for the past 4 years, so we had to pay close attention to the different rules, regulations, and scoring. Plus, it was a little intimidating bowling next to, and against, teams who have sponsorships and where individuals are bowling in the mid-200s.

Plus, these "leaguers" are there to BOWL. Not to socialize. So a guy on the opponent team didn't hesitate to prompt me that it was my turn (which translates to: "Put your beer down, missy, and get up there and bowl!"), and we saw a verbal brawl break out between two players on another team. And all around us, it was a sea of bowling supplies: Bowlers were taping their fingers, applying wrist braces, polishing their balls, and sipping their Vitamin water. In short, it was like stepping up from running 5Ks to running the Boston marathon, and the competition was not messing around.

But a few beers in, and our team was feeling more relaxed and we had the confidence that only beer can provide. We determined that we will just have to approach the league in our own way: We're not there to win the championship or set any bowling records; we're there to have fun, enjoy one another's company, and do our best at bowling. Plus, we do know a few other teams in the league who are more like us, so we can socialize with them, and enjoy the competition on a more causal level when we play them. And certainly, over the course of 37 weeks, we're likely to improve.

So, how did my games go last night? Like so: 131, 116, and 138. Not great, but not shabby for me either. The rest of my team did pretty well too, but we won't know how many points we scored because our averages weren't figured in and thus our handicaps weren't calculated yet; however, I think we held our own.

It was fun, but it's not gonna be like Thursday night league, which should really be called a drinking league in which we incidentally bowl. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed some beers last night, but I limited myself to 3, and I don't plan on getting wasted every Monday night; it's one thing to be hungover on a Friday, and an entirely different thing to be hungover on a Tuesday.

Although...as Jerry says: "If you're gonna be hungover, might as well get paid for it."

Start of Bowling

Tonight, Jerry and I start the fall league of bowling, and we have new shirts! So, here are some pre-bowling pics to get you guys excited about bowling!


Yeah, Jerry told me to just take a normal picture in that last one. Killer shirt, huh? Wish me luck with bowling! I think this league may be a bit more serious, so I hope I bowl well tonight; I don't want to embarass myself or the team.

Niner

This weekend has been incredibly hot; both yesterday and today had temps in the high 90s, so when I went out for my 9 miler, I knew I was facing a hot one. The temp at 7 pm, when I set out was 85 degrees, with 84% humidity and a 77 degree dew point, so the "feels like" temp was about 95.

Thus, the heat did not help create a very fast 9 miler (1:33:52), but at least I plugged along and got it done. Afterward, peeling off my sports bra felt like peeling off a swimsuit -- it was absolutely saturated in sweat, as was my entire running attire. And when I got in the shower, I felt the stingy realization of some under-boob chafing (no amount of Body Glide can protect you from chafing when you get completely soaked like that). Running in that kind of heat and sweating like that isn't much fun, but other than the heat, the running actually went pretty well. Like I said, it wasn't real fast, but the pace felt pretty comfortable, and I'm happy to finish up the week with it.

Now I think I'm gonna settle into bed and have a little ice cream. Delicious Cake Batter ice cream! Yummmmmm.

Congrats to:

Our friends Jon and Shannon, who welcomed their baby girl Rylee Elise into the world last night! So far, all I know is that she was 7 lbs 14 oz and has brown hair. Right now, we're gonna let the parents rest some, but we hope to get up to the hospital this afternoon and meet little Rylee.

Very exciting!

So Long Ike!

It now looks as though Ike will entirely miss this region of FL. Each time the forecast gets updated, the forecasters have Ike steadily moving further south -- so the path now takes the storm through Cuba and then into the gulf -- so it looks like we will be in the clear. That's a relief.

The advantage to hurricanes over other natural disasters is that we get plenty of warning, but sometimes that warning can work people into a panic frenzy before it's really necessary. Don't get me wrong, I'd take a hurricane over a tornado anyday, but all I'm saying is that it's not always great to see that projected path ahead of time when it's subject to so much alteration.

Aside from that small flurry of excitement, not too much else is new. Yesterday afternoon I did not nap as I said I would; instead, I did my household duties: cleaning, laundry, dinner, etc. I like to get the house cleaned on Friday afternoons so we don't have to worry about it over the weekend, and I can just relax all weekend. It's like in "The Great Outdoors" when John Candy's wife says: "I just can't relax in filth." That's me. I like to have a clean house to start my weekend fresh.

Anyway, after I tended to all the chores, we had a really nice, relaxing Friday night: We had a big dinner, watched "Bee Movie" (which was really cute and quite funny), and then Jerry went and got Cake Batter ice cream from Cold Stone. It was great. Today, we went and ran some errands: Took Scooter to Petsmart to pick up a few dog necessities, and then went to the bowling alley Pro Shop to order my new bowling ball. My old ball has a crack in it and is chipping around the thumb hole (I guess I was NOT supposed to keep it in my car's trunk for 3 years -- something about the FL heat being bad for it...), so it will work for our first night of league (on Monday!), but it needs to be replaced. The new ball should arrive sometime this week. It's gonna be shiny!

As for the rest of the day, we really don't have anything going on. We're waiting for a friend to have her baby at any time (she went into the hospital yesterday to be induced), but other than that, I think it's gonna be a quiet weekend.

At some point, I need to run, but to be honest, I am really in need of some chillin' so I'm in no hurry to hit the pavement. Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend! Check ya later.

Change of Path

The 5 day forecast for Ike was updated this afternoon, and now the Hurricane is projected to swing south of us, and while it will still impact FL, it may not directly hit us. Granted, forecasters warn that a 5 day forecast has a wide margin of error (the storm can wobble as much as 300 miles in either direction -- so much for meteorology as a "science" eh?), but this is what it's looking like as of today: We're not totally in the clear; to the contrary, we're still within the "cone" but it is looking safer for us than it was yesterday. So, that's good news. For now.

Other than storm news, not much else is going on. I should spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning the house and catching up with laundry, but honestly, I think I may plant my butt on the couch. Suddenly, I'm feeling an attack of lazy coming on, and there's only one cure: A nap.

Eek Gad

While previous storms Fay, Gustav, and Hanna largely bi-passed South Florida, Hurricane Ike now poses a significant threat early next week:
Up until this afternoon, Ike's path was forecasted to be similiar to Hanna's, which meant that it hadn't been a direct threat to us previously, but then at 5 pm, the forecast was updated and suddenly Ike had a new projection that has it headed straight for South Florida. Right now, there's really not much to do but watch the forecast and prepare with the necessary supplies. Freakin' out right now would be a waste of time -- by the look of the 5-day forecast, we'll need to save our freakin' out for Tuesday night.

So, until then, I went for a 3 miler (29:02) tonight, and then settled into a bowl of Jerry's very spicy chilli (required a cold, delicious Bud Light to help ease the tingling). As for the rest of the evening, I have a disc of "Mad Men" to watch or a whole season of "Gray's Anatomy" to begin, so maybe I'll flip a quarter to decide which one to watch, and then settle in.

Happy Thursday everyone! I know it's been a short week, but thank god tomorrow's Friday, huh?

Feeling Good Fiver

The running gods didn't punish me for yesterday's comment about my 3 miler being easy, and today I was able to enjoy another comfortable run; this time, it was a 5 miler (48:54). It's funny that a few months ago I would have thought that to be a slow time, but after struggling through July and August's heat, that's back to feeling like a decent time.

In other news, well, there really isn't much other news. It's been rad rollin' in my new ride the past few days; it's been a slight adjustment getting used to driving a new vehicle, but it drives so easily and comfortably that the adjustment hasn't been hard to make. Plus, because my old car was in such bad shape, I'm loving the features on the Escape that are just plain standard -- like A/C that works on multiple settings instead of just "full blast" and "off." I still haven't settled on a name yet, but these things take time to feel out.

But that's about it. Oh! I used the DVR for the first time. You guys were right -- it is tubular to be able to fast forward through the commercials! Now, I just have to adjust my fast-forwarding skillz; I have a tendancy to go right through the show instead of pushing play at the right moment.

Easy 3

After struggling through runs all last week, I seemed to have a fresh burst of energy for this evening's 3 miler (28:35), which felt...dare I say it? Well, it felt easy. And after looking at the numbers when I finished, I'm sure I could have pushed a little harder, but as it was, the 9:30 pace felt comfortable.

Karma will probably bitch-slap me for the above statement, but I guess I'll just have to deal with that later. For now, it's nice to have a run that feels good and effortless.

That New Car Smell

Today I said goodbye to The Green Hornet (trust me, I actually almost teared up some leaving that car -- it's been a trusty vehicle for a LONG time), and after yesterday's frustrating task of searching for a new car, we had a good day today at a different dealership and we found exactly what we were looking for: It's a 2008 Ford Escape. Not a hybrid (which was my original intention, but their cost just far exceeds our price range right now, so this is still one of the most fuel efficient models in its class, and for now, that's what I have to be happy with -- perhaps in the next 10 years, hybrid or electric cars will become more affordable). Anyhoo...we ended up going with a certified pre-owned car.
Like I said, it's still a 2008, but it does have 12,000 miles on it. Not bad. But this way, we were able to afford the fully loaded model: leather seats, sunroof, Sirius radio, V6 engine, keyless entry (almost a "must" for Jess), and all the other bells and whistles we wanted.
Plus, we were able to get the percentage rate we wanted for the financing and we are happy with what our monthly payments will be (although, admittedly, it will be weird adjusting to actually having a car payment again -- I haven't had a car payment in over 3 years).
So, it's a HUGE step up in quality from my 1998 Honda Civic (which had close to 200,000 miles on it! but again, I was really attached to that car -- took me from Canada to Key West and just about everywhere in between), and I'm practically giddy I'm so pleased with this new purchase!
Now, all that's left is the crucial decision of what to name it. So, let's hear some thoughts. It's a dark gray (I believe it's official color name is "slate" but I might be wrong), if that helps anyone. Personally, I feel like I need to drive it some to get a feel for its name, but I'm opening up the floor for suggestions as well. So, give me what ya got! What should her name be? (Yup, definitely a "her.")

Exhausting Sunday

Yesterday was a long-ass day.

First frustrating event of the day, my run. It was cloudy and breezy yesterday around mid-morning, and while it did look like rain, I figured I'd brave the chances in order to get the run done in slightly cooler temps early in the day. I had planned on doing 8 miles, so I got ready and headed out the door. At about 1.5 miles, the skies opened up and poured on me. The heavy rain lasted about 5 minutes, but by then, I was completely soaked.

However, I didn't turn around. The rain eased up and I figured I'd pressed forth -- soggy clothes and everything. Unfortunately, though, this burst of rain wasn't the last. It continued to lightly rain on me for the next mile or so, but I was just past the 3 mile point when the skies again opened up in a torrential downpour. It was raining so hard, I could hardly see, so I threw in the proverbial towel and turned around. Shortly thereafter the iPod quit (it doesn't handle being wet very well), but surprisingly, the Garmin never lost its signal.

Twice more on the way back, it rained heavily on me, and trudging through such rain in soaking clothes and drenched feet (that's the worst) was miserable. So even though I only did 6 miles, instead of the planned 8, I figured I'd worked as though I'd done extra miles and felt satisfied having just gotten through it.

So, after the rainy run, Jerry and I decided to go car shopping. Enter second frustrating event of the day. You may recall that I mentioned on Friday that I thought my car may be on its last legs? Well, it's old, has incredibly high mileage and, well, little things are beginning to go on it. We've been talking about a new car for about a year and had always tentatively planned on buying something within the next few months, so we decided to start the task yesterday. Ugh.

We went to a few dealerships and test drove some cars that we had been interested in, and after a few places, we found one that we really liked. It had everything we wanted, plus a few extras, but once it came down to the nuts and bolts of financial negotiation, we could not come to an agreement with the dealership. So, after about 8 hours of car shopping, we came home empty handed, and to be honest? I'm glad we did.

See, car salespeople want you to make a snap decision, often based on an emotional choice, but this is a big investment for us and we have to remain rational about it. (And really, a new car is about the most worthless thing you can buy: It's expensive, takes years to pay off, but depreciates in value; so it's not really an "investment.") And I'm not gonna make a decision that factors in so much money on a whim, or because I like the sunroof. Or because I feel pressured by the salesman.

This means we have more shopping to do. Maybe we'll go back out there today (I'd prefer not to -- I felt totally drained after yesterday's experience), but if not, probably in some of the upcoming weekends. I like the part where I get to look at the shiny new cars; I just don't like the 3 hours you end up spending at the salesman's little desk indoors going back and forth over percentage rates vs. rebates, and the "what can I do to get you in this car today?" No thanks.

Labor Day Weeked Pool Party and BBQ

Yesterday, our friends hosted their annual Labor Day Weekend Pool Party and BBQ, and we got to enjoy lots of good food, beer, friends, the pool, some horse shoes, and plenty of laughs. It wasn't a real warm day (by FL standards), and we had a mostly gray day with occasional rain and wind (with Gustav churning in the Gulf, South Florida is feeling the side effects of the giant storm); however, it was still warm enough to enjoy the pool, and that we did. Here's the Jer-Bear and I: Here's Jerry and Baby Miller: Well, "Flying Baby Miller" -- here you only get to see a little baby butt.
As the afternoon gave way to evening, we kept plugging away at the beer and then the shenanigans really got started. People started piling back in the pool, and there were many belly flops and cannon balls. Here I am laughing along with rest:
Eventually, I got back in the pool as well. I was persuaded by the fact that I had already been soaked by the boys' cannon balls, and figured I may as well just get my suit back on and join in the fun. Besides, night or day. It doesn't matter. Floating with a beer is awesome either way.
Lastly, one of the funniest events of the night was the hula hooping competition. See, Crystal uses a weighted hula hoop for exercise, and if you've ever read her blog, you'll note that she can hula hoop for a long time! And not just that, but she's able to read a book while hula hooping! Anyway, the hula hoop drew the attention of some of the men who thought the could easily do it. Turned out, it wasn't as easy as they thought it was, and we had a lot of laughs watching them give it a go. Jerry actually did it pretty well, but then he just got cocky (see below) and it slipped around his knees and he lost it.
All in all, it was a good time and a great party. Now, we get to spend the rest of the weekend chillin. Right now it's kinda stormy out, which makes me think I should either go run now, or just go curl up with a book. Decisions, decisions.

Chores and then Fun

This morning, I went and got my hair trimmed. It looks okay. I'm never all that ecstatic about haircuts, and the only part I really like about going is when they wash my hair. Feels good to have them rub my head.

Then I went and got my eyebrows waxed. Should be a simple thing. 5 minutes. But the girl I had today was clearly new, and she was not only slow, but she also managed to get wax in my hair and on my shirt. In the years (years!) I have been going to salons and getting my eyebrows waxed, I have never had someone get wax on me. Not even at a beauty school. I hope that washes out.

Last stop at the mall was Old Navy. Their jeans are on sale, and I picked up a new pair (only $26.50 -- seems like last place in the world where jeans cost less than $30).

On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items, so I decided to simply stop into the "old people" store. No, not owned by old people. Over-populated by old people. I hate that particular Publix: It's too small, it's got too much stuff in the aisles, making it hard to navigate, and it is elderly central. I stood in the "express" line for 10 full minutes; in part because the cashier wasn't real concerned about the sea of people in her line, but also in part because every old person on the planet feels as though they must dig around in their purse or wallet for exact change. I nearly paid for the lady in front of me just to get her moving!

So, this morning was kind of a busy series of tasks, but the rest of the afternoon should be relaxing and enjoyable. We're going to a friend's for a BBQ and pool party, so I plan on sitting in their pool with a beer and a plate of kabobs. Sweeeeet.

P.S. I think my car (1998 Honda Civic, aka "The Green Hornet") may finally be approaching its deathbed. It's been making a weird noise when it starts. *Sigh* It may finally be time to start looking for a new car...

Working Hard

Do you ever have a run where you feel as though you're just laboring through the entire thing? And, have you ever had an entire week's worth of runs feel like that?

That's how this past week has felt, and was especially true for this evening's 3 miler (29:42).

I think this is due to several reasons; one of them being that teaching just plain wore me out this week. So, I originally intended to do my week's long run tomorrow morning, but now I think I will take the day off running tomorrow, and maybe a day's rest will help between now and Sunday.

Thank god this is a long weekend. I'm really looking forward to sleeping in some.

Runnin' Instead of Bowlin'

Tonight is the first Thursday in about 3 months where I could be found out running at 9 pm instead of chillin' in the bowling alley bar.

The change was a bit disconcerting.

But it is nice to have a couple of weeks off of bowling before we resume with league on Sept 8th, and who are we kidding, the liver could use the vacay. Plus, it was good to get a 5 miler in. Time wasn't great (51:03), but I will blame the heat, as always and feel satisfied that I got the digits in.

So...now that I am faced with a Thursday evening without a pitcher of beer and a run through the Taco Hell drive-thru, I don't quite know what to do with myself. I would say that I could watch some TV on my new, shiny HD set, but Jerry is in the midst of freaking himself out while playing Bioshock, so I guess I'll go watch "Mad Men" in the bedroom.

On the plus side, it's gonna feel glorious tomorrow to wake up and not feel the slightest bit hungover. Huh. I'm not sure how a Friday will feel if I'm entirely sober.

Hump Day Rest Day

After 5 days of running in a row, my legs are toast. Yesterday, I foam rollered and did lots of stretching before my 3 miler, but today I think the recipe for their fatigue is simply rest.

It doesn't help that the nature of my job means that I'm standing and walking for the majority of the day, and my little feets are tired. Not to mention the fact that the students make my brain tired. Can it be that today is only Wednesday? Because I'm already pining for the long weekend.

Anyway, I think I'm just hanging out and relaxing tonight. Although, I hope the house elves get to the ironing; otherwise, Jess is wearing something wrinkly tomorrow.

Slowskis No More

Ran 3 miles this evening. Time was 29:01.

But enough of that crap; more importantly: Comcast came today and installed our new HD cable and our new DVR! So, aside from the remote that looks like I need a degree in computer science to figure out, I'm excited about this new viewing endeavor, especially the DVR.

See, Jerry and I have TV-related-amnesia and excepting a few shows that we can remember the days and times for ("The Office" and "30 Rock" top the list), we can never remember what day, what time, or what channel any shows are on. For instance, Jerry really likes "Heroes," but because he could never remember when it was on, he ended up watching all of both seasons online. On my end, I know I like "The New Adventures of the Old Christine" as well as "How I Met Your Mother," but again, same issue. Except I didn't catch up with either online -- so I didn't see a single episode of the latter's 2nd season.

I blame my inability to truly care much about TV on many complex and emotionally frayed reasons.

By which I mean my mother.

She used to tell us that TV would "melt our brains" (which, doesn't that phrase immediately insert the image of the scene from "Indiana Jones and The Lost Ark" where the Nazis' eyes are melting after they open the ark? that's what I always pictured when my mother repeated her anti-TV-refrain), and she would frequently walk by the set as my brother and I were enjoying a little "Duck Tales" or "Transformers" and switch it off while issuing the command: "Go outside and play."

And the only grown-up show I can recall being allowed to watch as a child was "Cheers." I remember it was after my bedtime too, but I was allowed to stay up that extra half an hour each Thursday to watch it. (My bedtime when I was a kid -- except in summer -- was always 8 pm; however, I was allowed to stay awake as long as I wanted as long as I was in my bed and reading. So yeah, this is where a lifetime habit of reading before bed began. And why I have spent countless nights of little sleep to finish a particularly intriguing book.)

Where Jerry's inability to remember days and times for TV shows comes from is a mystery; in other words, he's just plain forgetful. (I mean, c'mon, the guy doesn't even know our home phone number!)

So, now that we have a DVR, I hear it does the remembering and caring for you. Sweet deal. But does this mean that I'm gonna have to spend more time watching TV? I don't know if I have room for that in my life!

Other Runners

I hardly ever see other runners on my routes. I don't know why, really, but for example, this evening for my 4 miler: I didn't pass a single other runner. In fact, the only other pedestrians I passed were two women who were walking together. However, there are a few regular runners in my area that I see with some measure of regularity and they each have their own irregularities.

Two, in particular, stand out.

Runner #1: "The Lady in Black"
This woman usually runs in the morning, so I don't see her very frequently since I rarely rouse myself early enough to get my runs done in the AM, but sometimes I also see her in the evenings. But no matter the time of day, I see her in the same outfit: Black pants and black t-shirt (sometimes it's even a long-sleeved tee!). I can't necessarily determine the fabric of either (it's not like I'm waving her down in order to check the tags), but to be honest, both look like cotton.

So, imagine: It's summer, it's FL, it's hot as hades, and she's running in A.) Pants, B.) Black, C.) Cotton. That combination right there is a recipe for overheating, chafing and discomfort. Yet, her uniform must not bother her much because it never varies -- maybe she's a robot who's immune to high temps and humidity. If so, I envy her.

Runner #2: "The Backwards Runner"
I see this guy every. single. night. of. the. week. He's about 80. Or, around there. I don't know, the elderly are hard in terms of exact age-guessing, but needless to say, he's old. And he wears varied outfits for running, but usually it's a standard pair of running shorts, a t-shirt and a headband.

So his clothing isn't what's odd.

It's his running.

All I ever see him run is east and west down the street that runs in front of our condo complex, but this is the truly strange part: While he's running west, he runs forward, in a normal manner; but, when he turns around and runs east, he, well, doesn't turn around. He just runs backward.

I don't know how far he runs each night, but the street is about .75 of a mile, and he goes back and forth several times -- one way going forward and one way running backward. If this isn't odd enough, he doesn't run on the sidewalk; instead, he runs in the street! Now, in some areas, this may be perfectly safe, but here in South Florida, most drivers would rather run you down than look at you twice, so imagine running backwards down the street, and think about how dangerous that would be!

With both of these runners, I fear for them: I think one will get heat exhaustion and I think the other may wind up as roadkill!

Sunday Seven

Ran 7 miles this evening, but the numbers weren't great. I finished in 1:12:01, and I'd been hoping to do the run in about 1:08. I can blame the heat some (it's currently 90 degrees out there, and it's 8:30 pm; I set out for the 7 miler at a quarter to 7 pm), and I can blame the iPod some (again, its batteries quit on me part way through the run), but ultimately, I think it was just one of "those" runs.

Eh, they happen.

Saturday's New TV

Yesterday was a busy day in the Jess and Jerry household, and most of it revolved around one thing: Buying a new TV.

After a summer of thinking about a new TV, and researching TVs, and going to look at TVs, we finally went and actually purchased one. Jerry is very particular and he wanted only one of two brands, of certain quailty, but he had a set dollar amount he wanted to spend, but thankfully his strict qualifications all came together yesterday. So, here's the old TV: And below is the new TV! Jerry spent most of the afternoon and early evening yesterday hooking stuff up, and we have to extend a big "thanks" to our friend Ryan who came over and helped (okay, did most of the work -- and he only demanded a few beers as payment!).
I guess there's still lots to do to finish the installation since we also bought a new home theater system, so Jerry will probably spend most of today on the task. We also have to upgrade our cable to HD cable, but I'm pretty excited about that -- finally, we can join the rest of TV viewers in the 21st Century!
Anyhoo...while Jerry and Ryan were busy working on the installation yesterday, I escaped to get a 3 miler (29:01) in, and I can only note two things about that run: It was very buggy again, and there's a dead cat on my 3 miler route and it stinks. That's all I have to say about that.

After my run, and after we got most of the TV shiz set up, we went to a friend's last night to see their new house and enjoy a few cold beers. It was a nice evening.

So, lastly, on a completely unrelated note, check out this pic of Scooter and Jerry that I took this morning:

Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Friday Four

Despite the fact that we had one day off this week due to TS Fay, I was feeling totally pooped today. So when I got home from class, I did some picking up around the house, played with Scooter, and then plopped down on the couch and didn't move for an hour or two. When Jerry got home, that was the lethargic state I was in.

Me: "I don't think I'm gonna run this evening. I'm just too tired and I don't wanna."

Jerry: "Man, you're whiny. Just go run; you'll feel better if you do and then I won't have to hear later about how guilty you feel for missing it."

Me: "I'm whiny?! You're whiny!"

(Yeah, I don't have much by way of retorts when I'm tired.)

Jerry: "Just go run."

Me: "Fine!"

So I ran 4 miles, and he was right, I did feel better. It feels against the wife-code-of-conduct to admit it, but I guess he knows me: When Jess is tired/grouchy/moody, she needs a run.

End of Summer League

Even though Jerry and I will continue with league bowling this year with some of our friends in a fall league, the end of the summer league is always a bittersweet moment. This was our 4th year bowling in this league, and all of our friends bowl with us, so it's like a friend gathering every Thursday night. I mean, as a group, the 14 or so of us, get together pretty frequently anyway, but bowling is different, ya know?

Anyway, some details about tonight's last night of the summer league: My team did indeed place 2nd in the league; however, we did not get a trophy. Kinda bogus since the 2nd place teams have received trophies before, but the league must have been running short on cash, I don't know. But, I must extend a giant "congrats" to my teammate Crystal who got a trophy for best female something...I don't know what score or category she won her trophy in, but a trophy is a trophy! So, congrats to her!

After the trophy "ceremony" (ie: handing them out of the cardboard box they came in), we played our fun games for the night. The fun games, or "goofy" games as they are sometimes referred to, are just variations on traditional league bowling and serve as a light-hearted way to end the season. So, first game, it was like regular bowling except that if you knocked down 9 pins with the first ball, it scored like a strike. Here I am ready for the challenge: Here I am, with Jerry, after I scored a 206 in this game (with my handicap, I scored a perfect 300!): I won money, yo!
So, yeah, I rocked the first game, but the 2nd game? Uff, that one is supah hard. It's called low-pin, and you try to knock down as few pins as possible. Before you say, "Oh, I could rock that" consider this: if you gutter ball, it's a strike, and if you hit zero pins on the pick-up, it's a spare. It's a game that sounds easy, but actually turns out to be really, really difficult.

I did not rock that one.

In the last game, you play with a partner, and you bowl when it's your turn, but if you leave pins standing after your first ball, your partner has to pick them up, and vice versa. Again, seems like no big deal, but there's something about it that throws off your rhythm, and it's pretty dang hard. Crystal and I bowled decently with this last game, but it wasn't enough to win.

Still, the entire night was a load of fun. I won a little cash (promptly spent back at the bar and the "snack shack" -- I need my corndogs and beer!), I drank some beers, limited myself to one shot, had lots of laughs, and in general, enjoyed a great night with friends. The fall league that starts in two weeks will certainly be fun, but nothing can replace the summer league!

STP Concert

The STP concert last night was an awesome time. I'll be honest, going in to it, I was a little leary of how Scott Weiland would perform: Would they be on time? Would he be wasted? Would the performance be incoherent? Thankfully, I was more than pleasantly surprised that they started on time, they performed an awesome show, and while he couldn't seem to talk coherently, he certainly sang well.

Here I am enjoying the tunes and the Bud Light. I partook in a little too much of the Bud Light. Feel a bit icky this morning. Here's the 3 chicas: Erin, Crystal, and Me. We rock.
And here's the band. Scott Weiland, center stage, standing up on his own perfectly well. Maybe it's true: Maybe he is sober now.
All in all, it was a great time, and I really enjoyed the show.

On the schedule for tonight? Bowling.

Back to Reality

The storm gave us a small reprieve from the regular work week, but today it's back to work and back to normal routines. Bah.

I think today is gonna be a day off from running because I have a concert tonight and I'm not going to have time between work and concert-going to get a run in and I did not get up early this morning to get it done (it's hard with the Olympics keeping me up until midnight every night). We're going to see Stone Temple Pilots this evening at the Hard Rock; should be a good time. One irony about this is that when I was in high school (maybe it was late middle school -- sometimes my timelines get confused), my mom made me get rid of my Stone Temple Pilots tape (had to be middle school; I think by high school, CDs were out) because she said it was the devil's music.

My mom was always rigid about our music because of her faith, yet I don't know if anyone ever told her that if you tell a teenager to not do something, it will make them want to do it even more. So, all the music my mom ever hated of mine? That's still the stuff I love.

3 + 3

TS Fay has really been nothing more than a 3 day rainstorm, and we've been lucky here to have nothing more severe than TS storm conditions, which just means lots o' rain and wind. So, last night when I got home from class, I went for a quick 3 miler, and this morning after I slept in (hey, I can't complain about having the day off!), I went for another 3 miler.

Granted, it was windy and very rainy for both runs, but there was no lightning or thunder, and the rain was tolerable. I didn't take the Garmin for either run because the Garmin has trouble picking up and maintaining a satellite signal in such weather and I'm not gonna stand around in the rain waiting for it to pick up a signal, so I don't have times for either run, but both went pretty well, especially considering the inclement weather.

Otherwise, the past day and a half have been nothing short of cozy. It may sound weird, but I actually like this weather. I mean, most of the year's weather here in FL is exactly the same -- warm, sunny, chance of rain -- and sometimes that gets a little dull. I like a stormy day or two. And because Jerry also got the day off work today, it was nice to have a relaxing evening together last night and to chill together today. It is, as Jerry called it, like having "second weekend." So, when a storm is severe enough to cancel work, but not so severe as to cause real anxiety, then it's just perfect! Thanks, Fay!

"Snow" Day

When I was growing up in CO, I used to pray to the snow-gods for snow days so we could sleep in and go sledding all day instead of going to school, but here in FL, clearly it doesn't snow. Instead, we have hurricanes. Not so great for sledding, but still good enough to give us a day off.So, even though Fay is projected to swing WAY west of us, my college campus is closed tomorrow (Tuesday) in precaution of the storm. Despite the fact that the storm will (probably) not be a direct threat here, we will still probably experience some pretty heavy rainfall and some very gusty winds, and after this area went through Wilma in 2005, we all learned that it's better to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared.

It sucks to throw a wrench in my carefully planned semester, but it's also awesome to get a day at home. So, tomorrow when it's all blustery and nasty out there, you can bet I'll be curled up on the couch with a book, or maybe, depending on conditions, out there for some runs!

Sunday Fay-Day

TS Fay Update: As of now, forecasters are predicting that South Florida will be out of the "cone" for Fay, and the storm will most likely hit the west coast of the state, and here, we will probably just experience TS weather on Monday and Tuesday. Still, as a precautionary, the county schools have closed. The colleges have not. However, this is gonna be an issue for classes tomorrow, I just know it. Why? Well, it's the first day of fall semester: That means lots of first time college students, and they will hear on the news that the county schools are closed; they will assume this means the colleges as well; they will not double check news reports to confirm. I'm not saying all of them will think that, but many of them will, so I expect first day attendance to be low -- and then I'll get a flood of email that says: "Professor, I'm so sorry I wasn't in class, I thought school was closed."

Anyone want to wager that I'll be mistaken? I could use some extra cash.

Aside from the storm news, I did get out this evening for a 6 miler, and it went pretty well. With the TS looming near Cuba, we're already getting some early bands of thunderstorms, so while it is still humid out there, the temps are a bit cooler, so that was nice. I still wasn't very fast, but I ran a comfortable pace, and finished up in 1:00:45.

One excellent thing that could happen because of this possible storm is that after it passes through, we could have a few days of cooler weather. Typically, after a major storm (tropical or hurricane), cool, crisp air follows for a few days -- something to do with pressure systems and other meteorological shiz I don't understand. I remember the week after Wilma, in 2005, as the coolest, driest air I think I've ever experienced here in South Florida, so perhaps Fay could usher in a little of that for us.

Sunday Morning

Yesterday was an extremely quiet day. I read, I watched the Olympics (last night was a great night to watch: women's marathon, Phelps' 8th gold, Dara Torres, the men's 100m dash), I did some laundry, but really, I barely moved off the couch all day.

Today, we don't have much planned either. I think our current plan is to take Scooter to the dog park for awhile, have lunch, and then maybe see a movie this afternoon, and somewhere in there, I want to get a run in, but it probably won't happen until late this evening.

For now, we also have one eye on Tropical Storm Fay, which is just now touching SE Cuba, but is mostly certainly going to strengthen into a hurricane and head toward FL. South Florida is within the "cone of uncertainy" (always a phrase that sounds like something from "Superman"), but it will be hard to know its exact path until tomorrow. Our hurricane supplies are all stocked, we just need to pull them out of the closet and check some batteries; otherwise, we're set for disaster. Kind of.