ghetto is the new green

(partial conversation that I had with a friend in the stairwell at school)

me: I ended up at the dollar store last night, and you know what I realized
her: um, what?
me: I am NEVER paying more than a dollar for cleaning supplies again.
her: ?
me: I bought some Comet, for a dollar. Some Dawn, for a dollar. And Resolve, for a dollar! This would have cost me fifteen at Target. Never again, a dollar for everything
her: well...
me: I mean, it has to be the same stuff in that bottle, and hell - the Comet totally made my bath tub sparkle.
her: well, ya, I've been trying to use all environmentally friendly cleaning products lately. I feel better about it.
me: well, I've been trying to buy groceries lately, I feel better when I eat.

What I learned on my summer vacation.

Studying for quals is:

...bad for my ego.
...bad for my diet.
...bad for my skin.
...bad for my sleep.
...bad for my brain.
...bad for my sanity.
...but somehow, good for my running. 3 times this week, two good hips.

(oh, and I learned a bit of stuff about the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and supposedly how my memory works. We'll see if they're right about that!)

Thanks to those of you who have put up with my whining, insanity, feelings of doom, hermit-ism, and whatever else I've been doling out! And, for all the encouragement! I feel ready to kick this thing in the rear. T minus 14 and a half hours. Then, beer.

on the road again

I went for a run tonight.

That sounds like less than earth-shattering news, but it's been about 3 months since I've been able to run. I can certainly thank the start of today's Olympic women's marathon as my inspiration (also, Michael Phelps(swoon), Aaron Peirsol, Dara Torres, Libby Trickket, Guo Jingjing, Nastia Liukin, Misti and Kerri...). Technically, I don't think I'm supposed to be running yet, and supposedly I took it slow. But, damn did it feel good to get out there again. I forgot how much I like it. I forgot how peaceful and nice my neighborhood is, and how much I need that alone time to just run and not think! Originally my goal was to just go one mile - but thanks to Sandi Thom*, Death Cab, Jeff Buckley**, City and Colour, and The Beatles - it was too hard to stop. I completed my 4 mile loop, with a considerable amount of walking, and came inside to stretch! I didn't even mind the rain that came in somewhere between miles 2 and 3. My new shoes are awesome, and I feel alright now. Tomorrow might be a different story.

I don't know if I can declare it over, but I think it's safe to say, I see the light at the end of the perpetual funk I've been in lately!

*If I can bring along some tunes(teeny tiny mp3 player that straps to my arm is dead, and super huge mp3 player is in a word un-portable) when I run whatever portion of the San Antonio Rock and Roll I can muster, this song will be strategically placed about every 15 minutes or so. It seems impossible not to get pumped with this in your ear.

**I was unable to let myself listen to this song for a long time, and then much like everything else, by way of OSOM, it was forgotten. It popped into the playlist unexpectedly today, and at the risk of sounding like a sap, I don't think it's a coincidence that it was what pushed me up my last hill. I really love this song, it's good for the soul.



UPDATE (8/17/2008): My hip feels ok. I stretched a little after running, and then again before going to bed. This morning my hip feels fine, but my quads. Holy hard-as-rocks batman! I've already stretched them out 3 times, and they are a little better. But, dang...my PT would not be impressed, and it seemed there wasn't much about my legs he was unhappy with.

on the move

It seems that everyone I know is moving. Three of my Austin friends have just moved into new houses, JimBo has moved from NoLA to Hartford, two of my Boston friends have new digs as well. And then, of course, NH is westward ho, and MP is eastward bound (admittedly, I'm much more excited about MP's destination than I am about NH's!) It's been a full year since I made my own cross-country trek, and I find myself re-nesting. When I first got here I would come home every day with something new to hang up, decorate, or further make this place feel like home. And I did a great job. And now, a year later, knowing I'll be staying in this apartment for at least one more year - I find myself doing it again.

It started small, I redid my bed frame, I purchased a new vacuum. Then, last week, Willie Nelson followed me home. Last night I took down my wine glass racks, hung a spice rack, and re-hung the wine glass racks on the other side of the kitchen. Now today, I bought a new plant, a plastic bag organizer, a drawer for the cabinet my pots and pans are in, some storage containers for the bathroom cabinets, and canisters for flour and sugar. My grand plan still has at least two more steps to it, one more financially involved than any so far. But, I am running out of time, summer is quickly coming to an end and I will have to start thinking about school again.

The Off-Season

It's true, I gave up on posting about the KitShickers about one or two games too early. We ended out our season with a 3-2-2 record, and no hopes of making the finals. I've spent my offseason mastering the fine art of physical therapy, which I successfully graduated this week. I was "diagnosed" with IlioPsoas Tendonitis, and have been unable to run since sometime in early June. When I began PT the doc instantly pointed out my flat feet as the original cause, but indicated that my tight quads, IT band, calves, along with a significant decrease in range of motion throughout my hips and knees were keeping me in pain. He prescribed a regimen of stretching, and some combination ice/heat therapies for the iliacus tendon. This week, for the first time since I've been going, the heel from each foot was able to reach my butt - and thus, I was discharged. Only after agreeing to continue stretching for the rest of my life. Along with some new kicks and hot arch supports, I'm ready for action....sometime. Currently I'm only allowed to swim, which I've been doing as often as I can. In a few weeks I'll see the sports med doc again, who will recommend when and how I can get back to running. Since I'm now severely behind on my training.

And it looks like I've healed just in time. The Kitshickers are back, and ready for some fall-ball. We debated a name change, ROD said 'if it ain't broke don't fix it', however DI and LD and some others agreed, 'maybe it IS broke' - but we decided to stick with Kitshickers for one more season.

We've got a plan - there will be a kicking practice, and a catching practice. There will be team knee socks, and at-bat songs. There will be beer, and lots of Rudy's BBQ plastic cups. There will be winning, lots and lots of winning.

Stay tuned!

this is why i'm hot

Just to reiterate to all those of you in New England, when I said it's hot here - it's hot here. Last night I was coming back from feeding a friends cat at 11:30pm, and the thermometer on my car read an accurate 96 degrees.