Well

The guests of honor, my uncle and aunt, give a speech at cake time. The cousins pulled off a complete surprise with over 100 people there!

The weekend was awesome, but tiring. I decided to take today off with flex time and am tempted to take the rest of the week, too, but I can't really. A 3-day week is good enough. It's addictive, being away from the office!


Lois is taking it easy, too, as you can see... I finally have her leaving her paw alone most of the time and that's good - I hope it heals quickly.


Now I'm cleaning my apartment. It's gotten so bad that I probably won't make a dent, but I am really glad to be starting the process, finally. It really helps that it's a beautiful day out, which sorta makes no sense.


I also planted some basil and mint (I couldn't stand not having herbs) and cleaned up the porch today, too.

Oh and the habits: pushups - great, flossing - so-so, and situps - terrible, so I am going to start taking a Tuesday morning pilates class, tomorrow at 8:30. I need strength in my gut to do all this other stuff. I trained 40 minutes yesterday in the boonies of Wisconsin (stayed in a hotel and there were no sidewalks anywhere, just running alongside the state highways) doing this crazy heart zone run where I'd get my heart rate to a certain number and hold it there for 5 minutes, then drop it to another level and hold it, then back up again - 3 times. It sure makes the time go by when you're busy reading your heart rate monitor all the time.



But at one point when I crossed this highway onto a deserted country road, these two possessed redwinged blackbirds started making a racket of noise and kept swooping down, practically divebombing my head as I ran along. I was actually scared! I kept swatting my hands above my head at them and yelled, "Get away!" but the only thing that made them stop was me turning around and running in the other direction. Creepy! Luckily no one was up at 7am on a Sunday to see this whole thing. It must have looked hilarious!

Word of the day

Plus, I need a haircut, see? It's getting shaggy.

I think I'm a little depressed. The dictionary.com word of the day (from the other day, just opened today) nearly made me cry. Maybe since I am feeling that special monthly sensitivity, or maybe because it is truly describing me - here's the definition:

forlorn \fur-LORN; for-\, adjective:

1. Sad and lonely because deserted, abandoned, or lost.
2. Bereft; forsaken.
3. Wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition.
4. Almost hopeless; desperate.

This weekend is a trip to Wisconsin for my aunt and uncle's surprise 70th birthday party. I'm VERY excited to see the whole family, the cousins and all their kids. I love my family, and I am riding along with my aunt Kathy, who is also super great, so that will be fun.

Maybe what's weighing on me about being such a failure in the love department is that I know I'll be asked about it this weekend. And when I answer, I can't smile and pretend that being single is so much fun, or that I don't wish I have a husband and a child of my own...and I certainly can't pretend that my "career" is going so well. Fact is, I do want to meet someone and settle down - I just don't how the heck I'll meet him.

Southpaws

Here's a quick update on my injury progress. I got to swim practice Tuesday night and there was a collective sharp intake of breath when my group saw my leg. It's pretty scary-looking, especially since it's been over a week since I fell. One girl actually kind of exclaimed out loud.


What you can't see in this picture is the bruising that now goes all the way down the outside of the leg and into/around my ankle area. A phone nurse said something about dead blood cells moving downward...which seems really creepy.
Now Lois somehow cut her left paw pad, so she's lame, too! (I bet we look funny walking down the street together.) When she leaves the bandage on (erg) and doesn't lick at it, she's OK walking on it. But she bites at me when I clean it with peroxide, though she seems not to mind neosporin.


Aw, the poor little bunny - but still, look how much damn room she takes up on the bed!
In other news, I was up at 4:18AM today to ride to the lakefront for a 5:00 bike training session. I rode intervals for about an hour, and it was gorgeous to be there with no one around and the sun rising! If I hadn't been so worried about making it on time, I would have taken and used my camera. Plus, since only 2 other women showed, with both coaches, I got my own private coaching session! It was excellent.

Now, at 5:19pm, I'm absolutely exhausted. G'night!

The rest

...of my weekend went like this:

Making lion heads and beaded tails with the 3-year-olds.
Taught last Sunday art classes for 10 weeks (!),

Went to friend S's house for birthday party brunch for sister S. of homemade fried chicken and waffles, which were so good together! (I'd never had it before! Delectable combo.)

Sunspire malt-sweetened chocolate covered almonds from Whole Foods' bulk section - the best! But also really expensive. It's a couple-times-a-year treat.
Hung out with the dog a little (poor thing, she hates my training schedule), then reserved an iGo car and took it downtown for a triathlon seminar about the swim - hoping to try on wetsuits - but got hailed and rained on at Ohio St. beach and didn't get to try on any wetsuits. Then I remembered I have a Macy's gift certificate, and went to shop there (since I was all the way downtown - I need a new running bra) but they closed the store before I made it to the intimate apparel section. I also realized I actually miss Marshall Fields.

Trader Joe's came out with these ones last year - dark chocolate almonds with salt - they are incredible.

Ran into Cubs traffic for the umpteenth time this season, and had to extend my car by another 1/2 hour, which means I spent like $30 for nothing ... erg.

Then, there's the go-to chocolate, and cheapest of them all - but unbelievably good. It's Aldi's giant $1.99 Choceur brand milk chocolate with almonds bar. The best European chocolate for almost free. Yum! I keep one frozen at the ready at all times.
Then Monday was the start of our busy hell week at work, and I am having that special time of the month, so you can imagine why I did the chocolate post today...

Mucha Mucca

Foxy MPer Jeff T. revs up the audience Bugs Bunny style.
There's this somewhat indescribable (they say "circus punk marching band") band I love here in Chicago called Mucca Pazza, who I went to see Thursday night, and they were, as they are always, so much fun!! It was their record release show, at this new-ish venue that is cool looking but fairly badly run (NO air conditioning or fans and it was SWELTERINGLY hot, and they ran out of beer before the band even started).
There's the crazy horn section, sneaking up to the balcony!
I bought a tank top and proceeded to change into it in the back upper left of the crowded show where I was with my friends M & K and their three girls. Then I met my friend S. (whose birthday is today, and who is in town from L.A.) and we danced our sweaty asses off.

Shazzar gets excited about the Muccas.
After the show, it was off to the Whirlaway, a great bar around the corner, with some guys from the band that S. friends with. That was fun, too, but I was exhausted, so I just sat there listening most of the time.

Last night was another family picnic/barbecue. I also did laundry while we ate.

Saturday, I rode downtown at 6:30am and swam in Lake Michigan at Ohio St. beach with my group - our first open-water swim training. It was such a good practice, but very cold, and actually, it was sorta freaky - I tried swimming in my wetsuit for the first time. I'd purchased it from ebay, and it's a diving suit, not a specific triathlon suit, so it's really not made for swimming or, apparently, moving your arms around much at all. I felt like I was dying after just a little bit in the open water. It's the combination of the bitter cold, lack of vision, and no range of motion in my upper body without causing my chest to feel totally constricted and choke-y.

My parents surprised me by showing up at at the midpoint of my 1/2 mile swim with their dog and my dog (who had slept over at their place). How fun to look up from the water onto the breakfront wall and see them!! I have no idea how my mom recognized me - there were at least 30 other wetsuit-google-swimcap-clad freaks out there with me at that point. I could barely tell the men from the women.

Lovely Tour de Fat on a perfect day in lovely Palmer Square. Mucca Pazza played this fest too.
With them, I walked through downtown and ate breakfast, and then I rode home, and then to Palmer Square for the Tour de Fat, this AWESOME AWESOME new (to Chicago) touring festival put on by the New Belgium Brewing Co. (makers of Fat Tire) to benefit the supercool bike place where I took my basic bikes workshop. I was a volunteer selling merch from 12-5 and it was much fun. Mucca Pazza played and are on part of the tour - so it was excellent to see them again, but I didn't dance as much because I was sorta far away from the stage. And trying to sell stuff.

Two of my co-merch sellers in the New Belgium tent.
I met and talked to some very nice guys who were volunteering with me and who were just customers/TdF-goers. I think the bike people are the best people ever. Everyone was friendly and unpretentious. That's one sorta important thing I thought of this weekend - the last two guys I've dated (DG and WX) didn't even own bikes. One had two Porsches (plus a motorcycle he never wore a helmet on) and spent a great deal of his time and money racing and talking about the Porsches, and the other, when I said, excitedly, on one of the first warm days, "Hey, you should get a bike so we can ride to stuff!" said to me completely seriously, "Why would I want a bike when I have a car?" - so, since neither of these guys ended up having the values I hold dear about people and life and the world and how to treat each other, etc., I figured out the common thing missing from them: the bicycle.

Anyway, I also saw my crush at the Tour de Fat - the guy who taught my bike workshop. He's still super cute. But of course, out of nervousness and then later out of tired, 3-beer tipsyness, I awkwardly shouted over to him - yes, twice - "Hey, it's my bike teacher!"

Did I talk with him like a normal person? No. Did I find out if he was single? No. Did I embarrass myself totally? Yes.

Then that night, I was in bed at 9pm. That is all.

Youch

Revoltingly close phone pic of my battered knees. Can you even see kneecaps? I can't.

This is what happens when you fall off your bike just trying to get off of it when you are late to a running practice at the track, and there happen to be 4 cops within 10 feet of you and they ALL try to help you, but you are so hurt and bleeding and embarrassed that you are kind of mean to them and act like a weirdo.

Actually, you're seeing what it looks like 3 days later. That happened Tuesday.

So, yesterday I had to skip my swim workout (due to pool rules: no disgusting open wounds), and the bike workout, too (because the saddle broke off its frame - how does a bike seat break from a no-impact fall?!) and now it's Thursday (4-class teaching day) and I am completely tired, but I'll have to fit in swimming, biking (bought a new saddle), and - I am hoping - some laundry at the laundromat before it closes.


I'm teaching my last art classes of the session and it's sad - some of the kids - some of my favorite kids - are taking the next session off. It's weird how attached I get to seeing the little buggers every week. I even get excited about the stuff they draw in warmup time. Next time I see some of the two-year-olds, they will be a foot taller and talking in complete sentences.


I'm not teaching the Monday painting class this next session, or the Sunday classes (I took Sundays off for 8 weeks so that I can have a weekend in the warm season.) That means two months with a diminished income but more time for exercise... and fun... Right??

Since

...I spent the whole weekend with my Dad and family, I didn't get anything for me done, so I am taking today off for that purpose. I had to go in to work for a few minutes to clean something up, so Lois and I snuck in at 7:30am. Then went to the farmer's market (got some asparagus, herb plants, and 2 more annuals) and now we are lying in bed in the sun whie the nice breeze blows in. It's lovely.

Today on the lakefront I did the bike workout that I missed yesterday (because I was doing the running workout from Sunday) and I need to do laundry and clean, but we'll see. I mainly want to just relax. Tonight is a group running workout, so I have one somewhat social thing to do.

Work's gonna get really busy in the coming weeks, so I am trying to go into that calmly this time...

Crest

A sign in the Iowa town where my parents live, along the Mighty Mississippi.
I'm so sad about the Iowa flooding. Makes me think we really don't know what we're doing - we humans - messing with rivers, trying to create riverfront communities for the past 100+ years by containing the waters with engineering and levees...

It's devastating, of course, for all the people who've lost homes, crops and businesses, but I was so especially sad to see Churlita's post and read about the University of Iowa, a truly lovely riverfront campus where I spent 7 years, and most of that time in the buildings that were the first - and worst - flooded. Apparently, also, a significant amount of art was lost from the art building and museum of art, which is a shame. It's just gonna be a different place after this.


Luckily I just read that the Iowa River, above (shown overtaking the art building I knew and loved), crested tonight, a couple days earlier than expected, which means relief - still delayed but at least forseeable - sooner. I'm also glad that the human toll has been kept to a minimum, and I sure hope it stays that way.

Good luck Iowa!

Missionaries

Ah, delicious, gorgeous, pee-stinker-upper asparagus. I've been really, really enjoying you lately, as much as possible, and I am sad that our time together is almost over until next year.
Oh pals. I am f-ing up on my training schedule by being too dang tired to do stuff. Last night I didn't run (but I did this morning), and tonight I was supposed to bike for 45 minutes but I got home from work at 8 (work's busy right now, plus all the extra teaching hours) to walk Lois for a while and skipped the workout in favor of making dinner and crashing for a couple hours in front of the fan.

I do bike everywhere for work/errands, and tomorrow I'll do a workout for sure (even though it's a day off), but it's just not cool to keep missing stuff on my plan. I'm learning that one of the biggest challenges of the triathlon is adjusting your life to fit in the number of workouts necessary for a 3-sport event.

I got e-letters today from my cousin J's two oldest children, asking for money to sponsor them in a mission trip through their church to work on houses in a very poor Native American town in South Dakota. Here is what I wrote back to them (and cced their mom):

Hi X and Y,

I am so proud of both of you for going on a trip to help people in ---! What a great idea to give of your spirit, your skills, and your time for others. (And I hope it will be fun, too!) I am 100% in support of that kind of work, and I know you two will be wonderful on any project you put your hands and minds to.

Since you asked for my support, I wanted to share with you about my beliefs regarding mission work. I believe that Christ showed those of us who believe in his wisdom a way to serve and a way or route toward being good human beings, but there are other individuals and groups of people who have their own belief systems about God and what route takes us most directly toward being good loving people on and to the earth. For hundreds of years, Christians have worked on converting Native American (and other) people to their beliefs, sometimes while serving the people by helping with other parts of their lives, and sometimes not.

That history and premise of mission work—working to convince others that an outside way of thinking is better than theirs (which happens all around the world and has throughout the ages)—presents a moral dilemma to me. I want to support your trip and your convictions, but while doing so, I also want to respect the beliefs that the people in Mission already have.

So, I'll give each of you $20 toward the trip (sorry I can't afford to give more!), but I hope that you will understand that it's because I believe in YOU, not because I believe in the idea of religion-based mission work.

Thanks for asking, and I can't wait to see you very very soon!

Much love,
Cousin Poptart

Foiled

We made pears in my Monday art classes.
Well, I got outta work yesterday to find my bike with a flat front tire (bummer!) so I walked it home, took Lois for a quick walk, and had to get on the other bike to get to the tri group swimming workout, about 2 miles away. THEN, I got there late, and went to change in the locker room only to find that I had left my swimsuits, both of them, at home!! Crap. So I watched the workout and took notes, and then today at lunchtime, I did a 45-minute workout of the same drills. That's fine, but since I took Monday off because I was so tired from teaching 5 classes and working and staying out too late Sunday, I am now behind by like 3 workouts.

Tonight I'll have to run *and* do a strength training drill. But what I really wanna do is laundry, and sleep. We'll see what actually happens.

Early summer rain

Some of the ladies in my triathlon group in between timed drills
Summer's officially here because there is way too much to do each weekend and no time to do it. I even overslept Monday, which caused minor havoc with the 9am class I substitute taught at the far-away location. Friday night I went to the First Friday event at work for a bit, then home for an early evening. Saturday, I had tri practice at 7am where we did some running and time testing with our heart rate monitors. It was fun! Then walked around with Lois, went thrift shopping and swimming at another pool and came out to find this little feller in my bike helmet (glad I looked before putting it on!):


Then the downpours started, and of course I had to ride through them, getting soaked down to my undies. It was like that off and on all afternoon, but didn't totally disrupt Ribfest, my neighborhood's street fest.


The Silos played at Ribfest - my friend S is friends with the main Silo, Walter, and I've seen them a number of times - so I walked the one block over for that. Well worth it.
This guy with the cup on his head danced around for like a whole song, then his friend did pushups ... I love that shit. The Silos are in the background, trying to keep their dignity.
B and S watching the Silos

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir on the South Stage, Sunday.
The next day, after teaching and waiting through another downpour, I went back over to Ribfest to see The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, my new(ish) favorite band. Their set was GREAT, and the only letdown was the absence of the cup-headed dancer.

That night I went to see the Ms record release show, and that was fun (but of course a flash flood occurred at 1am on my ride home!). When I was leaving the bar, there were some out-of-towners standing/smoking outside, and they kept commenting about me riding my bike instead of driving, at night - they were very interested in my flashing light, etc. As I was riding away and I heard one of the women say, "See, they ride their bikes, even with a dress on - and at night, here!"

(Where were these people visiting from??)

On the beach there's nothing better

My newest find, Sali-Kritz, is something I just tried for the first time, and I curse myself for not ordering more than one bag. Medium-to-strong salt licorice in a fruity hard candy shell...incredible!
Since I'm gonna need to be seeing less and less of it in the coming weeks, I wanted to dedicate an entire post to the thing I love the most in the world (well, besides my dog): CANDY.

You heard me. I. love. candy.

I inherited a prize-winning sweet tooth from both parents - my brother did, too. My mom (who raised us) tried to stop us from catching it by banning ALL candy, cookies, ice cream, sugared pop, kool-aid-y drinks, cereals, little debbie snack cakes, etc... anything with sugar.

The backfired result of this approach is that my brother and I are each about 25 lbs overweight, even though we're both pretty active - and this is entirely because of our food choices. Basically, either of us'll practically do tricks for candy.


One candy type has been in my top 10 list since 1989, when I went to Europe and spent some time in England, is Rowntree's Pastilles. They are incredible, and luckily have been available, off and on, at the larger Jewel supermarkets here in Chicago. As imports, they're $4 a ~5 oz. box, but it's worth it. The potent and untypical fruit flavors are so good...

My licorice habit began in childhood, too, with my Mom's secret love of Necco wafers (the black ones are licorice) and Good and Plenty. As an adult, I discovered various licorices, including Scandinavian licorice when I moved to Chicago's Swedish neighborhood (the little cats, pipes and coin-shaped ones I could get from the specialty shops) but one day, I grabbed the wrong Finnish Halva brand licorice (the packages for their original sweet licorice versus the salty-strong, or Salmiak, licorice are the same design but different colors), and it was all over; I had discovered salt licorice, and I love the stuff!

Yummy Halva Salmiak Licorice

When I started working in (and eventually moved to) Chicago's "German" neighborhood, Lincoln Square, whole new arrays of delicious candy awaited me at a local deli, the meatshop, etc. (and even the apothecary, because among the natural remedies, they carry the Halva licorice!).
Not the MEGA Roulette size, just normal-sized. Mmmm...perfect!
Now, I've always loved Haribo's classic Gold Gummi Bears - they are amazing, and should probably have their own spot in this post, because lord knows I've eaten about 1 million of the little guys - but they've been eclipsed. At some point in my life, maybe while travelling, or maybe just at a Cost Plus World Market on a whim, I discovered that the same amazing Haribo gummi flavors come in the perfect mouthfeel and taste-amount disc shape of Haribo Roulettes! (FYI: Green is my favorite flavor, with the clear/white a close second.)


I give full credit to the WX regarding these ones: Salzige Heringe are fish-shaped, sugar-coated semi-hardened salt licorice imported from Germany. They are so delicious. After he introduced me to my new fishy friends, I quickly found them at Germandeli.com (which I love, and now order nearly all candy items from - yes, gd.com is my drug dealer). I no loger see the WX but I can honestly say that this particular candy is way up on the plus side of his rap sheet.


Another WX intro (he was/is actually German, after all) was to schnecken - or Haribo Rotella - great licorice flavor (not too sweet with a strong licorice kick) in a fun-to-eat shape. With these, I learned the hard way that I do prefer the imported ones from Germany, not the schnecken made for the US market. I ordered a 5-lb. bag, and they're just not as good. (Must be a slightly different recipe?) Just remember, if you are buying, go for the tub, not the bag!

I've come to the end, and I didn't even mention chocolate! It'll have to wait. Part 2. Now I have to take a go-go dance class, then floss, do situps, and do my pushups. Maybe I'll even talk to a new guy, too...about licorice.

Happy Friday!

Body Slam

Some lovely blue flowers captured on the camera phone this morning - do you know what they're called? If so, please comment (thanks)!
So, I'm sorta on this training kick, right? Although I wouldn't say it's in full swing, I've certainly stepped up my activity. And even though I've missed doing my regular lunchtime swims (5 days til the pool opens!), I have added running and biking everywhere, for longer and longer periods. And yes, we did our heart rate testing on Tuesday and I know I have a lot to work on, runningwise. Still. This is ridiculous.

Lois on our morning walk by the river today.
Tonight I got on the scale for the first time in a few months, figuring that I would be about the same or maybe even a little lighter than the weight I've been hovering around this past year, and lo and behold, I am 15 pounds heavier. FIFTEEN! It's scary! I knew I was having trouble losing my gut, and I knew that my legs appeared more saddlebag-y than last summer, but JEEZ, I had no idea. I mean, I am fitting into my jeans.

Some other flowers I want to learn the name of, with Lois in the background.
I know you're gonna bring up the muscle vs. fat crap but this is ridiculous. I am tempted to find some crazy quick-loss drastic measures to get to a normal weight. But instead, I am gonna cut back on the candy intake (the licorice/haribo thing...I need a 12-step program) and watch when I eat, and I guess just keep trying to run a lot more.

I did skip a workout this week (swapping for tomorrow, my off day), and the strength training sheet is a little hard to follow... But I'm committed and I know I can do it. I just wish my body would cooperate! I want to at least look semi-athletic when I run around publicly in head-to-toe spandex and neoprene!

JOY!

Our next president. Can't wait!

Juni

A 7-year-old student's clay painting, from my "Painter's Studio" class on Mondays.

Happy June! It's very exciting and a little bittersweet that the outdoor, good-weather season is finally, actually here. I've been waiting desperately for it, but I know it'll go so quickly.

Here is a bird-in-the-bush update picture. (Morbid, I know. Sorry!)

This was my last weekend of real freedom before tri training takes over my life. I've agreed to sub for a bunch of other art teachers in the next couple of weeks, as well, so my schedule is totally packed - but it's all in the name of cold, hard cash... and fitness. I figure the extra 11 classes that will ravage my life for the next 14 days will contribute a nice chunk, after taxes, toward paying back my triathlon-inflated credit card debt.

I laid low this weekend, spending 24 hours with my mom and stepfather starting Friday - we went shopping for food and brought dinner over to my brother and sister-in-law's place for a late mother's day/very late birthday for my brother (see above, with strawberry shortcake).

Then I slept over at my parents' condo with Lois (and missed the last 8am Saturday run I'll be able to do til after 8/24), but it was nice to spend the time with them, and we had a great Saturday of browsing the farmer's market, walking around downtown, and a lovely lunch at an outdoor place.

Saturday I emceed a FANTASTIC tap show at work - I introduced each of the 25 or so acts, some of whom were mindblowing tappers. It was joyous! Rarely do I feel that about my job, but this past week, I really felt lucky to be around and be a part of such great arts endeavors.

Here are hula dancers on the same stage from last week's "Voyage the Pacific" show. Excellent!

Sunday I taught my art classes, took a little nap, and then walked over to May Fest, the drinking event in my neighborhood that kicks the summer season off with great German food, bad German leiderhosen-wearing bands, and lots and lots of German beer in large plastic steins. Of course, it was totally packed. (With cute drunk guys, actually.) I just got a bratwurst dinner to go, and once again Lois astounded me with her love for sauerkraut. I swear she likes it more than she likes meat. It's insane.

Habitwatch:
#1 - 1 at tap fest, that's it. Getting bad at this.
#2,3, and 4 - missed 2 days! Crap!