The weekend before the weekend before last

(it's taken me this long to post it because I hadn't downloaded my pictures...Sorry!)

Birds at the nature museum where I went for friends A & S's super-fun wedding.

That Friday morning: Lois discovered a dead squirrel at the foot of one of the backyard trees, and then I went to the dental specialists, and was seen and talked over by both the endodontist and the periodontist (and three of their helpers), and the conclusion is that it's time for me to have my troubled tooth (the one that hurt so bad the last time I blogged) pulled, and have an implant put in, and possibly I'll have to have that happen to the tooth next to it soon as well. This was a big, HUGE bummer. A 3-to-5-thousand-dollar-out-of-pocket-per-tooth bummer. Seriously. I have no idea how I will swing this. No idea. I don't even have that much freed credit on cards. I wanted to go back to school, but that's up in smoke. I am really freaked out.

This is what the center office of a German American membership organization office looks like just before Oktoberfest (note giant stein).
Then, a few hours and much lost will to live later, I rode my bike to my Friday volunteer gig - where I am trying to organize the files of a German-American membership organization, the one that houses my German language school. It's sort of hilarious - a) ME organizing files (but I sorta get into it) and b) the state of these files - yikes. I really like the people there and the place is calm/quiet and interesting. I feel like I am really helping and it's a good thing for me, too, as this project is my partial scholarship towards taking German.

Amazing set by Giant Sand with perfect weather and crowd.

I then interviewed some pilates teachers for the real job (yes, on my day off - erg) and then rushed home to do some laundry. It was actually a great thing to do on a Friday night - as Saturday and Sunday were filled to the brim with working and the Hideout Block Party, which was awesome. It's a two-day music fest that I've ben volunteering for for like 11 years, from pouring beer to selling tickets to chaeking ids, it's such a fun festival to be a part of and the Hideout people - owners and staff - are the best. I registered voters on Saturday, and worked backstage on Sunday, and ate REALLY delicious organically grown vegan food from one of the vendors called Urb Garden - from Iowa City, Churlita! - and saw a really great set by Giant Sand, and took myself and my friend J on a tour of the City of Chicago's Fleet Management Department - basically 3 city blocks of enclosed warehouses for the city's thousands of vehicles. It was awesome. And that was all before Neko's set!

J in the Fleet Management center. We just asked, and they let us walk around unsupervised! Don't try this at home...

On my dog walking break I went and got a pedicure at a new place to me, recommended by a work friend who knew I owed myself this treat post-triathlon, and it was the best EVER. They give you tea, they use salt scrub on your legs, give you good foot, leg and shoulder massages at varying points, pour hot milk on your freshly scrubbed skin, use hot towels at least twice, and are super nice. It wasn't even expensive. I am definitely going to go there from now on for my 2x a year pamper treat...

Fellow voter registrars S & E in the goofy red shirts we wore.

I also grabbed the crappy child bike trailer from my back yard that's been sitting there for 2 years since I tried riding with Lois in it and she got out. I attached it to my bike and pedaled back to the Block Party, where Working Bikes was set up to take donations, and I hope someone there will make good use of the thing - maybe make it into a cargo trailer. I love the bike people, as you may know. But mainly it was fun to get rid of the thing, since I recently bought a super expensive fancy new dog trailer.

Zombies assembled backstage getting ready for their Thriller dance as part of an AMAZING Michael Jackson tribute show that was the musical highlight of the Block Party.

When I think of all the things I would like to do with my time, it's overwhelming. I've been realizing lately that being poor is a real time game - you're not only broke with regard to money, but time is just not available to you like it is to others. I think I'll dedicate a whole post to this...money stuff is making me think a lot about life and priorities. I know I am handicapped in that arena and I wonder just how much it is affecting things like my ability to meet guys...

So, yeah, the block party was great this year. Super great. I had a blast and sort of just felt right at home, which is fun, esp. when I haven't been out almost all summer because of that triathlon phase. I even got up on stage each night and encouraged more voter registrations, so that was fun. Now if I could only meet some of the hot hipster guys I saw there...

The Call of the Wild

This is a guy in the German parade on my street two weekends ago. I have no idea what he was supposed to be.
I don't know who all reads this, so if you're under 18 (mentally or chronologically) you might not want to read any further. Wait like four days and maybe I'll have posted something more annoyingly mundane, as is usual.

Right now I am sitting on my couch ignoring my bored dog and counting time. My dog somehow found (this is gross, I warned you!!!) a used condom behind? attached to? under? my bed when I was moving stuff around, and I was thinking about the ridiculous length of time that thing has probably been there, and how the newest it could possibly be is like nine months old. (And yes, I do clean once in a while.) And that realization bummed me out.

Then I started counting the time it's been between now and my last meeting with MBC (Mr. Booty Call) and how many days until gets back into town (four). And that's interesting. Because I don't really like MBC. I don't miss him, per se, but I do want to be sure I clear the calendar for one evening next week. (Is that bad?) Honestly, I don't even know if I think MBC is cute. But, um - he gets the job done.

The guy was with this group in the parade. Again, I have no idea what they were trying to be. German fighters in the Revolutionary War? Oh, and in general, the parade was GREAT!

So here's the thing: I got into this arrangement with MBC for two reasons: 1) all the working out from the triathlon or maybe the summer heat or maybe the time since my last regular partner made me incredibly horny - and yet with training and the job from hell I didn't have time to cultivate anything real, and 2) though I am in truth looking for something real and long-term and romantic, my damn libido has, in the recent past (ahem, WX) allowed me to make intellectually and emotionally irrational and idiotic choices with regard to companions, and I thought that taking the damn libido out of the picture would stem that tide and allow me to more freely look for a better match, an actual friend first, a social/psychological/intellectual equal, who shows good judgment and, of course, excellent regard for me - without sleeping with him.

Good theory, right?

Well, the MBC situation has had its good points. I mean, a) it's fun. b) we've only met a handful of times, so it's still exciting, and never in my home, which is sorta of mysterious and discreet, like a little vacation (thus you can understand the extra shock when Lois brought me her lovely treasure this evening - it's definitely an oldie), and c) he lives closeby, and d) he is a good kisser (and is into that even without the romance that kissing usually connotes).


From Labor Day in Illinois near the Iowa town where my parents live, along the Mississippi River. It's still flooded all throughout that area - totally wiped out all crops and much livestock and so many homes. I wonder what last weekend's rain did? This pic is about five miles from the river, too. Yikes.

The bad thing is: I'm fundamentally lazy. Though he is "up for it" (ha ha) more often than I think I am, and it's still not that often, yet - in all reality - it's just enough to make me, well - give up on anything else. Maybe I haven't given it enough time. And it's true that I haven't been out much since mid-August - to meet anyone else - but really, I don't even look at guys the same way. I just don't care...I have my cake. I might not eat it too, but I do have it. You know?

Tonight just for fun I did my thing of talking to a stranger guy and instead of being challenging it was just - lame. It was easy and I wasn't nervous/excited at all. He told me where he got this thingie on his bike, and he was even cute! - but I just - I dunno. I think this MBC thing is not exactly making me enthusiastic about meeting men. If anything it's taking the edge off - but not necessarily in a good way.

You know?

Thoughts?

P.S. to Von - it's a rehash without the Spaten - forgive me!

Ugh.

Sunrise at the triathlon. I am still posting these pictures. People were really nice, and everyone was sort of milling about and checking out the course. Instead of taking pictures, I should have been in line for the portapotties... but that comes later.

Things aren't great at poptart HQ - I'm up with the toothache that I've been dealing with since last Thursday, I haven't done laundry in at least 3 weeks, my house is a mess, and work just plain sucks right now (too much to do and no time to do it, and bosses and coworkers that make my life miserable. Did I mention I make very little money, too, and have terrible benefits?)


Same scene on my walk back along the swim route, just a few minutes later. So many people (8,500 athletes - the largest triathlon in the world!). Isn't Chicago gorgeous backdrop?

So this is where I am. I've also been feeling really weird in my body lately - not just the terrible toothache (which is one of those sinus/upper molar face-ache toothaches) but my fitness/weight stuff, too. I am continuing to be as active as possible with Pilates, dance class, running, and swimming - plus the usual biking everywhere, but I'm sluggish and heavy. The rain, which lasted for four days straight at the end of last week, didn't help that either.


I have never ever been so nervous in a bathroom line before in my life. This picture was taken about 15 minutes before my wave was set to start the triathlon, about a 1/4 mile away, and I had been stuck in this line for more than 30 minutes!! The bozos who put on the event definitely need to get more portapotties next year... people were panicking. I barely made it to my the swim start (but I did make it, phew.)!

So this damn toothache - it was so bad that I stayed in bed all day Friday (my new day off, I work Sun-Thurs now, most weeks) and Saturday, only getting out to go to an awesome wedding Friday night and an intense 'Pilates for Runners' workshop Sat. I was living on Tylenol sinus six times a day plus a cold pack on my cheek - and crying when, at 3-1/2 hours, my last dose of the painkiller would wear off and I'd have to wait 30 minutes to take the next two caplets. And believe me, I am not at all a pill-taker - this was just extreme.


This is from a special midnight behind-the-scenes tour last month of the Music Box Theatre, one of Chicago's oldest, coolest movie houses. D, center, is a projectionist and our host, and thanks to him we had a private viewing of the last Twin Peaks episode and some really creepy David Lynch animation shorts, plus everyone (there were 8 people) brought food. Fun!

The four glasses of wine at the wedding Friday didn't really help the tooth as much as they should've, either, but they did help me make a not-very-well-thought-out booty call attempt... because I was already in pjs tucked in with the dog and I cancelled when he texted me. The next day when it was his turn to initiate, I called him and fessed up about the toothache (sexy!) and that I just wasn't feeling up to a rendezvous. Anywho, my dentist who finally could see me MONDAY, said it was more serious than she could deal with, so I had to be referred to a specialist, and I have an appointment with him this Friday morning. The pain has subsided, but right now, at 2:38am, I am waiting for the tylenol to kick in so I can go to bed. I'm also mentally bracing myself for like 3,000 in dental bills and a whole lot of pain soon, so that, too, is getting me a litte down.


I went to a "movie night" at the place where I take German. I was one of two people there. So much for meeting people! But the film was cute, so it wasn't a total waste. This is a bad phone pic because I felt that it captured the awkwardness of the evening...
What else? Well, my Wednesday night beginning German class started and I love it so far - though I still haven't finished my homework for tomorrow night - oops! Also haven't been able to quite get the R sound yet - but I'm sure it'll come with practice.

**sidenote: as I write this, my dog is barking in her sleep these adorable muffled little barks that are bouncing her whole sleepy dog body - it's really cute.***

OK, so that's my world right now. Bad work, bad mouth, cute dog, too much to do. I'll post something more exciting soon. PROMISE!

I think I'm in love

(even though I have a massive toothache that is keeping me literally in bed today until I have to go to a wedding) with this fella, Ari Melber:

Season change

Friend S with excellent Chicago-based photographer M, hiding behind sign at Obama speech party.

Does anyone still check this little blog anymore? Maybe I've filtered out some of you anonymous readers who never comment (AHEM!) by being so lax on the posting. I promise to get better. Maybe someday I will even get regular about it...

Lois running like a bat outta hell in my parents' sloping backyard. She loves it there!

I've been working - as soon as the tri was over it was back to work after taking those 4 days off, and then to Iowa for my mom's 60th birthday party, and then back to work for the (evil) busiest week of the fall. I have six of these busiest weeks a year, and they are not so pretty. Lots of phone calling which disrupts my normal web surfing and emailing. No, really, just lots of long hours, fires to put out and people to disappoint inadvertently. But: I do look forward to autumn, my favorite season, and have been responding strongly to the cooler weather!

Fog rolling onto the Mississippi early last Saturday morning - the breathtaking view from my parents' place.

I've already baked brownies twice, baked a cake (not impressed by the trader joe's vanilla cake mix, by the way), ordered take-out Chinese food for the first time in months, bought a duvet cover, rummaged for my knitting, and started actually reading a non-triathlon book, Middlesex (finally, I know). It's fun to be in hibernation mode again. And have a little more time to indulge the settling in thing.

Bike ride with stepfather (in crazy yellow bike wear) down to the south end of the path on the day of the Air & Water show in Chicago - the firetrucks (and hot firemen) hang out all along the lakefront and watch for trouble.

Since the triathlon's over, I have to do two things: 1-clean, and 2-get myself into some sort of self-directed exercise regimen. Taking the 13 days off since the event was NOT good - I feel giant, sluggish, and sore. I attempted to find time to run in Iowa over labor day wknd, but every time I had my running stuff on, some table needed wiping down or setting or an errand needed to be run. It was hard (but fun!) being one of the four people at the house who knew about the surprise and the 30+ other people secretly in town waiting to ambush my mom and her twin.

That's my aunt K totally surprised (looks fake but the tears are about to burst out) at her 60th birthday party. Big props to my stepfather who engineered the whole weekend.

Other things about the weekend were that I got to see a lot of the great kids in my family, who I love, and - I got in a huge fight (well, one of those nonspeaking things that may last forever) with my brother, who said that I should "put Lois to sleep," totally seriously, with great conviction and bilious anger. She was barking and harmlessly nipped at my cousin's boys who were getting on her nerves. My brother had been a dick to me all weekend, but that was the final straw, and I asked my aunt to take me and pooch home instead of riding in his car as I had on the way down. Sad part is that he and his wife are expecting twins this winter, and honestly, his issues with anger toward my innocent DOG do *not* bode well for fatherhood. Plus, they just lost their best babysitter!

My jerk brother (doesn't he just *look* jerky?) with my awesome second cousin. Note shirt.

SO, anyway, I ran this morning with the Saturday 8am running group from the running store - a super-slow 3 miles with Lois. It was good to get back on the horse, but I do suck. I also had a massage last night at the physical therapy place - that was the present to myself I'd been looking forward to after finishing the triathlon. It was great. I also took my very favorite dance class on Tuesday—West African Dance—for the first time in over a year, and that was awesome. I hope to add pilates to this mix and keep up the running as long as I can into the fall, then switch back to all swimming as it gets cold. I want to get faster and more comfortable with running for longer distances if I'm gonna do the international distance next year. Then, I'll have to look for a gym again, because I recently read that the drug I take for my thyroid can cause bone density loss, and weight training (something I've successfully avoided doing for 38 years) is the #1 thing I can do to combat it.

Perfect day for a family brunch/gathering in a small town overlooking the river...really perfect.

I'm boring. I know. I have so so so many more pictures to post but it's not so easy for me with my short attention span, so these will have to do.