It's been busy. *Updated with pics!*

Chuck D and Flava Flav, a bit blurry but totally sensational and always in motion, performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back from end to end, plus many of their other hits at Pitchfork. A blast.
1) Last week was rough - I really wasn't sleeping at all still, so I wasn't doing my triathlon training, and it was super hot at night, so I wasn't sleeping, and then it was raining in the times when I could have done training, so I hated myself, so I wasn't sleeping...etc.

The dance tent is pure joy in one space for 2 days. I can't tell you how amazingly fun it is to see so many people dancing...
2) Last weekend was the festival. It was great, as always, though interpersonal stuff can sometimes get in the way when you've worked on something for so long with the same person. As I've done for - is it 4 years?, I ran a jam-packed dance tent, sort of the second stage of the fest, and helped out backstage and emceed. Check out the flickr group for all the amazing pictures from lots of people - I'll put mine up soon, too. It's SUCH a fun festival. I realized I've been doing it for 10 years! Wow. I was up til 1am Sunday night closing down backstage (the diehards/drinkers were there til 4) and then back up and out at 6am Monday to check the field and return things to the school. I worked til 11am.
Awesome Aztec dancers prepping for their ceremony in the dance tent.
3) Then, the afternoon bbq/party for the fest was Monday. I cycled out to the pool and decided to stay more than an hour, so I had to ditch week two (outta 6! crap) of my awesome bike class. But it was OK. I came home and changed and then went out again to a free show of three friends' bands (missed the first one) and it was really great music and for the most part great people/many friends at the venue. I'm so glad I went out again, even though by the end of the night I was really running on empty!

The pool, with no kids allowed this one day, was a peaceful respite on Monday after the fest.
4) But then I had to teach (subbing) for the next three mornings, and that was pain-full. I still wasn't sleeping well and was exhausted, with the slurred speech, slow movements and blank expression to prove it. I am amazed all the parents in the earliest classes liked me so much - inside, I was a wreck! Autopilot must have kicked in.

Jack, who's 3, made this awesome drawing on Thursday. He said "it's a tiger with a crazy tail and one REALLY long claw," which started the best conversation amongst the other 3-year olds I've ever heard. I'll post it soon.
5) I interviewed for a new job at my organization on Wednesday afternoon. It's a teensy bit of a step up in title, a bit of just a change. I had to ride my bike straight from our other location to the main location after teaching art, change into interview clothes, and get mentally prepared in about 30 minutes. It went OK. I am sure I'll find out Monday. I have no expectations.

6) That night I almost died of exhaustion, but S. came to the rescue because her friend R was coming over to give massages to S and BA, and they asked if I wanted one. HELL YES. I missed the show I was supposed to go to that night, a work thing, but it was worth it. My body was so wound up from the past few weeks and the past months of training, that the massage literally gave me new life. I fell asleep in full clothing when I got home.

Eric from Sebadoh rockin the mic. Jason and Lou rockin behind him. I was behind the camera in a state of bliss.
7) Last night was day 1 of Pitchfork, a usually awesome indie music fest that I've attended whenever I can, and I had 3-day tickets this year too, but I decided to sell them and go only for one night. It was a great decision. I saw one of my favorite bands ever from the early 90s (a theme, I know), Sebadoh, and then Public Enemy. Plus I hung with friends at their booth in the sale area. The rest of the bands this weekend weren't super exciting for me so I am glad I opted to have some me time instead.

8) This morning I rode through the POURING rain - all the way downtown - to meet my training group at a specialty "multisport" (triathlon) store. We had a workshop on bike maintenance (another theme, yes?) for the triathlon (what to do if you get a flat in the race, etc.) and then I bought $100 more worth of equipment (bike computer, fenders, CO2 flat fix thingies, a holster thing...) at our group 20% discount. We were supposed to do an open-water swim also, but the weather sucks (thunderstorms off and on) and I just don't want to today - that would mean another bike ride downtown.

9) I finally got rid of the car today. I was going to have it towed to S's garage for one month while I tried to sell it for junk and/or sue the woman who hit me, but after paying tickets, and insurance, and other b.s. this whole time, I caved when the tow truck driver offered to buy it for $100 cash, without the title. He towed it away and honestly, even though I've lost so much money in the whole thing, I am instantly happier.

I got all verklempt when I realized what I had just done and ran to get my camera for this last picture. There in the distance on the right goes the first and only car I've ever owned - north up Lincoln Ave. on the back of a red towtruck to her final resting place... Thanks for 10-1/2 years!
10) Tomorrow is the women's 5K race I signed up for. I haven't run at all recently but I am gonna try it. If nothing else, it's a gorgeous bike ride to the lakefront and it's early enough (7:30am) to be a great start to my day that doesn't take over the whole day. I'm excited! I wish Lois could run with me. The shirt for the race is cool. I am laying out the stuff for the morning now.

Core

Ugh. I have very little abdomen strength. I realized last night, as I struggled with even 5 situps, that it's been wayyyyyyyy too long since I worked on my abs and it's high time I did. Whenever I've been doing pilates in the past 8 years or so, even just once a week, it helped everything. I need to get back to that. Until I do, I'm gonna do a crunch or three and some situp-ish things every night before I go to bed.
I talked to one new male at the run this morning, but since M met him first and introduced us, he says it only counts as half. Whatever. I ran 40 minutes and swam 40 minutes today. Flossed, did my pushups.

Oh, and I got into another car accident - I was moving my car (like, a few spaces, just so no one could claim it's abandoned) and this woman came barrelling down my street and right into the side of my car, the front and rear passenger-side doors. I might as well set the damn thing on fire, it's so ugly, beaten up, and such a pain in my ass. I swear, the car has a curse on it.

(Hey, did anyone else notice that both bad guys in Ironman were bald? What's up with that??)

In other news, M being single at the same time as me is fun. We went to Ironman tonight, and it was pretty good! Stay til the very very end, esp. if you are a comics fan type.

So much, so little

Yea, things are better! Thanks for your good thoughts. I'm posting from my laptop in bed, which means the wireless router decided to work, and my car is safely parked outside on the street, which means I won my hearing downtown last Wednesday and got it out of hock for free at the pound, but had to drive its undriveable ass (literally; the rear suspension is broken) like 6 miles thru the city yesterday—very funny. I had my hazards on.

Here is my car in the pound. Can you see the miles and miles of cars? It's crazy there, like a Mad Max movie.

This is a view driving back to the gate through my windshield. apparently photographs aren't allowed in the pound, so I was sneaky.

On Friday I rented a car (instead of paying rent - seriously!) and drove up to my camp in Michigan, where I spent parts of every summer of my youth from age 7 on, for a "work weekend" in which a bunch of folks who love the place volunteer for schlepping, hauling, cleaning, painting - whatever is needed to set up the camp for the summer. The weekend also happens in the fall, to prep the camp for the closed season. It was wonderful, and good to do manual labor outdoors, as usual.

Here's the scene at meals in the dining hall. R, the camp caretaker (standing up) gives assignments - and makes jokes.


I worked with a great crew and we did a lot of hauling heavy stuff, but our most fun task was moving the waterski area's gas tank - about 50 feet. We had to use a tractor and big chains and do a lot of hoping that it wouldn't fall on anyone.

Lois had a great time, too. Here she is on the wrong bed in our cabin...


And here she is rolling in something totally stinky. I gave her a bath as soon as we got home.