Draggin'

Tired, tired tired. I am gonna stop complaining about it but jeez - it's like I can't get enough sleep even now that I am sleeping great again.

We ran more hill repeats at Cricket Hill last night - my heart rate is recovering much better, but it still goes WAY up when I run. I could add more runs to my schedule, but just fitting in the other stuff is hard enough. Plus, I am feeling like being at least a little more social.

Today is a day off from work, which I'd planned to spend with Peter, but then I got a call for a job interview with the Park District, and I HAVE to go to that! It will be interesting. First, a bike workout, then rush home change and prep, and then interview downtown, and then meet Peter. No Great America, but that's the breaks.

Crossing my fingers on this one. Still haven't heard about the job at work, either, so we'll see!

Braindead - fine.

I tried to post a short video I shot of the band playing Brain Dead, one of my favorite songs of all time, but the file was too big. Here's a picture instead. (Thanks P!)
I actually went out last night! I saw a "reunion" show by a band I used to love a lot called Red Red Meat - two of the members are now in Califone, a band I also love. It was a FABULOUS show, a prep for their performance this weekend at the Sub Pop 20-year anniversary fest in Seattle. That would be great to go to...

Many friends were there, and it was great to see them all. It was my friend BA's birthday and she was in good form, and I met and talked to a new cute guy, but I forgot to say goodbye to him - oh well. I was good; I drank water all night! The weird part is that circa 1993, when I first heard the music they were playing, I didn't know any of the people that would have been in that room, or the band — but now I knew like 1/3 of the audience and 3/4ths of the band, which is...weird. It really took me on a head trip, because it's music from the heart of my anonymous and hopeful Iowa City-livin' indie-music-lovin' young self, not the jaded, old girl, still-single Chicago music scene diehard I've become.

Plus, WX was there (because he turns up at random things that you can't predict given his musical taste) and he was with a new gf, and that was, um, interesting information. As a friend remarked to me, somewhat surprised, when they saw the woman: "Wow - WX is a chubby chaser!"

And I guess it could be true. I don't know how I feel about that - being a part of that/any pattern. I'd never consider myself in that group, but this proves, after seeing the last few women he's been with, and ex pictures, I guess I'm one too. Yuck!!

My theory: probably that he feels most comfortable with women with low self-esteem (and thus weight issues) who won't go too far into finding/feeling they deserve someone of emotional substance — for awhile. And who don't notice how socially/self unaware he is. (Me included, before I broke up with him.) But damn. Quite a creepy revelation.

At least I can say that I'm better looking than his recent ladies. One guy friend said this poor new girl looks like a man (and it's somewhat true, actually)! See, my friends never liked WX so much, which is unfortunate, because I really liked him for a while there... but who am I to argue now?

ANyway, back to me: All that going out, being social, and then coming home at 1 and walking Lois and lying in bed thinking of everything I have to do for the festival this wknd kept me up til 4. 4!! And, I was up at 8 today. Yikes. When will I catch up on all of this? Plus, I'm behind by one big bike/run workout from Wednesday and I'm not sure when I can make it up since I am supposed to do another one today, the group workout Saturday and another long bike Sunday. I MISS JUST SWIMMING!!

All right

I need to be at work prepping for the 4 classes I teach back-to-back tomorrow in less than 5 hours, and I'm lying here absolutely not able to sleep. It's hot, I'm exhausted, and I have tried everything to get tired enough to sleep. EVERYthing, believe me.

So tired was I today, that I even decided not to do my brick workout and I cancelled seeing good friend D. from the Iowa City days and her daughter, in town from Wisconsin, because I am so pooped. I also did things like go to the store at 10pm and make a chocolate cakey thing and eat some of it (usually sugar puts me right out) and watched a movie (Antares, an interesting 2004 Austrian film of the intertwined stories variety - love those - that makes everyone in relationships look bad) and took Lois for a long, long walk. I did my nails, flossed, did my face stuff that I should do every night but usually don't, and even changed my sheets.

What is going on? I think I need to buy a third fan, for the window itself, though that means it'll blow right on me as I sleep, and block Lois's view. And I'd have to wear clothes to bed, then, because the curtains would be open...

That's it, I have to buy a damn fan tomorrow. Along with doing the million things I didn't do today. Totally f-ed.

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.

Movies in my head

I finally watched Schultze Gets the Blues and it was so, so great. Highly recommended - quirky, and sad and true and lovely and just hilarious. A great flick. I want the soundtrack now, too.

DG reccommended it, a while ago, and I added it to my Netflix queue, and it was one of those - has this ever happened to you? - when you've seen and liked every single one of the movies in the previews they attach, so you know you'll love the film itself? Well, I LOVED it. Reminded me at times of the humor and pace of Bagdad Cafe (maybe a German sensibility thing?), but with just a wonderfully unique grasp of cinematography, scoring, simplicity and everyday pictures - life's (fleeting) moments. Watch it.

I also finished crocheting around a square for the afghan. And taught two classes. And slept the rest of the day. I'm still completely sick and I am pretty sure it's pneumonia.