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!

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...

Been gone so long

This is my friend and colleague C's backyard pool in the suburb of Glenview, where she and her husband allow all of their riff-raff friends to congregate, lay about, swim and grill food every Sunday in summertime. Yesterday was the second time (and last) I've made it out there this year, and it was perfect. My friend R and I rode our bikes all the way out - a 2-1/2 hour roundtrip ride on the forest preserve trail, complete with deer sightings and bug bites. Ah, summer.

It's so hard to blog from work, and as you kids must know by now, I don't have a computer. I am actually busy much of the time at work, plus, I realize I've been spending my wasted work time in the past coupla months emailing my friend M, and since he hasn't emailed today, I am taking the free time to post here, quickly.

I'm doing OK. I'm trying to come to terms with some stuff. I want to meet someone and that's not happening, and am having a bit of money worries - not pressing but definitely lurking, and I just need to make some decisions.

Fall is a portentious time of year for me. It's even more of a "New Year" time than January is, and that means mixed feelings.

The good news is that I'm swimming every day (well, a min. of 5 days a week). I'm doing other stuff - the gym, running every once in a while, biking everywhere, etc. in addition to the swimming. It's good. It's keeping me from getting really depressed, which is great. I haven't lost weight, though, which is frustrating, but I do look pretty good, if I do say so myself. I've also been making a lot of my own food (rather than buying pre-made stuff), trying recipes, taking vitamins, etc.

The bad news is the pool is closing after this week for 3 weeks, so I am not really sure what I am gonna do about that yet. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted on this very important life change. It'll make my schedule even harder to manage, I'm sure - my current pool is a block from work and I go for my lunch break. Traveling anywhere just to swim or work out in the city is a total pain.

Another thing that hasn't been happening (besides the making out, which is driving me BANANAS!!) is that I haven't done the massive housecleaning I have been promising myself for - oh, 37 years or so... I am too busy walking Lois or something, or watching Arrested Development, which is possibly the funniest show ever. Not sure why I can't push the cleaning into high gear, seeing as it'd do nothing but help my life, but I have been slowly giving away clothing that no longer works for me, which is fun. Next, I gotta sell a few things on Craigslist, like my old derby skates. I have long acknowledged that I was not cut out to be a roller derby girl, so why hold on to the speed skates?

If picture posting wasn't such a time-suck, I'd put up some more pictures with this post. Blogger, I wish you'd make it easier to upload and place pics!

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.