Whew!

The finish line. There was an announcer in the tent on the left broadcasting our names as we crossed. (SO FUN!) He even pronounced my last name OK, and when he did, I did the Rocky hands in the air.
The triathlon was AMAZING. I haven't had time to really process all of my thoughts but I thought I'd report in and start to post a few of the pictures I took over the next couple of days.

Time: 4:22am. Location: North entrance to the world's largest triathlon transition area. They were supposed to open at 4:15am. We were getting pretty antsy from waiting the 7 minutes, but they opened very soon after I took this pic.
As an event, as a spectacle, as a personal achievement, as a physical challenge and mental rush - the whole thing blew me away. I LOVED IT! I am definitely hooked and hope to do another one - the sooner the better!

Ducks in row

Here are some gorgeous flowers and lovely purple pods that grow with them. I have no idea what thy are but I saw them on a dog walk and had to take a picture.
I am on vacation this week. I worked a 4-hour day on Monday (which I will take as flex time next week, you can be sure) but other than that, I have been free. I was supposed to clean my entire disgusting apartment and do all kinds of wonderful organizing and decorating projects, but instead, I have done a lot of lounging around, grocery shopping, laundry, internet bs, and some triathlon prep. I also gave Lois a bath. It's been wonderful so far. I think I need another couple weeks to get to the cleaning and organizing bit. Oh! And the weather has been perfect perfect perfect. Today I am getting a student (cheap) massage at the Chicago School of Massage Therapy.

I went to my last group workout last night. It was an easy run on the lakefront path for 20 minutes, with 4 30-second "accelerations" mixed in. I liked it. I biked fast to get there, ran well, and I sweated a lot. It was good. Then I biked to Lou Malnati's pizza place, where I just drank water (forgot my money and also wanted to eat the 10 tons of food I have at home) and talked with the other ladies. It's fun to be this close to the event - everyone is really excited. The coaches answered our questions and everyone had a good time. I ducked out early, before the pizza arrived, and rode home to eat soup and buttered garlic naan instead.

Yesterday I bought a new bike helmet (they check them at the triathlon) and also had my bike inspected for the race. I was worried - since working on it myself and it being so old, a hand-me-down, etc., I was sure they'd come up with all kinds of repairs I'd need to have done (and pay for) - but they said it was in great shape! Yea for bike class!

The other thing I will briefly say is that I have met two nice guys through the internet. So let's just say that things are going ok in one department - at least as an interim plan. I am still looking for Mr. Right, and am positive that he's out there somewhere. I think being - um, less distracted than I was before - will help with that search.

Phone pic catchup

Friday night was the awesome Polkaholics doing a "musical" of the life of Li'l Wally Jagiello, but they did a whole regular set first, and we were tired, so
...B (above, in bad no-light pic) and I had to leave early. We'd been out to delicious dinner beforehand, and got to visit a little more at the bar during the break, too, so that was the main thing anyway. We definitely thought their set time choices were lame - wouldn't you want the people less ridiculously drunk for the thing you've worked on for a year, and have them plastered for your regular stuff?
Saturday morning I was up with the birds to get down to Ohio St. beach for an open water swim. I was a little late, though, and couldn't find my training group among the spandex-and-neoprene crowd that was there. It's amazing how many people are up and out that early as it gets closer to the event!
This is my favorite photo. It doesn't quite capture how high (and super frightening) the waves were. I swam a crazy half-mile in it. I have never had such a treacherous swim in my life! Luckily the triathlon will be in a harbor, and the waves won't be as bad. You can see how few people actually swam once they saw the 4-foot waves. Grueling.
Even more ridiculous than the wetsuit crowd are these incredible herds of runners who are out at 5, 6, 7am on Saturdays on the lakefront in August. I know they are part of running/training groups, but it's sorta scary when you see them coming. Like, there are hundreds and hundreds of them, stampeding along the trail out of nowhere. Hard to bike around, too.
I have to say though, that the triathlon people are all very friendly and super cool. I feel like I've discovered a whole new world I never knew existed! Plus, it is really great to be up and already all worked out before 8am on a gorgeous summer Saturday!
After a coffee and walk with Lois, it was off to my friend S's (with A, above) yard sale, where a bunch of us hung out and kept her and her landlady company while they peddled their wares.
It was a fun group of people. D, A and J (seated on left) brought sausages, hot dogs and buns and D grilled them for us for a lunchtime treat.
But the best part was the amazing lemonade J sold for 50¢ a glass, and the delicious ghirardelli brownies that were 50¢ each, too. His mom made it and he and his brother were splitting the profits with charity. Cute, huh? The kicker was that he poured you your yummy lemonade and then if you wanted, you could add a "splash" of vodka from the cooler. We were all very relaxed that afternoon.
Then I rode home for a bit, and rode back, and S and I rode to A's lovely house for a LOVELY dinner! She made penne with vodka sauce and caesar salad and R grilled sausages and J brought fresh bread from Red Hen Bakery and we all brought wine and a fantastic group of 7 was there and the great conversation, out in the beautifully lit backyard at night, was funny and mellow and fabulous. S and two friends joined us later, after they were out to eat. No one wanted to leave. I didn't get any pictures (besides the spread, above) because really, it was too perfect to spoil. I found out J and I went to the same grade school and middle school! He's 6 years older but still, it was fun to know that. We talked religion, and libido, and future planning, and art - it was a perfect dinner party.
SO, then on the ride home at 2am, a rear spoke on my bike broke as I rode through Logan Square from A's place in Humboldt. I rode on it anyway because it was so late - to the bike shop - and locked and left it there over night. Then I walked home, stopping at about 3 at the Burrito House, above, for horchata and guacamole. I have never seen so many people in line there! (But I've also never been there at Saturday bar closing time.)
And though I've spent like 150 dollars in transport already this month, I rented an iGo on Sunday afternoon (after sleeping until 1pm and the hour-long walk back to the bike shop to bring it in) so I could take Lois to the dog beach for the first time in a long, long time. She had a blast - but there were so many people there (lots of unattended kids that didn't even seem to have dogs with them, annoying), she really didn't play with other dogs and focused on playing ball.
Lois loves swimming, but she's really slow going in and getting to the ball. If another dog goes for her ball, she just lets the dog take it. It's funny.
It was a great weekend. Then I worked yesterday and subbed a couple of art classes and went to the dermatologist and then to awesome bike class where I replaced my brake cables and housing and learned about tire trueing (sp?), which was too late for my spoke problem, but still cool to learn. There was a massive storm while we were in there - we heard that a tornado hit. But we kept going. I love my bike class. Then it stormed again, all night almost, and poor Lois freaked out. Seems calm this morning, but I saw some serious downed trees and pieces of building on our late between-storms walk last night. Also three birds that were hurt badly by the storm on the sidewalk - I didn't realize until Lois sorta chased one that that's what was going on. Sad!

Today I'm up early for no good reason. I have a "big" tri practice tonight - our group is meeting at the race site to go over transitions and get the lay of the land for the event. Maybe I'll take pics. I hope my good bike is finished being fixed and I can pick it up!

Late night

Lois in the alley, after midnight.
For whatever slightly self-sabotaging reason, I'm up late tonight. Usually I'd be asleep at least a couple of hours ago, but the awesome thunderstorm combined with a double iced Americano from across the street after my running workout has kept me awake, online, and (though sorta tired) a little contemplative.

Yesterday was my excellent bike class but my teacher (whom I have sadly learned has a girlfriend) was sick - he thinks it's strep. So with the triathlon coming in 3 weeks, more or less, I get worried that I'll get sick or mess myself up. But I've gotten a lot done tonight, for me.

I made the lime custard part of the key lime/strawberry parfaits I'm bringing for a picnic and movie concert tomorrow night, and although it involved 15 grueling minutes of constant stirring over a double boiler in my steamy, non-air-conditioned kitchen, this dessert is going to be really good. Way better than the brownies.

(Seriously, they became a flat rock of coal. I can't bring myself to toss them because it's like art, especially with the fault line.)
I caught up with some correspondence, talked on phone to family, paid bills, revamped and reactivated one of my online dating profiles (I know, I know, but come on, it's summer! and it's been WAY too long!). I updated my (analog) date book and deleted stuff from my phone. Now I'm eating a very late "dinner" of ramen noodles and German licorice. I'll do pushups, shower, floss and sleep within a few minutes.

Ever since the memorial service Friday, I've felt a paradox - really positive and yet really bittersweet - about my life. On the one hand, I haven't achieved much of what I thought I'd have done by now, but on the other, I'm here, and I love where I am, and at 38 my life is still full of amazing possibilities.

Walking with Lois just now, at 1:30am, the air smelled so fresh - after a big summer downpour and a 93° day it's always pretty amazing - and there were bunnies out, and it was still and potent and we were the only ones moving in the whole neighborhood. It was beautiful. For those few moments, I knew how lucky I am to be alive, to have a chance at all of this, to witness everything around me. The other stuff? (Job, love life, money woes...) - matters, but all in perspective.

Catch P if you can!

After my job interview, which went fantastically and they loved me, (but so sadly couldn't offer me enough money for the position), P and I met at Pastoral, a downtown wine and cheese shop, and had some delicious cheese-enhanced salads. Here's P and his friend D, who was shopping for picnic stuff.

Then P rented a bike - and we were off! It was great to catch up with him on a fabulous two-hour lakefront bike ride! But sometimes we had to yell to hear each other and that was especially funny if we were talking about things like sex when spandex-clad superbikers whizzed by.

We found that they're improving the path by the planetarium, and had to fight a little congestion with touristy types on the way back through this area... there were a bunch of folks going to see John Cougar Mellencamp who didn't seem to know what they were doing.

And as we cruised south of downtown, the path got much friendlier and MUCH less congested. Did I mention it was the most beautiful day of the summer?

We went to promontory point, a lovely peninsula into the lake at about 56th Street. If I ever get married, this would be a great place for it! (and everyone has to bike)!

P at the point

Crazy fellas playing in the super-high waves hitting the point.

Here's us with the very distant skyline in the background - it took a while and a lot of giggles to get the shot because I am slightly special needs in the camera department.

As the sun started setting when we turned back north, it was even prettier on the path. P kept hotdog-riding with no hands but I couldn't whip out the phone in time for a pic.

As we came back into the city, the views were still spectacular.

Then we made it back to check P's bike in just in time to catch the tail end of the Grant Park Symphony concert in Millennium Park

P and D again, with the stage in the background. The great lawn was packed with picnickers and music lovers.

The evening ended with a few impromptu songs by this group of Russian women - it was magical!

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.

Hot in the City

Today was the first really hot day of the summer (and I have the sunburn to prove it). My friend S and I decided on the 4th to ride bikes out to the northwest suburb of Glenview, for my friend/coworker C's Sunday afternoon pool gathering - the first one I've been to this year. She and her husband own a lovely house with a GINORMOUS, perfect back yard and a fabulous pool. The best part is that they open it up for all of their friends to come and hang out alomst every Sunday in the summer. There is music playing, kids splashing, and people stream in from the city to swim, chat, hang out from 12-6pm. It's an amazing treat, especially for all of us who work with C. because we are all poor artsy urbanites.


We had a good, but HOT, ride out there. I met S at the train station (she took the train with her bike partway in both directions, but for me, according to Mapquest, it was about 15 miles each way - not bad!) Half of the trip is along a great paved bike path in a forest preserve called the North Branch Trail - the best place to bike in Chicago, if you ask me.


We saw a baby deer, and I got bitten/stung by an unknown insect, which made things interesting. The main thing about the ride, though, was that S. gets really overheated, and doesn't sweat, so she was a trooper - she still rode her ass off, though, and fast, and she's 10 years older than me, with a much heavier bike, so I was impressed.


Today was BBQ day at the pool, and that means everyone (who normally brings snacky food and cold beverages to eat, drink and share) stepped it up a notch and really brought out the good grub. And, it was Jimmy's 11th birthday, and his grandmother K (who I love) was in town from Wales, plus it's the weekend before our huge annual festival, which C. (the hostess) is in charge of, so it all combined to make today a truly great/positive-vibe day to be at the pool.


Since it was so hot and sunny, though, even our ride back really got to my friend S and as we got back into Chicago, we rode along looking for someplace where we could rest our sore asses, and find a cold drink and some shade. We even contemplated stopping at a Kmart just for the A/C, but then all of a sudden we saw a totally nondescript bar on Elston and I liked the name (the Sunny Day Tap), so I suggested we stop in. We got inside and it was sort of magic - this tiny dark Serbian restaurant/bar where no English was spoken, music was playing and a woman in black was cooking yummy-looking meaty Serbian things. The waitress made us the perfect drinks (pint-sized soda with a splash of cranberry and double lime twists) and there was (we think) creepy non-ironic Slobodan Milosovic paraphernalia all around.

The wetsuit post

This is my favorite neighborhood yard, decked out for the 4th. It's what I imagine a New Orleans yard to be like... there are sculptures, lamps, a fountain and furniture all hidden around.
Ok, first, in case you get confused later: My 4th of July was awesome. I slept in, took a long bike ride, bought a wetsuit, made strawberry shortcake, went to a party, watched fireworks on the roof, and then had a private show of SERIOUS illegal ought out the "Athena" large sized wetsuit, which sounded sorta funny and Wonder-Woman-y and Greek, but, somewhat thankfully, it was too big, so I settled on the non-athena large suit in sleeveless style. I bought it right then and there, on the credit card, and cancelled my Sunday haircut appointment at the salon, because now I'm $280 more in debt than I was before. But it was worth it.

The kids did what kids do in the basement.
See, at 7am today in the maybe 64° lake, I wore the suit for the first time at my Ohio Street beach group session, and swam a 1/2 mile in it, and it was totally great! I mean, lake swimming still is hard as hell, and I had to resort to breaststroke some of the time because it still seems impossible to see where I'm headed, plus there were some waves, but as far as personal comfort and feeling like I could breathe, and that I could possibly complete the swim in the event, etc., this was a hundred times better than the other suit. I know it'll just get better if I keep practicing in the open water. Plus, this suit packs neatly into a little mesh bag and is easy to bike the 14 miles with.

The food was awesome, as always, and there were some thematic desserts besides mine!
Then today I went to the awesome community bike shop for open shop (my first time at an open shop - I was nervous!) and fixed the horrible squeaking from the deraiileur that my bike did yesterday and fixed the seat and oiled everything, and replaced the quick-release thingies on my tires with new, permanent ones. My bike is like supercharged and perfect right now.

There was even an awesome jam session in the front room. So lovely!
I practically sailed home on my rockin' bike, but stopped in at two - yes two - different Targets to look for these awesome running socks I bought last month that I want another 2-pack of - and although neither Target had the socks anymore, I managed to make it out of BOTH STORES without buying a single thing. I am extremely proud of myself.

Then we went on the roof to watch the illegal fireworks all around R's house!
And, to top it off, all that wetsuit-tryin-on made me realize how huge I am, and that I need to crank the training up a notch and lose some of the extra weight, so I impulsively signed up for a 5K race (my first race/event ever!) that's in 2 weeks. So I'll be adding some runs in this week, that's for sure.


Now it's not even 10pm and I'm so tired from biking all over creation and swimming at dawn that I'm going to sleep. Goodnight!