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!

Why?

Here's the news: 1) I have major pain in my groin? or some muscles (at the very top of my thighs, on both sides, the thing that kills when you do a butterfly stretch, or breaststroke, like I did for a 1/2 hour today), and it started in the middle of my run on the fabulous secret track last night, and hurt so bad that I had to walk after only 13 minutes. I ran again for a few more laps but I really wanted to start crying and limping, but since it hurt on both sides, I didn't know how to limp, and since I was with the running buddy for the first time, I couldn't cry either (in fact, I acted all tough.) But you better believe I whined to Lois during the entire walk we took afterward to the park. Does the groin get pulled by running? Why now?

2) I am so tired from all of this excellent fitness (and also from not being able to sleep much Sunday or Monday nights) that I decided not to go to Ravinia with a group of smart and fun people I like very much and could possibly network and meet even more people through tonight. This is annoying that I am missing out on potentially interesting life experiences because of other potentially healthy life experiences, isn't it? I also unfortunately had to skip my Brazilian Dance class (which I love) because something came up at work and I didn't want to rush to get changed and to class late.

See, in the olden days, I would have done all the things, and rushed around like a chicken with her head cut off. Now I am just old, and tired. And my allergies have really gone crazy. And, actually, I was hungry.



So instead, I walked Lois to Budacki's, the funny, sorta out-of-place hot dog stand/ drive-thru that I had never been to though I've walked by it a few times a week for 3 years, and I tied up Lois outside at the picnic tables and ordered a gyros plate to go, which I have been craving for a couple of weeks (just ask Sheila), and of course, like psychic clockwork, I saw DG's unmistakable back, walking very quickly away down the sidewalk as I came out with my greasy bag in hand. He probably saw me (and fled), and I wonder if Lois recognized him when he passed right by her...poor pooch. It's all too odd. Again, why at this exact time? The gyro was good, but the fries were a little weird — I threw away a bunch of them. The funny/best thing about Budacki's is the way they call their fries "Pomme Frites" on the sign, and the fonts they use for it. It has cracked me up for years. I don't know why. I'll get a picture soon.

My roommate spent about 30 minutes doing makeup and getting ready to go to a show at the little theatre down the street with two guys from her work. She then asked me if I smoke "weed" and asked if it was OK for them to come back after the show and smoke in her room. (?) I then turned on one of my videotapes of Kojak episodes but still can't really pay attention enough to watch them, so instead, I wasted a bunch of time online (I got my computer back! I can pay bills and shit!), I put away the kitchen stuff that had been on the living room floor since a month ago, and opened up my new fancy vaccuum cleaner, and cleaned the bathroom, and started reading a book, and packed my stuff for tomorrow (swimming, then teaching, and then Cardio Pilates...).

And I'm gonna go walk Lois again at midnight.

P.S. OMG: I found the BEST site while looking for an image for this post. Your mouth will water, your arteries will quake, Have fun!
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