I know

...I am lame at posting with regularity. I loaned my camera to my parents while they had my 5-year-old nephew in town this weekend, so I just got it back and took some myself - it was an exhausting weekend, but super fun. This next week is CRAZY with parties and social events, and I am getting scared of being sick or otherwise debilitated for the triathlon, which is less than 13 days away.

YIKES!

Elvis was a hero to most

A lovely bunch of runners. They tried to get me in the picture but I declined.

I ran this HILARIOUS, great 5K last night called the "Elvis is Alive 5K" - it's organized by the running store that put on the women's 5K I did, and I decided to do this one at the very last minute yesterday. I went home and walked Lois, changed, and biked downtown to get there like 3 minutes before race start, not really knowing what to expect, but they were blasting Elvis music from two points along the path, there was a beer tent, and they allowed me to register that late - already a cool race by me! Plus, the first song they started us off with was "A Little Less Conversation," which was fun because I know a go-go routine to that song!

The runners' post-race beer line

The run was self-timed, which means no chip to wear and you don't have a large # of superfast superrunner types participating - way more of a 'fun run.' Plus, starting downtown at 6:45pm on a Thursday along the lakefront is conducive to people doing it just to blow off steam. The funniest thing was the people who ran in costumes - SERIOUS costumes - men, women, kids, dressed from head-to-toe in Elvis outfits and in hawaiian stff (this year's theme was Ble Hawaii) - and running in these getups! Even the people running in just the Elvis glasses with the sideburns attached made me smile.

The last of the sandwich quarters. They were sooooo good.

The very best part was at the end. You run past the finish line and there are the water people and the gatorade people and then there are two tables, one on each side of the corral - filled with cut up peanut butter and banana sandwiches!! Not just the usual bagels and bananas! And then the free beer that comes with your race registration, and then the Elvis impersonator takes the stage, and it's just fun. I sorta wish I'd gone with someone else, but the people watching was great, even alone.

And know what? I ran faster by two minutes than I did in the other race (even though I really wasn't hurrying), and I chalk it up to the constant crack-up from the costume people and the music playing. Helps a lot for someone who still doesn't love running.

Film/music, food, etc.

Not much to report, but I forgot to post pics of a fabulous thing I attended last Wednesday with friends S, M, and M. It was at Millennium Park, where they were showing "A Throw of Dice"


- an amazing 1929 silent film from India. It was the U.S. premier of the film's new soundtrack by British/Indian Dj Nitin Sawhney, performed by Sawhney on keyboards, a male and female vocalist and tabla player, PLUS the entire Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. It was awesome.


Here's a lawn shot from behind where we were sitting - not as packed as I've seen for pop music shows, but still crowded nonetheless. Lovely night, too!


In other news I have been craving two things lately: random foods (see delicious tempura chicken, above, with farmer's market broccoli and brown rice) and - well - a man.

I call it being "boy-crazy," but you can call it what you will. I hope I'm not getting desperate - I think with the 6-month mark since my last - um - contact (?) fast approaching, I will get very brave, though. I'll keep you posted. With my training-limited alcohol intake of late, it should be interesting...

Now, I think I'm heading downtown for another open-water swim. Can't decide if I should ride my somewhat busted bike (bottom bracket trouble for you gearheads) or take a train...

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!

Running on empty

I found out today that I didn't get the new job/promotion at work. I wasn't expecting to, really; there is a woman at work, who's younger than me, has been there less years, but who's in the "clique" of some nasty fakeness that I thought was going to be gone from my workplace when my former boss (her best friend) left. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. She of course got the job.

I am still underpaid, and undervalued, and to be truthful, very disappointed in the powers that be. And maybe a little bit in myself for letting myself be - as I do in all of my bad relationships - taken advantage of for little to no return of support, respect, or happiness. I am so tired of giving it away.

Not much else to say. Just bummed and need to find ways to get some of the blessings of life to come my way. The hard reality tonight is that career, love, and family have all passed me by, although I have put out so much into the universe. Do I keep giving, more and more, with hopes of a different outcome? If not, what's the alternative?

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.

Friends, Bikes, Pierogies - a 3-state weekend

I gave J, G's 7-year-old son, my camera during the reception after the memorial service. Here's one of his brilliant shots - with step-grandmother P, the brave mom who lost her eldest daughter, and behind her, widowed son-in-law J and the miracle girl E on his shoulders, E is 4 and probably misses her mom more than anyone...
Thursday night I dropped Lois off at my parents' place and came home, went to see Dark Knight with a friend, and then Friday morning got up very early to ride to S's house, get on the bus, the el, then the O'Hare courtesy bus to get to the rent-a-car office by 8:45am, where S and I hitched a ride to Kalamazoo, MI for a memorial service for friend A's sister, who died at age 37 of breast cancer contracted in her 7th month of pregnancy with her first (only) daughter 5 years ago. It was an amazingly beautiful service, and the family was brave and articulate and wonderful, and the reception was warm and full of love. Her life, and her family's ongoing courage facing her tragic, untimely death was inspiring.

After the reception, A and G take a load off. S is on the left, with J (the photographer) behind her, and in the center is G's awesome mom, M, who drove us to and from Kzoo. She is wonderful.

When I got home I was too tired to go see a friend and a band I like play at the Hideout, and I went right to sleep.

This is also what you get when you give the camera to a 7-year-old. Actually, his pics are brilliant. I need to flickr all of them.
I was glad Lois was still with her "grandparents," because I woke up without the alarm the next morning just in time to ride out to the North Branch Trail (about a 35-minute, fast ride north and west) to do my biggest "brick" workout with the tri group so far. We biked 70 minutes on the trail, fast - and then (leaving our bikes with a coach) immediately ran for 20 minutes off the bike. Whew!

J and T with the World's Largest Pierogi

Then I rode home (another 45 minutes), quickly showered and got in an iGo car to visit with the parents, eat an amazing breakfast of waffles, eggs, bacon, and fruit salad, and get me and pooch home in time to be picked up by friends in a minivan and drive to nearby Whiting, Indiana for Pierogi Fest.

Welcome to Whiting, IN.
Which was crazy. It's a really small, depressed-economy town totally duded up for the weekend, and the food, mostly eastern European style, was rich and delicious, and the homemade signs were wonderful, and the craft row was hideously great.

This is the best craft booth, with shellacked fish hanging in various ways. Two in our group got these to take home. Note googlie (sp?) eyes.
I rode there with friends with two boys - J, 11 and T, 6 - and they were very funny. T didn't want to go at all on the way there, and was very grouchy and vocal about it, but in the way home he said wistfully, between slurps of a blue slushy drink, "I wish I didn't have to wait a whole year to go back to Pierogi Fest again..."

Ponies waiting to be ridden by the kiddos.
When I got home I realized I was out of dog food and raced on bike to the pet store to get some before they closed, got home, fed Lois, and put in some brownies for Sunday's picnic dinner. That was around 8pm. When I woke up in darkness, with the house reeking of burned oven, I realized I'd completely passed out from exhaustion and it was 1am. Those poor brownies never had a chance.

Under a tree for some shade and mental rest after we looked through the craft area.
Sunday I slept in til after 8 and walked with Lois, then took her to my parents place again for a leisurely walk around the Lincoln Park pond. It was a gorgeous day. We also had her nails trimmed, and she was bitten by a ferocious Golden Retriever tied to a tree outside of a Starbucks on the way to the iGo car. I couldn't find the owners - don't know what I'd do if I did - but it was scary. Lois totally cried out and rolled onto her side, squealing when I touched where the dog bit her. I couldn't find a break in the skin, though, so I haven't done anything. She is OK now.

Czech dancers at Pierogi Fest.
Then I hustled to make strawberry shortcake for a trip to a SW suburb to see an outdoor community theatre production of Oklahoma! with a friend of A's in it, and we ate a fabulous picnic dinner on the hill. A brought amazing fried chicken with honey dijon sauce, S made a black bean and corn salad and her delicious peanut noodle salad, and I made strawberry shortcake with blueberries and whipped cream. We drank wine, we had a candle, we supported a friend, we saw the weirdest "classic" musical. It was super great.

The ladies on our picnic, with Rodgers and Hammerstein's sorta creepy-plot debut musical in the background.
I didn't talk to any new guy Sunday. I sorta suck at that habit attempt. But I have been way more boy-crazy lately, wishing I had even a crush to think about or someone to talk to/flirt with/fantasize about ... maybe it'll work itself into some sort of action on my part. Who knows?

I just hope something happens sooner rather than later. Ahem.

God Bless The U.S. indeed. Pierogi fest, ladies and gentlemen.

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!

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!

Monday again...

Here's an awesome front parkway garden on my daily "bunnyland" walks down a favorite residential street in Chicago.
It's pouring out again and my computer bag (waterproof, supposedly - one of those fancy bikey Timbuk2 ones) is still drying out from Saturday's ride downtown and back. But I made it to work, damp, also with my giant swim bag, because today is a swim workout and I'm looking forward to it! With all the other training and the open water swims, I only get to my neglected pool once a week at most.

Last night I was supposed to meet friends at a rock show of my friend's awesome band The Thin Man, but they weren't starting til 10 (on a Sunday!), and after cooking a delicious shrimp/broccoli/mushroom alfredo w/whole wheat pasta, and eating it, I lost all steam. (I'd been up for a long, time, too, don't forget.)

Instead I watched the movie "The Year of the Dog" - it was a slow-moving, somewhat depressing, but really good film about the sad, changing life of a single 40-something woman whose dog dies. My friend M had told me a while ago not to see it, and I can appreciate his warning, but rented it because I wanted something "easy" to watch while I cleaned and folded clothes. It certainly wasn't that kind of movie. Lots of dogs in it though, which kept Lois barking at the screen every once in a while.

My uncle and aunt's dog Izzy. I'm using up a couple phone pics today.

How do people come to bring meaning to their lives? It was a very à propos film because I've been thinking about that theme a lot recently. Some people have it seemingly made - a life that's defined and rich and full of ideas that match what they spend their time doing, and others are in a constant search to find something, anything to make it all worthwhile. (For many that's kids - for better or worse.)

It's a continuum for sure, and I know that the folks I try to surround myself with are integrated people, who have something unique and authentic inside that drives them to be themselves and share it with the world. Because that's ultimately how I see myself. Trying to be a better person all the time, to do and be what is meaningful... to me, and to the people I can connect with in this life.

I think it's why I've eschewed some of my ambition, over the last five years or so, in the music business - it just doesn't appeal to my best self, and I'm already surrounded by the people in that world I enjoy anyway, on their own, so I don't have to push to be or have something more, like a fancy job or unlimited contacts. I think about this because in years past I would never have missed the Pitchfork festival - the chance to schmooze and network with all my friends and acquaintances backstage, etc., but this year there's other stuff going on, and it wasn't a priority. Months ago I'd emailed the organizer, who I've worked with in the past, about working the fest, and honestly I was glad when he didn't give me a job this year. Plus, there's the core: the music - and seeing a favorite band in a small club is SO much preferable to me, soundwise, crowdwise, weatherwise... It's why tonight I hope to make it to see the one band I would have enjoyed seeing at Pitchfork, though I may be too late because I have my bike class. We'll see. Check back - could be an awesome dance party!


In other news, my good friend P is in town from NY - yea! - and I'm taking a day off on Wednesday to celebrate and hang with him. We're looking into going to an amusement park (!!), which I haven't done in years, and would be SO FUN, but actually anything, even nothing, will be fun with him. (We've also discussed getting pedicures.)