I know (October update pics)

My wonderful grandmother waving from her hospital bed. She is back home and doing much better but she scared us a bit there - she doesn't like eating or drinking water, and here's how she winds up. Stubborn!

This is Clover, the dog I helped to dogsit for my friend B. Clover is old and has lost some functioning, which makes it not so easy to care for her, but what a sweet pooch - look at that face!

I am terrible at this blog-updating thing. I am gonna try to be better. I also haven't been doing pushups, situps, or anything else lately. Swam once last week, that was good. Now, I am mildly sick and without any new or exciting netflix DVDs at home, plus it's incredibly cold in my apartment - so the most comfortable place is under the covers in by bed with Lois and the warm laptop in my lap.

P came to visit and took me to the opera - Manon, at the Lyric. It was such a treat! Most of all, it was great to see him.

I have been working on lots of things: winterizing the apartment, going back to school in January, preparing for the birth of my brother's first children - twin girls expected in late January or early Feb. (I have about 7 craft projects in planning-to-just-started phase all over the apartment), cleaning the apartment, and looking for a job. We just found out today that there will be no salary increases in 2009 and we're switching insurance carriers even though we just did that last year.

I went to Philadelphia for a work conference and loved it - the conference, and what I got to see of Philly. Here's a big ship next to my hotel at Penn's landing.

I also have one broken tooth and crown and another tooth that one dentist has said needs to be removed and replaced with an implant. I need a second opinion, because should I have implants already at 38? I have yet to start that investigative process because of the unbelievable expense it is clear it will cost me.

This is my favorite Philly pic. I was there when they won the Series, and this sign was still up at City Hall after the ginormous parade/rally when I walked around downtown after midnight on my last night.

I love America. Really.

I've been helping to co-organize some groups going up to canvass for Obama in Racine, WI. I got to go yesterday, and it was wonderful, for many reasons, but then, this happened.

The woman was from our group. Her husband called me as the police were there holding the suspect. The man was not arrested. She went back to Chicago.

I think something is happening that is more than just campaigning for one side or the other. There are people stirring up hate, fear, and violence in serious ways now. I don't know what to do about it, but I am very, very troubled.



At the same time as this troubling turn in current affairs, and the sinking of the economy, I've been watching all German movies at home because of the German class I'm taking. I'm learning a lot. The current thing I'm Netflixing is the bizillion-part German miniseries "Heimat," which chronicles a German family from the first world war to the present. I'm on episode 3. The thing is, all of the circumstances under which Hitler rose to power in that country are present here - the fear, unemployment, latent (or now outright) racism and zenophobia, rampant misguided nationalism, and an economy that is in terrible shape.

Plus, there are videos like these all over YouTube, showing that the hate is becoming violent and real:


this is super frightening, from Ohio:


I want to move to Europe, now. I have been joking about it for a couple of years but I don't want to live with these people as my neighbors. And healthcare: Hello? Have you seen Sicko? Or the PBS specials? We are a sad joke of a developed country.

That one.

K as a zombie for the Thriller thing and T, in from Ireland for the weekend to help out at the Block Party.

I can't help being way too into politics this season, and tonight watched the debate with rapt attention. Except that it sucked. The format sucked, and Brokaw, who I know is a good guy (stepfather went to school with him), sucked, and McCain really, really sucked. Obama was OK. I still can't get over the "that one" comment, though, and the fact that McCain wouldn't even shake Obama's hand. That's just LOW.



I'm organizing two day trips up to Wisconsin with a friend, A, (above, with his darling daughter in Feb.) and the Hideout, my favorite bar in Chicago (yes, the one that has the Block Party). We're trying to get multiple carloads of people to go up and canvass in Racine, which is a short drive from here. I sent out a huge email bladt and messaged all my Chicago Facebook people, and only 3 people have responded so far. I mean, more have responded (like one nonvoter and one name-caller/psycho), but only 3 people so far can go. That is lame! What is up? 3 weeks to go! I hope more folks step up.



*I* can't even go on this Sat., I have to sub art classes on both my days off (that's the art faculty meeting this past weekend, above), but I am getting up at the crack of dawn before I teach to buy coffee and donuts and cheer the troops. And give out buttons, and give a demo. (And take pictures, of course.)

That's J, on our tour of Fleet - we found this awesome little electric car charging. J is one of the canvassing volunteers for Saturday, actually! He'll prolly convert a bunch of undecideds, don't you think?

In other news I'm trying to not get sick. Stayed home from work today and slept in, did some gift shopping, some schlepping (had to get my winter coats and extra blankets out of my storage space!) and of course it was raining, and I'm premenstrual, so I had to eat lots of comfort food as well as juice, water and tea. Now I am reading all the political blogs and waiting for Dave Letterman. Love to all y'all - better blogging ahead, and that's no empty campaign promise.

The weekend before the weekend before last

(it's taken me this long to post it because I hadn't downloaded my pictures...Sorry!)

Birds at the nature museum where I went for friends A & S's super-fun wedding.

That Friday morning: Lois discovered a dead squirrel at the foot of one of the backyard trees, and then I went to the dental specialists, and was seen and talked over by both the endodontist and the periodontist (and three of their helpers), and the conclusion is that it's time for me to have my troubled tooth (the one that hurt so bad the last time I blogged) pulled, and have an implant put in, and possibly I'll have to have that happen to the tooth next to it soon as well. This was a big, HUGE bummer. A 3-to-5-thousand-dollar-out-of-pocket-per-tooth bummer. Seriously. I have no idea how I will swing this. No idea. I don't even have that much freed credit on cards. I wanted to go back to school, but that's up in smoke. I am really freaked out.

This is what the center office of a German American membership organization office looks like just before Oktoberfest (note giant stein).
Then, a few hours and much lost will to live later, I rode my bike to my Friday volunteer gig - where I am trying to organize the files of a German-American membership organization, the one that houses my German language school. It's sort of hilarious - a) ME organizing files (but I sorta get into it) and b) the state of these files - yikes. I really like the people there and the place is calm/quiet and interesting. I feel like I am really helping and it's a good thing for me, too, as this project is my partial scholarship towards taking German.

Amazing set by Giant Sand with perfect weather and crowd.

I then interviewed some pilates teachers for the real job (yes, on my day off - erg) and then rushed home to do some laundry. It was actually a great thing to do on a Friday night - as Saturday and Sunday were filled to the brim with working and the Hideout Block Party, which was awesome. It's a two-day music fest that I've ben volunteering for for like 11 years, from pouring beer to selling tickets to chaeking ids, it's such a fun festival to be a part of and the Hideout people - owners and staff - are the best. I registered voters on Saturday, and worked backstage on Sunday, and ate REALLY delicious organically grown vegan food from one of the vendors called Urb Garden - from Iowa City, Churlita! - and saw a really great set by Giant Sand, and took myself and my friend J on a tour of the City of Chicago's Fleet Management Department - basically 3 city blocks of enclosed warehouses for the city's thousands of vehicles. It was awesome. And that was all before Neko's set!

J in the Fleet Management center. We just asked, and they let us walk around unsupervised! Don't try this at home...

On my dog walking break I went and got a pedicure at a new place to me, recommended by a work friend who knew I owed myself this treat post-triathlon, and it was the best EVER. They give you tea, they use salt scrub on your legs, give you good foot, leg and shoulder massages at varying points, pour hot milk on your freshly scrubbed skin, use hot towels at least twice, and are super nice. It wasn't even expensive. I am definitely going to go there from now on for my 2x a year pamper treat...

Fellow voter registrars S & E in the goofy red shirts we wore.

I also grabbed the crappy child bike trailer from my back yard that's been sitting there for 2 years since I tried riding with Lois in it and she got out. I attached it to my bike and pedaled back to the Block Party, where Working Bikes was set up to take donations, and I hope someone there will make good use of the thing - maybe make it into a cargo trailer. I love the bike people, as you may know. But mainly it was fun to get rid of the thing, since I recently bought a super expensive fancy new dog trailer.

Zombies assembled backstage getting ready for their Thriller dance as part of an AMAZING Michael Jackson tribute show that was the musical highlight of the Block Party.

When I think of all the things I would like to do with my time, it's overwhelming. I've been realizing lately that being poor is a real time game - you're not only broke with regard to money, but time is just not available to you like it is to others. I think I'll dedicate a whole post to this...money stuff is making me think a lot about life and priorities. I know I am handicapped in that arena and I wonder just how much it is affecting things like my ability to meet guys...

So, yeah, the block party was great this year. Super great. I had a blast and sort of just felt right at home, which is fun, esp. when I haven't been out almost all summer because of that triathlon phase. I even got up on stage each night and encouraged more voter registrations, so that was fun. Now if I could only meet some of the hot hipster guys I saw there...

The Call of the Wild

This is a guy in the German parade on my street two weekends ago. I have no idea what he was supposed to be.
I don't know who all reads this, so if you're under 18 (mentally or chronologically) you might not want to read any further. Wait like four days and maybe I'll have posted something more annoyingly mundane, as is usual.

Right now I am sitting on my couch ignoring my bored dog and counting time. My dog somehow found (this is gross, I warned you!!!) a used condom behind? attached to? under? my bed when I was moving stuff around, and I was thinking about the ridiculous length of time that thing has probably been there, and how the newest it could possibly be is like nine months old. (And yes, I do clean once in a while.) And that realization bummed me out.

Then I started counting the time it's been between now and my last meeting with MBC (Mr. Booty Call) and how many days until gets back into town (four). And that's interesting. Because I don't really like MBC. I don't miss him, per se, but I do want to be sure I clear the calendar for one evening next week. (Is that bad?) Honestly, I don't even know if I think MBC is cute. But, um - he gets the job done.

The guy was with this group in the parade. Again, I have no idea what they were trying to be. German fighters in the Revolutionary War? Oh, and in general, the parade was GREAT!

So here's the thing: I got into this arrangement with MBC for two reasons: 1) all the working out from the triathlon or maybe the summer heat or maybe the time since my last regular partner made me incredibly horny - and yet with training and the job from hell I didn't have time to cultivate anything real, and 2) though I am in truth looking for something real and long-term and romantic, my damn libido has, in the recent past (ahem, WX) allowed me to make intellectually and emotionally irrational and idiotic choices with regard to companions, and I thought that taking the damn libido out of the picture would stem that tide and allow me to more freely look for a better match, an actual friend first, a social/psychological/intellectual equal, who shows good judgment and, of course, excellent regard for me - without sleeping with him.

Good theory, right?

Well, the MBC situation has had its good points. I mean, a) it's fun. b) we've only met a handful of times, so it's still exciting, and never in my home, which is sorta of mysterious and discreet, like a little vacation (thus you can understand the extra shock when Lois brought me her lovely treasure this evening - it's definitely an oldie), and c) he lives closeby, and d) he is a good kisser (and is into that even without the romance that kissing usually connotes).


From Labor Day in Illinois near the Iowa town where my parents live, along the Mississippi River. It's still flooded all throughout that area - totally wiped out all crops and much livestock and so many homes. I wonder what last weekend's rain did? This pic is about five miles from the river, too. Yikes.

The bad thing is: I'm fundamentally lazy. Though he is "up for it" (ha ha) more often than I think I am, and it's still not that often, yet - in all reality - it's just enough to make me, well - give up on anything else. Maybe I haven't given it enough time. And it's true that I haven't been out much since mid-August - to meet anyone else - but really, I don't even look at guys the same way. I just don't care...I have my cake. I might not eat it too, but I do have it. You know?

Tonight just for fun I did my thing of talking to a stranger guy and instead of being challenging it was just - lame. It was easy and I wasn't nervous/excited at all. He told me where he got this thingie on his bike, and he was even cute! - but I just - I dunno. I think this MBC thing is not exactly making me enthusiastic about meeting men. If anything it's taking the edge off - but not necessarily in a good way.

You know?

Thoughts?

P.S. to Von - it's a rehash without the Spaten - forgive me!

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!

I think I'm in love

(even though I have a massive toothache that is keeping me literally in bed today until I have to go to a wedding) with this fella, Ari Melber:

Season change

Friend S with excellent Chicago-based photographer M, hiding behind sign at Obama speech party.

Does anyone still check this little blog anymore? Maybe I've filtered out some of you anonymous readers who never comment (AHEM!) by being so lax on the posting. I promise to get better. Maybe someday I will even get regular about it...

Lois running like a bat outta hell in my parents' sloping backyard. She loves it there!

I've been working - as soon as the tri was over it was back to work after taking those 4 days off, and then to Iowa for my mom's 60th birthday party, and then back to work for the (evil) busiest week of the fall. I have six of these busiest weeks a year, and they are not so pretty. Lots of phone calling which disrupts my normal web surfing and emailing. No, really, just lots of long hours, fires to put out and people to disappoint inadvertently. But: I do look forward to autumn, my favorite season, and have been responding strongly to the cooler weather!

Fog rolling onto the Mississippi early last Saturday morning - the breathtaking view from my parents' place.

I've already baked brownies twice, baked a cake (not impressed by the trader joe's vanilla cake mix, by the way), ordered take-out Chinese food for the first time in months, bought a duvet cover, rummaged for my knitting, and started actually reading a non-triathlon book, Middlesex (finally, I know). It's fun to be in hibernation mode again. And have a little more time to indulge the settling in thing.

Bike ride with stepfather (in crazy yellow bike wear) down to the south end of the path on the day of the Air & Water show in Chicago - the firetrucks (and hot firemen) hang out all along the lakefront and watch for trouble.

Since the triathlon's over, I have to do two things: 1-clean, and 2-get myself into some sort of self-directed exercise regimen. Taking the 13 days off since the event was NOT good - I feel giant, sluggish, and sore. I attempted to find time to run in Iowa over labor day wknd, but every time I had my running stuff on, some table needed wiping down or setting or an errand needed to be run. It was hard (but fun!) being one of the four people at the house who knew about the surprise and the 30+ other people secretly in town waiting to ambush my mom and her twin.

That's my aunt K totally surprised (looks fake but the tears are about to burst out) at her 60th birthday party. Big props to my stepfather who engineered the whole weekend.

Other things about the weekend were that I got to see a lot of the great kids in my family, who I love, and - I got in a huge fight (well, one of those nonspeaking things that may last forever) with my brother, who said that I should "put Lois to sleep," totally seriously, with great conviction and bilious anger. She was barking and harmlessly nipped at my cousin's boys who were getting on her nerves. My brother had been a dick to me all weekend, but that was the final straw, and I asked my aunt to take me and pooch home instead of riding in his car as I had on the way down. Sad part is that he and his wife are expecting twins this winter, and honestly, his issues with anger toward my innocent DOG do *not* bode well for fatherhood. Plus, they just lost their best babysitter!

My jerk brother (doesn't he just *look* jerky?) with my awesome second cousin. Note shirt.

SO, anyway, I ran this morning with the Saturday 8am running group from the running store - a super-slow 3 miles with Lois. It was good to get back on the horse, but I do suck. I also had a massage last night at the physical therapy place - that was the present to myself I'd been looking forward to after finishing the triathlon. It was great. I also took my very favorite dance class on Tuesday—West African Dance—for the first time in over a year, and that was awesome. I hope to add pilates to this mix and keep up the running as long as I can into the fall, then switch back to all swimming as it gets cold. I want to get faster and more comfortable with running for longer distances if I'm gonna do the international distance next year. Then, I'll have to look for a gym again, because I recently read that the drug I take for my thyroid can cause bone density loss, and weight training (something I've successfully avoided doing for 38 years) is the #1 thing I can do to combat it.

Perfect day for a family brunch/gathering in a small town overlooking the river...really perfect.

I'm boring. I know. I have so so so many more pictures to post but it's not so easy for me with my short attention span, so these will have to do.

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.

Lordy Lordy

G, looking pretty damn surprised when he walked in.

Then he was hugged his by son J, who shouted "Surprise!" the loudest of anyone.

My friend G, a drummer in many an excellent band, and an all-around great, funny, wonderful guy that everyone loves, turned 40 last Thursday and his wife, my friend B, threw him a huge, fun, crazy surprise party at a club called Martyr's.


The band onstage when he walked in was Exo, who he played with years and years ago. He was really really touched to see em all together. G even got behind the drum kit at the end of the evening with them (for the first time all night!) when they came up for an "encore" after all the other bands had played.



Now, this party was even advertised as a "show" in the newspapers, on the website for more than a month, and on the club's outdoor marquee, and G was still surprised, hadn't gotten wind of it at all. It was awesome.


I forgot my camera, but I had my trusty, non-flash, less than 1 megapixel camera phone handy. This is why the pics all suck.

Probably the funniest moment of the night, Robbie Fulks and band's improv-rap-scat song about G.

I helped out by stage managing the bands that were playing, all 10 or so of which have a G connection somehow. It was super fun. And it was excellent to have a role - if you know me, you know how I hate to just be at a party.


The emcee was Dick O'Day, who was hilarious. We worked together to make the show run smoothly despite the grouchiest sound guy in Chicago (seriously!) trying to bring us down for most of the night.


Oh, there was bingo! Dick O'Day brought it. It was fun. Whenever there was a "G" called, he asked for a piece of G trivia.


Here's the awesome mom of G, who came in from New Hampshire for the party, and brought great posters of digitized pictures and ephemera from G's childhood/life. Including letters like "No one loves me, I hate you, I do not want to speak to anyone ever again and that's final, Love, G" type things in total kid writing. Have I told you how much I love G's mom?

I only drank 3 drinks in about 6 hours, and still I was a wreck the next day. It was super fun though. B did a great job.

Tri update

The last day of my awesome, wonderful bike class was Monday - that's Don and Steve, my excellent and very cute teacher (on right, looking down) who helped me fix up my bike so it's running much better. I'll miss it!
I'm in the final stretch of triathlon training, and it's getting exiting, and nerve-wracking, and tiring, and all of that. My body is acting a bit strange - I've been exhausted, like fatigued, for the past week and a half or so, and hungry, and sore, and horny, and somewhat depressed all at once. It's like the world's worst PMS. It could be PMS, too, so that's a funny twist.


We had our practice "mini-tri" last Saturday morning - 1/3-mile swim, full (14-mile) bike, and then a 1.5-mile run, with transitions, the whole bit. I did it all in exactly 1.5 hours, which is Ok, not super-great, but way better than I thought. Especially because I dropped my chain once, and my bike bottom bracket was all f-ed up, and I even ran the whole time, didn't walk once! I was about in the middle of the group, time wise - 2 women finished before me, and 5 finished after. I felt HORRIBLE on the ride downtown - woke up late, felt tired and woozy, almost didn't go, etc., so if I can feel a little better for the actual event, that would make it even better!

Here is my little transition area - the only thing I forgot to put on was the pink racing belt, between bike and run.
I haven't done a situp or pushup in a couple of weeks, I have to also admit to you lovely readers. There are "strength" workouts on our daily schedules once in a while - usually 2 or 3 times a week - and I have been totally ignoring them. This week all I've done training-wise is an open-water timed half-mile on Tuesday (22:00 - eh). I was rained out of a bike/run workout Wednesday, and yesterday I had the party to attend, so today is supposed to be a rest day, but I plan to go running with Lois after work to make up for yesterday.

Tomorrow morning is our last bike/run brick workout at the forest preserve. I have to be up and out by about 6 to get there on time, but I still bought a ticket to see Tony Clifton (yes, that Tony Clifton) tonight at the Chopin theatre with friends. Should be crazy. Apparently the show is like never-ending (starts at 10:30, goes to 3am?) because he wants to torture people into walking out.

I've taken the whole next week off of work, too, which will give me some much-needed rest time, prep time, time to clean my apartment, and time to move me and Lois to my parents' condo for a few nights before the triathlon, so I can practice sleeping there, in the twin bed, with Lois, and getting to bed early enough to get up at 3 on the day of the event (to take Lois out, eat breakfast, and bike to the triathlon by the 4:15am course open time). I'm also doing a 5K run on Thursday night with my brother, which will be fun. I'm mainly looking forward to the break from work - the ickiness has been getting to me.

More updates coming soon!

Family

This is my nephew D. He's 5. He's the only son from the first marriage of my stepsister C to the guy she eloped with after knowing him for 2 weeks. The managed to stay together for 2 years and produce this wonderful little munchkin. Now C is married to a good friend of my brother's, who she met at my brother and sister-in-law's wedding, and they have a second son, J, who's 2-1/2. They live in St. Louis and I never get to see them, except on the occasional Christmas.


My parents picked D up this past weekend in my Mom's new Prius in Hannibal, MO so he could stay with them and have a weekend in the "big city."

I loaned my camera to them because they forgot theirs. Here are a couple examples of my mother's handiwork behind the lens:




I saw D on Thursday night after my Elvis 5K and then also came over after my minitri on Saturday morning, too. I ended up spending the whole day with them Saturday and slept over with Lois that night.

We went to the beach on Saturday with my brother and sister in law (above - can you tell?), and they went to the zoo while I went to the bike shop and took a shower. We went out to dinner and D got really tired.



The next morning, at 6am, Lois started barking and I woke up to see that D. had woken up. I dragged myself out of bed and took him and Lois to the beach again, where, before like 9am, when it officially opens, they allow dogs.



On the way to the beach he showed me some of his tricks. It was nice to spend time alone with him. He's a pretty neat kid! Plus, he and Lois got along great, which was a relief, because she's not fond of many kids. But she loved D.



Although it was dog swim time, and the waves were crazy, and it was 6:30am, and only about 65° out, and we weren't wearing swimming suits and I hadn't brought towels or a change of clothes, the first one in the water was not the dog, but (of course) D. He went in and got his shorts wet and I said, "Just don't get your head wet!" for fear that he'd catch some horrendous cold and have to walk all the way home all purple-lipped and freezing... well, his head was under the water within about 10 seconds. He loves the water. He was like - "it's not even salty!" (which I know, means he was tasting it, ugh) and just kept flinging himself into the waves and playing. It was fun to watch.



On the way back I got a taste of what my parents had alluded to when they said he'd been difficult. He stopped and sulked. He wouldn't move. I talked, I poked I joked I promised and I threatened, and he would not budge. He did this twice on the way back, but luckily I got him going. He just would get in these foul, obstinate states that were insanely hard to figure out or to 'crack.'

Then, we all went to one of my favorite breakfast restaurants and he ordered Swedish meatballs. He loved them!



He did the stubborn thing a few more times and my parents got furious. He had also spent most of the weekend not saying please, or thank you, which made them very upset. By the time they were ready to go, I tried to get a picture of all three of them, but D refused to look up, and that was it - they just got him into the car and pulled away. I felt bad that I couldn't say goodbye to him before he left Chicago, but he wasn't even looking at me, and I couldn't force him. Sort of a big bummer.

They were packing up I guess, because about an hour later, I got a phone call. To my surprise, it was D. Here's the conversation:

(Very quiet, high 5-year-old voice): "Sorry."

"Hi D! What are you sorry for?"

(Still quiet) "Sorry."

"But why are you saying you're sorry?"

"Because I'm sorry!!"

"No, but I mean, what are you sorry about?"

"Because I wouldn't smile when you wanted to take our picture and I was..."

"Sulking?"

"Yeah..."

"OK, I accept your apology - I'm glad you called!"

"OK. Bye." (fumbling with the phone in background) muffled voice: "Poppy? Where's the off button?"Click.



It's funny how family reacts to different personalities. I almost feel that the way I had giant screaming fits as a kid was easier for my mom to handle because a) it'd be obvious what it was about (usually something very appropriate, I am sure..!), b) I'd be really done afterward, quickly going back to being the perfect little girl, plus, c) then she could react with yelling and somewhat chaotic behavior, too, which was sorta all she was capable of at the time. But with the way D behaves, we all were just like, "What the hell do we do??" ...and I think he liked that.

I am also sure that spending more time with him will be a really good thing. I get to see all of C's family in less than a month for my mom's surprise 60th b-day party. THAT will be fun!