Quick update!

I've been up for quite sometime this morning as I decided to make my way to the at&t store and get in line for an iPhone. I picked a store that was off the beaten path assuming the line would be less, but I was mistaken... it was a good 200 people long. So, I waited for an hour or so until a man came down the line and told us they were gone.

Of course!

This is not a surprise and although I really wish I had a new iPhone in hand currently, I will wait and make it happen soon. It was kind of fun standing in line with people and chatting about the ridiculosity of it all.

Also, I completed the race successfully. It was really quite a lot of fun being part of the mass as we made our way through the west loop of Chicago. The best part was when the heavens literally opened up and poured forth most might rain upon us. The skies were ominous and scary, but we just muscled our way through wind and rain and made it to the end.

Here is a before.



Here is after.



Awesome, right? I am really thankful to my two lovely coworkers for pushing me to do this and also to my dear friend Linsey who stood at the end of the race under her giganto umbrella and cheered me on. Incredibly nice.

She also took this sweet video as I crossed the line.



It's all kinda hilarious when I think about it, because well, I don't like running and it occurred to me that I haven't done anything remotely athletic and competitive since umm, junior high?

Today is a busy work day as students are coming for orientation.

Tonight I will see Feist.

Race Day

If I were to quote a movie that would represent how I feel today, it would be...

"With two weeks until the pageant...
(continued labored breaths)
I was practicing my talent. Finishing
my costume, brushing up on current
events, and running eighteen miles a
day on about four hundred calories. I
was ready."

"The nurse gives her a hit of oxygen. Mary smiles and
gives a THUMBS UP from behind the oxygen mask."

Drop Dead Gorgeous.

I love this movie. I think it is brilliant.
Apparently I tell people that a lot because the other day when I mentioned it at lunch my coworkers said to me "WE KNOW! YOU LOVE IT! YOU'VE TOLD US!"

Anyway, today is indeed the Niketown Bastille Day 5k and "I am ready!"
Actually, I don't feel so ready, but it will be fine. I've purchased some new gym shorts from Target and I've been loading up on carbs. Just kidding about the carbs... but that would be funny if I ate a bowl of pasta for breakfast on the day of my 5k race.

Tomorrow I buy an iPhone.

To Run

Yesterday, I ran home from work. I'm not saying this figuratively as though I was in a hurry or something, I actually physically ran home from work. I put on my shorts, and my sneakers and took off running. It turns out it isn't that far. I originally thought it was three miles, but I think it is more like 2.7, since it didn't really take me that long to get there.

I have to be honest, I hate running. I think that running when you're not in a hurry is a silly thing to do but I was reminded yesterday as I was forcing myself to not stop until I was home that it is a healthy thing to challenge one's self in ways like that. I actually had to have a conversation with myself that went something like this:

"This is stupid. I'm going to walk."
"You're stupid. Keep running you wimp. You can't make 3 miles?"
"I will be fine for the 5k... I'll have adrenaline. I can just stop now."
"O. M. G. Just run and stop doing everything half assed. You do this with everything and now you can't run all the way home?"
"Who am I trying to kid? I'm so out of shape. I can't run. Oh wait. There is my house. Whoa, I can totally run faster than this."
*sprints to the door*

It's silly, but when you're focusing on something like that, with no other distractions, the inner struggle is so much more audible. So, I made it and I think the race tomorrow will be quite fun. I'm looking forward to it, if not for any other reason than to say I actually followed through with this and completed it.

In television news, I thought this was pretty entertaining.



My favorite line is "I don't mean to be cliche, but I'm not here to make friends."

Snippets

Tuesday!

The weekend seems so long ago, except it was just a day... but when you return to your desk after a long weekend of good things, work makes it feel oh so distant.

The fourth holiday weekend was really a nice one. On Friday I kept repeating that I couldn't believe it was Friday and not Saturday, which I'm sure was annoying for those around me but I really couldn't believe it. It felt too good to be true... especially with 75 degree temps and sunny skies. So in no particular order, I did some fireworks, saw Matt and Kim, spent hours in the sun, cooked out with the 'ole crew, beached for a while, lit bottle rockets (well, watched while others lit bottle rockets and covered my ears), more cooking out, some brunch, grocery shopping, potted a new plant and some cooking! Yes! Real, live, cooking. I made myself a fresh summer pasta salad, which I should be ashamed to say that I've never done before.





Yum, right?

Here are some other snippets of the weekend.















Snippets.

So, in an hour or so I will be headed downtown with some coworkers to do this $10 buffet at the Signature Room at the top of the John Hancock where we are going to enjoy this special that only takes place on Tuesdays during the month of July.

Sweet!

And finally, I present to you my summer mix 2008.



You can download it here: Summer Gamez

You might not like it. I don't know. I think it is fun and kind of dancy and representative of the stuff I've thinking about and listening to lately. Also some stuff people have recently sent me.

Sooo, enjoy if you like.

Angelina, indeed.

I saw Wanted last night.

Whoa, yes, ok.

I loved it. It was totally cheesarific and wonderful. The plot was superfluous to the incredible stunts and special effects... and boy, Angelina does that whole "bad ass pouting lips" thing really well. I mean, I guess she is probably not pouting as she has rather large kissers, but you know what I'm saying. The don't mess with me eyes and all.

This is my coworker, Dan.



He became and American citizen yesterday.



He read an oath that said he would bear arms on behalf of the United States if called to do so... which I find really interesting, because apparently I read that oath by being born here? But regardless, we are all very proud of him and excited that he can get a passport now. Yay, Dan!

Also, this is my new favorite plant.



Not because it is really special at all, it is just a basic house plant, but see I broke it off another plant and encouraged it to grow roots like this:



And then it did and then I gave it a wonderful home in a coffee can, which I am slightly obsessed with lately. Buying my coffee in cans seems more chic and potentially useful, provided I encourage more plants to grow roots.

Finally, here is a picture of Sara getting ready to enjoy the ice cream we went to pick up on Monday night.



There are a lot of good things about summer, but ice cream is right up there for me. If I could eat it every day I would... well, maybe I do... but shh.

I think this weekend is going to rock my socks off. I have brought along my swimsuit in anticipation of leaving work early and heading with some coworkers to the beach. Then, fireworks, cookouts, and ?

I'm going to try and make leisure (read as LEH - ZURE) the biggest word in my next wordle.

Off we go.

Oh, I almost forgot.
I'm feelin' this as a summer jam.

And the award for...

best email from a coworker, goes to: *******

"All,

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I need a haircut. I hate getting haircuts and usually wait until I can pass for the Yeti to get one. Or, when someone says something. So, I implore one of you to confront me saying, “*******, unless you’re auditioning to play Björn Ulvaeus in an ABBA tribute band, you need a haircut.” I may lash out and become agitated but it’s what needs to be done. Thanks."

Leisure and...

Where to even start?

I had such a lovely weekend and stellar birthday. Exactly what I had hoped for. Not too planned, but enough activity to make a boy feel like an old man.

Friday started with a bang, literally, as I dropped my cell phone and it snapped in half. Yes, completely in half and as I stared at the ground looking at its broken self, the only thing I could think to do was take a picture... so I pulled out my camera, opened it up, and realized it too, was broken. Yes, both Robin and I came away from the beach last week with sandy/broken cameras. So, Friday seemed a little less than stellar, but I decided to do my best embrace my unreachability and let the wind take me where it would. Two galleries, some Mediterranean food, a party. It was good beginning to my weekend.

Saturday was on the low key side. Laying out in the sun, picking up around the house, and putting the finishing touches on Taylor's going away present. The party that evening was a blast, but at the same time very sad. It feels especially odd that this friend is moving because she has been here since the beginning of my time in Chicago. When Jarrett and I first moved here, she was the first person we really hung out with and we really explored our first days in the city together so it seems to signify something that she is leaving... I mean, a lot of people have moved since I've been here, but this is the first long term mainstay.















Sunday, I got up and packed a backpack that would prepare me for most any situation. I headed off to sing at church and then let the day take me away. It was an odd day as the weather seemed to sporadically change from beautiful to ominous, but I embraced it and walked for quite a few miles ending up with friends and strangers along the way. At one point I was at a house party with some strangers who told me they were going to vote for McCain to spite the way the democratic party treated Hillary and I nearly lost my birthday bliss. Then I scurried home to get gussied up for my fancy dinner with the ladies. We enjoyed one of the better meals I have had in a long time at the Green Zebra.











After the Zebra, I headed home... only to be coerced into heading out dancing until the wee hours. I told myself that if you don't do these things on your birthday, when will you do them?

It was really quite a wonderful day.

And this week? I expect it to be more of the same.
Remember my committment to leisure and the Benjamins this summer? Well, I'm doing a good job on the leisure part, but I need to kick it up with the Benjamins. Maybe next week I'll get working on that...