Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

I feel like I was just cock-blocked.

The meeting was scheduled for Friday, so delivery of the dressers was set for this afternoon. Guys got done assembling and I asked where the 2nd unit was. No clue. Called the store. The salewoman, from home on her day off, called to fall all over herself apologizing, is trying to find out why the manufacturer only shipped one unit, and has comped the 2nd delivery charge. In the meantime I’ve filled the one dresser that’s here and assembled, and put the other clothes on top of it (no more floor storage!).

Calming breaths, and concentration on arranging what’s here. Calming breaths. Calming breaths…

My stomach decided to misbehave (damned lunch burrito) so I cancelled the swim and came home instead. Once here I decided I’d had enough of the crap on my desk and dining room table, so that’s all mostly cleaned up now. Caught up on mail (but not on magazines – oy), shredded what needed to be shredded, prepped other stuff to file, and mostly made the place fall into order again, which definitely helped bring the mood up from the stomach and lack of swimming.

I need to do the same in the bedroom, but I’m holding off until tomorrow or Friday because one of those two days my new dressers are arriving. I couldn’t say for certain because I have a meeting one of the two days with my deputy general counsel and his schedule’s somewhat in the air, so one day or the other I have the meeting, meaning the other day I get my furniture. It’s worth it because the meeting will be another step closer to killing off a major pain-in-my-ass project, but I really, really want to get my clothes off the floor. Their presence there has been driving me nuts, ever since I got rid of the other chest of drawers. Not that I regret getting it down to my parents and niece, but the floor stuff has got to go. Then I can do a goodwill donation run and get rid of unused clothes and be much better off.

And perhaps even think about finally having people over in numbers larger than one.

Despite what I’ve done it still doesn’t feel completely together yet, though. I guess my expectations are still high. Doesn’t help when I go to friends’ places and they just look like someone actually thought out a plan and coordinated what they were doing. I’m starting to get there, but it’s a slow process on my budget, and it’s an area where I’m feeling the more hummingbird side of my patience (as opposed to the buddha-in-the-wilderness side). It’s frustrating, the waiting and slowly choosing stuff. I want it all done and together NOW, but it doesn’t happen that way. At least some order is coming out of the chaos, and that’s a good thing.

Earlier today I finally posted one of the three race reports that I need to do. Still have this past weekend’s 10k and the 1/2 marathon from April yet to write up.

Work’s gotten a tad better. I spent a good bit of time cleaning off my desk, recycling or filing things. Part of that was finally having passed a draft to management of a long-term project, so while I waited for feedback I took some time to make some more work space available. Did get the needed feedback later in the afternoon so I now have more direction on which way to go, which is a very good thing, and I feel a lot better about the project. I suspect I’d have been better off chatting with da boss for a bit on this thing rather than operating in quite the vacuum I was working in, but so be it. A lesson for next time. In the meantime, I’m good to go and feeling better.

The crush continues apace. We spent most of pride weekend together, a lovely bit of time with friends and hanging out and wandering around seeing tons of folks whom I never see because either I or they never go out (or never go out to the same places). A tad too much alcohol was consumed Saturday, but these things happen. At least a couple people met the crush and I got approvals back from those who did.

Back to serious training this week. Cycled this morning, will run and swim tomorrow. 88 more days until the half-ironman, aka “Ironman 70.3” race as they’re calling them these days (if you total up the swim, bike and run miles it comes to 70.3 miles: 1.2, 56, and 13.1; a full Ironman is twice that). I can do it, and I’m pretty sure I’ll actually enjoy it, too, but it’ll certainly be a challenge. Looking forward to it.

Left work early this evening to bike home ahead of a line of thunderstorms that rolled through downtown around 5:35 or so. Just managed to get in before the rain started, so glad I left when I did. Wasn’t very long, but was very intense, and was right at closing time for me. Did up a batch of steamed dumplings for dinner. I’m trying out various pre-made ones and so far this manufacturer is winning hands down. Interesting taste, spiced just right, cooked easily, stayed together, but didn’t stick to one another. The first batch was okay, the second (boiled) batch turned into one giant mass-of-dumpling-dough-and-filling.

Attended my second cult co-op meeting of the week tonight. While I led the last meeting (which is less formal than most), this one I wish I had led. Oh. Em. Gee. Talk about toxic. The older committee members seem to have some sort of complex about years of perceived abuse that’s supposedly been heaped on them and they’re just a mess. I think we could have gotten all of the work done in an hour, maybe a little more, rather than the 1.5+ hour rambling session that passed for a meeting. What a cluster fuck. I may have to shoot the board member who talked me into getting on this thing.

Oh, and last but not least the little man purse extra small messenger bag I ordered to tool around town with finally arrived today (not those colors, though – I did a custom one in burgundy/steel/burgundy with a moss liner and a silver logo). Mmm, pretty… I wanted something to carry a few small things with if I bike somewhere in town that wasn’t my huge messenger bag (both to have the smaller bag and not to layer my entire back in a nice, unbreathing sweat bag). I think it’ll do the trick nicely.

Never before have I had so high a race number (#4!!), and probably never will again.

First, a bit of back story. I was down to do the Sunday race because my eldest niece, who turned 10 this year, was going to do her first kids’ triathlon on Saturday. The weather for the kids’ tri was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and perfect, and she had a blast. She was seeded toward the end because of her swim time, which was fine, but seemed a bit high for 100 meters (5:30) when I checked her bib info at packet pickup.

Well, there was a reason it was a little high. Evidently when I registered her for her race (her birthday present) and myself for the adults’ race, our two swim times got switched. So instead of 3:30 to swim her 100 meters, she got my 5:30 for my 300 meters, and vice-versa. Which meant when I showed up for packet pickup, I was something of a star to the volunteers because I was getting a single digit number, meaning I was supposedly faster than fast. Only, I’m not. Thankfully the race director was kind enough to tell me where I should seed myself for the swim start, and the story made for a fun one while standing in line for the swim.

Race day itself broke nice and wet. Just like the Mooseman race I did this same weekend last year. I’m sensing a trend for these races when I stay with my parents, who had brought up my niece in their RV. So we trundled out to the Y, early enough to get good parking, and I set up transition in the rain.

The swim itself was, well, dark. We had been standing outside in the semi-sun, had maybe 30 seconds at the door and into the edge of the pool before launching into the swim, and that wasn’t enough time for my eyes to adjust before I was into a churning pool full of hyped up triathletes. Heart rate was, as usual, far too high on the swim. Trying to relax there has to be my biggest weakness, even in a pool snake swim. I passed two folks, and two others passed me, so I think I seeded myself just about right. Didn’t stop except to let folks pass, and got out as soon as I could. Once out I had a good chat while running over to transition with another woman who made it out just before I did.

T1 went well, and I popped out on the bike pretty well. The woman I’d left the swim with set a pretty good pace on the bike, so, while staying out of her draft zone (USAT folks were very much in evidence on their motorcycles) I followed behind. The course was moderately hilly, but not bad. I think I shifted more in those 12 miles than I’ve done in the last month (ah, good old flat Hains Point). The rain was off and on, and I got my heart rate down a smidge from the swim, but I probably hammered it a bit much. It was a sprint, though, and I was still feeling fine. The most memorable moment had to be biking under some high-powered wires at one point because the things were literally sizzling and crackling in the rain. I was glad we were zipping along at a good clip.

There was one spot where the volunteer didn’t have a flag to motion us to turn, and I almost missed that last turn, but otherwise the intersections were well staffed with police and volunteers, all of whom I made sure to thank as I rolled through.

Somewhere around three quarters of the way through my pace setter slowed down some and I passed her. Kept up the good pace all the way to transition, and popped into that well. As usual I unclipped and shook out my legs while gliding to the dismount, and then it was into T2. It was a little slow, because I had to get stuff out of the bag I had my shoes and race belt in, but it was worth it to have dry shoes, at least for a few minutes.

About half way down the transition area I realized I’d left my biking gloves on. Not the first time I’ve done that, and I’m capable of running with ’em on, but it’s a tad annoying. As I approached the turn to head out, though, I spotted Mom and Dad at the end, so peeled off the gloves as Dad snapped photos and tossed them toward Mom and asked her to hold them for me.

The run course might have been relatively flat for the Richmond area, but it was not flat. Long, shallow inclines, both up and down both ways, dominated the run. I maintained a pretty good turnover on my legs, and ran the full 5k. The water stop was just perfect, and the volunteers were great. As I approached the turn into the finish I caught up to another age-grouper, who, as I went to pass him, suddenly picked up the pace and zipped on ahead. No biggie. Ran into the finish in an hour and twenty minutes, about ten minutes ahead of what I expected to do it in. The run and swim were right on pace, so the bike pace I followed must’ve shaved off most of the time, plus some savings in transition. Even with the rain it wasn’t too bad, and I’m getting used to racing this way.

Overall, the race itself was a lot of fun and I’d do it again. It was a fast sprint with just enough hills on the bike and run to present a challenge but not to kill yourself on.

My niece, A, is thoroughly excited about tomorrow’s race, but right now Uncle Moose is Uncle Meanie; I made her go brush her teeth.

Got down to Richmond without incident in the big, black Dodge Earth Destroyer 2007 (aka a Nitro, I think) that I rented for the occasion. Did lots of thinking about what type of car I’d actually get if I had to get one, and came to the conclusion that I’m thankful I don’t need one on a regular basis.

Packet pickup went well and was pretty easy. I saw the race official I’d met back in February who let me know about this event. We also tried to go for Chinese, but it was a buffet (ew!), so ended up down the street at a nice little Vietnamese place for tons of tofu. A is actually quite excited to have tofu these days; definitely not your normal 10 year old. My parents are currently trying a vegan diet in order to try and control Dad’s diabetes and both of their weight issues. So my brother is the sole omnivore in the immediate family at the moment.

I’m a bit worried about my bike for the race. I’m going to have to spend some time tomorrow looking at the front tire. I had my third flat in two weeks when I went to load the bike this afternoon, and I suspect something is not fitting correctly, or is otherwise rubbing the tube around the stem because the first two (I’ve not yet confirmed this with the latest flat – I just packed it flat) both had holes right near the base of the stem. Very annoying. So I’ll dig in there and see if anything’s come loose or is now rough or the like. Getting tired of replacing tubes, especially since the first one in there lasted almost a year and a half and the last two less than a week each.

Oh, I heard from my object d’crush this evening as well. He and his friends are down at Gay Days at Disney this weekend, and it sounds like they’re having a good time thus far. Was nice to get an email from him when we got settled and logged back online this evening.
We’re headed to bed now, with dusk not yet settled, because we’ve got to be up at 5:30 for the race.