|
||||||
|
||||||
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Second1 June 2003 Festival/Sun 03/6/1 6:07 p.m. Public event today, really the first time playing Commissioner at a public event in the neighborhood other than our regular meetings. Was the annual neighborhood festival and it was a lot of fun. Got some sun on my face, I can feel it now here in the Metro, but not too much. Truth be told I was more worried about wind than sun. It didn't rain, the first weekend without in quite a while. But the wind was out with a fury. Thankfully we had a sufficient number of weights for things, so not much got away from us. Talked to a ton of people, and finally left around 3, after arriving at 9:30. Cleaned and ran yesterday. Did bills, got those in the mail or run off online, took care of my obligations there. The run went well, a little over seven miles, and my knees are behaving today, so was a good run. Biked to the festival and back with minimal muscular complaints and I feel up to my run tomorrow morning. Still spent a bit too much time on the computer, but the straightening I got done was a good beginning. I may hit some tonight after dinner, but that remains to be seen. I should do something to help quiet my mind so I sleep better, and some straightening might help. ... Had to wake up the guy sitting beside me. Felt bad, he looked exhausted, but I had to switch lines to the Orange for this dinner trip out to the 'burbs with NRJTM. Havent seen NRJTM since his several recent trips overseas. He seemed to have a good time, and I'm sure he'll have some good stories. Am glad he called; although a nice salad awaited me in the fridge already, some social time is always appreciated. I've been isolating myself more and more the past few months, not something that is necessarily all that healthy for social little extroverted me. I was dwelling on this yesterday some, that I'd committed myself so much that I wasn't making time to see friends. This was to some extent driven home by running into friends last week, friends with whom I used to go out a lot, and who had all been to an event at another friend's house, a function to which I had not been invited. I've dropped off a lot of radar screens, and that's not a good thing. It's at moments like those when I miss the self that comes out in my early entries in this journal. I went out so much, and recovered so quickly, and I miss the commaraderie from those days. I don't miss the drinking, but I do miss the dancing and the social time. It's at moments like those that I wonder what happened to me. And then I remember: I chose to change. The changes are somewhat for the good, somewhat not. I like the whole "responsible citizen" routine, I don't like the lack of contact with my friends. I like the better schedule of running, I don't like the weight gain I've had. I like the changes I've made in mo appearance, I don't like that I'm not finding ways to show them off. ... 03/6/1 8:50 p.m. Walk, walk, walk. Got the directions messed up and so walked an extra Metro stop back to the restaurant. No matter, the walk was a good one. I can feel the sun on my face now. Definitely a moisture mask kind of night. The cats should be suitably amused by that, and I expect it'll feel pretty good, too. Dinner was good. Chatting about nothing to do with the commission or the neighborhood was nice, too. A temporary respite from the usual responsibilities. ... Called Richard, he was doing well. Got home to see that I did indeed get a lot of sun on my lower arms, too, as I have a lovely watch band on my wrist in the middle of the red. Gotta love it. Anyway, time to put on a moisture mask, relax, and get some sleep to go running in the morning. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Third3 June 2003 Meetings There are few times I will really, truly get pissed and go off on someone, but I swear someone in the police is going to get an earful from me. Was supposed to have a police taskforce meeting tonight, got there, was told that it was "combined" with another meeting about 30 blocks away. Wouldn't be that big a deal, but I'm supposedly the head of the fucking taskforce that was meeting, and no one bothered to tell me that my meeting had been "combined" with another meeting. Am not best pleased. This on top of our local acting Lieutenant calling one of the other commissioners instead of myself about a pressing matter last Friday (when I'm the designated liaison to the police), and just generally feeling like I'm not much paid attention to by the police. I suspect a dressing down of someone may be in order. I don't like getting visibly (or audibly) upset with someone to their face, but I'm not going to be ignored, either. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Fourth9 June 2003 Pride/Men/Drinks Long run yesterday (9 miles) followed by a long walk back from downtown to Adams Morgan (4 miles or so). Whee! Very sore legs first thing this morning, but they're fine now. A run tomorrow will be fine. Wanted to run today, but needed the rest day. Had to put off the weekend long run because it was just miserable all day Saturday. Thankfully Sunday cleared up for the Pride Festival. Pride was fun. I was feeling a tad lost in the crowd until I spotted Brian, who I proceeded to drag with me all over the place. Ran into more people after that. Flirted gently with a friend of Brian and Robert's. Enjoyed the attention, of course, which is always flattering. Ran into T as well. He offered that it had been crazy of late (understandable) and that he'd like to explain later. I assented, confirmed that he had my contact info, and said my good-byes to run after the friends with whom I was walking then. I shan't push him, that's not my way, and he contacts me, so the better. If not, it's not my guilt, nor would I want to be the source of guilt. I have nothing but admiration for him (and a bit of a crush as well), and I hope it's not been too nuts for him. Wandering around looking at all of the food booths I was thinking what a pain in the ass this vegan thing can be. There was a time when I'd eat pretty much anything, at least once, and had an iron stomach (with the exception of dairy). And I've actually entertained the idea of saying to hell with it and putting small amounts of meat back in my diet. But every time I picture myself picking up a piece of meat with the intent to eat it I feel sick to my stomach, and I can't get past that. Ethics can be so troublesome at times, ya know? The walk up was a bit sore, but I've survived. The running is going really well, as is the not drinking. Was tempted briefly at Pride (they had beer and hard liquor on the street), but stuck with it. Kissing boys with alcohol on their breath was interesting with none on mine. A new experience. Well, a forgotten experience more likely (mono four years ago?), but new again for me. I found it... amusing. ;-) Richard returns from NYC this evening. He went up yesterday to accept an award from an industry group he works with. I was very proud when he told me he was getting to go up and do it. He works so hard for the losing venture that can be libraries in the public sector. Was good to see him get recognized outside of his Big Government Agency. hehehehe - he just hopped online and I sent him that paragraph *evil grin* So, The weekend balanced out. The not drinking has been good for me - I've run more, I've not needed nearly the caffeine I would have otherwise. Was a good decision, and leaving the bottle on the countertop to remind me was a good one, too. The constant in your face nature of it, without being painfully obvious to the world, has been a good reminder. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Fifth16 June 2003 Jitters I found a job announcement I'm going to apply for in my specialty, and I'm already getting nervous about it. My resume is up to date, I'm slowly working through the single KSA for the thing, and the application should not be terribly difficult to finish. I'm nervous, though, about the interview. Silly, yes, I've not even put in the application, and here I am worrying about the interview. I expect that I'll shear my hair back down to the usual, conservative look, and lose the chin fuzz. I'm not sure yet, I'll talk to Meyanne, but I really want this job, and appearance is not going to be something that holds it back. Which probably means hacking the hair back down into control. Until I'm there and on the job, of course. I also have the jitters because I got a massive headache this afternoon that was likely a combo of withdrawal and a pressure front. Caffeine won in the end. Which bugs the hell out of me, because a) it's not helping the small canker sore I have on my lower lip; and b) it's not conducive to good sleep. I slept okay last night, having drugged myself with melatonin, which will be repeated again tonight. I dislike the Judy Garland diet, though. Will have to try and be more vigilant with the stuff. It messed up my training last week (only ran Tuesday and Sunday!), which is Not A Good Thing. Alcohol was cut off for that very reason; it should be easier to get rid of the caffeine. Should be. So, jitters all around, both from job and from chemicals. Despite this, I cooked dinner last night, took it for lunch today (including salad!), bought stuff on the way home tonight to make in the morning for lunch and dinner tomorrow. I like this - gives me more control over what goes into my system and is cheaper to boot. Will be interesting to see how long I maintain it. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Sixth17 June 2003 Compromise I drew a compromise on my current caffeine addiction today - got a decaf this morning. No headache this afternoon, and I'm actually feeling nice and sleepy here at the end of the day. Not bad, fewer calories (less irritating to the canker sore that's currently almost dead), and I can wean off of those more quickly, I think, than sodas. So, a compromise between the withdrawal headaches and total readdiction. I think. The day went okay, nothing terribly exciting or terribly boring. It just was. I'm still thinking about looking for a new gym, one with a pool. The cost seems a bit much; my current BGA gym is only $312 a year (which is damned cheap for a gym these days!), but no pool. It's also relatively inconvenient if I want to work out on weekends or evenings - I have to go all the way to work and they're not open on weekends at all. *sigh* Don't know what I'm going to do, but I want to do something in the way of weights, and also add swimming to the routine. The running is great, the biking (when I actually bike) is good. No swimming. Kinda hard to do triathlons without the swimming part, ya know? And I do want to do triathlons still, it's just been a delayed thing. 1/2 Marathon this summer, perhaps a spring marathon, maybe the RnR Marathon in San Diego since I have a place to stay out there if I want to do that. I'll improve, I'll challenge myself more, but where to go next? Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Seventh18 June 2003 Curls/Libido I'd probably write more often if I were single, but I'd rather write less than lose Richard or Lawrence. First day of running longer in the middle of the week. It went well, I was pleased with the result. I'll have to get my ass out of bed earlier if I want to do more than 4 miles, but that's okay, I can do that. I hope. Was very humid today, so curls galore. Was very amusing to see reactions. I'm so glad Meyanne is back Friday - I need this stuff trimmed down some! I want curls, but this is getting silly. It feels odd to have my hair actually move when I shake my head. Much in the way that it felt odd when I first put in non-stud type earrings. Not bad, just odd. Work was work. A quick burst of panic mid-afternoon, followed by the feeling of wanting to strangle someone ("we've got to have this NOW!" then "Oh, wait, no we don't. Sorry!"). I want my libido back. I've been missing it and that's getting annoying. It's not that I don't get off on occasion, but I don't feel any particular urge to do so. It's more like, "oh, I should take care of that," rather than, "gotta do it!" I refuse to think it's a "getting old" thing, either. I think ye olde body is just being silly at the moment, and hopefully it'll be more normal later. The regular exercise usually helps, but I'm just skating along at the moment. Is perplexing, in a low-grade, background sort of way, not something I actively agonize over every day (unlike, say, my weight *grin*). Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Eighth22 June 2003 Summer? I think summer's here. At least it seems like it finally. Was in the 70s, and the SUN was out!!! Was wonderful. Ran the promised 10 miles yesterday and was doing fine. Got a twinge in the ankle this morning when I got up, so ibuprofen and some cold compresses were in order. Seems much better now, but I'll take tomorrow off from running anyway, just in case. I biked down to pick up Richard from Tour de Friends and help him haul his gear home. Got into an altercation with a cab because we didn't get out of his way fast enough. He honked, I flipped him off, he yelled at me as he passed, I flipped him off again. Twit. But anyway. Was pleased that the ankle did well with the biking, and walking around. So am hopeful it was a minor thing, quickly taken care of. Had a cookout at one of his friend's places to celebrate the return of he and several friends. Was gorgeous out, and being able to sit out on the deck was the perfect end to a lovely weekend. We need more like this - minimal rain, nice sun, perfect temps (high 60s to mid to high 70s). Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Forty Ninth25 June 2003 Gym/Swim Went to the YWCA today, took the tour, joined. So now I have a "real gym" that I'm paying real money for (as opposed to the BGA gym). They have a pool, which was the major draw, and a class on swimming for triathlons and other competitions. So now I have to do something more than just the running and the occasional bike ride. Including buying swimming stuff. I don't know if I'm ready to buy a swimsuit, but into the brink I must go. Methinks a trip back to Fleet Feet may be in order for suit, goggles, etc. The idea of stuffing myself into one of those little things is more than a tad intimidating. It's not like you can hide anything in one of those (well, maybe hide the Prince Albert, but that's about it). Lord have mercy. Another fear to face, another obstacle to overcome. Soon enough I'll be wearing the silly things in public, racing from the strand to my bike, thinking nothing of how I look, but only how I just swam and how I'm about to ride. I look forward to that day. But in the meantime, it's time to buy a suit. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Fiftieth29 June 2003 Swim/Bike/Nap Not quite a full triathlon day, but hey. ;-) Biked down to the Y this morning and met friends there. Played around in the water (can't call it swimming, yet!), got refamiliarized with it. I'm still pretty comfortable in it, thankfully. All those Red Cross swimming lessons paid off! Was fun, and was a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Totally got creepy old man checked out in the shower. I was done when he came in, then he watched me as I put on moisturizer, etc. Wasn't so odd, but he turned on like 3 showers and was going back and forth. That was the truly odd part. I barely restrained myself from bouncing out of the shower area and back into the locker room - decided teasing the animals would be rude. Biked up to the Dupont farmers' market, met Richard, got some baby spinach, some cherries, some sugar snap peas and a cucumber. Made a nice salad of the spinach and cucumber for lunch after biking home. Putzed some, then took a nice nap on camera. I'm such the tease - first the shower (I'm sure the guy just wanted to see the PA), then a nap on camera with no sex play. Oh well, wasn't in the mood when I woke up. Got ready, biked down to dinner in Georgetown with NRJTM and his man. Ethiopian, yum! Shopped some after that (Hello, my name is Moose, and I'm a book-a-holic), then biked back home through the city. Chatted some online, going to read for a bit before bed and hit the sack early. I want to get in early as I have my gym orientation tomorrow at lunch and I'll need food when I'm done. Today was such a sea change from yesterday. My run went badly (no injuries, just wasn't into it), was in a funk the rest of the night because of it. I perked up some for Richard, but wasn't the best company, I know. On top of that he's got a cold, so he wasn't in the best of moods, either. Poor guy. I'm glad I got to see him today while I was in a better mood. Archives |
|
Entry the Five Hundred and Fifty First30 June 2003 Measured/Hair Got myself measured today at the gym:
Not as bad as it might have been. The good old BMI is still in the "overweight" category, though barely. Grrr! 8 lbs and I'm under it and back to "normal" (hell, 18 lbs and I'm back to post-mono weight). Annoying little twit of a chart. It went smoothly and well. The orientation person was good at explaining the machines and how they all worked. Was very no-nonsense, but still relaxed, and no need to shower after because nothing was really done. She said they're working on adding more equipment and better monitoring (i.e., bike stress test, max bench press, etc.), but for the moment I got the routine check. They took other body measurements as well (biceps, hips, calves, etc.), but I don't remember those. In other news, I'm reconsidering the hair. I love the longer hair, don't get me wrong. I love the curls and the whole non-conformist look, but with the swimming and biking I did this weekend it looked consistently icky (especially post-bike ride), so I'm considering trimming it back again to the normal. Would be easier to care for, and would be cooler, too. Today was particularly miserable as it got into the 90s and humid. So, once I make a hair appointment I may have to talk her into trimming it back down. M likes to play with the hair as much as I've loved it, but it's getting too warm now, and too troublesome for my patience levels. Archives |
