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

I find myself wary of crossing streets. Go fig. Actually, I find myself wanting to have a large mace or sledge hammer prominently held in hand with which to threaten errant drivers (and just think of the weight lifting benefits of hauling one around!), but I don’t suppose that’s practical in this day and age.

I also find it sad that “a good night out drinking” is having two glasses of wine before dinner and being happy I don’t have a hangover (even if my nose is a little sniffly from the lovely Steele zinfandel I was sipping).

I’m currently talking to a realtor about co-ops/condos down in the SW Waterfront area of DC. I like the concept of owning, and the tax benefits therefrom, but the whole house hunting part is just nerve wracking & stomach churning, and this after all I’ve done is skim listings online & fill out some basic loan information. Oy. This being an adult thing can be difficult.

Got hit with a big nasty right before I left work. Won’t go into details (not that I ever do, with work), but I actually brought work home tonight.

Yes, I’m as shocked as you are, gentle reader.

Thankfully this isn’t the norm for my job or I’d have to kill someone seriously consider other employment.

I see the physical therapist tomorrow. Have to have her run off a new copy of the exercises I’m to do as the original three sheets (6 per sheet) were a casualty of the exploding shampoo bottle (and did I mention that my gym bag smells of orange candy now? It does. The joys of using kids shampoo to get the chlorine out of my hair). Also checking on the progress of all the gut-sucking transverse ab work she’s had me doing.

Been having too much caffeine of late, which has left me somewhat restless & anxious. The fire alarm here in the building (something was going on, fire trucks showed up, though we did not evacuate) right at 10 p.m. was not a help, either. Stayed up a bit longer to make sure we didn’t need to herd the cats into carriers and head out, hence the writing, but it appears we’re in the clear. In the meantime I’m listening to my “mellow” song list in iTunes and trying to put myself in the mood to sleep.

The Uberlist is down to the last 20 or so items, which is always the most difficult part to me. The big stuff is on there, now it’s little things that might or might not need to go on a list. I think the uberlist idea might need to cut back by half or so or I’m not going to be able to get anywhere near finishing most items on it. While I love the concept, the sheer volume of things is a tad much to come up with.

I’ve done my southern roots proud and had my black-eyed peas, served up in a vegan version of hoppin’ john. Alas, I did not make cornbread or collard greens, but I did make the peas, and that was the important part, according to my grandmother.

Otherwise, the new year has thus far been nice and quiet.

I did my traditional new years day run. Since recovering from mono back in 99/00, and making my first run on new year’s day 2000, I’ve made it a tradition to run on that day. No heart rate monitor, no watch, no music, just whatever clothes are needed for the weather, my shoes, and me. Was a good run this afternoon, my first outside in a while.

I apologize to those of you who’ve been so kind in your emails, calls or text messages. As you may have figured out by now, I’ve been dealing with some pretty nasty depression of late. Right now I just want to get moved to a new place, get settled there, get away from the bugs and the loud music, and see where it is I’m going from there. This has not been helped by the lovely cold sore that popped up yesterday morning with none of the usual warnings (no tingling, etc.). Woke up and there the little fucker was. Thankfully it’s progressed along just as quickly and the meds I have seem to be helping speed it along. ‘Tis past the painful stage and onto just plain annoying. But it did not help my mood any yesterday, and it just reinforced the decision to stay at home and just ruminate on stuff.

The good part of this, however, has been that I’ve been cooking up a storm. In additon to the aforementioned hoppin’ john, I’ve made roasted butternut squash, breakfast tofu scramble, barbeque baked lentils, and garlic roasted asparagus for various meals. I’ll have leftovers galore this week for lunches, which is better than buying stuff on campus any day of the week.

Still working on this year’s uberlist. Did learn some things from the past year’s list, and I want to make this thing work.

Dear heavens, is it really only Tuesday?

I head down to the Tidewater area this weekend to visit the parental units in their new semi-permanent digs in Great Bridge. Am headed down early because a) it’s easier to get leave, and b) they want to head off to Florida in the RV right after the 26th. Will be a relatively quick visit (Friday-Monday), but that’s enough I think.

Life otherwise is relatively full. I have way too many events to attend at the moment, it being December, and my performance is showing it. Slept in a tad too much this morning, was still too tired from Sunday, and so cut the swim short. As dedicated as I am training and doing this half-Ironman™, I did finally learn that it’s perfectly okay to cut a workout short if my heart and/or body is just not in it. Better to rest, knowing I went out and tried, than to go for broke, injure myself and force an even greater (and more damaging) rest upon myself. Didn’t run this evening, either, but I’m not terribly worried about that. Did laundry instead, in prep to head out to the ‘rents’ place.

Checked my credit reports again, for the first time since I sent corrections to all the companies in May. Experian and TransUnion were both correct now, with no errors that I could find (and increased FICO scores since the last time I checked – sweet), but Equifax had done nothing to my file. It still listed me as Moose III (I’m Moose II), and had my Laurel, Maryland address, the one I moved out from in 1999, as my primary address. The woman I spoke with last night suspected I probably have multiple files there, so I’ve faxed off a letter with information and a copy of my driver’s license today to help them sort that out and get back to me. I’m ticked that they did nothing with the materials I mailed to them in May, so insisted on a fax number this time (“Well, we don’t really like to take things by fax…”), and after many hours of trying, the letter and photocopy finally got through (the number was consistently busy all day). Hopefully that’ll be sufficient to get the various files reconciled there and I can get a real file to go through instead of this crappy anemic one they keep trying to foist off on me.

It’s gotten into some nastily cold weather here in DC, I suppose prepping us for the shortest day of the year here in a week or so. I’m stilll contemplating which coat to get from dear old L.L. Bean™ this winter to replace the ‘heavy’ one I’ve had since, oh, high school. The coupons have been rolling in from Christmas and the purchase of the bicycle (none of it sitting on the card, mind you – it’s all been paid off, almost as soon as it goes on), so it’s just a matter of time, but man, this week has had me itching to get a new one like mad. I think it was in the 20s both going to and coming home from work, with not much of an increase in between. Send me back to the sub-tropics, please! I want my only-gets-down-to-40-at-the-coldest winter weather back. Shorts by March. Definitely much more my kind of weather than this crap.

Made arrangements to take next Friday off from work (the 2nd) and go get fitted for and hopefully take home a Specialized Transition Elite triathlon bike. That’s the next piece of major equipment for the race in June. I think the only other big things I need after that are an indoor trainer and a wetsuit, then I’m good to go.

Also started the process to remove the last bits of my credit card debt. I’m taking a small loan out against my federal retirement account, which will then get paid back through payroll deductions over the next three years. It accomplishes a couple of major things: 1) Reduces the balances on all my credit cards, and my debt consolidation loan through the credit union, to zero; 2) Lowers the interest rates, even on the debt loan, by over half, and in one case to about a quarter of what it is now; and 3) Gives me a time certain when these things will be paid off. I was leery of borrowing against my retirement savings, but you know, getting rid of this debt faster and cheaper is worth it.

Da Boss also came in to talk about bonuses, so it seems those are happening this year. I was given a new choice this fall; in addition to the time-off-versus-cash options I got last year (cash, cash, cash!), I was offered a Quality Step Increase (QSI). The QSI would have been a better deal in the long run, as it was worth more than the cash over the long haul, but for the fact that Da Boss also mentioned that there will be talks this time next year with Da Really Big Boss (aka the political appointee head of my office, who happens to like me a lot) about a grade increase. If the grade increase happens, which it is likely to do, the QSI becomes not as valuable over the long run. So I chose the cash. When it’ll come in is anybody’s guess, but that’s money that can be used for moving, whenever that happens.

A tad sleepy today. The building is spraying for the bed bugs again today, so was out on the futon last night. The usual Sunday night jitters were running through my head, including thoughts about the loan I just discussed. I’m also caffeine-less today as I’m going through with the plans to kick the habit again. Done it before, can do it now. I’m sure that isn’t helping the sleepies, but damn it, I’m tired of being chemically dependent to stay awake during the day, or to get up in the morning.

All in all a busy day thus far. Weight workout planned after work, then home to figure out foodstuffs with Richard.

So, when last we left our hero, he had possibly discovered that the loverly little bed bugs were back.

So, of course, he went out and got drunk last night with Brian and Jhim (and Josh, whose URL I don’t know).

Ouch. Halo’s 2-for-1 drink dealie is not my friend.

Thankfully there is a lovely coffee place here in the BGA building, and so a nice little donut and full-strength coffee were enjoyed/are being enjoyed here at my desk. Otherwise I’m working through a little memo that’s been bugging me for a couple weeks now and I am determined to kill it, kill it dead, today. I want it off my desk and in someone else’s hair.

Distressingly, my iPod speakers here at work are broken – the right speaker isn’t playing any more. Wouldn’t have noticed, but California Dreaming came on, and since that has to play from both speakers, it was a little unbalanced with only the women’s voices coming through. Ah well.

Todd, whom I have I not mentioned here before, but who is someone I’ve started seeing recently, came and took care of me after teh drunk was gotten on, which was very sweet of him.

Anyway, back to the memo from hell, and the last bits of coffee here.

Even though the folks at work seem to universally have a pretty good opinion of me and my work product, I always dread performance reviews. It’s an irrational fear, but it’s there. Did the latest one today, and it was fine, as usual.

We’re experiencing the calm before the storm here in DC, literally. There’s a cold front moving through that’ll drop our temps a good 20 degrees or so this afternoon, but in the meantime it’s hot & humid here inside the Big Government Agency and that’s got a lot of people on edge. Me, I’m staying holed up in my office for as long as I can and avoiding eye contact with stressed out gubmint workers (which is pretty much everyone here).

I think I’ve decided Wednesdays will be my rest days on the tri training plan. I need at least one (other) work day evening with nothing after work, so Wednesdays it is. I’ve been trying out the schedule I want to follow and so far it’s pretty good, aside from needing more sleep time. I expect that to get a tad better as I shake things out and get into more of a routine here soon, but in the meantime I’m coasting through. Made all the more fun because I’m reducing my caffeine use with an eye to kicking it again. I’ve said I wanted to do that, and I think it’s time now. Have gotten myself down to a small decaf in the mornings and that’s it, so I think this is doable. And this is the time of year I did it last time – the normal disruptions of the holiday period were, strangely enough, conducive to dumping the stuff from my diet, so I’m trying what’s worked before. Keep your fingers crossed.

Bought Madonna’s latest but haven’t had much time to listen to it yet. So far so good, much better than the last one (may Mirwais rot in hell for that drivel – one album of it was okay, two was death).

In an odd place, as is probably normal, with Richard. We’re slowly making the transition down to roomies & friends, and I think it’ll be fine, but in the meantime it’s still a touch raw and awkward. I’m helping him with some work stuff, and we’re still chatting (still no thrown dishes or ugly words), so it’s just day by day there.

Looked at some places to rent online. I’m definitely leaning toward one particular building, with an efficiency, 600 square feet with a balcony. Still looking in SW, that’s still the best looking locale for now.

I used to like fall. The comfortable temps, the holiday prep, etc. Since I’ve started running and the like, though, it’s more of a pain in the ass than anything else.

The light is wrong, clear, yet “off” from the norm. Leaves everywhere make the paths treacherous to my klutzy self – either they’re wet and slippery or dry and treacherous. Plus they hide rocks, sticks and other things that can make one, oh, say, break one’s ankle.

Give me summer any day of the week.

In other news™, I made the plunge on Thursday and signed up for the Mooseman 1/2 Ironman for next June 4th. Yup, I’m insane, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Right after I clicked the “submit” button, I think it hit fully that I was actually going to be doing this. I’ve been wanting to do a 1/2 Ironman distance race this next year, and how could I resist a race named the Mooseman? But yeah, life is going to be a lot different with the training and what not. 2006 promises to be a busy year.

I want to do a fall marathon as well, and I’m undecied as to whether to try to get into the Marine Corps Marathon or to just go for another local-ish fall marathon. Since my eventual timeline is to try for an Ironman race in 2007, I’d kinda like to have done a full marathon first (I did a 1/2 marathon back in 2003 after the bike accident and before the broken ankle – 2003 was a particularly bad year for accidents), before attempting one at the end of a triathlon.

I’ll probably also end up doing Diamond in the Rough to help with the club championship series for my tri club as well. Past that, I’ll have to dig for other races for next season yet. But Mooseman and Diamond will be the two that I’m going to focus on for now, with Mooseman taking priority.

I think I may be fighting off a head cold at the moment. Sudafed has been drafted once more, and I’m hopeful it’ll be a short thing. Been spending a lot of time out of the house lately, and some late nights have probably caught up with me. I’m trying to get stuff out of my system before I become a triathlon hermit. Once I start the training, I don’t anticipate that I’ll have much energy for much else outside work, training and the other minutiae of life. And honestly, I’m okay with that. Triathlon, specifically building toward an Ironman, is something I’ve wanted for a good many years, and now I’m pursuing it, and that’s what’s going to be the priority for me.

Spent a most pleasant weekend just hanging out, doing not much of anything. I stayed out of the house (which is odd for me – I’m normally Mr. Homebody). Wandered some in town, did dinner in Georgetown (which is very odd – I hate wandering around G’town more than once a quarter or so – the sidewalks are too narrow and the other f*cking suburbanite shoppers are too f*cking clueless to know to do things like, oh, walk on the right, or get the hell out of the way rather than stop right in front of someone who’d like to mow them down keep walking down the sidewalk), found some triathlon books I had been looking for, and generally had a pleasant time. One forgets how nice this city can be to live and play in.

I did not sleep at all last night. I think I finally crashed around 5 this morning.

About mid-afternoon yesterday, while sitting in a meeting, my arm began to itch. “Oh, fuck,” was my first thought, “not again,” being the second. Checked when I got back to my office, and it did appear to be a bug bite of some sort (they take a while to develop when it’s only one, versus being covered in them). So of course I’m thinking it’s the bed bugs again. Frak. Me.

So what happened was that every time I tried to lie down to sleep last night, I would freak out at any little movement, with the result that sleep was nigh impossible, until exhaustion forced it upon me. No new bites this morning, that I can tell, but the little shits next door were playing the most cliche of early 90s dance music this afternoon, loudly, which does nothing to help endear them to me any more than they already are.

Needless to say, I’ve stayed home today. I need to go make myself a little coffee here shortly, but I’m suffering from a decided lack of energy. Go fig. Nap time soon, but coffee first.