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

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.

Its four in the morning and I just had to call security to come break up the party next door. There’s loud Tejano music (or is it Norteño? I can’t tell, and frankly I don’t know that I really care) coming through the wall, loud enough for me to understand the lyrics (if I spoke Spanish, that is), as well as drunken Spanish being spoken, over the music, loud enough for me to understand (again, if I spoke Spanish). Oh, and some of them are singing along now, too. Badly.

I may have to kill someone soon if they don’t stop. Four in the morning on a Sunday. And they wonder why I want to move?!?!

Been down at my parents’ place this weekend. Thus far the visit has gone well, and it’s been pleasant to see them, my brother and his family, and my aunt and her family. Folks have liked the stuff I brought down for them, and it’s just been a good time. I almost felt guilty in terms of my haul versus my brother’s (he didn’t make out well from the parentals in terms of “stuff”), and then I remembered that they’re paying his rent while he works on his MBA. At that, any guilt flew right out the window.

My brother did finally give a return on the gift I got him two years ago, as well as this year’s gift. Two years ago I got him a vegan dessert cookbook and a nice cheesecake springform pan. He loves the faux cheesecakes at Sticky Fingers, so I figured I’d give him a way to make his own. He hadn’t really tried it until he started grad school this fall, but along with the new food processor I gave him (yeah, he made out well from me), he’s been baking up a storm. The cheesecake was very good, and the fudge not bad (he used carob instead of chocolate, and while carob is okay, there’s no substitute for good chocolate). It’s a good thing he cooks, too, since his wife is (admittedly, on her part) not terribly handy in the kitchen.

I’ve also managed to keep up my exercise schedule, swimming yesterday for an hour, and I’ll go back to the local Y to run today. I’d not normally been so good about sticking with exercise when down here.

I will say that I’m very glad that my parents have WiFi, though.

Added more links off the Glen’s main page, catching up on the sites I read, either daily or less frequently. Will have to work on the coding later to sort them on the page, but for now they’re up and running at least.

Originally we thought my parents would have me sleeping in the motor home, but when it was revealed that there was no water in there, so if I wnted to use the loo it’s meant either going and then using a gallon of water to flush the thing manually, or coming inside, I said forget it and volunteered for the blow up mattress. It’s been okay so far, though some off dreams have resulted, mainly involving train travel and somehow or another wandering around San Francisco. Very odd, but not too bad, I’ve still managed to get enough sleep here.

Went grocery and wine shopping with Dad just now. Strangely (for them), it took me prompting them before we had anything to drink last night. The normal routine the past few years has been them practically popping the cork before we walked in the door, so to have almost gone two nights here without any wine was shocking, to say the least.

Oh, and while out with him I was reminded of something I forgot to mention here. Being an employee at a Big Government Agency, I have to go through mandatory training each year on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. Our training happened at the beginning of this month and was the usual exhortations not to pick on other people in the workplace, etc. Well, as I’m heading out of the training, one of our political appointees (one I’ve seen before in the halls) decides this is the proper time to start chatting me up. Literally, right in the hallway outside the training room, and down the hall as we walked back to the elevators, he chatted with me, subtly came out (as if I couldn’t tell), and then not-quite-overtly flirted with me. After he left it was all I could do not to laugh out loud at his ironic choice of timing.

Well, it’s almost time to haul out the Tofurkey™ (the real turkey and ham are already done), welcome my brother and his family back in, and open another bottle of wine, so it’s time for me to zip.

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.

Much goings on since the last post, and yet it feels like I don’t have a ton to report, either.

I did indeed wipe out my credit card debt, and the installments have started on the small loan I took out to pay them all off. I’m waiting until the statements cycle in the next week or two to make the final interest payments, and then that part of the debt is retired. Yes, it’s just a restructuring of the debt, but one that will reduce the time and overall cost considerably, so I’m pleased.

I also took out enough to purchase the tri bike I wanted to get. Two pictures, one from the official web site, one from my camera phone:

Am most pleased with the purchase thus far. I also picked up an indoor trainer the following day, a fluid trainer, so I can ride the beastie inside when I’m too lazy to take my ass outdoors it’s too nasty outside to ride there. The aero bars will definitely take some getting used to – the ride home from the shop, even using the Metro, was spent entirely on the outer bars where the brakes were, but then again, I was riding on city streets, not out on open road with no cars. Glad I got it now, though, so I have time to practice on it well before the race in June.

Training otherwise is going well. I’m making most of the planned training sessions, with the exception of the bike ones last week (for obvious reasons – no bike yet!). The double training days on Tu/Th are going pretty well, as is the planned day off on Wednesday. I’m glad to have that rest built into the middle of the week, it definitely helps break up the routine and give me time to remember that I used to have a life outside of training, as well as letting me do errands like, oh, getting my hair cut.

In not so happy news, I broke up with K. It’s a complicated story, and I don’t want to go into a lot of details here, but I’m not seeing him any more.

Work is getting busier by the day, and I’m not keeping up with it, much to my annoyance. I almost suspect we’re getting enough other stuff going on in my area to justify another 1/2 a body (with the other 1/2 to be other “general law” stuff), or even a full body to handle the loan stuff I’m learning now. What a mess that is. Sat through some training today on it and I have to say, I’m almost wishing I’d done the joint JD/MBA degree rather than the JD/MA – the financing stuff would be very useful right about now.

Tired a lot of late from the training. A good tired, but still tired. Oh, and I gave up caffeine the week of Thanksgiving again. Had a decaf that weekend, and some sips of tea one lunch, but otherwise have steered clear of it. Honestly, it’s been a lot easier to dump this time than the original trip back in 2000-2001. Haven’t really felt the need for the stuff, despite the tiredness from the training, and my continuing trips down to the cafeteria in the morning before work (a ritual I do with one of the other new attorneys – used to get coffee together, now she gets coffee and I occasionally get a bagel). Glad I did it, and I look forward to having it completely out of my system again in another couple of months.

No more bites to report, though I find myself increasingly irritated at the management of the building for their (to my mind) poor business decisions in who they’re renting to. They’ve done nothing about the guys next door, only spraying when I fuss about the bugs returning. I had to pound on the wall on Sunday when I got home to get them to turn their music down (like I want to hear their music loudly and clearly through a concrete wall), and while they had the good sense to turn it down (had they not, security would have been called), it was still an incredible annoyance on an otherwise okay day. I so look forward to getting away from them and their unwanted little guests (both the two- and multi-legged varieties).

I need to arrange for a good full body massage sometime soon. It’s funny, I have so many friends who are professional massage therapists now that my problem is deciding which therapist to use for any given issue. But some work on the back/shoulders and legs is needed and soon.

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.

Richard and I may be considering moving sooner rather than later. In the shower this morning I discovered a what appears to be another bed bug bite on my ankle.

Needless to say, I am not pleased.

The acid test is, of course, if I have more bites tomorrow morning, which always makes for a wonderful night’s sleep (not), waiting to see if I get bitten. In the mean time, I’m making phone calls about housing down in SW today.

In other news™, I had a wonderful swim this morning, 41 minutes, a couple 300s & 200s thrown in there, at a nice, aerobic pace. I’m getting better and judging how fast I need to be going to keep myself from overdoing it, which is good. Plus there’s the added bonus of smelling like chlorine all day. Was a good workout. Hopefully the treadmill run will go as well this evening.

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 need to find an excuse to wear these brown slacks more often – they show off my ass nicely.

This was the morning to watch people do stupid things on mass transit, like refuse to move either out of the way or to the back of the bus to let more people get on, or to stand right in the way at the entrance to the Metrorail car. Rule #2 in full force.

Not enough sleep the last two nights, so no swim this morning. Grrr. Despite that, it was good to go grab food with the Imp last night and catch up on how his Body Electric experience went this past weekend.

No new bed bug bites, so we seem to have killed them off for good. Knock wood and all that.

There are times when I’m doing my job where I feel slightly overwhelmed at the magnitude of the stuff I work on at the Big Government Agency (stuff that I do not and will not mention here, as most readers know).

The new futon mattress sort of folds over the frame, but not quite as well as the original (mainly because it’s a better mattress). I did get it on there, and it was comfortable to curl up on, but it still looks a tad out of place yet. Not sure if I want it to settle or not, but at least it’s comfortable, which is ultimately more important than how it looks (stop looking at me that way, and no, you can’t have my queer card for saying it, either).

It’s been almost three weeks since Orkin was last here, and no bites so far. Very, very good news. I was getting tired of constantly being on the watch for new bumps on my skin (aside from the ever-present and should-be-oh-so-illegal-after-you-turn-30 acne). Keep your fingers crossed that the good luck continues to hold.

Work’s been busy, life’s been busy. I’m starting to get into a regular training grove again, in time to get myself up to the baseline for the program I want to do come December. Plans for next year are, so far, the 1/2-ironman race in June, and a fall marathon. Not having done a full marathon yet, I figure it’d be a good idea to do one by itself before doing one at the end of a triathlon. And it’s a good goal for the fall, give me some good running time in to improve those skills.

I’m temporarily back on sudafed at the moment. The building switched over to heat on Friday and I think it’s awakened all of the nice nasty things that live on the radiators and that normally hibernate in the summer with the ac on. So I’m a little bit sniffly, and a little bit sudafed-y. Led to some whacked out dreams last night, and a dragging Moose today. Crashing a tad earlier than the norm (and about when I should be crashing) to get a full 8 hours if I can. Plan is to bike on the stationary trainer tomorrow, and a run Wednesday. Swimming should start up again next week as I ease back into things (and after the nose/sinuses should be back to normal). Had a good 5 mile run Saturday and an hour and a half on the bike Sunday, so I’m pleased with where I’m getting to now. I’ve been doing well while not on the sudafed, my heart rates are staying back down in more normal ranges, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes while back on it for the next day or so.