TZ Marathon

Never gets old. Right now I'm watching "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," back when planes were sorta creepy and flight attendants were young and attractive. This episode also offers good evidence why you shouldn't sit near the wing of the plane (gremlin!).

Is it strange...

...that I just watched 15 Celebrity Bouncebacks on E! while eating Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chunk straight from the container?

And we're back in business!

After deciphering some cryptic console recalibration instructions, my treadmill is finally back in business! Thank God I don't have to replace the console, or worse yet, buy a whole new treadmill (not that I'd have the money to do that, anyway). I just hope I don't jinx myself with premature excitement over my treadmill's miraculous recovery...now is the time of year where I really need it.

Why does this always happen to me?

Dollhouse has been canceled...why do all my favorite shows seem to have such short lives?

Dawg Dash

On Sunday I'm running the Dawg Dash. Three years ago I did the 5K, and two years ago I did the 10K. Last year I slept. This year I decided to stick with the shorter distance since I haven't properly trained to do the 10K, though that's not to say that a longer race isn't in the works for the near future. I've always wanted to do the 12K's of Christmas (mainly because I love the name of the race and think it's really cute and clever). But even as I'm typing this right now, I'm beginning to realize that if I actually want to do the 12K's of Christmas, which is a mere two months away, I will have to start training immediately. I like racing more obscure distances because then it forces me to be less competitive with myself, and because I'm always guaranteed a PR. Anyway, my goal for Sunday is to beat my 5K time from three years ago. The main problem is that the Dawg Dash course is pretty challenging-- it's really hilly and there will be a ton of people running it. My other goal is to beat all of my friends. I think there are eight of us running it, and I'm pretty sure I can beat everyone, boys included. The only other obstacle is that there's a good chance it will be pouring down rain during the race-- but hey, it's Seattle, right? And nothing can be as horrible (or as utterly unpredictable) as running in the snow in the St. Patrick's Day Dash.

If I see one more...

...Proactiv commercial with a girl that has three pimples and complains about her face "breaking out everywhere," I'm going to scream.

Oh, Comcast

What a love-hate relationship I have with Comcast. I called last month intending to discontinue my cable service because it was so expensive, and I ended up getting $30 knocked off my bill and a cable upgrade. So I gotta give them credit for their customer service. As a result of all these changes, however, there was a mistake on my bill this month. Naturally I was irritated that I had to call them again. But I guess it was worth it: now I have free DVR service for one year! If they weren't so ridiculously incompetent, they wouldn't have to keep rectifying their mistakes by giving me more deals, but I guess, ultimately, it's worth it, because I end up getting what I want (which is lots of TV and a way to record my shows).

Toddlers & Tiaras

I am completely appalled by this show, yet unable to change the channel. How in the world can parents actually think that it's OK to dress their daughters up like creepy little dolls and then watch them get awarded titles like "Most Beautiful Face" and "Prettiest Eyes"? It's so disturbing.

True Blood season finale

This Sunday...I have to find a way to watch it that doesn't involve inadvertently downloading viruses...

Computer virus

So unfortunately my laptop contracted a horribly malicious computer virus. I think it actually came from a torrent file link that told me I needed some weird program to download in order to watch an episode of True Blood. All last Sunday was spent backing up all of my files, and I was lucky enough that the virus didn't attach itself to them. So now my computer has been shipped off to Tejas to have its hard drive wiped, and I am using a loaner iMac from N. Prior to this virus, I hadn't been running any anti-virus software on my computer, so let this be yet another lesson learned the hard way.

Ikea

I think it's safe to say that most people have a love-hate relationship with Ikea: we love the incredible selection of everything ranging from furniture to plastic bag dispensers, the ridiculously low prices, and the unintentionally absurd Swedish product names (Fartyg, anyone?); at the same time, we hate the sheer size of the store, which renders a quick trip virtually impossible, and the awkwardly-sized giant yellow shopping bags made of tarp material. But most of all we hate the fact that everything is sold in pieces, with instructions (if we're lucky) that consist of obscure schematic drawings that look like the blueprint for a Rube Goldberg invention.

Unforuntately, the product that I purchased yesterday, a four-pack of 99-cent picture frames entitled "Clips," has no directions. You'd think assembling a picture frame wouldn't be that complicated, but I have absolutely no idea how to attach the metal "clips" to the picture frame. This is a project that could potentially consume the better half of my Sunday afternoon-- and most likely will, since the majority of the fun/frustration derived from a successful Ikea shopping trip occurs in the aftermath, when you find yourself at home, sitting cross-legged on your floor, surrounded by a stack of glass frames, cardboard backing, and a pile of metal clips with no instructions, pictorial or otherwise.

Sweatyville

Remember that Smallville episode where there's a massive heat wave and everyone is all sweaty and sexy? Well, it's kind of like that in Seattle right now, minus the sexy part.

It's gonna be a hot 'n' sweaty weekend!

Events I'd normally be looking forward to this weekend:

Saturday: Running the Torchlight 8K

Sunday: Softball Play-offs

Events I'm not looking forward to this weekend because it's supposed to be in the nineties:

Saturday: Running the Torchlight 8K

Sunday: Softball Play-offs

Why does this have to be the weekend where I have multiple sporting events planned? Over-ambitious Marisa had to register for the 5-mile race instead of the 3-mile race. Our (surprisingly) not-so-bad softball team had to make the play-offs. Of course I'm jokingly being sarcastic about these things, but still...how the heck am I supposed to run around when it's in the nineties? I'm going to be very sweaty and sunburned by Sunday night, but if I'm lucky, I'll also have another race under my belt and a softball championship title.

I heart Harry Potter 6!

I saw HP 6 last night...well, technically this morning, since it was at midnight. I loved it! The sixth book is my favorite Harry Potter book, and I thought the movie did an excellent job of capturing the tone of the book. And it was surprisingly hilarious at times. Every HP film has a few moments where I chuckle, but this one definitely had the most. And I think that can be attributed to J.K.'s brilliant ability to capture the simultaneous awkwardness/sweetness of being a teenager, which was perfectly translated in film.

HP 6 also broke the box office record for a midnight showing, bumping Dark Knight off its high horse.

HP 6 in T minus 26!

I've been dying to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This movie is l-o-n-g overdue (I'm still bitter over its delayed release, but I'm sure all bitterness will dissolve once I am at the theater tomorrow night at midnight!).

16 and Pregnant

What is it with me and pregnancy shows? This MTV show is a good one, though. Every episode features a different teen and follows her in the months leading up to the birth of the baby and then for a little while after the baby's birth. So far, most of the girls on the show have decided to keep their babies.

Fashion Faux Pas

I went to Target today right after work. About thirty minutes into my shopping trip, when I was trying on a bathing suit in the dressing room, I suddenly realized that I was wearing the Target uniform: I had on khaki capris and a red T-shirt. I felt so self-conscious after that I could barely focus on my shopping. The worst part is, I know I've laughed at people (in my head) several times before when I've noticed unsuspecting Target customers dressed in red and khaki. I guess it was karma today.

For all you cat lovers out there...

Here's an interesting article from Scientific American.

"Whereas other once wild animals were domesticated for their milk, meat, wool or servile labor, cats contribute virtually nothing in the way of sustenance or work to human endeavor. How, then, did they become commonplace fixtures in our homes?"

I ask Hector the same question every day...

Car repair$

Dropped off my car today to get some repairs done...it's going to cost $635. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they don't find anything else wrong with it!

Run with the Cops

On Saturday I am doing a 5K called "Run with the Cops...Not from them!" Cute, isn't it? I'm looking forward to this race because it should be a pretty flat, fast course (well, the jury's still out on the "fast" part, but I think we're OK on the "flat"). This will be my third race this year, and I'm registered for another one at the end of July-- an 8K (about 5 miles). I had a burst of over-ambition the day I signed up for it, so we'll see how that one goes when the time comes...

Gotta go-- Hector is curled up against me making my body temperature about ten degrees warmer than is comfortable. That boy is too darn furry! (And yes, I am aware that this whole thing would sound really creepy if you weren't aware that Hector is a cat...)

Harper's Island

If you are not watching this show, you should be. Not because it's exceptionally brilliant or anything, but because it's a veritable board game come alive: think Clue and those How to Host a Murder Mystery boxed games. The winning combination of chintzy murder mystery motifs and archetypal suspects plays out on a TV screen like a well-paced novel of the same genre-- and that is enough to keep me addicted to this semi-low-budget-yet-all-too-intriguing production of murder, betrayal, and basic cable-oriented sex.

Plus, it's set on a fictitious island located off the coast of Seattle, where it mysteriously never seems to rain...that might be the real mystery behind the goings-on of Harper's Island.

Eeeeep! (That's me squealing with excitement)

Heat Wave!

85 degrees today! Yikes! Seattleites have come out of hiding and are swarming Green Lake. Hector is doing his best to stay cool despite his (adorably) ridiculous fluffiness. And I'm fighting this unprecedented heat wave by eating ice cream sandwiches and popsicles-- and loving every minute of it.

Sunburned

My shoulders are sunburned and it hurts to play my violin and wear my purse on my shoulder. :(

What happened to normal popsicles?

Earlier today I was at the grocery store, navigating my way through the throngs of old people during my mid-morning market run. The past few nights I've had a hankering for popsicles, so I went to the frozen food aisle looking for a regular box of cherry, grape, and orange popsicles. To my surprise and frustration, I couldn't find any normal frozen treats. There were 10-calorie popsicles, "all natural" popsicles, and other weird diet and organic-sounding crap. All I wanted were regular fruit-flavored popsicles. What the F happened to them?? I don't care about the number of calories they have or whether they are naturally flavored or not-- in fact, I'd even go so far as to say that I prefer a popsicle that has a higher calorie count than a Tic-Tac and is artificially flavored. Obviously, I'm not eating popsicles because I think they're healthy and take the place of fruits and vegetables. Just like I don't eat Snackwells cookies or Weight Watchers brand anything (if I want a cookie, I'm going to eat a chocolatey, fatty, deliciously fulfilling cookie-- well, OK, I'd probably eat more than just one, but that's beside the point). I just wanted a freakin' frozen, flavored stick of ice! Eventually I found one of those cheaper brands of popsicles that comes in a plastic bag and doesn't sounds like it's a dietary supplement. I'm still bummed I couldn't find my normal, non-health fad popsicles, though. Maybe I need to check out another grocery store besides Safeway...or maybe I should invest in those plastic make-your-own popsicle kits.

I didn't know I was pregnant

And no, I'm not talking about myself (thank God!). It's a TV show on TLC that chronicles bizarre cases of women who didn't know they were pregnant until they delivered a baby. The most interesting thing is that these aren't cases dealing with trashy, overweight teenagers who end up throwing their babies in garbage cans. Typically they are women who have some type of condition where they don't menstruate or do so infrequently (apologies to my male readers, but that's how reproduction works) and are either initially overweight so they don't notice the pregnancy weight gain or are super petite and barely gain any weight. But anyway, it's a good show. It's probably sort of strange that I watch it with my boyfriend...

Obsession & Withdrawal

I am obsessed with True Blood. Both the TV show and the books that the show is based on. I watched the first season on TV when I got HBO for free for six months because Comcast screwed up and tried to make amends (which I guess they did, in a way, since I probably wouldn't have gotten hooked on True Blood if it wasn't for my free HBO). Anyway, I have been going through withdrawal for the past six months that the show has been on hiatus, so I've been reading the books in the meantime. And I love them. I'm also excited because I found out that Amazon has a new section in their book department called "Paranormal Romance." You can't get much more escapist (and much hotter) than Paranormal Romance.

Only a little over a month 'til season two of True Blood!

GRRRRRR!!!

I just spent an hour filling out an online application, and then I accidentally clicked out of it. I want to scream so loud right now!

Words of truth?

I heard this on Millionaire Matchmaker today: "Men...they practice with blonds, they marry brunettes."

Can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

M's Home Opener

In a little over an hour, I will be at Safeco Field...


I can't wait to see Griffey!!!!

Just to give you a taste...

...of how cold our winter has been this year:

Finally, for just the third time sine 1891 there has been over an inch of snow in each of the winter months -- December, January, February and March. The only other times that has happened was in 1970-71 and 1895-96. (komotv.com)

and...

As we close the book on March, it will go down as the coldest March since 1976, and 7th coldest since records were kept at Sea-Tac Airport (1945). The average temperature was 41.7 degrees -- a full 4.5 degrees below normal. (1976 was 41.2). (komotv.com)

It was almost a "snow-go"

When I woke up last Sunday morning on the day of my race, I expected it to be pouring down rain-- what I did not expect was for it to be snowing. Yes, that's right: big, white flakes falling from the sky. As soon as the race began, the snow changed to rain, but it was FREEZING. Once I started running it wasn't so bad, but right before and after the race was pure torture-- I actually almost started crying afterwards when I was dripping wet and realized that my fingers felt like they had frostbite. Apparently it was the worst weather in the 25-year history of the St. Patrick's Day Dash, but what do you expect from a bizarre winter where Seattle has recorded record inches of snow? In many ways, though, the weather was the least of my troubles. This race happens to be the largest St. Patrick's Day race in the nation (apparently Seattle is really into its Irish heritage-- go figure), and there were 15,100 people running it. It was by far the most congested race I've ever run, and I spent most of my time trying to weave in and out of people. Needless to say I didn't break any records or set any PR's (not that I expected to, anyway, given my dearth of running in the past nine months or so), since the ridiculousness of how over-crowded the roads were made this race nearly impossible to run.

But it was still fun, as all races are, and now I'm excited for what I hope is actual spring weather during the next race that I run (maybe the end of April and/or mid-May).

Countdown to St. Patrick's Day Dash

Well, tomorrow is race day, and I have to wake up bright and early at 7am to head downtown to run the St. Patrick's Day Dash. My "cramming" for this race has gone better than expected: I ran the exact race distance (3.75 miles) twice this week, and was able to do it in a (what I thought was) respectable time. So I'm happy about that. Here's what I'm not happy about: tomorrow it's supposed to be windy and rainy with a high of 44 and an 80% chance of rain. In other words, a pretty unideal running environment: cold, wet, and early in the morning-- not my favorite, I must admit. And despite the fact that people might assume that I should be used to racing in the rain, given that I am in Seattle, after all, I have yet to actually run an official race in crappy weather. Believe it or not, of the 12 races I have run over the past nearly four years, not one of them has been rainy. So there, all you Seattle weather pessimists. It isn't always rainy here. But today it has been, and tomorrow it probably will be, too. Maybe I will run faster to get it over with sooner!

Who laid a big one?

I either have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, or I am legitimately unlucky when it comes to foul odors. Here's my latest incident: the other day I stepped into the elevator of my apartment building and was immediately accosted with an overwhelming smell of farts. Had I known beforehand that someone had dropped a bomb in the elevator (or maybe a few, judging by the intensity of the odor), I would have taken the stairs. But no. I was trapped as I descended three floors to the parking garage, locked in a flatulent chamber of toxic gas. Farting in a confined space is just plain cruel.

Am I supposed to know?

Am I supposed to know exactly what I want to do with my life right now? I feel like everyone I know is so self-assured and on a "path," and I feel like I have eight different paths going eight different directions, possibly with eight different dead-ends. Does anyone else feel like this? Sometimes I think I am the only one who feels like this, but I know (at least, I hope) that that's not true. All I know is that I'm 25 years old, and while that sounds like it means "adult" when I say it out loud and looks like the word "adult" when I write it down on paper, it's really just two numbers, joined together out of necessity of the passage of time, that have no connection to the word "adult."

Life was so much easier when I was (technically) a kid.

Bleh

The thought of life right now and everything about it at this very moment makes me want to puke.

WALL-E watches

Yesterday, I was reaching behind the passenger seat of my car to get something, when I stumbled across not one, but two, plastic blue WALL-E watches in their original cellophane packaging.

I have absolutely no idea where they came from, who they belong to, or why they were under the seat in my car. They look like Happy Meal toys or prizes from a cereal box...

If you or anyone you know has any information about the WALL-E watches, please contact me. In the meantime, I am the proud new owner of WALL-E watches, featuring blue plastic wristbands and a digital time display.

Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match!

It's all about Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo. If you haven't watched this show yet, you've gotta check it out. The show is a snapshot into the day-to-day operations of the Millionaire's Club, a matchmaking business run by snarky, matriarchal CEO Patty (who looks like a genetic hybrid of former WWF wrestler Chyna and Lucy Lawless's Xena). The Millionaire's Club caters to fulfilling the romantic whims of spoiled, ridiculously rich men who are allegedly searching for their soul mates. Patty's job is to "fix" the men's flaws and increase their "datability" through life coaching (a process individually tailored to meet the needs of each client) while simultaneously assembling a bevy of beautiful women to introduce to her millionaires in hopes of forming the perfect pair. The most fascinating part of the show is not just the hopelessly self-indulgent men that Patty takes on as clients, but her uncanny observations and insights into the subtle chemistry of coupling.

It ain't easy, folks

People can say what they want about teachers, but becoming one is not nearly as easy as some claim it is. Granted, requirements vary from state to state, but the process of updating my placement file, writing cover letters, asking for letters of recommendation, and endlessly tweaking my resume is not only completely exhausting, but really goes to show that there is a lot involved in this process. And all of this doesn't even include the fact that I still have to go through the motions of actually applying for jobs, waiting to hear back, interviewing if I'm lucky, and then waiting to hear back again. But luckily I have been in hyper-focused super-ambitious mode lately, so even though the process is exhausting, I'm willing to work hard.

It's a "turdition"

I was working with one of my students today, helping her revise a long research paper that she is working on. She spelled "tradition" t-u-r-d-i-t-i-o-n. Yes, that's right. Turd-ition. I managed to keep a straight face, but all the while was suppressing my laughter.

St. Pat's Day Dash

I'm officially registered! I haven't run a race since the half-marathon, which was way back in May, so I'll probably be a little rusty. This race is 3.75 miles-- a little longer than a traditional 5K, but not nearly as long as the half. One of my New Year's resolutions for '09 is to run a new race, so this will cover that goal. Though I'm really excited for the race, the problem is that I haven't been running much lately. So basically, I'm going to have to cram for this race over the next three weeks. You might not think it's possible to cram for a race, but I read an article about a guy who "crammed" for a marathon (or maybe it was a half-marathon) only a week before the race and ended up doing decent. Granted, I'm pretty sure you can only "cram" for a race when you already have a solid running foundation but just haven't been running a lot lately. Anyway, that is my current plan: cram for the St. Patrick's Day Dash, and see if I can achieve my goal time, which is 37 minutes. I will post my progress on here to hold me more accountable. And then hopefully after the race I will be able to determine how effective cramming really is.

Teaching in the classroom

So I've decided that I do in fact want to be a teacher after all (leave it to me to make this decision in the midst of a seriously crappy economy). Needless to say, I'm in for a challenge. But I'm optimistic. Education is a pretty stable field, so at the very least I should be able to sub next year. Why the change of heart? Well, I guess it's not a complete change of heart, because it's not like I'm moving to another field. Mainly I want to actually use the degree that I paid (am paying) $30,000 for. And there are a few other factors. Like not having benefits, having to pay quarterly taxes, and a growing feeling of restlessness that tutoring just isn't challenging enough. And it's hard working off-hours when all of your friends and boyfriend work regular hours (though I do love being able to sleep in). There are lots of great things about my job now, but basically I want to have my own classroom and work more hours and make more money and have summers off and go on long, extravagant vacations when I'm not teaching and write my book. Is that too much to ask for? I think not.

Ridiculous

This is the degree of cuteness that I am forced
to deal with on a daily basis.

Blog revamping

I've decided my blog needed a new look, so I'm in the process of revamping it. There will be a few new features along the side, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Marisa's back in the blogosphere, so I will be more consistently posting again.