Anniversary

It has been a year and two weeks since I started this blog. I don't really know my intentions for starting it, nor my intentions for continuing it. I'll go days without updates and figure no one is reading it. Maybe that's the best thing to assume as I prefer to not know who, if anyone, is reading it. I'm a pretty private person so it has been tough at times to open up. I try to avoid crossing 'the line'.

This blog has been the journal I never had growing up. It is my canvas, it is my clay. It is my masterpiece, my symphony.. and sometimes my heart and soul.

I wish I could be more celebratory after a year, but I am not in the celebratory mood. I have not had much to drink this month, which is a dark contrast to last November's "drink every day" contest I held. It started after a breakup.


Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's what I need.. another break.

A shiver through hell

It was one of "those weekends". There are some chores or tasks I just have to be "in the mood" for, or just getting me to do them is like pulling teeth - a struggle. So it was nice to have a few days this week to finally do stuff. I did a lot of purging of papers as I'm quite the pack rat. I figured it was time to get rid of electricity bill statements from my apartment in Ann Arbor Michigan from 2000-2001.

I also went through my drawers and the closet and washed a lot of clothes I intended to donate. I also got rid of a bunch of shirts I know I won't wear. How many softball shirts from college does a girl really need? ;) I also had to get rid of a few race shirts. I'm hanging onto more than I should and I know it's because of their nostalgic 'value'. One day I would like to have a quilt made out of the shirts. I doubt I'll wear them more than as a nightshirt, so it would be worth the sacrifice. I'm just not willing to make it right now.

The room doesn't look all that cleaner or roomer, but it's a start. And now I moved one of my bikes into my room to use on the trainer, but that's another story for another day.

And as many times as I bitched and moaned about how much I hate shopping, I went shopping. I told the gal pal Friday, when she was in Connecticut, that I was hoping to go shopping this weekend. She hoped the mood would last until Sunday, when she would be back, and offered to take me shopping. Not just any kind of shopping, but shopping for jeans.

I'll admit that it wasn't that painful, but as I prefaced to at the beginning, I was in the mood. And the gal pal was a doll even if she did make fun of my lack of knowledge on how jeans are to be worn. Jeans from 1995 are vintage, right? And it should be cool that I can still wear jeans from when I was a senior in high school, right? And how long are they supposed to be again? Right... and that's why she did so much playful ribbing. I was a good sport and took it in stride.

And I left the outlet mall with 2 pairs of jeans and 3 pairs of socks. Not a bad haul. And one of the jeans the gal pal purchased as an early Xmas present.

However, apparently it's not fashionable for your underwear to be sticking out the top of your jeans, so it might be some time before I wear them out in public.

Welcome to the 21st century, me.

No turkeys will be harmed this week

At least not at my place.

This will be my 6th Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. I'm happy to say I have never gone hungry and gorge myself as many football watching fanatics do this day.

We don't gather around a block of tofu, either.

For the past 3 years, we've enjoyed the yumminess of the Tofurky. If you've ever wondered what it's like to eat a baked gym sock.. try some Tofurky!

Seriously, though, it's not all that bad and pretty tasty.. once you get past the gym sock image. This year, we're going with the Tofurky Feast, which comes with "roast beast", giblet gravey, wild rice stuffing, and cranberries.. I think. I think there are also a few potatoes and carrots for the beast to cook with, but we'll add our own, too. Added potatoes, green bean casserole, apple pie, and my famous yummy soup.. along with a few other fixings.

There will be enough for at least 6 to eat, but there will only be the two of us. I would say we're planning on leftovers, but we can eat. I plan on tripling the soup recipe because it's so good. That, and I won't make it again until Easter, so I better enjoy it while it lasts.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Conditioned

I can't even begin to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. The transition in stores from Halloween candy to Christmas candy within days is just too much to handle. It's just a different color wrapper and packaging, you know.

I can't think of sales, wrapping paper, or formulate lists to Santa until the Friday after Thanksgiving.. or "Black Friday" as the Economists or Retailers like to call it.

Even then, I don't really start to think about Christmas until December, or until there's snow on the ground.. or until, more recently, I have purchased my flight home for the holidays.

It's ingrained in me.

Don't even get me started about Christmas music.

As Predicted

I woke up in a mild funk, however, not as bad since I have a lot of work to do to keep my mind occupied. And waking up next to someone (besides my cat) makes things a little better, but that's beside the point.

Here's the point.. apparently "America spoke" and spoke loudly against homosexuals. I'm not big on politics and avoid debates as much as possible, but this just irks me. How can a country that supposedly touts tolerance and acceptance to all individuals show such blatant homophobia, ignorance, and disregard for individuals? Obviously, before yesterday, it was pretty easy as 20 other states can attest to by passing similar constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Most go on to include not recognizing any contract or civil union between individuals, gay or straight.

I hope people realized that before hitting the polls. I hope they thought it through and thought of their friends aunt who has been with her partner for 15 years; or crazy uncle Al who lives alone but spends a lot of time with his "friend" that you grew up calling "uncle Bob"; their coworker and her partner raising kids together or trying to buy a new home; their neighbor whose partner is going through her second round of chemo. Please tell me how this ruins the sanctity of marriage. I'd really like to know.

All I want is a piece of paper. I don't want a crap load of lawyers involved, I don't want it to take months of legal battles. I want something as simple as signing my name on some dotted line. Maybe a little 'congratulations' or a party. I want it to be that easy. All I want is one state to not be a lemming. One state to wake up and realize how ignorant the others are and not pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage. Let me sleep soundly. Let me wake up, look at the woman sleeping beside me, and know we will be able to take care of each other in the future without the government being involved.

Is that too much to ask?

my civic duty

I voted today. It was my first time voting since moving out East. I know.. bad of me to not vote regularly. But I did, and I'm sure my mother would be proud of me.

I made sure to read up a little bit on the candidates to see what they support before casting my vote for him or her. I hope others did the same - educating themselves - before hitting the polls. Who knows. I think some people vote on pure emotions or vote to "cancel out" the vote of someone they might know who is voting for a different party than they are.

I'm tracking some races online, especially a few ammendments, and I know I'll be depressed in the morning. Not as bad as I, and most of the gay community, was in 2004, but pretty close. I don't think I'll be sleeping well tonight or the rest of this week. I feel the funk setting in.

Baby Steps

I'm having a bit of an axiety attack just thinking about it..

.. I might go shopping for jeans this weekend.

(moment of silence... )

I've been told "it's time". Apparently my favorite pair of button fly jeans from Eddie Bauer have seen some better days and I was told my Loose Fit 560 Levi's and EB's are "old".

I'm insulted.

Okay the Levi's I got in the late 90s. But they fit! and they had been stashed in my drawer, unworn, for the past few years. They should be considered 'vintage', right? And the EB's were bought in 2000 or so. Not bad.

The EB's are so worn the denim is kerry cloth soft. They are also dangerously thin in parts. I am careful to wash them and always hang them to dry. They are precious. However, as much as I hate to admit it.. it's time to replace them.

*sigh*

I won't be going alone, which might be a good thing. I'm not sure if I'm in a jeans-trying-on mood, tho.. that's the thing.

Queen Latifah..Queen Latifah..Queen Latifah..Queen Latifah..

And I don't know where to start.

It shouldn't be that hard, right? All I want is something relaxed through the legs, that comes just above the waist, and has a bit of a long leg. No low rise, no fancy pockets, no beads, no embroidery, nothing flared, and under $50.

Sorry.. I'm cheap. And even that's on the high side.

I'm going to spend the night trying to get myself psyched up.

Halloween in DC

The thing about Halloween in this area is that I can't tell who is dressed up for a party vs. who is dressed "normally".

I was waiting for my train last night and I spotted at least 5 people that I thought could've been going to a Halloween party, or just heading home from work.. I couldn't tell.

Those of us waiting for the train were entertained by a woman who I first thought was singing along to her cd player or ipod or whatever. Then I thought she was having a conversation with a few people that were leaning against the wall. Next, I thought she was having a loud conversation with someone on the phone and that the wires I saw were from her hands free earpiece. I know I wasn't the only one on the platform that thought this as they kept looking around to see wtf was up. Then we realized she was ranting/raving about the Government as the train pulled up. Most of us boarded, as did she, and she continued her speech to no one inparticular.

Just another day.

Quick Recap

Tigers lost the Series. I couldn't watch it.. too depressing. I can't even read any coverage about it.

I pulled a muscle in my ass.. I hope that's all I did. X-rays still need to be looked at.

I have been injured more in the last 2 months than I have in the last 2 years. In the last 2 years, I've done 3 50k trail runs, a 40 mile trail run, 50 mile trail run, a 24 hour trail run, 2 half Ironman triathlons, 1 Ironman, 3 Olympic distance triathlons, a 40k TT bike race.. to name a few. The last 2 months? A few rugby matches and a 5k. Sad.

I hate getting old.