My First 10K

Ding ding ding! It was 5:30 on Saturday morning, and my cell phone's alarm clock was ringing.

I was reluctant (to put it mildly) to leave my warm bed. But, wanting to avoid potential traffic, and being someone who is perpetually early to things, I got up. I arrived at the shuttle parking at LaGrave Field ahead of schedule. The buses were filling with excited runners of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors. I sat next to a lady, probably in her late 60's, who was going to do her 10th half marathon!

We were dropped off downtown, where a huge crowd was already gathered. There was plenty to do and see before the 7:30 start. I checked my purse, sipped some complimentary coffee, and meandered around Sundance Square. People-watching was awesome. There were quite a few runners wearing plastic trash bags to keep warm!

During the run, I was surprised by how quickly the time passed. I also found it odd how my hands would get hot, and then cold, and then hot again. I took my gloves off and put them back on a couple times during the run! I was also surprised to see some people walking before we'd even reached the one-mile marker.

The course was great. There were uphill and downhill slopes, curves and straights. I was glad that only one uphill, the second to last, made me think that I just might barf. Luckily that was only a fleeting thought. I ran the whole way, save the 3 seconds when I had to stop and tie my shoe. There is something very motivating about running with thousands of other people, all of us like little trains, puffing our breath into the cold morning air.

Finishing the race was the best part. Not only did I get a medal, and snacks, but I got to see my sweetheart waiting for me at the finish! (I surprised him, because I finished more quickly than I planned.) It took me 1:11:06. Hooray! I am excited to do another one in the near future!

...And here is a pic of me (tired, sweaty, but happy) with my finisher's medal! :)

Wish Me Luck!!!

Holy crap, I am running my first 10K in the morning! I'll let y'all know how I fare.

Nighty-night!

Sometimes

Sometimes, as it says in an Old 97's lyric, "the day just wins."

You feel discouraged by the attitudes of those around you, both students and teachers.

You are tasked with cleaning out a storage closet belonging to the hoarding-happy department chair. (She has apparently come to the conclusion that things like the tops to Snack Packs are essential to instruction.)

The next class period, you have to corral antsy kids in the auditorium, and all your yelling and frustration smush your soul a little bit.

Your next class, you do some one-on-one instruction with a kid who has the attention span, charm, and physique of a mosquito.

Lunch. You have half an hour to savor your PB & J. (You gave up bringing microwavable lunch weeks ago, when the teachers' lounge was reduced to one working 'wave.)

You make it through your next three classes daydreaming.

You hurry home to change, so you can run some errands before your exercise class. The gym is brutal, but in a therapeutic way.

You have a hot shower, and a good dinner, but the things you heard and felt and saw just hang on you.

You talk to loved ones, who brighten your spirits.

You make an earnest effort to have a good cry/pray, thinking that would renew you. All you can squeeze out are a few anxious tears.

You stay up 'til midnight eating.

But then sometimes, things are different... even the very next day.

The teachers have activities that they are excited to share with the students, who are eager and receptive.

The expired Nescafe crystals and empty baby food jars in the storage closet strike you as weirdly funny.

The students in the auditorium are calmer.

Your one-on-one student from yesterday chooses to be with you again, rather than stay in class. You accomplish a lot together.

The teachers you eat lunch with are cheerier (partially because of the cheesecake someone brought, which you are strong enough to resist, BTW).

You do pull-out instruction with 3 "troublemakers." They work well, and are enchanted by your illustrations of the concepts you teach them. One even murmurs, "Thank you, Miss...for teaching us."

You hurry home, and go for an amazing run. The 10K you have coming up doesn't seem so menacing.

You write a blog, work on an art project, and talk to those you love.

A song for today

I honestly didn't like this song the first time I heard it. I think I have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to be receptive to new jams. This is certainly a good one: danceable, encouraging, etc. Enjoy!

Utmosts of the Day

Funniest thing I saw all day: I saw this photo this morning, when checking one of my regular webcomic sites. It cracked me up! (Click on it for a larger view.)

Best phrase I heard all day: "Fascinating cardigan." Yeah. What does that bring to mind for ya?

Sweetest compliment I received today: That the smell of baking cookies "has nothing on [me]" when it comes to "brightening up the whole place." (!)

What were some of your utmosts of the day?

Assorted Thoughts, Vol. 2

This edition of Assorted Thoughts includes photo illustrations, pulled from my friend Google Image!

Not even seeing an obese lady on a scooter (as I did on my drive home) could make me rethink skipping the gym today. My shoulders are sore, my legs are tired, and my feet hurt. So there.

I thought that Crocs were the most hideous shoes ever created. However, that was before I saw a lady in my gym wearing these fugly things. Apparently they are related to the "barefoot running" fad.

Have you ever sent an email agreeing to do something, and then immediately thought, "Oh, crap! Why did I do that?" That was my reaction to volunteering to host Bible study group at my house this week. Now I feel the need to clean. And bake.

The following are things that make me feel special and happy: receiving a letter from someone while they are out of the country, fresh flowers, yummy homemade breakfast.

Middle schoolers are kooky. I should know this firsthand, having been a very awkward one myself. I had a huuuge, slow (mentally), very moody African-American male student try to pick a fight with a small, equally slow Hispanic girl today. Did I ever think that was an okay way to go about life? I've never even been in a fight. The class period before, I had a painfully shy/quiet girl come in sporting hospital bracelets. I asked her teacher about it, but she didn't know anything. I guess she didn't want to ask, afraid of the explanation??

However, I had a handful of students ask me randomly throughout the day, "Miss, how's your day going?" I couldn't honestly answer anything but, "awesome." I am alive, healthy, loved, and employed.

Snow Day? Hooray!

(a view from my treehouse)

As I write this, I am sipping some hot chocolate, topped with a cobblestone-esque layer of marshmallows. It is still snowing here in FW, as it has been all day.

My day began with me skidding my way to school, cursing my district for being open. I made it in safely, and on time. My students (the ones who showed up, anyway!) were all so excited. Any kids who had classes in the portable buildings, or in rooms even near a door, snatched up the opportunity to scurry outside and pelt their classmates with snowballs. Anyone walking outside would have seen every window filled with eager faces.

I logged onto the district's website around 3 this afternoon. Tomorrow, there would be no school! Hoo-frickin'-ray! This let me hatch a nice little plot: If the roads are okay by tomorrow afternoon, I could surprise my sweetness at the airport when he arrives home from Paris!

I hope I'm able to do this. And, I hope you all have a fun, safe, and toasty-warm snow day!

ADDENDUM: The weatherman tells me that this was the snowiest day on record in Dallas/Fort Worth history: 7.9" of lovely snow!

Tu me manques

As I type this, my sweetness is en route to Paris... sans moi. I miss him already. This song comes to mind as one to suit my current mood. Friday afternoon can't get here fast enough. To you, lil' bear:

Chatted Up

This week was a good one at school. However, the kids in my classes are getting more comfortable with my being there. In fact, they all want to know about me. They ask questions, compliment my wardrobe choices, make attempts to flirt. It is a frustrating problem, because my gut reactions are to blush, answer their questions, thank them, etc. But I'm not there for that. I'm there to help them learn.

However, I know that the brain is more receptive to learning when it feels it's in a physically and emotionally safe environment. I want the kids to feel that. Where, and how, do I draw the line between, "Miss, I like your shoes!" and, "Miss, do you ever go to the club?"

Whaddaya think?

So I redid my blog template. It is definitely different, but I like it. Thoughts?

PS: the only thing I don't like is that "read more..." at the bottom of each post. I can't find a way to get rid of it.

The cutest thing I've seen all day!

I just saw this on one of the blogs I follow. I decided to post it here in homage to Sam and Ronald. Sam and Ronald were a German Shepherd and a duck from Jesse's childhood, who were friends! He even has a cute photo of them, just hangin' out in the back yard.

Assorted Thoughts

I don't really have the time or desire or even need to write a whole post about one topic. It's getting near Nyquil & sleep time. Here are some things that've been occupying my thoughts during this past week:

In one day of driving, I was flipped off by one lady, and then graciously surrendered a sweet parking spot at Target by another lady. You never know who's driving next to you!

I signed up to do the Cowtown 10K. I was initially pumped about it. However, I inexplicably injured my ankle last week. It's better now, but now I'm facing another round of this allergy/cold mashup. My eagerly-made training schedule has been derailed again, and I worry I won't be ready for the run.

Last week was a great week at school. Yes, I had a student tell me that the chunk of glass in my ring looked like crystal meth. Yes, I had another student tell me to shut up. But, I got to teach a lesson, assist with a lab, and give a test.

I did my taxes! I can't wait to get my refund! As much as I want to spend it on silly things, I should probably save it because...

I've only got 3 months left on Blitzen's lease. Chances are, I'll need some cash for a down payment on another car. I don't want to lease again, I'd rather buy. I want something that's more "grown-up," without being boring. And that has Sirius.

We're Running Barefoot, You and I

This evening, I was sitting at a stoplight on my way home. I was staring at the truck in front of me. I was admiring the tread pattern in its tires, and how it tessellated. What song should then start on my radio, but Tessellate, by Tokyo Police Club! Was it coincidence, quantum physics, God, or all three? Enjoy.

A good sign!

I noticed this little guy this morning. He was beaming up at me from the parking area at my apartments. "How could it not be a good day now?" I thought. It was a good day, indeed. I had an awesome run and did errands in the morning. I spent the afternoon relaxing and laughing with my sweetness. And now, I am going about preparing for tomorrow in a leisurely pace. I hope you had a great MLK day and have a wonderful tomorrow, too!

Book Review: Girls of Riyadh

I just finished Girls of Riyadh this evening. It is the first novel from 25-year old Rajaa Alsanea. The book's fifty chapters are written as email installments, sent out weekly from a mysterious author to subscribers around Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East. (A sort of Gulf "Gossip Girl," perhaps?) The book focuses on the lives of four young, upper-class Saudi women. Girls apparently created as big of a scandal in the Arab world as the fictional emails do in the book!

This book was fascinating. Though fictionalized, the author's accounts are kept as realistic as possible. The revelation of the usually-secluded lives of women there adds considerable intrigue. I felt as if I were reading private information! Not only that, but the culture and value systems are so different from the ones with which I am familiar.

For instance, marriages are arranged by [hopefully] well-meaning family members. Before signing the marriage contract, the couple are allowed to meet in person only once. It is no wonder that the trendy engagement gifts, then, are cellphones!

I highly recommend this book. It is fascinating, and enlightening. It is filled with everything from verses of the Qur'an to lyrics of Saudi pop songs. The characters are engaging and likable. Although I may be far from them geographically and culturally, I was able to see the universal nature of the human experience shine through. We all want to be successful, happy, and loved. These girls are no different.

Mexican Butthead

This week at school (Tuesday, to be precise), I got to do my first pull-out tutoring with a small group of students. For three class periods, 6-8 kids came to me from their science teachers.

We did some re-teaching of energy transformations, by making and discussing a foldable (whose template I designed, by the way!). I quickly learned that, if I showed them my example first, they would use my ideas for the illustrations, instead of thinking of their own.

Then we played Jeopardy. The winning teams got their choice of Hot Cheetos (which the kids inexplicably love- blarg!), Kit Kats, or Reese's. I shouldn't have been surprised that there were some who didn't even know what Jeopardy was. I had the template to make the game into a Promethean Board activity. However, with a small group circled around a table, I opted for the "analog" version: a grid of different-colored index cards with the questions on the back. (I felt vindicated when a student said it was "cooler.")

Making sure that we had "team agreement" for an answered question was a great way for the kids to catch their errors. It was an opportunity for one to pipe up, "Wait, wouldn't it be this?" to his/her peers.

In 7th period, I saw a student coming towards my room whom the teacher told me she would keep with her. Why was he here? (I later learned that he hadn't even gone to class, but found his way into my room somehow.) This child, let's call him... Ramon. Little Ramon eerily resembles a Mexican version of Butthead (from Beavis and Butthead). He is a constant source of honks, clicks, animal sounds, and other distractions. I panicked for a nanosecond. Then I remembered that everything happens for a reason, so I'd just go with it. To my surprise, he only honked once. He spent the remainder of the time hitting on me: "Miss, you should try out for modeling. Miss, I lost my phone number, can I have yours?" etc. To me, a still very green teacher, this was much more bearable.

I spent the next day attending a funeral and visiting someone in the hospital. When I returned to school on Thursday, I had some pleasant news. Apparently, all the kids were asking about me! The ones who I taught wanted to know when they'd get to go back, and the ones who didn't get to go were jealous! Their teachers even let them use the foldables we'd made on their test.

When I first found out I'd be doing this (small pull-out groups), I was so excited. The other science tutor, for some reason, sneered, "Oh...I'd rather not do that." (Good thing they picked me, and not her!) I think it was just as effective, more relaxed, and more fun for the students than trying to accomplish the same goals in a crowded, noisy class. Mexican Butthead or not, I can't wait to do it again!

Creeped-Out, Let-Down, and Ticked-Off...

...These were the combined states in which I left the gym this evening.

I entered the studio room for my Body Works class about 10 minutes before its scheduled beginning. The only other occupants were the instructor, and 3 other women. Suddenly, a red-haired guy about my age, dressed in blue jeans and a heavy Carhartt jacket, charged into the room. He located the bags used for the kickboxing classes. All the while clutching his giant, styrofoam Whataburger cup, he began kicking and punching the bags. He jumped. He jabbed. He spun. Oh, and did I mention that he was talking to himself the entire time?

While this continued, I stood in complete wonder. What was my instructor's problem? Why wasn't she taking any action? Only when he grabbed a set of weights and began hitting the bags with him did she say, "Excuse me!" At this he dropped the weights, picked up the jacket he'd shed during his "exercise," and left the studio. My instructor decided to tell the people working at the front desk about him. When she returned, she reported that they didn't have the faintest idea who she was talking about!

Class started, and through the studio's glass doors, we saw him bouncing around the rest of the gym. He wandered into a racquetball court. He talked to some of the people lifting weights. He took a brief ride on a rowing machine. And, several times, he came back to the door of the studio, only to place his hand on its handle, then turn, and walk away.

When class [finally] ended, I approached the two guys working the front desk. One is a part-time employee, the other is management of some sort. I asked them if the "creepy red-headed guy" had a membership. They didn't know who I was referring to. I told him about his odd behavior before Body Works. One of them joked, "Oh, him? He's a new employee here!" The other (Mr. Quasi-Manager) attempted to console me with, "Well, there's plenty of guys here, in case you ever need anything."

Ok, I will admit that, being a white, pretty female in my late twenties, I usually have my guard up somewhat around guys. I will also admit that, in the gym, this guard is even higher. For example, I don't like to show a lot of skin when I'm working out. I don't wear jewelry, and have on only what remains of that morning's makeup application. But THIS was flat-out unnerving. I am speaking of not only the strange man's behavior, but also the flippant response I received from the gym staff. This became even more unsettling when I remembered the shooting rampage that a man went on at another location of the same gym, a scant 5 months ago.

So... Do you think I should look for another gym?

Recent Acquisition

This Christmas marked a new acquisition for this treehouse-dweller's collection, a gift of Jesse Sierra Hernandez.

Sofia With Octopus, Pussyhouse Propaganda, 24"x25", spraypaint on birch.

Horchata

Hooray! It is officially the weekend. After a fantastic day at work, I am off to see my sweetness for the first time in what seems like forever. We are going to La Playa, because I am in the mood for horchata. Of course, this song came to my mind. It seems to match my excited, contented mood well. I hope you all have awesome weekends. :)

Hey Ken!

I was quoting this video, and Jesse said you would enjoy it. Great to see you and your sweetie last night!