6.15.2010

Tick Tock

Look what I noticed on Lulu's foot last night. A giant female dog tick. Who knows how long it'd been there (according to Google, 3-5 days). After freaking out some, I tried to remove it but could not. Seeing as Lulu has thrown up about half a dozen times since Friday she needed to see the vet anyway so I figured they could just remove it for me. Lulu was not amused with my trying to remove it myself.



We couldn't get in until this afternoon so I made Lulu stay in her crate while I was at work. I didn't want that giant tick dropping off and burrowing into my carpet! Or worse, my bed! The entire car ride to the vet I was so afraid it was going to crawl off of her and onto me that I kept checking to make sure it was there. So don't know you know, the minute we go from the waiting room into the exam room the stupid thing is gone! The vet tech found it in the hallway and it was huuuuuuuge. I wish I'd had my camera with me but here is what it pretty much looked like:


Gah! I need some brain bleach now, please.

It seems that Lulu's barfing is unrelated to the tick. Something is wrong with her pancreas and she is spending the night at the vet's, being pumped full of IV fluids and antibiotics. Tomorrow they will do more blood tests. Crossing my fingers that it's just because she ate too many worms or something simple like that.

6.13.2010

Signs

Looking through pictures from the marathon I ran across this one. Won't someone teach the children of this nation how to spell?!

6.12.2010

Countdown



I have been waiting for this day! On June 15th pre-orders for the new  iPhone 4 start. Bye-bye Sprint, hello lover, I mean iPhone. The video chat thing is awesome. My sister is upgrading her phone too so now when I go shopping it will be so easy to ask her if those pants make my butt look big.

6.08.2010

JST WNT 2 FNSH

That's what it said in the bottom of my race bib. I thought I was so clever. It did get a chuckle out of the guy that handed me my race bib at the expo. The 1/2 marathon was awesome. As I was finishing I was thinking "what in the hell was I thinking?! Why am I going to do this again in 3 weeks?" and now I can't wait!


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Pre-Race Dinner:

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Runners on the course. Photo taken by my parents as they tried to get to the finish line.

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Yay, they made it and were able to see me run in but I was so fast they didn't get a photo.

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With my friends at the Team in Training tent, enjoying being done!


6.03.2010

Forest love

At some time in the last year, in one of my many work related image searches, I ran upon the Forest arm chair, designed by Robby & Francesca Cantarutti, that seems to only be available for purchase in Europe. So imagine how excited I was when I stumbled upon a fairly decent imitation at Homegoods a few weeks ago.

There was a pair, for $89 each, and they seemed to be some kind of poly/resin. Unfortunately, they were scratched and I have absolutely no need for additional chairs in my home at this time. So for now I will just continue to lust after the beautiful Forest chair. Maybe one day I'll have the means and reason to buy a pair.

edit: Apparently, my Google skills were totally failing me this morning and my brain was not working. Now I remember why/how I found this chair. It debuted at Neocon 2009 and is part of the JANUS et Cie contract line.

5.31.2010

I guess it's a good thing....

that I was crazy lazy yesterday morning and didn't go to Target as I had planned. Apparently there was a murder/suicide shooting there. I went this afternoon instead and noticed nothing other than the store didn't seem very crowded, which I did find a bit odd. Now I know why.

Race-a-holic?

Is it possible to be addicted to running races before you've even run your first one? This morning I signed up to do the Race for the Cure on June 12th. My cousin, who is barely 2 years older than me, was diagnosed this past fall. She's doing very well now but I am running in her honor.

5.29.2010

8 miles

2 hours

fastest time evah

I am a rockstar

5.27.2010

Dead Flat Last

Dead Flat Last is really what I do not want to be next Sunday. But I'm fighting a cold, have zero energy, feel like I've been hit by a truck and haven't run since group training last weekend.

The Plus Athlete has a good article about being last today and I'm going to remember what she said and not kill myself trying to get some unattainable time:
Dead Flat Last doesn't mean you ran any less distance, or trained less, or wanted it less than anyone else. It's not about your time. It's about the fact that you showed up in the first place, trained hard, and completed a distance most people would never even contemplate.

So no matter what, give yourself some credit. Give yourself a chance to finish.

Well that was interesting

You know how sometimes you'll get a random phone call for the person that had your home phone number (so antiquated, I know) before you? Well whoever had my number really pissed off the wrong people. A bill collector just called for him and did not believe me when said Shruti didn't live here. He told me not to fuck with him and that he was going to come kill me. And he called me ma'am! (at least he was polite?)

It's a good thing that phone numbers don't stay with addresses or I might actually be worried since he recited an address that wasn't mine. Just in case I'm going to go make sure the doors are locked.

Do you think I can turn Lulu into an attack dog before dark?

5.22.2010

How do you bleed?

When I got my sister's hand-me down computer I also go her iTunes and sometimes I run across some interesting songs. Like this one, which cracks me up.

Colors Are All The Same by Skip Brown/Bill Pekar

She was born in College Station; her daddy had a farmer’s PHD
Her first steps were taken with the Corps on Kyle Field
When she graduated, she bought a maroon pick-up truck
They celebrated down at the Dixie Chicken when she opened her vet practice up

Now he was born Austin, his daddy had a store down on the drag
Ever since the school had opened, relatives were Longhorn grads
His room was painted orange, he was getting his degree
In the band playing French horn, first row, second seat

Gig ‘em Aggies, Hook ‘em Horns
One side’s maroon, the other, burnt orange

He saw her at a concert, way before Robert Earl Keen
She was wearin’ an Aggie shirt, to him it didn’t mean a thing
He pushed his way on through the crowd like any ol’ hungry bull would do
When he was close enough he shouted, “Hey, mind if I sit by you?”

She turned around and stared at him, couldn’t believe her eyes
He had a burnt orange jacket, Longhorns from side to side
Well she looked again and took a chance, said “That’s OK with me”
Something in that second chance went beyond the rivalry

When your eyes are closed and you’re in the dark,
The colors are all the same
Just two beating hearts not playing any games

You can gig ‘em, you can hook ‘em
One thing’ll never change
When your eyes are closed and you’re in the dark,
The colors are all the same

When she went to meet his Mother, she was wearing a cowboy hat
When they left they hugged each other, Mom said, “You’re always welcome back”
When she took him home to Daddy, she worried about the ring in his ear
He was makin’ pretty good money but his tattoo was pretty clear

Well they decided to get married, bridesmaids wore maroon
The ring bearer carried a burnt orange package to the groom
Well the ring that he gave her was diamond mounted on two thumbs
Sitting on a Longhorn cradle, cause when it’s said and done

When your eyes are closed and you’re in the dark,
The colors are all the same
Just two beating hearts not playing any games
You can gig ‘em, you can hook ‘em

Now all they had to do was figure out where they’re gonna live
Well they flipped a coin and that is how she got her way over his
Well they vacationed up in Kerrville, they went down to the coast
Their first born they named Earl, you should have heard them boast

Every year at Thanksgiving, Earl could take either side
All the birthday gifts he was given were hints they couldn’t hide
There were 12th man T-shirts and Longhorns of every size
His first two words were, “Gig ‘em Bevo”, always playing both sides

Gig ‘em Aggies, Hook ‘em Horns
One side’s maroon, the other, burnt orange

When it came time to go to college, Earl didn’t know what to do
His Dad wanted him in Austin, his Mom in maroon
Well, the moral of this story, is if you listen to this song
Where do y’all think he went to college?, well , you just might be wrong

Well he tried both universities and you don’t have to wonder how
He says with all sincerity…
“I’m a Southwest Texas Bobcat now!”

When your eyes are closed and you’re in the dark,
The colors are all the same
Just two beating hearts not playing any games
You can gig ‘em, you can hook ‘em

5.21.2010

In 2 weeks...

..one of these babies is gonna be around my neck! I'm nearly to my fundraising goal. Can you spare 5 bucks?

5.18.2010

Crazy Day

Yesterday was a crazy day. In fact, due to work, this entire week is going to be crazy. Half of my department is on vacation and we have twice the normal workload to get out the door. So here's what my day looked like yesterday:

8-6:45 work work work work like a crazy woman
6:45-7:15 drive home in pouring down rain/walk & feed Lulu
7:15-7:30 drive in pouring rain (see car on fire) to meet date at movie theatre
7:30-10:00 Ironman 2 (rocked. A+ would see again)
10:00-10:15 drive back to office
10:15-11:00 work a little more until too tired.

So after that I drove home and by that time I was starving because the last time I'd eaten anything was a random string cheese I had sitting in the office fridge. I'm still alive this morning so it couldn't have been that old.

And now I'm typing this in between bites of cornflakes and googling airfares for flights to Austin/San Antonio in the fall so I can decide if I want to buy a single day ticket to ACL when they go on sale this morning. Not that I'll probably remember when they do go on sale because I'll be too busy at work to stop and try to purchase one and they sell out so fast. But I'm also seriously thinking about going to San Antonio to do the R&R 1/2 marathon there with Kristin in November. Gotta get that Triple Crown medal!

And now for a random photo of a sculpture made of recycled trash or something at a local shopping center:

5.16.2010

Starting to freak out a little

There are only 2 more Saturdays of training before my 1/2 marathon and I'm starting to panic a little. What if I can't do it? Yesterday was killer. Even though we started at 6:30am, it was hot and humid and by the time we finished the 8 miles I was miserable. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that my flip flops were waiting for me in my car. Running next to the equine center of the vet school was nauseating. Horse shit, humidity and heat are not a good smelling combination. Why am I doing this to myself? Because it feels so good when it's over.

5.15.2010

The book killer strikes again...

this time she got a library book. So tomorrow I get pay the library for it. Uhm....thanks, Lulu?

5.11.2010

Someone doesn't know their codes!



This is so ADA non-compliant!
No certificate of occupancy for you!

Breaking Records

Photo Courtesy of blazer8696 

This past weekend for our marathon training we were on the American Tobacco Trail for a 10 mile run. If you check out this map you'll see where we started, at mile marker 5, and then headed North towards Durham (the map is slightly outdated...the bridges aren't actually missing). It was my first time to visit that trail and it was very pretty. Green, quiet and serene. I really enjoyed it. That's right. I _enjoyed_ a 10 mile run. And run, I did. With each run I'm getting faster and faster. So last night we went back out there to do a 4 mile run and we did it in under an hour!

Maybe if my pants hadn't been trying to fall down I could have gone even faster. I bought the pants at the end of January and they were bordering on obscenely tight and now they need to be relegated to stay-at-home-only wear.

5.05.2010

Do you do this?

When talking about a phone conversation do you hold your hand up to your ear with the thumb and pinky extended, as if to make a phone? That's not so strange, lots of people do that.

But do you mimic texting or typing? I found myself doing that today when talking about them. Is that strange? Maybe.

5.01.2010

Faster than a turtle

This morning I knocked 10 minutes off my 6 mile time, coming in 1:33:55.
But I still can't run continuously for more than 2 minutes. What gives? So frustrating. At least my legs didn't start to hurt until mile 5 and now I don't feel like I'm going to die. Yay!