24 posts from 2006

I just found out that a place I interned at in college (which is now closed) was recently under CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.  Apparently, the company had received suspiciously large amounts of money from the state, in exchange for video and radio pieces with minimal “promotional value”.

In an interesting twist, this internship is the ONLY one that paid me.  Ha.

What I love most about each new year is imagining the raw possibilities of the 12 months ahead.  As human beings, we are ripe for change every day, but the fresh start of a new calendar cycle seems the PERFECT time to initiate it.

For 2007, I would most like to improve my ability to remain calm.  I have a fairly anxious personality, and I stress myself out far too often (and unnecessarily) over silly things; it’s a huge part of the reason I now suffer from fibromyalgia.  So I want to seek serenity in my day-to-day life, to *let go* of my need to control and perfect, to sit back more often and simply enjoy the unpredictable ride that is life.  (In other words: to CHILL THE FUCK OUT.)  This goal sounds a bit lofty, but it all comes down to developing a more conscious attitude of acceptance, which I can definitely achieve over time.

What are you resolving to do?

At the risk of sounding like a stereotypical female, I must say...

I LOVE MY NEW SHOES!!!

Do you see them?  Are they not fabulous, wonderful, terrific, and NEW?

Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4

Yes, in another bout of Grand Avenue-related awesomeness, Shane and I bought running shoes last night *and* stopped in (for the second time in as many days) to eat Chicken Salsa Chili at Café Latte.  Damn, that chili tastes delicious – especially with all the cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chip fixings.

So, in one night, we managed to score multiple reasons to ramp up the mileage: new footwear and the two consecutive nights of Chicken Salsa Chili.  Can we get more awesome than that?  I think not, my friends.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go collect my product placement check from Saucony.

On Friday night, Mary Jo and Rick hosted a dinner party for a group of their (fellow mountain-dwelling) neighbors.  After the initial introductions and exchange of pleasantries, discussion turned to issues relevant more to those who live in the area, leaving Shane and I with nothing to contribute.  We felt a bit awkward on the outskirts, but accepted that we had little in common with the crowd.

A few hours went by, and we eventually found ourselves chatting with an older couple from the group.  Somehow, the topic of running came up, and Shane mentioned that we had run this amazing trail through the woods earlier that afternoon.  Suddenly, the whole ENERGY of our conversation changed; the couple’s eyes both lit up, and they eagerly began telling us about other great routes in the area.

It turns out that they both used to run, and as the adage goes: once a runner, always a runner.  The age difference between us fell away, as did the fact that we live in very different parts of the country.  We were runners.  In this, we understood one another completely.

For whatever reason, running has this power, this ability to break down barriers between people.  I feel it at the starting line of any race, where runners of all sizes, ages and abilities are welcomed *equally*.  I notice it while training, especially when it’s ridiculously hot or cold out, when I pass a fellow runner (going any pace or distance) and we exchange a knowing nod or smile.  And I discover it, time and again, in conversations with *all* types of people - from hard-core athletes to those who merely "dabble" in this form of exercise.

It’s like lacing your shoes up that very first time earns you a free pass into this special club, with thousands and thousands of proud, happy members.  Few sports, I think, offer a larger sense of belonging to people who are (essentially) competitors.  I count myself lucky to be a part of it!  And I look forward to someday finding out how to perform the secret footshake.  (There has to be one, right?)

I can never breathe deep enough to take in all the wonderful, earthy scents of the Pacific Northwest.  The way the perpetual dampness mixes with the soil and vegetation somehow creates this sweet aroma that is positively intoxicating.  Add to that some mountain air, wood fire and a fresh Xmas pine tree, and you get the combination of smells that put me in Nose Heaven over the weekend.  Aaah.

Yes, we certainly enjoyed our time in Portland.  Getting out there and back was an entirely different story, which can be summed up in the simple equation: Airport + Holiday Delays = True Purgatory (except with ridiculously expensive snacks).  I don’t know, though, maybe some of you *would* enjoy hanging out for THREE HOURS in the Seattle airport, where the primary entertainment involves one pacing Chihuahua and many (many) magazine covers featuring Britney Spears’s chest.

I, however, did not.

Travel lowlights aside, here are a few highlights from our 2006 Xmas Trek.

- Running two unbelievably scenic routes in Washington and Oregon, one a 5-miler on a dirt trail through the woods (and around a lake), and the other a 7-mile loop of riverside paths and bridges (with a view of downtown Portland).

Pig Pile!

- Playing Pig Pile, a fun, fast-paced card game involving multiple opportunities to FACE! one's opponents, as well as collect adorable plastic pigs.

- Hearing many Lucas W. one-liners, including the following exchange:

Me: “Hey, what time is it?”

Luke: “Time to get hammered.”

And the instant classic:

Luke: “Alright, where are my pants?”

- Shopping at the organic-happy Wild Oats and scoring a delicious 16-oz. cup of FREE loose-leaf tea from the nearby Peet’s Coffee & Tea.  (Mmm, Jasmine.)

- Watching Shane enjoy visiting with his mom and step-dad and partake in special family traditions (mostly in food form).

- Going home with bags full of gifts, tummies full of goodies and hearts full of joy.

Stanley Park Damage (1)

...trees that need hugging.

On Friday, December 15^th, a storm with "typhoon-like" winds slammed into the upper West Coast, including British Columbia and Vancouver.  The destruction affected buildings and nature alike.  One of the worst hit areas was the "jewel" of Vancouver – the 1,000-acre Stanley Park on the edge of downtown – where more than 60 per cent of the western edge was damaged.

News articles across Canada provided details of the aftermath:

• "Entire groves of trees have been flattened and mudslides have sent part of the asphalt seawall into the water with trees strewn across the area like matchsticks."
• "Cleanup will take at least a year.  About 20 per cent of the park's trees were wiped out, damage that will take generations to heal."
• "For the first couple of days the staff [was] devastated; a lot of them were just walking around with tears in their eyes."

Stanley Park Damage (2)

To say Shane and I were also saddened by this news is an understatement.  Our experiences hiking, running and playing in Stanley Park have been nothing short of amazing; imagining that sanctuary in ruins just hurts my heart.   

I know that demands for charitable donations are made on all of us every day, and that decisions about those are very personal.  But, if you would like, you can contribute to the restoration of Stanley Park at the Vancouver Park Board’s website.  We certainly will.

Tonight we depart for the West Coast, to visit Shane’s mom and step-dad for part of the weekend.  I anticipate this trip will be loads better than our previous vacation in Portland.  Because last time?  First there was an ice storm, which covered the city in the equivalent of banana peels.  (It *sounds* hilarious, but the reality involves much less laughter and more bruised butt.)  Then I nearly had to visit the ER, after an extremely negative reaction to eating shrimp.  (I suffered stomach cramps the likes of which I have never endured in my life, prompting me to wonder if I had swallowed AN ENTIRE BARBED-WIRE FENCE by mistake.

As you see, the odds are in our favor for a more pleasant experience this time around.  All the ingredients will be there for a nice, relaxing holiday get-away, too.  Mountainside lodging?  Check.  Wood-burning fireplace?  Check.  This year’s gag gift for Lucas (Shane’s brother)?  Cheeeck!  Thus, if everything goes as planned, we will return home with some entertaining stories about all the family fun (sans shrimp, of course).

I’ll be offline through next week, so here’s wishing each of you the happiest of holiday weekends.  May you give many hugs, receive wonderful gifts and enjoy at least one of the new flavors of Bailey's.  See you Tuesday!

In the meantime, check out my first ever audio clip to get "in the spirit".

Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance?

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Another of life’s simple pleasures: the discovery of that brand-spankin’ new Nalgene you thought was lost over the weekend.

Lucky for me, I don’t get sick very often.  Sure, the occasional cold will come and go during the cold-weather season, but for the most part, I remain a healthy individual (aside from my muscle issues, but detailing *that* would take a whole other post).  This is especially good news for EVERYONE I KNOW, considering that when I do get sick, all hell breaks lose with my hormones.

Someone wants a cheesy bacon bone

That is, feeling lousy tends to make me *extremely* emotional about stupid stuff.  Show me a picture of a puppy, and I guarantee at least a sniffle.  Make that a puppy who looks all woeful and in need of tummy rub (see image at right), and LET THE WATERWORDS BEGIN.  So when I mix this “symptom” with the number one remedy for all sickness i.e. TV, I turn into the Biggest Basket Case Ever.

For instance, do you happen to know the X-Files episode “Darkness Falls”?  With the flesh-eating bugs that come out at night?  Where Mulder and Scully end up trapped in a cabin in the woods?  You know – the one with pretty much 100% plot and no character development?  I *cried* while watching that episode, a direct consequence of having a temperature near 102.  (Oh, those poor, misguided bugs!)

Or, for an even more obscure reference, how about the Dr. Quinn 2-part episode where Michaela goes back to Boston and Sully follows her there?  When she needs to choose between him and that other guy?  And she picks Sully?  There’s running and hugging and kissing and I pretty much bawled through an entire Kleenex box – I would totally pick Sully!!! – thanks to a slight fever/bad cold combo.

The funniest example, though, is from the flu I caught last Christmas.  At the time, NBC was running a bunch of the Olympic promos to gear up for the February games.  Many of them hinged on the idea that, deep down, We Are All Heroes.  Of course, watching one of these 30-second spots set me off for a good 5 minutes.  Because, my god, WE *ARE* ALL HEROES.  It’s so completely TRUE.

Let this serve as a warning, then, not to share anything remotely emotional, if you happen to come across me when I’m sick.  Because chances are, I will find a way to turn your mundane car-jumping story into a romantic tale of one engine selflessly giving its resources to another, as they join together in a highly charged moment neither will soon forget.  (Aww, somebody hand me a tissue.)

Requests for those who utilize restroom facilities with me:

• If you engage me in conversation, do not continue talking when I have entered the Stall Area.  This is a No Talking Zone (with exceptions only for emergencies e.g. empty TP rolls).
• Please refrain from talking to YOURSELF in the Stall Area, because that is Just Plain Creepy.  (Perhaps you should take up Potty Yahtzee to better pass the time.)
• When entering a restroom with multiple open stalls, recognize the importance of Personal Space in selecting your location.  There is NO reason to choose an ADJACENT stall to the one I occupy, unless every other stall has been declared a Stall Disaster Area.
• Save the grunting and/or sighs of relief for your home bathroom.  No one needs to share in the *emotional* aspect of your BM, especially not me.
• Finally, always FLUSH when you finish.  And keep in mind that a true Flush involves monitoring the entire process, to insure (much like a slide at a water park) all matter has exited the water safely and completely.

Thank you for your cooperation.