I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to

In the past week, the following things were either fried as a result of bad wiring in our rental house, or have stopped working of their own accord.

-Television
-Bose Wave Radio
-Stereo Tuner
-Telephone
-Refrigerator
-Heat/AC Unit
-2 surge protectors
-Volkswagen Passat

At this point, all we can do is laugh. And hope our renter's insurance covers the replacement costs!

When the VW died in the middle of the street today, we were lucky that Jeremy's family was with us. We had taken two cars on our weekend outings, so when the Passat broke down everybody just hopped out of the Honda and we pushed the VW into a nearby lot. It probably looked as though we do this often, everyone was so matter of fact about things.

Oh, by the way. Is anyone looking to buy a car? We might have one for sale... I'd characterize it as a really exciting vehicle to drive.

Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero

I love this prayer. This week I give thanks for all those who work for peace and justice.

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

-Bishop Ken Untener

Blurg

The knee is on the mend, thank goodness. If I can just keep myself healthy I'll be on the right track.

This year I can't seem to break the 12 mile training run barrier. I should have been running a lot farther by now, but with the bum knee which halted my running for a few weeks, and then with this past week's cold, I have been so frustrated! I've been functioning with the support of Sudafed, but that dehydrates you in a big way. Jeremy made me stop running today when he noticed I had goosebumps and it was in the mid-upper 80s. I was only 11 miles into a 16 miler. :( I needed to stop, and I'm glad he made me. The last time I felt like that and finished a run anyway, I couldn't keep anything down for 3 days and my temps stayed over 100.

On a brighter note, we enjoyed getting dressed up for Halloween last night. Jeremy was Tim(id) Simmons, Richard's introverted younger brother. I went as Sarah Palin. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from other party-goers. I had the distinct honor of being awarded "Scariest Costume".

We are lucky

Jeremy and I are incredibly fortunate. We have wonderful family and friends. More than anything else (i.e. the piles of cash we have on hand, our 3 Hummers, and my ability to find parking spots downtown), we have been blessed with people who love us.

That's all. I just wanted everyone to know that. :)

I'm Converting!

That's right! I'm converting from Brooks running shoes to Mizunos!

My right knee has been incredibly sore, stiff, and angry since my weekly running mileage increased. Trips to the doctor are rare for me, but I went last Tuesday. Based on the location of my pain, the doctor thought I might have a meniscus tear. To determine the source of the pain, I had an MRI done. I put the marathon training on hold until the doc told me what was happening.

At this morning's follow-up appointment I got the green light to continue training. My meniscus is healthy and there is no sign of arthritis! Hooray! Apparently, I've got PES tendonitis. My tendons looked really inflamed on the MRI, so I can expect more discomfort, but the injury won't lead to permanent damage.

After work I got some new running shoes, which I'd been meaning to get for awhile. As it turns out, I was wearing the wrong running shoes; Brooks are for people with flat feet which, according to the guy who initially fitted me for the shoes, I had. My feet actually have pretty high arches and the woman who helped me at the shoe store today put some Mizunos on me. They felt so much more supportive and should contribute to a more stable healthy stride.

So, onward I go. I've lost some training time, but at least I can keep at it.

Telemarketers

This evening I returned from a failed attempt at a run (topic of next post) and started cooking dinner. A telemarketer called to inform us of our selection as recipients of a free vacation. Keeping her on the phone long enough to google the business she named as the prize's sponsor, I stumbled across a slew of Trip Advisor reviews for this "travel club". I guess one of the strategies employed by the telemarketers is relentless phone calls (shocking, I know) while they try to lure you into attending a membership presentation. Not surprisingly, the whole thing is a high-pressure scam, but one of the reviews made me laugh aloud. I felt compelled to share part of it here:

Well, they called to remind me of my appointment today. I could hardly contain my excitement. They were going to have refreshments and everything: different kinds of cookies and the choice of juice, coffee, or tea. I picked juice, then I thought about it for a while then changed it to coffee. It took me at least 5 minutes to decide but the lady on the phone was very patent and waited while I weighed the pros and cons of each choice. I finally decided on cookies and coffee. Too bad I had no intention of showing up.

About eight tonight I got a call from that all too familiar toll free number. As soon as I answered the phone, I asked them what happened and why were they so hard to find. I told them I could make it tomorrow night and they needed to make sure to call me and remind me. I spent the next 15 minutes reconfirming the free travel package and the free gas. I told her I would only except cash since I don't trust banks cause they help fund terrorism and I wanted the $300 to be paid in $20 bills. Apparently I can only get coupons but that won't stop me from insisting on cash. About 10 minutes later after going over the entire package again, I thanked her for her time, promised to be on time, and told her I would be bringing the kids! heh heh. As she was frantically saying, "No No, you can't bring......" I casually hung up. I'm actually looking forward to talking to her tomorrow. My wife thinks it's a sickness and that I need to get a hobby. Opinions vary.

Our First Date

It was eight years ago Sunday night that Jeremy and I went out on our first "kinda sorta semi quasi no pressure date sorta thing." Unfortunately for Jeremy, I am a lot like a cockroach. While I no longer hide in dark corners of rooms or feast on Mischa's cat food, I am pretty persistent. He's still stuck with me after several years.

Our first date was on a Thursday night. I remember that evening being afraid he would forget our date, so I lurked on Instant Messenger hoping to remind him that I was around. Apparently, we eventually met up because I know we went to Soma, a B-ton coffee shop. Jeremy told me his major was "pre-life" and I remember talking for a long time. We then went to the IU Union to see a free (or nearly free) showing of Gladiator. You'd think the movie title would have tipped me off, but I believed Jeremy when he told me it was a romance. Because the movie was free, the projector broke every 30 - 40 seconds, creating lots of opportunities for discussion one doesn't normally get during a film.

I don't know if it was the pre-date online stalking, the blood and guts, or the awkward pauses during the film, but something got us moving in the right direction!

The first date gave way to a second even more romantic outing (thought I am certain Jeremy only invited me along to be polite). Jeremy took me and three of his closest friends caving. Having recently completed a stint as a ballerina and southern belle, the phrase "drop to your belly and crawl army style through the mud until you can lift your head" is the one I most remember from this night. Jeremy's friend Dave also initiated a fun game called What's the Meanest Thing You've Ever Done? on the drive home.

I didn't realize it at the time, but Jeremy created a brilliant dating obstacle course full of awkwardness, gore, mud, and intense interviews with close friends.

And I'm extremely glad I fooled him enough to pass!

ACL Festival & Cheap Living

For what I think is the fourth (or possibly fifth) time, Jeremy and I are headed to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. We are really excited that Chris is joining us from Indy again. Last year, we established a routine that enabled us to enjoy the music we wanted to hear while not killing ourselves. It should be a little bit cooler, and if I insist on getting heat exhaustion and hurling in the port-o-let (again), Chris is a doctor (mostly). Have I mentioned that I barf a lot? I can be a difficult person with whom to travel.

The ACL Festival entertains me on a number of levels. Primarily, I enjoy music. Also, I like to make fun of people. Not openly, and not in a cruel way, but I make fun (in my head, and sometimes to Jeremy) of people who take themselves WAY too seriously. Austin, for good or bad, seems to be the Garden of Eden for the self-important. Hooray for next weekend!

One thing I do take VERY seriously is free meals. The new student welcome party for Jeremy's department was Friday night. I am not ashamed to say that I brought 3 gallon sized plastic bags to the catered party so we could load up on "take out"after everyone finished eating. While no one else came prepared to "take out" dinner, I think we inspired others to follow suit next year.

I am so classy. ;)

Icing on the Cake

And finally, The New York Times.

WOW

For a little ant, this guy moves FAST!

When I searched for stories about it yesterday morning at 8am, there were 53 hits, and all of them in languages other than English. This evening, there are more than 21,000!!!!!

Even Dave Barry, the humor writer, mentioned the paper Jeremy co-authored. http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/09/science-lunges.html

That is pretty dang cool.

Congratulations Jeremy!

My wonderful smart hubby co-authored a paper that came out today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). He won't say it, but it's kind of a big deal.



Christian, another UT grad student, found a most unusual ant on the floor of the Amazon. Jeremy provided the phylogenetic (in English: family tree) analysis of the ant which revealed its enormous significance. The ant is an entirely new subfamily, and the most ancient species ever found.

Keep an eye on the NY Times, as we think they've picked up the story, too.

You can see more at any of these links. If you google "martialis heureka" you can see all the stories! They keep piling up! Jeremy was interviewed for the one on Wired.com and gets mentioned occasionally in some of the others.


http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/living-fossil-a.html

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080915/full/news.2008.1107.html

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/science-shots/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4760982.ece

http://www.physorg.com/news140716045.html

http://www.livescience.com/animals/080915-new-ant.html

http://myrmecos.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/eureka-heureka-an-astonishing-new-ant/

http://mattdowling.blogspot.com/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174538.htm

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/36455/title/Ant_from_Mars

http://www.sciencecodex.com/new_ant_species_discovered_in_the_amazon_likely_represents_oldest_living_lineage_of_ants

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080915/sc_livescience/strangeantfrommarsdiscovered

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/uota-nas091008.php

Maybe he stole a secret recipe?

From cnn.com:

FRESNO, California (AP) -- Authorities say they've arrested a man who broke into the home of two California farmworkers, stole money, rubbed one with spices and whacked the other with a sausage before fleeing.

Fresno County sheriff's Lt. Ian Burrimond says 22-year-old Antonio Vasquez was found hiding in a field wearing only a T-shirt, boxers and socks after the Saturday morning attack.

He says deputies arrested Vasquez after finding a wallet containing his ID in the ransacked house.

The farmworkers told deputies the suspect woke them Saturday morning by rubbing spices on one of them and smacking the other with an 8-inch sausage.

Burrimond says money allegedly stolen was recovered.

Why Biologists are Necessary

Book Recommendation

If you want to understand how to end "Islamic terrorism" (in the words of Rudy Giuliani) read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Now. Don't wait - go get the book before your next trip to the bathroom.

I haven't even finished it yet, but so far the book has reinforced what anyone with a scrap of sense knows already. When people are poor and lack access to a balanced education, very bad things happen. Three Cups of Tea is about the amazing efforts undertaken by one man to educate the children of Pakistan, especially the girls. The schools created by Greg Mortenson were constructed with the local community, for the local community, staffed by the local community. It is a completely uplifting read and should be compulsory for presidents, lawmakers, and the general public.

This man's efforts to support local communities' wishes for a balanced education will probably do more to promote peace than anything else.

More intestinal distress

I'm now watching the RNC. Not to be entirely negative, but Rudy Giuliani irritates (and embarrasses me) in much the same way as Joe Biden. I would like to reiterate my support for Joe Schriner, an independent presidential candidate.

This election has indeed been an exciting one, though! I can't believe how quickly election day is approaching!

Make it stop!

I've got the DNC on right now while I prepare a grocery list and I have to share something urgent with the Democratic VP nominee.

JOE BIDEN: PLEASE STOP TALKING! NOW! MERCY! HELP! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Your rambling is causing me intestinal distress. (For the record, I am not a Republican or a Democrat.)

Vegas

Wow. Having just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, the possibilities for a blog post are mind boggling.

For now, this is all I'll say: the Gigolo/Engineer totals were extremely lopsided.

Read This Article!!!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/08/22/men_banned_from_national_parks_after_vandalism/

You are probably familiar with my enjoyment of rearranging letters on signs. While most often I do not rearrange anything myself, I totally enjoy the fruits of others' labor.

For example:

Free Firewood ---> Free THE Firewood
Try Our New Big N Tasty ----> Try Our Big Nasty
Now Hiring 15 Year Olds ---> Now Hiring 5 Year Olds

And on, and on... My mom is actually more accomplished at this than I am. She invested in a step stool so that she might reach those letters way high up more safely. ;)

Anyway, my cousin Katie sent me the link to this article. The freaky thing is that Jeremy and I ate last night IN THE SAME DINER as the men responsible for these shennanigans.

From the people who brought you, well, nothing

Jeremy and I recently traveled to New England. Like most folks who fly, we arrived at the airport really early so we could sit around and wait for our flight to be delayed (we flew American Airlines). In order to pass the time, we created and then played a few games. I'd like to share them with you.

For each person who walks past you, do one of the following:

1. label individuals as either Gigolo or Engineer;


Pictured Above: Engineer (center, wearing blouse) with Architect and Contractor






2. guess and then shout the occupation of everyone you see (i.e. teacher, senator, arsonist).


These are fantastic ways to pass the time and inadvertantly miss your flight(s).

Example of Speciation/New Technique for Bouncers

When we initially moved to Texas in 2003, Jeremy shared a house with two fellow incoming biology grad students. These guys were total strangers to one another, and it could have turned out like an episode of the Big Bang Theory. Fortunately, it worked out pretty well. Jeremy eventually married me and moved out but the other guys remained.

Despite the fact that Jeremy and his roommates held "nerd-off" competitions, possessed fuzzy stuffed "animals" shaped to resemble viruses and bacteria (influenza, e-coli, HIV), and have been known to visit sewage treatment plants in pursuit of lab samples, they are all well rounded and personable. Their domicile became known as the "House of Science" and hosted lots of fun parties. Sadly, after five years of fun times, the House of Science is no more. The dwellers are moving on and out and they hosted a big farewell party last night.

The theme for the party was "Lab Formal". What that means, I don't really know.

At about 1:30 am, four very intoxicated fraternity boys showed up and invited themselves into the house. It was at this point I realized how COMPLETELY distinct these young men were from the other party attendees. Their jazzercise shirts and ridiculously loud stupid behavior pretty much stopped everyone in their tracks. Little did they know, they'd just crashed a party full of folks who will be their professors and TAs during the coming school year.

The best part for me was when two of the young men stumbled into the kitchen and asked what we were doing. Party attendees wearing an assortment of lab coats, safety glasses, latex gloves, hazmat suits, a tux, and other formal wear yelled "SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!" The fraternity boys looked utterly bewildered.

They departed shortly thereafter.

Disney Marathon 2009 - Here I Come!

I registered for the 2009 Disney Marathon today.



The full marathon is at 70% capacity, and the half is already closed. Jeremy won't be running with me this year - any takers? I would LOVE to have some company - even if it is just someone to start the race with, and catch up to at the finish line!

I'm shooting for a 4:30 time this year. Really, I'm just delighted to finish, though.

Think about it!!! It is the most fun you can have while burning 2620 calories.

With Age Comes Wisdom

Tip #1:
When watching So You Think You Can Dance? imagine your father on stage performing the choreography.

Tip #2:
When you have a co-worker and pet with the same name, you can never be specific enough. For example:

"Mischa always follows me into the bathroom, sits on the sink, and stares at me while I use the restroom."

"Mischa would not stop licking me!"

"Mischa slept on your side of the bed every night you were gone."

"Mischa loves it when you rub his belly!"

"When I was gone, Mischa really missed the wrestling."

Summer Happenings

Mom told me to post more blog entries, but I'm presently at a loss for topics.

I guess a regular update on our lives will have to suffice! J and I went to London in April/May along with our good buddy, Mary B. We had a terrific time in London, saw all the good stuff, and enjoyed performances of the Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty , in addition to catching Spamalot on the West End. I am absolutely convinced that if I make it to Heaven, it will resemble a performance of Spamalot, complete with the confetti and Monty Python sing along.

After a few days in London, we went up to the Lake District and stayed in the booming metroplis that is Great Strickland. The place we rented was AMAZING. I would STRONGLY recommend this self-catering option to anyone interested in staying in a teeny tiny village a little off the beaten path. Jeremy and I did a hike that was supposed to last six hours, but we got lost and hiked to the wrong village. We finished in half the expected time.

My beautiful sister and her husband got married in June and we were thrilled to celebrate with them. Here are a few pics from the joyful occasion:





My sister is pretty much the most beautiful human being on the planet:


Their kids will be ridiculously good looking, in addition to being ridiculously tall.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the wedding, here is the toast I gave. I'm not posting this because I think I'm a great toast-giver, rather, I would like the entire world to know how highly I think of Mary Kate and Brien. They are pretty darn awesome. I love my family.

I am thrilled to take part in the celebration of this joyful union and am surprised you trust me with a microphone.

Brien, I want to share with you a secret about your new wife. Having been fairly well-acquainted with her for the past 23 years, I can say with complete confidence that her internal beauty far surpasses her radiant external beauty. Even on a day like today.

Growing up with Mary Kate, it was clear that she possessed a grace and spiritual grounding far beyond her years. * Always sensitive to the needs of others, Mary Kate embodies what it means to love unconditionally. She is generous and kind, intensely thoughtful and always welcoming.

In all honesty, I could not imagine any man ever being worthy of such a gift as my little sister.

And then we met you, Brien.

At the risk of embarrassing you, I want to say that you and Mary Kate are two peas in a pod. I’m not sure two more compassionate and loving people exist. Brien, you are a remarkable young man and I could not be happier that you are a part of our family. You and Mary Kate have created a relationship that nourishes not only yourselves, but those around you.

For me, you embody the words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God.

And now, on this most special occasion, I invite you all to raise your glasses in honor of Mary Kate and Brien.

I love you both.

*Mary Kate did bite/pinch me on occasion, but I was willing to overlook that.

I'm baaaaack

At the present moment I am home alone. Jeremy won't be back until mid-week, so Mischa (the kitty) and I are holding down the fort.

As of five minutes ago, my fascination with old historic homes ended. While getting ready for bed I had to first sterilize my toothbrush because it was covered in tiny ants. We've been waging a battle against them for several weeks now. Mid-brushing, I heard some bumping and scraping coming from the adjacent room (our bedroom). I moved into the bedroom to scold Mischa for chewing on the wire to the radio, when I realized Mischa was nowhere to be found. There was some OTHER large mammal rooting around IN the wall and under the floor in the master bedroom. While pounding on the wall to frighten the vermin away, I startled a large wood roach. The large wood roach chose to flee the safety of the ceiling and seek refuge in the sheets on the bed. I finally got it out of the bed, only to chase it into my chest of drawers.

Every light in the house is now on, and I'm positive the neighbors have heard me screaming EEEEEWWWW EEEEEWWWWW EEEEEEWWWWWW over and over again. Despite the bug spray, roach motels, and constant bug smashing, I just can't seem to conquer the bugs. I'm no sissy, but this is ridiculous!

A Currently Untapped Market?

Jeremy and I were driving around Austin yesterday. While at a stop light in our old neighborhood, I looked to my right. Jeremy and I both strained to read the sign on a building nearby. This is what we saw:

A U S T I N C A N * * * * E N T * *

Jeremy and I both gawked. "Does that sign say AUSTIN CANNON RENTAL!!?"

Unfortunately, it was just the Austin Canine Center.

Why did I even get out of bed?

In a 15 minute span of time yesterday, our cat escaped from the house (and we may or may not have screamed some nice words at the top of our lungs to the entire street), a hornet flew into Jeremy's pants and stung him twice, and my e-mail program decided to send all unsent messages from my draft box (since 2005).

I'll bet that prof of mine from the first semester of grad school was happy to know I won't be able to TA for his spring '06 course.

I am getting old.

Dave Matthews just reappeared in the CD player and reminded me that I really enjoy familiar things, including his music.

(Living in Austin, Jeremy and I are always being trendy and edgy. (Stop laughing.) We've actually been discussing how we've come to crave a dinner at Applebee's or Red Lobster because frankly, it is EXHAUSTING being so cool all the time. We never eat the same stuff at the same restaurants. We are always at festivals, co-ops, farmers markets, and hipster places. Yes, yes, I know that we inspire everyone with our ability to stay ahead of the latest organic food trends, but cut us some slack! Sometimes I really want a bloomin' onion.)

I checked out Dave's website and saw that he and his posse will be in Houston this August. "Whooo!" I thought to myself. I clicked on info about the venue and saw that his show is at an outdoor amphitheatre. A video started to play showing about a BILLION sweaty young people jumping up and down and singing along with whoever was performing. The film was supposed to show me, random website visitor and prospective concert attendee, what a great time I'd have at this venue.

After watching the promotional video, I was left with one impression: there is NO WAY we are driving to Houston to get trapped in a parking lot with THAT many people.

Cats don't like baths, anyway.

Easter is quickly approaching and I am reminded of a story.

Jeremy and I help coordinate the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at our parish. RCIA is the process through which people become Catholic Christians. The celebration of the Easter Vigil is the pinnacle of the liturgical year and the time adults who choose to be received into the Church are baptized, confirmed and take Communion. The liturgy is very beautiful and the church pulls out all the stops: incense, bells, phenomenal music, etc.

Unlike many of our Protestant brothers and sisters and newer Catholic churches, our church lacks a cool baptismal font that would enable the immersion of adults. In order to baptize adults at the Easter Vigil, we had to get creative.

To get the job done two of the other RCIA coordinators went to Toys 'R Us to purchase either a baby pool or a sandbox. They opted for the sandbox because it was neutral in color rather than hideously blue with hippos and elephants. (not that Jesus would care)

At checkout the two RCIA folks told the cashier they would not need the sandbox cover. The cashier responded by saying "well, don't you want the cover to keep the cats out?"

Our friends reassured her that they planned to use the sandbox to perform baptisms, to which the woman responded, "oh, well then you REALLY want to keep the cats out."

Happy Holy Week!

The Onion, Southpark, and now...

This is dead on. Be forewarned, as this blog cuts close to the bone: Stuff White People Like

Thanks, Sarah :)

IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH!

I just received this critical message from the creators of facebook...

Erin, you are more desired than 30% of all people.

In total, you were reviewed for dating 1 time and no people expressed interest in you. You are more desirable than 30% of 23,341,397 people.

I'm no MBA, but it seems that e-mailing customers to let them know how UNdesirable they are is not the most effective PR/marketing strategy? Funny, yes, but sound business strategy, no.

Until next time...

Erin, the Undesirable
;)

How Did I Get Here?

You might have googled one of these phrases. (This is only a partial list of googled phrases that result in hits on this page.)

election 2008 update

browntastic

peanuts in poop

kiwish

big person eating

the dignity of work and the rights of workers

seamless garment tea
(what on earth is this? I am a fan of both the seamless garment viewpoint and tea, but what's with the combination?)

time for a song, a dance, and a little seltzer down your pants....

march 7 holidays in foreign countries

butterbeer alamo drafthouse recipe

analyze the song god bless texas by little texas
(quelle horreur?! not on MY blog!)

person eating photo

poop with peanuts in it

how to combine dna
(?!? - I did NOT blog about this at ANY point)

alittle song, alittle dance, alittle seltzer down your pants

we don't have white christmas in texas

peanuts in my poop

Ok people, I don't know what to do about peanuts in your poop and I'm not sure why I've earned a reputation as the go-to person for such difficulties. Maybe you should switch to cashews.

My Day

Sooo, I think I have a strong artistic streak in me. Why would I say such a thing? Because I only do things when the spirit moves me (i.e. blogging, washing sheets, smiling). Apparently, others have taken notice of my potential for artistry.

I went to Central Market today. I bought some pecan crusted salmon, smooth peanut butter, vegetable broth, peppers, apples, whole wheat buns, Sweet Leaf tea (it is my crack), pie crusts and an amazingly sharp knife. As the items are being scanned, my cashier initiated the following conversation.

"So...what have you been up to today?"

"Just working... I escaped a little early."

"So...what do you do for a living?"

"Well, I'm the assistant director for an agency that provides transitional housing for homeless women with children."

--Long Period of Awkward Silence--

"So...I'll bet you're good at comedy!"

(To myself: WHAT????!!!!)

"Why yes, I am hilarious all the time."

--In response, cashier dude twirls conveyer belt divider like baton--


Perhaps I'm funny looking? I didn't even have on one of my fun t-shirts today (Cereal Killer, I See Your Pants are On Fire, etc.) I suppose there are worse things to be accused of...

I Sure Hope I'm Flame Retardant...

We Did It!

Hooray!

Jeremy and I both crossed the finish line of the '08 Disney Marathon. We'd done two half-marathons before, but this was the first full. The experience was awesome and we're really happy we did it. It was as enjoyable as that much physical discomfort could be. We are fortunate to have wonderful friends and family who came and offered support or sent words of encouragement from different parts of the country. That truly made the event endurable!

From start to finish the race was well organized and the conditions were great. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge the night before the run. Transport to the start of the race was very simple; at 3:45 am on Sunday we walked right onto a big fancy bus that took us from the hotel to the race's start. We both felt pretty well rested, having slept at least 8 hours every night the week leading up to the big run. On Saturday night we fell asleep by 9 pm with no problem since we were up REALLY early that morning to catch a flight. The bus ride over to the start was pretty quiet as most folks were sleepy. The significance of what we were about to do really hit me when I got on the bus and saw the other runners. They were all so athletic looking. Nobody on the bus looked like a casual runner. That freaked me out a teensy bit. I'm not really all that athletic or serious about running.

Once we got off the bus at Epcot I calmed down a bit as I saw more people who looked like me and less like Olympians. They kept us in a holding area for about an hour and played loud music. To keep warm we bought some throw away sweats. It was so warm and humid - even at 4:30 am - that we just checked our stuff. Here's a few photos of us pre-race. Notice my AWESOME sweatshirt. And no, I have no idea who she is.





We managed to get assigned to Corral D, which was at the very front of the slower runner start. (There were two starts - one for the people on our bus, the fast runners, and a second for the slow pokes.) After watching some middle-aged white dude perform his rendition of the "Soulja Boy" dance to the pre-race warm up music, the race kicked off at 6. It was so dark!

The first few miles were really quiet. Very few spectators could get to the start of the marathon because it is largely on back roads. When we hit Epcot we saw a few folks as we ran next to the giant sphere. (That is also an excellent place to use the theme-park restrooms.)

We were going strong when we saw my Mom, Dad, and sister at mile 9. It was great to see them!

We ran into the Magic Kingdom shortly afterwards. I felt great until about mile 13 when my arches started to get really sore. This was a pain I hadn't anticipated at all - I have never had arch discomfort on training runs so I think that the asphalt we ran on did it. John and Melissa cheered for us at miles 9 and 13 which was so cool! They screamed for us so loudly that the people around us asked if they too could join "Team Brown". It was awesome.

This post is getting really long. I"ll take a break for now and post some more pictures soon.

And we're off...

Jeremy and I fly to Orlando in a few hours. The marathon is Sunday morning at 6am (but we have to be there at 4!!)

I think we are ready for the race. We've been really good about getting enough rest and Jeremy has a new brace for his knee since his IT band has been giving him grief.

I'm planning to run with either a disposable or video camera. We'll see what is feasible.

Here goes nothing!

Say prayers for us :)

Happy New Year!

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Indiana during which time we got to see both sets of parents, both sisters, one brutha-in-law, and many friends. It was an outstanding week! We are both sad to be back in Austin. :(

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the North. Better late than never, right? Enjoy!