The Saga Continues

This weekend I noticed this weird bump right next to the incision on my leg. The bump looked like someone had marked my leg with a mechanical pencil, but it was hard to the touch, and it hurt when I pressed down on it. I called the advice line today about it to see if I should go in and have it looked at. They transferred me to my surgeons office, where I left a message. They called me back and asked me to come in as soon as possible, so I headed over. Turns out the mark/bump was actually one of my deep stitches. According to the doctor, there are/were 4 deep stitches in addition to the 20 or so surface stitches. The deep stitches are meant to disintegrate in about 6 months, but my body apparently doesn't like them, or at least the one that popped up this weekend. So today it took about 20 minutes, but the doctor was able to pull it out. It took a lot of pulling and tugging, and was quite uncomfortable, but I'm happy it's out. The doctor said the other kind of stitches that disintegrate only last 6 weeks, and he doesn't use them on legs because they break. So I have 3 more of those deep stitches, and I guess its a wait and see game to see if my body rejects those too.

Since I was there, I asked if the incision was healing well, and the doctor was mostly happy. He is slightly concerned that my skin still hasn't evened out, so I might have to go back and see him in a few months about that. I also asked if he would be my surgeon if I end up with another melanoma since I am seeing my dermatologist next week and am slightly concerned about it. He said it would either be him or one other doctor who is based in Kensington. I'm comfortable with him, so I hope it would be him if it has to be anyone, though I really home this was my one and only melanoma.

Sandy

This is the current radar from weather.com regarding Hurricane Sandy. Its been raining in DC since about 5pm yesterday, and the wind picked up this morning. I use the trees I can see across the way from my apartment building as a gauge for how windy it is out, and they have been swinging around pretty well for the past couple of hours, even more so in the past few minutes. And the best part? The eye of the storm hasn't even made landfall yet, its expected in the next 2 hours or so, so the worst is yet to come.

Metro is closed, meaning I had no way to get to work this morning. That wasn't a problem though, as non-emergency personnel were granted admin leave today. I'm wondering what the case will be for tomorrow as it is supposed to get worse for us overnight. Apparently 50 million people are being affected by this storm, with 10 million expected to lose power. I'm good so far, and I'm prepared if I do lose power, but I think I'll be ok. This really is quite a storm.

I Call BS

I read an article in the NY Times today about this absurd thing called the "Castle Doctrine" in Montana. Apparently, if someone comes into your home, armed or not, you can go ahead and kill them. I'm sorry, but thats ridiculous. I freely admit I am anti-gun. I think they lead to more violence, not less. In any case, I read articles that both support the actions of the man I consider a murderer and the man who was killed. What neither article even mentions is that whether or not one believes he should have had a gun, there was no need to shoot to kill the man. What about injuring him and calling the cops? I still think thats wrong, but at least a life wouldn't have been lost. The same can be said for the "Stand Your Ground" law and the Trayvon Martin case. I don't think the SYG Law even applies in the Trayvon case, as Zimmerman clearly got out of his car against the orders of the 911 operator and engaged Trayvon. If it were to apply, again, there was no need to shoot to kill. But this goes back to my problem with guns. Those with them don't seem to think, they just react in the moment, and I would argue that that often leads to bigger problems and unnecessary deaths (and injuries). Sigh.

Stitchless

My stitches are gone, and not a minute too soon. I definitely waited too long to take them out, but I wanted my surgeon to do it so he could do a check up as well, and he was on vacation for 2 weeks. So I have nice little red marks on either side of my incision that I hope heal up quick. Sigh. Oh well. The good news is that the incision looks like it is healing well so far, and I can now start using Mederma to try and minimize the scar. I'm not quite sure how much this sucker is going to minimize though, because its freaking huge. While I knew it was long before since, hey, its on my leg, I didn't really think about the scar in comparison to the mole removed. Tonight I was re-reading the pathology report (no residual melanoma found, woohoo!), and it got me thinking about how small the original mole was compared to this gash in my leg. Its much better to have this gash and not have cancer, but wow. Its quite the comparison. I also have a bump at the top of my incision, and a dip from where they removed all that skin. My doctor says it should smooth out over the next 3-4 months. If it doesn't, I get to back and see him. If it does, I don't have to see him for a year, when he will just do an annual check of the incision/scar. Fingers crossed it smooths out on its own. And, as I stated before, better to have this bump than cancer.

Baseball

I never thought I'd say it, but this year I'm rooting for the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series. I was of course rooting for the Angels, but they didn't make it to the playoff's. So then I threw all of my support to the hometown Nats. Only to watch them blow a 6 run lead in the last game of their first playoff experience in 70 years. So now we are down to the Tigers, as well as the Yankees, Cardinals, and Giants. Why do those teams sound familiar? Because those are the last 3 winners of the World Series. Leaving Detroit as the de facto team to support. Sigh.

Boring Isn't Always Bad

Today someone at work asked what I did this weekend. I gleefully responded, "absolutely nothing." He then said, "I'm sorry," like it was a bad thing that I didn't do a whole heck of a lot this weekend. Granted, he doesn't know that I'm not really supposed to be doing much of anything anyway, but still, the fact that doing nothing is something to be pitied is new to me. Especially since there are many times when I relish having nothing to do. It means I can catch up on tv, read a book, listen to music, or just relax. I mean, why do we always have to be in go-mode? I think its actually better for us if we take time to calm down and relax every now and then. Especially if one has a stressful job. Regardless, my point is that doing nothing and being boring isn't necessarily something bad. In fact, sometimes boring can be great.

Leg Updates (With Pictures)

I have been remiss in writing about my leg post surgery, so here goes.

Here was my original mole:

Doesn't look too bad, right? Less than a millimeter big and never changing. Who knew it was cancerous? Well, obviously my dermatologist. Sigh. Here is the scar post-biopsy:

Not too shabby. Now here is my leg post surgery:

Nice big wrapping. And here is how it looked when I finally got the wrappings off:

So pretty, I know. Once I went to my post-op appointment, the doctor cleaned it  and replaced the steristrips:

I replaced the steristrips last weekend, and here is what it looked like before I covered it up again:

It looks pretty gnarly there, but I think part of that is because of the steristrips, since my skin doesn't like adhesive very much. I was going to change them again yesterday, but I decided to just leave them off and see if the skin around the incision got any better, which it has. I haven't uploaded the picture yet, but I'll get to it.

So that's it for now. I'm still limiting my walking and sitting with it up as much as possible. I think I've gained about 10 pounds being so inactive this past month, so I'm looking forward to doing anything physical once I get the all clear.  I'll get the rest of my stitches removed on Oct 22. The doc could have removed them on my 10 day post-op visit, but we didn't want to risk the incision opening up, so, we left them in. Fingers crossed they come out cleanly and painlessly next Monday!

A Little Piece of Me

The night before surgery I took out my cartilage piercing. I was a little worried about it, but I figured it would be back in in no time. Post surgery I didn't want to ask Dad to put it in, so I asked Mom when she was here. She couldn't get it in because of her nails, and she couldn't see the hole. I decided I would go to Claires in the mall and have them do it. Today I made my way to the store, and they wouldn't put it in. I was surprised, and pressed them, and they still refused. I walked out of the store absolutely deflated. I know its stupid, but that piercing is a piece of me and my one bit of rebellion. I'm a goody-two-shoes through and through, and I liked having that as my little bit of edge. As I walked out of the store, all I really wanted to do was cry. It sounds stupid. I mean, I haven't been all that emotional about too much that has happened as a result of this, this being cancer, but for some reason not being able to get my earring back in has really gotten to me. So why don't I just get it re-pierced? Well, it takes 3 months to heal, last time my curly hair got tangled around the stud, I had a lot of infections after I finally was able to change earrings, and what if I have another melanoma and have to have another surgery requiring me to remove it again? I feel like its just time to give it up, even though I'm not ready and am being forced to do so. A little piece of me is gone now, but I have to look at the big picture and be happy that that is my biggest problem right now. Granted, I still have my incision to deal with, but I knew that going in. I guess what I should say is that I should be happy that this is my biggest unanticipated problem.

Next up:

10/22: Removal of stitches

11/13: Dermatology appointment

Well That Was Fun

Yesterday was my surgery. Dad and I arrived at Kaiser at 9:15am, and my surgery was scheduled for 10:50am. Shockingly, it actually started almost on time (I was wheeled into OR2 at 10:52). The surgery itself lasted about an hour and I was wheeled into recovery around noon. All of the doctors/nurses were really nice, though I was worried about my IV. I could hear the nurse repeatedly sticking the woman in the bed next to me, and not be able to get the IV started. Luckily, she didn't hurt me too bad and got my IV started in one go. I don't know why I'm surprised, but my hand is still sore today. In other news, I was surprised by how little my leg hurt yesterday. I now realize that was because the local anesthesia lasted through most of the day until last night. Today it hurts. Pretty bad. Though it fluctuates as to the level of pain throughout the day. I did get vicodin, but I'm trying to use it as little as possible, which may be stupid, but oh well. Tomorrow I get to take the outer bandage off and take a shower. Part of me doesn't want to take the bandage off because I'm slightly scared to see the wound. I think I'm just going to have to suck it up so I can clean it though, so tomorrow I get to see it whether I want to or not. Fingers crossed it doesn't look too terribly bad.

It's The Final Countdown

I'm due to show up at Kaiser in Gaithersburg at 9:20am tomorrow morning. Dad's plane just arrived at Dulles and he is on his way to the condo. Hopefully in 12 hours this will all be over. This time at least. I have this sneaking suspicion/fear that I have other melanoma's on my body that I just don't know about, and that we will do biopsies and more surgeries in the near future. My LDH level was on the low end of normal, so that's a positive sign, but I still worry. I guess its just a waiting game for the foreseeable future. Wish me luck and fingers crossed surgery goes well tomorrow and no skin graft is needed.

Welcome Home

Yesterday we welcomed home the remains of Ambassador J. Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods. Employees were welcome to go to Andrews Air Force Base for the ceremony, but even though I feel enormously connected to what happened, I don't, well didn't, know any of the four personally. So I decided to stay at work, complete my assignments since I am going to be out next week, and watch the ceremony via our internal media. I know this is the same, or at least similar, ceremony that our soldiers receive, and it was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I greatly appreciate the fact that the Secretary made her eulogy personal, mentioning Sean's online friends for example, and that both she and the President made it clear that justice will be done and that this will not push us out of Libya. That is not what these four men would have wanted, and I feel that continuing our mission there is one of the best tributes we could give them. Secretary Clinton's line that the people of the Arab Spring did not come out from under the thumb of tyrants to fall under the thumb of mobs was especially compelling given the reaction to this ridiculous video all throughout the Middle East.

Yesterday I was also able to sign the condolence books for Amb. Stevens. One thing I wrote was how he has inspired me to be a better civil service employee and to possibly apply for the foreign service. I know that most people would see what happened and say no way would I want to work out there, but I have been inspired. I haven't seen a single person who has a negative thing to say about Ambassador Stevens, including those in Libya (minus the extremists who ambushed him), and his passion for his job is admirable. So I think one day in the near future I may be applying to be a foreign service officer. In the meantime, at least I can be sure that my work is making a difference, and I can continue to look for fulfilling and important work.

RIP Chris, Sean, Glen, and Tyrone. You will never be forgotten.

What A Day

I woke up this morning to an alert from CNN that said that Ambassador Chris Stevens, posted in Libya, had been killed overnight, along with 3 other Mission personnel. It was a heartbreaking thing to wake up to. I was hopeful the news was wrong, but as I got to work, I realized it was in fact true. It is mind-blowing to me that of all the Americans in Libya that the extremists decided to attack, they chose Ambassador Stevens. He was a career diplomat who spent a large amount of time in Northern Africa. Not only that, but prior to being appointed Ambassador to Libya he served as the U.S. Envoy to the rebels back in the fight against Qaddafi and he helped to save Benghazi. The fact that he was killed in Benghazi is a slap in the face to U.S. and our Libyan counterparts.

Throughout the morning I watched Secretary Clinton's speech and President Obama's speech, as well as the news coverage of the attack. Then at about 1100 we were told to go down to the Courtyard. We did so, and President Obama gave a speech to the employees thanking us for our service and offering condolences for the loss of an esteemed colleague. He spoke off the cuff and from the heart, and it was nice that he came personally to the Department. It shows that the higher ups are aware of us little folk, and it was a much needed morale boost. I even got to shake the President's hand as he walked down the line. Part of me is excited, but that emotion is tempered by the fact that it took a tragedy to get there.

I have so much emotion running through me about this incident that I don't have much else I can say right now. Religious intolerance should never be accepted, but freedom of speech exists for a reason, and we can't forget that. More to come I'm sure.

One last thought-If I didn't already despise Romney, I would after his ridiculous and unnecessary statement last night. There was no need to turn the loss of an Ambassador into a political spectacle, especially with how quickly things were moving both in Cairo and in Libya. I already knew he despised federal workers, but I never thought he would stoop so low as to use us for political fodder. Despicable.

Color Run

Yesterday some friends and I did the Color Run. This is a run where about every kilometer volunteers throw colored powder on you. This is what we looked like post-run:

It was fun, and I did better than I thought considering I couldn't breath very well thanks to a nasty summer cold. Anyway, post race was the real fun. This is when we all gathered at the color festival and threw our colored powder that we had run with into the air. We got quite messy :-)

I think my favorite part was getting back to the apartment. Thank god Jamie drove us and I only had to walk through my building. I can't even begin to imagine the looks I would have gotten on metro, haha. All in all it was a great morning and while I have washed my shirt (unsuccessfully I might add, there are still color stains), I am planning on preserving my headband. Its just too freaking cool.

This is definitely a race I would do again and that I would recommend.

Countdown to surgery is officially one week. Eek.

Habits

A quick google search will show that it takes about 66 days to form a habit. This means that as of my surgery day, I will have been going to gym for 63 days. That's not say that I've gone to the gym every day. Rather, it will have been 63 days since I started going to the gym semi-regularly. That will all be for naught since as of Sept 17 I'll be stuck with no running for 4 weeks. That's unfortunate because I actually have been going more often recently and not only enjoying it, but I feel like my body is finally comfortable and happy running again. My shin splits have stopped and I am able to run most of my 30-35 minute treadmill time. So in order to stay at least somewhat active during my forced time-out, I'm going to ask my doctor if I can do yoga or at least something to work on my core and arms while I can't use my leg.  My doctor did say no elliptical machine, so I know nothing that uses the legs will be allowed. But I figure yoga might be ok. I guess we'll find out. And I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that I don't lose all of my hard work getting in the habit of going to the gym in the month I have off and that its easy to get back into it once I'm allowed to run again.

It's a Shame...

...that my initial incision is healing so well. Knowing that its going to be ripped apart is slightly unnerving and quite sad seeing as I took really good care of it and have avoided picking at the scab. Oh well.  At least it will be put back together again. Just not as pretty as it currently is looking.

In related news, Dad is flying out on Sept 16 for sure, and leaving Sept 20, a few hours prior to Mom's arrival. I guess all that has to happen now is the actual surgery. Oh, and my pre-op appointment and blood tests and x-ray, but that's the minor stuff, right?

I've decided I'm not telling anyone else at work beyond the 3 people I originally told (my boss and 2 of my closer coworkers). I feel like its not really their business, I don't want to become the cancer girl, and they don't need to know, so why tell them? I have to submit a leave slip to the timekeeper obviously, but I talked to my boss, and I'm just going to have him sign it and then leave the signed slip on her desk the Friday night before my surgery. I know I have to tell them something, but I really don't want to get into to much detail and to be perfectly honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the timekeeper and would realllllly rather she knows as little as possible.

My frame of mind is a lot better this week than it was last week. Especially in the fact that I'm not as freaked out about my other moles. That's not to say I'm not worried or that I'm not thinking about it. Just that it isn't the first thing on my mind when I wake up, the last thing I think of before going to bed, or something that pops into my head every 5 minutes. I'm still freaked out, but at a lesser level than before. And I think that's all I can ask for until I get my blood tests back, I complete the surgery, and I see my dermatologist again in November.

D-Day

So my surgery is set. Sept 17 is d-day. Or maybe s-day is a better way to put it. On Sept 16 my Dad is coming out to DC, and on Sept 17 I head to Maryland for surgery on my left thigh. The plastic surgeon will take an extra centimeter around and down from initial incision, plus a bit more on 2 sides to close it up, leaving me with about a 2 inch scar. Dad says I should just tell people I was in a knife fight. Its a much cooler things to say than "I have/had cancer," so I might just go for it. Mom was already planning on coming to DC Sept 20, so I guess it will be hand-off just like when I was a kid. The surgeon wants me off my leg for a week, and I'm not allowed to run for a month after the surgery, which means I have to put off the MCM 10k now. Sigh. And Mom and I were planning on finishing up my spare room. Fingers crossed I can manage that while she's here. When it comes to the surgery, I'm slightly scared, since hey, its surgery. But to be honest, I'm more worried that one of my other crazy looking moles is also a melanoma, and I just don't know it. The good news is that as part of my pre-op tests, I have a blood test ordered that should tell if the cancer has spread, so that will go far in allaying my fears. Plus, I have an appointment with my dermatologist set for November, so I'll get another full body check and see what he has to say. For now, I'm just trying not to stress. Everything is set in motion and I'm doing all I can to catch and fix this, so I'm going to follow the motto Jason Mraz sang last night:"I won't worry my life away."Instead, I'm just gonna live it.

Volt

Today I got to drive a Chevy Volt. I had to go to a meeting so I got a car from the Dept motor pool, and it just happened to be the Volt. I actually really liked it. The middle consul was kind of ugly, and by kind of I mean really, and a bit difficult to figure out where everything was and what everything did, but the car drove really well. I went the whole way out and back on the charge, and couldn't even tell I was driving an electric vehicle. I definitely liked it better than the Prius, which I had the opportunity to drive through ZipCar. One thing I did notice which was annoying, is the back window. It was mostly ok, but just like the Prius there was something funky about it. Why do the good for the environment cars always have something annoying? Oh well. Now I need to drive the Civic Hybrid, and see how that one drives :-)

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I think everyone these days either knows of someone with cancer or has it themselves. It seems I am now lucky enough to fall into both categories. I got a call from my dermatologist today at work, and it turns out that the mole he removed last week was cancerous. In fact, it was melanoma, the super scary word. The good news is that the dermatologist used the phrase "borderline melanoma," and it is only .24 mm deep, when 1mm deep is the scary line from when it goes to bad to worse. I also now have a consultation with a plastic surgeon set for Thursday to talk about enlarging the incision made by my dermatologist in order to make sure they really get it all. Part of me is numb, and the other part is freaked out about all of the other atypical moles I have all over by body. I asked the dermatologist about them, and he said no other mole really stuck out to him, but that since I now have to see him once every 3 months for the foreseeable future, he will do a full body check on my next visit, scheduled for November. There is not much I can do at the moment, so I keep telling my self "don't worry, be happy," as its a good thing they caught it so early, and I am on the right path. Hopefully the more I repeat it, the better I'll feel...

Quote

One of the websites I follow is PostSecret. They post secrets that have been mailed in every Sunday, usually at midnight. Since I'm up at midnight tonight, I decided to look through it, and the very last postcard really struck me:

"There will never be a 'good' or 'right' time to do anything worth doing. Do it anyway. As soon as you can."

New motto perhaps?

Skin

So Wednesday I came home with a bit less skin than I left with. By that I mean I went to the dermatologist and lost a(nother) mole to a biopsy. I'm not that concerned because my last biopsy came back normal, but there is always a little worry with anything that has the potential to lead to the scary word "cancer." And according to my dermatologist, I am a prime candidate for getting skin cancer. He says that because my mom has skin cancer, I grew up in Southern California, and I have loads of atypical moles. What are atypical moles one might ask? They are moles that are not perfectly round and instead are asymmetrical, have multiple colors, and/or are super dark, among other things. As long as they don't evolve, i.e. change, I don't think I have to worry. It's just that atypical moles are typical for me. I have a very conscientious dermatologist though, who if he had his way, would remove every atypical mole I have. We have come to an agreement that he can have 2 moles of different varieties, hence the removal last year and the one Wednesday, and I have to continue to come in once a year for a full body check. Part of reason for the full body check is that according to the derm, people with more moles, even if they aren't currently cancerous, are at a much higher risk to get skin cancer. So I'm checking in every year so if something does pop up, we can catch it in time. I'm also staying out of the sun, which is painful, but necessary. Sometimes being a grown up sucks. For now though, I'm focused on healing the hole in my thigh, which means keeping it covered for a week. Fingers crossed it heals clean!

Can you make a bus disappear?

WMATA sure can. Today I checked my phone and the nifty WMATA website said that the H1 bus would be coming in 8 minutes. I watched the timing go down all the way to 4 minutes as I walked to the bus stop, and then suddenly then next next bus wasn't expected for another 27 minutes. Say what? How does a bus that you are tracking with GPS suddenly fall off the grid? So I waited another few minutes in the hope that it would reappear, which of course it didn't. Then, to add a cherry on top of the incompetence that is metro, I saw an H1 bus going south on 23rd street. Um, the H1 only goes south on 23rd during morning rush, and it goes north in the evening rush, so WTF. Just when I think metro can't fail anymore, they manage to top themselves.

Action and Reaction

As any person who went to school knows, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I would say this is especially true for me. The more I am pushed to do something,  the more I want to do the opposite. For example, this weekend I went to NY for my bday, which is a post in and of itself, and I got there by train with one of my friends. We spent most of the ride chatting, but there were 2 things she would not stop pushing me on: my job and boys. For my job, I have always said that I will take the foreign service exam once I get closer to 30, because I figure by that point I will know whether or not I want to travel or stay in DC, and hopefully I will have changed jobs within the Dept or gov, and know if I am happy or not. I think this makes sense. She does not. She just kept pushing and pushing me about taking the test now and wouldn't let up. I wanted to tell her to stop talking, but I didn't want to be mean. Finally I managed to change the subject, but I swear, she made me want to put the test off another 5 years just to spite her. The other issue is that apparently she has been talking with her bf and they seem to think that I should sign up for jdate. I have already considered it and think I am going to do it. But when I do, it will be my decision. She kept talking about setting up my profile and and saying I needed to get on now, making me want to put it off another year. Once again, that push me and I'll push back was making me want to be super bitchy and respond in a not so nice way, but since it was my birthday, I decided to let it go. But seriously, how do you know me and not know to stop pushing me? Ugh. Happy freaking birthday to me.

Things That Do Not Go Together

Beat boxing and Friday night services.

One might wonder what a beat boxer was doing at services to begin with, and I'll get there. Tonight was the 6th in the City August services. "6th in the City" is the name for events at 6th and I Synagogue that are geared towards Jews in their 20s and 30s. Every month they put on one of the Friday night services. Usually it is led by the rabbi with a guitarist leading some of the prayers. Tonight it was led by an a capella group. I thought it would be good, but it was actually one of my least favorite services I've been at. I felt like we didn't get a lot of guidance on where we were in the text, and the songs weren't sung to the normal tune. There was also no Torah portion, just the singing. And the beat boxing. For some reason, on a few of the songs one of the guys started beat boxing. He wasn't bad. I just felt like Temple was not the place to do it. It stuck out, and not in a good way. So moral of the story is no bet boxing at Friday night services, and I might be skipping the next a capella night.

Twenty Seven

My 27th birthday is coming up this Saturday. Eek.

When I was younger, I had a couple of years in my mind that I thought would be awesome, and one of those years was 27. I don't know what I expected, except maybe that I'd be married with kids. That certainly won't be happening, haha. I am going to try and live this year to its fullest though, and I have a couple of things planned that weren't intentional, but should help with that:

-NYC for my birthday
-Color Run 5k Sept 9
-Marine Corps 10k Oct 28
-Cherry Blossom 10-miler April 7
-Welcome to Judaism class for a long delayed Hebrew School summary
-Mom's visit in Sept
-Jason Mraz Aug 24
-Marinsky Ballet Oct 17 (Cinderella)
-Travels in Dec (maybe)

I've also decided that I want to do more. And by "do more" I mean do things I've always wanted to do but didn't want to do alone or was afraid to do, i.e. hiking, rock climbing, online dating (maybe), etc. We shall see. In the past I have been all talk and no action, so maybe my goal should be to put up or shut up :-)

Anyway, happy birthday to me!

Olympic Spirit

I know when it comes to the Olympics, and sports in general, politics are not supposed to matter. I find that it actually matters more to me. I mean, if the U.S. beats Russia or China, I'm more happy than if they beat Spain or Italy. And the opposite is true too, where if we lose to Russia or China, I am more bummed than if we lose to certain other countries.  And the main reason I feel that way is because of foreign policy concerns. I also feel like China cheats the system by having people too young to compete in the games on their squads, and I dislike the way that Russian and Chinese athletes are forced to train by their governments. So its just that much sweeter when the U.S. wins against them, as well as a few others, but mostly them. And that ideal time whens sports transcends politics will have to wait for the time that the playing field is more fair and more governments treat their people the right way.

College Reunions

I have a friend from college who messaged me in June that she would be coming to DC, and that it would be great to meet up. We spent a lot of time together in college, but I haven't seen her since we graduated, back in June 2007. And I'm pretty sure I last spoke to her about 3 years ago. So I was slightly concerned that we might have changed too much to still have a lot to talk about. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Granted, some things have changed, but I think we are still basically the same people, and our friendship was solid enough in college that the intervening years haven't challenged that core relationship. In fact, she even stayed with me this past week as she decided to stay in DC an extra week and needed a room. And while I'm sure I don't ever want a roommate again, I am happy we got to hang out and spend time together.

I have a couple of friends from college that I keep in good touch with, and many that I wish I spoke with more often. One of the reasons I don't talk to many of them as much as I wish is because of the time difference. But I also think Facebook is to blame. Its a great tool to "follow" people, but I would argue that my actual interactions with my college friends has gone down because I have that artificial contact. So my goal is to stay in better touch with people. Especially those who I was good at keeping in touch with immediately after college. Hopefully I can do so.

New Gym Routine

I have started a new routine that involves going to the gym. So far I have only been following the routine for a week, but its working out well. I now bring my gym bag to work on Tues, Wed, and Thurs, and by carting it around all day, I kind of make myself go to the gym. I mean, if I carry the crap around, then I'm damn well going to use it, haha. I also work out on Sat and Sun, which is almost more painful than the weekdays because I like being lazy. Anyway, the main reason I'm doing this is because I have 2 races coming up, a 5k on Sept 9 and a 10k Oct 28. The 5k is the Color Run, a race where they throw colored powder on you every kilometer, and then there is a huge color party at the end. My 10k is the Marine Corps Marathon 10k, which starts on the Mall and follows the last 6.2 miles of the Marine Corps Marathon. I'm following a training plan for both races, and I hope that once I have finished both, I can keep up the plan of running on Tues, Thurs, and Sat, and cross training Wed and Sun. I want to get to the point where I can easily run 3 miles a few times a week to stay in shape. Fingers crossed I don't hurt myself and can continue to follow the plan!

Another Sucky Experience on Metro

I think this was my worst commute home ever. And I do mean ever. I have dealt with traffic on the bus,  Presidential motorcades, annoying people talking on the phone, no AC on metro cars, and delays on metro, and while I haven't liked any of those experiences, I think today takes the cake. I have to travel 12 stops in all to get home from work, 6 on one line, and then switch trains and ride 6 on the other line. All DC metro commuters know every now and then you will get on a car that doesn't have AC and so its hot and muggy. Well today I had the joy of being on 2 hot and muggy trains. The first train was bad. I walked in the car and thought to myself, this is gonna be a bad one. Then the train went slower than usual because of the heat (heat index above 95 again, oh joy). So it was just a gross ride. Usually, if I have had bad enough luck to be on one of those trains, I tend to get lucky when I switch trains. Today, not so much. Instead, I walked on to an even warmer car with that was probably the stickiest, most humid, muggy, disgustingly gross feeling car ever. Not only did it feel nasty, but it went sooooo sloooow. And then we sat at least 3 times because there was a train on a platform in front of us. That has got to be one of the most frustrating things in the world-sitting in an idling hot metro car. Ugh. So by the time I got off the train at my stop, I was more than ready to go home and relax in my nice, cool, air conditioned apartment. What a nightmare 40 minutes in the metro system today.

ESPN Makes Me Laugh

I am an Angels fan and have been for years. Since I moved from CA to DC, I have noticed a distinct lack of coverage of many teams on the west coast, especially the Angels, and not including the Dodgers. Part of it is that home games on the west coast begin at 10:00pm east coast time, and end at 1:00am. I think the other part of it is that ESPN doesn't care about certain teams, including the Angels. All that changed with the signing of Pujols (which I'm still on the fence about). Then when Pujols started the season sucking, the coverage once again was limited, and only really focused on Pujols and when he would finally hit a home run. The Angels turned it around, mainly because of our rookie Trout, but since he and Harper came up the same day, all the focus was on Harper, and no one on the East Coast, including ESPN, cared that the Angels were rocking it. Then came the All-Star break. All of the sudden people started paying attention to Trumbo, who hit some awesome bombs in the home run derby. But he had been hitting those bombs for the whole first half (20+ HR before the break), it was just that no one seemed to care beyond Angels fans. Then people got to see Trout play, and they realized he was awesome. He has the best average in the majors, is a great defenseman, and he hit a knuckleballer the first time he saw one in the All Star game. Now I'm watching ESPN Monday Night Baseball, which is Angels vs. Tigers, and the announcers are going on and on about how great the team is, and Trout and Trumbo in particular. It just makes me laugh because this isn't new. It's just new to ESPN because they didn't give a damn about the Angels before. Oh ESPN. Thanks for waking up and finally paying attention to my team.

What A Waste

Whether or not you agree with the Affordable Healthcare Act or the President's Jobs Act, this image is just shocking:

I'm sorry, but this is a complete waste of money. Nothing will happen with a Democrat-controlled Senate, so this is a waste of time and all about politics. I would much rather Congress work on dealing with Sequestration set for Jan 2013. Also, I just learned what the budget is of my bureau for a fiscal year, and comparing that to how much it costs to keep Congress working for a day makes me sick. We could use the money that they are wasting on this nonsense, and it really pisses me off. I feel guilty when I am at work with not enough to do because I feel like I am wasting tax-payer dollars. I wish the Republicans in Congress felt the same way. 

Most Uncomfortable Place in DC?

(Not including Capitol Hill that is)

I vote for a metro car that does not have AC in the middle of summer. What a nasty and uncomfortable ride home. Sweat dripping down your back, the humid air, smelly people, need I continue? Ugh. The question is do you risk it and try for another car in the hopes that it has AC, or do you stay in your seat and tough it out because its only 15 min out of your life anyway? I usually suffer through it, but I certainly don't look down on those who move. I think WMATA should just retire those cars or save them for winter, that would solve the problem. Then again, we would probably end up with way fewer cars and therefore longer waits... So a hot and sweaty commute or a longer one? Because apparently those are my only choices.

Is It Locked?

I love living by myself. I don't have to worry about anyone judging me, I can do whatever I want whenever I want, I can go to bed late and sleep in, I can watch crappy TV shows, I don't have to worry about anyone's needs but my own, etc. The down side to living alone? Making sure the door is locked. I live in a very secure building, and I have 2 locks on my door, making it virtually impossible to get in unless I let you in. The problem? I'm so paranoid about forgetting to lock the doors that I often stand at my door for up to 10 minutes every night double, triple, and quadruple times 5 checking. It's ridiculous. I almost wish I was OCD about it, because then I could check the locks only a certain number of times and feel ok. But no. I'm just paranoid. And if my mind wanders while I'm checking the locks, I have to check again...and again. And you know what? I have never woken up in the morning to find that the door was unlocked. So I have no idea where this fear comes from, besides the normal single-chick-in-the-city fear. Sadly, I don't think its going away anytime soon, especially as I don't plan on getting a roommate. Maybe I should get a nice pad to put in front of the door to make it easy on my feet while I obsess...nah, that would probably just make me check even longer. Sigh.

Heat Wave

DC has been in the middle of a massive heat wave. We actually broke the record for the number of days in a row over 95 degrees - 9 days and counting at this point. The worst part of this is that it isn't just hot, its humid. So humid that the heat index is making it feel like its in the hundreds. Ugh. I'm all for heat- hello, Southern Californian here!- but this is just ridiculous. I walked to dinner on Thursday and by the time I got there I felt like a limp, burnt noodle. It's just so gross. Fingers crossed it lets up by next week, because all I want to do right now is hibernate with my AC on!

Why My Eye?

I have had an eye problem for going on 10 months now. In the process of trying to fix it, I have seen 5 doctors (3 ophthalmologists) and been to 7 doctor's appointments, with another one scheduled for next Friday. I have been on a plan of putting in eyedrops 7 times a day (2 different types), as well as taking a pill 2 times a day to lower the inflammation in my lids and cleansing my lids once a day. Its not working. Well, to be fair, my eyes get better for a certain period of time, not all the way white, but a livable white, and then they revolt and have what I not so fondly call an episode. An episode involves a swollen eye that is bright red, with the lining of the eye super red, and some nice discharge that comes out every now and then. Its quite beautiful. And while all those doctors can tell me what is wrong with my eye, none of them have been able to tell me what is causing the problem or find a way to stop it from happening again. And I'm so beyond sick of it (pun intended). I've emailed my latest ophthalmologist to see if he wants me to come in earlier than my next scheduled appointment, but that doesn't help me today. And today is the freaking 4th of July, the birthday of free America, and I'm just pissed. I have friends coming over, and I know I am going to be super self-conscious all day. So thanks eye, for ruining my day and America's birthday. You really know how to kill a good time. Sigh.

Can You Ever Have Too Many Books?

I think I have a problem. No, that's not true; I know I have a problem. I just bought 5 books, even though I already own about 60 that I still need to read. I am also officially out of room on my bookshelves. I just can't help myself. This time I did only buy books that are on my Goodreads to-be-read shelf, and I waited until I had a coupon, but still.  I am trying to limit my buying, and while this post doesn't make it seem like I am succeeding, I actually haven't been buying as many books as I could. And to be fair, there are worse habits/vices to have. And I am reading a mixture of fiction and non-fiction, so its not like I'm trashing my mind. Instead, I'm broadening my horizons. Or so I tell myself. I also have plans in the works to get more bookcases, so that problem is soon to be solved as well. Seeing as just having books and the option to pick one up whenever I want makes me happy, I don't think I can have too many books. And if I want a library one day I have to start somewhere, right?  So maybe I don't have a problem. At least, not one that won't be solved with a few more bookcases. :-)

Sad or Mad?

I climbed the stairs out of the metro today and watched as the guy right in front of me immediately pulled out a cigarette and started smoking. I was thinking to myself, how sad is it that this person can't wait more than 30 seconds to light up? And then I got mad because he smoked and it all flew into my face. So I wasn't sure if I should be sad for this person because he obviously is super addicted to nicotine, or pissed because he had no regard for the people walking around him who couldn't avoid the smoke he was blowing.  Sigh. I generally have no problem when someone wants to do something that only hurts themselves, but secondhand smoke is nasty and disgusting and definitely has an effect on everyone around the smoker. I just wish the smokers I come across in DC would be a bit more respectful of those of us who can't stand the stuff they willingly put in their bodies.

Contempt? How About Contemptible.

So the House found Attorney General Holder in contempt last week. My biggest problem with this is that it was so political. I agree that there were problems with the Fast and Furious program, but I think that the Republicans wanted to make an election year point and that this resolution was actually unnecessary. My reasoning? All but 17 democrats walked out of the proceeding, and I think all but maybe a handful of Republicans voted for it. In addition, the NRA pressed really hard for the contempt resolution, and even leaned on members of Congress who want to stay in the NRA's good graces. I'm sorry, but since when was a lobbying group allowed to push for a member of the President's cabinet to be held in contempt? That is just such bs. I already have issues with lobbying groups, but this is just insane. And its sad that this issue has taken so much time from other work that Congress could be doing before going on their ridiculous summer break. Sigh.

I Didn't See That One Coming...

I am still on the fence when it comes to the Affordable Healthcare Act. It doesn't particularly matter to me since I work for the government and health insurance is one of my benefits. I do feel for friends that are not so lucky though, and I also recognize that the U.S. was one of the few wealthy countries in the world that did not have a universal healthcare law. Regardless, I assumed that that either the law as a whole would be struck down by the Supreme Court, or that at the very latest, they would strike down the individual mandate because of the make-up of this particular court. Color me surprised when I saw the ruling this morning that not only did the Supreme Court uphold the law as a whole, but Chief Justice Roberts was the deciding opinion, not Justice Kennedy. Whoa. Part of me wished part of the law had been struck down to galvanize the left. Instead, I'm slightly concerned that the ruling will rile up the crazy tea partiers. Just what we need, more crazy people who think of solely of themselves and their religion and have no desire to compromise on anything in Congress, where they already can't get anything done. This is certainly going to be a nasty, nasty, nasty election. Sigh.

The Disappearing Bus

Metro has this great app that tells you how much time you have until the bus arrives at your stop. Today I left work at 545, checked my phone, and saw I had 7 minutes to get to my stop. That was perfect as its about a 4 minute walk from the building. So I checked my phone again as I got to the stop, and I had 3 minutes left. I answered a text, checked my phone again, and it said there was no bus in the vicinity. Say what? How does a bus go from being tracked 7-6-5-4-3-2 minutes to just disappearing? If its being tracked then it must be there, right? As this is not the first time this has happened, apparently not. Metro seems to have magic buses that come and go at will. Even if it is supposed to be there, don't be surprised if suddenly it disappears. Sigh. Gotta love the WMATA.

P.S. Angels just rocked the Angels-Orioles series, and it was freaking awesome to actually be able to watch! Love it when they come to the DC/MD area!

Immigration and the Supreme Court

I have to be honest, when it comes to immigration, I tend to lean more on the conservative side. I completely disagree with big amnesty programs because I think it screws those who have been trying to immigrate legally, and it just tells others that if they come here illegally, don't worry, eventually amnesty will be granted. I am also on the fence about President Obama's new policy when it comes to deportation. How is someone supposed to prove that he/she has been in the country for as long as necessary to stay? It seems a little too easy to fudge. I also feel like he made this policy solely because of the election, and that's disappointing to me. At the same time, I do think we need comprehensive immigration reform, and Congress will never do such a thing while it is a Republican majority with a Democrat in the White House. All that being said, I think the Supreme Court totally erred this week. I'm happy they knocked down 3 of the 4 provisions of Arizona's law, but the part they left intact was the worst part and it makes no sense, especially in light on what they knocked down. I mean, if a State cannot require someone to carry immigration papers, what happens when the cops pull someone over, let's be honest-most likely solely because they look hispanic, and he or she doesn't have any proof but claims to be anAmerican citizen?. Can a cop jail that person because he/she doesn't believe him/her? What happens if the arrested person lies? How do they prove that? Now I do not think immigrants should be required to carry papers,  its completely degrading, but if you are going to uphold the right of the police to question someone's immigrations status when they are questioned for something else, I want to know how you get the true answer without requiring people to carry papers. I suppose I could read the entire decision and maybe see something that explains this, but I don't think it should be that difficult.This is just another example of our Supreme Court effing up in my mind. And don't even get me started on these Supreme Court Justices. For so called conservative judges, who generally prefer to leave precedent alone and let Congressional law stand, these folks, and by these folks I mean Roberts, Alito, Thomas, and Scalia, are the most activist judges we have had in a long time. Ugh. For a former law and society major, this is so not cool.

Third Wheel

Today was the baby shower for 2 of my very good friends. I am super happy for them, and I think they will be the coolest parents ever. I can't really imagine them as parents, and the fact that she is 6 weeks from giving birth astounds me, but they are such cool people (she works at the zoo!!) that I know they will rock. In any case, I caught a ride to the party with another couple who are married and also really good friends. When we arrived, I realized I was one of the very few single people there. I think part of this is because my friends who are having the baby are are in their 30s already (I still have over 3 years til I hit that mark!), so most of the people there were older than me. Still though, as I thought about it more, I realized most of my friends here are in relationships. And I mean long-term, serious relationships. This means I am often the 3rd wheel. And while sometimes it doesn't bother me, there are certainly instances when I really wished I had someone by my side. I just don't know why I haven't met that person yet. Maybe I am meant to be alone. I am super independent, and coupling that with shyness and being picky, I feel like I won't ever meet the right person. I think I am reaching the point where I need to be more proactive though. Whether that means going out alone or trying to new things on my own or joining an online dating site, I'm not sure, but I'm certainly getting tired of what seems to be my permanent role as 3rd wheel.

Packing Procrastination

Why is it that I always put off my packing until the last possible moment? It's almost 930, and tomorrow I am going to work in the morning and flying out of DC in the afternoon. Instead of being all ready to go, here I sit typing away with an empty suitcase on the floor while my ipad charges away. I just hate packing. Its irrational, especially when I consider the fact that it really only takes 20 minutes tops, especially for a short trip like the one I am headed on, but I still put it off as long as possible. I guess I feel less motivated than usual because I know mom or dad will have whatever I forget. I also just don't want to deal with separating liquids and all that jazz. Aren't we beyond that by now? Oh wait. No. Sigh. The good/bad news is that my apt is pretty clean, so there is nothing to worry about/procrastinate with there tonight. And I already took out the trash like a good girl. I have even already planned to have a friend come over to check on Sammy for the few days I'm gone. So all that's left is to check the weather, pull out some shirts and skirts, and I'm done. Yet here I sit...

Grown-Up Cliques

Call me naive, but I always thought once we got out of high school and college that the cliques would kind of go away and people would be more open as adults. That is certainly not the case. In fact, I think people are almost even worse now. It seems to me that people in their 20s and 30s have their groups of friends and are satisfied, so they don't feel the need to open up or be super friendly towards other who may look a bit lost. And I'm pretty sure I was one of those looking a bit lost tonight. I went to services, and before services there is a cocktail hour of sorts. I didn't know anyone there, so I kind of stood off to the side, feeling both like an idiot and a bit lonely. A nice guy came over and chatted with me, but then his friend showed up, so that ended that. Luckily services began shortly thereafter, and I ran into someone I met last time I came to services, so I sat with him. Services themselves were special tonight as the congregation celebrated the upcoming marriage of 2 couples. It was super fun as everyone got to throw candy at them after they received their blessing, and then got up and danced with them. At the end of services I was feeling a bit sentimental and just wasn't willing to deal with dinner and once again either finding someone I knew or butting in on a group of already established friends, so I just came home. It all really made me really miss my community back in Santa Barbara at Hillel. I guess I really want what everyone else seems to have, and I'm not quite sure how to get it. To be fair, this was only my second time attending services here, so I know I need to give it more of a chance. And I really do love the rabbi and the atmosphere at services. I just need to suck it up I guess, stop being so shy, and try to more actively make friends. Ugh. Wish me luck!

Jews on Guns, Gays, and Abortions

Say what? Well, 6th and I Synagogue is hosting a class on the Jewish Perspective on Guns, Gays, and Abortions.  It is a 3 week course with each week focusing on one of the three hot button topics. I went to the first class this evening, which focused on guns. It was super interesting to read language from the Torah and the Talmud and see what the Rabbi's of old thought about protection and when it is ok to kill someone, and then to apply that to guns and gun laws. I haven't changed my views on guns, but it was definitely a perspective I hadn't thought of before. Its very thought provoking and I'm super bummed that I am going to be missing the class on abortion since I will be in CA next week at this time. But I'll be back for the class on Jews and gays, so that should be interesting, and the Rabbi will be emailing out the work sheet on abortions, so I will still see the texts, I'll just be missing the discussion. I also met the Rabbi of 6th and I for the first time tonight, and I really like her. She wasn't there when I went to services last month, so I am excited to go to services tomorrow and see how she leads them. I have to say, it has been great getting back into Judaism and I couldn't be happier with 6th and I Synagogue.

Money Matters

Today I did something super grown-up: I invested some of my money! I have a pretty good and stable job, and I am not doing anything with my money besides leaving it in my checking account (when I'm not spending it that is, haha). So after chatting with my Dad, I decided why not? I hate the stock market and think its pretty subjective and a self-fulfilling prophecy most of the time, but where else does the possibility exist to make as much money on your money as the stock market? So, I signed up with Vanguard and invested in the 500 Index, which hopefully will protect my mula from any huge swings on particular days and in particular stocks. We shall see. I am also planning on updating my TSP. Right now I have all of my TSP money going into the G Fund, which is pretty crappy when it comes to returns. The Roth IRA TSP was recently introduced though, and since I am still very early in my government career, I think its a good move to put as much money as I can into the Roth IRA. So that's my next move, though probably not for a bit. After all, one big money change at a time, right?

I'm Too Old For This "Stuff"

I am a big fan of How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM), and there is one particular episode that I was thinking off this morning at about 630am. Why was I awake at 630? I'll get to that. In this episode, Ted keeps telling Barney that he's "too old for this 'stuff'" as Barney keeps wanting to do silly things. Ted is basing this off of a movie, I think one of the Die Hard films? Anyway, Barney responds that Ted is just lame and acts too old. They each come up with a list of stereotypical things the other must complete: Ted tells Barney he must dye his hair, pierce his ear, and sleep on a futon, while Barney tells Ted he must eat dinner at 4, take forever to answer the phone, and go to bed early, just to name a few. At the end of the episode, Ted realizes that he has been acting too old and that even though the character in the movie says "I'm to old for this 'stuff,'" he still goes out and does it. Barney comes to the realization that he is too old for some of the stuff, but that he is still awesome. Now to my point. I was up late reading last night/this morning. So late/early that I realized it was getting light out as I was reading. By the time I finished my book it was about 630. What the heck is wrong with me? Why do I stay up and do this to myself? Ugh. I ended up getting about 4.5 hours of sleep, so it wasn't all bad. Still, I think I really am too old for this "stuff." I mean, I'm fine today, but I have a full work week ahead of me, and I know lack of sleep can add up. At the same time, it was kind of fun to realize that I can be a bit of a rebel (ha, right) and still do stupid things every now and then. In any case, I'm going to attempt to go to bed early tonight, and that means not starting a new book and/or putting the book down early. Fingers crossed I can do so!

UPDATE:
I'm a failure and definitely started a new book and stayed up later than I intended. Oops.

Making Grown-Up Friends

How does a 20-something woman in a new city make new friends? That is a question I have tried to answer a lot since I moved to DC. Luckily, I have managed to make a few really good friendships since I moved here, but it has definitely been tough. Some of these friends were made through work, others through friends-of-friends, and of course a few through school. My problem now is that most of my friends are in relationships and/or super busy, meaning if I want to randomly go for a hike or to a baseball game on a weekend, its highly unlikely they are available. So what is a girl to do? Well, Rachel Bertsche was in a similar situation: she moved to a new city with her husband and was looking for new friends. She decided to be proactive about it and go on 52 "friend dates" to try and find a new BFF. That journey turned into the book, "MWF Seeking BFF." It's been fun to follow along on her friend dates, but what has also been super interesting are the bits in between the dates where she talks about the research she has done on making friends. It sounds kind of silly to write it out, but I am really enjoying the book. She has found that many women are in similar situations, looking for good friends to do something with at a moment's notice, but that few do much about it. Maybe by the time I finish the book I will be one of those who does do something about it. We'll see. :-)

Tornado Warning?

So there is a tornado warning in effect in Washington, DC right now. Apparently warnings are put into effect if a tornado has been seen within a tornado watch zone. So I guess that means there was a tornado in the DC area. Freaking crazy. There is a huge storm front moving through the area, meaning we have had over an inch of rain within the past 5 hours, and the tornado warning is in effect until 2am. I am so not used to this kind of weather...

Stand On the Right, Walk on the Left

That is what you are supposed to do on metro. Sadly, many people don't get that. And today, it screwed me over. Usually its just obnoxious and annoying when I miss my train or run in to someone at the bottom of the escalator. Today however, the person 2 people in front of me abruptly stopped while walking down the escalator, causing the person in front of me to do the same. That led me to stumble, and I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I think I rolled my ankle and/or fell on my foot. The bad thing is I did this on my bad (right) foot, and its been bothering me ever since. I'm slightly concerned I fractured something, as it hurts similarly to when I broke my foot in 2007 (same foot too). So if it continues to hurt tomorrow, its off to the doctor I go. Kaiser is certainly taking my money this year. As of now, I already have 2 appointments scheduled over the next month and a half. Sigh. Oh well. The moral of the story is when you visit DC, please stand on the right and walk on the left! Help those of us who live here get where we need to go without getting hurt!

Bus Etiquette

I take the bus or metro home from work every day. One thing I make sure not to do when riding is talk on the phone. This is because when using public transportation, like the bus or metro, you are stuck in an enclosed space with little escape. This means that everyone around you has no choice but to listen to your side of the conversation. This is especially annoying when multiple people are on the phone and competing with each other, and therefore louder than your music. So to everyone who rides public transportation, just say no. Tell whoever is on the other end that you will call them back. If it is an emergency, please try to keep it down. I don't want to hear about your legal case or your problems with your girlfriend. All of your fellow riders will thank you and everyone will have a much more enjoyable ride without your commentary.

Sunday Funday

So today was a busy and productive day. First, I volunteered for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. I tried to sign up for the race back in December, but it is a lottery because so many people want to do the race, and I didn't get in. I learned that if you volunteer though, you are guaranteed entry into next years race. So I figured why not? I've volunteered at races before, and I need some inspiration to start running again. I figured being at the finish line is some of the best inspiration I could get. I was right. First, I got to see the elite runners finish the race, which was super cool. The Kenyans took both the men's and women's races, and the male finisher set a course record of 45:15 (I think). I don't think I will ever be able to run tat fast, but that is freaking amazing. In any case, while I enjoyed watching the early runners cross the finish line, I especially liked watching those closer to the end who were clearly finishing 10 miles for the first time and were so emotional about it. It was also great to see the support among groups of friends running together and/or waiting for each other. I'm not sure that I want to run 10 miles, but I do know that I want to run another 10k. If I can do another 10k, why not bump it up to the full 10 miles? After all, there are 5 months between the 10k I want to do and the 10 miler next year. We shall see. What I can say is that I am planning on starting running again. I want that feeling I get when I cross the finish line, and I want to be in better shape. I can do that by running. There are also a couple of running groups I want to join. I figure once I can run a 5k regularly, i.e. 3 times a week, I can join these groups. I can also join my runner friends. A couple of them are training for the Marine Corps Marathon, and while I have no desire to run one of those, I can do short runs with them or start a run with them and then meet them when they are done. Anyway, I have all sorts of plans, which isn't new, but now I have some fresh inspiration as well. Fingers crossed it all works out.

So post-race I did a bit of spring cleaning...a grocery store run and cleaning out the fridge. I also went through my mail and organized all of my magazines. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but I have a lot of magazines waiting to be read...The Economist and Runner's World being the main ones I am behind on, and they had just been mixed in with catalogs in a huge pile on my coffee table. I am now organized and feel like I can tackle them. More spring cleaning will happen next weekend, but it was a good start.

Today is also the day I have declared as Sammy's birthday. When I adopted him they said he was between 4 and 5 months old, so April 1 fits right in. It's also easy to remember. So anyway, he's 2 today, and as a birthday present, I got all of his toy mice out from under the stove and got him some tuna. Now, Sammy is quite the funny cat. Unlike most kitties, the only thing he eats is his cat food. He doesn't drink milk, he won't eat chicken or ham, or anything else I have offered him. So I decided to offer him tuna. Yeah, he wasn't interested, haha. He is such a weirdo. But he's my weirdo, and I love him, so happy birthday to Sammy!

Growing Up

I had dinner with some really good friends tonight, where I found out that one of them is going to have a baby. Holy. Crap. I am super happy for Pat and Jillian, and they are in their early thirties, so its not like this is something that was completely unexpected, its just a bit of a wake-up call. I mean, Andrew and Jamie got married last April, and Pat and Jillian will be having a baby in August. And what about me? I am single and it looks like I will continue to be that way for some time. I don't even know if I want kids, but the fact that my good friends are hitting these huge milestones and I am still stuck in the dugout, not even on the playing field, is a bit disappointing. And the worst thing of all? I know I only have myself to blame; if I don't put myself out there, nothing will ever happen. So I need to do more, and if that means doing more on my own, then so be it. It's time to get out of my shell and try some new things and meet new people. I love the people I hang out with now, and I have great friends here, but most of them are in serious relationships, and I am tired of being the odd (wo)man out. So, March resolution...find something I want to do and do it, regardless of how scared I may be.

Engagements

Holy crap. The number of engagements that were announced this holiday season was insane. I mean seriously, I feel like an utter failure for not being in a relationship, much less engaged. Facebook is great for keeping in touch with people and staying involved in peoples lives, but it can also really suck sometimes.

Sigh.

NeW YeArS

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it is already 2012. Where does the time go? I mean, it feels like just yesterday I moved to DC, and yet as of this month I have been in DC for 4 years. I am officially an adult, paying all of my own bills and working a full time job. I have a great group of friends in DC, as well as some in CA (and AZ). I have a great family that I love, and even like most of the time. Looking back even to graduation from college, I don't know if I expected to be where I am today, but I have to say that I am pretty damn happy with life these days.

There are always things one can improve upon, hence my list of 5 resolutions for the next year:

• eat more healthy
• go to the gym regularly
• run at least 2 races
• attend temple more often
• put myself out there more

I hope that these are simple enough that I can attain them, but we shall see. I am off to a good start I think. I mean, I went to the grocery store today and got a bunch of fresh produce and I made a great dinner for myself tonight. Now lets see if I can keep it up. 

Anyway, on to NYE.

I am consistently disappointed by NYE. I have come to the conclusion that part of my problem is that I always want NYE to be this great, ideal evening, and it never is. I have celebrated the night by doing everything from simple nights in to going out to a club, and 9 out of 10 times, those night were crap. 

One of my favorite NYE's was actually last year. We went to NY, and though we didn't make it to Times Square to see the ball drop, the people I was with were great and we just enjoyed the moment. I think part of the reason why it was so great is that I went into the trip with no expectations other than to have a good time...and I did. 

So last night I decided once again to set the bar low. I ended up going to a friend's house to have a small get together and ring in the new year with a good group of friends. Now I have done this in the past and often been bored halfway through the evening or had other things happen. This time, I knew going in it was going to be small, so I was ready for the inevitable bad moments. Luckily, I had a pretty good time. We were a small group, but I like everyone who was there, and it was great to catch up post-holidays. In fact, the time went by really quickly, and the next thing I knew it was midnight. This was the only bad moment of the night. Unfortunately for me, the other single people had left by then, so it was me and 4 couples. 

Ugh. 

The only way to solve this conundrum is to get in a relationship or spend NYE with singles. Otherwise, you are just screwed. Luckily, I knew going into the evening that being alone with a bunch of couples at midnight was a possibility, so I was prepared and it wasn't as painful as it could have been. Still, it certainly sucked and we will have to see what happens next year. 

Con amore...