Item #14

Guess what happens in 103 days?? I turn 25...which is potentially unsettling in and of itself. However, in the blog realm it means that I will have exactly 5 years to finish my 30 before 30 list. Currently, I have checked off two items (#10 and #16), have plans to tackle #11 in the next two weeks, have attempted to start #1 on three separate occasions, and could potentially knock off #28 (or at least part of it) before the end of the year.


Every now and then I glance at the list to see if there's something I could check off on a random rainy Saturday afternoon. That's how I ended up handling #10...which ended in a doughy, carb loaded, improvised pasta disaster that did at least lend itself to a good story. In my head, that's how #24 get's checked off as well. However, things like my masters degree and traveling to Europe will not lend themselves to this kind of spontaneity. 


But those will come in time. Tonight I'm super excited about item #14.


First, a few qualifiers about #14. When people hear "nice jewelry" they tend to think super expensive...or flashy...or diamonds. To me, "nice jewelry" is anything that doesn't come from Target or Kohl's (or...if it comes from Target or Kohl's...comes out of the locked jewelry cases). By this measure, my Brighton charm bracelet and my sapphire ring would both count, though I bought neither for myself, so the list remained unchecked. 


Anyway, a few weeks ago I happened upon a necklace online that I loved. It was a simple silver bar, about an inch long, and on each side was stamped a word or two so that when taken together the quote read, "The will to do, the soul to dare." 

    <-- General idea, different quote. 


I love it because it would go with anything dressy or casual, is relatively understated, the quote fits with teaching...directing...running...the life I hope to live in general, and (as anyone who knows me well can tell you) I'm a total sucker for quotable jewelry. So I went online to find it and, naturally, learned that it's a unique, hard to find item because each piece is hand stamped by the jeweler/designer who's an independent artist whose studio is in Canada. Perfect! You know that finding out that it'd be impossible to get made me want it even more.   


After investigating her website, searching through all the websites of the "boutique-y" jewelry stores in Canada that sell her pieces, and checking with the two US stores that carry her designs...no one had the necklace I was looking for. Without any other options, I finally resulted to the standard, fill-in-the-blank, "contact us" form on the designers website, on which I explained (in less than 500 characters as the box required) that I was finishing both my first year of teaching and my first year of distance running, would love to find this necklace to commemorate the occasion, and was there anyway to find one in the US. In truth, I never really get my hopes up filling out the "comment cards," but I was kind of out of options. 


That was over a week ago, with no response...no surprise. But then, tonight, out of the blue I got an e-mail...from the designer. (I guess that's proof that Memorial Day weekend means nothing in Canada!) In what was either a brilliant lie or fortunate happenstance, she has been a distance runner for 25 years, and therefore appreciated my mentioning that the piece would "commemorate the occasion." (Note: I realize that my cynical readers will now think "Of course she said she was a runner...it's what you wanted to hear." But I've found runners rarely lie about running...and non-runners don't think to lie about running. Too much of a chance it wouldn't hold up on further investigation. You either can run, or you can't.)


She went as far as to say that she had to stop running for a short period when she had her children because the two activities were not conducive...more information than I needed for a random jewelry designer, but further evidence that she was 1. A real human and not a computer generated response and 2. Not lying about running. Then...and this was the cool and exciting part...she said she could make my necklace, gave me the contact information for a well-known Canadian jewelry store that could process my custom order...and would ship it to La Crosse! Happy day, very pumped!


So, #14 could soon be checked off as well, and the fact that it will be a one-of-a-kind, hand stamped, Canadian, "contact-the-designer-to-acquire-said-jewelry" necklace, definitely makes it a story worthy of the list! 


Happy Memorial Day. The summer countdown is on!


Happy Trails, 

Friday Kudos

The Friday before a long holiday weekend deserves a Kudos all its own. As for the rest of the week, well gotta hand the kudos to...

• My "baby" cousin, who's not so much a baby anymore. He turns 6 today. Eek. Happy Birthday!
• All those who rocked the regional and sectional track meets this week, my G-E-T and Aquinas runners. 
• My 2012-2013 Honors English 10 class which met for the first time last night to talk about the summer reading assignment. Despite the insanity of this week, you actually made me excited for the next school year. 
• J.Barsch, the costumer for the musical, who has racks full of clothes pulled, fit and sorted for the show. 
• The tech department for agreeing to build me a set. 
• These two songs which acted as bookends to an awful Wednesday, which turned into an OK end to the week. 

Consequently, they've both now taken a permanent spot on my training playlists. Great songs to climb the bluff to. 

TGIF! Enjoy the long weekend. 

Happy Trails, 

I Need a Rocket Booster

When I was a kid, my dentist office had one of those Asteroid arcade games. I'm not sure why I remember this, but it was in the back, by all the chairs and noisy instruments, and when we would I'd be waiting for my sister or brother to be done in the chair, I would play it. You all remember the game. It had the screen like this...

Of course, the "trick" of the asteroid game was that when you shot the big asteroids, instead of disappearing, they broke into smaller, more difficultly destroyed asteroids. If you let those pieces float around to long, they broke into even tinier, impossibly difficult to destroy asteroids; and every now and then, for good measure, a little UFO shaped computer demon would chase you down and shoot bombs and bullets at you. You could move, of course, but if you moved to fast it was very hard to change directions. Most of my games ended with my cranking the rocket boosters as fast as they'd go, spinning my ship in continuously dizzying circles, and spraying bullets in every direction hoping to hit as many things as possible before my rocket was destroyed. 

Consequently, it's been years since I played Asteroids...or since I've visited that particular dentist...so why does it matter now at all? 

Well, it would seem that recently, my life has begun to feel a bit like a game of Asteroids. When the school year started, there was calm...just a few asteroids on the radar screen, easily targeted with a few strategically placed shots. However, those shots caused more asteroids to appear, and as time management forced me to target bigger problems (like the UFO shaped computer demons known as parent contacts, a new honors application process and curriculum for 3 classes I've never taught) the other asteroids (the musical, professional development, Framework evaluations) danced in the background peskier and peskier problems. 

There are 8 1/2 days of school left. The seniors in my Advanced Composition class have less then a week before all their final "work" needs to be done. My sophomores need to finish Macbeth. I don't have a set for the musical. I don't have props for the musical. I don't have all the cast members that should be there showing up for musical rehearsals. I've graded 52 essays in 36 hours and still have 24 more on my desk which need to be turned back by Friday. Asteroid. Asteroid. Asteroid.

It's about that point in the game when I liked to fire the rocket boosters, say "to heck with it," and spin blindly in circles hoping I'd take out as much as possible on my way across the screen. As a respectable young adult, however, I realize that spinning out of control is not really a valid option. Thus, I turned this morning to my every ready "tumblr of inspiration" in hopes I might muster the focus and drive to take out a few more tasks. 

In the event that you're also finding yourself overwhelmed by the end of May crunch, here are a few you might find particularly helpful. 

 

And my personal favorite that seems to define every part of my life right now...

8 days and it's all about excitement and disorder and more work then I know what to do with...and still there is some semblance control. I'm not spinning, and I'm not losing...but I could use a rocket booster!

Happy Trails, 

 

Thank You Waukesha County

Thank you Waukesha County for fueling my blogging fire tonight. It was only a matter of time before I wrangled you into the mix...but with the upcoming recall election, and your tendency to align yourself with the far right, I figured it would be a political event that brought my hometown into the blogging fray. 


This is not a political blog...but the political potential in Wisconsin over the next few weeks could lead to A LOT of angry running.


In any case, this weekend I'm home for wedding festivities, and that means that my normal training routine of the pool/bluffs/marsh has to be adapted to the various county highways encircling little Merton. Having been spoiled on miles of trails in La Crosse, the gravel shoulder of Highway VV seems even less inviting than usual. 

However, this evening it was not the condition of the route that annoyed me...it was the people on the route. Perhaps, again, I've been spoiled to live in a very active and fit community. While running or biking on any given day I pass dozens of other people running and biking. Trying to get time in the pool is borderline ridiculous somedays as people double and triple up in the lanes. What's more is that most of these people are nice! There seems to be an unspoken rule among active people (it seems runners especially) that when passing other people (runners especially) you acknowledge each other. Sometimes it's a quick "hi" other times...like mid-interval...it's a hand wave, head nod, or smile. I think it just comes with the territory. I've found most distance runner's to be two things: 1. Friendly and 2. Optimistic. 


So let me set the stage for tonight's run in Waukesha County. First of all, it was 87 degrees today, and about 83 when I decided to run, so for the first time all season, I decided that even my lightest weight moisture wicking shirt wasn't going to cut it. I got over the self-aware discomfort of running in a sports bra awhile ago...so I figure no big deal as I headed out the front door and down Main Street. I settled into my pace really easily; everything was clicking and feeling great, and then it happened. As I climbed my first hill, a VERY nice vehicle (which probably cost twice as much as I make in a year) came over the crest and barreling down towards me. At the wheel, the stereotypical Waukesha County, Lake Country, silky polo shirt wearing, gelled hair, middle aged male. And because (unlike La Crosse) the fit, active, sports bra wearing, twenty-something female runner IS NOT a large piece of the Lake Country demographic, what does the driver do? Cat call out the window of course.


Very classy. 


I reminded myself to consider the source...then to consider the location...then to try and see it as a compliment (because clearly I was looking for validation from a random 50ish man I don't know!) and kept running. However, 3 miles later, when a different car, this time a souped up SUV, rolled past with a similar driver behind the wheel who very visibly tracked me with his eyes then tapped the horn multiple times, my internal monologue was less forgiving.  


I know I should maybe take these things for what they were...subtle, yet inappropriate, instances of middle aged men expressing their approval of a fit, young female...


Oh wait...that's what I did take them as...that's why it was obnoxious. 


Freud probably would have had something to about all of this...


I guess that's a small piece of La Crosse I have taken for granted. Monday when I return to my well-worn and well-loved training routes, I will take extra care to be cordial and respectful to the athletes with whom I share the road, and I have little doubt that I will be shown the same courtesy...


...regardless of our states of dress or undress. 


Happy Trails, 

   








PS...Coincidently, as I was rolling my eyes at the men taking note of me on the side of the road, Sarah and her roommate Chelsi were participating in a figure competition in the Twin Cities, strutting in front of far more people then I passed, in far less clothing then I was wearing. Seeing as I was self-conscious of sports bra cat calls, it goes without saying that their day took far more self-confidence then I mustered on my run. Congrats ladies!  

Friday Kudos

My day is looking pretty booked tomorrow, so I thought I'd put out my Friday Kudos a little early so as not to miss the fantastic people that deserve some props this week. 

<------ Fun fact: That's a Kudo!
















Kudos to...

• The star of my musical for acting like a star should. (That is...working his butt off without bringing any drama, baggage or diva"ness" to rehearsal!)
• The sub who covered for me on Wednesday while I enjoyed a fantastic personal day. 
• Everyone involved in the Wednesday fun
• Jamie for making my weight lifting at the gym a little more interesting. 
• Thursday Happy Hour

Happy Trails, 

Race Week - Friday Kudos

This week started with a half marathon, so it seemed like there should be plenty of kudos in the air. 

This weeks kudos go to...

• The whole gaggle of volunteers who kept the half marathon running smoothly last weekend despite the rain delay. 
• My amazing friends who showed up at various points along the race route on Sunday to cheer me on!
• Serendipitous song programing on my iPod that led to this song being played about 10 seconds after I crossed the finish line. 

• Florence and the Machine for writing this song and the cast of Smash for making a cover that I like better than the original.

• My wonderful students who made me fresh popcorn for teacher appreciation week, and my building administrator for the draw string gyms bags we all received as appreciation gifts. It may be the most usable thing I've received as a "token gift." 

TGIF all!

Happy Trails, 

Real Answers from Real Vocabulary Quizzes

This week brought major musical drama, which seems like an ironic phrase on so many levels. In any case...while it will likely lend itself to fabulous blog material later on, right now it's "too soon." Consequently, this is the kind of drama that I'd like to "run off" but my legs are still in post-race recovery mode, so I've been resting/eating/swimming/lifting my frustration away...none of which is quite as satisfying.  


In an effort to distract myself, I went back to doing the other part of my job, the teaching half of my job, my full time job, and decided to correct last weeks vocabulary quizzes that have sat collecting dust on my desk since last Friday. As fate would have it, this small and potentially tedious act yielded a fair amount of good cheer. I can't say this is why I teach, but it does make the days go down easier. 


REAL ANSWERS FROM REAL VOCABULARY QUIZZES: 


Define CAPRICE

•      Answer: Clothes that are fashionable in summer and spring
•      Answer: A woman's short pants
•      Answer: Shorter than pants, longer than shorts
•      Answer: Prices in California

Use BAYONET in a sentence 

•      Answer: My cousin is playing her bayonet. 
•      Answer: Hey grandpa, can you believe they charged me $3.50 for this cup of coffee? They charged me with a bayonet.
•      Answer: That's a sharp blade.   (Observation...bayonet is not in that sentence!)

Needless to say, I think we still have some things to learn before June! Still, it would seem when my kids aren't driving me nuts...they do keep me coming back for more. 

Happy Trails,