Show My Face

Six Word Saturday

2013-05-18T03:03:00.000-04:00

rainy weekend is excuse to rest

Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does with their entries.

Each week (probably on Sunday or Monday), I use random.org to select a bunch of entries to visit. Or I visit everyone. Or even numbered entries. Or odd numbered entries. Or multiples of three. Depends on what's going on that week. In addition, please visit the person ahead of you on the list (or visit everyone if you like!). That way everyone receives at least one visit!

If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!). Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the 6WS post. Links to blogs that do not contain a 6WS entry will be removed (sorry, just the button in the sidebar doesn't count as participating).

Six Word Saturday

2013-05-11T03:02:00.000-04:00

my life, once again my own

Six Word Saturday

2013-05-04T03:02:00.000-04:00

nieces and nephews are the bestest

Six Word Saturday

2013-04-27T03:03:00.000-04:00

bronchitis - not on my wish list

Six Word Saturday

2013-04-20T03:02:00.000-04:00

Saturday again already? What a week...

A few thoughts on Boston from the wife of a runner

2013-04-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

The details emerging from Boston are still jumbled today. They continue to be a mix of horrifying, confusing, and sometimes incorrect. Like the photo of the little girl who was reportedly killed. Or the misreporting of the JFK library fire being connected. I’m glad sorting those details is up to someone else – and I hope they do an amazing job of reaching the proper conclusions, finding the responsible party, and keeping them from doing further harm.

But some things do stand out for me.

The main detail that caught my attention as I read the reports yesterday was this: “The explosions occurred approximately an hour after the first runners crossed the finish line.”

When you’re married to a runner, here’s what you learn from attending race after race after race – elite runners fly like the wind. They finish far ahead of the crowd. Indeed, the winner of the 2013 Boston Marathon finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The first female crossed shortly after (2 hours, 26 minutes). These are the people who run for a living. They do this competitively. Running IS their life.

And then there are the “regular” folks. The ones with day jobs. The ones who run as stress relief to survive those day jobs. They run a few miles several times a week or maybe even every day before or after work or on their lunch breaks. They do longer runs on the weekends. Don’t misunderstand me - they’re dedicated, serious runners to be able to run 26.2 miles. I certainly can’t do it. But these are regular people like you and me. Like my husband. A very common goal among this crowd is to finish a marathon in under 4 hours.

As I looked at photos of the finish line, post-explosion, the race clock displayed 4:09:44. At that time, a very steady stream of runners would've been coming through the crowded space. The timing of the explosions probably could not have been much worse.

The second detail sticking in my mind is a quote I read last night summarizing injuries. Apparently because of the nature and placement of the explosive device used, most damages sustained were low to the ground. There were a lot of amputated and severely injured lower limbs on that list.

My husband hasn't been able to run for the past six weeks due to a simple stress fracture. It’s healing well but he’s facing another four weeks without running. I’m not sure anything is more torturous to a runner than not being able to run. Permanent loss of a limb? I can’t imagine.

And the other details emerging from Boston and elsewhere since yesterday’s senseless incident are of another sort – the kind that actually give some feeling of hope. Stories of people helping, whether it’s medical assistance at the scene, offering local help in the form of a place to stay or a warm meal, strangers arranging donations for flight changes, or simple displays of support in the form of tweets or wearing race shirts today.

Those are the details I’m choosing to focus on.

Because I’m the wife of a runner. I've stood at the finish line. I've felt pride for my husband but I've also felt pride for complete strangers. I've also felt concern for other racers I don’t know as they've struggled over the finish line. I've cheered them on. I've cried for them. I've bonded with people I don’t know as we've waited for our racers and cheered for people none of us know. I've offered my phone and water and whatever other help I can in-person at the finish line and my heart is going out to those at the finish line in Boston yesterday.

The running community is tight. They won’t stand for this and they won’t be beaten by it. Joe’s in DC right now and even though he can’t run, he went for a walk on the Mall. There were a lot of runners out. There was a real atmosphere of respect and camaraderie. There were many around the Reflecting Pool. Reflecting. Praying. Talking. Angry. Sad. Hopeful.

I may only be the wife of a runner, but I’m glad to have a place in the community as a supporter. Sometimes it’s a fun role, sometimes it’s not. This is one of those times when it’s not a particularly happy time. But it’s also a time when I witness that spirit that keeps them going as individuals through each run, one foot in front of the other, and as a group, each person supporting the rest as they keep going to reach the finish line.

Words about Balance

2013-04-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

Remember my word of the year? Balance? Wow has that been a challenge.

Look at the posts on this blog if you'd like an indication. I've blogged 23 times since January 1st, of which one is my Word of the Year, one is a bulleted list of things I should do or blog about, one was a response to a tagged meme posts, five are "real" blog posts (if you define "real" in very loose terms), and 15 are Six Word Saturday posts. Not what I had in mind at the start of the year.

Not to mention the content of those 15 6WS posts. Not exactly sunshine and rainbows a lot of the time.

Now it's the second half of April. Well, tomorrow is, technically. And finally I'm starting to find some balance, as I alluded to this past Saturday: Destination Resignation 2.0 - feeling better already.

The very short version is that I had a freelance contract that was taking up a lot more time and energy than it was worth. It wasn't something I was enjoying and it wasn't paying well enough to make it worth the energy it was sucking from my life. I finally put things in motion last Friday to cancel that particular contract. Fingers crossed - I could be done with it as early as April 30th.

Which brings about a new balance challenge - I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities it opens up. I have a few commitments I need to tend to first. SO sorry to those I've left hanging in the meantime. I'll look for more contracts for work I love. But so many other things I want to do.

But I need to remember balance. Because it's hard to maintain it when you're so weighed down by commitments that suck your soul out of you.

It's only because of the support of Joe and some damn good friends that I haven't broken recently when things have been coming at me from all directions. At least this one particular source of stress is heading toward relief.

Thanks for sticking with me, folks.

Six Word Saturday

2013-04-13T03:03:00.000-04:00

Destination Resignation 2.0 - feeling better already

Six Word Saturday

2013-04-06T03:02:00.000-04:00

recovering from a week of plague

Six Word Saturday

2013-03-30T03:02:00.000-04:00

Easter bunny: the other white meat?
(I kid, I kid...)

Six Word Saturday

2013-03-23T03:02:00.000-04:00

hanging onto sanity by a thread

I should...

2013-03-22T10:15:00.001-04:00

I should...

tell you my return trip from Canada went much smoother than the trip there, thanks for the good thoughts
practice my word of the year
post more regularly
floss daily
order the part to fix my vacuum cleaner (not a euphemism)
meditate
write my book
develop super-powers that will enable me to fix my husband's job issues
leave more comments
share the story of creepy twin-kitty
go to the gym
manage my time more efficiently
find my ~~balls~~ backbone and Destination Resignation this soul-sucking contract

...take better care of myself.

image from PINTEREST where it says source A Girl Gone Mad

Six Word Saturday

2013-03-16T03:02:00.000-04:00

same as last week - only different

As in whatever you did to wish us smooth travels last week? Don't do that this week for our return journey, exactly. I mean, we arrived safely, eventually. But Joe was stuck overnight somewhere that was not our destination city. And I made it to our destination city, but due to a delay, I made it in very late and then had to deal with customs and the airport and a taxi to the hotel by myself in Canadia. Good thing Canadians are so friendly, eh? So, you can redo the part that got us to our destinations safely, but try something different for getting us home on-time and frustration-free, please!

Six Word Saturday

2013-03-09T03:02:00.000-05:00

running away, debating not coming back

OK, that's a lie. I'm coming back. But travel experiences have been unsmooth lately so if you have spare fingers or toes to cross, they'd be appreciated!

Six Word Saturday

2013-03-02T03:02:00.000-05:00

new rule - no email during dinner

Six Word Saturday

2013-02-23T03:02:00.000-05:00

intentions are good, time is short

Six Word Saturday

2013-02-16T03:02:00.000-05:00

need a rest from my vacation

Having a great few days away but it certainly isn't a vacation in the "relaxing" sense of the word. A nice break from routine but I could use a nap.

UPDATE: Told you I needed a rest. Forgot to give you a new linky box. It should be taken care of now and I did my best to move everyone from the old linky box to the new one. Hope I got everyone because now I'm heading out for another long day of not relaxing but seeing people I'm looking forward to seeing. People are just draining on an introvert no matter how awesome they are to be around.

Joe's Six Word Saturday

2013-02-09T03:02:00.000-05:00

Why must people be so difficult?

Yes, as the title says, those are actually Joe's words. He's had a rough week at work. Everybody pat Joe on the head and tell him it will all be ok. For extra fun, he'll be on a 5:30 am flight Monday to go see the difficult client in person. He's so excited!!!

Tagged, I'm it!

2013-02-05T11:35:00.003-05:00

So I was tagged. I don't always play along because I'm such a rebel but I'm still recovering from the craziness of work last week and this one looked interesting. Plus, I find it hard to deny Miss Joss aka soulbrush much of anything.

Here goes.

I need to share 11 random facts and then answer 11 questions she came up with.

11 Random Facts about Cate

I have a piece of art from Joss aka soulbrush on my piano. It makes me happy.
I'm a fan of the "leaning" style of artwork because I'm still afraid to commit to holes in the walls.
My name was printed in a published book last year as the editor. I'm so ashamed of the book itself that I want to buy all the copies and burn them.
I've also done a lot of work I'm really proud to have my name on. And work that as an editor my name doesn't go on and I wish it did.
But what I really want to do is write. The one thing I never seem to do is write.
I have a freckle on my nose. Not a mole. A freckle. Just one.
Tonya has multiple freckles on her nose but this isn't about her.
This morning I said "commiserate" when I meant "commensurate" but given the context, it was close enough. The pay IS "commiserate" with the expectations. And I was pre-coffee.
My hair looks better short but I'm growing it out right now. Unless the hair cut chick convinces me otherwise in 1.5 hours.
The only thing that overwhelms me more than how far I've come is how far I still have to go.
My plan for world domination is 11% complete. I'm ahead of schedule.

1. If you could meet someone famous (living or dead), who would it be?

Anderson Cooper. He's traveled the world and met a lot of other famous people. He seems smart and funny and I think he'd be fun to hang out with.

2. If you could live somewhere else, where would you live and why?

Not sure exactly but there would be quiet and there would be water.

3. What is the biggest mistake you think you've made?

I don't like to have regrets. I did once buy a green shirt that was unfortunate.

4. Would you prefer playing the guitar or the violin?

I find the guitar to be dead-sexy. I own one and start lessons in a couple of months. Then I can jam with all those hot guitar-playing men. Rawr.

5. What is the best thing about being the age you are now?

There's a lot of life ahead of me.

6. What is the worst thing about being the age you are now?

There's a lot of life behind me. I'm starting to feel it's too late for a few things.

7. What is your worst nightmare?

I had one the other night that involved a decapitated baby. That was pretty bad.

8. What was the best thing that happened to you in your childhood?

In general, the fact that all four of my grandparents were still alive and active for most of my childhood was a great thing. Three out of four passed away by my teens so having those memories of time with them is dear.

9. Do you enjoy cooking and baking and what's your favourite dish?

I enjoy cooking and baking far too much to choose a favorite dish. I often make a chicken dish involving tomatoes and mozzarella that starts on the stove and ends up in the oven - it's a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

10. When was the last time you relaxed all day and did what you wanted to do?

In theory, today. Which is why I scheduled a hair appointment and a massage. It sounded good at the time but now I'm realizing I need to actually move from the sofa and shave my legs and I no longer what to do that.

11. Have you ever swum in the nude, and would you if you could?

I have not but I would certainly consider it given a secure private opportunity to do so.

I'm then supposed to tag 11 people but I'm not actually going to do that part - you can just play along and answer the same 11 questions I did if you want.

Six Word Saturday.

2013-02-02T03:02:00.000-05:00

fell short of blogging this week

Not just here but also other places. But the week started off very rough and then finished up with an exceptionally crazy (but rewarding) work contract. It's STILL very busy and will be until very late tonight. Tomorrow is recovery day. Who am I kidding - so is Monday. And part of Tuesday. WORTH IT! Then I'll worry about blogging.

Sweat is gross, especially yours

2013-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

I was recently ~~ranting about~~ praising the efforts of the "resolutioners" that swarm the gym each January. It's such a ~~short-lived nuisance~~ joy to see them join in droves and hog the equipment for a month or two.

My rant was primarily about my neckYEAST INFECTION (which I realize was more sweat-related and less gym-STD) and the way that the gym staff seems much more interested in collecting contracts and cash than actually orienting the resolutioners to gym etiquette like wiping down the machines after use.

That got me thinking. Sure, I almost always do my part and wipe down the machine after I use it. But do I really trust that the person before me did the same? How many times have I seen people hop off without taking the two minutes or less to wipe down the equipment with the provided sanitary wipes?

Plus, have you seen the movie Contagion? When I first saw it, I didn't want to touch anything or anyone. Ever. I didn't want to go out in public, I wanted rubber gloves and SARS masks and vats of liquid sanitizer to bathe in. Yikes...

I'd like to start a revolution. Rather than wiping down equipment AFTER we use it, because really, most people just don't seem to give a damn about anyone but themselves, we should wipe down equipment BEFORE we use it. And if you don't care about the sweat of the person before you, don't bother! If you do care about the sweat of the person before you, go ahead and wipe it off.

Science-y people - is there a reason that it's preferable to wipe off the sweat when it's fresh as opposed to after it's dried on? Are we really doing any good with those little wipes or are we just fooling ourselves? And, really, isn't there some better solution that could involve the gym personnel coming through regularly and spraying something on the equipment? Or maybe WE could spray something on the equipment?

Anyways, now I wipe down the equipment I use before AND after my workout. It takes a total of maybe 5 minutes extra. It's possible I look like a neurotic germaphobe to those around me, which I'm not (am I?) but whatever. I feel better about the whole deal, so it's totally worth it!

Six Word Saturday

2013-01-26T03:02:00.000-05:00

some things can never be unsaid

Doctor's rounds, Part 2

2013-01-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

Friday, I went to see my primary care doctor about my new migraine meds.

doctor: So how does it seem to be going?
me: Ok I guess, except I might be having an allergic reaction, I'm not sure.
doctor: What are your symptoms?
me: See here? My neck is all red and itchy. I want to claw my skin off.
doctor, looking: It's just here?
me: Yes.
doctor: I think that's not allergies. I think you have a yeast infection.
me: On my neck?
doctor: Yes.
me: I'm not that kind of girl.
doctor: What?
me: I mean, I support gay rights. There's nothing wrong with that.
doctor: How in the world do you think you get yeast infections? No, I don't want to know.
me: How DID I get it?
doctor: Yeast infections on the skin are common from moisture and sweat.
me: Oh.
doctor: Now that you go to the gym more, it can be from that.
me: So I got a yeast infection from the gym.
doctor: Not exactly.
me: But kind of.
doctor: *sigh* You should stop talking. I will prescribe pills and a cream.
me: And those super secret magic weight loss pills doctors say don't exist so I can stop going to the gym since I tried and got a yeast infection there?
doctor: No.
me: Worth a shot. I mean, haven't I been punished enough?

The good news is that while I was dealing with this whole allergy-that-was-really-a-yeast-infection on my neck, it was scarf weather so I could totally hide the infestation going on. Except turns out that was just keeping things warm and moist and making it worse. Also, now all my scarves are probably covered in ick.

Note to self: wash all scarves. Twice.

Come back next week when I post some more about sweat and the gym. Isn't this blog just the greatest?!?!

Doctor's rounds, Part 1

2013-01-22T10:04:00.000-05:00

Recently, I went to see my gynecologist.

That sound you heard was my two male readers running away... Seriously, I'm not going to share TMI. Though I did live-tweet my visit. Complete with a photo of "completely undressed" me in the exam room. See what you miss if you don't follow me on Twitter?

Anyways, my new primary care doctor, as I mentioned before, is trying to straighten out my migraines, which involves a new medicine that decreases the effectiveness of my birth control pills so I was discussing alternate baby-preventative methods with the gynecologist. After my appointment, I had the following conversation via text with Joe, aka my husband (that tidbit of information for the benefit of anyone who might be new here and think I might have this conversation with Joe, the guy who mows my lawn or Joe, the guy who does our taxes):

me: talked to the doc about the BCP situation
Joe: what did she say?
me: she agrees they won't work as well
Joe: and?
me: she recommends I get a DUI
Joe: wtf?
me: yeah, not sure how i feel about that
Joe: she really recommended that?
me: i know. i hate the idea. my sister had one, she was miserable
long pause
Joe: i'm sure
me: she gave me a pamphlet, they recommend them after you already have a kid usually
Joe: haha, i bet they do
me: there can be a lot of complications and discomfort
Joe: uh huh
me: ???
Joe: look at what you sent me
me: huh?
Joe: look back
me: dammit!!!!
Joe: that must be some dr you're seeing!

Spellcheck can seriously bite me. My doctor did NOT recommend that I be arrested for drunk driving. She recommended an IUD as an alternate method of birth control. Which I'm not sure about. Also not sure that the migraine meds are working at this point so I'm not rushing into a 5-yr implanted birth control solution when a temporary one will do just fine until we're more sure these meds are a long-term thing.

Also, to be clear, my sister had an IUD, not a DUI. She doesn't even drink. Not that any of you know my sister or that my sister reads this blog. But, you know, I still feel the need to clarify.

P.S. Want to know how to transition into twice a week posting? Write one really long post, realize it's really long, and then just make it a two-parter. You can consider that piece of amazing advice yours for free.

Six Word Saturday

2013-01-19T03:02:00.000-05:00

"family" sucks at communicating this year