Just Keep Swimming

You 2.0

2010-05-07T15:23:00.002-05:00

For better or worse, I'm viewed as the social media expert within my school. A side benefit of this is the opportunity to share what I know with whoever is willing to listen. Recently I was asked to conduct a brief series of workshops on behalf of the Office of Career Services. The presentation you see here was a part of that effort.

You can view another one, focused on how Twitter can be used for research and other professional purposes, here.

Those who participated had great questions, and gave me ideas on how I could refine these types of presentations even further. With any luck I'll get to do them again in the fall!

You 2.0

View more presentations from Jodi Sperber.

Virtual and actual life connecting

2010-04-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

I've been using Twitter since, oh, 2006. And in that time I've watched it evolve. Participated in that evolution, for that matter. What was once a way for me and some friends to broadcast random observations or clever (to us) commentary has become a powerful tool for networking, professional development, and research.

Of course, I still continue to use it for the random observation/clever (to me) commentary aspect as well.

Thus, when I received the following email last week, I was reminded first hand how much Twitter has made an impact:

"Congratulations, your registration to attend the STS-132 Tweetup on May 13-14 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been selected! The two-day event will provide you with the opportunity to speak with shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts, and managers and to view the launch of space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station that is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT, May 14. The Tweetup will also include a "meet and greet" session for participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the team behind the tweets from @NASA."

I kinda can't get over it - I'm headed to Florida to watch the shuttle propel into space. From the press site. And meet NASA personnel involved in the shuttle. Not to mention some of the personnel behind NASA's social media efforts which have been, if I may be so bold with a pun, stellar.

NASA has for some time been taking advantage of social media tools. Blogs, Flickr, Facebook, Ustream, YouTube, podcasts, iPhone/iTouch apps... And of course Twitter.

Having never been to a Tweetup before, I'm not exactly sure what to expect. I do know, however, that I am a few weeks away from a tremendous real world experience that I'll remember forever.

The power of collaboration

2010-04-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

I spent a few days last week at the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) in Atlanta, GA. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to dive headfirst into a group of people as enthusiastic (if not more so!) about how to use social media to help forge social change. I walked away with inspiration, ideas, and new connections with great folks, and am already looking forward to next year's, being held in DC.

Of course, being a technology conference, there was an abundance of people tweeting, blogging, sharing slides, and otherwise sharing their experience. So much so that the infamous Twitter fail whale made an appearance once or twice...

My personal goals for the conference were to meet others in the social change/social media space (check!), see examples of how others approach social media use in their organization (check!), and get some concrete advice for strategically bringing social media into existing communications activity (check!).

One of the mot difficult aspects of the conference was having to decide which workshops to attend. With so many good options from which to choose, it took several rounds of reading, rereading, highlighting, and then narrowing to come up with my final six.

I was happy with my decisions and all, but could tell via conversations and the twittersphere that I would have been equally happy with other sessions. Sadly, it is not possible to be in more than one place at a time (yet).

After I got home, still high off of the conference energy, I saw that someone had posted their notes from one session into Google documents. Smart thinking! "Self," I thought, "why not do this for all the notes?"

Within two minutes I had a public folder set up, and all of my notes were pasted into Google docs. I also created a quick spreadsheet for people to list links to blog entries, slides, videos, or any other content.

I then began spreading the word of its existence via Twitter, using all the ways I could think of: sending a note out to my own followers, retweeting and thanking others who participated, including relevant hashtags, and including influential users the tweets. With a little persistence, others started championing the idea as well. Hooray for teamwork!

As of this writing, we have 23 sets of session notes being shared, with over 100 collaborators reading and editing. I think this is fantastic, and I've already found great value in going through these notes. As I couldn't attend everything, this is the next best thing.

I'm pleased that others have found this to be a useful resource, and more pleased that others have ideas on how to make it even better.

I hope to see this type of collaboration put into place at next year's conference (mark your calendar: March 17-19 in Washington, DC) - one more way to keep the NTC love going!

Travel 3.0

2010-03-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

My wife and I are planning a trip to New Orleans at the end of March, and I'd like your help in planning our visit. This is partially for a conference, and partially because it will be my birthday.

More on that in a minute.

First, let me take a moment to talk about maps. They've plotted the skies, the seas, and the land in between. They shape how we see the world. They are powerful tools, not to mention incredibly useful.

As a fan of road trips, I have many memories of lugging an enormous spiral bound road atlas around, plotting routes to get from point A to point B. With the advent of GPS, I find I use paper maps less often.

[As a sidenote, paper maps - particularly when they are outdated and thus less useful - make for lovely wrapping paper. Always a hit.]

Crowdsourcing maps is a relatively recent phenomenon that has gained tremendous traction. OpenStreetMap is looking to you and I to make a thorough map of the planet. WikiMapia has a similar goal. Of course, it's more than just keeping track of new roads and businesses. Ushahidi showed just how quickly people can create a map of in times of crisis. Open Green Map lets you share, and learn, where ecological, cultural, and civic resources can be found. Very handy when you are looking for a bike rack, among other things.

For a compelling visual of the volume of individuals contributing their knowledge, check out Tim Berners-Lee's recent TED talk on open data. At 3:34 he touches on OpenStreetMap, complete with a spinning globe.

So, what does this have to do with my upcoming trip to New Orleans? Everything. My traditional method of getting the lay of the land involves asking friends and colleagues for advice and suggestions (let's call this Travel 1.0). Last summer we went on an extended road trip in the Pacific Northwest, and rather than paper maps we simply did some pre-trip research via the web, and took our iPhones and a portable GPS (Travel 2.0).

This time around I'm upping the ante. Travel 3.0. I've started poking around the Wikimap to see what others have contributed. The reviews in particular are very helpful. I've also created a Google Map for my trip, and am inviting anyone to provide input on what we should check out.

View New Orleans March 26-28 in a larger map

What do you know and love about this city? Please let me know!

Think before you text - making donations via SMS

2010-03-12T11:09:00.013-05:00

Just over a month ago I wrote about the impact of new media, particularly Twitter and the ability to donate funds via text messaging. I've continued to think about this topic, and recently wrote a paper specifically on the subject of text message donations. There's more detail in the paper; you can head over to Scribd or SlideShare and give it a read if you like.

The impact of text messaging was undeniable for Haiti donations. Over 30 million dollars pledged to relief efforts, and most of it done via text. It's fantastic that so many individuals want to pitch in, and that mobile technology has made it easier than ever before to immediately satisfy the desire to help. The success of fund raising via text has been tremendous.

While the ease and volume of donating via text message had an undeniable impact, several details of this approach need to be reviewed to provide a more complete portrait of text-based giving. By considering the full cycle of text donations, including processing time, fees associated with mobile giving, and systemic limitations, a more informed opinion can be formed to address the question of whether or not this is a viable long term philanthropic strategy.

Others have written about this as well; check out these posts for additional information.

From the individual donor perspective, there is instantaneous satisfaction. For example, if you wished to donate $10 to the Red Cross to support relief efforts in Haiti, all you would have needed to do is send a text message with the word “HAITI” to 90999. A confirmation text would arrive almost instantly, and once you responded in the affirmative a second message thanking you for your generosity would be received. Thus, you would assume that $10 is now on the way to Haiti by way of the Red Cross.

The actual course of action, however, is not as expeditious. Behind the scenes, the following activities take place:

You send a text message to your organization of choice
You wait for your phone bill
You pay your phone bill
Your wireless carrier pays an intermediary set up for such funds
The intermediary pays the charity you selected

When all is said and done, it can take 60-120 days for your donation to make it to the intended organization, pending the timing of the billing cycle and how quickly you remit payment. Thus, your full donation amount would make it to its destination as intended; it simply would take longer than you probably anticipated.

The wireless service provider’s current position as an intermediary is problematic and makes text message donations a less appealing approach. The general focus for these companies generating maximum profit (they are, after all, commercial entities), evidenced in part by the fact that there are even charges associated with text messaging, an activity that requires little from an infrastructure standpoint and is arguably free.

Until a universal “crisis response” policy is created by the industry – or the FCC and other affected parties working with the industry – outlining what fees are waived, when they are waived, and guidelines for rapid fund disbursement is established, it is cumbersome to involve them in ongoing philanthropic efforts. It only delays the distribution of funds to the intended organizations and places arbitrary limits on the amount that can be donated by a single person.

I know there is an active community out there developing ideas and applications that leverage mobile technology to connect organizations and causes to those who are interested in participating. This is where we should be going, and I believe future efforts will bypass text messaging without sacrificing the ability to immediately take part.

Until then, I'm sticking to the web to make my donations: easy, unlimited in the amount you can donate, and it goes immediately to the agency you wish to support.

Philanthropy, New Media, and Tragedy in Haiti: A New Era Brings New Ways to Help

2010-01-31T13:24:00.010-05:00

I wrote the below a few weeks ago, and am just getting around to posting it here. An earlier version is posted here. Many others are focusing on the impact of new media - here and here are two great blogs to watch on this topic.

Philanthropy, New Media, and Tragedy in Haiti: A New Era Brings New Ways to Help

It will take years to fully recover from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12. Along the way, a tremendous amount of resources will be required to help heal the injured, rebuild infrastructure, and provide general relief and services. As with many natural disasters before, both large- and small-scale organizations are already on the ground, trying to create order in chaos and help restore impacted areas to functional.

What makes the response to this tragic event different is the immediate utilization of new media to help organize efforts and, perhaps even more importantly, raise funds to support the work that needs to be done. Asking for help is inevitable when tragedy strikes; new tools, however, are making it is even easier to participate.

Perhaps nothing has had as immediate an impact over the last few days as mobile text messaging. This has been a critical element of sharing information and raising funds. The use of text messaging has been employed with great success – millions have been donated to aid organizations at a pace never seen before.

This type of effort has been in existence for several years, with organizations like MobileGiving.org establishing the process for a wide array of charities to receive donations via text messaging. This disaster, however, is a turning point for text donation opportunities, and with more than 280 million Americans possessing a mobile phone, we should anticipate that this avenue for supporting a specific cause will grow exponentially in the coming year. Chances are that this will become a de facto element of future fund raising efforts.

Twitter, the popular microblogging service, has also been a tremendous source of information regarding the earthquake aftereffects. Search for the hashtag #haiti and you will find yourself in a sea of tweets from individuals organizations. The information ranges from first person accounts (including pictures), detail on relief efforts, donation details, news, reactions, and conversations on how to help.

As evidence of how mainstream media has embraced this tool, one needs to look no further than NBC News Correspondent Ann Curry (@AnnCurry). An avid user of Twitter, she actively solicited local individuals for interviews.

The above is a brief but powerful display of how technology has influenced our immediate response to world events. It also highlights the importance of these tools as a means of gathering information and a growing expectation that we should be able to find real time updates for world events as they unfold. Long after #haiti stops being a top trending topic (i.e., one of the most referenced subjects), the tag will still be a viable way to see what people are talking about, providing a rich data source for insight on ongoing developments.

Creativity combined with new media has accomplished the feat of shortening the distance between a private citizen’s desire to help and the ability to do so by leveraging familiar tools and creating mechanisms to instantly connect and support. What will be tested in the coming months is the ability to keep individuals engaged and connected to the ongoing needs of a damaged country.

There is a danger that the immediacy of text donations provides people with a sense of “I’ve done my part, and I can move on” when in reality the harder part is the long term rebuilding efforts. In an information-soaked world, organizations will have to embrace the tools of new media (and the spirit of transparency and accountability) to maintain the attention of potential supporters, reminding them of why they acted in the first place, specifics of how their participation has made an impact, and how their continued support will influence positive change.

Social Media and the FDA

2010-01-13T11:10:00.010-05:00

This is a long post. The bottom line? New policy should reflect and respect the medium.

“Global, social, ubiquitous, and cheap”

With these words, Clay Shirky, a prominent voice in on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies, succinctly encapsulates the appeal of social media. Within the past five years, there has been an explosive growth in tools that allow the Internet to act as a means for anyone, anywhere, anytime, to communicate with others. The capability to engage in two-way interaction is a significant shift from traditional information and communication delivery via the Internet, and this shift is raising questions in a variety of sectors.

Health information seeking and the web have long been intertwined. Health is one of the most frequently searched topics on search engines such as Google, with the number of searches growing exponentially each year. A recent study indicated that nearly two out of three US adults look for health information online, and 41% of e-patients (health consumers who use the Internet to gather information on a medical condition) have read someone else’s commentary or experience via social media channels.

With such a captive and engaged audience, why haven’t pharmaceutical companies jumped into the fray? Based on sentiments expressed at recent FDA hearings on the use of the Internet and social media tools, the answer can be boiled down to a simple notion: uncertainty. Uncertainty regarding whether or not manufacturers would be held responsible for content created by a consumer. Uncertainty of expectations and responsibilities when dealing with social media tools that are highly constrained by space limitations (Twitter, for example, which limits content to 140 characters per entry). Uncertainty of what types of sponsored links are appropriate, and fear that the FDA will respond to these efforts with warning letters, as they did in April 2009, leading to a marked decrease in such ads being placed.

As a result, what exists today is irregular and disjointed at best. As there are currently no guidelines to clarify a single approach, companies are left to their own best judgment, which may or may not be in the consumer’s best interest. This can also create unanticipated repercussions, as witnessed by the series of warning letters mentioned above.

The last time the FDA issued any guidance on how the Internet could be used as a mechanism for advertising and communication was in 1997. At that time, the agency contended its current regulations were sufficient, arguing that print media was similar enough to online media that no new guidance was required. This position immediately generated controversy. Given the tremendous development in technology and the advent of social media – much of which has made it abundantly clear that the online world is quite different than traditional media – both consumer advocates and the pharmaceutical industry felt the issuance of new guidelines was long overdue.

It is with this as a backdrop that the FDA released a notice of a public hearing and request for comments on this topic. This meeting took place on November 12-13, 2009, with public commentary still open and written comments being accepted until February 28, 2010.

The organizing efforts of interested parties leading up to this event were a valuable illustration into how social media has taken hold. Initially, bloggers with particular interest in the pharmaceutical industry reported on the hearing, providing their thoughts on what to expect. Soon, the conversation was broadened using Twitter, with the hash tag of #fdasm. This brought in a much wider audience, allowing for anyone using this to follow along the conversation in real time.

As the date grew closer and details for the hearing itself were being released (speakers, presentations, logistics for the meeting), one individual created a website devoted to this topic and invite others to contribute. The page, which still exists, contains an in depth array of documents and press coverage related to the hearing itself, a constantly updated Twitter feed for any tweets with the hash tag of #fdasm, and lists supporters of the site (which anyone can join). This is a robust example of how social media can be harnessed to create a collaborative environment creating transparency and the opportunity for participation.

Over the course of two days, more than sixty testimonies ranging from marketing and communications agencies, research companies, health and medical Web sites, major search players, pharmaceutical companies, and consumer groups, were heard to explain the current use of social media for health related purposes, as well as thoughts on how to guide policy and regulation. Conversation focused largely on advertising limitations, accountability for communications, how to incorporate detailed drug information into restricted space allowances, and adverse event reporting.

Given limited individual consumer involvement at the hearings, it is unclear whether the topics discussed reflect the full spectrum of opinions and insight. While public comment is still open for individuals or organizations to submit their thoughts, it would be prudent for the FDA to arrange a second hearing with consumer representatives to ensure that this is not overlooked.

In considering what policy might be warranted, different perspectives must be accounted for. From the pharmaceutical perspective, there is concern over what regulations may be placed upon the ability to advertise directly to consumers, a subject that was discussed at length by the speakers.

From the patient perspective, however, the primary interest is less focused on advertising, and more on being able to get the information they need at the time it is needed. At its core, social media policy within the FDA needs to take into consideration what is at the heart of social media – the consumer. It is consumer driven, participatory, and two way.

Policy should reflect and respect the medium.

Given this, a key question being posed is whether pharmaceutical content can be interpreted as information or advertising. The former would fit into the social media world, while the latter could be considered Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising. In creating policy guidelines to help clarify communication and responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies, the FDA needs to take into consideration the differences between traditional media and social media. By creating guidelines that reflect the realities of social media, the FDA can balance their core mission of protecting and promoting the public’s health while providing guidance to industry groups.

This fundamental difference between traditional regulated media content and newer forms of communication facilitated by online mechanisms is new territory for the FDA, but territory they will certainly need to address as policy is determined. Perhaps the most striking difference in the social media/traditional media juxtaposition is that traditional media can be classified as “push” while social media is more “pull.” In the former, there is control over the message, while in the latter communication is open to anyone. In the former, a message is carefully crafted, signed off by internal parties, approved by a number of individuals tasked with the responsibility of owning the content. In the online world of social media, many consumers are more interested in immediate access to information, delivered in a way they can understand, using tools that are convenient, regardless of what time of day they go searching for it.

Social media involves listening to what others are saying, and observing how a product or idea is being discussed. Content is user driven, and thus less centralized. FDA policy needs to reflect this new world of communication.

People are increasingly sharing their personal experience and information online. In doing this, individuals are empowered to take more responsibility in managing their own health. However, most consumers do not check sources to see whether this information is accurate. This is not to say that what is posted is false or misleading – it is entirely possible that someone could have a more effective treatment, or very real side effect, that simply has not been studied in a more formal setting. With all of this in mind, however, there is a clear space for pharmaceutical companies to take initiative and provide a substantial amount of expertise on drugs that they produce, and the health conditions for which they are approved. The question it poses is where this insight should be made available.

Of course, one of the complexities of social media is that there is no “one size fits all” approach. How various social media elements are utilized (videos, texting services such as Twitter, social networking sites, wikis, blogs, etc.) is highly dependent on the specific focus, strategy, and company culture. By participating in environments established by others, pharmaceutical representatives would help lend credibility to their mission in that they would show willingness to engage outside of environments they have created and that they control. For some topics and conditions, however, it may make more sense, however, to create space that is independent of an already established platform such as Facebook or Patientslikeme.com.

The notion of two (or more) way communications providing a more personalized experience cannot be understated when considering social media. While drug companies cannot be everywhere at all times, they can proactively create and participate in channels where an individual can share their ideas and first hand experience. This could be accomplished via the creation of monitored discussion boards, regularly scheduled webcasts, and partnerships with highly engaged e-patients when internal social media policies are being considered and/or updated.

FDA regulations need not dictate specifics of what types of tools may be used, or how any given online environment should appear; they do, however, need to provide consumers and companies with the confidence that they engage without fear of retribution. This type of regulation could be as simple as requiring transparency when a company representative elects to participate (i.e., not posing as a patient simply to promote one drug over another), and the expectation that discussion might ensue.

Given the unchartered territory encompassed by social media, FDA regulations will also need to address how companies can directly engage a consumer. This could include whether or not an industry representative, or a profile that is managed by multiple people but represents a single company, is permitted to engage in ongoing discussion, or whether they simply provide factual information and then remain silent. With initial guidance from the FDA, companies and consumers could then move to determine what their specific approach will be, knowing that the baseline rules have been set forth.

One element not raised within the November hearings but noteworthy from the consumer perspective is that current marketing rules mostly address what happens before someone takes a drug. The FDA must to also address what happens while someone is taking the drug. Within the FDA, the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) holds responsibility for ensuring prescription drug information is “truthful, balanced and accurately communicated." One of the reasons social media has taken such a strong hold within the health sector is that one consumer can hear directly from another to get answers to questions such as what side effects have been experienced, whether or not people are complying with recommended dosage, how else the drugs are being used, if cost is the most significant barrier, and whether any alternative approaches proven more effective.

This type of information, particularly for those with a chronic condition, is an ongoing conversation that is dynamic and contextual, which is the very need that social media can satisfy.

In relation to this, the FDA would be wise to consider sponsoring research to poll consumers on how they are using the Internet, including social media, with a specific focus on prescription drugs as they approach policy decisions. In this way, they can gain more up to date information regarding how today’s consumer is using social media. Are they looking for information only? Adherence information? Side effects? Support? As the speakers at the hearing were principally industry representatives, there is still an unanswered question with respect to what the average person really doing online. Others have approached this question, including the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project and the National Cancer Institute. Space remains, however, for the FDA to get more focused information to help drive policy recommendations.

The agency should also recognize that even after initial policy is created, there will be an ongoing need for internal expertise to ensure that current policy is being followed, while looking into the future to make certain that what policy does is exist is still relevant. A number of firms already operate in this space for the private sector, and the FDA should consider creating positions, perhaps a new office, internally to monitor changes in social media. Responsibilities would include representing agency interests and providing expert council on updating policy and regulation relating to new media as needed. This position could also act as a conduit to both share and receive updates on how social media is being employed by consumers, ensuring that minimum standards are met.

As the FDA considers the above options and others not raised at the hearing, they should set an example of how to engage via social media by establishing a mechanism for any interested parties to discuss the options being considered. In this way, the FDA would gain first hand knowledge of using social media to create standards. Social media is about empowering individuals by giving them a voice – this would be a good opportunity to show that the agency is serious about making changes and protecting the consumer.

Typically the FDA takes up to two years to publish new regulations. Given the complexity of this issue, this could easily be pushed out until 2012. However, given the rapidly changing environment and increasing number of e-patients, it would be wise to prioritize this topic and create an initial set of guidelines within the next 8-12 months. These guidelines could then be modified within the next 8-12 months based upon findings from FDA-sponsored research on this topic. To expedite this process, a clear timetable should be established, with deadlines set forth on revisions and ability for the public to provide input.

Throughout the hearing, the FDA panelists asked few questions, mostly listening to the information and ideas being put forth. They provided little indication of how they would proceed, or when any regulations or policy would be issued, if at all. It cannot be denied, however, that social media is going to continue to develop in the coming years, and the FDA needs to take steps towards ensuring that consumers are reasonably protected from harm, provided with pertinent safety information regarding drugs, and that this information is within easy reach. Keeping an equal pace with private sector development is a near impossibility, given the speed of academic inquiry and the need for constituency approval for policy changes. Still, there are guiding principles that can be used to generate thoughtful and germane solutions to the concerns at hand.

There is no doubt that the number of people who use the web for everyday health decision making will increase, particularly as more people connect via broadband or handheld wireless device. With this in mind, policy needs to take shape to ensure that consumers are able to find reliable information and contribute in ways that both empower and inform. To quote Mark Smith, the CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation, "If we don't get policy right, we won't realize promise of health IT.”

Has the Class Divide Gone Cyber?

2009-11-29T12:39:00.003-05:00

This fall I am taking a class called "Social Justice and the Obama Administration," taught by Anita Hill. She's a fantastic teacher, getting the entire class engaged and talking. It's the kind of class where you leave with your head spinning in a good way. This is partly due to the fact that Professor Hill has a teaching style I've noticed in any teacher I've had who's also a lawyer - any point you make is valid and welcomed, pending you can back it up. For you lawyers out there this might seem like standard fare; for the rest of us this is a nice respite from dry lectures and less successful means of getting people talking.

We cover a wide range of subjects, and are required to present to our peers a few times during the semester. By the end of the semester you get a good sense of what your peers are interested in - education, child welfare, economics, obesity, etc. I'm the social media kid, and thus my most recent presentation was on social networking, with a social justice bent.

I've had the idea to look at class divides online since hearing a news story in 2007 regarding a military decision to limit access to certain spaces online. It was a particular low point in the Bush years/Iraq war, with record low approval ratings for the prez and general unrest about the debacle in Iraq. STRATCOM decided to shut down a few websites, citing bandwidth issues, and in doing so cut off the social networking site used more often by soldiers (MySpace), while leaving the social networking site used by Officers (Facebook) intact. While this could certainly be positioned as saving valuable bandwidth, this could also easily be interpreted as an effort to prevent soldiers from reporting back to their families about their interpretation of the conditions overseas. Officers, however, were free to maintain contact with their loved ones.

It seemed unfair, and it seemed class based.

Looking at numbers alone, each site is a behemoth. As of this moment, Facebook ranks as the #2 website in the United States, and MySpace is #5. Even with MySpace numbers falling off, they still have over 120 million users (Facebook has topped the 200 million mark). The question, however, is who chooses to use each site. As social networking expands, which it is has done so rapidly that research documenting these changes can hardly keep pace, where you choose to see and be seen is quickly becoming your personal brand. Just as you might choose Gucci over Coach (or vice versa), or Dunkin' Donuts over Starbucks (or vice versa), you might choose Facebook over MySpace (or vice... you get my point).

I'm certainly not the only one thinking about this. In fact, someone beat me to the punch in a far more eloquent manner. danah boyd wrote her doctoral thesis on the topic of social networking and teens, dedicating a number of pages to how teens perceive each of these sites. Fascinating stuff.

Still, I thought it worthwhile to share with my class, and get them thinking on this topic. I wanted to know if they believed that there really was a divide, or if it was simply market forces that drove people to one or another. It kept them talking for quite some time - a sign of a successful presentation.

In case you wanted to give it some thought as well, below are the slides I put together. My speaker notes aren't included (neither are the fancy animations) so you'll have to either take it up with your friends and family, or start the conversation here.

With that presentation done, I'm now on to write up my final paper - leveraging Twitter for social justice causes. Again, lots of material to pull from!

APHA 2009 - Social media, social media, social media

2009-11-11T22:22:00.021-05:00

I am just back from the 2009 American Pubic Health Association conference, which took place this past week in Philadelphia. I thought I'd write down some of my takeaways while it was still fresh.

If you read nothing else below, the takeaway is that social media is a huge topic across interest areas. I’ve attended this conference for 10 years (give or take), and there were more presentations on this topic than ever before. If I were in advertising, I might sum it up by saying, “Social Media: if we do it’s right, it’s the future. If we do it wrong, it’s the future."

People twittered throughout the conference. You can search #apha09 to see what they were talking about.

Onto the conference bits. You may want to grab a cup of coffee/tea, as there are a number of bits…

Setting the stage

Dr. Christopher Gibbons led a very good talk laying the groundwork for why we should care about social media, and the potential impact. His ideas resonate very much with my own, so on a personal level it felt validating. On a professional level, he has written several papers and edited a book on the topic of health and technology which are worth checking out.

He also mentioned a report recently released from AHRQ that reviewed a number of research on this topic. The focus is on outcomes, which is a huge gap in this field. We are currently long on shiny new toys, but short on what impact, if any, they have.

Programs using Social Media

As this is APHA, there was a lot of focus on programs, and how the tools are being employed. Here's two that I found interesting, and one general note:

Alaska Palliative Care telehealth initiative: Given the vast expanse and rural nature of the state (the presenter spoke about an area the size of Ohio with 24 miles of paved roads total), and the limited human resources making it hard to attend remote sessions, they tested out a teleconference approach. Options to attend included in person, at a group site, or online. They tracked site usage stats, and saw people coming in from all over the world. Production cost was much less ($28k vs. $125k when all done in person) and the feedback was highly positive. They are already planning the next one for April 2010.
A Facebook-esque interface for a smoking cessation program aimed at African American smokers using an identity framework (personal, group, and relational) presented by Dr. Jennifer Warren of the University of Minnesota, allowing participants to interact with various spaces in a virtual neighborhood (barbershop, health center, church, others). The goal was to allow participants to hear the messages in ways that resonated. This also used local community leaders in video segments, adding an element of personalization and local relevance. This is still in testing.
In general, the CDC Health Communications group (which I know is about to undergo some changes) is doing some really innovative, slick, and relevant work in this area. Of the federal agencies, they seem to be the most actively involved in using web 2.0 tools.

Research and Evaluation

Rarely was there an evaluation component to programs, aside from process evaluation. This is problematic, as it gives no sense as to the utility and/or evolution of these tools, and if/how they are linked to any outcomes. Perhaps it is too early in this field to know best practices, but developing new theoretical frameworks is needed.

That said, there was some research covered during sessions. The bulk of this was reviewing the latest Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data from the National Cancer Institute. I attended at least three presentations where preliminary analyses of the recently released 2007 data were shared. A data point I noted down was that of those people who are online, African Americans were 1.58 times more likely to use social networks (not health focused networks, just in general). Other data reiterated previous findings that those who are online looking for health info are more likely to be white non-Hispanic, female, more educated. Sylvia Chou from NCI has a paper in press on this topic, slated to appear in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in the next month or so.

There was no trending analysis making comparisons among this growing dataset (this is the third iteration of this survey). I was hoping someone would look at the data over time but no luck. Perhaps something I can do. Additionally, the research being done by Susannah Fox and her colleagues at the Pew Internet and American Life Project is well regarded and oft cited.

Further thinking

In general, social media was seen as a supportive resource, and not a replacement for seeing a provider. However, unless I happened to raise the question, there was no mention of people without regular access to a provider (or a consistent provider who knows them) and how this subgroup may leverage various social media tools. Or if they already are, for that matter. What research exists on the topic does not seem to include health insurance coverage metrics. The health disparities researcher in me has many questions on this topic.

The IT geek in me is left wondering about the interoperability of platforms. I am seeing a future where how we interact with health related tools (some explicitly health focused, some not) is much more decentralized, and thus I am continuing to raise the issue of how we get all of this information to be compatible; in essence, I wonder how we can create the whole person out of the bits of themselves that they put out in disparate spaces online. I also wonder how/if formal networks (I’m thinking EMRs, or other provider-related information) will be joined with informal social networks (patientslikeme and the like) outside of the traditional health care system. Or is this just a new world, and I’m stuck in old thinking on this matter?

The age old conundrum, of course, is that research takes time. Private sector development will always be faster. To that extent, I am left wondering how private/public partnerships can be created to combine development and evaluation of benefits.

If anyone has questions or feedback on the above, or want to talk further on this, please do. I look forward to continuing to engage on these topics!

On the move

2009-04-09T10:14:00.008-05:00

Lots has happened since last I blogged. P got a great job in the Boston area, I got into both doctoral programs I applied to, I was offered (and am taking) a fellowship at one of them… It’s a year of happy change.

Now, after nearly six years of making our way in Manchester, we get to go home to Boston. First step: sell the house.

As we are gearing up to sell our home, we had to find a realtor. We met with two in total. After meeting the first one, we should have just stopped, as we both liked her a lot. But we thought it can’t hurt to interview a second one to get a sense of different styles and see what two sets of professional eyes thought of the house.

Here are some excerpts from realtor meeting #2:

Realtor: [seeing my Smith College hat] Did you go to Smith?
Me: No, my wife did.
Realtor: Oh. My niece went there.
Me: Really? Is she -
Realtor: [cutting me off]: Gay? Yep. She’s gay.
Me: Oh. I was going to ask if she was also a super dedicated alum. They all seem to be very dedicated… But, um, ok.

Realtor: The couple in one of my houses is getting divorced. It’s like they have blinders on, and can’t see what’s in front of them. And they are holding on to everything even though they really should get rid of it if they want to sell the place.
Me: [wondering why we are even talking about this, and trying to close the topic]: Well, you won’t have to worry about that with us.
Realtor: I hope not! After fighting for all of those rights!

Realtor: [takes out camera and starts to show me pictures of her recent trip to Florida] This was the view from our deck.
Me: [stunned silence, actively thinking about how to end the conversation]

I'm calling realtor #1 today to move forward.

And this is only the beginning of the adventure!

So much for the cut off jean shorts and van halen t-shirt

2009-01-09T09:16:00.001-05:00

I've posted before that I work on the set of "Office Space." Cubicles, TPS reports, weird office interactions...

Below is the verbatim directive on dress for our Boston office's holiday party:
"Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e. a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt, short dress).

Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sportcoat, for her a dressy pants look or a short dress. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual."

Typical Monday Morning

2008-12-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

Before I begin, allow me to acknowledge that I recognize the below events are a sign of a life pretty well lived. As a good liberal Democrat/NY Jew, I feel I need to start with a little self guilt. And, given that I haven’t slept much in the past few days, this entry is just as much about capturing the events for posterity as it is for sharing the stories.

And now, on with the show.

I made it to work today. That, my friends, is an accomplishment. This past weekend was a whirlwind, mostly due to my father in law getting remarried and the surrounding events. I came in to the office slightly hung over, majorly fatigued, and with the hopes that it would be quieter than home.

Last night was the actual wedding and reception. It was a rather intimate, and quite elegant, affair. Honestly, the only downside of the night was the DJ, who only played songs that made me feel like I was at an 80’s Bar Mitzvah (think “Shout,” “Twist and Shout,” “We Are Family” and any other overplayed song you hear at these types of events). I would have been a better DJ. For serious.

P’s siblings were split between various tables, which I was initially nervous about, as it meant I’d have to pull out the shiny interactive me, as opposed to the quirky introverted me… These things can always be a crapshoot, and I am quite certain I am not the only one who has war stories of the people that were altogether inappropriate, dull, or otherwise incompatible.

Turns out I didn’t have to worry at all in the department, as P and I spent a large portion of the evening speaking with our table companions. The couple across from us were fantastic. New York dwellers who love living in NY. One of them was a writer for, well, let’s just say a TV series P and I kinda worship. And to her credit, she was cool with periodic gushing about how much we loved her show. On top of that, she and her fiancé were genuinely cool people. Thus ensued lots of clever jokes, funny stories, and general revelry.

I think I want to be their friends. I have a bit of a crush on their personalities.

Having brought the Wii with us to our hotel room (which I think is an entirely reasonable thing to do thankyouverymuch), we invited them back for some intro to the world of dorky gaming. Luckily, they were just as tired as we were, and didn’t take us up on it (although I totally would have played – being tired has never gotten in the way of my ability to indulge in a video game), although they did come by with their sweet dog to make an introduction.

We’re totally in.

P and I got to bed around 1am, and were up by 7:15 to squeeze in a few more minutes with sibs who live far away. I dragged my bum out of bed and into the freezing cold morning. A muffin helped calm my tummy from the past evening’s activities.

We got home to the reminder that our roof is being repaired today. Great for the house and all, but entirely unpeaceful if you want to have some quiet time before reengaging with the outside world. Our poor kitties were all hiding under the beds, and looked at us as if to say, “Are you going to kill us now?”

I went to go hop in to the shower to wash off some of the aforementioned revelry, only to discover that the roofer was working directly above the skylight in the bathroom. I wasn’t so much in the mood for a nudie show, so I skipped the shower and threw on work-ready clothes.

Truth be told, I kinda dressed up today because in my head tardiness is offset by how well you are dressed. It isn’t logical, but it makes perfect sense in my head.

So let’s do a brief recap: late night, with lots of good food and perhaps some alcohol involved, chatty chatty with new people, up early, no shower, loud banging as if the ceilings are about to fall in due to work on the roof.

My only chance for quiet was to head in to the office. As I am getting to my car, the woman who cleans our house every couple of weeks pulls up. I could swear this is not her week to come, and our house is a total disaster from having just arrived home yet not unpacked one iota. Could she show her friend around the house, who is going to be cleaning on her behalf while she visits family over the holidays?

Of course, I say, trying not to blurt out the fact that I wish her luck poking her way around the mail and other papers that’s been tossed about thanks to the freaked out cats, the laundry that is awaiting folding, and the sheer amount of crap that is all over the porch from the roofers.

I got out of there pretty quick, and found respite in cubicle land. Never did I think I would hear myself saying this, but it was actually more relaxing to come to work.

Your cube farm or mine?

2008-11-14T17:40:00.008-05:00

Today I received the following email:

Attached is a listing by department of teams in [current office location]. As part of the planning phase for the [new office location] buildout, I would like to ask each person to review this list and be sure that your name is listed with the correct team. If there are any revisions please let me know. After this list has been validated we will sit with each department to map out seating arrangements.

What I learned from this email is the following:

The official names of each department for those that work in this office (which changes frequently enough)
Who works in what department (which changes frequently enough)
My office is moving

I guess that's the official nonofficial word that we're packing up our cubicles and heading to new ones in the near future!

We don't need no stinkin' mouse

2008-11-08T16:46:00.004-05:00

As I am sitting here individually copying every single class I have ever taken past high school into a centralized application system (which I should write about in full someday, if for nothing else than posterity of this annoying task), I am finding that I am lacking in knowledge in the Mac keyboard shortcut arena. I am, if I may say so myself, a fairly expert user of keyboard shortcuts in the PC realm. I scoff at the mouse at work. On our home computer (a Mac Mini, which I love outside of this keyboard shortcut thing) I am less savvy.

So I turned to our friend Google for some help, and was provided with any number of pages that gave me the help I need. The learning has begun.

I thought to myself, "self, you've created a handy keyboard shortcut one pager for your friends. It's just as good as any of the sites you've seen. Why do you keep it hiding on your computer, where no one can find and benefit from it?"

So, here you go. A listing of all the keyboard shortcuts for your PC life. Note that these should work in most Microsoft Office programs, and in some cases (like ctrl+P) they are fairly universal.

Nerdcore, beatches!

ctrl + A = Select all
ctrl + B = Bold
ctrl + C = Copy
ctrl + D = Change font
ctrl + E = Align center
ctrl + F = Find
ctrl + G = Go to (page)
ctrl + H = Find/replace
ctrl + I = Italics
ctrl + J = Align justified
ctrl + K = Insert hyperlink
ctrl + L = Align left
ctrl + M = Indent
ctrl + N = New file
ctrl + O = Open file
ctrl + P = Print
ctrl + Q = Reset paragraph
ctrl + R = Align right
ctrl + S = Save
ctrl + T = Hanging indent
ctrl + U = Underline
ctrl + V = Paste
ctrl + W = Close window
ctrl + X = Cut
ctrl + Y = Redo last action
ctrl + Z = Undo
shift + → = Highlight letter by letter right
shift + ← = Highlight letter by letter left
shift + up arrow = Highlight line by line up
shift + down arrow = Highlight line by line down
ctrl + shift + → = Highlight word by word to the right
ctrl + shift + ← = Highlight word by word to the left
ctrl + shift + up arrow = Highlight paragraph by paragraph up
ctrl + shift + down arrow = Highlight paragraph by paragraph down
ctrl + → = Jump word by word right
ctrl + ← = Jump word by word left
ctrl + up arrow = Jump paragraph up
ctrl + down arrow = Jump paragraph down
ctrl + home = To beginning of document
ctrl + end = To end of document
ctrl + enter = Page break
ctrl + pgdn = To bottom of page (or to next tab in Excel)
ctrl + pgup = To top of page (or to previous tab in Excel)
ctrl + del = Delete word by word
ctrl + backspace = Backspace word by word
F2 key = Rename file (in some programs and on the desktop)
F1 key = Help
F3 key = Find file (on desktop)
Shift + tab = Go back one tab (or field by field)
ctrl + [ = Decrease font size by 1 point
ctrl + ] = Increase font size by 1 point
ctrl + alt + del = Emergency exit, view task list to end stuck programs
alt + ← = Go back a page in Internet Explorer
alt + → = Go forward a page in Internet Explorer

Others:
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + M to check mail
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + N to create new message
- in Microsoft outlook, hit ctrl + enter to send message

All Hallows Eve - in the middle of the day

2008-10-28T12:41:00.005-05:00

Manchester is a weird town. It’s a place where I’ve watched a man shout “ah, shut up!” at a passing ambulance’s (apparently annoying) siren. It’s a place where the local motel has a sign reading “Stay for a night… Or a lifetime.” It’s a place where, if I walk or ride my bicycle to work, people are astounded.

I only live about two miles from my office.

The political aspects are fun, as we are an epicenter of sorts for the NH primaries, as well as the presidential race in general. It’s certainly true that you are provided with multiple opportunities to meet any candidate on any ticket. The day after the elections, however, it is as the circus left town, pulling up the stakes and hurrying out on a midnight train. Even they don’t want to linger. Then we are just left with the town itself.

I’ve been here for nearly five years, and I can’t wait to leave.

One of my ongoing peeves is the insistence on “celebrating” Halloween on the Sunday before, in the middle of the day. Thus, last Sunday, (October 26), from 1-4pm was the “official” time for trick or treaters.

We also celebrate the fourth of July on July 3rd.

This year’s non-Halloween Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day. It was broad daylight. It was not Halloween. As a result, there wasn’t much Halloween spirit in the house minus our two black cats. Who, incidentally, were sleeping in the sun as it was the middle of the day.

The amount of kids that show up varies year to year. In our early years here we stocked up on candy (which we put in a special cauldron, even) only to have three kids show up at the door the entire time.

Two years ago, the neighbors’ grandson (who I’m guessing was around 12 at the time) came to the door dressed in a basketball jersey, big jeans, and sunglasses. I asked what his costume was and he said he was a rapper, pointing to a stretch limo parked on the street. Apparently his grandfather had rented it/borrowed it from one of his potentially crooked friends (a blog story for another blog day) as the cornerstone of his costume.

He was trick or treating for candy, but wasn’t going to walk? No effort and all the reward? I was not impressed. I thought I’d make him work for it, which was admittedly not the nicest thing I could have done. I asked him to show me his skills. Give me one small rap. Show me something in character. Even I can bust out the lyrics to “Jump Around” or numerous other 90’s gems upon command.

He looked at me quizzically and pointed at the limo again. No rap emerged.

I still gave him a full size candy bar, as that’s the kind of girl I am.

Slowly but surely we’ve cut back on the candy purchasing, until this year, when we finally didn’t bother at all. All we had to work with was some leftover items from a night of making s’mores.

(As a side note, that meant we had both plain chocolate bars and peanut butter cups. Try branching out with the s’more making components– delicious!)

And, well, you know where this is going… We had a small crush of kids this time around, all looking very cute in their various witch, ghost, zebra, action hero, etc. costumes. I tried to avoid them, but I made the mistake of stepping onto the stairs (I’d been hiding upstairs), thus exposing a living human being to the eyes peering intently through our front window.

I opened the door to at least 10 kids eagerly hoisting bags at me, and I didn’t have enough for all of them. I made some sort of silly joke about how they were going to crush my entire supply, and then tried to pick those kids that looked like they were holding lesser-full sacks. I ran out completely, and some kids simply had to go without.

Not without candy, mind you. They seemed to have plenty of candy. Just without candy from me. Still, I felt pretty bad that I had to look in their little eyes, shrug my shoulders, and simply wish them a Happy Halloween. Even thought it wasn’t Halloween, and they weren’t looking for my good wishes. They just wanted the sugar.

It was a small costumed nightmare, and I am so happy that this is my last year of this silly non-Halloween Halloween.

Marching band - A way of life

2008-10-24T09:26:00.014-05:00

I took a different route to work this morning, and on my way passed by a sight that took me back in time: the local high school marching band was practicing. They were in a local park next to a very busy road, giving them an ever changing, yet ever present audience to show off their evolving formations and semi-rehearsed songs.

All through middle and high school I was a bit of a band geek. I played (and still play, sort of) both the cornet and the trumpet. First the cornet, as that is what my brother played. Then the trumpet, as it turns out only my brother played the cornet.

Where I went to high school, marching band was a big deal. If you wanted to play in the regular band, you had to play in the marching band. As a result, we had just under 200 kids in the group, which in a school of 800 is significant. Our band leader was a traditionalist, favoring old standards (“Old Man River” comes to mind), rather than the more contemporary stuff (“Eye of the Tiger” comes to mind, as, after all, it was the late 80’s/early 90’s). And we always stayed in long straight lines, unless we broke off into lines of eight people to make circles. This was cause for lots of teenage angst, as we wanted to be the cool marching band (think “Drumline”), but we did what we were told.

What we lacked in panache we made up for in numbers.

I think I could still do some of the routines if pressed. I could certainly play several of the songs, along with our fight song and alma mater.

A highlight each year was going to the annual Marching Band Festival, held at Hofstra University. It was a total showcase of good, clean dorkiness, and we took it very seriously. Extra rehearsals (two a days!), extra practicing at home, lots of chatter in the cafeteria…

It was a televised event.

As the biggest band, we often went last, and we stormed the field each year with our time-honored entrance of running on to the field in precise steps, with eight steps equaling 10 yards. Each step was counted off in a mumbly way, except for when you hit each 10 yard line and the final stop, at which point you shouted.

If you can imagine, it sounded something like this:
“ONE two three four five six seven eight
TWO two three four five six seven eight
THREE two three four five six seven eight
FOUR two three four five six seven eight
DOWN!” (<-- = stand at attention)

The hometown crowd loved it. Man, those were heady days.

Oh – the uniform. As with any marching band, that was a critical component. Ours were a bit brutal – dark green wool pants, matching blazer, a thick vinyl overlay for the jacket with a big “H” across the chest. Plus, a stiff green and white top hat where the requisite tall plume was attached. And white gloves. It was head to toe boiling hot, particularly on Memorial Day, where we marched in the hot sun for hours.

I will say that the polar-ready uniform did come in handy in the winter months. For example, we played at a Jets game every few years (see where marching band can take you?) and I remember it being particularly frigid there. I am sure I had some sort of hot-coals-in-my-pocket contraption to keep my fingers from chipping off my hands.

I went to look up the uniforms to show you what I mean, but apparently they’ve changed it up a bit. Here is what they look like now. Lucky them.

2008-10-23T11:15:00.003-05:00

I’ve been lazy with the blogging as of late. However, after a super fun dinner party last night, I’m reinspired to give it another go. Hats off to JordonCornblog for reminding me that they can be about anything, and they are fun to read.

Thing is, whenever I sit down to type an entry, I suddenly lose all the clever thoughts I have been thinking since I awoke. Any moment of the day could be blown out into a full entry… Some examples from this morning:

On my way to work, I passed by Olympian Joanne Dow out for a workout. She is a speed walker who probably walks faster than most people run. She and I overlap with our standard routes, it seems. Although I am guessing she doesn’t notice me in the same way that I notice her. I’m just another silver Jetta, not an Olympic athlete.
About three minutes after seeing what it takes to be an Olympian, a man on a Segway rolled on by. It isn’t uncommon to see these machines around here, as they were invented in our fair city. Still, they always strike me as sorta goofy. I kinda want one, but in the same way that I kinda want to walk Ari the Cat on a leash every day – that is, I think they are good ideas, but I’m not sure I want to be seen doing it in either case.
We have some new security posters in the office. They have goofy sayings like “Loose Clicks Sink Ships” (with, of course, an image of a ship going down). You can see the full repertoire of posters here. A silly reminder that I work on the set of Office Space, complete with TPS reports. Yes, we really have TPS reports.

All this, and it’s only noon.

We're gonna make it after all....

2008-09-10T14:02:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for Reach the Beach. Our team has cycled through many potential participants, and finally picked up the 12th runner yesterday. I am hoping my team mates are avoiding risky activities like, I dunno, walking or taking stairs. We’ve already lost one runner to a broken foot.

At this stage, I think that most of my organizing duties are done, and I can safely speak about them in the past tense. In the end, I think what it most needed to play this role of captain is patience. And, if I were to do it again, a set of rules on payment (and, more importantly, any expectation of refunds if you drop out late in the game).

Course maps are printed, my clothes are laid out on the bed, we’ve divvied up food, we have safety vests and blinky lights, the vans are rented, and the weather is looking to be pretty darn fantastic. Now all I have to do is run!

And the excitement begins…

The perfect toy

2008-07-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

Ari the charming cat has a habit of getting up with the sun. In the summer that means he is in your face around 5am, yelling at you to get up and play.

I admire his energy.

Last night, the most wonderful toy he could have ever imagined arrived. And it arrived at around 2am: a lightening bug.

Just as Guitar Hero feeds my love of both music and video games, this insect fulfilled Ari’s desires for a toy that a) moves constantly, b) lights up, and c) never gives out.

Both P and I were awoken by Ari’s running about, and I quickly realized what exactly the fuss was all about when I saw a little dancing light come and land near my head. The lightening bug buzzed about the bedroom for an hour or so (at least it seemed like that), going back and forth from the window to the bedroom door and back, with intermittent stops at the ceiling light right above our bed.

The only object between the window and the bedroom door is our bed. Thus, in human terms, this translates to an eight pound weight being bounced on you over and over, with periodic stops on top of your body if you happen to be near the middle of the bed. Plus the added noise of a chatty cat alternately meowing and attempting to climb the (very thin) curtains.

It was a circus. And even though P and I are both rather sleep today, it was very sweet.

Up and running again

2008-06-23T11:12:00.004-05:00

Ok, it's been a while since I posted. Stuff happened.

Two things of note in my running life:

I just checked the Falmouth Road Race site, and I'm in. I expected it as I got in by lottery last year, but there was a small part of me that doubted the "one in, always in" theory. So August 10 I'll be running under some garden hoses in Falmouth.
Today is the "official" kick off on a Reach the Beach training program. Not that I haven't been training already... I do have a 12 week program that I printed off for half marathon prep that I'll be using. The distances suggested aren't the main concern - it's more the consistency of getting out there to run, and cross training. I am going to be a bit more disciplined in when I do what, essentially.

As for running in general, I had a moment (ok, a week) where I couldn't get the fun factor to emerge. When I first started running lo those many years ago, my only rule for the hobby was that it had to be fun, and when it wasn't fun I'd stop. So I took off a few days without feeling guilty. This past weekend I was back at my favorite local rail trail and had a really, really lovely 7 mile jaunt. It smelled like warm pine almost the whole time. The next day, I mapped out a new-ish route on local roads which totaled around 4.5 miles. It was mostly quiet, and while not as constantly pretty as a rail trail, it did have it's moments.

I think the unfun spell is broken. And just in time!

I've made some changes that have also made a difference: I'm back to my old Polar A3 HRM, aiming to stay within a specific range (and walking if I go over it for too long) rather than a specific speed. I haven't used the Nike+ thing for a while, and while I miss it sometimes, I think we're better off apart. I also have put away the Garmin 205 that I had switched over to post Nike+ aggravation. I have also resumed the running log habit.

Lastly, I have often gone running without any music. Unusual for me, as I live and breathe music most of the time. Given that Reach the Beach doesn't allow headphones, though, I started training without, and I've really enjoyed the quiet. If anything, I listen to talking - This American Life and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me are the most frequently tapped podcasts. Given that they are each a minimum of 45 minutes in length, there's a consistency in cadence (unlike songs, which shift every 3-5 minutes) that I like.

Oh - and I was recently reminded that I am doing a mini-triathlon (just for kicks - no aspirations here) in about a month. Methinks I should find a pool.

One small nod to the greenies

2008-04-17T12:20:00.004-05:00

One of my coworkers put the following message as a part of her signature file, and I thought it was worth sharing:

"Do you need to print this email? Think about the environment first, print later (or not at all)."

One small way of encourging a little conservation. Amen to that!

Culturegraph, take 2

2008-04-15T08:31:00.004-05:00

My culturegraph made it up to the website this morning - I even like the title they gave to it.

With the bug in me, I am on a bit of a tear. Basically, any song can be detailed in this way if you are so inclined. Not all achieve clever results, though... While it's still fun, though, I'll submit a few more.

Here are my latest that are worth sharing. Hopefully soon to be found on culturegraph as well. The first is a departure from the standard charts and graphs, but I thought it was fitting for the song.

The second is, admittedly a bit obscure. not in the song, which is well known, but in the presentation. My first shot at a visio approach:

If nothing else, it's a fun way to exercise both the right and left sides of my brain...

Very necessary

2008-04-11T19:35:00.005-05:00

My good friend introduced me to a site called culturegraph, self described as "accountants meet pop culture." Essentially, pop culture references are transformed into charts and graphs with very clever results. Here are a few of my favorites, but as I don't understand all of them, you should check it out on your own.

I'm always singing something in my head, and P and I often make puns using pop culture references, so I feel like I've been practicing for this type of exercise for years. Here's my first attempt:I also considered creating a mock math equation to read:

Hooker
--Fee
=======
Ho

The actual line goes, "The difference between a hooker and a ho ain't nothing but a fee." Figured that level of detail might be too obscure, though.

Both are from the same song. Can you guess the reference?

iPod iNclinations

2008-04-10T09:44:00.005-05:00

I like to listen to my iPod using the shuffle songs feature. With over 7500 songs to choose from, I can get stuck in ruts and forget all the great stuff that is packed into this little magical device. I may have mentioned this in the past, but I am convinced my iPod prefers some artists over others.

I swear, it thinks. It has moods.

For example, I had to take a large amount of Led Zepplin off if it as iPod would always try to get me to listen to them. Once in while, sure. But not every other song...

Today, it is in love with Melissa Etheridge.

Wikicrastination

2008-04-10T09:33:00.003-05:00

I am in the process of writing up an evaluation proposal at work. To get a reminder of the more technical terms for some qualitative research methods, I headed over to Wikipedia. I've come to use this site as an entry-level shortcut, when true depth of subject matter isn't required.

I searched the term "qualitative research," and one of the page editors had added the concept of coolhunting as a methodology. I was struck by this term, knowing it from William Gibson’s novel “Pattern Recognition,” so followed the link. Embedded in this page was the term “uncoolhunting” which I hadn’t yet heard, along with a suggested external link. I followed. The Uncoolhunter seemed like more of a blog, listing a few stories and stating their manifesto. One of the stories, dated 4/8, was about Leslie Hall, who I had seen on youtube a couple of years ago, showcasing the song “Gem Sweater” and other fantastically unfantastic ditties (one of which was clearly filmed in my former home of Jamaica Plain, MA). Turns out she has a mobile museum of the sweaters, along with a pretty fab photo gallery.

So I started at a genuine research question, and ended up at Gem Sweaters. All in the span of about 5 minutes.

And that is why I love Wikipedia.

Dolly in the house

2008-04-08T10:28:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting at my desk, listening to HRH Dolly Parton. A lesser-known track entitled "Baby I'm Burning" just came on, which is a disco/pop-tinged ballad that played B-side to a more popular country-sounding tune titled "I Really Got the Feeling."

The A-side made it to #1 on the Billboard hot country singles in 1979. The B-side, which the record company called a second A-side if such a thing is possible, broke into the top 30 pop singles chart in 1979. There was even an extended dance mix released for play at your local discotheque. I've never heard that version.

Both evidence Dolly's ability to flow with the times, showcasing the keyboard as a central sound element, and foregoing any major guitar action. IRGTF also has some orchestration - truly, it could have been arranged by the same people who brought you "Believe it or Not," the theme song to "The Greatest American Hero."

Listen to them side by side - you'll see.

Anyhoo, near the beginning of the song, there is a line that goes:

"This red hot emotion/puts fireworks in motion/it looks like the fourth of July"

Followed by a falling cascade of keyboard notes. At the moment the keyboard kicked in, all of the papers tacked to my wall bew as if a great wind had blown.

Perhaps it was the fireworks in motion?

Dolly, are you planting some seeds of excitement for what is in store for May 5?

You spin me right round baby, right round

2008-04-04T21:43:00.002-05:00

To follow up on my previous post, I haven’t done anything about the Nike+ sensor situation. I spoke with someone at a Nike store who said I’d likely get a positive response if I sent in a comment, but that inspiration has not hit me yet. I am liking the return to running sans gadgets.

So, it’s April 4th, and this morning it snowed in Manchester, NH. I have this memory of my birthday (which was about a week ago) being in warm weather. That hasn’t happened in years, yet still I hold on to that memory – which may have been one birthday for all I know – and expect that each year will be like that.

I shouldn’t really complain, as I did technically spend my birthday in the sun. We were in California, dividing a week between San Francisco, the PCH, and a brief stop in LA. It was a terrific trip, even if it made the return to our “spring” weather even more jarring…

Lately I’ve been checking out the spinning classes at my gym. It’s one of those things I’ve wanted to investigate for a while, but never made the time for in my day. Given the icky outdoor weather lately, I’ve been less inspired to run outdoors, giving me the perfect reason to get on the bike.

The first time I ventured in I tried the morning class. The leader was a nice guy, and did the appropriate amount of pushing-not-forcing for that early in the morning. However, did I mention that the class is at 6am? I consider myself a morning person and all, but 6am means waking up pre-6am, and that just wasn’t very pleasant.

So I switched to the evening class, and I’ve stuck with it. I’m looking to make it a regular habit, and as such I’ve formed some opinions on the sport and my evolution therein. For example: foregoing bike shorts is a mistake. Learned that one on the first time out… My poor bum.

The thought I kept returning to in the most recent class is the relativity of the 1-10 effort scale that we are instructed to follow. I don’t have it memorized, but it is, essentially:

1-5: Don’t bother even remembering what these mean, because classes never involve being in this zone.
6: Warm-up, some effort involved
7: More effort involved
8: Out of comfort zone. Quads on fire. Talk to self to keep going, and hope your neighbor can’t hear you.
9-10: Can’t continue.

Why is the “can’t continue” zone two numbers? If you can’t continue shouldn’t it just be that zone?

Also, pain is a very subjective thing. My 8 may be your 6, or vice versa. If I may speak as an Aries, I’m a bit competitive by nature, and loathe to admit – or even realize – that I may need to ease up. If I may speak as a girl who like to psychoanalyze herself, I know myself well enough to know that I am pretty terrible at admitting to physical weakness, a trait that has gotten me into trouble more than once. Not my best trait, but it’s how I’m wired.

Mind you, I keep going back. While it hurts, it’s a good kind of hurt. The kind of hurt that makes me think I will be stronger for it. And it sure beats running in the April sleet.

Gadgets, gadgets everywhere, and nothing that will sync

2008-03-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

It’s snowing again. Pretty and all, but I am now on the bus with people awaiting the arrival of more spring-like weather. However, given the white flakes falling down, I made my way over to the gym to get in a 4 mile run and some weights.

As I have mentioned in the past, I have become slightly addicted to my Nike+ sport kit, using it to track my miles and pace. Even on the days I don’t listen to music, I still tote along my Nano and use the Nike+ tools. For someone who is looking for basic tracking contrivances and not a lot of extra stuff, this setup really does work well.

However, I do need to lodge a complaint: the sensors suck.

This wasn’t always the case. My first shoe sensor was fantastic, lasting for just over a year. This seemed about right to me given my general weekly mileage (in the 15-20 mile range last year). The sport kit costs $30, and given all the running-related things one can spend money on (jackets and socks and shirts, oh my!), it was, arguably, a cheap investment. Heck, any large race will cost you 2x-3x as much.

But, as all electronic things go, it eventually died. This was in November 2007. I ran for a while without it, but missed the little guy and started thinking about when I’d get a replacement. Fast forward to December, when I discovered it was now possible to simply buy a shoe sensor, as opposed to a whole new kit. $20 instead of $30.

Bought one. The short version of the story: It never hooked up with my Nano. Picture me banging my foot, or just an empty shoe, around to try to get them to connect… After searching around for help and not finding any, I gave up/gave in and bought the whole kit again. $30.

The new sensor kit worked immediately, but showed up as a new user. Thus, any previous runs I’d logged were not accounted for, and any of the online challenges in which I’m involved didn’t count my miles. Mind you, I’m not really winning any of the challenges – as with my actual racing life, my online racing life is one of a middle of the pack runner – but I still want it to be known that I’m trying.

It took a while (end of December-ish), but finally I got the two users (i.e., me and me) to speak to one another. Yay! Back to the regularly scheduled program.

Now, only two months later, the sensor is toast. Less than 250 miles logged, and it’s done for. Let’s do the math… $20 for non-working sensor, $30 for short-lived sport kit = $50 of unhappy me. And Apple won’t take them back (although I’m not done with that part yet… I’m still pressing to get something for the poor product quality).

I am so frustrated with the situation, and possibly even more frustrated for letting the situation make me frustrated.

So, this morning, as I hit the treadmill, it was just me and some music. No sport kit. And I still ran four miles. And it still counted.

I think I’m reverting back to the GOFRL (good old fashioned running log). Runner’s World happened to send me one last week – I think as a thank you for my subscription oh, two years ago – and tonight I’ll log a few miles into it.

ain't nothing gonna break my stride...

2008-03-16T16:27:00.006-05:00

How many running blogs have used that title? Allow me to be the latest one...

I headed out today for a 5 mile run. It was supposed to be 8, but I managed to whittle enough of the day away doing who knows what to pinch the amount of time I had for a relaxed run (i.e., not worrying about time) and shaved off a few. Perhaps that was a subconscious thing; I'm choosing to not read in to it too deeply.

It started off as a pretty eh run - I went out of the gate too fast, and started to feel the repercussions in the first two miles. My bad. I know better than to gun it at the start, particularly as I live in a rather hilly area, and on top of that I live at the top of the hill. Thus, the early part of most runs is heading downhill, and the last stretch is mostly uphill.

Good training for races, sure, but sometimes I think it would be nice to live in a flat area. Like Arizona. Here are topography maps for my standard paths:

My usual three mile route:

My usual five mile route:

My usual eight mile route:

It's like a really long, really slow roller coaster.

Today was the five mile path pictured above, and after allowing myself a bit of a walking interlude post starting too fast, I finished pretty strong. My ego was boosted a little when I realized that I was jogging my way all the way up the final stretch of hill. I realized that this was happening about half way through, and spent the rest of the time trying not to think about it too much, lest I start to wonder if I was fatigued and start to psych myself out.

Instead, I thought about the fact that I was hitting a stride (hence the blog entry title), and it felt good. The legs were going, the breathing was steady, and my body was relaxed. It's been a while since I have felt like a little machine moving along, a feeling I generally enjoy.

Given that my team is now officially registered for Reach the Beach (my credit card is on fire a little from laying out the hefty entry fee), I have started to think more seriously about the training involved. I have a few races planned, and even a teeny little triathlon for kicks. More on those another time. For now, I'm just happy that my body is starting to get back the muscle memory it had a year ago, and that I'm finding my stride again.

Trade the PC hat for a trucker's cap!

2008-03-07T09:57:00.005-05:00

I was invited to go to a hockey game this evening - our local minor league team, the Manchester Monarchs. I like hockey well enough, so sure, I'm in.

Yesterday, I found out that this won't be just any night of hockey. It's mullet night!

Here's the official promo:

Mar 7, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Mullet Night: Redneck Edition
It’s back! “Mullet Night: Redneck Edition” will be filled with Redneck activities, music, on-ice entertainment as well as the distribution of 3,500 mullet trucker hats and Redneck teeth, courtesy of Sanel Auto Parts! So dust off your old mullet wigs, throw on your best hunting gear and join us for another unforgettable Mullet Night with the Monarchs.

Not just mullet night - but mullet night, redneck edition. Heavens.

What are redneck activities?

I'm bringing a camera, and a zoom lens.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

2008-03-06T11:20:00.002-05:00

I was duped by the weather report yesterday. It was predicted to be cold, windy, and rainy for most of the day. Looking out the window, all of that was true. Not in the mood to gear up for a windy, chilly run, I opted to head to the gym and run on a treadmill.

I don’t love running on a treadmill, but it does the job when necessary.

Anyways, after chatting with the cute membership girl who initially signed me up for the place, I headed over to my usual spot to get on the belt and jog for a bit. I tend to go to the same area as a) there is the option of not having a television screen in front of you, and b) I have certain objects along the warehouse-like ceiling that I generally stare at while I visualize being outside. I am a creature of habit.

About 2.5 miles into the run, the strangest thing happened – I started to overheat. Not just get sweaty, but more akin to an internal kiln being lit. It seemed like the air wasn’t moving around me (perhaps in that part of the gym it doesn’t really), and my internal temperature rose by a couple of degrees. I stepped off to the sides of the moving belt for a minute to slowly wave my arms (I’m sure this looked quite odd) and create some sort of faux breeze, and then resumed. A mile later I had to do it again.

Of course, once I went through this self-cooling behavior a couple of times, I started to second guess myself on what was happening. Was I tricking myself into thinking that I was overheating, so I could cease with the day’s run? Should I really have gone outside despite the rain?

Stupid brain – it doesn’t really like to shut off. It just spins and spins.

I had this conversation with myself for a while (which, I should add, also included me cheering myself on and thinking about my longer-term goals), until I hit my stated goal of five tread-miles and moved on to the stretching portion of the workout.

After taking a cold shower to shut off the kiln, I got dressed and headed outside. Where it was totally beautiful and sunny. Almost like a perfect fall day. Damn.

T minus 5 days

2008-03-03T14:22:00.002-05:00

Hi.

I am technically supposed to be working, but it’s my last week at this job and I don’t have a heck of a lot to do. I am past the point of trying to look busy. Or caring if I don’t. I’m closer to the feeling of, “what are they going to do, fire me?” which gives me plenty of time to do things like write a little blog entry, or take care of administrative items on the home front.

On an semi-related note, I have been here at my desk for hours and spoken with no one. I’ve gotten emails from people who are two desks away, but no spoken words. It’s totally weird how little they talk to each other some days.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I made a commitment to run this year’s Reach the Beach relay. I took advantage of this non-busy work time to organize and register my team. We’ll soon be paid up (which is the point at which you are really, really registered), and then I can start to turn my focus from logistics to the actual training.

The race isn’t until September, which is long enough away from now that I feel like I have some luxury of time to set out a plan and ramp up to actually following it. While I have been fairly consistent with my running/strengthening, this is just the excuse I need to take it up a notch. First step in that is getting organized. Rather than just, “I think I’ll go for a run,” I need to start thinking about some sort of schedule and more attention paid to what I put into my body. Which roughly translates as how can I still answer my sweet tooth and maintain proper nutrition on the whole.

I also wouldn’t mind taking my mile time down a bit, and I know that’s entirely possible if I put in the effort.

Yesterday I went on a little cross training adventure, heading over to the Boston Rock Gym with a climbing-enthusiast friend of mine. If he could climb his way to the office and repel home, I’m sure he would. My climbing skills are novice to say least, and while I was technically belay certified at a college gym, I liken that to learning to SCUBA dive in a resort pool – it just isn’t the same.

After practicing my figure 8 knots for a while and learning some climb-related lingo at said enthusiast’s house, off we went to the gym. I passed my test with semi-flying colors (perhaps walking colors is more appropriate) and we proceeded to pick our way through some of the various climbs offered all along the walls.

Was it a superfuntastic time? Mostly. Being nervous that I would screw up and let him drop 30 feet to the ground below (or have him land on top of me) made it a little harder to focus on the fun aspect. And man, does it give a workout to the fingers and wrists… Owie.

I am also new enough to the sport that I can’t help but be periodically distracted by the way the harnesses, um, exaggerate certain parts of the anatomy. Not to mention highlighting any extra cellulite on the thigh area. If that’s not a reminder to get thy ass to the gym/hit the roads, I don’t know what is.

Still, today I am proud of the soreness throughout my arms, as it’s a sign of the effort exerted yesterday.

Tonight I’ll focus on the lower half. Given this is my last week of commuting to Cambridge regularly, I’m trying to head out on the Minuteman Path frequently. It is (was?) a nice perk of this office location. Four miles is the minimum I’ll aim for, and, pending weather, it’ll hopefully be more like six.

Later!

Music makes the people come together

2008-02-28T14:26:00.009-05:00

My iPod was totally feeling me this morning. After listening to a podcast or two, I shifted over to shuffling songs, and this is what it produced:

S.O.S – The Breeders
Paranoid Android - Radiohead
Rudi, a Message to You – The Specials
Steady as She Goes – The Raconteurs
Violently Happy - Bjork
Phantom Bride - Erasure
Shame on You – The Indigo Girls
Nth Degree - Morningwood

Not a skipper in the bunch, and som that I hadn't heard in a while. I even let the last song play out as I sat in the parking lot of my office building, savoring the last few moments of “me” time before heading inside for the bulk of the day.

I have been using the shuffle option more recently, partially in response to a recent loss of all of my playlists and rankings. We switched over to being a Mac household (hello, mini!) and I had to convert the iPod over to a Mac-format. The net result of this was losing all the work I’d put in to organizing my music.

As a side note, while the loss of playlists/rankings was initially maddening, I’ve come to look at is as a way to listen to my music collection with a new ear. Re-rank, etc. I’ve even gotten P into the game, sharing with her my selective approach to assigning the number of stars (between 1 and 5, with 1 meaning they are removed at next sync, 2 meaning they can stay on the iPod, 3 meaning I like them, 4 meaning I like them more and wouldn’t mind if they were on the “I don’t know what to play but people are coming over” playlist, and 5 meaning they are truly, truly great. I rarely grant a 5).

I don’t know how others approach or arrange their music, but I am particular in this regard. When I relied on my CD collection, it was organized alphabetically by artist, minus soundtracks/collections which were placed in a separate section (generally the lower right hand corner of the rack). If a new CD was acquired, everything was shifted to accommodate. If a CD was selected to play, its jewel case would be placed, cocked open and standing, on top of the player so I know what’s in there. Everything was always put away.

It was the same when I relied on cassettes, although that was harder given mixes and the less-than-optimal storage options. This was usually a series of 60 cassette “briefcases,” each laden with stickers from all the bands/activities I thought were cool. I still have one of these cases out of nostalgia, and a couple of cassettes (the soundtracks to Pretty in Pink and Footloose) live on our desk in the home office as happy little memories. Has my youth has become kitsch?

What can I say? Everyone has their “thing,” and mine is that I am particular about how music is treated. It treats me well, and I return the favor.

Back to the middle and around again

2008-02-26T08:45:00.003-05:00

Things I've learned about having a long commute: it isn't very good for finding the time to blog.

It also isn't very good for the environment, but I knew that part already.

After four and a half months of a new job, I'm leaving. This has been a whole new experience for me, and I think it's been a good one. In short, I like the people I work with, but the job itself isn't a good fit. So when the opportunity arose to return to my former employer in a new capacity, I went for it.

Two weeks left at the current post. They are going to both fly and drag on at the same time...

Honestly, I really should avoid talking about "what I do" with anyone. I think it's just confusing to try and follow me; even I'm bored by it at times. I've become rather adept at avoiding the question, responding with witty retorts or diversions. For now, I'll continue with that approach, at least until it feels more settled. And as far as the resume is concerned, this job will have never existed.

Instead, I'm focusing on things like my commitment to head up a team for Reach the Beach this year. I've wanted to do this race for years, and finally committed myself to doing it. It isn't until September, but having that goal really helps me to shift from my normal run-for-sanity routine to something that feels more like training. I.e., pushing myself to be a little faster, go a little farther, dig a little deeper.

I know most of the people on my team, and am very excited. Great group of people, all in it for fun (with a dash of competitive spirit). I tried to cherry pick friends who have the capacity to make the best of any given situation, knowing that we'll all be smelly and tired at some point during the race. And when those situations arise, you can either become cranky, or laugh it off.

I do not want cranky. I do not respond well to cranky. Not this Cranky, because I do like him... the other, more generic kind.

As team captain, I see myself as a bit of a cheerleader, and can't bring myself to say things like, "No whining allowed!" At least, not directly. I'll say it - and have said it - in other ways. I also need to keep thinking of nice ways to encourage the slower runner to pick it up a bit. I doubt we'll run out of time given the full makeup of the team (that would totally suck), but there's always that little part of my brain that can't help but worry.

So, once again, I am in transition. New job, new commute, new training plan. All of this is good news to me!

Our cats, in a nutshell

2007-12-30T00:09:00.000-05:00

Below are the actual notes left by the cat sitter during out recent trip to Fort Lauderdale. I think it captures each of the cats' personalities quite nicely...

"Day 1:
Hi! Both Abner and Ari were all over me and following me everywhere. Ramona just ate then she would run off when I got too close. We had fun with the toys then a good rub down for Abner and Ari. We had a very nice visit."

This one in particular sums them up:

"Day 2:
Hi! Fresh new snow this morning! Ari went on the porch for a bit then just ran around like a little crazy cat. Ramona ran for food, I told her it’s ok to save some for later. Abner is his usual sweet self; lots of hugs and kisses to offer. We had a very nice visit."

Over the next two days she experiences one of Ari's little knock-everything-off-the-table-one-by-one sessions:

"Day 3:
Hi! Looks like the kitties let in all the strays, to get out of the storm. Mail and other little things were all over the floor. Ari had all kinds of things to say. We had a very nice visit."

This one is a little more about the sitter than the cats, but she still takes the time to mention the party the cats hosted:

"Day 4:
Hi! Kitties had another party last night, there were things all over the floor. There was a red truck parked in front of the white house across from your driveway, when I went to park I hit it … Besides that, the kids and I had a nice visit. "

My favorite part of the below note: "like it was her last meal...." That's our girl.

"Day 5:
Hi! The kids were great! Ari always had something to day. I love that Abner lets me give him hugs and kisses now. They played tag with each other with the laser. Ramona just kept eating like it’s her last meal. We had wonderful visits!"

From winter to fall

2007-12-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

Took my first digger of the season this morning. Not so gracefully, but with a bit of style, IMHO.

I was out on the Minuteman Trail, as per usual, and had an internal commentary going about how well I had handles any icy stretch. My approach is a semi-prance step, lifting the legs a little higher to accentuate the up down motion, and minimizing the back and forth movement. Wait - that makes it sound like I am hopping, or a police horse... Trust me, it works for me.

Anyhow, I was plodding along and heard a bicyclist coming from behind. I went to step towards the edge of the path to get out of his way, and caught my toe on a tall chunk of ice. That's when the slo-mo part of the fall began. It seemed that I had all kinds of time to think through how I'd fall, or perhaps I just recalled memories of my skateboard days when falling was fairly common. In any case, I pulled my best Boris Becker impression and rolled in a tidy ball, protecting the hands and chin.

The bike guy stopped and asked if I was ok, which was nice of him. I don't even think I made eye contact thanks to my temporarily injured pride. My hope is that from the outside it looked as if I pitched forward, dove into a somersault, and then rolled back on to my feet. It went that smoothly.

Luckily, my legs were sort of numb from the cold by that point, so I hardly felt anything. Wrist and palms were a little sore, but that's it. Within seconds, I was on my way again.

I am sure it won't be the only slip and slide of the season!

Good kitty

2007-11-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

Our most active cat, Ari, just jumped on my laptop keyboard and created the following meeting in my Outlook calendar: KKKiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllll. Scheduled from 9-9:30 this morning.

Um, should I be afraid of him?

Technically the full text was:
n bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb nnnnnnnnnnnnn?KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllll

Perhaps he's only partially mastered the English language, and he's trying to tell me something larger...

early morning run

2007-11-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

Things that made yesterday morning’s run memorable:

Watching someone take advantage of the early morning light to take pictures of Spy Pond and its inhabitants
Seeing Spy Pond in the early morning light
Passing a young boy who was nearly invisible beneath his bundles of clothing, happily pedaling his training-wheeled bicycle a few feet behind his mom
Feeling like I was wearing the perfect balance of clothing – not too hot, not too cold (this is an ongoing quest)
Running to mellower music than usual. It was just that kind of morning.
Hitting a groove, finding a stride, and knowing that I was speeding up without any extra perceived effort.
Being out and about just as the sun is coming up, making up for the fact that it sets so early these days.

Paso a paso

2007-11-14T08:24:00.001-05:00

I received a notice in the mail that one of my student loans is about to be paid off. $3000 down, $80,000 to go!

While a daunting payback road lay ahead, this smaller sum is actually quite significant. The loan was made during graduate school, shortly after my father passed away. I had worked my way through undergrad and grad, but when my father died (sort of unexpectedly, sort of not - a story for another day) I decided I needed to make some changes to allow for more trips to see my mom, mentally recover from the loss, etc. Plus, I was enrolled in a dual degree program, and this was the year I was slated to shuttle from one campus to another. That left even less time for the non-academic pursuits.

So, a couple weeks after his passing, I went to the Dean of my school to see if there was some help they could provide. I wasn't sure what I needed, but it seemed like this what what you did in such circumstances. I also knew that when my best childhood friend's parents were both very ill, her school stepped in and did everything they could to support her and make sure that she was able to stay in school. After explaining my circumstance, the Dean thought for a few moments, and then indicated the school could offer "Emergency Assistance" - a short term grant aimed at things like paying your heating bill if you come up short.

Um, not exactly what I was hoping for.

I responded that I would likely need more assistance than that, given my expected decrease in income and increase in expenses, but that was the end of the offer. Additional pleas got me the offer of a $3,000 loan, which I have been slowly paying down the past seven years. That year, I also ended up taking out loans above and beyond the federally allowed $18,500 to cover my lack of income, which I will continue to pay for the next 30 years or so.

We're our largest and best investment, right?

I switched the monthly payment over to an autopayment so I wouldn't cringe every time I wrote the check (and because, let's face it, who wants to write a check if you don't have to?), but even the school name appearing next to the deduction in my online banking account bugged me.

Now that loan is about to disappear, leaving me with an extra $50 each month, and perhaps a little less bitterness towards the whole situation. Perhaps.

Working from home

2007-11-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day I'm exercising the option to work from home. Traffic on Fridays is stinky all around, thanks to MA residents heading either to NH or the Cape for the weekend. I can't blame them, as they are nice destinations. Heck, I look forward to being one of them.

I have a pretty sweet setup going on right now. Laptop, coffee, water, a napping cat on either side (I set out some fleece cat traps which are pretty much impossible to resist amongst the feline set), laundry being washed in the basement... And without the drive, it's like having three extra hours in the day. Nice.

Happily, the most active of our three cats, Ari, is one of the current nappers. He has an internal alarm clock that goes off at 4:45 am every day, at which time he starts to play with any noisy plastic bag he can find. And meow. This little bodied cat can meow like none other. P and I have learned to largely ignore it, but it does have the potential to leak into your dreams.

Three cats is a lot of cats. It feels like a tipping point of sorts, where suddenly there are lots of personalities, allegiances, triangulations of kinship, etc. in their world. At the risk of sounding like a crazy cat lady I'll stop there for now, but I may start logging some of their exploits here and there. It's a show, for sure.

Gym foul

2007-11-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

Today I checked out the gym at my office building. Two treadmills, two stationary bikes, an elliptical, some weight machines and dumbells squeezed into a corner, and a huge space to stretch/host a pilates class. It's small, but it's something, and it will help me continue to keep up with physical activity even with my newly increased commuting time.

Treadmills aren't my favorite, and I much prefer being outside. Still, it is a nice backup, and when the weather turns super cold here in New England, I'm happy that I can still go for a run to clear my head. I've been running outside since I started the new gig, and last night decided I just didn't want to get up that extra 15 minutes early (read: 4:45am) to hit the road, beat much - but not all,, shockingly - of the traffic, and get on the minuteman to enjoy the morning air.

So this morning I found myself on a treadmill, with a short run as a goal so I would also have time for a little strengthening (something I don't do often enough). The treadmill faces a mirror, forcing me to either watch myself run or stare at the ceiling. I studied my gait for a little bit, and decided I liked my new-ish running shorts from REI. And I stared at the ceiling a lot.

As I was finishing up, I realized I forgot to grab my towel in the car and bring it with me. Not wanting to head out into the cold parking lot when I was all sweaty, I committed a total gym foul - I used someone else's towel. I know P is probably cringing at this... Heck, I needed a towel, this one had been there for a few days, it was clean, there was no one else in the locker room... It was all too easy. I tried to leave it pretty dry in case the owner came around, and luckily I escaped with no one the wiser. Except, well, you.

Manchester Half

2007-11-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

On Sunday I ran a half marathon in my hometown. Never did I think I would say that while I am living in Manchester, a town where I have run for four years and often go for miles without seeing any other runners. But there I was on Sunday, lined up on Elm Street with about 1600 others, getting ready to kick off the first annual Manchester Marathon/Half Marathon.

And you know what? It was great.

I had pretty low expectations, I admit, largely tainted by my overall feelings around living in Manchester. But in this case, I was pleasantly surprised. So as much as I can highlight the negative aspects of this place, I also need to give props where they are due.

The weather was just perfect. The rain and wind from the day before had cleared out, and it was around 50 degrees, sunny, and dry at the start. The field was not overwhelmingly big, but not small... Even without any official type of organization (no corrals, no people telling you where to go, not exactly knowing in which direction you'd be taking off) we all found our way to the start line and placed ourselves accordingly in the pack. Everyone played nice; no grumbling.

The course itself was tough, with enough hills to leave this girl with stiff calves the next day. Some were steep, and some just long. There was one particular street that was killer - it went uphill for around a mile, and then turned left to get even steeper for another few hundred yards. Friends standing at the top to cheer people reported afterwards that "everyone just looked broken." That was around the 10k mark, meaning we still had a ways to go. Still, people stayed positive.

I talked to more people on this course than I have in any race (generally I'm not really a stranger talker). Just little chats as you realize you have been alongside the same person for a mile or so. They'd organically end, and we'd go our own ways. It was nice.

Traffic wasn't entirely closed off along the course, but the police and volunteers did a good job of fending off cars from intersections so runners did not have to pause and wait. The reaction of drivers who were held back ranged from annoyed (even going to far as to honk at us) to cheering us on (even going so far as to honk at us). It was easy to ignore the less than happy drivers - for this one day, these few hours, they could sit tight. I think this is the one thing that will need to be addressed in next years race, which is already being discussed as having an expanded field.

Also of note on the course is that the half and full marathon routes were the same for the first part. At 13 miles, I split left while the full marathon peeps split right and headed off to the west side of town. So some of the people I spoke with en route were actually going for the full 26. With this size of a field, it was easy to mix the two, and the transition seemed to go quite smoothly.

As it was a small race, the finishers area at the end wasn't terribly packed. I stayed for a massage (which seemed to last for 20 minutes or so), tasted some soup at the "soup off" (I voted for the broccoli and cheese soup from CJs) and then walked two miles to my home. Which, incidentally, was around mile 11 of the course.

I spoke to a few others afterwards who were as excited as I was that there was an event to pull people together in Manchester. It simply doesn't happen often enough.

I'll end this roundup with a short story on life in this town. I was getting my hair cut the day before, and talking with the woman who cuts my hair about the Manchester race. Several of her clients were running in it. As we are chatting about the route, and other races in the area, she nonchalantly slipped in, "I hear there's another race happening in New York tomorrow."

Food. Sort of.

2007-10-24T13:32:00.000-05:00

I got some candy from a vending machine today. Life Savers, to be exact. That was due to me being 5 cents short of being able to buy some Twizzlers, and not having time to go anywhere else for a quick snack - my yogurt and OJ for lunch didn't cut it.

It made me wonder when the last time I used a vending machine was... very long time ago. And had Life Savers? Even longer. I made the error of looknig at the ingredients - sugar, sugar, and suger. Makes for tasty intake that really doesn't impact hunger for very long. If only I had that extra nickel!

Luckily, I'm heading out for a more substantive meal this evening.

Adjusting the days

2007-10-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been a blissful time without any official type of employment to speak of. I spent some time in NYC, then to Chicago, and then had friends up for the weekend. Completely lovely.

Last week I started my new gig, meaning all of the schedule-as-you-go attitude has to shift if I want to continue to do the things I like to do. For the time being, my commute is long (~40 miles each way, which in traffic is 1.5 hours) and is undertaken each weekday. This will be shifting, but not for a few weeks, if not months. The job shift is worth it, but it involves some sacrifice for sure.

First thing is getting to bed. This is hard when your baseball team is heading to the World Series and the games end late. Even when they are breaking my heart, I know I will find myself unable to tear myself away, in case the game shifts in our favor. That's the beauty of the game.

Then there's waking up earlier. My non-scientific obervation to date is that the morning commute has worsened since my last Boston-area job stint. The thought of waking up before 6am hurts me, but for the commuter the choice is to leave at 6 and have a one hour-ish commute, or leave at 6:30 and have a 1.5-2 hour commute. Leave at 7 and it could be worse... So I have been finding my way onto my feet at 5:15 to get ready to start the day. I'll get used to it.

Perhaps more importantly, I want to build running/general exercise into the days. One of the good things about my job's location is the proximity to bike/run/walking paths. In particular, I am basically on top of the Minuteman Trail, which is long and devoid of cars (although there's always the bicycles to dodge). I did a test run last week, and I think it is going to work out well.

At the moment I am in Ann Arbor, the home base for my division at work. I was in a training session today, and will head back tomorrow. Good stuff, even if it makes my head spin. We manged to get out early, giving me some extra time to find my way downtown (have I mentioned lately how much I love my GPS?) and then back to my brother- and sister-in law, with whom I'm staying.

I plotted out a small run (around 4 miles) to check out the local neighborhood. It's hilly and chilly, but it made for a really nice way to unwind from the day. Not to mention move around, after sitting and poking my way through unfamiliar software all day.

Tomorrow I will try to find time to run a new route. It's the best way to see the area!

Chi-town visit

2007-10-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

Given the option, I think I'd be pretty happy to not work. Or, perhaps, just travel for a living. Is there a Lonely Planet guide out there waiting to be authored by me?

I write to you from Chicago, having arrived here last night. I love this town. Each time I come, there's more to discover and explore. At the same time, as I gather knowledge, I revisit some of my favorite spots. Case in point: last night P and I headed over to Lou Malnati's for some deep dish pizza. Yes, it's a chain, but who cares. We sat at the bar to watch the Cubs/Dbacks game, and chatted with the bartender, Kirby. A very welcoming start to this visit.

Another reason I love coming to Chicago is that it is a running town. I was particularly excited to go out this morning because I have new running shoes that I purchased only yesterday. My former Nike Zoom+ pair, while lovingly used, was starting to feel like I was running on a few pieces of wet towel squished together. That said, I headed over to my local running store and spent the better part of an hour running up and down the street in various pairs of shoes. The guy working with me was super patient, and I ended up with a pair of Asics. I haven't had a pair of Asics shoes since my high school volleyball days, and the report after my first four miles on them is thumbs up.

While there, I also ended up helping another female customer with some sport bra advice. Poor guys in the store had no clue what to recommend, and had never heard of wearing two bras at once for better support (an unfortunate statement on the sport bra industry that women have resorted to this option). Once I heard she was going down the two bra route, I instantly suggested a couple of options for the bigger chested ladies. I understand her plight...

I'm off to pick up some tickets for an architecture tour from the vantage point of the Chicago River. I have wanted to check this out since my first visit to Chicago, and have never been able to do so. Then off to sneak into the AAFP Expo (the meeting that has drawn P here, and how I am tagging along) and check out the swag options.

Guaranteed to be a good day!

The cord is officially cut

2007-09-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

I turned in my laptop and badge for my previous job. I am now officially a non-employee. It's both strange and exhilarating.

When I went to drop off the computer, I saw a few people I have worked with closely, and one of them quickly started talking work. Detailed ongoings of work. And there I was, in my jeans and t-shirt, clearly not focused on any sort of work talk, feeling elated on the inside that all of this was no longer my responsibility or concern. Still care about the overall mission of said company, but you can keep the day to day mishigas.

That said, I am now in pure vacation mode. My bag is packed, and in about 15 minutes I'm heading down to Boston to see a Red Sox game with a friend. I'll stay chez him overnight, and then hit the road for NYC in the morning. Very excited to get to the city, see P (who is there for the month), give up the car for a few, run in the park, and simply enjoy just being able to do whatever, whenever.

I'll come back for a couple of days, and then head to Chicago for 5 days. That's the longest contiguous time I''ll have ever spent there, and I do love that town. The only plan I have thus far is to meet up with a friend (and her mom) who is running the marathon and check out the expo. Looking forward to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and product.

Given the amount of vacation time I never used while working at the previous job, I have ample vacation time to cover all of this. With some to spare.

I can't believe how well this is all falling in to place. I should switch jobs more often.

semi-vegetative state

2007-09-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

I've worked hard. I've been diligent and responsible. I've been a team player. And tonight, I think I am going to give myself a guilty gift that has absolutely zero value in the real world.

I am going to gorge on television.

I've been planning it out. It will involve creating a zone of food/drink/pillows/cats around me, putting on loose clothes, and parking myself in the corner of the couch. Perhaps I'll sit up, feet on an ottoman. Perhaps I'll give in fully and lay down, head turned sideways to soak in the passive entertainment. There may or may not be a blanket involved.

My Tivo has been dutifully recording programs, and I have hardly paid any attention to it's achievement. But tonight, oh tonight, that will change.

Last night I stayed up a little later than I should have, watching videos and playing Vortex on my new iPod. The new iPods really are pretty, and I am going to be gifting my old 30GB photo (which has worked perfectly to this day) to my mom. Ok, ok, her mere mention of possibly using an iPod instead of CDs to hold the music for her various folk dancing groups was all the push I needed to offer mine up and make the jump.

Video podcasts are now at my disposal. Very, very dangerous, as I can now watch telly in bed. On a small screen, but still. Or movies! Video Podcasts! I burned my eyes blowing through a whole set of "Flight of the Conchords" snippets last night. I gave in and purchased "Pootie Tang" (Wa Da Tah!) as my inaugural movie - it was either going to be that or "Zoolander." But I expect I'll figure out how to burn our DVDs to the iPod soon enough, so no need to repurchase.

At the moment I am on our sun porch, with three self-bathing cats, perfect weather, and no particular agenda. "Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Heaven)" just started flowing into my ears. It's one of those songs (and collaborations, really) that, when I'm feeling sentimental and particularly audiophile-y, I classify under Highly Important Music. This is one of those times.

So far, this whole between jobs state is pretty sweet!

The bug is back

2007-09-21T11:26:00.001-05:00

Back in March I mentioned a little bug that lives in the Nike+ sport thingy, which fixed itself once I hit a mileage milestone (500 miles). Or so I thought. This morning, after a run that certainly didn't put me into any new milestone territory, Paula Radcliffe was kind enough to let me know that she hoped I was feeling great, because I'd covered another 500km.

Perhaps the mile has gone the way of US dollar, and now kilometers are worth more.

I blame George Bush.

Around the world

2007-09-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

That's the song that's stuck in my head. Daft Punk. It has exactly one line, repeated 144 times. Easy to learn the lyrics; hard to get them out of my head.

Here's a little insight into my brain: I quickly did the math and figured out that there are 144 lines. In my head, that instinctively translates to 12 squared. Which translates to 4 x 3. Four is my favorite number, and 3 is P's. Thus it is a good song.

Sometimes, I scare myself.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, which means there are lots of stories lost. Lots of runs that won't be recorded here.

I'm in the middle of a job transition, which is part of the radio silence. At the stage where I am physically still in the job I've held for a few years, but mentally starting to fade. There are a few things I want to neatly tie together to ensure I leave on a good note, and it's been tough to even motivate for those small things... Ah, well. It's been a good ride, I'm leaving on very good terms, and I'm excited for the next chapter.

In between chapters, I'm taking a few weeks off. That I am also very much looking forward to. In that time, I'll be heading to Chicago for a few just to hang out. The day I depart is the day of the Chicago Marathon, which I didn't realize when I initially booked the ticket. I'm excited to mooch off of the vibe, and see some friends who will be running. Maybe sneak into the Expo... A girl can always use another pair of good running socks.

Aside from Chicago, I have no firm plans. Which is lovely. Maybe visit my mom, maybe go running at any time of day, maybe melt my brain in front of the television, finish a few books... Who cares. It will be fall, it will be beautiful, and I will have no homework for three blessed weeks. I've earned it. :)

On the running front, it's been a good end of summer. I reached out of my comfort zone recently and responded to an ad on craigslist for a running partner. I found the guy as I was getting ready to post something myself. It gets a little lonely running on your own all the time, and having someone there to keep you running when you want to stop is really useful. Plus some chatting makes the miles go by. I do like running on my own, but periodically seeing another runner in Manchester would be nice.

So I met up with the guy, who I'll call WestSide, on Monday at 6:30am. First meeting, particularly when I don't know someone from Adam and the main purpose is to run, had lots of awkward potential. Not to mention me being a little nervous as I still have it stuck in my head that most people run faster than me, even though I know I have never finished dead last in a race.

Off we went, on a route he led. We were on his side of town, which I've driven through but never walked through. It was quite pretty, I have to say. And much flatter than my part of town. What a pleasure to not have the lsat 1.5 miles be pure uphill. In the end, we went for around 5 miles at a chat pace, talking some and not talking some. He wasn't a serial killer. Just a normal guy who also wanted someone to run with. I think we'll be heading out again.

The only downside was that I forgot my Nike+ thingy, meaning the run didn't "count" for my online tracking. I'm past my initial addition to the thing, but really would have liked to have known how far the route WestSide selected took us. Damn.

This weekend is the annual Reach The Beach Relay here in NH. I considered pulling together a team of quirky runners to have at it, but had to stop when I realized the race started on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. That counted me out, sadly. Luckily, the Jewish calendar follows the moon, so it should not be a conflict next year. I've already started listing out potential team players in my head...

For this year, I'll simply volunteer on Saturday. No idea what I'll be doing, but it involves showing up in Exeter at 7:45 am and staying there all day. At the moment I hear they are forecasting rain. Should be soggy fun!

Wisdom is overrated

2007-08-20T08:33:00.000-05:00

I had my wisdom teeth removed last Friday. At the age of 34 it seems a little late to have this done, but periodic infections and the fact that they weren't ever going to find the space they need in my mouth dictated that they find another place to reside.

Overall, Friday’s events went better than I thought. I didn’t exactly know what to expect given the range of stories people opted to share with me, but the procedure itself was relatively painless (thank you, scientists who discovered nitrous oxide and novocain, and a good oral surgeon), and I switched from prescription painkillers to ibuprofen as of Saturday evening. I am still in the take it easy stage where I can’t really run, lift weights, or really do much of anything that puts pressure on my head (makes my mouth hurt in a weird way) – as you can imagine, that is the hardest part of it all.

On the bright side, the healing seems to be going well, my mouth has stopped randomly bleeding, I’ve become an expert rinser, and, perhaps most importantly, the procedure is behind me.

In this time of healing, I've spent a lot of time with the cats. I've been reminded that they really do sleep a lot. In fact, it is their main activity. If I move around they'll follow, but when I stop they find a comfortable position and nod off. Perdiodic playing, but mostly naps.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back to running or at least something involving exercise. I am getting antsy. I went for a decent walk last night which felt good, but I paid for it with a headache that reminded me I am still not 100%. Twenty fours more hours of relative stillness will perhaps do the trick, and I will try for a 2 miler at a slower pace. If nothing else, to get over my fear that my mouth will bleed when my feet hit the ground with any force.

Plus, after a four day diet of yogurt, cream of wheat, bananas, and other soft things, I wouldn't mind something crunchy.

Race Report: Falmouth

2007-08-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

There are big races, like any one of the Rock 'N Roll marathons. There are small races taking place in any given town each week. And then there are the big small races, which is where the Falmouth Road Race fits in. My goal was to drink enough water, run the whole distance, keep a decent pace amongst the jockeying for space, and have fun. Using that as a measuring stick, all goals were accomplished.

The race is in its 35th year, and attracts an elite field as well as the rest of us schlubs. Thanks to P for standing on the sidelines and getting the following shots of the elites:

She got a few schlubs, too... And cheered me on at just the right time. Seeing her on the sideline around mile 5 provided more energy than a GU packet, for sure.

The course runs 7 miles, shifting between an oceanside and inland route. Before the gun went off, the requisite patriotic tunes were sung. In Falmouth, there a little extra special something when they sing "America the Beautiful," though, as the author was born in the town. Made me love New England a little more somehow.

The field was packed - 9,000 - 10,000 runners all headed the same way on a two lane road. It was generally 10 across at any given moment, so when I'd find myself between packs (is it just instinctual that people group together?) I'd shift the pace to try and stay there. Inevitably, though I'd want to push ahead and poke my way forward through the next group. I passed a lot of people, a lot of people passed me.

Miles 1-3 went fast, with rolling hills and a mix of sun and shade. Then the shade parts became fewer and far between, making the "this is fun!" part harder to remember... I considered talking a break at mile 5, but didn't want to lose momentum. Shade returned, and I regained my stride. By the time I got to mile 6 I was speeding up, and rather sad that it would soon be done. Mile 7 came too soon.

I saw more kids in this race than I anticipated. Pairs of siblings, parents and kids... Clearly this is a race that people choose as their one race a year, and the tradition is passed along in their family. One sign I saw along the way was cheering on over 6 family members.

Another sign on route simply read, "Good job, mom! Can we please keep our txt messaging?" Well done, kids.

I'd like to publicly thank all the local residents who pointed their garden hoses into the street, thus providing a brief respite from the heat. You'd know when one was coming as the entire field of runners would shift to one side of the street in the hopes of getting hit with a few drops. And thanks to the kids who made up their own water stations along the way. Far less congested than the official water stations (although thank heavens for those as well). All totaled I'd say I poured more water over my head than into my mouth. Hooray for the people who shared ice from their coolers with whomever needed a cube.

I can see why people come again and again to this race. Well organized, local feel, nice peeps, a mix of everyday Joe and world class runners. Falmouth, I'll see you next year!

Falmouth, by way of New York

2007-08-07T09:50:00.001-05:00

This weekend is the annual Falmouth Road Race, a beautiful 7 mile course. It is my first year running it (had to get in by lottert), and I'm very much looking forward to it. I've heard only good things, and I know a few folks who are running it this year, so all in all I will be in very good company.

Initially P and I thought we'd spend some time on the Cape as long as we had to head to Falmouth (which, if you look at a map of MA, is the flabby part of the upper arm that forms the Cape). We have yet to make the pilgrimage to Provincetown this year, and thought this might be the time. Park ourselves on a beach, eat some good food, people watch, ride bikes along the dunes, etc.

Then P had a flash of brilliance: instead of the 4 hour drive to the tip of the Cape, how about heading to NYC instead? "This is the weekend we should head to Coney Island," she said. Brilliant, that girl.

Shockingly, this pair of NY Jews (her from Manhattan and me from Long Island) has never been to Astroland. We, who shaped our honeymoon around rollercoaster parks east of the Mississippi, have never ridden the Cyclone. And sadly, this is the final season the amusement park that graces the place. The property has been sold, and will be developed in to something that seems to be more Disney than Brooklyn. It's sad.

At least the Cyclone will be preserved, given it's national landmark status and ownership by the City of NY.

We have also been wanting to head to the MOMA to see the Richard Serra exhibit. The images I have seen are quite striking, and in person the enormity will be brought home. I have a small fear that I will feel like I am walking through a giant steel maize maze, but I'm keeping an open mind.

Looks like there's also a documentary about the font Helvetica showing. What is it about typeface that intrigues me so? We see it all the time, in various formats, yet there always seems to be a cool history attached if you take the time to look for it. Did you know Helvetica is considered "the official typeface of the twentieth century?" Methinks I'm about to get to know this little sans serif friend better.

Given the weather predicted for the weekend, and the possibility of flash flooding, I'm thinking we'll head to the museum today, and then Coney Island tomorrow. This is a switch in plans, as we were hoping to go to Coney Island on a non-weekend day. Saturday afternoon we'll leave the city, head up the coast, and find some place to stay on the way to Falmouth.

This may also be the trip that we allow ourselves to walk through the doors of the three story Container Store that is around the corner from where we are staying. All of those pretty stuff-holding objects and promises of organization have a dangerous cash sucking ability.

As for the road race, which originated this whole trip in the first place, my game plan is to run today (hello, Central Park!) and take Saturday off. Even if it rains I should be out there on the road. I went for one of the wettest runs in a while earlier this week, where my socks just became puddles and my shorts simply clung to my legs. Felt good to be out there, though. Sort of like swimming on pavement. Somehow it reminded me of my early days of running when I only went out at night and ran through the snow and ice. At that point I wore any old cotton t-shirt and sweatshirt, insulated rugby pants, and whatever socks I had that seems cushy. Compared to those days, this is nothing.

Saturday I must remember to drink lots of water and eat food that provides some good fuel, even though it will mean being on the lookout for bathrooms while we are inevitably wandering about the city streets.

On a completely random note, I know the HRC presidential debate on gay issues was held last night. One of the three people on the questioning panel was Melissa Etheridge. Really? I like her and all, but is she going to become our Bono?

If I was a better capitalist

2007-08-02T11:36:00.001-05:00

P turned me on to a local t-shirt store that I recommend you visit for all of your various t-shirt needs. Nice people, local business, good shirt material, and entirely customizable. Makes it all too easy to go overboard wth snarky little messages.

We ordered my brother in law a giftie there, specifically a shirt that reads, "Muggle." Harry Potter fan and all that. I hadn't seen one around, so we had it made. The store owner places every new design in a book on the counter for customers to browse, with our shirt being the latest addition.

Lo and behold, prior to me even picking up the thing, someone else ordered it from the book. And others have expressed interest.

I'm kinda peeved, as he gets the credit for our idea, but I figure that we aren't the only one with a muggle shirt, and I'd like to guy to stay in business. If I were a better capitalist I'd have a warehouse of random ideas that think could sell.

Maybe I can find someone to help me with my latest concept involving hot liquids....

singles remind me of kisses, albums remind me of plans...

2007-08-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

We went to see Squeeze in concert on Monday. For some reason they decided to kick off their US tour in a local, small, and great venue in Londonderry, NH. This venue has managed to become a cool landmark in the area, gaining enough of a reputation that people will frequent the place trusting that Scott Hayward, the proprieter, has good taste and will book good shows.

It has also become a place where previously big - and generally of the New Wave sort - bands (Squeeze, Thomas Dolby, The English Beat) come to play. Who would have thunk that little Londonderry would become a destination?

The show was great - they were a tight unit, and knew their audience. Lots of familiar tunes were played ("Up the Junction," "Cool for Cats," "Black Coffee in Bed," etc) with enough other tunes ("Slaughtered, Gutted, and Heartbroken," "Slightly Drunk," "Messed Around") to make the Squeeze fan happy. They could have stretched things out a bit to make it sound less adherent to studio versions, but whatever. A small detail for a band that is a) just starting to play together again, b) not completely comprised of the original members, and c) playing somewhere that is remotely close to my home.

First day back

2007-07-30T08:31:00.001-05:00

And I can already tell it is going to be a rough transition.

Last week P and I took off with no solid plans (other than a family visit) other than going somewhere. We figured we had gas in the tank, a GPS, and a mutual love of travel, and that was more than enough. We packed the car with more than we would ever need (why bring one pair of shoes when you can bring three?), prepared for any number of situations and climates. Our fuzzy goal was to camp somewhere, but we weren't quite sure what level of "camp" we'd achieve....

First stop was Cooperstown, NY. I have family that lives about 20 minutes south of there, and much of my family was visiting for the weekend. My niece and nephews have entered into the age old tradition of drop-the-kids-at-the-uncle-and-aunt's-house-for-a-few-weeks-to-give-the-parents-a-break-routine. My brother and I did it most summers while growing up, and now his kids are taking part.

The house was full, and while my aunt would have loved to squeeze us into some corner that would likely involve a 45 year old mattress placed nearly on top of a cat litter box in a highly trafficked area of the house leaving zero space for any semblance of privacy (I'm speaking from experience), we opted to stay at a hotel nearby. It was a very good decision, even if it did require us to receive guilt/grief periodically throughout the weekend for not constantly being underfoot. The sanity saved was more valuable. For some reason, this side of my family believes that if you are not within 10 feet of each other at all times, and talking all the while, then you are not spending time together. It is claustrophobic and exhausting, particularly for those of us who like some personal space and quiet time to reboot.

One day I may write more on this one aunt in particular, as she is, um... a personality. There are three types of conversation in her world: cancer (or any illness, preferably something life-threatening), cats, and Rotary. Everything comes back to that, and usually it's the illness part. She loves her some sickness.

The below samples are all based upon actual conversations that took place during our visit. It is a very, very small sample of the full Experience.

Sample conversation #1 with my aunt:
Me: We have two cats.
Aunt: When our cats die we bury them out by the barn. Yep, these two will one day be out there with the five horses, four dogs, and all the other cats.

Sample conversation #2 with my aunt:
P: The kids are going to go with (uncle) for a walk up the hill. Such a nice day for a walk.
Aunt: There are aggressive coyotes up there.

Sample conversation #3 with my aunt:
Mom: This dinner is great.
Aunt: The other day I ate something and felt awful. It was either food poisoning or diverticulitis.

Sample conversation #4 with my aunt:
Me: [trying to stay quiet and unnoticed so I don't have to engage]
Aunt: SARS! Anthrax! Bird Flu!

I could go on. And on. But enough on that. This post was supposed to be more about the vacation part...

Prior to arriving at the family destination, P and I had stopped near Albany to get something to eat and visit an EMS for some camping odds and ends. While there, I bit the bullet and bought a real pack for multi day camping trips. I've wanted one for many years, and never allowed myself the purchase. Why I don't allow myself these things is a topic I'll put on hold for another blog entry. All I needed was the right impulse, and here it struck. I *heart* it. It makes me want to hike, much like new shoes make me want to run.

While trying on packs, we asked the woman helping us for any suggestions on hiking in the Adirondacks. She suggested a section that was out of the way, and remote enough that it weeded out people who weren't willing to put in a little effort. It sounded perfect, and became our decided destination for the post-family part of the trip.

Before long we were headed out of the Cooperstown area, heading towards the Pharaoh Wilderness. We had plotted a hiking route, transitioned from duffel bags to backpacks, condensed our sleeping bags in stuff sacks, and were ready to lose ourselves in the woods for a few.

First day's hike was a long one, going up and down Pharaoh Mountain and continuing along deeper into the woods. We ended the day at Watch Rock, a peninsula that juts out into the Pharaoh Lake. It was an ideal spot - a grassy spot for the tent, places to hang our gear, access to the lake for water, large flat rocks to sit on for meals or just to stare out over the lake. We were beat from the day's hike, and both of us were physically done by 8:30. It wasn't even dark out when we got into the tent...

We lingered in the morning, as the spot was so beautiful. I'd go back in a heartbeat, and stay longer. And bring my camera. Our plan was to have day 2 be a shorter hike, and we'd picked our landing spot. It was over on the other side of the lake, and took about 4 hours to reach it. A nice walk through the woods with a pretty consistent view of the lake on our left. Took a break in the middle of the hike to eat lunch at a particularly pretty spot (and put down the packs for a few minutes).

Once we reached our landing point, we parked ourselves and jumped in the lake to cool down. Both P and I are not fans of lake swimming - for me, I think it ties back to slasher movies often taking place at campgrounds with lakes involved. Then again, I don't like swimming in the deep end of a pool at night for fear of sharks, and I recognize that the likelihood of that occurring is slim. Why does ocean swimming feel safer to us than lakes? Perhaps because we both grew up on the ocean, perhaps because something about the salt water seems sterilizing. Or, in this case, perhaps it was due to the leeches I saw over at Watch Rock. Eew.

Still, I made it "safe" for myself by thrashing about and mentally willing the potential leeches and other fishies away. And it was good. The cool water made us human again, and after getting out we lazed around the rest of the day. Made some dinner around 5, read, chatted, sat in silence... We also applied large amounts of Tiger Balm to our skin, discovering that not only is it good for sore muscles and stopping the itching of bug bites, it is also a decent bug repellent. And, I imagine, less toxic than deet. By the end of the trip we were convinced that it could do anything. Headache? Sure. Blisters? Why not? Homeland Security? I'm sure if we found the right place to apply it, it would work.

The third day was the hike out. We had a ways to go, and weren't quite sure where were were headed afterwards, so we started on the early side. Packed our bags, waved goodbye to the lake, and went on our way.

Random gear note: I used a different sock combination (liners and running socks) and it worked so much better than my "official" Thorlo hiking socks. Days 1 and 2 I felt that I was destined for blisters; the third day saved me. The fact that I am even mentioning it here underscores how happy I was with the change.

Then again, when you are out back country camping, you spend a lot of time thinking about these types of things... your feet, how your pack is fitting, what you should have left home, what you should have brought, what you will have for your next meal, making sure to drink water... it's all very elemental, and I think that is one of the reasons I love it so.

We passed along Glidden Marsh, which was dotted with lilies and beaver ponds. Parts of the trail were wide and easy, while others were full of thorns and tall grass. You sort of felt your way through the whole thing. We flew through the final hike, getting back to the car 2 hours earlier than we'd estimated.

Once we hit cell phone range, P called a friend of ours who lives in Jersey, but was supposedly coming to Maine. We asked if we could come by for a few days for a visit, and she was happy to have us.

May we always have friends that are up for last minute visitors.
May we always be friends who are up for last minute visitors.

Setting the GPS once more, and cross referencing with our big (and lovingly well used) road atlas, we plotted a route that stayed off the big roads. We wound our way out of NY, through VT and NH, and into Maine. Stopped off at King Arthur Flour (P's version of black tar heroin) for a cookie and some browsing, and continued on to the coast.

Maine was lovely. Had our first real shower in days (oh so good), ate New England summer fare (read: fried fish and cole slaw), went swimming in the ocean (no sharks anywhere, and the water was warm), did crossword puzzles, caught up on some news (both the NY Times version as well as the Perez variety), read Harry Potter (almost done!).

As long as my quads and calves were sore from the hiking, I also went for a really nice run the morning after we landed at our friends' place. I wanted to feel what it would be like to run without the 40 pounds on my back, and thought it would help to loosen me up a bit. I also just wanted to run alongside the ocean, as that rarely happens in my Manchester existence. Success all around: I was clocking 9 -9:30 minute miles and felt great afterwards. After that, I only had one small spot of soreness in my left calf. A little Tiger Balm and 24 hours of no more hiking healed that one right up.

Everything worked out so well on this trip. The only days it rained was when we were in the car, transitioning from one place to another. We had perfect weather for hiking and camping. I love that we had no firm plans and were open to any stop along the way. People we didn't know - and will likely never see again - gave us guidance on our next steps. We ended up in towns days before peak season, meaning there were rooms available without breaking the bank, and the towns were sprucing themselves up for the coming visitors. The GPS helped us find the places we needed to go, be it food, equipment, gas, or a friends home. We ended up at King Arthur right before closing, meaning they handed us free cookies rather than throwing them out. :)

And, as always, P is my favorite traveling companion. I'd like to repeat this trip again and again, perhaps each time in a different state.

Morning observations

2007-06-29T07:23:00.000-05:00

I went out to run around part of the local high school cross country trail this morning, which loops around our local ski hill. It's wooded, hilly, quiet, and about a mile around. That makes it easy to adjust your distance in a flash, which is great for morning runs when my ability to initially get out there is less predictable.

As usual, it was totally great to be out in the woods running around. I kept looping a man who was walking his dog off leash. Each time I'd pass, we'd say hello and he'd call his dog so she wouldn't follow. The third time, I stopped to say hello and pat Kiki (the dog, not the man). I happened to stop on a fairly sharp incline, and that is when I learned that Kiki is a leaner. A 90 pound leaner, who rested all of her weight on my legs as I stood there and patted her thick fur. She was on the uphill side, meaning I had to use some strength to hold her (and me) upright.

Does that count as crosstraining?

At the top of the hill on the trail stands the Weston Observatory, which is usually closed off via a tall iron fence. The last few times I have been there, I've noticed a truck parked nearby, with contruction equipment. Nothing big, just ladders and some wood. This time around, I saw the truck during my first loop, and then saw the truck was gone when I got back.

And the gate was open.

Not wanting to miss what may be my only opportunity to see the inside of the obseratory, I walked through the gate, through the open door (which, like the gate, is generally locked), and started up the stairs.

What I learned is that it is exceedingly dark in there.

I didn't know when the truck was coming back, so I stopped midway and headed back down. The view from the base of the observatory is really nice, so I wonder how much better it gets if you climb up a 60 foot tall tower of NH granite. I bet it's pretty cool.

Mornings like that make Manchester an ok place to live.

Not a trick I taught her

2007-06-28T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ramona the Cat's new gig is to hop up on to my side of the bed at 5am, walk towards my head, and meow a few times in her high pitched tinny (and sweet) voice. Just enough to wake me up. Then she plops down for a minute (maybe three) to make sure I am fully awake, before hopping down to the floor and continuing with her morning. Note that she does not repeat this process with P, who gets to sleep soundly while this is happening. Unless, like this morning, I am startled enough to accidentally swing my arm and hit her... Oops.

Can't really blame Ramona for her crepuscular nature, but it does make it harder to sleep in the bright days of summer.

Or maybe I should just start running a little earlier in the day...

East coast kid, west coast soul

2007-06-26T20:53:00.000-05:00

I went to a work-related dinner the other night, and got seated at the "wrong" table. There were some good peeps, but minus a colleague next to me and the guy next to him, all were defined by their job. They were literally shocked that I could enjoy the act of doing nothing. Nothing, of course, being something to me.

The other table verged on semi-inappropriate work conversation with questions along the line of who's on your hall pass list, marry/sleep with/toss off a cliff, etc. Juvenile, but certainly more entertaining than more growing-our-partnership-to-grow-our-business chat. I'd had enough of that already.

At one point, someone from the fun table came over to us to continue a "who would you be if you could be anyone" question that circulated around their table. My uncreative peeps were silent. I said I'd be Cyndi Lauper (and stand by that). Another woman finally piped in, and said she'd be Nancy Grace. Nancy. Grace.

Heavens.

They were largely from California, which was even more strange to me, as I tend to view the west coast as a mellower vibe. I figured all of the earthquakes remind you that the earth is always there, ready to take you out as needed. And knowing that makes you just a little more connected to the power of the earth. Nature always wins.

That's my hippie sentiment for the night.

Anyways, the point of this small story is that I have at times thought I am more of a west coast soul in terms of my preferred pace, but too connected to my east coast roots to ever leave.

Partially as a result of these thoughts, and partially as a result of so much good music coming from CA, I started making a mix on my Ipod. And I am looking for suggestions, knowing that the four of you that read this blog care about music.

Here is the playlist thus far, so you get a sense of what I'm going for:
Grey in L.A. - Loudon Wainwright
California - Rufus Wainwright
California Stars - Billy Bragg and Wilco
Big Sur - The Thrills
The Golden State - John Doe

Note that the Mamas and the Papas are not there. There's a time and a place for everything, and this mix is purposely absent of California Dreamin' and the like.

Ideas?

This week's rundown

2007-06-21T20:51:00.000-05:00

It's ironic - when there's a lot to say, it's hardest to find the time to get it all down.

Tonight it's just me in the house, as P is on call at the hospital. Me and the kitties. I got home on the later side, as I went running with a work friend in the evening. It was a good night for it - a fast but heavy storm had just passed (leaving behind the most striking rainbow I have seen in years), and the air was cool. I plotted out a 5-ish mile route, and off we went. It was a nice little loop, and I'm going to do it again on my own.

Having her there with me nudged me to go a little faster and a little farther than I would have on my own, and it was great to have that extra push. She'll soon start a more rigourous training plan for the NYC marathon, but for now she's still pretty lax about things.

Speaking of NYC, I was down there for a meeting earlier this week, and happily took the time to run in Central Park. The hotel was around 48th and 8th, so I headed up to Columbus Circle, into the park, up the west side, crossing at 72nd, then back down towards the hotel. I always get a little turned around upon exiting the park, but quickly found my way back on track.

I arrived at the park around 7am, and was amazed at how many people were already there. It might as well have been 11am on a Saturday. Why is it that the bikers get dressed in full peloton gear on a Tuesday morning? And why is it that I never see them outside the park? It's as if they live there, looping around and around, looking as if they are about to head to the Tour de France.

It was great to be back in NYC. From the moment I stepped off the train it felt like home. Mind you, I've never actually lived in Manhattan. But having grown up on Long Island (go ahead - call me Bridge and Tunnel - I can take it), I spent my share of hours tooling around. I was reminded, yet again, why we will never stay in Manchester, NH.

I considered going to a concert while I was in the city - the True Colors tour was at Radio City that night, and I thought it would be great to see the show in NYC. Particularly Cyndi Lauper, as she's a Queens girl. P and I had gone to see the show in Boston the weekend before, however, so I didn't really feel a great need to go again.

I give P full credit for getting me to go to that show. I thought it would be totally cheesy and I would loathe the crowd. Both of those things were essentially true (loathe might be a strong word, but largely uninteresting), but it didn't matter. I loved the whole thing.

Turns out it was a bit of a queer healing fest of sorts for me. You see, when I was a wee'un, before the whole Realization Thing, I saw Erasure and was totally horrified. Andy Bell was so... utterly gay. I couldn't connect the dots, but I got super uncomfortable. This time around, it all made sense. And let's face it, their music is pure early 90's pop. For which I am a sucker.

Vince Clarke has upgraded himself to a nice Mac laptop, and basically just stood there pressing a button when the next song was to start. Andy B. worked his ass off dancing around. Very impressive.

Debbie Harry still has got it going on. She played some new songs (per her recording contract, I'm sure), and they were quite good. And, hey, it's Debbie fucking Harry. Respect!

Rufus Wainwright played a mellow set, which was in stark contrast to the striped, sparkled, and brightly colored outfits he and his bandmates all wore.

And Cyndi Lauper. Oh, Cyndi. I have loved thee since I was 12. Went to your original True Colors tour, and still recall when you sat on the edge of the stage at Madison Square Garden and sang an a capella version of said song. In a crowd of 30,000 people, you had us all captivated. I still have the concert program, near my saved copies of Sassy magazine.

This time around she was just as good. Sound problems didn't stop her from having the show continue, although it did make for some good live-not-Memorex moments. She also came out into the crowd and stopped right in front of us; I felt 13 again.

At the end of July I'm going to see Squeeze, which will also remind me of the teenage years. It seems to be a summer of tours of my youth. Have I reached that age?

In celebration of the victory in MA

2007-06-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

Big news yesterday in MA, with the defeat of a ban on a constitutional amendment that would have banned same sex marriage. Below was a speech that I found particularly relevant and moving. Worthy of sharing.

And I'd marry P all over again!

===========================
Speech delivered by Rabbi Dan Judson, Interfaith Rally and March, June 14, 2007

Good morning, I wanted to begin this morning by teaching everybody some Hebrew words. To say good morning in Hebrew you say boker, meaning "morning," and "tov," meaning good. And what you learn, when you learn Hebrew is that the response to boker tov, "good morning" is boker or. Now, if you were to walk down the streets of Jerusalem, no one would actually say boker or to you, but this is what you learn in formal Hebrew school. But I want to say it with you this morning. I am going to start this morning by saying boker tov, and if you can respond with boker or, because here is what boker or means, it means a "morning of light." And this morning is most certainly a morning of light. It is a morning full of light.

I became a part of the RCFM nine years ago, so it feels like I have been preaching and talking and arguing about marriage a long time. And it feels like there is nothing new to be said, it is the same conversation with people again and again. I just hear the questions, I can press the button in my mind that has the answer I have given countless times.

"Rabbi, Rabbi, what about the bible Rabbi, a man shall not love a man the way a man loves a woman, how can we have marriage Rabbi what about the bible?" Press button number 1 in my mind, bible. Right I always say to folks who ask me this, that's great that you think that verse in the bible is so important because the bible actually says nothing about lesbians, doesn't mention it all, so you must be okay with two women getting married, you're halfway there.

Listen I say to them, I love the bible, but I am not a fundamentalist, and if you don't stone your rebellious son, or do any work on Shabbat than you are not a fundamentalist either. So what part of the bible are you going to listen to -- the one oddly phrased verse in Leviticus or the countless times the prophets enjoin us to care for those who are marginalized, the countless times the bible tells us to love our neighbor, love the stranger?

Rabbi, Rabbi, but marriage is the foundation of society. It's always been one man and one woman. Button number 2, history of marriage. It's a great point I always tell the person, it's just that the history of marriage in my own Jewish culture was that the man acquired the wife like property. And then I ask the person who is talking to me if he would like for me to get his wife to discuss a return to traditional marriage values.

Rabbi, Rabbi, but it's just too dramatic a change, in America we are not ready for it. Can't they just settle for civil union or something like that? Button 3, civil union. Yes, we should have one category for straight people and one category for gay people, separate but almost equal works out so well in society. I was just thinking that we should have separate categories for Jewish and Christian marriage that would work well.

Rabbi, Rabbi, I get this one sometimes, usually at the end of an argument, Rabbi Rabbi, it's just the forces of political correctness, gay marriage is just being pushed by the Massachusetts gay liberal agenda. And to this I say absolutely, it is the gay liberal agenda.

Maybe you have heard of the Massachusetts gay liberal agenda, I call it justice.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, I call it equality.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, it is called not living in fear anymore.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, it is called embracing family.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, it is called the real promise of America that we can live in freedom.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, it is called the voice of the prophet calling out let my people be who I have created them to be.

Maybe you have heard of the gay agenda, I call it grace and truth and love.

So like I was saying, I have been a part of the RCFM for 9 years. And I remember when we used to have rallies. I very clearly remember we had one on City Hall Plaza, maybe 6 or 7 years ago, and we had maybe 15 people there. And I remember that people had signs that were two interconnecting rings that said, "Freedom to Marry." And I remember people walking by and they had no idea who we were, what in the world we were talking about, and they asked ,"Huh? Freedom to marry who?"

Freedom to marry who?

Nobody needs to ask freedom to marry who? We have gone from being cold outside on the plaza to being inside, with the governor and the leaders of both houses walking by our rally not asking who we were or what we were about, but saying "I am with you."

Not that long ago, you remember just 5 or 6 years ago, nobody was really seriously talking about marriage being law, we were just hoping to fight off defense of marriage acts which cropped up every year in the legislature. Legal Marriage was a distant dream.

But here we are, dream no more, as the psalmist said, Even maasu habonim, hayta le-rosh pina - The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.

I have this vivid memory from like 6 years ago, there was a defense of marriage bill that we were going to testify on. And the clergy on the other side were called to testify immediately, it was like a delegate of the archbishop and an orthodox rabbi and Martin Luther King's niece or something, and they said hateful, noxious, facile things about gay folk, and we waited to be called and waited for hours and hours and hours to explain about love, about acceptance. I am not even sure we ever got to speak that day.

But here we are today, love has beaten hate. That is what is so amazing. Love has beaten homophobia. The people who traffic in ignorance and hate have lost. Do they really think that after reaching the promised land we will settle for going back into the wilderness? I hope this ends today, I am tired of having these conversations, it is so painfully obvious what is right. But even if it doesn't end today, the people of Massachusetts will vote the right way. We will never go back to the days of being outsiders, we will never go back to the days when our voices were not heard, we will never go back to the days when gays and lesbians were stigmatized.

Today is a day full of light. Regardless of the vote, today is a day when love vanquished hate.

Rabbi Daniel Judson is the rabbi at Temple Beth David of the South Shore.

Inertia

2007-06-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

P went away today. Off to have some quality time with her dad. Sweet that they are going away together, and I am glad that she has a whole week off. Life as a medical resident doesn't allow for much downtime.

I am on my own until Saturday. Just me and the cats. Who, by the way, are getting along much better. No more hissing, they sniff each other, etc. Ramona is still skittish, and I think that will last for another few months. She's settling in, but periodically has to go through retraumatizing events like a trip to the vet...

They told us she has to lose about 3 pounds. We could have told you that. Having watched Ramona clean her stomach, it is evident. Here is her current method: first, lean back on to tail region such that back paws lift up into the air. Then, take left paw and lift the flesh towards the head. Last, lick the belly. It is very funny to watch, and methinks the habit will (sadly) disappear along with the extra weight...

Speaking of extra weight, I have had an uninspired week of running. I went yesterday morning only through sheer will. And, of course, it was beautiful and enjoyable. It's all inertia.

When you're hot you're hot...

2007-06-10T11:17:00.000-05:00

And when you're not...

Friday was one of those running days that you look back upon and think, "that was one of the bad ones." There are days you feel like a champ, and days that suck. Friday was closer to the suck end of the spectrum.

Here's a small sample of the things flashing through my head whilst running:

I'm tired
I miss Ichabod
I hope the new cat and Abner get along eventually
I can't wait to get home so we can officially release New Cat from the bathroom and let her explore the house
I'm beat
Why am I running? I'm beat.
You set a mileage goal this month. This is the last little bittle of it.
Technically you're already there, if you include the 4 miler sans Nano last week.
I want it to be "official"
What happens if I don't hit one of the goals I set on the Nike+ site? Is there negative feedback?
Why do I care so much what a computer thinks of me?
It's not the computer - it's you v. you, idiot. That's part of why you run.
Maybe I won't run the whole loop
Do I like to run on Friday afternoons?
What a long week at work.
Next week isn't going to be any better.
I need to work on that presentation for Monday...
Am I going really slow?
What happened to my headphones? Why is the left earpiece blinking in and out?
How annoying that the sound keeps flipping on and off on my left.
I wonder what's causing that? [tests various arm positions]
Maybe I should make "Holiday" [Green Day, not Madonna] my "power song"
Screw you, left earpiece. These headphones are done.
Maybe I should make "Holiday" [Madonna, not Green Day] my "power song"
I'm tired.
I do like running Friday afternoons. It's one of my favorite times of the week.
You know, you don't have to run the whole loop if you are just going to be miserable.
I hope the cats start to like each other...

And so on and so forth. No focus, no concentration. I turned around after 1.5 miles and came back home. Total distance: 3.2 miles.

PS - New Cat has a new name. Ramona. P wanted to name her Fannypack Shizzlestein (Fanny for short), but I couldn't really see myself talking about our cat Fanny. So now she's Ramona Fannypack Shizzlestein. Pictures soon to follow.

And baby makes four

2007-06-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

We made the move. There's a new cat in town.

Yesterday, P and I went to the local animal shelter to meet a cat we've had our eye on for the past week or so. She's all black, has oversized ears on a tiny head, and is somewhere around 4, give or take. She looked sweet and goofy in the pictures, and that's what we need given our other, more skittish, kitten.

Going to an animal shelter makes one want to sell their house, buy land, and take all the animals home with you. Then you wonder how you will afford to buy any of them food, and you go back to the initial plan of just getting one.

We came, we saw, we brought her home. Her name is currently Emma, but that is still up for discussion. We are considering naming her oomlaut the cat (insert two dots over the "a" in cat). Ooma for short. I'm open for other ideas.

When they handed her over, they also gave us her records from the shelter. She's come a long way, baby. She arrived, abandoned, at four pounds, not wanting to eat. Clearly she got over that, as now she's a bit of a porker. We'll be working on that. I also think she wasn't so into the whole bathing thing while in the shelter, as we basically brushed a full cat off of her last night. And there's more where that came from... Just you wait - with some better food, more chance to exercise, and lots of patience, she'll be back to her old self.

Ooma, Emma, whatever her name will be, is getting used to the new digs. She spent last night and today in the upstairs bathroom, getting used to being in a quiet, non-cage space. When we first brought her home, she was definitely a bit freaked (having spent the last four months in the shelter, that's not a shocker). In that small area, she started to warm up and show her personality.

Abner is not so thrilled with the whole situation. There's been lots of hissing both ways, but neither of them seems, thankfully, to be a fighter. They just stare at each other from a distance. I sort of want to pick them up and rub them together so they just get it over with.

This weekend is semi-dedicated to breaking them down and building their relationship. They don't need to be as tight as the Abner/Icky show, but tolerance would be nice.

Tonight we are working on relationships, and watching episode after episode of "Sex in the City." It never gets old.

We're (mini) streaking!

2007-06-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

Been running very consistently over the last week or so. Nearly every day. For a moment I thought to myself, "perhaps I can become one of those streaker people." Like polyamory, it seems to be one of those things sounds kinda nice in theory, but would take a little too much effort on my part.

Last night I went to the gym for the first time in months, as the rain was coming down sideways. It reminded me of why I like to run outside so much more (remind me sometime to write about the differences between morning gym goers and evening gym goers). Still, I hopped on to the treadmill with the goal of running fast and brief.

Sometimes I need to get over myself and remember that two miles still means something, particularly if you work it.

Treadmills are a bit funky to judge by, but I was surprised at how good it felt to go fast. According to the chip in my shoes, I was running about a 9:20 mile. And, get this, I could have kept going. I ended up at around 2.5 miles, and then ended on a high note.

And, as Sir Crank wisely advises, I drank water into the night...

Why have fun at work?

2007-05-31T15:42:00.000-05:00

I was asked to be on an internal health and wellness committee at work. The goal being to put some effort into encouraing health efforts, seeing as how we are a health company and all. I think I was asked partially because I've talked to a bunch of people about organizing a group for the Manchester marathon/half marathon in November.

I ran the idea by my boss, and he essentially said no, citing that I already have a lot going on (true) and there are some big things coming down the pike (also true). I indicated that the time committment is small, and that I would make the time to participate because it would be (imagine this:) fun and team building, and he still is hesitating.

I find irony in this.

My first running group effort

2007-05-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

Usually when I run, I am on my own. It is rare, even, that I see others on the road. In an effort to try to make some running friends and get over my fear of always being the slowest, I decided to check out a regular run hosted by our local running store.

I didn't know what to expect, but I like all of the folks at the store and, in general, I want to support them. So I laced up my shoes and headed down there to see what I would find. I assumed I'd be in the mid to back of the pack, and would simply just enjoy the company, and the space to talk about running with any random person.

In reality, here's how it went: there were three of us total. The store owner, a really chatty guy, and me. I was the fastest, and ended up holding back to keep the small pack of us together. Definitely at a chat pace. We ran a route that I am very familiar with (a segment of the Ichabod Memorial 4.2 miler). Some running talk, but not a lot. The chatty guy talked a lot about his dog, who has bad manners. The store owner and I tried to help him realize that he needs to train his dog if he wants it to be any different.

We also talked about some local races, including a series that I am planning on participating in over the next few months. There's a prize of a jacket if you run enough races in the series. As a closeted jacket whore, the prospect of a free one is very tempting.

It was a lot of fun, and I would do it again. Very low key, and a really beautiful night. The only down side was that I forgot my Nano, and this didn't track any of the miles on the Nike+ thing. This was both a blessing and a curse; on one hand I wanted to track the miles as I am currently keeping track of monthly miles. On the other, it was nice to run just for the sake of the run, and not think about pace or distance.

This morning, when I went out for a shorter (3.2) mile run, I thought about what a difference it made to have someone to chat with as we were moving along. I liked it, and it definitely gave the run a friendly edge. So I'll be heading down to Runner's Alley again for another chance to run with the small group. Perhaps I can convince a friend or two to join...

The nonstop that landed twice...

2007-05-28T20:08:00.000-05:00

Went to a fantastic wedding in DC this weekend. Two people who truly belong together. I danced more than I have in the past 5 months combined. Spent lots of time with people I love.

The flight home was uneventful, until it came time to land. Due to winds, it was a bit turbulent once we got below 10,000 feet. And, to make it even more fun, I watched the plan half land (back wheels down), fly across the runway, and then pull back up in to the air. Landing aborted.

P, who is already afraid of flying, was a little freaked, to say the least. My reaction was to nervously giggle. I thought, "wouldn't it be ironic if we really did die in a fiery crash, which is P's fear every time we fly?"

The second time was the charm. Landed safely. It's good to be home.

In other news, I found out that our local running store has a Tuesday night running group. I chatted with them a bit when I was in the store last week. Seems like a good opportunity to meet some other runners around here. 95% of the time, I run alone.

The gift that keeps on giving

2007-05-25T16:38:00.001-05:00

The neighbors who live across the street from us are an interesting pair. They are an older gay couple, who have been together for 40 years. Very sweet on each other. Both named Dick.

They are the type of neighbors who keep a close eye on your house. This is nice in that they are like a personal neighborhood watch program, but it gets a little creepy when they tell you about the daily activities of your cat. The cat is small - do they use binoculars?

Their names have always amused us, particularly when we are trying to distinguish them from one another. Tall Dick/short Dick? Big Dick/small Dick? There's just no getting around it.

They have taken a liking to us since the day we moved in, perhaps because we are another homo couple on the block, or perhaps because we are much quieter than the renters who live to their left. Whatever the reason, they have periodically gifted us with things, like firewood when they ripped up their floors.

Yesterday's gift, though, was one to remember.

I wasn't home, but P was. Tall Dick came over with a box in hand. He indicated that they were going through some things and preparing to give stuff to a local Goodwill-type store. This particular item, however, didn't seem like one that should go there... Plus, he said, we entertain a lot, and we might get some use from it. With that, he handed her the box.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: the penis mold.

How could we say no? Tall Dick giggled a bit, and P almost peed her pants. Both due to the gift as well as the absurdity of a 75 year old man presenting this to her with the thought that it would get good use.

Think about it: they sat in their house, potentially watching us, and discussed this item. "P and J would love this!" they said at some point. Then they had to find a good time to come over and present it to us...

What's a girl to do? Might as well put it to good use. So, as long as we are heading to the drive-in tonight (so excited for that, by the way), we made some brownies. Penis-shaped brownies.

Delicious!

Back on the pavement

2007-05-23T10:18:00.001-05:00

I went running yesterday for the first time since last week. Bewteen feeling sad and traveling for work, I haven't made the time for it.

My route yesterday was a typical 4.2 mile run that I follow if I am taking off from my work parking lot. It is a lot of ups and downs. With fresher legs, I was able to tackle the hills faster than usual. It was also just good to feel like I was pushing myself, as I hadn't in days. Final mile time was just over 10 minute miles (including pauses for traffic and calf stretch at mile 3), and I thought that was pretty decent given that I took a week off. Get me on the mostly flat rail trail and I'll come in around 9:45 for the same distance.

I thought of this run as my Ichabod memorial run, given that yesterday was a week since her untimely end. Prior to going home that night, at just about the same time as I was running last night, I had been out on my motorcycle, taking a little extra longer to come home, enjoying the warm weather and blooming trees. I'd stopped to pick some lilacs, as they were finally in bloom. I remember riding home in a fantastic mood.

Things can change really fast.

Still, Icky was a total trooper through her whole ordeal, and as I was plodding along I thought about that route, and how she was really brave. I feel a little silly basing a run on my cat, but there you have it. The Ichabod memorial 4.2 miler.

IM brings out the weirdness

2007-05-21T16:15:00.000-05:00

A coworker opened an IM conversation with me as follows:

"Speak severely to your boy and beat him when he sneezes. He only does it to annoy because he knows it teases. - I speak severely to my boy, and beat him when he sneezes. For he can thoroughly enjoy the pepper when he pleases. Wow wow wow - Lewis Carroll"

I wasn't at my desk at the time, and it was thus waiting for me upon my return. Nothing more than that.

What is the appropriate response to this?

Little tributes

2007-05-18T15:19:00.000-05:00

This morning while shifting some laundry off the couch, I came across a perfect little paw print on the cushion. It was classic Ichabod - she was always hopping on things after going in the litter box (the corn based litter we use produces yellow dust which sticks to their fur) and leaving telltale pawprints everywhere.

I didn't have the heart to wipe it clean.

In my last post, I don't think I mentioned how much she loved to be dirty. She had a knack for finding the dustiest spot in the house (particularly basement corners), and rolling around until she was nice and coated. For such a pretty cat she had no regard for appearances. A good lesson, I suppose.

We got a card from our home veterinarian today. She wrote a really nice note, and made a point to say that our decision to euthanize was the kindest decision we could have made given the circumstances. While it made me cry all over again, I really appreciated it.

I've been really happy with this vet, with this card just sealing the deal. Last time we went, Abner got scared in the car and managed to poop himself. I wondered what the smell was as I was in the waiting area, and realized that it was one of mine.... Poor guy didn't even move - just froze in place.

I was a little embarrased about the whole sitch, but the vet totally turned it around. "Well, we know who's sample this is. That's helpful," she said, adding, "and from the looks of it he seems like a really healthy cat." Now I was semi-proud of my scaredy cat.

Never did get Icky's sample, but it doesn't really matter at this point.

We also recieved flowers from some friends with a really sweet note. While I know they intended the flowers to be the main gift, and they really are lovely, the box they came in was equally exciting. It had compartments, and a little rung of plastic was affixed to the interior side wall. It is still on the kitchen floor, providing a new fort and castle for Mr. Fabulous. He isn't quite as adept as the Ick, but he's trying. I'll leave it out a little longer so he can practice.

Abner, Fabner, Abs, Mr. Fabulous, Ab Fab, Fey Kitty... All the same guy. He's a cat - he could care less what we call him.

Icky la Picky Wicky - In Memoriam

2007-05-16T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today is a sad day.

If today were yesterday, I would be sitting here at my desk with one of my cats, Ichabod (aka Icky), on my lap. But today is today, and Icky is sadly gone. She had just turned 5.

It all happened so fast, and was completely unexpected. In short, she had a saddle thrombus, likely as the result of heart disease. We always knew she had a slight heart murmur, but it never impacted anything she did judging by her playful actions. Once the episode ocurred, it went downhill very quickly. We did everything we could, culminating in a late night trip down to Angell Memorial in Boston (they were wonderful) to get a second opinion and see what options we had. In the end, it would have been a terribly quality of life, and a short life to boot.

It was, in a word, awful.

Luckily, we have good friends who were selfless and made the evening a little easier. P was on overnight call when this all happened, and one friend was able to come in and cover what is a pretty sucky shift. When his girlfriend asked what he was doing, he explained saying "she would do it for Mike." "Who's Mike?" she asked, having no idea. "He's the dog we're going to have one day." I thought that was really sweet.

Another friend drove P down to Boston from Concord (an hour and a half drive), so she didn't have to drive there alone. She even packed us a few snacks (none of which we could eat as we were both nauseous from the whole thing). She came in to the ER, gave us hugs, and left. Yet another friend sat on the phone with me while I was driving to Boston, assuring me that I was not crazy to make the drive, and just understanding what Icky's life meant to us.

How can you repay this kind of kindness? Having P there made all of this a bit more bearable - I did not want to have to go through it all on my own. Plus, P is a little braver than me in medical situations. Perhaps most importantly, I would have felt terrible if she never had a chance to say goodbye.

I write the above because I know people are always curious as to the cause and the story. However, from here on out I'd like to focus more on her life and how cool a cat she was. So, in no particular order, here is some of what made Icky, Icky:

Every night, around 10:30, she would drag a plastic dowel with a fleece strip attached up the stairs and into our bedroom. It would click up each step, and when she got to the top she'd loudly announce that she had arrived. Sometimes her pronouncement almost sounded like she was saying "hello" (although training her to say that on command was a total failure).

If it were colder outside, she'd then hop on to the bed right where my head lay. This never failed to scare me, even though I knew it was coming. She'd walk over my chest and stand on my right side, scratching at the blanket. That was my cue to pick up the comforter a litle bit so she could crawl under. She would then proceed to circle and plop down near my hip, instantly purring. When P was around, she'd sometimes fall into the small of her back. Inevitably, she would stay for about 10 - 15 minutes, and then crawl out of the blankets and hop off the bed. I considered this her way of tucking us in for bed.

I got so used to it, in fact, that now when traveling it is a little harder for me to fall asleep. I am conditioned to her gentle purr.

Of our two cats, she was the brave one. And the goofy one. She'd be the first to venture out and greet guests (they rarely meet Abner, the other cat, unless they are overnight guests). As a chatty one, she'd say her hellos and rub across your leg as a greeting.

The chattiness... I loved her voice, and that she always had something to say. We had entire conversations.

She had the softest fur of any cat I've ever known. It was thick and so silky that it was cool to the touch. Anyone that ever stroked her agreed.

She was incredibly curious. We purposely saved boxes a little longer to give her (and Abner) a chance to make a temporary fort. It generally took less than 10 seconds of seeing the box before she had to investigate. If at all possible, she would gnaw at the cardboard and spit out bittles of cardboard everywhere. I never minded picking that up; it was clearly a source of pleasure.

She was a bit of an adventurous eater. Our habit of late was that I would finish eating my morning cereal, and then leave the bowl for her to lick. She was particularly fond of Grape Nuts, and Kashi-type cereals that contained "twigs." She also loved nutritional yeast. Just yesterday I made toast with butter and nutritional yeast, and made sure to share some with her. Part of the reason I made it in the first place was because I knew she'd like some. I was a sucker for that cat.

She was a terrible jumper. Her body always seemed a little long for her legs (or maybe just her legs short for her body), and as a result she uncovered ways to jump in increments, using whatever she had around her. I will sorely miss the morning routine of getting out of the shower and leaving the shower curtain slightly open so she could hop on to the tub as her first step in getting on the counter. She would sit and patiently wait for me to do so every day.

She loved to rub her face on anything with an edge. I'd say we tested every edge and corner in the house. I'd pick her up to try a new one, she'd test it out with a good rub, and if the paws started kneading, we'd head back. Her favorite things, however, were rolled up magazines and the brim of a baseball cap. The baseball cap was a double bonus because you could steal some belly rubs as well.

Her hips were incredibly flexible. As someone with a history of back problems, I always envied that in her.

She was good to Abner. They are both shelter rescue cats, and we wonder what their first few months on this planet were like. She was found in a dumpster (which we think explains some of her eating habits), and he was found wandering streets. He has remained skittish, although not mean, and looked to her to help him understand what he should try out. If she rubbed her face one somthing, he'd try. If she wanted to check out a box, he'd want to check it out, too. If she was laying down somewhere, he'd want to be on top of her. She always let him cuddle in, and without fail was the spooner, not the spoonee.

She was my cat. She'd follow me around, and perch herself on or near me. If I was working, she'd nap or bathe or just hang around. Don't get me wrong, I love both of my cats, and am glad that Abner is still around, with all of his quirks and habits. But Icky and I had a special thing going.

That's just a small sample of the reasons why my heart is broken. It's hard to think of her in the past tense, as everything was just fine until, well, it wasn't fine. In a sense I am glad that she had a fantastic 5 years and went quickly, but that's small consolation compared to the fact that she's gone. I can't believe she's gone...

Abner is now sitting on my lap. It's a new day. It isn't quite the same, but I appreciate his kindness.

Oop is poo backwards

2007-05-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

My mother in law used to say that Exeter, NH was a lovely town, except that it was full of people from Exeter. She was not one to mince words.

Today, P and I stopped in Exeter to get a sandwich at Me & Ollie's. They also have perhaps the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie on the planet. Anyways, I went to use the restroom before we left, and the man that was in there before me was taking a while. On his way out, he opened the door and proceeded to pack up all of his stuff - computer bag, newspaper, coffee cup... He managed to remember everything except one little thing: to flush his poo.

Lovely.

Picture Perfect

2007-05-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

I am cobbling together a few raft posts that have not seen the light of day. Evidence of a long week at work, and too nice weather outside to sit and compose anything of meaning.

Last weekend was beautiful weather, and a great kickoff to spring. We had a successful yard sale and then spent Sunday checking out the Arnold Arboretum. Aside from being one of my favorite places to spend time (running, walking, whatever) in Boston, it was about time for the lilacs to bloom. When we lived in JP, we would smell them blooming from our home, and it was extraordinary. Now we have to drive 60 miles to get there, but still, it's worth it.

As we parked, we noticed a small herd of greyhounds - and their associated people - gathering. Turns out there is a group of greyhound people that gather each weekend in a different spot to walk their dogs. Last Sunday was the Arb. I am estimating 40 dogs in that little gathering, some of which are pictured here.

Aside from the greyhounds, there was an encyclopedia of others, frommutts (or boulevard terriers, as my mother in law would call them), to purebreds. All of them looking mighty happy to be out and about.

One of my favorites was a semi-shaved poolie. A very happy go lucky personality, greeting anyone it could.

While the lilacs weren't quite busting yet, there were some that were bloomed. And there was plenty of other fantastic foliage to check out. Some of my pics from the day are below.

I'm ready to go back!

In running news, I've been happily hitting the trails and the pavement around the ManchVegas. Yesterday I set the Nike+ attachment for a 10k, and set off. As I was coming towards the end, I realized I was possibly going to make a personal best. Missed it by three seconds - dang! Next weekend I'll head out again, with the PR in mind from the start.

This Wednesday I have a 5k race. I told one of my friends that I was going to go for a sub-30 time, and her advice was "just go for pain. It won't last long." It was delivered half jokingly, but the other half was dead serious. I am not sure I am cut out for racing... I guess if I was, I would be going for a sub-20 time. :)

Mush

2007-04-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

Running with my friend's dog was much like mushing without the sled. She wanted to go a leetle faster than I ran. Her four legs beat my two, but my left arm kept her in check.

We worked on sitting at busy corners. If she had it her way, she would simply cross a four lane road without even thinking twice. Thank heavens for leashes.

Monday, Monday...

2007-04-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

First off, kudos to my friend Dizz for her outstanding triathlon finish this past weekend in Florida. I know you worked hard for it.

The weather has taken a turn for the better today, moving from rain to sunshine. I was asked at the last minute to walk a friend's dog, so I think we'll head out for a run. Last time I walked her, she really wanted to move. I don't blame her, as she likely hadn't moved much that day. We've run together before, and she's a good partner.

Makes me jones a little for my own dog. Two cats is just about all we can handle... I like the position of babysitter.

The sound of rakes in the distance

2007-04-28T11:05:00.000-05:00

It's definitely spring, based upon the number of people tinkering with their lawns today.

I went for a morning run along a standard route, looping around the neighborhood. This is usually a 4.5 mile run, but today I added an extra turn and went into a local park I've recently started exploring. It's small, but has a nice 1 mile pond loop that is quiet and shaded. The short distance around makes it pretty easy to tweak distance as needed, and it's a nice halfway point break from running roads.

I haven't run my favorite rail trail in a while, mostly because it is far enough away that I feel compelled to drive there. I much prefer taking off from the front door - driving to go running (unless it's a race) seems somehow counterproductive.

My run was a bit slower than usual today, and as I stopped to take a walk break I tried to figure out why. I came up with a number of reasons (rationalizations?) including: only having a piece of toast with butter and nutritional yeast for breakfast, not drinking a lot of water yesterday or this morning, coming off of a long work week that included less than good nights of sleep, and simply not being as frequent a runner as I was in the last few months. These days I'm happy to get out 3 times a week, as opposed to 4 or 5. With the spring here, I'll work my way back up to it. I dig it when I'm out there, but I'm not the type who has to run-or-else.

With all that said, I allowed myself a leisurely run in the sun, and tried to let all the competitive aspects of it go. After all, I was alone most of the time. I did see a cross country team running in a pack, but that was about it until I got to the park.

It's early afternoon, and I am getting set to head out for a little bit. I am in a mood to knock off some small projects (hanging things on the wall, for example), and I seriously need to go food shopping (last night's dinner was all taken from the freezer...). I'll do my best to stay away from the sports store, but it's right next to the hardware store, and it wouldn't be a terrible thing to get an extra pair of running shorts.... :)

Bag of goodies

2007-04-26T07:46:00.000-05:00

I am at Midway airport, waiting to catch a flight home. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would to get here, so I am, as they say in Boston, wicked early.

An announcement just came over the PA system:
"Attention passengers: if you just passed through the TSA checkpoint and left a bag of goodies behind, please return to the checkpoint to claim it. Again, if you left a bag of goodies at the security checkpoint, please come to claim it. If you are missing a bag of goodies, please come check the security checkpoint."

What could be in that bag of goodies? Jelly beans? Shampoo and other assorted creams? Yellow cake?

A watched an older man lose his toothpaste to a less-than-patient TSA agent. I felt bad for the guy. I also feel bad for the earth, as we are filling landfills with products that otherwise would not be trash. I am semi-convinced that this is all Halliburton related, making us use more plastic bags to repackage packaged goods. Plastic is, after all, petroleum. Less convenience for you, more money for oil.

We all need a little inner conspiracy theorist.

Chi-town

2007-04-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

I'm in Chicago today for work. It's cold and rainy, which is not what I was hoping for... I didn't really pack well for cold, wind, and rain. It looks like my run along the lake may turn into a treadmill run. Or just a shorter outdoor run... Damn.

As long as I was coming to Chicago during baseball season, I got tickets to see the Cubs game last night. What a difference from seeing a game at Fenway. Let's compare two recent game experiences - Red Sox v. Yankees on Sunday night, and Cubs v. Brewers on Tuesday night:
1. Ballpark: Fenway and Wrigley are both storied fields, and maintain their historic nature. I'd never been to Wrigley which was part of the reason I wanted to catch a game. Love the extra bleachers on neighboring houses. Fenway still stands out as a great old park, though, with the odd shaped outfield, Green Monster, and prime city location. Fenway has also been updated a bit more, making access to food and drinks a bit easier. Cubs fans seem to love cotton candy in bags, as that was the most frequently sighted vendor.

2. Tickets: I could not believe how easy it was to get Cubs tickets. $20 for decent seats, and plenty of tickets left on game day. The most expensive tickets have a face value of less than $50 (compare that to just over $300 a pop at Fenway, for seats behind home plate). We ended up moving down to the field around the fourth inning, as there were plenty of empties.

Getting a ticket for a Red Sox game is a test of wills and negotiating power, for the most part. While I have been known to stand outside the park and offer $20 to a scalper until they come down to meet my offer (takes until the third or fourth inning), in general the only way I've been able to get any tickets is by either a) corporate connections, or b) a friend of a friend that can't make it to the game for one reason or another. Good luck finding two seats together through the online MLB system.

Reminds me of when the Democratic National Convention was in town a few years ago, and there was a Sox/Yankees matchup. As a volunteer assigned to taking care of the Oregon delegation, I fielded (no pun intended) a number of questions regarding tickets for the game. When I told them how much they should expect to pay if they went to the park, they thought I was crazy. When they came back later in the evening, they expressed their shock at the ticket price, and overall madness of trying to get a ticket. My experience in getting Cubs tickets helps me to better understand their position. I am skewed by Boston...

3. The game: Admittedly, this one is really subjective. I happened to be at a pretty incredible Red Sox game, where the Sox hit four homers back to back on the third (lots of yelling, waving of arms, and slapping strangers' hands) and still had to fight to the last inning to win by one run. No way we were leaving until the end. No one did.

Cubs game, on the other hand, was less exciting. The Brewers are in first at this point, the Cubs in last. It showed in their playing. We watched a routine pop up missed by the catcher, poor decision making in base running, outfielders trying to be heroes by throwing the ball home and thus allowing extra bases by the visiting team... Half the crowd was gone by the 6th, and with each subsequent half inning more flooded out.

It's hard to be a Cubs fan.

Given the chill and rain, we left after the 8th to finish the game out at a local bar. This turned out to be a lot more fun. Very friendly people, lots of conversation with folks I'll never see again. It would have been great to stay a while post game, but I knew getting up this morning would suck. And it did... The heavenly bed at the Westin was certainly sleep inducing, and it was tough to get up an hour early for eastern time meetings.

Soon I have to put on a suit to attend some sessions and work a table for my company. In other words, gotta go put my game face on.

I love this town, and wish I could stay longer.

Another 500km

2007-04-12T07:20:00.000-05:00

I have been lax in my posting of late - not to say that there hasn't been anything to write about, but sometimes the creative energy just isn't there. Meaning I need to remeber that there is life outside of work, even on the busy days.

P and I had a nice litle evening last night. Post work I ventured out in to the snowstorm to get some food shopping done (dangerously low on bananas, for one thing) and I came home to the smell of a fire in the fireplace. Dinner by the fire, then watched the season finale of Friday Night Lights. Oh please let this show be renewed! I get at least one decent cry per episode; it's good for keeping my tear ducts cleared of debris.

P ended the fire by burning the remaining documents we have from one of our friends who is a lawyer for a number of Guantanamo Bay detainees. She left a pile of unneeded documents with us about two years ago, so she wouldn't have to carry them back to San Francisco, and they have become kindling ever since. There's a strange sort of irony to burning these at this moment, given the email debacle that Karl Rove wishes would just go away. Here's hoping he doesn't devise another way to divert attention - be on the lookout for bombs falling on Iran in the coming days...

On the running front, we've been impacted in good ways by the recent snow. Knowing the storm was coming got me out of bed yesterday morning, knowing I would only want to go home after work. Paula Radcliffe was in my ears again post run, telling me she hoped I was feeling great, because I was certainly doing great - another 500km! Which actually translates to about 4 miles. I am trying to think of some correlation to the Canadian dollar here...

Wednesday morning there was a power outage for a large swath of Manchester. I arrived at the gym hoping to lift a weight or two, and found that it was eerily quiet (which I liked) and cold (didn't like so much). The poor guy on duty summed it up thusly: "Power went out at 6, and it just keeps getting colder."

Fortuitously, I ran into a friend and enticed her to hit the streets with me instead. So we went back to her house, picked up her dog, and logged some outdoor miles. I ditched the iPod seeing as how I was with someone else, and it was really lovely to not think about how fast or far we were going. I am guessing three miles, but whatev. It was a beautiful morning and we were out in it. Running for running's sake.

Good luck to those who'll be running in Boston on Monday!

Back to the beltway...

2007-04-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

I can't tell if this week flew by, or was agonizingly long. I made a point of taking Monday off to rest from the previous weekend's fun. Unfortunately I've made up the hours this week due to a new project and long hours associated with it.

In the middle of it all we got just under a foot of snow. One of the prettiest snowfalls of the season, actually. The snow was bright and heavy, and covered every branch of the naked trees. It was like living in a black and white photograph. On my way into work, I saw several people out with their cameras, so I know I wasn't alone in my thoughts.

Tonight P and I fly back to DC, this time for a wedding shower. With Sunday being Easter, our friends largely have plans involving family or painted eggs. I think we'll just take the chance to walk around the city.

Not much else to report. I'm knee deep in the review of a technical document (this is my brief respite), so every other thought running through my head has to do with VXML, DNIS, APIs, and other acronyms that are important, but uninteresting to the general public.

10 miles of success

2007-04-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

The Cherry Blossom race was a total success. I more than surpassed my expectations for mile time, finishing in 1:36:44. That averages to a 9:41 pace overall. I'm very happy with how it all went.

I ran with two friends, one of whom had trained hard to go for a personal best. The day prior to the race, she was talking about running as an exercise in pain tolerance, as it is inevitable that fatigue sets in. I thought about thatquite a bit as I was motoring along; the few times I considered stopping (and once when I had even gone so far as to pick a landmark at which I would allow myself to walk for a short distance), I thought about what she'd said, and it helped to keep me going.

I also had a few other thoughts that pushed me along... One was saying to myself, essentially, "It's not that you can do it - you are doing it." Other cheesy gems included, "This is what it feels like to hit your goal" and "[Insert time] until you've finished."

This is an interesting point in my racing life, as I have not run many races at all. That means that every race is a PR. I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

I learned that my iPod Nike+ thing needs to be calibrated for longer distances, as it thinks I only ran 9.67 miles. And that my average pace was 10:03. The optimist in me is glad it was wrong, as I would have been disappointed by coming so close and not making goal. Given that it was so off, it's safe to say I also ran my best 5k (I'm guessing 28 minutes) and 10k (again, an estimate of 58 minutes or so). These are general estimates, as I made a point to not check it very often, and just enjoy the scenery. I'll just have to run some actual measured courses to get some times logged.

Having said that, I see I've gone on for five paragraphs without mentioning the scenery. It was a perfect day for a run - around 60 degrees and overcast. The cherry blossoms were blooming like mad, and other flora was on the verge of popping out. Lots of new spring green was everywhere. Add the backdrop of heavy stone architecture that makes up much of DC and it makes for a largely pretty course.

A nice aspect of this race is that it is an out and back course, so you get to see the front runners as they are heading back towards the start/finish. Some of them looked like they were hardly winded, while others were clearly struggling. Still, off they went, sprinting along. The fastest racer averaged a 4:37 pace. Wow.

Post race we went had brunch at our friends K&S' house; the post race meal is always so tasty. I had a weird craving for bacon (which I have not eaten in I don't know how long), and helped myself to a few delicious slices. Holy crap it was good. Salty and perfect.

Having run hard and then eaten, I was ready for a nap at any given moment. Instead, and just as pleasurably, we hung out for a while and played with K&S' kid and had a mellow morning. I was so happy to be there, and it only makes it better that we'll be back next weekend.

I took today off from work, giving me time to reset, unpack, say hello to the kitties, maybe watch some trash tv. Tonight is the first night of Passover, so we're heading to P's brother/sister in laws for seder. One of my fave holidays.

I'm off to take an early taste of the horseradish that P made yesterday. It's going to be good!

DC Trip, take 1

2007-03-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

Tomorow is the first weekend of two subsequent weekends that I'm headed to DC. This time around it's for the road race I've been going on and on about in past posts. My boarding pass is printed, my laundry is progressing, and I have no other plans for the evening. Perfect!

I have always loved Friday nights. All the possibility of the weekend lies ahead.

When I went running yesterday, I felt really good. One of those mysterious good days, where you suddenly have the energy to keep on going. I stopped around 5 miles, mostly because I had to get home. I also liked ending on a high note, and I'll keep that confidence with me when I'm at the starting line Sunday morning.

Aside from the running, I'm totally looking forward to seeing friends while in DC. I'll stay with the two that are running with me, and visit with others. I am secretly hoping that we all get together for a post-birthday celebration (I turned another year this past Tuesday). I largely hid the birthday thing around my office, as I wanted to avoid any chance that someone would invite me to a meeting only to find coworkers in a conference room with yellow cake. Forced conversation would ensue, I would feel the need to entertain and be witty, my humor would bomb, and I'd get desperate to leave.

That's how I picture it in my head, anyways.

Fartlek is a funny word

2007-03-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

But then again, I grew up near a town named Hicksville. So it's all relative.

My neighborhood is hills. If I run downhill for 1.5 miles I will get to flatter territory, and then to get back to my front door I have to head back up the hills. So, by default, I spend much of my regular runs doing hills. This morning I went out for my most well tread path, which is a full loop around our local ski hill. Lots of left turns.

With morning traffic playing a role in my ability to keep a steady pace, I was surprised to hear my final pace was 10:04. I figure that means my running time was quite a bit peppier, which makes me happy. I could have stopped the Nano at every intersection, but that seems like cheating; in a race you can't stop the clock if you have to tie your shoes.

On a sidenote, the Nike Sport thing on my iPod has a bug. Every time I run, either Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe congratulates me on a record time or distance. Even though I know it is wrong, I haven't done anything to see about correcting it. Would you if you ran your fastest mile every time? Or if you covered another 500km, even though all you did was go for a 5k jog?

I think tomorrow is the last time I'll run prior to the race. Maybe something short and sweet Friday evening. P will be heading out of town on Friday, so it'll just be me and the cats. I would mind ending the week with a poke around the neighborhood.

Today I got excited for the upcoming trip. I don't know if I'd ever live in DC, but I really do like visiting. I've never seen the cherry blossoms in bloom (other than pictures), and I think it's going to be amazing. I got some great advice from Sir Chilles on the course, and the whole thing, like all of these events, is going to go by fast.

Plus, I have a few things to think about on the run. Passover is coming, and each year my father in law devises a question that we must answer as a part of the first night's Seder. Oh, the pressure! Sometimes it's pretty touchy feely, but this year it's all serious... "What is the number one priority in America today?" I could go all pithy and say hope, or patience, but that might make me vomit at the table (wouldn't want to waste that yummy seder meal!). So I gots to get thinking...

Back in the saddle. Or at least trying

2007-03-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

Today was a pretty great day.

This morning I went out for a 6 mile run. I went over to a favorite spot, a rail trail that is a few miles from the house. I neglected to think about the possibility that the melting snow might create a muddy route... The terrain went from dry land to ice to mud to snow. Very messy. I rationalized with myself that this was the cost for having it be a pretty flat course - the negotiation of the terrain made up for any thought of breezing through.

With the Cherry Blossom 10 miler only a week away, I am a little nervous about the time goal I set. I'm relying on positive thinking, determination, and the race atmosphere to help out. I have not been as consistent with training as I was with the half marathon, but this time around my baseline fitness was better. Plenty of room for improvement, though.

As I was plodding along I thought about how this will translate into a lifelong habit. Will I always try to gain speed? Will I ever feel the need to run a marathon? Will I find a race distance that is a favorite? The fun of it all is that I have no idea, really. I hit my ruts and then reinspire to pick new goals, and I expect that pattern will continue.

A friend is visiting us this weekend. He's one of those people I've known since high school, and we've only grown closer since. Even dated for a while, before we each figured out that we were gay. Funny how any boy/man I ever dated is now gay. Perhaps gay is catching, and I gave it to them?

He is likely moving back east, and to help persuade him to come to Boston I took him on a big walking tour. The South End, North End, government center, Back Bay, Copley Square, etc. I love (and miss) walking around Boston for hours. We had a great time.

On the way back I went a little out of the way to take him to Jordan's Furniture. If it sounds srange that I would take anyone to a furniture store for the heck of it, then you are not familiar with the place. The one we went to, in Reading, has a trapeze school, a water laser light show, and an enourmous front entrance that is filled with a vast array of scupltures created entirely of jelly beans. Millions and millions of jelly beans.

The furniture is also nice.

After all of the walking, both of us were pretty beat. When we got back to Manchester, we got some burritos, watched Igby Goes Down (which is either really self righteous and bad or oddly intriguing - I haven't decided yet), and called it a night.

A pretty great day.

Vacation redux

2007-03-18T12:12:00.000-05:00

We are stuck in Florida. Not a terrible place to be stuck, all things considered. The airport is a madhouse (cruise ship passengers + cancelled flight passengers + new flight passengers + broken computers and kiosks = very, very, long lines and short tempers) so we are sticking close to the apartment until we absolutely have to leave.

It is a bit of a comedy, and we don't exactly know when we'll be coming home... It's sort of liberating, in a way. Of course all of our charging cords (phone, iPod, etc.) are packed in our checked bags, which are somewhere between here and MHT. So here we are, in our one set of dark northeastern clothes, hanging around Florida.

We did try to make it home last night, and at first it all went incredibly smooth. We checked our bags outside, and there was no one on the security line. Too easy, we thought. Too good a start.

Then, we started to see what a mess the airline industry is in these days... Zero organization, crappy computer software, no staffing plan for these times when they are swamped. I understand even more now why people fly private jet services.

At last count, our rearranged flight details are hand written on a piece of either dot matrix printer paper or restroom towel (we couldn't tell). We are trusting that our new airline employee friend Jim is going to get us on a plane sometime before, oh, Tuesday? Hopefully sooner.

In the interim, we have had a really good bagel breakfast, gotten some playing cards, and are making the best of it.

Sunny and 80 here in Fort Lauderdale!

While I am still relaxed...

2007-03-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

Still in Florida at the moment, at the tail end of a much needed vacation. We fly home tomorrow night. Meaning we still have the rest of today and much of tomorrow to soak up the sun and stare at the ocean.

This morning we saw five manatees lolling about near the shoreline. Mind you, we are 31 stories up, so it wasn't that close, but they were right there below us, and a zoom lens captured them easily enough. Great way to start the day.

This afternoon, we watched an enourmous storm cloud approach, dump sheets of rain, and then roll out to sea.

Now, P is napping and I (not a napper) am contemplating whether or not it is cool enough for an evening jog. Methinks I'll wait another 45 or so, then run up along the ocean, maybe to a state park I've been wanting to check out. It's about 3 miles from here, making it a good round trip distance. Cherry Blossom race is in three weeks (give or take), and I have been a little lax in the training department. Not that I haven't been running (Mr. Satan A. Chilles, I did make sure to put in a 4 miler at sub-10. I think it was around 9:48 pace. Painful in the heat, but painful in a good way), I just haven't been as planful in the distance department. Then again, I am on vacation.

It's been a happily active vacation, with lots of lolling about in between. I've run along the ocean here in Laudy, the streets in Key West, and a treadmill when it got too damn hot. Minus the treadmill part, it's a great way to see lots of small details that are easily overlooked when passing in a car. In Key West it provided a great way to survey the land and get a mental map.

Aside from the running, we've been on a number of small adventures, eaten some amazing food, eaten some greasy but tasty food, spent time with dolphins (not in a creepy Sea World way; just watched them from a boat), snorkeled with the fish and coral, watched cruise ships take off from the balcony of our fantastic borrowed apartment (for which I am grateful), drank lattes and read nonfiction, enjoyed stone crab season, watched pelicans fish, taken in plenty of sunsets, marveled at the number of blues that the ocean can create, and ignored the urge to have any sort of agenda.

If I was to walk to the balcony right now, the sun would be shining and the ocean would still be out there, in fifty shades of blue. Insane. It's so pretty that it makes me wonder why Florida, on the whole, is so tacky.

I admit I miss our cats, but it will be hard to leave this brief respite in paradise.

At home I hear we're getting snow.

+/-?

2007-03-09T15:29:00.000-05:00

This morning, in the parking lot of Dunkin' Donuts, I saw a pregnancy test. The cap was missing, but I didn't bother to look close enough to see if it had been used.

That's something you don't see every day.

Countdown to vacation

2007-03-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

P&Me are heading on vacation next week, and it's pretty much all I am thinking about. My happy place, so to speak.

It's very cold here. Cold enough that even I, who is not a fan of small talking the weather (unless it is for some sort of meteorological phenomena type of chit chat). Running inside only until further notice, lest the cilia in my nose freeze.

Did I mention that I am looking forward to vacation?

Got a work bonus this week, which is just in time for the vaca. Booked us a cool room in a B&B in Key West for a couple of nights, and a fancy dinner is guaranteed. This is the one perk of working for the Man. That and paying the mortgage and bills while P toils away in residency... Small details.

Someone in my office is having lunch on the early side today - I can smell it from my desk. I don't know what it is, but it smells really good... Which reminds me of my lunch in Portland yesterday at Federal Spice. I go there almost everytime I am in P-land. So friggin' good. One of the many delicious looking specials they had yesterday was a sweet potato and banana quesadilla, with peanut sauce on the side. To say it was yummy is a vast understatement. I love that they love food.

Did I mention that I am looking forward to vacation? Clearly feeling punchy as a result.

2007-03-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

This is the week leading up to a week of vacation. That means that I am trying, on a daily basis, to remain focused on work and not mentally fly away.... Tough.

We are heading to Florida for the week. I never really envisioned myself a Florida kind of girl, but with access to an apartment and car, it makes it a very appealing spot. Plus, we've been there a few times now, so it is familiar enough without being too familiar. I have to admit, I like Fort Lauderdale.

Mostly we'll be in Laudy, with a trip down to Miami for Calle Ocho and then a few days in Key West. I am not sure if I will love or hate Key West - seems like the kind of place that can feel like Mardis Gras on a daily basis. I am sure there's a quiet side to it, and that's the side I'm going to seek.

Upon sharing the travel plans with a coworker this morning, they suggested we have a meal at CHeeseburger in Paradise. The Jimmy Buffet chain restaurant. That, to me, is as appealing as eating at Chili's or Applebee's.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to going for runs in warm weather, and with no big constraints on my time. This week I've literally had to sit with my calendar and plan on when I would be able to fit in time for running... I was able to run outside this past weekend which was great, but the rest of this week is looking too cold and windy for that. Yesterday morning I was on the treadmill, and that's likely where I'll be tomorrow... I much prefer being outside (for running or otherwise), but with winter comes compromise. Thus I am very excited to run outside anytime next week. Along a beach, even!!

This week at work has been somewhat trying, largle due to a coworker who is particularly negative. On one level I am sad for her, as the way she treats people is clearly indicative of an unhappy person. On another level I am done with her treating me and others like they are beneath her.

Her latest was to indicate that my appraoch to work was "unfortunate" because I am willing to allow for flexibility in any given process. You know, allow for a human element. Generally I let her little digs roll off of me, but sometimes it gets to me. This was one of those times.

Not cool, you know?

So, to bring it all full circle, I am very much looking forward to the week in Florida.

So close and yet so far

2007-03-01T21:57:00.000-05:00

All day I was looking forward to my evening run. I have been on the verge of leading one of my Nike+ challenges, I have new neon sneakers that are comfortable, and something inside of me has been reignited; perhaps it's the arrival of March, and thus the knowledge that spring is around the corner. Who cares - whatever the reason, I'd been looking forward to the run all day.

It was only after I was fully changed into my running gear that I realized my shoes were still at home. Damn! It's supposed to snow pretty heavily tonight, which means if I don't get out in the morning I won't get out until Saturday.

Damn.

It's an eBay world

2007-02-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

I recently purchased my mom's bithday present on eBay (link provided, as if you didn't already know it), and the feedback I received from the seller was both bizarre and fantastic. It read:

"You are a golden God, enveloped in a veil of excellence"

My most unique feedback to date, for sure. Should you ever need to describe me to someone else, feel free to use that as the descriptor.

I've been on eBay for a while. I warn you that the following paragraphs are evidence of this, and of the fact that I sometimes put a lot of thought into seemingly inane topics. I like to think of it as homegrown sociology, or general societal observation.

My relationship with the site is going on 8 years at this point. A friend mentioned it to me as she knew I was a collector of female action figures. If you've ever tried looking, you'd know that it is pretty hard to find good ones, and back in the 20th century (oh, those ancient times!) it was even more so. To add to the difficulty, I was - and still am - particular about what I would purchase. I didn't want silly girly looking figurines; they had to be girls that could kick your ass should they choose to do so. They also had to have a good level of craftsmanship. In other words, I was less interested in frilly cartoon characters, and more interested in comic book characters. Like She Spawn or other Todd McFarlane creations.

These "toys" are not easily found in stores. And when a store does get a shipment of them, the more fanatical collectors (think: those who keep them in their original box, or buy glass display cases) immediately buy all of the good ones and then resell for a small profit. Once eBay came around, I could tap into all of those fanatics and feed my harmless habit.

When I first hopped into the scene it still had that yard sale feel to it, where people would just sell whatever crap they had lying around the house. Plus, of course, the niche markets including my action figure category. While it never quite had the touchy feely community feel of craigslist, it still created a zone where you engaged in temporary relationships during a sale. Feedback was personal. I like to think that I still come in to it with the same level of personal service and kindness, although a few things have clearly changed.

For example, it used to be that a seller would provide feedback as soon as payment for an item was received. Before the days of PayPal, this meant checks or money orders. Real, live envelopes and stamps were employed. Little notes accompanied the payment, often acting as a pseudo thank you note. It was a buyer's market, and if someone came across what you posted and actually wanted it, you were stoked that someone was actually interested in your stuff. You made money, they saved money, champagne toasts all around.

These days, sellers generally do not provide feedback until after the buyer has done so. And prices on many items are approaching prices in brick and mortar establishments. This, to me, is evidence of eBay tipping more towards a sellers' market. As so much empasis is placed on feedback as a means of garnering a reputation, you want positive feedback in your profile. If you leave negative feedback for a seller, do you expect that they'd turn around and leave you positive feedback? Doubtful. Thus, neutral or negative feedback is discouraged, and with it an honest rating of the experience for transactions that took a bad turn.

That criticism aside, as eBay has grown to the behemoth it is today, there is a culture behind it that I still find pretty fascinating. The feedback mechanism, while partially flawed, does provide insight into a member's personality. All you have to do is click through the other items that they buy or sell, and you begin to form an interesting picture of who is on the other end of the screen.

I came across one of these interesting profiles when I was trying to help a friend sell an old printing press. It was a huge press, and thus required a very specific type of buyer. I had no idea there were so many collectors of old presses, letters, and other printing memorabilia. Hunting through members' feedback, I found one woman who was an avid collector of marbles. That's all she had purchased in the past few months (and many of them). Where would this press fit into her marble-filled home? Would she use the marbles to help roll the press into it's new space?

I have also done a lot of poking around for cars and motorcycles (mostly research in trying to help others sell their vehicles, although partially so I can have an imaginary ride on lots of bikes I can't afford). There is a whole market of small-scale resellers out there, buying and selling cars like they were sneakers. Seems like a lot of effort for minimal profit, but if it's your thing, who am I to judge?

The marbles lady I judged a little.

Run, Forest, run!

2007-02-23T16:51:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April, I have set a small goal for myself: I will run at least 5 sub-10 minute mile runs in the next 30 days. I will likely make most of them 3 milers, but I will stick at least one five miler in there.

Today I did a 3 mile run with an average pace of 9:46. I was tired afterwards, in a good way.

One down, four to go!

Clear and reboot

2007-02-20T18:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, you need to hit the reset button.

Sometimes, you don't realize just how much you need to hit the reset button.

This was one of those times.

I spent this past weekend with friends in an unhurried town in upstate New York. The type of town where you go to the supermarket and bump into friends and maybe make a handshake deal on that work you need done on your roof. Where the columnist of the local paper reports on her bridge games as news.

Two friends have a house there, which they have dubbed the Mouse House due to it being a series of smallish rooms. They bought it a couple of years ago as an escape from NYC, and have spent a lot of time lovingly renovating (some of it through those handshake deals as mentioned above). With the help of friends, professionals, and probably lots of pizza/beer (or maybe lovely home cooked meal/wine) paychecks, the have restored a previously unusable barn into a loft and music studio space. Thanks to a lot of paint and an eye for detail, the inside of the house is transformed into a warm and welcoming space.

There is no TV. There is no cell phone service. There is a brief sloping descent for sledding. It is a small slice of heaven.

The weekend consisted of the aforementioned sledding, eating really great food, sitting by the wood burning stove, making really strong coffee, eating some more, playing with one of the cutest babies on the planet, puzzle building, boggle playing, and general lethargy.

I made it out running early one morning - even when on vacation I can't help but wake up at 7am, and managed to go for miles with only one moving car sighting. Mostly it was rolling hills, a few dogs hanging out in their respective yards, and snow. It was a slow run, as I was more focused on looking all around and letting my mind go blank temporarily.

Our friends daughter, Baby E, is getting to be a real little kid. She is on the verge of turning 1, and on the verge of walking. She still likes to hold onto a finger or two of an adult to help with balance, but every once in a while she'll strike out on her own. She and I spent a lot of time examining sticks from the kindling pile. She was generous with her time amongst all the adults, playing with anyone that would pick up an instrument from her Be Bop Band playset, or make a funny face, or help her buzz about the house.

On the way home P and I routed through Scranton, PA to go to Wegmans. While 40 miles out of the way (which, in the overall travel mileage, was small, really), it was totally worth it. We *heart* Wegmans. The whole experience of it, really. Those who don't generally associate the word "experience" with the word "supermarket" have never been to Wegmans.

In particular, we made our way to the mighty Weg for their brand of crunchy peanut butter. I'll save that story for another day. In short, we are now happily restocked!

Man, transitioning back into the work world was a bitch. You have all of these memories in your head, but to your coworkers you are no different. Except maybe a little cranky for having to be there. :)

Our next extended trip is in a few weeks. I. Can. Not. Wait.

What a way to make a living

2007-02-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have worked at the same company for just shy of two years. About 8 months ago, I switched departments. Since that time, I don't think I've worked on a single project for more than two to three months in a row. Constant change is the the only constant, it seems.

Whenever I am asked what it is I do for work, I tend to describe the company mission overall. That usually provides enough disctraction to avoid having to try and explain what I do. The astute ones know to ask further, and then I give a general "well, marketing and outreach, mostly" response. Which is mostly true, but doesn't actually describe how that fits into the general scheme of this weird company I currently call home.

Thus, when I received a meeting invite from my boss with the following goal, I couldn't help but laugh. And feel weirdly vindicated...

"The goal of the meeting is to develop a framework for what we do"

So much, so early

2007-02-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

I think there is a story a minute for everyone, if you take the time to notice. This morning was packed with little stories.

I went to a local diner before work to meet up with a friend. As it is Thursday, I picked up the free local paper (which comes out every Thursday) to see what was going on in town. Every time I read through it, I have hope for Manchester.

As I sat and read, and sat and read, and sat and read, it became clear that my friend wasn't going to show up. Normally this might make me a little sad. But I had my paper, I was in a great local spot, the people watching was fantastic, and I was happy to just be there. So much so that I pondered making this a Thursday ritual. I ordered some peanut butter pancakes and had a lovely solo meal.

About 10 seconds after getting back to my car and pulling away from the curb, a woman flagged me down. Upon rolling down my window, she asked if I could give her a ride, saying she'd twisted her knee and was having trouble walking. The fleeting thought of "what if she's an axe murderer or thief" passed through my head (I am so well trained), but it's really cold out, and she wasn't carrying anything like an axe. She didn't even have a winter coat on. So I told her sure, I'd give her a ride (I guess I'm only so well trained).

She got in the car, favoring her left knee and gave me directions on where she needed to go. It was just up the street, and I pretty much knew off the bat that she simply didn't want to walk in the cold. Can't blame her. She smelled of stale smoke, and hopped from one topic to another, trying to both make small talk and justify the need for a ride. I small talked back. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, minus the stale smoke smell, which clings to everything.

Getting out the car, she favored her right knee, and commened that she'd lost 20 pounds. I guess that is one way to say goodbye... And off I went, back on my way to work. The whole exchange took maybe seven minutes. I have a feeling I am not the first to act as her taxi.

And now I am at work. Trying to get enthused, with a modicum of success. A colleague actually thanked me today for one of the projects I've been working on (which, to my wife's chagrin, has been the subject of many dinnertime conversations). Thank you is used all too sparingly around here. It's more about trying to avoid blame, which seems like a fairly toxic way to interact.

So that is my morning thus far. This evening I'm heading to the gym to run, as it is too windy outside to hit the streets. I got new sneakers recently, which are sort of a bright pink/orange (hey, they were on sale, and they were exactly the style I wanted). So I'll neon my way through a few miles. I have a 10 mile race coming up in about 1.5 months, and my entire goal is to beat a 10 minute mile. In the short term, I'm trying for a few sub-10 minute mile runs in the next month. They won't be 10 miles long, but it'll be good practice. I'm defninitely a bit of a turtle. A happy turtle, but a turtle nonetheless.

First of the (long) season

2007-02-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

This morning I had the opportunity to attend a small house party for Hillary Clinton. This was her third stop on her NH trip, stopping first in Berlin, then Concord, then Manch. I think she has another engagement or two prior to leaving the Granite State. Reason #1 I will never run for President: the schedule.

I'm sure she started in Berlin due to the recent paper mill closings up there, and used this as a platform to speak to the point that new jobs that could be created if the government actively supported more environmentally sustainable industries. The crowd at this morning's event wasn't hard to convince...

She was better than I anticipated - less soundbite and more substance. Even her sense of humor was on (ex: "why we can't find the tallest man in Afghanistan is beyond me").

One of the ideas spoken about both in her introduction by our host and during her schpeal was the reminder that this country is not an inevitability, but rather a fortuitous set of events. history really is the outcome of one decision following another. That concept is so often lost in the debates. Before things get too negative along the campaign trail, I'm going to keep reminding of this notion, knowing that we are large enough to be resilient from even the worst of decisions. If we ever want to have friends across the globe, we'd better be!

Bananas for Traveling

2007-02-07T18:48:00.000-05:00

I am in Florida for a meeting. Quick trip – less than a day total.

I am in another cube farm, in another city, in another company. Still, it has that same sterile feeling of hushed voices and white noise. I was borrowing someone’s desk for a minute, but then my colleague suggested I leave the otherwise vacant cube, as the actual occupant is “temperamental.” I am guessing that it is not the occupant but rather my colleague who is the strange one, given what I know of my coworker. Still, I followed my backpack as she dragged it out into the aisle, rolling out into the walkway. So here I am, sitting in the aisle, with free desks all around me.

The other highlight is that one of my coworkers said something about a Fee Estimator, and I thought he said Fiesta Meter. No one laughed.

I think that pretty much sums up the morning.

I got in around 9:30 last night. My first order of business was upgrading my rental car, as I was initially assigned a PT Cruiser. Oh, no. No, no, no. Je refuse! The $12 spent on getting into a Dodge Charger (whose front end looks as if it is growling at you) was the best $12 I’ve spent in a while.

My car was in parking slot 1, prompting the customer service rep to say, “that’s because you’re number 1!” Can’t blame the guy for trying.

It was late to think about dinner (this is not NYC, after all), but I was ravenous. I expected to pick something up at my layover in DC, but that plan was dashed when the flight out of Boston left an hour late. Something having to do with the plane not being able to start on its own accord, and needing a jump start. Terribly reassuring.

Anyways, the two restaurants I found were Waffle House and Wendy’s. WH seemed a bit heavy, so I hit the Wendy’s drive through, looking forward to a baked potato, bad TV, and bed. Sadly, no potatoes left. I got a salad that was ok, but not as good as my favorite Mesclun Hazelnut yumminess. That’s perhaps a high bar… Perhaps more accurate to say it wasn’t very satisfying. But it was food, and my belly was thankful.

Later on…

One hour meeting is over. Did I mention that I flew to Jacksonville for a one hour meeting? In a corporate way, it was well worth the trip. Good interaction, and with all due respect to the myriad ways we communicate, nothing beats face to face conversation.

I had to maintain a straight face when one of my colleagues consistently gave my boss credit for all the work I (and my team) have been doing. I would have preferred he stressed the team effort involved, as I think that makes an even stronger case, but he’s a bit old school and hierarchical in that way. Whatever – in the journey of picking battles, this is not one I’m going to fight. Bottom line is that I think the conversation will achieve what we hoped.

I am flying home now, on a Southwest airplane. That means I get to grab a copy of my favorite in flight magazine, Spirit. P always thinks it’s a little strange that I love this magazine so, but whenever I bring it home there’s always something of interest to her. This issue is no different – a little note on Occum Pond, some cool off-beat museums, and a variety of events that seem interesting.

How else would I have known about the International Banana Club (and why didn't I know about this already??!!??). Oh. My. Heavens. I already have my Banana Club title picked out!

There’s even an article on Killerspin, a company focused on table tennis that sponsors tournaments. It’s one of my few remaining connections to the table tennis world… Oh, how I wish I could play more. In high school I approached the level of a really good player, and at this point I am quite rusty. We have a table in the basement, but that’s currently covered with yard sale items. Half the reason I want to have a yard sale is to clear off the table and start playing again.

Until then, maybe I’ll just get myself a Killerspin t-shirt or racket cover.

All fixed!

2007-02-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

Ted Haggard, the evangelical minister who was outed by a male prostitute after a long time relationship, has been cured. Phew! So sayeth a minister who oversaw the process (that ust have been a sight): he's "completely heterosexual!" Look out, Missouri and Iowa - there might be a new - and hetero - sheriff coming to town.

Now he can get on with his normal heterosexual lifestyle. Speaking of those pesky heterosexual lifestyles, it seems that being heterosexual can make you a little mentally unstable.

Metaphors run wild

2007-02-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to post for days... Lots of little things going on that are worth pausing and writing about. No excuse aside from laziness. I am heading on a sub-24 hour trip to Florida tomorrow, and hopefully I'll find some peace and quiet on the plane to gather my thoughts.

In the interim, I thought I would post a small essay I put together a while ago. It is related to running, which is one of the reasons I started this blog. I think it explains some of why I like the activity. If nothing else, it underscores the fact that it is one of the few places that I can follow a single thought for an extended period of time. Definitely something to be said for that!

On the running note, I ran 10 miles yesterday. In the snow, on one of my favorite trails. It was totally great, even if my left hip is predictably sore today. Oh, and I forgot to apply Glide to the chafe-prone parts, which was a mistake. Ouch.

Thus, without further introduction, some things I have learned from (or while) running:

1. It’s never too late to start: I hated running as a kid, even though I was a multi-sport athlete. It always seemed boring and lonely. I didn’t start to consider it as an option until I was well into my 20s, and then I wondered if I was too old to start. I finally let all of that go and went out the door.

2. I can do anything: When I first started running, I only ran after dark, as I was embarrassed at my lack of speed and endurance. I also started in the early winter, as I knew less people would be around. I had to work hard to run for 30 minutes without stopping. I knew that if I just kept at it, I would eventually get there. I came to believe that if I could achieve this small goal, I could achieve anything. I think about that every time I pass the 30 minute mark, which at this point is routine.

3. No one else is going to run for you: Even if they did, it would be of no benefit to you. There are many things in life that we can task out, but there will always be things we must do on our own. These are generally the things that impact us most personally.

4. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll see something new. Something always happens that makes it worthwhile. I can’t predict when it will happen, but inevitably it does. Usually it is something small – seeing two ducks pair in the spring, watching a new flower bloom, smelling the trees. Even when I run indoors there is something unique. With practice, you start to stay alert to see what the world will offer up that day.

5. Use what you’ve got. I am not a fast runner. I do not aspire to run a marathon. I’ve tried these things and hurt myself. Only after pushing myself to the point of injury did I allow the possibility that setting limits and sticking to them is just as good as running the Boston marathon with a sub-8 mile time.

6. Even a task I don’t enjoy can turn into something good: I always dislike the first five minutes of a run. This hasn’t changed in all the years I have taken to running as a regular activity. I often think I should just give up, that this isn’t a good day to run, that I am to tired, etc. etc. Then I remind myself that I always hate the first five minutes, and I just try to stay patient until – before you know it – I am past the initial doubts.

7. If you can’t stay still, then move. Regardless of how distracted or stressed I feel prior to tying my laces and hitting the road, I always feel calmer and happy afterwards. Knowing this has saved me from myself on a number of occasions.

8. Sometimes, it is all in your head: Inevitably, some of your energy is depleted on any given run. Many times I tell myself I should stop for a minute, even though I know that this will only make it harder to start again. However, if I take the time to listen to my body, I can tell whether it is my muscles that are tired, or just my mind that wants to give in. I often find that my mind doesn’t give my body the credit it deserves, and I can continue without much effort. Being mindful about what is really going on makes the difference.

9. Effort takes effort: I may have improved my skills over the years, but running still makes me tired. As obvious as it is, it didn’t dawn on me immediately that running should make you expend energy every time you do it. The very act of running takes energy. Understanding that fatigue happens, and that you can still keep going regardless was an important factor in helping me to enjoy even the days that didn’t seem all that fun.

10. Persistence pays off: The simple act of one foot in front of another, when repeated, gets you far.

If you have any others you think I should add, please share!