Friday, November 30, 2012

Fashion scare

You know they say, 'if you don't have anything to say...'? Well, I don't have anything to say about running or even working out in general, but...


Tried this little baby yesterday; a co-worker had gone on vacation to Puerto Rico, and brought back treats; I must say: you ain't missin' much. Not the best. Oh well.

Today, the last day of November, we started Christmas shopping. It was our first time for the season.

Or...the first time together...

Or...the first time...in Fresno, together. This year. At a mall.

I was not able to steal a few moments to run off by myself to buy something for him, but at least I can get the same stuff close to home. Still, the mall was fun.

I''ll take my people watching where and when I can get it!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sick

Today was filled with a whole lotta nothin'. I called in sick and stayed home from work.


I watched my own little Friends marathon while I wrote names and addresses on holiday envelopes.




It was an exciting day.

Monday, November 26, 2012

I still have both lungs!

Just as I expected, Monday morning smacked me across the face at about 5 a.m. Like a ton of bricks. It wasn't even that pleasant, really. But I did it. I got out of bed, showered, the whole deal.

And then there was fog.
And then I didn't have enough medicine.
And then I coughed and felt like my chest was on fire, and I was going to cough up a lung.

To put it simply, I have given myself the week off of strenuous physical activity, and that includes running and biking. It may not be literally possible to cough up a lung, but you know what? I don't really want to try it.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Blech!

Miserable.
Absolutely.
Miserable.

Hawaii was a blast, even if the trip didn't exactly happen in quite the way I had imagined. Thanksgiving was great, and I was happy to see (almost) everyone. Then Black Friday, blah blah, all good. Aaaaaand...STOP. Game over.

It's official: I'm sick, and tomorrow is Monday. I can't really call in sick, because I just came back from a two-week vacation.

Tomorrow may be one of the longest workdays ever.

This is not happening

This kind of thing just doesn't happen to me. I'm not the type. Honestly.

I went on vacation. I was in Hawaii for two weeks. We spent Thanksgiving at my parents' house. And now I'm sick.

Sore throat. Cough. Lethargic. Headache. Chills. Ugh, this sucks. And I go back to work tomorrow.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Black Friday 2012

Yesterday morning, I woke up at around 2 a.m. to go to Sam's Club for a Black Friday deal. Tim and I took turns alternating standing in line and shopping at Best Buy and Staples (which were in the same shopping center). The deal was a $0.96 Samsung Galaxy S III phone. And I got it. I got the last blue one, and the guy behind me in line got the last two reds and the last white. That was close.

Waiting in line, though, was very fun, just watching and listening to them. That in and of itself is a post all its own.


Sam's has really worked out a great way for dealing with Black Friday crowds, though. Very impressed. Before their doors opened at 7:00 a.m., a couple of managers and supervisors went through the line, beginning to end, to ask what they wanted. Then, an employee handed out little slips of paper that represented how many of each in-demand item they had in stock, and gave them out as requested.

If you were there for a cell phone, they had to schedule an appointment to re-up your cell plan, which meant that you could leave and return for your appointment; your phone was reserved for you.


The doors opened at 7:00, and they started letting everyone in, about 15 people at a time, to avoid pushing and crowding and insane lines. We walked through, picked up our pre-lit Christmas tree and headed to check out.

Easy. Peasy.

When we went back for the appointment and the phone, they were ahead of schedule. My appointment was for 11:00, but I was talking to a guy starting at 10:40 or so. Great customer service. Everyone was so happy, friendly, and helpful. Maybe it was because they were allowed somewhat normal hours.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

I hate holidays

Usually, on vacation, I sleep just fine. Great, actually. Sometimes better than I do when I'm home, in my own bed. Not this time. I had only maybe a night or two of passable sleep.

Last night, I turned out the lights at around ten o'clock, and didn't -couldn't- fall asleep for at least an hour:

Little footsteps scurrying up the stairs, door creaked open, SLAM. Footsteps into the kitchen, paused. Footsteps back to the door, open, SLAM. Footsteps downstairs.

Five or ten minutes later, same thing. Again and again.

I woke up at 12:30. 1:15. 3:00. 4:45. 7:15. 8:15. That's when I gave up for the "night." Now, I'm on the couch. It's dead silent; the calm before the storm.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Oh, yeah...

...and one more thing: I'm considering switching to private, so if you still want access to my nonsense, gimme your email address and I won't blacklist you.

Colostomy

...I had a feeling that might get attention.

Because somebody tends to hurt himself whenever he uses an ab roller, our first stop was the Kaiser Clinic, for a little "hey there, wazzup" with a doctor, and filling a prescription. Then we were off.

Got in the car, turned on the engine, plugged in our destination, and promptly turned the car off. We were already in the parking lot.

If you ever find yourself in Kihie, go to Coconuts (honestly, maybe it's "Coconut's" or "Coconutz"). Seriously.

Best fish sandwich ever. Everyone t raved about it on Yelp and Trip Advisor; now we count ourselves among the ravers.


Best fish taco ever. Mango salsa. Who woulda...well, they woulda, did, and...oh, delicious!


Seriously. I will dream about that taco. Seriously one of the best places to eat on this island. Amazing food, and incredible, friendly service. Truly remarkable. The chef even came to our table in his white chef outfit thing, asked us what we got, whether we liked it, had a whole conversation with us, told us about why and how he receives and prepares the fish.

Yadda, yadda... $14 for a piece of fish that should cost $35. Straight from the horse's mouth; the fishermen are just that eager to work with him.

Okay,.THEN we hit the road, just wandering, driving as fast as we could (we aaaalmost topped 40mph!)

Cruisin' through a swanky neighborhood, came across a cute shopping center, so we drove through, thinking fun, worry-free, little souvenir never hurt nobody...then we saw the signs: Louis Vuitton. Rolex. BCBGMAXAZRIA. And then we kept driving.

...to Costco! We are true people watchers, observers, critique-ers, learners, laughers, and talkers. Enter old man in motorized wheelchair with a urine-filled bag hanging out of his shorts. I felt for the guy, honestly and truly. Why would his son (maybe?) allow this to happen, and, if he saw it, why wouldn't he fix it? Oh, goodness.

Maybe I'm a bad person for not helping. Isn't that a little familiar, though? I was uncomfortable, and I would have been moreso if I had had to help the old man find a place to put the bag.

Wandering was fun. There was a couple -gay guys- that reminded us of a couple that we know back home (note: I said we KNOW them, not that we LIKE them, or are FRIENDS with them; I did not say that). We had fun laughing at how similar the couples are; it really was kinda freaky.


Note to self: buy these books, but preferably when you don't have to include the weight in your fifty-pound-limit checked baggage.


Then it was some leisurely snacking at Moose McGillicuddy's, which had some interesting pictures hanging all over the place:


And then, a self-portrait:


And one of my main man:


Tomorrow is our last full day in Hawaii, and Tim and I are going to drive...
THE
ROAD
TO
HANA

It's a twisty, twirly, windy road that goes hither, thither and yon, eventually leading adventurous (unsuspecting) tourists to Hana. What's so special about Hana, you ask? Scary: I. Don't. Know.

Back to the road. I get carsick at the drop of a hat. Even when I eat, and take Dramamine. And even after I puke. Do you have any idea what that means? It means I'll most likely leave at least a couple pounds of my insides by the side of the road.

Please: wish me luck. Or else, it was nice knowing you. Pray for no map directions needed from me.

A great day, and a new friend

I did my gym thing this morning. Reluctantly. But, when I was finished, I felt great. I should have ridden that wave while I could have.


Tonight, we went to Bubba Gump's for dinner, and watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. It was amazing, every single second of it.


See? Beautiful.


I pushed a few pictures, and got some decent results.


At restaurant. Not at restaurant. Wait. Stop. Strike that. Reverse it.

Let's press on.


I even got some good pictures of my main man and his mom.


Lappert's. If you ever get a chance, have some of this stuff; you won't regret it.


Ah, always some crazies, no matter where you go. I don't even know what Matthew 12 or whatever is all about; I'm guessing something to do with the end of the world (mark your calendars, December 21st isn't far away! And you silly people who continue to buy Christmas presents, how lame are you, huh!).

All in all, a very nice day. Great workout, lounges by the pool a bit, nice dinner, dropped Tim's mom off at her hotel room, and we even made a new friend on our way back to the car and our hotel room.

This friendship ain't gonna last.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

People-watching and analyzing

Simply observing people is hands down the best thing ever. Watching the way they move, trying to understand their body language without hearing their words or, at times, not understanding their language. Posture tells a lot about a person, I think.


It's easier for me to notice differences while I'm in a new and different place, but even at home, with family and friends, you can see love. All wrapped up in just watching people.










I love capturing happy, smiling people. People who are honestly happy. You can always tell whether a smile is for real or not.

People that don't know you're snapping pictures of them are fun. I mean, when the person doesn't know you're taking pictures, that's when they aren't paying attention, and therefore are more truly themselves, right?








And then, there are the pose-ers:









Are they just the look-at-me type? No. I don't think so. I think they honestly want to remember a moment. Or be remembered. Speaking of being remembered, what do you make of this one?


Seriously. I want to know what people think of this!

Who do you think these people are to each other? Do they get along? Do they like/love each other? Are they happy?

Make up a story. I want to hear it. Gimme your theories.

Why are you doing what you're doing?

From where I'm sitting right now, I can see a variety of things:


My morning beverage of choice here on the islands, warm and sweet, just how I like it.


The ocean, a little boat, and a paddle boarder doing his thing.


Cars and mopeds zooming up and down the road, probably cursing the congestion tourists tend to bring.


Walkers, joggers, runners, and bikers. A guy passed by not too long ago, each arm carrying a surfboard.

So, why am I here? Why am I just sitting on this hotel balcony watching the world go by? Why isn't it me out there running?

In a word: priorities. Right now, in this moment, my priority is relaxing, enjoying the view, and then I'll go to the hotel gym to get my sweat on (while avoiding the humidity).

And until we leave this beautiful place, my priority will be to kill as many birds as possible, with the fewest number of stones. One of these days, before we leave, we plan to drive the road to Hana, and go hiking there. Enjoy beauty of nature + get nice and sweaty. Love it. My idea of a GREAT time.

Puft dreamin', prizes, problem solving and an annual 5k

What do you think about when you're not supposed to think about anything at all?


Does something pop into your head, regardless of your very conscious effort to avoid thinking of anything?


Weird things happen in my head. I've never truly been able to comfortably go without thinking. I think of random things: good times, bad times, memories I want to remember for all time, and memories I wish had never happened.


Some are dream-like; did that rashly happen in reality, or was that just a strange passing thought?

When I run or elliptical or bike, random thoughts go through my mind. I think that's what impacts my workouts the most: what I think about. That, plus my mood, can make a workout "good" or "bad."


When I run for a goal, a prize, a treasure at the end of a rainbow, the thing itself can motivate me, depending on what it is.


The feeling I get when I complete a run is one of my strongest motivators. I love achieving goals.


I think more creatively when my body is physically engaged in some way. I run for fun, and to prices thoughts and ideas. When I need to solve a creativity problem, I have two options: run or sleep. Same effect either way; both have benefits.


I almost always think of Alexander when I run. Or when I'm alone. Or with family. Or sleeping. I think about him a lot. Last year, just after he died, I ran a 5k in honor of him; I was on vacation in New Orleans, which had been planned months in advance, but I decorated a shirt specifically for that run, one with his name and info on it. I signed up for another 5k this year, and I think I'll do the same thing: decorate a shirt in honor of him.

What do you think about when you run? Anything in particular? Nothing? Or do you go through a stream of consciousness as crazy as mine was just now?