Hello! Let me introduce myself to you.

Bois and gurrls. I am so sorry. I feel like I have been neglecting and well, I have but it wasn't intentional.

It's been whirlwind of activity since I started my new job and I REALLY meant to post something over the weekend but a pool party and a party for Legacy got in the way. Plus my other weekend stuff of running (on a bum knee), working out, checking in at the office and making new friends have just kept me being a busy boi.

I really meant to write a longer post this evening but I swear Apple is out to drive me crazy! And yes, it has to do with the iPod nano.

I haven't even had a chance to pay attention to Ike. Everytime I hear that name I start humming Proud Mary. I didn't even like Ike Turner. And once again, I must ask, who comes up with these names?

Well in case you haven't been paying attention, the cone of uncertainty changes everytime a Houston weatherman sneezes. OY! Maybe I won't have to spend my birthday Wednesday night in line at Kroger replenishing supplies. I really need to stop buying food that I normally wouldn't eat. I'm beginning to wonder if Kroger, HEB, Randalls, Piggly Wiggly and Fiesta have something to do with all of these hurricanes. I'm just sayin'.

One other thing to report...Calvin tried to mawl me while I was in bed. He's been reading a book or something because he went for my wrist and right for the vein! They don't call him The Calvinator for no reason.

I think he is a bit p!ssed that I haven't been spending more time with him and I did return a bit late after making new friends. I think he was trying to tell me something. Just a minute ago I walked up to him to pet him and he growled. LOL Well, turns out he had just started munching on a rawhide and I didn't know it. I think I'm gonna be like Korto on Project Runway and sleep with one eye open.

Catch up with y'all later, I promise!

OY!

Yes. I've been a bit quiet on here. You see...

My computer crashed on Friday morning! First it was the iPod nano and now the computer! OY!
Fortunately or unfortunately I hadn't backed everything up but I had backed up quite a bit. I lost some photos, music and documents but I actually have more than I thought.

I spent a big ass chunk of Friday restoring it. I still need to load some programs. If only I could get the nano to work.

Here's another big OY! I'm not meaning to add to the media hype but have you looked at the satellite photo of Gustav? I just looked at it.

I think we will be OK here in Houston but it looks like southwest Louisiana is going to get hit hard. Stay safe everybody.

Writer's Block

Writer's block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity. -from Wikipedia

I feel like I'm stumped. This has happened before and I know I'll get through it. Have several things I could write about but it would just be filler. For instance:

• I think the iPod nano is officially dead! It started giving my problems on Thursday and I nursed it back to health but after Saturday's 6 mile run it stopped working. I've restored it and I have done everything that the Help Manual tells me to and I can't get it to work. I'm very sad about this because I really don't need to spend $$ on a new one.
• Hurricane Gustav could be on a western track to the Gulf; too early to tell. And what's with the name Gustav? What meaux picked the male names for the 2008 Hurricane Season?
• I have been having some wild dreams. Odd things like: wearing a blue Speedo with brown cowboy boots; visiting with one of my high school Spanish teachers; getting caught in a warehouse that was like a maze. I actually wake up tired.
• Did you know that the guy who wrote 100 Things To Do Before You Die has died at the age of 47? I wonder if he did his 100 things? I have never made a list of 100 things but I do know that I have done some things on my unwritten list.
• The approaching 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast.
• Wishing that I was going to New Orleans this weekend.
• The Beer Can House in my neighborhood.
• Getting caught in a situation that could only happen to Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy.
• The Democrat National Convention in Denver and how I'm already bored.

Anywho...I have things to do today. Maybe something will inspire me. Calvin is passed out right now. I think he is nocturnal. He seems to come to life at night.

Need to scoot.

High Anxiety

In the big scheme of things this probably doesn't matter to you but it matters to me. The war ending in Iraq doesn't depend on this. The patient will not die on the operating table because of this.

Since May 20 I have been having problems with my iPod (red) nano. Some days are good; some days are bad.

However, the other day was AWFUL!

I plugged it in to synch it and I got an odd message that something or another couldn't be found and I had the option of hitting CANCEL. I let it run but it would never DO ANYTHING so I hit CANCEL. Rut Ro!

I lost all of my playlists and there were no songs on the device. The library was intact on the laptop and iTunes/laptop recognized the device and then it wanted to load every song but there wasn't enough memory and I was freaking out over my lost playlists. ARGGGGGGGGGGHHH!

So the past few days I've been trying to remember what I had as playlists. Today I figured out how to create a Smart Playlist. OY!

I swear this is an Apple conspiracy. Seriously.

nnnnnnnnnnnnn

BTW...I can't remember who I told but I do want to give you an update. My mom's sonogram and second mammogram came back with good results. Whatever they saw on the first mammogram last week didn't show up on the sonogram or the 2nd mammogram.

I'm thinking that God is getting really tired of me praying and asking for things. And if God isn't going to answer all of my prayers (which actually, NO is an answer), at least the prayers for my mom and several others with health issues are getting answered.

Ramblings of A Caffeinated Mind 13.0

Hey. Did you notice? 13.0

Significance? This blog is a year old. Yes. 1 year old. Happy Birthday to Str8 Up With A Twist!

While Str8 Up With A Twist was on hiatus for a few days the milestone passed. (BTW...hiatus always makes me think of Hyannis which makes me think of the Kennedy's but more on them later.)

I would like to thank all of you who read this either on a daily basis or on an occasional basis. I didn't set a counter on it until August and then I accidentally deleted in November so I can only assume how many hits I have had.

I looked at what keywords have brought people to this site. This doesn't include those of you who have me booked marked or have used a link from a Comments section or from another blog. Here are some of the top keywords:

attyhou

str8up

erik barajas

ryan korsgard

mardi gras party at rich's

world aids day houston

get into the groove

santa speedo run 2007

last night

Interesting huh?

Spunk

My horoscope for Thursday, June 5 said:

Though you might be serious, you have spunk and resilience. Your sense of humor comes out when dealing with someone you care about deeply. A relationship could go from very serious to simply silly in a few hours.

It made me think of the Mary Tyler Moore show (I believe the first episode):

Lou Grant: You know what? You've got spunk.

Mary Richards: Well, yes...

Lou Grant: I hate spunk.

That always makes me laugh because she thought it was a compliment.

I used to get a daily horoscope sent to me but the service is no longer available. I would forward it to Friend Janet and we would try to figure who it was more applicable to. You see...

Our birthdays are just a few days apart. So we would try to figure it out. I mention this because one day in December of 2003 I received an e-mail that said, "blah, blah, blah and look in the mirror and congratulate yourself on how fabulous you are." It applied to both of us and that is by far the most fabulous horoscope I have ever received!

Flasher on Memorial Drive

I'm Not Fit To Run has been trying to acclimate to running in the heat. I used to be able to run in the heat but then I switched to becoming a morning runner and became accustomed to running in high humidity.

So. Being inspired by I'm Not Fit To Run, I decided to give it the old college try. Wednesday and Thursday I was at the park around 500ish/530ish and let me tell you bois and gurls, it was hot!

According to the Tim-o-meter (LOL I just thought of that), it had to be in the low to mid-90s on both days. And it was WINDY on both days. According to the Tim-0-meter, wind gusts had to be at least 20 m.p.h.

Well, I need to issue an apology to anyone who might have been driving on Memorial Drive. You see...

The wind was catching my running shorts and was causing them to fly every which way. So I'm sure you saw my butt and my kibbles and bit. I was doing my best Marilyn Monroe impression to try and keep them down but it wasn't working. Please don't call the cops. There was nothing I could do.

Quote of the day

Everyday I get an email from Runners World. It is called Daily Kick In The Butt. This morning when I opened the email it hit me right between the eyes.

"I think some of the most celebrated moments in human achievement should be those times when everything is going against a person and they are down in the dumps but they simply choose to get up. That's real greatness!" -Ryan Hall

This is Ryan Hall in Houston setting the U.S. record for 1/2 marathon.

Heights Fun Run

I have not done a 5K fun run in 2008 so tomorrow I will be in The Heights doing The Heights Fun Run.

Some of you may think that is an oxymoron: fun/run. It is a run and it is fun. The thing that I like about it is that it has the feel of a neighborhood party even if it starts at 730 a.m.

There is still time to sign up. For info, click here.

Hillary

I haven't given up on her yet. I still have my sign in the window.

I honestly wish things had worked out differently but it is what it is.

There are people out there who are not pleased that she didn't concede the other night. There are people out there who don't want her on the ticket with Obama.

I'm sure deals are being brokered that we won't know about for awhile and if you're naive enough to think that alliances and deal brokering only happen on Survivor, I've got some $4 bills I'd like to sell to you.

I am a bit perplexed as to why Caroline Kennedy is part of the search team. Don't get me wrong, I like Caroline. Being a quasi-conspiracy theorist, I have some thoughts about what has transpired and what is going to go down. Just remember something. Caroline's dad wasn't too thrilled about having LBJ on the ticket and LBJ was too thrilled about being on the ticket but they both knew it was a winning ticket. I'm just saying...

Clouds

The weather today is a bit odd. Still windy. Still hot. Dark clouds sometimes. Vice President Dick Cheney is in town. Coincidence? I'm just asking.

Hard Candy

For the past couple of weeks I have been sucking on Hard Candy and I think I'm addicted.

I can't stop listening to Give It 2 Me in the car or on the iPod nano. I think I've become one of those people that I despise...you know, they dance and sing at the gym and are oblivious to laughs and stares. THEN, the other morning I woke singing Incredible. And I find that every time I have to be somewhere, I start singing 4 Minutes (you know, like in four minutes I'm gonna save the world whenever I get to wherever I have to be?). WTF is wrong with me? LOL

Well, that sort of catches me up for the past few days. Catch up with you soon!

Near Death Experience

This morning when I went running the iPod nano was acting odd toward the end of my run. It kept skipping back to the beginning of Rappers Delight.

I didn't think much of it until later in the day when I decided to recharge it.

IT WOULD NOT TURN ON! IT WOULD NOT RECHARGE! IT WOULD NOT RESET!

I toggled the Hold switch. I pressed on the Menu button for more than 10 seconds. And still nothing. I went to website for help and did everything it told me to do. And still nothing. I repeated all of the instructions.

I can't afford to spend $250 on another iPod (red) nano! Without my nano I'd have to talk to people at the gym! I can't have THAT happen.

So I was trying to decide if I should back up everything (since I haven't done that in awhile). If I should just give it a rest and worry about it later or what? The Calvinator knew something was wrong because he was just staring at me.

So I picked up the nano. Said a little prayer to it. Toggled the Hold switch. Pressed on the Menu button and...

It WORKED! Who knew there was a patron saint or guardian angels for iPod nanos?

Happy VD everyone!

Some random thoughts about Valentines Day

I'll drink to that! (and one for Mahler)

Celebrating Valentines Day in Bulgaria is a rather new tradition. According to Radio Bulgaria, if you are single you celebrate Wine Day. February 14 is the Feast of St. Trifon Zarezan who is the patron saint of wine makers and grape growers.

iPod
Taking a cue from The Guy Who..* I thought I would take a look at what the iPod nano played this morning. You see... runnerOne and I met up at 500a. Like two old men we complained about aches, pains, hayfever, etc. Then he tells me that he is having some intestinal problems. rut-ro! Any runner knows that is not good news because the more that you run the worse it gets. We didn't get very far into the run before he had to stop.

So I went to The Cal Mobile got the iPod nano and did the run by myself. Thought it would be fun to see what it played on VD. Not sure what this says about me but here ya go:

Fashionista (Original Radio)

Cha Cha

Spiritual High (Part 1)

Spiritual High (State of Independence) (Part 2)

Spiritual High (Part 3)Missing (Album Mix)

Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)

Love Is In The Air

Desafinado

Make Your Own Kind Of Music (Dance Mix)

Pavement CracksDefying Gravity (Tracy Young’s Flying Monkey’s Radio Edit)

Marathon recap and other news

OK. So in yesterday's post I mentioned several things that I need to follow-up with and I still have a few comments to make.

I mentioned that the Scotland/Roy hoopla gang was waiting for Todd at Shepherd & Memorial. We were standing on the bridge that separates River Oaks from NoRO. I also mentioned that my battery died before Todd got to us.

Everyday Italian sent me these photos.

here we are waiting.

here we are getting ready for todd.

todd is in the red shirt.

todd's friend mark came in from san antonio to help todd get through the last few miles.

having run several marathons, i can honestly say that it helps to have people along

the way helping you. whether it is to have supplies for you or to run with you.

ok. the dude has run 23 miles and he is smiling????

close up of todd smiling and getting ready for the allen parkway death march. little did he know! :-)
photo credit (previous 6 photos): Ben Montalbano

I took a photo of my finisher shirt. My finisher medal. And my lucky duck socks. About the socks...I'm not sure if they are still manufactured. I have three pair and I only wear them for runs like the 1/2 marathon, a marathon, a 20k, 25k, etc. Don't always pull them out for the short fun runs. I'm not superstitious but I'm just saying...

A few more thoughts & comments:

• I'm don't mean to complain but I had to pass a BUNCH of walkers during the first 3 miles. I KNOW I was in the slow corral and maybe if I hadn't gone to the port-a-potty I could have moved further up the corral. It is what it is.
• I saw two funny t-shirts. A man was wearing one that had on the back: "It is rude to count out loud the number of people that you pass." As I ran past him, I said, "Funny t-shirt." He started to laugh. There was a lady that had a sign on her back that said, "My Indian name is Drinks Beer While Running."
• My music selection was a bit out of the ordinary for the beginning of the run. I had recently upload Mood Food by Moodswings. Realizing that I was going to have some difficulty for the first few miles, I started listening to Rainsong then Spiritual High (Part 1), Spiritual High (State of Independence) and Spiritual High (Part 3). I repeated those songs and then when the crowd starting moving at a pace that I liked I switched to my real running music. My pace picked up just as Rapper's Delight started playing on the nano. About the time that I was heading south on Montrose at Allen Parkway, the first wave of the green group was running toward us and making the turn onto Allen Parkway. Justin Timberlake started singing What Goes Around Comes Around. I thought that was a bit an odd coincidence. And just about the time that I was mentally losing it, Heather Small started singing Proud. This is a song that has been used on The Biggest Loser. The first verse and the chorus are always uplifting when I'm getting tired from running:

I look into the window of my mind

Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind

I step out of the ordinary

I can feel my soul ascending

I am on my way

Can't stop me now

And you can do the same

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

It's never too late to try

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

You could be so many people

If you make that break for freedom

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

• One more comment about the spectators. Will Rogers said something to the effect, "Not everyone can be a hero. Someone has to stand on the side and cheer." Knowing that many spectators got up early on Sunday and braved the chill and stayed and cheered for people they don't know, I'd say they are the heroes.

OK. Time for a shout out to a few people. For the marathon (26.2 miles):

• runnerOne finish time: 3:13:50
• Richard Peoples finish time: 2:52:05
• Lisa Foronda finish time: 3:58:57
• fellow blogger Running For Gold finish time: 3:02:59
• Danny Kennedy finish time: 4:26:15
• Todd Arenz finish time: 5:12:20
• Tim Chafin finish time: 4:47:49

for the 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles):

• Monica Kennedy finish time: 2:49:18
• fellow blogger June Bug finish time: 2:24:__
• Chris Casey finish time: 1:56:33
• str8 up with a twist: 2:20:25

And how can I not mention the overall winners? For the marathon:

• (M) David Cheruiyot finish time: 2:12:32 (three time winner)
• (F) Dire Tune: 2:24:40 (two time winner and course record)

For the 1/2 marathon:

• (M) James Carney finish time: 1:02:21
• (F) Kate O'Neill finish time: 1:11:57

In other news...

My quads were very sore yesterday morning. By late afternoon, I was feeling much better. I went to LeFittes yesterday for a lite workout. Only did some abs, back chest and arms.

I didn't feel like running this morning so this evening I did a spin class. Worked up a good sweat and was STARVING when I got home.

Speaking of coming home...

I got home I had a family matter to address. In a previous post, I mentioned that something was going on in Ft. Worth.

My mother has been having some health issues and today she went to see a neurologist. She has Parkinson's Disease.

Prior to today, the face of Parkinson's Disease was Janet Reno and Michael J. Fox. It now has an all too familiar face.

It's sort of good news/bad news. At least we now know what has been causing the health problems. I don't know much about the disease so I guess I will spend some time doing some research. She was very pleased with the doctor. The doc is going to start her out on some mild meds.

That's it for today. Check back on Wednesday afternoon. I might have a funny surprise for you. ;-)

Some additional running advice

The weather went from being beautiful yesterday to being icky this morning. Icky to the point that I didn't want to run outside.

And in case you were wondering, my butt went from hurting yesterday to not hurting this morning.

So with all of that, I went to LeFittes this morning for a treadmill run. I wanted to get one last run in today before the 1/2 marathon on Sunday. So I did my incline/decline run.

While I was on the treadmill, I realized how many commercials there are during the Today Show. It was getting frustrating so I turned on the trusty iPod nano and finished the run.

During yesterday's run and during this morning's run I realized I have not given ALL of the advice that is stored in my head. So here is some more and it is aimed at the people running the marathon on Sunday.

Give yourself plenty of time to get the George R. Brown Convention Center and find parking. Last year I parked in the Toyota Center garage and didn't have a problem. Be sure to take plenty of dollar bills with you in case you decide to park on a surface lot and have to put the money in a slot.

If you have people who will be waiting for you to complete the run be sure that they know where to meet when it is over. There will a designated reunion area.


If you have a crew along the route, be sure to do the electronic tracking notification. It can be found on the marathon website.

If you have a crew, be sure that they have whatever supplies you anticipate you might need (i.e. Gu, Vaseline, Body Glide, orange slices, Clif Bars, Power Bars, Ibuprofen, Gatorade, Water). It's better to get these on Saturday than to have them your crew running around on Sunday.

At the packet pick-up on Friday & Saturday you will see all types of vendors and all different types of great deals on shoes and running attire. If you buy something new, don't wear it on Sunday. Surely you have your lucky outfit. (On Sunday I will be wearing my duck socks.)

Run your own race. Don't change your race strategy on Sunday morning. You have trained all of these months to prepare for Sunday. You know what to do. Unless you are an elite runner there is a distinct possibility you may have to walk at some point during the 26.2 miles. That's ok. Don't worry about it. When I went to run Big Sur I Knew it wouldn't be a record performance for me because of all of the hills. When I had to walk, I was fine with it. When else would I have the chance to run on the Pacific Coast Highway? I enjoyed the scenery and took pictures along the way.

Drink plenty of water & sports drinks along the way but don't over hydrate.

I'll say it once again, have fun! See you out on the course on Sunday.

EDIT: Things I forgot to tell you. 1. Before you go to bed on Saturday night, get your gear together and lay it out. 2. Dress for the end of the run and/or layer with throw away clothes. It may feel good to be all bundled up while it is 42 degrees Fahrenheit but if it gets to 58 degrees Fahrenheit toward the end of the run, you gonna be hot. 3. Don't eat a bunch of fiber and roughage on Saturday. You will pay for that on Sunday.

Ramblings of A Caffeinated Mind 8.1

Roger Clemens

OK. I will say that I sort of followed the guilt by association train of thought about Mr. Clemens. If his good friend Andy Andy Pettitte did the injections, then Roger must have done the same thing. And about Andy Pettitte, that was a lame ass excuse. I did it for the team.

Back to Roger...So. I watched the Mike Wallace 60 Minutes interview on Sunday evening. Mike didn't cut him any slack. I think I believe Roger. (Of course I also believed Marion Jones and Madeline Albright believed Bill Clinton.) You don't get that p!ssed off if you are guilty.

I watched his news conference this afternoon and his credibility factor went up with me. Did he really have to hire Rusty Hardin though? I always thought that if you hire Rusty, you MUST be guilty. :-)

I think Roger is a nice guy and I want to believe him. After hearing his phone conversation with his former trainer and hearing about some information that casts doubt on the trainer, I'm sort of thinking Roger is telling the truth. He is voluntarily going to testify before Congress next week. Stay tuned.



T-E-A-M (You're A Good Man Charlie Brown)
So the whole Roger Clemens thing has me singing a showtune. Go figure. There is a song in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown that has the following lyric:

Dear Pen pal...

You'll never guess what happened today

At the baseball game.

It's hard to believe, what happened today

At the baseball game...

Here is the whole song.

In other news...

• As I compose this post, LSU is kicking Ohio State's butt in the BCS Championship Game. I will say that Ohio State scored in the first minute and a half and was even ahead by 10 points but then...
• I did get out and run this morning. 3 miles
• I did make it to the gym for a weight workout. It was getting full but then it is always that way on Monday and the weather is a bit odd this evening.

From time to time, London Preppy and The Guy Who will list music at the end of their blogs. So based on that inspiration, here are songs that played on the nano today (starting with the most recent):

• Let The Sunshine In by Gerideau
• Above The Clouds by Amber
• Candy Man by Christina Aguilera
• All or Nothing by Cher
• Born To Be Alive (Full Vocal Remix) by Disco Kings
• Born To Be Alive by Weather Girls
• What It's Like by Everlast
• Rappers Delight by The Sugarhill Gang
• I Love You by Donna Summer
• This Time I Know It's For Real by Donna Summer
• Killer by George Michael
• Papa Was A Rolling Stone by George Michael
• Believe by Cher
• Estoy Aquí (Extended Club Mix) by Shakira
• Sexual Revolution by Leah Howard

The Year In Review (according to the nano)

On December 30, 2006 I was iJacked...sort of. I left my iPod nano at LeFittes and when I went back to find it it was gone. So on December 31, 2006 I was the first person to enter the door at the Apple Store in The Galleria. That is when I purchased the red iPod nano.

So it has been a year since I have had the red one and I thought it would be cool to gather some data from the nano and see what played over the past year. I'm sure it will tell something about me...and 2007. If you're bored, you can analyze it and offer me your analysis. If anything, you will decipher that I have eclectic tastes.

Top 25 Most Played Songs

• 1. Midnight -Robin S. -88 plays
• 2. Flawless (Go To The City) -George Michael -72 plays
• 3. U + UR Hand (explicit) -Pink -67 plays
• 4. River Deep, Mountain High -Celine Dion -62 plays
• 5. (tie) Irreplaceable (Irreemplazable) (Nortena Mix) -Beyonce -56 plays
• 5. (tie) Candyman -Christina Aguilera -56 plays
• 5. (tie) What's Up? -4 Non Blondes -56 plays
• 8. (I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden -Martina McBride -49 plays
• 9. (tie) Who Says You Can't Go Home -Bon Jovi with Jennifer Nettles -47 plays
• 9. (tie) Sunny -Boney M. -47 plays
• 11. One Day In Your Life -Anastasia -45 plays
• 12. The Sodom & Gomorrah Show -Pet Shop Boys -44 plays
• 13. Gloria -Laura Branigan -43 plays
• 14. (tie) Proud (Peter PrestaQAF V Mix) -Heather Small -42 plays
• 14. (tie) The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia -Reba McEntire -42 plays
• 16. The Ladies Who Lunch -Elaine Stritch -40 plays
• 17. Pavement Cracks -Annie Lennox -37 plays
• 18. (tie) 1, 2 Step (Don Candiani Reggaeton Mix) -Ciara & Missy Elliott -36 plays
• 18. (tie) If My Friends Could See Me Now -Linda Clifford -36 plays
• 20. (tie) I Love You -Donna Summer -35 plays
• 20. (tie) I Beg Your Pardon (12" Mix) -Kon Kan -35 plays
• 22. (tie) Before He Cheats -Carrie Underwood -34 plays
• 22. (tie) A Public Affair -Jessica Simpson -34 plays
• 24. Proud Mary -Tina Turner -33 plays
• 25. Suspicious Minds -Elvis Presley -32 plays

So I noticed a few things.

1. No Madonna???? I Love New York had 29 plays.

2. Where is Being Boring by Pet Shop Boys? 15 (combined)plays

3. Pet Shop Boys West End Girls? 20 (combined) plays

4. Shut Up & Drive by Rihanna? 19 plays

5. What would have been the next 10?

• 26. One by Mary J. Blige & U2 with 31 plays
• 27. Big Time by Linda Eder with 30 plays
• 28. (tie) Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake with 29 plays
• 28. (tie) Sexual Revolution by Leah Howard with 29 plays
• 28. (tie) I Love New York by Madonna with 29 plays
• 31. (tie) Pretty Vegas by INXS with 28 plays
• 31. (tie) Wonderwall by Oasis with 28 plays
• 31. (tie) Drops Of Jupiter by Train with 28 plays
• 34. Heaven's What I Feel (Love To Infinity's Classic Radio Mix) by Gloria Estefan with 27 plays
• 35. (tie) Rehab by Amy Winehouse with 26 plays
• 35. (tie) Breathe (2AM) by Anna Nalick with 26 plays
• 35. (tie) Vertigo by U2 with 26 plays

Buh-buh-buh-buh-Bennie and The Jets

I think I broke my alarm clock this morning. I really wanted to get to Memorial Park around 630A or so. So the alarm went off and in my attempt to hit the snooze I knocked it to the floor and uh...hmmm...it never went off again.

I finally woke up and got The Calvinator out the door around 710A or so for our morning stroll. I saw guys carrying stuff down an alley and putting the stuff in a van. Immediately I thought it was a burglary in progress only to realize some of my neighbors were having a garage sale and these were some customers.

It was actually a good morning for a run. I had a good 7 mile run. Yesterday I loaded Elton John Rocket Man n Number Ones onto the iPod nano. I had listened to a few of the tunes yesterday at LeFittes so I decided I'd give it another whirl this morning on the run.

Wow! Talk about a trip down memory lane.

One of my favorite songs by Elton John is Bennie and The Jets. I consider this some of Elton's best piano playing. The syncopation is flawless. And I guess I never realized that Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) is a great running song especially on a Saturday morning with low humidity and a moderate temperature.

Many of the other songs took me back to my youth. The one that I appreciated later in life is Tiny Dancer. It wasn't until I watched Almost Famous that I took a true liking to this song. I always visualize the scene on the bus when they're singing the song and I always think of Penny Lane. And I remember being on the flight to Sydney and listening to this song and playing it over and over and over (not quite for 18 hours though).

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I'm a bit spent right now while I'm composing this and watching the Ugly Betty marathon on abc family.

Earlier I met up with the blogger formerly known as LoneStar Steve. We met at the office in Montrose and I must say that it was much more active than the one on Memorial Drive in NoRO.

The atmosphere at the Montrose location allows folks to be much more flamboyant but what was happening outside was much more interesting/disturbing.

First of all, a bird was stuck in a tree; not a cat. The bird had it's foot caught in a piece of wire(?) and was hanging upside down. I thought it was dead but the blogger formerly known as LoneStar Steve pointed out it was alive which explained why customers and employees were trying to free it. Eventually mission accomplished.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, we noticed a man across the street was laying on the sidewalk face down. An employee and several outdoor customers ran over to help him. My initial thought was some type of seizure or something related to diabetes. I think it was diabetes related. The police and an ambulance arrived.

Before moving to NoRO, I lived in Montrose. It is a very eclectic neighborhood and there is ALWAYS something going on. Today was just a microcosm.

But back to the blogger formerly known as LoneStar Steve. I almost didn't recognize him. His hair is back to it's natural color. He has lost weight. He is toning up. He has a nice tan going. Add all of that to a great personality and well you should just bottle it up and sell it and make a fortune.

It was fun to sit there and laugh and catch up. I hadn't seen him since Kaye Sedilla was in town. Kaye is so high maintenance that I barely had to time to visit with the blogger formerly know as LoneStar Steve.

So...The Calvinator is passed out right now and I think I might join him for a short nap.

Catch up with you later.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 4.1

Yesterday marked the peak of hurricane season. Still too early to say, "The coast is clear." Remember, it was around September 23/24, 2005 when Rita made landfall and wiped out the rest of southwestern Louisiana and The Golden Triangle of Texas.

Today marks the 6th Anniversary of 9/11 (the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon). I got a snippet of the ceremony held near Ground Zero in NYC and it really got to me.

I had a meeting today and then went to lunch with AttyHou. On my way back to NoRO I heard Green Day's When September Ends. There are several songs that put a lump in my throat and that is one of them. Included on this list is: Seasons Of Love; Alone Again (Naturally); On Eagles Wings; Be Not Afraid; and Rainy Days & Mondays. There are more songs.

Yesterday was a fun day. I made my way to The Galleria to wish Neiman-Marcus a 100th Happy Birthday! They were giving away their famous cookie. Of course I strolled around N-M like I belonged there.

The cookie had its own special shopping bag.

Close-up of the cookie (before I ate the whole thing).

A small tin of mints (for after an office visit).

I had to get a look at the N-M exclusive Prada shoe. I think it was only $995. Pocket change for an oil tycoon. They had a really nice looking shirt by Robert Graham for about $180 or so. Don't worry...I didn't buy either item.

I did stroll around The Galleria. Purchased a new protective cover for the iPod nano. It is red just like the nano.

And of course I had to make my obligatory pilgrimage to the mother ship...Nordstrom

I did do a 3 mile run first thing in the morning and get this...I actually made it to LeFittes to do some weights. It was a quick workout 'cause Everyday Italian and AttyHou wanted to go out to dinner. It's always nice to return to the scene of the crime so we went to Cyclone Anayas. The last time I was there I was a bit tipsy when I left. Not last night though.

I had to be sure to eat my Neiman-Marcus cookie before I went to bed. I know. That can't be good for the body but it sure tasted good.

"Better have you naked by the end of this song"

So things didn't go as planned this morning with my Saturday run. The plan was to go to Memorial Park and do 7 miles or so.

I got up this morning and walked The Calvinator then got ready to go to Memorial Park. I had put on a pair of shorts that I hadn't worn in awhile and me and my happy @ss were off to the park. And just in case you're wondering, I was wearing my Crocs.

So I get to the park, put on the running shoes, slather on some Body Glide on the thighs, put on the iPod nano and tried to determine if it was shirtless running weather 'cause the humidity was feeling really high. Figuring that I'd prolly have to lose the shirt (which running shirtless has nothing to do with being vain and trying to show off...it's more about scaring people...I mean being hot and uncomfortable) at some point, I decided to just say "f__ it" and if people go blind, well so be it.

I do my ritual pee, take a swig of H2O and off I go. Everything is fine until about the 1 1/2 mile marker. (I won't comment on the people who decided to use ME as their pacer and wouldn't get off my @ss.)

Right around 1 1/2 miles the shorts start to slip. It is then that I remember why I haven't worn these shorts in a long time. When they get wet (from sweat or rain or both), they start to slip down. So here I am running and wondering what kind of a show I'm giving to the people behind me. If you read in the headlines today that there is a crack problem at Memorial Park, you'll know that they're talking about ME!

Now I'm regretting not wearing a shirt 'cause at least the shirt would give me some coverage. I'm trying to figure out what to do 'cause I could only run for about 30 seconds before I'd have to pull the shorts up. I get to the 2 mile marker, grab some water and think, "This ain't so bad. I can do this."

Rather than do 1 more mile, I decide to do 2 more. Big mistake. The slippage only gets worse...and you see it only happens when I run not when I walk. I just wanted this to be over with so I kept running and pulling up the shorts.

I guess at one point I must have pulled them up too high or they were too low 'cause I noticed people running toward were staring at me and they weren't looking at my face; they were looking around the waist line.

Now I'm thinking, "What do I have in The Cal Mobile that will keep the shorts up?'' Nothing. So, now I'm just trying to finish and for some odd reason I think of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake singing Rock Your Body at Reliant Stadium during the Super Bowl and her wardrobe malfunction.

See how my mind works? You should all be afraid of me!!!!

Anywho, I finished 4 miles, cooled down and went home. The shorts are now in the trash can.

Speaking of running, I haven't been doing weights very much or spinning and I'm feeling really guilty and fat. These guilt trips are from 12 years of Catholic school. ;-)

Oh no you didn't!

Sometimes I feel invisible. Invisible that is...not invincible.

For instance, one day when I was out running errands people kept bumping into me or cutting me off while driving. I actually had to look in the mirror to make sure I still existed (and I HATE looking in mirrors). It's happened again several times but this morning something happened that just irked the beejeezus outta me.

I got to Memorial Park a bit later than planned so most of the early risers had already been there and left. There were still a few people out running (and of course Yoga Boi was still there doing his thing) so it's not like it was crowded or anything.

I was a bit over 2 1/2 miles into my 3 mile jaunt, listening to Robin S.'s Midnight on the iPod nano and wondering why I put on the wrong pair of shoes (this pair is a bit worn and I could feel it in my right knee) and a guy decides to try and pass me.

OK. I will say that he did pass on the left so I had no problem with that but what I had a HUGE problem with is that rather than pass me, he ran next to me and then was trying to push me off the trail. His right elbow bumped my left elbow so he knew I was there and he just kept coming over! It was like Zola Budd and Mary Decker all over again!

In a split second I looked back to see if there is anyone behind us that he is trying to get out of their way and the coast is clear. I also look forward and there isn't anyone within foreseeable distance that he would collide with so there was NO reason for him to be in my space and to be elbowing me! So you know what? I elbowed him back and gave him a dirty look...which he didn't see. So he takes his happy @ss, speeds up and gets going.

I had to make a decision. Do I speed up and kick his @ss? Do I just let it go? Do I write about it? Well considering that he was bigger than me and had many more muscles, I figured I would just write about it.

I don't get it! I know that he had to see me because he came from behind which means that before he did the elbow thing, I was in front of him.

URGGHHHHHHH!

However, speaking of invincible...

A year ago today I was at a sales meeting for my former place of employment. On the agenda for the afternoon was "team building." *sigh* I know. There is no "I" in team...blah, blah, blah. So fast forward through the team building and now they tell us that we have to break a board with our hand. At least we didn't have to do it with our head.

Considering that the previous year they had us in the ocean doing things that could get us killed, I guess my anxiety should have been low. After all, a broken hand versus drowning is a small price to pay for being a "team player." Nonetheless, with hundreds of people watching and cheering and clapping you don't want to be the one who can't break the board, right? Plus, I'm not the most butch person around so the odds were not in my favor.

So I get in line and this is when I have to remind myself that it is definitely a case of mind over matter. "If you can dream it, you can achieve it." blah, blah, blah

It is now my turn. There is a guy holding the board. I stare at the board, measure the distance that need for my hand to make contact, step back and...

on the first attempt I broke the board.

This is definitely one of those things I thought I would never be able to do. And yes, I still have the board.

Trust me, there have been times when I have been running when I have thought that I couldn't finish and I have reminded myself that if I can break a board with my hand, I can finish the run.

Now if I could just get that Helen Reddy song outta my head!

To Catch An iJacker

Once again, I think I got bit by a tsetse fly because I sure was sleepy last night. Before I fell asleep around 930P I was watching Chris Hansen do an investigative report about people who intentionally steal iPods. This is known as iJacking.

What kind of got under my skin is that Apple has the technology to catch iJackers and won't do anything about it. You see...I was iJacked in December and was feeling like I had lost an appendage.

I left my iPod nano at LeFittes on December 30, 2006 in the locker room. That's what I get for being a Chatty Cathy and not paying attention. When I realized what I had done I immediately called and sure enough it wasn't in the Lost and Found. I know for a fact that people turn stuff in at LeFittes and it gets returned to its rightful owner so I was hoping that my iPod nano would be waiting for me. WRONG!

I ended up buying a new iPod nano but it still irks me that no one turned it in.

I had a large selection of showtunes loaded on that iPod and all I could hope for is that the person who iJacked me hates showtunes and that's all it will play. Let's start with Ethel Merman singing There's No Business Like Show Business or Andrea McArdle singing Tomorrow or Liza singing Caberet. HA! That'll show you.

SIDEBAR: And yes, I had another wild dream last night. Won't go into the details but it was about being in New Orleans, a Mardi Gras parade, Canal Street being flooded, friends arguing, buying some cool art in the CBD, having a Krewe meeting and a Mystery & Fantasy Ball meeting on the same day at the same time at Texas Wesleyan University. Talk about a dream that wore me out!

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.2

Lady Bird Johnson

Last night during the 1000P news on Your Education Station, neighbor Ryan Korsgard did a live report from Austin about the death of Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird passed away at the age of 94. In my opinion, Lady Bird's legacy will be the beautification of Texas highways by having wildflowers planted. This photo of Blue Bonnets is from Janie Richter's photo gallery.

Yoga Boi

Not sure what's up with Yoga Boi. I've been getting my morning runs in but not on a regular schedule. I see him running but not doing yoga. Maybe the ground is too wet? Anywho, he was out there this morning running in the humidity.

iPod

OK. Now I have something new to worry about. Two people have been struck by lightning while wearing their iPod. What isn't clear to me is if they had a protective covering on their iPod. More information, you can read the story in the Houston Chronicle.

A Lasting Legacy Resale Store

Thank you Shop Girl for the blurb about the store. As a reminder to my readers, the store accepts donations Tuesday-Saturday.

TUTS Bob

I had a pleasant surprise this morning at the office. TUTS Bob stopped by. He and I are on the Board for Legacy. I was actually at my desk when he stopped by.

iPod nano Mostly Recently Played 6.10.07

Heaven’s What I Feel (Love’s To Infinity’s Classic Paradise Mix), Gloria Estefan

Pandora’s Box,OMD

Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood

Big Time, Linda Eder

On Silent Wings, Tina Turner

• Irreplaceable (Irreemplazable) [Nortena Mix], Beyonce


• One Day In Your Life, Anastasia


• Addicted To Love (Live), Tina Turner


• Flawless (Go To The City), George Michael


• I Beg Your Pardon (12” Remix), Kon Kan


• Midnight, Robin S.


• U + UR Hand, Pink


• Candyman, Christina Aguilera


• Without Me (Album Version), Eminem


• Get Here, Q Featuring Tracy Ackerman


• If Everyone Cared, Nickelback


• Wonderwall, Oasis


• Say It Right, Nelly Furtado


• Rehab, Amy Winehouse


• Into The Ocean, Blue October


• I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, Pet Shop Boys


• Losing My Mind, Pet Shop Boys


• Killer/Pappa Was A Rolling Stone, George Michael


• Above The Clouds, Amber


• Hips Don’t Lie (featuring Wyclef John), Shakira

Sunday was another fun-filled day. Fun in the sun amongst other things. :-)