Catching Up

I know I've been a bit quiet lately. I really was disappointed that I didn't get the job that I really wanted. I guess it was best to find out early in the week rather wait and wait and wait and then find out later in the week. Disappointment is never fun.

So here are some snippets of what has been going on.

• A group of us met on Tuesday to start planning for World AIDS Day Houston 2008. We are still trying to figure out what it will consist of but there will be events on and around December 1.
  
  
• I'm not getting much sleep again. I was up at 4:30 a.m. today. I'm averaging about 5 to 6 hours of sleep each night and I've gone back to not eating much. Good news is that I'm getting back into clothes from 2002. This is also partially due to the fact that since I can't sleep, I get up and go run or workout and/or both.
  
  
• Friday night was a full evening. Montrose Counseling Center had an Open House and the dedication of rooms. People who supported the capital campaign and donated at designated levels have had rooms named after them. Kenny In Montrose (KIM) has a room named after him. We got a peek and I noticed a few things were missing. For instance, no bar, no vodka and no Elaine.
  
  
• Later on Friday night Gray Squirrel Micheal (yes, that is spelled correctly) celebrated his 40th birthday with over 100 of his closest friends. It was a fun evening full of chatter, gossip, cocktails and laughter. Plus it was a pretty crowd. Today is actually Micheal's birthday so a shout out to Micheal and welcome to The 40s. You're in good company.
  
  
• Saturday I didn't run because I was suffering from vodka remorse. Once I was finished being remorseful I made my way to St. Anne's for a class. On the 4th Sunday of the month I will be helping during the 5:00 p.m. Mass in the distribution of the Eucharist. I thought I had signed up to be a substitute but I am part of a permanent team. It was amazing what all came back to me from being an altar boy for so many years. My biggest fear is falling down the steps (which I did when I was an altar boy). Guess I'll be wearing rubber soled shoes on the 4th Sunday of each month. No leather soled Cole Haans for me!
  
  
• Saturday afternoon was the perfect afternoon for being out by a pool so I took my quasi-happy ass to a Summer Solstice Party that was being thrown by Bill and David. This was not an S&M Pool Party...you know, Stand 'n Model...this was a get in the pool party so I did. Once again, good chatter gossip, cocktails and pretty people.
  
  
• Saturday evening was a concert performed by Bayou City Performing Arts. It was a nice evening. I ended up going by myself which was OK because at one of their concerts I know I will always run into folks that I know...and I did.
  
  
• Sunday I woke up early and decided that I needed to go run...so I did. Then as punishment for not running on Saturday, I went to they gym and did an extended workout on the Stairmaster. OMG! I obviously picked the wrong settings because I was beat and covered in sweat when it was all said and done...or was all that sweat from the alcohol consumed on Friday AND Saturday? I'm just asking.
  
  
• Sunday afternoon Krewe of Olympus had a Rush Party. Ginger Grant hosted the Krewe at her adobe and fixed a wonderful brisket. I worked the bar (as a bartender) for a bit. It was a nice afternoon. While I was at the party, I found out that one of the costumes I will be wearing in February '09 will probably require me to lose about 50 pounds of fat and put on 25 pounds of muscle. GEEZ! LOL

During the weekend I found out that three couples I know have visited Splitsville. It really has me bothered. I guess it just goes to prove that what you see on the surface is just that...what you see on the surface.

At the same time, I found out that two couples I know are going to be wed in California. One couple will be married today and the other in September. I guess hope springs eternal.

A couple of other things are really bothering and I won't go into much detail. One is the guy who has not been formally charged with murdering his two children. Their burned bodies were found the other day.

The other thing that is bothering me is about a guy who literally ran his dog to death at Memorial Park and left it there. It happened a few weeks ago and I was finally able to put all of the pieces together.

Not to be judgemental but I think there is a special place in Hell for people who don't protect children and animals. And as always, I have a song. It was recorded by The Carpenters when I was a young kid and it is titled, Bless The Beasts & The Children.

So that's about it for now. Calvin is fine and is getting in some long walks. And I need to scoot.

Hey

I realize that I have left you hanging. I asked for some good mojo and I sort of feel like I'm watching water waiting for it to boil or Waiting For Godot or waiting for a piece of luggage that was lost in 1997 that still hasn't been found. As soon as I know I something, I'll let you know and then I'll tell you whether the good mojo worked or not.

I actually had a good night's slumber last night but it was at price of sleeping on the couch.

I think I figured out the combo to get some sleep:

Walk Calvin really early +

Go for an intense 3 mile run @ 5:45 a.m. +

Don't eat much for lunch +

Walk Calvin again +

Do a spin class +

Don't eat much for dinner +

Walk Calvin again +

Watch The Mole on ABC =

falling asleep on the couch watching The Mole and wake up at 6:15 a.m. the next morning still in your clothes!

It is the most sleep I've had in awhile.

Monday, Monday ah ah ah...

Has anyone else been attacked by tsetse flies? I'm beginning to wonder if it is old age or what? Of course there are some contributing factors to my sleepiness.

I did not get a good night's rest Saturday going into Sunday. The Calvinator kept waking me up. There was something/someone outside. The first time was at 100A. Then it started again around 500A and continued until 630A.

I'm thinking it's critters but with the odd things that have been happening in NoRO one can't be too sure. So, I get up and look out and make sure that it isn't a person walking around the house.

I went to a birthday brunch for one of my fellow Legacy Board members. Was I the last to know about the brunch at Baba Yega? I eat there at lunch and dinner and had heard about brunch on Sunday but had no idea how good it was.

Anywho, it was a cloudy, dreary day in Houston yesterday (as opposed to bright and sunny on Saturday) so the lack of sleep + a Bloody Mary at brunch + not taking a nap on Saturday after running and walking (at the art festival) = a nice long nap on Sunday afternoon.

I did wake in time to make it to 500P Mass at St. Anne's. However, I was asleep by 1000P and couldn't get up this morning to get a run in at Memorial Park. Later maybe?

I have an interesting HO-roscope today. A long lost friend is going to come back into my life. Hmmmm.

News You May Have Missed

I heard two stories today that are rather disturbing. The first one involves a mother who set her children on fire. This took place in Haltom City, TX, which happens to be the suburb of Ft. Worth where I grew up.

I sent Helen an e-mail today to find out what she knew about it and it turns out it happened two blocks from Joe & Helen! Joe & Helen heard the sirens, etc. but didn't go to investigate what was happening down the street. (I wonder where I got my Gladys Kravitz gene?)

If you want to read more about the story, here is the link to Houston Chronicle.

The second story is something that I have witnessed. A study was done about hand washing. It concludes that 1/3 of men do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.

I have noticed this at LeFittes. I've seen guys go to the urinal, shake it and then leave without ever going to wash their hands and THEN they go back to the gym floor!

Now, I will admit there have been times that I haven't washed my hands but it only happens when I'm running and have to use a Port-O-Potty and there isn't any place to wash your hands or there isn't any hand sanitizer available. In an instance like that it is what it is because there is no choice.

In fact, I think I've become a bit obsessive/compulsive about washing my hands ever since I took possession of Calvin a few years ago. I feel like I am constantly washing my hands and I go through rolls of paper towels like there's no tomorrow.

And speaking of paper towels....I went to buy some today and there was a double pack of Brawny Paper Towels with the Brawny Man on the packaging. However, the double pack had Mary Engelbreit designs on them. Isn't this sort of a contradiction?

Here's the Brawny Man:

And here's the Mary Engelbreit design:

As it turns out, it was cheaper to buy two single rolls with no design than it was to buy the contradictory double pack.

Now this third story is actually kind of funny because I know how frustrated the guy must have been. I ran across this from Kenneth In The 212.

I can totally relate to the attacker's frustration! In fact, I haven't been to spin class in awhile and the last time I was there a guy in front of me was grunting and swearing and shaking his head and stopping when it got too difficult. Dude. You control the tension on the bike! Adjust it!!!

(from NYPost.com):

GYM VICTIM IS WHEELY ANGRY
'SPIN ATTACKER' DODGES FELONY

By LAURA ITALIANO

September 18, 2007 -- He's not doing much "whooping" now.

A Manhattan hedge-fund manager whose loud grunting and cheering during an Upper East Side spin class allegedly led a fed-up broker on the bike nearby to nearly break his neck is furious that prosecutors aren't treating the assault as a felony.

"This wasn't just a playground fall where Stewy fell down and went boo hoo," angry victim Stuart Sugarman said when told that his alleged attacker was charged yesterday with a mere misdemeanor.

"The reality is I spent two weeks in Lenox Hill [Hospital], including a week in ICU and six hours in surgery," Sugarman complained. "My life has been altered, possibly permanently. This is not a misdemeanor."

Sugarman, 48, a fund manager and investment banker at Sunrise Financial Group, admits that he noisily war-whooped, groaned and shouted, "You go, girl!" during his last spin workout Aug. 15 at an Equinox gym on East 85th Street. That, he says, didn't give broker Christopher Carter, who was three bikes over, the right to repeatedly yell, "Shut the f- - - up!" and then leap off his Schwinn and come charging at him.

The grunting Sugarman is accusing the allegedly berserk broker - both men top 200 pounds - of tilting Sugarman's stationary bike's front wheel up a yard off the floor and flipping the bike and Sugarman into a wall.

Sugarman suffered a concussion from the bike's falling on top of him, along with damage to six discs in the vertebrae of his neck. His surgeon, he said, tells him he was "one click away from a wheelchair."

"The guy had a spinal-cord contusion with major surgery to his neck involving the use of cadaver tissue and multiple metal plates and screws," said Sugarman's lawyer, Samuel Davis.

The criminal complaint lodged yesterday against Carter, 44, of Maxim Investments Group, only accuses him of causing "sustained lower-back pain" and "substantial pain" but makes no mention of the serious physical injury needed to characterize an assault as a felony.

Prosecutors declined to comment on the case. Carter's lawyer, Michael Farkas, said only that his client "did not commit any criminal acts."

"Mr. Sugarman is clearly taking advantage of the criminal-justice system to build some civil lawsuit," he said. Sugarman has yet to file a suit.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I haven't heard anything else about the break in yesterday. I will tell you that I didn't sleep well last night. Before I went to bed I told The Calvinator that he was on duty. He was asleep by 1030p.

He woke up at 545A when I did. We both heard a noise in the backyard and it frightened the sh_t out of me. He started barking and I was up turning on lights and looking out windows. It may have been one of my critters making their last run before the sun came up.

Since I was awake, I took him for his morning stroll. Including myself, I counted 7 people walking their dogs and five people going to work between 610A and 630A. Once again, why would anyone attempt a burglary at that hour of the morning?

After we finished our stroll, I went to Memorial Park for a 4 mile run.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 4.0

Stormy Weather

Yesterday was wet. There's no other way to describe it. The day started off dry but we were warned it would rain.

Mid-morning I not only ventured OTL (Outside The Loop), I went OTB (Outside The Beltway)! I needed to check out a place in Missouri City to see if they had some paper that I was looking for.

Found it on Google but instinct told me there was a better way to get there. I went with Google...instinct was correct. I took a different way back ITL (Inside The Loop), ran a few errands and tried to get home before it rained. I wasn't successful.

Storm clouds coming in from the Gulf. Photo taken on Hwy. 6...somewhere in Ft. Bound County.

On Hwy. 6 heading toward US 59. The sun was shining but it was raining on me.

In RO @ Kirby & San Felipe looking west trying to get to NoRO.

@ the RO and NoRO border; Shepherd @ Memorial heading northWindshield wipers were on high speed.

Merman (and I don't mean Ethel)

Last week, Everyday Italian and AttyHou returned from their holiday. Due to Hurricane Dean, they made a detour to Key West. As they were strolling the streets they saw a large version of a merman and thought of me. Turns out, the store had the ornament for sell. So my souvenir is Mr. Martini.

They told me to put it on my Christmas tree. Why wait? I think it needs to go on permanent display.

Bois Night

I think there might have been a tsetse fly that was hanging out with those fire ants on Sunday. I took a 2 hour nap yesterday afternoon. Something about the pitter-patter of rain makes me drowsy.

AttyHou called around 530P and woke me up to find out if I still wanted to go to Cafe A-Do-Me. An hour later, The Calvinator had been walked, I had showered and we were on our way with RRTStephen & RRTJohn.

It had been awhile since I had been to Cafe A-Do-Me on a Monday night. The usual suspects were there. Nice to know that some things don't change. ;-)

We had great conversation with our libations and food. I think I ate too many tortilla chips 'cause I couldn't finish my meal.

A fun time was had by all.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 3.6

Attack of the Killer Tsetse Flies

I'm not sure what happened last night. I was sitting on the couch watching The George Lopez Show and sometime after 800P I fell asleep. I woke up around 1100P or so and The Calvinator was sitting there staring at me. So we went to bed. (It had to have been tsetse flies that caused the early slumber.)

As with all things, there is yin and yang. I woke up at 400A this morning! UGH.

I putzed around for a little while and The Calvinator finally woke up. So here we are at 445A out for our morning stroll.

We came back and I putzed around some more and then made my way to Memorial Park.

Running

I wasn't sure if I was going to do 6 or 7 miles this morning so I thought I'd give it a whirl and just take it one step at a time.

After the first 4 miles I was thinking maybe I should do 8. I had just about convinced myself to do 8 but then my stomach started feeling a bit odd. Wasn't sure if it was Runners' Runs or what so I opted to do 7. Just as I finished 7 the stomach was fine. Hmmm.

There were a gazillion people at the park this morning. Large gangs...I mean packs of people running. One group was running 4 abreast and almost knocked me into Memorial Drive. So much for courtesy.

I cleaned up there at the park and then joined the festivities for Party In The Park. HARRA was sponsoring the event. I belong to the group so I figured why not check it out.





Lots of people were enjoying the food (I had a biscuit stuffed with egg and bacon), ice cream, music, camaraderie and beer. In keeping with "It's 500P somewhere" I enjoyed a beverage from Saint Arnold's Brewery. Who cares if it was only 815A?

That is my thumb.

I chatted a bit with Triathlete Lee. He wasn't having a good run this morning. Which just goes to prove that some days it is your day for a good run and some days it isn't your day.

This what my shoes look like after 7 miles.

The Office

After I left the park, I headed over to the office. There were 1/2 a gazillion people there! I had no place to sit and enjoy my Iced Grande Sugar-free Vanilla Non-fat Latte and read the paper.

I'm sure there is some correlation between the number of people at the park on the weekends and the sales figures at the office, Kolache Factory and Smoothie King. All of them were busy this morning. I had to sit at a closed outdoor cafe and get my daily dose of the news.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Birthday greetings go out to Romeo. Happy Birthday Romeo!

Romeo, Stuart and Randall

Romeo is a long time resident of Houston. He has been very active within the community and has many friends and admirers. I met Romeo through Sugar Land Stuart. Romeo is the only person that I know who went to high school with Janis Joplin.

I called Romeo today rather than yesterday because I've never been quite clear about the true date of his birth. His birth certificate says August 24, 19___ but his mother said he was born on August 25, 19___. Guess I should have called him at 1159P yesterday and conversed with him until 1201A today? :-) (PS There's no way I'll reveal his age 'cause paybacks are h#ll.)

Something to read

I bought this book because the description made me laugh!


Emma Brockes didn't always love musicals. In fact, she hated them. One of her earliest (and most painful) memories is of her mother singing "The Hills Are Alive" while young Emma crossed the street to go to her babysitting gig. According to her mother, the music would keep muggers at bay. According to Emma, it warded off friends, a social life, and any chance of being normal. As she grew older, however, these same songs continued to resonate in her head, first like a broken record and then as a fond reminder of her mother's love.

Some people would slice off their arm with a plastic knife before they'd sit through Fiddler on the Roof or The Sound of Music. But musicals are everywhere, and it's about time someone asked why. From An American in Paris to Oklahoma!, Brockes explores the history, art, and politics of musicals, and how they have become an indelible part of our popular culture. Smartly written and incredibly witty, this is a book for people who understand that there are few situations in which the question "What would Barbra do?" doesn't have relevance, in a world much better lived to a soundtrack of show tunes. At the heart of What Would Barbra Do? is a touching story about a daughter, a mother, and how musicals kept them together. Part memoir, part musical history tour, it will keep you laughing and singing all at once.

I get in these moods sometimes where I have a song for everything and typically it is a showtune. This should make for some good reading!

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 3.5

I thought I'd give you some updates before I do my normal ramblings.

1. Headache - I passed out on the couch last night holding my head. Woke up and went to bed and had a restless night. (see below for my odd dream last night) This morning when I woke up I could feel some drainage going down my throat. I never thought this could be sinus related. Feel a bit better today.

2. Hurricane Dean - Hurricane Dean came in south of Cancun with 160m.p.h. winds. It is heading into the Bay of Campeche and will then make landfall between Tampico and Veracruz. I really feel for those folks in Mexico that are bearing the brunt of the storm. I heard a talking head say that this will be the third strongest storm on record.

3. Running - I met RunnerOne this morning at Memorial Park. He asked how I was doing and I told him about my headache and he immediately diagnosed it as sinus problems. I told him about my odd dream last night (see below) and that is why I was feeling tired.

We didn't run around the park. He surprised me and took me to the track. We did an 800m warm-up and then did 6x400m sprints. Based on the sprints I was running an 8:00 minute mile or less. HA! Now if I could do that for 26.2 miles I'd feel really good about myself.

4. Jimmy Martin - I'm really disturbed about this. (See my post: Missing Person). Like I stated, you never expect to see someone that you know on one of those fliers.

So those are my updates. Here's what else is on my mind.

America's Finest City

This past Sunday was the running of America's Finest City 1/2 Marathon. I have done this run three times and I absolutely love it.

San Diego is one of my favorite cities even if I didn't have good runs doing the Rock 'n Roll Marathon. The weather is great. The scenery is wonderful. And the people are beautiful. I remember the first time I ran Rock 'n Roll I made the observation that the spectators looked better and were in better shape than the participants! Here is proof of the pretty people.

Brad is a catcher for the Houston Astros. During the off-season he lives in San Diego which is where his kids and wife live.
According the Health insert in yesterday's Houston Chronicle, in the off-season Brad lifts weights three times a week and does aerobic exercise (running, biking, Stairmaster or elliptical machines) five or six times a week. He also likes to hit the waves up to five to six times a week.

OK...with the exception of surfing I do all that and I don't LOOK LIKE THAT. :-(

Dream

Oh boy. I had a doozy of a dream last night. Here goes.

I was doing a triathlon at Benbrook Lake in Ft. Worth. For the swim portion of it we had to swim through a sewage pipe. However, when we exited the pipe there wasn't enough water for us to continue our swim so we were in a holding pattern waiting for more water. Everybody is just kinda standin' around and I have to pee. So I go to the restroom and pee and come back to the group and they're still waiting for water to be released from the damn (and I still have to pee).

The water is finally released from the damn and we have to swim upstream (like salmon). I'm holding my own with the group.

Once we finish the swim it is time to start the run (and for those of you who know about triathlons this is outta order 'cause you're supposed to bike after the swim). However, before we could actually start the run, we had to play a game of Dodge Ball followed by a game of Kick Ball.

I was so p!ssed off because as a kid I hated both of those games. So I suck it in and start heading toward the games (and I still have to pee). That is when I finally awakened and REALLY had to pee.

Have a good day everybody.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 3.4

The Headache Continues

OK. It hasn't been a constant headache since Saturday but this afternoon it started coming back. Barometric pressure? Need to have my eyes checked? The heat? I don't know.

All I know is that a swarm of tsetse flies must have attacked me because I took a 1.5 hour nap today and I'm getting sleepy and I have a tinge of a headache. UGH!

I had every intention of getting to Memorial Park early this morning. I went to bed last night at 900P but didn't wake up until 645A this morning. I never sleep this much!

Tsetse flies I tell ya!

Hurricane Update

OK. Hurricane Dean will strike south of the U.S. border. This was a good drill. As mentioned in a previous post, we are approaching the peak of the season. And to prove it here is a graph of when things peak. As you can see, we won't be out of the woods until some time in October.

Here is a satellite image of Hurricane Dean taken earlier today:

OK bois and gurrls...The Calvinator needs to go for a quick pee and then I need to get to bed. I'm meeting RunnerOne in the morning at the park. Let's hope I wake up!

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 3.1

Ask Marilyn

Where did the word “blog” originate?—Alice Sherman, Redington Shores, Fla.

The word “blog” is short for “Web log,” a site one establishes for the purpose of putting one’s thoughts online for the edification or amusement of visitors, who may leave pieces of their own minds before departing.

Star Jones-Reynolds

I'm not posting anything that hasn't already been said so she can't get me for libel.

Anywho. A few years ago when Star Jones had a severe weight loss she declined to say how she did it. In fact, I think she said it was exercise or Pilates or something along that line. OK folks. I run. I exercise. I don't drop weight like that!

So then Rosie calls her out on it and Star gets p!ssed. So then Star starts to say it was a medical intervention.

So after all of this time (I believe it was last week), Star comes out and says she had gastric bypass surgery in 2003 and has lost 160lbs. OK. First of all good for you Star. Seriously. If you weighed 307lbs. then yes, you needed to do something.

HOWEVER, she also stated that she didn't want to talk about herself and reveal to everyone how she lost the weight. EXCUSE ME? Uh....this is the woman who on The View was always sitting there with her all about me attitude? This is the woman who pimped out her wedding? I don't get it. I really don't.

And I know this is all about timing. She's getting ready to go back on the telly with a new show.

Thanx Lee

Lee Hazlewood who wrote and produced These Boots Are Made For Walkin' passed away.

The recording by Nancy Sinatra was released in February 1966 and hit #1 in the U.S. and United Kingdom. Believe it or not, I remember hearing that song on the radio and remember my parents have the the vinyl 45rpm.

Thanx Lee for giving us that song. It is STILL one of my favorites.

Running & Sleeping

OK. I'm still having some wild dreams at night. Black clouds. A friend's car needing repair. Being in Ciudad Juarez. Seeing a flying saucer car driving down the streets of Juarez (as someone said that could be classified as a true illegal alien).

I got up early on Monday and went to the park and did a 3 mile run. Did some weights yesterday. Went to bed early. Couldn't get up early this morning to go running. Tsetse fly again? Not sure.

I'm Still Here (Aug. 4)

OK. So here's the deal. If you don't hear from me for a day or two that can mean several things:

1. I'm in a bad mood
2. I'm busy
3. I don't have anything to say
4. I don't have anything nice to say

Friday, Aug. 3 was 1+4. However, by the end of the day I was in a good mood. Sometimes it does me good to just be left alone for awhile and work things out in my head.

Today I've been busy as a bee. Did a 6 mile run and came home and did some chores (one of them unexpected). I will say that by 1200 noon I had sweated every ounce of fluid out of my body. Totally had the wrong time for a party so that kinda rushed me but I did make it to the gym for a quick workout.

Had a WONDERFUL time at a friend's surprise 40th Birthday Party. It was supposed to be a pool party but there was a torrential downpour 1/2way through it. A good time was had by all and I really liked the crowd.

SO...there is a walking tour of The Heights this evening and I need to get my happy arse up there 'cause I have some leads about stores that might sell my cards.

So I hope that everyone is doing well.

And yes I had another odd dream last night. Me, a young Lady Bird Johnson and a young George H. Bush spending time at Liz Carpenter's house after I was accused of stealing at a Target store. AND I didn't take any Claritin yesterday. Could it be my new bed?

PS Linda Eder will be in Houston on September 14!!!!! People who pay the extra price get to meet her at a reception afterwards!!!!!

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 3.0

I didn't get a good night's rest last night. The Calvinator woke me up around 200A when he went running from the bedroom to the front of the house barking. It only lasted a few seconds but it was enough to wake me up.

THEN I had this awful dream about snakes and dog poop. I was living in a library and my bedroom was painted green. There was a huge sculpture of a snake that went around the room and the head of the snake was hanging from the ceiling. It was a piece of art titled Garden Of Eden.

There was a librarian position open and I was going to be interviewing people. However, applicants kept arriving early and would walk into my bedroom and find me sleeping and see the snake and leave.

(In my dream) I finally get out of bed and walk through the rest of the library to get to the kitchen but sorta have to walk outside. There are dead snakes and dog poop everywhere. I was very frustrated and decided that I wanted to move but the place that I wanted to move to had just been leased to Donatella Versace.

That is the point that I finally woke up (around 445A). I woke up The Calvinator and took him for a walk...it was already 80 degrees outside.

Running & Spinning

I did a 3 mile run yesterday morning at the park because I planned on going spinning later in the day. Well, later in the day arrived and I decided that I didn't want to spin. I just wasn't in the mood for a hard workout from Connie. So I did some weights instead.

I may do a spin class on Thursday.

I did a 4 mile run this morning at the park before I took The Calvinator to doggy daycare.

I'm at the point where I need to decide if I'm going to the Houston marathon in January or the 1/2 marathon. If it is the marathon, then I need to start bumping up the mileage. Anyone care to weigh in on the decision? Remember...a marathon is 26.2 and a 1/2 is only 13.1 miles. I have done several of both.

I know there is some correlation between the wild dreams I've been having and taking Claritin once a day. In the past it happened with Claritin-D. My allergies have been getting the best of me.

You'd think that after two huge @ss Margaritas (frozen swirled with Raspberry) and helping G move and doing a pickup and delivery for Legacy's Resale Store that I'd sleep the whole night through. Au contraire!

Granted...I passed out on the couch watching America's Got Talent but my wild dreams didn't let me get a good slumber so I was awake at 400A. I stayed in bed until about 500A. Finally got out of bed around 530A and took The Calvinator for a pre-dawn stroll. (He is asleep right now.)

The Sunday paper just arrived so I guess I'll go to the office and catch up on the news.

I have come to the conclusion...

Last night I went to Connie's 530p spin class at LeFittes. To my surprise the Spin Doctor walked in to teach the 630P class. I thought he had already left for America's Finest City. Turns out, last night was going to be his last class. Good luck to you Spin Doctor!

I woke up this morning feeling like a truck had run over me and then backed up and ran over me again.

There are several things that could be making me feel this way:

1. I need a new mattress
2. I think my allergies are acting up
3. I went running yesterday morning
4. I did an hour of weights and situps yesterday afternoon
5. I did 60 minutes of spinning
6. I just ain't as young as I used to be

Needless to say, I didn't go running this morning.

I think it is definitely a combo of 3 + 4 + 5 + 6. Hmmm. That equals 18 and I haven't seen 18 in years! That is my conclusion...I'm getting old. :-)

The Calvinator is at doggy daycare today which is why I scheduled the delivery of the mattress for today. Now I get to wait around for the delivery within a 6 hour window...that part is annoying.

PS RunnerOne is still out there running. I just checked the website and he is almost finished.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.3

I've been meaning to tell you about this. You'll prolly just shake your head.

I've referred to RunnerOne in several of my postings. He is in California right now running. No big deal you think. UH....he is running 135 miles through Death Valley. He is one of 84 people who are doing this run. This is a non-stop run that started yesterday and will end tomorrow.

They're having cool temperatures in Death Valley. Right now it is only 100 degrees. Sometimes it gets above 120 degrees.

He wanted me to go and be part of his crew. I told him I'd be in charge of the beer. LOL

Anywho...more power to you RunnerOne! I ran 3 miles this morning and 4 yesterday. That's about 5% of what RunnerOne is running. BTW...it didn't rain yesterday, prolly won't rain today and the humidity is way low. Right now it is only 85 degrees and the humidity is only at 46%. :-)

In Other News

This is the bed I didn't buy.

I bought a new mattress and box springs today. I really wanted the Heavenly Bed from Westin Hotels. I wasn't willing to pay the price, pay the shipping and then wait 4-6 weeks. I had a feeling that Mattress Mac would have a knock-off...and he did but it wasn't quite a knock-off price. Maybe I'll be able to sleep better at night. I'll have my first slumber on the new mattress tomorrow night. Anyone up for a slumber party?

The Office

People at the office are beginning to bug me. Today there was a girl sitting in the corner with a male friend and she cried the entire time I was there. Yesterday, some middle-age white men decided to discuss politics. They were a bit loud with their discussion and I didn't agree with their point of view. I started giving them dirty looks and long stares...then they started to whisper. The other day this girl with a LOUD VOICE came in. She was so loud you could hear her above the music and other chatter. I think I'll do what the judge does and take my iPod with me.

Yoga Boi

Yoga Boi is missing from the park. Wherefore art thou Yoga Boi?

Pics

And yes, I owe you photos from Kaye Sedilla's visit to Houston and from my road trip.

Frozen Crack for dogs

First of all, I'm now convinced that The Calvinator didn't slip me a Mickey. I'm now convinced that a tsetse fly bit me and I have a sleeping disease. Not sure why I'm feeling so rundown & sleepy. It took everything in me to churn out 4 miles this morning. I really wanted to do a 6 mile run but as Louis Armstrong said one time, "Ya can't blow it out if ya ain't got it in ya."

This weather isn't helping matters any. We've had three days of gully washers. The sea breeze mixes with the hot air which has something to do with a low pressure system over central/ north Texas and well, we get thunder, lightning, rain and high winds.

Before my two hour nap this afternoon, I watched one of my favorite movies, Moonstruck. I'm sitting here watching another favorite movie, The Usual Suspects. The Calvinator is eating a Frosty Paw.

A couple of years ago San Francisco Steve told me about a frozen dog treat, Frosty Paws. I searched high and low and finally found them. Little did I know, Calvin would become addicted. Seriously. He will mope around and pout and give me sad eyes until I give him his nightly fix.

Frosty Paws are difficult to find because they have to share shelf space with human ice cream treats in the Frozen Food Department. AND not every grocery store sells them. I was hoping that when Purina purchased the company the distribution of the product would improve but it hasn't. Trust me. I've written an e-mail to Purina about the situation.

One day I drove around Houston trying to track down the frozen treats. I couldn't find them anywhere in Houston. I had this fear of Calvin "going Whitney Houston" on me and me being mauled in my sleep.

I finally tracked down a recipe that I use when I can't find the real thing. It's all about keeping The Calvinator happy. (And now I'm humming Amy Winehouse's Rehab to myself.) Calvin knows that the Frosty Paws are kept in the freezer. In fact, I have to speak in code so that he doesn't go ape wild on me. So if you ever hear me say, "FP" that is code for Frosty Paws.

One last thing...you know how humans get brain freezes from eating ice cold food too fast? The same thing happens to Calvin. And ya'd think that he would figure it out. Au contraire! Every night he gets a brain freeze, comes into the living room, drags his head on the floor, shakes his head several times, sneezes and then stares at me.

I swear..."FPs are frozen crack" for dogs!

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

PREFACE Ever since I was a little kid I have had vivid dreams (in color of course) while I sleep. My family has always "teased" me because I have a knack for remembering the details. Joe suggested one time that I write down my dreams. I've always been afraid to do that because I'm afraid the journal will fall into the wrong hands and I'll be sent away to an insane asylum.

At this point in my life, what have I got to lose. So...I'll start posting some of my dreams beginning with the one that happened early this morning.

DREAM I was working at a dance studio and it was going out of business. My job was to make sure that the building was vacant before I turned off the lights and locked the doors.

Before I left the building, I decided to "check my look in the mirror." OMG! I weighed 400 lbs.! However, it must have been one of those trick mirrors because if I turned sideways, I looked like I could be the cover model for Men's Fitness.

So I decided to go running. Some sort of marathon I think because the next thing I know I am near Sammy's Barbecue and Sylvania Park in Ft. Worth. Turns out it is some type of relay and Runner One and his wife are supposed to run the next leg. They don't want to so I keep on running but get put in a hold pattern on Beach Street at E. Belknap.

The finish line is somewhere near Joe & Helen's house but I know that there has to be some loops in there because I have at least 3 more miles to run and their house isn't that far.

I finally get the go ahead to run again and I only have 30 minutes if I want to come in under a 4 hour 30 minute marathon. So I take off down Beach Street toward N.E. 28th Street. And of course there are loops. Loops that take me into backyards and kitchens! UGH!

I finally approach the finish line which is at the Texas Motor Speedway (nowhere near Joe & Helen's). However, it had turned into a velodrome and the track was painted scarlet red. I had to dodge the cyclists to make it to the infield.

Guess who was waiting for me in the infield? BFF AttyHou who was eating a bag of Lay's Potato Chips fried in Trans Fat!!!!! And of course I partook of the chips.

EPILOGUE That dream woke me up around 430A and I was worn out and terrified. I got up out of bed and started my pre-run routine. The Calvinator was asleep. I got him walked and then went to Memorial Park for a 4 mile run! Talk about motivation.