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!

Don't Let Your Guard Down

from Houston Chronicle:

While still predicting a busy 2007 hurricane season, government forecasters on Thursday slightly brightened their outlook, calling for 13 to 16 named storms, including seven to nine hurricanes, with three to five of those intense.

For those of us living on the Gulf Coast or even on the Atlantic coast, this could sound like good news. This has been a quiet season (knocking on wood) but please remember something...

Sept. 10th (my birthday (hint hint) is the peak of hurricane season. As a reminder, here are some storms that have hit in August and in September: Hurricane Katrinia and Rita in 2005; Hurricane Andrew in 1992; Hurricane Alicia in 1983; Hurricane Camille in 1969; Hurricane Betsy in 1965; and Hurricane Carla in 1961. I'm just saying...

OK. This combined with all the talk this week about jambalaya with Everyday Italian is making me think I may need a Hurricane this weekend. Maybe if I drink 1 (or 2) it will keep the evil spirits away. In other news...
I took The Calvinator to Memorial Park early this morning. We had a long 35 minute walk and he was quite happy. Not as many people are there on Friday's 'cause they're all going to be out there tomorrow doing long runs. However, Yoga Boi was there doing yoga and then running later.

I don't like to take The Calvinator there in the mornings 'cause his paws get wet from the dew and then the dirt turns into mud on his paws. However, it is going to be a scorcher here in the Bayou City and I know how much he loves the park so off we went. He was FILTHY but content.

We then hung out at the office. We were by the front door and he was the official greeter. He has a tendency to put a smile on faces.

The downside to all of this activity: he got a bath when we got home. However, I made sure that he got several of his favorite treats while he was getting bathed. You know, sorta like being at a spa. Speaking of bathing...I need to hop in the shower. Even though we walked, it was 79 degrees with high humidity and I worked up a sweat.

Have a good weekend everybody!

Did you know...?

...that yesterday was National Underwear Day? How did I miss this????!!!

It is a bit odd though that yesterday I put on new pair of undies. What is even more odd is that it taught me a lesson to always look before you buy. Here's what happened...

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at M2M on Montrose. They were advertising an Underwear Sale. Buy 1 get the 2nd at 60% off. Sounds like a deal.

So, I'm looking at shirts and jeans and undies while I'm on the phone with AttyHou. I noticed some nice looking undies made by Andrew Christian. I'm chatting away and needing to get outta there 'cause we were both on our way to the same meeting.

So I make my purchase, jump in the car and get on with my life.

So yesterday I decide to wear the black pair. I happen to look at the back and this is what I saw:

I laughed. These are so not me! I've never even seen Pirates of the Caribbean! There was no way I could return them so I wore them anyway.

Just goes to prove...you never know what someone has on underneath. :-) And that you should never shop and talk on the phone at the same time!

And speaking of underwear...

At what point should a man be required to wear a sports bra?

I did a 3 mile run this morning at the park (I had plan on a longer run but overslept) and there was a guy there running shirtless whose manboobs were just jiggling away. He had more going on there than some women. And I thought, "He needs a sports bra." And then I thought, "If he can look like that and run shirtless, why can't women run topless?" And then I thought, "If you don't like it, you don't have to look."

BTW...I've seen Yoga Boi twice this week doing yoga at the park. Guess he is getting back into his routine.

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.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 1.1

URGGGGGGGHHHH!

Do you ever have one of those days when you wake up and you feel like you're going to blow up...sort of being on the edge of losing it?

A few minutes ago a lady honked at me 'cause I wouldn't make a right turn on red. "Hey lady! There were cars coming at me!" I almost got out of the car and banged on her window but in this town you never know who has a gun in their car. To make matters worse, after we both turned onto Memorial Drive we got stopped by a red light. She was in the middle lane 5 cars back; I was in the right lane first car at the light. She proceeds to get behind me and ride my bumper. UGH!

Maybe I shouldn't have had coffee this morning.

OK. Enough of my ranting.

1, 2, Cha Cha Cha

Do you ever see something that makes you giggle? After my run on Thursday, I was in the jungle gym area doing my post-run stretches. The iPod was playing Janet Jackson’s Together Again (Tony Moran 12” Club mix).

There was a lady not far from me who was doing some type of calisthenics that looked like she was doing Cha Cha steps…except she didn’t have any type of musical device to give her the beat. However, her rhythm was right on beat with what was playing on my iPod. I started to giggle and almost went to ask her if I could Cha Cha with her.

June 21 (revisited)

Yesterday was the first day of summer, also known as the Summer Solstice. Solstice comes from the Latin words that mean “sun stops”. If I understand it correctly, at 1:06P CDT on June 21, 2007, the sun reached the Tropic of Cancer. From that point on, it will now start to move south because the earth is tilting in a different direction and the days will get shorter. Does that sorta make sense?

Speaking of the longest day of the year. In my Father’s Day post, I mentioned a trip to South Korea. The day that I departed Seoul happened to be June 21, 1989. Seoul is much farther north than Ft. Worth so the sun came up around 415A. We left that afternoon and at some point we went from the 21st of June back to the 20th of June but landed at LAX around 1000A on the 21st of June so here is the sun in the morning…again. I didn’t get back to DFW until the evening of the 21st and the sun was STILL out. Str8 Up With A Twist recommends to its readers not to cross the International Date Line anywhere near June 20 and June 21. It will mess with your mind and your sleep.

And speaking once again of summer. Have I ever told you that Houston has two seasons? That’s right! Summer and August.

Yoga Boi messed with my mind yesterday. I figured that since it was the longest day of the year, he would be out early. I got to the park around 615A and no Yoga Boi. I run-right counter-clockwise and at about mile 1 running-right clockwise was Yoga Boi. Did he do yoga yesterday? And I promise, that I will do a post about Yoga Boi and why I am so intrigued with him doing yoga at the park.

P.S. Forgot to tell you

A good thing happened on Wednesday night. I received a massage! Calvin doesn’t know it but that was his Father’s Day present to me…since he didn’t even acknowledge the day. If you’re in Houston and looking for a massage therapist that does an awesome job, visit Your Body In Harmony.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 1.0

When I last spoke of the weather, I said that it was going to rain on Monday and Tuesday. Well it rained somewhere in Houston but not on me.

Guess I shouldn't have been feeling so cocky 'cause I got my due about 230A or so this morning.

OMG! The house was shaking and it was lit up in that electric blue-white light that only comes with lightning.

At one time, Jim and I lived much closer to Memorial Park. We were always getting hit by heavy storms. I'm not as close to the park but close enough and now I'm closer to the bayou. I'm beginning to think Mother Nature is upset that so much development is going on in NoRO and she is making us pay the price.

Without me even calling him, Calvin jumped on the bed with me to ride out the storm. I kept thinking we would lose power; we didn't. However, later on in the morning I would discover that the the office had lost power.

Because the rain continued for awhile, I had to delay Calvin's morning walk. I debated about going for a run. Ended up going and sure enough Yoga Boi was there. I will say that there is something very refreshing about running in a light rain when it is about 79 degrees.

After I dropped off Calvin at doggy daycare, I went to the office and that is when I realized I
would be a displaced worker. I went to one of the other locations and discovered that some of my office mates were there.

What are those birds? Lemmings? That's what I feel like some days.

So, I'm going to try and change my attitude about this weather. After all, on my way to the park this morning I did see a rainbow. What better way to start your day?

So rather than b!tch about the rain, I'll sing a ditty about the rain. I think I'll start with Viola Willis's dance version of Stormy Weather.

On a completely different thought, in my search for a substitute for The Spin Doctor, I went to a different spin class last night. I thought DIT was tough...Connie was much tougher than DIT.

Neighbor Nina (NN) had told me about her. Connie had been on vacation and came back with a vengeance. Last night my calves were twitching and my fingers were cramping so I loaded up on Gatorade and bananas.

Don't forget...tomorrow is June 21 which is the first day of Summer and the longest day of the year!

Get outta my way!

OK. I'm not sure what has me on edge today but I think it started yesterday at the gym when a trainer walked up to me and started gabbing. First, I had to stop the iPod and then take off the earphones. Then I had to stop what I was doing. If he wanted to correct me on my form or something, that would be one thing. But no, he just wanted to gab while he waited for his next client. And get this, right now he is at my office sitting at the table next to me. UGH! I gave him that Lindsay Lohan smile that Kathy Griffin received.

Then this morning at the park, people were running left instead of right and they're looking at me like I'm on the wrong side and giving me the get out of my way look. I was about ready to take a few of them out. Granted, 98.5% of the people this morning were running right but the others were messing it up for the rest of us.

Even Yoga Boi was acting strange. After he finished his yoga, he was getting ready to run and was doing some strange breathing. It looked like he was either snorting coke or doing hits of poppers.

So who sits next to me at the office before Mr. Trainer shows up? Loud Mouth Lady and her bf. And true to form, they talked loud and didn't clean up after themselves.

I'm either going back to bed or going to by a new pair of shoes to make me feel better.