Miscellaneous Meanderings

Debrief: 1x Arms & Abs, Mowed Yard (push reel mower)
Goal (4/28-5/4): 2x Arms, 2x Abs

Well, I'm back home and still super exhausted from the trip out of town. In spite of the migraine, and a fill-in Ed Consultant driving me crazy with his last minute exam changes, I managed to make it to Mich.ael's Cr.afts (someone gave me a lovely 50% off coupon while I was browsing the aisles) and to Barnes & Noble. Twice. Okay, the second time was just for the Cafe Mocha to keep me going on the drive home. And oh, what a lovely drive. The weather had cleared and it was sunny. Beautiful, especially going through the canyons. It's just greening up thanks to the onset of Spring and the amount of snow/moisture we've had this winter. The Summer heat & dryness hasn't set in. Only pang that disturbed the beauty was the thought that if the moisture doesn't keep up through Spring, there's going to be plenty of fuel for the fires this Summer/Fall.

Stopped at Shanni's on the way into town to pick up the mutt. That was funny. I made it all the way into the living room and said her name several times in my normal voice before she heard me. She was sprawled across their couch sleeping the sleep of the just. (Or rather, the sleep of those who've just spent their days tormenting hapless dogs & people, and attempting to cow the cats - and then running for her life!) Once she realized I was there, she did the usual "oh, it's been horrible, I've been so abused since you abandoned me!" routine. Like I fell for that.

Spent the rest of the weekend cleaning house, doing laundry, and mowing the yard. Sigh. I really really want to tear out the lawn and re-sod it. Whatever grass moved in last year is still thriving. It grows so dang fast it's crowding out more and more of the nice grass. The kind that gives you that soft carpet. It's hardly spring-like weather and I've had to mow the backyard twice!!!! It was quite a workout...my arms hurt and I thought I was gonna die. It needed to be mowed last weekend, but since it started snowing that Saturday morning, that was kind of not an option. Yesterday was lawn day in my neighborhood. Every house on my block had someone in the yard fixing sprinklers, trimming, mowing, etc. I've already had the lawn service people out 2x - once for the aeration and last week for the first fertilizer/weed killer treatment of the year. Hopefully this will help the real grass take - and keep - root.

I put myself back on the Clar.itinD again. Hopefully that will help. Although so far I'm only doing so-so. The switch from snow last Friday to sunny & windows ope on Saturday is just killing my body.

Not much more to say. Lounged around yesterday, working in the house, spoiling the dog. I'm almost done with "The Birth Order" book by Kevin Leman. Not bad, although as a middle child I find it somewhat lacking. [g] He has very little to say about middle children. I also picked up the latest by Sandra Schwab. Can you believe our Wa.lMar.t got it before Hast.ings? They still don't even have it listed in their database. Stupid store. I can't wait until we get a Bo.rders or Ba.rnes & N.oble. Anyway. I'm saving that book for a few more days - must get the library books read first. I'm out of renewals. :)

The "Alpine Glow"

Sitrep: 3x Thought about Reving, 2x Thought About doing PPU

Driving into work this morning was beautiful. It's starting to get light out now just around the time I get up. By the time I head for work, it's that lovely gray turning white light.

I go West to get to town; the foothills this morning had a coating of white still from all the snow, with the lovely golden brown of the grass peeking through. Like donuts lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Behind them loomed the mountains of the Continental Divide. A darker gray with snow, several long, strung-out layers of puffy clouds hovering above. The light from the rising sun coated the clouds and tips of the Continental Divide a glorious pink that faded down into the snow-covered sides of the mountains. They look just like someone has poured freshly melted pink syrup over the peaks and let it dribble down. Streaks of pink looked like they'd been painted across the white-blue sky. I've been told this is called the "Alpine Glow."

Whatever it's called, it's absolutely beautiful to see when it occurs. The light, the colors, the textures, the depth of the sky...Almost made me glad I was up early enough to see it. Almost!

The Things I Didn't Know

Sitrep: 1x Cardio (2 wts), 1x Arms (2 wts), 5 min snow shoveling (hey, I count everything!)

It's funny the tings I think about when I'm doing nothing. Especially when I'm walking or driving. When walking I tend to let my mind wander. Not so much while driving (!), but I'm still thinking in a part of my brain about other stuff while driving. And last night when I left work to drive home, I mentally explored the complexities of Winter in Montana. Specifically, Office Parking Lot Politics.

Now, when I moved here from Florida, the only experience I had with snow was from my early years in Oklahoma (birth to age 5) and the four years we were stationed in Germany (3rd-6th grades.) I knew I loved it, loved the cold. Never really liked the humidity and hot weather in Florida. But I'd never had to deal with snow as an adult.

As I warmed up the car, I looked around the parking lot we share with the company next door, and realized how everyone is jockeying for the "prime" parking spots. Only they're different from the "prime" spots in Spring, Summer, and Fall. And boy, do people get upset when their regular parking spot is occupied when they get to work. Whatever season it is. Seriously. I've seen people leave notes on windshields. And all the gods, goddesses, & ultimate powers in the universe can't help you if you don't pull up far enough when parking on the side street. And then everyone rearranges in winter. It's some kind of bizarre unspoken, unscripted, music-less ballet with 50 dancers and 10 spaces.

So this is what I've learned about the Office Parking Lot in winter:

1. Always take the spot that is angled up (ie, you're backing out downhill!)
2. Park where you won't have to drive around and up/down another lane of parking spots to reach the exit.
3. When you get to work late and the parking lot out front is empty, there's a reason. Not only are the spots angled down, but you have to cross the parking lot to get to the building.
4. Just because the parking lot in front is plowed, stuff gets packed down and it's icy, etc.
5. Keep some Yak Trax in the trunk of the car. Wear them. Even when you have snow boots. Which reminds me. Where are mine?

So far, no one has taken my spot. Maybe they pity me since every winter for the last six I've either gotten my car stuck when pulling into the lot (hey, not my fault they don't plow the side lot with the main entrance!), or I've fallen multiple times. But then again, I'm also one of the first to get to work, so I have my pick. Angled up, close to the building so I can use the handrail the whole way in if I need to. And a straight shot out of the parking lot at the end of the day. Maybe next Monday I should try parking in a different spot. See whose world I can throw out of whack...

Anyway. These are the things I was thinking about on the way home. Not about the state of Iraq, not about the upcoming primaries where the media is determined to make Democrats choose between Clinton & Barack only, not about the inequalities and injustices faced by millions all over the planet. No. I focused my attention on the complexities of Office Parking Lot Politics.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

One of those days...

2x Arms (2wts), 2x Cardio, 1x Abs, Walk (15 min)
~ My arms hurt. Can't remember the last time I felt my biceps so much.
~ Down to 165 from 171 on my bathroom scale this morning. Had to look 3x to be sure I was reading it right. Hoo-Yah!

Since my horoscope today says "There is a great deal of momentum building in your mind at this time, and once the dam is opened, you may soon have a gigantic flood on your hands..." I thought I'd spare everyone that painful experience. So here are someone else's thoughts:

Jeff Foxworthy’s comments on Montana

If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord, you might live in Montana.

If you're proud that your state makes the national news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation, you might live in Montana.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, you might live in Montana.

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in Montana.

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you might live in Montana

If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, you might live in Montana

If you know how to correctly pronounce Butte, you might live in Montana.

If you measure distance in hours, you might live in Montana.

If your family vehicle is a crew cab pickup, you might live in Montana.

If you know several people who have hit deer more than once, you might live in Montana.

If you often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day and back again, you might live in Montana.

If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching, you might live in Montana.

If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events, you might live in Montana.

If you've installed security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked, you might live in Montana.

If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Wal-mart at any given time, you might live in Montana.

If there are more people at work on Christmas Eve day than on Opening Deer Rifle Season, you might live in Montana.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you might live in Montana.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you might live in Montana.

If finding your misplaced car keys involves looking in the ignition, you might live in Montana.

If you find 0 degrees a little chilly, you might live in Montana.

If you actually understand these observations, and you forward them to all your Montana friends, you must live in Montana!