Three Signs

There is no rhyme or reason to this post other than I really, really, really needed to take a break from grading final exams, exams which make it painfully clear that my students really never mastered basic notions about where in a sentence a modifier goes that don't study...(see? I created a completely misplaced or dangling modifier, and it a has verb agreement error to boot...that don't study clearly is describing my students, however since it is nearest to the word "modifier" it makes it sound like the modifier doesn't study...which might be accurate, I mean, parts of speech don't study, right? But if that were true, then we have an agreement error... not that ANY of that would be noted by too many of my students even though this doesn't even make any sense...I mean, clearly, why would a modifier study?)

It really doesn't make sense! But then again, neither do other dangling or misplaced modifiers. However, I do think the above parenthetical may hold the record for the longest parenthetical of all time, or at lease of this blog.

I know; I know; I should have a grammar blog for these kinds of grammar outbursts and not bore you with them here.

Feel free to commence with the comments about things left dangling or that are misplaced...g'head.

DramaGirl-GLEE update -  Also, you should g'head and ask me how many GLEE inspired days of gratefulness and agreeableness I got from DramaGirl before "The Attitude" returned.

Answer: 'bout a day and a half...so the post-GLEE glow ended abruptly and we are back to our regularly scheduled program. Here's why...observe the map.

A = roughly where we live. B = roughly where DramaGirl wanted to go over Memorial Day with another family for four nights on a camping trip. Yes, to me, the overprotective mother (and I'm not even that overprotective), this is FAR, but more significantly, I've heard many, many, many wild stories about camping on "The River" over Memorial Day weekend,  so I said, "no, you can't go this time" and have, thusly, ruined her life FOREVER! 

Running update - I ran two days in a row this week on Monday (3 miles on the 'mill) and Tuesday (4x800 repeats with the track club) which means that my knee has been a little twitchy. I am settling into the tapering thing. Today, I'm going to the gym for some time on the elliptical an some light weights.

Which leads me, with an extraordinary lack of a clever transition, to this, which at one point yesterday I thought would be the main point (if there ever was one) to this post...

Random signs that have made me laugh this week.

Margarita Man - I don't know why I took this, but that there is a local business in which a man delivers margaritas I think is a sign of a recovering economy.

Then, on Wednesday night as I was leaving Trader Joe's, I saw this...

I think someone wants to be a heffer (this is not my licensee plate, nor does it belong to any of the heffers) 

Then, Turbo was quite amused because I ran back into TJs to take a picture of this...

Gotta love Trader Joe's for their continuing attempt to educate the populace. That first bullet point says: On average, every American enjoys 2.48 gallons of wine per year. Gosh, I hope that statistic includes children because I'm pretty sure I drank that much wine in the last two weeks!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week. I'm giving two more finals today...grading them tomorrow...and I'm DONE for the SUMMER! WOOT!

I love fall...

Wow, what a difference a week makes. Ran this morning at Lake BP. Unlike last Sunday's debacle, this morning was lovely. Light clouds, fall sun...not the sort of sun that sucks all of the energy out of me, but the kind of happy-fall sun that smiles at me happily. (Note to anyone who doesn't live in so-Cal...Summers are often foggy and cool, especially at the beach. October really is the BEST month to visit).

Of course, my intention this morning was to run only one "lap" at Lake BP and not two, so that also made it a better run. I'm planning on doing the last long run tomorrow morning. This morning, I needed a good run and I ran the crap out of it too...

Mile 1: 10:15
Mile 2: 10.34
Mile 3: 10:09 (for those familiar with Lake Boy Part, this split is from the three mile marker, to the fence and back to the three mile marker...which is probably less than a mile)
Mile 4: 11:01
Mile 5: 11:20
Last 1/2 mile(ish...probably a little more, but makes up for the shorter mile at mile 3) 5:20

5:53 miles
57:39 total time
10:23 pace

So, that was the good news. The bad news is that I'd sent Betty a text the night before that I'd be at Lake BP at 7:30ish. Care to guess what time I dragged my sorry ass out of bed? 8am...GAH! Checked my cell phone & saw that I had a return text from Betty at 6:40 and a phone call from her at 7:38 (probably to say where the "F"are you?). Gah! Sorry Betty.

We did run into each other when I showed up at Lake BP at 8:45ish...but she was done running at that point

So, nice run this morning...even though I am a loser friend.

I did appreciate running with the cloud cover...and there were lots of interesting people walking and running at Lake BP, including one couple who were geo-caching...which I know about because I've done it before. I really wanted to ask the couple, as they traipsed through the brush, if they'd found their treasure yet...

In other news this weekend, last night Walter and I took DramaGirl and a friend of hers to Octoberfest...an event that, quite frankly, I just don't get. It's an unbelievably crowded street fair with 100's of street fair vendors selling the usual crap...in addition to some food vendors who sell bratwurst. In past years, there was a pretty good beer garden with an Oompah Band and people doing the Chicken Dance and all that, but this year, apparently, the beer garden was much smaller...which drove the crowds into the street fair and (probably) the downtown restaurants and street-food vendors.

Not that we were venturing into beer gardens last night, as our purpose was to escort 13-year old DramaGirl and friend who begged us to take them to Octoberfest. I was pretty surprised they wanted to go. It really isn't much of a kid, or even teen-friendly event...other than there are other teens hanging out there...AND there really weren't even that many of those. My "I'll make the best of it" attitude lasted about the first 42 minutes...then declined from there...especially when DramaGirl and friend decided they just had to go on cheesy, low-budget, carnival rides (there were three).

Of course, DramaGirl and friend just really didn't even want to be with us to begin with, but that wasn't an option. Call me an overprotective ninny-mom, but I'm just not ready to let my 13 year old and a friend roam the streets of the downtown area when there are 50,000 people (I don't think I'm exaggerating by the way), roaming about...and a trolley nearby.

So...to sum up...cheap street-vendor crap for sale, expensive street-vendor food, lines, lines, lines, and about 50,000 people walking the streets with strollers...and me with no beer...

Really crappy picture taken of the crowd with Walter's Blackberry, cuz I forgot my iPhone and camera at home...GAH!

Tomorrow morning is the last "long run" before the Nike Women's 1/2 (only 14 days away!) unless I figure out a way to get up to Long Beach for that 1/2 marathon next weekend (I'm still working on the details Southbay Girl). Edith and I have a good one planned with two loops that include 6th avenue...(da da da daaaaaaaa).

Signs of Summer???

Is this a sign of the summer to come? Tuesday night track club workout followed by pints of Guinness? I'd BETTER train to run a 1/2 marathon this summer. Do you have any idea how many calories are in a pint of Guinness? (Maybe it's better if I don't tell, but...you know me, I can't help but share VALUABLE INFORMATION.)

If a pint is 16 oz (and I think it is), then according to one of my favorite calorie-counting software applications, EVER, CalorieKing, a pint is 235 calories... I don't even want to calculate the calorie count of the Greek Food...).

But isn't it pretty how the Auld Sod somehow gets the impression of a cloverleaf into the beer-foam? Pretty, pretty, beer.

So, we welcomed Mik to the Heffers last night with pints and food, but felt justified in doing so since we worked out with the track club. Betty, Edith, Mik, and I were in attendance...and we were also joined by Tall Tim! (who now has FOUR mentions in this blog, so, I went back and labeled all those entries so that he now turns up in the Things I Write About log!)... OK TT, you have to leave a comment now. It's a rule I just made up. (I mention you in the blog, you read about it, you write).

Edith would want you to.

She told me so.

Before the pints, we ran on the grass at Balboa Park. I HAAAAATE running on grass or trails. I know in that our first official run after the marathon, we were supposed to take it easy and save our legs and all that, but I felt like my legs were working twice as hard (at least) running on the grass than I ever feel running on pavement or the street. I'm also really happy that after the run, we did some extra strides and some sit-ups...my core could use the workout.

It was funny that Paul told us to run at 45 seconds faster than our "real" marathon pace, not our "anticipated" marathon pace...

In other heffer-running and non-running news this week...

1. You read it here first! Betty told me that listening to Paul made her THINK ABOUT RUNNING ANOTHER MARATHON! (sorry Momma).
2. The car air-conditioner can also be used as a "spot specific" clothes dryer (useful when going to the Auld Sod for pints after running... and you tend to sweat in unmentionable places... and you are wearing running pants in a color other than black that doesn't hide the wet-spots so well.)
3. Betty is going to wear all orange to the next race.
4. I can parallel park PRETTY DARN WELL.
5. Strides are fun.
6. Alberta is going to start lifting weights with me...won't that be fun when we find out that Alberta can lift, oh I don't know, about 25 times the weight I can lift.
7. BBJ added "music" to the list of things men think about (you all know the other three, sports, sex, food), because it helps "develop rhythm."
   
8. And because if I don't write about this, someone else (Betty) will...and because I have learned that it is best to write about my own humiliations myself, rather than waiting for someone else to... I learned last week that entering the dugout during a championship Little League Baseball game to see if your son, who was crying over being hit by a baseball, needs some ice is a VERY BAD IDEA and apparently EVERYONE knows this rule, except for the team manager's wife.

The good news is, despite my faux-pax, Walter and Turbo's team won the league championship over the weekend. An event which was a first for our family and was unbelievably cool. I'm so proud of them both.

All the boys got a medal and we get to house for the week a completely ENORMOUS trophy.

The bad news is that we now have two more weeks of baseball in front of us now.

The obvious news is that I'll never enter a baseball dugout again as long as I live (really, I'm scared of them now).

Alice

A Tuesday Post! A Tuesday Post--In Purple!

OK, OK...this started off as a Tuesday night post, but now it’s Wednesday night. I’ve missed American Idol (shhhhh don’t tell me who American voted off...I’ve got it on the DVR), ...but last night, after getting home last night and dealing with home/kid/hubby stuff, I didn’t have the heart (or a sense of humor) to write.

But it is mid-week, and we have so many things to ponder and discuss that I couldn’t resist. That, and as I’ve told several of you, I’m trying to figure out a way that I can quit my day-job and become a full-time blogger, so I might try posting a couple times a week for awhile...that will probably also mean that I end up posting about other random things in addition to the Marathon stuff.

Fortunately, this post IS (mostly) about the marathon stuff. First of all...HOORAY! There were five (count ‘em FIVE) of us at track practice last night. I was so happy I coulda just died (well, the workout last night did nearly kill us, but that’s another story...)...even better than that when I got home, we had this from Edith

After a bunch of soul searching tonight, I've decided I'm going to suck it up and try to get the miles in, even if that means getting up at 5:30 to get a run in before little league games, and stick with this whole marathon thing. Cindi is working too damn hard for any of us who are not injured to bail on her! (meaning me). And my cute Dominican friend with the bad teeth, but fun attitude, told me tonight after practice, it doesn't matter if you wind up walking most of it...you are there and you can complete it...who cares how fast?

Guilt much? My mother would be simultaneously proud and absolutely astonished that I was making somebody else feel guilty for not running in a marathon...I love it. Catholic - Jewish - Running Guilt all at once...who knew? 

Also, who is your Dominican friend? How many dudes do you have going right now Edith? Does tall “Tim” who wants to run w/you on weekends know? What will he say about everyone else who will line up to see you in a speedo and body paint, raising money for the Leukemia Society (you give and you give, don’t you).... But don’t worry, we won’t talk any further about the whole Nike Women’s 1/2 Marathon debacle... I think we covered that thoroughly yesterday afternoon via email.

Only, have you noticed that that this post is all in purple...in honor of Edith

And even though she’s gotten enough face-time in this post, here’s a photo of Edith (with a fence in front of her face...nice) and Tall Tim. I’m pretty sure if I’d taken a second photo, it would include Edith giving me the finger...which would surprise not a single one of us. 

Finally, (and this is the part that has really NOTHING to do with running, but) I though you should all know that Betty and I took our kids and a few of their friends GIS/GPS (whatever) last Sunday. Basically they used her GIS/GPS (whatever) devices to treasure hunt (or cache-hunt) at Lake Murray. Who knew??? Apparently, hidden all over the freekin’ world are little tupperwear boxes filled with useless crap...and you can go on the Internet and get the coordinates for where they are hidden. Then, you can use a GPS/GIS (whatever) device to find the cache (box). 

It was a great morning...kids running all over the place. Betty and I walking Lake Murray...then my son (who Betty named Turbo) and his friend decide that the best route to the next treasure requires them to hop a fence, onto the golf course...which they can’t get out of unless they hop another fence (or climb a wall...I don’t think I ever got the full story)...but which they can’t get out that way either without Turbo scratching up his leg pretty bad...for which he has to have a total melt-down. 

Betty bravely tried to lift my 80+ lb son over another fence...but for some reason, he didn’t have much confidence in this...which led to another melt down...and me (the nurturing mother) just telling him to (basically) suck it up and walk back to wherever he first got on the golf course to begin with...yeah, I get mother-of-the-year award... 

Anyway...it all worked out...but I LOVE Betty and her motivational ways with kids...a true genius. At one point, Turbo was walking at a ssssnnnnnaaaaaaiiiiiilllllllsssssss pace and we’re still about a mile and a half from the car. I’m getting frustrated because he’s walking so ssssllllllllooooowwwww and quite frankly, I’m tired of the whining (it’s a scratch on your leg for god’s sake...there’s a little blood, but I don’t see any bone protruding (shut up if you make a joke here because I used the word bone...shame on you....he’s a little boy)...anyway, Betty looks at him and says: 

“Hey look, I’m hungry. I’m going to walk back at a normal pace...go get lunch...feed the girls and I’ll bring you something back. OK? Whatdaya want? A hot dog?”

Turbo just looks at her like WTF, then starts walking normally.

Genius....I LOVE you Betty...you make this journey all worth it (or something like that). By the way...this is a picture of Turbo on the golf course which I took before I realized he was crying (and bleeding)...and the fence that Betty tried to lift him over...

Yes, mother of the year award for me. 

Also, is this boat overkill for Lake Murray? Seriously? Just wondering.

Alice

8 Comments

Betty

Yes - for starters Alice, some of us were Wogging at a slower than normal pace. I think for the marathon you guys can finsh and go to lunch and then come and get me - I'll be going at the Turbo pace!

I love you for putting GIS into the Blog - actually - you've been doing it all along while mapping your routes. Additionally, I'm having a great time geo-caching. Debi and I are setting up a few courses here at Helix and I'll be hiding my tupperware containers all over. In fact in the future, I think I'll leave these at your house so that random geeks can come over and search your property!

Having a great time with friends like you!

Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 08:14 AM

Mona

I'm still wondering who Dominican tooth boy is.

Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 08:54 AM

Edith

The purple is making me laugh...why am I so bitter about TNT? But MY big question of the day...WHERE DID ELSIE GET THE SDTC SHIRT?! Is she secretly part of Rage Against the Machine and is just not telling us? And where was I during all these photo ops? I swear I was there! My (still) aching legs can attest to that!

Keep up the blogging Alice...I love it.

Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 09:24 AM

Edith

So this I need to share....because I just can't let things go...I contacted Nike to find out exactly why they rejected me. Come to find out, it WASN'T a screw up with which Wells Fargo card I used, I actually typed Alice's email address wrong. Knowing that this had nothing to do with my bank and everything to do with sheer stupidity, actually made me quite happy. I'm just dumb. Such a relief! (Do you think Wells Fargo will sponsor me?)

Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 04:41 PM

Elsie

Alice - I do think you've got the knack of taking really rather dull stuff and making it look good. Did you photoshop those pictures? We look relatively good, (see how Betty's has her sexy pose going on- she looks 18, I'm not fond of my double chins though) considering it's after the run, and we're barely able to walk up those stairs. Edith, I'll contribute to your paypal account - and I think looking for corporate sponsors is a great idea - you might start with the Alex Smith Foundation, who I think is looking for a good cause. I'm also protesting that the pictures I send you haven't made it on the Blog. Glad Edith is feeling guilty (although tall Tim and the Dominican may help her get over it) cuz I'm not. See ya'll at the track!

Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 09:08 PM

Alice

Chin up and out...that's the "no double chin" move...works for me. You're right...Betty does have the model pose going on. She's HOT, that's for sure.

As for the harassment about your remodel photos. Here's one.

Finally...as I was Betty's Bitch today (you and Alberta know what I mean), here's your reminder that I'm picking you up in the morning. We'll be at the train station by 7am...

By the way....nice remodel

Friday, April 4, 2008 - 05:58 PM

Alice

another remodel photo (why can't she post these herself)

Friday, April 4, 2008 - 05:59 PM

Alice

And then there's this...Betty's way of making sure that a student drew a thermometer that wasn't inappropriate

Friday, April 4, 2008 - 06:01 PM

Smells of San Diego

This is what one does after running 14 miles. 

I’d have had a beer with me, but I was alone (well, Cori was with me. She took the picture), and I really don’t like drinking alone (especially at noon on a Saturday. It seems rather desperate).

I also took some really excellent pictures of Cori eating some oranges off our tree. These are juice oranges...really yummy, and one series of photos which show her just getting frustrated with me and the iPhone camera...I love have a pre-teen daughter to harass and entertain :-)



Of course, I’ve also put the obligatory link to today’s course Yes, I know you can look at almost the same thing at the RnR site, but it makes me happy to map out the run. I will say that while the RnR called it the “Wind and Sea Run,” I wanted to call it the “Smells of San Diego Run”...lots of funky drainage, sewer, sea water, bacon, ocean smells as we ran today, some not as pleasant as the others.

I have to say that I’m pretty darn surprised at myself, this running 14 miles thing. I had moments today during the run (listening to my own Nano, thank you very much) when I thought, “yes, I can see how, in two months, I will be able to run 26.2.” Of course, I had other moments when I thought “I don’t think I’ll be able to run 26.2...EVER!” Where are my legs....ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Betty will appreciate this after my walk uphill of mile 11 of the AFC last August (and my refusal to do any hill training whatsoever before the run)...I even ran the hills today! Nothing like running up 6th street, although I think I’ll be able to run it this summer...geez, I’ve become a monster haven’t I? What am I doing? Thinking of running a 1/2 marathon in August and I haven’t gotten through this next little event yet...Who AM I?

I also sincerely told all of the guys at the last two water stations that I loved them and that they were definitely making a difference in my life! Gu and Gukinade never tasted so good!

Since I once again ran without benefit of my companions, I had time to compose my top 10 list of things I miss about running with you all.

1. Pancakes at World Famous (ran by it today - twice - and nearly cried).
2. Did I mention mimosas?
3. Picking up Betty at 6:22 and exchanging the “Tell me again why we are doing this?” look
4. Hearing Elsie flirt and make other random comments
5. High-five-ing BBJ on the out and back loops
6. Sharing digestive issue stories w/Alberta and Edith
7. Not being able to tell Clarence that I know who the lady who runs like Pheobe is now (she almost ran into a random sign-post today).
8. And that I’ve also had a conversation with the guy in black tights (that’s what it’s come to...)
9. Listening to Betty’s monologues on the way to and from the run
10. A complete dearth of new-funny stories to share

OK...so next weekend, we get to take the train from Solana Beach to somewhere. Paul was explaining it, but I was looking for Alberta, who is probably still suffering from Bronchitis, so I missed which way the train was headed, but I think we end up going North to some point, then run the 16 miles back to the train station at Solana Beach...who wants to carpool?

Both Betty and Elsie promise me they’ll be at track practice Tuesday...school starts for us on Monday. June 1 is about 2 months out...Then summer. Now THAT makes me happy!

Oh...and check your bank statements. I see a $100 charge from Active.com. I think that’s the Nike Women’s Marathon...I’m pretty sure that means we’re in!

Alice

3 Comments

betty

I'm so proud of you!!!!! I'm jealous also!!!!
I can't believe how great everyone is doing. I think it is only 63 days till the big day.... I'm hoping I can get prepared in 60 days.

Cindi - I don't think it is desperate to drink alone.. is it? Shit - I'm in big trouble! I think I want a pix of you and your guy in black tights running together!

Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 08:13 PM

Clarence

I am so proud of you Cindi... you have no idea. I am also very jealous. I actually wish I was running with you all. However, now that my heel spurs have healed it seems that what ailed me in Tahoe is once again visiting me, and has been with me all 2 weeks of break. Yesterday and today were good days. I was able to get into a car and go somewhere and not feel light headed or panicked! :) It's the little things. I have a Dr's apt. Tuesday, but I think I need to see a nutritionist- there is something off balanced going on- and no, I'm not pregnant!

See everyone Monday! Miss you guys.

Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 09:22 PM

Alice

Does 5 hours of shopping count as "active recovery?"

Spent $80.00 today on new running clothes (because I don't have enough of them from the last sale) at Road Runner...also exchanged shoes for 1/2 size larger...Jaime, you were right. My new shoes were too small. I love that Road Runner will exchange new shoes.

Sunday, March 30, 2008 - 08:33 PM