Two Years Later...

It's my 2 year anniversary at work today. Wow. The only other experience I
have to compare it to is the 6 years I spent at Starbucks. Yay for a job,
yay for a retirement contribution into my account, yay for disposable
income!

Mom has "Officially Moved In." I now live in a room and a half and park on
the street. Seven more weeks, then Paul is back.

Carrabba's Relay this weekend. I anticipate drama, but I'm also
anticipating running in 34 minutes or less. Here's hoping.

Road to Somewhere

Completed the Texas Lavender Hills 10k this past Saturday. In the weeks leading up to this, I kept thinking "Yeah, sure. I can TOTALLY do six miles by then." Who knew that I could ever say that with confidence.



Come yesterday, I had some serious apprehension. "What was I thinking, a 10k. I just graduated to 4 miles! Who do I think I am?"

I'm happy to say that at mile 4, I reminded myself that I had made it that far and two more miles could be cake. Well, uphill cake. I didn't think I could do it, but it's amazing what the mind can convince the body to do.



I should have official results and pictures by the end of the week. I think I completed my 6.4miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes, LOTS of hills but the scenery was beautiful and I could smell the lavender from the fields where the race started.

Along for the ride were Deanna and Sara, girls from work who have become good friends and avid supporters of my madness. They completed the 5k, and I can't remember their times.




So, looks like the half-marathon in November doesn't seem so daunting anymore. And I think Deanna said something about triathlon next year. Yikes!

Dusting off the slack once more...

Since my last post:

I have only $3200 left in debt. Will wait to see how "job eliminations" hash out in June.

I've started a relationship with a wonderful man.

Said man left for Iraq in January and will return in July.

Still Geeking, with another location for me this month.

My beautiful godson is almost two years old.

My mother is preparing to move back to Texas, my step-dad to follow later.

I've begun training for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

Progress abound.

Running notes:
04/11/09 - 2 miles, 24 minutes @ Base Camp.
04/12/09 - 1 mile, 14 minutes (damn neighborhood hill)

Oh Sherrie

Wow. Two weeks of non activity...

Tuesday nights are now filled with social activity. Geeks Who Drink has gained solid footing at one location here in town, and a second one starts next month. I'm pretty sure I'll be hosting that quiz, which will be at the Broadway location. Plus: different side of town, new crowd. Minus: other side of town, will get home late and will be grumpy the following morning. Yay coffee. Speaking of...

Molly and Michelle got the axe from Starbucks. While I know that the company has been tightening the belt, these are to two people I would never think would be let go. Both have delivered strong results and have been unbelievably loyal.I had dinner with them last night at Bin 555 (yummy tapas, great wines) to commiserate with some other Starbucks managers. Each one has had a different reaction: Michelle cut off all her hair, Molly waved her hands in the air and shared some rage. I think I would have gone bat shit in their situation, full on desk-thumping arms-flailing expletive-shouting bat shit. We ended the night at Dad's Karaoke where Melissa belted out 'I Like Big Butts' and I sang Steve Perry's 'Oh Sherrie' with Molly as my back up dancer. Did I mention we had a lot of wine?

I Want A New Drug

What to do when your insides feel like they are going to fall out with every step you take (pretty picture, yes?)? Pop some codeine and bake cupcakes, of course!

I had all the ingredients to make Vanilla Garlic's Mango Lime Cupcakes and added kiwis as garnish. I went a little crazy with the icing bag, I blame the drugs and wine.



I forgot to take pics of the finished product, but since they were so tasty I'm sure they will appear again.

The second freak-out produced these:






My original plan was to make French Vanilla Cupcakes & Rose Meringue cupcakes, but I could not find the #$%#$#@ rose water after hitting five different stores all week. So I just made vanilla on vanilla. And I must have spaced out because instead of 2 additional egg yolks, I added egg whites. So.. yeah.. not so much the perfect cupcake consistency. And... I fucked up the meringue, I'm not really sure how but I did. I then tried to make the meringue kisses with the leftovers, but they burned at 6 minutes, right temp. :-( They ended up looking like little dog poos.

Saturday was Geeks quiz master training. Much fun was had buy all. I crashed out for a while afterwards. Brain...hurt...

Now I'm draped on the couch, hoping my insides don't start acting out again.

Mr. Roboto

The Good

• Local universities were on site at work today to spin their spiel. I hunkered down and turned in my application for Our Lady of the Lake's MBA program. Thank you, work, for $10,000 in yearly tuition reimbursement. I just have to come up with the initial payment and also cover my pre-req class.
• It finally rained thanks to Hurricane Dolly. My plants were looking a bit sad.
• Went out twice this week. Woo hoo! And it's only Wednesday!
  

The Bad

• Intellectual stimulation escapes me. I find myself staring off into space. A lot.
• Carbs. They are yummy. Especially when covered in butter.
• One giant callus on the ball of my foot, making it hard to wear cute shoes or to run.
  

The Ugly

• Have not made it to the gym at all. Found all kinds of excuses: I'm not driving this week. There's a hurricane outside. I'm hungry. I need to get gas. I have gas. My stories are on. I did manage some core exercises in front of the Boob Tube.
• I have been living on frozen food. Not because I don't have fresh food, but because I'm too damn cheap to leave the AC on 72 all day to keep my fruit and such from melting in the heat. Will try leaving fruit bowl in the living room next grocery trip.
  

This week will be written off. I can't let myself not go to the gym, if only because I don't want to have to buy bigger pants. :-) Maybe I will take Dad up on his offer to give me his treadmill.

It's so hard not to sing out loud while being a passenger. I don't know how my fellow carpooler would react. At least he makes up for playing Mariah Crazy by following up with some classic Michael Jackson. Will have to introduce him to the classic car sing along:




The actual video here.

Six Underground

Three visits to the gym. *sigh* I could not get up from the couch yesterday. I slept for three hours after lunch. That just means I'm going to pay for it at the gym tomorrow with the trainer. But at least I've stuck to my guns with food. Mostly. :-)

Went a bit over my dining budget, but the sushi and company made it sting less. Tried a new roll at Sushi Zushi, the J Roll (I had a hard time keeping a straight face when ordering it) with out cream cheese. I just don't get the cream cheese. The consistency is just wrong to me, gives me the creeps. Don't get me wrong - I like it on a good bagel, just not on my tuna. Still, sushi makes me giddy.

Even with the dining splurge, little extra at the Saucer on Friday, and a $11 purchase at Ross for my workout ball, I am still on target for the week even with a $50 gas purchase. Rarg!!!!!

HOWEVER... the exciting bit is that I am now officially a Geek Who Drinks. That is to say, I have earned capitalization in that characterization for being dubbed an official quiz master. I didn't flub the audition by stammering or being monotone (I think the two Blue Star Chocolate Stouts helped) and even earned a few laughs. That being said, I don't have my time and location locked in as of yet, but I will be heading out next Tuesday to support the inaugural quiz at the Lion & Rose. Not bad for my first job requiring stand up performance. (I could argue that like the doctor at the bottom of his graduating class who is still a doctor, I could have been the best of the worst but I still made it.)

Weird weekend. That is a non-relationship rant best kept private. [Insert d'oh here]

Week 2 of the carpool begins. Spurs Fan's turn to drive, which rocks since my gas gauge light lit up when I got home. How I miss Boston... and today is the perfect day for Chinese food.

Talk me down, safe and sound
Too strung up to sleep
Wear me out, scream and shout
Swear my time's never cheap
I fake my life like I've lived
Too much, I take whatever you're given
Not enough,

Overground, watch this space,
I'm open to falling from grace