One Of Those Moments

So I had a great idea for a post today (just ask Kim, she'll tell you...), but it's going to have to wait because I'm just not feeling it right now. Why not? Well, 'cause I'm sitting out here in Christy's backyard waiting for the fire we built to die down. And we're laughing a lot because we were just trying to write a song for Lydia who was stuck inside writing a paper while we were enjoying the fire and watching several loitering deer (because for some reason I told her that's what we were doing when she took a break to visit us awhile back). So anyway, Christy's hilarious songs are cracking me up, and we were just having so much fun that I was (perhaps somewhat arrogantly) thinking, "if people could see us now, they couldn't help but fall in love with us!" Now, I've had these moments before, times when I really just like me and think others should too, but they don't happen often and I'm pretty sure others would actually just think I'm really strange if they saw me. Yeah, I just don't think it works the way that I wish it did. Pity...

(Incidentally, I'll get back to the other cool post I had planned maybe tomorrow, and another will follow at some point about some of the things that make me like me, as well as some of things I don't like so much...)

Reusables?

So, my parents came down to Cincinnati today to help me pack everything up so I can move out of this apartment and head off to New Jersey next week. And you know, I must say, although I don't enjoy the packing and moving, it sure is a good way to consolidate all the junk we Americans tend to accumulate when we stay in any one place too long. Well anyway, as we were going through old stuff and making decisions about what to take, what to pack, what to throw away, etc., my mom remembered that my old wedding dress is still stored away in a closet up at their house. So she asked me what I might want to do with it. She assumed that I probably wouldn't want to hang onto it now since the sentimentality is gone, and that perhaps I'd want to sell it. "Also," she said, "if you do get married again you probably won't be having another big formal wedding, right? And even if you did you wouldn't wear the same dress." Hmm, I hadn't really thought about all that. But now that I am, yeah, I suppose I'd have to agree: it'd be a little weird to wear the same dress. Still, it's a shame, because it's a really nice dress...

Anyway, that whole discussion reminded me of a similar dilemma I've been facing regarding my old ring. If I try to sell it, I'll get much less for it that it originally cost or than it's really worth, so my first thought was to take the diamond out and use it if and when I do get married again. I mean, if my future fiance had it reset, it'd be like a completely new and different ring, at least in my mind. But some friends have told me that they'd be surprised if he'd be comfortable using a diamond that was purchased by my ex. Hmm. Yeah, I can understand that. But again, it's really too bad: that could save a good bit of money...

Thoughts, anyone? About the possible weirdness of reusing these things, or perhaps other ways to make use of them?

Frustrated

O.k., so I know that we all struggle with certain issues, right? Well, I've just been feeling particularly frustrated with myself lately and came back to these verses again:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. . . . I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. . . . So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! . . . Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 7:15-8:2

It's one of my favorite and least favorite passages in the Bible: favorite because I realize that I'm not alone in my sin-struggles; least favorite because even though it ends well, I can just feel the tension as I read it, like I'm physically being pulled in two different directions. It makes me feel a little hopeless... Hmm. But if I read it more carefully, to the end, I remember that there is relief, rescue, freedom in Christ! And it's not referring to the freedom to go on sinning, but rather that through Christ we actually have the freedom to choose NOT to sin when we're confronted with it! That's some powerful stuff. I just wish I remembered to tap into that power more consistently...

Physical Stuff

Yeah, I hesitate to include these, 'cause if I hope to be loved for who I am inside rather than my appearance, I would hope I could offer the same. And yet, let's be honest, these things matter to an extent. So...

He should...

• Be taller than me.
• Have good teeth (i.e. straight, white).
• Be bigger/stronger than me. (I.e. not too skinny, though not too chunky either.)
• Want to try to look nice, but not be obsessed with his appearance.
• Have nice eyes and a smile that makes me melt.
• Not be very hairy, particularly in the chest/back regions.
• (I also tend to prefer dark hair and eyes, though that’s definitely not a hard and fast rule.)
• (Strong/toned arms and shoulders are sweet.)
• (Soccer-player legs, too.)

Interests, Etc.

He should...

• Love China. (Bonus points if he’s been there, but he should at least have the desire to visit/live/work there at some point in the future.)
• Like and want kids, and be willing to consider adoption, especially internationally.
• Be passionate about music, especially for worshiping. He should probably play at least one instrument, but at the very least must be able to carry a tune. (Bonus points if he can harmonize…)
• Prefer activity to inactivity. E.g. He would rather hike, or bike, or climb, or run, or… than watch T.V. or go out to eat.
• Enjoy being out in nature.
• Like to play like a kid (e.g. jumping in leaves, playing in the snow, climbing trees).
• Like to travel and enjoy photography, or at least be patient with me when I want to stop and take a lot of pictures.
• Like and fit in with my family, and I with his.
• Not be allergic to and at least tolerant of cats.
• Be willing to watch and maybe even enjoy chick flicks and musicals, from time to time.
• Not be obsessed with watching sports on T.V., playing video games, surfing online, etc.
• Enjoy board/card games.
• Be able or interested in learning how to dance (ballroom-type stuff).
• Like massages, both giving and receiving.

Personality Stuff

He should...

• Value communication and recognize its importance in sustaining any type of relationship. He should be willing to discuss even negative emotions/situations, however uncomfortable that may be.
• Be honest, open, and not deceptive.
• Come from a similar background/upbringing as me (e.g. family values, hometown characteristics, etc.).
• Be very intelligent, as well as educated.
• Be patient with me in my weaknesses and willing to help me become more Christ-like.
• Be encouraging. He should be excited to help me achieve goals that I have set for myself. He should be quick to praise me when I do well and be constructive and gentle with his criticism.
• Be funny/silly. He should be able to make me laugh and willing to laugh at himself.
• Be adventurous.
• Appreciate my quirkiness.
• Not be prone to skepticism/suspicion.
• Be wise with money, but not to an extreme (i.e. frugal, not cheap).
• Not be extremely introverted or extroverted, but rather somewhere in the middle.
• Be optimistic. He should assume the best about people rather than the worst.
• Be organized and enjoy planning.
• Also be spontaneous at times.
• Treasure traditions.
• Value eating healthy and exercising.
• Want to live... in a small city, somewhere with four seasons, where it snows and doesn’t get too hot, not too far from or too close to family, within driving distance to some mountains.

Spiritual Stuff

He should...

• Be passionate about God, actively pursuing that relationship above all else.
• Be passionate about missions, whether doing or supporting or educating...
• Desire/plan to be involved in some sort of ministry throughout his life.
• Have the desire and ability to be the spiritual leader in our relationship/family. Being in relationship with him should spur on my spiritual growth rather than distract me from God.
• Hold similar convictions as me about non-essential spiritual matters.
• Have career ambitions, but should value God and family more.

A Teammate

So where were we? Oh, yes...

The other day, I was having dinner with a dear friend. She told me about a conversation she had many years ago with a group of single girls: each of them chose a word that described the kind of partner they would want. One said "a clown," another wanted more of "a coworker," and my friend was hoping for "a constant companion." I thought about it for just a moment and knew what I would ask for: "a teammate." I am crazy active and I love to play, plus my love language is primarily quality time, so I want someone I can do lots of cool stuff with. Basically, I want a best friend. Of course, most importantly I want our relationship to glorify God, but I think that will happen when we are who God made us to be, individually and as a couple. So I expect that we'll have many things in common, from our backgrounds, to our personalities, to the activities we enjoy, to our passions, to our hopes and dreams for the future...

Details will follow.

Um, well... Yeah. I'm Home!

So, bad news. They got the part Sunday morning and put it in, but apparently that part didn't work either. SO... We had to cancel the trip. The Super 8 shuttle bus took us in three loads back to our first bus to collect the rest of our things, then to the Greyhound station in Gary, IN. Then THAT bus was late 'cause a driver didn't show up, so we just got back to the 'Nati at about 1:30 am. But despite the fact that we never even made it to our first stop, Chicago, we still made some new friends and had a lot of fun! I'll post pictures soon...

This Just In...

So let's take a brief detour as I fill you in on what is turning out to be more of an adventure than we bargained for...

We took off from Cincinnati Friday night at maybe 10:00 pm, more than an hour late. We stopped about midnight to get ready for bed in Walmart's restrooms, while the drivers converted the bus seats into beds. (Which was pretty cool, by the way, as the bus was transformed into what looked an awful lot a hard sleeper train in China.) We stopped at about 4:30 am a little outside Chicago to fuel up, but continued sleeping there till about 6:30. It was then that we discovered a river of coolant (if that's what that bright green fluid is) flowing slowly away from the bus. After a few calls and a visit from a mechanic, we learned that the broken part could not be repaired and a new one could not be found in all of Chicago. So we spent the whole day stranded at the rest stop, feeling a lot like Tom Hanks in The Terminal. After a whole lot of waiting, and complaining, and debating, everyone finally agreed on a new plan: one of the drivers would fly to Boston to pick up the new part, fly back, and fix the bus in the morning. We would stay at a hotel. We would continue on the trip as planned, just one day late. We would skip the day in Las Vegas and swing by the north rim instead of the south rim of the Grand Canyon to make up for the lost time.

So there ya go. If you don't hear from me again about this, our adventure has continued! But hopefully it's the type of adventure we signed up for rather this other sort. Still, I'm having fun, getting to know a lot of cool new friends, and learning a lot about being flexible. It's interesting: when you have no plans or expectations, it's a lot easier to not get disappointed or frustrated about setbacks like this!

The List

So, while I'm on my Out West trip, I won't be posting much. But I don't want to leave you all with nothing to read, so... Look for my List, in installments, over the next week. You know, the List. Of qualities I'd ideally like to find in a future mate. C'mon, you know you have/had one too... I actually had a list many years ago, in college, but didn't have much need for it there for awhile. More recently, however, I've created a new list, which, incidentally, I believe is much more complete this time around. That is largely due to the fact that my past experience has shed a lot of light on the things that are important to me. At any rate, it should be an interesting read and may give you some insight into what makes me tick as well. But also, if you happen to know of anyone who seems to fit the bill, please let me know!

Wild, Wild West

This evening I'll be leaving for a ten-day trip out west with about 30 international students and scholars from UC and OSU. It'll be a tiring whirlwind of a tour, but I'm so excited because I've never been to any of the places we'll be visiting: Chicago, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, and St. Louis. Even if we don't have a lot of time in any one place, I'll at least get some amazing photos and a feel for where I'd like to spend more time in the future. Plus, it'll be a great chance to get to know some new friends!

It's All In the Name

I found this little news story interesting, so perhaps you will as well...

Chinese babies named 'Olympic Games'
(June 11, 2008, BBC News)
More than 4,000 children in China have been given the name Aoyun, meaning Olympic Games, in the past 15 years. The rise in popularity of the name is seen as a sign of support for the Games being staged in August in Beijing. Officials in charge of identity cards say that more than 92% of the 4,104 registered Aoyuns are boys. It is not uncommon for Chinese children to be given names of common events and popular slogans - such as Defend China, Build the Nation and Space Travel. There are 290,798 registered Civilisations. The first surge in Aoyuns came in 1992, when China applied to host to the 2000 Games. About 680 Aoyuns were registered at the time. In 2002 another 553 Aoyuns were named, after China was chosen to host the 2008 Games. The BBC's Chinese service says that in recent weeks babies have also been given names such as Hope for Sichuan, to show solidarity with earthquake victims.

Designed For What?

One of my teammates the first summer I went to China asked us a simple question that has stuck with me ever since: Have you ever felt like you were doing exactly what God designed you to do? At the time, I answered, "Yes, right now," and that's why I went back. There were some challenges and struggles living in China, to be sure, yet if circumstances had been different, I'd probably still be there. In fact, I pretty much think about it daily. So why don't I go? Well, mostly it's a financial thing. Not so much about support-raising, but about the sad state of my IRA. There are other fears that deter me, too: traveling alone, never meeting anyone I might want to date/marry, gaining weight again... Still, I can't shake this feeling that I'm supposed to be there. Is that a God thing, a "calling" perhaps? I wish I knew...

The Results Are In!

My overall time was 3:08:41, so I didn't quite make my 3:00:00 goal, but I wasn't too far off! And apparently I was actually 3rd out of 6 women in my age group, and 125th out of 158 people total in the Oympic distance triathlon. Just for comparison, last time I was 7th out of 7 in my division and 92nd out of 98 total. So... better!

My swim (1500m) took 32:21, which was 130th overall.
My first transition was 2:30.
My bike (40km) took 1:20:32, which was 119th overall. My average speed was 18.5 mph.
My second transition was 2:16.
My run (10km) took 1:11:02, which was 124th overall. I averaged 11:27 min./mi.

I'm satisfied with my swim. Last time, the swim was my best part: I was 52nd/98 while I was in the 90s for my bike and run. This time, the swim was the worst part. Weird. But since the only real difference was the wetsuit, I guess I learned that it helps immensely. O.k., well, good to know!

I'm very pleased with my bike. My goal for that part was 1:20, so, right on target. I also averaged 2.7 mph faster than last time. Not bad! Guess my time trials and training paid off.

I'm disappointed with my run. Granted, I was still two minutes faster than last year, even in the heat, but I was hoping to finish that leg in one hour. Still, I realize that the heat was a major determining factor in my run pace, and I'm o.k. with that. I did what I could; what more could I ask for? Plus, now I still have room for improvement for the next time!

So, there ya go!

Deer Creek Triathlon

O.k., here's the story of my race. Warning: it's long. Only embark upon this journey if you're really interested in all the details...

I got up at 4:00 a.m. so that I could shower and pack everything up to meet my friends Honeylyn and Loy at 5:30. From there, we had about an hour-and-a-half drive to the race at Deer Creek State Park. Along the way, we passed many other cars with bikes attached, and at that obscene hour it was fairly safe to assume that they were also headed to the race. Already the sense of camaraderie began…

As we were sampling several free muffins from my first trip to Mimi’s Café for dinner the night before, we suddenly noticed a car with a bike heading the opposite direction. "Hey, he's going the wrong way," I thought. Momentarily confused, we then noticed mile marker 87, though we were supposed to have gotten off at Exit 84. Oops! I guess WE were the ones going the wrong way... So we found a turn-around and were soon back on track. Glitch number one of the day, but not a major problem.

We arrived at the park about 7:00, just as we’d planned. However, we soon discovered that the line to pick up race packets was very long and moving at a snail’s pace! We utilized the time in line, however, to take turns using the restrooms and to check the temperature of the lake water. I decided not to wear my wetsuit since I was already sweating just standing out there and since the water felt comfortably cool at 72 degrees. By 7:30, the line was longer than when we’d arrived and we realized that there was no way the race was going to start on time. Comforting on the one hand, because we’d have more time to get everything ready, but that also meant we’d be finishing later when it was even hotter… Glitch number two, but what could we do?

After we got our packets and timing chips, we went back to the car to collect our things. But, as I was pumping up my tires, I encountered my third glitch of the morning: a busted tube. (Funny, all week long I’d been saying that I hoped I didn’t get my first flat ever during the race; I figured I was about due, though, since I had put almost 1000 miles on the tires since I got the bike in August.) Fortunately, I had a spare tube, so Loy helped me change it. But… the tire itself was really stretched out apparently, because it kept coming off the rim as we pumped it up. So I had to go to the guys at the Wheelie Fun tent to get a new tire. Still, lucky all this happened before the race!

So then I ran over to the transition area to set up. There was no more room on my assigned rack, so I shifted a couple bikes a little to make room on the next rack over and hurriedly laid out all my gear. Meanwhile, everyone else had already gathered down at the lake for the start of the race. "This is the worst feeling ever!" I thought, to be so rushed. After one last pit stop I ran down to the lake to join my competitors. Fortunately, the sprint distance racers were starting first, in waves, so I really did have plenty of time. While I put on my cap and goggles, I met a few women from Columbus who were doing their first triathlon that day. But, since they weren’t in my age group, we could all be friends. :-)

Finally, it was time for the Olympic-distance women to begin. We lined up at the water’s edge and waited for the horn to blow. (That was a little different: last September we started out in the water, but this time we were still on shore to begin. The water last fall was also very low, so there was a nice beach, and really you could probably have stood up at any point if you needed to. This time, however, after all the rain we’d had in the preceding weeks, there was no beach, and as we ran through the mud into the lake, we could still feel the grass beneath our feet well out into the water. Weird…) As I began swimming, I felt so refreshed in the cool water, even though I was still getting kicked and grabbed. When I looked up a little later, I remember thinking that that first yellow buoy was still really far away! “And I have to do TWO laps?!? What was I thinking?” I thought to myself. People seemed to be passing me a lot more than last year, too, and I thought for a moment that perhaps I should have worn my wetsuit after all… But as I rounded the first corner, I had more room and got into a better rhythm of breathing, and just started to enjoy the swim. As I completed the first lap, I was shouting “Halfway!” to myself in my head. I finished the second lap with no problems and actually ran up the hill to the transition area (unlike last year), feeling pretty good about my start, though I had no idea how long the swim actually took.

My transition was much quicker, too, I could tell, in part because I didn’t have a wetsuit to shed, but also because this all felt somewhat familiar and therefore more comfortable than last time. So after I put on my socks, shoes, gloves, watch, and helmet, and grabbed my bottle of Hammer Gel, I slid my bike off the rack and ran out of transition. I mounted, clipped in, and was off! After pedaling hard for two miles, I was surprised to look down and see I’d only gone two miles! And I kept looking for that first turn to get out of the headwind… But I was passing a few people, so I felt pretty good about my speed, and the wind felt terrific! I actually wasn’t even hot at all. After the first turn finally came, I wondered why I’d looked forward to that since the second road was much rougher. Oh, yeah, I remembered that. Too bad I wasn’t riding a Roubaix like Loy! O.k., time for some gel. Mmm, raspberry… Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Excellent. A couple more turns on the flat country roads, and then I came to the first of two small hills (which felt a lot bigger than they really were after racing along for ten miles!). I cruised downhill at 35 mph, and pushed up the other side, standing briefly. Then it flattened out and I quickly caught my breath before coming to the last little hill, just before completing the first lap. I looked up along the levee to see if I could happen to see Honeylyn and Loy on their run, but no such luck. “Halfway!” I again shouted in my mind as I came to the park entrance. The volunteer standing there said, “Sprint to the right, Olympic straight ahead.” I asked her to confirm, since last year we had to ride into the park, past transition, and back out again before beginning the second lap, but she said, “Yes, straight ahead,” so I kept right on riding! I checked my computer at that point and saw that I’d averaged 18.9 mph on the first lap. Awesome! And time-wise I was right on track to meet my three-hour goal as well. Second lap, same as the first. A few more swigs of gel and some water to wash it down just before finishing up the bike leg. Good stuff.

Back in transition, I racked my bike, tore off my helmet and gloves, changed shoes, threw on my hat, sunglasses, race number belt and nutrition belt, and was off! Suddenly, I felt the heat. I was tired. Immediately. I wanted to walk. Already. But I jogged along, hoping that I would pick up my pace as I continued, like I had in my training runs. Mile 1. Wow, it’s hot! Oh, man, and why’d we pick this course? I hate this stupid, grassy levee! O.k., onto the dam, much better. Water? Yes, please! I have my own, but only two 8-oz. bottles. I have a feeling I'm going to need more than that today… Mile 2. Keep going. What, NO shade? Not even a single, solitary tree? Wow… so… hot… Left turn down toward the boat ramp. Um, yeah, I’m definitely not maintaining the 10 min/mi. pace I need to finish in time. But I’m doing everything I can... Seriously, could it BE any hotter today?!? There’s the turnaround! “Halfway!” I need to walk. O.k., that’s enough. Go! (Then I started singing to myself.) “Just keep runnin’, just keep runnin’, just keep runnin’, runnin’, runnin’…” (Like the Finding Nemo “Just keep swimmin’” song.) Mile 4. Two… more… miles… So hot… Hmm, how should I narrate this race for my blog? Narrative? Thought processes? Will I write about thinking about what to write about? Will I write that? And that? O.k., enough. “Just keep runnin’, just keep runnin’, just keep…” Mile 5. Wow, I’m slow today. And I was so sure I’d shave the most time off my run… So hot… But look: there are still people just starting their run, so maybe I’m not doing SO bad… Or maybe everyone’s just really slow ‘cause it’s stupid hot out here... WHY are we doing this again? Oh, that’s right, it’s not supposed to be easy or everyone would do it. The dam, yea! The grassy levee... stupid levee… But that means I’m almost done! “Just keep runnin’, just keep runnin’…” Back into the park. Mile 6! Past the photographer guy. Past an ambulance and several people holding up a towel or something to create some shade for some poor, dehydrated, overheated runner. "God, be with that person. God... That's all I've got, just be with them..." I can hear the announcer at the finish line! I can SEE the finish line! Right then, that’s when I was finally able to pick up my pace to more than a slow jog. I sort of sprinted to the finish line, and there were Honeylyn and Loy cheering me on! Awesome, I made it!

A guy took off my timing chip. A lady told me I was second in my division. Seriously? I almost laughed. Oh, but then again, there might only be 2 ladies in my age group… Still, they put a medal around my neck. Honeylyn and Loy congratulated me. Someone else gave me water. Then I stood there and filled up my cup two more times. So thirsty… So hot… Honeylyn and Loy took my hat, sunglasses, belts, medal, etc. and I went back down to the lake for another quick dip to cool off. Back up the hill. Collect all my gear. Do I have to eat? ‘Cause I’m not really hungry, just thirsty. Nope, let’s just get going. Ah, air conditioning…

On the way home, we all talked about the race. Honeylyn and Loy did NOT care for the swim. They waited for each other at the transitions, though, and ran together. How sweet! Then we talked about the next one. Are we really gluttons for punishment? Perhaps. But it was so much fun! Except that stupid-hot run… (It’s kind of like when I used to go backpacking a lot: we’d get rained on, our feet would hurt from hiking, our backs would be sore from sleeping on the ground, we’d be dirty, and tired and, let’s be honest, a little grumpy. But as soon as we got back to the car, or maybe back home and showered up, all I could think was, “When can we go back?!?” It’s the same thing.) We also talked about trying a relay in the September Toyota Challenge tri. I’d swim, Loy would bike, and Honeylyn would run. Maybe we’d do the half-ironman distance, too, then, since we’d each only be doing one leg. Awesome…

I also called my apartment community office on the way home, to remind them not to give away the last room at the inn. It was mine! Since my air conditioner still wasn’t working, I told them they’d better give me a room there because the 90-degree apartment just wasn’t cutting it for me. After all, I had to get a few hours of sleep in before my two soccer games that night! Yeah, o.k., I guess I’m a little crazy…

(Just for the record, I wasn’t planning to play much at the games, but just to sub briefly if others were really tired. But when I arrived… One, two, three, I counted. Three? “No way!” I said, shaking my head. "I am NOT going to run around for two more hours!" We had to borrow players from other teams, and I ended up playing most of the first game. But I also got to score! Granted, the ball bounced off my leg into the goal, but still! Right time, right place. It was sweet. I played a good portion of the second game, too, but I was pretty much useless by then. Not to mention the fact that I messed up my toe somehow. I’m just really glad that that happened AFTER my race because I don’t think I’ll be running until the swelling and bruising go down!)

Second Place?

So I just got back from my first triathlon of the year. I've only done one before, last September, and was pleased to just finish then, but this time I actually set a time goal for myself: three hours. That would be 13 minutes faster than my last race, though the swim this time was longer, so I was actually hoping to shave about 25 minutes off my previous time. Well, I don't think I quite made it; I didn't hear my time when I crossed the finish line, but my friends thought they said 3:04 or so. Not bad. But the surprising thing, and the thing that makes me not care SO much about the time (besides the fact that it was just stupid hot today), is that they said I was second place in my division! Granted, there may have only been two or three women in my age group, but I still got a medal!

Anyway, I'll post more later about the crazy events of the day, and once I know my overall time and splits and rankings and things, but for now I'm going to take a nice long nap in my room at the inn (since my AC still doesn't work) so that I can be ready for our two soccer games tonight!

Race Day Checklist

General
__ directions/map to race
__ course/transition map
__ photo ID
__ USAT membership card
__ money
__ sunscreen
__ sunglasses
__ towel for transition
__ camera
__ post-race clothes and shoes
__ pre- and post-race nutrition

Swim
__ tri shorts
__ tri top
__ wetsuit
__ Pam
__ swim cap(s)
__ goggles

Bike
__ bike
__ helmet
__ bike shoes
__ socks
__ Body Glide
__ gloves
__ watch/heart rate monitor
__ pump(s)
__ spare tube(s)
__ tools
__ water bottle(s)
__ gel and/or other nutrition

Run
__ running shoes
__ hat
__ race number belt
__ nutrition belt

Grumpy

So I kinda feel like I'm in China again today, because I've got clothes lying out all over my apartment to dry. Only in China that was common and expected because they don't really have dryers, but here I'm just peeved because I wasted $2.50. (That's 2 dryers; the first one wouldn't even start after I put the quarters in.) I've had this happen before and it wasn't really a big deal, but this time I was already in a bad mood because my AC hasn't been fixed yet even though I called about it a week ago, and it's in the 90s. In fact, we're supposed to approach or maybe even break some records this weekend, which is terrible timing since I have my first triathlon of the year on Sunday. You know, it's a lot harder to run and bike in 95-degree weather than in 80-degree weather, which I discovered today. So my plan is to go into the office of my apartment complex tomorrow and demand they fix the AC or else give me a room in the inn on the premises, or just give me back my rent money for the month. 'Cause this is ridiculous.

O.k., enough complaining... But boy, I sure am missing my Harbin winters right about now!

Pronoun Problems

Perhaps you've noticed a problem with my pronoun usage, specifically that I appear to use singular and plural first person pronouns interchangeably. You'd be correct. See, I still get confused about which to use when referring to the time in the past when I was part of a "we" unit, most notably when I'm talking about my China days. See, I wasn't in China, we were. But now there is no "we," so what's a girl to do? Anyway, I apologize for the confusion, but I still haven't figured out how to resolve this one... Oh yeah, and I also tend to just refer to him as "him," without a proper antecedent. Sorry, grammarians! But I promise it'll be o.k. :-)

Television (Warning: Random Thoughts...)

So I've been feeling like I'm back in China recently.

Let me explain: See, we couldn't watch T.V. in China, or rather we could, but we just couldn't understand anything so we didn't bother. Instead, we watched a lot of Friends, CSI and Alias on DVD. Can't tell you how many times I've see each episode of Friends... Anyway, a couple months ago I fasted from T.V. for a month, which was fine, easy even. So much so that I'm not even sure when the fast ended because I never really started to watch it again. So then I figured, why pay for even the cheap-o $10 cable when I'm not using it? So I cancelled my service. Now, I get nothing. Not even your basic, local channels... nothing. You'd think that'd be great, that I'd get so much more done because I don't have that distraction anymore. And yet, it seems I'm more distracted now because of the vastness of this beast we call the internet. Before, I'd go to bed at about 11:30 because there was nothing else good on, (since I only had your basic, local channels,) but now I'm usually online till midnight, or 1:00, or 2:00... It's bad. And yet, not even as relaxing as just sitting back to watch a show on T.V.

So then last night, I got back from a really good workout, exhausted, and I really just wanted to watch an hour of T.V. before hitting the sack. But alas, I couldn't. Then I remembered that you can now watch T.V. online! Excited at the possibility, I opened up my web browser and started looking around for an episode of CSI. But I guess I'm not very tech-savvy, 'cause I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to go about finding a show to watch. Sure, I googled something like "watch TV online free" and found lots of websites offering something - news or sports channels, short clips from shows, etc. - but not what I was looking for. The only place I actually found where I could maybe watch an episode, tv-video.net, wouldn't actually play it. Don't know what's up with that...

Anyway, all this to say that I almost broke out the Friends DVDs again. I put in a movie instead, (which I promptly fell asleep in front of,) but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out...

Not Without Risks

I got an email today through the Cincinnati Cycle Club ride line about a biking accident that happened recently in Mexico. Apparently, a drunk driver fell asleep at the wheel and ran into a line of racers. One cyclist died and ten more were injured.

We try to be smart when riding on roads - wearing bright clothes, obeying traffic laws, etc. - but there are still risks involved. Sobering...

Changes

Now, I'm pretty sure that my psychologist friends will disagree, but I think personalities can change quite dramatically over time or as the result of significant events or changes in a person's life. I say this because I think it's happened to me at several points.

When I first took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or some free knock-off available online) during my freshman year in college, I was an ENFP, which seemed accurate. But I changed quite a bit that year, and when I took the test again a few years later, I was an ISTJ, exactly the opposite. Again, it seemed accurate, though. Why the change? Well, I'll just look at one example:

When I was part of a "we," I was much more introverted, preferring to keep close to home and not interested in meeting new people. I'm sure part of that was because I was simply content spending most of my time with him, but I also think it had a lot to do with the fact that he was an extreme introvert, which I believe "rubbed off" on me a bit.

Even now that I'm just me again, I've continued to say things like, "I don't like big groups," or "I'm not good at meeting new people." But I'm realizing that that is no longer true. I love meeting new people! In fact, I've recently been getting to know quite a few cool new folks from Kenwood Baptist through my awesome friend Christy, and from Four Corners through playing soccer with Lance and those guys, and most recently friends of a friend (Grace) of a friend (Kristen)... (And, incidentally, when I took the Myers-Briggs again just now, it says I'm an E again, though the rest is the same. Hmm...)

Anyway, I'm so grateful to have all of you as friends! Thanks for being part of my adventure. :-)

Positron Omega!

This is my favorite new game. Why? Several reasons: it requires few materials, so you can play it anywhere; it's different every time you play, so it never gets old; it utilizes different skills, so there's something for everyone; and it's just plain fun! But I'm warning you: it's addictive! (Fortunately, you need at least six people I'd say, so you can't get too carried away...) Anyway, check out the rules below, give it a try, and let me know what you think! If you like it, feel free to join our Facebook group, "Fans of Positron Omega."

A. PREPARATION
Each player is given 3-4 pieces of paper (depending on how long they want the game to last). Players must then write down one noun (proper or improper person, place, or thing) on each paper then place it in a box/hat. Next, players are divided into 2-3 equal teams and each team moves to sit together.

B. GAMEPLAY
The game is divided into four rounds. In each round, teams alternate one-minute turns until all of the papers in the box/hat have been guessed. During each one-minute turn, players pick papers out of the box/hat and try to get teammates to guess the word according to the rules for that round. When a word is guessed correctly, the paper is placed in the team's pile and the box is passed to the next player on the team. The box/hat rotates through the team continuously until the minute is up. Unguessed papers are placed back in the box/hat and it is then passed to the next team for their one-minute turn. Turns in each round alternate between teams until all of the papers in the box/hat are gone.

C. ROUNDS

1. Taboo - Players must get their teammates to guess the word through a verbal description. Gestures, spelling, sounds-like, or any form/variation of the word may not be used in this round.
2. One Word- Players must get their teammates to guess the word through a single one-word clue. The first word that the player says after unfolding the paper is the chosen word ... so if the player says "um" or "well" first, that is the chosen word. The chosen word may be repeated indefinitely with different voices and intonations, but gestures may not be used in this round.
3. Pictionary - Players must get their teammates to guess the word by drawing clues. Gestures, sounds, letters, numbers, and symbols may not be used in this round.
4. Charades- Players must get their teammates to guess the word by acting out silent clues. Words, sounds, or drawings may not be used in this round ... but cameras are encouraged.

D. SCORING
At the end of each round, the papers in each team's pile are counted and the score for each team is recorded. The papers are then put back into the hat/box for the next round. The team with the most points at the conclusion of the fourth round is the winning team. A predetermined penalty (e.g. pushups, charlie horses) may then be given to the losing team.

If teams are tied at the end of the fourth round, a fifth tie-breaker round may be utilized to determine the winning team. This round, called Telepathy, requires that players guess the words on the papers without clues of any kind, basically shouting out the words they remember from previous rounds until the correct one is identified. Crazy, to be sure, but hilarious!