Romantic Getaway

Romantic Getaway
Ok, this one, too, cuz the commentary was so funny.

Half And Half

Half And Half
Until I remember how to take my Facebook/Phisherobilias love link off, I will post the tame faves.

Good vs Bad Choices

Last evening when I crested the hill down to the Plano Balloon Festival, it occurred to me that several of my choices today could distinctly be categorized into good choices and bad choices.

Bad Choice: running with a couple of guys that are significantly faster than me at 5 am.

Good Choice: running in traffic behind the one with the headlamp.

Bad Choice: drinking 52 oz of refreshing QT bevvy...on my way to an outdoor festival.

Good Choice: getting "race" practice by using a...a...a...portapotty. (Needless to say I chose my line wisely.)

Bad Choice: letting the very-frustrated-with-mommy 6 year old brush my hair.

Good Choice: finding a ponytail holder.

Bad Prison Movie

Ugh! I'm THOROUGHLY convinced that The (beloved) Calvin is destined for a life of crime or at least a bad prison movie. Newest nicknames? GRAND THEFT AUTO and Hack...not to mention the on-going Oedipus (shudder). His latest 'interest' has been to filch car keys and try to start the car. START THE CAR. Non-stop questions about driving, turning 16, traffic laws...? Now...I remember hearing about kids like this when I was a mother of younger children and being QUITE condemning. Let me assure you: this is a behavior that sneaks up on you. There's no parental pre-planning for this! I put the keys up high...I impose sanctions...but the kid is pretty slick.
Then there's the computer...I sign out of EVERYTHING before I leave my desk so that Calvin doesn't spam all of my friends. Or worse. Last week, I made the mistake of leaving an online shopping cart up while I did something else. He managed to add all sorts of things! Thankfully he doesn't have my credit card.
And then there's Oedipus. The Halls recently had to endure a retelling of the cute bootie story (thank you, Mackey), and now there's one to trump. I was laid out on Jon on the floor yesterday when Calvin moseys in. I braced my back (runners are an injury-fearing breed) for impact. He laid out on me. And then: wait for it...wait for it...did a two handed reach around. WHAT THE HECK?
Hmmm...who feels like a bad prison movie now?!

Paid to People Watch?

First and foremost, I love people. I love to converse with people, study people, observe people, and yes, even, on occasion, comment on people...mmmmmmmmmm...sociology.

Since I don't think PEOPLEOFWALMART is hiring, I thought maybe I could get a job at Walmart as a greeter. For a month. In the spirit of Morgan Spurlock. And document ALL OF IT. I mean...how hard could the application process be? Teeth? Check. College degr....oh, nevermind, hired.

Can you IMAGINE the stories one would come home with???? I'm giddy with anticipation. Hmmmmm...now if I could just get myself to ask for an...application?...with a straight face...

Wise and Mature and Facebook

...both of which I am not. But my folks are.
So, I just had the most surreal experience of the day.
My parents are over with their BFFs from the Cali hood. Please understand that my parents are...um...ADVANCED in their years...like 70s and 80s, and they look FANTASTIC...(in case they're reading...). Not exactly spring chicks. So we're all chatting away, and my dad has a newish phone (many premature phone deaths by toilet) that I haven't checked out yet. I'm mocking him, ever so gently, about how lame it is that he, a technophile, doesn't get instant email notifications from Facebook (I'd posted something timely on his wall that he missed). So he comments on how he'll check his Facebook... Two things happen at once: 1) I remember a conversation I'd had with a significantly younger person about how weird it is that so many older people (referring to me - the nerve) use a college-inspired communication platform, and 2) the family friend remarks: "You get Facebook on that phone?"
It was so weird.
And then...if I think about it any more and make it totally not funny? I think about how of course there is a disproportionate number of older people on Facebook because they (notice how I didn't use "we") make up a greater segment of the population. Duh. And then I think about the first edition of The World is Flat when they talk about the internet as ubiquitous technology that levels communication barriers. Who knew those things would converge on FACEBOOK. I just got a randomly geeky chuckle out of the whole thing.

OH…..MY…..GOsh!!!!!

OH…..MY…..GOD!!!!!

Walmart Wedding

Walmart Wedding

Why So Serious?

Why So Serious?
More to come.

The Significance of 20 Miles in the Rain

Thanks to a fantastic running friend, I no longer run 20 miles on a treadmill. Thanks to the same fantastic running friend, I now run 20 miles outside...in the rain. Which was actually great; I'm not knockin' it. There's something addictive about knowing your body can rise to a challenge through injury, insomnia, poor food choices (anyone say 'nachos'?) and rain. Yet this affirmation is not what is significant about yesterday's run. No. The CONVERSATION is.

Some of the people in the group know that I'm running a Boston qualifying race in Midland/Odessa on October 3rd, so we were talking about it...among other things over 3 hours...

James: "Are you planning to fly out?"

Me: "What are you talking about? It's (like) 2 hours from here?!"

James (laughing): "Uh...no it's not. It's closer to 8..."

Me: "Huh? What? Whoops..."

So...I'm new(ish) to Texas...and apparently to Thinking as well. Why would I not CHECK such a detail? Ugh. I SWEAR I used to be smarter than this.

Thankfully Jon is accustomed to such oversights on my part, and we'll adjust our travel plans accordingly.