Have you ever made the tiniest mistake and it completely caused chaos in your entire life? I'm not talking about taking the wrong job, or marrying the wrong person, or trying to out run a train or something. Normally, those mistakes are pretty recognizable and their effects should come as no surprise. I've made enough of those kinds of mistakes and when everything blows up in my face, I'm really not shocked and don't get all that upset.
What I AM shocked and upset about is this STUPID credit card thing. Yes, I'm totally beating this dead horse. I'm amazed that one stupid little, tiny, minuscule mistake (losing it in the back of my closet) has caused time-sucking, completely irritating after effects that I'm having trouble dealing with.
It took more than a week to get my new card, which meant paying for stuff directly out of my bank account and causing un-needed stress watching those numbers shrink. Then when I got the card and activated it...it didn't work. So I was on the phone with the cc company last night for a half hour while they were having system problems. I had something MUCH more important that I was trying to get done by a certain time, so I'm sure my blood pressure was sky-high. Meanwhile, there was that embarrassing moment at Old Navy you know, and Claudio, the limo driver from my birthday, keeps calling me wanting my new card number. I'm getting notices from companies that directly bill my card, threatening monumental fees if I don't update my account quickly. Same thing with the gym, so I'll have to fill out more paperwork when I go there today. Sounds like not that big of a deal right? But I totally CANNOT deal with all of this!
I was sitting on hold last night thinking; wow, this one little mistake has sucked up hours of my time and caused a significant amount of stress. Just like when I went to the wrong eye doctor. Why am I so unable to deal with the smallest of issues, yet I'm completely calm and cool as I make life-altering decisions (like I'm in the process of doing now) and can handle huge situations, mistakes and tragedies just fine? Then I realized I'm having my own little butterfly effect; misplacing my credit card in my closet, has caused a tornado in my life.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sacramento International Triathlon
So, I just got back from my triathlon. I'm a little tired and weary, but not too bad. Everything went well, except for being woken up at 4am with food poisoning. AGAIN! I don't know what's up with my stomach, but I think I'm becoming more sensitive in my old age. I pretty much had the same excruciating pain as a few weeks ago, which made getting ready for my triathlon very difficult. I actually thought I wouldn't be able to compete, but thought it would be a waste of all those months of training if I didn't. Luckily, after a few hours (and just before the start of the race) I felt much better. I couldn't eat anything, which made me nervous about fueling up, but it worked out fine.
I have to say, this time around felt much different than my last Sac tri. It was the same distance, but felt so much easier. I thought it was all in my head, but now that I've compared my times, I realize it wasn't. Here are my times compared to last year.
SWIM (400m):
2007 - 8 minutes 16 seconds (ranked 85th place)
2008 - 5 minutes 44 seconds (ranked 33rd place)
BIKE (8 miles):
2007- 44 minutes 26 seconds (ranked 108th place)
2008 - 39 minutes 36 seconds (ranked 50th place)
RUN (2 miles):
2007 - 27 minutes 40 seconds (ranked 121st place)
2008 - 22 minutes 34 seconds (ranked 71st place)
OVERALL TIME:
2007 - 1 hour 20 minutes 22 seconds (ranked 112th place)
2008 - 1 hour 7 minutes 55 seconds (ranked 56th place)
I shaved almost 13 minutes off my time!
So what can I improve on for next year?? Nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm as good as I'm going to get ;)
Special props to Carolyn and Maggie (Kathryn's dog) for being my cheering session. We forgot my camera, so no pictures. At least until they post the ones taken of me during the race and those are NEVER pretty.
My next tri will be in June in Fremont. I'll keep you posted on how that one goes.
I have to say, this time around felt much different than my last Sac tri. It was the same distance, but felt so much easier. I thought it was all in my head, but now that I've compared my times, I realize it wasn't. Here are my times compared to last year.
SWIM (400m):
2007 - 8 minutes 16 seconds (ranked 85th place)
2008 - 5 minutes 44 seconds (ranked 33rd place)
BIKE (8 miles):
2007- 44 minutes 26 seconds (ranked 108th place)
2008 - 39 minutes 36 seconds (ranked 50th place)
RUN (2 miles):
2007 - 27 minutes 40 seconds (ranked 121st place)
2008 - 22 minutes 34 seconds (ranked 71st place)
OVERALL TIME:
2007 - 1 hour 20 minutes 22 seconds (ranked 112th place)
2008 - 1 hour 7 minutes 55 seconds (ranked 56th place)
I shaved almost 13 minutes off my time!
So what can I improve on for next year?? Nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm as good as I'm going to get ;)
Special props to Carolyn and Maggie (Kathryn's dog) for being my cheering session. We forgot my camera, so no pictures. At least until they post the ones taken of me during the race and those are NEVER pretty.
My next tri will be in June in Fremont. I'll keep you posted on how that one goes.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Didn't Need to Read This 2 Days Before My Triathlon
SOLANA BEACH, Calif. — A male triathlete swimmer was killed Friday morning in a gruesome and violent shark attack at a San Diego County beach.
The victim — one of a group of triathlete swimmers training in the ocean — was pulled into shore, but efforts by medics to revive him failed, Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman told FOX News.
The victim has been identified as Dave Martin, 66, a retired veterinarian who was swimming with members of a triathlon club, said family friend Rob Hill.
Witnesses reported seeing the Martin’s leg severed at the knee.
“He had very severe injuries to both legs,” Abelman told FOX. He said the wound was a single bite across both legs.
A marine biologist told a beachside news conference Friday that the animal was “almost certainly a great white shark.”
“I was told that the victim was pushed up out of the water in a violent attack,” said Richard Rosenblatt of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “That’s typical great white behavior.” Rosenblatt said the bite was likely “clean and massive” and believes the animal was a female.
The victim was swimming with the others when he was attacked at about 7 a.m.
“It looks like the shark came up, bit him, and swam away,” said Abelman. A group of about 10 swimmers wearing wetsuits were in the water at the time, he said.
The victim — one of a group of triathlete swimmers training in the ocean — was pulled into shore, but efforts by medics to revive him failed, Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman told FOX News.
The victim has been identified as Dave Martin, 66, a retired veterinarian who was swimming with members of a triathlon club, said family friend Rob Hill.
Witnesses reported seeing the Martin’s leg severed at the knee.
“He had very severe injuries to both legs,” Abelman told FOX. He said the wound was a single bite across both legs.
A marine biologist told a beachside news conference Friday that the animal was “almost certainly a great white shark.”
“I was told that the victim was pushed up out of the water in a violent attack,” said Richard Rosenblatt of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “That’s typical great white behavior.” Rosenblatt said the bite was likely “clean and massive” and believes the animal was a female.
The victim was swimming with the others when he was attacked at about 7 a.m.
“It looks like the shark came up, bit him, and swam away,” said Abelman. A group of about 10 swimmers wearing wetsuits were in the water at the time, he said.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Sock Mystery
I love mysteries. I love reading them, watching them, writing them, solving them and trying to make some out of nothing. I've loved them so much over the years, that I've become very, VERY good at solving them. I can pretty much figure out any mystery in a movie or show in no time. Not to brag...but it's true. So, imagine my surprise when the mystery of the orange-spotted socks had me stumped for WEEKS!
Each time I did my laundry, I couldn't figure out why some of my socks had these funky orange spots on the heel. (I would show you an example, but I really don't want to subject you to the sight of my dirty socks) At first, I thought I had stepped in something. But there were several pairs with these same strange orange circles, so I knew that couldn't be the case. I was so stumped and frustrated that I gave up on trying to figure it out. My idol Matlock would be so disappointed.
But then yesterday, after all hope was lost, all the clues came together for me and I was able to solve it. Here is my new pair of New Balance shoes. I'm sure it won't take you as long to figure it out.
Each time I did my laundry, I couldn't figure out why some of my socks had these funky orange spots on the heel. (I would show you an example, but I really don't want to subject you to the sight of my dirty socks) At first, I thought I had stepped in something. But there were several pairs with these same strange orange circles, so I knew that couldn't be the case. I was so stumped and frustrated that I gave up on trying to figure it out. My idol Matlock would be so disappointed.
But then yesterday, after all hope was lost, all the clues came together for me and I was able to solve it. Here is my new pair of New Balance shoes. I'm sure it won't take you as long to figure it out.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
28th Birthday
Well, since it's been a week since my birthday, I figured I'd finally post some pics! It was a fabulous weekend. I rented a house overlooking the water in Tiburon and invited all my friends from around the Bay Area. Here was our view:
Saturday was a beautiful 80+ degrees, so we spent the day hanging out on the huge deck, enjoying the view from the hot tub. Of course, we got a little sun burned, but it was worth it.
From there the limo took us to Jillian's, The Cellar and The Matrix. Here are some fun shots from throughout the night:
Me, Tonia, Carolyn
Juliana, Alison and me
Tonia and Alison
Kathryn and Kim
Getting crazy!
Saturday was a beautiful 80+ degrees, so we spent the day hanging out on the huge deck, enjoying the view from the hot tub. Of course, we got a little sun burned, but it was worth it.
Saturday night, we got a limo and went to a few bars and clubs around San Francisco. We started out at CityScape, at the top of the Hilton in Union Square.
From there the limo took us to Jillian's, The Cellar and The Matrix. Here are some fun shots from throughout the night:
Me, Tonia, Carolyn
Juliana, Alison and me
Tonia and Alison
Kathryn and Kim
Getting crazy!Found Them!
Of course...the day AFTER I finally gave up and cancelled my credit card. I found them today as I was cleaning out my closet. They were on the floor, stuck behind my laundry basket and storage bin. Why didn't I think to look there before??
Friday, April 18, 2008
QUESTION:
How do you return items to Old Navy without a receipt, the credit card you purchased them on, or a photo id?
ANSWER:
Find a cashier that looks young enough for you to babysit, smile at him a lot, act pathetic, babble something about how you lost your card and id, apologize for using the Old Navy bag to carry your sandy wetsuit, act even more pathetic, offer to come back in 4-6 days when you have your new id, smile more and try not to act too suspicious.
VIOLA!
How do you return items to Old Navy without a receipt, the credit card you purchased them on, or a photo id?
ANSWER:
Find a cashier that looks young enough for you to babysit, smile at him a lot, act pathetic, babble something about how you lost your card and id, apologize for using the Old Navy bag to carry your sandy wetsuit, act even more pathetic, offer to come back in 4-6 days when you have your new id, smile more and try not to act too suspicious.
VIOLA!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The DMV
Long story short...I lost my driver's license this weekend. I know where I had it last, but it's not there now, so I had to go to the DMV this morning to get a new one. Of course I was dreading it because we all know that the DMV is hell on earth and it's the last place you want to go on a beautiful Wednesday morning. But, I was pleasantly surprised at just how painless the process was.
I had checked online and seen that they opened at 8:00, but wasn't able to get there until 8:45. When I walked up, there was a line of people from the front door, across the lawn and to the parking lot. I thought to myself; it's been open for 45 minutes and there's still a line across the lawn?! This can't be good. Turns out I read the website wrong and they actually didn't open until 9:00. Once they did, I just breezed through the line! Next! Next! Next! The gals at the window kept things running smoothly.
When I got to the window, I was given a form to fill out and told to get back in line when I was done to get a number. A number?? This was news to me. I don't ever remember there being a number system at the DMV. It was kind of a cross between Bingo and Keno (I'll call it Kingo), where everyone has a letter and a number and you watch the screen while a robotic woman's voice announces each number and what window to go to. My number was G005 and when I sat down and looked at the screen, the woman announced G004. Great! I thought. I'm going to be next! Except I wasn't. The woman started calling all the B's and C's and even a few H's. No more G's. The two people sitting in front of me were G's too and were getting just as antsy as I. Imagine 30+ people staring at this screen in a daze, waiting for their kingo number to pop up. It was pretty entertaining.
So, I sat patiently, reading the crawl going across the bottom of the screen that was in Spanish. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to practice my reading, but quickly realized I was completely lost. I didn't understand a single word other than "accidente." Apparently my knowledge of Spanish is limited to food, certain verbs and nouns, insults and days of the week. When it comes to the elements of driving and California laws...I know nada.
So, I gave up on that and started studying the poster of missing people. But because I didn't recognize anyone and knew I wouldn't remember their faces, I just looked for them in the DMV. I didn't find anyone.
Finally, my kingo number was called and I was assigned to window 18. After paying my $22, Roberto told me that I had to take a new picture. WHAT??? I had always been so proud of my license with my 12 year old picture. I'd enjoy how it totally didn't look like me anymore, but it never kept me from getting in to any bars. Now I had to get a new one?? I should have known. My bangs look like crap today. Damn you Roberto. You don't know how much I flat-ironed and hairsprayed them this morning and they still look like a hot mess. Damn you Roberto and your flash that is way too bright!
Another surprise was that they took my thumb print. What's up with that? What would they POSSIBLY need that for? Are they going to print it and put it on my license like a Mission Impossible thing?
So, that was that. My whole image of the DMV is now changed forever. I was done in an hour and back to work. Now, I just can't go to any bars for the next 4-6 weeks, but I think after this weekend that's not going to be a bad thing. Which reminds me that I will need to make another posting about just how fantastic my birthday weekend was!
I had checked online and seen that they opened at 8:00, but wasn't able to get there until 8:45. When I walked up, there was a line of people from the front door, across the lawn and to the parking lot. I thought to myself; it's been open for 45 minutes and there's still a line across the lawn?! This can't be good. Turns out I read the website wrong and they actually didn't open until 9:00. Once they did, I just breezed through the line! Next! Next! Next! The gals at the window kept things running smoothly.
When I got to the window, I was given a form to fill out and told to get back in line when I was done to get a number. A number?? This was news to me. I don't ever remember there being a number system at the DMV. It was kind of a cross between Bingo and Keno (I'll call it Kingo), where everyone has a letter and a number and you watch the screen while a robotic woman's voice announces each number and what window to go to. My number was G005 and when I sat down and looked at the screen, the woman announced G004. Great! I thought. I'm going to be next! Except I wasn't. The woman started calling all the B's and C's and even a few H's. No more G's. The two people sitting in front of me were G's too and were getting just as antsy as I. Imagine 30+ people staring at this screen in a daze, waiting for their kingo number to pop up. It was pretty entertaining.
So, I sat patiently, reading the crawl going across the bottom of the screen that was in Spanish. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to practice my reading, but quickly realized I was completely lost. I didn't understand a single word other than "accidente." Apparently my knowledge of Spanish is limited to food, certain verbs and nouns, insults and days of the week. When it comes to the elements of driving and California laws...I know nada.
So, I gave up on that and started studying the poster of missing people. But because I didn't recognize anyone and knew I wouldn't remember their faces, I just looked for them in the DMV. I didn't find anyone.
Finally, my kingo number was called and I was assigned to window 18. After paying my $22, Roberto told me that I had to take a new picture. WHAT??? I had always been so proud of my license with my 12 year old picture. I'd enjoy how it totally didn't look like me anymore, but it never kept me from getting in to any bars. Now I had to get a new one?? I should have known. My bangs look like crap today. Damn you Roberto. You don't know how much I flat-ironed and hairsprayed them this morning and they still look like a hot mess. Damn you Roberto and your flash that is way too bright!
Another surprise was that they took my thumb print. What's up with that? What would they POSSIBLY need that for? Are they going to print it and put it on my license like a Mission Impossible thing?
So, that was that. My whole image of the DMV is now changed forever. I was done in an hour and back to work. Now, I just can't go to any bars for the next 4-6 weeks, but I think after this weekend that's not going to be a bad thing. Which reminds me that I will need to make another posting about just how fantastic my birthday weekend was!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Food Poisoning Sucks
Note the time on this blog...4:55am or so.
There are few ailments that really bother me, because for most, there are remedies. The flu, colds, cramps, headaches, even migraines; I have something to take for all of them to relieve my suffering. The one that I'm completely helpless against however, is food poisoning. There is no pill or medicine you can take to ease that horrible stabbing pain in your stomach that wakes you up in the middle of the night.
I write about this of course, because we've all been there. Tell me this hasn't happened to you:
You wake up in night thinking; Whoa. I'm wide awake. What time is it? 12:30? You mean I've only gotten 2 hours of sleep? I wonder why I woke up. Oh wait...maybe it's that stabbing pain in my stomach. Damn it's gurgling quite loudly. I wonder if I have food poisoning. Ummmmm...wait....not good, NOT GOOD!
So you run to the bathroom where you get an up close and personal look at the inside of your toilet bowl and you are sooooo happy that you found the energy to clean it earlier that day. Then you just brace yourself for the waves of pain and sweat and chills and hacking and coughing and praying for a moment's rest. After the second wave, you start thinking about how you can POSSIBLY get some sort of relief from your agony. Then you do the math; I have about 2 minutes between each wave of illness. So, once this one finishes, I'll run downstairs, fill a mug with water, put it in the microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds, throw a tea bag in, run back upstairs and be back in time for the next wave. Your strategy works brilliantly. Except that you had forgotten you were going to have to stand in the kitchen, surrounded by food and that certainly didn't help the situation.
After your third or fourth wave, you're totally exhausted and would do anything to get back to sleep. Of course you can't take the chance of getting back in bed and having to run back to the bathroom, so the only logical solution is to make a pillow out of your bath towel, grab a blanket from the linen closet behind you and curl up on the bathroom floor. Then right as you are falling back to sleep, you realize you're about to freeze to death, so you'd rather take your chances in bed.
But once you're back in your warm and cozy bed, you have a dilemma. How do you sleep? You normally fall asleep on your stomach but if you lay that way, the stabbing pain returns. Same with on your back. So, you lay on your side. Of course, you can't fall asleep on your side, so you just lay there thinking about everything you ate that day, trying to find the meal that was the likely culprit. Cereal? No, that couldn't have been it. That pear? No way. Lunch? Dinner? Chicken soup? Pot stickers? That must have been it! Damn that soup and those pot stickers! Then you vow never to eat chicken soup and pot stickers again because certainly every dish must be contaminated. Just like the time you got sick after eating at El Taco Man and vowed never to return, but since their burritos are just so good, you couldn't resist.
So, there you are, approaching 3:30, listening to the smoke detector beep intermittently outside your door. Luckily, your sister gets up around 4 to get a glass of milk and you can tell her to go to the store and get a new battery for it tomorrow. A short time later you give up completely, hop on your computer to check your work emails and then find yourself blogging about your horrible night because you know everyone will sympathize with you. Because seriously...tell me you haven't had an experience JUST like that one.
There are few ailments that really bother me, because for most, there are remedies. The flu, colds, cramps, headaches, even migraines; I have something to take for all of them to relieve my suffering. The one that I'm completely helpless against however, is food poisoning. There is no pill or medicine you can take to ease that horrible stabbing pain in your stomach that wakes you up in the middle of the night.
I write about this of course, because we've all been there. Tell me this hasn't happened to you:
You wake up in night thinking; Whoa. I'm wide awake. What time is it? 12:30? You mean I've only gotten 2 hours of sleep? I wonder why I woke up. Oh wait...maybe it's that stabbing pain in my stomach. Damn it's gurgling quite loudly. I wonder if I have food poisoning. Ummmmm...wait....not good, NOT GOOD!
So you run to the bathroom where you get an up close and personal look at the inside of your toilet bowl and you are sooooo happy that you found the energy to clean it earlier that day. Then you just brace yourself for the waves of pain and sweat and chills and hacking and coughing and praying for a moment's rest. After the second wave, you start thinking about how you can POSSIBLY get some sort of relief from your agony. Then you do the math; I have about 2 minutes between each wave of illness. So, once this one finishes, I'll run downstairs, fill a mug with water, put it in the microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds, throw a tea bag in, run back upstairs and be back in time for the next wave. Your strategy works brilliantly. Except that you had forgotten you were going to have to stand in the kitchen, surrounded by food and that certainly didn't help the situation.
After your third or fourth wave, you're totally exhausted and would do anything to get back to sleep. Of course you can't take the chance of getting back in bed and having to run back to the bathroom, so the only logical solution is to make a pillow out of your bath towel, grab a blanket from the linen closet behind you and curl up on the bathroom floor. Then right as you are falling back to sleep, you realize you're about to freeze to death, so you'd rather take your chances in bed.
But once you're back in your warm and cozy bed, you have a dilemma. How do you sleep? You normally fall asleep on your stomach but if you lay that way, the stabbing pain returns. Same with on your back. So, you lay on your side. Of course, you can't fall asleep on your side, so you just lay there thinking about everything you ate that day, trying to find the meal that was the likely culprit. Cereal? No, that couldn't have been it. That pear? No way. Lunch? Dinner? Chicken soup? Pot stickers? That must have been it! Damn that soup and those pot stickers! Then you vow never to eat chicken soup and pot stickers again because certainly every dish must be contaminated. Just like the time you got sick after eating at El Taco Man and vowed never to return, but since their burritos are just so good, you couldn't resist.
So, there you are, approaching 3:30, listening to the smoke detector beep intermittently outside your door. Luckily, your sister gets up around 4 to get a glass of milk and you can tell her to go to the store and get a new battery for it tomorrow. A short time later you give up completely, hop on your computer to check your work emails and then find yourself blogging about your horrible night because you know everyone will sympathize with you. Because seriously...tell me you haven't had an experience JUST like that one.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Not So Paris
After I booked my trip to Vegas last week, I was joking with everyone about how only me and Paris Hilton fly to Vegas for one night just to go to a nightclub. But when I got home yesterday, I realized how Paris and I couldn't BE more different (besides the millions of dollars, celebrity status etc).
Paris takes a limo to the airport and flies to Vegas on a private jet. When she arrives, she is escorted immediately in to the club to her private table. At the end of the night, she stays in her massive suite in the Bellagio. The next morning, she takes a limo to the airport and flies home in her jet.
When I go to Vegas, I take two BART trains, Air BART and a crowded Southwest flight with 100 other people. When I arrive, I wait in line for an hour to get in to the club, even though I'm on the guest list and have to stand in line at the bar to get a drink. At the end of the night, I stay in a small room in the Imperial Palace. The next morning, I take a shuttle to the airport, fly home on another crowded Southwest flight, take Air BART, two more BART trains and wait for Mom to pick me up from the station.
The good news is...even without being a rich heiress, I had TONS of fun. Here's proof.
Me and Tonia on the dancefloor at PURE
Some random guy invited us to sit at his VIP table
The view of the strip from the terrace at PURE
Paris takes a limo to the airport and flies to Vegas on a private jet. When she arrives, she is escorted immediately in to the club to her private table. At the end of the night, she stays in her massive suite in the Bellagio. The next morning, she takes a limo to the airport and flies home in her jet.
When I go to Vegas, I take two BART trains, Air BART and a crowded Southwest flight with 100 other people. When I arrive, I wait in line for an hour to get in to the club, even though I'm on the guest list and have to stand in line at the bar to get a drink. At the end of the night, I stay in a small room in the Imperial Palace. The next morning, I take a shuttle to the airport, fly home on another crowded Southwest flight, take Air BART, two more BART trains and wait for Mom to pick me up from the station.
The good news is...even without being a rich heiress, I had TONS of fun. Here's proof.
Me and Tonia on the dancefloor at PURE
Some random guy invited us to sit at his VIP tableThe view of the strip from the terrace at PURE
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