Woodsy

Suitable

Just returned from Montana, busy busy busy.  More to come on "Christmas in February", or "Saint Nick Valentine's Day", but for now check this out.

Sweet!  And yes it's pink :)

My first Splish swimsuit!  Very exciting.  I say "first" because if I like it, there may (will) be more to come.  In fact I've checked out the website and yeah, I'm definitely in trouble.  Passed on the flames and tiger stripes since I'm still not that fast in the water.  But then I saw a blue cheetah print and well, cheetahs are better known for their land speed.  That's me.  Now if I were to wear a shark skin suit, people might talk.

Last Drinks and First Run

Determined to make up for a less than fantastic Christmas, I made New Year's Eve plans to meet up with friends for drinks and the First Run.  This is a big deal in Portland: a 5k run/walk downtown at midnight.  Who says drinking and exercise don't go together?  I did my real running workout earlier in the day so I wouldn't have any guilt not hitting my pace :)  I planned to hit my drinking stride shortly after 8:00 and go from there.

Deciding what to wear was somewhat comical.  So I'm going OUT to drink downtown with friends and then I'm going running.  I should wear my "fancy" running clothes.  My "cool" running clothes?  Unfortunately there is no such thing.  Closest I could find was my 2XU tights that might classify as funky, my Goofy Challenge 2008 running shirt that is definitely dorky, my Boston marathon jacket that IS cool at least in my opinion, and my sushi hat.  Everyone loves the raw fish hat.  But the coolest article of clothing?  My drinking socks.

 
Who knew I even owned a pair.

Met up with Beth at the Hotel 50 and Sarah, Del and Gary followed a bit later.  This was a nice place to ring in the New Year and our bartender/server was great- we had a chilled bottle of champagne at our table moments after returning from the run.

 
Woodsy, Sarah, Del, Gary, and Beth getting tuned up for 2009.

We took off at 11:50 to run while Beth held down the fort for us- thanks!! 

First Run race report

 
Before

  
Del and Gary rocking the plastic derby hats.

Pre-run meal: Cheeseburger and fries, 2 margaritas, 1/2 of a BFK (Baileys/Frangelico/Kahlua and coffee), water. 

 
Fueled up and ready to rock!

Sarah pushed the pace as she's training for some marathon I think :)  I started complaining at mile 0.75 (my legs hurt.  damn trainer workout).  Bonked at mile 1.  Resisted temptation to make the 1.5 mile run turnaround.  Resisted temptation to toss my dinner.  Passed guy wearing a box (Spongebob is that you?).  Del surged near the end but Sarah and I were able to hang on.

So I didn't place in my age group, but I didn't hurl.  I'm sure I wasn't DFL, but maybe set a PR for worst pre-race food consumed.  That feeling is going to stick with me for the next 6 months until CDA.  Anytime I want to eat the wrong kind of food or drink to excess I'll think FIRST RUN and think again!

"After" picture to follow soon.  Someone took one for us at the finish line and emailed it to Del since my camera battery was "exhausted", apparently I need a more endurance-oriented camera.  But here's one pic from a bit later.

     
After the champagne toast.  Why does my stomach hurt?

Overall an AWESOME night with BFF!  I'm looking forward to the report from our other NYE friends that hit the Wooden Chicken for the 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Cluck 'n &*%!.

Let's get this party started

Drop that ball already!  Have to say this holiday season has been a pretty lonely one, with missing the trip to MT and my roomie out of town.  Also haven't been able to watch movies with any kind of romance involved (disaster).  Kind of limits your selection.  Who says Reservoir Dogs isn't a holiday flick?  I did make it through Elf but not Mamma Mia.  But that is a great trainer movie - two thumbs up!   

So I'm venting a bit here, but definitely not complaining.  The people I love are happy and well and I saw most all of them this year, and will see them again soon.  Many of them are right here in Portland.  I have a good job, good health and am still able to do the things I love.  It's hard to believe that at this time last year I was ready to give much of this up to move to China.  Although that was an amazing opportunity and would have been an adventure for sure, I don't regret backing out for a minute.  I still have unfinished business here in the states...gee that sounds so mysterious!  And important!  I hope that 2009 brings you as many blessings, and as much happiness, as I've experienced this year.

Also hope to see lots of you type-A, athletic, obsessive-compulsive freaks at the First Run tonight!  I'll be there after pre-functioning/carbo-loading at Hotel 50.  My last night of debauchery.

Magic moments

Life has been steadily improving around here since the Christmas of Arctic Blast.  Here are just a few of my accomplishments:

Seriously, I'm telling you that I cooked something.  Some of you asked "what?" so here you go- see recipe for yummy egg dish.  I used 4 full eggs + 8 whites, and pearl barley because Albertson's didn't have quinoa.  I can see this becoming a staple because I like eggs and it's easy (even by my standards).  I'm already getting close to whipping up another batch.  Also made fruit pizza for Bert's Couch Potato Blast, and popcorn snack mix for game day today.  Three recipes in one week?  Hell really has frozen over!

Actually it's thawing.  After 6 days of living within an approximate 2 mile radius of Warbler Way (trying to forget the excursion to PDX) I busted out on Friday night to meet Tom and Sarah for a beer.  Sweet beer of freedom!  And the last happy hour for quite a while as they are running the RnR marathon in an few weeks, and I'll be jumping on the wagon for IMCDA training.  This wagon will be making a few stops on the way to CDA, but for the most part I'll be crossing over from "not much fun" to "no fun at all" as far as drinking activities are concerned.

I have perfected the technique of rocking my car to get unstuck in the snow/slush.  Getting back into the garage on Saturday night was truly a feat.  After rocking a few times I managed to launch it in and didn't even take out Lindsay's car in the process!  I was quite proud of myself.

Took banana boy out for the first time.  Enjoyed bruise-free fruit after my treadmill run.

Did you know that Talking Rain has a whole bunch of flavors?  Talking sparkling water.  I have been drinking the basic lime, berry, lemon and plain for a while but now I've also tried these:
Pomegranate-Lime - Not so good.
Spearmint Mojito :) - So it's definitely not a mojito but surprisingly good, for water.
Berry and Plain are my standby flavors.

And speaking of drinking, Bert hosted the 2008 Couch Potato Blast last night. 

 
All us Potatoes in "action".

The idea was to celebrate our accomplishments of 2008 with a final blast before getting serious about training for events in 2009.  And blast we did.  I think too much time on the treadmill and trainer has seriously affected our mental state, and the wine brought it to a new low!  But to echo Eileen's statement, I haven't laughed that much in a long time.

 
Bert works the canvas- ha!

Coach could not be there but I think it's safe to say he was there "in spirit".  Bert demonstrated the use of his magic wand by giving us each a bit of fairy dust (oops I'm not supposed to used the word "fairy").  It is an Ironman Wand, but there may be some effect for marathons and shorter triathlons.  And getting a job.  We'll see.

 
Suspicious of the wand's powers, but I like the pink fur. 

All that pixie dust (can I use the word "pixie"?) gave me insomnia and I didn't fall asleep until after 3.  I'm sure it was that damn wand and not all the food and drink.  And then there was more today, along with another great time, but now it's time for the gluttony to end.  I skipped my swim today *OH NO* but I'm actually excited to hit the pool tomorrow and run OUTDOORS!!

Tradition

I carried on Christmas tradition again today with a run outside.  To be honest, this was officially only my 2nd Annual Christmas Day run but seems like an event worth continuing.  It was lot easier in Great Falls last year because although it was probably a good 30 degrees colder, at least the sidewalks were shoveled!  I suppose the girl who doesn't own a shovel shouldn't talk - it's not like I'm doing my part here :)  Must admit I haven't done a whole lot of shoveling in my life.  Dad has a tractor plow that he used (and still does) to clean up all snow-covered driveways and sidewalks on our street and the surrounding neighborhood.  During my college years I was living at the dorm and then the sorority house where the sidewalks were maintained for us.  Come to think of it, I'm not sure who took care of shoveling at the house...surely it wasn't our 70-year old house mother?!  Maybe the frat boys next door or across the street?  Seems unlikely.  I remember them running naked around our house on the evening of first snowfall every year, but never shoveling.  And then after college I moved to New Mexico and avoided shoveling yet again for several more years!

Back to the run; I have a pair of Timberland trail running shoes that I got for free somewhere and have hardly ever worn because they are too wide for my feet.  Well, I cinched them up and must say that they ROCK.  They are Gore-tex and truly waterproof as my feet have been totally submerged several times in the slush and my socks remained dry.  The Vibram soles never slipped while running over packed snow/ice.  It was a slow and difficult run because of the uneven terrain but the shoes held their own.  Called it after 4 miles and made a beer uh, grocery store run to Albertson's.

And what would Christmas be without an eggnog latte?  I met my friend Kristina at Starbucks, who trudged for miles getting splashed by cars to get there and is awesome (thanks!).  That's where I saw a couple people running outside and got inspired for my late afternoon run.  I am still not brave enough to take my car out.  Every so often I hear wheels spinning outside my window and think "maybe tomorrow".

In the un-traditional category, I am about to cook for one.  No kidding.  Cooking as in several ingredients and a regular oven.  It's a Christmas miracle!

Enough already!

Latest update from the Warbler Way Hill Cam (i.e. me looking out the window): it's STILL SNOWING!  "Artic blast" 2008 is in full swing here in Portland.  Tomorrow the snow is supposed to transition into freezing rain- awesome.  Took the Fox to the airport this morning, hopefully she made it to WI.  She had 2 airports to pass through enroute, SEA and MSP.  Actually I think she got out just in time because Alaska has now cancelled flights out of PDX today and tomorrow.  I am supposed to fly out Monday morning- hmm.  Not looking good.  Atleast I've got plenty of wine here but the Christmas cookies are gone THANK GOODNESS.  There is still cheese, however.  I re-gifted almost all of our beer at a co-workers party last night, keeping 2 bottles in reserve just in case I got stuck here for a couple days.  Good call.

Why am I watching WWF?  Because I don't know how to change the channel!  Still not proficient with the cable remotes.  OK, changed.  What should I watch on the trainer tomorrow?  Elf, Christmas Vacation or Love Actually?  I'm thinking Elf.  My legs kind of hurt from the treadmill today. I ran 45 minutes, my longest run since CIM.  I'd also like to vent about swimming here, but will wait until tomorrow when I find I can't lift my arms because I worked LATS in the weight room today because those are the muscles I am supposed to be using to swim.  It's no wonder they aren't getting used- they're wimpy!

Rattling on here...this is what happens when I'm stuck home alone.  Hopefully these robbers don't show up at my door.

"Winter in Minnesota" - a photo of my cousin's kids stolen from their blog.  They've got the right idea- I'll look to dress the same in Great Falls where it was 12 below today.  Woohoo!

Tonight my brother mentioned he had seen this video of cars sliding in PDX.  This is not my hill but it could be.  The music really makes the video so make sure your sound is on.

Give 'n Gobble

Lindsay, Sarah and I did the Give 'n Gobble 10k in Sherwood to kick off the holiday.  It was friggin' cold but a good little race.  The run itself did not go well for me, but after catching a cold ealier in the week, working until midnight the night before and stopping to answer a page 1 mile into the race, I figure I wasn't exactly set up for success.  But I am thankful for the ability to run!

After a way-too-short nap, it was off to the Grims for an awesome orphan thanksgiving dinner.  I stuffed myself and was thankful for food and drink, friends and generous hosts!  I'm also extremely thankful that Beth brought the stuffing :) the best part of Thanksgiving dinner, hands down.  Wine, dinner and dessert sent me into a food coma for 11 hours last night.  I am thankful that I was able to sleep that long and my pager didn't go off until 8:30am - aaahhh.

After a few hours of work today I was able to passdown to the Thurs-Sat shift 8 engineer.  I am thankful for on-shift engineers!  We rule!  And I'm thankful for time off at Christmas to go home and see the family. 

And thank goodness I'm in taper mode, resting up for CIM.  Bring it!

Get your stamp on!

The Fall Stamping Retreat 2008, aka "the Escape", is fast approaching.  I will post any pictures that are suitable for posting!  Get 15 women together in a house with stamps, ink and plenty of alcohol (not to mention the embossing gun) and who knows what may come of it.  Besides Christmas Cards.  Those of you who've been nice this year will be receiving one of my cards.  And if not- well, better luck next year.

I found myself thinking about Christmas cards while deleting a barrage of emails urging me to order my race photos for the holidays: photo greeting cards, mouse pads, magnets...so many choices.  Speaking of choices, should I choose the picture from Lake Stevens where I'm sticking the water bottle up my nose?

 

Or how about my finisher's photo from IMC?  Showing leg.

 

Or this one from the Girlfriends Half a few weeks ago, where I am perfecting the "backwards lean" technique at the finish.  The forward lean is OUT.

 


How will I ever decide?

Like Rabbits

I mean, I like rabbits.  In the spirit of Easter, animals made of marshmallow and all things made of chocolate, I may bounce back like the Easter bunny some day in the upcoming week (TBD).  Then I might eat a whole bag of Cadbury mini-eggs in celebration.  All right, bad idea.  But it has been 7 DAYS since the Killer Shamrock race.  To say I'm "bouncing back" is a little strong, it's been more like bunny hopping.  Broken, sore bunny. 

OK anyhow, to make your Easter holiday I'd like to show you how much I like rabbits.  I may have dressed up like a bunny more than once in my life.  Not that kind of bunny.

This kind.  Yours truly at the Intel Easter egg hunt in Rio Rancho, NM.

Wow, that is like really frightening.

And here we are again.  Halloween 2006 with Beth (aka Miss Rhode Island) and Bobbi Jo (aka Betty Boop). 

The best part of my costume?  The basket.  I put jello shots in the plastic eggs and handed them out at the party.  The Easter Bunny was a hit let me tell you!

 
Or maybe this was the best part.  Rocking the cotton tail.

I now remember that my "cotton tail" was not cotton at all, but craft styrofoam.  Best I could do at the time, but not the most comfortable thing to sit on!  And that pink getup was a pair of ungodly hot blanket fleece footed pajamas.  I had to keep going into the bathroom to "vent" over the course of the night.  The lengths we go to for a good costume.

And finally...although we've all tried to block this painful ad campaign, circa 1997, it keeps coming back to haunt us. 


Woodsy at work

Remember the shiny, happy colorful dancing bunny people?  Sure you do...

"The Bunny Peopletm characters are modeled after the highly trained technicians that manufacture Intel micro-processors in ultra-clean manufacturing environments. Wearing a "bunny suit", protective clothing which prevents even the smallest dust particles from contaminating the microprocessors being manufactured, these technicians manufacture highly complex chips like Intel's newest Pentium® II processor."

Actually this better describes my reality, at 7 am every workday.  In fact all of our suits are blue and there is no music or dancing.  For the love of...see where this link takes you http://www.bunnypeople.org/.  Sheesh.  You never got one of your very own?  No worries.

You can buy this set of 3 on Ebay for 99 cents.

Anyhow, I am the first to admit the rabbit thing defies all explanation.  Kind of like how I am repeatedly drawn to Texas (like a whole other country).  That's another blog.

I Heart my Blackberry

Are we all feeling the love this Valentine's Day?  In honor of V-day, let me tell you about how much I love my new wireless device.  The Blackberry I set up last weekend is flippin' sweet.  Did you think that hyperlink would take you to a picture?  Because that would actually be really funny.  Though my phone can't take pictures of itself,  it can take pictures of me.   There's this little reflective dot....ah, I digress.  Got my work email and calendar sync'd up to it yesterday, a decision I immediately regretted as 323 messages came streaming into my inbox intermingling with the Gmail which is actually important.  Luckily I figured out the notification profile deal or I'd be getting pinged every 2 minutes due to a lines-down situation or lot-on-hold or some other factory issue I don't care about.  Unfortunately I'm going to have to start caring, because I'm on the verge of being useful at work.  As in, starting to do stuff.  And that means my colleagues are chomping at the bit to get me into the on-call rotation.  Sorry boss, that's just not going to work out with my Ironman training.  Can't stop the group in the middle of a ride to deal with some crisis in the fab.  Priorities.

I already see the advantage of having a Blackberry is that I'll always be ON TOP OF IT.  I know where my next meeting is and don't have to depend on my short-term memory from desk to conference room.  When our stock goes up I'll know right away...still waiting.  Al least now when I jump up and start yelling "sell! sell!" you will understand why.  How does the weather look for our run this weekend?  JUST a moment, let me check now.  Org announcements?  Team rides?  ALL OVER IT.   And get this- I now have the power to blog from anywhere at anytime, with pictures.  Danger!

The disadvantage of having of Blackberry is, of course, that I'm always ON TOP OF IT.  Do I want to be on top of it?  Depends on what IT is :o)  Between this and the pager, nothing gets by me know.  All this connectivity is making me tired. 

Thank you to those who sent Valentine wishes!  And for those who didn't, well...I still heart you.  But not as much as my Blackberry.  Remember that gifts of chocolate are acceptable at any time of the year.  Also want to send a shout out to my Blackberry Buddy (I see a marketing opportunity) and brother Darren who got me hooked over Christmas.  What is family for, if not to spark your addictions? 

The Chicken and the Egg

New Year's is a non-holiday.  Why do we celebrate an arbitrary date on the calendar?  I think we each have our own special day to mark a new year; it's called a birthday.  New Year's Day also reminds you that you're another year older but you get no presents.  Go ahead and reflect on what you haven't accomplished over the past year and resolve to make changes, then promptly fall off the wagon come February. 

Let's play pick-a-resolution anyhow:

1.  Eat healthy
2.  Exercise
3.  Lose weight (goes nicely with res #1 and #2)
4.  Spend more time with family and friends
5.  Make more money at work (not compatible with res #4)

Also, you may find that after Christmas you're flat broke.  So might as well get drunk and watch the ball drop like your bank account balance did.  Screw you, Dick Clark!  Maybe I'm being pessimistic here.  Maybe. 

I got this definition in my email today that sums it up nicely:

January 01, 2008: new year's
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=new+year%27s&defid=1506519

A holiday that celebrates the idea of all the good things that will happen in another year.  Most people use this time to get drunk. 

What better way to start off a new year than with a head-splitting hangover, the stench of vomit on your clothes, and a DWI.

That said, I've had some pretty memorable New Year's Eves here in Portland thanks to my drinking friends...or not so memorable as the case may be.  But we've outgrown Kells and all the other overpriced bar parties in Portland (see ball drop reference above).  The good news is that there is still a fine time to be had at the Wooden Chicken.  The word "classy" comes to mind.  As does "cheap".  Not mutually exclusive, mind you.  We ended up there last year after my flight from MT was delayed into PDX on New Year's Eve.  It was 11:30 and we had to find a bar FAST!  Not only did we find cheap beer, but also dance floor hijinks and hugs from random strangers at midnight.  It was awesome.

And so I bring you

New Year's Eve 2008:  The Wooden Chicken Revisited. 

Present: Kristen, Sarah, Beth and myself.  Bill showed up late but compensated with a round of drinks.  Absent: Bobbi Jo and Brian.  We missed you!  I don't know that cow racing is an ACCEPTABLE excuse...

This year Beth was the one flying into PDX on New Year's Eve.  Gary informed us that the alternate name for this place is The Cluck 'n F___.  Rest assured there was none of that going on at our party last night.  What there was...a fabulous door prize that we didn't win consisting of a backpack with flask, tequila and wife beater.  There was a smoke machine and memorable tunes such as PYT, the Electric Slide and Don't Stop Believin'!  There was a breakdancing contest.  Kristen was tempted but thought better of it.  There was an unbelievably small tab for 3 hours of pure entertainment plus party favors.  There was NO drunken texting at midnight.  That did not happen last year either.

Here we are behaving ourselves.  Check out the decor.  There are taps on the wall up around the lights.

And now I have a word or two to say about the Egg.  Eggnog lattes at Starbucks are almost gone for the season.  Please tell me why eggnog is a seasonal drink!  It is the ultimate recovery drink, having both protein and sugar.  It can be served either hot or cold.  It's not like peppermint or gingerbread that have the holiday candy/cookie association.  Was there eggnog at the birth of Jesus?  I think not.  There is no reason that eggnog lattes should not be served year-round.  Starbucks are you listening?  I swear after I get over to China, eggnog lattes will eventually be served year-round at all Dalian locations.  I hear my company has some influence there, so that will be my cause. 

Aiiright, I'm headed to the pool to kick off my New Year of Ironman training.  And bad puns.  Woo hoo!

Home for the Holidays

Blogging live one-handed from Montana!  I guess I can't really blog live unless you're reading this over my shoulder.  Sounds good though.  So what exactly do people do in Montana?  In the winter no less?  Besides ride their horses to school/ work uphill both ways through the snow.  And ice skate?  Yes there must be ice skating.

Well speaking for myself, I eat.  A LOT.  My lame left hand didn't hinder that at all. 

We go to church like all good Lutherans.

We clean up pretty well, don't we?

 
And we get along really well too!

Oh and we're watching a lot of Pirates of the Carribean for whatever reason.  Rented the third one last night and the second one is now on TV.  Bet you didn't know that was a Christmas movie, did you?

Tomorrow my brother and I are driving up for what apparently is an Authentic Montana Experience, according to the website.  It IS Montana, as well.  Spending most of the day on your butt in the freezing cold?  Yep that sounds about right.  Afterward we can come home and warm ourselves

It is necessary for my Dad and I to be dorks here because...

This is a fireplace you play on the TV via DVD, complete with crackling noises.  And you thought gas fireplaces were so fake!

On that note

Wait for it....

Warm Holiday Wishes to All!

Memo to the Three Wise Men

Yes there are only three in existence.  Just kidding!  Alright, go ahead and flame me for that one.  I asked for it.  Now, wise guys on the other hand...I know plenty.

Dear Bosses of the China, Hillsboro and Aloha sites:

This note is to inform you that I will not be coming to work next week.  I have no time for shift 7, shift 1, or any shift for that matter.  There is simply too much Christmas preparation to be done.  I am leaving the state and will be unavailable to you by pager, email, IM, office phone, cell phone and interoffice snail mail.

- 40 Christmas cards to assemble, sign and send
- 24 layers of clothing to pack for Montana.  That's 8 days x 3 layers, not to mention ski clothes, workout clothes, Christmas gifts, and several bottles of Oregon wine.  And shoes...omg the shoes.
- 17-mile run on Saturday, part of 15 hours/week triathlon training
- 6 hours of happy hour social time, 3 per Friday.  At least
- 4 gifts to wrap for the girl's gift exchange dinner
- 3 appts- 1 chiro, 1 coach, 1 massage therapist.  I need a lot of help.
- 2 birthday presents to find for the 2 men in my life that have everything.   December birthing is just a bad idea all around.  It either results in frustration for the giver having to rummage around for double giftage, or the giver screwing the receiver with the Birthday/Christmas combo gift.  How about some family planning, people?! 
- And something about a partridge in a pear tree.

Anxiously awaiting my Christmas bonus,

AMW

PS- I really enjoyed my 2007 Jelly-of-the-Month club membership.  mmmm.  Thank you!

Orphans united

Several of us invaded Sarah's house this year for...

Orphan Thanksgiving II.  Return of Tofurkey

Orphan Thanksgiving I took place 2 years ago and was just as enjoyable.  In attendance this year was our hostess Sarah, Beth, Lindsay, Lisa, Francisco, Tom and myself.  The real turkey took it's time to finish cooking which was just fine.  Allowed us plenty of time to sample and finish several bottles of wine:  Pennsylvania red wine that Lisa brought back from the Philly marathon, Raspberry wine, and a white from Saviah that I got at the Walla Walla holiday barrel tasting last Dec.  There was also a cab sauv and...that's all I can remember right now!  Dessert wine from Walla Walla that we actually managed to save for dessert. 

Enough about the wine, let's talk turkey!  And stuffing and potatoes and cornbread oh my!  SO much food.

Tom carving the Tom

Tofurkey!

Two years ago we had the version that comes with drumsticks and a wishbone.  Hilarious because it's a vegetarian thing, right?  A lot of people who eat it don't necessarily want to see bird-like features.  I'm poking fun but actually this tofurkey stuff is pretty good.  I think we all tried it.

Lots of talking.  A little football-watching.

Carving the pie was a challenge but we all got plenty of pie AND cheesecake AND ice cream!

See more pics on my Flickr.

Roll me out of here, I'm done!  I am thankful for the 42-mile ride on Thurs and 11-mile run on Fri, though I still don't think I've compensated for the calorie intake.   Charlie promises a turkey-burner ride on Sunday so I'm looking forward to that.

Good times.  With good friends and good food!  Thanks again Sarah!