Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

I love this description of cheese:

{the scene: some goblins are in a dungeon, having just raided food from above, and are looking over what they’ve found, including some cheese}

Goblin1: What the hell is this stuff made of?
Goblin2: Well, humans live around a lot of cows…
Goblin3: Cows?
Goblin4: Large, Fleshy beasts that eat grass.

Goblin 2: The squeeze the creature’s milk out of large, dangling nipples next to its groin. Then they let the lactation go rotten until it hardens and… and…

Goblin1: [general look of horror]

Yeah, I’d say that about sums it up.

I suppose this is one of the drawbacks of training as I do, what with swimming and what not. it seems I have a nascent case of swimmer’s ear. At least, I think that’s what it is now. Previously (because I’ve had lighter versions of these symptoms before in the winter) I’d just assumed it was a bit of excess snot built up in my sinuses, as the symptoms weren’t that far apart (slight pressure on the eardrum, which is really irritating when you’re running and your eardrum is beating in time with your steps). Now, I’m pretty much convinced it’s swimmer’s ear, so i’m backing off swimming this week, seeing my physician’s assistant on Wednesday, and in the meantime I’m just about steadily saying: OUCH!

This. Fracking. Hurts.

I’ll be getting some earplugs next week, too. Ouch.

In other news™, I keep thinking I want to get a Wii, but then I remember that I barely have time for my DS these days, which means I’m really not playing games at all, which means a Wii would pretty much be a waste of money. Which is annoying, because it looks fun, but I’d rather save my $$ and pay off a student loan this year. Irritating to be so ‘adult’ at times. I’d also rather spend my time, at least until July 22, on training our newbies for their first triathlon. After the ear’s better, of course.

Ouch.

Been doing a bit of reading lately. Currently on the plate, aside from the usual magazines (Runner’s World, Instinct, Genre, Triathlete, etc.), are Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds, Blindness by Jose Saramago and Ironcrown Moon by Julian May. I’ve liked both Mr. Reynolds’ and Ms. May’s works. His are pure hard science sci-fi, and hers are I suppose technically also hard science, but with a hint of fantasy, given the mythological overtones in her Saga of Pleiocene Exile. Mr. Saragamo’s Nobel-winning novel was recommended, and loaned, by a co-worker.

Okay, just one comment (no spoilers) on Battlestar tonight – is it me or is the long hair and beard thing on Baltar making him look more and more christ-like?

The wind is literally howling outside my windows. Every few minutes it picks up and sounds like animals screaming outside. Spooky.

Was a triathlon weekend. The regional meeting for our region of USAT was held on Saturday. They hand out prize money based on the highest attendance, so went to help bolster the club’s chances (we won). Last year we plowed that back into the newbie program, and there’s a good chance it’ll happen this year as well. Yay for that. Then today I edited docs for the program and sent some along to the other leaders. Hopefully we’ll be all set for next Saturday’s info meeting for this year’s program. Also picked up some more winter/cooler weather gear (hooray for sales).

This past week was absolute hell at work. We had drafting assistance requests for hill staffers out the wazoo, and they’re still not done on action to complete our funding. I think the plan is that the House takes it up on Wednesday, then the Senate does next week. Which is a mess because the President’s budget for the following year gets released a week from tomorrow. Oh, and we were still negotiating bits of that as well. Oy! I look forward to the moment when next year’s is out and this year’s finally gets finalized. Of course, then we’ll start the hearings on next year’s but that’ll be a change of pace from where we’ve been.

Made a mess ‘o chili tonight so I have lunches this week. My usual cheap haunt on site has closed down for the next 2.5 months for renovations, and the other places just give you too darned much food, so looks like it’s time to get on the ball and carry stuff in again. Was good chili, so should be great tomorrow.

Quick thoughts because I need sleep, post swim and post vegging tonight with the TiVo.

Thinking about hiring a coaching service for my season this year. We have a deal through the club that’s not bad, and some specialized feedback might be a very good thing. Have until the end of the month to decide, so i’m going to ruminate on it.

Got my nudie calendar for this year finally. Third year running for this particular one. Just something about the models he’s chosen… It’s smaller (width wise) than the previous years’ calendars, but it works really well in the space I have it in – the extra length lets it match the bulletin board more easily. Good choice.

And, of course, there’s the naked butt staring out at me when I come into the living room now (nice back!).

Ran completely out of coffee this morning and was too hungry to stop at the grocery store on the way home. Will have to try and get some tomorrow evening after the gym and dinner with MG.

Running should prove interesting tomorrow morning, but from the state of the sidewalks I’ve seen today it should be dry where I’m running. If not, I go slow. No killing myself this year, I’d like to actually run the silly 10 miler this time around.

I hate when recipes lie. “Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.” 40 minutes my ass, how about 2 hours? Liars. And I think this happens more often than people think with cookbooks (because, really, if it said “2 hours” would most people try the recipe? no).

Finally got snow. I was debating biking to work tomorrow, then MG reminded me that no one will know how to drive tomorrow and I really didn’t want to be on the road with those fools. Point taken, I’ll walk. Did go run this afternoon and with 15 minutes to go the snow started (tiny little stuff, but snow nonetheless). That was fun, been a while since I’d run in snow.

Of course, if it sticks around, it won’t be the last time this week, either. Provided it’s not too icy.

Picked up gobs and gobs of groceries yesterday, before I realized it was going to snow. Needed tons of staples, so off I went to pack my little bag lady cart and subsequently my limited cabinets with lotsa food. Forgot coffee, though. Will have to pick up more after the pool. Was otherwise feeling a little bit of my hermit-mood for the weekend. Did go see a play with Richard, his much belated birthday gift, this evening, and MG was over last night and today, but was feeling the urge to just stay in and nest. Trying to break out of that some, but it was a particularly social week, with two happy hours, so perhaps I was just burnt out.

I’m killing the Uberlist for this year. I’ve gotten up to 80 items and I just can’t go any further, and now half the things I’ve put down I’m not sure I want to do this year, so phooey on it. I think I’d rather set up a rolling list of goals, like paying off two of the sub-loans with my student loan providers, and then build up from there. I do have temporal goals that will suit themselves to a yearly list (i.e., race goals), but some of the other stuff I found myself wanting to concentrate on is likely more multi-year than not, especially the financial stuff.

Long day of cleaning. It was very much needed, I’d let the dining table become a junk depository and it needed emptying, and laundry needed doing, and vacuuming, and dusting, and all that stuff needed to happen. Was more motivated than usual because FJ!! popped by before MG and I ran him up to BWI to fly home to LA. All was in order for his visit, so face was saved and he didn’t see how junky it looked 24 hours previous.

Not to say it’s a show apartment, but it’s gotten much better as I’ve concentrated on fixing individual areas.

One thing I had decided to do this year on the list was a charity event. With AIDS Marathon pulling out of DC due to the incomprehensible actions of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, I think I’ve settled on a biking event that helps Food and Friends here in DC. I’m going to an informational session for them tomorrow evening, and if I like the info I see from them I’m likely to sign up. The ride’s in July, and that’s a good time to build up to the distances we’re looking at. I like the work the charity does here in DC, so I’m favorably inclined to them, but I still want the chance to ask some questions before I make the plunge.

After the odd email exchange about our newbie program, the volunteer meeting yesterday went well, though I found out I’m the sole co-leader from last year who’s continuing on into this year. Ack! So, whole new crew, but with a lot of infrastructure set up for this year. It’s going to be a fun season. Now we just have to find a goal race so we can get some of the other information into focus. As the one carry over I’m getting a lot of questions, and that’s fine. Just call me Mr. Triathlon.

Have done some little wanderings around the edges of MAL this year. MG and I went to the hotel last night and chatted with friends for a couple of hours. Then today we went to the market and I plunked down far too much money on stuff from Nasty Pig (but it’s going to look lovely once I get the jeans hemmed, and wear the bar vest out to the Eagle). Ran into tons of friends, saw some folks whom I though I recognized but wasn’t quite sure enough of to go say hello, and generally enjoyed myself. Did end up a little dehydrated at the end, I think, but am making up for it now that I’m home.

Need to do lots of cleaning tomorrow, laundry and general straightening. FJ!! is going to stop by, I think, while he waits for his flight after leaving the hotel, and the place definitely needs to be made more guest-worthy if that’s to happen.

When I left work today, I felt like someone had taken a large stick and beaten me, repeatedly.

To say that we were busy today would be an understatement. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this involved with the process, and trying to set up both the 07 budget (with the Hill, and internally), and also negotiate stuff for the 08 budget (with the OMB) is not a wrestling match I’d recommend to anyone. Heck. On. Earth.

Thankfully I had workout gear, so went for a nice weight workout (first one in ages, grr). Felt much better afterward, while taking a lot of time to zone out, zen out, and just generally release the cares of the day. Definitely a big help then. Then out to dinner with a friend and into the Metro to come home. Spotted a fellow cult member and caught him up on the latest cult gossip from Monday’s meeting.

Praying tomorrow isn’t anywhere near as bad as today was. I’ve got calls to make to some other offices to answer some questions we’ve been asked, but it shouldn’t be quite so bad. I hope.

It’s a good thing I normally bike commute, and thus had an extra pair of pants in my office to replace the ones that got soaked on my walk to work this morning. Whee.

Gorgeous day, after the rain ended. Slept for crap last night, though, so a rest day for me. Had a cult co-op meeting tonight which was going well until the issue of discriminatory pricing came up at the end (we charge less for seniors to use the fitness center, even though we’re all supposedly equal members of the corporation; it’s the only place where anyone pays anything different for “extra” services past the carrying charges). Nerve touched, on all sides. Fun, fun. Should be an interesting election season for the board in two months.

Get fitted for new orthotics tomorrow (yay new orthotics, yay killing off the deductible in one fell swoop). Mine are fine, except the little front part is about the sheer off. Will have to talk about whether it makes sense to have 2 pairs, given how much abuse I heap on them. We’ll see. In any case, the old ones will reside at work until they die so I don’t have to keep hauling them on the bike. Every ounce not carried is a good thing.