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

When I went running this evening, I saw the most beautiful sight. I ran between the buildings across fourth street from my place in the light rain, came out onto the waterside park, looked across the Washington Channel, and saw a plethora of green all along the edge of Hains Point. And you know what all that green means?

No more frakkin’ cherry blossoms this year.

There are still some small number of hold outs, but it’s the ephemeral nature of these evil pollen-spitting spawn of satan beautiful flowers that makes them so annoying valuable. And thankfully they’re now gone for the season.

This afternoon I hung out with a bunch of the DC Boys of Leather, while one of the couples in the group hosted their annual “easter tacos” get-together. It was a good time, and I enjoyed getting to see the boys. Not the most traditional holiday get-together, but it worked well. The peep jousting was particularly amusing.

Finished the foot increases on the latest sock this morning, so started working on the heel on the Metro on the way to the tacos. After I got home I went ahead and finished knitting the heel and began the leg rounds when I stopped, tried it on, and took pictures:

The best part is that it fits! I have to say, I’m loving having done this as a toe-up sock for that very reason – you can try the blasted thing on while you’re still knitting it to ensure it actually fits. This one does, which I’m quite, quite happy with. Now I just have to decide how far up the leg I want it to go (again, can try it on!), and be done with it so I can start the mate to it.

While last week was clearly allergies, this week feels like I’m fighting off a head cold. Sneezes, stuffy, etc. Did some last minute cleaning this evening while talking to a cousin who’s coming to town tomorrow with her hubby, and then with Richard, and then the new guy, and I probably shouldn’t have attempted any dusting while I have a semi-stuffy nose. It definitely didn’t help the nose. I did find some afrin in the cabinet while looking for my old staples of cold medications – that was a year expired. I generally manage my allergies better these days, with the result that I don’t get nearly the amount of head colds I used to, so I don’t have to keep what used to be my usual standbys on hand any more.

Work’s been semi-quiet, with passover, easter, and spring break sapping much of the work force. Did get one WTF question this evening that made me question the sanity of certain higher managers, but we’ll look into it. I find myself muttering the words “LBS” to my fellow lawyers a lot these days (“Legal, But Stupid”). It’s a useful standard to have for such situations. Not that one phrases it thus to the clients (diplomacy counts, after all), but it is useful nonetheless.

Dear weather, it’s April, I shouldn’t need to turn my heat on. Stop it.

Dear sinuses, I don’t have time for a cold. Stop it.

Dear allergy meds, you’re not supposed to fail me in the middle of allergy season. Stop it.

Dear work, I don’t have time to get to all the things you keep throwing my way. Stop it.

Dear upcoming race, I’m not ready for you and you’re approaching too quickly. Stop it.

Dear life in general, the whole minor annoyances thing? It’s not working for me. Stop it.

I have a love-hate relationship with pancakes. Love to eat them, hate to cook them. Or, rather, I always feel inadequate when cook them. I’m just not terribly good at the whole flipping them over part. At least not when cooking more than one in the pan, which is a necessity if you’re ever going to get done in time to actually eat the things while they’re still hot. This morning’s batch ended up with two cakes that only made it half way over before they fell off the spatula.

Part of it this morning was a new spatula I’d picked up this week, one coated in silicon rather than the usual plastic ones I’ve had. I discovered that the plastic ones were melting on the end (ewww!), and I really didn’t want to suck in more plastic than I probably already do. I’m pleased to report that the silicon spatula did not melt. So far. Even if I’m still not fully up on the whole flipping thing with it yet. Maybe I just need a larger pan. I definitely need a new pan; the one I have now is cheap, and slightly warped (I doubt that helps much with the flipping).

But even slightly folded, the pancakes were still quite yummy.

Had an impromptu hill workout on a run this evening since the wind was coming in steady, fast, and directly in my face for half the run. Even lost my visor at one point to a good gust. But it was still a good run, and I’m glad I skipped the swim this evening to do it. I think I’m going to be able to build up to Columbia by the time it rolls around, which is a good thing.

Work was nuts again, though we did get a chance to be helpful on something late this afternoon that’ll have a big impact on our stimulus spending next week. Not that the head of the BGA will appreciate it, but it’s there. At least the initial screwup wasn’t ours.

I was released from some of my previously planned volunteer activities this weekend, so am heading out tonight and may do so again tomorrow, depending on folks’ other plans. That and I must go clothes shopping, since last weekend didn’t pan out. In the meantime, though, it’s time to get out of the house.

I don’t often go back into my archives to read entries. While I enjoy the writing, and the occasional bit of feedback, I don’t often feel the need to wander back through things. But it is nice to have them, especially when someone from your past pops up and you have this nagging sense that you remember who he is, but can’t quite place him.

In this instance it was AH, a young man with whom I’d flirted a great deal, and had a couple short dates with back in 2003. He found me over on Loopt and dropped me a message this morning while I was home dealing with my allergies. He happened to mention that he was glad he remembered the nickname I’d given him on here, so that set me to searching to see if a) I could find my old archives, and b) if I could find him. Good on both counts.

Had an interesting time wandering through the past ten years of online writing (started in October of 1999). A lot has happened in that time, pleasant memories and not-so-pleasant ones. I do see that I used to write a lot more about the minutiae of life, which was I suppose a bit easier when I did more in terms of going out, and when there were fewer of us doing this online diary thing. I also see I was consistently reticent to go into great details about work (smart), and not so reticent about certain details of what others might consider one’s private life. So be it. I certainly don’t regret (most) of what I’ve written, and in many ways I’m glad to have the record, if for no other reasons than to catch up on where I’ve been and see where I might be headed.

I don’t recall having had sinus headaches in previous cherry blossom seasons like I’m having this year. I’m putting the caffeine reduction plan on hold until after the blooms are done to ensure it’s not withdrawal on top of the allergens. In the meantime, this shit hurts like there’s no tomorrow, despite taking my allergy meds as religiously as ever.

The work stress from yesterday was largely diffused this morning and I’m back to grinding away on the usual stuff. Tempest, teapot, etc. Thank heavens.

Now if we could just take a roto-rooter to my sinuses…

Work continued with the ass kicking today. I’m going to have to knuckle down and punch things out faster and/or just be better in general about getting back to folks or my office is going to continue to get pounded. It’s bad enough the head of the BGA hates the lawyers, but it’s filtering down to the rest of the staff as well. And we’re a very convenient whipping boy these days.

Meh.

Dinner date this evening to help de-stress. Still not completely sure where this one is going past hanging out. With my return to training our social lives are again drifting apart, since mine is once again starting to revolve around exercising and crashing relatively early and his, well, does not. In any case, it was date number whatever and I’m enjoying it. I seriously need to cuddle, though. But dinner dates are not conducive to cuddling, more’s the pity.

And it must be bed time because the local army fort is playing retreat/tattoo. No, it’s not taps (lights out), but it’s close enough.

Sunrise through the cherry blossoms this morning on my first weekday morning ride of the year. Absolutely gorgeous.

Also pretty darned cold. My little balcony thingey says 46, though the official temperature at the airport across the river says 38. Either way, chilly when you’re cycling. I’m glad I changed my mind at the last minute and put on the fleece tights. As I sit here in the apartment my arms and toes are still a little chilled, but the shower will solve that. This was supposed to be the coldest morning this week, so I’m hopeful it won’t be this bad again this season.

Not my fastest ride ever, but the point was just to get out there and do it, not necessarily to be a speed demon on the roads. Didn’t see anyone else from the club out there (and it’s hard to miss me, between the club jersey, wind vest and arm warmers – I look like superman in the club’s blue with all the red and white on it), but that should pick up as it warms up. I thought I’d see one or two of our die hards, but perhaps they’re avoiding the Point until the blossoms are done and the tourists are gone (and yes, there were tourists out, even at that hour, catching pictures of the sun just hitting the blossoms as it came over the Washington Channel).

I’ve been cutting back on my caffeine intake again, with a goal of eliminating it from my diet during the week. I’m tired of being dependent on it to get going in the mornings, and would prefer to be able to use it more strategically and not as a “must have” drug. So far so good, though yesterday was dragging. All part of getting back to training and getting my body back into shape. I wrote off yesterday for exercise, but I want to get back to the schedule I was on last spring before the injury – MWF Run in the morning, swim in the evening (with Wed as the weekly long run), TuThSa bike, Su completely off. That worked well as I recall, and kept me on track with a single weekend day to be a complete bum (and one night to be able to go out without worrying about the next morning’s workout). I’m still on the fence about the Columbia triathlon (Olympic distance) in May, but if I can stick to that I think I can do it, even if I’ll be slow on the run.