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

Much goings on since the last post, and yet it feels like I don’t have a ton to report, either.

I did indeed wipe out my credit card debt, and the installments have started on the small loan I took out to pay them all off. I’m waiting until the statements cycle in the next week or two to make the final interest payments, and then that part of the debt is retired. Yes, it’s just a restructuring of the debt, but one that will reduce the time and overall cost considerably, so I’m pleased.

I also took out enough to purchase the tri bike I wanted to get. Two pictures, one from the official web site, one from my camera phone:

Am most pleased with the purchase thus far. I also picked up an indoor trainer the following day, a fluid trainer, so I can ride the beastie inside when I’m too lazy to take my ass outdoors it’s too nasty outside to ride there. The aero bars will definitely take some getting used to – the ride home from the shop, even using the Metro, was spent entirely on the outer bars where the brakes were, but then again, I was riding on city streets, not out on open road with no cars. Glad I got it now, though, so I have time to practice on it well before the race in June.

Training otherwise is going well. I’m making most of the planned training sessions, with the exception of the bike ones last week (for obvious reasons – no bike yet!). The double training days on Tu/Th are going pretty well, as is the planned day off on Wednesday. I’m glad to have that rest built into the middle of the week, it definitely helps break up the routine and give me time to remember that I used to have a life outside of training, as well as letting me do errands like, oh, getting my hair cut.

In not so happy news, I broke up with K. It’s a complicated story, and I don’t want to go into a lot of details here, but I’m not seeing him any more.

Work is getting busier by the day, and I’m not keeping up with it, much to my annoyance. I almost suspect we’re getting enough other stuff going on in my area to justify another 1/2 a body (with the other 1/2 to be other “general law” stuff), or even a full body to handle the loan stuff I’m learning now. What a mess that is. Sat through some training today on it and I have to say, I’m almost wishing I’d done the joint JD/MBA degree rather than the JD/MA – the financing stuff would be very useful right about now.

Tired a lot of late from the training. A good tired, but still tired. Oh, and I gave up caffeine the week of Thanksgiving again. Had a decaf that weekend, and some sips of tea one lunch, but otherwise have steered clear of it. Honestly, it’s been a lot easier to dump this time than the original trip back in 2000-2001. Haven’t really felt the need for the stuff, despite the tiredness from the training, and my continuing trips down to the cafeteria in the morning before work (a ritual I do with one of the other new attorneys – used to get coffee together, now she gets coffee and I occasionally get a bagel). Glad I did it, and I look forward to having it completely out of my system again in another couple of months.

No more bites to report, though I find myself increasingly irritated at the management of the building for their (to my mind) poor business decisions in who they’re renting to. They’ve done nothing about the guys next door, only spraying when I fuss about the bugs returning. I had to pound on the wall on Sunday when I got home to get them to turn their music down (like I want to hear their music loudly and clearly through a concrete wall), and while they had the good sense to turn it down (had they not, security would have been called), it was still an incredible annoyance on an otherwise okay day. I so look forward to getting away from them and their unwanted little guests (both the two- and multi-legged varieties).

I need to arrange for a good full body massage sometime soon. It’s funny, I have so many friends who are professional massage therapists now that my problem is deciding which therapist to use for any given issue. But some work on the back/shoulders and legs is needed and soon.

Earlier I asked for some advice about an iPod Shuffle versus an iPod Nano for using in the gym. Don’t want to drag the full iPod in there and risk breaking it, so wanted to get something smaller/less valuable for the place. Decided on the Shuffle, and picked one up last night at the Apple Store over at Pentagay City. Using it tonight, after getting some time to play with the settings and such on the iBook and I have to say, I like it, and I’m glad I chose that over the Nano. Smaller form factor, and honestly, I don’t usually look at the screen anyway, so that aspect isn’t an issue. The screen issues the Nano’s having was a factor, too. I can actually see using it more for wandering around on weekends, too, as it’ll fit in a pocket pretty easily. Fun.

Culled the book collection this evening, dumping about four grocery bags worth into said bags and getting them ready to donate. Richard and I are doing a Goodwill/library run to get rid of a ton of stuff tomorrow, so that much less junk lying around to deal with. Will feel good to get rid of more, too.

I still have to find a charity to take my stuffed animal moose. I don’t think I’ll be able to give them to an AIDS or a cancer charity because they’re not new (infection risk), but perhaps a shelter will take them. I’d rather they get used/given to kids for free than have them get sold. Have time to search, but should get on that before the end of the year (taxes, donchaknow?).

Took long lunches out of the office from Wednesday on – just couldn’t take sitting at my desk over the lunch hour for some reason. Was nice out, and so was great to get out for the meal. Did have a beer for lunch Thursday, and, much to the delight of my soon-to-retire coworker, I got carded. Always a nice thing, that.

Anyway, off to bed, then up for a long day of getting rid of stuff!

Well, as threatened promised, I cleaned my closets for most of the weekend. Not the most thrilling thing to do, but it feels much, much better having gotten rid of so much junk. Still have to inventory the computer junk I found, but that can happen another day.

I also managed to strike something off my uberlist – item 48, “Fix the sagging problem on my large bookcase.” It finally hit me early this morning, after months of trying to figure out how I’d wedge something underneath to even out the bottom (it’s on legs and the middle was sagging rather badly), that I could just take the legs off and set the whole thing on the floor. D’oh! So today it got unloaded, the legs came off and it’s now resting nicely on the floor. It’ll take a while for the bottom to completely un-bow, but it’s looking better than it did. And I can get the bottom doors open without having to wrench them open, a big plus.

Upped the gauge on my earrings as well this weekend, from 18s to 14s. Yes, a two gauge jump, but it works. I wanted something a tad less “delicate” looking, and I’m pleased with the results. Popped the one in without a hitch but the left ear didn’t want to work, so I had to go back down and have it professionally inserted. Yay for piercers’ tools, specifically wedges. In it is, and in it’s staying for a long while. I never take the things out, anyway, so it’s no problem.

Ran this evening. Was pleasantly cool, but not so cool I wanted a long sleeve T. I think I may have to consider dumping the constant use of sudafed, regardless of my allergies. I just can’t get my heart rate down low enough when I’m on the stuff, and it’s annoying to be running at 170-odd beats a minute. So, an experiment – I’ll stop and see what happens. I can always carry it with just in case, but I’d like to see a tad more progress made on my running and it’s not happening with the sudafed in my system. Wish me luck.

I’ve spent all afternoon, post lunch, cleaning up my two closets. There’s a pile of empty boxes in the living room, and several full ones on and around my bed, needing sorting. Among the carnage:

• two printers
• a keyboard (“Windows 95 compatible!”)
• an old wool scarf in the family tartan
• tons of old financial records (bills, receipts, etc.)
• a fish-shaped bathroom radio
• a couple old blankets
• two full boxes of computer parts
• etc.

I’m still boggling over how and why I accumulated so much junk. And that was just one closet, really – the next one isn’t as bad with stuff, just empty boxes. I wonder if I should try to sell some of the porcelain moose figurines or just donate them. I’m sure someone out there wants some moosey knick-knacks…