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

My new mortgage servicing company has made a fine festuche of the escrow statement on my PMI as I moved over to them. Sent them a doc on 12/10/09 to have them correct the error (they somehow assumed I wasn’t going to pay the PMI that was on the bill for December and January, despite never being late with a payment?!?!). Called today because the February bill shows an increase (which was threatened in the incorrect escrow statement) to collect the “missing” PMI. They did indeed get my letter via fax on the 10th, but no one ever bothered to send it to the escrow department to have the thing fixed. Oy. So, step one was having that happen today, and I’ll call to bug them in a week. In the meantime I have to pay the bill with the extra $17 and change on it and then deal later with getting that somehow credited to a future bill or to principle. Right. It’s not a ton of money, but frankly I don’t want to pay them a penny more than I owe them. I have little faith in this new company so far, though the reps I’ve spoken to in the two months I’ve had them have been fairly pleasant to deal with.

Oh, and my favorite part of dealing with them? For the first time since about my third mortgage payment back in 2006 I’m paying my mortgage via check. Why? Because they want to charge me to make the payment online, in an amount that adds about 1% to the bill. No thanks, I’ll happily pay the USPS to deliver it instead. Dingbats.

And there’s some question why people dislike financial institutions?

Anyway. Other than that, training is going okay. My foot began to bother me a little at the end of last week, but several nights of sleeping in the brace has staved off the ever-possible plantar fasciitis. Went absolutely nuts in making soup last week, so I have gobs of the stuff in freezer bags now for easy meals later (whip up some fresh rice and heat up the soup, voila, homemade meal in no time). Curried split pea soup and African bean soup (also slightly curried, but with peanut butter in the broth – yum). Mood is much elevated thanks to regular exercise again.

Mike is looking at condos in Beantown these days. It’s been fun to watch the excitement and apprehension that goes along with that process. In a lot of ways I wish I were up there to look at places with him and watch the possibilities unfold. I did have to admit to him that I was a bit apprehensive when he first said that he was going to buy rather than rent when he moved this spring (it does make the long-distance aspect of the relationship a bit more, well, lasting for the near future), but spitting it out and talking about it with him released that anxiety. Yes, we’ll be traveling back and forth for a while to come, but I think he’s worth it.

Work has been hellacious as we move toward budget hearing time with the President’s budget coming out on Monday. Today was spent going over mind-numbing anticipatory questions and answers (the programs guessing what the Hill is going to ask us, and then answering said questions). On the one hand it’s a good picture of the overall direction of the BGA. On the other, it’s tedious and time-consuming, and one gets tired of correcting grammar and statutory reference mistakes. Eh, as long as they keep paying me. Though I do look forward to getting the ad out on the street for the other appropriations attorney position we’re supposed to be putting out. Soon. I hope. (Help!)

NTP is in full start-up mode. The newbies register on Wednesday and then the fun begins. I have two docs to edit up this week, and then we’re good to get started.

Been thinking a lot about decorating, again. Mainly paint and some minor things around the apartment. It’s been 4 years-ish since I moved in and I’ve not painted a thing. Whoops. I did come up with an idea for the color (though not the exact shade) for the bedroom this afternoon. Looked around when I got home and I think it’ll work. Not saying much past that, but I’m hopeful. Need to find someplace to do some framing for me, too (oooh, and there’s an idea for the front hall. Hmmm…). Anyway, it’s a slow process (re: 4 years, no paint), but is good to get some more concrete ideas. Oh, and cleaning out of closets will happen shortly. Lots to do, lots to do.

Not my day for stuff. First, I discovered the zipper on my coat is broken (luckily I have a backup). Then the roomba, which claimed to have a full battery, crapped out in about 10 seconds of vacuuming. Then the Xbox 360 decided to freeze up on me. Multiple times. I dread the thought of having to send that beast in. Plus I really wanted to wreak havoc with my minions tonight on Overlord.

None of these are insurmountable, or even particularly difficult, but they are annoying.

Wrestled with my poor, old, non-working dishwasher for a few hours this weekend. It no longer drains completely, perhaps the result of a blockage somewhere, perhaps a broken valve. I explored as much of the interior systems as I could, easily, but at the end of the weekend it was Dishwasher 3, Moose 0.

I did learn that I have an appliance-screw sized attachment for my electric screwdriver, however, and I also found the troubleshooting sheet that came with the DW. Unfortunately I didn’t discover the attachment until the beginning of round 2 of cleaning, and I have to say, trying to get tiny appliance screws out with pliers is not fun. Removing the baskets to get at and clean various filters went much faster after the discovery. The other discovery, the troubleshooting sheet, was a fluke caused by the poor installation of the DW by the previous owner. The area under my sink has no cabinet walls – evidently they got ripped out to install the DW, so while I was putzing around looking at where hoses went, I was able to look at the chassis on it’s right side. There, stuck into the outside of the DW, was the sheet. Who hides such a thing like that? Nonetheless, it was nice to find as it did help identify more places to check.

It’s still not draining, and I’ve done all I can without disconnecting the power and hauling the unit out from the cabinet. I suspect I’m just going to revert back to my original plan and replace the unit this next year with one that’s more energy efficient.

I did learn a lot about the care and feeding of DWs in this whole process, thus once again living out my father’s definition of maturity: Learning to become an expert at those things you never wanted to learn in the first place.

Switching back to running in cooler weather always necessitates an adjustment period. I tend to forget which items of clothing are best at which temperatures, though I did remember not to even attempt gloves. I warm up enough after 8-10 minutes of running that gloves become too warm in all but the coldest weather (in which case I’d probably go running inside anyway). I could’ve used a wind vest this morning, but the tights were exactly the right weight. Is good when I guess correctly at the beginning of the change in seasons.

On the other hand, it’s time to get new running shoes this weekend. The toebox has been an issue with the new orthoses, and this morning it came to a head in the form of a blister or other sore on one toe, with the result of some blood in the sock when I got home. So, new shoe time, perhaps going up half a size if that’ll help give a bit more room for my toes.

My gut decided it didn’t want to behave for the past week. A combination of allergies, lack of exercise & water (traveled home in the midst of the remnants of hurricane Ida), change in diet (see last parenthetical), &c. just left ye olde gut very, very unhappy with me. Finally managed to calm it down yesterday morning in time to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather with a good 20 mile ride. Also got over to the Hill and fixed the fixie, which was a relief. It’s a shame there’s not a closer hardware store, but it’s all good now so I can ride to work again without problems.

Seven months until the half iron, six until the Olympic, and nine until the IM. Time to get out of off-season mode and back to training, hence the desire to get back onto the road yesterday. I also want/need to lose a few pounds as this season progresses so working out now is as important for that as it is for base building. While I’ve done some half-assed calorie counting I haven’t gotten really serious about it yet. Need to knuckle down on all fronts and get back to being serious about being a triathlete.

I’m currently sitting in my parents’ motor home, listening to the remnants of Hurricane Ida blowing past. Every now and again a particularly strong blast of wind manages to shake the coach back and forth. Reminds me of a camping trip we took when I was little and we had to flee into the vehicle we’d driven up in because the tent was literally about to be blown over by the wind that night. That’s not a concern here, obviously, but it is a bit disconcerting when your “home” rocks with the wind.

Completely forgot to bring any snacks, or Adult Tang, so I think I’ll be shopping tomorrow rather than this weekend. While I’m out in the wilds of Virginia I find it a good opportunity to hit stores I wouldn’t normally get to, or get things that it’s easier to haul home in the car rather than attempt to carry home via the Metro. If I can get out, that is. There’s more than a bit of flooding going on here, which made the drive down interesting once the sun set.

I got to spend the past two weekends with Mike – I went up for Halloween in Salem with him, and then he came down this past weekend for Code and a visit. We continue to talk nightly, and haven’t managed to run out of things to talk about. I head back up in early December to see him next, and visit Provincetown for the first time.

I’m thinking of taking a CPR course in late December. It would be good to know just in general, and also for my continuing work with our New Triathlete Program with my tri club. I’m trying to get myself back into “triathlon” mode, picking up literature I need to go over both for NTP and for my own training, and reinvesting myself back into a training mode that I’ve been out of since September’s race.

So, I fagged out this morning and bought the super-duper-mega-deluxe-expensive version of Our Lady Of Pop’s latest collection of music I mostly already own. I must say, I’m kinda enjoying having the vids on ye olde AppleTV thingey (since the TV is the best set of speakers in the apartment, this is a good thing).

(oh, and the champagne flutes she uses in the Music video? That’s my crystal pattern)

I’m also suddenly feeling the urge to knit a sweater. I think I must be getting feverish from the head cold. So instead tonight I’m going to work on the long-neglected sock I’m supposed to be knitting. I have to admit, I’m a little afraid of knitting a sweater. I’m not a fan of wearing them, and I’d be trying to make this to be at least partially fitted (as opposed to looking like a big lumpy sack cloth, like many sweaters do), with a really pretty pattern, but man, that’s a lot of yarn to buy and work with. I’m hoping the feeling will pass, but I suspect it won’t. Hmph.

I did get up and run this morning, so am obviously feeling better than I was this weekend. May bike in the morning if I wake up for it. It’s perfect running weather out there now – 50s in the morning. Not so perfect biking weather, but it’ll do. Better than using the trainer, which I’m not ready to do yet.

(okay, watching older Madonna vids, it’s sooooo obvious that she got serious dance training over the years, because the newer ones are so muh more technically competent than her early ones – I mean, watching Lucky Star makes me feel kinda embarrassed for her it’s so amateurish)

Managed to get through the last day of the fiscal year without major drama, mainly because I completely ignored one of our program offices. They can’t manage their own field offices, and I refused to play referee today. Made the day go much better than it might have otherwise. Of course, they’re trying to drag me in tomorrow, but I think I’m going to ask my management to intervene, both with the program people and with the field personnel who are a piecemealing their objections to what we’ve (HQ) told them to do. Tomorrow will be another day, and another year, and another set of messes. Gotta love it.

I should do brick workouts more often, that was good practice.

Biked about 25.5 miles, then ran 6.5, with a dismal eleven and a half minute transition (in my defense I had to catch the elevator upstairs and completely changed clothes, but still). Perfect morning for it, started just before 8, was done right before 11. Garmin estimates I burned about 2,700 calories and I believe it at the moment! Trying to snarf an egg and cheese sandwich (homemade, not fast food). Body’s saying while I may have consumed some sweet stuff on the bike & run, now it needs salt, and lots of it.

Bike seemed to be quite happy that I cleaned the chain yesterday. Only took me how many years of owning the thing? Oy. Better late than never, but boy did it need it. Next, the mountain bike chain. Time to get the bike a full check out after the next race, I think the tires may need to be replaced soon, they’re looking a little cracked.

In the meantime, I think it may be time to get out and do some errands.

As sometimes happens, I reached clutter saturation this week, so have been spending the day throwing stuff out and putting things away. It’s amazing how much junk accumulates.

Decided to just toss all the various back issues of magazines. I’m never going to read them, and I’ve been letting the various subscriptions lapse as it is, so I just need to get rid of this extra paper. I’m also thinking of finally dumping my subscription to the Sunday newspaper. I sometimes do read it, but more frequently than not it just sits until I put it in recycling. I feel kinda bad about it, I grew up with newspapers, delivered them for four years in high school, but it’s just not the way to get news any more.

New sock is going well. It’s a shame there’s not a bar in town where I could order a beer and flop down in a comfy chair to knit. LOL There’s only but so much coffee one can drink, or knitting one can do on Metro.

I knew that CVS sold marketing data on you, but this is the first time I’ve gotten a freebie without having to do more than walk in the store and buy something using their discount information tracking card:

Weird.