i'm back!

i'm blaming my hiatus on running burn out, writers block and spring fever. but i'm going to make a concerted effort to finish up my marathon blogging over the course of this week.

what's up with me? well, the last 2+ weeks i've been in boot camp. not the army boot camp, workout boot camp. and let me tell you - it is hard.

first off its at 6am. yeah. exactly! secondly, it's three days a week. this isn't doing wonders for my social life and i am perpetually tired, but work out wise - it is torturous fun! we do some running but its definitely just a part of the work out. there are lots of sit ups, push ups and these terrible things called a burpee. we sprint up and down stairs and hills, perform crazy amount of lunges, and generally get our asses kicked. we even got "punished" army-style last week when two slackers weren't working as hard as the rest of us. darren, the instructor, paced in front of us as we held push-up position for a good two minutes, lecturing us on what happens when there people not putting the effort in. darren, you need lecture no more!

my excellent partner and crime and i help each other along the way with sarcastic remarks under our breaths and check ins when one or the other is looking particularly beaten down. we are in week 3, and i will probably blog some of the more...interesting (read horrible) work outs.

other than that, i've been busy at work and running around the city with the swede. the two of us are pretty social creatures and it seems the calendar will be pretty booked all summer.

oh, and a plug for that man of mine. while you're waiting for me to get my lagging posts up do check out my boy's new blog http://buck64aday.blogspot.com. you know those stimulus checks we've all been getting? well, if you divide that $600 by 365 (as in days in the year) you get, you guessed it, a buck64 a day. he's going to stimulate the economy a day at a time, blogging about all his purchases along the way. even with his meager budget, he manages to get me some gifties. he's even gotten on the news. i would think it was a brilliant idea even if i wasn't smitten so give the man some traffic and if you like it, spread the word.

new running related posts soon. promise.

Off Topic - For New York

super tuesday is tomorrow. get out there. if you don't know where you're supposed to go, look it up here: http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm.

off topic: that's one sexy lizard

happy tartan week people! time to get your whisky on.

off topic: need a pup to call your own?

a good dog for a good home. see below, and if you're interested, email me, i'll send you the contact info.

"Deja needs a home. She is an extraordinarily gentle, sweet, and loving 3 1/2 year old pit bull mix who bonds immediately in a non-anxious way, is beautifully leash-trained, housebroken, and desperately eager to please. She's a wonderful, wonderful dog who would do so beautifully in a home where she could be someone's devoted pet. I am fostering her for the moment but need to place her as soon as possible; she's a dog who would prefer not to share her people with another dog, and unfortunately, I'm already spoken for.

I can't say enough lovely things about her, but I'm eager to get her into a home where she can begin living a better life, and Buddy can go back to having the run of mine. Thank you so very much"

off topic: bg's hit the big time

watching the oh-so-long oscars last night...waiting to see if martin would finally get his, a bank of america commercial comes on.

i am half watching when - HOLY CRAP!! that's my friend!! BG!!! i start pointing and yelling gibberish at the tv while my sister jumps on the couch shreeking back at me "what what!!" (she thought there was a bug).

here he is, in his national debut. he's the cute guy in the glasses. congratulation BG!! i am sooooo proud of you!

check it out here!

off topic: saving the world

in light of the recent excitement with the global-warming-presentations-in-tennessee-with-mr-al-gore :) i thought i might be wise to start a new blog, given some of you might only be interested in the running, and not so much in the global warmly talk (although you should *all* be interested in it! :)

anyway, the new blog is "my climate project" - a play on al's organization's name, the climate project. i may change it eventually, but i haven't decided. soooo, if you're interested in all that, i'll be writing there as well.

i found out today i've committed to presenting 10 times over the next year. wish me luck.

off topic: "i know who i'm going to vote for, i don't need your help."

so tonight i took my sick-self and called some voters. i called people in new jersey, new mexico, pennsylvania & florida through moveon.org you log-on, get the general script, then once you know what race you'll be calling, you can download a fact sheet on the district and see what the candidates stand for. the way the script is set up though, you have to have your own reasons as to why you are concerned. there's also a really weird point where you have to ask if the person is happy with the direction is going now and if not, why? i can imagine that getting this question from a complete stranger is weird. i felt odd asking it.

people don't like these sorts of calls huh? well, i didn't know this, it's the first time i've made calls to get out the vote. i had one person that had already voted, one who was going to vote for the person i was calling on behalf of. oh and i left one message. the rest of the people hung up, or in some way or another informed me that they were not happy about the call. in the call that i quoted for the title of my post, i hadn't even gotten to talking about the candidate or who! i had just said i was calling because i was a concerned citizen.

at that moment, i'm not going to lie: i felt like an uppity liberal. he hung up on my after that but i wanted to say "wait! stop! i'm not telling you how to vote! well, not really anyway...argh. i'm just trying to do my part!" he could have been voting democrat, who knows, but it doesn't matter. it was still frustrating to be perceived that way.

more calls tomorrow. i think those will be a different sort of script though, more along the lines of "make sure you go vote today!" and you, reading: don't forget to vote tomorrow!!!!

off topic: my soapbox

mid-term elections are NEAR!! and everyone best be out voting, especially if you live in a district where the race is tight!

the dems have a chance to win back congress, let's get out there and do something people! it is no longer okay to sit back and believe that other people are going to do the work. it is not alright to shrug your shoulders and say "that's just the way things are." right now is a critical time for our country and our world for so many reasons - it is our responsibility NOW to get up and question, shout, discuss, act and demand change! the united states of america was born out of a group of people that were not afraid to fight for what they believed in, and it is time to reclaim that spirit and start being INVOLVED AGAIN, god damn it! you want freedom? you want freedom and democracy to stand for something good? then it's time to stop taking it for granted and give it a little of your time.

woah. i guess i'm a little feisty this morning, huh?

so how?

1. vote. duh.

2. call for change: check out moveon.org where you can sign up for groups that are taking some time this weekend to call "unlikely voters" - democratic leaning people that don't often vote in mid-term elections - to make sure they get out and vote.

3. make a monitary contribution to Democracy For America. with contributions thus far, DFA has been able to launch radio spots in targeted districts, and your funds can help continue these efforts as well as give DFA-List candidates much-needed funds to put them over the top.

4. be an active citizen: stay informed and engaged. read the news. stay on top of the issues. have a stand.

and if my empassioned outburst hasn't inspired you, here are some reasons from our friend al gore that may...

Why should you pick up the phone?

Do it because the ice is melting in the Arctic, in Greenland and all over the world, and unless we take on the climate crisis soon, we could cross a point of no return.

Do it because the war in Iraq is a disaster, and our brave men and women who are fighting and dying there need an honorable and speedy path home.

Do it because in the wealthiest nation in the world, there are millions of kids who can't go the doctor when they get sick because they don't have health care.

Do it because President Bush and this Congress have chipped away at our fundamental rights—rights guaranteed every citizen—that make our country a beacon of freedom. Do it because our government shouldn't be able to wire-tap innocent citizens without a warrant.

Do it because of Abu Ghraib. Do it to tell the world that America won't sanction torture—and we fire the politicians who do. That's the real no-brainer.

Do it because five years after September 11th, President Bush and the Republican Congress have made us all less safe.

But most of all, do it because the country we all love needs our help. Our democracy is in trouble. America needs you. And in these next four days, you can come to her aid.

This election represents our greatest opportunity in decades to tilt our nation toward a progressive future. Making some calls to infrequent voters only takes an hour or two. But if thousands of us do this together, we can make history.

off topic: a photo from handsome's pilot

just wanted to share my favorite promo-type photo from handsome's pilot that we shot last weekend...



from left to right:

that's handsome, the gal that plays his girlfriend (& my sister), the guy that plays my husband, and yours truly.

congrats again to handsome who pulled of a very fun and tres professional shoot!

off-topic: i need a home

the countdown has begun! i have about 18 days to find a place to live, so once again, i'm asking for your help!

i'm looking for:

option 1: flying solo (aka the needle in the haystack)

•studio or 1 bedroom
•downtown, preferably east side, or park slope, carroll gardens, s. williamsburg
•less than $1300 a month

option 2: co-habitation

•share with just 1 other person (exceptions here are if there are 2 bathrooms shared between 3 people)
•male, female, all races, sizes, colors, etc. so long as he/she is relatively clean (no creepy-crawlies are desired but no white-glove tests are either), displays common sense as far as living with another person and would make a good roommate. what do i mean? i mean: no unplanned parties at 3 am; know how to share (i do AND i bake cookies); have a life of their own but would like to cook/grab a beer/watch movies or bad tv together every once in a while; wouldn't eat the last bowl of my cereal without replacing it; doesn't hijack the bathroom; friends crashing on the couch are okay sometimes, "third roommates" are not unless they're helping with the rent; is laid back but not a slug. apartments with pianos, outdoors spaces, and real kitchens get mega bonus points
•downtown, preferably east side, or park slope, carroll gardens, s. williamsburg
•+/-1100 a month (higher end in manhattan, lower end in brooklyn)

if you have any leads or know anyone that needs a roommate, please e-mail me at girlyoubetterrun@gmail.com. your help is much appreciated! i don't think my breathing is going to be very relaxed until i find a place so consider it yet another contribution to my training!!

off topic: how to tackle global warming, by al gore

this past monday, al gore spoke at nyu and proposed a rough outline of how we should tackle global warming. i've taken the liberty to summarize (in some case with quotes with a little further explanation, quotes are in italics) because it is very long and many may not have the time to read it.

obviously i feel this is a very important issue and clearly have a strong opinion on the matter. most importantly, though, is to be informed. and it is in that spirit i share. for the full transcript, click here.

al's ideas on how to address global warming

1. Freeze Co2 emissions and begin sharp reductions.

“An immediate freeze has the virtue of being clear, simple, and easy to understand. It can attract support across partisan lines as a logical starting point for the more difficult work that lies ahead.”

2. Join the rest of the global economy & authorize the trading of emissions within a global cap, aka, sign the Kyoto Treaty.

“At present, the global system for carbon emissions trading is embodied in the Kyoto Treaty. It drives reductions in CO2 and helps many countries that are a part of the treaty to find the most efficient ways to meet their targets for reductions. It is true that not all countries are yet on track to meet their targets, but the first targets don’t have to be met until 2008 and the largest and most important reductions typically take longer than the near term in any case.

The absence of the United States from the treaty means that 25% of the world economy is now missing. It is like filling a bucket with a large hole in the bottom. When the United States eventually joins the rest of the world community in making this system operate well, the global market for carbon emissions will become a highly efficient closed system and every corporate board of directors on earth will have a fiduciary duty to manage and reduce CO2 emissions in order to protect shareholder value.”

3. Take a multi-solution approach vs. looking for the “silver bullet” that will “fix” global warming. Increased efficiency, decreased dependency on oil and improved environmental policies including:

• dramatic improvements in the efficiency with which we generate, transport and use energy while offering incentives for eliminating polition and becoming more efficient

• develop ways to distribute electricity and liquid fuels so that we are less dependant on coal-fired generating plants, oil ports, refineries, etc.

• require and assist the American auto industry to move towards flex-fuel, plug-in, hybrid vehicles.

• better forest management

• more efficient use of natural energies such as wind and solar power

• utilizing new architecture and design techniques to work towards carbon-neutral buildings (buildings represent a larger source of global warming pollution than cars & trucks)

• capturing the carbon released by coal-burning (one of the dirtiest sources of energy, it produces far more CO2 for each unit of energy output than oil or gas).

4. Replace the revenue generated by the payroll tax with a pollution tax – principally on CO2

“The overall level of taxation would remain exactly the same. It would be, in other words, a revenue neutral tax swap. But, instead of discouraging businesses from hiring more employees, it would discourage business from producing more pollution.

At present, when business has to pay more taxes in order to hire more people, it is discouraged from hiring more people. If we change that and discourage them from creating more pollution they will reduce their pollution. Our market economy can help us solve this problem if we send it the right signals and tell ourselves the truth about the economic impact of pollution.”

off topic: saving the planet

in other efforts...

al gore and other global warming experts will soon be training 1,000 people to give the presentation that he developed and is shown in an inconvenient truth. when i read this somewhere, i got really excited - i really wanted to be one of those 1,000 - and have been digging around to figure out how one gets to apply, etc.

well, today, i was down in dc meeting with wwf (pandas, not wrestling) and i asked my friend matt in the climate protection department if he had heard anything about "the call" yet and...he had!

i just applied here to be one of those lucky people. if i am chosen, there will be a 2 day training in tennessee in december or january (no marathon conflict, don't worry!) and then i will need to present 10 times in the following year.

and then there will be another cause for me to bother you all about post-marathon. otherwise...what would i do with myself? =)

undo global warming people! you can! (just practicing).

time to sleep...need to make up for lack of running today, tomorrow early.

off topic: the bug battle continues

yes, it really is 4 am.

that god-damned bug is still alive! i was having a fitful night's sleep, probably because i knew the thing was there somewhere in my living/bed room (they're separate rooms but there isn't door in between). i did, however, think it was dead. not so.

i thought i heard a crackling and sure enough, walking over a pile of mail, was the bug. how do i know it was the same roach is probably your first question. well, the thing looked kind of drunk. it was not behaving like a roach typical does, scurrying from one dark corner to the next, but rather was stumbling around. i have to believe that it was the same thing i did battle with because to be accosted by two roaches in one night is just too difficult a thought to bare. i don't have roaches typically, i swear. i just happen to have a hole right into the sheetrock in my living room ceiling (long story) which seems to be an open invitation for the critters to come explore my apartment.

i'm taking the raid back to key food tomorrow to get a refund.

after shrieking like a banchee and perching on the bed on all fours, i steeled myself for battle. he was looking for his next safe spot and was eyeing the darkness under my bed. this just wouldn't do. if he got under the bed, there would be no chance for sleep for me tonight. i didn't want to spray because my favorite jeans were on the floor by the foot of the bed. i grabbed the other purple flip-flop -

hold that though. there he is again. this is a nightmare.
[five minute intermission where i again stalk where i think he's hiding out from on top of my bed, old sneaker in hand]
aaaaaargh. lost him.

i grabbed the flip-flop and got ready to smush him dead, but he made a break for it, which for reasons that i don't know or understand, causes me to shriek again and, embarassingly, throw the flip-flop at him. 'cause that was going to do anything. what it did do was give him something else to hide behind. i grab an old sneaker and try to smash the flip flop down but he runs back to the shelves as i thump at him, yelping with each thump. it's at this point i wake up enought to realize that its 4 am and my neighbors are probably appreciating neither the yelping or the thumping. i know i am about 2000 times bigger than that thing but it doesn't matter. it has nothing to do with logic or anything rational. those things are the most hideous creatures ever. give me mice, spiders - whatever. just do not make me deal with prehistoric winged insects that can withstand ridiculous amounts of chemicals.

oh man. doesn't someone want to come over and take care of this for me??

and so now i'm watching from over on my couch, waiting for the little shit to reappear so that i can kill him and go to bed. at this point i kind of feel like i should just stay up.

[another 5 minutes]

i lost. that's it. he ran UNDER my bed and now, i'm totally screwed. he's never going to come out! how am i going to sleep? am i safe on the couch? am i safe anywhere? waaiiiit there he is!

[two minute hiatus]

i WIN. in that two minutes, that drugged-up roach came back out from under the bed (thus proving it was in fact the one i sprayed because no roach in its right mind would have come out from under the nice dark bed into where i had all the lights blazing), i ran over with my old, trusty new balance and with what i pray was the last yell of the night, THWACKED him dead. and then i gave him another just in case he was playing dead (they do that you know!) and finally, i gave him one last whack just for torturing me for the last 40 minutes.

and now i can attempt sleep. although i think i'll be a little creeped out for the rest of the morning...

off topic: 1st time co-pilot

this is off-topic as it pertains to the marathon but on-topic as it pertains to being a do-gooder.

i went to an orientation a few weeks ago for another cool non-profit: Right Rides.

Right Rides provides a free, late-night ride home service for women to lessen the chance of sexual harrassment and assault. They have a partnership with Zip Car and there are three teams of two, a driver and a navigator, who drive people home between 12 and 3 am every saturday night. if you volunteer to be a driver, your zip car membership is on the organization since you need to be a member to drive one of the cars.

so tonight, is my very first night as a navigator. eventually i might sign up as a driver, but not having driven very much since i've lived here, i figured i'd take on my typical role as co-pilot for now. i'm meeting the driver at the garage at 11:45 pm...i think a nap will be in order sometime this afternoon/evening if i'm going to make it.