An Unfenced Existence

My phone died. I've only had it for, like, five months. (I had to replace my iPod Touch after six and my new one is dying [after almost four months]). I'm hoping that being on the charger will resurrect it, but I doubt it. At least it's under warranty...?

And of course, I didn't save my contacts list, so that's now gone too. I'll get my old contacts list from my old phone which is only five months out of date, but you may see an email requesting updated information soon.

But seriously, why does technology hate me? I mean, I can't even wear nice watches! They never keep time correctly unless it's a digital face. And trust me, purple plastic is not always the most appropriate of accessories. Neither is a skull and crossbones, but at least that watch band is black leather. (And that one never died on me, maybe I should wear it more often).

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In other news, I will once again be making my pilgrimage to Williamsburg for the Candlelight Concert at Bruton Parish in Historic Williamsburg. As always, it's the second Thursday of the month (12/9 this year), and I usually go down to Virginia Beach as well Friday evening or Saturday morning.

No arrangements have been made as of yet re: hotels and such, so my plans are a little flexible, but I'd love to see everyone while I'm down there! :)

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I've been thinking (very idly) of making a blog called "Running on Concrete." Mostly because a) you shouldn't run on concrete, b) my body is retarded and doesn't like to run on anything but concrete and c) Running on Concrete is an awesome title. This will probably never come to fruition, but I still wanted to name to get out there. It's been percolating in my brain for weeks.

I'm now currently on Week 6 of the C25K program. After getting over the mental road block of Week 3, Weeks 4 and 5 were a breeze (even the 25 minute run). But now that I'm back to intervals on Week 6, I'm once again finding it difficult to push through the exercises. I actually gave up half way through Week 6 Day 2 today (5 min warm up, 10 run, 3 walk, 10 run, 4 min cool down). I'm blaming the weather (cold, dreary, cloudy, yucky) for today, but there will be no excuse for not getting through it on Friday.

To keep me motivated through the winter, I'm planning on signing up for a 5k run in the spring. This means, of course, that I actually have to be able to run a 5k by the time spring rolls around. Now, I just have to find a 5k in the area (not that that will be difficult at all) and convince myself that, no, really I want to do it. And then not wuss out at the last minute.

C'mon, it took me four years to get to the point of running in public. It may take another four just to get me to the race. I may always be late to the party, but at least I usually show up.

Mostly.

Is it bad that whenever it starts to rain I immediately think: Oooh! Free car wash!! More wind! Clean the sides!

We had a spectacular storm here this morning - deep, rumbling booms, hard rain, lightening every five to ten seconds. And I'm not talking about cloud to cloud lightening, the stuff you only see as flashes in the sky. I'm talking about cloud to ground (or ground to cloud, whichever is the current prevailing theory these days)or cloud to cloud to ground. Just awesome stuff. Made for an interesting, if entirely too slow, drive to work this morning.

In fact, we're at the tail end of our second storm for the day, which also had good thunder bumpers, lightening, only this time, we had hail! Whoo! I love me some hail! :/

My mom and I just stood outside and watched funnel clouds form, deform, and reform.

...it POURS. >_< At least, that the way it seems to happen here at MP. At around 4:30 my brother says, "It's going to storm." Then BOOOOOOOM, thunder rocks the house, and rain starts coming down in *buckets.* I, of course, have to leave for work in thirty minutes. Now, some storms will be there and gone within fifteen minutes. (Wow, I'm having a lot of trouble spelling today...perhaps I should type more...) Not this one, no siree. After donning my MPHS Band Wind Breaker(tm), I dash out to my dad's big silver pickup truck, vainly and rather stupidly hope that I won't get too wet. *sigh* Within the mintue it took to get me in the truck, I was throughly *soaked.* Well, my pants were, and so was the inside of the door that was open and all of my things. Luckily, I managed to think ahead and wore my sneakers instead of my sandals which I was going to wear for work. Now, why I didn't think to do that with my CLOTHES I couldn't tell you. So I'm driving along, desperately trying to find my way and turn up the windshield wipers at the same time. The reason I didn't pull over was because I was afraid that I might sideswipe a few cars if I tried, so I "winged" it and prayed I wouldn't hit anyone or anything.

So, I manage to fix the wipers and turn on my headlights, find some good tunes and make it through the first two traffic lights with out a problem. Sure, I'm practically hydroplaning down the hills, but it's all in good fun, and I haven't hit a single person yet. Then I come up to a really big problem...the light at Manassas Drive and Euclid Avenue is out. D'oh! Damn thing's blinking yellow on me!! And during rush hour too! So I pull up and wait for the people in the left turn lane across from me go, and as I'm waiting I decide to wait for the person next to me to go. Well, suddenly he starts, I, seeing that the road is clear, also put on the gas a little. Well, my dad's big silver truck must have a fuckin' V6 or 8 (or whatever the hell it is) engine cuz suddenly I'm out in the middle of the road! Which, generally would be fine, if it weren't, for, you know, the CARS heading RIGHT at me and the f-in' assholes aren't letting me pass!! )W*$#(%&$(*&@$%)($#%&$^)*#&$@(*%$($*#&q#@$@!!!! After I so graciously let them by I book it down towards the next light in my journey...

...which has just turned green. Yay! ^_^ No waiting. So, now I'm cruising along, at a comfortable 25mph...in a 35mph zone! Fuckin'A! What the hell does this guy think he's doing?? Being SAFE?!?!? Not when I'm on the road buddy! Go the fricking speed limit you asshole!! I could plow right into and not get so much a scratch! Don't make me want to! (Road rage, what road rage?) So, as I'm cussing out the moron in front of me, afraid to try to get around the guy cuz I can't see out the window to my left (I have a bad habit of cutting people off because I can't see them), when the asswipe finally turns off road as I'm coming up to the fifth light in my trek.

It always amazes me that in VA, people will SLOW DOWN to a GREEN LIGHT and SPEED UP to a RED LIGHT. It absolutely boggles the mind. I mean, seriously, do they think that speeding up to that red light will make it turn green faster? Do they think the lights see them and go, "Hey look, there's a red Mitsubishi 3000GT, speeding up to me while I'm still red, maybe I'll change to green now!" At which point the Mitsubishi 3000GT will promptly slow down, thus pissing off everyone else behind it. Anyway, I'm finally make the right at the fifth light and notice that the rain seems to be slowing down, which is a good thing because I'm starting to dry off and don't want to get any wetter before work.

Now I'm going about 35 in a 25mph zone, trying to make it to the eighth light in my journey. Once again VA Drivers PROVE that the just CANNOT drive in the rain. Now, I was scared shitless to be driving out in the monster monsoon that was raging outside, but at least I tried to obey the traffic laws. But noooooooo, people just have to get in my way. >:o *snarl growl snap* Managing to get passed the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and (soon to be) twelfh lights, I'm about 3/4 the way there. Luckily this time I'm at the head of the line and don't have to worry too much about going under the speed limit. I pass the now thirteenth light without to much of a hitch and am working towards the last two lights. (I'm counting so see how many light I go through to get to work...about fifteen, perhaps a few more that I'm missing, I think...)

I hit the first one on red...and we're at a complete stand still. Taking a moment to calm my already frayed and frazzled nerves, I stupidly decide to glance out the window and look at the street. It doesn't even look like there's a ROAD, it just seems like I'm driving on WATER. Not only that the rain has picked up again to the point where I really can't see out the windshield, it looks like I'm going to be sitting here for quite some time. It's also a given that I'll be sitting at the next light for a little while because I'm trying to make a left turn into the mall parking lot. Anyway, a trip that should only take about fifteen minutes just took about thirty minutes. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

So I make it around the turn go down towards the back of Manassas Mall, near the food court. It should only take a minute, minute and a half tops for me to get in the door because (for once) I didn't have to park waaaaaaaaaay out in the boon docks where there aren't even any street lights! Yay! As I'm attempting to dash, I sort of trip up on my pants which are practically falling down. It didn't much matter anyway cuz I was soaked within five seconds of stepping out of the vehicle. My pants were the worst...I got soaked all the way up to mid thigh, and the reason it didn't go any higher was because my jacket (which I grabbed on a whim) hit me at mid-thigh. *sigh* When I finally make it through the door, managers take one look at me and start *laughing*. Utterly embarrassed, I quickly locate a random hair dryer (hair dryer?? in a gift shop??) in the bathroom and attempt to dry my pants. It start it up and within a minute the damn things dead and now I have to go down to Target, visit the ATM, go into Debs and get new pants so I won't catch a cold. *sigh* The first black pants I grab were actually my size and fit fairly well and were a reasonable price, so I figured my evening was finally looking up.

Of course, I spent the rest of my time at work trying to not throw up, but that's a completely different non-story. 9_9

Anyhoo...I'd figure I'd share my evening. I think it's kinda funny NOW but dammit, five hours ago I wasn't laughing. Heeeeeee.....to cheer me up, I took a quiz and here are the results!




Which Fruits Basket Character are you?

Ritsu?? But I'm not a cross-dressing, hyper apologizing, weirdo!...am I?