Weekend Factoids

Thus far, interesting sort of weekend from my perspective. I find it fascinating to delve into the depths of one’s mind. A scary place at times, but generally good natured, scattered, funny, and random. Add a dash of humor and a pinch of creative ingenuity, and you’ve got one heckuva recipe to create a slapdash-sort of blog.

So here we go.

1. Never realized the mail was so slow in Pensacola, Florida. But now I do. Apparently I was the last triathlete to receive the latest edition of “Triathlon Life”. Go figure, as I’m the one with the broken lower half. I wonder if the same is true for Fed Ex and UPS.

Or perhaps they’re on a different system?

The point is – if you ever live in Pensacola, FL, realize that your mail is probably about a week (on average) behind the rest of the country. Don’t feel bad – just realize that there’s a “different” way of doing things down here. At least it gets done, though. (Well, insofar as I know. Hhhmmm.)

2. When riding your trainer and sweating up a storm, if you drop the remote control to the DVD player, it is highly advisable that you stop the workout (at an appropriate time, of course) and retrieve said remote. Otherwise your sweat and corrosion will destroy a perfectly good remote. Which is especially bad if the remote operates a DVD player that was purchased in 2001, because now you’re out of a remote and a DVD player. (The incident in question occurred a few weeks ago, pre-crash. Don't worry - I'm not blowing my recovery for anything!)

3. Note, that when your husband (or significant other, domestic associate, etc etc etc) says they are going to “pick up a few things” and it is NOT food related – please beware! I knew something was up when Nathaniel called from Best Buy. I warned him to not go “hog wild” (my exact words, I believe). But, he outdid himself. Not only have we got a great new DVD player, but to “test it out”, he bought the entire Jason Bourne Series.

That's Bourne: Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum, for all of you at home keeping track.

I couldn’t be too mad, as it was Matt Damon at his finest. But just in case, Nathaniel also gave me Season 9 of “Frasier”. So now I’ve got eye candy in the form of Matt Damon and comedy from one of my favorite shows on DVD. Which is really nice, as now I’ll be able to watch movies on our TV instead of the laptop – and if you ever have a broken sacrum like I currently do – you’ll find that “comfort is key” when it comes to your viewing pleasure.

Secretly - I think Nathaniel has been hankering for a new DVD for years. AND he's been itching to see the entire Bourne series again. Because apparently he didn't get enough when we watched all 3 movies in one sitting over Christmas - again, I'll do whatever I can to support him. :)

4. Of course – this heartache could have been avoidable, had I simply picked up the remote when I initially knocked it over.

5. I downloaded more country music onto my ipod than “other” stuff. The likes of Toby Keith, Dixie Chicks, along with Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLaughlin unplugged. Typical “chick stuff” – yes. But as most of my music is along the lines of “Stained” “Evanescence” “Red Hot Chili Peppers” “Audioslave” and such – well, let’s face it: it was time.

6. When he initially saw the new songs, Nathaniel was more than a bit alarmed. But I assured him that I was okay, and promptly played the music video “As Good As I Once Was” by Toby Keith.

We watched it a few times and couldn’t stop laughing. Hilarious!

7. I’m watching my second triathlon in as many weekends, obviously some sort of record for me. The Pensacola Beach Intermediate Triathlon is on tap for this weekend. Good luck to all racers – Nathaniel and I will be there cheering!

8. Speaking of races – There’s a race down in St. Petersburg called “St. Anthony’s Triathlon”. You may have heard of it…? best of luck to ALL racing this weekend. I’ll be with you in spirit, with my heart.

9. Speaking of St. Anthony’s, after talking to Jen Harrison, I have been assured that she has the correct helmet. No need to repeat 2007 again. GO JEN GO! (Just look for the girl in pink, on the pink bike.)

10. No trip to the grocery store yet. Nathaniel and I are the most boring couple ever – we can’t even decide which one of us should head out to pick up food. We have enough fruit and veggies to last another day, but we’re out of milk and some other essentials. Is anyone getting tired of this? Sheesh! I’m getting tired of this. I just need to HTFU and go grocery shopping.

11. Then again – I AM recovering from a broken back. And let’s be honest: the grocery store can be a brutal place to visit. Narrow isles, too few good produce selections, and old ladies who are determined to mow you down as you reach for healthy items placed on the very tippy-top of each shelf. I’ll need to prepare both physically and mentally for this next challenge. But for fresh veggies, soy milk, and black berries, I will do just about anything.

12. I get an X-Ray on April 30th that will determine my return to fitness and training for the next few weeks. I am nervous. Very nervous. But oddly enough, there is absolutely nothing I can do to control this, to fix this. Usually when I prepare for an event, for a race - I practice, I train, I get ready. Instead, the less I do, the faster I’ll heal.

I sort of feel like I’ve entered some weird space-time-continuum-warp.

13. Speaking of space-time-continuum, just the other day I saw a De Lorean. Someone in our apartment complex drives a De Lorean – just like the one that Marty McFly drove in Back to the Future. Hhhmmmmm…….

Time travel anyone?

Actually, I wouldn't take back a thing. Sure, I wouldn't want to break my back, but so many incredible things have come about since the crash. And I know that I'll be faster, stronger, essentially a better ME after I heal. All part of My Journey...

14. Finally, there’s a part of my body that is hurting more than my back. Just when I finally go off the pain meds, it becomes that time-of-the-month. And ibuprofen has no affect. Lovely. Not only am I crampy and feeling bloated, but I am a very pleasant person to be around – so much, so that Nathaniel left the house to go purchase electronics. Yeah, good stuff.

15. I’m not the only one who is bloated in this household. It would seem as though Tabbitha has the waist that most women would kill for. At 25 ¾”, she would be one svelte woman. But she’s not human – she’s a cat. A House Monter, ahem. And while we may treat her like a person, well, she’s not. But she has the “normal” (if not slightly smaller) waist of a human. And that is not good.

Apparently her perpetual diet is not working. Someone likes to give her kitty treats.

But Tabbitha loves how she looks – she’s very voluptuous. For a kitty, that is. And besides, if she was ever stranded on a desert island, she would survive, because she has the extra stores to do so. So really, she’s okay. Prepared for disaster, which could strike at any moment. But fingers crossed - won't!

16. And last but not least, Nathaniel and I must be just about the most boring couple on the face of the planet. Today for fun, we measured the waist of our cat. Married for nearly 5 years and kid-less. That’s okay, as we still have fun stuff to do. Sort of.

Hope that everyone else has a fun weekend, can look to the bright side, gets lots of fun stuff done, doesn’t have a cat with a 26-inch waist, and enjoys cuddling up and watching a good movie with their loved ones.