Big mistake

This is bad.  This is really bad.  

I let my DSW $10 reward EXPIRE.

How could I do this to myself?

thoughts and more thoughts

Limp is gone.  Thighs still sore.  Everything A-OK.

I'm out at the tea shop studying for my first pathophysiology test.  Perfect time to process Sunday's experience.

I talked to a few friends and strangers about the race.

Sunday had the same extreme weather conditions as last year's Chicago Marathon.  Although, I will take the rain and 60 degrees over the water-less sauna of last October.  

My running shorts stayed noticeably dry on the part of LSD heading toward Chicago.  After the turn on LSD toward the finish line (but not anywhere near it) I clearly remember when I said, "oh shit, I have water running down my legs.  Oh shit, that is from my ass!"  

To match with my lack of training, I wore a cotton hat from my BF.  Ironically, it is stitched with "Life is Good."  ...ok, at least I was trying to be positive.  You could see water dripping from the hat bill, but no rain over my eyes!  See, cotton is fine..it's can't breath well, but who cares if it's pouring rain!

 I made good but disgusting use of the rain coating my hands.  When I felt kinda parched, I would just wet my whistle with my hand. Forget the chapstick with sunblock.  There wasn't sun to block.  

Another thing that made a difference was the song list in my head.

Superstar - Lupe Fiasco

I'm the Man Who Loves You - Wilco

Feel Good Inc - Gorrillaz

Lots of The Killers:

All these things that I've Done

Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf

Who Let You Go?  

(Especially:  "Someone must have loved you

Not the way that I do...
You're missing what I'm trying to say
Ain't nothing getting in my way...) 

The Ballad of Michael Valentine

you crazy aussie!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/15/australia.kayak.ordeal.ap/index.html

De Wit says the 38-year-old man broke two bones in his lower leg wrenching himself free.

Obama

you youtube people have a lot of time. it looks like i have a lot of time since i comment on this shit, and i laugh at the stuff i see..

Go Big Ike!

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35489920080915

Tina Turner is the artist of choice at the bar, given that she survived another Ike -- her abusive husband Ike Turner.

Matt Damen

Matt speaks. He is more than just Jason Bourne or doing Sarah Silverman. You gave Disney a post-election movie idea. Palin is scary.

Chicago Half Marathon

I finished it.
Slept about 3 hours last night. Just couldn't fall asleep or stay asleep.
No training - the most I ran was between 7 and 8 miles...which was 3 weeks ago.
Old shoes - I ran the Chicago Marathon in them last year
RAIN - it fucking rained the ENTIRE time! Miserable conditions.

But it's over. And I'm so glad I did it. 2:26.

The Dark Night at Imax

Looking forward to seeing the Dark Night again but this time on IMAX.

FAT

Experts blame obesity, with about two-thirds of all Americans overweight. With fatty liver disease becoming more common in adults, many experts predict it will become the top cause of liver transplants by 2020.

His patient, Irving Shaffino, a 15-year-old Mexican-American who lives outside Lubbock, Texas, was lucky to get a transplant a year ago. He was in end-stage cirrhosis and, at 5-feet-4½, weighed 180 pounds.

Irving had been fat since age 6, thanks to a high-starch, high-fat diet of Mexican food, pizza and burgers, said his mother, Guadalupe Shaffino. At age 8, she said, he had a distended stomach and by his early teens, breathing problems kept him tethered to an oxygen tank at home.

Why don't you be a parent and not COOK the fucking "high-starch, high-fat" food?!! I do feel sorry for the kid. It's the parent's fault. Even if it's a socio-economic thing, go do something active. Start that shit early.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/sns-ap-med-fat-children-liver-disease,0,6175660.story

Then there's this shit...the SCFE ("sciffy") which stands for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. Basically, part of the hip joint slips out of the acetabululum/ hip socket. It's common with obese children. I've heard of peds ortho surgeons do bilateral SCFE repairs - 1 is to fix the SCFE and the other to prevent an inevitable SCFE. Fuck, lose weight. You don't have to go to the hospital.

Bacon

Checked out this new place in Bucktown called Chinaski's. Splurged on a bottle of white wine...on $10 wine night! Had a great sandwich pack with coleslaw. And by golly, I will be there for the next all-you-can-eat BACON night
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/restaurants-bars/50671/chinaskis

Asian

Check out label from my McDonald's Asian Chicken Salad!

I labeled myself after I ate the last edamame and Mandarin orange.

Hillary v Palin

How pissed do you think Hilary is about Sarah Palin?
Hillary is the feminist choice. She is smart and worked to get where she is.
And here comes Miss Teen Alaska...
Palin is a freakin tool of the Republican party.
Her voice just annoys me. I hate her hair.
OMFG, I'm so catty! Meow.

Season

I still can't believe the summer is officially over. The ivy growing on the building across the court yard is evidence enough that it's almost sock weather! Frack! I love the word frack.

School is in full swing. That's why I don't sleep well. I totally make time for the things I want to do, but I get in these mindsets and all I want to do is get shit done! I have to chill the frack out.

Maureen is right on

I can't stand Maureen Dowd because she can be so annoying with her broken record also known as her mouth.  However, I totally enjoyed her piece today, the last day of August.  They Republican's selection for VP is insulting to women.  She's nothing but a pretty face with an annoying voice.  She's probably a decent leader on a smaller scale...like a state or a company.  As the next President after McCain dies of old age?  Scary!  I want to dress as her for Halloween!

 

Check out below:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/opinion/31dowd.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

Widespread Panic

The funniest comment I heard about Widespread Panic: "..it's that band that all the old Austin Hippies get excited about."

It was my first "experience" ever.  BF thinks I'm going to rip into them.  Actually, I'm not.  Musically, they're GREAT.  But seriously, I turned to BF at the beginning and said, "Wow, this IS a really long song..."  (I kinda make fun of the whole Jam Band sound as a bunch of long ass tunes with no words...)  His response was "...actually, it's the second song...they just went right into it."  HA!

The crowd is unbelievable.  SERIOUSLY.  You have to see it to believe it.  Unless you're already on your 122th show and live it.

FYI, I took a picture as proof that I went and was up close.

Outside Lands Day 3

Toots and the Maytals!  Who can hate reggae?  

And gosh darn it, I liked seeing the Drive By Truckers again. It was better seeing them here versus the Taste of Randolph in Chicago.

Outside Lands Day Day 2

So no pictures taken at the festival on day 2 which just means that I kinda suck.  We saw people I'd wouldn't necessarily seek out but should b/c they're iconic:  Steve Winwood & Tom Petty.  Saw Cake... but damn that stage Sutro at Lindley Meadow did NOT have good sound unless you were close to the stage.  People who went closer to see Cake said they were good.  Those of us who stood in the back next to the Churro's cart didn't get to hear as well.  BUT we got to eat some SPICY PIE!

I did manage to take some pictures of Garage A Trois at the Independent (http://www.theindependentsf.com/index.htm).

Outside Lands Day 1

"Where it's AT? I've got 2 turn tables and a microphone..."
Love Beck. Has it been almost a decade since I stood at the front row of the Austin Music Hall? Really wish I could have seen more. The sound wasn't fantastic because we were in the back.

BF and I got to see Manu Chau...who I would totally hit iTunes for some music. Loved the crowd. People watching here was WAY better that Chicago's Lollapolooza. There is definitely less skin at Outside Lands but that's b/c of weather. Lollapolooza = Frat Party. Outside Lands = standing inside a bong.



Food...very important to the Festival. While everyone was heading down to Radiohead at the Lands End Stage, BF and I went for food. The shortest line was to Alive. I saw people with this tasty looking wrap thing with nori (sushi paper). It looked good. I wanted it...so we waited in line. I didn't get it b/c it was filled with ground nuts and shit. Below is a link and items from the restaurant menu...I didn't see anything served at Outside Lands that are on the restaurant menu. Anyway, I am a vegetarian in recovery and THIS was too granola for me. God bless Northern Cal, San Fran etc, BUT COME ON!
http://sfoutsidelands.com/attractions/taste-of-the-bay-area.php
http://www.aliveveggie.com/Alive_online_menu.htm

Sushi with Sunflower Seed Miso Pate, Carrots & Shiitake Mushrooms 11
Flaxseed Flatbread with Cashew Cream, Walnut Pesto, Tomatoes 12

So we got in line for oven fired flatbread: http://fulloflifefoods.com/. BF and I get the Tomato with 3 cheese. We WANT melty goodness.
This one lady in front of me who ripped into the the menu item: Flax Seed & Pistachio Pizza with Red Onions & Rosemary. The stand was basically trying to give these away. They cooked half the time as the flatbreads with cheese.

Hotel Tomo

Bonsai!

Freakin appropriate for a hotel in Japantown.
Anime theme!
Love the giant bean bag. It had a tag that says "Fatboy." (Regular-sized and fat girls can sit too)
https://secure2.securewebexchange.com/fatboyusa.com/store/original.php

A San Francisco Treat

I had a San Francisco treat this weekend that was NOT Rice-Aroni. And no cable cars. Just hung out for a few days for the Outside Lands Festival.
Took these from Lafayette Park. You can see the Bay and Alcatraz.