Too Much To Write About, Not Enough Motivation

I have so many wonderful post ideas up my sleeve (well, actually in a word document saved on my desktop), but I just cannot seem to bring myself to sit down and write a well-crafted, linear post.  Instead, I'm just going to dump all of the random thoughts that are jumbled up in my brain and maybe later this week I'll be able to reflect in a rather more writerly fashion!

• This weekend, I went for my very first full service pedicure.  I've made no secret around here about how much I hate feet, and the idea of someone else pawing over them has always just grossed me out.  Before my wedding, I had my toenails painted, but skipped all of the other soaking and scrubbing nonsense.  Well, now I know what a mistake that was!  Mind you, I still despise feet, and I don't think anything will change that, but somehow, for those sixty minutes of pampering, I was in total heaven.  I also discovered a new must have polish for the fall, OPI Bogota Blackberry.  Buy it.  Love it  Thank me.
• I never really realized just how much I lived in "the country" until I had to find an alternate route to work when they closed the street outside of our neighborhood.  Driving along less than two miles of this back road, I pass multiple sheep, cows, and horses, a goat, a shetland pony, a vast expanse of pumpkin patches dotted amongst various other unidentified produce, and the icing on the cake?  A sign for an alpaca farm.  I feel like I need to go buy some overalls in order to fit in better.
• The Air Force has been on my poo list lately.  Colby is deployed to Location A, a relatively safe area from which they fly their missions to the less safe areas.  He's been working the desk a LOT since he's been there, which of course he hates as he is a PILOT.  Anyway, a couple of months ago, he was told that at the halfway point of the deployment, he would move to Location B--a little less safe, but still far from the worst possible place to be--and would be flying a specific mission that he's really wanted to get involved with.  Well, the halfway point came and went and he heard nothing.  Then they told him he would be going there a few weeks ago.  Then they changed their minds.  Then they told him he would be going there tomorrow.  Then they changed their minds.  You see, way back before the deployment, they told all of the experienced copilots that they really needed Aircraft Commanders for this deployment, so they started Colby and a bunch of his friends on that upgrade process.  Colby became an aircraft commander about a month ago, and now they're telling him the reason that they aren't sending him to Location B is because they need more experienced copilots.  And this is the kind of stupidity that we deal with on a regular basis.
• One of the perks of my new job is a free gym membership, which I finally got around to activating last week.  The gym has a nice indoor running track, so I've been starting back with running a little bit, testing it out to see if the shin splints come back.  I have such a love/hate relationship with running, but I definitely prefer an indoor track to running outside (People stare at you!  Dogs chase you!  Weather is completely crazy here!) or on a treadmill--although on this track, a mile is SIXTEEN LAPS.  And I always lose count.  Does anyone have any tips for keeping track of laps while running?  You know, other than depending on your brain to keep correct count.
• I'm super excited about this weekend because I'm watching the undefeated LSU Tigers play Mississippi State at a friend's house on Saturday (well, the Tigers aren't playing at her house, but we'll be watching on her television), and then on Sunday I'm going for drinks with another friend and then to see Phantom of the Opera!!  I've seen Phantom in London and on Broadway, but I've never seen a touring production and I'm quite curious to see how it will compare.  It's been almost five years since I last saw the show, and I cannot wait to experience all of the emotions that it brings out in me.  Oh, how I love Erik!

Okay, well, I think I've done enough rambling and homework procrastination for now.  I'm issuing a challenge to myself to blog at least four times this week, so that hopefully I can get back into the habit of writing here more often.  Feel free to hold me to it and send me Howlers if I don't come through on my promise!

Comments

[MaryB]

Ugh - the dumb, dumb militray. I feel your pain on the Air Force woes. Funny...us Navy people alwayshave the idea that the AF is more organized. Hope Colby can hang in there. I know how Rich would NOT take well to a non-flying deployment. (i.e. main reason for leaving active duty) In the end, though, Im happy to here he is still in the safer location A. Safer is good even if its boring.

I like the bullet point style post.

[shani]

Stupid Air Force. Colby must be so disappointed.

Okay, I have an idea for keeping track of your laps. It's really obnoxious, but I can't think of anything else! Wear sixteen rubber bands on one wrist. Then as you make each lap, transfer a band to the other wrist. Or bring a sharpie and make tally marks on your arm!

[Becky]

Wow, four times. :) That will definitely be impressive! I have been so busy trying to find a job that I'm lucky to get in 2 or 3 posts a week.

Had to laugh at your howler reference, btw. I'm on to book 7 & can't hardly help myself from devouring the book as quickly as possible! (This is my second time reading it).

:) becky

[A Super Girl]

I often think bullets are the best way to go. Easy to follow and great for the Internets!

Also, I just got my first pedicure in August and had avoided it for some of the same reasons you did. But, they really are the best thing ever!

[TasterSpoon]

Gee, I hope that track is banked, or you'll have bigger problems than shin splints.

I just got myself a pair of Nike+ shoes, and paid the extra $30 to get the Nike+ iPod attachment. I still need to calibrate it to my stride but I'll let you know how it is. If you get something like that - there are lots of devices, pedometers, GPSs, etc. that can calculate your distance so you won't have to even think about laps.

When I'm counting laps in the pool, I sing songs in my head, like The Twelve Days of Christmas or This Old Man (Knick Knack Paddywack).

[Jessica]

Dude I am seriously jealous of your free gym membership. That is insane. Lucky! FYI: I hear you about having trouble putting thoughts in a linear post. Ugh so much effort.

[katelin]

yay for pedicures, i absolutely love them.

and boo on the airforce and their dumbness, boo indeed.

[Operation Pink Herring]

I love when people ask questions I can actually answer. Tried and true method for counting laps: run the first lap along the inside line, the second lap in the middle of the first lane, third lap on the line between first and second lanes, fourth lap in the second lane, et cetera. It doesn't work so well if the track is crowded, though.

[M]

Hang in there with the deployment stupidity. It doesn't get better, but it doesn't last forever.

Also, you don't need the Nike+ shoes to use the Nike+ stuff. I put my sensor in a $5 key pocket that velcros around the shoelace loops and it works just fine.

Spa pedicure... ooooooooh... haven't had one of those in FOREVER!!! Sounds wonderful!

[Annie]

I'm sorry for your Air Force woes. I feel your pain! Like M said above... it won't last forever, at least!

My indoor track is 18 laps. Sometimes I think keeping track of the laps is more of a work out than actually running them...

Holy cow, I nearly died watching the LSU/Auburn game last weekend. Sooners were on buy week, so I had to settle for the next best... BF's cousin coaches at LSU!

[Cat]

Never... never had a pedicure before??? How did that happen, woman? Foot-aversion is no excuse. Better get crackin' on making up for lost time.

BTW- LOVE the expression brown chicken brown cow, too. Maybe I should explore some alternate career paths!

[Steph.]

16 laps for 1 mile? I'd rather run to the Alpaca farm myself! Thanks for the polish tip--I'll have to watch for that shade. Sounds pretty!

[Larissa]

I agree. Pedicures are phenomenal! It's the ultimate form of female pampering.

[Katie]

Oy, I hate those indoor tracks that are 16 laps to the mile! That's how it is at my gym too. Unfortunately, I don't have any clever ways to keep track of the laps, except after each one I say, "one down, two down, etc..."

[Becky]

I wish that kind of decision making were really just limited to the government. How frustrasting! I hope Phantom is really good. I've seen it on tour and on Broadway and have to admit that I found the latter to be quite better...but I saw the tour about 13 years ago in Dallas so it might be different.

[Katie]

I looove OPI. Love it. And I own way too much of it for how much it costs. I broke a bottle on my last TDY (stupid baggage people) and almost cried.

Sorry about the AF. Stinks that its Colby, but it could be worse...hahaha, imagine if they didn't have the force shaping! Phew! Every once in a while that crosses my mind and I shiver...

[CurlySue]

I <3 pedicures. They are wonderful! I am very ticklish in my arches though so the attendant really has to press hard otherwise I will laugh so hard I cry. You have crossed over to OUR side, now just don't get a pedi once a week though! HA

As for the AirForce--boo hiss!

[Anonymous G]

I love pedicures.

What's a howler??

xxooxxoo

[RisibleGirl]

OK, confession time. I'm 48 years and (counts fingers) 9 months old and I've NEVER had another person touch my feet. I really need to do the pedicure thing sometime but the idea of people touching my feet kind of skeeves me.

Even more skeevish, those fish that eat dead skin? So glad they banned that from this state. I get the willies even thinking of it.

YAY! I'm caught up on your life (sorta... let's do dinner or something)