Thought Sausage

Wow it's been a long time since I've updated this (as people have been pointing out). It's not for lack of things going on believe you me. Quite the contrary really. For those keeping score, the marathon in Disneyworld went pretty good. I sort of phoned in the last 6 miles but that's to be expected since I didn't actually train or anything for it (more on that later). I will say this was by far the most fun I've had on a marathon or race of any distance. Aside from all the kiddie/consumerism Mickey Mouse bullshit baked into everything at Disneyworld, those people definitely know how to make things memorable. The crowd support and just 'strange shit to look at' all throughout the park was great. Got back to Chicago without a hitch and work proceeded in getting client things together for 2009. Fun times. Next year i plan on doing the Goofy Challenge, which is where one runs the half marathon on Saturday and then the full on Sunday. Weeeeeeee! All this for a giant-ass Goofy medal one could cook pancakes on.

In other news...I started with my tri coach last week (as you can tell, their core business is training women, but they've since taken on men..and yes, I most definitely will get a shirt with taht girl logo soon enough). So far so good. It's nice to have regiment to things besides swimming. On Wednesday, I take my tri bike into Get a Grip to have it fitted. This is long overdue...as my back gets super sore, and there's no way in hell this thing is set up remotely accurate after crating it twice last summer. I've already been riding it on a trainer and having some soreness. So like..yay. Also starting yoga next week...I'm told this will be humorous.

Other major development...I am moving out of this 2 bedroom abode down to a 1 bedroom 14 floors below. I hate moving, but at least this is just down to a new location. The actual 'date of poession' is on March 1, but I'm hoping to finnagle something with the management to start moving stuff in earnest before that. If I can do this shit one piece at a time, you're goddamn right I will.

Tomorrow I go to the First Look for Charity night of the Chicago Auto show. Tux is rented, tickets procured, my dad is meeting me here at 5 tomorrow to head over...all seems a go. Im' really looking forward to avoiding the shitstorm clusterfuck that is the Chicago Auto show. Those who've been with us for awhile, no doubt recall my various rants about this thing.

Posts should be more frequent now that I've resolved myself to not attempt to chronicle every minute detail of the last month and a half.

I've never read Barak Obama's book, but listening to him narrate the dialog between him and his friends is much more amusing.

"There's white people and then there's ignorant motherfuckers like you!"

Well said commander in chief...well said.

Okay one of the things that Facebook has brought into my life are people I haven't talked to in 15 odd years I went to high school with, that quite honestly, wouldn't really bother me if I never talked to again (nothing against 'em, but you know what I mean). Sometimes I'm surprised at how far along some people have come, and how much they've made of their lives. One girl in particular seems to be a successful actress in NYC theater which is most excellent. Another is a doctor in Kansas. Others are wallowing in glory long gone since high school, as if they've gone ahead and stopped living before they die. Those people happen upon me (rarely do I ever seek them out) and their profiles read like "This could have been you" warning.

Today I recieved a friend request from a fellow who falls into the that category. I had one of those "wow, here's a name I haven't heard in awhile" moments and clicked on his profile and over to the info page. The following is what is verbatim from his page:
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Activities:I am extremely active at work. The harder I work, the more money I make, and I freaking love getting paid.

Interests: Who has interests after 50-70 hours a week? Really?

I'll have interests post-retirement. Hit me up then.

(Bet you I live back by the ocean again, though.)
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And what is this enterprising man doing with those 50-70 hours a week? A doctor? A Lawyer? Real Estate? Financial Planning? some other entity climbing a corporate ladder and/or self actualizing? Nope...according to his little employment blurb, dude is a manager at the Texas Roadhouse in Cedar Falls Iowa.

Jesus christ the more shit changes, the more it stays the same in that town.

Welp...moving in earnest begins tonight (post strength workouts...two-a-days now). I'm breaking down all the things that can be broken down and boxing up clothes etc. Tomorrow I get the keys to the new place which is exactly 14 floors below where I currently am. Horowitz comes over tomorrow and hopefully we can get the big shit(tm) done that night. After that, it's a matter of setting everything back up. Heather is back from Toronto Fri night and if all goes according to plan, we can cook dinner in the new place. The new TV is being delivered on Saturday, and the Direct TV guy is coming between the hours of 1 and 6 (gee don't narrow that down or anything). Somehwere in there I have to sandwich in my regular workout routine and take my car to the emissions testing place on Saturday morning (for you non-illinois residents, it is now law that your vehicle must pass an emissions standard before they will renew your plates, this is somewhat of a pain in the ass for those of us who have fairly new cars with less than 30k miles on them). The net result of which is that I've been up at 5-ish every day this week. Weee squared

Anyway, Drew is basically out as of today so the apt is looking more and more like a ghost town

"Though Mac was revered for his unlikely victory, the documentary is unsympathetic toward the boxer, who was eventually embroiled in a number of scandals, including suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs to gain health between the first and second rounds. Experts have claimed his workout regimen of merely jogging behind his bicycle-mounted coach would not have been sufficient to build the strength he displayed in the ring."

If this were real (and it should be...directors take note) it would be the greatest documentary ever

Well...tonight I have successfully transplanted myself from the 18th floor of my building to the 4th floor. It wasn't without tribulation however. I went to pick up the key after work and the dude at the office was like "huh?" This bodes poorly for those of you who've moved. As it turned out, he was a temp and nobody bothered to inform him of my situation. Luckily, the building manager lives in the building and that was resolved within 10 minutes.

So basically everything I really give a shit about is here. Some odds and ends are still upstairs, but nothing I can't live without. Basically, tomorrow involves a massive trip to target and general sorting the shit out.

I will say this, despite living on the 4th floor next to the train, it is actually _quieter_ here than it was on the 18th. I don't know how exactly that works, but well, it works. Maybe they put heavier insulation in units this close to the tracks? Maybe because I'm now facing west instead of east? Whatever it is...I'm happy.

Thanks to everyone who has said happy birthday on facebook and various social outlets. Yes I'm 30 today(tomorrow). Yes that is weird. Yes I'm in infinitely better shape now than I was when I was 20. And yes I'll celebrate said b-day by continuing to ready the pad and clean out the old one. Weeeeeee!

Sooner or later I will post a review of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit's new album. It's been in rotation for me pretty heavy this week, and despite some initial misgivings, I'm coming around. Why is it all these southern rockers write albums that have to grow on you? And then once they do it's like audio crack?