How Many Men Does It Take To Change A Flat Tire?

Answer...about 9 apparently.

This morning started off slow and steady. I woke up and brought my computer over to my bed to read some news and other info for a while. Time passed by and I realized that I needed to get ready for my day! I was driving my roommate over to meet her parents for breakfast and then we would be separating while she did her taxes and I went to work.

I was running late (something that doesn't often happen) and so I sped through a shower and quick blow-dry, got changed and met my roommate in our living room. We got in the car and were on our way. Everything was fine until we hit the road that crossed through the Target and Lowe's parking lots.

BANG!

I realized, too late, that I had hit a pothole and hard. We stopped talking for a moment as we realized what had happened. Once the shock wore off, we resumed our conversation but I was thinking about what I might find when we actually got out of the car.

Just what I expected to find: a flat tire. Lovely. We had a very tasty breakfast and then I moved my car into a more open space and my roommate's father and I started to get things in order to change the tire.

I can change a tire. I've done so in the past a number of times. I never would have been able to change this tire by myself.

First, the lug nuts were extremely difficult to loosen. It was ridiculous actually. If you could have seen the two of us jumping on the tire iron, we could have potentially won $10,000 on America's Funniest Home Videos. Second, we broke one of the bolts. All that jumping and snap! At least the lug nut came off! Third, the tire wouldn't budge. We kept kicking it, pulling it, whatever could do to help loosen it up. Nothing.

We had to call in the big guns: AAA. So, while the wait was on for someone from AAA to come out to our location, other patrons of the restaurant visited our group asking what was wrong and if we needed help. Male after male came up seeing if they could offer suggestions...suggestions we had already considered and tried, but they didn't seem deterred by that fact. No, they would each come up and take a turn kicking at my poor tire. I think it was a pride thing. I could just imagine the gloat that each man would have if he was the one that could kick my tire loose.

Finally, the AAA guy shows up and does the exact same thing excepts adds a few sprays of what I was calling glorified WD-40. Still...nothing. The tire was as stubborn as me and refused to move. Next step...call a tow truck. Yup, my baby was going to have to be towed. Not what I wanted on a Sunday when I needed to be at work to finish up somethings. Ugh!

So, AAA dude leaves and then not one, but TWO tow trucks turn up! Then we decided to make things interesting. My roommate's father and I made a small wager: I bet a cold beer that between these two new men, the tire would come off the car and he bet me a cold beer that they would get frustrated and give up. The game was on...

Lo and behold...Lauren was the victor! The two tow truck guys came to the rescue, put some more umph into their kicks and had the tools to release the corrosion on the tire that was holding it attached to the rim. With my spare tired set into place, I was on my way home to get ready for the remainder of my day.

So, about 2 hours after breakfast was finished and about 9 men later, the drama over my flat tire was over...and I'll be collecting on my bet soon.

So sweaty...but oh so good!

Tonight was probably one of the coolest nights EVER!

I had tickets for tonight's hockey game and it was going to be a good one. I had planned on going with my roommate, who had never been to a hockey game before! Shocking, I know!! Well, she ended up having to work, so she still hasn't gone to a game. Maybe one day...

Anyway, I would have gone with my other friend and co-worker, but he had to work as well, so it ended up being just me. So, I headed over to the game and found out it was also the night of the March of Dimes Jersey Auction. I figured I would go see what it was about.

They had a silent auction sheet for each player's jersey, so I headed over to my favorite player and decided to bid. Then they would close the silent auction after the second period of the game and then hold a live auction to finish the bidding. I thought, what the hell, so I gave myself a limit of how much I will willing to spend and I ended up in a bidding war with another woman over the jersey. I won, and for less than my max, which was great!!

So, cool, right...I win a jersey and the money was benefiting the March of Dimes (an organization I appreciate and feel worthy of my money)...but that's not all!! I get to go down to the ice at the end of the game, walk out with my name announced, take a picture with my player, then he STRIPS off the jersey off his back and signs it for me!!

So, I'm beat red and excited as hell to meet this player (again), shake his hand and get the picture...but then he takes off his jersey and gets down on one knee (le sigh) and asks me where I want him to sign his name. When he handed it to me he said "sorry it's sweaty" and I was pretty much like "oh that's ok" but in my head I was really like "oh my god, I don't care, you are just amazing!" I was giddy as I left the arena and headed over to work to show off the awesome (and sweaty) jersey...

So now...it's two hours later...it's still wet and smells...but it's amazing! (And yes, I will be washing it, because I want to wear it and it really does smell...but will still hold so much value for me!)




PS...if I can get a picture of the two of us, I will post it!

It's Been One Week...(do you have the song in your head like I do in mine?!)

At 9:30pm tonight I hit the one week mark for my injury. Last Friday night I was doing a normal evening activity for me, which was to change into my pajama pants. Apparently on this night I was not to go about this and walk away normally...

No, I was to not walk away at all, but instead I was to crawl...

I stepped into one of the pant legs and apparently stepped wrong (somehow) and twisted my ankle effectively spraining it. I had a shooting pain towards the inside of my foot that I rarely experience, and I am experienced in busted ankles. I really should have a sign that says: Spraining ankles since 1995.

Anyway, I crawled out from my bedroom into the living room in hopes of finding my roommate to assist my klutzy self and lo and behold, she had just gotten in the shower! I'm lying in the middle of the living room floor, my foot propped up on my ottoman and tears streaming down my face because I can't do a damn thing about my injury.

After a quick text conversation with my boss about an awful hockey game that I was lucky I missed as well as how I needed to keep my foot elevated, my roommate finished her shower and came out to see me on the floor. Sweet as she is, she got me ice and made me stop crying because I was laughing at her pulling individual ice cubes out of the freezer one by one so she didn't mess up the nails she had just painted!

So after a long week of hobbling, limping, elevating, icing and pill-popping, I'm now on the road to recovery. What does this mean for my race in only two weeks?!?! Well, before I sprained my ankle, I registered for the race, so I can't get my money back. As long as I continue to recover, I'm going to attempted to run the 5K but probably not at my pace, which I'm ok with that.

Insomnia or Lack Thereof

So, instead of sleeping, I'm actually sitting at my computer pondering a blog entry.

I'm not tired, though I should be: I've been up early every single day this week to get to the gym to continue my running regime. I've been up late almost every night because there is at least one television show that I "must see" and that's been wearing on me. And yet, here I sit, at my computer, not in my bed; typing, not sleeping.

I had a bout with insomnia about this time of the year 2 years ago. I had been in Baltimore at the time and I had struggled with my non-existent sleeping patterns for months. I was not resting at all, but somehow I got through each day of work exceedingly well. However, my usual "spark" and "peppiness" was missing and my boss finally sent me to the doctor as she knew from the deep circles under my eyes (that no amount of cover up could in fact cover up) that I wasn't sleeping.

Off to the doctor I went and the doctor asked if there was anything on my mind. I answered honestly saying, no, I felt fine, work was fine and I couldn't figure out what could be causing the lack of sleep. Then he broke it down into parts and we determined that in the months leading up to the insomnia I had done a number of things to set everything off:

-moved to a new city
-started a new job
-stress of my thesis

Apparently, I had a little too much on my plate but my brain and my body didn't recognize it. So I was forced to be sent home to try to sleep (with the aid of generic drugs taken in moderation). Once I was able to get a steady sleep pattern underway and I was able to start recognizing what was setting off my insomnia and managing it all better, I was fine.

Now, I sit here and I know I am no where near where I was 2 years ago, but I still have some of the same stresses:

-new job title
-new fitness regime/goal

I don't have insomnia, but this one night of sitting up and wondering "why am I not tired" got me thinking about that last time I felt that way...and do you know what it does...?


It makes me sleepy.

Race Cancelled :-(

Well....this does not bode well.

I was supposed to participate in my first race of the 'year of races' this Saturday, February 13 but I received information that the race was cancelled due to a "sudden and unavoidable conflict with [the] race venue."

There is no information as to whether or not it was due to the weather (which has been snowy and cold) or if it really was due to some other unforeseeable circumstance that shut the race down.

Personally this news comes to me with both good and bad feelings about the situation:

Bad: I've been prepping for this race for about a month and a half and I felt really prepared.
Bad: I'm concerned that with the next race a month away, I may slip in my training and slack...AH!
Bad: My roommate, co-worker and father were going to be in attendance cheering my boss and I along as we ran and now....no signs, no cheers for another month.

Good: This gives me another full month before my next race (of the same distance) to be even more prepared.
Good: I don't have to run in the freezing weather that I had been dreading all week.
Good: I get to spend less time worrying about the race and more time with my dad this weekend (who didn't come in for the race but would have been able to see it due to being in town for the right weekend).

So, I'm....conflicted!

Oh well. I have to look at it positively and just move on from this point and be extra prepared for the St. Patrick's race in March...

May the luck o' the Irish be with me!

To Be A Fly On That Wall...

I am a people watcher. I like seeing others interact with each other. Because of this, I have seen some interesting things. I have been privy to two encounters at two different restaurants where something weird has happened between two customers at one table that just make you wish you were sitting closer so you could hear whatever shit is hitting the fan...

A few years ago I was with a friend at a chain restaurant in North Carolina and from my booth I was able to witness a weird thing happening at a booth about 20 feet away from our table. A woman and man were sitting across from each other at their table and the man was contently eating his meal seemingly without a care in the world. The woman, on the other hand, was staring at the man with tears in her eyes and looked like she would just break down any moment.

I was giving a play-by-play to my table and we were all fascinated. What could possibly be happening just feet away from us?! No speaking was noticeable. Just the man with his meal and woman with her tears. She even got up at one point, I believe to go to the restroom and when she came back she seemed a little more put together, but it wasn't long before those big doe eyes were filled with tears again, but this time in apparent anger.

Was he cheating on her? Did he come to break up with her in a public place so she wouldn't make a scene? Who knows?! The possibilities are endless and it just makes you imagine what could be said...

The latest bit of crazy happened this morning while my roommate and I were out for breakfast. We were standing in line at this mom and pop place waiting for a table to open up. This woman came in and basically cut in front of us. Lovely, right? So we finally get to the front of the line, with this woman still ahead of us, and its only a matter of time before we get seated.

This woman was constantly on her phone, calling people, texting, etc. However, she said she was a party of two, as were we, but we were sat first because her second person wasn't here. We giggled as we passed her and started to order our food. Other people were being seated before her again because she was still alone, but that didn't stop her from chatting away on her mobile.

Finally, her person arrived, and the hostess joked with her that she should tell him to meet her there 30 minutes before she said she would be there so he would be on time. Luck would have it that they were seated right behind us. My roommate was able to watch the play by play and let me know what was happening and then all of a sudden she looked up and looked stunned.

I turned around and saw the woman had gotten up so I turned to my roommate and asked if the crazy lady went to the bathroom. Apparently not. She had stood up and just walked out of the restaurant and her guest looked a little dumbfounded but got his jacket and left the restaurant as well. I took over the watch as I could see them both in the parking lot. They each got into their separate cars and left the parking lot in two different directions.

The hostess was shocked and watched the couple leave. They had ordered coffee but never touched it. It didn't seem like many words were spoken if any. She cleaned up the table quickly and the next couple sat down.

We really have no idea of what went down behind us, but we have our speculations. Here's mine:

Crazy lady was constantly on the phone and texted because she was letting everyone of her friends and family know that she was leaving her husband. He had just pissed her off one too many times. Finally, the last straw was nearly being stood up at breakfast. We he finally showed up, he tried to act like nothing was wrong. Finally, she had enough, said they were through and to expect divorce papers and she was out the door. The shell-shocked husband was stunned but quickly got over it by thinking "thank god" and left himself in the new revelation of freedom.

What do you think?

Training: Week 2

Not much to report on the running front. My injuries seem to have taken a back seat this week, which I am grateful for. If I keep up a faster pace, my strides are longer and that relieves the pressure on my knee and ankle. So I'm currently increasing my endurance at the faster pace so I keep injury free!

Unfortunate news about this week was the I ended up getting a pretty harsh cold that knocked my training back a few days as I couldn't breathe well and my body was achy. I kept up my strength training as best I could at home, but the gym was out this weekend.

Stay tuned for next week's update!!


PS - See new races that I've added to my year of running:

O'Hartford 5K - March
IronHorse Half Marathon - June
Old Wethersfield 10K - August