TGIF Foto Fun

Adventure Seeker has declared a theme for this week's T.G.I.F. Foto Friday. Her instructions:

America's Next Top Runner

Be creative, think outside the box, go crazy.

So in the spirit of "going crazy" here is the difference between a 163- pound run/walker/hacker and a 132-pound "real" runner. Viewer discretion advised.


January 2007, during the marathon portion of the Goofy Challenge at Disney World. Chubba Chubba!


(Don't I look about ready to POP? I'm not sure how I even did that marathon. This is more embarrasing than I imagined.)

In May 2008, I PR'd at the Sunburst half marathon, finishing in Notre Dame Stadium. It was really awesome to run that fast (for me) and not start a fire by my thighs rubbing together.


Peace and smaller thighs, all.

Weebles What?

Disclaimer: I'm not usually this mean about unfortunate occurences involving my residents. (But damn, does this guy ever deserve it!)

Whoever said weebles wobble but they don't fall down was wrong, because it turns out that they DO fall down. Well, at least the human version does. A better slogan in this particular case would be weebles wobble but they can't get back up.

Remember Righteous Resident? If not, you really should read this post as it provides a somewhat amusing illustration of his character. He is also the resident who once gave me a 30-minute sermon about how the Bible says sodomy and homosexuality are sins and when I retorted with "The Bible also says Judge Not" when he began using derogatory slurs he got all red-faced and pissed and I actually thought he might have a stroke. OH, and speaking of derogatory slurs...how could I forget overhearing him use the "N" word when telling another resident that his daughter has biracial children. Class act, this guy.

Righteous Resident resembles a weeble more than any human being I've ever seen. I swear he is shaped almost exactly like this picture only much, much bigger. (Did I mention MUCH bigger?) He bulges from his neck to his feet. I've never seen anyone shaped quite like this. It's an amazing thing to behold.

Well, apparently Righteous Resident had a mishap in which he ended up on the ground outside his apartment. He was carrying two dozen eggs, which upon first whiff one could surmise were well past the use-by date (unrelated to the story yet amusing none-the-less). Since he was actually outside at the time of the incident, his emergency button would not work. Knowing that he had to get to the building before he could alert someone, he did the only thing a human weeble could. He rolled. All the way to the door.

Now, I understand this may not seem so funny, especially considering he could have been hurt. But he wasn't hurt! And when you consider the fact that this life-sized weeble would first have to get a "running start" to even roll over once, you can't help but snicker. C'mon! Admit it! Just picture this humongous weeble rocking back and forth (like a car with bald tires trying to get unstuck from the mud) just to roll over once... only to discover that he needs to repeat this action over and over and over to get to the door. That's funny. I don't care who ya are.

Am I just lucky...

or does anyone else find notes like this on their desk:

Weekend Update

Winter is back, and after that little preview of spring weather let me just say it realllllllllllly sucks. More ice and snow prevented outdoor running, not to mention it might have been hard to find time to go anyway considering the amount of strangeness at Rock Ridge this week.

Strangeness = Lots o' hours.

Anyway.

I ran on the treadmill twice. 3 miles at 10 minute-mile pace on Wednesday. And then today, TODAY.....I ran SIX MILES!! Yup, I actually ran six freaking miles on the treadmill in 62 minutes. I know this doesn't seem like that great of an accomplishment, but considering my unreasonable treadmill-hate, it sure is for me. Small victories. That's what it's all about, right?

TGIF and Why I'm MIA

This week at the Ridge we've had pneumonia, suspended employees, stinky residents, stolen coats (that damn Naomi), the police, a resident thrown out of the courthouse, phone calls waking me up at midnight, a confused resident walking into the wrong apartments, and a power surge resulting in about 15K worth of damaged electrical equipment. I'm exhausted. And so ready for a drink. Or ten.

On to Friday Foto Fun. No science was used in the choosing of this photograph. I opened a file and clicked wherever the cursor already was. So here I am! That's me with a full belly of awesome sushi. Shino's is a tiny sushi bar (really tiny...I think there were like eight or ten seats in there) on Newbury Street in Boston. I am holding a Marathon Sports bag...I did a little shopping before the sushi treat! I love Boston, and we go often because my family is there. We also go every April because my husband rocks and qualifies to run the marathon. I've gotten quite adept at being the ultimate Boston Marathon fan using the T (Boston's subway system) and some leg power, so if anyone ever needs advice on how to maximize the number of spectating spots, just let me know!

Peace, all.

The Eye of the Beholder

"You need to have your eyes checked," Gladys exclaimed in response to me telling her she was beautiful. "You're crazy! This face is old and wrinkled," she complained.

"Your face isn't where you're the most beautiful, anyway," I told her as I patted my heart.

"Well, I'd say it takes one to know one!" she retorted without skipping a beat.

Weekend Update

Thank you Hoosier weather gods. 50 degree temps at the beginning of the week yielded a three-miler (30:47), a four-miler (forgot my watch, but it felt great!) and enough melted snow to actually go five miles on Friday even though the temperature had dropped back down into the 20s. Take that, treadmill!

Since I totally missed Foto Friday, here are some pictures of where I had my big 12-mile week. The trail is a Rails to Trails project and it is incredible. This past summer it was expanded to 13 miles one way, with plans for further expansion this season. There are waterfalls, fields, wildlife, all types of trees and birds...it is absolutely peaceful and beautiful...the perfect place to get all Zen and remember why you like to run.

The Case of the Missing Money

A few of weeks ago when I tried balancing the petty cash, I kept coming up $225.49 short. I spent the majority of a day trying to figure it out...racking my brain, looking for receipts, and interviewing WorkerBees with access to the cash box. Anything I could possibly think of to investigate all lead to dead ends. In despair, I called the home office to report the shortage.

"Just send the receipts you do have and don't worry about it," said A.P. Lady. Don't worry about it?!?!?! $225.49 simply vanished and I don't worry about it?? My petty cash balances every single month. To. The. Penny. ALWAYS. "Sometimes it will just turn up," she replied. How can $225.49 "just turn up?!?" I'm incredulous, but also a little relieved that I don't have to figure out who to fire over the missing money. A.P. Lady suggested I leave it for a few days and go back to it, thinking I had overlooked something.

I knew I hadn't overlooked anything...I spent way to much time trying to figure it out, but I accepted her advice and let it go. The money never showed up.

Until yesterday. Some background info: When I balance our petty cash receipts, I send the receipts to the home office and they cut a check for the amount of the receipts. The check is made out to me personally, so that I can cash it and replenish the petty cash box. The system works well...usually.

Late yesterday afternoon, Joseph's son knocked on my door. He had a stack of mail. The envelopes had already been sliced open with a letter opener. "I found these in Dad's drawer," said Son. I was incredulous, as I recognized the mail and knew I had been the one who opened it...on about January 15th! Apparently Joseph had picked the mail up off my desk while I wasn't in the office, took it back to his apartment with him and put it away for safe-keeping! I suppose he thought it was his (he does think I'm the church secretary).

As I sifted through the envelopes, suddenly the Case of the Missing Money was solved. Stuck in-between two envelopes was a petty cash reimbursement check. I guess A.P. Lady was right....sometimes money does show back up....but in a million years I couldn't have figured this one out!

So I'm happy the mystery is solved...but...I'm ticked that the check was only for $225.48.

So much for my record.

Weekend Update

Where else other than the midwest can the temperature be in single digits one day and FIFTY-TWO the next?? That's right, 52 delicious degrees! I actually ran outside yesterday...with NO jacket! Four miles of bliss while listening to the crackle and drip of melting snow and ice while actually having fun resulted in a 10:30 pace and a very satisfied and happy Carrie.

Unfortunately, the whole week didn't go quite that well. I didn't run at all. I was so busy I couldn't find the time to fit it in. Excuse? Probably. I really was insanely busy, but it was still blistering cold....so giving up a run on the treadmill just came a little too easy. I am still struggling with the treadmill, however, I do think the run outdoors gave me some motivation back. Thank goodness, because I have somehow found myself registered for a marathon in June.

In other news this week: Things at the Ridge are crazy as we are trying to prepare for a visit from our Home Office bigwigs in three weeks. I'm trying to figure out how to keep Pearl from reporting her entire apartment missing, while making sure Maude doesn't throw anything....not to mention the challenge of what to do with Naomi. According to Gladys, she's been at it hardcore again this week, stealing everything from make-up to bras to bed sheets. I think I have my work cut out for me.

Three Quickies

Lucy turned 102 on Sunday. How amazing is that? To celebrate, apparently, she came walking out of her bathroom with a handful of poo. She showed it to WorkerBee and said "It's the real thing!"
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We have two residents who have become good friends. Marie is 90 and Max is 87. Marie has been ill lately, so Max has been visiting her at her apartment (gasp). Evidently she has a case of halitosis, because after Max gave her a smooch he told WorkerBee that she needed to do something about Marie's breath.
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We had a luau last week to try and chase away the winter blues that seem to have settled over Rock Ridge. Early in the day I reminded Gladys about the party. "I better go home and dig up my grass skirt," she replied. I told her not to forget the coconut bra. She looked confused for a split second, then grabbed the front of her shirt in the chest region and pulled it out. "Well, I'd need the coconuts to go with it if you know what I mean!"
She is hysterical.
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Happy Tuesday!