On the running trail.

There is something extremely excapist about running. I can do it, and for half an hour I don't have to think about work or school or doing homework or when I'll find the time to sleep and get everything done in between. All I have to think about it, are my shoulders relaxed? How is my pace? How far? How many repeats left?

Later in the day (since I usually try to run before noon) I often find myself stuck at a table drinking coffee working on homework and wishing that I hadn't eaten in the last hour because I'd rather be out there hitting the road or biking or something, anything, just get me out of this tarea hell. (what's the spanish word for hell?)

The pace is steady all this week, 5run/1walk (5x). Not too difficult.

34 hrs at work next week THANK GOD. I'm just about out of money. If my parents hadn't insisted that they pay for half my gas I would not have been able to cover my credit card bill this month. I just haven't worked enough to cover that and my car payment. Yikes. Payday tomorrow though, yay!

And of course, by no money, I mean no money I allow myself to touch. It doesn't include investing money and tips but I'd really prefer not to dip into those. You know.

I have one final left tonight and then I'm finished with SPSCC summer quarter. The relief is almost palpable. I feel fairly confident that I will pull As in all my classes but there is always the potential that if I get a B or something on this spanish final it will pull my grade down. I don't really think so but it's better not to be cocky. I think if this wasn't summer, if we had had 3 more weeks with the material and therefore about an extra week practicing chapter 4 (which introduces all the irregular verbs) I would feel more confident but I just haven't worked with these words as much, it's harder to keep all their meanings straight in my head.

I always find myself updating at work. It's a good place to camp out and study for an hour before allowing my mind to wander. It's amazing, I'm marking my one year anniversary working here along with michelle and claire. Michelle calls it our birthday. Pretty amazing I've stayed here a whole year when I could only stomach two months at my last job.

So, over an hour writing in a blue exam book for teen films has decimated my thumb, ta for now.

Coming to the end

I'll admit, it's been a fairly tough week. I did a lot of reading, fell behind a little on my article reading and film viewing, but feel pretty good about my article writing for weekend Seminar. Yay? I haven't been sleeping as much so running has been a little more difficult towards the end of the week but I haven't missed a day, I'm still on track. Yay!

I have 3 days left at SPSCC, 1 written final, 1 spanish final, and 1 powerpoint presentation for art class. But I feel fairly good about all of these things, semi- prepared. Tomorrow and tuesday I'll be hitting the spanish book pretty hard but otherwise I think they shall end up alright. I just need to power through all this and then snag as many hours at work as possible.

No writing or really, anything creative, accomplished this week. I do really want to work on a short Final Girl Horror script though, end of this month and september. I also looked at some prices for minidv camcorders but the cheapest "good" one I could find was still around $200 and I'm almost positive it's the same or 1 model upgrade to my sister's camcorder, though how that happens I blame on freaky genetics. 

As ever, film remains the great elusive mistress.

Quick Post

About to run off to school but I haven't blogged in a few days so I thought I'd make a quick check-in.

Stayed on schedule for running. Starting week 2 with 2minRun/1minwalk repeats (about 30-45% harder than last weeks tempo runs) but it's all good.

Two weeks left of SPSCC, we're in the homestretch. I've got some ideas about cutting out a full quarter at SPS and transfering to Evergreen this winter, which means i could vie for a spot in the Rainforest Ecology program (which spends 3 week in Costa Rica, TO DIE FOR). We'll see how it goes. I have to finish up summer quarters at both schools first.

Swamped in classwork. I have a ton of Spanish EC to work on, 7 slides for a ceramics presentation, books and articles and movies to watch for both films and something else i'm missing I'm sure. BUT, I have tomorrow afternoon off which is a first so I think I'll take full advantage and get as much as I can done for this week.

Running to school now, chau!

Training Day and Deluge of Schoolwork

I had to skip ceramics class this morning to work on my Buffy collage due in Teen Film today. It turned out pretty brilliant looking if I do say so myself though so I think it was worth it. It just means that I'm going to have to paint like a crazy person tomorrow to get everything glazed for the weekend >_<

I have to watch two movies for history according to film by friday as well so I can return them to Blockbuster. Nothing too difficult, I think I'll get started on JFK after Film.

I'm quite excited to see everyone's collages today. I hope that I haven't puffed mine own up in my head. Despite some of the less than spectacular films we've watched, altogether I've found the class very stimulating and eye-opening, really challenging how I tend to passively watch films.

Third day of training went well. I went running around the westside. The only real annoying point came when I got stuck at a light and further held up on the corner by a fire engine. The sidewalk light refused to let pedestrians cross for probably five minutes so I finally just gave up and ran back the way I came. It's all par for the course though, yes? Meagan's agreed to meet up and run with me on Friday, yay! There is something extremely zen about running with a vague purpose. Something very relaxing about the whole experience. I'm quite enjoying myself. It makes me feel excessively productive.

Today I shall also attempt to work a bit more on the YA Short. I forgot to yesterday, mainly because I was so busy running from class to hair to class to work to homework. I shall be quite glad once August is over and life returns to a slightly normal pace.

I have to say though, possible side effect, I've become totally addicted to milk. Its so full of calcium and potassium (which are essential nutrients) somedays I feel like I can't get enough of it. Yom.

I think I'll try to go to yoga on Friday. That sounds like fun.

On the 5K Trail and other blathers

So today marks my second day of training *ca-ching* ;) Already I feel so much more uplifted about life, less stressed and just really energized. My meals no longer revolve around so much my mood and my stomach so much as my workouts--I keep track of when I work out, when I need to eat a snack, when I need to bulk up on Calcium + Potassium. Like I said, it's only day two but still, I feel so triumphant and productive. It's a good feeling.

Plus, I think I've managed to eat more vegetables in the last day than I have in a week. And, because of the high concentration of calcium and potassium in milk, I've got an excuse to drink my daily latte.

In other news, I chopped off all my hair-give or take. Unstyled I think it looks like Juliette Lewis from What's Eating GIlbert Grape.

I think it will be nice to run in. Much better than the raggedy mop I was sporting.

To Do List por la manana.

• Screencap Buffy the vampire slayer
  
• Haircut
• Make collage for Film class
• compile info and pics for ceramics PPP
• run, run, run, run, run
• rd Titus Andronicus
• Watch JFK & Amadeus
• rd article on JFK
• Write Portfolio paper
• Take notes
• Spanish HW + EC (lots)
• finish glazing all pottery
• Seminar paper?
• remember to go to work (check Andrea is covering Sat shift)

That's it for now

Goals

I'm out of shape. I know it. So far this year I've been ok with it. But you know what? Careers in law enforcement are not made on out of shapeness.

Once upon a time I was in pretty good shape, could have flown through the FBI's phys ed test and was thinking about how I've always wanted to train for a Triathlon. Only I never got around to it. But I've been thinking about it more this summer, cause I'm really stagnating here, even if my job is semi-physical. I haul a backpack full of books all over campus and I'm exhausted.

So, after talking it out with some friends, I've decided it is time to start walking and running. I'm super busy but if I can't get my butt in gear 30min/6days/week then why the hell should I do anything? I've got a little plan scheduled out for the next 8 weeks to get me into basic running shape (goal is to be able to run 30min continuously with a fair amount of ease) by the end of September. 

After that I'm setting this down as a record of my tentative goal to look for a local 5K race in October, pump up the volume of training and aim for a 10K race in December/January, see about finding a 10Mile (though I think those are harder to find so we'll see) for Marchish with the ultimate goal being the Capital City Half Marathon next Mayish (if I can do this, I say full Marathon 2011!!!!).

Katie, if you read this, give me your thoughts. I'd really like to set these goals for races and checkpoints with you (and dragging meagan along despite her protests) if they sound like fun. And I figure we could cross train with biking/climbing/kayaking and maybe even some swimming during the winter?

Greener

Began classes at Evergreen today. I'm just dropping in for Second Session this summer as a way to further get a jump start on my Jr/Sr yr. I'm taking a program titled "History According To Film" very exciting and I was astonished to see it in the catalog (I helped engineer a similar seminar for my senior year in high school. admittedly, I was also the only one to follow through at the time with our individual research projects but I think that only typifies my personal brand of nerd ;))

9am-5pm, for four weekends is quite intensive but I don't think it will be too difficult as long as I keep up with all the readings and remember to bring more than one water bottle with me to class (I couldn't find a single drinking fountain in the Seminar bldg >_<)

Today we watched Reds, the Warren Beatty film about John Reed. Very interesting, very pretty picture if a glossy semi-fictionalized spin on the man's life. I did find myself moved by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of O'Neill, in fact, I found myself most identifying with the ironic cynicism of his character altogether. One of these days I will get hands on a collection of his plays and read them. when I have more time.

Decided to begin work on a YA fantasy short story. It's an old plot idea with even older characters but condensed (theoretically) into a mere 5,000 words. It's currently at an opening of 175 so we'll see where it goes. 

They are playing Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark tonight in the park where I'm meeting up with a couple friends. I'm very excited. It shall not only be an opportunity to collectively drool over HF, but also a break from so much historical realism. 

This is my brain.

This is my brain shutting off.

Adios.