Race for the Cure

The Race this morning was great! I started out slowly, but that is normal for me. About halfway through, I picked up my pace and finished strong. I can't remember the terminology for running the second half faster than the first, but I did that. I saw my dentist and some people I work with. Normally I don't see anyone I know. I brought back lots of goodies, including Sun Chips in pink Race for the Cure bags. That's a first for this particular race. And as always, I ate sausage on a stick after the run. Probably not the best decision, but it tastes so good.

I need to catch up my Texas Monthly reading. I subscribe to so many magazines that sometimes I can't keep up. But the stories are so good in Texas Monthly.

I've given up watching Dancing with the Stars. Even Emmitt Smith can't make me watch reality TV.

I think I'm going to eat Freebirds for lunch today. That sounds like a good post-race meal.

I think I'm on the edge of a cold. My throat feels like a little scratchy. Hopefully I can keep it at bay until after Homecoming.

Who is going to be at Homecoming?

Nothing to Say

I haven't had much to say lately. Here are some random thoughts.

I thought The Office was good on Thursday. The more Jim in the episode, the better it is.

I got all emotional in the Ugly Betty pilot. It was predictable and a little corny, but it got me emotionally involved, so I'll try it again.

Second episode of Grey's Anatomy was much better than the season premier.

I'm running the Race for the Cure tomorrow.

I saw a shooting star the other morning.

I talked Blockbuster into waiving half my rental fine after I turned two movies in ON TIME to the wrong store. Last time I did this, they waived the whole thing. Didn't get as lucky this time.

I transferred a TiVo recording to my VCR. I fast-forwarded through one of the commercials, and my VCR recording the act of fast-forwarding. The VCR records whatever is on TiVo, so if I had paused the show, the VCR would have recorded that. TiVo is awesome!

I don't have any deep thoughts to share, but I've enjoyed reading the thoughts on your blogs.

10K and TV

I just registered for a 10K race. I've never officially run 6 miles. I don't think I've unofficially run 6 miles either. But I've been running for an hour the last couple Saturdays, and it hasn't been too difficult for me. Each time I stopped, I felt like I could have gone longer. As always my goal is to not finish last. That's easy to accomplish with the 5K because so many students "race" for club intramural points. Here's hoping a few other slowpokes race the 10K so I can beat them.

Anyone watch Gilmore Girls last night? Thoughts? I was glad Lorelai stood her ground with Luke, even though I'm sure it won't last. It was hard not to overanalyze the writing knowing the lead writers left the show. Would I have noticed a difference if I was unaware of that information?

I only have two more episodes of 24 S1 to watch. If you haven't watched S1 and plan to, stop reading now. I love when Jack kills Victor! Keifer does such a great job of showing us his thought process. You see him hesitate, and then you see a slight change in facial expression that gives away what he is about to do. Glad he finally won his Emmy. I remember that one scene more than any other in the first season.

Once I finish 24, it's on to LOST S2 to prepare for the season 3 premier next Wednesday.

I don't know why people think I like TV.

Evening Ritual

I've discovered a new favorite evening ritual: being invited to a steak and tuna dinner on the drive home from the gym. Much better than returning home and cooking for myself. Wednesday's offer is dove. It helps to have friends that hunt.

I watched Weeds on DVD Saturday night instead of the Notre Dame game. I enjoyed Weeds, but come-from-behind victories are one of the reasons we watch sports.

I've had the windows in my bedroom and living room open for more than a week. I'm loving it!

I worked the Chalupa Book for my company at the local fair yesterday. I ate cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate and covered in nuts. Totally not allowed on the Biggest Loser Diet, but totally worth it. Cheesecake is my weakness.

I'm still reading Fast Food Nation. Once I finish, I'll post some of the disturbing things I've read. The entire book is disturbing. The movie adaptation should be interesting. And disturbing.

That's enough filler for this post. Hopefully I've have something more interesting to say later.

Friday Fun

Fridays are great because I only work until noon. But this Friday I watched live tennis. Three singles match and one doubles match for only $5! I watched Robert Kendrick lose in straight sets. This is the guy that almost knocked my boyfriend Nadal out of Wimbledon. I have no idea how this guy took two sets off Nadal.

To give you some idea of the quality of play, Kendrick is ranked No. 141 in the world; he was seeded No. 1 at this tournament. But the majority of players in the Top 10 played in the Challenger league at some point. The Next Great American Hope is supposed to be Bobby Reynolds. I watched him lose a close doubles match. Maybe I saw the future No. 1 player in the world.

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I don't know what the weather is doing where you are, but it's cooling down here. I love it! It's great for morning runs.

Is it horrible that I took a nap at 11 a.m.? I did wake up at 6:45 to run. I finished eating breakfast, turned on football, covered up with a blanket, and crashed.

Ah, West Texas

Stepping outside, getting hit with a gust of wind, inhaling dirt and looking into a brown sky are all part of the West Texas experience. Isn't it great?

My plan tomorrow is to go watch some live tennis. My city is hosting a ATP Challenger tournament, and 10 guys that played at the US Open are here. The American that almost knocked my boyfriend Nadal out of Wimbledon is also playing. I hope the wind leaves town by tomorrow so I can watch some tennis. I wonder if they are even playing in these conditions.

Public Speaking

I've always given good presentations, but I never like speaking in front of a group. I've been going around campus meeting with different departments talking to them about the United Way. But this morning I stood up in front of a crowd of 1500 judgmental college students. My legs were shaking so much! I could hear a few employees sitting close to the stage whisper to each other, "She's shaking." and it made it worse. I tried changing my position to stop it, but it didn't work. I was wearing a dress, and my shaking was more obvious because the material was moving. It's funny because people that know me well on campus told me they could tell I was nervous. Everyone else told me they thought I did a great job and couldn't believe I got up in front of so many people. I was in theatre until I graduated from high school, so my voice doesn't usually betray me, but I've always gotten so nervous. My elementary school performed musicals every year, and in the fourth and fifth grades I had speaking parts with solos. I remember sitting in our cafeteria just shaking before going on stage. Some things never change. Hopefully I don't have to do that again until the spring when I raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.

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Besides, Allison, has anyone switched to Beta? What are your thoughts?

Biggest Loser Day One

I ran this morning and just completed a Body Sculpting class at the Rec. It was obvious I hadn't done any kind of strength training in a long time. It felt good, and I'll feel it tomorrow.

One guy in my office decided to "go to the dark side" and join another department's Biggest Loser team. Today was his birthday. We bought fruit and veggies to celebrate his birthday....and one cupcake, just for him. But he didn't eat it. It sat on our conference table until I gave it away around 4:30 p.m. to the one guy in our office not participating in the challenge. Talk about discipline! Most of us in the office are also trying to give up cokes, even if we normally drink diet versions. All went well today. Now we just have to keep it up for eight weeks.

Don't worry, I'm not going to chronicle the Challenge every day.

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Last night (and today) I watched the pilots for the "shows that defined a generation" on the WB: Felicity, Angel, Buffy and Dawson's Creek. A fitting farewell for the WB network. I'm not sure I watched any of those shows during their initial run, at least consistently. Lack of cable might have had a role in that decision.

In a scene from Felicity, Felicity and her new friend are taking notes with bright-colored pens I used to use. Ah, memories. Buffy is a great TV show. I need to go back and watch the entire series. I don't think I've ever seen the pilot of Dawson's Creek.

Was anyone addicted to any of the above TV shows?

Random Thoughts

"This is the place God has for me at this very moment in my life. I feel like I am standing on the threshold of something that will change my life forever."

I have a friend doing mission work in Ireland, and this was at the end of his email update. It's a great feeling to believe you are right where God wants you to be, doing what he wants you to do . I don't feel like that right now, but I have. I remember when I was a Leadership Camp counselor and felt like God had been preparing me my entire life for that summer. Sometimes everything in life clicks.

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It's a cool Sunday afternoon. I've opened my windows to let the breeze in. Perfect atmosphere for watching football. Ah, football season. Way to go TCU! It's not popular to root against the local team, but I can't help it. I ran some errands yesterday, and I could tell it was game day. Home or away, fewer people are out on game days. Works for me.

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I want one of the new iPods! The clip iPod shuffle is so cool! Perfect for exercising. Much more functional than the shuffle that hung around your neck. Who wants something bouncing against their chest during a run.

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I almost through the first season of 24. I'm to the span of episodes I missed when I moved from London to Ireland. It's interesting to watch the first season after I've seen all five seasons. Jack will say something like, "I'm the last person you want to see if I don't get my wife and daughter back alive." I'll think, "Classic Jack Bauer." But it's the first season, so technically it's not classic Jack. It shows you how well the writers have done at making the Jack character consistent through five seasons.

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Will my Cowboys win tonight? If not, they will be 0-2. We're playing at home, so I think we'll win. Go Cowboys!

Cooking

I'm not sure who started this, but here is a list of my five favorite foods to make.

1. Three-Pepper Pasta with Pesto, because I like alliteration in my diet. I got this recipe from one of those small books at the check-out stand. I usually add a little shrimp to it. So yummy.
2. Zucchini-roni Pizza. Delicious and much better for you than pepperoni pizza. A Rachael Ray recipe. I can eat leftovers for days, always good for a girl on a budget.
3. Honey-Gingered Pork Tenderloin. No explanation needed. Most of you have had it. Grilling doesn't get better.
   
4. Mamaw's Chocolate Pie. This is THE family recipe. I have a reputation for not being able to cook, and this is a time consuming, complicated recipe. My mother can't even make it. So everytime I spend 30 minutes stirring chocolate pudding, I smile at how far I've come since catching the stove on fire.
5. Salmon Salsa Wraps. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy.

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Good news! My TiVo ToGo is working! I transferred my first program from my TiVo to my laptop. Awesome! Now I just need to burn the program to a DVD. I have to buy a specific software to do that. Good thing TiVo is my Christmas present.

The Biggest Loser

My company is initiating a Departmental Biggest Loser competition. It begins Monday and lasts two months. My department is participating. Normally, I focus on running, but running does not equal weight loss for me. But I want to run a marathon one day, so I cannot give up on running totally. I was finally able to renew my membership at the Rec Center, which is the best deal in town, so now I have a plan. I am going to combine running, step aerobics and weight training. And a healthy diet. Luckily I have that part down for the most part. Wish me luck!

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I gave blood on Wednesday, and it was not pretty. My body does not react well after I have given blood. I used to always get lightheaded and almost pass out, until one person listened to me when I said I did not give blood well. She elevated me and put ice packs on me while I gave blood. And then brought snacks and juice over to me while I sat in the chair and recovered. I stopped having problems. That did not work as well this time. I felt kind of rushed to get out of the chair, and got up too quickly. Even though I went from sitting in the donor chair to sitting someplace else, it was not enough. Pretty soon I started sweating and everything started to go white. They got me back in the donor chair, elevated and covered with ice just in time. I think I freaked a few people out with the almost fainting and the loss of color to my face. Hopefully I did not scare anyone away. I won the door prize though! I think it was a sympathy win. I wish I had a second TV to go with the DVD player I won.

I think next time I give blood I will try the option that takes a little less blood and gives you plateletts back. I might react better to that. We will see. Or I will go back to giving blood in the afternoon when I can have two meals and more water in my system. Or giving at the blood bank and not at the company blood drive so I can take my time.

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I am going to see Pat Green in concert on Saturday for free. How is that? By working the United Way booth at the music festival. Nice perk.

TiVo-land is Complicated

I haven't been able to get my TiVo ToGo working, the nifty feature that lets you transfer programs you record, like the entire season of LOST, to your computer and burn them on DVDs. Very frustrating. The TiVo people told me my internet people would probably have to allow my TiVo and computer to communicate. Having "free" wireless internet included in your rent is fabulous, except when you want to do unusual things, like TiVo to go. If my computer could communicate with my TiVo, anyone on my apartment network could communicate with my TiVo. Not very secure, which is actually a good thing.

This just means I have to buy a router to connect my TiVo and computer. And then, I have to switch my computer over to my home network to allow TiVo ToGo transfers, and then switch it back again to access the internet. Confusing. Cross your fingers that it works.

Today at work, before I left early to work out my TiVo issues, I was elected as Staff Senate President. They bullied me in to it. A few ladies have been campaigning for me without my approval, and today, last year's president starts the meeting by saying, "We need to elect a new President. I nominate Jamie. All in favor raise your hand. (Hands raise.) OK, Jamie you are our new president." Seriously, it took less than 30 seconds. Everyone was so shocked, myself included, that we couldn't stop laughing for a while. Then she took more time and did it for real, but the result was the same. So if my actual job can't keep me busy, my extracurricular activities, like Staff Senate President, United Way Loaned Executive, and Children's Miracle Network Change Bandits coordinator will. Actually, being president will be less time consuming than my role last year on the Sense of Community committee. I think I will try to make SS big on advocacy, making sure our voices are heard by the administration. You can't fix something if you don't know it's broken.

Off to buy a router!

No Words Necessary

24 Season One

I broke down today and bought season 1 of 24. It was on sale for $18.99 at Target! Last time it was on sale for this price, I stood paralyzed in the DVD aisle weighing the pros and cons of buying it. I passed. Not this time. The downside to subscribing to the Target weekly ad via email is that you discover sales you can't pass up. I know all the trappings of sales promotions, and I still let them work. For you Nip/Tuck fans, S1-2 are on sale for $18.99 and so is the first season of Arrested Development. I think S3 of Gilmore Girls is also on sale. Jack looks so young in the first season. Little does he know what heartache awaits him in the next five seasons. And there is no Chloe. She's become such a beloved presence on the show, you forget she wasn't there in the beginning.

The tennis season is more or less over. Shockingly, Roger Federer won the US Open, his third Grand Slam victory of the year. His third consecutive win. The man is too good. Hopefully my boyfriend Nadal can stop his rapid ascent to "best player ever." Not likely.

Recent Happy Thoughts

• homemade tiramisu
• Clinique Bonus Time
• Clinique employees wear white lab coats
• lazy weekends
• colorful sunsets
• the US Open
• playing tennis for two hours on a Saturday morning
• resisting the urge to drink a Diet Dr Pepper
• the smell of roast slow-cooking in the kitchen (this is obviously not my kitchen)
• rain during a drought
• "You've always done documentary form, right? Do you not have the imagination to tell a story?" - Stephen Colbert to Morgan Spurlock (Director, Super Size Me)
• Billie Jean King, and everything she means to tennis and female athletes
• when I said I made a blonde brownie, Dustin thought I made up a phrase, like "purple orangie" (this man is a doctor-scary)
• the smell of fresh strawberries
  

Thursday Thirteen

This blog is in response to Elisa's blog. I'm listening thirteen books I like. For those of you that don't know, I have a terrible memory. I have to keep a list of every book I read if I want to keep from accidentally rereading it. That doesn't always work. I started reading East of Eden and it didn't take long for me to realize I'd already read it. I did reread a Holocaust memoir, but the title was different here in the States than it was in Europe, so it was an easy mistake. So I'll only be listing books since I started keeping a list in college.

1. Best Purposeful Reread - Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This book is about a missionary family in the Congo. I wouldn't classify it as a religious book, but it does have religious themes. Every chapter is written from the perspective of a different daughter in the family, and they each have a unique voice.
2. Best Autobiography - Personal History by Katharine Graham. Graham was the editor of the Washington Post Co. during Watergate and the Pentagon Papers scandals. If you like journalism, it's a great read. Very well written and she talks about being a woman in a man's world.
3. Funniest Book I've Ever Read - Lamb by Christopher Moore. I love to read and love to laugh but very rarely do books make me laugh. I laughed out loud all the way through this book. This is a religious satire, so if you can't handle reading about Jesus doing "sacrilegious" things, don't try it. To me, that is what made it so funny. And because I read this book, I had a conversation with a stranger exploring Christianity about religion and politics, separation of church and state, Christians and Bush, abortion and homosexuality
4. Best Series - The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten) I've heard this compared to an adult Harry Potter series. Kind of sci-fi meets literary allusions. Thursday Next is a literary detective in England in the future. Silly, but fun and smart.
5. Best Religious Books - Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner. I don't read many religious books and really liked both of these.
   
6. Best John Grisham - A Time to Kill. This is the first book he ever wrote, and was made into a movie after the success of The Firm, The Pelican Brief and The Client.
7. Best Written - The Hours by Michael Cunningham and All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg. The Hours is emotionally draining but so well written I've read it twice. Shoutin' is a written by a journalist that won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. It's more about his childhood than the journalism stuff.
8. Best Travel Book - McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy. It's about a man with Irish heritage stopping at ever bar with his name on it with Ireland. I wonder if I would like this book so much if had read it at a different time in my life. I read it after spending four months in Ireland.
9. Favorite Childhood Books - A Wrinkle in Time and Bridge to Terabithia. I've reread Wrinkle recently, but not Terabithia. I don't feel like crying.
10. Best Page Turners - The Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. If you've seen the movies, the books are completely different. The movies took the premise of the books and created their own story. Once you start reading, you can't put the book down. Too much suspense!
11. Book I Really Want to Read but Can't Get Through - Anna Karenina. I just have trouble with this genre of book. All the characters, all the history and description. I've almost finished it once and started it three times.
12. Where the Heart is by Billie Letts. I don't know what category to put this is. Easy read, uplifting Oprah book.
13. Worst Book - Acherlitz by WG Sebold. I don't even remember what this book is about, but it was a pain to finish. When I was done, I actually threw this book away. When you are traveling through Europe, you leave books and swap books at hostels, and I knew if I left it somewhere, someone else would pick it up. I didn't wish that torture on anyone.
14. Book I'm Currently Reading - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It's very good and I want to finish it, but tennis watching got in the way.

Your turn!

I'm in mourning

Nadal's US Open run came to a close in the quarterfinals. It was tough to watch because Nadal's passion and level of play was not up to his usual standards. He still had a great year. French Open Champion, holds the all-time record for consecutive matches won on clay, Wimbledon finalist, first quarterfinal appearance in the US Open. And I still love him. Vamos Rafa!

Now I have to pick between Andy Roddick and James Blake. Roddick faces a tough quarterfinal tonight between former champion Leyton Hewitt. Gotta love James Blake for his personal story, coming back from an almost career-ending injury and losing his father. He does have to play the reigning champion and No. 1 ranked player(Federer) just to make it to the semifinals. Anything is possible in sports; that's why we love it so much!

So I'm watching the Sharapova match. Her dress isn't solid in the back; It has a slit in the middle and is connected by horizontal straps, like a prom dress. And the collar is sparkly. And her shoes are silver. If you look at my profile picture, Sharapova has a ribbon on her athletic dress just like mine. I know this is the US Open and the players, especially the ladies, enjoy the wardrobe freedom, but it's odd to see an athlete in an athletic prom dress. The commentators remarked that it was a classy choice. And it is. It's just odd. The Williams sisters really started this fashion trend. I know you are all super interested.

It's not obvious that I've been watching tennis at every opportunity is it? It's not like it's all I can talk about.

To prove I'm well rounded, I've been watching Veronica Mars S2 on DVD. And socially watched the House season premier. I may be sitting in front of the TV all night, but I'm running in the morning.

Dental Torture

So, I've met a boy. He came out of nowhere, and is as close to perfect as I've found lately. Granted I've only seen him twice, but this is what I know:

• he's a dentist
• he's a Christian
• he's hot
• he's very nice and friendly
• he's funny
  
• he's my age
  
• he likes to travel
• he isn't a crazy I-Adore-Bush-and-Everything-That-Comes-Out-of-His-Mouth Republican (harder to find than you might think in conservative West Texas)
• he likes tennis and played in HS and college
  
• oh, yeah, he's married

See what I mean about almost perfect. Does God enjoy torturing me? :-) I've had conversations with some of you about my relationship patterns, and maybe this guy is so perfect for me only because I can't date him. Sigh.

Well, Mr. Hot Dentist filled one of my cavities yesterday (did I mention Mr. Hot Dentist is my dentist?). Only three more fillings and one extraction to go.

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I don't know if Fall has officially arrived, but it sure feels like it. The great thing about rain in West Texas is that it almost always brings with it cooler temperatures. And they stick around a few days. When I walked out my door this morning, I wanted to go back inside and put on a jacket. Fall is my favorite season. The weather is fantastic, but it's a great season for many reasons. I love the clothes. I love football season. I love watching new episodes of my favorite TV shows. I love watching high-quality, Oscar-bound movies. I love overeating at the State Fair of Texas. I love it all! Bring on Fall!

Au revoir Agassi

Two tennis posts in a row, I know. :-)

Well, Andre Agassi finally lost. For a while there in the fourth set it looked he might make another miraculous run. His immobility finally caught up with him. The eight-minute standing ovation the crowd gave Agassi after the match was very moving.

If you are interested, SI Magazine published a great feature about Andre Agassi. I always rooted for Sampras over Agassi, so cheering for him has never come naturally. But after watching him at the US Open and being reminded about how he get there from the SI story, I have renewed respect for the guy. He gives a lot back to the community as well. Read all about him online.

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I had a good Labor Day weekend. I went to WestFest on Sunday. WestFest is a Czech festival in West, Texas. The city of West is home to a large Czech population. The Czech Stop gas station is also a Czech bakery, and they make yummy kolaches. So in August I went to the Czech Republic, and in September I reminisced at an authentic Czech festival in Texas. And Nadal beat at Czech player today. Everything's coming up Czech.

I played a little doubles tennis over the weekend as well. We lost to old men, but it was still fun to be out there hitting for two hours. I need to find tennis buddies here.

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend!