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By kilax, September 7, 2012 7:23 am

How many email addresses do you have, and what is the purpose of each?

I read an article this week that said you should have four email addresses – personal, work, spam and security. I definitely have the first three, plus an extra one for the blog. I don’t have a “security” email though. The article recommended that that one be for storing secure personal information and information about the other email accounts. Hmm.  I’m fairly certain I don’t need another account right now. Email is already such a high anxiety point for me (what isn’t?!). I stress about unread/un-responded-to emails. So much that I turned off the unread email count on my phone:

That’s Steven’s phone on the right. If I had that unread email count staring at me all day I would go bonkers. Does anyone else fret about their unread/un-responded-to emails?

Comments (26)

By kilax, September 6, 2012 5:03 am

• New discovery – I don’t have to be riding my bike to fall! Bobbi and I ran a few miles in the dark after our strength class last night. I was pointing out a messed up part of the sidewalk to Bobbi, telling her to watch out… when I totally tripped and landed on the same side I fell on Tuesday night. This was more amusing though, because Bobbi was with me, and had to jump over me (sorry, Bobbi) and when I got up I had apples stuck in my hair. Fun times.

• Speaking of Tuesday night’s bike crash, my neck was super sore on Wednesday. I couldn’t turn it fully, and I could not do crunches in strength class. Boo hoo… I was really sad to miss out on those crunches… <;-- sarcasm.
• Here’s a First World Problem if I ever saw one. The wonderful proximity key that allows me to unlock my car and turn it on without ever touching my key has a dead battery. So I had to take the key out to unlock my car, then put the key in to the ignition to drive it. Geez, before I know it, I will be using a hand crank to start a car. WHAT IS THE WORD COMING TO?!?!?!!?!!??!?

• I’m running the Chicago Half Marathon this Sunday! I am forcing Emily to run it with me, so there are chances she may never want to talk to me again. Because I have not seen her in a long time and we need to catch up by talking through the entire race. So maybe it will be the other racers who are annoyed, not Emily. Hmm. Anyway, this race is 6 days before my 50K so I plan to take it easy! I would like to finish in under 2:30.

• Geez, that 50K is awfully soon! The 10-day forecast will be up today! I suppose it’s time to really look at the race course and think about this thing. I had been trying out trail Mizunos in anticipation of wearing them on race day, but they don’t have the cushioning I have become accustomed to with my Asics. So I was going to wear my street Asics. Then I was reading the October Runner’s World Monday night in bed, and there was an article comparing the new trail Asics Gel-Scouts to the street Asics I wear. Sigh. Lesson learned. DO NOT put the Amazon app on your phone. Just DON’T do it, folks! These showed up at my house yesterday:

• I am SO happy this is only a four-day work week!!!
• Isn’t it too early in the season for me to be receiving a ridiculous amount of catalogs in the mail?! Note – these all came within a two-day span.

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, XVI, XV, XIV, XIII, XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.

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By kilax, September 5, 2012 6:47 am

I am not very good at staying on trend with television shows, books and sometimes even movies. So when everyone is talking about the newest, most trendy item, I consult my friend, Wikipedia. Then I sort of get a gist of what it’s all about. But then I also know the ending to everything! I saw The Hunger Games movie, knew I wouldn’t read the books, so I read the rest of the plotline on Wikipedia that night. I couldn’t even bear to read the plotline behind Fifty Shades of Grey, so I had my sister give me her opinion and tell me what happens in the end.

So I usually do not mind knowing the ending of some things, even if I plan to someday see the movie, read the book, etc.

However.

We started watching a television show (Downton Abbey*) and made it through the entire first season instant streaming on Netflix. Season 2 is not available on instant streaming on Netflix. And something about this show makes me feel like I HAVE TO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW.

Data likes watching if we have popcorn

Yet I don’t want to read the plotline on line and find out what happens! I actually want to watch it!

This is new for me. I usually do not mind if certain things are spoiled**, but I really enjoy this show and want to see the plotline acted out. I don’t want to know what is going to happen before I watch it.

So bizarre. I didn’t even care if I knew who would win certain Olympic events this summer beforehand. I would still watch it. I’m so tempted to find out what happens, but I will wait…

Do you ever read (or listen) to the Cliff Notes version of something? Do you mind knowing the ending in advance?

*And this is probably old news, see how far off trend I am?
**Again, just some things. I would not want someone to spoil a movie for me that I really want to see.

Comments (19)

By kilax, September 4, 2012 6:30 pm

Funny story. 

Maybe.

I was having a hard time deciding where to ride my bike today. “Ooo!” I thought, “I will ride my bike to the post office and see if I catch Steven there.”

On the way to the post office I was thinking, “Ooo, I will ride my bike to the post office, then Steven can give me a ride home in the car. Muah ha ha.”

Only he drove the Datsun. 

Dammit. 

We chatted for a bit, then we both went our separate ways. 

Well… I was taking a hard turn on to the bike path when my tires got caught in some ruts in the trail – 

Can you guess what happened next?

I went flying off my bike, landed on my left side, then crashed the back of my head in the to grass.* Ha ha. That did not help my beginning-of-the-work-week headache.

I laid there for a minute, deciding whether or not I wanted to keep biking, then called Steven. He asked if he should go home and get my car. Nah, “We’ll figure it out!” I said, “And if not, I’ll suck it up and ride home.”

We figured it out. 

And then I had my first ride in the Datsun! With a bike tire between me and Steven!

Kind of funny that I have NEVER ridden in either Datsun, despite having them in our garage forEVER. It was fun. I look forward to a ride without a bike crammed in there. 

I had to fix my chain when I got home (grease from the chain – I had my gloves on when I fell!)

but my bike is fine. My left leg and arm are scratched up, but nothing bad. 

I’m sure I will be back on my bike later this week setting myself up for more falls. Steven did say on the way home there is no way he is buying me a road bike.** Sniff sniff.

Do you think I need to replace my helmet since I landed on it in the grass and it did not crack?

Bobbi, don’t let this scare you from biking. You are not reckless and stupid like me. 

*Since I have le Garmin, I know I was going about 14 mph when I crashed. Too fast to take a turn? YES.
**Obvs, I will buy me one. 

Comments (22)

By kilax, September 4, 2012 6:46 am

One of the reasons I am really looking forward to cooler weather is because it’s been mostly sunny all summer, and that made me feel like I should be outside, being active, all the time. I feel guilty if I stay indoors (“being lazy”). However, I do not feel guilty if I stay indoors on a cool, overcast, gloomy day,* so bring more of those my way. 

What a twisted thought.

Does anyone else feel guilty when they do not maximize time outdoors when it’s sunny out?

Anyway, Labor Day was one of those sunny days. Sigh. WHERE ARE MY COOL TEMPERATURES?!

I ran in the early morning, spent some time around the house midday, then felt that need TO GET OUTSIDE again in the afternoon. 

Pair this need with this book my father-in-law gave me for my birthday, and you have one dangerous combination:

I now have this book**, which contains listings of 113 trails spread throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. I feel like I must visit all of these trails. I MUST! Gah – for some reason, when I see a trail, I just need to explore it. So this book is feeding a bad habit. 

Right now I am obsessing about the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in WI. You get to ride your bike through three carved rock tunnels on this 32-mile trail. Doesn’t that sound AWESOME?! The tunnels are so dark you need lights to see where the eff you are going. Thrilling!

I digress.

That trail is a little far from home – 180 miles – so unless anyone wants to make the journey with me anytime soon***, I’ll be sticking to the trails close to home. Which lead me to the Prairie Trail and Hebron Trail, both in McHenry County. 

I actually live on the edge of Lake and McHenry Counties, so it’s a bit of a shame I have not explored these trails before, especially since they are less than half an hour from my home. 

I got on the Prairie Trail in McHenry and rode it all the way to Wisconsin. It was paved for a few miles at first (yay!) then went to very compact crushed rock. I loved the open prairie portions, but adored the canopies of trees and interesting overpasses:

The trail reminded me a lot of the trail close to my parent’s home that I would sometimes ride on growing up. Another shame – that I did not realize how many trails were in my hometown until I moved****. But I digress again.

I could tell when we got close to Wisconsin because the trail terrain changed. 

I turned around and headed back to the Hebron trail (also crushed rock), which connects close to the state border. I didn’t ride the entire 7-mile trail – I was already 12 miles out from the car and didn’t want Steven to wonder why I was gone for so long. 

So I got a tiny little glimpse and headed back. 

I marked the two trails in my book, because I am a dork like that…

And I plan to mark up these pages A LOT in future!

Alright guys, it’s time to get real. There have been an ALARMING amount of biking focused posts on this blog this summer. First and foremost, I am a runner! Don’t let me forget that! I am counting on YOU to help me out!!!

*Although those tend to be the best days to run…
**Which I believe Matt recommended to me?
***Meet me there, Dad? 
****Really, years later.  

Comments (19)

By kilax, September 3, 2012 11:42 am

I ran with a few people from the running club this morning, and during our run, we ran in to even more people we know. 

This happens to me quite frequently out here! I run in to friends on the trails, in stores, passing by in our cars…

It’s cheesy, but it really makes me feel like part of a community. Okay, a running community. 

When I moved out here*, I didn’t know anyone who lived in Chicagoland except for Steven. My family is around 250 miles away and I didn’t have any close (in proximity) friends. I figured I would meet friends by sitting on my couch with the doors closed through my neighbors. We had one success, and those neighbors moved away (and believe me, the rest of our neighbors are DUDS**). I met awesome friends through blogging, but it wasn’t a group close by that gave me that feeling of belonging to a community. 

So I joined the running club in December 2010. I didn’t expect for it to make me feel more like this is “my town,” but it does. It does make me feel like I belong. Besides the awesomeness of randomly running in to people you know, I have learned about our community through my running club friends. They’ve pointed out things to me I didn’t know existed. They’ve shared their favorite trails. They’ve given me recommendations that I’ve used. 

It’s so funny for me to think back to when I first moved out here in 2007, and lived in a commute/work/commute/sleep bubble.*** I had no idea what was going on in the community. Even when I started to add running in to my little bubble, I still didn’t know about the plethora of trails out here, or all the events going on.****

So… it’s a good feeling. 

Do you feel like you are a part of a community where you live?

*Steven moved out here in 2003 and I showed up in 2007. It shall be noted that Data moved in in 2005, therefore, he has lived in this house longer than me… 
**Dud is the nicest word I can use to describe them.
***And don’t forget eating.
****Running and non-running.   

Comments (32)

By kilax, September 1, 2012 11:55 am

Thanks for the awesome card, Gina!

Today’s our five year anniversary. Such a trite thing to say, but I cannot believe how fast time flies*.

We’ve had a wonderful five years, full of many adventures, and I am excited to see where the next years take us!

What do you do to celebrate anniversaries?

*Except when you really want the workday to be over.