Random Thoughts Thursday 59
By kilax, March 27, 2014 6:14 am
- Bummer – Gina didn’t get selected in the lottery for the New York City Marathon. I read that 134,000 people entered the lottery. Whoa. I wonder what the odds were, of getting in, then, since at least 50,000+ people run the race, and they have spots for qualifiers, charity runners, and runners in the NYRR 9+1 program. I also wonder what they do with the $11 entry fee to enter the lottery. That’s $1,474,000! It’s too bad the lottery is so hard to win – it’s such a fantastic race! I hope Gina tries again next year.
- Lately, I keep thinking how grateful I am for flexible start and end time at work. As long as we get our 9.5 hour days in, and work the core hours of the day, we have flexibility of when we start and stop work. I try to work 6:30-4:00 so I have more free time in the evening, but there have been a few times lately when I have started work as late as 8:00. However, I think doing this is kind of biting me in the butt. I feel so tired lately (poor sleep for the past few months) and getting up at different times every morning probably doesn’t help. A set schedule would probably be better. And not waking up a few times each night and having crazy nightmares (and crazy anxiety dreams).
- Good news! My car is paid off! Crazy to think I’ve had it for five years! Aww, here she is when we picked her out:
- Late last winter and spring, I wasn’t training for a marathon, but I often ran people’s marathon training long runs with them. I miss that. Just doing the long distance mileage and feeling great running it. I ran people’s long runs (marathon and half distance) with them this last Saturday, Sunday and Monday and really enjoyed it. Maybe I’ll get back to it this spring/early summer!
- Oh! Because while I am not signed up for a marathon, I do want to run as many miles as I can on June 21st when I participate in The Longest Day with Rachel and her team, to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s and dementia research and support. I’ve donated to Rachel’s team the last two years, and I am excited this is the first time I can participate! The cause is close to my heart – my paternal grandfather had a form of dementia, and I really believe that there is more to be discovered about it, to help the people who have it, and to help the people supporting them. Here is my donation page if you would like to make a contribution! Rachel will be doing a big raffle like last year, so expect to see links to that, in the future!
Themocracy
That’s too bad that Gina didn’t get in. 🙁 Luckily there are a lot of other marathons out there! Does she have a back up plan?
Congrats on paying off your car!!!! That is such a good feeling. I have a while ’till I get to feel that again. 🙂
You can run alllll my long runs with me. No complaints here.
I’m so happy you are a part of our team this year! It’s nice to have support from friends who are passionate about the cause too. I hope others can come to realize how important it is.
No back up plan right now, but she said she would like to do a big city race for her first marathon 🙂
Thanks! This is the first car I ever bought and paid off, so that is kind of neat.
I’m in for all the long runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am happy I am this year, too! I am really excited about the event! And I hope my loud mouth spreads the word a bit more!
My grandfather had dementia too – that is a great cause to run for.
We’ve had our car 15 years in May. We are hoping it holds out another couple years so all the boys can learn to drive before we get a new one.
What kind did he have?
Wow! That is fab! What is it? Are loans similar there for buying and paying off a car?
They did an autopsy to check for Alzheimers, which it was not, but other than that, I don’t think it was determined.
It’s a Toyota Picnic and we paid the full price for it when we bought it new, which is not unusual here. Our first car was a hand-me-down from my parents-in-law, our second was a small Toyota Starlet we bought new and paid in full, and this car was our third (we had to get a bigger car because our third child was on the way – otherwise I’d still be driving the Starlet – I loved that car). So we’ve never had a car loan!
PS: Bummer for Gina – I also had no idea they charged 11 bucks just to participate in the lottery! Kind of like college application fees – people here can’t believe it when I tell them kids in the US have to actually pay money to apply to colleges that they might not even get admitted to!
Wow! Interesting. I wonder if that’s common, not to be diagnosed.
I have never even heard of the Picnic! I had to google it. Aww, it’s cute! Do people get a loan to pay it in full?! So, will the next car be a Toyota, too? 🙂
Girl, you are a quick responder!
I don’t remember much about it – he died in 1998. All I remember anyone saying was that it wasn’t Alzheimers, which I guess was a big relief to my mom and her sisters.
I don’t know how loans work here, we paid a cash deposit and then by bank transfer in full to the dealership. The Picnic is cute and pretty fun to drive, ours is dark green.
I would love to stay with Toyota if only because I have built up a good relationship with our garage and feel really comfortable going in there. But Toyotas have gotten expensive, and my husband wants to look into something cheaper like Dacia. Especially when you consider the low mileage we do – we drive less than 10,000 km/year – it’s crazy for us to spend a ton of money for a vehicle that spends a lot of time sitting in the driveway.
Hee hee. 😉
Ahh, a big relief as they were worried they would get it too? I wonder if most dementias are hereditary, or not. I should research this.
I am learning so much today! I haven’t even heard of Dacia! They have some cute stuff, too! That is great you drive so little – since you can use public transportation?
The space to comment is getting narrower and narrower…
If you do any research on it keep me posted.
Most things are withing walking or biking distance, and for a lot of other things we can take the train. I don’t take the bus but my kids do sometimes. Probably a lot like it was in Rome?
I know! I need to see if I can find a different comment plug in so that doesn’t happen!
Yes, that is exactly how it was in Rome! 🙂 I could get anywhere w/o a car!
I LOVE the flexibility of my new job when I am working from home. It is a complete 180 from being tied to my computer during a set time period at my last job.
If you miss doing long runs with people, feel free to make a last minute trip to Maine this weekend to do a long run test for Boston with me. I never have company!
That is great! What are the new “rules”? 🙂
Oh gosh! I wish!!! I so want to visit Maine. Girl. JUST SIGN UP ALREADY! 😛
It seems like most people I follow didn’t get in to NYCM. I’ve never entered – what a pricy racecation that would be – so I had no idea they charged an $11 lottery fee. That’s cray-cray. I guess to support the system but still …
How exciting that your car is paid off! I have one more year on mine, and I cannot wait.
Yeah, it’s an expensive race! I am happy I had a free place to stay when I did it (we stayed for a whole week, ha ha) and that the flights were cheap. I don’t know how people afford it, otherwise!
Congrats on paying off your car! I remember when I paid off my old car – I leased it first, then bought it, so it took me like 8 years. I seriously thought that day would never come. I think our car is paid off this fall, it’ll be nice to have that extra money!
My grandpa had Parkinson’s with dementia and my grandma had Alzheimer’s (though I didn’t know that until a few years after she passed – I mean it was really obvious looking back, but I didn’t find out until my brother happened to mention it). Those diseases really suck because they take away the person you always knew and loved. So I think it’s awesome that you and Rachel are raising money for the cause! As it turns out I will be around then, so maybe I’ll come cheer you on 🙂
It’s too bad our schedules didn’t work out better for you to do a long run (other than 4 miles LOL) with me this time around! If I pick a fall half now, do I need to book your Saturdays for those? Is this enough notice?
Thanks! That is awesome you are close with your car!!! I am thinking the same thing – we need the extra $$$!
Yes! That is exactly why they suck 🙁 My grandpa was so different the last years of his life. I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but it made me grateful it happened when I was old enough to understand and had had that time to know who he REALLY was.
And I think it’s interesting you didn’t know until after your Grandma passed. I wonder how many that happens to!
That would be fun if you could come to Appleton! We could ride together 🙂
YES! We have to book. Ha ha ha ha ha. Sigh. Sorry I am such a turd.
Yeah, it’s heartbreaking to know what they were like before. I was only 15 when my grandpa passed away, 25 when my grandma died. It was so much harder with my grandma because she declined for several years, and being an adult I understood how devastating it all was, especially for my dad. I didn’t fully understand all of it when I was still just a teen – mortality doesn’t seem as real or as permanent then, you know?
Okay, what are you doing in August? 😉
Yes! It doesn’t, when you are a teen or younger! You just don’t get it. Man. I hope neither of us has that happen again… (that’s a big wish).
All we have in August is tentative SF trip plans! Which half are you thinking about?
YAY for paying off Kimbot! Extra money in your pocket to visit me! I mean save! YAY!
So excited and proud of you for taking on The Longest Run challenge! I know you and Rachel and the rest of the team will have a successful day!
That is what I was thinking, too 😉 But no, we are are saving it… for a… what is it called? LEAF.
Thank you!!! I am really excited about it! I love Rachel and her friends seem so fab and it really inspires me that they work so hard on this together!!! Check out our cool team shirts! Another blogger designed the logo! http://www.familyfanclub.net/page/other-groups/running-to-remember A portion of the shirts (20%!!!) go to the cause!!!
You’ll have to tell me about these crazy dreams on our run! I’ve had some pretty whacked out ones now and again too…
And congrats in getting the car paid off?! Does she have a name?!
Ha ha! I will! They’re pretty weird!!!
Thanks! It’s Kimbot! That is the name all of my cars have had. (Just keep transferring the plates)
I didn’t get in either…but I’m not sure if I should be disappointed, given the huge entry free that I can not afford right now.
Well done on paying off you car!
A flexible schedule is awesome – my hubby works from home and he’s good about the 8-4, but there is some flexibility there. I could never work from home – I’m totally unproductive.
Sorry to hear about the dreams! Those are tough (I get anxiety dreams when something big is on the horizon for work OR for races!).
Way to keep running, and for a good cause. That’s really great.
I bet if you had a job that required focused work like mine does and less interaction with people you would be productive! The home office is more conducive to productivity than being in the office 🙂
Yay for paying off the car! That is always a good feeling. I want to join the lottery for NYC but that race is so expense and the odds are so low. But if I want to do it I better get crackin cause it might take a few years. Sorry to hear about the crazy sleep thing. That can really affect how you feel. Hope you are sleeping sound soon!
It’s so worth the price! Start entering! LOL!
I’m so sorry that you have been having nightmares and anxiety dreams? Is it because you’re not getting enough sleep? 🙁
I think it actually has to do with a lot of silly work stress. 🙁 Getting more sleep doesn’t seem to help! I bet it’ll get better in a few months!
Yay for paying off your car! What a great feeling. We drive Nissans so I’m jealous of your Infinity. I want the Infinity SUV!
You are lucky to have a flexible work day–that’s awesome!! Bummer about the dreams though. 🙁
We love our Infiniti! Nissans seem to be good, all around. We have a Datsun, too.
No SUV for the birthday? LOL!
Flexible start and end times for work is nice. Especially when you like your job.
And congrats on paying off your car. I’ve still got a little less than 3 years to go for my 2012 Nissan Sentra.
Ha! And especially when you don’t 😉
We may have another payment this summer – Steven wants to lease a LEAF 😉
Sorry your friend didn’t get into the NYC Marathon! I didn’t realize how many people enter! I also had never sat down to calculate how much they made off the $11 entry fee. That’s a ton!! Congrats on paying off your car! That’s a great feeling! I don’t know how somehow very quickly you find somewhere else to spend that payment. I should redirect some to student loans or something.
I want to look into this longest day race you’re doing. It sounds like a neat race for a good cause! Sorry I’ve been so MIA lately! It was rough before spring break and then spring break was fun and busy in a good way! Working on catching up now!
We plan to save up the money we would have spent on the car for a down payment for a lease on an electric car 😉
Check out The Longest Day, for sure! All the teams do different events! Rachel’s team does the running all day, but other teams do any activity they enjoy and raise money 🙂
No worries on being MIA! 🙂
Ugh don’t even get me started on the NYC Marathon….I struck out for the second time! Hopefully the third time’s the charm! I was totally wondering about the $11 fee too!! Haha. I hope it goes to charity or something worthwhile.
Congratulations on paying off the car! That probably helps alleviate some of those extra financial obligations (less debt = less stress right?).
You could do 9+1 since you live there!!! 😀
Thanks! It does!