Ya canna change the laws of physics...

Yeah, okay, I can see that...

Your results:
 
You are Mr. Scott

Mr. Scott 80% Geordi LaForge 70% Uhura 60% Mr. Sulu 60% Will Riker 60% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 60% Jean-Luc Picard 55% Beverly Crusher 55% Deanna Troi 50% Spock 45% Data 44% Worf 35% Chekov 25% James T. Kirk (Captain) 20% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 15%

You are a fun-loving foreigner with an amazing ability to get any job done on time. Often described as a "Miracle Worker".

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character am I?" quiz...

Walls

Funny how right after I posted about having decent runs we hit the overtraining wall. Every day we ran we struggled to finish goals. Grumpiness abounded as we were sore and tired ALL the time. Doritos sounded a siren call that only got louder as we resisted it. We basically took some days off to rest and came back better for it. And yes, there were Doritos once. I even feel like making jewelry, which I haven't really done in a while because I was just too tired to care. I gave blood a few days ago so I'm not back up to speed yet, but rest is definitely something we tend to overlook. Everybody's all about push push push but they don't tell you that you must SLEEP and give yourself time off your feet to recover. The body and brain need it to keep everything working together. Now that we know what overtraining looks like, we'll keep an eye out for it. But for now.... back to work!

Miles to go before I sleep

A few months ago, I sent in our entry fees to the Space Coast half marathon. We wanted to set a goal we'd never dreamed of hitting before, and this one has the BEST finishing medal ever. So we run. Three to four days a week, we run. We joined a gym so we wouldn't have to spend another awful Florida summer running outside, and do some weight training in between. And that idea of difficult conditions making you stronger? That's some bullshit. We didn't improve so much when we ran in 85% humidity and 94 degrees. It just made us feel sick. Anyway. I don't enjoy running, even as much as we seem to do it. I've never experienced a runner's high or broken through a wall. I don't know if we'll ever do another half marathon after this one, although I'd consider doing this particular one again just for the space shuttle medal series over the next three years. The last couple of runs pushed our limits for distance and time spent actually running vs. walking, and weren't as bad as we expected. It wasn't easy, but it was done. This is also the first time I've run consistently for several months without tearing up my hips or knees. I doubt I'll ever LIKE running, but it may get to be more tolerable as we continue to push toward the Space Coast half on December 1.

Blur blur blur

I really should be better about writing if I'm going to keep this, right? I've got some excellent excuses as to why I haven't updated, though. No, really! Jon and I got married last month, and that in itself didn't take up more than a week, but preparation definitely kept us tied up since we set the date in January. We actually had a house picked out to rent for a week in Nags Head, North Carolina. Then Hurricane Sandy happened and destroyed it. Back to square one, and trying not to see that as an omen. Fortunately, we found another one pretty easily and we're not superstitious. Other than a couple of completely innocuous habits that I'm sure everyone has.

Then the planning started. I cast sand dollars in white bronze with the date on the back for the invitations and made jewelry to match the dress. Jon made a special set of hair sticks for me to wear. I even ordered cake samples from a local baker that were fabulous. Wait, wedding cakes cost how much? Totally understandable. It's specialized work. Also totally out of budget. In February, I started experimenting with cakes so I could make my own. I was baking every weekend up until the week we packed up the truck. I might go into that if anyone is interested in my Adventures in Baking and the Mysterious Oozing Black Fondant. The cake wasn't nearly as awesome as what it was sitting on, though. I'm not sure if there has ever been a two-foot model of the Millennium Falcon holding a wedding cake before, but Jon built one, complete with Han and Chewie in the cockpit. Male and female Commander Shepherds from Mass Effect were our cake-sitters, as they were a little too tall to be toppers. Oh, and those are chocolate Millennium Falcons down there, too.

Fortunately, we had a metric ton of willing helpers. We couldn't have pulled this thing off without my parents' help with the house rental. My mom also has the flower arranging skills of a master Ikebana practitioner, as we saw on the arch that Jon built. And how awesome is my maid of honor, Howard?

Jon's parents had the BBQ catered, and both our moms made the rest of the feast. It. Was. Fabulous. My friends, Jeff and Erin, worked as our photographers that day, and I can't begin to thank them enough. Photographers were another luxury we couldn't afford, although again, I totally understand why should get their rates.

If you were there, you have my love and gratitude always. I know it was a lot to ask for everybody to travel. If you couldn't make it, we wish you were there but understand. If you didn't get an invitation, it's not because we don't love you. We could only send out 20 because of our budget constraints. We wish you could have been there, too. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to spend with those we love, and finally make this match legal!

Everyone has a story

My coworker and I started talking about medical quacks because he wanted to share his discovery of green coffee pills as a magical tool for weight loss, as promoted by Dr. Oz. He seemed shocked that I thought he was just a well-educated guy with some celebrity power who's selling stuff to make money, not make you healthy. We ended up talking about diagnoses that people find themselves with, no matter what their social or financial status, however they were schooled or raised. Like Ann Romney. With all her resources for the best treatments and preventive care, she still has MS. He shook his head, "That poor woman." Really? I guess I came off harsh, but I really feel more for the single mother working two jobs raising a daughter who has MS than someone who has the best of everything money can buy. (And yes, I know the aforementioned single mother, whose husband left shortly after the diagnosis.) Maybe I sound bitter that someone can afford more than I can. It's not that at all. I would feel less derision to Mrs. Romney if instead of saying, "Yes, it's so hard to be me, living with this disease," and instead said something along the lines of, "Yes, I have this disease and it's hard, but there are others who need much more help than I do, and here's how we start." I want everyone to see beyond themselves. Everyone has issues, has bad days, has a story to tell and lessons to teach. When we recognize that, it won't be all about ME, but about US. I'm having my doubts these days if we can do that as a group at all.

Tap tap tap

Look at that. A year has passed since I've been here. Crazy. The best thing in my life is still Jon, but things are quite a better than they were this time last year. I'm still working, which is huge at a time like this. I'm cooking more, worrying less. Filing chapter 13 was likely the best move I made last year. Now if I can just get through national elections without too many uncomfortable discussions about a couple of candidates I don't like...

Flying by

Time continues to march and here's my lonely blog hanging out like that dog up the street that's happy to see you when you eventually come back by for a walk. Or something. Shut up, I just gave blood and am all lightheaded, even after a lovely packet of Milano cookies and apple juice. Milano cookies make fantastic s'mores, by the way. So do peanut butter cookies with a square of caramel filled chocolate under the marshmallow. I'm also pretty excited that after a year and five months of unemployment, I think I got a decent offer. It'll start out as a graphic design/production position, but they really want someone to come in and help them with marketing. Run the Twitter and Facebook and such. I think they called me back because I'm the only candidate who volunteered to do exactly that without them mentioning it. I have a couple more interviews to slog through and then I'll call to accept. Woohoo, work! I also need a nap and meat...