Summer Brain.

This morning I got up and ran 8.74 miles in the park. And as I sat on the couch with ice on my knees, my Stitch pillow pet, and other post-run comforts (more coffee, peanut butter, unsweetened applesauce, etc.), I realized that it has been a while since I blogged. I'll blame the summer- that saucy minx. She sweeps in with her nice weather and the time just flies by- tomorrow it will be July. Crazy.

A few people in the med school dorm next to my building are having a cookout on their balcony. Judging by their continuous presence out there with club music and beer funnels, I am torn between two conclusions. First- that they have passed their boards and are going for one last hurrah before they settle into the madness that accompanies the rest of their med-student career; and second- that they did NOT pass their boards and are preparing for some sort of fall back occupation as nightclub owners.

I think it's the former.



This past week has been unbearably hot. It has been so hot that I have not turned on the oven- even to make dinner. You'd be surprised how innovative I became with cold meals- raw veggie plate, gaspacho, and finally, "ah, screw it, let's get take-out." The weather report alleges rain for this next week. Let's hope that that means we will be able to get dressed in the morning without becoming drenched in sweat. We'll see.

It also occurred to me this week- I am running my second half marathon in about two weeks. I am running the Old Port Half Marathon on July 14th- I get another sweet medal, I get to see my sister, and from what I understand, there is beer at the finish line. Does it GET any better than that? And the commute is actually do-able for Ben this time- he'll be at the finish line also. And J and F. Life is good.

Life is real good.

My Summer Soundtrack

Certain songs remind me of different seasons. It could be that I associate them with part of the year when I listened to it an awful lot, or maybe because there's something about the way that they sound that gives me a particular vibe. For example, the song 'Name' by the Goo Goo Dolls always makes me feel like riding in the car, staring out the window. And it's always at sunset and it's always autumn. Anyway. After some thought I put together a list of songs that- to me- say summer. [I should add that there were originally 18 songs on this playlist, but it was unreasonably long, so I halved it...]


1) Jackson Browne- 'Somebody's Baby'

Baseball dugouts. Fast times. Enough said.

2) Aerosmith- 'Jaded'

There is just something about this song that makes me feel like running across a beach. Only not un a slow motion romance kind of way, more of a 'get me to that ocean I wanna splash and scream and have a picnic' kind of way.

3) The Script- 'Don't Break Even'

Picture it: a co worker and I at what was easily my least favorite job. It was summer and this song played about every five minutes. But don't worry, it's not an earworm- except that yeah, it totally is.

4) The Fray- 'Over My Head'

This song was on a mix cd that Libby made for Sammy in high school. I have distinct memories of riding with Sam to Giffords and getting Peppermint Stick ice cream cones. Which reminds me- I must add 'trip to Giffords' to my list of things to do in Maine this summer.

5) Shakira and Wyclef Jean- 'Hips Don't Lie'

School of Robinson Ballet. Hottest days of the whole summer. Being so overcome with the music and the movement that the humidity was only an afterthought. Shakira Shakira.

6) The Eagles- 'Desperado'

My father loves the Eagles. He's got a bunch of cassettes in his truck. I love riding around with my father. And in the summer, these rides usually involve a trip to the Dairy Queen. We have the same blizzard order. Like Father, Like Daughter.

7) Avenue Q- 'My Girlfriend Who Lives In Canada'

The first time I played this song for my sister, we were in the car on the way to the mall. We laughed until we cried.

8) Third Eye Blind- 'Semi- Charmed Life'

'I believe in the sand beneath my toes/ The beach gives a feeling, an earthy feeling/ I believe in a faith that grows/ And the four right chords can make me cry/ When I'm with you I feel like I could die and that would be all right.

ALL RIGHT!!'

9) Wheatus- 'Teenage Dirtbag'

Bangor High. Best Friends. Green Saturn. Green Jeep. Best Friends. Soul Mates. OOOoooOOOooo.

Juicy June

June is the time when the sun stays out for good, there is pollen everywhere, and the humidity starts to make every un-air conditioned place feel like a sauna. June is also the time when I get a surge of optimism about today- the rest of the summer- next year- MY LIFE. Yeah, it's happening today. I'm making plans and making changes and I couldn't be more excited about where I'm headed. YAY LIFE!!

Tomorrow will be my first day at a summer camp for preschoolers on the upper east side. My co workers are awesome, we set up our classroom on Friday, and we actually get some kids in with us tomorrow! I'm still adjusting to the idea that pretty much every school in Manhattan has a play area on the roof, but we will be up there playing for the next 11 weeks. I am very pleased. To make things even better, I was also just offered a job for the September-June school year. Amazing. Awesome. Kickin.

I am suddenly so excited about all of the trips I'll be taking this summer. Yeah, most of them are back home to Maine, but I will be running my second half marathon and wedding planning with my Mom, which, to me, are wonderful things to look forward to. And my weekends are free, so people are planning on coming to the city to visit me?! I couldn't be happier.

One of the more- erm-- bittersweet excitements I'm feeling now is the fact that I will have TIME to clean my apartment and make it look the way I want. The bitter, of course, is that I will actually have to clean, and probably for an extended period of time. But I'm ordering furniture and drawing plans on a yellow legal pad and Babs is running and hiding under the bed. She does not like change.

As much as I would love to sit here and gush more about how happy I am (entertaining as THAT may be), I must be off. It's time to get ready for my second to last Sunday brunch for a while. Bring on the Bloody Marys.

Does anybody else feel this way once summer has started? Some other time of year? What kinds of things are you feeling excited about? I guarantee that once you start thinking about it, you'll start to feel great. :)

Runner's High

Let's pretend that you and I are going to get together for coffee. ONly instead of chatting with present-day me, you'll be chatting with me from one year ago. So we'll have to meet in Philly. Hope that's okay. We'll go to Crossroads in Roxborough.

So, we're drinking our coffees and catching up and you ask me, "hey, how's the running going?"

"Ugh," I tell you as I roll my eyes. "I'm almost up to a mile now, but it's really hard. And it makes`my chest hurt."

My, how times have changed!

I'm not exactly sure when the change happened, but at some point between my willing myself to run a mile and my completion of a half marathon, I realized: I LIKE to run! I look FORWARD to running! And when the weather isn't great, I get pouty because I can't run. It's a very drastic change.

Some things, however, do not change. For example, the first 10-15 minutes (in my case, the first miel to mile and a half) are still pretty brutal. I have to keep reminding myself that while it WOULD be nice to turn around and go home and lay on the couch, it will be even better to press on and run further before I head home. And I'm right- afterwards, I DO feel really great. And as the distance I've run increases, so does the euphoria. I don't know what causes this sensation (asides from an obvious release of chemicals in my brain). Maybe it's the feeling of satisfaction about how far I've gone- maybe it's my brain's way of saying "Hallelujah, the torture is over!" I don't know. But I DO believe that the feeling has a name: Runner's High.

It's a bizarre feeling. I feel tired, but energetic. I feel fresh and awake and alive. And it's awesome.


Now let's pretend that we are getting together for coffee today. We'll go to Champignon- it's right down the street from my apartment. This time, when you ask me how the running is going, I'll gush to you about the half marathon I'm running in July, the challenges of staying hydrated, and my quest to find a good pair of compression socks.

My, how times have changed.

Minnie Mouse Meltdown

My Minnie Mouse watch is currently MIA. I have looked in all the usual spots, and suspect a certain black-and-grey thief who is attracted to shiny objects may have hidden in somewhere. You can rest assured that I will be ripping the house apart this afternoon until I find it. *sigh*

However, this missing watch made me realize how often my life reflects some kind of cartoony-funny moment- though I should note that it's usually at a time that whose humor is lost on me until later. HERE is what I looked like yesterday as I walked to work, on the phone with my Mum, sans watch. Just replace any gripes about John Stamos with gripes about the missing timepiece and BAM- exact match.

You're welcome. Happy Sunday!

Next Semester's Resolution...

VICTORY!! I've done it! My first grad school semester is OVER!! And I don't want to brag...except yeah, I totally do. Two out of the three grades are in...and they are both A+. I'm feeling exceptionally proud of me and my effort and my brain. But that's enough gloating.

I was expecting my main gripe for the semester to have something to do with procrastination- just waiting until the last minute to get the gigantic projects done. But I didn't do that- I actually planned them out ahead of time (amazing, I know), and had everything all set...but then...I would double check the rubric, and a frenzy would ensue.

I know that rubrics are supposed to be there to help you and make sure that you are on the right track. And for most people- most normal people- that is probably what it did. However, I would look at the expectation and the standard that substantiated an A, and suddenly freak out, worried that my paper/case study/curriculum/what have you didn't match those qualifications. I would drink tons of coffee and do a nearly complete overhaul- only to have the finished product be nearly identical to what I had in the first place.

This did not happen just once. It happened on four separate occasions.

SO, with that in mind, I am making a resolution for next semester. Instead of double checking my work by the rubric's standard at the last minute, I will only read through the expectations as I am working, and once I'm finished, there will be no freaking out and starting over. BAM. DECREED.




But that is for later. Right now I am going to focus on my NEW job, FINALLY cleaning my apartment, and reading FICTION! Which reminds me- does anybody have some good read recommendations?

Babs Blips- The Fur

Babs has a strange affinity for anything that is different- different color, different size, different texture- and will often position her self to lay down on said different item. This doesn't mean that this item is more comfortable than her previous spot, just that it is different. Different is very important.

Next week, once I am free from any graduate school obligations, I have made a promise to myself to get down to all the spring cleaning that needs to be done in APT 6D. Seeming to sense this, Babs has taken this time to start depositing as much white hair on as many non-white things as possible.




Here she is with a double whammy. NOT ONLY are my clothes a different texture than that of the chair they are resting on, but they are also a very dark color, where white hair will definitely be noticeable. Good Luck, future Mandy...