An epic adventure detailing my life, my racing and my training. This contains insanely long race reports, random thoughs and some irritating rants.
Picture of the Day
October 15, 2009
October 14, 2009
China People
A person whose life I read constantly wrote this. I had to laugh out loud as I was reading it and I miss my family something fierce right now. I'm not a china person really, but I will inherit some. I will even have the silver at some point. But know what? I hope I'm not the person that leaves it locked behind the glass doors.
We use the china at Thanksgiving and probably once a trip home. The china comes out, and most of it usually survives. If it's lucky, it doesn't even get put in the dishwasher - for which Mom might kill us. I'm sure it's happened before though. We are not the china people that leave it locked up.
Life is meant to have pretty things, useful things, that can be lived. Wear the pearls, use the china, polish the silver (on occasion) and don't live your life just looking at the things you accumulate. Own your life, get it dirty, experience the fun stuff.
Besides, if you've never had to go to the Mikasa outlet or searched the internet searching for the pattern for replacement pieces that may have gotten dropped during a Thanksgiving dinner that involved wine, beer, family (though maybe not too much of the genetic kind) and a bit of rowdiness....do you really think you're having as much fun as possible?
I know where the dessert spoon is, but that doesn't mean it's big enough. Life is meant to be too big for the niceties, too happy for the white carpet to survive in the formal living room and too frivolous to be contained only in the things we can observe.
Live it. Own it. Use it. Otherwise, what FUN is it??
We use the china at Thanksgiving and probably once a trip home. The china comes out, and most of it usually survives. If it's lucky, it doesn't even get put in the dishwasher - for which Mom might kill us. I'm sure it's happened before though. We are not the china people that leave it locked up.
Life is meant to have pretty things, useful things, that can be lived. Wear the pearls, use the china, polish the silver (on occasion) and don't live your life just looking at the things you accumulate. Own your life, get it dirty, experience the fun stuff.
Besides, if you've never had to go to the Mikasa outlet or searched the internet searching for the pattern for replacement pieces that may have gotten dropped during a Thanksgiving dinner that involved wine, beer, family (though maybe not too much of the genetic kind) and a bit of rowdiness....do you really think you're having as much fun as possible?
I know where the dessert spoon is, but that doesn't mean it's big enough. Life is meant to be too big for the niceties, too happy for the white carpet to survive in the formal living room and too frivolous to be contained only in the things we can observe.
Live it. Own it. Use it. Otherwise, what FUN is it??
October 8, 2009
Struggling with a lot of crap. That about sums up most of it.
Had a blow-up last night and said some tough stuff to aforementioned elusive beast. It's tough to say the things that are uncomfortable, but should probably be said. Even if I was spitting mad (for reasons that aren't entirely in his control) it doesn't mean that there are certain crossroads and things that we need to deal with. I am a bit antsy about our relationship. I don't want to "just date" forever...but I sure as hell don't want to rush to get married, either. I just want to know that I matter. I want to be needed and loved, I may even need those things. I hate to be that person and I hate to say it - it goes against most of my stubborn and blatant independence (however well I may be actually faking that at least half the time) to say I need to be needed. I feel like I should want/need to make my own way, the rest of you be damned. If someone wants to join the journey, then that's great, as long as it's a compromise on terms.
Maybe not true. (still sorting out some of this as I go) I need to know I matter. I want to be priority sometimes. I want to be more important than other things sometimes. I have no problem with "guy time" (because I'm sure as crap going to take my own time on occasion, and expect no gritching) and I don't want to be smothered. It's a fine line. One I'm afraid I'm struggling with at the moment.
I get pushed away and I grasp and get angry. Even if I started the pushing first.
I said crap I don't know that I mean - like, I can walk away. I mean, I know I CAN live w/o you, but do I really WANT to? (I think the answer is no.)
I'm sick of hurting. Well yeah, but it shouldn't always be a cake-walk, and I'm self-inflicting some of this pain. I'm not to assume you aren't hurting.
Schedules are schedules....I don't expect to be numero uno (that would be boring, and unrealistic) but I would like some time. Demanding jobs and weird parents and car crashes and planned trips (that I forgot about) shouldn't cause me to go off the deep end.
I just don't know if I'm ready to give up. I don't want to start over again. He does make me happy. I laugh with him, I feel good with him, I feel smart and I get my intelligence challenged, too (at least sometimes). I'm comfortable and have a lot of time invested here. I guess we're at a crossroads and I'm sick of pushing and making both of us miserable. It's not who I want to be - and I realize I'm transferring some of the external stressors into this situation too - we both deserve to be happy.
I'm a wreck today, I know that much. I'm not sure that I want what could happen. But I'm not sure I'm in a position to say anything else - I'm not going to convince anyone, I'm not going to make anyone love me, I'm not going to beg. I'm kind of at a loss here, and showing weakness isn't really a strong suit. I just am a bit lost maybe, all the way around. I just want us to be happy. I'm happy when we spend time together.
Update: Some things are written on walls. Best to get off the horse when it dies. Love may be one thing. Happiness may be yet another. Putting the two together, right now, isn't working for either of us. It is what it is and we are who we are. No one can predict the future and who knows what circles of life bring. Because we haven't actually had the conversation doesn't make it any less a reality. Maybe it's because we haven't had the conversation that it makes it that much more a reality. Either way it's sad and it hurts. But that's good to know that things matter, people matter. It shouldn't all be fun and games. Again, maybe some day...but not today. It's because I love that I have to let go. If we were perfect we'd be boring. If life is meant to be lived, it is worth living happily. Maybe happily ever after has an "us" with him, maybe it doesn't. If I knew, I'd be making far more money than I am now. Here's to who we've been and what we may yet be.
Had a blow-up last night and said some tough stuff to aforementioned elusive beast. It's tough to say the things that are uncomfortable, but should probably be said. Even if I was spitting mad (for reasons that aren't entirely in his control) it doesn't mean that there are certain crossroads and things that we need to deal with. I am a bit antsy about our relationship. I don't want to "just date" forever...but I sure as hell don't want to rush to get married, either. I just want to know that I matter. I want to be needed and loved, I may even need those things. I hate to be that person and I hate to say it - it goes against most of my stubborn and blatant independence (however well I may be actually faking that at least half the time) to say I need to be needed. I feel like I should want/need to make my own way, the rest of you be damned. If someone wants to join the journey, then that's great, as long as it's a compromise on terms.
Maybe not true. (still sorting out some of this as I go) I need to know I matter. I want to be priority sometimes. I want to be more important than other things sometimes. I have no problem with "guy time" (because I'm sure as crap going to take my own time on occasion, and expect no gritching) and I don't want to be smothered. It's a fine line. One I'm afraid I'm struggling with at the moment.
I get pushed away and I grasp and get angry. Even if I started the pushing first.
I said crap I don't know that I mean - like, I can walk away. I mean, I know I CAN live w/o you, but do I really WANT to? (I think the answer is no.)
I'm sick of hurting. Well yeah, but it shouldn't always be a cake-walk, and I'm self-inflicting some of this pain. I'm not to assume you aren't hurting.
Schedules are schedules....I don't expect to be numero uno (that would be boring, and unrealistic) but I would like some time. Demanding jobs and weird parents and car crashes and planned trips (that I forgot about) shouldn't cause me to go off the deep end.
I just don't know if I'm ready to give up. I don't want to start over again. He does make me happy. I laugh with him, I feel good with him, I feel smart and I get my intelligence challenged, too (at least sometimes). I'm comfortable and have a lot of time invested here. I guess we're at a crossroads and I'm sick of pushing and making both of us miserable. It's not who I want to be - and I realize I'm transferring some of the external stressors into this situation too - we both deserve to be happy.
I'm a wreck today, I know that much. I'm not sure that I want what could happen. But I'm not sure I'm in a position to say anything else - I'm not going to convince anyone, I'm not going to make anyone love me, I'm not going to beg. I'm kind of at a loss here, and showing weakness isn't really a strong suit. I just am a bit lost maybe, all the way around. I just want us to be happy. I'm happy when we spend time together.
Update: Some things are written on walls. Best to get off the horse when it dies. Love may be one thing. Happiness may be yet another. Putting the two together, right now, isn't working for either of us. It is what it is and we are who we are. No one can predict the future and who knows what circles of life bring. Because we haven't actually had the conversation doesn't make it any less a reality. Maybe it's because we haven't had the conversation that it makes it that much more a reality. Either way it's sad and it hurts. But that's good to know that things matter, people matter. It shouldn't all be fun and games. Again, maybe some day...but not today. It's because I love that I have to let go. If we were perfect we'd be boring. If life is meant to be lived, it is worth living happily. Maybe happily ever after has an "us" with him, maybe it doesn't. If I knew, I'd be making far more money than I am now. Here's to who we've been and what we may yet be.
October 5, 2009
Universe, please clarify....
Here's a conundrum of mine....why do people allow themselves to "settle"? Why do some people allow themselves to be treated poorly? Why do some people not stand up for themselves?
Do they have low expectations of themselves?
Do they not think themselves worthy of the best?
Do they not think they "deserve" something or someone better?
There's a generation or two - the 2 or 3 just older than me - that believe the greatest reward is to be had by just putting your head down and plowing through. They believed that hard work was it's own reward and you could get far enough just by doing that. Then, you should be happy with what you've accomplished. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with shooting high, but you needed to be realistic and if you start from a good spot and just grind it out, then the result isn't bad. There wasn't a need to think outside the box and/or really lay it all on the line and shoot really high. You got where you were going by busting your ass.
From a work standpoint I get that. But at the same time, I'm capable of more and I know it. That makes me just dangerous enough to myself that I think I'm selling myself short if I don't "go big or go home". I have a good job, I can work hard and advance and just keep plowing through. But if I'm not doing what I think I'm meant to do then it's not good enough and at the end of the merry-go-round, I'm afraid I'll be sitting there asking myself what the hell I was waiting for or what I was afraid of.
From a relationship standpoint, why even bother with the drama? I understand that it shouldn't be ALL simple fun and games. But someone should never be afraid of someone, you should never have to think about what they'll do to you - FOR ANY REASON (unless it's in a good way). There's got to be some intrinsic flaw within ourselves that makes us think we deserve being treated like hell. I don't really have that flaw...I mean, sure, my relationship isn't perfect. I could be treated like a Princess and have the world handed to me, but I don't want that. I like it not being perfect. I like having to work for it a little bit - on both sides. My Prince Charming has dirty fingernails, and maybe a few guns, and yeah maybe he's lacking on the charm sometimes. At least my current Prince Charming does/is...but I will NEVER be afraid for my safety with him (or because of him).
Someone should never embarrass you. Someone should never make you feel uncomfortable. No one should ever make you feel unworthy. No one should ever have to wonder if they're good enough. No one should ever have to settle for anything.
My somewhat random thoughts for today...and no, I still haven't started working out again.
Do they have low expectations of themselves?
Do they not think themselves worthy of the best?
Do they not think they "deserve" something or someone better?
There's a generation or two - the 2 or 3 just older than me - that believe the greatest reward is to be had by just putting your head down and plowing through. They believed that hard work was it's own reward and you could get far enough just by doing that. Then, you should be happy with what you've accomplished. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with shooting high, but you needed to be realistic and if you start from a good spot and just grind it out, then the result isn't bad. There wasn't a need to think outside the box and/or really lay it all on the line and shoot really high. You got where you were going by busting your ass.
From a work standpoint I get that. But at the same time, I'm capable of more and I know it. That makes me just dangerous enough to myself that I think I'm selling myself short if I don't "go big or go home". I have a good job, I can work hard and advance and just keep plowing through. But if I'm not doing what I think I'm meant to do then it's not good enough and at the end of the merry-go-round, I'm afraid I'll be sitting there asking myself what the hell I was waiting for or what I was afraid of.
From a relationship standpoint, why even bother with the drama? I understand that it shouldn't be ALL simple fun and games. But someone should never be afraid of someone, you should never have to think about what they'll do to you - FOR ANY REASON (unless it's in a good way). There's got to be some intrinsic flaw within ourselves that makes us think we deserve being treated like hell. I don't really have that flaw...I mean, sure, my relationship isn't perfect. I could be treated like a Princess and have the world handed to me, but I don't want that. I like it not being perfect. I like having to work for it a little bit - on both sides. My Prince Charming has dirty fingernails, and maybe a few guns, and yeah maybe he's lacking on the charm sometimes. At least my current Prince Charming does/is...but I will NEVER be afraid for my safety with him (or because of him).
Someone should never embarrass you. Someone should never make you feel uncomfortable. No one should ever make you feel unworthy. No one should ever have to wonder if they're good enough. No one should ever have to settle for anything.
My somewhat random thoughts for today...and no, I still haven't started working out again.