Run OrangeCat run!

This morning I got up at the crack of dawn (7:30am) in 10 degree weather (heavy fog and cold) to attempt to run a marathon (3 miles) at Lake Merritt with Sarah. I was nervous bc my old goal was to run the lake but I haven't been able to. Depending on how you measure/run it, it's either 3 miles or 3.5 miles. We did the shorter one today.

I knew I couldn't do the whole thing but I did as much as I could. I really tried to push myself. Sarah thinks I did about 2 or a little over 2 miles, which yey. Wow, that was far. My lungs kinda hurt. Most of the time my pace was like a 12 minute mile or slower but it was running so it counts. In the end of what I could do, I sprinted to the pillars. Something leftover from soccer and field hockey days - to sprint the last section.

We ended up talking about whether we like running or sports or gyms, and whether we played team sports when we were younger. I really have a hard time running non-gym for any length. I get so bored even with an iPod (not with me today) especially when it's around the lake which I've memorized to the pebble. I wonder if I could ever make it around out of sheer boredom. Plus I have to concentrate on my breathing bc otherwise my mind wanders and my breathing gets all out of sync and I am able to run even less. So yeah, concentrating on breathing = hecka boring. Maybe I need to record me or someone saying inspirational sayings like "you can do it, you're almost there" and insert them in between songs on my iPod. Or if I was running with someone that talked the whole time and I could be pleasantly distracted by their stories.

Maybe to run a 5K this year? If it was somewhere new and not the Lake, I might be able to do it. But first, to conquer the darned Lake!!

Dellums improving?

In his State of the City address last night, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums seemed to want to start addressing the crime problem in Oakland. He said he would increase cops from 730 to 803. Yey... right? But reading more, it looks like Oakland voters approved a measure FOUR years ago to increase the police force to 803. It's only happening now? Why the wait? Is Dellums against more police for some reason? Seriously, I'm asking. The article implies that he thinks it's too hard to hire police in this city. Well, maybe increasing their work hours to 12 doesn't help.

And at 803, we're only 2/3 of the national standard. Great. And it's not at all like we're in a city with a high crime rate... oh, wait, yes we are. Hmmm.

I'm really not liking this guy.

Alcatraz at night

Anyone want to go see Alcatraz at night? It looks like $41.50 online price for adults. I've heard their night tour is fun and shows you different things than the day tour.

Bullet

This happened only a few blocks from where I used to live in North Oakland, in the "safe" part of Oakland on Piedmont Avenue where yuppies shop and dine and the ice cream shop Fenton's stands and the indie movie theater is. The attempted robbery did happen on the corner of MacArthur and Piedmont, in an area not as yuppie-fied.

I'm really sorry to hear about the boy shot while he was at piano pratice :(

A cautionary money tale

"A Cautionary Money Tale" from SF Chronicle

I especially connect with this quote from the article:

I had always thought people who squirreled away money were greedy. But after my encounter with Sandra, I figured out that saving money is nothing to be ashamed of — in fact, it's a matter of survival. I also carry a roll of dental floss with me at all times.

Living dangerously

You’re heard it said that the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. I am sure that this promise was well intended, but it is neither true nor innocuous. When we believe that God’s purpose, intention, or promise is that we will be safe from harm, we are utterly disconnected from the movement and power of God. If those who prepare for leadership are looking for the safe place, who will lead the church into the dangerous places? ... The truth of the matter is that the center of God’s will is not a safe place but the most dangerous place in the world! God fears nothing and no one! God moves with intentionality and power. To live outside of God’s will puts us in danger; to live inside His will makes us dangerous.

Erwin Macmanus
An Unstoppable Force

Today feels like Wednesday

I keep thinking today is Wednesday. It doesn't feel like a Thursday. And earlier this wk, I really felt like Tuesday was a Wednesday. Maybe it's a repeat Wed week for me.

It got me thinking - what does each day "feel" like? Monday and Tuesday feel light while Thursday and Friday seem heavy, packed. Even if M and Tu are busy, they don't feel as weighted down as Th and F feel when they're busy. And Wednesday just feels like the middle, headed toward heavy.

I also think numbers have "feels" to them, too. But then, you all know my weird obsession with numbers :)

How do you experience the days of the week?

A few first impressions of living in the 'hood

Today I drove past two guys walking their small dog. The dog's "leash" was a strip of yellow police CAUTION tape. The dog trotted along.

Yesterday I left someone's house after watching the awesome (bc San Diego won) Chargers/Titans playoff football game. I looked to my left and saw a crowd of people on the corner with a few police officers standing there, talking to them. Two police cruisers were double-parked. As I watched, the conversation became agitated and the police brisquely turned a young guy around and handcuffed him. A woman came up and held onto the boy's shoulders. I wasn't sure if she was giving him advice or pleading with police to uncuff him or asking him what happened. They took him into the police car. I got into my car and drove away.

A church friend driving in her car got totaled by a hit-and-run on Friday on International Blvd. She's kinda ok but going to a physical therapist to check everything out. The driver was caught by police but didn't have insurance.

There aren't many blue mail boxes - for a residential area.

There is a lot of trash around. And it feels like more dirt, too.

I like living so close to the gym. No freeway needed.

At night, I drive to friends' places that live only a block or two away.

I like my little cottage, like having my own space but connected to the house. I like being on my own but having community.

Updates!

First, a touching article about a personal story of someone whose mom survived breat cancer. Not the whole story but a snippet of daily life after surviving. My mom's sister passed away from breast cancer and my mom's best friend is a survivor so it's very personal for her, and for me.

I resigned from my recruiter job last week. It's been building up but still happened quicker than I expected. Tense the first day but also felt glad and relieved, a good move. For the first time in my life, I don't need to rush out and get another job finance-wise. I'm taking a short break though I'm talking to people about next positions and actually interviewing tomorrow for something that could be a good fit. Ideally I would start work in early to mid-February.

I'm still angry about the tiger incident that happened in SF. As more details come out about the empty vodka bottle in the car and the survivors making a pact in the ambulance to not talk, my anger remains.

I started my Development Director position (only 10 hours) at church and I'm enjoying it. A bit all over the place but after today, I feel like I'm helping make a difference. So I'm not unemployed just underemployed. Hee hee.

I started reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius which was a Nobel Prize Finalist for Literature. Good, a bit much with the cute/ironic/"awesome" talk but you know the author intended it to be that way. I like it though I find myself breezing past some of the paragraphs. Started it last night and I'm one third done.

Nora is being cat-crazy and running around my place, meowing frantically for no real reason. Mitch is half watching her and half running around after her. Cats!

Two of my fave things combined

Today I'm somehow on a Neil Patrick Harris kick. I watched the Doogie Howser pilot on Hulu (really good site - when I closed the site and reopened it later, it remembered where I was in watching the pilot and started automatically) and am now youtubing him. Here the cast of How I Met Your Mother is on a talk show and Neil (Patrick?) and Jason Segel sing/act out a Les Mis song. Awesome.

And I was musing this past week on my fave shows of all time. In order are:

1) The Wire (HBO)
2) Arrested Development (Fox)
3) Friday Night Lights (NBC)
4) How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

Other Honorable mentions are Gilmore Girls, the first three seasons of Alias (only), So You Think You Can Dance, Law and Order: SVU, Golden Girls, and Friends (because it's just such a classic).