Wal-Mart Picks Up its Fair Trade™ Game in Time for the Holidays

(Swiped from Triple Pundit)


Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart, recently announced the launch of Neu Direction, a line of Fair-Trade Certified wines from Argentina. Fair Trade Certification™ is administered by TransFair USA and “guarantees consumers that strict economic, social, and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product.” This is one of the first certifications given to a wine cooperative, and the Neu Direction line will sell for about $10 in more than 450 Sam’s Club locations throughout the US.

This isn’t the first example of Wal-Mart featuring Fair Trade Certified™ products, but after the corporation came under substantial scrutiny for lobbying against carbon offset standards, this new launch seems in part like a strategic move to improve its image in time for a modestly-forecasted holiday spending season.

Champion of the… Little Guy?
Eduardo Bertona, president of Viña de la Solidaridad, one of the principle producers of Neu Direction, said: “I have been a small producer my whole life, but each year is more and more difficult to maintain the land and the quality of my grapes. To be a part of this project fills us with hope.” (Note: link directs to website in Spanish)

Neu Direction is produced by Viña de la Solidaridad in conjunction with the Furlotti Winery based out of Lujan de Cuyo, one of the most prestigious winemaking districts in Argentina. Viña de la Solidaridad is a non-profit organization that received Fair Trade Certification™ earlier this year, and is comprised of cooperative of 20 small landowners. The Furlotti Winery is a family run operation that has had a presence in the region for over 100 years.

The Soluna label, which is a wine produced by grapes from Viña de la Solidaridad, was awarded the Fairtrade Wine of the Year last month at the 2008 Fairtrade Wine Competition in the UK.

"The launch of Sam’s Club Neu Direction Fair Trade Certified wine shows tremendous leadership,” said Paul Rice, president and CEO of TransFair USA. “The company’s commitment to Fair Trade Certified wine will have a far-reaching positive impact on grape growers and vineyard workers and the communities in which they live and work throughout Argentina—it will send kids to school, bring clean water to communities, and enable struggling growers and workers to put food on the table."

The Bottom Line
For every two steps it takes forward, Wal-Mart regardless always finds a way to take one, highly visible step back. Therefore, as the corporation’s ambivalent stance towards sustainability continues, this most recent announcement re-sparks an interesting debate. Where upon the spectrum of eco-friendliness does Wal-Mart actually fall?

My thoughts? (In two seconds as I return to get, uh, some work done....)

Why not wine in a box/carton from California, or another wine-growing region in the US? Shipping glass bottles from Argentina means that while yes, these farmers are paid a fair wage, the earth is still punished by the carbon footprint of the product. Of course, one might say that CA farmers are already paid a fair wage...but yeah, not really. There are so many migrant workers in Wine Country, especially for harvest. :p

Would I try this wine? Yes, if I find myself in a Sam's Club next week when I'm in Illinois, I'll seek out New Direction. But I'd be even more excited if it were more local.

Buzzed Driving

I've seen these ads on a few bus shelters in SF and really appreciate the message. Drunk and buzzed are not really all that different when you're behind the wheel of a car.

Cab, bus, sober friend, sleepover party. Don't drive.

Bebeh Ani-pals

Awwwww. 36 pictures of pure cuteness. Enjoy.

Fashion faux pas at the gym

Spin class. It's an hour long. Hot in the room. Very sweaty. Lots of sitting and standing on these tricked-out stationary bikes.

And so, gym-goers (including short-shorts girl in yesterday's spin class):
Do not wear short shorts to spin class. Seriously. No one wants to see your butt cheeks hanging out of your shorts. Really. And especially not at the 24 Hour Fitness in the effing Castro.

Thank goodness I could not see the front of you in the mirror at yesterday's spin class, short-shorts girl. I hope you were wearing a pretty sturdy thong (definitely not briefs - as verified by the visible butt cheek skin) or at least did a good job of cleaning off the bike saddle before and after your, um, ride.


Serious rider guy in your full bike kit, I'm so sitting next to you next week. It'll be like we're in a race. Good times.

Grey Friday?

Black Friday 2007 was a "Buy Nothing Day" for me. No shopping as a means of quietly expressing my frustration with the overly consumeristic overtones of the holiday season. I had the same intentions for Black Friday 2008. Except that...

* I drove back from East Bay to San Francisco, resulting in paying $4 to cross the Bay Bridge
* I bought two albums on iTunes^

Yep. Purchased the right to be on the bridge and music. Even though really, I think the day is ridiculous. My mom, who works at a department store, had to be at work at 3AM. If nothing else, I should buy nothing on behalf of the retail employees who have to be at work at insane hours the day after Thanksgiving... and even more so for the WalMart worker who was killed during the stampede to get into a store in NY.

^Music purchased in preparation for "Not So Silent Night 2008" - Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand. So far, good stuff (even Death Cab, MW).

Tootle your horn

Swiped from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition listserv...

This is from an English-language instruction booklet given out by a car-rental agency in Japan:

"When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor."

I love this advice, and think it can have many applications. In fact, I think it could be easily applied to dealing with obnoxious drivers.

--K.

"Let's have a moment of silence for all those Americans who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride the stationary bicycle."

- Earl Blumenauer


Clearly, I need a horn. So I can tootle it. Or trumpet it. I wonder if that requires a bi-modal horn. Hmm...

List of 10 things

1 awesome new president
2 times i almost got hit today. stupid effing cars.
3 types of leafy greens in my CSA box last week - cabbage, kale and chard. some of the kale and chard were used as a side to a chicken dish that EA and i made on sunday night, the rest was made into a lovely soup.*
4 more nights that you can go see Tenaya Rocks: A Sexy Geological Cabaret. i'm hoping to go either friday or next weekend, depending on EA and GM's schedules
5 approximate miles i ride, roundtrip to get to/from work, assuming no other stops
6 pounds i need to lose (assuming i have not gained anymore since last time i stepped on that sonofabitch scale)
7 weeks left in 2008
8 a hateful proposition that passed in california. i am torn - i regret not volunteering to help the no on 8 campaign, but i also do not regret the time i spent volunteering for obama.
9 days i will be home for christmas - 12/20 - 12/28! (actually, i get in at like 12:30am on 12/20 and fly out 7am on 12/29)
10 number of toes that i am looking forward to getting pedicured and pampered once i lose three pounds

*lovely soup, made of stuff from my fridge & cupboard (ok, i bought the broth):
get a big soup pot
chop up 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a red onion
turn on burner, put pot on burner
coat the bottom with olive oil
put in garlic & onion, stir
while that's heating up, chop up a bunch of carrots
add to pot: 1 large can, 1 small can of diced tomatoes
add carrots
cut 3-4 hot red peppers in half (horizontally), chop off the tops, add to pot. you'll eventually take these out.
add some rosemary
add a carton of vegetable broth
cut tofurkey brand italian sausages into half-circle shapes and add them. i added all four, or an entire package.
add a can of sweet corn (just the corn kernels, but maybe you could add the corn juice too)
chop up the greens - 1.5 small heads of napa cabbage, .5 bunch of chard, .5 bunch of kale, throw in pot
cover, turn heat down a little.
stir occasionally.

take out the red peppers.
enjoy.

Election Day Results

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Srsly ppl.

Vote on Tuesday.

Obama.
No on 8 (for you Californians).

I'm going to be phone banking again tomorrow evening, either for 8 or Obama. If you want to come meet me, just give me a call. I went with HW and CP today and it was more fun than going alone.

Nike Women's Marathon: Race Report

Finally, two weeks later, I'll attempt to write up some semblance of a race report for you, my lovely readers.

Night before:
Dinner, around 6:30pm. Tri-colored rigatoni with tomato sauce and turkey meatballs. Generic green salad. Water. Pretty much the same thing I ate before both my 22 milers. I figured it was safe.

Also, confirmed that I had a ride to the race. Sweeeeeet! Thank you to DN and JK!

Morning of:
Peanut butter & jelly. Bathroom. Water. My wonderful race shirt and the promises of weather that is overcast and 60 degrees. I love San Francisco.

JK overslept and they're going to be late to get me. Uh-oh. Usually I spend a good amount of time waiting in line to use the port-a-potties multiple times. This wasn't going to happen today.

I'm waiting out in the street and I get C3PO, my Garmin all connected to the GPS satellites. I was very excited to be using my new toy for the race. C3PO is set up to give me: average pace, instantaneous pace, time and distance.

Get to the race start, drop off sweats, hit the bathroom one last time. Find my tri club friends - we all trained together with the 9:00 min/mile group and are going to start off together.

The race:
The gun goes off and we shuffle off to the starting line. Then weave our way through the crowds. My friends knew that I'd start off a wee bit on the fast side, but I did manage to keep it to a decent 8:30min/mile-ish pace. My friend AM started off a little earlier than me and she was the first one to cheer me on, once we got to the Embarcadero!

Eventually, the whole group was all together again and we stuck together for a while. Somewhere in the outer Richmond, I had cheerleaders BF and HW find me :) Apparently, my Obama shirt was a nice tip-off to them that I was nearby. My ears weren't burning, but I guess my shirt was getting a lot of comments from the crowd!

Around mile 10 I could feel my right hip freezing up. Then my left calf... and right quad and left quad. OUCH!!!!! The next 16 miles were pretty freaking painful. DN stuck with me and was just super chatty. I told him he could go ahead, but he said he needed someone to talk to. Thank goodness he didn't need conversation - because I would have only been able to let loose with a long line of expletives and whining about how much pain I was in. Seriously, my leg muscles were in knots (even two weeks + a massage later, I'm still not 100% recovered) and I had to do butt-kicks every so often to keep my knees from locking up. Good times. (This is where I promised to do yoga if I ever train for another marathon)

Hydration and food went well. I did Gatorade for the most part, but some water near the end. Two (3?) mini Luna Bars, three (one at the start) caffienated Clif Shots and a few Luna Moons.

Other cheerleaders included MW and MS - who commented on how happy I was at mile 18 - I shouted a big hello to them... and how not happy I was at mile 24 (I was in robot-speed-mode). BF caught up with me again towards the end, as did HW and EH. I was delighted to have so many friends come out - especially in the craptastic (for non-runners) weather!

While we were around mile 20 or so, DN and I had this other runner who would kind of latch on behind us, then walk through the rest stops, then find us again and stick with us. It was, to be honest, a little annoying. By the end, neither of us wanted him to beat us (because we were running the whole time!). It was good to have a partner who was like-minded in that one, especially when we took off after the last aid station at a <8:00 min mile pace and cruised on in to the finish together. Eventually, I found AM again at the finish chute and nearly lost it, I was so drained - physically, as well as mentally and emotionally. I was so happy to see her - I'm glad she survived my bone-crushing hug.

I finished in 3 hours and 48 minutes. (Oh - and 32nd in my age group, out of 830!) That's an average pace of 8:42 per mile. To compare, my pace for a 10k at the Wildflower Triathlon in May and my (flat) half marathon at the Kaiser half in February was 7:46min/mile. The fact that my marathon pace is a minute slower is kind of mind-blowing. I learned that I really need to respect the distance.

Would I do another one? Well, I'm only 8 minutes off from qualifying for Boston. Sounds doable, but that's another 20 seconds faster per mile. A possibility if it was a flatter course... and perhaps a challenge I'd like to take on. Again, only if I do yoga at the same time (my poor, poor legs). And get regular massages.

If you made it through my crappy writing all the way to the end, you can click here to see the route, elevation and pacing information from C3PO. (I forgot to stop my watch at the end, so disregard the 3:55 time, as well as the last bit of pace information)

The back of my marathon shirt

Marathon is two days away...

And I need to iron my name on my shirt!

Lots of runners put their name on their shirt so that they can get random spectators to cheer for them. Given that I picked up some nervousness along with my race number this evening, I'm looking for all the help I can get (Can someone please remind the weather gods that this is San Francisco? Where the eff is my fog?)!

The back of my shirt is purely open real estate. Some thoughts:

1. 30 year old marathon virgin
2. marathon virgin (if i can't get some letters to look like a 3 and a 0)
3. VOTE ON NOV 4
4. Vote for Obama
5. Vote for Barack Obama
6. Obama | Biden 08
7. Cheer for me please
8. Am I there yet?
9. Any other ideas?

Audrey tagged me...

And so I'm supposed to share 6 random things about me...

Hmm. So these are random, but not necessarily unknown things about me? Let's see if I can think of six things that you wouldn't have already gotten from my blog so far.

1. I have a mole/beauty mark in the shape of a heart on the right side of my face, near my eyebrow

2. I really want my mom to get a dog.

3. I did not play sports growing up. I was in dance until fifth grade, but I didn't do any sports until I was an alternate to the JV badminton team my junior year of high school. Given that I still wasn't ready for Varsity my senior year, I couldn't play my senior year. One of my good friends was the captain of the distance group for track and got me to join. Running's been part of my life since then.

4. I feel really uncomfortable in Asia. I don't like being so obviously - 1. a tourist and 2. different from everyone else. I'm also uncomfortable with this part about myself - I feel like it's really immature of me.

5. I have recently broken a multi-year addiction to perezhilton.com/

6. I'm volunteering for Barack Obama by doing phone banking, even though I hate getting calls from political candidates. You should go volunteer too!

Urban Dictionary: WOTD

October 13: imaginary bluetooth
An imaginary telephone device popular with riders of public transport, those having manic episodes, paranoid schizophrenics, and just common talk to yourself out loud types.

a. Whoa, dude on the escalator is yakking away to no one and there's no bluetooth in his ear.
b. Imaginary bluetooth in action. Probably on his way to the bus.

Office Space, Marathon update and C3P0

I started writing this post a while ago - my 22 mile run was on Sept 27, for example. But, still potentially interesting or funny...

Work humor. First day I ride my bike to work, I get reprimanded by the garage person.

"So, do you work here?"

"Yes (uh, I showed my badge to get IN to the garage)"

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to ask you (at this point, I'm pretty sure that I've entered an alternate universe called Office Space) to WALK your bike in the garage."

"Uh, okay."

"Thanks. And be safe."

(My work is really big on safety. Seriously, at bigger group meetings, there's usually some sort of safety update or reminder.)

Marathon training is going well, especially after I got two sports massages in two weeks. My problems lie either in my IT band OR in my vastus lateralis, which is the big muscle in your quad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadriceps_femoris_muscle. Either way, I've been working it out on my foam roller and plan to do another massage the week before the marathon (Oct 19!). I just did 22 miles on Saturday and it went really well. So I'm totally sold on massage therapy.

I've been chipping away at the "list of things to buy when I get a job." Wedding presents are all sent out… and I bought C3P0, my new Garmin Forerunner 405. When I'm better at using it, I'll show off some pictures of my routes and elevation, etc.

Financial crisis background... explained with cartoons

Confused by the whole sub-prime mortgage mess (you know, one of the factors responsible for the current financial crisis)?

Like stick figure drawings?

Like poorly drawn stick figure drawings that swear?

Are actually kind of a geek?

Click here for some entertainment.

Props to EW for posting this to my school's website.

As seen at Alamo Square

So it's hard to read because I took it with my cell phone... but this message was chalked at Alamo Square:

"Palin hates polar bears"

I heard a few tourists ask what was going on - they saw this message on a few other sidewalks in my hood. I explained that this lovely VP candidate tried to get the polar bear taken off the endangered species list. The tourists (Irish, I think) had the same horrified expression I had when I read an article about that one. Yeeeeah.

Work, running & Fido

Now for a three real updates.

1. I'm starting week two of work tomorrow. Week one was, well, lacking. As in lacking direction, a computer, a login, concrete planning... At least I managed to get access to the bike cage in the garage so I get to bike commute :)

2. Marathon training is in full-effing-swing. Six weeks until the big day (Oct 19. If you're in SF, come cheer me on!). I've been feeling great. Limited pain, keeping a solid pace, enjoying myself (though not enjoying the 8am start times on Saturday morning!). Until this weekend. My knee started hurting around mile 15. Ugh. Made for a long 22 miles. I'm stretching, icing and hitting the ibuprofen. Hoping to find a good sports massage therapist with an evening open this week! I'm pretty sure it's just my IT band acting up, which has bothered me in the past. It feels pretty much the same and is responding to the IT band stretches I've been doing. Still. Ugh. This was my big fear in training for the full marathon.

3. Fido died again last week. AGAIN due to the starter. Turns out it was a faulty part. Awesome. At least I made it to my first day of work. Orientation was all the way out in San Rafael, which required driving. It died just after I got off the expressway. Thank goodness for the ex-tow truck driver who pulled me off to the shoulder. On the bright side, I provided some business to Tom's Biodiesel Towing. Fido is now all better. The shop in Healdsburg provided the replacement part to a shop here in SF, so I only had to pay for labor twice. Not great, but that's how the warranty works on these things.

Daily Update

This morning: 126.4 lbs, 24.3% BF

Daily Update

This morning: 125.3 lbs, 23.7% BF

Employed in T - 9 hours

New job starts at 8am tomorrow (in San Ramon, which may as well be France. It's going to take at least an hour to get there - thank goodness it's just for one day and then I'm in SF on Tuesday!). I'm anxious and nervous, but generally feeling ready to get back into the working world.

Good night!

As seen in a Victoria's Secret email advertisement...

whew. thank goodness. it's been a little drafty lately without pant (s).

Daily update

This morning: 125.4 lbs, 24.0% BF

I'm really hoping that work kind of forces me into a normal eating routine with fewer snacks. While I obviously won't be able to go for a 45 mile bike ride like I did this Wednesday, I also won't be taking in all of those post-ride calories... or post-post ride calories. We shall see... for now, at least I'm stable.

Biker/Senator Kerry

Great blog post from Jonathan Vaughters, pro bike team founder and Tour de France veteran... apparently Kerry rides. Well.

Some fun tidbits from the post...
"What I was expecting was the normal 12 mph dawdle with the Senator wearing some ugly Bermuda shorts or whatever. However, when Senator Kerry showed up at Slipstream HQ in Boulder, man, it was a different story.

First clue was he was excited to be wearing the cycling clothes he got from us. (Yes, he bought them, regulatory agencies reading this.) The second big clue was a race cut medium actually fit him well. The third clue was his legs were shaved! Can you do that and still be a Senator??!

John Kerry descended like he stole the friggin’ bike from the GOP.

Anyhow, after a great two hour ride, some very hopeful conversation about how government can help cycling become more popular and a real weapon against everything from obesity to pollution, and of course, Senator Kerry’s passionate and intelligent ideas on how government can help anti-doping efforts, I gotta say, I kinda like the guy…Politician and all.

And the dude can descend like a lunatic, so at he very least, I know he’s got balls."

I want you to want me... song of the day, apparently

Anyone know what female artist did a (good) remake of "I Want You to Want Me" (I think the original is Cheap Trick)? I've been singing it most of the day and would like to download the girl version.

Thanks folks.

Daily update

This morning: 126.0 lbs, 24.2% BF

Been forgetting to do my daily weight updates. Ah well. No big changes there anyway.

I did just go to the farmer's market yesterday and buy a lot of great fresh fruits and vegetables. Having these around is helpful when trying to cut calories, but with all my cardio (marathon training, mostly), I still crave bread-y carbs and sweets.

Realtors peddle real estate to bike-happy clients

Some folks are predicting a mass immigration back to the cities from the suburbs. Living near work, school and play is becoming more appealing as gas prices rise and smaller properties are more efficient to heat and cool.

So it makes sense that some Realtors would jump on this trend by advertising the local transportation options, including my favorite - biking!!! A forward-thinking realtor in Oregon takes her clients out by bike, rather than by car. Totally makes sense - you're saying that this is a bike-friendly area... so prove it to your clients.

A few quotes from an SF Chron article, titled Realtors peddle real estate to bike-happy clients:

...Portland's Kirsten Kaufman is part of a new generation of agents eager to replace the stereotypes of hauling clients around in fancy sedans or SUVs.

The mother of three starting hosting bike tours earlier this summer...clients whose passion for pedaling weighs heavily in their choice of homes. Some are hard-core cyclists. Others are moving into the city to avoid increasingly expensive and onerous commutes.

"It's becoming more common to see families committing to driving less," said Kaufman. "I think it's a part of the market that will continue to grow as gas gets more expensive."

...a bigger trend — a fundamental shift in the way people think about buying homes.

Real estate agents and industry surveys indicate that home buyers are placing more importance on cutting their gas bills and commute times and that homes near urban centers, and subway, train and bus stops are selling faster than those in the distant suburbs.

...Matt Kolb, a bike agent who owns Pedal to Properties, a Boulder, Colo., firm. "People want to live, work and go to school within a six blocks radius — that's changing the way they look at property."

Pedal to Properties has five agents and a fleet of 48 cruiser bikes and big plans for nationwide expansion. Next year, the company will stretch into Oregon and Texas.

...As the popularity of bike commuting continues to rise, Kaufman says she's eager to see how far the wheels of her dark green Trek will take her.

"Ultimately I want to help people find a home that's going to work for them," she said. "This isn't about trying to green-wash real estate or profit from a niche market — it's about helping people make smart decisions, both for themselves and for the planet."

Van Jones on Sarah Palin

Ahhh... I loves me some Van Jones. Brilliant, passionate and handsome. Here's his thoughts on McCain's VP pick, Sarah Palin:

None of my pro-Hillary female friends are falling for this obvious GOP pander. To the contrary, McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his VP is drawing hoots of derision.

Once they learn that Sarah Palin opposes rape and incest exceptions for women seeking abortion, they completely write her off.

One female friend said: "Sarah Palin is to the movement for women's equality what Clarence Thomas is to civil rights. She's an extremist and an enemy to the cause that has been fought on her behalf.... Someone should stand up and say: 'I know Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton is a friend of mine. And Sarah Palin is no Hillary Rodham Clinton.'"

One female friend did some quick internet research and said, "Sarah Palin has a great deal of surface appeal, at first. But once America's women look behind that cheerleader smile and see at her extreme social agenda, they will run the other direction."

Another said, "McCain picked a fan, not an equal partner. She has no international experience. She was just fawning all over him. No independence. Given McCain's temper, Sarah Palin probably won't challenge John McCain on any substantive issues."

Then she added, with a laugh, "The only thing he is going to let her do in the White House is teach him how to use the internet."

Another said, "It just seems desperate and calculated."

She added, "Palin makes McCain look ancient, out-of-touch and totally yesterday. McCain makes her look like a perky kid. Each one dramatically and perfectly underscores the other's weakness. At least, nobody can criticize Obama's alleged youth and inexperience now. But this is not the best team America could produce, by any stretch."

John McCain has gone from maverick to "me too" -- trying to out-Democrat the Democrats and pick up some Hillary voters.

But it ain't working.

Found at The Huffington Post.

Daily update

This morning: 125.6 lbs, 24.0% BF

Not bad after a weekend, I guess...?

Spontaneity

So I ended up in Berkeley this afternoon to spend time with a good friend of mine before I start work on the 8th. The trip to Berkeley was a pretty last minute decision - I had my morning planned out and was thinking I'd be back home by noon... instead I was getting on BART to head east! I was really happy with my independence and ability to get all over SF and over to East Bay using bike and BART.

Until it came time to come home. See, it was a. warm out earlier today and b. we ended up doing some shopping. I was wearing shorts and sandals and had my bike. I was clearly ill-prepared for trekking back to SF now that the temps had dropped from the 80s to low 60s(?) and didn't have a good way to carry my newly purchased work clothes (so cute!). My friend helped me out with a backpack, lights for my bike and I was good to go. I made a comment about poor planning and she said (something like), "Poor planning... or being spontaneous and living in the moment (or taking advantage of opportunities?)" Anyway, if you read this, MW, please correct me. But I dig the sentiment and hope to continue to plan when needed ... and be spontaneous when possible.

Also... props to the Cheeseboard in Berkeley. Fine, fine pizza. And to MW, for helping me shop!

Daily update

This morning: 125.6 lbs, 24.3% BF

Considering that I had two beers last night and seemed to be in a constant cycle of hungry/eating yesterday, this doesn't seem too bad.

Daily update

This morning: 125.8 lbs, 24.6% BF

Daily update

This morning: 124.6 lbs, 24.8% BF

So, if I weigh the same as yesterday but have lower BF, that implies fat loss :) I know, I know - I need more data. But I'm really trying to limit my between-meal snacking and eating after dinner. It's a good thing I'm seeing some positive data this early. Immediate gratification = more likely to actually keep trying!

Daily update

This morning: 124.6 lbs, 25.2% BF

Little Mermaid Sing-a-long

I just got back from the most fun I've had in a long time where there was no alcohol or nudity.

The Little Mermaid. Castro Theater. Five girlfriends. And an entire crowd that was as into it as we were (or more!). There were folks who showed up in costume... An emcee who got us psyched up by bringing the costumed attendees on stage for a contest and singing Under the Sea... Gift bags with a crown, a necklace, noise maker, glow stick, bubbles and one of those "Happy New Year" sort of things where you pull the string and it makes a big POP sound and ejects little streamers. The movie was edited so the song lyrics were at the bottom of the screen - and we ALL SANG ALONG. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have a voice tomorrow.

Seriously, next sing-a-long, everyone's going.

To use a phrase I first heard from JW, San Francisco "rocks so hard." Boo-yah.

Edit: I cannot believe that I forgot to give props to HW for organizing our attendance of the glorious event. Thank you, HW.

I got a job!

There are, obviously, many pros and cons to this situation... but I'm pretty sure the pros outweigh the cons. :D

I start September 8. Playtime (and get tons of stuff done) till then. Werd.

Stupid effing six pounds

Aiight fair readers. No witty stories here. Just putting this one out there because I'm annoyed. :p

I've noticed that quite a few women use their blogs as a way of keeping honest with their exercise (I tried this last fall), weight and health goals. I'm doing just fine on the exercise front. Training for the Nike Women's Marathon and up to a solid 18 miles. Biking a few times a week and I try to swim once a week. Of course, this will all be a little more difficult to manage should I find a job, but for now, I'm really active.

Friends are amazed then when I say that I'm 5+ pounds heavier than my normal weight. WTF?!? I'm killing 1000+ calories on my long Saturday runs and on my longer bike rides. How on earth could I GAIN weight? Simple. I eat too much. Even too many healthy calories = too many calories. I've heard that it's common to gain with marathon training because your body just always seems to be hungry. Well, I'm going to try not to listen to it as much anymore and get back down to my normal, comfortable weight, which is between 117-120 lbs. Losing a few pounds should help me run faster too!

So, I'm going to start a semi-daily weight post. If I decide to follow some sort of diet, I'll post that too, but I'm going to try to just be really conscious of eating less for now, particularly when I'm at home. My old Tanita scale tells me body fat too, which is highly dependent on hydration. I'll post the BF% too, even though there's part of me that hopes that my actual BF% is lower than that!

Oh, and I'm all of 5'3".

Monday 8/25 (morning): 126lbs, 25% BF

San Francisco to Healdsburg, by bike

I was in Sonoma County for a wedding on August 9. When I tried to start my beloved Fido on Sunday, August 10, it wouldn't start. At all. Fido was towed to a mechanic in Healdsburg and I managed to get a ride back to San Francisco. Luckily, it was a fairly inexpensive repair and Fido was soon ready to go.

I decided the best way to go retrieve my car was by bike.

Of course.

Here are the numbers...

Miles
40 Point when I wondered if this was such a good idea
45 Point when I re-convinced myself that yes, this was a good idea - coincided with eating half of PB&J
68.1 From my house to repair shop by car
60 Point when I realized that I'd be doing closer to 90 miles
65 Point when I decided this was a really stupid idea, coincided with uptake in butt soreness
70 I *thought* were in the linked bike route. Bad conversion from km to mi.
75 Point when I realized that I'd be riding 105 miles
78 Point when I wanted to start whining, but had no one to whine to
79 Point when I decided to remember this whole no-whining thing for next long group ride
80 I *thought* I would be riding from my house to pick up my car
87 Point when I started whining to myself
90 Point when I decided to pick up the pace and pretend to be a racer
95 Mile that was too bumpy to be a racer
96 Mile that was too bumpy to be a racer
97 Point where I resumed racer-like riding
98.7 From the Golden Gate Bridge to Healdsburg, by bike
105.53 I rode

Hours:Minutes:Seconds
0:05:00 Spent inhaling post-ride burrito
7:12:53 Spent on the bike
8:31:04 Spent from door to bike shop
11:15:11 Spent total, door to door

Speed
14.6 Average speed, mph - bike computer
18 Average speed I kind of felt like I was doing (minus long up/down hill, starts & stops)
35.5 Max speed, mph - bike computer

Energy
0 Chocolate chip cookies consumed
85% Of a Clif bar eaten - strangely, the only one I ate on the entire trip
1 PB&J eaten
2 Times I stopped to eat blackberries off bushes at the side of the road
3 Chocolate chip cookies desired
5 Times I wish I had stopped to eat blackberries off the side of the road
5 "Servings" of Gu/Clif Shot/Clif Bloks consumed
6 Approx gallons of gas saved by biking (assume 25 mi/gal, if friend had driven me up and then had to drive back home)
10 Score of awesomeness of blackberries on a scale of 1-10
1,200 Calories in burrito and Reese's Pieces eaten after ride (approx)
1,410 Calories consumed while on the bike
4,100 Calories expended on the bike (according to calorie estimators)

Animals
0 Times cows actually moo'd back at me when I moo'd to them
1 Roadkill that was a skunk
1 Beautiful white horse standing near a fence that I wish I had stopped to take a picture of
2 Live deer seen crossing the road
3 Number of deer seen, total
3 "Dairies of the year" passed - 1992, 1996 and 2003
5 Cow varieties (Really light tan, tan, brown, black & white spotted, black)
6 Varieties of live animals spotted while on road (Cow, Horse, Cat, Sheep, Goat, Deer, Bird)
10 Approximate number of roadkills
30 Times I moo'd to cows, hoping for a response

Weather
10% Of time spent in drizzle or mist
70% Of time spent in overcast conditions
100% Happy that I did not get sunburned

Biking
0 Spare tubes needed on the trip
0 Articles of unused clothing I packed
1 Time an angry motorist yelled at me for being in the road
2 Times I had to turn around because I went the wrong way
2 Spare tubes I had with me
2 Times I dropped down into my granny gear
3 Times I cursed the wind
5 Hills I cursed
5 Times I should have dropped down into my granny gear, at least according to how my knees feel today
6 Times I had to stop to consult map, even though I had directions written down
90 Estimated number of miles that were pure joy

Free Obama button from MoveOn.org

Hey,

Want a free Obama button? MoveOn's giving them away totally free--no strings attached. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.

Click this link to get a free Obama button:

http://tinyurl.com/5gp5ap

Thanks!

You just got chicked!

I learned a new word from AM! She learned about it from running blogs, but I'm guessing that it holds true for pretty much any self-propelled athletic endeavour.

Chicked: When a guy is passed by a girl
"I totally got chicked on that long climb out of Sausalito."

A girl, then, chicks a guy when she passes him.
"That guy was such a jerk when he cut us off at that light. He's going to get chicked going up Arguello."

If you've ever run or biked with me, you know that I get a huge pleasure out of chicking. No good reason, but it may have to do with a conversation that took place a few years back after a century ride (100 mile bike ride).

There were four of us doing a century in Marin County - three guys, one of them was my Ex - bf at the time - and me. Ex rides with me for most of the way. Our other two friends are hammering away. Around mile 75 or so, Ex decides he's going to go faster for the last 25 miles. I'm riding along by myself at my own pace and catch up with our other two friends. They're going pretty slowly and are wiped out from riding so hard early on. When we all get to the end, the conversation went something like this:
Friend 1: I totally bit it there at the end. I went out way too fast.
Ex: Oh, that's too bad. I was able to cruise the last 25 miles because I had been riding with K the whole time.

I'm sitting right there. I know I'm not as fast as the guys, but I'm not that slow. Besides, we're talking 100 miles here, people.

Well, to this day... I get a kick out of chicking dudes. Especially when they're assholes.

Bike snark

From the San Francisco Bike Coalition listserv:

Question:
Hey Everyone, Yesterday, I needed to use for my first time the bike rack on a MUNI* bus. I had no problems; but it seemed like a very unsecure contraption. Have there been many problems with these things? If a bike bounced off of there it would be the end of that bike. The bus driver said it has happened but he didn't say how often it happens. Should I be worried when using it? Is there anything we can do when using these MUNI bike racks to make our bikes more secure?

My two favorite responses:
1. I have used these many times and I don't see how the bike could bounce off. You are supposed to move the spring-loaded arm over the top of the front tire, all the way up against the brake (hipsters: the brake** is supposed to have been attached to the fork). A much more serious problem is that people steal the bikes...You can expect the operator to do fuck-all about it if someone is doing this. You should stand in the front of the bus where you can keep an eye on your bike.

2. If worried about theft - lock your wheel to the frame before boarding. Stops someone from a quick getaway. If you don't have a lock use your helmet. If you don't have a helmet you are already good at assessing relative risks and make a rational decision.

Explanations for my non-SF readers...
*MUNI is the SF bus system
**hipsters have a tendency to ride fixed gear (fixies) bikes that don't have brakes.

New Use: Old bike inner tubes

Make 'em into rubber bands!

No longer an OR statement

There are times when it feels like every hot guy in San Francisco is either:

1. Gay
2. Married

I'm in spin class today (at 24 Hour Fitness in the Castro), admiring the eye candy as I normally do. There's this super hot guy whose eyes are wandering all over the room. Huh. Interesting, hot guy. Way to be sexually ambiguous.

Of course, there's a ring on his wedding finger. Blah.

And then I realized that now hot guys can be gay AND (legally, finally) married!

Yay for gay marriage :)

A way cooler list than my last post...

From the Huffington Post, Seth Grahame-Smith compiled a list about John McCain, opening with this, "John McCain is having such a bad July that writing about his collective woes would require the patience and talent of David McCullough. Since I have neither, I turned (as I often do) to the wisdom of Jay-Z, and listed the first 99 that came to mind:"

Check it.

Things I want to buy when I get a job

This has come up in conversation quite a bit lately... I guess the two years of student living are finally taking their toll on my inherently consumeristic being ;)

I'm a bit embarassed by this list, but thought it'd also make you laugh a little. Or maybe I've been complaining about something that I need/want and forgot to add it to the list. Let me know.

So, in no particular order, 30 things that I would like to buy when I get a job:

1. Wedding presents
   
2. Haircut & color
3. Jeans -if before the end of the Nordstrom sale... these or these
4. Alarm clock
5. New bed frame
6. Eye glasses
7. Rudy Project bike helmet
   
8. Rudy Project sunglasses
9. Garmin watch with GPS to show my distance & pace when I'm running
10. Pedicure
11. Bike gloves
12. Cell phone with a data plan
13. Professional tune-up for my road bike
14. Tea kettle
    
15. Saddle for my road bike
16. Vest for biking
17. Front light for my commuter bike
18. Jacket that's appropriate for SF weather and style
19. Organic bed sheets
20. Facial
21. Kitchen knives sharpened
22. Printer
23. Flowers
    
24. Clothes in general
25. Shoes in general
    
26. Weekly CSA veggie/fruit box
27. Dinner at many, many restaurants in SF
28. Brakes fixed on my commuter bike
29. Surfboard
30. Surfing wetsuit

Update to my once a week vegan plan

So far, so good! Week three of my weekly vegan habit was a success. How many more times until this becomes an actual habit?

I'd like to work on a good rice & beans recipe - potentially gallo pinto - to enjoy on future vegan days. Strangely enough, my cooking experience with beans is quite limited. Any great recipes or tips out there? Any "must do" tricks for decreasing the potential for horrendous post-bean gas?

Hero

In keeping with a previous t-shirt theme...

Since I know that many of my readers are band geeks, I need to share this lovely website with you (thanks should actually be directed to my friend, the Audiophile Librarian):

http://www.torsopants.com/bandgeekhero

Not that I would have necessarily worn such a shirt in high school - I was way too busy wearing my oversized Phish concert shirts along with lovely flannels and that chambray denim button down that was all the rage. Anyway, now's not an option either as I'd be a poseur. Still, a hilarious option for the current band geek set.

Greywater system for your bathroom

I found this post on the Cleantech Blog and had to share - what a great idea - the Environmental Designworks Sink Positive Toilet Tank Lid allows the greywater (used/dirty water) from your sink to flow directly into the toilet. You wash your hands... and the next time around, that water is used in the toilet to carry away your waste.

You know that old saying, reduce, reuse and recycle? Totally holds true for water. Clean drinking water is already a huge problem in many parts of the world, so let's be smart about how we use it.

If any of you lovely homeowners out there are redoing your bathroom, please check out this water-saving (which translates into money savings, donchaknow) device! (And let me know how it works. I imagine it'd be tough for kids to reach, based on the over-the-toilet design.)

My charming personality, in Tshirt form

My BFF says that these Ts would fit me, well, to a T. I can't say I totally disagree...

http://www.noisebot.com/free_admission_to_the_gun_show_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/find_x_i_found_it_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/polish_power_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/come_to_the_dark_side_we_have_cookies_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/jesus_saves_passes_to_noah_he_shoots_he_scores_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/give_me_some_of_those_smores_t-shirt.htm

http://www.noisebot.com/i_made_you_a_cookie_but_i_eated_it_t-shirt.htm

Poorly written post on my once a week vegan habit

I'm going vegan.

Hahahahahahahaha.

I'm going vegan ONE day a week. (Come on, I can only survive without yogurt for so long.)

Eating lower on the food chain is better for the environment. Just trust me on this, I don't feel like looking up the stats right now. (But I'm about to start reading In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. And I'll try to pull some #s from that for you.) In helping to combat climate change, many groups are encouraging people to decrease their consumption of meat and try being vegetarian one day a week. While I'm not a vegetarian, I do have plenty of vegetarian days due to my own cooking inadequacies, financial constraints and just because I like tofu and other meat-free meals. So the "less meat" or "vegetarian once a week" isn't really a big change for me. Going totally vegetarian would be a big change. I was a vegetarian for quite a few years - and then added fish back in, then a few years later poultry, then there was the return to filet mignon that just opened the door back up for everything. While I'm pretty sure I'd do a better job with my nutrition today than I did during my high school and college vegetarian days, I'm still not convinced that vegetarian is the way for me to go to stay my healthiest. Once I added seafood back into my diet, I had more energy and healed faster from random cuts, scrapes and bruises. Anyway... back to today's plan...

So a once-a-week vegan thing. That's a change for me. Something I'll notice. And something that, if everyone did, would make a big impact. If we're not growing as many milk cows or egg chickens, that means that less resources are used for those animals - resources like land, water and food. (And cows fart methane, which is a really potent greenhouse gas. Eeewww!)

Interested in joining me? Or perhaps you'd like to go vegetarian once a week? I just started today :)

Knee pain

Bike? Have knee pain? Easy remedy from the folks at RBR:
Knee Rx. Here's a simple remedy that's been known to quickly solve a developing knee problem: If the pain is in the front of the knee, raise the saddle. If it's behind the knee, lower the saddle. Don't go overboard. Just 2-3 millimeters can be enough to restore pain-free pedaling.

If only diagnosing knee issues due to running was so simple.
I just started marathon training this week and I'm really trying to remember to stretch out my IT Band before and after I run. The IT Band is the long group of fibers runs along the outside part of your leg from your hip, down to the bottom of your knee. I've encountered knee pain in the past due to my IT Band being tight AND patella-femoral syndrome. P-F is when your outer quad muscles are stronger than your inner quad muscles (looking at my legs in college, this was highly un-shocking) and your knee cap gets pulled out of the knee joint, towards the stronger quad muscles (yes, it hurts like a b!tch). Biking helps with P-F syndrome because the pedaling motion forces your inner quad muscles to work. Mine are getting better, but I'm never going to have the inner quad definition of this guy... ... but I can keep trying. Too bad I like to eat!

Pic taken from the Williams College Cycling page.

Costa Rica Trip, Part IV

So... to the Arenal Volcano I went. The volcano is about four miles southeast of Tamarindo. It was really easy to get there on a bus/van - basically a tourist transport service. I met some great folks on the bus who were also going to the volcano and we all ended up staying at the same hostel :) A woman around my age later told me that she thought, "Woah, she's tough, I'll stay out of her way." when I boarded the bus and my sunglasses fell down, exposing my black eye. Ha! Just a few hours later we were chatting it up in the bathroom at a rest stop and ended up hanging out at the volcano.

The area around the volcano was beautiful. Lush, green, rolling hills... and then the unmistakable shape of the volcano, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

That first evening that we were there was great - the rain stopped just in time for us to do a hike in the forest near the volcano. Then, at dusk, we watched as the hot rocks tumbled out of the top of the volcano. These giant, glowing rocks would just pop out of the top and roll down the side of the volcano. At times it looked like red fireworks - the kind that look like waterfalls.

After the "show" at the volcano, we went to a local hot springs spa. I learned that volcanic hot springs are not sulfury. And also, my concept of a hot springs spa does not hold in CR (at least where we went). It was not a spa at all, more like an adult water park with "natural" hot water at varying temperatures. The 80s music took away from the relaxation we had expected, but it was fun to run around and try all the different pools - and the waterslide that went 45 (?) kph.

The next day a group of us went to a local waterfall. There was a great rope swing and rocks to climb. It was sunny in the afternoon and it was great to take advantage of the beautiful day with some more time in warm water. Especially because that evening it poured and we were stuck inside... drinking 40s of Imperial and playing Canadian drinking games.

My last day was just another van ride to Liberia and a chill day wandering around town... pretending I spoke some Spanish, finding Linzano sauce to bring home and enjoying more gallo pinto (CR beans and rice).


Overall, I'm really happy that I went on this trip by myself. It was very calming and I got to be completely selfish, just doing what I wanted to do. Still, I'm looking forward to taking my next vacation with friends!

Costa Rica, part III

Well, I've been back now for a while. First I was avoiding my computer. Then I was busy with family in town... then I was just plain lazy. Today - I am back to feeling productive. So, here's a bit of a conclusion to my Costa Rica trip...

I tried surfing two days after the whole board to the nose incident. Went out on a boat trip to Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point - both are amazing, world-class surf spots that were totally beyond my ability. I enjoyed the scenery and watching the other surfers. Got up a few times, but the waves were really moving too fast for me to stay up (yeah, I chickened out). I also realized that I had hurt my ribs pretty badly (I've since decided that they're bruised) and it hurt to lay on the board and pop-up too much. The hour long boat ride back from Ollie's Point was pretty dramatic because we were caught in a storm.

A big storm.

There was hail. And wind. So much wind. And rain. Biting, cold rain. We couldn't see land because of the fog and the rain. The water was incredibly choppy. I was crouched down low, on the floor of the boat to avoid the rain and hail and just had to brace myself for the bumps. Sometime during that hour, I just started grinning, a stupid, silly grin. Yeah, the boat ride sucked. But I was in the ocean. Off the coast of Costa Rica. Learning to surf. Wow. My life is pretty darn awesome.

Oh yeah, I found out the next (still very rainy) day that I was in the ocean during Tropical Storm Alma.

Anyway, the next day I didn't surf because of all the rain. The ocean was a gross brown color from all the run-off and it was just generally kind of crappy out.

The day after that I tried to go out. Conditions were pretty ideal... but I couldn't do it. When I tried to paddle, I wanted to cry. The pressure on my bruised ribs made them hurt so badly (at this point, it hurt to go from laying down to sitting up, so laying down on my stomach and paddling, or pushing-up to standing was kind of a ludicrous request).

So... the next day I left the beach. It was so sad, but I would have felt even worse to be so close to the water and not been able to surf. Plus, I'm alone and I was pretty much done entertaining myself.

Next... Arenal Volcano

costa rica, part II

no water for me today... yesterday morning i was standing near shore and didn't have control of my board - and whack! it smacked me right in the face. yeah. blood was just pouring out of my nose and i just kept thinking that it was broken. my teacher got me to the doctor right away (luckily we were close!). i'm sure the doctor sees stuff like this all the time, so she was just totally calm and soothing. she checked me out - just a few superficial scratches near my eye and nose. nose isn't broken! she gave me a shot of some anti-inflammatory and sent me off with a prescription for some pain killers and more anti-inflammatories.

i have a lovely, puffy and deep red "black" eye and my nose is a little swollen at the top of the bridge.

awesome.

all in all, i look pretty darn tough. i'll upload some pics to facebook when i'm back.

and tomorrow - back on the board!

especially because i was just getting to stand on some small green (unbroken) waves. it's amazing - the feeling of standing on the water and moving as fast as the waves.

here's hoping the black eye is gone for graduation!

Costa Rica trip, part I

Hola from Costa Rica. I came inside because of a little afternoon rain, but it has since stopped - so I'm going to type fast. Beware of typos and stream of consciousness...

Yesterday was my first full day here in Tamardino Playa. I woke up super early and went out to a beach called Avaellas (something like that) with an instructor. After a while I was able to get up in the whitewater - so after the wave has already broken. Then went back to my room and took a nice nap. Then a juice and some coffee and some play time at the beach - and then more surf again around 4pm, this time solo at the beach right in front of the surf camp. A kind of chill evening of dinner and then a little TV on DVD (thanks MW!) and early to sleep so... I could wake up and go out again at 6am this morning. We went to Playa Grande, where I got up again in the whitewater. The feeling of standing on the water and moving with the waves is amazing. I love it. Tomorrow I may move over to the green waves - catching waves that haven't yet broken.

The water here is so happy... warm and gentle, not like the cold and angry water at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. It's this magical non-sticky salt water too, so you get out and feel just fine. Taking that first sip of freshwater after being in the ocean sure is tasty though.

I'm trying to really relax. Not DO SOMETHING all the time. Just be okay with hanging out by the water, napping in the middle of the day, enjoying a book or magazine. Part of me wants to be seeing everything and constantly doing something, but a big part of the reason for this trip is just that - I need to calm the eff down and destress after school!

Speaking of school and learning... I really want to learn Spanish.

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but plan to bring my camera out to the beach sometime today.

Haven't made plans for the final three days of my trip yet. I have Sunday - Tuesday (I fly out on Wednesday) to do stuff like zip lines and maybe see the volcano. I'd like to stay somewhat close to Tamarindo just so I'm not spending a lot of time in transit, but I'm pretty open.

Ah - sunshine. I see a nice smoothie and some beach time in my very near future.

Hungarian government promotes biking

It's called "Afternoon Interlude." We call it kinda cute and a bit raunchy. Believe it or not, this video at YouTube is the Hungarian government's way to get citizens onto bikes. Sneak a peek at http://tinyurl.com/4tuue5

(swiped from the RoadBikeRider weekly dispatch)

fini

I am done with school!!!!!

Wildlflower Triathlon Race Report

Wow. I'm totally behind on this one. Good news is that I did manage to totally beat my old times - for the swim, bike AND run. Even ended up in the top 10% in my age group! And I recognize this isn't much of a race report... I'll try to fill in some details another time.

updates

1. wildflower triathlon is sunday. i am nervous about beating my old times from 2005 and 2006. i was younger, thinner and possibly in better shape then. here's hoping for that older & wiser thing will kick in during the event.

2. i am done with class on may 18. it's going to be a rough two weeks. lots of work to do. really excited to be done with school.

3. i am going to costa rica. surf camp. may 22 - june 4. (one perk of all of the travel i used to do for work = frequent flier miles. boo-yah.)

Engineering + Bike Parking = Geektasticness

Underground bike parking structure. Great.
With a robot that takes your bike, stores it AND retrieves it for you. Check it:

Happy Earth Day!

Recycle, reuse, don't buy, eat vegetarian, don't drive, carpool, ride your bike, walk, use the other side of the paper, plug in a CFL or hug a tree.

A frog story.

Teeheehee. To quote friend BJ, "I'm a busy, busy girl."

.................................
A woman was out jogging in the forest one day when a frog called out to her and said, "If you kiss me I'll turn into a handsome prince."
She bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in her pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a handsome prince, I will tell everyone how smart and brave you are and how you are my hero."
The woman took the frog out of her pocket, smiled at it, and returned it to her pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a handsome prince, I'll stay with you for a year and do ANYTHING you want."
Again the woman took the frog out of her pocket, smiled at it, and put it back into her pocket.
Finally the frog asked, "What's the matter? I've told you I'm a handsome prince that I'll stay with you for a year and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"
The woman replied, "Look, I'm a Triathlete. I don't have time for a boyfriend, but a talking frog is cool."
.................................

So... I had to do some edits to that one (stolen from the Facebook group "you know you're a triathlete when" site). The frog used to be a beautiful princess, pocketed by a male triathete. But now it's appropriate for all of the fierce women triathletes out there. Tough chicks who swim in the Bay. Boo-yah.

Like me.

Grrrrr.

Take a survey about public transportation

Care about, use or despise public transportation in the Bay Area? Do you commute by bike? Take a survey & help out one of my classmates get some data for his business plan...HERE

PSA: Recognizing a Stroke

Public Service Announcement time, friends.

A (33 year old!) classmate of mine recently suffered a stroke, or a series of small strokes. He's recovering at home now, but the extent of damage is yet to be determined.

One of the ways to minimize the effects of a stroke is through quick medical attention - and regular folks like you and me can help...
---------------------------------------
RECOGNIZING A STROKE

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today). Ask the person to 'stick' out his TONGUE. If the tongue is 'crooked' - if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Please sir, can I have s'more?

Went camping this weekend at Lake San Antonio - the location of the Wildlflower Triathlon. Good times and I'm happy that I trained on the course - I'll be doing the Olympic tri on Sunday, May 4th. I did WF in 2005 and 2006 so I knew that it was a hilly course, but actually being out there was totally worthwhile. I feel more confident about the event, though I'm still having an internal struggle about really, really, really wanting to finish faster than I did in 2006.

Internal brawling aside, I got to hang out with friends, get to know folks in the SF Tri Club a little better and enjoy a weekend away from the city.

However, that was the last (and I'm pretty sure only) time I will camp and entirely skip out on s'mores. Seriously. Especially because there was dark chocolate available, regular AND cinnamon graham crackers and plenty of marshmellows. Silly, silly me. Friends, do not make this mistake yourself. I may find myself roasting marshmellows over my gas oven sometime this week.

Now, about that fire extinguisher that's been on my list of things to buy...

Goods4Girls

Know how to sew and looking for a simple project? Check out this site that my friend SM sent me...
http://www.goods4girls.org/



Here's the DL from the Goods4Girls site:
In many areas of the world, access to adequate menstrual supplies is difficult to come by. Many women and girls rely on rags, newspaper, camel skin or nothing at all for their menstrual needs. A lack of sanitary pads can be a big barrier to a girl's education.

It may seem difficult to comprehend for many women who have easy access to a varied source of supplies, but we can all appreciate how difficult life would be without them. Imagine trying to go to school or work without protection. For many, it brings life to a halt.

Providing disposable supplies creates an additional burden on some communities where solid waste disposal consists of burning the garbage. Since many disposable feminine hygiene products contain plastic, incineration potentially creates an environmental and health hazard.

Goods 4 Girls was started to seek out donors to sew or purchase new, reusable menstrual pads for donations to areas of Africa where these products are needed most. Providing reusable supplies not only provides a more environmentally friendly alternative for these young women (in areas of adequate water supply for washing), it reduces their dependence on outside aid organizations to continue providing for their monthly needs.

Turn off the lights. And I'll glow.

Earth Hour 2008... Turn off your lights from 8-9pm today!

How to participate:

1) Sign up for Earth Hour by visiting http://www10.earthhourus.org/

2) Spread the word

3) Turn off your lights Saturday, March 29 from 8-9PM.

Marathon -> 10/19/08!

The Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon registration this year was handled via lottery. Since it began four years ago, it has gotten so popular that it would fill up the day that the sign-ups were available. I did the half marathon in 2005 and had a great time (too bad my finisher's medal Tiffany necklace got lost in Tahoe...). Some friends (LM, PB, AM) were doing the lottery and I joined them.

Except I didn't sign up for the half.

I signed up for the full.

2008 is turning into a good year, peeps. I graduate, enter a new industry with some fabulous-yet-to-be-determined job, am 30 years old and I'll be (finally) running a marathon.

WeCanSolveIt.org

Global warming is a problem of unprecedented magnitude and that's why we've launched the largest mobilization campaign ever. Actions by individuals like you will be the driving force behind this campaign and our ultimate victory. We're going to succeed, but I need your help today.

More than 825,000 people have already joined us, but if leaders in business and government are going to make stopping climate change a priority, we need you to urge your friends to get involved today:

http://wecansolveit.org/inviteyourfriends

We need to grow to 1,000,000 members by April so we can send a loud message that we want action now. That is why I need you to forward the email below to all of your friends right now and ask them to add their voices.

Climate change is an urgent issue that requires immediate solutions. That's why I've joined with Al Gore and others across the country and around the world who want to halt global warming.

We're on the verge of being over one million strong and I'm asking you to join us. Please click here today to become part of the solutions to global warming:

http://wecansolveit.org/onemillion

If leaders in business and government are going to make stopping climate change a priority, we need to send a loud message that we want action now. That's why I'm asking you to get involved today:

http://wecansolveit.org/onemillion

Together, we can stop global warming.


Thank you,

Al Gore

I am an Aries.

Happy spring equinox!

The first day of spring is also the beginning of Aries. We're a fiery bunch. You love us anyway. I definitely have some of the traits of a typical Aries, but I know many non-Arians who could also fit the bill (and, of course, Aries who are decidedly non-Arian).

No, I don't really follow astrology. But I do think that we can gain strength from different pieces of any religion or spiritual path. And sometimes, it's just fun.

Traits of Arians...

Adventurous and energetic
Pioneering and courageous
Enthusiastic and confident
Dynamic and quick-witted

On the dark side...

Selfish and quick-tempered
Impulsive and impatient
Foolhardy and daredevil

ARIES TIDBITS

Health
Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Aries are the head, face, brain, and upper teeth.

Ruling Planet
The ruling planet for Aries is Mars. This powerful planet rules ambition, force, power, competition, animal nature, desire, sexual energies, war, tools, violence, and courage.

Color
The color of choice for Aries is red.

Lucky Numbers
Aries' lucky numbers are 1 and 9.

Compatibility
Aries natives are most compatible with fellow Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius individuals.

Opposite Sign
The opposite sign of Aries is Libra.

The Perfect Gift
A sporty car, metal jewelry, a nice steak, high-tech gadgets

Likes
Comfortable clothes, taking the lead, physical challenges, individual sports

Dislikes
Inactivity, delays, work that doesn't use one's talents

Famous Aries
Russell Crowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Mariah Carey

Best travel destinations
England, France, Italy (especially Naples and Florence)

Strengths
Courage, determination, self-confidence, enthusiasm

Weaknesses
Impatience, silly arguments, allowing fear to limit choices

Charismatic marks
Athletic body, youthful attitude, a need to take the lead

Best environment
Any situation that requires action, courage in the face of fear, competition, and freedom of choice. Aries individuals are better outside being active than staying close to home.