Undefined!

As I've mentioned before, I am taking Linear Algebra to get ready for starting a doctoral program in the fall (fingers crossed, applications in). Despite being an accountant, higher level math doesn't come naturally and I feel like I will probably need a 16 year-old kid to tutor me in this class. My professor is a neat guy, who's clearly enthusiastic about the subject and that helps the time fly by. Today he said perhaps the funniest math quote I've ever heard and I thought I'd share it with you. Until today, I had always heard that dividing by zero provided an "undefined result," whatever that means. Today my math teacher really cleared things up for me. He said, "We know if we divide by zero, it makes God cry." That seems just as likely to me as this mythical "undefined" and I don't plan to divide by zero any time soon! I hope that's on the next test, I won't forget it anytime soon.

I Rocked & I Rolled: Part 2 (My Increasing Horror)

While trying to be a "good sport" tonight, I offered to show my mom the picture of me laying on the ground at the finish line... Well, on my first visit to horriblepicturesofyou.com, I missed the video of my finish... Yes, there's a video of me triumphantly running to the finish, tripping, rolling on the ground and sort of screaming at a woman that tried to help me up... Awesome.

I Rocked & I Rolled...Literally

The people who say you can cause something to occur through the power of your mind are kooks. But, after this weekend, Kooks=1 Erin=0. On Sunday, I ran the Rock & Roll Half-marathon in Phoenix. (Daniel ran the full marathon in 5:09, beating his previous time by more than 16 minutes. Good on him!) The event is by far the most massive race I have participated in. There were roughly 21,000 runners in my event and apparently, they all decided to attend the expo at the exact moment I picked up my race number. Thankfully, I got mini-bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in my race bag, which totally compensated for my overwhelming fear of crowds. On race day, I watched Daniel start his race, went to line up for mine and then waited about 35 minutes after the "official race start" to actually get to the start line since there were thousands of people in front of me. By the time I started, I had already been on my feet for two hours, which did not bode well for my race. (I did get to wave at John McCain who was part of the start line festivities, so again, that totally made up for it.) ************************************************************************************* My goal time was around 2:25, which would have beat my previous half-marathon time by about 7 minutes. Through mile 6, I was pretty well on track and feeling good. Sadly, I stopped to use the restroom around this time and waited in line for 9 minutes, thereby totally screwing my chance of getting in by 2:25. I tried to convince myself that I could subtract "potty time" from my race time and still count it as a PR, but I quickly decided that would be cheating and then became alternately pissed and depressed for the next couple miles and sort of gave up. (Despite being thirty, I still occasionally throw fits a la a three year-old.) I finished the race at 2:42:35 and decided that at a minimum I was going to get my first good finish-line photo. I generally make horrific faces while I run (not on purpose, I can't help it) and the photographers always seem to catch me in truly hideous form. This time, I was going to put on my best face for the guy at the finish line... ************************************************************************************* Now back to the kooks... While at the expo, I kept telling Daniel that I didn't want to run since I knew that I would trip and fall because of the throngs of people in the half-marathon. I am both clumsy and afraid of being touched by strangers... I couldn't let it go and was convinced that I would get elbowed and thrown to the ground on the race course as other runners passed me. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised on race day to find we were pretty well spaced out and that there was little risk of tripping. Well, as I ran towards the camera at the finish-line, projecting my best "I am woman, here me roar" face towards the camera, I failed to notice the slightly raised finish line. I completely ate it, fell to the ground and had to be helped by another runner crossing the finish line. Yes, I'm that person and I have a picture to commemorate it. ************************************************************************************* Honestly, it was a fun race. I don't know that it will be an annual thing for me, but seeing the bands and massive amounts of spectators was cool. At this point, I don't have a next race planned. This completely freaks me out since I need that motivation to keep running... I'm going to start checking my options as I keep chasing a 2:25 half-marathon. Next time, I'll go for a crappy picture rather than rolling across the finish line, thanks.

Hasta La Vista, Texas!

Today marks my last Texas trip for work. It's likely I am jinxing myself by saying that, but technically, they have hired a replacement and that should mean my services are no longer necessary. It's also likely this will be my last trip since I will probably refuse to return. I started my Linear Algebra course this week and since that meets twice a week, traveling between offices is no longer feasible. ************************************************************************************* Since I started my traveling in June, I have spent 30 nights in Dallas. Over one month of my life this year was spent away from my home office, my husband and my dog. I know many people travel much more than that, but I am not built that way and am glad to be done. I've learned a few things along the way: ************************************************************************************* * 1. True torture is being close enough to a Chipotle to see it, but unable to partake. Damn the 114 highway and my lack of a rental car. ************************************************************************************* * 2. I don't really like my regular job. I enjoyed the last few months in this office under temporary assignment much more than I have enjoyed my real job in quite some time. Thankfully, grad school is almost upon me. ************************************************************************************* * 3. Women that don't wear makeup and/or highly stylize their hair are FREAKS in the state of Texas. I know that my minimalist approach to beauty was frightening to the other women in the office and I really got a kick out of their horror at my appearance some days. ************************************************************************************* * 4. Black swans are beautiful. The hotel I stayed at most has two black swans living next to their pool area... It's odd and I would visit the swans after each workout and converse with them via whistles... (Some nights were lonely, leave me alone.) ************************************************************************************* * 5. There are at least two Democrats in Texas. I met them both. ************************************************************************************* * 6. Preferred Guest Programs are the bomb when used well. As I type, I am enjoying a free glass of Chardonnay on behalf of the hotel. The free breakfast and chocolate dipped strawberries came earlier. ************************************************************************************* * 7. Texas drivers don’t have any qualms with running down pedestrians, it’s “walker beware” in the Big D. ************************************************************************************* * 8. Dallas Love Airport is awesome. It has a “backdoor” security area that most people don’t know about and you can carry open beers throughout the terminal. ************************************************************************************* * 9. I can pack a carry on suitcase in a way that will boggle most people's minds. While I am not quite a George Clooney's level in "Up in the Air," I am pretty close. Last week when I went through security, the TSA guy said, "Looks like you've done this a few times before." True praise! ************************************************************************************* * 10. The frequent flier miles were nice, the hotel perks and room service made life easier and I avoided my boss for over a month of this year, but none of the good stuff compares to how much I missed seeing Daniel and Riley each evening. I am ready to be home with them.

Haiti & My Nephew

My thoughts are with the people of Haiti tonight. Even more, my thoughts are with my nephew, Josh. He is currently living in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispanola with Haiti. He lives 150 miles away from the quake epicenter. He is fine tonight and didn't experience damage from the quake, but I worry about what life in that area may look like over the coming months as the Haitian people find limited aid from their government. Already that area is racked by poverty and unrest. As people begin fleeing into the Dominican Republic, what does that mean for Josh's safety and security in his last nine months in that country? I suppose I just want to know that he will make it home safe later this year and hopefully still be the same sweet and innocent kid he left as... So, my prayers are with Josh and with those on the island of Hispanola. I hope that aid comes swiftly and that comfort is found.

The Tragedy of our Children’s Inheritance

No, no, I’m not talking about the national deficit, social security, wars, or healthcare. While those are sad for sure, I realized the true travesty of my future children’s life last night as I watched the greatest movie of all time… National Lampoon’s Vacation. [I took quite a bit of liberty in bestowing that title.] I wondered wistfully if my kids would have any idea why that movie is so dang funny. Certainly, they will never take a road trip in a station wagon. (Are those still made?) And when Clark brings up the family trip on the computer, I am sure my kids will say, “What is that prehistoric thing he’s typing on?” My kids will probably plug into their Ipods before we leave the driveway and miss the joys of listening to Mom & Dad sing along to horrible music. ************************************************************************************* Also, it may not seem as funny to them when Cousin Vicky jokes about kissing a teacher or when Clark uses a gun to take over a theme park. Sadly, those things actually happen today and the results are not so funny. Even more ghastly, the hideous white dress shoes Clark wore in the film are actually back in fashion and for sale today at a department store near you. When Clark misses the detour signs and has to go wandering in the desert for hours to find a gas station, I can already hear my kids saying, “Why doesn’t he just call someone on his cell phone?” or “Where’s his GPS?” To console myself, I take small comfort in the fact that Clark’s hubcaps were stolen in St. Louis since that’s one of our possible school locations. Seems like a good sign!!

2009 - A Year In Review

On January 3, 2009, I ran. This was significant since it was the first time I had run, on purpose, in many years. In the year since that time, I have logged nearly 450 miles on these increasingly toned legs. Somewhere in that mileage is my first 5-K, 10-K, Half Marathon and Marathon. Amazingly, I didn't lose a single toenail in those 365 days. I do own four knee braces, have eaten hundreds of "energy jelly beans" and taken one incredibly painful ice bath. I have devoured 12 issues of Runner's World and bought three pairs of running shoes (1st pair: Brooks-a pair I will always remember, 2nd pair: Nike-only wore for running a handful of times due to arch pain, 3rd pair: Brooks-very similar to pair #1, but a half size too large). ************************************************************************************* While 2010 hasn't had the most auspicious running start, (I severly sprained a toe on New Year's Day and it's been purple ever since) I hope to be back out there tomorrow and many days after enjoying everything that running has brought to my life. It started out on a windy day twelve months ago and I am proud to claim at least one new year's resolution kept in 2009. Bring on 2010!