Crazytown

Life has been crazy here on the west coast.  Here's the bullet point version:

- I tripped over my work computer cord, it flew in the air, landed flat open, screen-side down.  It is now dead.  There goes all the work I've done this year.  Please don't lecture me about how I should back everything up.  I know I should, but that process should be easier to do.

- The "Quantum Cello" podcast of RadioLab, which I finally listened to, has some beautiful cello music.

- I rearranged my room.  I rarely do this, despite the fact that I was raised in a house that was routinely different when I got home from school versus when I left.  On my part, I lived in Somerville for 3 years with the exact same room orientation the whole time.  I never moved a thing...just added more furniture.  Yesterday on my run, I felt the urge to mix it up.  So, I rotated my bed and thus rotated my desk as well so it would all fit.  I'm so excited about this change.

- I ran a PR today in the 5K distance.  I was sort of planning this.  This week, I backed off a bunch on mileage and shortened my long run to 12 miles (I've been at 16 or more miles every Saturday since January).  I knew that I was going to see what I had in the race and was totally prepared to just take it easy (as it was part of nine total miles today).  I was technically only one second away from breaking 7 minute pace, but I'm pretty stoked about the 7 min per mile average, especially since I had run 5 miles already, on very sore legs from the week.  I'm also pretty hungry for more success like I've had recently.  2009 is working out pretty well on the running front.  But, this time I mean it...I'm going to take it easy.  I have six weeks to get really ready for Eugene and as long as I finish that race, I'll get a PR there too (sneaky as it is).  Between now and then, all I care about it hitting my paces for workouts and staying healthy.  I promise.  Oh, and I've had no injury pain at all for a few weeks...that's for my aunt.

- My students are having a rave this Friday as the spring dance.  It's not a rave like club-drugs-rave (I mean, it can't be, right...it's on school property), but more like an excuse to play techno for three hours straight, which they love endlessly.  I will be chaperoning...on the condition that I get earplugs and maybe a little Michael Jackson.  I put the veto on the paper mache mushrooms that they wanted to hang from the ceiling, citing the fact that there might be too many hints at drugs already.  While I do think that a fair number of my kids drink and/or smoke pot, I don't think they are doing too many really bad things.  The kids at my school are mostly wholesome.  They whined at me for kaiboshing the mushrooms (they also thought that meant the Alice In Wonderland prom might not happen next year...maybe they are on drugs...), asking what else grows in damp, dark places (the rave is in our school's garage).  I told them I thought plain old mold would work fine.  They were not amused.  Neither was I.  It's a good thing I adore these kids, they are awesome in my class, and think they are mostly doing the right thing most the time, otherwise I might be pretty freaked out about the state of adolescents.

-My new math tutoring gig is great.  I love the chance to get to work one-on-one with a kid who wants to learn math.  Luckily, I get to do that every so often in my real job too.

-I am up way too late.  I need to get more sleep! There's just too much to do in this world and not enough time.  My Sunday job takes up a lot of time, but I love it!  My co-workers are great.  In fact, they might get me to stay up past my bedtime next weekend to see a surfing movie.  How very California...

-Speaking of California, this place could not be any more gorgeous.  The hills are lush and green, there are poppies and other wildflowers everywhere you look, and the sun is mostly shining (I am very thankful for the rain recently).  Yesterday and today, I got to run on Stanford campus.  Every few minutes, I got to a place that I just wanted to take a picture of.  If you ever want to visit this great state, and don't mind it being in the 50's or 60's, come in March.  It doesn't get much more pretty than this.

-Use of graywater is outstanding.  I'm mostly using it to flush the toilet (since some people are not happy with my "mellow yellow" rule), but I couldn't be happier than to have this new focus.  I got a big bucket (but found I should get another) and collected most of my laundry water and most of my ice bath water this weekend.  Let the saving begin!