Bring It All Back

I had a great day in Sonoma this weekend...and after taking a picture each hour to share with you, my computer decided to delete them from my camera without downloading them. Imagine fall in Sonoma and you'll get the idea.

Here's a video that gave me goosebumps. I can't wait to see the movie so I can relive my life one year ago (when HBO lets us poor people at it).

See Ya, SIGG

Just in case you didn't know (I've been surprised how many people haven't heard...but then again, I didn't hear that all these T-Mobile customers lost their contacts or something like that)...Sigg bottles contain BPA. You have until Oct 31 to deal with this...take them back to where you bought it (not sure if you need a receipt) or send them back to Sigg. If you're lucky like me, you have a store nearby (Sports Basement for me) that will just take the bottles back.

You see...I never was into Siggs. Here's why...an email exchange between SIGG and a a friend of a friend of a...something. These emails are from March 2007.

From Sigg:

I am not aware of any major changes to our liner in the last 2 years as you mention – I’d be interested in seeing the reports you are referring to.While the ingredients of the SIGG liner are proprietary, I can tell you that our bottles are tested frequently in Quality Control as well as in independent laboratories. In all the tests, SIGG bottles show no migration of chemicals, no trace of BPA. SIGGs are safe and I believe are the best reusable water bottles on the market.

From customer:
Thank you - my question was not about migration of BPA, the question was whether BPA is used in the liner. No one seems to respond to that - is there any information you can provide?

From SIGG:
It’s a proprietary formula – I’ve been told best on earth – exclusively manufactured for bottles. It is a competitive advantage for SIGG and therefore the ingredients are kept confidential.
But isn’t the real issue to ensure that what you and your family are drinking is free of any chemicals. I know the issues surrounding polycarbonate #7 (Lexan) have to do with the problems these containers have with migration of the materials, chemicals. On the other hand, numerous research studies show SIGGs are leach-free.

I want to call attention to a few things. One, I am not trying to flame SIGG. They have attempted to make a good product and been successful, most obviously with their branding. For some reasons, I do not wish this to be the complete downfall of the brand, but really? They refused to answer the questions posed by this consumer. That's number two. They are treating this customer as if she has no intelligence. What a shame.

As a result of these emails back in 2007, I had no interest in supporting this company. If they couldn't say they were BPA free, I didn't want one. I do not appreciate things that sound like lawyer-ese anyway in these situations. SIGG could have been the ones to make their reputation. Well, I guess they did this. They now have a reputation of being untrustworthy.

So, I have not been too jazzed about them, but, I got one in an emergency while I was traveling (that is, I didn't have a bottle). I liked that it didn't seem to dent as easily so I got another for school (since the Kleen Kanteen I have got so dented on the job that it wouldn't even stand up straight it was so dented). Then I got a third as a gift.

Then the BPA scandal. I was officially done. I had given them a chance and they failed. So, I took my three bottles to Sports Basement and they told me I could exchange them for three bottles of any brand that I desired. So three more Kleen Kanteens for me! At least Sports Basement knows how to take care of its customers.

Soggy Cobwebs and Heavy Feet

Biblical rain, my friends. And I couldn't be happier. I love the rain. Love, love, love it.

Buuuuutttt....there are some reasons why I Can't Stand The Rain:

1. I can't put my laundry on the line. Thankfully, I didn't this weekend (because I knew the rain was coming) so my laundry is almost dry, rather than being sopping wet.

2. My goal to get back on the bike this week is not looking good.

3. No offense, but I really dislike Halloween decorations beyond a pumpkin...and soggy cobwebs really make me gag. Of course yuppie Silicon Valley is now adorned in very, very soggy cobwebs. One way to stay skinny...

4. Running long distances is fun in the rain because you can feel like a bad a**, but today my shoes became very, very water-logged and as a result, felt very, very heavy for my last mile of eight.

5. Our nice landscaping at school washed away...I guess the landscapers didn't get the drainage right and so there's mulch floating on a small pond of water. Oh and our school's roof leaks!

6. My kids don't know what I'm doing when I sing "Blame It On The Rain." (Does anyone think this is a tragedy...or at least a tragedy that you can't buy the song sung by Milli Vanilli on iTunes?)

But I still love the rain because it makes California a little more real and a little less perfect.

Shout outs:

1. Newark Mayor Cory Booker. He was on my favorite radio program last week (On Point) and on my run today, I was completely hanging on every word he said. He is completely inspiring, even if he is a politician (he does go out with police in the middle of the night to talk to drug dealers). Two sound bites that I'm sure should be attributed to someone else, but seem completely relevant to the job I try to do every day. I am going to watch "Street Fight" about his first run for office. And apparently everyone already knows about him, but I didn't and he could make me move to Newark. JK!

Quotes:

"If you want the results that other people aren't getting, you have to be willing to do the things that other people aren't doing."

"You cannot let your inability to do everything undermine your determination to do something."

2. The NYC PS 22 Chorus...rocking "Run This Town." These kids are in 4th grade?!?!

Run Down

This will be a run down, but since I love post titles that multi-task, it also describes how I'm feeling these days (months?). But, I'm trying to keep my positivity ratio at 3:1. I think I am successful here.

The scoop:

1. Working about 70 hours a week and resenting that.

2. Haven't seen my best friend in weeks.

3. "Ran" 20 miles on Sunday...that is...I did well for about 14 miles and then had Deja Vu of my marathon for the last six. Good thing I had so many podcasts to listen to. I'm feeling okay about this hiccup in the running plan. 20 miles is a long way and I have two months to get ready for Sacto. I need to figure out my fueling plan. The Clif Bloks don't seem to be working with my stomach.

4. Killed a 9 mile threshold workout this morning and felt great! Thank goodness for that.

5. I love the fall! It was overcast all day and I had the day off...my teacher friend came over and we worked until the cows came home. I followed Bec's 45 minutes on - 15 minutes off strategy and it was successful. I work so well when it's overcast, although I'm not the best people person.

6. Reading the LeBron James memoir and I can't wait to pass it along to some students.

7. Booked my Veteran's Day weekend flight to NYC for some time with Chapin girls, Jews, and Blue Jays.

8. Things I would have rather been doing this weekend instead of just trying to get my life back to normal: Been in Boston for the Tufts 10K, been in Chicago for the marathon, been in Tahoe for a hike, or been in Hawai'i because I think that's what I could use right now.

5770 is kicking me in the rear end. What gives?

Miss you all! I'll be back soon.

Shout outs to: Mr. Lee for a new baby, Hess Express and Lopez for helping me Save The Date. And to Jim and Pam for tying the fictional knot. One of the best Office scenes ever. Hopefully this clip will make you smile just a bit.

You Said It

Right before heading off to sleep...this quote came into my inbox:

Even after all these years, running continues to amaze me. Mostly in its ability to clarify - to make things OK and bring you back down to earth, even when things are insane. Especially when things are insane.

Mark Remy, Executive Editor, runnersworld.com

What about when things are beyond insane. Like insane that's gone insane?

The Tsunami Warning Playlist

Here's the playlist that will get you through a tsunami warning. No time for earthquakes here, were dealing with the big waves. Stay out of the water, don't go surfing, don't chase mermaids back into the sea. That noodle you bought at Wal-Mart and the arm floaties from the 80's won't save you now. Run for the hills. Oh wait...we're surrounded by water. Sigh...

And, here's the belated Newport soundtrack that I put together.

And today, I learned that cops are scary (but indirectly...don't worry...I'm not the one in trouble). By the way, what do cops/law enforcement officers do with drugs they confiscate?

For those of you who are trying to prevent Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and those two Google dudes from owning you, here are images of the mixes. I don't have time to make them a normal, readable size, but if you click on them, you'll be able to read the text, I assure you.

All The Single Babies

I'm sure most of you have seen these videos. But for lack of time to create my own content, I'm posting these. After enjoying four of my male colleagues recreate this video at our school Talent Show and then seeing it this week done by the football team on "Glee," this video is hot. I forget where I heard it, but I think someone said recently that this is "one of the best videos of all time." The babies sure seem to think so.

New Years

Just in time for the Jewish New Year, I've nearly completed my Secular New Year goals.

1. I've commuted 600 miles on my bike.

2. I hiked Half Dome.

3. Turning 29 has not ruined my life.

4. I am doing an okay job of getting out on the weekends (for example, September events have been a trip to the East Coast for a wedding, Rosh Hashana and Shabbat dinner in Berkeley, and a birthday party in the city).

5. And yesterday, I completed my 1000th running mile of the year! I am still running happy and looking forward to finding some races to do in the next month.

What's left? I have read ten books and listened to one. I'm trying to get to at least 12 books this year, but ideally, I'd like to complete at least one book each month until 2010. I have a great stack to choose from, I just need to get my work life under control.

For the Jewish New Year, I'm trying to decide character goals for 5770. I love having the Days of Awe (between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) of focused reflection time. If only I had the week off from work.

Tested

I woke up after seven hours of sleep and forced myself into running shoes. I made a last minute decision to do loops in my neighborhood, rather than venture into the foothills. Five mile easy, five miles fartlek of alternating minutes at 7:40 pace and easy, six miles easy, then two miles hard. Hard is a relative word after you've run 16 miles. Somehow, after four weeks of sleep deprivation and literally nothing but work and running, I was able to pull off 18 miles at 8:20 pace. Admittedly, I was feeling time pressure this morning to get to temple on time, but this workout gave me a litle more confidence for year 5770.

I finished my run, darted into the shower, threw on some heels and lip gloss and booked it to Stanford for the Hillel service. I probably should be going to the Conservative/Orthadox services, but I was with Reform/Reconstructionist community. The more time I spend in the West Coast Reform/Reconstructionist world, the more I realize that either I grew up Reform-Conservative or the East Coast is, by nature, more conservative. The Reform Jews out here recite prayers to melodies that are unfamiliar and people came in one, two, and three hours late (four hours of temple today, my friends), dressed all too casual for my High Holiday ideals.

I did appreciate that the Rabbi invited everyone up for an aliyah (the blessing before and after reading a portion of the Torah). The different aliyot were for anyone who had felt tested, present, blessed, or loss/fear in the past year. I decided that while I could probably participate in any of these groups, the most salient feeling of the last year is that I'm being tested (certainly this morning's workout was a big test...one that tells me I need to back off on my training for a bit and run slow, even though I'm happy to realize my fitness is good). It's not all testing in a negative sense, but I definitely feel as though I'm supposed to figure something out from my life and I just haven't yet. It definitely feels like a test to try to figure out how to spend my time well...I want to run, bike, row, enjoy time with friends, write letters read books, read the paper, and listen to my favorite podcasts and music...but I haven't been able to do all of these things consistently or well. I don't know how people do it. If I did, I'd try to learn from them, I hope.

As happens every year out here, the High Holidays remind me that I like being Jewish and wish I had more of a community here. Last year's desire to go to temple more did not happen with the election and intense marathon training. I'm hoping to explore the Bay Area's Jewish community this year, but I definitely am nervous about not finding something as meaningful as what I had in Boston. But, optimism remains. It has to.

I've Had...

...no time to go to the bathroom, let alone blog. I'm doing what I can to be the best Statistics teacher, math support teacher, high school exit exam preparer, athletic director, teacher-leader, and mentor that I can be. Everything else in my life (reader, friend, daughter, sister, cyclist, cook, paper-reader, letter-writer, crossword-doer) will have to wait. Except running. I'm up to 50 miles a week with 6.5 weeks down in the 18-week program I designed.

But I've also had the time of my life.