The Way Car Buying Should Be

Saturday I did some Christmas shopping for myself. In the same time I think I got an ulcer or two but it was worth it for this:

This isn't the exact one I bought but very close. 2003 Pontiac Vibe. 68k miles, 2WD, 4door sedan, automatic, trunk rack and a roof rack. I have been researching cars online at CarMax for a few months now after a coworker lent me her car for a week. I was in training for a week questioning how I would get to/and from the class and she was out of the country. That week of freedom was....was like no other. Morning commute was 35 minutes instead of 75. In the evenings I left on my schedule instead of Metro's schedule. The first day without the car was painful and my sister knew. When I walked in the door the first night without the car the first thing when I walked in the door was let out a big sigh and say "I miss having a car". I have been sans motor vehicle since February 2003 and thought I could keep going strong for a few more years until all bills were paid and money was saved. Well the bills all didn't get paid and I don't have much money saved - for a car or a rainy day - but I was tired of coming home after work sighing about the commute.

I rented a FlexCar from 10:30am - 5pm knowing it could take me that long to make the drive to Dulles should I go through and drove to CarMax in Dulles on Saturday. My first mistake that morning was I didn't eat breakfast. I brought along my checkbook, a bottle of water and a baggie with pistachios, almonds and peanuts. My second mistake was I didn't bring enough food to last me for the entire day. I looked first at the Vibe and test drove that and tried the Honda Civic second. I walked in pretty much knowing I would go with the Vibe because of the lower price and the sunroof. Also I think my bikes would look better mounted on the Vibe instead of the Civic. I wanted to talk about final cost and financing so we took the car off the lot. My stomach did somersaults when the salesman put the 'Sold' sticker on the dashboard. What the hell did I just do?

Besides signing my life away on about a dozen forms everything else is a blur. I had to have some work done on the car so I went out for some lunch and to get away and shake the butterflies out of my stomach. Jen metroed to Vienna and I picked her up so she could drive the FlexCar home while I drove my new car home. She was with me when we did the inspection and agreed with me - the bikes were going to look nice on the Vibe.

I finally drove out of there around 5:30 pm broke, still hungry and full of a bundle of nerves.

Cuz it's cool: INXS: What You Need

Comfy Sofa

I can sleep practically anywhere at anytime if I'm tired. On the METRO? Done. On my sofa and/or love seat? Heck yeah. There are times when I will bring my pillow and a blanket from my room, curl up in front of the TV fully intending on falling asleep there while the DVD repeats the intro page of the movie. This past weekend weekend was just one of those weekends. On Friday I was watching some shows I had DVRed the past few weeks and could barely keep my eyes open past 9pm. I got a ride home from work up in Gaithersburg so I missed my usual 30min evening nap on the METRO and I was really feeling it on Friday. I somewhat remember a conversation with my sister knowing as soon as the words came out of my mouth it wasn't the answer to her question. Next thing I knew it was 4:30am, TV infomercials were in full force and I was curled up on my side on the sofa. I eventually dragged myself up to bed but those first 7hrs were bliss. In the morning Jen repeated some of the strange things I said (I do talk in my sleep) including something like 'I just love riding on the METRO'. See....that's what happens when I miss my commuting nap!
Saturday night wasn't much different. I had a good DVD, a full bottle of white wine, my comfy clothes, blankets and the sofa to myself. Sure enough around 11:20pm the lids were getting heavy and I was about to call it a night, then woke again around 3am to get back in my own bed.

Recently though I've been thinking of finding the comfort of another sofa---a therapist. I've thought of this since around early April then again these past few months. I changed jobs in March hoping I would be trading stress levels as well but that hasn't been the case 100%. The stress is still there but on a different level, and I think about work all the time gives me anxiety. It's not just about work either --I haven't been happy with myself for quiet some time either especially this year. Yes I did decide to take this year off from triathlons but I thought 2007 would be the year of the ultra trail runs for me. Well it was a little bit the beginning of the year but the thrill is all gone. The excitement is gone and the lost muscle and extra weight is still there plus some.
I'm also closing my heart and keeping people out. A dear friend of mine moved this past weekend and came by to say goodbye. We sat on my sofa cuddling and I was crying----crying!---thinking about, and knowing, he's leaving. I can tell him I love him which I have done. I told him he means so much to me, but sitting there on my sofa together I could not respond when he asked me to tell him how I feel about him. I know it's there, I really do, but why can't I get it to come out of my mouth (more than 3 words) and not my tear ducts? I let the stress of work ball up inside of me on my METRO ride to work at 5:30am when I leave at the butt crack of dawn to get there early in attempts to catch up.
The thing is I'm never catching up. I'm either staying the same or falling backwards. Can a shrink really get me to turn and move forward? I wonder if the sofa would be as comfy as mine.


Just cuz it's on now and I like it: Light and Day/Reach for the Sun

Just for the Bell of It

(Yeah puns!)

Sister Jen has been training for the Jingle Bell 5k run for Arthritis with her coworkers and casually asked me on Friday if I joined her. I didn't respond right away then she said "I'll pay for you" and I said what the heck. I haven't been running nearly as much as I have in the past since taking a bit of a hiatus this year. Nor have I been running as much as I should considering I have a 40mile trail run coming up on February 2nd. So what the heck! It's 3.1 miles, on a course I've run before during the Columbia Triathlon and I need something to get me out doing something different. Actually, I needed this to get me out doing something. I haven't done a 5k run - stand alone or part of a sprint triathlon - in probably 3-4 years. I hate 5k runs....I'm not fast, they hurt, and I'd rather take the pain from a 50k run then a 5k any day.

It was quite cold in the morning and I wasn't dressed warm enough especially since it was so windy. We met up with her coworkers before the race for a team picture and make plans of where to meet up with each other after the race. At this race I did something I have NEVER done at a race before ---wear my race shirt the day of the race. I'm always against that because I have certain training and race gear and it doesn't include a 100% cotton t-shirt. On Saturday, however, it was part of certain race gear.

Overall the race was fine and yes it did hurt as 5k races do. I hate running fast, I hate sprinting, I hate getting beat by 70yr olds, but I made sure to pass a few said 70yr olds early on in the race. It really was what I needed to get me out and get me bit by that competitive bug even just a tad. Training has officially begun whether I like it or not, however I see myself liking it again.

Finally.


Seriously, what were they thinking??: Beach Boys Christmas

Musings

I went back to Michigan, my home state, about a month ago to get out of DC, let my bloodpressure get back to normal, and most importantly visit my family. I get home about 2-3 times a year which always includes Christmas, sometime in the summer or late summer and 1 other time somewhere in the middle to get my sanity back. I go there for vacation so I can sleep in, have my mom take care of me, read 3 months worth of People magazines, have breakfast with my nephew and, well, pretty much to do nothing. I try to make a date with my dad to go bowling and spend the night at our cottage but other than that it's just to get away from DC. Don't get me wrong--I love living here, but I also love going home to my family. My nephew is now 2.5 yrs old and THE best thing in the whole wide world, and Sister 1 is preggers again due in late January. I hate missing seeing Nephew grow up and all the cute things he does and how he sometimes terrorizes my sister. It's one thing to hear him say 'i love you' on the answering machine but to hear it in the morning when he wakes me up so he can have pancakes with Auntie Emmy....that's a heartbreaker.

That last time home I sat on the plane back to DC and thought if I would ever move back to Michigan and the answer is always a quick 'no'. Then a pause and the thought of 'well.....'. I can see myself going back because I want to be in my nephew's life but besides my family I don't know what else is there for me. I wonder what might be different if I hadn't moved East after I graduated. Would I still be doing marathons, ultra trail runs and triathlons? What job would I have and would like love or hate that? Would I have a house? Be married? Or would I constantly wonder what it would be like to get out of Michigan?

I have the 'I love you' messages saved on the answering machine, the long waits at Safeway to read the People magazines and there's always time to do nothing. And I can always go back. Just not right now.


Oh-oh you've just gotta hear this: Athlete: Hurricane