Good morning everyone,

Fizzy lifting, stepperfication, and spinnerooni this morning.  No tae kwon do last night, as the commute took more than an hour, and class started promptly at 6:10.  Probably a good thing - it gives my knee another couple days of rest.

Soo I'm reading a glossy mag called Self this morning, and it almost feels like I'm spying on the female population.  Perhaps they should call it Herself.  I seem to rmember Self from many years ago as a rather flimsy periodical that you picked up in line at the frocery store.  Anyways, there was a poll of Self readers asking if anyone went commando while exercising.  The results - 25% said yes.  I was trying to wrap my mind around this statistic when I went up to the spin room.  Sure enough, the lady on the bike directly in front of me was in accord with the minority of respondents.  In order to prevent embarrassment, I immediately began to think about the Red Sox hiring Bobby Valentine as their new manager.  Yup, thinking about sports was the way to go.

Now I won't ask anyone here about the Self poll, but if there are any, er, voluntary responses, well - I'm sure they'd be held in confidence.  It's not like anyone has met anybody on this site, right?

Ahem, carry on.  (Go Niners).

Holly's note was far better than my second one, but I was so hopping mad when I wrote it!  Goes to teach us, doesn't it, about taking a deep breath before we send something. I couldn't have written it better than Holly did and that was pretty classy.  (Of course I would never have pointed out that she misspelled grammar when she was mad!)

I got a ton of mail about what to wear at White Rock if it rains, after scaring everyone with my Seattle Marathon post yesterday, so today I wrote this:

http://runningblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/white-rock-marathon-final-tip.html

which threatens to fine people who tie a jacket around their waist!  Ha!

We're off to work packet pickup.  The volunteers who work day one, today, have to move all the boxes, open them, lay out all the shirts and literature on the tables etc.  Set-up is the hardest job.  The others who come in this afternoon and tomorrow just wait on runners, but we like the cameraderie of setting up with the other volunteers and working with our friends.

Okay, back to fun words.  The French word valet is "val-AY" but the Brits Anglicized it so for a long time "proper" pronunciation was "VAL-it.'  In fact in the movie "North by Northwest" you see Cary Grant call for his "VAL-it" after he gets knocked down by that plane.  But I dare you to go around saying "VAL-it" today.  People would think you're nuts.

William Safire in his "On Language" column in the New York Times said that when you are faced with a situation where the correct usage might sound strange, "avoid the locution entirely."  Marj and my BIL Joe are the only ones I know who say "It is I," although of course it is perfectly correct, the verb "to be" taking the nominative pronoun.

Enough of that.  Y'all have fun here today. I gotta work.  Spareribs

Wow - you miss a few days on this site and all hell breaks loose! People working out with no clothes on, people using wrong words, Holly getting in trouble at school and she's not even a student any more    5 miles this morning, 9:56 pace, no wind but cold cold cold! Still, no snow on the ground so it's all good. That could change this weekend...

PBJ - not sure the world is ready to see a 59 year-old woman working out "commando" style! Put me in the "the more area covered the better" category.

Good luck this weekend Slo, Tim and all the other racers! I hope the weather cooperates.

Seriously, Holly. That teacher sounds immature. And she surely isn't professional if she would hold grudges and take them out on your DD because of a disagreement with you. If you have any concerns at all, I would talk to the principal (or is it principle? )

Have fun this weekend Ribs. Anxious to read your story and wear that "press" badge proudly!

All of this talk about words reminds me of a prior job that took me down to Oklahoma for some training. One day during a break, I took some aspirin out of my purse and asked one of the trainers where the "bubbler" was. He looked at me and said "what's a bubbler?"  Had no clue that a bubbler is the northerner's version of a water fountain. Working in a high school, the kids seem to have a lot of trouble with what "there" "their" "they're" they should be using.

Off to work on craft show orders. Happy Friday everyone!

Just checking in though I won't be running until later today.  This week's running plans have gotten all scrambled up due to work and various carpool issues.  Life intervenes. 

Holly, I think you handled the situation with the teacher beautifully.  I must say, though, that she is very unprofessional.  As I mentioned yesterday, I don't even correct my friends when they misuse words or misprounounce them.  I've bitten my tongue numerous times when teachers send home notes that include improper grammar.  And to make such a big deal out of a scrawled signature (and to take it out on a child) strikes me as ridiculous.  I guess as long as your dd is doing well and doesn't want you to make waves, you should respect her wishes but still . . .

Ribs, your post reminds me of my favorite pet peeve - the whole use of the plural to refer to the singular as in the use of the word "they" to refer to a singular person.  Should it not be "people who tie jackets around their waists"?  I suspect that this is becoming accepted but it grates on me nonetheless. 

Anyway, PBJ, I am wondering how exactly you knew that the lady was going commando?  Was she wearing particularly thin bike shorts?  As for the poll, I am probably the polar opposite of the commando group.  Those built in spankies in running shorts aren't even enough for me - I need double layers!

Good morning...

Playin hooky from work today....I'm the boss - lol

Getting ready to head to Bloomington Indiana (beer)....nice beautiful sunny day out. Got in a easy 4 miler this morning (beer) with some striders for the heck of it....that will teach those big hills (beer) I feel kinda weird running wise (beer) as it's been 4 weeks since my last marathon....I feel like a slacker actually ! The weather looks ideal for tomorrow (beer) - around 35 to 40 at the 10:00am start, with a high or 54, and no chance of rain. (beer) But the damage has been done recently (beer) so I imagine the trails will be a muddy mess....at least the flat parts where the water could not run off.

Yea too.....my Donna friend called me this morning, and said she ran for 23 minutes - she has had a painful bout of ITBS. (beer) She was excited because she is going with me, and wanted to feel like a runner - being around other runners. (beer) I totally understand that, and I'm happy for her. 

Good luck to all the racers (beer)

TimBo  

Anyway, PBJ, I am wondering how exactly you knew that the lady was going commando?  Was she wearing particularly thin bike shorts?  As for the poll, I am probably the polar opposite of the commando group.  Those built in spankies in running shorts aren't even enough for me - I need double layers!

There was no doubt, given the black spandex bicycle shorts that she was wearing.  Hey, did you hear that the NBA lockout is over?  Yes, let's talk basketball.

Holly. Nice note. I like how you handled that. And I, too, believe if DD wants you to "not make waves", you should keep the waters still. (Unless something more egregious occurs.)  However. The instigator in me would have loved to have read that you signed the note exactly how had you signed the planner...

As for commando versus panties..it depends on the provided "liner".  Most built-ins are adequate for me, unless it is very cold, then the more layers the better.

There. PBJ.  No need to recite batting stats in your head with that response.

0800. Cold. Sunny. Still.
Veta and I walked an hour in the swamp. Although, we did the reverse route of yesterday.  Veta was off leash in the back section but, alas, that will happen no more. Today she decided to stalk and attack a large golden labradoodle. The very good-natured canine looked at Veta as more of a nuisance than a threat.  Thankfully, his owner was equally good-natured.

More raking and grass-cutting for this afternoon's cross-training session.
Spent 5 hours out there yesterday. 

There was no doubt, given the black spandex bicycle shorts that she was wearing.  Hey, did you hear that the NBA lockout is over?  Yes, let's talk basketball.

Margaret Thatcher on a cold day...