Day 178 = Gym + Goth

More Burger Club makes me say, "homina, homina, homina!" That's right. Tonight was another installment of Austin Burger Club, and it took place at The Roaring Fork. They only have one burger, and I think it's like a pound. Debbie and I shared one. With fries. I drank a diet Coke to balance it out.

I needed a burger today. My day started out with a gym workout with my trainer who's pretty much put me on bed rest because she thinks I work out too much and it's bothering my hip. Well, I guess even God took a rest, but I reserve those days for resistance bands, to be quite honest. I'm still going to buy more sessions from her to get me through Thanksgiving, plus a foam roller to get me through my workouts. I'm seeing results - thanks to Regan's guidance. (OK, bed rest works.)

So I needed this burger. Sore hip. No alcohol. Work. Can I just say that the place where I work makes me want to go Goth? And funny, I've recently uncovered my stash of The Cure CDs that I thought I'd sold after I'd ripped all my songs on my old laptop, which was later stolen. Suck it, you burgler!

Speaking of Goth, someone enlightened me with this gem: Goths in Hot Weather.

Day 177 = Running + Austin Marathon

I've decided to finally run the Austin Marathon, which will be Feb. 14, 2010. This morning was my first long run, but I ran it by myself. Only because I went out on Friday night and purposely missed the group run on Saturday. After my run around Town Lake was all over, my Garmin said only 6.5 miles. I was supposed to do 7. Katie, I really was out there. (And I'm calling out Katie because I think she reads this blog.)

I downloaded some new tunes, and one of my favorites to run to is "I'm On a Boat." You know, the SNL digital short song. It was totally pumping me up. In addition to this song, I miraculously found all my CDs by The Cure and Jane's Addiction in my garage. I thought I'd lost them forever and would have to re-buy them on iTunes. Three years ago, I ripped a lot of my CDs on to my laptop and then sold the CDs for cash when I was laid off. Then about 8 months later, my laptop and my external hard drive with all my music, photos, files, etc. were stolen.

Thank you, Karma.

Day 176 = Walking + My Bathroom

This is an ode to my bathroom.

I'm sure there's one room in everyone's house that they love. It's their retreat. In my house, that's really any room because I live alone, but my master bathroom is one of my favorite places. When I first saw it, I thought, "This is the biggest bathroom ever!" At least that I've ever owned. I measured it and it's something like 162 square feet all together. There's a very long vanity and a mirror that covers the entire wall behind the vanity. There's a window the size of the bathtub that I look out every day. I've watched the crape myrtle tree change with the seasons many times. I have a separate water closet (where I have a small recycling bin upstairs) and a large walk-in closet.

There's a lot of light in my bathroom. It's either coming from the windows or the recessed lighting. Not sure if it's the best light for applying makeup, but it will do for now. Everyday I blow through that bathroom like a tornado hit. One end of the vanity is for hair; the other end is for makeup. It's amazing what I pull out to put myself together. Whether I'm listening to my radio or listening to music on my little hot pink iPod docking station that I keep in there, I'm usually zoning out thinking, "I'll try this color today. Eyeshadow goes here, blush goes here, concealer goes here, eyeliner goes here, pinch 1-2-3 now mascara." I'm talking about where it goes on my face. Does anyone else think like this?

My bathroom is where Debbie, Kristina, Katherine and I ate our Jimmy Johns sandwiches the day they helped me paint my bedrooms before I moved in. When I bought my house, I thought, "One day I'll cry in this bathroom" because, ladies, you know you've all fallen apart over something in the bathroom. So far, so good, though. It's as if when I made that statement I bet myself to not cry in there. In fact, last summer I was crying over some guy, and I started to walk in the bathroom and I thought, "No, I'm not crying over him in my bathroom!" But here I am recollecting the memory. Wait - I think I have actually cried in the bathroom. I cried when I had that face plant.

Tonight I was zoning out in the bathroom listening to "Closedown" by The Cure and teasing my hair into whatever I can create that would resemble a fashionable ponytail that I can get away with at dinner. I went for a walk with my neighbor tonight, and instead of washing my hair, I'm just going to work with it. Gosh, that sounds like something a crackhead would appreciate.

Day 175 = Running + Maxi Dresses + Bosnia

I went running this morning for about 45 minutes because I knew I had a busy night planned.

Tonight I had one of those moments debating on what to wear. I finally opted for something that I knew I would just be comfortable in - a maxi dress. They are all the rage this summer. Let me tell you about maxi dresses and walking around downtown Austin. There is no telling what that hem dragged around in all night. I'm almost afraid I might catch some disease on my ankles. From whatever I was stepping on in the bathroom to whatever it dragged across near the outside bar at Emo's - it's anyone's guess. Tonight when I got home I bathed my calves. I didn't want to get in my sweet bed with disease or something lingering. Ick.

So let me now tell you about my night at Emo's. I was with a few friends at the bar when some guy walked up and asked my friend if he could buy her a drink. She said, "let me ask my boyfriend right here" and he gave it the ol' OK. Clearly, the drink-buyer was on something. My friend's boyfriend wandered off to talk to him and came back with a report that yes, he is definitely on something but more interestingly, this guy is from Bosnia and in the army and going to Afghanistan on Monday. It got me thinking, "really? we are recruiting foreigners to fight in our war?"

So Bosnian dude started talking to me. He spoke pretty good English, but he did have an accent. I figured he must have just been a kid during the 90s and the Bosnian War. Maybe his dad died then. Maybe he was an orphan. But one thing was for sure, he was messed up on Friday. He kept saying how he hated the army. I asked him why he joined. He said it was either the army or prison. I thought, "so the mystery continues...."

I asked him what he did to go to prison? He kept saying, "you really want to know?" and I would say, "yes." We went about 9 rounds of this. I was getting a little nervous (even though my friend's boyfriend was keeping an eye out on the conversation). I even said, "tell me, don't show me" because I had no idea what was going to happen next. Do you want to know? He said he was going to prison for kidnapping, assault and manslaughter. He had been a cocaine dealer and killed his best friend.

So then I decided to slowly walk away from him and talk to his sister, who was in town visiting before he was deployed. I said, "So what do you do in Bosnia?" She was like "Bosnia? I live in BOSTON!"

Yeah. Emo's is loud.

Day 173 = Gym + Yoga + Microphone Dream

On a hot day, there isn't much that beats ice cream. Fortunately, I don't have to deprive myself because I've found something new to be addicted to. These Weight Watchers brand mint ice cream cones. It's not like OG Baskin Robbins, but it is a good substitute. And tonight when I found that I burned - or sweated off - 400 calories in Bikram yoga, I bought a new box of ice cream cones in which I plan to indulge over the next couple of days.

This morning before I woke up to go to the gym, I was having another dream about "my crush," which I thought I'd put aside for now. I remembered it when I saw the top of a microphone in my garage, which is from a karaoke machine. I dreamt my crush needed a microphone. I was with some friends (some of my guy friends, I think one was Joel) at some show where my crush was performing. That's all he needed - a microphone - and I was thinking, "Of all things, is this the one thing you need?" I would think it would be such a critical piece for the performance that was about to ensue. I remembered the karaoke microphone, and I said, "Will a karaoke microphone do?" and he said yes. So I went to find the microphone and gave it to him. The venue was on a street that I remember I've dreamed about before or I've seen it - sometime during my college years I think, but it really isn't a place that actually exists. I think it's some part of a recurring dream. In the dream, it was sometimes warm (I had on shorts), and at other times I looked out the window and it was snowing and cold. The end.

According to http://www.dreammoods.com/, this is what I learned:

To dream that you are watching the snow fall, represents a clean start and a fresh, new perspective. It is indicative of spiritual peace and tranquility.

To see a microphone in your dream, suggests that you need to be more assertive and forceful. You need to voice your opinions more strongly and make your views known. The microphone may also be a pun on someone in your life who is named "Mike."

My crush's name is not "Mike." But as I write out the dream, I think I understand its meaning.

Day 169 = Running + "Gin and Juice"

I ran again today and then went out tonight again with my brother, his girlfriend, my cousins and birthday-weekend-girl Kara. And she snapped this pic of me later in the evening.

Have I written a blog about this song yet? Hol' up, hol' up. I have got to give props to this summer of 1994 college hit. For the people who know me, they wouldn't call me Junior League. But I'm sure I look that way to some people. So a couple of years ago when I got up on a karaoke stage and busted out "Gin and Juice," the alterna-persona began.

I know this song backwards and forwards. I don't need to see lyrics. I've sung it for karaoke. I've sung it for The Gong Show (wearing a Catholic school girl outfit). I've sung it in a bar with acoustic backup. I do not get tired of singing it. And I guess maybe Snoop doesn't either. I waited 14 years to see him, and I've seen him 3 times within the last year! What luck! I know - this seems odd. But my music tastes vary. Greatly.

So on Saturday, Kara and I met my cousins at an after hours bar and my cousin got the DJ to play the song, so I got on stage and sang it. I had a little crowd.

"With so much drama in the LBC, it's kinda hard bein' Snoop D-O-double G...."

Day 168 = Running + Lord T & Eloise

My brother never steers me wrong with music. Or funny stuff. And tonight, he delivered on both accounts.

I was visiting family and friends in my hometown this weekend (North Little Rock, AR), and after my brother, Jason, and I took our dogs for a walk (well, I went for a run), I got dressed and met my friend Kara for her birthday. Jason had told me about this band playing downtown that night called Lord T and Eloise. They can only be described as Beastie Boys from Memphis meets "I'm On a Boat."