The Living Room Is Complete!

In a previous blog post, I raged about Jerome's Furniture not selling these awesome turquoise pillows that matched my rug perfectly. It was a total set up - they had them sitting on the couch I purchased but they refused to sell them with the couch. Being the anal person that I am, I really wanted them and made multiple attempts to package them into my rug/couch/table purchase. The sales guy wouldn't budge. I knew I would be frustrated for months searching for the right match. And I was.

However, I was recently wandering the aisles Target when I found the perfect pillows and perfect throw blanket to match my rug. I also found a great vacuum. Great trip for the economy, but not a great trip for the Amex bill. However, I now have my living room completely set up. I am very excited about it.

Soccer, soccer, soccer

This afternoon as I was cleaning my apartment I turned on the TV. Ironically, the TV turned on to the WPS championship featuring Sky Blue FC (out of New Jersey) against the Los Angeles Sol. The game was actually exciting (yes, I was kind of shocked) and Sky Blue pulled off a 1-0 win. Tar Heel Heather O'Reilly scored the game winning goal and Tar Heel Jenni Branam had the shutout for Sky Blue. LA was playing a player down after the referee sent off a Sol player for throwing an elbow and taking out a Sky Blue player. She was also the last defender. Although there was some controversy over the call, I think the referee made the correct call. Not only was she the last defender but she also blatantly threw an elbow (watch the replay - that was not a natural arm movement).

This afternoon also marks the start of the Tar Heels soccer season. They are taking on UCLA as we speak. Unfortunately the Heels are almost exclusively on the East Coast this season, so I'm not sure if I'll get to see them play. Maybe if they make it to Texas, I'll hop over for the Final Four. Good luck to the Heels and let fall begin!

AFC Half Marathon: It’s All About the Lines

One of my friends suggested to me the night before the AFC Half Marathon that I should set my alarm for 6:30a and get up to run the 13.1 miles by myself along the beach in order to avoid all the hassles of running in a big race. She is wise beyond her years.

I chose to run in the race, waking up at 4:30a to get to Balboa Park by 5:30a to wait in line to use the Port-O-Potty to wait in line to catch the bus up to Cabrillo National Monument, to wait in line to use the Port-O-Potty again to wait in line with the rest of the cattle for the race to start. Seriously? There was a two and a half hour lag time between my wake-up call and my first running steps. That’s a bit too much for me.

I ran a blazing first nine miles and then hit a giant brick wall. It didn't help that a significant portion of the last two miles were uphill. When all was said and done, I finished in just over two hours. Disappointing time but I was glad when it ended. And then I had to wait in line to get out of the parking lot. Eek.

Reggie and Gracie

Reggie Gets a Roommate (Temporarily)

Last week, I had the pleasure of dog sitting my friend Kristin’s dog, Gracie. Gracie is a two-year old yellow lab that gets along with Reggie very well. They had a grand old time together and managed to not fight (or destroy the house) for five whole days. However, I do think little Reg was a bit miffed that I didn’t devote all of my attention to her.

I didn’t realize just how much Reggie liked having Gracie as a roommate until Kristin picked her up. Reggie and I headed out for a walk as they left. I heard this awful yelping noise and thought Kristin must have accidentally caught Gracie’s foot in the door or something. However, I realized it was poor Reggie revolting at the realization her roommate was moving back in with mom. It was too sad and very cute. Gracie, Reggie misses you!

Harvard Business Publishing’s “The Daily Stat”

Today’s fun factoid related to “Women, Shopping, and Happiness.” Interestingly, women control almost $12 trillion in consumer spending. However, I thought the even more interesting piece of the article related to happiness. “The Daily Stat” cited a BCG survey of over 12,000 women in 22 countries which discovered “only 5% of women say shopping makes them extremely happy, compared to pets (42%), sex (27%), and food (19%).” Now you know why such a significant portion of this blog talks about Reggie. Coming home to her really brightens up my day!

Last Run Before the AFC

Last night was my last run of any distance before the AFC Half Marathon on Sunday morning. I got home from work around 8p, took Reggie for a quick walk and then headed out for a five miler. I was speeding along for the first couple and then slowed my pace a bit, ultimately finishing in just over 45 minutes. I am still optimistically hoping to finish the AFC in under two hours but will have to fight through the last couple of miles, which are uphill. My long runs generally stopped just after the 10 mile mark which means I’ll need to run on fumes to hit the 13.1 mile mark.

The other thing that gives me pause about Sunday’s race is the 7:00a start time. I wouldn’t have a problem if I could show up at 7:00a and run. However, the race is a point-to-point starting at Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma and finishing in Balboa Park, after a steady two to three mile climb up from downtown. The race instructions I’ve read so far really emphasize that the last bus to the starting line leaves from Balboa Park at 6:00a, meaning people need to arrive no later than 5:30a. This indicates my wake up call will come around 4:45a in order for me to make it downtown by 5:30a. Eek. Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in a power nap on the bus. At least we shouldn’t have to deal with hot sunny weather as I’ll be all wrapped up with running by 9:00a.