I know exactly what makes me a slow runner - it's the belief that I'm a slow runner. I find the idea of pushing myself to go faster than is comfortable so much more difficult than the idea of plodding on for more and more miles. You know - slow & steady, etc. I just never thought I could be faster, so I wasn't.

That seems to be changing. Part of my marathon training involves tempo runs, which are supposed to be between 9:47 and 10:04 pace (my easy runs are supposed to be paced between 10:47 and 11:16). I say "supposed to be," because I had the most AMAZING run on Wednesday where I ran at 9:29 pace for SEVEN MILES! SEVEN MILES!

It was awesome. I looked at my watch after the first mile and thought to myself: "OMG, I can't hold this! There's no way I can hold this." And then I had to push those thoughts aside and thought: "I wonder if I could hold this - why don't I try and see!" So, you know what, I could hold the pace and I did! Not saying that I didn't have a few thoughts about whether I'd made sensible lunch choices along the way, but I did it. I ran fast.

The best part was that I went through 10K (6.2 miles) in 58:46! I can't even express how huge that is to me - for YEARS, the one hour 10K has been my nemesis. My current "official" PB is 1:00:42 and, yes, I hate it. I finally broke through smashed through the 30 minute 5K last spring and I've been gunning for the 10K ever since - other than the part where I haven't run a 10K race since December 2010. Oops. BUT STILL - my TRAINING run was two minutes faster than my PB. I can't even....

I think the pace run really exemplified some of the best things about marathon training:

Consistent training really pays off.I can be faster than I think I can be, if I just push myself to do it.The hardest workouts are the ones that are the most rewarding.

And with that, I'm going to bed: I have a Six Nations rugby game (Come on England; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; etc.) to watch in the morning & a 16 mile run to do! Oh, and possible exciting race plans involving a very special 10 Miler in the fall to make (watch out 10M: I've got a goal for you, too, my pretty!).

WOOOOOOHOOOOO! Finished my 15 mile run this afternoon feeling about a million times better than after my 14 miler (and having run at a much faster pace, even)! While I can't be exactly sure why this one felt so much better, I'm guessing it has to do with:

Getting good sleepRunning consistently last week - not trying to fit my runs in amid travelCarb loading and eating well in the two days before the long run (especially noshing on pretzels for an extra dose of salt)Eating a better breakfast (bagel w/ cream cheese)Fueling more consistently: Gu before the run, as well as at mile 5 & 10Drinking nuun instead of water, to replenish some electrolytesKnowing when to switch to music, instead of just podcasts (and ONLY looking at my Garmin after a whole song had played)Being a far more pleasant day to be running than last week - chilly, but no rainI did my run on the Burke-Gilman trail, as usual, but this time set off toward Lake Washington and UW as soon as I got over University Bridge. It's such a nice trail and all but one or two of the street crossings have crosswalks. The only things I didn't like was how many bikes went whizzing past without ringing their bells or yelling to let me know they were coming, even where the path was really narrow. No real chaffing issues, which is a blessing, and I'm definitely less sore so far than I was last week at this time. w00t! In super attractive news, my face was absolutely covered in crusty salt patches. Ew. As if I needed more evidence that salt loss is a potential issue for me.

I was momentarily sad when I realized that today was the inaugural Tinker Bell half at Disney Land, which, clearly, I wasn't running. But, as Duchie pointed out - we're PRINCESSES, not fairies and, to be completely honest, I'd so much rather have had a good 15 mile run in the bank toward my marathon than a new medal for a distance that isn't going to be enough to get me ready for London.

Speaking of shiny medals, however, I finally registered for the Birch Bay 30k road race. I've actually got 21 miles on the schedule that day, so I'll do an extra 2.5 or so before the race starts. It's kind of exciting - it's my very last long run before the taper begins and I'm glad that I'll get to practice running without needing to carry my own water. Plus, medal, amiright?!

This week marked a return to consistency of which I'm proud. With no more travel plans, other than for races, I'm looking forward to sticking to my plan.

Monday - 4 miles easyTuesday - strength workoutWednesday - 7 miles easy (treadmill - booyah)Thursday - strength workout with trainerFriday - 4 miles easy (my AWS day, so out in the glorious Seattle sunlight!)Saturday - 15 milesSunday - REST (or maybe yoga?)

Ok, I'm three days post-long run and I do feel almost completely better, although yesterday and the day before were pretty awful. The office administrator has thought this whole marathon lark was insane from the day I told him that I needed to request a big chunk of vacation time and why. He thinks my tottering around the office is hilarious. And, I suppose, it kind of is. He's really going to enjoy the next three months.

I might have been better off if my days hadn't started by needing to return library books. Which isn't so bad in itself, except that returning books means that I then have to walk three blocks down Seattle's nightmare hills to work. If your quads were as unhappy as mine were at the time, you'd be complaining about walking downhill, too!

So, to cap all of that off, I had a nice massage tonight and then went for an easy seven miles on the treadmill. Which really wasn't so bad, other than having to wait a few minutes for a treadmill to open up.

I think tomorrow I'm going to stop by the running store downtown to talk salt tablets. I'm a really heavy sweater and always have been - I do wonder if salt loss might have contributed to my calf cramps after the last long run and have something to do with the muscle soreness I've experienced?

Right. To bed! Well, to sleep, seeing as I'm already in bed.

Just needed a bit of a moan. I ran 14 miles on Sunday. It was a new personal distance record, as I've never run anything further than a half marathon (13.1). I mean, I hadn't. Before Sunday. Now I have. Obviously.

But, ugh. It wasn't a very good run. It was the same pace as my first, very slow, half marathon. I never felt super comfortable, which I think might be, in part, because I managed to eat two mince pies for dinner before I collapsed into my bed for 13 hours. Proper fueling, I think not. Or maybe it was the stress of the previous week, which, between family, the funeral, and the travel cluster recounted below, was probably significant?

Either way, I ate my Gu, thought about pretzels, took one or two brief walk breaks and got through it. Slowly. Oh, but I did find the start of the Burke-Gilman trail, which was interesting & I'm looking forward to the Lake Washington Loop Trail for my next adventure.

But, ouch, ouch, ouch. I haven't been this sore since my first half marathon (the one after which I declared that anyone who would run a full marathon was INSANE and I would never be one of them). My calves started cramping immediately. My right shin is tender to the touch, my quads and hamstrings are distinctly unhappy with me, my ankles are bit tender. Basically the entire bottom half of my body hurts. Quite a bit. And I'm sort of shuffling around the office. WITH THREE MORE MONTHS OF THIS TO GO! And I'd be just over halfway done with the marathon.

Whine, whine, whine. I have to keep telling myself that my body will get more used to this - I didn't have any of these issues after my 12 mile run and, frankly, the biological effects of 12 vs. 14 shouldn't be that significant. And I'll have better (and probably worse) runs. But, I have to keep going. Still, why didn't anyone warn me that the training was going to hurt so much?

I've booked a sports massage for Wednesday. I'll bet that's going to hurt, too. Whee.

Well, last week was a bit epic. Started out the Friday before leaving for Philadelphia for what turned out to be my Grandma's funeral (see prior post - I bought the tickets before she passed away, so I originally thought I'd be visiting her). There was some utter crazy rescheduling brought on by a delayed aircraft that saw me deciding I'd fly to JFK & make my own way to Philly, then switching airlines and flying to Atlanta for my connection. It was a bit insane, but I made it.

Grandma's funeral was on the Monday and I had a chance to go down to Center City to see my two best college friends. Unfortunately, I think they ended up seeing far more of each other than of me, since I absolutely collapsed after the first five minutes of the Star Trek DS9 episode we started watching. I'm told that they watched another one AND made popcorn, but I was completely zonked out. Bless. They took good care of me.

Monday was a beautiful day - a bit cold & windy, but sunny and wonderful. I know Grandma would have loved the funeral and it felt like a big family reunion and a bit like a party. It was terribly sad that she wasn't there, but I loved seeing people who I haven't seen in ages or who I can never see enough of. In particular, I really loved seeing my cousin and her parents, my aunt and uncle, who I've gotten to know better & better over the last few years. Such a treat! And, Duchie came up from DC, cutting short her romantic B&B weekend with her husband to do such exciting things as keep me company on my 7-mile treadmill pace run. But, I did let her watch Murder, She Wrote & we shared the trashy magazines that I found on the airplane to New York last week. It was so great to see her, too!

Tuesday was the first hint of trouble, when the administrative head of the office called to let me know that the office would be shut on Wednesday because of an incoming snow storm, of which I had been blissfully ignorant. I decided to change my flight to Thursday, because the snow was supposed to turn to rain. I don't think anyone knew it was going to change to freezing rain, however. After a lovely bonus evening with friend in Center City watching Downton Abbey (squee!), I tottered off to PHL. The useless check-in lady knew nothing about the weather issues out West and I checked my bag. When I got upstairs, I checked twitter (god bless it) and found out that SEA-TAC had been closed with the ice. I immediately rerouted myself to Chicago, because I figured a bigger airport was better and I could always stay with my friend's family if I got stranded.

And a good thing, too, because they did cancel my flight and the earliest I could rebook (without going standby) was Saturday. Somehow, my bag was in Chicago, too, even though it had first gone to St. Louis on my original flight. So, I spent two nights with my friend's family, which was wonderful. And I went to Hull House to see another college friend and ended up buying a few of Jane Addams' books. Pity she spells her name the same way as the Addams Family. WHICH I DO NOT, TAKE NOTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BULLIES. Amazing woman & amazing work, though, and incredibly interesting. I can't wait to do some more reading. I finally got back to Seattle Saturday evening. Hurrah!

I am super tired following a trip to the East coast last weekend and am trying to get as much sleep as I can before I head back again. This time, it's for my grandma's funeral and, as much as I'm looking forward to seeing family, it's going to be sad and hard. I also hope it will be a joyful occasion: my grandma lived to be 94 years old and had only really been sick for the last few months of her life. She had all of her mental facilities and was visited by tons of family and friends in the days before she died. I think, all in all, it isn't a bad way to go. I was grateful that I was already on the East coast and took the train down from New York City to Philadelphia to see her. We spent several hours talking and remembering the things we had done together. It was very special and I'm so grateful that we had that time together. Miss you, grandma.

2011

I feel like 2011 was my first year of serious running. I started out the year training for my first half marathon, dealt with some injuries, was practically pathetic about running over the summer, jumped back in after the Bar, and ended the year training for my first marathon!

I set three new PBs in the 5k and PB'ed by 11 minutes in my second half marathon. And, frankly, I'm awfully proud of myself.

It was also a big year, personally. I graduated from law school, studied for & passed the New York bar exam, moved to Seattle and started my first grown-up job!

Fairly recently, my roommate asked me if I'd promise to stay with her if she signed up for a 5k. So, that's how we ended up mostly walking a 5k on a beautiful day around Magnuson Park. Seriously, I was soaking up the Vitamin D. We did opt for the "dry" version that didn't involve us leaping into the lake at the end. So, now roommate is talking about doing a 5k every month and starting to hit the couch to 5k plan pretty hard. Hurrah for starting the year off right with the most beautiful sparkly polar bear long sleeve t-shirt! I'm also glad I didn't get to race this - my legs were SO tired after yesterday's 11 mile run. (Also, how CUTE is my new Skirt Sports jacket? Boom for deal sites!)

Funny story about that 11 miler. I was into my last mile and on my second lap around Green Lake when I realized I was running behind two women with a very fat bulldog. I also realized that my slow/easy run pace was the same as the bulldog's. I had to speed up, for my fastest mile of the long run, because I was NOT going to be shown up by a fat bulldog.

I actually have a lot to say about this run, but I was testing out the mobile app. to upload the photo from my iPhone. I'll add more soon.

Monday: 3 miles easy

Tuesday: Strength training

This kicked my rear AGAIN, although I didn't realize it full-force until Thursday. My legs, my legs! Had to miss the local bar association's Christmas party to go to training, which was a bit sad, but I knew marathon training was going to involve sacrifice, right? And there's always next year.

Wednesday: 5 miles easy

Did an outside run. w00t! Had to knock these out in order to meet up with a friend to go to the local running store's Christmas party. So, 25% discount and four pairs of shoes later.... What?!? I'm trying to figure out which shoes are going to get me through marathon training and they have free returns!

Thursday: 3 miles easy

Friday: Strength training

This was a bit of a cop out. I couldn't muster the energy to go to the gym, even though my legs felt less tired after sleeping in my compression tights (all hail the compression tights). So, instead, I used my 5lb. weights and my own body weight and did what I could here at home. I still worked up a sweat, but definitely didn't do everything that I'd done on Tuesday. Still, I did something and I think that's what counts.

Saturday: Rest day/trip to Mt. Rainier

This was a change from the "official" schedule and one that I'm so grateful that I made. Saturday was stunningly beautiful and I think it was 100% the right decision to move my long run to Sunday and take today to go to Mt. Rainier with my roommate (see previous post). We didn't do enough walking to really call it cross-training, so I'd say my legs got a good rest in!

Sunday: 9 mile long run

More fun on the Burke-Gilman trail for me...trying not to die laughing over Mark Kermode's review of the new Chipmunk's movie on my Wittertainment podcast. I thought my peanut butter Gu was really tasty and my new Camelbak worked pretty well. I still need to do some adjustments, I think, because my left shoulder got pretty sore and needed to be stretched out and I got a bit of chafing under my left arm. Met my roommate for tea/light lunch afterwards, which was lovely.

The summit view from Paradise (that's where one of the big visitor's centers is and an inn, although it was closed for the season):

My mentor at work has been very concerned that I don't get out enough around the region and has taken to telling me about new places to visit every time we talk. As a result, I talked my roommate into a trip to Mt. Rainier. We were so lucky to have absolutely beautiful weather - it was sunny and warm and just absolutely stunning. There was a bit of light hiking, an amazing waterfall, and I tried out my yaktrax for the first time (they're coils you slip on the bottom of your shoes for traction). And us Indiana girls spent the whole day going OMG, MOUNTAIN!!! LOOK THERE'S A MOUNTAIN!!! It was great!

Week One is in the books and the first row of stars is on my marathon plan at work (blue for easy runs, yellow for strength days, red for pace runs, green for long). The week went really well. I thought Wednesday's 5 miles at marathon pace were pretty boring on the treadmill, but I was very proud of getting through them and nailing the pace right where I wanted it to be. It seems that treadmill running is just a bit less boring when you have hills to think about going up and down. Just a bit.

I felt famous during that run, too, because my "Rate Your Run" entry to Marathon Talk got read out in Episode 98, which I happened to be listening to at the time. I had a feeling they wouldn't be able to resist a race report complete with a mashed potato munch-off.

So, I've seen lots of other bloggers do a weekly recap this way, so that's what I'm going to try and do once a week during my training. Hopefully I'll have something else to say once in awhile, but it's a good minimum goal:

Monday: 3 miles easyThese were a little fast, because I was running purely on feel, but that's ok.

Tuesday: Trainer dayI really like my trainer, even though I still feel kind of guilty about having one. She's coached cross-country and run a marathon in the past, which I definitely like. I feel like her workouts are a good balance between complete-in-the-moment butt kickings and still being too sore the next day (because my hardest training runs, at marathon pace, will be every other Wednesday). Plus, she's from Indiana!

Wednesday: 5 miles at marathon paceMy ongoing concern here is that I don't actually know what my marathon pace is. I figure that I'm going to train at the paces the Macmillan pace calculator suggests for a 4:30 marathon (which I think is kind of a long shot) and then just enjoy myself on the day itself. I don't want to miss the experience of running London because I'm so focused on a time goal. If my half marathon experience is anything to go by, the first one is about the experience and then you worry about the times later (that is, of course, if I ever do this to myself again). Oh & the run was good, too.

Thursday: 3 miles easyThere's not much to say. It was cold and dark and I ran.

Friday: StrengthOn Fridays, I repeat the workout that I did with the trainer on Tuesday. But, it never feels quite as hard as it does when someone's pushing me, even if I do the same number of reps. Or, in theory, I could be getting stronger. Got up early to do this one before making green bean casserole for the office Xmas party (yes, on my day off). Caught the end of the Harlequins game against Toulouse (*sad face*) and went to Ikea with roommate before picking roommate's sister up at the airport for our weekend of shopping, food and awesome.

Saturday: 8 miles longNot a terrible day for a run. Ran from home, down through Volunteer Park, over University Bridge, on the Burke-Gilman train for a bit, then heading back. I timed the turnaround completely wrong...so I didn't have to do ALL of the hills on the way back (so, depends on your definition of "wrong") before stopping to pry a bagel and mocha out of some hipster hands. When asked for opinions on whether I should get a hot chocolate or a mocha (it's hot chocolate milk, right?) I was given the "WTF, it's MORNING, drink COFFEE, you FREAK" look. I wanted to comment that "DUDE, I just ran 8 miles. I THINK I'm awake now," but I didn't. The run was nice & disc one of Justice Steven's book kept me company for the first hour. Nerd heaven.

The rest of the day involved haircuts, MOAR sushi, shopping, pizza, Bridesmaids, and Toddlers & Tiaras. It was glorious.

Sunday: Rest day.I rested the heck out of this day with dim sum (omnomnomnom), visiting the Humane Society (we're thinking about fostering!), Theo chocolates, Sunday markets, a trip to the REI mothership (cannot WAIT to try out my new camelbak on a run), and yummy dinner at home. I was sad that roommate's sister had to go home today, because it was an awesome weekend.

Next weekMonday: 3 miles easy (done)Tuesday: TrainerWednesday: 5 miles easyThursday: 3 miles easyFriday: Strength

Saturday: 9 miles longSunday: REST

Marathon. Training. Starts. Tomorrow!

I still think I'm in good shape. I did my 7 mile long run yesterday at world-record slow pace, but I did it. And it wouldn't have been QUITE so slow, if I hadn't chosen some really challenging hills to tackle. Was it my best run? No. Was it the worst? No. Would have I have done anything differently? Probably yes - I would have run today when it was beautiful and sunny, instead of yesterday when it was grey and horrible and I probably could have found a better pre-run fuel than chocolate covered Trader Joe's brand knock-off oreos.

I'm excited. I cannot wait to start sticking stars on my training plan to show which runs I've finished and I'm really excited that I have a running buddy who's training for Boston while I'm training for London. Right now, that start line feels really far away (albeit, not as far away as the finish line feels), but I'm ready for the challenge. I've just got to stick to my plan and run smart for the next five months. And I think I can do that.

In other news, I had a lovely day that started with My Week With Marilyn, which was totally fluffy, but very fun. I think Michelle Williams will be getting award nominations, that I didn't love Kenneth Branagh's performance (although I LOVE Kenneth Branagh, but this felt a little too much like an impression), Dominic Cooper is just WEIRD with an American accent, Judy Dench is awesome (as ever...and Quaker!), Simon Russell Beale's part was way too small (couldn't HE have been Marilyn?), and the actor playing Colin was kind of adorable. Did I mention that my local multiplex only charges $6 for screenings before noon? (Yes, I would have chosen not to go to the multiplex, but there were very limited options for this particular film and this was the one that was accessible by bus.)

Later, I wandered down to Pike's Place, via Westlake, doing Christmas shopping. I had several thoughts: 1) Seattle amuses me in so many ways and 2) thank goodness my employer decided to send me to a city that is as serious about it's clam chowder as I have always been. I capped the day off with a bus to Green Lake to return a pair of shoes and pick up a new pair. Didn't love the Brooks Pure Connect - felt too narrow and overdesigned, in general, but am hoping for better results with the Brooks Green Silence, which should be showing up at my door on Tuesday (my size was out of stock, so I get free rush shipping instead).

Marathon training, per my slightly insane 5-month training schedule, officially starts on Monday, but I'm really following the same schedule this week, with the exception of a shorter long run. I know 5 months is crazy, but, to be honest, I just couldn't wait any longer to have a plan (A PLAN) to follow. I'm such a better runner when I have a goal to work towards and am not nearly as good at just forcing myself to get out the door and go for a run. Plus, the holidays can be a hard time to be really mindful of getting in the exercise, so it's better for me if I have a schedule that I'm going to try my hardest to stick to. And I'm trying to get back to a slightly lower weight, so exercise is a KEY component.

It's all very exciting: I have the schedule all taped up in my cube at work, ready to go. I even bought star stickers today to put on it when I finish a run. So, basically, as I told facebook, it's like potty training, but I get a medal at the end, instead of a Barbie wedding dress (yes, that is what I requested and received as my official potty training reward...).

So far I've logged a whopping 8 miles this week. OMG, call the Olympics. I know, it isn't that much, but I've got two more runs planned and that should take me up to 17-18. Again, it doesn't sound like that much, but in my running career I honestly consider four runs and more than 15 miles to be my weekly goal. I rarely meet it, so I feel like things are off to a good start.

Today's run was a 5 miler that I was planning to run by heart rate, up until the point that my Garmin told me it had a low battery when I turned it on. Oops. So, that ended up being a five miler run on nothing but how I felt and measured by my iPod, which is also probably a good thing. Also, w00t for having Nike+ installed as a Garmin backup system. I'm still having some issues with tightness in my right Achilles when I run, but it did loosen up after about 3 miles. I think I need to do more stretching back there and continue to concentrate on not tensing up when I run. I also ran in my Minimus for the first time in awhile and they actually felt great - even better than the Hattoris on Monday. I still think that the Minimus are amazing shoes AS LONG AS there are no rocks in your path! I know they're supposed to be trail shoes, but they HURT.

I think the running downtown after work thing is working out really, really well. I love that I don't give myself the option to go home. In fact, the quickest way to get home is to get my butt out the door, finish my run, get my things, THEN catch the bus. It only becomes slightly awkward when other people work late and I feel like someone's going to catch me coming out of the bathroom in workout clothes. The only downside is that I run along the waterfront and it's FLATFLATFLAT. I'm missing the hills and the stamina that I'd built up doing hill repeats in my neighborhood, but I still think it's too dark to think about doing those until the days get longer. Or on the treadmill. *poutyface*

Finally, there was a really beautiful sunset today. The clouds cleared just enough so we could see it and the Olympics. Stunning. My office has the most spectacular view and I'm grateful for it every single day. When the sun goes down, I'm rewarded with the handiwork of whomever decided to decorate the top of the Space Needle to look like a Christmas tree. Brilliant and adorable!

In the recesses of my mind, I knew that I had a fast 5k in me. Ok, I didn't really keep that to myself - I think all of my friends knew that I really wanted to just bust one out before marathon training started and I got down to pushing out new distance records every week. I mean, don't we all just like to GO sometimes, instead of worrying about whether we have the endurance to last or whether our heart rates are too high, etc.? And, I think the 5k is a really good measure of fitness, especially for me, who tends to be conservative, even in races, over long distances.

So, earlier this week, I signed up for the Green Lake Gobble, a 5k around one of my favorite places to run in Seattle. Green Lake has a beautiful paved trail all the way around (~2.8miles) and they add on a tiny out and back to the sidewalk to bring it up to the 5k distance. I picked up my bib, chip, and true turkey of a race shirt yesterday and MAY have gotten sucked in to trying yet more running shoes. *hangs head in shame*

This morning started out really badly. I was up before my alarm and killed time drinking tea before my zipcar reservation. 45 minutes later, after two zipcars that simply wouldn't GO when I pushed the gas (new note: NEVER reserve a Mini Cooper zipcar ever again), I took a cab to the race start. It actually ended up being the right amount of time, because it was SUPER cold this morning and I had just enough time to use the potty (real potties!) and do a couple of brief warm up trots. Seriously, this was the first time since I moved to Seattle that I've seen frost on the ground, probably because it was a beautiful, sunny, and clear day. The only real loss was to my long run, because I'd originally planned to leave my stuff in the car and go for another lap of the Lake after the race. But, oh well.

The race isn't super big, but I was a little concerned because the pathway can get very crowded on a normal day and isn't incredibly wide. But, the non-racers were awesome about stepping off the side to wait for us to pass, and the racers got strung out really quickly, like within the first quarter of a mile. I was running mostly on my own, but ran next to another woman for at least the first half of the race. She told me afterwards that she was trying to keep up with me (and lost me when I pulled ahead), but I thought I was keeping up with her! Dueling rabbits! Still, it was a really sweet thing for her to say! I did get passed a bit, especially in the first half of the race, but concentrated on picking people off in the second half.

So, my goal for this one was to come in under my current PR and finally break 29:30. Apparently I was not ambitious enough, because my official time was a WHOPPING minute and a half faster than my PR at 28:07. HOLY CRAP. I ALMOST BROKE 28?!?! That's INSANE. WHO TAKES THAT MUCH TIME OFF THEIR 5K TIME? Well, me, apparently!

Obviously, I had to make some phone calls (Me: GUESS WHAT I JUST DID?!?, Best Friend: Um, can you give me some context?), hydrate (mmmm, nuun & hot cider) and snatch a few snacks (bonus points to the cinnamon bread chunks from the Great Harvest Bread Co.). My only criticism was that there were random prizes for the 14 people who managed to beat the really fast turkeys to the finish line. But, um, those people are all or almost all going to win age group or overall prizes, too! What about the rest of us? I love how the DC races have random bib number draws for everyone! I left before the mashed potato eating contest, alas, to catch the bus home.

And, the extra bonus is that my gym finally opened today and I had my free training session. I'm SOOOOOO glad that I didn't do those extra three miles this morning, because I was feeling the burn anyway. But, it was also a confidence booster, because I'm tougher than I think I am, especially if someone else is pushing me. I'm signed up for personal training sessions, which was something I'd planned anyway, to help me get into marathon shape (and better shape afterwards, in general).

I'm just going to spend the rest of the day basking in the warm glow of my endorphins. :-)

Ahem.

I PASSED THE NEW YORK BAR EXAM!!!!!

I also need to do a recap from Columbia Gorge. How about this weekend?

I am so, so tired and bed is imminent, but I thought it was about time for a quick check in here.

I've got one last short run before the Columbia Gorge Half and I'm still feeling pretty excited about the race. I know that hills aren't my strongest thing and that this course has lots of them, but I'm definitely more prepared than I was before I moved to Seattle and pretty much HAD to start running hills if I wanted to actually get anywhere. Living on the top of the hill can have some disadvantages, but I know they're great training.

Today was a nice, easy 4.5, which I really enjoyed. I especially enjoyed finding, when I finished that my "easy" pace was only 5 seconds slower than my absolute dream half marathon pace for Sunday. So, that was nice. I feel confident that I will be able to do better than I did at the Princess, because I'm better trained, not going in injured, there won't be a sudden heat wave to adjust to, and I'm NOT going to forget to eat anything during the race! Sadly, I will not be running with my best friend, nor will there be a castle. Still, there will be an iPod, probably playing Wittertainment or my new favorite, Marathon Talk, and a Garmin that I'm finding I need to look at less & less. I still like analyzing the data when I'm finished, but I am loving the "no pressure" running of just waiting until it has done the requisite number of beeps to indicate the miles I've finished. I seem to run so much better when I can run by feel, rather than by Garmin. Doesn't mean I'm going to run without it, though! Then I couldn't overanalyze my pacing and splits. :-)

So, goals: my A goal would be to get under 2:15. My B goal is to be under 2:25 (my PB from Princess is 2:28). My C goal is to finish.

And, after that, it's on to a good rest and training for London! I met a woman for whom NYC will be her 7th marathon last night at the Sounders game. Needless to say, we both kind of forgot that there was a game on and spent the entire 90+half time+injury time talking about marathons. Awesome. It was fantastic and super helpful! However, we both realized that Boston, for which she'll be training next, is conveniently timed for making up training support teams, since Boston is the day after London. That would be nice, even though I'm still very much in awe of people who can run fast enough and training hard enough to earn BQs.

Right, falling asleep a bit now & must give in!

I'm running the London Marathon!

I'd be completely lying if I didn't admit that I'm pants-wettingly scared about this fact AND so over the moon that I want to shout about it from the rooftops!

I keep reading blogs from previous Londons and getting chills about the whole experience. And then, a split second later, wondering how on earth I'll cope with the training, the wall, getting the nutrition strategy right (am I the only person who wonders about this obsessively?). I realize how well I already know the course and how much better I'm going to know it soon. And I realize how incredibly lucky I am to have the support of friends who are going to be cheering me on the whole way (in tiaras!).

So, I'm just getting started - I've ordered several books from the library and am going to have to sit down and make a plan. (A PLAN!!!!) And, then, of course, comes the hard part - sticking to it. I'm going to plan for four runs a week. That's more than I manage now and will be quite a challenge, given that I work from 7:30-5 and it's dark so early in Seattle. I think more runs that I'd like will be in my gym, once it's finished and opens, on a dreadmill. Ew. But, I'm also looking forward to the cross-training and definitely planning to do a yoga class each week.

I'm definitely not starting to train now. I've still got two weeks and a bit until the Columbia Gorge Half and am technically in the taper for that race. However, I am so, so grateful now that I'm signed up for that race and really got my training in gear over the past couple of months. The news about London came off of a really good training week and an 11 mile long run that was definitely hard, but not utterly exhausting. I can feel the improvement, even from a few weeks ago. My body feels strong and I love that feeling. I am in no way, shape, or form underestimating the challenge that running the marathon will be, but I feel like I've at least given myself a good shot at getting through this in one piece, because I've already built a solid base to train from.

And OMGOMGOMG, I'M RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON!!!! EEEEEEEEEEE!

I started my new job today. It was lovely - the people are lovely, I have a colleague where I didn't expect to have one, and the views are utterly fantastic. I'm as stoked about it after the first day as I was leading into it, which is a huge win in my book. While I'm a little jealous of the waterfront views that much of the rest of the office enjoys, my cube looks straight out at the Space Needle, so that's still rather nice. I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm a lawyer (well, almost...*crosses fingers and vaguely contemplates making sacrifices to the NY Board of Law Examiners*), but, then again, I NEVER want to be that lawyer anyway, so it very possibly doesn't matter.

A big highlight of the day, after I'd pounded up a few of the hills in downtown Seattle (dear god, I don't understand how a city can survive with the hills this city has between 1st and 5th Sts.) was stopping by the gigantic central library to get a library card and a healthy stack of books. Being an idiot, I'd only packed two books (aside from a couple of reference/textbooks) to get me through until the pod arrives next week. And, obviously, I've finished them. STUPID. So, now I am restocked and must remember to go and place a few things on hold. Apparently everyone else wants to read Hunger Games, Mao's Last Dancer, and Born to Run, too. Lame. Still, it was glorious and even better is knowing that going to the library doesn't even require a detour from my commute.

Plus, I saw Mt. Rainier!

Finally, a bit on the running. Last week, in between a trip to the Social Security office and the DMV, I visited the mothership and signed up for an REI card, just like a good little Seattleite. I also bought two pairs of shoes - another pair of New Balance Minimus (the original version - for some reason the update didn't feel quite as good, so I decided not to mess with success) and a pair of Saucony Hattoris. Now, I'd been looking at the Hattoris for quite some time, ever since I saw them reviewed on The Running Moron's blog. I'd even go into the running stores in DC and pick them up and think about how comfy they looked. So, last week, I FINALLY tried them on. And they feel amazing. So they went home with me. And then went for an 8 mile run on Sunday*. And, despite having killed my forefoot the day before in the pair of Minimuses that are now officially retired, the Hattoris were lovely and comfortable. And blue. They really do feel like you're running in slippers.

As for the run, I enjoyed checking out the Arboretum and the shore of Lake Washington. I got lost a fair amount, but my phone helped me. I had to walk some of the hills, but I was really, really proud of getting to 8 miles, even after giving myself permission to poop out after 7. I've got a ways to go before the half marathon, but I think I'll survive, at least.

*Yes, I do realize you should probably break shoes in first, before taking them on very long runs. But they just felt so perfect out of the box (and didn't cause any problems)! I'm SURE it helps that I've been running in shoes with a 4mm drop for months, so going to zero drop didn't really feel any different. It actually felt better because my foot felt better cushioned in the Hattori.

Well, I've moved across the country and have started settling into my new life. This life involves a LOT of Ikea furniture. It also apparently involves me playing with my stamps a lot. So far, I've made a massive spreadsheet of all of my Yugoslavia and put them in chronological order - which is a really good idea, when the plan is to eventually accumulate enough to do a fairly decent rate study. I was shocked by how many of them I've managed to accumulate in a relatively short amount of time, given that they seem to trickle in a few at a time. Of course, this also encouraged me (as if I haven't spent enough this week already) to decide to start targeting some of the online auction sites a bit more aggressively.

So, if you're a stamp dealer who happens to have any Yugoslav covers mailed between 1988 and 1999ish, please give me a buzz!

I've also sat down and spent a bit of time thinking about how to revise a paper that I'm working on about the Thatcher Ferry Bridge stamp error litigation. What I mostly decided is that I want to go through the DOJ files at the National Archives as soon as I can - it's annoying that I LIVED in DC and never made it (granted, I was a bit busy this summer) out there and now need to plan a special trip across the country.

But, so far, Seattle is nice. I LOVE the weather, which is just as much like London as everyone always told me it would be: overcast, cool, sometimes a bit drizzly (I've been assured that soon, it will ALWAYS be drizzly), and so humid that you're sweating after five minutes. I love the house's location - living within a three-minute walk of a Trader Joe's AND a crunchy, granola co-op is just about the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me after so many years of it being hard to get groceries. I've managed to see a bit of the city while running errands; so far, my favorite thing was the crumpet and tea shop at Pike's Place Market. And, yes, I did stop to watch them throw the fish around. I can't wait to see more of the Market & try a lot of the food options. Plus, new housemate has been super awesome about taking me out places and making suggestions.

I've been running several times now. The local running store is only a 10-minute walk away and has running groups twice a week. I went on Thursday, which is the night that involves a post-run trip to the bar. That was lovely. I also ended up being the only person other than the organizer who showed up for another, Saturday, run around one of the lakes. Both runs were great, but I'm definitely slow compared to these other runners. I'm not ashamed of that and I know running with them will make me stronger, but I do kind of wonder where the other Penguins are? Do they not join running groups? Do they run with other groups? Or, are there fewer "recreational" runners in Seattle?

The other thing that will make me stronger (if they don't kill me first) are the hills. Dear god, the hills. THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM. AND THEY ARE SO STEEP. I WILL NEVER MOAN ABOUT DC'S CAPITOL HILL EVER AGAIN. I had to walk a good number of them on this morning's run, but I was pleased to make it 8 miles without falling over. It puts me more or less on track for the half marathon in October, by which point I will hopefully know what my spring racing season looks like - some runners from here are doing the Hollywood Half, which sounds pretty amazing, but we'll see...

The idea of a streak went down in flames when I realized that it really was not the best idea for me to keep pushing every day to run, even when I was still recovering from injury.

I've run several times since my last blog post, but yesterday was particularly memorable/stupid.

I had a form that needed to be turned in at school, a mile away, by 5:00. At 4:50, I left my house and, after waiting for Mr. Garmin to find some satellites, booked it in 80 degree weather, when I haven't been properly hydrating or feeding myself for several days (What? It's finals?). And then I felt like I was going to pass out when I stopped running. So, obviously, I walked for a bit, then started running again.

I was running along the sidewalk beside the Capitol reflecting "pond," when one of the sidewalk joins decided to leap up and trip me and I bit it hard - as did my iPhone, which now has a nice little scuff on one corner, but is otherwise happy. My knees and palms, not so much. I've got some huge sore spots just below my knees, but at least the bruising seems to have been avoided by the rapid application of frozen peas. God bless my special "only for injuries" bag of peas. And, of course, I still wanted to pass out from the heat, dehydration, and running too fast. But, I made it all of 2.25 miles before I ran into a friend and decided it was time for me to be done running.

All of this bodes very well for my 5K this weekend, but I will, of course, be drinking lots of water between now and then. And going for a few more runs.

If anyone is actually reading this, I'd really appreciate any donations you might be willing to make to Cancer Research's Race for Life this year. My page is at: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/joyceadams1308. It's my fourth year, out of the last five, running, and I'm still grateful that this is the event that first introduced me to running and let me channel my sorrow at losing my mom and dad into something that keeps me happy, balanced, AND helping other people. Thanks.

Another late night, minimum-length run. But, another mile for my streak, so I'll take it.

I decided to try running in my regular trainers, instead of my barefoots. Sure enough, the tendon in my groin that has been SUCH a problem didn't feel as good as it does in the Minimuses. That's totally fine - I'm happy to keep working on upping my milage in the Minimuses, because the regular shoes felt SO SLOW and I went back to feeling like a plodding elephant. Still, I'm a little sad because I think my other shoes are really nice looking (yes, that's vain). And, because it doesn't bode well for me, at some point, deciding that I cannot live my entire life in barefoot running shoes. I haven't worn anything else, except for when I'm wearing my work flats, for a good two weeks now. And Duchie helped me buy some really, really cute heels for graduation! I think I may still need to try some PT, or at least do another few weeks of strengthening exercises.

In happy news, I got to talk to my favorite Australian today and that was lovely!

As I could have predicted, tonight's run was a bit crap. It's cold, it's raining and it's late. So I only did a mile. Meh. It's supposed to be beautiful tomorrow. I might take my regular trainers out for a "long" run to see how they and my injured bits will do. 4 miles? It's kind of pathetic, but I'd rather be safe than sorry (and can always go longer on the day).

Hmmm, am I going to have to run first thing on Sunday, in order to be ready for an Easter cupcake feast?

I can't believe that I haven't done anything with my blog for a very, very long time. It was easier to post every thought on facebook, but I kind of wish that I had kept a better record of the last three years, now that law school is drawing to a close. It's been interesting to go back and read through some of my entries and sometime's it would be hard to remember how many different Joyces I feel like I have been in the past...six years!

Anyway, I'm really only here because I'm embarking on a new thing. We'll see how long I last, but my new goal is to run at least a mile every single day. I'm the queen of "I'll run tomorrow," so there's a new urgency that accompanies the need to run every day. Or at least it has over the past two days (because that's how long my streak has lasted since I decided to have one). I'll get a few miles in tonight after I get kicked out of this coffee shop, where I am supposedly writing a paper comparing the treatment of forced marriage asylum claims in four countries (and I'm stuck on the UK, where the asylum system is so, so, so bad that it has reduced me to spontaneous tears at times). But, my legs are tired from a hard effort yesterday and a morning strengthening session that involved lunges (seriously...why do they hurt so much), so I think it will be a nice, relaxing slow run.

So far:

4/21: 2.5 miles, including 6 minutes of hard running (two Eurovision songs, if you must know how I'm timing these)

4/20: 2 miles

TOTAL: 4.5 miles

I know, those are super short, but I'm just coming off an injury that's been with me since before the Princess Half at the end of February and I'm easing into something that resembles barefoot running (New Balance Minimus). Which, to be honest, hasn't been that hard of a transition - it would appear that I was a forefoot striker all along. But, I LOVE THEM and feel like a gazelle, instead of a plodder.

Plus, my most immediate upcoming races are all short 'uns: May is going to involve 3 5Ks. But, soon enough I have to work up to a trail 10K on June 5 & the Baltimore 10 Miler on June 18. It'll be fine. :-) But, man do I want to PB at Baltimore & beat my time at the Army (we're not even going to talk about the Cherry Blossom, which I enjoyed SO MUCH, but ran very slowly), so I'm going to have to do some serious work between now and then.

Finally, I need to give some thought to the new Tinkerbell Half at Disneyland. Since I'm planning to be on the West Coast, this becomes completely doable in a weekend - and I like the idea of being part of a brand new race! I feel that I need to kick a half marathon's butt after the Princess, which I'm pretty sure kicked mine!

Oh, South Africa, you crazy country.

So, I was reading this article in The Guardian this morning as I ate my breakfast and waited for the rugby (go Quins!) and was pretty annoyed.

The jist is that the ANC has added Winnie Mandela to their list of parliamentary candidates for the election in April, despite a constitutional bar on convicted prisoners serving in elected office until 5 years after their sentence has been completed (see § 47). Winnie was sentenced to 5 years (later reduced to 3.5 suspended sentence years) for fraud in 2003 (the appeal was in 2004). Now, there is some ambiguity because the Constitution bars any person who "is convicted of an offence [sic] and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine" from sitting in Parliament and Winnie had a suspended sentence. I don't know anything about South African case law, but it seems that this is a job for the lawyers.

What really toasted me was this statement, actually: "The ANC, probably rightly, believes that the majority of voters do not care whether she has a criminal conviction," said Rapule Tabane, the political editor of the South African weekly Mail & Guardian. No offense to the journalist, who I think is probably stating the truth, it's just that this seemingly blatant disregard for the rule of law is one of the things that I really, really dislike about the ANC. You see it with Zuma, who's used his political stature to avoid prosecution, with the officials at my old municipality who seemed to think that their ANC status gave them impunity when they stole from the citizens, and probably a million other examples from all over the country.

Or, let's be honest, I just hate it when people disregard the rule of law in any country, but I get especially upset when I see South Africa, a country with so many problems and so much promise, going down that same road. Show some discipline, for pete's sake, and respect the government that you built out of the ashes of apartheid!

I am alive, I swear. Somehow updating my blog just didn't seem like a huge priority during the first semester of law school, which is probably a pity. I'm sure I'll want to look back and see what things were like, but it was also an insanely busy period.

I mostly just wanted to send out into the ether my memories of a wonderful day in London, yesterday. I've been here almost two weeks, although it seems like much longer, and unfortunately head back to the States for the new semester in just a few days.

Anyway, yesterday started with the longest line that I've ever seen at the National for day seats. By the time I got to the counter (after an hour in line, only 20 minutes of that in line before they opened the doors), there was standing room only for all six shows (3 evening, 3 matinee). So, I settled in to do case briefings for our first week back and checked in with the box office before lunch. I snagged one ticket then, but was able to exchange it for two seats together after lunch. They were wonderful! Full price, but alas. Center and about 10 rows back, which was amazing, since we both really wanted to see August: Osage County. It's pretty easy to see why it won the Tony and I lurve whole house sets. Which prompted Ian and I to recount how many complete house sets we'd seen at the National (we think three: Rafta, Rafta; The Rose Tattoo, and this one).

For lunch, I caught the bus to my old bus stop and had pie. DEAR GOD, THAT IS AMAZING PIE. It was also lovely to remember all the friends who I took to have pie there when they came to visit me in London. I realized later that I'd forgotten to look for the pie shop's blue plaque, but they may be all the excuse I need to go back again for more. PIE! I don't know what I expected, but Tower Bridge Road has barely changed in the 18 months since I left. It was a bit odd, but comforting, too. A big part of me just wanted to slip right back in to the life that I left here. But, someday....

I had a lovely bimble back up Bermondsey Street (again, few changes), through Borough Market (as wonderful as I remember), and along the Thames. It was lovely, but I really do miss living here. Capitol Hill is great and all, but it just can't compete with Southwark. I think that I'd like to find a way to move back to the neighborhood when I come back to London, whenever that is. After I picked up tickets, I walked over to the LSE to pick up a book that I wanted and bimbled back to finish my homework, read a bit, have some dinner, and meet the Boy a bit before curtain.

Play was great. I'm not sure that the actors themselves weren't replaceable, although they were wonderful, but they weren't...memorable. The play was the strong thing here and the Boy later remarked that the mid-play dining room scene was the best piece of theatre that he'd seen since the big speech in Blackbird. I'm fairly inclined to agree with him. It was a really long play (two intermissions), but until the last five minutes (I think they could have trimmed a scene or two right at the very end), I was absolutely unaware at the passage of time. So, yes, if you have time, go see August: Osage County at the National.

And I think that's all from me; I need to get ready for the day and go to do some shopping. :-)

1) I TOTALLY have the chairs from the cafe where the women have brunch at least once an episode on Sex and the City. Ikea. Who else? (Is it sad that I know the product line that well?)

2) Tacky DC souvenirs. I love those shops in Union Station. Tonight, also, I found Mints for Obama (tagline: Peppermints we can believe in). Hilarious!

3) The fact that the Boy, the Boy's brother and I are all APPALLED that his parents would buy an All Blacks onesie for the impending grandchild and that we've been dispatched to Twickenham to supplement the wardrobe of England's newest supporter (to be; he/she's not here yet). I'm very excited, because I'm always wanting to buy the cute stuff for my nephews, but it wouldn't really mean much to their parents.

4) Having coffee with a friend.

5) My new Brookstone blanket (50% off!). SO SOFT and big enough for my whole bed! Cowering under my special, but twin-sized, fleece blanket was a bit strange on a queen-sized bed. Now it will just have to be special in the living room.

6) Being almost done with work (tomorrow!).

7) Going to England sooooooon. And seeing Boy and so many friends.

8) Lists.

My friend read my last post and proclaimed: "It's like you're a poster child for Stuff White People Like."

I'd also like to discuss my unhealthy habits with craigslist. Is it normal to keep looking for apartments, even after you've gotten one? Why do I compulsively check the Arts & Crafts page, even though it serves as a daily reminder that a lot of people own a lot of tacky crap (and all seem to need to get rid of it because they're "moving abroad")? Seriously...I've found some awesome stuff, but they're diamonds among some pretty rough stuff. I'd take myself to task for scouting the furniture ads, but I really am looking to upgrade my loveseat. More importantly, is craigslist a thing white people like? Am I living up to my reputation?

Ok, after an Ikea flatpack filled evening, I'm heading to be. Got to be up in time for my 20 minute walk of a commute. :-)

Ok, time for my more or less monthly post: but OMG! I know that I'm a total yuppie, but I LOVE my new neighborhood. I just moved to Capitol Hill and have this adorable little basement (English garden, if we're being posh) apartment. The GULC (that's the Georgetown University Law Center) campus is a few blocks down Massachusetts from Union Station (and not, it must be noted, in Georgetown), so the whole point in moving here is to be less than a 20 minute walk from school. But, I love that I've got two coffee shops, two yoga studios, a public library, several parks, and lots of restaurants all nearby. Even my tiny corner convenience stores sells couscous and three kinds of organic milk. I'm a happy, little camper.

Well, it seems like the answer to the title question of this blog is that Joyce goes to Georgetown. Which is awesome. I got accepted off the waiting list last week and couldn't have been more excited. Accepting the offer and withdrawing from Northwestern was kind of a no-brainer, but really only because I'd been asking myself "what if I get off the waitlist at Georgetown?" for several months. In the end, the only thing that really, really mattered was the international law curriculum. It's a major, major thing at GT (we have our own library and building) and not so big at NU (I wasn't sure how I was going to find enough classes that even interested me). Chicago would have been awesome, but I'm really rather relieved not to have to move across the country. Now I just have to find a new place to live, so if anyone knows of anything on Capitol Hill within easy walking distance of Union Station, just let me know!

That's the major news for now. I've been keeping busy with stamp club meetings and ushered at the theatre on Friday. Last weekend was the major stamp show for DC and I spent two days out in the suburbs somewhere. It was fun, although I didn't find a ton of stuff for my new 1980s/90s inflation-era Yugoslavia collection. That's been coming from e-bay for the most part and I'm up to 6 covers! (Soon to be expanded by 35 thanks to a massive lot.)

I dunno, I really suck at updating, but I'll be keeping the blog going. Maybe law school will spark me to write more often? We can hope!

I'm really sorry! I'm not good at this anymore! But, I've got something to talk about now....

So, today was the last event for "Passport DC", which has been a three-week celebration of embassy-ness and DC's international flavor. Two weeks ago was EU Open House day and today was "rest of the world." Plus, I took time off of work yesterday to go to the Russian Embassy. Both days were really long and involved a TON of walking and waiting in lines, but were absolutely fantastic and definitely worth needing a good soak in the tub to make my legs feel better. Is it a coincidence that I passed out in naps both times? Probably not....

Both days involved a LOT of turn-of-of-the-century mansions on and around Dupont Circle and Massachusetts Avenue (which isn't called Embassy Row for nothing). Some were really surprising, like the ultra-modern Italian Embassy, one of the ones I definitely expected to be old. The British Embassy is a MASSIVE compound and, although they only opened one room, definitely won the "free stuff" battle and set a really high bar for everyone else (they were our first stop on EU Day). Even better was me trying to keep a straight face when Her Majesty's Representative spoke and told us how much Britain loved being European. I think he was trying to illustrate their position as a bridge between the US & the EU, but it was kind of funny. Also quite popular were the several different kinds of Scotch that were being served at 10am. And my new British Council flip-flops (I know, I know...wtf?). Those rock. Also, the staff all looked rather uncomfortable in specially printed t-shirts with a MASSIVE Union Jack on them! Hee, hee.

Other embassies were a lot more traditional. The Irish Embassy was like that, where all the white people stood in line for AGES to celebrate their heritage and were rewarded with a piece of cheese each. Uh..... I was going to boycott the Cypriot embassy until I heard that they were serving massive platters of Halloumi cheese, one of my all time favorites! I had several pieces and laughed to myself about their promotional materials, i.e. "The Myth about the Isolation of North Cyprus." I brought that one home, but haven't looked through it. Also awesome: the number of different materials designed to explain the EU to children/dummies/Americans (same things, right?), which are EXACTLY what I wanted for my EU class at Earlham several years ago. Win!

There was more of that today, actually, where there was a major focus on South and Central America. The Peruvian embassy and the Colombian residence, especially, were incredibly maintained/restored mansions. Wow. There was a real tendency everywhere to mix modern art with the old houses and we learned that the Colombians fly in fresh Colombian roses every week for the floral arrangements. The Peruvian embassy was a special treat because they took small groups upstairs to see the Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission's offices. The tour guide was their press secretary and he was great. On both this tour and the one of the Venezuelan residence (a purpose-built art deco mansion), I definitely learned more about the countries than I'd previously known (although I later proved just how much Paddington Bear trivia I know with a detailed history of his pedigree).

And, today, there were quite a few modern embassies, mostly clustered up around Van Ness on the edge of the UDC campus. Pakistan definitely won my prize for "architecture that reflects the country" with this amazing modern mosque/Islamic/Mahal blend. It's only three years old and VERY modern, but with windows that are styled to look traditional, with the points, and loads of tile work (that's not really tile, but maybe?). BEAUTIFUL! I totally want to go (although that was kind of the theme of the day, much more than for EU day). Bangladesh had great food and I now know how really good Ethiopian coffee is. Ghana was SO DECKED OUT in flag goodness for their 50th anniversary celebration and someone at Nigeria forgot that they'd signed up, I think (TIA! Also, snerk). Oh, and Australia opened the big open entry space in their embassy, which has a model of the Southern night sky on the ceiling. They were doing wine tastings (yum), had a fantastic digeredoo performer and a very nice photo exhibition commemorating Australian/American cooperation on the Western front in WWI.

The day was all capped off by finding a Peruvian restaurant (it sounded so good when described at the embassy!) courtesy of google maps on my phone (BEST. THING. EVAR!). We tried the traditional cocktail (Pisco Sour) and had an incredible dinner, all for fairly reasonable prices (cocktail, an appetizer & half an entree for bang on $25/each), sitting outside in the perfect weather. Mmmmm. The restaurant was INTI Peruvian Restaurant and it's roughly at S & 18th in Dupont. Lovely day. I'm glad that I'm finally enjoying things about DC, especially since the move to Chicago in the fall currently seems inevitable.

This is just one big w0000000t shout out to my Muppet, who is one of my most awesome Earlham friends. We bonded over a mutual love for England and I remember he was one of the most excited people when I got in to LSE. AND NOW HE'S JUST BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM, TOO!!! Yeah, that's two of us on Welling's tally and I bet she'll be over the moon when she finds out. OMG, jealous, but Muppet totally deserves it and I'm super, duper proud of him. Eish! I'm going to have to try and hook him up with the LIMUN crew! :-)

So, some dorktastic photos:

1) ...you watch an American production of "The History Boys" while mentally critiquing their scene change rugby "matches" (no doubt thrown in only at the beginning so we all remembered that it was supposed to be set in England, unless it was supposed to be foreshadowing for "Pass it on boys, pass it on" at the end of the play). SHOCKING attempt at a line-out and we won't even mention that the ball came the wrong way out of that ruck. Otherwise, generally decent job with the accents (although the "dumb boy" who was supposed to have the REALLY thick Northern one was really bad and unfortunately it's an accent that I'm fairly familiar with...despite the fact that my Boy is quite a clever Northerner) and pretty bad set, more evocative of a posh, modern, wood-paneled office than a Northern grammar school in the 1980s. Sometimes they got the timing of the punchlines wrong, which I think was a difference in the way Americans and Brits phrase things, and there were a fair number of jokes that went over people's heads. I don't think the audience understood that it was a comedy until the second act. And, of course, no one thought that the Holocaust or fondling themes were meant to be amusing. But that all sounds more critical than I mean to be: ultimately, I think it's a play that works wonderfully in an intimate space and tonight was a treat. Did I mention that it was free because I was an usher. You can bet that I'm doing that again!

2) ...you're watching "Becoming Jane" because you're a sap for period dramas and as Jane Austin and James McAvoy face off on the cricket pitch you think to yourself "ooooh, she's really going to catch it now; look how far back he's gone for the run up! Fast bowl coming up!" I think the Boy can take SOLE credit for that particular bit of dorkiness, since he made me go to the cricket in South Africa. Go Proteas!

3) (thought of one more, also related to "The History Boys") ...you are really, really amused that the actor being Damon (the cool one who everyone seems to be in love with) decided that his "cool" hairstyle meant evoking the spirit of Shalk Burger. And we already know my opinion on Afrikaaner/Springbok coiffure choices, don't we class?

I would like to add to Lindsay's collection of Balkan graffiti with my own:

That's me on Ruga Bill Clinton and a bit of graffiti which rhymes in English (and though I'm only two lessons into my Albanian tapes, I don't think it does in it's original language): No Negotiation/Self-Determination.

I've been sad to read about everything happening in Mitrovica, but that's where things were mostly likely to turn sour. I wish we'd had a chance to visit last summer, but it probably came at the expense of the side trip to Macedonia, which I also adored. It's so frustrating!

One other quick Kosovo note, which amused me to no end...did/does anyone else pick up on the subtext in this statement by Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, responding to a question about the embassy attacks: "Well, obviously, some of the actions of Serbia have been deeply disturbing. The riots in Belgrade, the attacks on a number of Embassies were outrageous and unacceptable. This is a terrible thing. There have been various provocations in North. This sort of thing was to be expected. I think the Kosovar leadership has responded to these provocations with, frankly, a maturity which vindicates the decision of the United States and two thirds of the European Union members to recognize it. And I think with time, and as Kosovo develops, these problems will work out slowly, but I think they will."

I just watched today's Obama speech on race and I have to say it was pretty impressive. It was more interesting than American Idol, which I turned off when I realized that this was one that I had to watch straight through and not during the (long and frequent) commercials.

I kind of feel like I've just watched a really good episode of West Wing, like those times when I can hear good writing happening in my head and my fingers try to keep up.

But I think Obama's message was fantastic. I agree wholeheartedly that this election should stop being about race, because what my experience in South Africa taught me is that Americans have so much in common, even when they don't realize it. I don't want to denigrate South Africans by saying that they're not like Americans (because ultimately we're all human) or pretend that I completely understand the African-American experience, but the truth is that we watch the same tv, DO have many of the same problems and hopes (as Obama pointed out so eloquently), are governed under the same set of laws and by the same people, share a language, and learned many of the same things in school. And I wish more people realized that and would focus on our similarities, rather than our differences, as Sen. Obama did this morning.

His remarks reminded me of one of the things we learned about in South Africa, but so often struggled to integrate into our lives: Ubuntu. As many of you know, it's the concept that "I am, because we are." And realizing that we MUST recognize our overwhelming commonalities, rather than our differences when tackling the problems that almost every American worries about, the economy, education, health care, and foreign policy, seems to me like our own American Ubuntu.

It was great.

I have a better sense now of what might be happening in my life, come the fall. I got in to Northwestern, which I never expected and which I have been over the moon about since Thursday. It's a wonderful, wonderful school with an atmosphere (supposedly) that would be as close to Earlham as I'm going to get in a law school and a human rights program that is very much oriented towards matters of transitional justice, one of my personal passions and interests. Plus, I love Chicago and would like to be back in the midwest.

None of this is final. I'm still waiting to hear from another school, but I am also starting to stress about moving (far more than I should for an event that's five months away)!

I would also like to congratulate myself on doing some ironing today and found myself thinking that if I wanted to iron, I should have stayed in South Africa!

Well, my excitement for the morning has passed. I woke up to find my cell phone service cut off and, upon further inquiries, that I owed almost $400.

After paying enough to get my service back, I was able to investigate my online bill. Seems like the main problem was that I was being charged $1.49/minute for my calls to the UK instead of the better $0.08 rate that I pay a little bit extra to receive. And, since that's the difference between $8 and $150 for my recent calls, it was dramatic. Customer service was great and fixed everything right away.

So, yay for AT&T and your service (although I may be shouting about a reactivation fee if I see one, for the bill that I never received)!

God, I can't believe that it's finally happening. For years and years, I've been teasing my dear, favorite Kosovar, asking him when his wee, little fake country was going to get it's independence and today (because it's already 5 am in Prishtina), it probably is. For reals. And I know it's not my country, but I feel immense pride on Behar's behalf and I am so, so glad that he and a whole lot of other people will no longer be stateless (de facto, not de jurie, of course). I'm happy that he'll have a real passport and that Kosova will be a real place on the map, and that it'll have the might of the EU behind it and helping it grow.

Kosova was so beautiful when we visited last summer. It seemed like a place that was so looking forward to the future, but one that needs someone to help plan and control the explosive growth that is taking place. I hope that the beautiful, forested mountains won't go the way of Macedonia's (away, in other words). I hope that Kosovars can honor their past and their dead and celebrate their freedom in ways that don't threaten the beautiful and sacred places and the lives and safety of Behar, his friends and family and everyone else.

I have a special hope that the Serbian Orthodox monasteries will be alright. Especially Decani, which was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever visited (although the monks were creepy). I felt honored to be there, but sad knowing that I could only visit because of my foreign passport. Behar would never have been able to go, but for a bit of luck when the NATO troops accepted his US driver's license as ID.

But, anyway, well done Kosova and enjoy your independence. You've suffered for it and been in limbo for so many years, while the international community argued over your fate. Also: do you guys get to be in Eurovision now? Because that would make me super happy! Happy Birthday!

I would like to admit a secret love for the Ikea flat pack. For some reason, their directions and I just understand each other. I can get in the zone and hours go by while I insert wooden pegs and tighten screws with the little wands. I'm just sad that I have very little furniture left to assemble in my new place. I would also like to volunteer my mad Ikea skillz to my friends.

All this is by way of saying that I finally have a bed and a mattress! After a call to customer service to have the directions e-mailed (they'd been left out of the box) and a trip to the store to buy the midbeam support that I'd forgotten, it was done. And so I got to sleep on a real bed for the first time in several weeks. Awesome.

I'm also looking forward to today, because of the chance to see lots and lots of friends, some from the stamp collecting world and others from LSE. Tomorrow's the rugby and I've just gotten word that my wonderful, wonderful Boy has booked his early-April plane ticket!

Plus, I am officially admitted to American's law school (there was some mix-up that involved my notification being sent to South Africa)! w00t!

I am so incredibly steamed right now. After making me go in to see the gas company customer service people in person (which they then told me was completely unnecessary), we scheduled the installation of my gas meter for this morning between 7 and 12. After hauling myself out of bed to get dressed after being up with election returns until 2, I've just waited and waited. I even put a note downstairs on the call box with my cell phone number, since the box doesn't work (probably because I don't have a phone).

Finally, at 12:45, I call the same people who made me go to the office in person and they explain that the technician had been there at 11 and left a note on the glass door. I go downstairs and there's no note. I walk up and down the sidewalk, checking the flowerbeds and there's no note. There was no courtesy call, as there was supposed to have been. I think the chumps saw that my street was under some construction (replacing lead pipes, I think, which seems like a noble undertaking) and decided not to bother. So, now, the only option is to reschedule for "between 8 and 5 tomorrow," which having wasted today already, I'm rather upset about.

So, while there aren't any other options, I would like to alert the world to the fact that Washington Gas sucks and has terrible customer service. I hate monopolies, 'cause I'd sooooo take my business somewhere else.

The great irony of all this is that I HAVE gas already (apparently for free) and the gas company seemed shocked as hell about it. Muppets.

I was talking to the Boy tonight and giggling gleefully about all the craaaaazy new contraptions I’ve discovered upon living, really living, in the US for the first time in two and a half years. And now, I understand why people think this is the land of milk and honey: we have everything! And it’s moderately priced (as long as I don’t multiply prices by 7 to put them into rand)!

My new apartment, while located ages from a metro station and in an amenity-less “emerging” neighborhood, has enough gadgets to keep me SUCH a happy bunny. I have a dryer!!! Which means that for the first time in ages I have my very own, completely dry fluffy, big towels! This might seem like a little thing, but after London, where nothing ever dries properly, and South Africa, where I used those horrible travel towels the whole time (because buying proper ones seemed like an extravagance), it feels like the world’s biggest luxury. And, although I can’t imagine needing it for just one person, I have a dishwasher and A MICROWAVE (we didn’t have one in London, so I’m kind of in awe of not needing to spend 10 minutes heating up some soup and needing to wash the pot afterwards). OMG.

This last thing’s the best though. The Boy was thoroughly amused and a bit patronizing about it, but I refuse to be deterred. So, I have two window units, one in the bedroom and one in the main room that are both heaters and air conditioners (A/C! Be still my heart!). And they operate by REMOTE CONTROL!!! So, I have this plan to wake up with my alarm, turn on the heat, push the snooze button, then get up when the heater’s had 10 minutes to take the frost off. Pure luxury. Only in America.

This is all, of course, in addition to my tendency to wander around stores, particularly the grocery store, in a daze wondering where all of this came from and why on earth we need so much of it. In the recent past, I may have had a short freak-out over the need for 10 ft. of shelving devoted solely to pickles. Seriously?! I’ve also been acting like a bit of a n00b, as I bumble my way around DC and the metropolitan area. What’s startling is how willing people are to help and how many strangers strike up conversations with me.

It’s one of the things I’ve noticed about myself since I got back from the Peace Corps: I feel much more willing to strike out without a plan or directions. And, more importantly, I’m willing to have conversations with perfect strangers. It was always awkward in SA and still is (a bit), but I feel more willing to be open and more willing to hear their stories (and met some very cool people as a result). I feel more confident in places that probably would have sketched me out before. I think this will sound weird, but I feel even more comfortable around persons of color than ever before. I think living in South Africa made me super, super aware that despite differences, people who live in the United States have more in common than we often realize. And for some reason, I seem to have a bit of serious street cred, because I lived in Africa.

I do, however, have to fight the urge to call every older woman, especially the African-American ones, I meet “ma’. I think that might get misinterpreted. And, after three weeks, I’m finally ready to cut back on the root beer. Hurrah!

Oh, er, right. I'm not in South Africa or the Peace Corps anymore. I moved to DC two days ago and am starting a new job very soon. I also couldn't feel happier about my decision to leave.

And, yes, I'm changing the name of the blog again.

Well, we're two days out of Cape Town now and it's been fantastic. We've got a tiny white [Boy: actually it's silver] Toyota that the Boy's been driving through some very beautiful and dramatic countryside. (The Boy is doing all of the driving because I sort of forgot that I needed to have my driver's license with me, which actually worked out well because they only had manuals at the rental place at the time.) His review: "It goes like a three-legged sheep and handles like a whale." (We were on a winding, fun mountain pass at the time, through the vineyards, reflecting on how much it looked like a place where Top Gear would film.) It also has the turn signal stick on the right side, instead of the left, so the windows were getting washed with astonishing frequency for a while [Boy: when I rule the world all cars will be laid out the same, but to be fair the windscreen is now sparkling].

We stayed last night in Swellendam and drove to Cape Agulhus, which is the southern-most point in Africa and the point which demarcates the boundary between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It was strange to stand there and reflect on the continent that stood to my back. We were standing on the edge of a nice, quiet, prosperous, Afrikaans and English speaking (read: white) seaside town that wouldn't have been out of place in England if it were a little more densely populated and with more of what the Boy calls "tat" stores [Boy: it would have been about 10 degrees cooler as well]. And, yet, I was thinking about my village and Niger and what I've seen of Kenya & Tanzania: generally poor, black and very different than Europe and the US. I kind of felt that L'Agulhus (that's the town) would give the completely wrong impression to an alien who landed there and wanted to learn about Africa. But, that's South Africa for you: "the world in one country."

Today was the start of the Garden Route proper and we took the slow route through more mountains and the Little Karoo desert (not at all impressive because it looked just like the area that we did our pre-service training in, albeit with big mountains this time). It was really, really windy by the coast, so no swimming, but we did visit the Post Office tree, which has been used for sending mail since the early explorers [Boy: cue much squealing from the Girl Girl: he's just jealous of my "post office-dar"]. We'll pop back tomorrow so I can finally mail my postcards.

Oh, and I should mention the last few days in Cape Town. We went up Table Mountain, which had amazing views over the city and out to sea; bimbled over to see Parliament and the synagogue; and then spent the Boy's birthday going to the first day of the second South Africa-West Indies test match [Boy: cricket for any Americans or other aliens reading]. It wasn't bad, although I was very bored when things got slow in the session between lunch and tea [Boy: read as "I didn't understand the subtleties of an absorbing tussle and have an American attention span" Girl: but, he did promise me ice cream at the tea interval]. I was, however, infinitely amused by the family behind us with its grown-up children (my age?) who got progressively drunker as the day went on. By the end they were having a beer cup stacking contest with another family and were calling for the Proteas (SA's cricket team, named after a flower) to bring on Shalk Burger to bowl (read: pitch). (Burger was one of the heroes [Boy: villains] of the World Cup-winning rugby team, in case you have no idea why that was funny.) We continue to follow the match on the radio.

A few notes:

1) The Boy would like everyone to know that he did not only give me a bear for Christmas, but also the Doctor Who Season 3 DVDs. He thought I made him sound cheap (also read: Northern *grin*) in the last post.

2) I love that South Africans call avocado "avo." It denotes a fondness and familiarity with one's food that I don't think Americans generally have, although "mac 'n cheese" may be an exception.

3) Today's Afrikaans word of the day: spanspek = watermelon.

4) Mossel Bay is lovely. It's a very Victorian seaside town that hasn't gone downhill or too far towards tat. I like it a lot. And Swellendam has a million B&Bs and is home to what may be the only chatty English couple in history (even if we did stereotypically talk about the weather). My map reading skills are coming along [Boy: coming along being a relative term. Boy "left or right here?", Girl "err I don't know", Boy "make a decision!", Girl "err.... straight on?", Boy "that's not an option! bugger it! right it is", Girl (5 minutes later) *accusingly* "you've gone the wrong way"], but we're awfully glad that we bought a nice road atlas.

5) This road trip is turning out to be a lot of fun.

Woooo, it's time for an in-vacation blog! I'm in Cape Town at the moment, with the Boy and really enjoying it. What's been most shocking for me, even though it obviously shouldn't be, is how much diversity there is everywhere. We just had dinner on the V&A Waterfront surrounded by people of all colors and it's tremendous to see. It's so normal in my real life and so alien to my Peace Corps life (aside from our PCVs of color). Cape Town has been a real awakening to how much has changed and how much progress has been made. I know I always tell people how hard it is to constantly jump between the "third world" in the village and the "first world" in Polokwane or Pretoria, but Cape Town is absolutely incredible. I can't believe that this is the same country as my village.

We've kind of made this first part of the trip the "deal with South Africa's depressing recent history" section. Two days ago was the Soweto tour, which included visits to the Apartheid Museum (ok, but very "great men did this" retelling of the story without too much depth or focus on ordinary people) and the Hector Peterson memorial/museum (which is excellent and deals with the Soweto uprising of 1976). I wasn't so impressed by Soweto, mostly because it didn't feel alien to me at all! I guess I've acclimated more than I think. Today we went to Robben Island, where the government stashed all of the male political prisoners of color (black, Indian, coloured). It was a very interesting experience, not the least because of the queue for tickets. They're fully booked until Jan. 10, so there were a lot of crazed people trying to buy standby tickets. Luckily, I booked a couple of months ago! It was an interesting, very choreographed tour. You got herded on to a bus for a 45 minute drive around the island, then a 45 minute tour of the maximum security prison, including the reverent filing past of the cell where Mandela spent 18 years. I can't say it was a particularly emotional experience, however, and I somehow thought that it would be. On the up side, there were penguins!

I'm also simply more confused about this place. I get so frustrated with its potential and the things that are so, so bad and then feel guilty when I remember how much the people in my community have struggled. And I think about how much has changed, which is incredible, against a pessimistic niggling that nothing will ever get better.

I guess I just have a few other random thoughts:

1) The Johannesburg domestic terminal is fantastic! We checked-in at a kiosk and dropped off our bags without ever waiting in a queue and no one ever harassed us before we got on the plane! I'm usually completely stripped of my dignity and ready to kill someone at airports, so this was fantastic. On the two hour (and $100) flight to Cape Town, they even gave us sandwiches. Veggie Boy got a whole chocolate bar with his cheese sandwich, but the rest of us got one sad cookie.

2) For Christmas, I received a beanie bear wearing the uniform of the Boy's rugby team (Harley is the mascot's name, since the club is the Harlequins). I have now purchased a miniature springbok wearing a South Africa rugby jersey. Harley has been retaliating, beating up said Bokkie (and the Boy has helped, although he swears he's over England losing in the World Cup final).

3) Christmas was amazing. Another PCV and I went to the nearby Dutch Reform Church for their Dutch services, which was great, and we met some really nice people afterwards. Then, 13 of us SA-16ers all gathered at one of the backpackers (hostels) to cook more food than two times that number could have eaten! It was fantastic. Wonderful food and so many friends. I really do love my PCV family.

Possibly more to come.

There may be readers out there who, like me, care very much what their Presidential candidates are saying on the International Criminal Court. My friend from Chicago and I wrote to Obama a very long time ago asking about his position, but we never heard back (and were a bit peeved about it, considering that he's her US Senator). We finally decided to do the research ourself and turned up this gem from the (UNA-USA sponsored) American NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (AMICC). It's a fact sheet giving candidate's actual answers to ICC-related questions.

I have to say, I'm not excited about Obama's responses, which basically give some cautious optimism, before noting that the Court is still young and "it is premature to commit the US to any course of action at this time." He also expresses concerns for American service personnel. Frankly, I think that if our servicemen and women can't behave themselves (and remember, in this case, not behaving means committing war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity), they should be just as subject to anyone else to the Court's jurisdiction. Of course, the reality is that they would almost undoubtedly be court-marshaled and tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in US military courts. This would eliminate the Court's jurisdiction because the US would have shown itself both willing and able to deal with these crimes. Ahem.

Where was I? Ahhh, Hilary. Her answer: Bush's unsigning has been really bad for us, the ICC has really behaved itself admirably since its establishment and "I will as President evaluate the record of the Court, and reassess how we can best engage with this institution and hold the worst abusers of human rights to account." I like this answer better. She doesn't say that she'll sign right up again, but makes it pretty clear that she'd like to be a partner for the ICC, in its investigations, and avoid being an obstructionist force on the Security Council. I don't think the Senate would ratify the Rome Statute in a million years, so I think this is as good a compromise as we're likely to see.

And, finally, Bill Richardson, just because he made me happy. I think this pretty much says it all: "The US should join the ICC as a full-fledged member. We have nothing to fear." Again, not in a million years, but wouldn't that be nice? Happy Joyce. :-)

All in all, I might use my worthless primary vote (NO ONE will care what happens by the time the Indiana primary rolls around in May) to show support for Richardson and maybe help him get the VP nod. On the other hand, I've been often torn between Obama & Clinton and this is the sort of thing that could tip the table. I'll be honest, it's a lot harder to be inspired by Obama when, unlike most US voters, all your news about the race comes in print format. Populism doesn't work as well when it isn't being delivered in speeches and definitely doesn't work when reported dryly by the Economist. On the other hand, am I a one issue voter? Sigh! I need to find out more about their opinions on the UN.

1) People being rude. Two days ago, a group of primary school kids yelled at me, in English: "Your vagina is beautiful!" While that's hysterical, it's also just tiring.

2) Screaming. The adults that I've lived with scream at their kids all the time in tones that I only associate with something being really, really wrong, even though it might just be to check on them or to ask for a cup of tea. It really bothers me.

3) Gasto-intestinal distress. Yes, I'm sick again. At least today there's no fever, it's cooler and I can do more than collapse on my bed again after every trip to the latrine.

Yesterday, I officially "quit" my job, as in I went in to the office to tell them what PC and I had decided. The Director of the Department was very kind about the whole thing. My supervisor gave me the limpest handshake I've ever recieved.

Alright, Peace Corps came to visit, we talked and they've released me from working at the municipality. I am absolutely over the moon about this. Even better (as if it could get much better), I've been given permission to go looking for my own new site. I told my APCD (program director person) about a meeting that I had set up for January with an NGO that runs provincial and a national Model UN and I'm hoping to meet with them before then, now (have permission to go to Pretoria and everything). I've sent e-mails to everyone I can think of who might have contacts in South Africa and am open to suggestions! Although I love this family and I will continue to stay in contact and visit them, my APCD also gave me permission to move and I am really, really hoping to be a city girl again sometime in the next few months. I'll keep you posted.

First, um, and I feel really tacky doing this, but I thought I might make some Christmas/Solstace/Winter Festive Season suggestions for, er, presents.

Because, I'd really, really like some kind of specific things to share with my host family. Primarily, I'd like: children's picture books and magazines or books with lots and lots of photos. I feel a little bad giving them copies of the Economist, see, to "read" along with me. The kids here are 7 & 8 and none of them can read yet, but I'd like some age appropriate stuff that we can practice on or that they/we can at least look at together. And the littlest one (he's 2), love trucks. Granny & Gogo would probably love anything that's from the US, maybe decorative sorts of items (they're both in their 70s and gogo can't walk). Thanks!

Um, and because I'm a little selfish (and bored), I love entertainment: books, magazines, DVDs, that sort of thing. I do get the Economist and the Christian Science Monitor and would still LOVE trashy gossip stuff (People), as would the girls in my village.

As for the work situation, I'm on a stoppage right now (supervisor approved), until my organization authorizes payment for my transport. Peace Corps is coming out to talk on Tuesday about the entire work situation. I'm looking forward to our discussion and hope that it'll help alleviate some of the stuff that I've been dealing with since arriving at site. More on that later.

Anyone who's ever been or known a Peace Corps volunteer (and gotten an honest assessment out of them) or who has a decent sense of imagination, probably knows or has heard that life as a volunteer can involve a LOT of ups and downs. You might not hear about the downs, especially in a public forum like this, but I'm trying to write about the things that have gone well. Whether it's an event or something I've done or a relationship I've made, these are the things that make me think that I could be effective and survive for two years. These are the good days. Read what you want into the fact that blog posts have been pretty sporadic.

Anyway, today was a good day. I helped the local home based care organization recreate a really, really complicated reporting form. They worked closely with the last volunteer in my village and I was super impressed that, after I made all the tables that were needed, the staff member took back the computer to enter all of the labels and the data. It was very "thanks for your help and I can totally do the rest of this!" I sat with her to help dictate the data and with tweaking the tables (and taught her how to put shading in some of the boxes), but it was really gratifying to see someone here be so very independent. Their old volunteer really taught sustainability. Sometimes it's nice not to be needed. :-)

My second engagement of the day was to attend the ward committee meeting for the villages that surround mine. It was so exciting to be in an environment that I actually know something about. Thanks to my time with the Lib Dems, I feel like I do understand how local government can and should engage with its constituents. I feel like I have something to offer if I work with these ward committees, which is a big change from my usual job. Plus, they asked for my help! Which, for me, is huge. Anyway, the ward councillor is a cool guy and he actually reminds me of my friends (who are about the same age as him) who are councillors back in the UK.

Ok, that's about it. I'll keep you posted on how it goes with the ward committee. Now, I've just got to convince my supervisor that I'll get a lot more done if I'm deployed to them, rather than being forced to sit in the office.

Now, I've got to attend to my dinner (I've eaten more Ramen in a month and a half of Peace Corps than I did in four years of college) and figure out how to ignore mentally disturbed drunk guy from next door, who has a habit of showing up at all hours of the day and night and loves to talk "to gogo," no matter how often he's told to go away (and stay away). Ugh.

Um, this is a little weird, but just about ever since my day of horrific food poisoning two weeks ago, I've been reluctant to eat. Thinking about food makes my stomach go queasy, as does thinking about the actual taste. And I'm not really hungry, which is in HUGE contrast to training, when I could never eat enough. I even have a bar of chocolate that I have absolutely no desire to eat, which is WRONG!

Any ideas what's going on or what I can do to fix it?

Also, because I'm interested: what do you find most interesting about me? I'm doing a poll. :-)