Dre Day

Wednesday morning at the bus stop with Erica on our way downtown. The day started out nice enough, but there is deceit in that sky. It's supposed to rain for the next two days. We can't really complain as our spring has been relatively uneventful. The only real problem is that I slept through my alarm this morning deciding to run in the afternoon instead. I also have a volleyball game this evening. It's the last one of the spring session at Flannagan's... and it's looking like it might be a rain-out. I've always felt like the weather's had it in for me. I hate when rain is forecasted for a volleyball day. I play Wednesday and Thursday... and the two days it's supposed to rain this week?.. you guessed it, Wednesday and Thursday.

But this is hardly the first run-in Mother Nature and I have had. But that's the kind of weather you get around here. Some days are great, most days aren't. You learn to take advantage of the good ones. Not like those California kids.

Speaking of California kids, I like the 5th & Westwood signs in the background... as Dre would say... "up to no good." And he ain't lyin'.

Balanced Breakfasts

It's Tuesday morning. Erica was enjoying her Raisin Bran and Simply Orange OJ in the dining room and nothing seemed to be hurried or forced... so I leaned against the sink and admired it for a moment.

Just a couple of weeks and she'll be graduated and ready to begin the adjustment to life sans frantic pace. The real world doesn't require you to earn two simultaneous graduate degrees, work a 24-hour week for nothing, hike people's food and drink around on a Friday night for tips... all the while trying to be a person with a family and friends. It's funny how they always say that school prepares you for the real world. I'm not sure how realistic that is.

I've certainly never had the frequency of all-nighters that I was warned about. It turns out that when you don't work in a steel mill of a design studio, they actually care about you more than money.

So, as out-of-whack as everything is at this point, I'm sure that life will soon be returning to somewhat of a normal state. And then again, there is a wedding to plan.

Oh, The Places We'll Go

These four feet have been around the block a few times. Erica and I headed to Indy this weekend for my 5th mini-marathon... it would be Erica's 3rd.

2007 left me defeated and embarrassed. I wasn't going to let that happen this year and I took it more seriously than I had ever done before. Luckily, the hard work paid off for both of us. I really never had experience actually "training". Neither had Erica. We would just go out and run without much of a plan. It was around February that she hopped on runnersworld.com. They provide anybody and everybody with free training plans based on your present performance, desired distance, the amount of time you have to train and how hard it is you want to train. It's a pretty amazing little tool. So with a 12 week schedule in hand, I set out on the road to redemption. I would honestly say that without this schedule, I wouldn't have hit my goal. It was the combination of speedwork, tempo and long runs that made the difference. I could feel it in the last 5K on Saturday. And as much as Erica would tell me over and over again how ready she wasn't, she blew away her previous best by more than five minutes and came in under two hours with a 1:58:09. I was more excited for her than I was for myself. I bested 2007's time by nearly 20 minutes with a 1:36:36. I remember as a kid in the driveway shooting baskets that I'd never miss a shot from the same spot twice in a row. I'm glad that I still have the same fight in me.

On a sad note, my friend Nick wasn't able to run this year because of back spasms. It was literally a last second decision not to run and I know it tore him up, but it's more important for him to be healthy for some other races we have going on this summer... as well as later in life. So I didn't have my running partner and no one really felt like talking out there, so that really sucked, but I know he'll be a force in 2009. He was missed.

And I didn't take any pictures for one reason or another. The party at Nick's afterwards was a good time despite the 30 degree temperature drop and then we met up with my parents, my grandma, sister and my Uncle John in Dayton for lunch on Sunday afternoon. It was a great weekend and I'm already looking forward to next year.

Bling Bling

I proposed to Erica last night and she said YES! It's been a somewhat nerve-racking experience... just making sure that it was something she'd like, making sure that I proposed in a way that her and I would both be comfortable with and more than anything else, making sure she'd say yes. The latter ended up being the easiest part.

The process started the 5th of April when I took a trip home and headed into Thoma's too see if I could find a match to the sketch I had of a ring that she had previously tried on. Mr. Thoma said he'd take care of it and he most certainly did. So I went back once to make sure it would be to her liking and then picked it up just this Monday, proposed Tuesday night. It's hard to hold onto those things once you've got them.

So we were headed to dinner last night and I thought, carpe diem. So I wrote up a little note and put it on the passenger side of the car. I opened the door for her (which was entirely out of character) and by the time she turned around, I was already on one knee with a ring in my hand. It was strange how everything just slowed down. I didn't fumble with the ring at all and it was nearly a perfect fit. So we had a carefree night at Figlio and finished up with some ice cream at Jeni's.

I really wasn't sure how to tell everyone. I'm not one to draw attention to myself concerning such matters and thus decided that I would tell them in the manner that I usually communicate with them. I thought it was a good idea... my sister did not, seeing as though we usually text each other. Anyone that complains will get a phone call tonight. So there it is, my fiancé's hand with a ring on it. Now we just have to figure out what we're going to do. We had some coffee at Starbucks this morning and I was excited about both of us wanting the same things. I'm already looking forward to the day.

Dookie Boy

Sticky Steve got a new lens. A Lensbaby 2.0. I'm thoroughly enamored with it and want one. Two things however hold me back... its price and the fact that it's a novelty item. You can't shoot with it all the time. It would just become lame and you'd soon learn to hate it. Like trying to get drunk on Guinness.

I told this guy to find me one for "cheap". There would, of course, be a finder's fee. This is Al, of Dookie Boy fame. He's our Main Street ambassador. Anytime I'm at Envoi, he's sure to pop in at some point throughout the day. He lives down the street and spends the majority of his time in the area, so he's got a pretty good idea of the going's on. He's a comic, DJ, entrepreneur... a little bit of everything. He shoots video in the neighborhood and then throws it together on his computer and puts out a DVD every now and again called The Alcatone Show. It's really good stuff and I've always said he should be posting this stuff on myspace... or youtube... something, somewhere. He has really good footage of the riots, of which, some parts are included on his 1st and 2nd DVD's. So anyways, that's Al shot with a funky lens.

I'm beat today. What a weekend. I did have a good run this morning. Just one more tempo run tomorrow morning and we're all set. It'll be good to see everyone.

Roughin' It

An impromptu camping trip with some Indy/Cincy dudes took place at Hueston Woods near Oxford over the weekend. It was a good opportunity to get away. Erica had mounds of homework to get through and the warm weather had been pulling and tugging, tugging and pulling.

Got out of Columbus way too late on Friday, of course... but made the 110 mile trek in surprisingly good time and arrived at the site just before dark. Ate, drank and got to bed at 2 am. Time flies as they say. The floodgates opened around 4 in the morning and it came down pretty good for some time. We stayed dry but the worst part was having to piss and not wanting to run out in the middle of a rainstorm, but hardly being able to stand the sound of the deluge pouring over the tent. It finally let up, and I finally pissed and headed straight back to the warmth of the sleeping bag.

Woke up Saturday morning and ran the loop around the park with Elliott. Ended up being almost 9 miles altogether, but hilly as hell. It was a good run and the last long one before the mini. After that, I was ready to relax and have fun. We went mountain biking for the better part of the afternoon. It was a crazy beautiful afternoon and aside from a broken chain, good times were had and we even had enough time to play 9 holes on a great golf course before the sun had set. The rest of the night was spent around a campfire. Finally turned in and the cold weather allowed me to let the sleeping bag completely envelope me. I can't wait to get back.

But now it's Monday and I'm still on the run. I can't wait to get back to my bed tonight and throw down on some serious laundry. Well, I'm not looking forward to the laundry. I am looking forward to this weekend. Indy Mini time and I think I can actually say that I'm ready for it. New shoes... wicking undies, shirts, shorts and socks... carbo cubes... what else could I possibly need? Maybe good weather.

My Commute

The warm weather provides me with the opportunity to ride my bike to work... starting on Glenn in Grandview and ending at the Miranova Building downtown.

My ride starts in the intricate alley system of Grandview Heights. It reminds me of riding my bike where I grew up. I then make my way to 3rd Avenue which is offers a straight shot out of Grandview and to the river. At Olentangy River Road, I meet up with the bike path and follow it as it meanders south with 315 to the right and the Olentangy River to the left. The path continues over 33 and crosses over to the east side of the river just before the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers. It opens up here and provides a nice view of downtown... and I'm almost positive that the background for Kirk Herbstreit commentaries on ESPN was shot from this general area. This is also where a lot of homeless camp. The ridge along the river as well as the lack of roads or buildings on the west shore give them ample cover. From there, I have a nice hill that takes me into some waterfront park where dodging geese can get tricky. Geese, for the record, are idiots. Any other animal will move quickly to get out of the way. Not a goose. They're the white trash of the bird kingdom. No matter if they've got the entire path covered, I'm still the one in the way... and they don't move. If they do, it's only to get more in the way... and then they hiss and spit... which is the equivalent of calling my mom dirty names and wanting to know if I've got a problem. So finally I hug the river into the final park which is right next to the Miranova. In the summer, I stop here to cool off and enjoy the breeze... and watch the bridge being built. It's pretty crazy how much work goes into a single bridge.

I would have to say I'm a lucky individual to be able to do this on a regular basis. I'd be far less sane if I couldn't.