Guard Cat

Apparently HC has claimed the deck as his own. He has taken to guarding it against bugs, squirrels, birds and anything that comes through the doggie door which really is only Ramona. It is nice to know he is protecting the deck from everyone that lives here, pretty soon none of will be allowed out there.



In other news Mel and I successfully ran our first 5K today in my hometown of Hanover. It was weird to literally run around the neighborhood where I learned to drive, hiked along the North River, rode my bike to the corner store and basically grew up. We both finished strong and felt really good at the end of the run. We are looking forward to our next one. Now to find a better sports bra that doesn't chaffe. Blurg.

MJ

I will never forget the night this 25th Motown Anniversary was on and the whole family sat around the TV and was mesmorized by this performance. It still stands the test of time and no matter how you feel about how MJ lived his life, his talent and influence cannot be denied. He was electric live and you could not take your eyes of off him. You can see and hear him everywhere in today's pop music. Thriller will always be the cassette I wore out and had to get a new one because my BFF Suzy and I would listen to it over and over again in our tree house. I knew every word by heart.
I was lucky that my Dad introduced us to all kinds of music, but Motown was a staple in our house and I consider myself lucky to still have some of those LPs, including The Jackson 5, and MJ's Off The Wall. Now I just have to get his old turn table up and running again.
MJ's legacy will always be controversial but you cannot tell me you do not want to get up and dance when you hear these songs.


or



I hope he finds the peace he seemed to be always looking for, I am thankful I got to experience the times he was most prolific.

Fun in Bed

My first iPhone video. I edited it right on my phone. Maybe someday I will be able to embed in the blogger app on my phone but no dice for now. I had to email it to myself. But still pretty cool. Though it is a little dark, it looks better on my phone.
As much as I kvetch about HC and his craziness, he is nothing but entertaining and easy to tease. I think it is so funny when he attacks my feet under the covers, although the other morning he got underneath. Ahhhh. Probably not a good habit to get him into, but it makes me laugh.

S.A.D

Seasonal Affect Disorder...usually rearing its ugly head in the winter months has become the bane of my existence these days with one of the the rainiest Junes in years. It should be called Seasonal ANGER Disorder, I am angry about everything. However I also remember last June being pretty rainy too. I think our seasons are shifting. It is staying colder into our usual summer months and hotter past August. Weird.
Anyway June is not a great month for me anyway, so having it be this gloomy makes me a difficult person to be around. It all came to a head on my bday/father's day weekend and I was a pain in the ass, just plain super moody, and in a funk.
There were a couple of bright spots. Mel took me out on a surprise date for my birthday, we ended up going to a murder mystery dinner in the N. End. Not something I would ever do myself. I really despise interactive performances like that, but I got over that hump, and it ended up being pretty fun.



We also saw Star Trek, which was really good, and after a hiccup that brought my mood to alert color RED, I got my new iPhone. Then finally, lunch with Kristine on Sunday, who totally gets when I am like this. It has been a week of ups and downs. Analogous to the Homeland Advisory System my moods have gone from YELLOW to RED at any given moment. Maybe I should post these advisories on the outside of my door, or on my messenger bag so people know when they approach.
Because of this I spent some time alone. I enjoy going to the movies by myself and saw Away We Go. I read a couple of reviews that seemed to like the movie but said it was kind of pretentious. I did not find this to be the case. I thought it was a very sweet movie about two people in a healthy relationship searching for the best place to have and raise their baby. I know for myself, especially when I feel like I do now, I am constantly questioning myself; am I living in the right place and doing the work that is going to make me the most happy? Maybe Boston does not bring out the best in me all the time and contributes to these funks I get in? Maybe I need to be in a quieter environment near water? I imagine many people have this same dialogue. Either way the movie struck a cord and I was quite touched with Maya Rudolph's subtle performance as a woman who loves her BF but does not see the point in marriage, and questions whether they are "fuck-ups" because they are not living the prescribed life society forces down our throats. I totally got it.

39

I turned 39 this week. Hard to believe. As most people who know me know I am not a big birthday person. Every year I try not to get grumpy about it but that never seems to work and I think resisting it makes me grumpier. It really has nothing to do with my age. I do not mind getting older, but I do think about where I am in my life and all the things I want to accomplish but haven't yet. It can get overwhelming.
Things that weigh on me:
- CC debt
- That I still rent (only sometimes)
- Yo-yo weight (no pun intended)
- Watching Ramona getting old with me
- My job
- Calling to make appointments that need to be done (Eye, Teeth and Dr. etc)- I have a weird phone thing.

I do not want to be all negative. I was walking home yesterday from the gym and I realized I was pretty lucky I still have a job, that I am healthy enough to go to the gym and have the choice to stay in shape, have good friends to spend time with, and am in a healthy relationship with a smart, funny, lovely lady. Everyone comments on the big 40, not sure how I am going to feel about it next year but I will try to make the most of this year. You never know what the future will bring. I at least know the future is going to bring me a shiny new iPhone that I can geek out on.

I don't get it

I walk by this ad everyday and it baffles me. What the hell are those two blue olives and what do they have to do with Dr. Scholls? And why are they talking? Shouldn't they be in some space age drink from one of the vodka ads with the robot women? When I walk by this bus stop every day I just say to myself that is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. I do not know why I bugs me so much, but it just does.





-- Post From My iPhone

You're killing me

This has become part of Mel's and My vernacular while we were traveling Europe. We needed something to defuse tense traveling times. This worked perfect when I started to go into crank mode or when Mel was being indecisive. Either one of us would say it and it would instantly placate the other person and we would laugh. This little trick has followed us home and we are now using it constantly for many situations besides annoying each other. I think I hear it more from her for lots of reasons, which I won't go into here. Those who know me will know. I have been using this phrase a lot with the animals lately for example; When HC is going crazy, trying to escape off the porch, licks my head in the middle of the night with his sandpaper tounge and attacks me unprovoked also when Ramona doesn't poop, let's HC bully her, squeezes in between couch and coffee table only to trip me up every time, and licks everything...I think you get the point.
Other things that have prompted this phrase from my mouth lately:
- Co-worker taking a personal phone call in middle of a meeting
- Apple's failure to put at least zoom on the new 3Gs iPhone
- AT&T not supporting MMS right away, poor form
- Drivers who cut through the gas station on corner of rt 9 and S. Huntington and almost run me down
- The Housewives of NJ
- How easy it was to guess J and E computer passwords
-How much Toast sucks for getting shows from TiVo to my Mac. Still kicking myself for buying it

The list goes on, here is what prompted it tonight.






-- Post From My iPhone

"Do your business"

Mel has picked up some dog sitting through our friend Jen. She will be able to make some extra cash by helping out this Dr. who has at least 3 overnights a month. So this weekend she has her first sleep over with the pups. The owner of these pups is very particular and gave Mel a 15 page manifesto on how to take care of her dogs. It is quite funny but hey some people really love their dogs.
Over in my neck of the woods we have a house guest this weekend. Sophie our friend's lab is staying at my place. The only reason she is staying is because she has an injured leg and our friends wanted her to be around a dog who would not be playful. That is where my old lady Ramona comes in. Since she is 12 1/2 she does not do much anymore so it was a safe bet she was not going to get Sophie all riled up. A couple of days before Sophie came to stay she came over to have a meet and greet with HC. This went fine, I am not sure HC can tell Ramona and Sophie apart. He just sees another submissive lab he can bully. Sophie is getting the same treatment as Ramona. The usual swipe from the table as she walks by, and the cat hug/attacks that HC likes to give Ramona. It has been quite amusing. We got some video of this. As you can see HC is quite bold. Luckily, like Ramona, Sophie is such a pacifist she does not care. We are not sure if HC is licking, pecking or biting Sophie.




The one quirk Sophie has been exhibiting is lack of poopage. Not sure where she is keeping it but she has only pooped once since she has been here and has eaten like 4 times. Our friends said that when we are outside with her say, "Sophie, do your business." Well guess what, that does not work. Mel and I are walking around the park following Sophie around with a poop bag saying "Sophie, Do your business." We look like idiots.
Meanwhile Ramona has pooped like 8 times. Thats my girl.
Finally, I bought a rack for my car and became an official REI member. I think that should at least get my score from 89% to 95% on the Facebook, "How Gay Am I" quiz. The Honda Fit is now Kayak and Snowboard ready. I gave myself a pat on the back after installing it all by myself in 1 1/2 hours, typically this is a 2 person job. Car racks just make the car look cooler, but it is BS how much they charge for those things. Really there should be a discount for the labor it takes to get two bars on the top of your car.

You gotta start somewhere

Mel and I decided to do a 5k run at the end of the month. I have been pretty good about working out consistently but it has started to get boring and I do not really enjoy working out in a gym when it is nice out. I also do not want to gain the weight back I lost last year, and that has started to happen. Mel stopped going to the gym since her work stopped subsidizing it and wants to get back to working out. We figured it might be fun to have a goal and maybe we can work up to a 10K.
It was Mel's idea to do a run, and neither of us has done one before. Although I run on the treadmill at the gym, running outside is quite different and harder. Since the weather has gotten better I have been running around the Jamaica Pond after work anyway. Unfortunately, running outside means I do not get any weight training in. Luckily, I get out of work earlier then her so I will go to gym for weight training and some cardio to supplement my workout and then met Mel later for a run.
Today was our first run together. I registered at Map My Run to plan some routes. We did a simple one around Jamaica Pond tonight walking from her place. Since Mel is new to the running thing we are going to start slow and build from there. Tonight was about a 1.5 mile run and about a mile walking. She did great.
Funny enough the 5K is in the town where I grew up. When we are done I can show Mel around before heading back to the city.