The Race is Run!

June 14, 2009 at 9:05 pm (Uncategorized)

5 miles in 55 minutes and change! I didn't realize until mile 4 that it was important to me to come in under an hour. That I came in 5 minutes under an hour just blows my mind. I think a little more adrenaline was running just from having a number pinned to my shirt, actually. So now, I actually begin to understand runners' obsession with bettering their time. 


The winner of the race came in at 31 minutes. I know I'll never run a 6-minute mile, but I think I can cut 5 minutes off by next year. We shall see! 

Schedule now will be riding my bike up to campus 2x a week and running at least 4 miles twice a week, plus a cross-fit workout once a week. 
Oh, also gained 5 lbs over the past 2 weeks. Time to address that as well.

But for now, Imma relax!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

2 Comments

domesticity

May 25, 2009 at 10:43 pm (Uncategorized)

I gotz it. 

One of the by-products of Extreme Nest Building, for me, is the strong desire to bake. In the oven now, blueberry nut oat bran muffins. Friday was blackberry buckle.


And recently, since last year anyway, planting colorful perennials in containers on the back deck. It is quite lovely now, and I want to spend time out there. A few years ago, David's parents gave us a little fountain thingy, and it is bubbling away midst the pots. Yesterday I noticed some wrens drinking from it.

I'm enjoying these quiet, domestic days.
Blueberry Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

Back Deck Garden

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

1 Comment

FB & old BF

May 21, 2009 at 6:11 pm (Uncategorized)

Opened my mail this morning to see this from old BF via Facebook:

"Hi, Deb:

I'd love to see some of your work sometime. Are you showing at any A&W shows or selling online at Etsy or eBay?

Thank you for accepting my friend request. I don't really deserve it, but it's good to be forgiven – after a fashion. You're a classy lady. I was a dick then, out of character, but recovered.

-D

PS: Dennis is probably dead from liver abuse. None of us have heard from him in forever. Patrice and I broke up after six years after I realized she was never going to thaw out.

Sometimes we have to fuck it all up to learn. You were good to me. I won't forget that – thank you."

So…strange. And decent. Doug was my first real relationship after my marriage broke up. He is 15 years younger than me – I was 42, he was 27. We should have had a 2-week fling. Instead, we drug it out to 10 months. We were very much unsuited, I don't think he was ever comfortable, and I was in passivity hangover from busted marriage and lack of reflection about my part in it. So we were doomed on many counts. Then, he got depressed and didn't get help for it. I kept thinking he should break up with me, and finally he did. It hurt as I knew it would. It also shot me out of the cannon and made me think about my own malfunctions.

We friended each other about six months ago on Facebook, and have kept up a small dialogue. I was pretty surprised to get this message from him. And quite pleased. Resolution is a good thing.

Read and post comments

1 Comment

run run bike bike

May 7, 2009 at 1:06 am (Uncategorized)

For some insane reason, I've started doing something I NEVER thought I'd enjoy: running (well, jogging, actually).


It started when I began working out on Friday mornings with my friend Briya. We did a little run, maybe 1-1/4 miles, to the local playground to do upper-body workouts on the bars; then back to her house.

It didn't hurt. And I had some endurance because of all the biking. 

Briya talked me into signing up for a women's 5-miler in Aptos next month. So now, I am actually running on a sort of schedule. Every other day or so, about 2.5 – 4 miles. I hope get back to biking up to campus on the alternate days, now that the rains have stopped.

I am hungrier now, I've found. I don't expect my weight to drop much, but my clothes are sure fitting differently. I like these new muscles. I feel better inside and out. I got some good Brooks running shoes, and I seem to be doing it right because I have no joint pain at all (so far!).

I'm not striving for bathing suit body, just to be strong into my 60's and 70's. If the running starts feeling…not right…I'll stop. but for now — zoooom!*

*that is a little joke, because I don't do zoooom — I probably run a 10-minute mile. The tortoise, not the hare. Comfort, not speed.


Read and post comments | Send to a friend

3 Comments

O Ye of Little Faith

May 5, 2009 at 2:09 am (Uncategorized)

Beads turned out just fiyunnn!

Rrrrockit

Rrrrockit

But…still…I didn’t have a plan and just started grabbing stuff. Now, that’s all fine and good, but I think I do bettr beads when I have a design in mind.

A couple of possibilities for this week:
1. The rocket was a total accident, but I could make one with more intent.
2. Used the lentil and kalera molds for the first “real” time (orange lentils, tricolor kalera). With the kalera mold I need to work on the amount of glass on my mandrel…

I really really like the bullseye orange marmalade. There are a couple other swirlie colors I will use if I take the lentil route.

Need to work a little on simplicity. I sure do have a tendency to get fussy, and it can detract from a good bead. More discernment is needed, until I have a better grasp on some of the technical stuff.

Speaking of technical stuff…going to the ISGB Gathering in July. Just decided today, and booked everything. See next post for details!

Leave a Comment

Missin’ the Flame

April 29, 2009 at 8:40 pm (Uncategorized)

I’ve taken off a few days from the torch to travel to SoCal for my partner’s parents’ 50th Anniversary. Been either a) time-lagged or b) busy since returning Monday morning (very early), so haven’t had time at the torch.

Last week I pulled some pretty successful twisted cane. I want to do a few more color combos, then figure out a design for beads using them. Need a little more application practice, truthfully, so will not use my fancy glass.

I am debating getting a large-ish lot of Bullseye rods. I’ve never loved working with it, but I think I just need to do more. The advantage is that I also use Bullseye COE-90 for fusing, and rods always come in handy for that. I really want to do more fusing, but have felt a bit intimidated of late, due to recent mmmm…shall I call them “failures”? Ok, yes, I will. Free weekends coming up mean I really should do some fusing and PMC.

Leave a Comment

New Studio, New Energy

March 30, 2009 at 1:41 am (fusing, glass, lampwork, studio, Uncategorized)

Well, it’s not exactly a new studio, but I did make it more ergonomically sound. I’ve been unhappy with my glass rod storage for a while. I have scads of rods I hardly ever looked at because they were just not where I could see them very well. (Lighting has been a bit of a bugaboo, as most flameworkers will testify: having enough dark to see your work, and enough light to see your workspace.) My new storage is actually a table made of cardboard tubes some friends of mine devised for a party a few years ago. We sort of kept it around because it is neat, and now, it is repurposed!

glass hive

I am keen to start melting glass. It’s been a while.

Leave a Comment

Thespian tendencies

March 23, 2009 at 3:01 am (Uncategorized)

Sorry, that one's been done a million times and better 😉


Last night, my dear friend Martin hosted one of his formerly peripatetic Musical Emergencies. It appears that dear Martin now has the supremely perfect place for these events: a loftspace at The Vulcan in Oakland. I am burning with envy of a sort about this, because I just lust lofts. My friend Christina also has a loftspace there, and I am DEEElighted to have introduced them in the first place, for she helped him get "in." And there is no place that Martin deserves to be more than The Vulcan, with like-minded Makers of all stripes, and a whole legion of Burners.

Anyway, the ME this time was Persephone, and since I knew I wasn't gonna have it together to write a song so soon after returning from  SE Asia, I volunteered to narrate. And had a blast! I've always known I should've done more theatre throughout my life. I am grateful to have these Musical Emergencies to express that compulsion!

I am narrating as Demeter, lover of Zeus, mother of Persephone, and a stone bitch!

Much fun was had, and I even got to help dear Soundhive with her atonal meditation on holes in the ground.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Leave a Comment

Ummm Intertubes Silence Broken!

February 5, 2009 at 10:46 pm (Uncategorized)

I’ve made lots of beads this past year, and have neglected you, O Little Glassblog, most terribly. Resolved to correct this, and will post photos and talk process and observations, after my little trip to SE Asia. Hope to come back with many inspirations.

Leave a Comment

Why So Difficult/Expensive to Pack Light?

January 26, 2009 at 11:50 pm (Uncategorized)

Okay, so, I know that the two backpacks I'm taking to Malaysia are going to be all light and efficiently packed. That's a given, and a necessity.

Why are my lists so long?( I think they are mostly comprised of light and/or small-sized items.)

Why have I spent so much money? And must spend more because:

Why oh why don't my hiking boots feel okay on my feet any longer? Maybe they never really were the best fit, but they are one of two (yes, that's right, TWO) footwear choices for the trip, the other being sandals. They have been fine tromping through the woods with medium thickness Smartwools. Now, with lighter weight sox, the bendy part at the toebed is hitting my big toe in the wrong place. Grrr. Must buy new boots TONIGHT for proper breaking in.

(Good gear and high-tech clothing costs more money, even on sale.Would have liked it if the $79 TravelSmith dress had been on sale, but really, it IS perfect!)

I am not really complaining. Just observing. I always pack every damn thing when traveling, so this is an interesting exercise.

I totally answered my own question.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

2 Comments

« Older entries