Yesterday I ran the Richmond Marathon and finished in 5:39:23! Between the training and the race it has been one of the most difficult experiences in my life, but completing is a success for me and I'm very happy about it. The full race report is over on my triathlon blog as well as preceding posts about my training for it.

At work we are soon going to be upgrading systems and thus need to transfer all of our files over.  In looking through what I currently have to see if I could weed some stuff out that I no longer need, I found in general I am extremely resistant to the idea.  Not only do I not want to remove files related to work, but also personal files that I have two copies of at home (on my personal computer and on an external backup).  What I find odd about this is that I don't tend to horde physical items. In fact, I'd rather have a scarcity of physical stuff and live simply.  My theory is that with the physical items I know that most of them can be relatively easily replaced (clothing, furniture, dishes, books) and those that can't such as pictures I know I have only one copy of it so I'm not going to throw it out.  Where as with digital items, there is a fear that I think I have an additional copy somewhere so I delete this one only to find out that I didn't and its lost forever.

No real point to this post, just thinking out loud.

While looking to contact someone, I realized I have not updated this blog in a long time.  I'm still alive it's just that most of my activity is split between work and training for the Richmond Marathon.   For those of you not following the gory week by week details, I'm 9 weeks down and just 7 left until the marathon itself.  This past weekend I just accomplished running a half marathon (13.1 miles) and feeling good about it.  In addition, all of this running time has given me a chance to listen to a couple new musicals which I don't get to do nearly enough.

In no real particular order.

Dance is Fun! I took numerous dance classes in our lovely dance tent.  A grand majority of them were Italian dances since I think they are more fun than ECD.  I purchased the CD that Judith was using for all of her 15th Century dances since they songs were already vetted as working with the dances.  I also noted she was using the 15th Century Italian dance books (Vol 1 and Vol 2) translated by Smith which I've already checked out from the UVA library twice so I'm quite familiar with where they are shelved.  I'd like to introduce some of these into our shire's repertoire since they are no more complicated than the ones we already do and it would add variety.

Evening balls were hit or miss for me.  The Monday night ball was great fun.  I knew 75% of the set list, there was enough people to make it interesting but not so many that you couldn't dance, and it was in the tent with the wooden floor.  The Grand Ball on Tuesday night which is held in the Barn was once again a poor choice for me.  Doing hoppy/bouncy dances on concrete floors does not agree with my knees.  I cut out of that one after half an hour.  Thursday's ball I knew about 60% of the dances since they were mostly the Italian dances I had learned earlier in the week.  They also did some that I had missed the classes on, so I enjoyed watching those.

No rapier fighting for me this year.  That goes for this Pennsic and most of the year leading up to it.  I enjoyed it while I did it, but ultimately found it is not my passion in life so when time starting getting scrunched, it fell to the wayside.  I did go out to the rapier field multiple times to watch the charity tournament, the field line battle, and the Atlantian 5 man.  I do think I'll push harder to get my MOL training times in since being near that portion was enjoyable.

Camping with Vair and Ermine was a treat as always. I always learn so much just through casually talking with them and the visitors they have.  We also had great fun coming up with names for the Atlantian 5 Man for the teams which did not have names that sufficiently amused the MOLs.

Every year for at least the last decade Isenfiri have been the last Atlantians in opening ceremonies. This is because Shires come after Baronies and we are the only shire to show up. Last year it was just deboraaurifex and myself (as captured so nicely in pinkleader 's photo).  However, this year it looks like I might be the only one walking... so... any suggestions for what I can do to really represent Isenfir well? We have a banner (well, someone in the shire does, just a matter of finding it and finding something to put it on) and I have my Isenfir fencing capelet so I do have some heraldry.  I'm not heading up there until the 31st so I do have some time to get some more stuff together if needed.

I had my doubts as to whether my cherry tomato plant in a pot, sitting on my mostly shaded front porch would produce anything at all.  As of this morning, the first of its tomatoes is turning red.  There are another 12-15 green ones still in the process of growing but I now have hope for them to turn into something edible.

I also have two basil plants in pots on the shaded porch and they are doing alright. After killing 3 other basil plants, right now I'm just happy they are alive. Earlier this week I did my first harvest of leaves and true to form the plant is fighting back by growing more.  In a day or two I'll harvest more leaves and freeze them so I'll eventually have enough to make pesto.

I'm in full-on prep mode for Pennsic.  One of the big items that I've been missing is headwear.  I'd like to have a couple coifs but have heard that it's just easier to buy them. Question is... where is a good place to get them?  Should I just wait until Pennsic and search out a place there?  Is there somewhere online that people have had good experience with? 

Other headwear suggestions also welcome.  Right now I'm thinking a couple coifs, a linen-scarf that I can either wrap up or wear as a veil.

Thanks!

I love friends and co-workers who get me.

Yesterday a co-worker and I were discussing wedding gifts & I mentioned I was going to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up some items for an upcoming wedding. She offered to bring in some of her coupons that she isn't going to use before they expire.  I typically have a price range I'm going for in gifts so now I feel like I can get more for my money.  As luck would have it, last night I got coupons from Target and mostly for stuff I don't use. So I grabbed the two that I'll use and gave the rest to her this morning.  It felt good to do a coupon exchange so that we both could make our money go further.

In the last week I've watched two documentaries that have made me feel heart broken, ill, upset, and powerless.  The first one was "The Corporation" which showed how corporations work against everything except for profit and how that is hurting society.  They discussed how corporations are recognized as first class people and as such did a psychiatric evaluation which returned a result that most corporations are pyschopathic.  The second one was "Who Killed the Electric Car?" which showed how successful electric cars were in the late 90s.  However, the companies purposely fought it from being kept on the roads.

Overall the theme of both of these is just how much companies can control society  and purposely hurt it just to make more money.  What's worse, is they do all of this to make money in the short term. One of the arguments for killing the electric car is that it was not profitable in the short term because it would spend more on advertising than get in revenue.

Part of why I feel so ill is feeling like I can not do anything substantial.  I can practice what I preach by trying to use minimal energy, not buy unnecessary stuff (separate post once I find anything to say besides I'm disgusted with the world), and support the companies that are trying to be sustainable, but it all feels so insignificant.  All of my attempts can be wiped out with a single greedy decision for short term profit.

Pardon me while I go die a little inside.

Reply to this entry with the word "words" and I will reply with five words which remind me of you. Then post to your journal describing what those words mean to you. I will be glad to take more word suggestions, if you'd like to add to the list.

Words from 1_big_grizz

Italy
My persona is Italian simply based on the fact that I like the late-period Italian dances. As I mentioned in the other post, I like the ability to act & tell little stories in them. They probably were not so overt in period, but for me its my drama side coming out.

Minnesota
I grew up in MN so I have a fondness for it.  The weather there is just so much more manageable.  In the peak of summer it gets to 85, but that's it.  Yes it gets cold, but you can always put on more layers. Plus there are all the great activities of sledding, skiing, and cuddling up inside to keep warm that you miss out on living in a warm climate.  That being said, besides my parents there isn't anything left there for me, so I'm going to stay here.

Faerie
This word was a bit of a surprise. To me it represents all the sci-fi/fantasy books I read.

Education
I loved school growing up and I loved to read books because I was curious about things.  I'm still curious about things so still read a fair bit, use wikipedia to randomly learn interesting tidbits, and share knowledge with others.

Dream
This is probably referring to the SCAdian dream, but as I've demonstrated lately, I have only been involved on the edges.   So when I think of my dream for the world it is that everyone learns to take some personal responsibility for taking care of the Earth.

Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ and explain what they mean to you.

Dance
Dance is a way of life for me.  It's about being able to create movement, shapes, and expression through my body.  I didn't start formal dance classes until I was in 5th grade and am no longer routinely taking any.  However, I still love to do dance-type moves around my apartment, in random hallways, and just about anywhere.  As far as Renaissance dance, it was a new style that I wanted to try and found I rather liked it. Especially the Italian dances because I got to play pretend in the mini-stories that they tell.

Triathalon
I'm a goal oriented person and follow through the best when I am working towards some tangible goal.  So for me, the Triathlon is a tangible end to months of training (and thus exercise).  I wasn't good at making sure I got enough exercise in to be happy and healthy when I was just doing it in an ad-hoc approach.  When I decided to do the triathlons that encouraged me to routinely practice all three components because otherwise the race itself would be extremely painful and full of disappointment.

Bouncy
Clearly first impressions of me stick around. ;) You saw me a lot at dance and handcrafters.  I was happy in those places where as I was rather unhappy with my job (grad school) and my long-distance relationship.  So I took all that happy energy and just bounced.  Sometimes a bit too much, but now that I'm enjoying life all around more I've stabilized.  I'm still happy at dance and handcrafters, but not quite the same bouncy that I was.  Long paragraph short, bouncy was the outward expression of my happy-level.

Detail(as in detail-oriented,or possibly the devil is in the details)
I'll go with the detail-oriented flavor.  To me, being detail-oriented means that I'm less likely to overlook something and thus I feel more in control of what is going on.  It actually helps a lot at my job when I need to make sure we've considered all the relevant options and their side-effects.  At home, it helps me stay mentally organized and thus calm.

Ecology
Protecting the environment to me is a fundamental example of doing what is right for the community as a whole.  When I speak of community in that way, I mean all creatures including ones that have not been born yet.  It is natural instinct to attempt to pass on good genes to help the species (and particularly ones related to you) survive.  Generation to generation we seem to be good at that.  However, as advanced thinking creatures we need to look at the long term survival of our species.  Whether or not I personally have children, I want future humans and other creatures to be able to continue to live healthy and happy lives. Thus, it is a moral imperitative for all of us to act responsibly about what we do to our planet and try to reduce our impact.

Today I got the most excited I've ever been over a clothing purchase.  I went into Goodwill to find a sweatshirt to cut up for a project.  While I was there I decided to just scan the racks to see if anything caught my eye.  I found two moisture wicking race shirts that I can use to extend my exercise clothing wardrobe.  Nothing all that exciting there.   Then I decided to scan the men's clothing to see if it had a sweatshirt closer to the color that I wanted.  Then I spied it... a Pearl Izumi cycling jersey.   Normally these run $60 - $100 new.  I have male friends in a variety of sizes so I decided I would get it for one of them since it would be a shame to pass up a great deal. When I pulled it down to see what size it was and thus figure out who the lucky recipient would be, I saw in bold letters on the tag "Womens - M!" Awesome! It is the perfect size for me!  My pulse sored and I was honestly exited over getting this jersey.  I don't know if it was the thrill of the bargin or the thrill of getting an actual Pearl Izumi jersey.  Either way, it was a delightful purchase.

Disclaimer - I am not judging anyone's personal situations and this is not directed at anyone.  I'm just a huge supporter of personal finance and spreading the knowledge.

This evening ABC had a special on called "Un-broke" in which celebrity entertainers (sorta) taught basic money terms and knowledge.  For an hour long program it was amazingly light on the info.  That being said, I'm probably biased because I spend a fair bit of time reading financial blogs such as Get Rich Slowly and Wisebread (and many others). 

Points they covered:

1. 1 credit card is all you need
2. Pay no more than 1/3rd of your gross income on all house related expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, repairs, etc)
3. Have an emergency fund
4. Invest in the stock market
5. It is mandatory to save for retirement

My reactions to these:

1. If you can handle credit cards responsibly, there is no reason not to have two or three. Personally I have two credits cards. The visa which can be used everywhere and Discover in which I earn cash back. If they are going to give me rewards and I'm not paying high interests rates (because I pay in full each month) then why not.  The emphasis of course is take personal responsibility and not max out the cards just because you can.
2. I mostly agree with this except that most of the other financial discussions / advice I've read is 1/3rd of your NET income on housing.  That's a huge difference when you consider taxes.  However, it is the first step to living within your means (I know... back to the personal responsibility thing).
3. To elaborate on that, ideally a person should have a fund they can live off for 6-12 months if they have no income coming in.  They didn't say those numbers, but that is something I've picked up from other places.  Of course that sounds daunting to many people. As the show and many of the blogs suggest, start by building up to a $1000 emergency fund. It starts the habit of saving and it does provide a buffer for those unexpected costs - car repairs, deaths in the family, etc.
4. This was the part I think they did the most disservice to.  They talked about the difference between stocks and bonds, but never once touched on mutual funds, index funds, or other diversification. They hinted at the need to diversify by making a joke about the Enron, WorldCom, etc stocks, but never said - "Hey, these are worth nothing. If you didn't spread out your money then you probably lost it all."
5. They talked about the need to participate in the company's 401(K) but did not mention IRAs at all. Once again, they didn't say what to do with your money once it was in there. Diversify, Diversify, Diversify!

Overall, I'm glad they created this and aired it.  Even if some of the topics were light on details, at least they talked about it. Plus, hopefully couples watched it and will sit down to talk about their finances.  Living a financially sustainable life is a household responsibility whether it is one person, a couple, or a whole family.

I finished sewing on the last button of my Men's Elizabethan outfit.  Nothing real fancy, but it's a jacket and pair of slops.  So no more having to fight in dresses (unless I really want to).  Lots of thanks to theblueleader for guidance and help.

After the harsh passing of Prop 8 in CA it seemed that the movement for legalizing gay marriage was going to be hurt.  Afterall, if a state like CA doesn't have legal same sex marriage, how will it sweep the country?

Then Iowa legalized it...
Then Vermont....
Then DC is well on its way to recognizing them (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8034601.stm)
And now Maine (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8036671.stm)
There is talk of both New York and New Hampshire putting together bills to legalize it...

So I'm very hopeful these incremental legislative legalizations will gain yet more momentum so that by the time it has to come the states that do need to vote to allow it in the constitutions will see they are the minority that outlaw it.   Though it really is just a matter of time. As more of my generation get into power and the upcoming generation gets to vote, it will eventually pass (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/04/samesex.marriage.poll/index.html).

With today's forecast taking us into the low 80s and the weekend getting us up to 91, it is time to start considering easy ways to keep your home cool.  If you can naturally keep your home cool you don't have to use the AC thus saving both energy which is both money savings and environmental savings.

Two quick tips (that I'll be doing too):

1. Open your windows overnight to bring in the cool air.  It's too late for last night, but tonight you can take advantage of the cooler night (though only 60ish) to help cool off your place.

2. Close your curtains when not at home.  We've all heard of the green house effect and it applies to your house as well.  So if you aren't home all day, you don't really need the sunlight filling the rooms.  Close the blinds and curtains to keep the light and the heat out.

----------

Personally I'm going to see how long into the summer I can go without turning on AC and instead using these two actions above.  I was so happy to bring down my electricity bills in previous months I want to do the best I can with also keeping my summer use down.

Last night was our spring dance and dessert revel in which we dance in a large ballroom (with terrible acoustics) and preferably in garb (that doesn't have to be trekked through the mud).  Some highlights of the evening

• Getting to do Gracca Amorosa for the first time in a long time
• Having delicious brownies and toffee bars (evidently brownies were the dessert of choice... guess it's a backlash from times where there have been only cookies)
• Telling a 6 year old if she ran to the far end of the ballroom and back 10 times and still wanted to dance, we would do any dance she wanted.  We were all tired and ready to go and she clearly had been into the brownies ;)  She did it quite well so we did Jenny Pluck Pears for her.  Then she continued running some more... man I wish I had that sort of energy.
• Having the majority of dancers be able to the queues in the music so I only have to call to remind them of the move, not keep pace for them.

A friend from grad school is running in the Boston Marathon today and evidently for big races like this you can track the person's progress through out the race.  He is now over half way through the marathon so I'm sure I'll be checking up on the site for the next 90 minutes or so.  (For those of you not real familiar with the Boston Marathon - you have to have a pretty fast qualifying time to even race it, so doing another half of the marathon in 90 minutes is entirely reasonable for these athletes).

Update: He finished the 2:47:28!  I am incredibly impressed and congrats to him!

10 weeks until the Charlottesville Sprint Triathlon.  I have not been as committed to training as I should've been and more than anything its a mental game at this point.  I know I can do all 3 distances individually and I'm pretty sure if I took it slow I could do them all in a row right now.  However, I need to get my performance up if I want to enjoy the day (aka I don't want to fill incredibly sick from overworking myself to get a decent time).  Last year I was really scared that I would DNF (Did not finish) that it inspired me to train lots.  This year it's a mental game to tell myself that I need to train more if I want to improve my time.  So often when I'm running or biking right now I see a shortcut and think "Well, I could just cut it short today, it wouldn't matter that much."  However, all those times cutting short would only hurt me in the end since you can't cram for a race like you can studying.  All nighters don't work in physical goals.

To pick up a little more inspiration about doing this, today I watched the Ironman 70.3 competition.  Half the length of a full Ironman but that is still 1.2 miles swimming, 56 miles biking, and 13.1 miles running.  The perseverance of the athletes was impressive.  They also did some stories on unlikely competitors who had overcome hardship to be there.  If they can do it, so can I.  Plus, my distance is a lot shorter so there is no reason not to be in my best physical shape.

Don't worry SCA folks, I haven't given up on making forward progress on SCA things... while watching the Ironman 70.3 I was handsewing an Elizabethan jacket.  No reason I can't mix my loves. :)

(Crossposted to NickiTri - my triathlon blog)

So the first meme going around was "What Greek Godness are you?"
( Athena - Godess )

The second discussion going around is on weight...

( Athena - Weight )