Too Short

Yet again, the weekend was too short.

On Friday afternoon I stopped by On The Run to pick up my packet for the 10K on Saturday morning. As I waited (the store was very crowded), I overheard the race director mention to someone else that they didn’t have anyone to take photos. I couldn’t help myself and piped up: “I take photos. I could do it for you.”

And that’s how I ended up taking photos Saturday morning instead of running the 10K like I’d planned. However, before anyone tsk-tsks me about ditching yet another run, I should point out that I wore running clothes and shoes and once the race was over, I ran the course on my own! I only did one loop, so I only did a 5K instead of the planned 10K, but that was more because I didn’t have enough time for the whole six miles. It was a tough 5K. The sun was beating down, and it was icky humid. I ran it in a “leisurely” 35:36, and chased the truck picking up cones at the end.

OH! One thing was different — I wore my new running shoes that I’d gotten Friday afternoon at the store. I looked back at my running notes and realized I hadn’t had new shoes since February. Yikes! So I got re-sized and tried on four different shoes. After a couple years of running in the Mizuno Alchemy, I decided to shake things up and bought a pair of Brooks. They feel lighter on my feet than my old Alchemys, and while I still had leg pain during my Saturday run, it wasn’t as bad. Hurrah.

It was hot this weekend. I know, I know, it is odd for me to be saying it was hot when it was “only” 85 degrees out. But last night after soccer, my hair was wet enough that I felt like I’d taken a shower. And when it’s November, and you just had a week of glorious coolness after a long, sticky summer….well, a return of heat and humidity is unwelcome. I had to turn my air conditioning on for a bit just to de-humidify. Sigh.

Yesterday we went to see Wicked at the Hobby Center. Jen had been anxiously awaiting the day for months, and I had to laugh as she bounced in her seat as the lights went down. As for me, well, I thought it was pretty good. I hadn’t listened to any of the music before, and some of it didn’t interest me. But there were three or four good songs, and the story was interesting. The first act was far superior to the second, I think just because it’s funnier. I was very impressed with the two lead actresses — they were very good singers and they were “only” the understudies. (Sunday afternoon is understudy afternoon, apparently.)

Just before the musical, however, I discovered some very sad news. My point-n-shoot camera has finally bitten the dust. Died. Kaput. I opened the cover and no lens popped out. I tried to look at the photos and nothing. I changed the battery and tried again. Nothing. I shook it. And that’s when I heard the tiny rattle of something loose inside. Sadness. Of course I’d been expecting the thing to die for months. It’s been dropped many times, and a few months ago the zoom started acting flaky. Putting the battery in required a quick shove-and-shut-battery-compartment-door or else it’d pop back out again. The case is all dented and scratched. But it lasted through all that…only to die randomly on a Sunday.

Of course the silver lining is that now I get to buy a new camera. Hee hee.

I have a ton of things to get done this week before Carter comes to visit on Thursday including, in no particular order, grocery shopping, cleaning, and my next graphic design project (the children’s book illustration). I’m also backseating two sims this week, which knocks out a good portion of Tuesday and Thurdsay evening. But I get Friday off work! Thank you, veterans.