Peoria

I'm still alive, I moved, life is fun. For anyone wondering, the linear kitchen is mine. It is 1 mile from Ben, which is great his place is right off a loop I run quite often so I can run, pick him up and we can go to my place. No driving required. Oh the no driving thing is fabulous. It's a pretty well known fact I don't like to drive, and I have only driven on weekends since moving here. It does mean I don't get to see much more than my neighborhood during the week, which does get slightly boring, I can deal with boring as a minor downside to not driving. My crazy old landlords make fun of me for how little my car moves.

My landlords are a hoot. They live in my building and are also here all the time (seriously their car does not move too much more often than mine and oftentimes it only moves to take the lawnmower out of the garage) The husband brings in the mail and puts it by everyone's door...everyone except me. He doesn't understand that "running thing" I do and feels I should have a destination and a reason for my run so I need to get my own mail from the mailbox across the street. I have so many great stories about my landlords. I pretty much never want to live in an apartment community again for the sure entertainment value I have gained from the crazies.

Work is work, sometimes it's a bit quiet working from home, but for the most part I'm enjoying the commute.

Changes

I have lived in my little apartment for over 2 and a half years. My first apartment post college. It's little but all I really need. In a few short weeks I'll be leaving this place to live over 400 miles away in a yet to be determined location.

My new kitchen could look like this spacious model.

I could have the world's most linear kitchen. Seriously this is the entire kitchen, one neat line.

My third option is this little, dated kitchen.

Anyone that feels the need to give me advice on where to live should really be able to decide just on kitchen alone. You can also know each has a garage, the first and third choices are attached. Number two I'd have to walk in the elements a couple feet. Two of the places have washer and dryers. The third has a "laundry room" with hook ups but I would rather turn that into an office because I am me and weird.

Also, I am concerned with office space because I will be working from home. I am keeping my current job and telecommuting from 400+ miles away. This is, in the words of my manager, "to be closer to 'friends' and family." It's all very exciting and scary at the same time. It's giving that "friend" and I a chance to finally see each other without planning ahead at least 6 hours. We get to be more like normal couples (if you didn't already know are you surprised that the "friend" is my boyfriend of nearly two years) I am still in shock and incredibly ecstatic that this is actually happening.

I am going to miss my little apartment, this city, and my friends. I will be back to visit regularly all except the little apartment. In four weeks when I pull out of the parking lot it will probably be the final time I see my first little apartment.

Darwin

Sunday I set out for an 11 mile run. The weather was beautiful, 50s maybe? not much wind...so perfect for a run. I ended up running a couple extra miles because I'm a little crazy but whatever. I was a little surprised I didn't see many other runners out. During my um 2ish hours out, mostly on a trail, I saw maybe 3 runners. I guess I really don't live in a running city. I did see lots of people walking and more biking. Not really a surprise a suppose. The only surprise came shortly after I had turned south to head home. I saw a lady out with her two dogs. The lady was on a BIKE! and yes, the dogs were on leashes. Seriously, Darwin award anyone? It's hard enough to run with dogs on a leash, dogs don't want to go at a steady pace forward, they want to stop and smell for places to mark their territory, sprint towards other dogs, circle around, just be dogs. The lady seemed to be doing pretty well keeping the dogs going and herself upright on the bike, but really I wouldn't be surprised if she fell or lost hold of the leashes before making it to her destination.

I'm back...

running again of course! It's wonderful to be able to run without worrying about how my knee is going to feel later. I'd say I'm 90% healthy, which is pretty healthy considering it's winter and how horribly I felt just a couple months ago.

Of course my body decides it has healed at the coldest time of the year. The time of year where it takes 10 minutes just to put on the layers on, including insulated tights, warm socks, 1 or 2 layers of gloves, thermal shirts, a jacket (a bright yellow one with a red light even..I am the biggest running nerd thanks to my mom), and two ear bands (one for my ears, one for my mouth.....I look hot). Don't worry about me, I'm not going to freeze out there.

I have seen people that are freezing. Like the couple playing with their dogs in the park (seriously people don't you realize it's negative wind chills?) Or the people playing disk golf... I know it's possible to get a work out playing disk golf, but really these people were standing in the too-cold-for-a-sane-person-to-be-outside temperatures in snow watching each other throw Frisbees. Seriously people, you are crazy.

Speaking of crazy I'm thinking people see me running down the road complete with my red flashing light on my super cool jacket (yep my mom worries about me) and feel sorry for me. People in their cars wave me across the street when they have green arrows. Seriously besides the stupid lady that didn't feel the need to um look at the road or stop at the STOP sign I have encountered nothing but super courteous drivers this winter. My theory is they don't want to be the reason I caught hypothermia so they help me get on my way faster. Purely selfish reasons, you know? Could drivers please find selfish reasons to treat me like this year round?

Injured

I hurt my knee two weeks ago tomorrow. Anyone that's known me for any period of time probably isn't surprised. I've been beating up my knees for years. I've been relatively injury free for awhile now. Nothing has sidelined me for more than a day or two since 2003. But two weeks ago tomorrow...

Two weeks ago tomorrow my knees started hurting so badly I was afraid I'd have to actually go to a doctor again. Before anyone else asks no, I didn't fall or run into anything. I wasn't even running in the cold (as had been planned for that night) or on a hard surface. I was running on a treadmill, I really don't know what went wrong. I only ran 4 miles.

But when I was done with those measly 4 miles on the dreadmill(seriously who runs on a treadmill for fun? Running outside=fun and relaxing, Treadmill=painful) I couldn't walk right. I stretched, iced my knee and went to sleep hoping it'd be better in the morning. I didn't sleep well that night. Stupid knee hurt to be touched, the next day I hobbled around work, stairs were the devil. Slowly, slowly I've been able to walk without limping. I couple days ago I started taking the stairs without thinking about the pain.

The worse part of this is I haven't been able to do any sort of exercise. Without my exercise I'm a sad little girl. I've read up on my symptoms and I think I have Patellar tendinitis sound advice says stay off it. Don't run. I even read that I should rest for 3 weeks. 3 weeks! and from what I've read that's for an injury that isn't as debilitating as mine, I don't want to go another week. I want to run again asap. I think I can do it, I mean I can walk without pain now so that means I can run, right? But of course now the weather's getting icky. Seriously last week the weather was wonderful and now winter decides to come. Is the weather trying to tell me to take more time off? I am going to choose to ignore it and run as soon as I get time (holidays and work are trying to get in the way of my running time) I guess I really am a crazy runner...

ATM

When I need cash I run to the ATM...literally. I don't think it's weird. I live less than a mile from my bank and my bank happens to be on a course I commonly run when I don't want to go far, so why not? Very convenient and I hate driving so yep running makes perfect sense. Anyway tonight I needed cash so I went for a run. When I ended up at the bank someone was at the ATM (they drove, weird) so I jogged around the parking lot for a minute but they were taking forever so I ran around the block. When I got to where I could see the ATM he was gone so I was happy, until I saw another car pull up. Grr... I this time walked to the end of the parking lot to stretch, then /another/ car came. No No you are not going to take my place. So even though I feel very strange and rude standing right by the ATM while someone else is there(I'm shy, timid little ol me after all). Finally the man left and it was my turn, I left and someone else drove up. Seriously. I don't understand why this ATM was so busy. Did I mention this was at a branch of the bank and there was also a drive up ATM (which I have ran up to before and used but feel a little silly doing, especially when on the other side of the bank there's an ATM designed just for people like me, a "run up" ATM if you will) and there was not a line at that ATM? I understand not wanting to waste gas having the car idle but um starting the car again, that wastes gas as well doesn't it?

So today I decided if there's no line in the drive up ATM and you drove to the bank, that is the one you have to use. Let us runners use the ATM and get home. It is winter, it's dark, no one wants me running in the dark. We all know how coordinated I am running in the light, just imagine the dark. Next time you have your choice please think of the clumsy runners.

It's November 5th...

and I saw people putting up Christmas decorations today. I understand the weather was really nice today which makes for a great time to put up outdoor decorations but seriously. Halloween was last week. Thanksgiving isn't for another few weeks. Christmas is 2 months away. I grew up in a family that didn't consider putting up decorations until at least the day after Thanksgiving and really preferred waiting until Advent started and keeping the decorations up through the entire Advent season. I'm not saying everyone has to wait to put up decorations but really, isn't the first weekend in November a bit early?