New Shoes!

Yesterday I ran for 40 mnutes on the treadmill and quickly discovered I was in desperate need for a new pair of running shoes. I had been wearing the pair I bought right after the marathon so they were worn and they were also a cheaper pair to begin with so the support was terrible. When I got home last night I had two blisters on the underside of both of my feet that are about the size of a half dollar. Luckily they didn't rip but I did have fun sticking a pin in to drain them. I swear the water shot a good 3 feet in the air. Impressive, no?

In any case today at lunch I did something I thought I would never do. I bought a pink pair of running shoes:
Now in general I do not like the color pink. I own a few pink things but I mostly avoid the color. I have always been annoyed that shoe manufacturers think that all women want to wear pink shoes and now I have given them money to support this theory *sigh*. They were a higher quality shoe though, had great support and were 30 bucks off so I decided to get over my snobbishness and just accept that I am a girl and sometimes girls wear pink. They are Asics afterall and nothing beats an Asic when it comes to running shoes. That is the one and only style of shoe I will always choose comfort and function over asthetics. Everything else needs to be cute, bottom line:)

Just when I thought the desire to run in me was dead and gone, I have started feeling the itch to run again. My desire to run follows a predictable pattern of training for a race and being really into running, to continuing to run for a short time after the race, to falling off the wagon and not running for a long period of time, to wanting to run again and training for another race. Except for the past few days I haven't run in months, happily. I just wanted nothing to do with it, plus my foot had been hurting me.

Out of nowhere two days ago I suddenly wanted to jump on the treadmill like old times and although I didn't run for a long period of time, I felt good and my foot didn't hurt after. This was promising so I am going to run a little more for cardio and back off the weights just a bit. I don't want to get any more muscular and could probably stand to take it down a notch anyway.

The Trail of Two Cities is on November 8th and I wouldn't neccesarily have to run a full but knowing me if I run at all it will be a full. It would be kind of cool to run this every year starting with its inagural year and it would be a good way to break up the monotony of working out by dedicating my summers and falls to running and weight training the rest of the year. Besides I am still a little bitterly disappointed in myself for my performance last year and it would be hard to just let that go without a fight.

I haven't signed up yet but I can feel it coming...

House Update

After a long arduous wait, I got word yesterday that the seller agreed to my compromise and I indeed did buy a house. This pushes escrow back about 2 weeks because the house needs to be tented for termites and the seller needs to do the agreed upon repair work in the bathroom still. I am currently trying to fanangle with my landlord to get 2 extra weeks in my apartment but if that doesn't work I will have to be out Sunday. Two weeks at my parents house is much more manageable than an indefinite period of time. Besides it's not like it would be tough to lounge around the pool all day:)

I still don't think I will truly believe that I am a homeowner until I get those keys in my hand. There is still a chance of something going wrong in the next 2 weeks, albeit a slight chance, but I won't be completely at ease until that happens. I am starting to let myself get excited again though:)

If a dog can do squats, so can you!

His form isnt bad and he is definitely on cue. I am impressed.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...

Although I was promised a response by last Thursday, then Friday, then this morning, I am still waiting to hear what they decide to do about the house. I have found out more about the situation, the two daughters of the elderly woman who was living there are both on board with the compromise I proposed in which we would split the difference of the appraisal, however the mother is still holding off in making a decision.

I don't know if she is just being stubborn or sentimental or what exactly is holding her up but she is what is preventing this from going forward right now. Even if they get her to agree to the compromise though, they still need to tent the house for termites and replace damaged tile in the bathroom and finalize the paperwork before I can move in. I am going to call my landlord to see if there was any way possible for me to stay for 2 additional weeks so I don't have to move twice, but I don't know if that will work out.

I have accepted that I may have to walk away from the house and although I would be disappointed it wouldn't be the end of the world, just possibly my social life for awhile. Two tears in a bucket, mother fuck it:)

I have been trying very hard lately to be positive, but this weekend was a little rough for me. Still having not heard anything about the sitution with the house I attempted to take the advice of my parents to just not worry about it, but when your place is in disaray with boxes and crap everywhere and you have the fear or moving in with your parents looming over your head, it is damn near impossible not to worry about it. It is just frustrating to just have to sit and wait for a decision that can decide whether I am going to be moving into a house or moving in with my parents for an indefinite amount of time. I am fortunate to have parents that are supportive and I can rely on when I get into jams like this though but working and living with my parents will not work long for any of us. So I am still waiting and still hopeful.

In other news, one point of distraction has been this cold that does not want to die. I feel fine but can't seem to shake the symptoms. The good news though is that I think I have discovered the newest diet breakthrough thanks to being sick. I haven't been able to taste food in a good 5 days and when I can't taste I really don't have a great desire to eat. Everything tastes the same and it all tastes like nothing so cravings virtually vanish. I had yummy, delicious pizza and fried appetizers in front of me on Saturday and I couldn't care less. So I need to invent a pill that blocks your taste buds from working, hire a token fat celebrity who used to be thin to give testimonials and in no time at all I will be rolling in the dough. I think I would have it work so that the pill diminished taste for a 12 hour period that way if you had a special event or wanted to just taste food on the weekends, you had that option. Obesity problem solved and I am rich and don't have to move in with my parents. Things are looking up!

I am not in a very good mood. I have a terrible cough that makes me sound like a dying seal and I get into these coughing fits where I start dry heaving from coughing so hard. Due to all of the coughing my throat feels like someone took a meat grinder to it and swallowing is painful.

Last night I tried to sleep and despite the 3 sleeping pills I took I couldnt go 15 minutes without coughing so I set myself up on the couch to watch Golden Girls and hopefully doze off and when I had just gotten to sleep at around 3 am, my neighbors come home drunk and see the light to the tv in my living room and think I am up and presumably drunk too and start banging on the door and yelling my name from the stairs. I was not in the mood to socialize so I ignored it and didn't get back to sleep until about 4.

So I didn't go to work this morning until 10:30 and the only reason I am here at all is because we have a really big bid today so they need me here. I have no problem being here, I didnt want to sit on the couch any longer, but I feel like I am infecting everyone and everyone seems to think so too. Thats one of the tough things about working in a small business, sometimes there is just no one to take your place so you just have to be there.

I have also not heard back from my realtor about the appraisal problem which means the sellers havent decided anything yet. This does not sit well with me. I would think if they were wanting to just sell the house and get it done, they would have come back with something by now. The delay makes me think they are weighing their options, which makes me nervous. Escrow closes in 7 days and in those 7 days I can get either really good news or really bad news and the only thing I can do is hope for the best.

This hasn't been my favorite week thus far. Good thing the weekend is coming up. Bad things never happen on weekends:)

My Crash Course in Real Estate

I just found out that the appraisal on my house came in $11,000 lower than our agreed upon sale price. I wasn't quite sure what that meant but my initial thought that it meant I would get to pay less was off the mark.

My understanding is the bank will only loan me the amount the house is appraised for so I have to make up the difference in cash or negotiate with the seller to meet them in the middle so I would only have to make up half that amount or whatever amount we decide on. We could also try to get the appraiser to bump up his appraisal and since he didn't use the comps my real estate agent gave him, it is possible to get him to bump up his appraisal at least a little.

Either way I have to wait and see what the seller wants to do. They could also negotiate with the other buyer if they are still around and still interested and see what they can get from them. That's not likely to happen since we are just 9 days away from the close of escrow, but if it does I am screwed and have no where to live and have to move in with mom and dad. I am terrified of that outcome so hopefully that doesn't come to pass. It could also work out for the best and I will have a lower mortage payment, but I will still have to put in more cash up front and increase my down payment with help from my parents.

I really want this house and I will be upset if something happens and I don't get it or have to walk away. I will probably be more upset that I will be homeless though, that would be REALLY horrible. I guess things were just going too smoothly so I should have expected something like this. Now I just have to wait and see what the Owner wants to do and for me, the waiting is always the worst part. I like to know one way or the other so I can decide what I have to do to move on. I probably won't hear back for the next 48-72 hours though, so I will probably be a little on edge for a few days.

Once again a favorite movie of mine from childhood just doesn't deliver when I am an adult. This time it is the Disney movie "The Fox and The Hound". It came out when I was 1, and I distinctly remember watching it when I was a child and thinking it was super great. What wasn't to love? There was a baby fox (Todd) and a baby hound (Cooper) who against all odds become best friends, forever.

They went their separate ways for awhile, Cooper learns to hunt and Todd moves to the forest and gets a girlfriend and then their naturally adversarial relationship rears its ugly head. Coopers master starts hunting Todd and his foxy lady friend, sets really nasty traps, smokes them out of their home and starts chasing them through the forest with Cooper tracking them. The turning point was when a bear shows up and starts fighting Cooper and even though this would be the perfect opportunity for Cooper to escape, he goes back to help out his friend, awww. Then later on when they have Cooper cornered and with shot gun drawn, Cooper returns the favor and stands in front of Todd so his master won't shoot him, double awww.

The moral of the story, you shouldn't try to kill your best friend err friendship conquers all err hunting animals is bad? They leave it open so you can apply your own moral.

After talking about this movie Saturday night with Mike, I found it on On Demand the next day so I had it on while I packed and was soon quite bored. The cute part is in the beginning when they are little tykes because their voices are just so damn adorable. Don't believe me? Watch this:


It may not have lived up to my childhood expectations but the nostalgia was nice.

Guess what fell out of my purse while I was getting coffee this morning:

Yup, it fell right out of my purse and onto the counter and I didn't see it until I was getting my change so it sat on the counter a good 30 seconds in plain sight of all of the other customers before I noticed it and shoved it back into my purse. I contemplated offering an explanation of how they were handing them out at a wine tasting but felt I would be disbelieved anyway so in my pre-coffee state of sleepy delerium I thought I would be funny and said to the line of people, "safety first!" while I sort of waved it in my hand.

I thought I would at least get a chuckle or smirk out of someone but I got nothing but dissaproving looks and blank stares so I got out of there as quickly as I possibly could. Damn judgemental people without a sense of humor!

Good times.

Cute Baby

I posted a scary picture of Reagan earlier in the week so I thought I would post a pic of her in all her adorablness as well.

I haven't been sleeping well lately. I will crash out really hard for a few hours and then wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep. Allergies are part of the problem because I can't breathe very well at night and wake up with a stuffed up nose and dry throat, but I think stress must have something to do with it too. I have a lot going on and a lot on my mind and typically for me I can't seem to stop myself from thinking about it.

I have absolutely no feelings of regret whatsoever when it comes to buying my house (it still feels weird to say I bought a house) but I also want to get in there and get some things done and I feel like I am in a holding pattern. I really look forward to having people over and I want things to look just so before that happens so I have A LOT of work to do. I have been watching a lot of HGTV to get myself ready;)

I also had a hard time sleeping last night because I suffered a red ant attack that left me very itchy. I had gone out to my truck last night to get something and as I am leaning into it I notice some stinging in my foot that I just ignored at first but then it was all over my feet and I look down and I have red ants crawling all over me. So I do the red ant dance and smack them off of me, in my pj's nonetheless, and then step on a sticker that causes me to say "god fucking damnit" fairly loudly and unbeknownst to me there was a small child walking by with her parents. Oops. It really hurt though! Anyway my feet were very itchy last night and I couldn't sleep.

Finally all this restless sleeping caused me to have my recurring stress dream. Although the circumstances are always a little different each time I have it, the part that remains constant is I am enrolled in a math class that I forget about until halfway through the semester or if I am really stressed out I forget about it until the final. When I remember I am taking this class I get really agitated because I am bad at math in the first place (you know, being a woman and all) and I know I won't be able to catch up and I will fail the class and usually I can't even remember where the class is. I am getting stressed out just thinking about it right now. I know, nerd alert, because failing a class would be the end of the world but for some reason it feels tantamount to a death sentence in my dream. I am always enormously relieved when I wake up.

So that’s what’s going on with me. I had been posting a lot of pictures lately so I wanted to change it up.

As if I didn't like Tracy Anderson enough when she spouts off about how women should never lift more than 3 pound weights, she is back at it again expounding upon the extensive knowledge she has about fitness, this time going after runners because running “gives you an ugly and muscular butt and thighs" as well a slew of other ridiculous claims that directly contradict proven science.

First she makes this statement:

“They go to the gym one day, and running another – you’re never going to get results that way”.
Really? So changing up your routine is bad? Running and lifting on different days will not produce results but I will be a fatty if I run and lift? Ok, then what does?

"Work on your butt and abs for 30 minutes a day and you’ll see the difference – but you have to be committed and you have to apply it"
Oooh so I should do the same thing over and over and I will keep improving my appearance. So that whole training thing I read about where fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age is wrong? Even though overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area and sit-ups, crunches, leg-hip raises, leg raises, hip adduction, hip abduction, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat, it will still work right?

So high reps, low weights (if any) will give me a perfect body. I like it, I don't have to pick up things that weigh more than a 3 hole punch and I am going to look just like Gwyeneth Paltrow! I will just ignore the research that shows that less fat is burned when light weight is used with high repetitions and that increased muscle mass will allow you to burn significantly more calories. Oh and I will also ignore the fact that women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. Silly science, this is much more exciting.

All hail the miracle worker that is Tracy Anderson though because she can actually make extra skin disappear too! She says this about one of her clients who had weight loss surgery (but offers no pictures):

“She had drapes and drapes of skin hanging everywhere and she could hardly walk.
I got her skin back onto her muscles with a very slow program based around nine exercises a day and in eight months she was dancing.”
She got her skin back into her muscles? WTF does that even mean??

And just in case you didn't know, the world looks at Americans as having ideal bodies:
“people in America told me I wouldn’t be able to get people in the UK to work-out – yet everyone wants the American body now.”
Where exactly is she hanging out in America to come to that conclusion?

But then she attacks runners and that really annoyed me.
“Running’s horrible for your joints. It gives you an ugly and muscular butt and thighs like a man"


Quick, get off the treadmill before you look like Arnold!

Not only is she wrong about running giving you manly thighs and a manly ass, she is being quite antiquated in her view of what is appealing in a woman physically. To some people women who have muscle is not such a horrible thing.

In her own words about what a woman should look like:
“You don’t have to be super-skinny to be sexy. You don’t have to be muscular and defined. You can be curvy – but you don’t want cellulite, you don’t want to be dumpy. There’s curvy and there’s sloppy".
God forbid a woman have a little cellulite, even though it is hereditary and effects women of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels and is typically impossible to get rid of in its entirety as long as you aren’t muscular! Oh wait, she makes excess skin disappear so she can probably do the same for cellulite.
Finally tell me Tracy, can I look like Madonna if I do what you say?

“Every woman absolutely can look like Madonna”

Here is the bottom line. This woman gets paid a lot of money to be a moron and because she trains celebrities people think she knows what she is talking about when she clearly does not thus perpetuating myths about exercise and fitness. To tell a woman that she can look like Madonna (absolutely!) is complete bullshit. She has a lot more advantages than other individuals but even if you take a woman who has the same luxuries that are afforded to Madonna and do the same exact workout, people have these pesky genetic differences that significantly shape the way their body looks. I will never look like Gwyeneth Paltrow because she has a stick thin body type and I do not. No amount of dancing or leg lifts will make me look like her, just like she could never get an ass that sticks out as much as mine does, it is not physically possible because of genetics.

Even though she constantly sites the extensive research she has done, she has never been formally educated or has done any real academic research of any kind. I would looove to hear an actual scientist in this field debate the merits of her program with her but you never will because she will be made a fool and besides she only needs celebrities to back her up to be successful. Certainly being on Oprah's show didn't hurt. Overall, Tracy is full of misinformation and contradictions that are quite appalling.

But if think the Tracy Anderson method is the dream that she tries to convince people of, you wouldn’t mind slapping down a few bucks to go to her gym that exclusively uses her methods. With an initiation fee of $787.50 for six months or $1,500 for a year and monthly membership fees of $900 a month, she clearly has her clients best interests in mind.

[Source of quotes]

Creepy Baby Picture

Annie and Reagan came over last weekend to take a peak at my house and I snapped this pic of Reagan and it came out a little bit creepy:

Watch out for faceless babies crawling out of my fireplace and attacking you though, just in case.

Weekend Wrap Up

I have to say it was a pretty good weekend for me. On Saturday I went on a canoe trip down the San Joaquin River that turned about to be a lot of fun. I went with my parents and two other couples that are friends of the family and one of their sons. We started at Lost Lake and canoed for about 5 hours until we got to just before Woodward Park.

The highlight of the trip was definitely my parents capsizing within the first 10 minutes of us being in the canoes. The water was really cold too (45 degrees) which was an added bonus. The second best part was when my mom tried to get me with a water gun from the shore and ended up falling and completely soaking herself yet again. And then one of the other old folks also took a tumble in after teasing my parents mercilessly for falling in. I managed to stay above water and kept all the teasing to myself until after I got out of the canoe because I didn't want to experience any retribution karmic or otherwise.

It was a beautiful trip though, the weather was great and the river was really gorgeous. I really wasn't aware that anything like that existed so closely to the city. Besides the splashing of capsized canoers and the bickering of old married couples, it was really peaceful and something I would do again in a heartbeat.

Other than that since we celebrated Mother's Day Saturday, yesterday was spent doing more packing. I had the best of intentions to pack a little something every night but suprise suprise, that hasn't exactly happened. Just like in school when I would start the 15 page research paper the weekend before it was due even though I planned on writing a page every week. Oh well, it will get done, I work best under pressure anyway.

And just a reminder, pretty please try to keep Saturday, May 30th open to help me move. There will be beer. Lots and lots of ice cold beer.

"This is what a retarded chicken looks like"

I mentioned this blog this weekend, Look At This Fucking Hipster, and it is probably my new favorite site next to Fuck You Penguin (btw, Fuck You Penguin has a book coming out, which would be great next to toilets for those of you who don't know when you are ready to poop and like to sit there for 20 minutes waiting). Anyway you send in photos of hipsters, but the captions are the best part so if you look at the pics be sure to read the captions as well.

I could definitely see some of our own hipsters around Tower showing up on this site mostly because I will be sending pictures of them in.

Mother's Day is Sunday and if you don't have any ideas of what to get your mom, you might want to try one of these cakes brought to you by Cake Wrecks:

"So rich. So thick. And still just as sweet!"

Want to win some money that doesn't involve dead babies (and if you don't know what I am talking about you probably don't want to ask)? If you are interested in winning 500 bucks AND a years supply of Mrs. Butterworths, then try to guess Mrs. Butterworths first name! This is a real contest. They want you to come up with a name and then provide them with a reason why that is the best name. I think if we put our collective creative minds together we may come up with a winner or at least something a lot funnier than the winner. I wonder how much a years supply of Mrs. Butterworth's is anyway?

BTW Mrs. Butterworth's slogan is the title of this post.

Not cool, but really funny. Had someone left me a note like that either time someone hit my truck I would have been slightly less angry.

FAIL Blog

You Know You Work in an Old Office When...

This is the big joke of the day that has the entire office rolling around in hysterics. It reads: Caution 60 Year Old Senior Moment.

Jealous of my job?? Yeah, didn't think so.

I Got My First Paying Client!

Well sort of. It was more of a gift but it was still for providing strength training advice and routines so I am counting it. There is a girl at the gym who approached me a few months ago and asked if I used a particular strength training program and asked what exactly I did. I told her that I make up my own routines but I get the lifts/exercises from a variety of different sources and told her to give me her email address and I would send her some links. Since I change my routine every month I ended up sending her all of those as well as the ab programs I do. I was super flattered that she would even ask me for advice in the first place.

A week or so ago I saw her in the locker room and we started chatting and she said she had a friend that was asking her what she was doing because she had lost some weight, put on muscle and was looking super fantastic. She told her that a girl at her gym had been sending her strength training routines. I guess her friend is using diet pills right now and only does cardio but she seemed intrigued by the idea of lifting weights because of the results she was seeing.


Anyway yesterday she comes up to me and hands me a $25 Target gift card for helping her and sending her all of my stuff, how nice is that?? It is a bit of a boost to me that I sorta know what I am doing and it makes me really happy to know I helped introduce a woman to strength training and that she is clearly benefiting from it. She is doing all of the work and her motivation and consistency is what is providing her results though and she deserves all of the credit for that. But it still feels good to look over and see someone doing the strength routine that I made up.

I will do my best to change the minds of women one at a time that they should be lifting weights!

The Backless Shirt Project

I don't know if anyone else has ever embarked on their own backless shirt mission but let me tell you, not fun. Ever since I got my tattoo last year I have been looking for top and/or dresses that are backless and for a full year I have found nothing. The problem is they are entirely too slutty or just not very cute not to mention that there aren't many of them out there in the first place.
For example, this little ditty from Urban Outfitters that manages to be both slutty and ugly:

I don't see how your ass crack isn't showing the entire time. Can you even wear panties with this?

Then there is this top from some store called Hot Flash that has a misleading name since it does not appear to cater to women going through menopause but seems to target the girls that go to Bobby Salazars on a Saturday night:

I found this in ebay and I am not sure if it is supposed to be a dress or a top but either way my ass is not fitting into this:


But today I found a decent backless top that I hope will work:

The front of this top is just a simple scoop neck but the issue is that the shirt is white and looks fairly see through which means I need to wear a bra with it unless I plan on entering a wet tshirt contest. So whats a girl to do? Buy this somewhat scary looking backless bra:

I am not entirely sure how it is supposed to stay attached to you but I am having visions of it popping off at inoppertune times, like in public, like at Landmark.

Hopefully when they arrive it will all work out and everything will fit. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

NBC is previewing some of its fall line up and a new show featuring Joel Mchale of The Soup fame is on it. Now I have a major crush on Joel McHale so naturally I was intrigued by a new show featuring him, but after watching this preview I have mixed feelings.
It is about a lawyer who goes back to community college to get a legitimate degree and all the hijinx that ensues while he chases after the hot chick, makes friends with a study group and betters himself. I am interested enough to watch at least the first episode, but I happy Joel McHale is keeping The Soup gig, because he is perfection in that role.

FOR RENT

If you or anyone that you know is looking for a cute apartment with lots of charm, is in a great location - walking distance from numerous shops resturants and bars, my apartment is officially on the market. It is two bedrooms, 1 bath, small kitchen and laundry area (you provide your own machinces) and a small office with very cool neighbors. My landlord will be making some minor rennovations but will ask between $600-$700 for it.
Please spread the word around, he is being very kind to not penalize me for getting out of my lease early and therefore I would like to find someone to rent it out before I leave. It will be available to rent probably around the beginning of June to mid June.
Let me know!

This is Why I Don't Like Yoga People

I find that in general, I do not get yoga people. Now there are people who do yoga and there are yoga people. You know the ones I am talking about who walk around with sanctimonious smiles and pretend that they’re on their way to some sort of spiritual superiority that a non yoga person will ever find. Oooh I can do a backbend with a confused dog on my stomach. WTF? This is just ridiculous and obviously by look on the dogs face, he agrees. Naturally this type of yoga has a cutsey name too, Doga.

On second thought maybe the problem I have with this is a problem with dog people. I guess Doga is where over the top dog people and yoga people meet to annoy the crap out of me.

I Love Lamp

I got new lamps!

I bought two of these at Home Goods for more than 50% off (one has a crack on the base)and I think they are fantastic. I am going to put them on either side of my bed and I think they will really pop wih the gray walls.
I have now almost completely mentally decorated my house and knowing what you are going to do is half the battle. The other half will occur with me, 30 gallons of paint and a roller brush. That is when the real fun will begin.

Even Walks Can Be Interesting When People Yell At You

Yesterday I started feeling antsy and needed to get out of the apartment. I wanted to get in a little physical activity but it was my day off from the gym and I didn't want to work out hard anyway so I decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Walking always destresses me and helps me to clear my mind when I have a lot on my plate and sitting in an apartment with boxes everywhere and thinking about all that I have to do, I was starting to feel a little anxious. So off I went with my ipod on in my own little world until I got to about Wishon and one of those little side streets near Fresno City.

I looked ahead and saw a somewhat disheveled man standing near the bus stop on my side of the street. Now normally if I feel at all uneasy I will cross the street to avoid people, but I figured this guy was just waiting for the bus. Unfortunately my inside voice should have been paying closer attention because my instinct was definitely wrong about this guy. I blame the Bob Marley that I was listening to at the time lulling me into a false sense of security. If I had been listening to Disturbed or something I would have totally seen this coming.

As soon as he spotted me he started walking towards me. I turned down my ipod so I could hear him if he said something, which of course he did. With a scowl on his face he demanded "where is Cedar and Belmont". Here is the thing with me, I do not like people who are impolite and typically react negatively to that. You are asking me for help, there is no need to be a dick and not ask simply say "excuse me do you know where cedar and Belmont is?". Obviously he has bigger issues though and being polite was not a priority but instead of ignoring him or being a dick back I opted to ignore the rudeness and try to help. Unfortunately I am incredibly bad with street names. I know how to go places mostly because of landmarks and if I am telling someone how to get somewhere instead of saying turn left at Maple I will say turn left at the 3rd street, there will be a Carls Jr on your right and a Walgreens on your left. I am a visual person.

In any case I knew where Cedar was but was initially a little fuzzy on the direction of Belmont. Finally I said well Cedar is this way and Belmont is that way so Cedar and Belmont would be that direction and I pointed South East. I am not sure what exactly he was looking for but this was apparently not an acceptable answer because he squinted his eyes at me and very harshly goes "oh you don't know, stupid woman". Oh no he di'nt!

He then yells the same question at that woman across the street walking her dog, apparently she was not a stupid woman, that title belonged to me. She turns and looks at him and then turns around and keeps walking. I try to keep walking past him and tell him "sorry but that is as specific as I can be". Part of me wanted to say more but this was a troubled man and my sympathetic side kicked in so I didn't. Ok that and I totally didn't want him to stab me in the back with his shank.

He wasn't quite ready to let it go though and then blamed me for all of his problems because I voted for McCain. Yeah, I am not kidding he said that. I know what you are thinking, there are so many things wrong with that statement, where do you even start? But I didnt-and he didnt-huh?? I was baffled but I figured having any kind of logical discussion was not going to happen so maybe if I just walked away he would stay where he was and leave me alone.

This pretty much worked and he did not follow me but keot yelling insults while I walked away and a few moments later some teenage boys in a car drove by and honked at me while one of them cat called out the window and upon hearing and seeing this he yelled at them "Don't honk at her! She is dumb and doesn't know where Cedar and Belmont is!". Ahh yes, these are the days of my life.

I love this weather. Warm but cloudy and possibly rainy. It reminds me of Texas and Indiana and it is a rare treat to have here.

That is all, carry on!

It is a Bid Day, Fan-fucking-tastic

Obviously I am not a fan of bid days for several reasons. First of all my dad turns into a major A-hole. I understand he is stressed and under pressure but that doesn't mean I appreciate the hollier than thou attitude.

Rule #1 on bid days, unless you are calling about the bid you will not get to talk to anyone. So when I answer the phone and someone says that they were just talking to Mark and had a quick follow up question, it isn't so far off base that I assume they were talking about the bid. I didn't so much need an ass chewing because they were calling about another project. The bid is still 2 hours away too, he usually doesn't start morphing into assholio until 45 minutes prior to the bid going in so this will no doubt be a stellar afternoon.

The other reason I don't like bid days is because I am the only one who really doesn't have a major role in the process. I am support staff/fetch girl/phone bitch. I try to stay out of the way and be as helpful as possible but for the next 2 hours I will be answering the phone and retrieving faxes and thats it. I can't even get online or listen to NPR because I am at a different work station. Hopefully the mail will get here soon, that will give me something to do.

And now I must be going before the assholio starts looking for me...I think I need a Dr. Pepper too.

I Got a New Cactus!

Isn't it gorgeous? I was walking through the store with it and literally had a half a dozen people tell me it was beautiful while I beamed like a proud mama, and the best news was it only cost 20 bucks!

Oh happy find:)

Fresno Is Getting Just a Little Bit More Famous

The current issue of Sunset Magazine arrived yesterday and while I was thumbing through it to my very pleasant suprise found an article on Fresno. Not only Fresno though, the Tower District. It features Chicken Pie Shop, Landmark, Retro Rag, Tower Theater etc. and it wasn't just a blurb but took up 2 pages including several photos. I thought I could find a link to it online but I haven't been able to find it so if anyone is interested I can scan it tomorrow. It was cool to see Tower getting some recognition though.

Not featured in Sunset Magazine was a hole in the wall chinese restaraunt that I went to on Saturday night. Kirin Restaraunt is located in the southwest shopping center at Cedar and Herndon and although the restaraunt itself isn't much to look at, the food was fantastic and really that's all anyone really cares about.

I was dining with my parents and 4 family friends so we ordered everything family style and there was nothing I didn't like. The specials that day were honey shrimp with walnuts and some fish dish that I can't remember the name of but it was lightly breaded and fried and absolutely melted in your mouth. My favorite dish though was the shrimp with walnuts. The sauce wasn't overly sweet and it also had chunks of pineapple and the walnuts were roasted. It was delicious.

We also had several typical dishes like Happy Family, Sizzling rice soup and spicy tofu, all of which were excellent. I can't say anything negative about the food whatsover, it was all good. The atmopshere left something to be desired and it seemed that everyone who came in while we were there (aside from the big family next to use) was over the age of 70, but it is also sort of what you expect for a strip mall chinese food restaraunt atmosphere wise, but the food will impress and please you.

I would very much reccomend Kirin Restaraunt. Next time you are in the mood for some asian cusine give it a try, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Kirin Restaraunt
6769 N Cedar Ave
Fresno, CA 93710

(559) 431-6122

I Bought A House!

After a good 6 months of looking at at least 50+ houses, I finally found the perfect house for me. I am a picky and patient girl and refused to settle for something that I didn't absolutely love and the minute I saw this place, I got that special feeling in my tummy and I knew it was the one.

Although the house had only been on the market a few days there was already an offer on it so I had to act fast and I made my own offer, was countered and I happily accepted their counter offer and ended up getting a great deal. I love the neighborhood, I love the yard, I love the house and I can't wait to have my own place! I look forward to getting my hands dirty and doing yard work on the weekends as well as make improvements inside like removing all the wallpaper, painting every room and hopefully being able to make some improvements to the kitchen as well.

I may not be living in Tower anymore but I will certainly still be around, no doubt boring you to death with talk of light fixtures and drought resistant plants (you have been warned).

Here is the MLS lisitng which has some pictures of the exterior, the living rooms and kitchen.

I can't wait to move in, I already started packing this weekend:)

Hey Adam

Have you seen the the weather forecast for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday? I hope you are going to be in town... ;)

Did He Just...

I was watching the Colbert Report last night when Colbert was doing his "Better Know a District" segment with the Fighting 18th and he makes a hand gesture I really didn't see coming (and if you watch the clip, pun intended):

After a solid week off at the gym due to traveling and the stomach flu I happily made my way back to Centerpoint today. All is right in my world again. Although it can be difficult for me to take time off from exercising and my regular diet, it is good for the body to rest and recover from hard training. Taking breaks is still something I can't do without being forced to though so I guess I will just have to go on vacation every few months or so:)

While in Austin I stopped by Half Price Books to find some reading material and found The New Encyclopedia of Modern Body Building for 10 bucks! It is normally around 36 so I was quite pleased, especially since this is the bible of bodybuilding and fitness written by Mr. Olympia himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. His performance as a politician and a sexist aside, he knows his shit when it comes to fitness. The 790 page monstrosity probably builds muscle just by lugging it around but it is also filled with comprehensive information on health, nutrition and dietary supplements to help build muscle, lose fat and maintain optimal health. It also includes strategies and tactics for competitive bodybuilding, but don't worry I don't have any ambitions to be a competitive body builder so I will probably skip that chapter;)

I am all giddy to start reading this. The pictures alone are completely fascinating to me. It is truly amazing what some people can get their bodies to look like with a lot of hard work and discipline. As much as bodybuilders get a bad rap for being meatheads you really have to have something going on upstairs to be able to understand the science behind building muscle and to do it effectively. It also doesn't hurt to be genetically gifted.

I think I may need a bookcase dedicated to just exercise and nutrition now. My library is coming along nicely.

I am back from Austin and overall I had a great time. I got to hang out with my sister and talk and catch up which is always wonderful. Friday we got to go out on the boat and although it wasn't warm enough to go for a swim it was still nice and relaxing. Saturday we went for a hike in the greenbelt which was all overgrown and beautiful. We also saw a lot of hikers, runners and bikers which always makes me long for something like that in this area, however geographically that just doesnt work. I would still take the Sierra Nevadas over the Greenbelt for a hike any day, I just need to get up there more often.

We also had some great food until Sunday came along and both my sister and I came down with the stomach flu. It was pretty much a 24 hour thing but it made my last day and a half in Austin completely useless as I was in bed the entire time. It was a bummer of an end but the beginning made up for it. I am just very thankful that I didn't come down with it the day I was supposed to be traveling because that would have been completely miserable and I probably would have cried.

Back to reality though and to make the transition from being on vacation to back to the old grind. I swear the older I get the harder that transiton is. It is good to be back though, I definitely heart Fresno.

Tattoo Revisted

It has been almost a year since I got my peacock but I have been looking at it a lot lately thinking that something is not quite done. That and tattoos are highly addictive.

What I have been noticing is that the peacock is kind of floating there, I feel like it needs something to stand on. The image that I keep going back to in my mind is a branch that mimicks the curve of the peacocks feathers around my sun. I also think I would like to include a few flowers on it to pretty it up. See my very rough sketch on a picture of my current tattoo below:


I like the symetry and I like the way it wraps aroundand incorporates the sun more.

For the flowers I was thinking of having Gladiolas, which symbolize strength of character and sincerity and is also my birth months flower.

But I also like dahlias:


And the lotus flower (which is also what I have now):


I found this painting that I like elements of as well:

I really like the style of branches in this painting, twisted and multi colored. Plus the flowers are similar to what I had in mind. I think I would rather have magenta or purple flowers though, with multi colored detail.

So this is what I have been mulling over. I have no intentions of getting it anytime soon but I am thnking I am going to start putting some money aside. Happily it shouldn't be as expensive as the peacock and it shouldn't take as long.

I would be happy to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions and ideas.

Mama's Got A Brand New Bag!

After Adam posted about the Golden Girls necklace (which I bought but have yet to receive), I got to looking at the Etsy website where it came from. It is truly a fantastic site with a lot of handmade, unique items that I feel really good about supporting.

Knowing I was about to take a trip I started looking at carry on bags that I cold travel with and found this little gem that arrived today:




I love the colors and although the apples on the inside might be a little teachery, I think it would also be a great Farmers Market bag. It is the perfect size for a few magazines or a book, a snack and some water for the trip. It is also very well made and sturdy with a couple of useful pockets on the inside. And it only cost $30, which is about on par with a similar bag I might buy at Target, but a lot more unique.

This is the designers website. If you buy a bag or any other item from her and write "Referrred By Kasey Wilson" in the message to the seller I will get a free bag after 5 referrels. Yeah I don't expect you all to jump on that by any means but if it should come up, there ya go.

Move over This Is Why You Are Fat and your vomit inducing Sausage Fatty:



There is a new slimmer kid in town, This Is Why You Are Thin. Following the concept of This is Why You Are Thin, This is Why You are Fat presents "Inspiring images of the things that make and keep us healthy".

I have to admit that this wesite is not nearly as entertaining as the disgusting yet strangely fascinating atrocities from This Is Why You Are Fat. However, they often include recipes which can be helpful and some of the pictures are awfully pretty to look at as well.

For example Sprout Salad:


And Blood Orange Salsa:


But there are also a lot of uber health food, like raw food recipes and vegan food yada yada. Not really my style but I suppose it will keep you thin.

On a somewhat related note, has anyone ever tried Kimichi? I thought that it looked interesting and it is good for you but it sounds like it might be really spicy so I was curious. If anyone is at a place that serves it let me know! I don't even know where any Korean restaraunts are in Fresno, although I am sure they exist.

I am an avid NPR listener and have quite a fondness for their "This I Know" segments where people write short testimonials about a belief they have or the particular way that they look at the world. Recently I heard one from Muhammad Ali, read by his wife, Lonnie Ali that I found particularly poignant.

I Am Still The Greatest
I have always believed in myself, even as a young child growing up in Louisville, Ky. My parents instilled a sense of pride and confidence in me, and taught me and my brother that we could be the best at anything. I must have believed them, because I remember being the neighborhood marble champion and challenging my neighborhood buddies to see who could jump the tallest hedges or run a foot race the length of the block. Of course I knew when I made the challenge that I would win. I never even thought of losing.

In high school, I boasted weekly — if not daily — that one day I was going to be the heavyweight champion of the world. As part of my boxing training, I would run down Fourth Street in downtown Louisville, darting in and out of local shops, taking just enough time to tell them I was training for the Olympics and I was going to win a gold medal. And when I came back home, I was going to turn pro and become the world heavyweight champion in boxing. I never thought of the possibility of failing — only of the fame and glory I was going to get when I won. I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed that I was the "Greatest of All Time," I believed in myself. And I still do.

Throughout my entire boxing career, my belief in my abilities triumphed over the skill of an opponent. My will was stronger than their skills. What I didn't know was that my will would be tested even more when I retired.

In 1984, I was conclusively diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Since that diagnosis, my symptoms have increased and my ability to speak in audible tones has diminished. If there was anything that would strike at the core of my confidence in myself, it would be this insidious disease. But my confidence and will to continue to live life as I choose won't be compromised.

Early in 1996, I was asked to light the cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Of course my immediate answer was yes. I never even thought of having Parkinson's or what physical challenges that would present for me.

When the moment came for me to walk out on the 140-foot-high scaffolding and take the torch from Janet Evans, I realized I had the eyes of the world on me. I also realized that as I held the Olympic torch high above my head, my tremors had taken over. Just at that moment, I heard a rumble in the stadium that became a pounding roar and then turned into a deafening applause. I was reminded of my 1960 Olympic experience in Rome, when I won the gold medal. Those 36 years between Rome and Atlanta flashed before me, and I realized that I had come full circle.

Nothing in life has defeated me. I am still the "Greatest." This I believe.

I have always been drawn to people who hold the steadfast belief that they are capable of greatness and won't stop until they have achieved their goals. I envy their unwavering confidence. Muhammad Ali was no doubt a genetically gifted individual, but it was certainly his attitude that got him to achieve greatness because when his body failed him, his attitude didn't. I couldn't have more respect for individuals who when faced with an enormous challenge refuse to be defeated by it.

Final Score Bets

Here is what we picked for tonights total score:

My Dad - 160
Ed - 155
Me - 154

What was funny was I sent Ed a text askng what number he picked and he actually chose 154 too, but kindly changed to 155 when I told him we picked the same number. If the final score ends up being 154, I am guessing he might be super annoyed though.

The way I came to my number was I obviously knew that for the 3 way tie breaker to go into effect, Michigan would have to win. If Michigan wins, I am betting on it being a close game. Michigan averaged in the 70s for their games throughout the tournmament and UNC averaged a little higher at about 80. So my guess for the final score would be Michigan ahead by 2-4 points or 78-76, which equals 154.

Things have changed since I went to Church last

Granted it has been almost 20 years since I regularly attended church (I don't really count that time in high school where I was trying to belong to something and went to youth bible school camp thing otherwise known as Hume Lake). However, I was walking back from the gym on Sunday and I was passing St. Therese and couldn't tell if some of them were going to Sunday Mass or to a Sunday afternoon backyard BBQ. Casual jeans and shorts were quite common, and I even saw quite a short, tight jean mini skirt on a girl in her teens that would have made me rather uncomfortable at Starbucks, let alone church.

Now I know that we are a much more casual society than we ever have been and I am not even religious but I feel like people should dress a little nicer and more appropriately when attending church services, particularly at a nice catholic church like St. Therese. And although I am sure that some famlies that attend those services don't have a lot of money, the people I saw were not lacking money based on the brand and current styles they were wearing. Of course there were also people and families who were dressed nicely and respectfully, particularly the older couples who were just so darn cute in their hats and ties. Maybe I just have a fondness for dressing up and I like the retroness (yup, I said retroness) of the old school style of wearing your Sunday best. It is interesting how religious standards can change with changes in society.

In any case, I also came across this picture of a young actress (I think she is in Gossip Girl) this morning who is actually is not going to a Blondie look a like contest but going to church services. I also question her choice in church outfits.

Maybe it is an antiquated way of thinking but I don't think fishnets should be allowed in church. The rest of her isn't terrible though. Much better than the mini denim skirt.
Do I really care, no. I was just suprised a bit when I noticed how much more casual church goers are these days.

The Championship game is on tonight between Michigan and UNC (go Tar heels!) and currently we have a three way tie between my dad, Ed and myself. I hope that UNC just wins it outright to simplify matters (and I want to win) but if they don't, we need to make our prediction of final total combined score.

My dad has written down his total score but I have not looked at it because I have not made my guess yet. So Ed if you want to email me your score or text me, I promise I won't look before I have made my decision. Or we can send our picks to a third party. Whatever you want to do, just let me know.

Anytime I am woken up in the morning by my alarm and I am in the middle of a dream, I am groggy just about the entire day. 9 out of 10 times I wake up before my alarm goes off and I don't need to use it and I feel pretty wide awake for 5:50 AM. But if I am the middle of the dreaming portion of a sleep cycle and my alarm goes off I wake up confused and out of it and I find it really hard to wake up. Caffeine helps but only a little. So weird. I want to go back to sleep.

Anyone Going to Tulare or Gilroy Soon?

Between now and April 16, at all Banana Republic Factory stores when you buy three or more items from the factory store, you will receive 50 percent off your entire purchase. If you buy one item, you get 30 percent off, and if you buy two items, you receive a 40 percent discount. Banana Republic Factory stores already have killer deals so these are pretty big savings. It is probably a good thing there isn't one near me...

Link Time!

I haven't done this in awhile so here ya go:

50 Animals Who Hate Baths - Best Week Ever

Word of the Day: Frathole - Giggle Sugar

Comic Confrontations: Judge Judy Vs. The Real Housewives Of New York (this one is for you Heather)- Jezebel

At Least I exist, Pretty Boy - Fuck You, Penguin

I Hope You Don't Have a Magical Day! - Found Magazine

Goal Setting

“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.” - Jim Rohn

When you embark on any type of fitness program it is important and helpful to have goals. Most people have very general goals in mind usually having to do with things like improving their health, losing X amount of pounds or looking good in a swimsuit when they go on vacation. This is a good way to begin, but setting smaller more specific goals can be even more beneficial and is often overlooked.

The problem with only setting a larger overall goal is that it is often very daunting and overwhelming. Smaller goals are more manageble and attainable and help to build your confidence as you continue to achieving your overall goal. It is the forest for the trees mentality. If you only look at the big picutre you aren't seeing and celebrating the smaller things you have acheived on the way and appreciating the journey. It is the process of getting to your goal where you learn about yourelf and you discover what you are truly capable of acheiving. Through personal experience and the experience of others I have been able to witness the utter joy of doing something you never thought you would be capable of doing and I wish that everyone could experience that.

My sister recently ran her first half marathon, quite successfully I might add. For months and probably years I told her she should do it and that she could do it, but she was very reluctant because for someone who has not run long distance before, 13.1 miles sounds like an impossible feat. But I knew my sister well enough to know that she was capabile both mentally and physically to do it so I kept pestering. Her husband is also a runner and was also pestering her about it. It didn't matter what we said though, she needed to know for herself so she started small. In the back of her mind she had the goal to run a half, but she didn't focus on that right away. She focused on small goals, like running 45 minutes without stopping. Once she did that her confidence in herself rose and she set a slightly higher goal, like running 8 miles without stopping. This process continued until she worked her way up to 13 (and I think she went up to 14 miles)and he knew she could do it and she signed up for the race. Those smaller incremental goals gave her the confidence to go for the larger goal and she successfully achieved it.

In addition to improving your confidence by setting and achieving small goals, it is also just makes you happy! You know how hard you worked and you did it. I can remember emails and phone calls from my sister that just oozed happiness when she ran 8 miles and then when she told me she ran a full 13 miles without stopping. If you only focus on the large goal, you can forget to celebrate and experience the joy in acheiving the small goals. Enjoy the moment and celebrate your success. Brag about what you have done, anyone who has a problem with it either can't see the joy it has caused in you or are just jealous of that joy. The people who really care will want to celebrate with you because they can see how happy it has made you.

When you are starting a fitness program you may be discouraged that you aren't able to do certain things or are more behind when it comes to fitness then you would like to be. That is quite normal, everyone starts at that level and feels that way but don't let it dishearten you. Comparing yourself to other people will only make you feel bad so instead focus on yourself. We are all unique in our abilities and attributes and if you are working hard you will see improvement.

So if for example you want to have a bigger, more musuclar upper body by the time summer arrives so you can flex and attract all the ladies, focus on the actual exercies. Get on the bench press and if you can only do 3 reps of a certain weight then your smaller goal could be to work your way up to 10. Once you get there, then your next goal should be to bump the weight up 5 or 10 pounds. Focusing on that and not being obsessed with looking like a guy in the magazine you can probably never even look like because he is genetically gifted and airbrushed. You will eventually fulfill your own potential and look he best you can look and that is something you can be proud of.

Right now I have two goals that I am working on. First, I want to be able to do unassisted pullups. Right now I am using the assisted pullup/tricep machine to get me there. I can currently do 10 reps a the 9 setting. I will keep either increase reps or decrease the amount of assistance until I can do one on my own.

I also want to be able to do this exercise, the natural glute ham raise:

Right now I am doing a modified version that looks like this (I put my feet under a machine though):


Focusing on these small and specific goals keeps me excited about going to the gym. I know that each workout brings me closer achieving my goals. They may not be as huge as running a marathon but in all honesty I will be just as excited when I am able to do a pull up.

So when you are starting or continuing to improve your physical fitness, have a large goal in mind but to get there set smaller goals along the way. It will keep you motivated and build your confidence. If you go into a program with no goals however, you are basically setting yourself up for failure. Be focused and you can achieve everything you want.

Go Green Death!

A soccer coach in Scitute, MA resigned recently over an email he sent to the parents of the 6-7 ear old girls he was going to be coaching. It has been controversial because it was not appreciated by the parents who complained enough to prompt him to resign, however a lot of other people find him a victim of political correctness. I will let you read the email and see what you think:
THE COACH’S ORIGINAL E-MAIL
Congratulations on being selected for Team 7 (forest green shirts) of the Scituate Soccer Club! My name is Michael and I have been fortunate enough to be selected to coach what I know will be a wonderful group of young ladies. Chris Mac will also be coaching and I expect the ever popular Terry to return to the sidelines. Our first game will be Saturday April 4 at 10:00AM. There will be a half hour of skills followed by a 1 hour game, so total time will be 1.5 hours. All games will be played on the fields in the front of the High School. Each player will be required to wear shin guards and cleats are recommended but not required. A ball will be provided to each player at the first meeting, and each player should bring the ball to games and practices. There is no set practice time allotted for the U8 teams, but I will convene with the coaches to determine the best time and place. If there are cancellations due to rain, all notices will be posted via the Scituate Soccer Club website, no calls will be made (though I will try to send an email). Attached is the Schedule and Code of Conduct. After listening to the head of the referees drone on for about 30 minutes on the dangers of jewelry (time which I will never get back), no player will be allowed to play with pierced ears, hairclips, etc. We used to tape the earings, but that practice is no longer acceptable. Please let me know if your child has any health issues that I need to be aware of. My home phone is 781 XXX XXXX, my cell number is 781 XXX XXXX, and I check my email frequently. According to my wife, my emails get too wordy, so for those of you read too slowly, are easily offended, or are too busy, you can stop here. For the others……

OK, here’s the real deal: Team 7 will be called Green Death. We will only acknowledge “Team 7” for scheduling and disciplinary purposes. Green Death has had a long and colorful history, and I fully expect every player and parent to be on board with the team. This is not a team, but a family (some say cult), that you belong to forever. We play fair at all times, but we play tough and physical soccer. We have some returning players who know the deal; for the others, I only expect 110% at every game and practice. We do not cater to superstars, but prefer the gritty determination of journeymen who bring their lunch pail to work every week, chase every ball and dig in corners like a Michael Vick pit bull. Unless there is an issue concerning the health of my players or inside info on the opposition, you probably don’t need to talk to me. Coach MacDonald has been designated “good guy” this year.

Some say soccer at this age is about fun and I completely agree. However, I believe winning is fun and losing is for losers. Ergo, we will strive for the “W” in each game. While we may not win every game (excuse me, I just got a little nauseated) I expect us to fight for every loose ball and play every shift as if it were the finals of the World Cup. While I spent a good Saturday morning listening to the legal liability BS, which included a 30 minute dissertation on how we need to baby the kids and especially the refs, I was disgusted. The kids will run, they will fall, get bumps, bruises and even bleed a little. Big deal, it’s good for them (but I do hope the other team is the one bleeding). If the refs can’t handle a little criticism, then they should turn in their whistle. The sooner they figure out how to make a decision and live with the consequences the better. My heckling of the refs is actually helping them develop as people. The political correctness police are not welcome on my sidelines. America’s youth is becoming fat, lazy and non-competitive because competition is viewed as “bad”. I argue that competition is good and is important to the evolution of our species and our survival in what has become an increasingly competitive global economy and dangerous world. Second place trophies are nothing to be proud of as they serve only as a reminder that you missed your goal; their only useful purpose is as an inspiration to do that next set of reps. Do you go to a job interview and not care about winning? Don’t animals eat what they kill (and yes, someone actually kills the meat we eat too – it isn’t grown in plastic wrap)? And speaking of meat, I expect that the ladies be put on a diet of fish, undercooked red meat and lots of veggies. No junk food. Protein shakes are encouraged, and while blood doping and HGH use is frowned upon, there is no testing policy. And at the risk of stating the obvious, blue slushies are for winners.

These are my views and not necessarily the views of the league (but they should be). I recognize that my school of thought may be an ideological shift from conventional norms. But it is imperative that we all fight the good fight, get involved now and resist the urge to become sweat-xedo-wearing yuppies who sit on the sidelines in their LL Bean chairs sipping mocha-latte-half-caf-chinos while discussing reality TV and home decorating with other feeble-minded folks. I want to hear cheering, I want to hear encouragement, I want to get the team pumped up at each and every game and know they are playing for something.

Lastly, we are all cognizant of the soft bigotry that expects women and especially little girls, to be dainty and submissive; I wholeheartedly reject such drivel. My overarching goal is develop ladies who are confident and fearless, who will stand up for their beliefs and challenge the status quo. Girls who will kick ass and take names on the field, off the field and throughout their lives. I want these girls to be winners in the game of life. Who’s with me?

Go Green Death!

KINAHAN’S RESIGNATION

Team, After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from all coaching responsibilities related to Team 7 this season. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that some parents and the Board of Scituate Soccer failed to see the humor in my pre-season email. For the avoidance of doubt, the email was largely (albeit not completely) meant in jest and with the goal of giving the parents a chuckle while enduring yet another round of organized youth sports. It was also meant as a satire of those who take youth sports too seriously for the wrong reasons. My overarching goal is the well-being of my players, and I do not want any player to feel uncomfortable, nor do I want to see the team disbanded because of a lack of active players. Therefore, while I’d prefer to go down swinging, it’s really about the kids and it just makes more sense for me to take the year off.

While I respectfully disagree with the Board's interpretation of my comments, I believe that they should be commended for their immediate actions to address the concerns of the offended parties. The Board’s action proves that the chain of command is functioning as designed. Board members volunteer their valuable time and I do not plan to add to their already significant workload. I also respect those parents who were offended as I am sure they acted in the best interest of their children. While I may question their sense of humor, I have no right to question their judgment regarding their children. Perhaps we may even have beer (I’ll buy) and a couple of laughs at the end of all of this.

And while I am sorry some people failed to see the humor, I do not apologize for my actions; I wrote it, I think it's funny and I do have a distaste for the tediousness of overbearing political correctness. Furthermore, I was serious about parental involvement as I do believe parents should cheer and encourage players (in a positive fashion obviously) so that the kids feel the excitement that comes from team competition. And most importantly, I was completely serious that I want to see each young girl develop a positive self image, self-confidence and the will to succeed in any endeavor that she desires. Lastly, I have added some comments to my initial email (in capitals) to clarify several points that may have been viewed as offensive.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Kinahan

Go Green Death!

You probably know where I stand on this, but I think that parents overracted to this email. Granted he probably could have been more thoughtful when first introducing himself to parents because he didn't know how some parents might take his humor and philosophy, but the parents did't even really give him a chance to respond or even show them how he coached before they got all up in arms and wrote him off.

This statement:
"Lastly, we are all cognizant of the soft bigotry that expects women and especially little girls, to be dainty and submissive; I wholeheartedly reject such drivel. My overarching goal is develop ladies who are confident and fearless, who will stand up for their beliefs and challenge the status quo. Girls who will kick ass and take names on the field, off the field and throughout their lives. I want these girls to be winners in the game of life. Who’s with me?"

really resonated with me. Yes they are young but we teach boys at this age to be confident and fearless. I wonder if it were a group of boys if there would be such uproar? Probably not because boys can take it, but god forbid we treat girls the same way.

I would also like to note that parents of girls he coached last year had nothing but praise for him. One comment from where this was posted reads:

"Our daughter played on Coach Kinahan's team last year; His conduct was always positive and inspirational. Our daughter loved going to practice and playing in every game where she came out of her shy shell and blossomed on the field due largely to Coach Kinahan's encouragement. Keep your head high Coach!"

There were 2 other similar comments and no comments from parents complaining about having him as a coach.

It is disheartening to me to see things like this. I believe that sports can teach you a lot about life and make you a better person and it seems to me that this coach knew how to do that well and now a group of girls may not get that chance. Sad.