Crazy Legs

On Saturday morning, Christie, Trevor, and I drove out to Madison for the 8K Crazylegs Classic. It was an adventure. And even though the details on paper make it sound like a collection of misfortune, we had a great time. But I'm not sure if we'd do it again.

We began the day with some slightly stressful driving around the city as we realized that I had no idea where registration was. Go figure, I thought it would be somewhere near the starting line. Nope, about a mile away from the start. We made it to registration with about 15 minutes to spare. Luckily, we had 60 minutes between registration and the start.

The sun was out, and it looked to be a beautiful day for a run. We made our way to the capital, which was the starting point. No directing signage, so we ended up at the end of the last wave - of walkers. Even after our wave finally began running (35 minutes after the start of the race!), we had to get past all of the walkers and slow-poke runners. We started with about 20 runners behind us. That left about 14,980 in front of us. As Trevor pointed out, we spent the entire race passing people. Not one person passed us. (Except for when that girl dropped her phone and Christie accidentally kicked it while trying to pick it up.) We're not that fast. We were just placed at the back of the slow people.

Despite all of the people that we passed during the running, we apparently didn't get to the finish line early enough, because they RAN...OUT...OF...BEER! Come on! That's how I made it up the hill on Mile 2. I kept repeating, "beer (pant, pant) beer (pant pant) beer" on every step of my right foot. How can they run out? That's the most important part of the race - the rehydration. They don't run out of beer during the Beer Run of Riverwest, or of sausages during the Sausage Race of Miller Park. Unacceptable.

Well, with morale at a low (but not the lowest, that was yet to come), we made the long trek back to the car, which was at the registration area - nowhere near the finish line. Upon seeing the car I reached into my pocket for the car keys, and found out that they were no longer there. Perhaps I had given them back to Christie because it was her car? Nope. I dropped them. We did not panic, which greatly helped the situation. Sure, we were in a strange city, without any certainty of our exact location. Our cell phones - in the car. Our identification - in the car. Our money - in the car, except for a sweaty $15 in Trevor's shoe. We knew no phone numbers, nor anyone's address in the city. The best option was to take the walk back to the stadium and look for the keys. We were fortunate enough that it was still open though we had to ask the staff's permission to look around. Eventually, we went to the Lost and Found. And lo and behold, someone had turned in the keys! Yea! No call to a locksmith!

We went to a bar for a lunch of beer and burgers. I was introduced to Mac-n-cheese wedges. Who knew that one could deep-fry macaroni and cheese into a wedge shape? It was ok, but I'd prefer my mac-n-cheese in a spoon-friendly form.

Music Talk

While in Europe, Charley spent a good deal of time listening to his iPod. At one point he told me that he was listening to Mika, and he recommended that I should give him a try. I remembered this when I was in the music store the other day and noticed that Mika's album had recently come out. I bought it, never having heard a single song on the album.

Within the first few songs of the album, I realized that Life in Cartoon Motion would easily take the position of Gayest Album in my music collection. This, of course, upset those artists whose albums previously had held this position - namely Rufus Wainwright and the Scissor Sisters. While Rufus just had general feelings of hurt and confusion, the Sisters took a much more agressive approach when dealing with the interloper, Mika. I tried to capture their conversation, which includes comments from my other CDs, in the following lines:

Mika: Everybody's gonna love today! ...love me.

RW: (to Donny) [But] I'm only the one you love.

SS: I don't feel like dancin' no sir, no dancin' today.

RW: I don't know what I'm doing / I don't know what I'm saying...

Mika: [Maybe you're] Suckin' too hard on your lollipop. Love's gonna let you down.

SS: ...you're filthy / Oooh, and I'm gorgeous.

Ray Lamontagne, concerned that neither side was listening to the other foresaw problems.
Ray: Trouble. Oh, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble.

Corinne Bailey Rae, the other newcomer to the group threw her support behind Mika, and so did the soundtrack of Wicked.
Corinne: Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song.
Wicked: Popular. I'll help you be popular!

Some other albums were against Mika, however.
Thriller: They're out to get you, better leave while you can. Beat it. Just beat it.
Dixie Chicks: I'm not ready to make nice / I'm not ready to back down.

Poor Rufus pressured me to make a decision.
RW: I don't know what it is, But you got to do it...

Luckily though, someone stepped in and silenced everyone.
Black Eyed Peas: Shut up, just shut up, shut up. Shut up, just shut up, shut up.

And until someone stops me, I will continue to listen to any of my CDs as frequently as I wish.

Donny at a Crossroads

Some day I may look back at this week and think, "Yes, that was when everything changed." It's not often that someone realizes he's in the middle of a turning point. It's difficult to recognize the change of the tide. There's too much movement of the waves to notice that the entire body has changed directions.

Of course, my actions this week have been quite deliberate. I'm not being swept away, but choosing my own path.

• This morning I took the PRAXIS I exam. This is the first test needed to become a certified teacher. Last week, I submitted my application to MTEC, a program in the Milwaukee Public Schools, for people of other careers to become teachers. I am giving it a try, because my current career is not right for me. The money is great, but I want fulfillment. If things go as planned I will be teaching math in a high school classroom come September.
• This weekend I led my church's committee in hiring our permanent pastor, who will start in July. My church is going through some rough times, but the pastor will bring an extensive skill-set. She will either turn us around from our struggling financial situation, or drain our savings and cause us to have to close our doors for good. As the chairman of the Staffing Committee, I am in the position to receive the praise or blame for how the appointment plays out.
• I received a call from military this week, as they are doing a background check on Ray. They had many questions, and I managed to know many of the answers. How many of you can remember your dorm room numbers or even your addresses from 7 years ago? I have talked to Ray a few times on the phone now since he got out of basic training. He sounds happy. I hope he is.
• On Saturday night, Christie, Trevor, and I went to a pre-developed housing development outside of the city to watch the stars. The neighborhood we visited only has paved roads and water hook-ups. The land is flat so that we are able to see the stars close to the horizon. We had a nice talk, and I appreciated my friends - even if they have strange senses of humor.

I have been watching the PBS documentaries America at a Crossroads. If you can catch an episode this week, I highly recommend it. The program is about post 9/11 America and the difficulties that we face. One episode I watched focused on Jihad and the people who join it. I don't think I learned anything new, but it was good to see everything told in a narrative and for the pieces to be placed together. Another episode I watched was called "Writing the Wartime." It took the writings of soldiers and made a documentary of it. There were poems, narratives, and essays. It was very moving.

Oops

I'm at the library studying for my next exam. However, I now realize that I have forgotten to register for my exam. Fantastic.

When Fantasy Congress Become Real

Today I met Congresswoman Gwen Moore, the representative from my district in the House. She was our guest speaker at church. After the service I introduced myself to her. For lack of a better conversation topic, I told her that I have her picked in my fantasy congress league and that I would appreciate it if she would be as active as possible because that would help my score. I explained to her that I get points for all sorts of activity from the passing of her sponsored legislation to just showing up for roll call. I don't think she knew what I was talking about but she did tell me that her aides have mentioned "fantasy congress" before. Perhaps she'll look into it.

I think that I should receive some sort of credit in the league for actually having met someone on my team.

Wisconsin seasons

Spring officially begins in 2 days, but we couldn't wait any longer. Today we broke out the Weber grill to cook our dinner. Trevor invited Christie, Jon, and me to his apartment for hamburgers and fries. We brought chicken, potato salad, asparagus, and guacamole. We brought too much food, which is what normally happens. And what's worse is that grilled food usually doesn't keep too well in the fridge.

Trevor's neighbors gave us some funny looks as they walked by in their parkas and scarves. Our hands were cold on the beer bottles, but we just moved our chairs closer to the grill for warmth. Jon and Christie argued over who got to sit in the way of the smoke - both of them wanted it.

I can't decide what was my favorite quotation of the night. The contenders are the following.

1. Jon: "The last time I was home, my dad made me watch The Devil Wears Prada. He really likes the fashion industry."

Or

2. Christie, as we sit around the grill: "Well, it looks like most of the snow in your front lawn is melted."

Europe by the Numbers

Ten…completed postcards that I left at the breakfast table in Brugge, Belgium. Because they are stamped, I hope someone will drop them in a mailbox and not the garbage.

Nine…H & M stores. Two in Paris, two in Brugge, and five in Amsterdam!

Eight… supporting characters in the story:

1. Ida, our gracious Parisian hostesss
2. Simon, our trusty Belgian guide
3. Valerie, our trusty Belgian guide’s sidekick (and fiancée)
4. “The Waitress Who Cared” (and who told Felecia that she cannot eat the pita with her meal)
5. Our smelly Flying Pig hostel roommate
6. Arnold, the Friendly Frenchman, who dreams of visiting Alabama
7. Charley’s flirtatious reflection
8. The dog at the hostel who likes gloves.

Seven...pigeons that landed on Charley at one time to eat from his hand.

Six…days’ worth of pictures that I deleted from my camera.

Five…cigarettes bummed from strangers

Four…countries visited in one week: Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (a.k.a. Holland – who knew!)

Three…traveling companions: Felecia, Charley, and me. Decisions never required a tie-breaker.

Two…musicals, from which we sang a good number of their songs: Wicked – “You’re gonna be popular” and Pete’s Dragon – “It’s a Brazzle Dazzle Day”

One…exhausting week.

Ash Wednesday

The Latin phrase, "Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris." means "Remember human, that you are dust, and you will return to dust." It's a phrase inspired by Biblical passages and often used during Ash Wednesday services. Contrary to others' ideas, it does not mean, "Eat steak, die happy."

Missed Bops

The Ditty Bops are coming back to Milwaukee, and they'll be playing at Shank Hall, which is three blocks from my apartment. But, alas, I will be in Europe.

Oh yeah - I'm going to Europe - in three weeks. With Felecia and Charley. We're taking it by storm. Flight into Frankfurt, train to Paris, stay there for 3 nights. Travel to Belgium, stay there one night. Train to Amsterdam, enjoy the local culture, stay a night or two and then make our way back to Frankfurt for our flight back.

Things I have learned from the Anna Nicole Smith Media Coverage

1. Zsa Zsa Gabor is still alive.

2. Virility Points earned by fathering a child with a former Playboy Playmate are easily lost when the paternity is questioned by, among others, a dead 90 year-old.

3. White men also take royalty as their first names.

4. Giving a baby two names, but melding them together only makes them difficult to pronounce. "Dannielynn." Is it Dannielle Lynn, Dannie Lynn, Dannielle In, or something completely different?

5. I continue to love NPR, who have not yet done a story on this.

Fourteen

I can't believe 14 degrees feels so warm.

Long John

The thermometer in my apartment says 65 degrees - Fahrenheit. I cooked dinner tonight, just to have an excuse to turn on the stove. Now I'm going to iron my clothes - again.

I wore my long underwear to work today. I only have one pair. Would it be that terrible to wear them two days in a row?

You spin me right round, baby.

I wish I had a good story about my recent Spinning exploits along the lines of the very funny "Crotch Machine of Death" story from Adina. But I don't.

My story is that normally I am in the pool, swimming 50 laps, every day by 6:30 am. However, for the past two weeks, I have been going to the 6 a.m. Spinning class on Thursday mornings. Terra, the instructor is very friendly and fit. She gets us moving slowly, but I'm a sweaty mess by the end of the class. I don't fall off the machine, and I don't make any embarrassing sounds when we "go up another hill." Even though I do want to ask her why we never just "coast down a hill." That's my favorite part of a bike ride and, I think, if we're simulating a real ride, every part should be represented.

Joining the spinning class has shown me how much of a regular I have become at the gym though. The first time I took the class I was surprised at how many people noticed that I had missed my regular swim. And one guy, who has never talked to me previously, asked me for my opinion of the class. He had been nervous about joining it and wanted to know what it's like for a beginner. I didn't mind answering his questions, because he was wearing clothes, which is more than what can be said about other chatty guys in the locker room.

How can I make it known that I only want to talk to other guys if we are both wearing pants? And why do I seem to be one of the few people who feel this way!?

Stay tuned for a future post, in which I will tell you about my Pilates class.

The Reign of Bob is Over

I have a new People Manager. The reign of Bob is over. Not that he did much reigning anyway. He was usually too busy to have significant meetings with me. And I don't particularly like him, so I never went out of my way to make those meetings any more pleasant or frequent. It's somewhat unfair of me not to like Bob. He's a nice guy, and I don't have any serious professional complaints about him. Most of my complaints go away after an afternoon of grumbling and perhaps a beer. I just don't like him. Personally. So, I can't complain about him, or even request a new manager, because I don't have a particularly rational reason for him not to be my boss. I just don't like him.

My new People Manager, on the other hand, is Jason, someone I consider to be a good friend of mine at work. He is only a couple of years older than I am and was recently promoted to "consultant". We work together all the time, but we're usually goofing off. One of our current projects is to perfect the "walk and talk" a la Aaron Sorkin as we go down the hall to pick up our print jobs. (Yes, this is the pinnacle of excitement for an actuary.) We gossip about our coworkers, and often share information that few other people know. I was going to tell him that I am looking for another job, but now I don't know if I can do that. He's my manager now, and that has thrown our whole relationship out of whack.

I sort of mentioned this concern to him by asking him if we can still go to baseball games together. (Because I would certainly not have gone with Bob. Poor Bob used to offer to take me out for lunch for my "review" and I would suggest we stay in the office instead.) Jason had a good response, though. He said, "Of course, we can. But now we get to bill it to a code."

I am being selfish in my concern over the change in my relationship with a friend. This is a good opportunity for Jason, who needs the chance to try various roles in the office. This is also great for the junior associates, who now have a manager closer to their level and easier to approach. I should look forward to the changes.

I love my bank

Today they sent me a free coupon to reverse one overdraft charge that I may incure in the next year. Isn't that great? My last bank charged me $140 in overdraft charges before they let me know that my paycheck required a 5 day waiting period before it cleared. But my new bank sends me sweet coupons of love.

In addition, my bank is easily accessed in my grocery store on every day of the week and into the early evenings. The interest rates are quite high despite the smaller savings amounts of a twenty-something. And the staff is very friendly: even beginning to recognize me. Sometimes they are a little too friendly, such as the new bank teller, who this weekend asked me if my savings account is a money market because I "have a lot of money in there." I remained polite, but I wanted to correct her because: 1) It really isn't "a lot" of money. It's enough to get me by if my car dies or if I quit my job for a few months. 2) Don't say stuff like that outloud.

Also, a local bar recently charged $60 to my debit card even though I only spent $20. They have not yet responded to my voice messages or e-mail. It's the type of bar that is only open after 9 on weekends, so I haven't actually gone there in person. I lost my receipt, but I know my bill was $20, because that's the minimum charge and I only had one drink. (I thought I was mad about the $20, but the $60 made me angrier than when I see grocery stores using apostrophes in their produce signs. e.g. Apple's and Banana's) However, my bank told me not to worry. They suggested I approach the bar once more, and if the management doesn't check their records, we can just fill out an affidavit. Easy as pie.

Work update

Three of my coworkers (or their wives) are now expecting babies. That's 10% of my office will be having babies within the next nine months. And the woman next to me said something along the lines of "And I think there will be more." in a way that made me feel that she knows something I don't.

A few months ago my firm did away with in-house IT support. Brilliant! Now when we have a problem we simply call the "help desk," which is neither helpful nor a desk. It is group of very friendly Indians in Mumbai who are happy to use every courteous remark that has ever been coined in the English language. They are quick with my ticket number (in the case that I need to call back later) and the suggestion that I restart my computer.

Last week, two of the office computers broke. One due to a juice spill and the other just because laptops are finicky. We have an extra "loaner" computer, however, it took a day for the "Help Desk" to figure out how to get it working. Then it took another two days for another loaner to make its way to our office from Chicago. This is not because the loaner laptop walked to Milwaukee - it just took that long for the "Help Desk" to realize that they cannot fix the broken computers over the phone. One of the guys affected bills his time at $390 / hour. He spent four days trying to get a computer. Missing eight hours of work each day cost the firm $12,480. That's incredible. Maybe I don't understand the cost-effectiveness because I'm not a partner.

Today we had another mishap concerning our computers. The office network was "down" - probably due to not enough memory. I learned today that our main drive only has 19 gigabytes of memory. That's crazy. We decided, during the four hours it took the "Help Desk" to fix the problem, that we would all open gmail accounts and begin saving our work there.

2006 - Year in Review!

January
came in with bang and a Gentle Hand. BONYE was a hit and soon to be a tradition. Within the first hours of the New Year, Felecia rejected my (drunken) marriage proposal and I decided that 2006 would not be the year for love.
Got lost on my first trip to Milwaukee's NAACP. Asked for directions at the King library, but the only person who could help me was the other white person. What gives?
Visited KT in DC. Began thinking about moving and finding a new job.

February
was wicked cold and I spent a good deal of time inside. Saw Prairie Home Companion in Milwaukee and Wicked in Chicago. Managed to not sing along to either show.
No snow.

March
began with my first retreat at my new church. Afterwards I felt much more a part of the congregation.
With my new Milwaukee coterie, I saw quite a few concerts - David Gray, Aqualung, Nickel Creek, Ditty Bops, and the 5 Browns.
Played tennis for the first time this season. Made plans to play often.
Played tennis for the last time this season.

April
was very busy in the office. And I kicked up my studying campaign for the May exam.
Tap Danced my way through every Thursday night.
Golf lessons on Saturday mornings.
Not selected for jury duty.
Saw my most wide-spread, "acceptable" public drunkness ever, at Brewers Opening Day.

May
Exam! But very busy at work. Did not study nearly enough, and expected not to pass.
Went home for my great aunt and uncle's 60th wedding anniversary. Danced and drank with the family.
Visited Minneapolis with Christie and Jake. Considered moving there.

June
started with Riversplash, the official kick-off of the summer festival series of Milwaukee. This was my third attendance at Riversplash, but this time I had friends who went with me! Sang along with Milwaukee classics such as "Sex and Beer" and "Tonight (I'm Gonna Ruin my Life)."
Met the intern. Was the first person in my office to tell him, "Shut up" and "You don't know what you're talking about."
Bed bugs moved into our apartment. Jake moved out.
Still believed in the Brewers.

July
brought the end of the strawberry season. I made jam.
Rush tribute band!
Exam results came back positive. Yea! I'm a third level actuary and can now learn stronger spells to fight the orcs.
Beat all four sausages in the 5K Sausage Run.

August
J and Lindsay visit Milwaukee. Watch sows give birth at the State Fair. The piano-player hits on Christie at the dueling piano bar. She doesn't discourage him. We toast "to bad decisions".
New apartment. No bed bugs!
Attend a coworker's pool party. Leave before the naked chicken fights.

September
Visit Las Vegas and Los Angeles. See Tom and Ray and Cory. Miss my friends and wish that they still lived in the room next door.
Puked on a plane. Twice.

October
Study, Study, Study.
Weekly parties, but I behaved.
Organized my office to volunteer at a local soup kitchen. We served 300+ dinners. Learned good things about my coworkers.
Aunt Virginia died (not unexpectedly), but I was reminded of the worst part of living so far away from home.

November
hosted another actuarial exam. I smuggled my answers out of the room and when compared them to the posted solution, reasoned that I probably did not pass.
Julie still in town.
Aunt Sharon died. Her local newspaper allows people to leave messages under her obituary online. As a teacher (of Latin!) magistra, she had many messages from previous and current students. This made me reevaluate my current career path.
Dan Goldin Day brings about new traditions such as being turned away at the door of the brewery tour and making cool new friends. This year was Adrienne and Trevor.
Hosted a chili dinner for the young adults at the church. Realize that there are some other young adults at the church!

December
began with a big snowstorm. Company holiday party was a blast. Because I could walk to it, I definitely had the most to drink. Luckily I was also the photographer, so there aren't many pictures to commemorate my shenanigans.
Attended my first baby shower.
Visited PA for Chirstmas.
Prepared for PhilONYE.

I hear a symphony

Dreamgirls is not about the Supremes. It's a Supreme-like story, but it's not the Supremes. It's a good movie, but it's not what I expected.

I've been singing "I hear a Symphony" (albeit with the wrong words) in anticipation of the movie all day. And I was wrong.

Charlotte's Web is still about a pig, right?

A Secret about Santa Claus

I may be late discovering this, but this will be a new favorite Christmas song for me. I can't wait to go caroling next year.

Homeward Bound

I was just washing my dishes and out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of light outside. I turned to look, but nothing was there. I was a little confused, and honestly the crazy part of my mind thought that it could have been supernatural. However, then I heard the thunder and realized that it was just lightning. December - and we're having a thunderstorm. We're in Wisconsin; this should be snow.

Now I wait for the airport van and watch the rain. And listen to a John Denver/Muppet Christmas album.