I'm an adult, now....

I am an adult now. I am paying for my own internet service.
I know. This is lame, but so true.
When Chichi lived with me, she set it and turned it off when she departed in December. Somehow, I managed to have cable until this morning.
I negotiated with Marc and Megan to use their internet service until they moved. I gave them wine, they let me use their wireless connection. Actually, I know that the wine was unnecessary, but I liked them and I liked being able to contribute. I don't expect a free ride.
The Comcast guy took 2.5 hours of my life to set up the internet, but I think he turned the cable off first. Very sad.
In some respects it is good. It will force me to read more, to be outside more, and inside less. I rely on the idiot box, a lot, it seems. I like having sound in the back ground and I used to sleep with it on.
I know that the internet has Hulu, and other free shows that are available for viewing. I was without a tv, or constant service for the 5 months that I traveled. I know that I can adjust to life without tv.
Still, I am sad. I will miss watching Rescue Me, tonight. I can watch it in 8 days on Hulu.com. I suppose it is something to look forward to.
Marc and Megan moved to DC, today. They left me some cleaning products, two bar stools, a plant, a lamp and an excellent full length mirror. There are other things, too. I will miss them and knowing that there is someone friendly to see when I return home. I wish that I had spent more time with them, sooner.
I am off to the post office. While waiting for the internet, I wrote 8 thank-you cards and packaged a budha for someone that needs it. You know, you cannot buy your own...

Attracting today....

Currently, attracting runners, coffee (always) and travelers. I know. I am repetitive.
Today, I read my Libra/Dragon horoscope--compliments of facebook--and it said that July brings the possibility of fire. It warns me to be wary of brushing up with fire and the end of the month has the highest potential for it. I think it is a little unreal. I enjoy reading my horoscope, but don't put too much stock in it. I read it, mostly, at work before the customers arrive. Typically, I am bored and trying to appear busy. My boss goes on weird detail oriented cleaning sprees when she sees people standing around. I understand the idea behind this, but she goes beyond the lean, you should clean concept. Leadership fails in this aspect.
The newspaper doesn't offer much outside of the horoscope, in my opinion. I am apathetic, in general, when it comes to reading the paper. I think the news is desensitized. I do not read it.
Nevertheless, fire is entering my life. It suggested that some unsavory, arrongant friend would also enter my life. Very bizarre and off base, I feel. Who is this mysterious person? Should I not talk to anyone that I don't know? Am I a child? Should I live in fear or censor myself?
I have thought about working on a coffee plantation before. How fun would that be to travel to Costa Rica and work for a few months for a coffee plantation? Shari and I visited one in Alajuela, Costa Rica. It is near San Jose and I led her through some of the city, instead of avoiding it. That could have been disastorous. Brian and I drove through the city in 2004 and it was hideous. Most of the streets are narrow, filled with pedestrians and chickens, and unlabeled. We made the mistake, twice, of trying to maneuver San Jose. Most guidebooks suggest steering clear of the city and I understand why.
The coffee was fantastic. I brought back a few pounds to share with my friends. I think I drank most of it, though.
Of course, working on a coffee plantation would be after my stint on a winery. That is my first love. Wine enables food, travel and excellent conversation. Plus, I have seen beautiful wineries around the world. I am drawn to South Africa and Napa. I guess I will continue to attract these things while running or contemplating life. Be well..

I ask people about being paid to travel.
Typical response--Lonely Planet. Resort critiques. Blogging.
What else is there?
There has to be something. Some niche that is designated for me. I want to be paid to travel. I would like to be able enjoy a nice meal, write about it, travel and be paid for it. Isn't there a need that hasn't been met by the internet?
I need to think on it.
Of course, I feel, I have put it out there.
Life is good. I have joy in mine.
My neighbors are leaving on Tuesday. I am sad. I went to their going away bbq and met some of their friends. Ironically, one of the girls was from Wichita. We reminisced the way only people from Kansas can do...were you taught evolution in high school? yes. But, when she attended Cornell, they made her take a test to verify that she understood evolution. Funny.
We talked about how friendly people from the midwest were and both agreed, that we wouldn't move back. Experiencing life elewhere, left too much to be missed outside of Kansas. It isn't a bad place. It just isn't me, anymore. Actually, I don't know if I ever fit into Salina. Probably not. Lawrence was my home. Lawrence was where I found myself, my identity. Lawrence was where I found travel. It has stayed.
Today was a good day. Tomorrow will be filled with yoga and prospects of more running...

Early morning aches

Running Pains. Sorta painful/achy, sorta sweet.
I went running for an hour and a half. I enjoyed it and didn't consider it as painful as it seems now. I think I could have kept going.
I train with two girls that are training for the full marathon. Actually, three girls, I run with, on a regular basis. Jamie, is a run-runner. I don't have a name for her yet. Yesterday, she ran with us and then planned to run a 5k for the colon society at City Park. She is runner, for sure.
I fear that our timed runs will separate us. For instance, I will never be asked to run 3 hours. They have to run 3+ hours, at some point. There are others that are training for the 1/2 marathon, but I haven't run with them. There seems to be a division between the runners and the walkers. I should probably be in the latter group, but have found that I enjoy running. And, I walk everywhere and so I don't need to meet with a group to do this.
I think about running the full marathon. Will I be able to do it? Why not?
I like the girls that I train with and would like to continue to run with them. I wonder what toll a marathon would take on my body. Plus, I enjoy running or the early part of it. Who knows how I will feel in September?
On a side note...my friend, Alecia, who recently reentered my life, got a tattoo of her daughter's feet and initials on her shoulder. I thought it was awesome and it made me remember that I wanted to get a tattoo, myself, to have a visual reminder of Brian and his presence in my life. I have chickened out, until now. I think I am going to get one on the back of my neck. I considered my leg, but know that it will be painful. My aunt tells me that it will be painful wherever I choose to do it. I suppose if I can minimize part of it, it won't seem as difficult.
ENjoy your Sunday. I have a bbq with Mark and Megan later...

Patience

Every Saturday, for the most part, is filled with running.
They ask us to arrive at 6:50 to sign in, stretch and share the mission statement.
This morning, I arrived at 6:47, said hello to a few girls that I know and continued to stretch. My calves are tight and so I am trying to fully stretch them out to prevent injury.
We are all standing around, as people continue to arrive. Finally, the coach begins speaking about training, fundraising opportunities and other random crap. All I can about is how much I want to go run. I want to begin since I know it is an hour and a half run today.
Yet, people keep talking.
They talk, and talk and talk.
I interject, at one point, to see where exactly we are running. I wanted to know if we could run outside of Wash Park since the Goddess and I had run around it on Tuesday morning and it didn't take an hour and a half. The coach says--we'll get to it.
This other lady gives us the Mission Statement. She's spoken before and so I knew that I would lose interest in what she was saying. I know that that sounds horrible, but she isn't a good speaker. She inspires me to daydream:)
Anyways, she starts off by talking about fundraising and what connections she made last year through her efforts. She ended with some mundane reasoning for why letter writing/e-mailing is effective.
I commented to the Goddess that I thought I was back in college since some people like to hear themselves speak. I didn't sign up for that in this training.
Finally, at 7:20, they tell us to go and that they will see us in an hour and a half.
Lindsay and I talk, most of the way, and I realize that I need to be patient in life. Sometimes, I have little tolerance for others...obviously. This woman, the speaker, has 7 kids and so she probably enjoys having an adult audience and it is important to her to run for people that have passed from Leukemia or Lymphoma. I need to display compassion, not judgment. I need to relax and enjoy life.
I feel that I do, but I could definitely work on patience. Patience is a virtue, right?

Kinda scary

I am having a lazy day.
I wanted to watch a movie, on-line, and there is a site that I have used in the past. Today, I ventured into unknown territory.
I was prompted to install the equipment off of one site and opted to not. Instead, I tried this different site surfsilverscreen or something. I wanted to watch this movie and suddenly, my computer goes crazy and 5 pop-ups say, you must download this to prevent your computer from being attacked. I almost hit, yes, but was prompted to reconsider. I wanted the pop-ups to stop and so I wanted to say yes, but it said that there was risk involved and that seemed to calm me down.
I think this site would have infected my computer had I enabled a scan, by them. I have Norton Security installed and so I ran a scan and my computer is fine.
It was scary, though.
I am not computer savvy and the last thing I want is to have to deal with something that I created because I don't pay attention. My friend, Marcee, was hacked through facebook or something. She told me that this guy had 83 chat windows open and told people that she was in London and needed money to return to the States. She figured it out after she ran into someone in Kansas and they asked how she got back and looked at her funny.
It is scary. Technology enables many things, but not all are positive. I think we are becoming more and more less willing to interact with people in a face-to-face format. What happened to thank you cards? We have replaced it with text messaging, facebook or e-mail (which is antiquated, too).
I like blogging and I like knowing there are people out there that follow my blog and find me somewhat amusing. I talked to my sister, Jade, today, and she told me she reads my blog at work. I mentioned some of the comments that are made and she goes--oh, from Rachel or Scarlet? I thought it was cute. I told her that she should check out their blogs, too, since I enjoy their writing and perspectives.
I digress.
The whole almost hacked tracking cookies/worms was scary. It just reminds me to not trust or engage in things that come too easily, you know?
Be well. I found my Thriller CD and blasted it while mopping the floor. Gotta love some of MJ's early work...

Alright.
So Jeff Goldblum is alive.
Doesn't this beg the question of why are there false reports of loss?
What purpose does it serve?
WHy suggest it?
It is disgusting to me.
Life is short. You can make the same mistake, never learn to grow or change. People that are alive, choose to behave in this fashion.
Why print that someone died?
I find it disgusting.
Loss is awful. I wouldn't put this on anyone, my worst enemy for that matter. No one knows how to broach it. Instead, they say insane things and hope for the best. I know. I seem to be crazy or rambling. But, wait. Wait until you lose someone--parent, sibling, child, significant other. THen, please, let's talk. Take back your judgment and inadequacies.
Life is beautful and meant to be lived, fully.
I was sad to hear about the loss of Michael Jackson. My childhood is gone. Really, I teared up listening to PYT and Got To Be There...Wow, what music can inspire.