Week of December 2, 2012:
Monday: DIY yoga
Tuesday: I forget…maybe a bike commute to work?
Wednesday: Short evening run (20 minutes)
Thursday: Bike commute to work
Friday: Off (went out with friends to drink beer and eat burgers)
Saturday: Errands via la bicicleta
Total minutes run this week: 82 (sad trombone, as Holly would say)
Week of December 9, 2012:
Sunday: Long run (70 minutes)
Can you spot the wildlife in each photo above? I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you click on the photos, Flickr will give you a clue. My encounters with these creatures were some of the highlights of my week, and I’m so happy I have photos to share!
So. I’m not getting along with Texas these days. It’s a combination of factors: drivers who are rude or inconsiderate to pedestrians and those of us on two wheels, a growing sadness and frustration with the vegetarian scene around here, the obnoxious trucks that don’t actually fit into parking spaces, the way that patriarchal attitudes are amplified and glorified here. I’m just not feeling excited about Texas. A friend of mine pointed out that some of my problems are because I live in small-town Texas rather than Austin or one of the other big cities, and she makes a good point. But I’m here because my work is here, and my work is not something I can take with me, at least not yet. So I’m feeling kinda stuck and annoyed.
Running-wise, I also seem to be in a funk. Last week’s heat has stuck around—it’s 79 degrees F as I write this. Today’s long run was a struggle. I was so hot right off the bat, and the last 20 minutes were among the hardest I’ve run in a long time. Part of the problem, I’m sure, is hormones (damn you, lady hormones!); there may be other things contributing to my lack of running mojo. On the plus side, I’ve been loving my bike rides and feel great when I’m on two wheels (minus last Saturday’s bonk). Another plus, because I feel like I’m whining in this post: tonight I’m having spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and soysages with a side salad, and I’m pretty excited. The kitchen has been kind to me lately, and guess what? I can ALL THE VEGETARIAN FOOD I WANT in my own kitchen. Thank goodness I can and do cook! If I didn’t, I’m sure I would be a thousand times more unhappy with Texas.
As a wise man once said, “This too shall pass.” I hear some wintry weather is on its way, and that will make me very happy.
Happy Hanukkah, everyone! I’m a big fan of all the winter festivals of light. They are, to my mind, a sign of the invisible ties that bind humanity together.
I'm sorry to read that things have been tough for you lately. I've lived in many places where vegetarianism is not the norm and where it can be tough to have a social life and feel like you're not incredibly limited in your menu choices. The worst I've experienced was such a lack of understanding in a small town in Spain that when I was a pescatarian there and ordered some trout after patiently explaining things to the server, it came stuffed with ham. Hang in there! If we lived in the same town, I'd have had you over for a completely vegetarian Chanukah brunch this morning.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, friend! I have heard the Spanish put ham into everything. I can totally imagine your reaction when your food arrived. You hit the nail on the head with your point about a social life. My friends here are great, but we hit a little snag last week, and I've been bummed about it. On the plus side, when we went out for beer and burgers on Friday, I tried the portabella burger and actually liked it! I typically do not like mushrooms, but with this one, it seemed they had pounded it a bit and grilled it, so it wasn't just one big squishy, spongy mushroom.
DeleteOh, your brunch sounds lovely! Brunch is such a festive meal in the first place, and a vegetarian Chanukah brunch sounds great. Perhaps I'll get to see some photos from brunch on your blog :-)
Have a good week, my dear!