Top.Mail.Ru
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Approaching lightspeed
The aspect of a world moving slower than molasses
 
27th-Jun-2013 07:03 pm(no subject)
City
This is to the person who was one of my best friends for 5 years but now won't speak to me. You know who you are. If you're still checking this at all, I wanted to let you know that I miss you. I've respected your wishes not to contact you, though I still don't understand what went wrong. I don't feel any anger towards you, only sadness. If you want to start again, you know how to reach me.
17th-Aug-2010 06:00 pm - Humane society fundraiser!
Run
For the first time ever, I'm doing one of those run/walk fundraiser thingys! You may remember that a couple weeks ago we found a wonderful stray puppy? (http://vespa331.livejournal.com/484824.html) Sadly, we couldn't keep him, so we dropped him off at the Capitol Area Humane Society. They're having a fundraiser in September, and I'm walking for love of Bart. I still miss him and think about him almost every day, but if I can't have him, I can at least do this for him. Please visit our page and consider donating anything you can spare, even a couple dollars. http://cahs-lansing.donorpages.com/WFTA/Rachel2/ The cuteness of Bart compels you...



Thanks!
11th-Mar-2010 09:47 pm - The cars are rebelling!
Car
Despite my best efforts, my car has hit a few snowplow potholes this winter (the 104/590 connection is like a minefield). A couple days ago I banged one really badly and my car got wobbly, so I took it to my mechanic. Turns out I hit hard enough that I dented a wheel and popped both front tires, plus he said that since I hit hard enough to kill a wheel I probably need the alignment checked. For those playing along at home, that brings us to about $600 in car repairs. My xmas present was a new microwave after Adam's melted, my bday present is car repairs...I'm noticing a rather disturbing trend.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Adam got pulled over not once but twice for having an expired inspection sticker. Passing his inspection cost about $1100 in repairs. Even after all that, driving in his car is still like taking off in an airplane, so he might need to get something else fixed too.

And to wrap it all up my dad's car just decided that it didn't really need that silly old exhaust pipe.

*facedashboard*
14th-Feb-2010 01:35 am - I got flowers!
Glam
Stacy got me flowers! Eeeee!

Aren't they the most beautiful flowers in the whole wide world? Adam's feeling rather inadequate, seeing as he's been outromanced by a girl from Canada who I've never physically met. :D He's making me dinner for Valentine's Day, but he just can't compete with the awesomeness of fangirls. ;) I've been bouncing around for days! I am full of love and so very lucky. And really need to start spending more time online with my girls! And comics. Yes.
I got flooooweeeeers... &hearts &hearts &hearts
6th-Feb-2010 07:31 pm - Jobs
Confused
This is going to sound a little crazy, but does anyone (Mom, Adriana, Cindy?) remember any jobs I had other than GNC, RAC, Hollywood Video, or Spot? I have weird gaps in my resume. Right now I have

9/01-9/03 - Spot
2/04-8/04 - HV
Summer+Fall 05 - Study abroads
9/06-Current - GNC, RAC, Prague, Internship

I'm pretty sure I took off Fall 03 and Fall 04 to concentrate on school. But did I really not work from Fall 04 to Summer 05? That's a long goddamn time to not be working. Damned if I can remember though. And then what was I doing during Spring and Summer 06? For one month of Summer 06 I was on my road trip, but what else did I do? So confused.
25th-Jan-2010 01:38 am - I have chosen! Mostly! Probably!
Thinking
Wow, I can't believe I haven't been on here in a month. Well, ok, I can, but it's sad. I've been researching law schools and getting all my application materials to LSAC, plus the usual GNC, boyfriend, etc. But mostly law schools. I got about 60 fee waivers and felt obligated to check out each school, and it was rather agonizing eliminating some because of course the schools that offered me mega-scholarships were also the schools that sucked, at least for environment/international. Weirdly enough, some really high-ranked schools (U of Virginia is around #10 with a 170 median LSAT) offered me fee waivers, while some lower schools didn't contact me at all. Then there were the schools that I really liked but weren't offering me fee waivers, then I had to go through the rankings, and research the locations, check with Adam*...I eventually made a chart, inspired by SAS Cindy, to keep track of my short list (about 25 schools). Tonight I finally chopped it down to 9 schools (because FAFSA only lets me have 10). They are, in general order of preference:

Lewis and Clark (Portland)
Sturm (Denver)
U of Oregon (Eugene, OR)
U of Colorado (Boulder)
Pace (outside NYC)
American U (DC)
U of Maryland (Baltimore)
U of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Maurer (Bloomington, IN)

They all have very strong environmental programs, with the possible exception of Maurer. I'm applying to them anyways though, because they're a fee waiver school and they have awesome things like http://www.r3.org/trial/index.html and http://www.law.indiana.edu/features/helping.shtml
There are a few other schools I'm still considering, but I think I'll leave that 10th slot open for any last minute contenders. Input is welcome on all schools, and any others you think I should check out. I'll send off a volley of applications as soon as LSAC processes my SAS transcript. Then it's time for a Rochester job search so that I can afford to move, and then I'll try to find some outside scholarships since I doubt any of those will offer me full tuition, and then I need to pack up my room...ugh. I vaguely remember the long ago days when I had a social life beyond watching SG1 with Adam during meals and the occasional Lego Batman all-nighter...


*No I'm not eliminating anywhere I really want to go because of Adam, nor am I going to go to a crappy school just for Adam - he's actually threatened to break up with me if he thinks he's holding me back. :D Sweet eh? Right now the plan is he's going to follow me and figure out job/law/grad school from there. I am trying to apply to places where he has options, so that he doesn't need to choose between leaving me or working at a supermarket for 3 years. I really want to keep him around. :)
28th-Dec-2009 10:50 am - LSAT
Bookish Tim
I got a 168 on my LSAT, 96th percentile. That's pretty much what I expected, and I'm content with it. That's high enough to give me a chance at my good schools, and a full scholarship to Cooley if I decide to go the money-saving route.
Party
My parents decided that Mom needs a car (instead of being driven around by me and Dad) since I'll be moving eventually, and even though that probably won't be until next summer, Mom doesn't want me driving the Redbird (so named because it looks like Robin's car) over another winter. So they wanted Mom to take back the Redbird and buy a slightly newer used car for me, idea being that I drive a lot more than Mom so she should take the 160,000miles one. Personally I'm perfectly happy in the ol' hand-me-down, but if my parents want to give me a different car, who am I to go against the wind? Especially since I'd really like my car to be able to last through a giant road trip and law school and maybe a few years beyond, what with my being completely broke and all. So Dad scouted some out and on Saturday we checked out a couple dealers, and in 4 hours I had a new(ish) car! Woo!

It's a silver 2002 PT Cruiser, which is amusing because when Dad asked what kind of car I wanted, my requests were
1) Automatic
2) Hatchback
3) Preferably not gray
Well, 2 out of 3. :D Now I'll match the other 3 cars at our house. It has 110,000 miles on it, but is still in better shape than the other ones we looked at and I liked the dealer better. It has a bunch of cool little bits like leather heated seats (which heat up your lower back, lovely for road trips and girl days), a big retractable sunroof, a compass, a seat that goes straight up, removable back seats, a power outlet in the hatchback, a flipable right-side armrest, and a big plastic board that slots into different heights in the back so you can have shelves or flip it out to make a table. I've always loved the way PT Cruisers look, like they'd be right at home next to pinstripe suits and fedoras, so I was really happy that they're as lovely inside as out. The suspension's a bit stiff and I'd like a smaller car with better gas mileage, but at our price range options are rather limited and the PT certainly isn't bad (it's normal for the years we can afford), it's just not fantastic. And I don't know, this particular car just felt right. Which may have just been my toasty warm butt talking, but still... I suppose we could have staked out the dealers for a couple more weeks looking for some amazing deal, but I'm really happy with this car at this price so I'm pumped that we got it done in a day. I must hoard my precious precious free time, yes I must.

Before we'd even told the dealer we'd take the car I'd named it The Gray Ghost. &hearts I'd prefer to name it a vehicle name so I was considering the Javelin, but Gray Ghost suits it better.
*For my non-comic reading friends, the Gray Ghost was a crimefighter on a television show in the DC Animated Universe. He was Bruce Wayne's childhood hero, and part of what inspired him to become Batman (much like the Jay Garrick Flash comic books inspired Barry Allen to become The Flash). As Batman the Animated Series was set in the 1940s, the Gray Ghost was probably from the 30s and he wore a fedora with goggles - perfect for a PT Cruiser.

It needs to have a little work done and go through inspection before I pick it up, so I should have it mid-next week. Car! Eee!
11th-Oct-2009 11:13 pm - Oh my poor neglected LJ
Run
Sigh. I finally started getting better at managing Adam-time...and promptly filled that time right back up.

-My biggest thing has been deciding what to do about school/career. I've decided to go to law school! So I've been choosing schools and working on the LSAT and deciding whether to go in 2010 or 2011. Deciding to go to law school at the end of September and applying in January is slightly psychotic, but I've always been a little crazy. Luckily I happen to work with a lawyer and one of my best friends took the LSAT so I'm getting advice and borrowing books to study. The reading comprehension questions are fun, but the logic games are rather terrifying. I'm trying to think of them as logic proofs, because I was really good at logic proofs...8 years ago. Shush! I can do it...I hope...::hides under a blanket until all the deadlines are past::

-ImageOut! Woo!

dancing babbleCollapse )

-My stupid shoulder/neck/back thing is still messed up, so I'm restricted on exercising and have been going to PT. I do really like my physical therapist at least, she's really great. And slightly sadistic. I had no idea my neck and back had gotten so messed up until she started deep tissue massage and my muscles were like taut oiled rubber bands bouncing all over the place...ow...

-I need a "new" car. Anyone selling something?


Anyways, the main point of this post is - I know I've been neglecting my friends horribly, especially my darling Snyper. I'm so sorry Stacy! I swear on the soul of every single Robin that I still love you! But the LSATs will be eating my soul until December, and then I have to get my applications in by mid-January, and then I need to get a better-paying job and look for financial aid and get loans, and then assuming I get into a school I need to move...oh god. I've been so lazy for so long, I don't know if I can do this...No! I will! But I'll continue to neglect everyone, because I'm a terrible person. I'm sorry. ::hug::
13th-Sep-2009 11:11 pm - Greatest. Sheets. Ever.
Fangirl
Fangirls, get ready to spend the rest of your life in bed.


http://www.potterybarnkids.com/shop/k/bedding/boys-sheeting/index.cfm?cm_type=gnav

I think I'll buy 3 different sets, so that I can sleep in them every night forever.
One of these days I should make a post showcasing all the best decor for the '10 year old boy' style of home decorating.
5th-Sep-2009 03:45 pm - Back in black
Dream
Today I found my missing pictures from my Balkans trip, which makes me incredibly happy. So I was browsing through them, and was surprised to find that almost all my Europe-related bitterness has evaporated. Time (almost a year) has healed that wound. When looking at pictures I no longer rail a litany of invectives in my head, but instead think "Aw, I'd like to go back there." My wanderlust has returned!
...of course I have no money to indulge said wanderlust, but still.

I've also mostly recovered from my Brockport burned-out broken heart. Adam has been urging me to reconsider grad school, so I looked around and found that yes, I'm ready to go back to school. Still not sure it'd be worth the money, still too many options up in the air to have any idea what I'll be doing, but the future seems a little brighter than it did a couple months ago. Adam's optimism seems to be rubbing off on me. Which naturally means a piano will fall on my head tomorrow.

Possible future options:
>Go to grad/law school for international environmental policy/law in the US
>Go to grad/law school for international environmental policy/law abroad
>Go to grad school for TEFL (paid for by gov't, then work for them for a couple years, followed by world travel.) [probably the most sensible option, strange as that seems, because I could get a job anywhere and wouldn't be in debt]
>Get an unpaid/poorly paid internship to build up my resume
>Join the military (possibly followed by grad school) [this is my least-favored option]
>Follow Adam around, working whatever job I can (probably secretarial) while he goes to grad/law/military school and then move somewhere that I can get a real job. [this was the original plan, but is looking less appealing now]

Commentary and suggestions are welcome, but I swear to Odin if one more person says something like "Gosh Rachel, maybe you should try and get a better job, what with your nifty college degree and all", I will start beheading people and nailing their scalps to my wall as trophies.
What? I never said I was 100% bitterness-free.
Road
Just a quick entry to let y'all know that I am in fact still alive. I've been spending pretty much all my free time with Adam and am basically living with him. It's not official and most of my stuff is still home, but I spend almost every night at his place because it makes me sad to be apart from him. I know. I know dammit, leave me be! There are worse addictions, especially since he's incredibly good to me. Anyways, we do have some internet and I can use his computer, but it's cumbersome, so I've been just doing the basics. I haven't read my flist in god knows how long, much less comics. Ah well. Hopefully Adam will fix Babs soon, and we'll get fast internet, and then I can get back into the swing a little. Til then, if something interesting has happened to you, please tell me directly! At this point I will probably never fully catch up on the flist, so please don't assume that I know anything that's happened in your life or fandom in the last...well, all summer I guess. Geez.
Oh, for those few people who haven't met Adam or aren't on my Facebook, this is my boy.


I've cut down my hours at RAC so that I have my nights free starting in September, though I'll still be working 6 days a week. Money will be tighter again, but it wasn't worth the stress and lack of time. I haven't really worked out in 2 weeks! Yes yes, my time management sucks, there are people who go to school full time and work full time and still manage to see all their friends and run triathlons every other weekend, but I'm not one of them and I'm not willing to give up lazy morning cuddling with Adam. I also needed the time to look for a new job. I hate job searching. It's so insulting. But this minimum wage crap needs to end.

I'm sure I've had a lot of fascinating adventures I should commit to LJ, but none are leaping to mind right now. Well, except one -
The other night I went to a Hi-Risers concert for the first time in a long time, and wasn't sure if Greg would recognize me. Well not only did he recognize me and smile at me during songs like old times, in between songs he actually turned to me, said something like "Hey, nice to see you, it's been awhile!", and bowed. :) I &hearts Hi-Risers.

Next weekend Adam and I are taking a vacation! After sifting through about a dozen different ideas, we decided to go to DC. This amuses me, because for all my traveling and all the places I want to go, I only seem to ever take people 2 places - Corning and DC. The latter is all part of my constant plotting to get people to move there with me of course. We'll be staying with the ever-awesome Laura. Definitely hitting the Air and Space Museum (Adam: "So what kind of museum is the Smithsonian? Art, natural history?" Me: "Haha!...wait, seriously?") and the International Spy Museum. I'll be driving, because after our trip to the drive-in I'm not allowed to be the passenger anymore...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Me: "Why the hell didn't you just pull over and let that tailgater pass us? It's night on a country road and he had his brights on, it would have been safer to get him off our butt instead of waiting for the road to diverge."
Adam: "He annoyed me."
Me: "So you were just being stubborn?"
Adam: "Pretty much."
Me: "Oh, then well done. You sure showed him. Feel like a big man now?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Me: "Why are you in the left lane?"
Adam: "Because the left lane is for passing."
Me: Looks around at the 2am highway, on which we're the only car "Well, good thing you're in the passing lane. I'd hate to get stuck behind a really slow car on a busy highway like this. Man, that'd be excruciating."
Adam: Silently puts on blinker and moves to the right lane. "...you're a mean backseat driver."

Canadian Cindy also banned me from the passenger seat, so it's not only Adam. I'm just an asshole. :D I honestly have no idea how I ended up with such a sweet guy.
Alright, I should like...do some work. Or something. Yuuup...*sneaks off to catch up on Brave and the Bold*
17th-Jul-2009 01:57 am - It's for science dammit.
Fedora
Poll #1430932 The manliest drink

Which is the most manly drink?

Beer
1(10.0%)
Whiskey
9(90.0%)
1st-Jul-2009 01:29 am - Fitness decision
Batgirl
I have to make a couple decisions about what I'm going to do, fitness-wise, for the rest of the summer. I'd like to sign up for another belly-dancing class and pole-dancing class. I'd also like to get my own pole. Altogether that'd end up being about $400. Much as I want to, it's hard to justify spending that when there's so much free/cheap stuff going on this summer. I also have:

Parkour, both with the group and on my own = $0
Bouldering with a friend from pole = $5 each time
Ballroom dancing with Dad = $0
Bollywood dancing with friends = $0
Martial arts/calisthenics with friends = $0
Gym = $0
Hiking, biking, other outside stuff = $0
Archery = $0
Practicing everything I already know at home = $0

Once it turns colder I won't be doing the outside stuff, but I'll probably be spending a lot more time on Bollywood. So...yeah. Damn. I really have no excuse to get a pole do I? Especially since, while I like pole enough that I stay after class as long as they let me every week and I'm not bad at it, I'm not particularly good at it either. And if you forced me to choose between Bollywood and pole, or parkour and pole, pole would lose in a heartbeat. Oh pole. I had such high hopes for you. But you are such a damned expensive hobby. I may need to bid you farewell, at least for now.





Question - is it possible to use a muscle hard enough to bruise it? Cause I have bruises on the insides of my elbows, and I didn't hit them, but they hurt when I press them, and I'm pretty sure those are muscles that got blasted in pole last night. Hmm.
In somewhat related news, my inadvertent 5-day hiatus from exercise made my shoulder feel much better. And then I went to pole and the gym, and now the pain is back with a vengeance. I think it's been about a month now. Clearly something needs to be done. Damned if I know what though.
1st-Jul-2009 12:38 am - Play
Flippy
Through an incredibly convoluted series of shift changes, Adam and I suddenly have Friday off together. This almost never happens. So naturally I've decided we need to take a mini road trip. We'd like to play outside, but the gods continue to spit on upstate NY (which I really never cared about until starting parkour), which makes life difficult. So I'm considering going to this kickass parkour training centre in Toronto. http://www.themonkeyvault.com/ I'd been planning to hold off on going because I'm still so beginner that it would be largely wasted on me, but I'm feeling slightly cocky because when I went to the gym today for the first time since starting parkour/pole, it was absurd how much stronger my pullup muscles were. I think it's because when you're in the gym and a weight is really heavy, you generally go down so that you can get more reps and keep good form. When hauling yourself up a wall, you do whatever you can to get over that damn wall, no matter how hard it is. Apparently this is a much more effective way to build muscle! In checking the Monkey Vault out further I found these vids, including the new Best Game Ever - Parkour Dodgeball. http://www.vimeo.com/2903461 The other vids are good too, especially the girls and the Mirror's Edge.

I absolutely love watching videos of traceuses, because it's such a different atmosphere than the guys (this is also true of martial arts). Guys tend to get macho and competitive, and even if they're being supportive it can come off as condescending. They're more serious, and any humor tends to be very Jackass-style. One gets the impression that they're on the verge of marking their territory.
Girls, on the other hand, become bosom buddies as soon as they start doing a typically male dominated activity together. They clap and cheer for each other, they giggle about everything - all in all it feels more like a slumber party than something that's almost definitely going to result in bodily harm.
This happens with video games too. If a guy is playing a guy or a girl is playing a guy, they'll generally trash or mock each other. If a girl plays a girl, they'll giggle and compliment each other's moves. Girls are weird.
Anyways, my point was, when I watch videos of guys tricking, it generally leaves me in awe. When I watch girls tricking, it makes me want to clap and squee when they do something well, and then I want to dive into the vid and make them teach me. This is why, though I wish more girls would just come out and play with the guys, I really wish there were girl groups for parkour and martial arts. Girls just play better together.

I think I got off topic. Actually, I'm not entirely sure what the topic was to begin with...
Well whatever. Have some more links!

Endless parkour goodness. http://www.americanparkour.com/ Anyone want to help me make these? http://www.americanparkour.com/content/view/890/317/ And by help, I mean you make them and I'll pay you?

Excellent MovNat article. http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=motivation&conitem=7d7caa4e23adf110VgnVCM10000013281eac____&page=1

Pandora popping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiAabNw7mek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIjQUvkQdBg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t1miBh9jSY

Bhangra rap remix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tha2BpRaaA

For when pullups get boring. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9QeitaeBrY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFDat7vb5P4&NR=1

http://www.fiveten.com Footwear>Freerunning has a cute vid.


I'll leave you with a story from my wonderful playmate Lefty.
(on the phone)
Me: Parkour is taking over my braaain. I'm constantly wanting to climb everything now. We have all this giant art scattered around Rochester that I never really noticed before, but now I'm like "I could totally jump through that!" and Adam's like "NO Rachel, no playing on the art!"
Lefty: I totally know what you mean! Once I was in this city that had these huge shuttlecocks, like in badminton, as outside art. They looked perfect for climbing, so I kicked one to see how sturdy it was. Suddenly this voice comes on over loudspeakers - "Please do not kick the shuttlecocks."

Oh parkour. You're going to get us arrested. But I love you anyways.
25th-Jun-2009 01:49 am - Full circle
Music
My favorite band for a long time, my first concert, and my gateway band, was Moxy Fruvous way back in 9th grade. Since then they've broken up and I've found tons more music and gone to loads of concerts, eventually expanding into some international music and dancing. I was wandering YouTube looking for some bhangra music today when I stumbled onto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2fijJhkUIw
The Bhangramuffin star joined host Jian Ghomeshi in Studio Q for three songs.
Wow. Hi Jian! Long time no see! Man that's weird. Nice to see he's still being musical though.
24th-Jun-2009 04:27 pm - The hammer of justice is unisex!
Eeee!
Brave and the Bold E16 (S2 E3): Night of the Huntress is, without a doubt, the most brain-breakingly wonderful episode of any animated show ever. It might even be as good as Superman driving a Cadillac across a desert and then becoming the leader of a wolf pack.
It's that fucking awesome.

My one issue with it was Huntress flirting with Bats so much. It was too similar to Black Canary (who made my brain melt) and OOC. I'll forgive them though, because it worked with the episode as a whole.

Oh, let's be honest. I'll forgive anyone who makes a Batmobile mecha damn near anything.
24th-Jun-2009 12:24 am - Dragon Con
Fangirl
Is anybody going to Dragon Con?
15th-Jun-2009 01:25 am - Parkour is French for "ow"
Flippy
Yesterday I went to my first parkour...I'm not sure what to call it. It's not a formal paid class or even a club, it's just a guy who's really good at parkour who gets a bunch of people together to teach and practice. So I went to that. It was awesome! The teacher is great, he's really good at giving you the advice you're ready for and encouraging you without pushing you too hard. It's a very welcoming group - even though I was one of only 3 girls (vs about 20 guys) and a newbie, people were cool to me and were happy to volunteer advice. There was one girl in particular who adopted me and taught me a few tricks. With her advice I managed to get over the wall! I had gotten up onto my elbows on my own, but was stuck. Turns out that if you stick your ass out and scramble your feet up a little higher, it tips your gravity forward so that you can lift up onto your hands and from there get onto the wall. It was probably the least graceful wall mount ever, but I still got lots of cheers and it felt fantastic. :) Lefty and I had played at that park earlier in the week and I'd utterly failed to get more than a cat grab, so obviously the group was very helpful.

I suck at vaults though. :D Apparently it's easier for me to fling myself at a concrete wall than to fling myself at a wooden park bench. Must practice. Anyone know of a good place to practice other than Manhattan Sq. Park (or as Lefty calls it, the nest for baby Nightwings)? My main thing is needing a wall that's about 7-8' tall, it's easy enough to find things to vault.

Heh, after I did a cat grab a kid, maybe ~11 yrs old, came up and said "That must not be very hard". I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be offended*, but the teacher was just like "Wanna try it?" and helped the kid out for a couple minutes. The group got a lot of stares from passerbys and a few people coming up to ask what we were doing - I suppose people running at immobile objects does look a little odd. They're totally open to anyone joining, if you're interested.

I got some booboos but they're all minor, and I'm actually kinda proud of my scrapes. I'm super excited about going back next week!

Side concern - I've had a nasty twinge in my left back/shoulder for around a week now. Sometimes it hurts when I breathe or lay down, along with random motions. It's kinda in between my shoulder blade and my spine. I might have pulled something during archery, but there was no sharp pain at the time, pulling a bow just now didn't hit it, and it seems like it should be healed by now anyways. Ideas?

*That reminds me of a really stupid thing that a guy at our gay store said. I was asking him how much a pair of bracers cost and he goes, "How did you know they were called bracers?"
Me: "Um, I don't know. I don't particularly remember learning it."
Lefty (after we shared a perplexed look): "That's just what they're called."
Guy: "Yeah, but you're a girl."
Me: *did not punch him in the face*
Well whatever. I can climb over a wall and I bet he couldn't. So there.




Parkour injury tally (for my own records) - first my butt hurt from vaulting, then I fell off the wall onto my ass, and scraped up my forearms+hands+lower legs from the wall (none required a bandage). Left elbow and wrist twinging, to the point that picking things up hurt and I couldn't lean on my forearms without mild pain. Upon waking elbow was improved, wrist still sore down the center, may have pulled something. Today in descending order of soreness - butt, hips, quads (esp rt), triceps, back, lats/pits, forearms, everything else. Knees are a little tender but surprisingly painless. Tai chi and Bollywood were difficult but became easier, sitting increases stiffness (pain is all good muscle pain, no strains). DOMS probably worse because I didn't eat enough yesterday, tried to make up for it today.
6th-Jun-2009 10:05 am - Vertex
Yay!
My totally kickass fangirl friend Lefty will be visiting me this week from the far away lands of the Midwest. You all want to meet her. We're gonna hit Vertex on Thursday, so get your butts out there!

Kendall, this would be the perfect time to show up with that candy. Unless you've already given up and eaten it. ;)
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