18 miles

I'm calling this post 18 miles because this was supposed to be the week that I was training for 18 miles and this Saturday morning (ie: right now) I should be running it. However, this was quite possibly the week from hell. Let's review, shall we?

Sunday - Grandma has a stroke.

Monday (Rest Day)- kickball game on the mall, which I get lost going to. Who gets lost on the National Mall??!!? Its very simple and I was given clear directions. I even printed out a map and contemplated standing in it (ala Joey) to find the Mall. I decided to get off on the Smithsonian stop and get out on Independence Ave instead of my usual exit, which would take me right onto the Mall. I figured I would be right where I needed to be and it would make things easier but in fact, I got very, very lost and missed the entire game. No worries - drank a lot and got to know my teammates.
Miles logged: I'd say 1-2 miles, at a fast pace trying to find the kickball game

Tuesday Morning (5 mile day, with hills) - Get to the College Park Metro, where I had left my car overnight since I stayed at Turks and broke her TV only to find that my tags were confiscated and I couldn't get them back without having my dad talk to the MVA, which takes us to the later part of the day:

Tuesday Afternoon - Can't find dad. Have called over and over and over - cell phone and home phone. It is alarming because a) I just need him to talk to the MVA and b) he NEVER waits this long to answer his phone. Call aunts and uncles - no one has spoken to him since Saturday afternoon, which was the last time I spoke to him.
Miles Logged - Zero

Wednesday - (Cross Training Day) Still haven't found dad. In state of panic but still making stupid jokes, which is throwing people off. Decide to call dad's cell phone company and explain situation. They tell me he hasn't made any outgoing calls since Saturday. Decide to call Florida Police and they do a wellness check. He is not home and the neighbor hasn't seen him since Saturday.
Cross Training: constantly furrowing brow and pacing around office in panic

Thursday - (5 miles, tempo run) Am about to file missing person's report and get a call from aunt - dad is in hospital and has been since Saturday due to heart attack.
Miles Logged - none

Friday Afternoon (Rest Day) - Get call from boss. Contract will not be renewed for next year because I suck as a personal secretary (which is fine by me). Reeling from fact that the girl who got Straight A's and never got sent to the principal's office just got fired. Drive to Potomac to pick up car that friend's mom has graciously loaned me so that I'm not sharing with mom any more and can finally have own schedule and go running.

Friday night - Car needs new battery - try to jump start and make it to auto body before close. Get phone calls from family. Decided not to put grandma on ventilator. High tail it to hospital in Frederick.
(Rest - very little)

Saturday morning - 18 miles
I'll let you know if this happens but the chances are slim to none.

Things can only go up from here. This puts a lot of pressure on Sunday and Monday, as the starting days of next week. Lets hope they rise to the challenge.

Lie to Me

One of my most favorite quotes from a tv show:

Buffy: Does it get easier?
Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah, does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the
bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats. We
always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives
happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.


Something that I've been wishing for since college ended was for the 30-year-old me of the future to visit the 20-something me of the present and tell me all the words of wisdom I'm hoping I'll have after this decade of my life comes to a close. I feel like there is so much that I don't know yet and it would be very helpful for the 20-something Aneesa to know it now, rather than later. Now, I know that the only way 30-something Aneesa will figure those things out is by 20-something Aneesa making mistakes but mistakes aren't fun to make.

The reason I like that particular quote so much is because I'm starting to realize how much easier life would be if that were the case - if the "good guys" and the "bad guys" were clearly marked - that way you would know what to expect from a person. It would also be extremely helpful if the good guys were, in fact always "stalwart and true" and the bad were always consistently bad. Growing up, I always thought that it was the case. Now, as I'm older, I realize that its not.