Fun and Games and Gyms...

...on a bitchin' Saturday night.

I don't remember where I saw this, but it's endlessly entertaining.

Put in your name and "is" in Google and list the first ten hits you get. (i.e. "Annie is")


Annie is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip. (of course...)

Annie is being taught humility after she lost. (ouch.)

Annie is the only child of her mother, and the fifth child after her father. (this changes so many things about my life!)

Annie is looking at stacks of teen magazines (what fun!)

Annie is already making waves (hells yeah! only 5 months of adulthood and look out, world...)

Annie is finally back and you can see her by purchasing Chicago Theatre tickets. (I'm going to pretend that has to do with me and not the musical)

Annie is an event surely not to be missed. (see above italics)

Annie is 53...and so is my grammy. (well, I will be someday. barring tragedy)

Annie is the real deal (I surely am)

Annie is definitely on her way in the music world. (not really a primary goal of mine, but OKAY!)


In other news, I've decided to march myself right on into Gold's Gym tomorrow and get a membership. I've gotten very positive reviews of the place from three different people, including a certain tiny Asian who I love more than chocolate (!!!) and the boss here who is in the most *amazing* shape of pretty much everyone in the world besides Lance Armstrong, and after looking at the kickass class schedule for the next month...I'm pretty sure I'm going to love the place.

As some of you four people who may be reading this right now may know, I decided at the end of August, when I'd gotten home from my amazing week in New York, that I wanted to Be a Runner. I'd always been a huge wimp when it came to running as a kid/high schooler - my asthma prevented me from breathing, my heart would explode, it was hard, etc etc etc. But I've always harbored a super secret desire to be a Runner.

So after spending a week with the insanely inspiring and impossibly cool Garth Wells McCardle in the Greatest City in the World, I decided to stop being such a pussy and just Go For It, as they say. I came home and just went nuts and went for it. For about 6-7 weeks, I just ran my little heart out for about 4-6 days a week. I loved it. I'd go for about 1.5-3 miles at a time and I was actually cracking out 9.30-12.00 minute miles. For someone who had to huff and puff and move mountains to achieve a 20 minute mile at age 12, this is AWESOME.

Unfortunately...

I'm an idiot.

I didn't consider the fact that my poor tiny shins and calves were unprepared for my brain and heart's sudden motivational gusto.

Now, they HURT MORE THAN WORDS CAN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE.

Sigh.

Oh, but the idiocy does not stop there. I seemed to skip the part where it says that if your shins hurt like someone's hammering nails into them, DO NOT RUN THROUGH THE PAIN. Instead I was under the clearly retarded impression that I was just "working out the kinks." Oh, the shame.

So anyway. That's where the sudden sure-to-be-too-expensive gym membership comes in. I've been trying to do yoga and pilates on my own just through PodCasts, but, just like with theatre and education, it's so much easier for me to find my focus and discipline through an outside source. It's disappointing and I wish it weren't true, but it is. Plus I'd have access to my long lost lover, The Elliptical Machine, which has never hurt my legs or any other part of me throughout our lifelong off-and-on affair.

I've been so frustrated having to take days off of running lately so I don't permanently cripple myself that I'm hoping I can find other ways to keep up the motivation momentum through this gym.

And I'm really hoping that I haven't already permanently crippled myself. Please god let this just be awful shin splints and not a stress fracture of any kind...


Finally, in brief news, I have the best mom ever. EVERRRR. We had so much fun today. The Virginia Living Museum is awesome!