Stay Classy United States

Ive been incommunicado!

Not really gone, but I HAVE been listening to my records day in and day out. . . as that is my current preferred musical device in my home. Kenny Rogers to be precise. And the New Edition! Its easier to work in general with Music, everything seems to go easier, and right now three things I need to go faster are Studying, finishing the House and Running long distances.

I am going to bypass the discussion of studying entirely, since I am writing this instead of studying anymore for my British Politics test. I have a few hours in the morning to wrap it up, but I went to office hours, did the study guide and went through my notes. . . I am officially done for today. While it is an exciting class, and I am learning much of this weird system known as the UNITARY system and a CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY with their UNCODIFIED CONSTITUTION I do not wish to speak on it anymore. . . not of their Statutes, their conventions, their common law, or Royal Prerogatives and such. . . no. I shall speak no more of the British (though really what does it mean to be British when the United Kingdom is made up of so many different peoples, from Northern Ireland, to Wales to Scotland each with their own devolved governments.) Yes it's fascinating, but not for today.

No, I wish to speak on running! Why run long distances? Peer Pressure. Yes, peer pressure is a dangerous thing, so sickly sweet it caresses you until there feels as if no other way around the situation is possible, but to complete whatever task has been placed before you. I'm just lucky my friends are not into drugs or gang violence. . . they're into running.

Most recent was the Hyde Park Blast where I was able to make 4 miles in 44 minutes. Not fast, but not exactly super slow. . . just, slow. I decided when I was put up to this that I would not seek to be first, second or even 87th, I was going to run to finish, no matter how fast. I run a constant 11 - 12 minute mile when its all said and done, and since I started two years ago with the Ethicon Endosurgery 5k at Coney Island. . . my speed has not picked up. The music makes it go much better, I bought a small Mp3 player about 6 months ago and since then running has gone much faster, though I do not move any faster. Had I had it at the Columbus Half Marathon, I cannot even begin to think how much faster the 2 hours and 33 minutes would have seemed.


Music has also made work on the house go much faster. The floor is finished, the furniture is on its way and all I have left to do is put down the toe board and repaint the trim for the living room to finally be finished enough to live in. The last pieces I really need to find, that are proving the most difficult are old floor vents that fit the sizes I need. 1950s vents are just not that easy to come by, as you can see in the bottom right of the photo. The stain is Dark Walnut, with two clear coats on, nice and shiny and GORGEOUS. I found a nice Couch/Loveseat/Recliner set at Sofa Express and I have a big rug my great Uncle Monsignor Jimmy brought home from Europe after the war. It is finally coming around and I am thrilled.







I mean, its been four months since I purchased the house, actually *moving in* will be nice. I asked my neighbor, who moved in (i think he said this was their 5th house) about a week ago from Kentucky if you ever actually finished moving into a house. He laughed, paused, laughed again and said "no."

And of course my baby girl. Finally, Dizzy will no longer be confined to the basement, where she chases spiders, bugs, and mixes her cat food and water with her paw to eat, in a shrewd, primitive tool kind of way. . . and shes soon to have a baby brother!