Quick (Riiight) Catch Up
2006-08-25, 1:22 p.m.

Day 733 Quick Catch Up

Been a busy couple of days here at the ranch. Still only have a bunch of little things to comment on.

Blew off the department picnic Wednesday afternoon. Got there an hour late, on purpose. Line for food was still 1+ hour long. Closest parking was back out near the entrance to the park. Long walk to food + long wait for food = eat someplace with no waiting. Home sounded pretty good. Scored bonus points for getting the lawn mowed too.

Wednesday workout � normal. Thursday workout � normal. This morning�s workout � elliptical machine #9 kicked my ass. Cruised along at level 10, but it felt like level 16 or something. Noticed that about #9 before � seems to be calibrated differently than the other ellipticals. Funny too how people tend to avoid it. I only used it this morning out of laziness. There are 3 ellipticals that are electronically tied into our workout logging program � 9, 10 & 11. The other 2 dozen or so are not. Being lazy, I like to get one of the 3 networked units so that my workout data is automatically logged into the system. Otherwise, you have to remember all your data and log it in manually after the fact. So tedious! This morning, #9 was the only networked unit open. Next time that happens? I�m headed for the hills. I�ll use #47 or #59, anything but 9. That machine is a beast.

Our Y will be closing for a week starting this coming Monday. Annual maintenance shut down. Major bummer. Now I�ll have to use the weight machine down in the basement in the mornings and do a little bike riding in the evenings. Won�t kill me for a week, but I sure hate getting the routine upset like that.

Have another 5K race scheduled for Sept. 9th. At a YMCA on the other side of town. Has the potential to be a slightly hillier course than usual. But hey, it�s another workout t-shirt that I can use back at my home Y. If I spend a little more time on machine #9, maybe that�ll improve my uphill running. Thinking about getting some actual running shoes by then too, rather than using my cross trainers. Those suckers get heavy after a while.

Yesterday, Zach informed me that Jill might be looking into renting an apartment for the coming school year. The two of them went and took a look at it last night. Rent looks nice, but it doesn�t include utilities. It would be a major hit to Jill�s budget. I asked Zach why Jill was considering moving. I do have suspicions of my own, but I wanted to hear the reasons without prompting from me. Never got a crystal clear answer, but it seems Jill feels that she�s intruding. Zach�s snapping back at Cindy earlier in the week and Cindy�s whole drinking issue is also playing a big part in Jill�s reasoning.

Apparently, Jill�s parents are willing to help her out with the additional costs. I need to talk to Jill 1 on 1 soon and try to get a better understanding of her thinking. Hate to see her try to absorb rent, utilities & food all on her own for the next 4 months. If it�s a �fitting in thing�, that can be fixed. If she�s just made uncomfortable by Cindy�s drinking, there�s nothing to be done. Jill rode with me last night when we went to pick up our @pplebees car side to go dinners. I thought she was going to broach the subject then, but it never came up. She may be a little uneasy about discussing it, or worried about hurting our feelings. If that�s the case, I�ll need to drive the discussion, either just Jill & I, or maybe including Zach. I don�t think I�m the source of her concerns, so maybe just the two (or three) of us can have an open, honest talk. With any luck, Cindy will be passed out by 9 tonight and we can talk freely. Normally, Cindy zones out in the family room, snoring in front of L@w & 0rder re-runs. Everyone else gathers in the living room and has a grand time without her. Perhaps tonight�s routine will fit the same pattern.

Trip to Syracuse tomorrow to drop off Zach at school too. Will have the whole entourage going, so no side trip to visit Serena and the State Fair this trip. Considering no one in my family is aware of this journal (and it�s VERY likely to stay that way), it might be kinda difficult to introduce family members to folks I�ve met here on line. Well, except for that whole stalker thing Serena & I did with Zach. I�m too lazy to look it up to link it � happened some time in early May. We both have something in our archives on it. Got both of us labeled as crazy by Zach, but it was worth it for the fun factor.

Anyhow. Gotsta talk to Jill soon and get this thing figgered out. If she does end up moving because of Cindy�s drinking it would be a crying shame. I�m both elated and terrified by the thought of breaking this to Cindy. Could be the event that starts the turn around, might have no impact at all. I have no clue, I just know I need to stay out of the way and not stir the pot. Hmmm, little ditty from �One Day at a Time�. How did that go?

Take no part in protecting the alcoholic from the consequences of their drinking and allow disaster to overtake them, but do not create a crisis to �bring the alcoholic to their senses�. Have the courage to keep hands off and let the crisis happen.

What may happen might not constitute a crisis, but it certainly is a consequence. It will be interesting to watch this one play out. In excruciating slow motion from my point of view, but hey, I have the best and worst seat in the house. Might as well take in the show.

My bet? Cindy is still deep enough in denial that she�ll shrug this one off and keep on keeping on. She�ll pass it off as some sort of flightiness on Jill�s part and never accept that her drinking is making anyone uncomfortable � in spite of all that�s been said to her over the course of the last 3 years.

I did hear from Zach that Cindy & Eric had a discussion recently (a real discussion, not a shouting match) where Cindy actually acknowledged the possibility that she may be an alcoholic. Zach told me this just before Eric headed back to school. I was hoping to have Eric ride solo with me to Fredonia last week, but a hung over Cindy refused to ride out in Zach�s car � for her it was the van or nothing. Consequently, I never got to quiz Eric about their little talk. I am headed out that way over Labor Day to deliver some supplies (bike, computer h/w, more clothes), and guess what will be on my list of shit to talk about??

Anyhow. Lunch is over, much work beckons. Maybe, just maybe, I can update from home Sunday

Updated stats:

Weight start: 206.5 on 1/1/06 (265.0 on 1/15/05)
Current weight: 185.0 on 8/21/06 #$*&^ scale pointer has helium in it!!
Next weigh in: 8/28/06

New target � 8/22/06 to be at 180 (hey � only missed by 5!!) Time to re-load.

The Keep on Truckin goal: (idea stolen shamelessly from Marn�s Big Adventure)
Miles at speed 8/25/06: 688.36
Miles with cool down: 756.97
Target for 2006: 1000 miles
Plus 60+ miles biking so far.

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