Countdown Conundrum

I have a countdown problem. Each day I find myself anxiously scribbling down events or important dates to remember and look forward to in the upcoming weeks or months. I'd like to consider myself a countdown queen but they don't have royal titles for such character traits. There is nothing that excites me more than counting down the days until a television show, visit with a friend or family member, special day, marathon (don't worry, the countdown won't happen again for that one), breaks from school, and so much more! Although I am a countdown connoisseur, it does not mean that I don't doubt my passion for a ticking clock. I know there is a popular saying telling people to live for today and not look back and not look forward. That is not the actual phrase but you understand what I'm talking about. If I'm always counting down the days until something big happens in the next week or two, what am I doing today? I realize the skeptics point of view but am going to have to ask why I would countdown the days until I sat around, waited for the rain to slow down, walked outside, then ran to the grocery store? Nothing about that has the slightest ounce of exciting anticipation. I cannot even imagine picking up my calendar and counting out 3 days until I have a super boring day! My point would simply be that I find nothing wrong with always having something to look forward to and making it through days with that in the back of your head. I thoroughly enjoy filling my calendar with plans throughout the months so that I can cheerfully cross off the days until I reach the date. Never fear folks, I still have a fulfilled day to day life and enjoy every single day, not just the ones I look forward to. I have also been known to count the days until I have a day off or a day to just relax. Those are equally as significant as the days I eagerly await seeing a loved one. I live for a good countdown because they provide landmarks in a person's life. Countdowns change so frequently that everything is always fresh and new. As a countdown crony, I must condone such acceptable antics. If it helps the day pass a little faster, there is no harm in facing the future. Although the future possesses uncertainty, you can be certain of the joy a countdown will bring you. My current countdown: 15 minutes until I take the spaghetti squash out of the oven. See? "The Joy of Cooking"...........

See most of you in 3 months!

Best,

Anne

"These Lights will Inspire you, Let's Hear it for New York"

You have to be 16 to get a license, 18 to vote, 21 to drink, 25 to rent a car, and at least 35 to be the President of the United States. You do not have to be any certain age to succeed in the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Sadly, the last tournament of the year has come and gone in no time. Juan Martin del Potro (or as I like to call him, Benecio del Potro) battled his way back in the final match against Roger Federer. Not only was it another remarkable five set match, the outcome went to the twenty year old guy who's my age. So if I could muster up one word to describe the theme of the tournament this year, it would be: Underdogs. Sure, there were plenty of complaints and controversial calls, but it was more enjoyable to watch Melanie Oudin take down the some of the Russian population including Sharapova, Dementieva and Petrova. At seventeen years old, she gave us a taste of what will come. The whole fan section was rooting for her to upset everyone. She clearly upset the big names but could not upset her way to a championship. On the other hand, Kim Clijsters has always been an incredible player and although she wasn't ranked, she came back to the court after a hiatus of having a child. That must have been just what she needed. She won the tournament with her share of upsets as well. I think Mama Kim is going to show the youngins how capable she is to keep up with them next year. The excitement develops from the uncertainty. No matter the age, an upset is bound to happen. In the case of the U.S. Open, it happened plenty. Congrats to the mother and the twenty year old. Age is nothing in tennis. Well, actually, love is nothing but we don't have to be technical.

Best,

Anne

Vacation during Vacation

This summer/fall is full of first time experiences and travels. Last month I traveled to Montana and enjoyed every aspect of the beautiful scene. Up next? California! I am lucky enough to travel to another state that I have never been to. California is Washington's Florida to Illinois people. Does that make sense? If people aren't already retiring in the cool climate here, they head to California, just like people from Illinois would retire to Florida. Don't look up that statistic. During my classes I heard at least 7 people discuss how their grandparents moved to California. Naturally, I assume that's the case with the grandparents that make up part of the state's population of 6.5 million. Again, don't quote me on such demographics. My aunt Susan and I will be soaring to LA to visit my cousin Lisa and her husband Mike in Malibu! All I can expect is the sun, beaches, beautiful views, and lots of laughs. There is something so comforting and refreshing when you are with family. It's like hopping into another world apart from the norm that puts you at ease without a care in the world. Alright alright I know I don't have many cares right now because this is my vacation and I am going to California to go on another vacation BUT don't badger me, I will be full of cares and worries in a few weeks once I join the rest of the world and begin school. If that makes you feel better...

My dear friends, I will write again of my travels and stories when I return to this divine Evergreen State on Monday. Until then, my see-through skin and I will be in The Golden State, soaking in everything. Literally.

Take care.

Best,

Anne

Free Fallin'

Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham, WA taken by George and Rhonda Ostertag

As I headed for the coffee shop this morning I noticed something different. The air that I have been breathing in for nearly four months now had changed. Crisp, cool and refreshing. Ladies and gentlemen, Fall is upon us! The trees are beginning to change into their usual reds, oranges and yellows and I could not be more thrilled. Although the Western Washington Vikings football team is non-existent, I am looking forward to the new season of college football. That is another sure-fire sign that Fall is here! There is nothing worse than being miserably warm during some of the hottest summer days. Oh wait, there is something worse. Freezing during the bitter winter takes the cake. (It's reassuring to know that I will be spending the frost-bitingly frightful February away from the midwest this year) It is only natural that Cooking Light chose to inform me of the best Fall produce on this very exceptional day. Keep your eyes peeled (and your fruits and veggies!) for seasonal sweet potatoes, mushrooms, grapes, cranberries, pumpkins, leeks, butternut squash, fennel, walnuts, quince (If you don't know what quince is, i.e. me, it is simply a "romantically fragrant fruit that's equally at home in sweet and savory preparations". Well, how very special! In addition, "scholars speculate that quinces may have been the true forbidden fruit". Whoa! This changes all of my beliefs...) and last but very not least in this list of produce are the beets. I know it's a long list. Perhaps an acronym would help you remember at your local grocery store? Alright. Let's try: S.M.G.C.B.F.P.W.Q.B.L. Is that any easy acronym for you? Just use this trick; Some Meals Grow Casually But Farmers Pick With Quite Beautiful Love. Yes, I did just spend five minutes making that up....at least I had my brain working! On the topic of beets, Dwight Schrute and his hilarious gang of office employees will be back in no time for the season premiere of The Office. In addition to the football on tv, the best sitcoms are beginning their seasons this Fall! Most of them begin in September with a few exceptions. Either way, I'm ready to find out all the happenings at 30 Rockefeller Center and Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Get out the sweaters and prepare for another Fall bursting with cool weather, emulous football, and delicious meals on crisp autumn evenings.

Best,

Anne

The Pinnacle

All sickness aside, I woke up this morning to complete this very large run. The conditions could not have been better. The sun was shining with a cool breeze to greet me alongside the bay. Not only was this the longest run of the training program, it was the most boring run. No deer. No one almost hit me coming out of their driveway. No other wildlife spottings. Not even a lot of people out except for the occasional dog walker or construction worker. I find myself very jealous of the leisurely walkers who are with their friends taking part in an absolutely gorgeous morning stroll. What's their deal? Can't they wait until I am not around to painlessly parade about the town? I suppose I do not have to deal with their tomfoolery anymore but they are lucky to have gotten away with it.

Well that's it! Three weeks from Sunday I will be ending this four month long journey and boy am I thrilled. I look forward to the energy from every other marathoner to keep my motivation high and present throughout the grueling race. Unfortunately, I do not have anything more to say. My body is exhausted which makes my mind exhausted. It's hard to describe but you know when you run 20 miles and feel too tired to function? Yes! It's exactly like that. I'm glad we are on the same page.

Best,

Anne

Drink Plenty of Fluids

Living alone certainly has its good and bad aspects. My apartment was spotless over the weekend and now I don't know what happened to it. The good part about that is no one will see it in this unkempt state but the bad part is that I wish it would clean itself when I know that is quite impossible. My immune system has shut down on me and since I am not at home, I couldn't just go to the medicine cabinet to find the appropriate antidote or grab a cough drop from the telephone table drawer. Even though getting sick is a rarity for me, I speculate that I would not be able to make it through all the months away from home without acquiring the slightest sniffle here or there. This cold/cough/headache trio could not have dropped in at a more inconvenient time. I have a day before the ultimate peak run in my training. Friday is the 20 miler and the longest I will run before the marathon that I can see in the somewhat near future. Not only is it supposed to rain on Friday but it will be even more bothersome if I have to carry a box of Kleenex while my arms pendulate for over three hours. After a few restless nights and endless coughing and sneezing, I thought it was time give my immune system a pick me up. I headed to the store today to find anything that would cure me at this unfortunate time. Another good aspect: Not having to worry about seeing someone I know at the grocery store while under the weather . The bad aspect: Having a red nose that Rudolph would be ashamed to see, hair chaotically strewn about, and eyes that water nonstop. First, I saw the thermometers. I concluded that I would most likely benefit from having this in my apartment but I didn't feel like spending six dollars on the basic thermometer. Instead, I purchased the "Tiny Temp" Miniature thermometer at a "Tiny Price"! Who needs to buy the Not-So-Tiny Thermometer at a Not-So-Tiny price when you can snag this one that is "clinically accurate and easy to read"? Tossed that in my basket and continued down the aisle. I have heard many stories about Airborne and how it helps keep those immune systems in tip-top shape. I'd never personally tried it before but I saw it on the highest shelf, reached for the Pink Grapefruit flavor and kept going to find something for my scratchy throat and painful cough. I concluded the stuff that would make my throat numb would work just fine. I'd rather not feel it if at all possible. Okay, that's enough for now. I purchased the products and headed home in hopes that all of this combined would create a magical elixir to alleviate all of my symptoms at least until after my run on Friday. I tried out the bargain thermometer to start. 97.1 was my temperature. I'm going to infer that it could be off by one or two degrees. Hey, no fever for me! Next, I popped in a throat numb-er. I did not particularly care for the taste but it was not lying and my throat felt numb within a few moments. That stuff is genius! For the grand finale, the Airborne! I filled my water glass and dropped the pink tablet in as if I were performing a science experiment. The water fizzed and bubbles popped up every once in awhile. The water itself turned a light shade of pink but I was distracted by the yellowish bubbles that were forming a layer on top of the surface. I reluctantly took the glass in hand and tried not to think about the coating on top of this pink drink before taking a sip. Well, it wasn't a delicious glass of juice but it worked out alright. By the end of the glass, I think it was giving me more of a stomach ache than helping in my comeback to healthiness. Perhaps it isn't miraculous as to cure me of this rotten cold within a few hours but I will follow the same procedure tomorrow in order to be one hundred percent for that intimidating run on Friday! I'll fill you in Friday about how it went but mostly to let you know (cross your fingers) that my legs did not fall off!

Best,

Anne

Impossible!

I call for a re-count! I have had an entire day to ceaselessly comprehend why Ellen DeGeneres did not receive an Emmy for Best Daytime Talk Show. If there was another candidate that actually deserved the coveted crown, I suppose I could find it in my loyal Ellen-loving heart to be happy for this impostor, I mean, rookie. It's hard to be happy when that other candidate who stole the crown from Ellen after she wore it for three well-deserved years is none other than the ear-splitting Rachael Ray. "Yum-o"? More like "Yuck-o". I understand that she may have some good recipes but I find it difficult to truly believe that people enjoy listening to her voice. It's clear that people must find her funny or likeable since she has a talk show. Although I am strongly opposed (alright, completely biased) to her show, I am understanding and realize that I don't have to sit and listen to her. So I do not ever allow her orange lifestyle or raspy, boisterous voice into my daily schedule. Now, I can confirm that there is not a single episode of Ellen that does not get a laugh, cry, or conversation out of me. Her fan base grows by the second because of her hilarious quips. Not only is she good-humored, she is also good-hearted. I cannot add up the donations she gives to charities, the money she gives to those who have lost their jobs, the phone calls she makes to fans (still waiting...), the opportunities she creates for people, and the lasting impressions that are inflicted on our world. WORLD! Simply saying she only influences our country would not be truthful. Countries around the world are constantly sending their love to Ellen! That explains a lot about her impact on those around her and those continents away. I have been going on this rant about how unfair it is but I'm sure Ellen's attitude was a bit less wrathful. I suppose I'll put my thoughts at rest on the topic. I know who deserved it and that's enough for me. Was Rachael Ray ever asked to be featured on the Oprah magazine? I didn't think so. (Catch Ellen on the December 2009 Issue!) Until then, I am looking forward to the new season of Ellen and anxiously await the new guests, new laughs, new dances and new adventures. See you in six days, Ellen.

Best,

Anne