Here We Are

I know, it's almost a month since my last post. A full month since we left for Ironman CdA. So much happened. Most of you know because you were there. Maybe that is why I have had such a hard time putting this post together.
I am thinking most of you are familiar with the term F*^#!d up. Yep, that's me. Totally.I have been out with the girls tonight and just getting home. Yep. Gotta say, I had a GREAT time!!! Really. Fun. Can't type, but I still had a freakin' blast. We went to a country bar. They all line dance. Okay, not so fun because i didn't really know all of the dances. The ones I did though, totally rocked. Can you say country rocked? Just asking.
I am now a member of Facebook. Are you? Bigun blackmailed me into it. He did. He said that if i didn't set up my own page he was going to do it for me. Didn't fly. he sucks. So, now i am a facebook member. Honestly, I don't really like it. I like the word games. i do. But, the rest of it, just not me. It's so... i don't know the words, but just SO. In your face. IE: facebook. I guess.
IMCdA was awesome. I know, awesome is an overly used word but honestly, I can not think of a better adjective.
A majority of our creepy Internet friends seemed to find their way to one central location. How weird is that?!?!? It is weird in the most Supercalifragilisticexpialidociousway!!! LOVED IT!!!!
People who I didn't think really "got me" got me. Live and in person, well, I am a little different. Not much, but a little. Gratefully, like I said, everyone was supercalifragilistic. I noticed the subtle differences between the bloggy peeps and the real life peep but it was so subtle, you "got it". Really, you did. I discovered that the people who I have grown to know and love through the Land Of Blog, I know and love in real life. I couldn't help it and I couldn't hug anyone tight enough. I am still finding myself wanting to squeeze everyone till they pop. I can't help it. Call me a weirdo. I had a small glimpse of this last year when we went to Chicago and we got to meet J-Wimm and Big Mike. I truly thought it was an isolated thing. I did not believe it could happen again, times 40. But. It.Did. And now, here i am trying to find the words and they simply do not exist in this continuum. They don't. I wanted to post a ton of pictures, and I will. The ones that really captured not only the athletes but my heart and my soul. The heart and soul that made Ironman CdA all that it truly was.
I'll do it soon, just give me a few days.
I love you guys.
XOXOXO
Di

All Packed and Ready to Go

Shuh.

It's Monday, the 16th of June. Bigun and me will be hopping a plane in 20 hours. Sounds like a long way off doesn't it? NOT. I have to sleep somewhere in those 20 hours, do a little more laundry in that time frame, pick up and deliver 2 chairs for a client, tie up loose ends with the studio, Oh! yes, and still pack.

Personally I am not planning out my outfits like other girls, uh sorry I mean guys - Bigun. I just know I need a lot of crap that has to go into one bag. A single, lonely bag. How is that going to happen. Crap. 10 days worth of clothes in one bag? Reality check please...

I bought these bags last year so that I could easily find my bags at the luggage rounder

I am pretty certain I'll need two of them. I bought the whole set though so it shouldn't be a problem. I'll give Bigun the biggest one, he's going to need it for all of his tops and such.

Bigun is going to need a camel for all of his crap.

So, I better quit blogging and get my fanny in gear so that I can get the list completed in less than 20, wait, make that 18 hours...need to be at the airport 2 hours early. Who's brilliant idea was that!!??!!

See you guys soon, can't wait!

If You ordered a shirt, please read this

Okay, shoot me later, after the IronMan okay?

Here is what I have
These are folks who will not be at CdA I am mailing out your T's today

BigMike -white 2X non sherpa
Duane -2 one white, one black
IronTriTim - one white med
Dan -one white
GEl - one white

Folks who will be there - I will have them with me at the Athlete's thingy on Thursday and hand them out. I am mailing them all from here to CdA today so that I won't miss anyone who leaves in the next day or two.

Wedgie - med non sherpa blk (I ordered white but your's and Iron Eric's came in black)
IronEric -2 med non sherpa in white (sorry they sent all 3 whites in black)
Fe-Lady -blk xxl sherpa
Mrs Greyhound- 1med child white non sherpa & 1L white non sherpa
Momo-2Med white sherpa
Tea - 3 shirts all blk sherpas a 2X, an XL a L
IronJenny- 1 sm blk sherpa
Blink - 1med blk sherpa 2 sm blk sherpa
SWTGirl - 1sm blk non sherpa and 1 med blk sherpa

What's in Your UBK?

As if I didn't have enough to do. You know, Blog (which in all honesty I haven't been doing much of lately), email, close up my business, look for a new job, try to catch everyone up on these major life changes (my friends all want to know everything that is new with me. ie:friend)try to keep some semblance of a neat home (Not happening right now), empty the contents of my studio, find someone to rent the space so I don't get sued by the owner, list crap on eBay, attend Tri's still try to have a normal life AND Bigun wants me to list myself on Facebook. I told him I didn't want to. I am honestly too busy for it. I check in on his occasionally to catch up on everyone. So, I told him "No Thanks". He said, "Okay, I'll put you on there." So, I figured I better jump on it before he could. Bastard. So, I'm on Facebook now. No promises on constant communication. No promises on all of the good Karma stuff, or sending mixed cocktails. But, I am there. So there you have it Bigun. Now, go send out your good karma stuff.

On another front,

There I was, standing in line at the the local Chinese Restaurant. My friend, lets call her DAWN, is busy chatting about things. Life, the weather, what she's going to eat...I'm drifting. Listening to all of the other conversations going on around me and yet still being attentive and fully aware of Dawn. She was telling me about her son, her future trip to Egypt this summer, life in general. Finally, it's my turn to order lunch. I finish ordering and walk over to the chairs at the front of the restaurant and wait for my "to go" order. As I am walking to the chairs by the door i overhear a fellow talking with two others. he says..."No, really, it's totally an American dish. If you go to China and order it, they won't know what you are talking about." I laugh to myself and i think, he is talking about Egg Foo Young. Dawn joins me a moment later. I turn to her and say "Guess what?" you know what her reply is..."What?"

So, I point at the fellow I overheard talking and said "He has a UBK too!!" Dawn starts laughing and asks me how is it that I know he too has a UBK. Before I continue on let me explain what a UBK is for those of you who haven't heard me use this term before. The UBK stands for a Useless Bank of Knowledge. Mine, it's full of all sorts of things. For example, the Egg Foo Young thing. BTW, DAWN is the same girl who barely escaped death at the hands of a serial killer rapist. Actually, she barely escaped death by TriSherpa Di to be more accurate. That is another story though. Getting back to the UBK...

DAWN and I have been friends for about 6 years. She always laughs at me and my little bits of trivia. I am a trivia junkie. It comes naturally. I don't work at remembering little tidbits of information. I read it somewhere, or I hear it and it just sticks. You know how some people remember Historical Dates or every one's birthdays or sports stats. I remember minutia. Stuff that the average person doesn't really care about knowing but find it somewhat interesting none the less.

Allow me to give you an example.... not only is EggFooYung an American dish, so is General Tso's chicken and Chop Suey. True. Sorry. They came about when the Chinese who immigrated to the US started creating dishes using the local fare. Hence, if you go to China, don't expect to see these dishes offered on the menu.

What is a Bobeche? It's that curved round glass(or metal) disc with a hole in the center that fits over a candle to catch the wax drippings.

Did you know that baby venomous snakes are far more deadly than adults? It is true. Want to know why? Because an adult strikes and removes it's fangs after one injection of venom. It may strike again, but that's something different. Baby snakes strike and their fangs are so small often times they cannot remove them from the victim. This means they continuously inject venom, over and over again. When that happens, it usually means, D.E.D. Dead.

The Osprey is a bird of prey that plunges into the water to capture fish. Ospreys are large birds, black-brown on top and white below. Sometimes people confuse them with Bald Eagles. Ospreys feed primarily on fresh panfish. They search for fish while flying 30-100 feet above the water. If they spot prey, they hover, then plummet down, plunging into the water feet first. Strong, curved talons and specialized spines on the bottoms of their feet help them hold onto the slippery fish. If they catch the fish, they quickly take off, juggling it in their feet until its head is facing forward into the wind. Then they fly to a perch to eat it. Ospreys can’t swim and have been known to drown, especially if they get their talons stuck in too large a fish and can’t take off. They can't take off because their talons "lock" into the fish and they cannot remove the locking talons to free themselves. The spiked talons either get ripped out or the bird drowns.

Hey Jude -When John Lennon left his wife, Cynthia, for Yoko in 1968 Paul McCartney didn't let that stop him from visiting Cynthia and Lennon's son Julian. Paul has maintained a great friendship throughout his life with Cynthia and her son Julian. One morning as he was driving out to see Cynthia and Julian, Paul began humming a tune and singing "Hey Julian..." Later the song became Hey Jules and eventually turned into Hey Jude. The song has always been about and for Julian Lennon.

Trivia aside, I also know the lyrics to more songs than I can remember. I know, sounds like an oxymoron. Truth is, I hear songs that I haven't heard in years. In fact I have forgotten the songs even existed. They come on the radio and I can remember the lyrics, from 10, 15, sometimes 20 years ago. That show with Wayne Brady -Don't Forget The Lyrics, well, I could rock it.
I remember stuff. I can't remember what I ate for breakfast, or what might have been said to me 5 minutes ago, but I remember Stuff. Hence, my brain being coined the UBK.
What's in your UBK?

I Want Truffles

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." Where did I hear that? Right. Well, Forest's Mom was right. And let me tell you, right now, I must have the cheapest, crappiest box of chocolates out there because they pretty much suck. I am over it. I am pitching out the rest of this crappy chocolate and I am headed straight for the truffle counter! Give me dark chocolate filled with raspberries. Give me creamy chocolate with a dark fudge center and while you are at it, roll that son of a bitch in some bitter sweet chocolate powder. 'Cause that's how I play it. I want to choose what I'm going to get, I am tired of it being handed over to me with out any say so on my part. Dammit. Life, you can keep the crappy stuff, give me the good stuff. And that's all I got to say 'bout that.

Okay, so maybe I have a little more to say. Can you say cathartic? I am already feeling that way and I am just getting started. My posts have been few and far between lately. My plates have been full and instead of saying enough, I have just been taking it. So, it's time for a change.

Sure, there are some things in this life you are powerless to do anything about. My dad and his many health issues. His insistence that he knows better than his Doc who diagnosed him with Diabetes. Hello, you have diabetes, you take your medication. Am I right? Well, I can't do anything about the choices my Dad is making but life insists that I still have to deal with the consequences. He just came out of spinal surgery May 20th. I was there, in NC ,for his surgery. I stayed for a week. Discovered that he has not been taking his medication for almost a year. His going blind has no correlation to his diabetes and it going untreated. No, of course not. His relentless pain cannot be solved by physical therapy, just ask him, he'll tell you. His poor circulation and bad ticker don't benefit from exercise. Again, ask him, he'll give you, me and anyone who'll listen an earful. I am tired. The love I have for my Dad is true and it's deep, but he doesn't hear anything I have to say. I am helpless to help him. I am too tired now to keep trying.

The day after I got home from North Carolina I learned that a friend of ours had died. He left 3 young boys and a loving, adoring wife behind. Yes, he left them. He was a good man, someone I admired and respected. Tom suffered from incredible pain left over from a Pro Football career. To help with the pain he took pain killers. They just never seemed to help him though. Each and every day for him wasn't about whether or not he would be in pain but rather it was about what degree of pain could he manage. Most days, the pain won out and he succumbed. Finally, in the end, he has found relief. We attended his funeral last Friday.

The day before the funeral my business partner and I agreed to a divorce. My company is closing. All of the hard work I put into building it is gone. It's done. Over. The doors will close permanently at the end of this month. In the mean time I am watching everything go out the door to be pedaled away for pennies on the dollar. I am heartbroken. I am lost. I am sad. I am tired.

There are a couple of options open to me. I know there are. One seems really great, but it is still not an absolute. One possibility may take me out to Momo's neighborhood...still, nothing solid. Things in my life are headed for definite change. HUGE change. Hope I can make my car payment in the mean time.

So, as for the frigging box of chocolates, I am done with it. My stance is like I said earlier, front and center at the truffle line, choosing what comes next. Maybe I'll have some lovely choclates filled with rum...

EDIT: BTW - I AM an ENTJ!!! Dammit.

I Think Too Much

When does good sense stop being good sense and become wishful thinking? How do you decide when to ignore your intuition and move forward with what seems to be the facts? BTW, the facts contradict your gut feeling. Are you really as savvy with the ways of the world as you thought - or are you just wishing on a pipe dream? The world around you and everyone in it, are telling you the very opposite of what you believe. What you believe, with every fiber of your being. So there you are. Back where you started. Your gut feeling, fact or fiction? Are my rose colored glasses getting in the way of the stark non -technicolour of real life?

Who knew this was me?

Cocktail of the Hour

Some of you out there may already know about this. For those of you who don't....

Mix this

with this

Here is how it's done, sip a little off the top of the Corona so that the neck is clear of beer. Then, tip the Bacardi O and pour it in to top off the Corona. Place thumb tightly over opening, turn upside down to mix. Place upright, slowly remove thumb. Enjoy. Yumma yumma.

If you don't think you'd like the fresh taste of orange try this instead....

Mix one of these

With This. Same directions as used for the Bacardi O just substitute Absolut Citron. Both drinks are light and refreshing. For less calories, substitute with Corona Light.


This is a great Sherpa beverage. Minimal ingredients and no manual mixing. Use it for your own enjoyment but please share with your athlete post race.