cats and kittens

I’ve always said that when I grow up, I will be the crazy cat lady on the hill with a purple house. Fortunately, I love cats. Unfortunately, I don’t currently live in a building that allows cats. Yet my cat collection manages to grow in the face of all obstacles. Last Christmas, my brother gave me the crazy cat lady action figure complete with six cats (and one on her shoulder). Recently, a friend brought me two stones painted and carved into cats from Paris. I think I may soon have a start on that crazy cat lady reputation. Meow.

picture this

I don’t know why I love looking at pictures so much. I think part of it is that I love looking at people’s expressions – it’s amazing how many muscles move in the face! I think part of it is also that if I look at the picture long enough the subject becomes new to me again and I notice different aspects of the picture. I get to rediscover the features of the subject and take new joy from it. I like looking at the eyes and wondering what is being thought at the moment of the photo. Capturing the moment.

tip of the tongue

I think that I picked up the habit of saying, “oh, what am I doing with my life?” from co-worker!A when I’m looking around for something. Or when I’ve lost my train of thought. Pretty much any time I’m confused and trying to sort myself out, I’ll usually mutter that phrase. It’s any interesting navel-picking thing to say when at the time, I’m only looking for a pair of socks. I always have that question in the undercurrent of my thoughts however, always lurking about and waiting for a chance to express itself as a list of goals to achieve.

guilty parties

There is a far less valid reason for why I have not written here. I consider this project in meeting word counts and posting schedule to be my personal exercise of art. It certainly is not material that will get me published or worthy of publishing but I feel that it helps me hone my craft. I have not felt comfortable participating in a personal art project when I have long neglected a writing commitment to others. How can I justify the time? I cannot and I would not attempt to do so. So what am I doing here, now?

excuses, excuses

It may appear as though I have abandoned my post and my writing this month. In some respects I haven’t, what I’ve been writing isn’t material that I would really want to post in an online setting. I think that although I am quite open to a certain degree about my thoughts and feelings in this medium – it is still available to anyone and for all time. (Unless I were to take the time to seriously erase all traces.) Some things are written for either one’s self or for one other person. That’s the writing I’ve been doing lately. Apologies.

i'm yours - revised

I took a lyrics and libretto course and because I have no scoring or musical capability I adapted the tunes of others. I would analyze the original lyrics – syllables, rhyming patterns and number of words. Then I would write my own material to suit the melody and beats of the original material. This was in essence cheating – I did not have to determine how the words fit in with the music. Nonetheless, I found the process challenging.

summer stars came out tonight, shining in my eyes
the brightest star flew and raced across the skies
its path traversing the land, seeming so close to hand

i'll paint you a picture with the loveliest of words
hoping that my mind is as agile as your hands
sweet inspiration, how you come over me

see that how that girl run, yah you fly so free
i hope you'll fly with me

run right through the door to my waiting arms
i'll keep you in my heart safe from harm
doesn't matter how far you roam, roam, roam, roam

travelling feet and open mind, so much more for you to find
the world is yours to enjoy
friend or lover, i'll always welcome you home, home, home, home, home

see how that girl run, yah you fly so free
i hope you'll fly with me
you make me feel so high, send me soaring
want you so close to me

may i serve you up some cheese
as corny as can be
so many words of praise
woo you with my turn of phrase

your laugh and your smile make everything worthwhile
filling me with so much joy i could withstand any trial
so much fun with the games we play
you can pin me, lay me down any day

take the time to map out the stars on me, the constellations
the movements of our desires, spread out for you to see
your voice in my ears, the only thing i long to hear

see that girl run, yah you fly so free
i hope you'll fly with me

run right through the door to my waiting arms
i'll keep you in my heart safe from harm
doesn't matter how far you roam, with me you'll be home

my lady fair, fair lady
you make me feel so high
send me soaring
want you, want you, want you so close
with me

i'm yours - jason mraz

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it (11)
I tried to be chill but you’re so hot that I melted (13)
I fell right through the cracks, now I’m trying to get back (13)


Before the cool done run out I’ll be giving it my bestest (15)
And nothing’s going to stop me but divine intervention (15)
I reckon it’s again my turn to win some or learn some (14)


But I won’t hesitate no more, no more, (10)
It cannot wait, I’m yours (6)
Well open up your mind and see like me (10)

Open up your plans and then you’re free (9)
Look into your heart and you’ll find love love love love (12)

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing (15)
We’re just one big family (7)
And it’s our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved (15)


So I won’t hesitate no more, no more (10)
It cannot wait, I’m sure (6)
There’s no need to complicate, our time is short (11)
This is our fate, I’m yours (6)

D-d-do do you, but do you, d-d-do (7)
But do you want to come on (7)
Scooch on over closer dear (7)
And I will nibble your ear (7)


I’ve been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror (15)
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer (15)
But my breath fogged up the glass (7)
So I drew a new face and I laughed (9)


I guess what I be saying is there ain’t no better reason (10)
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons (15)
It’s what we aim to do, our name is our virtue (12)


But I won’t hesitate no more, no more (10)
It cannot wait, I’m yours (6)

(I won’t hesitate) (5)
Open up your mind and see like me (7)
(No more, no more) (4)
Open up your plans and man you’re free (9)
Look into your heart and you’ll find that the sky is yours (13)
(It cannot wait, I’m sure) (6)
So please don’t, please don’t, please don’t (7)
(There’s no need to complicate) (7)
There’s no need to complicate (7)
(Our time is short) (4)
‘Cause our time is short (5)
(This is our fate) (4)
This is, this is, this is our fate (8)
I’m yours (2)

Prosaic

Facebook ads are funny things – the way they use personal profile information to target the ads and photos from various users is slightly disturbing. But it is also how I found out about the Khan Con and how I stumbled across “In Verse”; it’s an organization between poets, photographers and radio journalists. My eye was first caught by the name, I love the play on words for prose and the juxtaposition of meaning within the word itself. I am also reminded of “A Softer World”, a comic that mixes photos with free form writing that is awkward, blunt and brilliant.

des fruites

I can’t be blue, baby
Not when you’re around
The skies are blue, baby
I got no cause to frown

You’re an awfully sweet treat
Blue, baby
I could just eat you up
Blue, baby

Maybe, baby
We’ll have some strawbabies too.

I love the summertime and all the wonderful selection of fruit. Cherries and berries and melons, oh my! Amazing!P has the right family connections – cousins with a blueberry farm in Fort Langley. I have been eating my way through a 10lb flat for the last two days and it has been delightful. I may turn purple like Veronica.

Running Report

I had intended to be running at 7:30am on Sunday morning to compensate for the heat and the tight timing later that day. Mornings being what they are, I wasn’t actually running until 8:00am without sunglasses or body glide. I was frustrated but I had printed out the route earlier and I had spent time visualizing what I was going to do and how I would be feeling at the different mileage points. So I shoved aside my tense energy and focused instead on trying to find my rhythm and pace.

Amazing!S and I had talked about the run and figured on a 6min/km pace for the first half of the distance and picking up into the second half, if I could. I ran two legs of a relay, 17km, for close to 5:45min/km so I thought that I might be able to pull that out again. I didn’t have a sports watch so with my stopwatch function on my cell I did some math to check my pacing between markers on the seawall. No watch also meant no 10-1 intervals so I ran straight through until my planned gel breaks and walked then. (This is the first time I've ever run a distance longer than 10km straight through.) I was at the 8km marker just under where I should be for a 6 minute pace which was promising.

I finished my first 10km loop at 58:58 so I was maintaining just under a 6 minute pace. As I started my second loop I figured that now was when I should test out my legs. I was feeling pretty good, legs were decent and the heat wasn’t overbearing. Unfortunately I just couldn't maintain something faster consistently – I would hold it for 500 meters and then drop back to the original pace. Halfway through the second loop I ran past the half marathon 1:45 pace group; as they cruised past me, I remembered the 10km I had run with them in my last clinic. Man, did my body not like me that Sunday!


My legs were starting to feel heavy with 6km left to go and I realized I needed to take more electrolytes. I also felt like I wasn’t going to die so I wondered if I should be pushing harder but when I tried my body didn’t pay attention to the brain waves. After the 16km marker I started counting down the distance left because the seawall is damned boring and I was getting tired. For a mercy, my legs found the rhythm to finish the second 10km loop at 57:05. Left with the final kilometer to go, I split the stopwatch again and hustled over the bridge for my half loop around the lagoon.

Finishing around the lagoon was a mixed blessing because I know exactly how long it is and how far I have to go between breaks. I reminded myself that racing isn’t easy and if it was then everyone would do it. My legs weren’t having any of it so I started up with my “strong mind, strong body, strong heart” chant to keep up the pace. Senor S passed me on his add-on to the half marathon distance and I just gave a salute and kept on truckin’. I came up to the approach to Alberni and I realized that of course I had planned a finish that is slightly uphill – go figure. I pushed past the tourists and came to a gasping end at 2:02. My first thought was, hot shit! 2:02! My next thought was, shit, 2:02?! I should’ve run two minutes faster!!

Amazing!C was just finishing her run with the halfers so I walked it in with them and poured some water over my head. I was pretty well drenched with sweat but the water felt damned good. So did finishing the half under 2:10.

timing

10km: 58:58
20km: 57:05
1.1km: 6:21

21.1km finish time: 2:02

FUCK. YAH.

more to follow