OK, the over under on references to the Yacht Club today – 6. So if you think Reviah is going to go over, then vote over in comments, if you think he’ll go under then say that. Brian H was the clear winner last week, with a follow up win by Sarah R. Nice voting guys, I will let you know that this is the last class before a test so there will probably be some review. I have no idea if this will impact the lecture for the over or for the under. But I felt that you should have the information.

Joseph the Fish is still holding on to life. This morning when I, like normal, asked Boo if Joseph was still alive and he said, “Yes, and I feel like you are kind of pessimistic about the fish…” I wanted to remind him that I ask DAILY if Joseph is alive when we wake up, HOW MUCH MORE WOULD I HAVE REASON TO ASK WHEN HE IS LETHARGIC AND GRAY???? I mean, he’s a fish, he could have a life span of 4 days or 4 years. NO ONE KNOWS!!! Anyway, I double parked the car on Harvard Ave yesterday at 5:00 p.m. in a passive aggressive attempt to infuriate other Boston drivers in the way that they infuriate me. Needless to say, they could not have cared less, they just went into oncoming traffic without concern to go around my car. I digress, I ran in, got Joseph his old fish food, the kind he likes, the kind he eats… However, in the irony of all ironies he had gotten so hungry that he ate the food he had previously refused and didn’t want the new food, that he likes. Geez. For the love of all things holy, you’re a FISH, it shouldn’t be this complicated. Eat your damn food. Not to mention that at dinner Justin said that I should feed him his preferred food, but try to sneak in the Tetra bites a few times a week because the packaging says “they’re good for him.” Really? I mean, really???? 1) I am not going to give that much concentration to what the fish eats, again, IT’S A FISH 2) What the hell is the packaging supposed to say, “Food that’s fine for your fish to eat, but neither good nor bad for it, just food, IT’S A FISH.” He’s holding on to life, but if he keeps this crap up I am posting an over under on him Thursday since there’s a test in class an no opportunity for Reviah to talk about the NSYC.

On to my run. I was working on Orphan stuff until 1. I was supposed to go see ladyA and EV but I am such a lazy brat that I never made it because I kept going with the orphan stuff. I have to say that I think everyone should give at least $5 to the orphans. Immediately after I posted it as an event on FB, a friend supporting the male version (not associated) posted a similar, less informative post. We share like 400 friends so I was a bit pissed, but then I thought, hell give him $5 for his orphans, that’s what you would want him to do. I am feeling a bit discouraged about the orphan fundraising. I am just not good at it. I feel like raising money for orphans should sell itself, I mean, they’re orphans… but no. It doesn’t sell itself. Such a bummer because I believe in the cause, but I don’t really know how to get people to give money to it. I’ll think more about it after I throw this party for my AL & UM this weekend. Until then I am totally focused on school and how to throw an Oktoberfest anniversary party on the biggest budget of all time.

Oh yeah, the run. It was fine. The first 6 miles were fairies and butterflies. New England is breathtaking right now. So I parked at the river and then ran along the Charles to the Mass Ave bridge, I crossed over and ran back up Memorial. Ummm, SO BEAUTIFUL. I am sun kissed. Let me say a couple of things. I have been half-heartedly running for years now. When I run, or every time that I re-start running (I do this often) I think about how fast I should be running, as people pass me on the trail. In my mind I should have qualified on my own for the Boston in 2006. However, I just run an 11:00 mile on my best days, my body thinks it can run a 9 minute mile pace and for about three feet it can. So I spend most of my longer runs pulling my pace back in line with my body. I also spend my run cursing my bingo wings and wide a#% hips. First of all, my arms literally chafe THEMSELVES. The wing part hits the skin right underneath my arm pits as it flaps back and forth with each step and at the end, I’m all red and stingy. So annoying. Damn you bingo wings. Damn you weight I lost, you should have taken the skin with you. Oh well, if I need to fly, I am freaking set. Second. The hips. It’s like I am storing a little bag of chestnuts on each side of my hips that bounce with me with each and every step. I feel like if I have to carry that %&#* around then I better be burning some calories for it. Anyway, at around mile 4.5 the ab burn set in. I find it ironic that 4.5 miles of running can do what 4 weeks of yoga couldn’t. I didn’t mind it until mile 6 when I was sick of running and then it bothered me and I kept thinking, “gah, I hate you abs… I wish I had a cupcake… that person’s running fast… it’s bright… I’m so fast… I am faster than the wind… it’s windy… oww my abs hurt” Anyway, I think you get the picture. At mile 7.5 I tripped in front of some dudes. That was embarrassing.

But I finished it. I texted next week’s guest runner and asked her if she would do my ten with me. You know since she ran 9 last weekend before ACL and is my running advocate and all. She texted promptly back, “No. Next week is my rest week.” Welcome to my life with the pragmatists. I would freaking run with her, if I felt like it. No matter, I can’t get off schedule or I do myself in. So… I will figure out a way to not have to give up time with her and still get my run in.

Speaking of the guest runner. The Oktoberfest party is this weekend. When AM turned 50 she had this great party, and I helped. We had it at BestFriendofAM’s in Dallas. It was so fantastic. We did apps and cocktails in the main house and then we decorated the “garage”/”weight room”/”extraguesthouse” for dinner with round tables. We did these fantastic floral arrangements, which looked incredible against all the white. We had it catered and made sure that there were people to simply serve the food so that we could enjoy dinner. (AM thinks of all the details, it’s why she’s a great party thrower) Two things to consider, 1) AM was financially backing her party 2) AM was planning her own party, as she wished. No this party for AL… We are doing somewhat by request. Her two children and Boo and I are financing it, with some financial contributions from so far, AN, anonymous donation. So AL calls me yesterday and was all, I am so glad that you are helping with this party. I just loved that one that you and AM did… I didn’t know how to remind her that we are doing her party at an outdoor picnic area and serving sausage off a grill. Deep sigh. She then asked me what saurkraut recipe I was using… and told me how she and her friend Sigi used to make it in the bathtub and it took days and day. Um??? Begin frantic calls to area restaurants to see who sells the cheapest “authentic” saurkraut. Did I mention the paper and test I have Thursday? I didn’t. Oh well, I HAVE A PAPER AND A TEST ON THURSDAY, SAURKRAUT TO FIND, AUTHENTIC GERMAN POTATO SALAD FOR SIXTY TO PREPARE and now I have to freaking get this party up to par with some form of classiness… I think something’s going to give this week and I am pretty sure it’s my sobriety.

So there’s your Tuesday update. Give some money to the little orphan children, if you’re not offended by people asking for money or morally opposed (both of which I honestly understand.) Here’s the link to my donor page. If you have it in your heart, start your own donor page and raise up a team and some amount of money. I would just love for these girls stories to be heard by as many people as possible. I got a very legit email from an old family friend this morning letting me know that OHMH seemed a bit shady as she looked them up on a site that let’s you know about scams. There is not a ton of history on OHMH because it’s relatively new and made it’s stateside debut for the most part last year, when the board of directors, classification as a not-for-profit was established. Again, I just want you to know that if you carry concerns or moral oppositions to giving this way, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND! There are lots of shady things going on out there, and when giving philanthropically it is crucial that you do it with a full and trusting heart. If an organization or cause does not that illicit that in you, then you should not give to it. However, here are a couple of things I found this morning online about the founder/s and the project. One is about the stateside director, Thomas Keown. He’s Irish and irreverent. The other is an INCREDIBLE photoblog – a 4 part series on the girls and the orphanage. Enjoy. I hope along the way you get a heart for these girls and their futures!
About Thomas and the project
And the second on a four part series about one photographer’s collision with OHMH