I'm a ranked triathlete!

#197 to be precise. And that's not even last in my age group! And it's in the Triathlete News magazine. How cool is that?

From what I can tell, they didn't count Danksin or Longhorn (though I'm not sure is the Aquabike would count or not), but that Captex had the highest point ranking for the races- somehow they quantify the competition at each triathlon. They multiply the race points by your finish rank and take your top three performances. And if they'd counted the other two, I may have been even higher. But still- that's pretty cool! I really am a triathlete!

Sea World is actually fun!

Went to Sea World on Sunday with a couple of friends and I wasn't expecting much, but it was fun. Not particularly educational, which I would have liked, but very entertaining. And they have roller coasters. I haven't been on a roller coaster in years, and these were exhilarating. I was glad my butt fit into the chairs, and it was nice to be so wedged in so I didn't feel like I would fall out. But fun. And really, there's no way not to get goose bumps when a 2 ton whale is jumping out of the water in front of you. Really.

Okay, so forget what I said...

I bought a new truck.

A new truck is not an emergency

And I should not use my emergency fund to buy one.

Dave Ramsey would not be happy with me if I bought the cute little Ford Ranger I test drove today. I would use up all my savings and have to get a loan to get the $500 dealer incentive, though I could pay it off at the first payment due two weeks later. I can see how these dealers think though, and they know all the tricks.

And the Nissan is struggling- the last straw for me is the A/C going out. I know it is December, but I wanted the A/C on this morning as I was driving and was very unhappy that it is not blowing cold air. Plus all the little things I have put off fixing are adding up, and the driver's seat is uneven and makes my back hurt.

So all these reasons- I DESERVE a new truck, right? And it is so hard to talk back to that voice. It says "you can swing it, you'll just pick up some extra work days," "you've never had a NEW vehicle" "you can't drive around in the old one anymore- it looks bad and it's not safe" "they're offering such good deals- it would be a crime to pass them up" etc etc etc.

But it is not an emergency. Listen to Dave! Save up and buy it when you have the money. And so I will wait.

Viva Mexico

I had a great time in Mexico, survived using my spanish, got around on the buses just fine, and made it back to Austin in mostly one piece. I am working on getting the pictures and video together and will post it when I have it ready.

Secret wish, not so secret anymore

At work today, my friend Sara and I were discussing races and triathlons- she did the Longhorn Half Ironman two years ago. She was looking forward to graduating and thinking about her long term goal of completing an Ironman. I said that was my long term goal too and that secretly, I've been planning on doing Ironman Arizona in November 2010. She immediately said let's do it together- which sounds like a blast. All except for the actual training and finishing the Ironman itself. But really, now that I've told another person, I guess it's not a secret. And so now I'm telling everyone else too. I don't think I need a countdown timer- 720 some odd days until Ironman AZ 2010! And if I wasn't going to be working on Sunday, I would be glued to the computer to watch this year's IMAZ. Anyway, maybe it will help my motivation to at least state my intention. My intention is to complete Ironman Arizona 2010. There, it's official.

Of course, there are a couple of details that are in the way. First of course, is the the extra 100 lbs I'm carrying around. I can't do an Ironman with this much extra weight. Second, I've never done a marathon, or even a half Iron triathlon. Third, my run pace is 15 min per mile. Fourth, my bike pace is 12 mph. Fifth, my swim pace is 2:30/100m. Damn- I am slow. And at those paces I wouldn't make it past the swim cutoff- well maybe I could get through the swim, but I would probably get swept off the bike course.

But who am I not to try? The Marianne Williamson quote has been rattling around my brain lately:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

So, see you in Tempe in 2010.

I miss my dog

In preparation for the Mexico trip next week, I left my dog at my parents' house to look after for the next two weeks. I'm okay if I'm on a trip and he's not with me, but being at home without him is weird. I don't like it. There is an empty space. And it reminds me that he will not live forever, and that some day that empty space will be permanent. And I really don't like that.