oh you silly, stupid pastime of mine

Well lately I've been completely ignoring my blogging responsibilities (sorry to my many, many readers ;)

Instead, I have started triaining for my first half marathon. There are a couple of training regiments that I've peeked at, but I think it's going to end up being much more of a personalized schedule - volleyball tournaments have to fit in somewhere. They all basically involve 3 running days a week, 2 days of which are storter (3-4 mi) runs and one day for a long run. The other 4 days are rest days, and can optionally be cross training days. Vball fits in perfectly as cross training, because playing (especially in the sand) all day is a pretty good workout.

That's a picture of my new running shoes (bright yellow, and awesome) - they successfully completed round one of being broken in last night... and when you can take brand new shoes for seven miles and only stop because the sun goes down, you know they're good. Mizuno, you're the man.

My first ever half marathon will be the City of Oaks half mar in Raleigh on November 2. The course runs right through downtown and this particular race has evidently become quite popular in the last few years; I will be one of thousands of athletes competing. I'm obviously not going to win this thing, but I have a much more modest (and realistic) goal - to finish.

I'm not sure how I have the motivation to do this, but already I feel great about the possibility. It's one of those things that I just feel like I have to do, for me, and that I really want to do.

Then it will be on to bigger and better things. Only ten percent of people ever complete a marathon.

I want to be in that ten percent.

Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk 2008

Mark your calendar for 4 October, and come Help Us End Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Association is hosting an awareness and fundraising event at the Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary and I'll be there walking 1.5 miles around Symphony lake with team "Forget-Me-Nots." Come join us!

If you can't make it out to participate in the walk and other excitement, please check out our donation page. You'll be helping with a great cause (and your name will show up in the scrolling "Honor Roll" marquee!). All funds raised go directly towards supporting the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association - the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.

Here is some additional info from their website:

The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against this fatal disease. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $230 million for our cause.

By joining Memory Walk, you’ll be walking with a purpose – and MOVING us ever closer to a world without Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.

Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.

Tell your friends, and we'll see you there.

run with me through rows of speeding cars

We had our CCVC Executive Board election meeting today, and I officially will be a "Director" for CCVC next year - this means that I'm not technically a member of the board (phew) but have a smaller role that involves running tryouts for the 16's thru 18 age levels, supervising the assignment of each player to a respective team (aka keeping the peace between coaches fighting over a player), mediating issues that arise between parents and their coaches throughout the season, etc.

The first couple of responsibilities are no problem - but I am a little hesitant about putting my two cents in the middle of parent-coach disagreements given the problems I had last season (which all seem to have dissipated, finally). Then again I can't back down to a challenge, especially when I know I'll win.

I also talked to my asst coach from last season today, and told him that I will be bringing my own asst next season. He seemed okay with it - he wants to head coach rather than asst - but still wants to be at the 18's age group. Looks like we're fielding two 18's teams next season, because I'm not going anywhere.

My new motto that I learned recently - "it's all about what I want" - really takes effect within CCVC. Next season, we practice where I want; we go to the tournaments that I want to go to. It might sound a little overboard, but someone needs to make the decisions, and it may as well be me. Democracy doesn't work in athletics (lesson learned...), and I don't want anything unreasonable...

Now I'm off to test-drive my LightScribe CD burner - which also means purchasing new music. Mufasaaaa.

pandora.com

Of late, it's been kind of my thing to explore the parameters of the internet looking for things to play with instead of getting the recommended eight hours of sleep.

I played with hulu (props to Susan) & twitter (jj this time), and tried to walk a drunk guy home... but I have to say that I've been the most entertained by my newest addiction, Pandora.

I know from 9th grade Greek Mythology that it doesn't sound like a good idea, but Pandora is great - it's a customized radio station that fields the songs it plays on my stations based on my preferences and input; in other words, it's all about what I want. So, it's no wonder I love it so much (wink).

They have either genre radio stations (my favorites are the Delta blues and String ensemble), or you can create your own based on one song or artist. You can even link Pandora to Facebook, follow friends & share your stations, and bookmark your favorite songs & artists.

Go try it!

A Little Sugar for Your Mind

Clear your calendar for Saturday 8 Nov 08 - the Black Crowes (get excited) are playing the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, and we're going.

Okay - I'm going, and you can come if you want to. Tickets go on sale 20 Jun, if you want to come, let me know.

This is going to be awesome.

AVP: Day 2

On the beach day two was just as exciting, if not more so, than day one. We had a few t-storms this morning, but they had passed by 11am, and I had another great day of sun, sand, and talking to some of the nicest players in the sport (not to mention best looking...).

I picked up a mini-official vball and collected signatures (also a really good excuse to talk to all of the boys) from the players, and every one of them was so excited to give away their autograph. And, Nick Lucena (mia for this pic) called me Coach today (Tami, who I am here with, played on my 18's team last season & knows Nick so she told him I was her coach... to explain where he got that from) - he may have just forgotten my actual name, but it was still pretty much the highlight of my day.

Yes, that IS Phil Dalhausser (#1 player... in the world) hiding in the back of this pic. He's 6'9" and a wall at the net. I felt so short when we were taking this!

The last Men's game of the day was Dalhausser/ Rogers vs. Lucena/ Williams. The ref called hands on Dalhausser and Rogers cranked the ball into the VIP section at the top of the stadium - it was crazy. Dalhausser & Rogers won the match in two games.

First game tomorrow begins at 1030, I can't wait.

**Lance - pics are uploading to flickr right now! I took "bursts" of pics - so a lot of them are sequences of a single play. There are some really good ones of the boys serving and blocking :o)

AVP: Day 1

Day one of the AVP is complete - I met so many athletes today who are all in such great shape (and not to mention seriously good looking)! One of the boys that played in the last game actually has the same last name as I do (slight spelling difference), so of course we found him after he played (slash lost to Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers) and let him know that we had that in common. Also his partner is from Rochester, NY, so I think rooting for them is the only logical thing to do.

The "VIP" section (which we have tickets to, thanks to PlyoCity) had margarita's, bud light, food, other beverages, and comfy chairs... which made for a very enjoyable experience. The players also come up and hang out there, read: more time to meet and chat with them!

The pic here is Phil - I am going to meet him & lots others tomorrow! This is him serving in the game against Mihalic and Davenport (last game of the day today).

I received the OK to play (YAY!) from my doc, so I will be partaking in some action on the open court with the pro's (or whoever, really) tomorrow. Cannot, cannot, cannot wait! I am so excited to be here!

More to come later - Melissa will be here tomorrow from FL and we will be sure to cause some trouble down here.

Hot Topics

I could tell you all about our upcoming CAD IT Hot Topics Conference & Golf tournament, but jj has all the info you need. Check out her blog - Security Uncorked - for the details.

(jj is also a great security blogger, so be sure to check out the rest of her posts - and her NAC feature speaker presentation for Information Week!)

You can also get the details for Hot Topics 2008 at our website - http://www.hottopicsconference.com/

I'm pretty excited.

delayed gratification

I think I have found a doctor that can help me! A chiropractor and so much more...

In case you are in the minority and haven't heard my saga, I have torn a muscle in my shoulder (trapezius-ish) and have hit a wall in my recovery... my regular doctor initially thought I had a "trigger point" in my muscle and injected cortisone (x2 shots), which made me cry. My pain increased unbelievably and I had a big ol bubble at the injection site (which, actually, I learned today is still there). Evidently because my shoulder blew up after cortisone, that means there is a tear in the muscle tissue. Dr. Doc also told me not to run, play volleyball, drive, or anything else involving the usage of my right arm (and sometimes the use of my left). What does this leave in life?

It leaves me with a good time to find a new doctor. I am not giving up volleyball or running because of an injury, but I think we may be onto something...

A friend introduced me to Active Release Techniques & I found a Doc in Durham that performs this shit and am making an appointment in the morning. He evidently uses a combination of ART, Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization therapy, and rehab excersises that will make me better.

I can see the light. I'm not there yet, but I sure hope giving up running and volleyball for now will pay off.

julie for president?

What an eventful day.

I will not be going to Williamsburg next weekend for our last tournament... I was not able to pull a team together after half of mine backed out. This means the four girls who did want to go and have paid the entry fee are being screwed. I am quite dissapointed in the lack of commitment to finish the season. It seems my expectations of these girls were too high.

My laundry list of demands for next season is growing, but full of completely reasonable requests. I spoke briefly today with the current President of the club about what I want for next season. He is not returning as President next season, but asked me to run for office.

Specifically for the Presidential position.

Evidently the current officers want the club to transition into a organization run by a younger generation of Coaches (straight from Mr. Current President's mouth) who are not also invested in the club as parents. As Ron Burgundy says, "That is good news!"

Now on to building our own facility...

windows

(Not MS Windows, nerds, although I do have some thoughts about that and a tiny craving to install Vista on my new laptop, but I'll save that until they actually release SP1.)

Okay - so I thought I would give you some insight into the blog-title. In short, I'm big big big into music, but because I can't do anything constructive, my musical outlet is basically taking what other people have written and modifying it to say what I want it to. I.e., the name of this blog - I borrowed the lick from a song by the Black Crowes, "then she said my name" (Sidenote - if you don't already listen to the Black Crowes, start now). I looked for a link to the song, but the closest I came was YouTube-ing only to find a Harry Potter clip with 26 seconds of the song transposed. I'll keep looking, or eventually take the time to upload the audio.

It's a soundtrack to life, said the oyster to the pearl.

kiraly

Of course, I did forget to put my shameless plug in my first post to make you jealous (those of you who understand what "kiraly" means, at least), but I will be accompanying my PlyoCity people to the AVP beach volleyball extraveganza in Charleston SC in May. I will also, compliments of PlyoCity, be MEETING the greats of the AVP; including but not limited to: Misty May, Kerri Walsh, Karch, Logan Tom, Mike Lambert, Todd Rogers, Nick Lucena, Phil Daulhausser... I could go on and on.

I know, Unbelievable! I'll be sure to post pictures.

lost my blogging virginity...

Well, I was inspired to blog by the one and only jj, who is a great and innovative blogger and security specialist. I'm coming fresh off of a company-customer happy hour at the Top of the Hill in downtown (you guessed it) Chapel Hill complete with in-house brews and fancy appetizers. My CH characters were also at Top-O and I did manage to sneak away and visit for a minute. Go Heels.

On a side note, this being my first ever blogging adventure, I'm not sure if you will be entertained, but if the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it.

Besides my 9-5 love of CAD, I also coach volleyball for a club team in NC (www.myccvc.com). Coaching (how should I put this) is as big a pain in the ass as it is rewarding. Especially at the 18 age level, where parents are still involved.

So... I suppose it's time to end blog 1, hope it's as good for you as it was for me.