Houston Part 2

Featured are me, Tiffany, her sister Karen on the right, Karen's friend Christine farther right, and the legend himself, Tiffany's dad Wes on the left.  Swim caps suck.

So we watched the first and many groups after that jump off the dock in the 70 degree salt water, swim to the starting line, and begin their 1/3 mile journey to the paddle-wheel steam boat down the shoreline.  Meanwhile I guess Karen's friend was getting really nervous, and Tiffany was still feeling sick enough she wasn't sure she could do it.  I made a quick last-minute journey to the bathroom.  Once it was our turn (that is, me and Tiffany's dad, in the Men's First-Timers group) to get up there, I didn't think about it much, just lemming-ed right off the dock 10 feet down into the water.  So far so good.  Uh aside from the shock of the cold water.  Most people were wearing wet-suits.  Pansies.  Our swim took about 17 minutes of breast-stroking and occasional salty-mouthed freestyle when I had the breath, frosted with some backstroke when I wanted to watch the women first-timers swim from five minutes behind and pass us.  Oops.  Only some of them though.  

I knew this was the worst part so finishing it was glorious.  We chilled out waiting for Karen and Christine who were in aforementioned women's group to catch up with us at the transition, after being sprinkled off by some overhead water thing and cheered on by volunteers and spectators alike.  Ate some goop for energy, dried off, and hopped on the bike for a leisurely 12 mile ride down the coast of the gulf.  Not too bad!  Would have been worse if I had ended up with the road-bike the bike-rental place was originally gonna give.  UM, no thanks I don't wanna die, a mountain bike will be grand thanks.  Tiffany's dad (we can refer to him as Mr. Burd, I suppose, his name is Wes) decided to pull ahead on the bike part, and it may have caught up with him on the run.  

After he decided to get going, I chugged my PJ (yeah that's Pickle Juice) and sprinted to catch up with him, leaving Tiffany with Karen and Christine (at her insistence, mind you) and we took our time, as the sun was starting to warm up and steam up the place.  Volunteers were great about cheering us on still, and giving us water and gatorade and wet sponges.  The last half mile I decided to sprint it on out and realized I didn't have much gas left, so it wasn't quite as sprinty as I'd have liked, but I told Mr. Burd I wanted to see what I had left.  Finishing alone (and near the end of the entire group of everyone) gave me the chance to be personally announced over the loudspeaker as I came in.  That was cool.  And just like that, I was done with my 3 miles and wearing a wet towel and taking pictures. 

We did some more of the picture taking as the rest of them came in, and walked around where they were announcing winners, handing out trophies, giving out free Papa John's, bananas, sweet tea, energy drinks, and BEER.   Yup, had one of those after plenty of sweet tea.  We went to lunch, took our time sitting around, and then headed back out of town.  All that walking around after the race was enough to get me some sun on my arms and head though, just enough for my nose to peel a little this week.  Thankfully I had a swim cap, helmet, and hat, for the legs of the race, and wet towel for after- balding guys gotta watch the head.

Um so that's it, it all ended rather quickly.  We of course started talking about next year, and I'd like to see how fast I could really do it.  But really working hard at it takes too much gear and training and gear and practice and training, so I'll stick to runs, at least for wanting to be competitive.  But we'll see what time I can get next year anyway.  Probably won't beat 57 minutes, which is what the 9th place Iron Man guy got.  I finished in over two hours.  Yeah the Iron Man is a 2.4 mile swim 115 mile bike ride and full marathon.  Um I'll pass.

We wrapped up the weekend by eatings lots Saturday night- steak and such, wine, lots of relaxing.  Helped clean some pool toys and hung out by the pool with the boys.  So nice being outside.  Sunday was a little party of family and friends to come hang out with Tiffany, with Pappasito's her favorite Mexican food, before we had to skip town.  It was over fast, and by the time it was done it felt like home and they felt like family and it was sad to go.   Especially leaving the weather and going back to class.  Hopefully the Burds will be coming to town Labor Day weekend to visit and meet EVERYONE :)  The icing on the cake was Southwest needing to bump some people, so we took $200 vouchers and a paid return flight plus money for breakfast, to stay in Houston until the morning.  HA!  Victory.  

And now its back to real life and all the other things I've got to do.  Weather is getting nice and I wanna be outside.  Unfortunately NO.  Tonight I figure out whether I'm getting a new roommate or whether I have to move by the end of April.  Or pay another $100 a month.  Right.  I wish I had a source of positive cash flow lined up for the summer at least...

Houston Part 1

4/7

Oops.  Never finished all my entries.  Time to recap the whole Houston/triathlon experience for everyone.  The whole weekend with the family went by in a flash.  Tiffany and I hopped in the car with her dad and a bleary-eyed Wesley, her 8-yr old brother, at about 10:30pm.  We got home and had some time to catch up and talk to her parents before bed.  They put me up in Tiffany's old bedroom, complete with my own full bathroom!  Fantastic.

In the morning we were off to breakfast with a friend of Tiffany's whose had us over for a party in Houston before and visited Tiffany last fall in Chicago, he works where she used to except in the dental clinic part of an HIV/AIDS adult clinic type place.  She was the program director for the adult day care, if you didn't know.  After breakfast we went over to the center to see her clients and volunteers and old co-workers she had been missing, and I got another glimpse of what it must have been like for her to work there.  She must have been amazing!  Well, I guess she still is :)

From there it was lunch with her mom, who just moved into a new apartment, and was walking around quite nicely.  It was great to see her on her feet, and of course I got to see the scars and hear more stories about it.  She made us a great lasagna-type casserole for lunch and even a blueberry pie to take with us!  She loves Tiffany to death and it shows.  She's coming to visit July 4th weekend for all who want to meet her up at the farm.  Can't wait for the summer, especially after coming back from the south to the cold again, but as you can tell the weather is turning.  Spring fever is almost here- that nervous itching yearn you feel to get the hell out of your office or anywhere indoors and do something in the sun.  Its gonna make the last month of school tough to get through.  That and being a little spent with my project.

After lunch we packed up the cars and the family and the bikes and the MAN-SIZED DOG they have (some kind of alpine something shepherd dog, see picture) and we were off to Galveston.  Tiffany's little sister Karen, who's 15, drove in our car with her friend Christine.  Once hitting Galveston we went to check in for the race and get things like our ankle chip (to track our time), our shirts, swim caps, energy goop in little tubes, and Pickle Juice.  Yeah, the latest in sports drinks is full of salt to replenish your lost sodium, and it tastes exactly like it sounds.  There was also a ton of merchandise for the serious racers- shoes, wetsuits, blah blah blah.  Over it.

After that we went out for seafood.  Sweet.  I'm always up for fresh seafood 100 feet from the ocean.  We got a platter of HUGE oysters and I had a plate of fried catfish, silver-dollar sized scallops, and big shrimp.  Plus a loaf of bread, some soup, and fries, makes for me being disgustingly full.  Got plenty of carbs for the morning race.

We all checked into the hotel, hauled our bikes up there (and the dog once again, Aisha) and went to bed after exploring the pool, hot tub, and computer room where Wesley played online games while I checked the email to see the glorious donations I had received in the last day before the race.  We all hit bed too late to get up too early.  Got up at 5:30, just in time to throw on my clothes and get out the door- I had fallen asleep wondering what I'd do if I forgot all my race gear, the night before.  Ha.  I wasn't nervous at all though, despite still being sick.  Tiffany didn't look so hot in the morning though, while we had our continental breakfast before getting off to the race. 

 

We got there just before 7, and set up our bikes and gear in the "transition area" where it looked like people were pretty serious about getting straight on the bike from the water.  Crazy.  Then it was time to stand around, get our swim caps on (not easy) and watch the age groups before us line up on the dock.  

 

Race particulars are for next entry.  It'll be picture-tastic.

Nervously Waiting...

3/27 at Hobby Airport

So, I found out Lake Charles is home to less casinos than I thought.  But probably as many factories as I thought.  They have a nice little boardwalk around their lake, aptly named Charles, with some war memorials and a 9/11 memorial.  They also have a few (but only a few) places for getting a 5lb platter of crawfish for Paul and I (my first) and some fried catfish.  Also got a wicked po' boy for lunch.  Met his gf Valerie, who along with her cousin liked to remind Paul and I that she was from the country and like simple things, mostly in reference to the apple-cranberry-almond-onion-spinach-raspberry-vinagrette salad we made for them.  They however had no problem with the steaks.  I enjoyed being able to drive Paul's Infiniti G35 around Lake Charles a bit in the nice weather with the windows down and stereo on, though only at respectably reasonable speeds.  No really.  But its a sweet car with hot rims and a nasty growl.  

Oh and check out their airport.  Pictures here.  You can see how far Arrivals are from Departures.  Funny, cause I was just thinking about how you never get to walk off the plane, down the stairs onto the tarmac (whatever THAT is) anymore.  And then I had the pleasure.  I also experienced the shortest airport exit ever.  They opened the gate you see there, I walked through it, and I was out of the..."airport".  Right there was also their baggage claim.  A metal table thing.  Outside.  Oh, Louisiana.

I also hit my goal for fundraising today for the triathlon.   Fundraising is hard, and my goal was lofty, and I figured I'd land among the stars.  Well my best friend Josh decided he wanted to git R done and he capped off what I needed (and then some) to hit a grand.  Awesomely sweet.  Now if only I was in any shape to be running this thing, but at least I don't have strep throat and an ear infection like Tiffany (or at least not that I know of).  The weather has felt great every time I walk outside, and thanks to sunroof I even got some sun on my mostly exposed scalp.  My hair is slowly leaving it for dead.  FINE, I didn't want you there anyway.   So I'm sorta bored with this and gonna go now.  Counting Crows' new album came out Tuesday, for anyone who's...counting, and we listened to it on the way to Houston.  So far its a hmmm.

Louisiana Ho

3/25

Right now I'm waiting in Houston Bush airport for my connecting flight to lovely Lake Charles, LA, home of factories and casinos.  Oops already said that last time.  I had the distinction of being able to travel through O'Hare this morning.  I don't like the place.  It takes too long to get to from anywhere, including the train, its too big, too confusing, and too delayed.  My flight actually left mostly on time though.  Coming back through O'Hare is worse because until you've done it half a dozen times, you have no idea where to go when all the signs pointing to CTA (the El) that you've been following suddenly lead you to a place where they all point to YOU, and yet there's neither train nor sign.  Once you figure out that the train is underground, and to keep going down like three more escalators until you find it, you're fine.  Until then, you feel like Alice in Wonderland.  A very merry unbirthday.  

I had another one of those bejeweled O'Hare moments when I got there and tried finding Terminal 2 from the El.  End of a hallway, two big signs.  One says Terminals 1,2 this way, 3,4,5 that way.  Okayyyyyyy start walking wait-what-did-the-other-sign-say?  List of airlines, Continental under Terminal 2, pointing the other way.  OKAY, which is it?  The digital sign with flight info also points that way, so sure, this one's gotta be right and the other decal slapped on the wall is wrong.  Right?  Well, ten feet into heading the other direction is a big double door, perpendicular to my current path(s) conspicuously painted the color of my terminal sign.  But no markings.  BUT, through them at the end of the hallway I see Terminal 2 and an arrow.  Okay, stupid, but I found it.  End of the hallway?  "Walkway Closed, Terminal 2 This Way" and an arrow.  Pointing to A WALL.  A WALL.  A wall???  Okay, backup ten feet, see another perpendicular corridor parallel to my original direction(s), in the same direction as I (almost) started heading before looking back to the sign a second time (and running ten feet in the wrong direction on a moving sidewalk).  Down this new corridor of course is a sign saying Terminal 2.  By this time I'm walking past the workout room in the Hilton.  No seriously.  So after obviously walking the length the original moving sidewalk would have covered, that I was so looking forward to riding, I found, well, at least the beginning of my quarter-mile journey in the right direction.  

At Midway, which is an equal drive from downtown as O'Hare, or close enough, I can get there in 35 minutes instead of 1:15 from downtown, and I can follow the BRIGHT ORANGE STRIPE on the ground from train to airport, at which point I can get to any given terminal within 15 minutes including security.  And usually fly cheaper, on Southwest.  But O'Hare has a better food court....

Spring Break!!

3/24

Well I'm writing this on my one-millionth train trip between Chicago and South Bend, 2hrs37min plus taking the El home.  Its always a bittersweet trip, but since September has been much better since I usually have Tiffany to ride with me.  Its an odd feeling because going TO South Bend is usually nice, since I'm going home FOR something, but leaving always feels sad to be leaving home but relaxing and nice to be GOING home.  Its weird having two homes, I guess.  

Its nice though especially being relatively po' to have an abundance of food and drink at my parents' house, especially my latest craving, vanilla soy milk.  Its like a melted vanilla shake.  The "Very Vanilla" flavor is "The Taste Kids Love".  Yes, yes it  is.  Yum.  Tiffany made my family her specialty and favorite, Red Beans and Rice.  There was some dispute about the existence of red beans, and whether they were different from kidney beans.  But it was tasty.  Too bad the ND basketball game wasn't.  There always seems to be a wealth of Breyers Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to welcome me as well.

I'm also finally reading my Aunt Patricia's lengthy writings about the last year and months and weeks of Aunt Glo's life, and my grandma's as well.  It certainly dredges up feelings that have been only barely submerged.  Of course so does celebrating Easter at my grandma's house, but the weird part is that mostly its just like normal with lots of people and food, and you forget that someone is missing, or more importantly WHY, even if it IS her own house. 

I did wanna go visit her new resting place since it was the first holiday we had spent without her, but my dad said her headstone wasn't prepared yet or anything because of the weather, so I sorta let it go.

*ANYWAY*, otherwise it was nice being home even if it DID snow.  Being home is never long enough, even if it IS for a week.  Its a nice calm, relaxed, free feeling being there, especially if my only priority is spending time with people.  I always wish I had more time to talk to Chris about work and life and such, or Nathan about lots of stuff but he's usually out and about like I was in high school.  And Jenny I just never get enough time to talk to about anything really.  Its interesting because her and I are very much alike in personality and even some interests (art, music, reading) and yet our lives and activities have taken completely different paths, but it'd be nice if we could be closer friends regardless.

This week as you know I'm running the triathlon.  Unfortunately I'm not getting healthy as quickly as I had hoped- unfortunately the food, desserts, and Easter candy didn't helps as much over the weekend as I'd hoped, but some sleep did.

What I wouldn't give for a week with no obligations where I could do whatever I wanted to.  It would definitely include playing a lot of guitar.  I'm currently listening to some depressing Counting Crows.  They release a new album tomorrow!  Its amazing the experiences and memories I have tied to music...but that could be due to the fact that I try to listen to it whenever humanly possible.

I'm gonna check out now and try and work on a couple things and clean up my computer.  I'm flying out tomorrow to visit my friend Paul in Lake Charles, LA, home of lots of factories and casinos.  I get to stay in "Carl's Room" at long last- when Paul bought the house I was in life transition and he was trying to get me to move there and move in with him :)  After a few days its off to Houston for the triathlon.  Hopefully some sun and warm weather will clear out my sinuses before then.  Please dear God.

Everyone who donated, thanks, I'm still trying to bug people once more cause I'm at $775 out of my $1,000 goal.  Never thought I'd get nearly that much.  Wow.  Bye.

Looking back, I think the hardest part was when grandma got beyond being able to talk, and because of her health and everyone missing work and school that I was really just waiting around hoping she would pass sooner than later.  I almost didn't have the space to really feel the hurt because it was replaced by relief at her pain being over and everyone being able to get back to the important events in their lives.  Being that relieved that someone is gone was weird then and is weird now- much of the grieving for her death took place before it had even taken place I suppose...

Sick of sickness

I want a bumper sticker that says "Boycott People Who Care More About Animals Than People".  I saw a bunch of people picketing KFC yesterday for torturing chickens.  Yeah, cutting off beaks, legs, whatever is gross and cruel, but honestly- isn't there a better cause you could worry about?  I guess its cause animals don't have a voice, and plenty of other people are fighting for other causes...but I just don't understand thinking "yeah, chicken torture.  That's my calling."  Some people even think we're all just creatures on Earth, and animals (and some people even PLANTS) should have same rights and freedoms as everyone else...I fear the people that value their pets as much or more than people.

Anyway, I probably say every time "this'll be brief" and then it isn't cause I talk too much.

Last week for this Monday we had to make an 8" cube model of our ongoing design project, on the laser cutter.  I spent Saturday from around 5pm until Sunday around 11am accomplishing what you see below.  This involved a complete night of AutoCADing and a good morning of sitting in the laser cutter room with friends watching it cut out pieces.  Thank God it only took four hours to assemble.  I wish I had the time and space to explain- I'll hafta work my way backwards explaining this project in images, in an entry over Spring Break.  Which is in a week.

The nice thing about my all-nighter last week was getting sick shortly after I got to school.  It did help a bit when Tiffany brought me Giordano's (deep dish Chicago pizza, people) for dinner.  What didn't help was staying up all night and having a ravaging flu the night before my planned date day with Tiffany.  We still had half the day together, after I slept from 11-3pm, even though I was completely freezing for our entire dinner.  And the next four days.  Yeah Thursday sometime was when the fever broke and I stopped having hot and cold flashes and finally stopped waking up drenched in sweat 1-4 times a night and decided it was safe to wash my sheets again.

Luckily I got a sinus infection and feel like I've been punched in the face, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, also known as national Drink from Waking to Sleeping Day, and it was Josh's birthday (yesterday) and we had a party.  If only spectating drinking-related events was as fun as like spectating sports.  Cause its not.  The party was alright anyway, and friends came, and I talked to some architect at SOM (aka mega-firm thats built most of the world's tallest buildings) who will help me get an internship.  As will a new portfolio of my work, that I should be doing right now.  Oh yeah.

UM so bye now, drinking some tea and doing some work and bracing for a busy week; thankfully last week was easy or I'd have died, since I was delirious most of four days.  

Also you can see in the party picture if you look closely, the nice array of sores and general skin damage around my mouth, pathetically masked by my 9-day-o'clock shadow.

In euphoric news, I got a used blue iPod nano on Craig's List from some girl in the area.  Been without an around-the-clock music fix since last summer.  Hard to believe.

One-liners.

Here it is as promised.

Another week gone by.  

Friday is the new Monday.

I've given up my entire life for grad school.

I'm not in a terribly good mood at the moment.

Sorry.

Just ran two 6-minute miles.

Without music life would be a mistake.

Nietzsche.

I still need to raise more money.

Eating soothes my wounds.

Thank God for my metabolism.

I'm looking forward to Spring.

Translation- 30 degrees in March is unacceptable.

My hands and feet sweat too much.

Some people have surgery for this stuff.

Or botox.

I'm going to SB, Louisiana, and Houston for Spring Break.

Notre Dame Class of '03 5-year reunion is this year.

Wow.

I can't wait to build my own house.

There's a seat belt on my computer bag.

Epoxy is the greatest adhesive of all time.

Summer '08- iPhone2 here I come.

Sunday is my one-year anniversary with Tiffany.

And Nathan's birthday.

I gotta get back to work.

Yep I'm still at school.

I'm here to complain.  Who invented Pizza Bites?  Yeah, those sound yummy don't they.  Uh huh, until you grab one right out of the oven (okay, my first mistake) and try eating half of it (second mistake) because you know how hot it is and then you burn your nipple with piping hot Pizza Bite saucy-juice-stuff-goop that squirts out on you cause you're not wearing a shirt (third mistake).  Dammit.  But still.  They burn my mouth every time with their squirts.  I'll cut you, Pizza Bite.  I will CUT YOU.

Donating

www.firstgiving.com/carlsergio 

is the link to my page, if you're feeling generous.

Tiffany's is 

www.firstgiving.com/tiffanyburd 

if you like her more than me.

Rapid Fire.

Quickly- time is at a premium.

First- I'm buying some Down Unders this summer.  Ridiculous.  Sweet.

www.down-unders.com

Second.  The picture I posted last time was the hair of about 8-10 people, on my parents' kitchen floor the day before my grandma's funeral.  Thanks Laura Gurr for that pile.

Third, we had roommate discussions.  Probably staying in current location till October.  Lord knows we need to use this sweet deck all summer for playing Cornhole.

www.americancornhole.org

Fourth, I shaved my head again.  But not my face.  Its like the inverse of having hair.

Fifth, I bought an old General Motors (shudder- the two lowest circles of Hell are reserved for GM cars and Microsoft products) seatbelt that I'll be grafting onto the strap for my giant shoulder bag/computer bag/school bag so I can take it off more easily.  Sweet.  Epoxy.

Sixth, I'm getting quoted by the Alumni Director in the introduction to "We Are ND", some book of alumni reminiscings of what Notre Dame means to them.  They asked for submissions, I submitted, I guess they liked it.  Book out in the fall.  I requested a free copy for my permission to use the quote :)  Well they asked for permission!

Seventh (oops this one's important I meant to say FIRST!), my one-year anniversary of visiting Tiffany in Houston is March 9th, Nathan's birthday, so um, yay.  We'll do something commemorative like...I dunno yet, we haven't decided.  But it'll be good.  That's when our relationship started.  Weird.  One year!  

Eighth (this entry isn't short, but it IS brief in its own ways right?) I have about $300 raised for the triathlon.  Sweet.  But not quite enough so if anyone has $5 to throw in the collection that be rockin.

Ninth, and related to eighth, I ran seven miles last Tuesday, then ran two miles but in 12:45 on Thursday, and almost died.  I'm shooting for two six-minute miles, then eventually like one 5:30 or 5 minute mile.  Collapse, heart attack, gasp.

Tenth and last, just like the Commandments, next entry is gonna be brief-er- one-liners.  And less hyphens.  The one after that will be haikus, and then limmericks.  Okay no.  Bye.