A good nap

Sometimes on a Saturday, a good nap is just what's called for. Obviously, I've already had mine.

I woke up this morning (late) and ran at the Y. I think it's safe to say i won't be going to the YWCA after say 9am on Saturdays anymore. It was packed. I ran 5 miles and figured out that I'd been running too far before. I love it when my run gets shorter. After that I got in the pool, which was really crowded. I kicked ten laps just to let my legs cool down and then got in the hot tub. I really missed the hot tub. On the other hand, my skin may peel off at any moment.

I realized I hadn't written about exercising here for a while. I know no one else cares except possibly Amanda who's partially responsible for this, but it's nice for me to be able to go back and look at what I did. So, this week I joined on Tuesday and ran 5 miles. On Wednesday I also ran 5 miles. Thursday I swam. I think it was the highlight of my week to just get in the pool and swim a mile. That's ridiculous. I didn't think I'd be able to do that. My arms were tired afterwards but not particularly sore. Yesterday I ran 5 miles, which brings me to today. It's possible I'm the only distance runner on that track. Because it takes me almost an hour to run 5 miles I have some time on my hands to see who else is running and what they're doing. No one else is out there for an hour except maybe some walkers. I love watching all the walkers on the track. They're a fairly diverse group, ages, physical abilities, everything.

I've also had some time to poke around the web today (after watching Pride and Prejudice and taking a nap).
1. Immigrant Innovators is a story about the diversity in technology start ups, and the lack of Americans in STEM careers.
2. Mac OS X Shines in Comparison to Windows Vista compares the two operating systems. I haven't read the whole thing yet but I keep paying attention to these articles since I may be in the marked for a new laptop soon.
3. Golfing in Chicago, in January?. El Nino is back. When I was home over Christmas the highs were in the 50s every day. I thought, "oh this would be odd for Minnesota, but for Cincinnati this weather is almost normal." Guess not.
4. Ads on bins will boost travelers delight during TSA Screening. No they wont. I remember being at one airport (now, ask me which one) where the TSA guy wouldn't let people use the bins because it was slowing down the lines. It did actually make the line move faster when people just threw their coats and shoes on the belt and didn't neatly load those things. Obviously this was before laptops had to be screened separately and way before the whole liquid explosive things.
5. Movie Spider. I saw this site on Digg and Del.icio.us. Anyone know what it's about?
6. PCs Get to Scream in 2007. This is how fast your computer will be. I can hardly wait.
7. Wacky Warning Labels and possibly the coolest contest ever.

And finally, The Saturday 8.
1. i have a nasty head cold. when was the last time you were sick, and what ailed you? I'm sure it was a sinus infection. Possibly this summer. It'll be that time of year again soon.

2. i left my contacts out last night by accident, and they dried out. ugh. do you wear glasses or contacts to correct your vision? if so, for how long? Yes, I wear contacts or glasses. I got glasses in tenth grade and contacts not long after that. As a side story, one of my contacts came out this morning at the end of my run. I put it back in with a sweaty face and sweaty hands.

3. a stray dog was found wandering in our neighbourhood, which is rare. he was so thin you can see his ribs, spine, and hipbones. we took him in and are searching for the owner, although i really don't want to give him back due to his condition. what would you do if you found the owner of this dog after taking him in? I'd be interested in hearing the owners story. I'm specifically wondering how long the dog's been gone, how long the owner's been searching for him, and how far the dog walked. Some of you may remember the last time I found a stray dog. After that experience I'd at least like to give the owner a chance.

4. i have two friends who are interested in taking the dog. after putting up "found dog" posters all over, how long would you wait to hear from the old owners before giving him to a new home? I don't know the etiquette on that.

5. i am bringing the dog into the vet on monday to rule out a weird parasitic-worm thing for his weight loss, as i don't see the owners contacting me. my husband says that i've done more than i should for this pup, but i want to make sure he's OK health-wise. would you take the dog to the vet and spend your own money, or would you take him/her to the animal shelter first? The time before the last time we found a stray dog while we were bat netting in the middle of Ohio. Jackie, who is a dog person did take it to the vet and took care of it. That seems like the normal thing to do.

6. at this point in your life, if someone offered you a free young dog/cat of a breed/mix that you wanted, would you take it? I'm not allowed to have animals where I live. Except maybe a fish would be ok.

7. switching gears... Author's note: I'm declining to answer or even quote this question because I find it upsetting.

8. a bride in austria jokingly answered "no" to the question of "do you take this man," causing the official to call off the wedding immediately. not even the sobbing pleadings of the bride could prompt the official to continue with the wedding, and the couple will have to wait 2.5 months before they can marry again. do you think this was too harsh, that the woman got what she deserved for larking about during such a serious ceremony ... or perhaps she should thank her lucky stars and run for the hills with some hot czech nationals? I think the official is taking his job waay to seriously.