got these in my email

And I love them.

Where was this mousetrap when I needed it? And I thought mice didn't actually like cheese because of the sugar content...was that some mice-preserving LIE when we were told to use peanut butter?? hmm....

And this is simply a PSA (ignore the unpleasant wording). Really, you don't look cool and it takes a lot of my self-control to not fix it for you.

doing it

I beat Katie Holmes by over an hour at the NYC Marathon, which I think is awesome (in part because I assume she has access to trainers and such that I don't have!). Amazing experience, but I wouldn't make running my sole extracurricular. Too solo (obviously). Everyone around you at the finish line is concerned with themselves, and not that excited about your accomplishment as a group.

That being said, I'm wearing my medal to work tomorrow. And did enjoy the random congrats from strangers on the sidewalk in NY.

Peacocks in the city

There's a peacock that lives on the west side of the Schuylkill River. I think it a female, since its not too brightly colored. I've seen it a few times, and every time I wonder how it got there. Did it escape from the zoo? I don't think they can fly (though Wikipedia oddly doesn't mention it). I'm starting to wonder if it was placed there in an effort to reguvinate the wildlife of Fairmount Park. It does have an ankle bracelet. Sounds like an obvious plan to me...use your limited park maintenance budget to bring in a fancy bird or two to break the monoteny of all the geese!!

Other sightings in the park:
~ Guy on bike with gun. While stopping at a water fountain during my short jog last night, I noticed two guys on bikes riding into the parking lot. They looked average enough, like Joe 20-Somethings Who Played High School Football and now are a little chubby and leisurely biking the city in their Random College Sports Team tees for exercise. Then one wiped his face on his shirt, exposing his gun. After mildly panicing for about 20 seconds, I also realized they both had on headsets and radios, and that there's a police substation in the side of the boathouse I was in front of. OK, so glad they're patrolling the park, but shouldn't bike cops look a little...fitter?

~ Woman jogging in a bikini top. Spandex shorts, fuel belt (how people run with these I have no idea), Ipod, and string bikini top...Granted, she wasn't well endowed, but I'm not either and I don't think a triangle top with a tie in the back and at the neck offers sufficient support. Then again, the only fat on my body was what's in said top, maybe I'd feel differently. Or maybe not.

Commentary

I have yet to figure out why some males (I say males because I've never seen a female to do) think it is OK to make random comments/yells/give advice to total strangers. Some gems from various dates as of late:

From a car on Kelly Drive:
Run Faster Fatass

Guy on stoop on the walk home from Kelly Drive (different day):
You don't need to sweat so much, you look fine as it is in those pants!

On the walk home from Kelly Drive (different day):
Random Guy 1 at Gas Station: I need to run too. Will you take me on your trail?
Random Guy 2 (noting 1 was ignored): Hey, I don't think she knows what you mean by trail.
Random Guy 1: I want to go on the trail, come on, take me on your sweet ass trail!

Balding guy in convertible as I walked to work:
Nice ass!
(side note, I thought, somehow, he said nice bag and was being sarcastic about my lovely canvas shoulder sack filled with shoes, a sweater, lunch etc., until he turned the corner and waved to me and I realized the sad truth.)

And my favorite...
Random Middle Aged Jogger passing me on the Off part of a HIIT series:
You know, you could run for longer if you slowed down.