The Grape Race 5K

I'm the one in the pink hat, with the pink shirt, and pink sunglasses, standing behind  Jude (the big kid) in the yellow, Ironman baby jogger. 

I ran this 5K about 2 weeks ago.  It was a pretty race, but the hills were killer, and I pushed Jude up those hills in the baby jogger.  I know, what the hell was I thinking?  I can honestly say that pushing a 40 pound kid in a 30 pound stroller up giant, ass hills is worse than running a marathon.  Yes, worse!  There were several times where I swore I was going to die because my heart was about to explode out of my chest.

Thankfully, I survived without any injuries!  Praise God or Jesus or Allah or whomever you praise!

In bed

It seems lately all I do is read in bed.  Since Husband is away, Jude has taken up residence on Husband's side of the bed.  I like it that way.  When I wake up at night, I just reach over and feel his warm, little, skinny body and fall right back to sleep, comforted to know my child is near me, safe and sound.  If you aren't a parent, these words probably mean nothing you, but if you do have kiddos, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  


So, before bed each night, I read Jude his night-night books, which usually consist of multiple Star Wars readers or a couple of books about the Transformers, and then I read my books.  


Here's what I'm currently reading:


Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason  by Helen Fielding
This is the sequel to the first book.  I found this book at my favorite resale shop.  I haven't started reading it yet, but I intend to.  This is a guilty pleasure read.  


The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
I bought this book because it's by Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight books.  However, this book sucks.  I think her publisher asked her to write it just so stupid people, like myself, would buy it and make them (Meyer and her publisher) lots of money. I've gotten to page 133 out of 178 pages, but have no desire to finish.  


Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I'm reading this book because it has a bunch of hype around it.  But I'm sorry to say, I don't like this one either.  I know lots of people are raving about this one, but I can't seem to figure out why.  In my opinion, it's not very good and lacks so much.  In the beginning, Gilbert tells you that she was paid to write this book.  She HAD to write this book.  And because of that, the book feels forced, unnatural, and, frankly, boring!  She even attempts to be witty several times, but fails miserably.  I've tried to stick it out and finish it, but it's really starting to bore me.  I've made it to page 237.


House Rules by Jodi Picoult
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!  I LOVE THIS BOOK!  A friend of mine let me borrow it, and now I can't put it down.  It's an amazing story about a boy with Asperger's.  A crime is committed, and he's accused of it.  This book is riveting, intense, fascinating and creative.  Picoult's social commentary on how we treat people with differences is eye opening!  If you have time and want to read an excellent book, check this one out!  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!  I promise you won't be disappointed. 

So, that's what's on my night stand.  What's on yours?

This place is starting to get to me

Japan is great.  I love Japan.  However, I'm really starting to hate where I live.  And what makes matters worse is I have no control over where I live. Husband's employer tells us where we can live, and we don't really have a choice in the matter.

And recently, the people in our building are getting nastier and nastier.  Someone or something is pissing in the elevator daily.  I've complained.  I've ranted and raved.  I've gone door to door.  I've done everything I can do, and nothing is working.  It's an aggravating situation that I have no control over, and not having control is making me crazy...uh, crazier, I should say.

The worst part is Jude slipped in the piss the other day.  He wasn't looking where he was going, and he stepped in it, while wearing his Crocks, and he fell right in a puddle of it.  I was so pissed off I could have killed someone.  Seriously, there's nothing worse than a 4 foot, 9 1/2 inch, pissed off, half-assed, Mexican momma with a kid who smells like someone else's urine!

So, instead of feeling tranquil or calm in my own place, I get pissed off every time I have to take the elevator. And since I live on the 5th floor, I take the elevator a lot!

Seriously, these people around me are disgusting animals! And what makes me even more pissed off is that these people are America's finest... the U.S. Air Force employs these ass holes!

I'm going to bitch now

Don't get me wrong, I love my life.  I work part time teaching English to people who desperately want to learn it.  I have the best 5 year old boy on the planet.  I have a husband who loves me and doesn't require me to do much of anything, except cook his meals.

However, (long pause, then sigh) I'm really starting to miss adult conversations with adults who actually speak the same language as me.  My students and co-workers are great, except they don't really speak English.  They understand it on the most basic level.  If I say it's going to rain cats and dogs, they look at my puzzled.  Then I have to spend the next 10 minutes explaining the meaning of that idiom to them.  It can get exhausting.  And, I can't speak to them in my normal English voice.  Instead, I have to speak slowly, really, really slowly (like a retard) and choose easy words they know.  I can't talk about politics or science or celebrities.

And, I love my kid, but I get tired of discussing the inner workings of Star Wars, and who would win in a battle against Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Yoda, or Luke Skywalker.  I get tired of reading Star Wars and Transformers books, and watching children's' programming on TV.

A little adult conversation every now and then would be nice.

I think I'm just tired of my current situation.

I've got a few friends I can converse with, but most of them are busy doing their own thing day in and day out, and soon, most of them will be leaving, too.  I should be trying to meet new people, but what's the point?  Once I make new friends, I'll just have to move again and start all over.

Maybe I'll just sell my soul to the devil, move to Hawaii, and become a homeless lady who wanders around harassing tourists and smelling like urine and booze.  Yep, that sounds like a great idea!

Aloha!

On the road again

Husband's 58 hours are over, and he's back on the road.  He'll be gone about 3 weeks this time.

The time he was home was pretty much a waste.  He ended up spending most of his time preparing for his next trip.  It would have probably been better if he hadn't come home at all.  You see, Jude and I have a system, and it works.  Jude knows what he needs to do and when, but when you throw  Husband into the mix, our system gets out of whack.  Now, I'm not saying I don't love Husband or any of that other crap.  I'm just saying that Jude and I get used to being alone, and when you add someone else to the mix, we get discombobulated.

And when Husband does return from his trip, we'll all be out of whack again, until we get used to having him back in our world.

Sometimes it's hard having a husband that travels a lot for work.  I never know when to plan for things or when his schedule is going to interrupt mine.  It can be frustrating at times, but the good always out weighs the bad.

Sometimes I just wish I had more control over things...

Week #1 of Tokyo Marathon training complete

Yahoo!  I ran 3 miles Tuesday, 4 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Friday, and 5.2 miles today (Saturday).  I would have ran Thursday, but I had the crappers!

The running is slow, with heavy legs and heavy breathing, but everyday it gets a little better and a little easier.

I'm so glad I got my running mojo back...just in time for Tokyo Marathon training!

Week #1 of Tokyo Marathon training complete

Yahoo!  I ran 3 miles Tuesday, 4 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Friday, and 5.2 miles today (Saturday).  I would have ran Thursday, but I had the crappers!

The running is slow, with heavy legs and heavy breathing, but everyday it gets a little better and a little easier.

I'm so glad I got my running mojo back...just in time for Tokyo Marathon training!

Happy Autumn Equinox Day

Today is a holiday in Japan.  It's Autumn Equinox Day.

Hooray for a day off!

Hooray for silly Japanese holidays!

Hooray for Doritos, because they turn your fingers orange!

Husband is home

Thankfully, Husband made it home safely last night.  He will be home for exactly 56 hours, so we have to make the most of it.  Then, he's flying out to Texas for some training for work.  He'll be gone another 2 weeks or so.

So, husband and I will be spending the next couple of days screwing  enjoying each other's company.

Inspirational

If he can do it, so can you!

Dancing #3

This time he has a prop...a flashlight!

Worn out

Even with 2 gi-normous, painful lumps on my head and a massive headache, I still mustered up enough strength this week to run 3 miles on Tuesday, 3 1/2 miles on Friday, 4 miles on Saturday and 3.2 miles on Sunday.

Let's just say I'm one tired midget, Mexican momma who can't wait to take a nap today!

To all my gentlemen callers

Husband is away on business.  He's been gone for about a week and should return at the end of this week only to leave again the next week to be gone for an additional 3 weeks... Phew, I'm worn out just telling you about Husband's schedule!

So, I've been playing the single mom card for the last 168 hours, but, hey, who's counting?!

So, if you (gentlemen callers) would like to take me to dinner and not expect me to pay, or rub my stinky feet, or listen to me complain about how I was woken up 3 times in the night by a 5 year old Karate kicking my in the kooter because said 5 year old was dreaming he was Luke Skywalker fighting to save the galaxy from the evil Darth Vader, I'm available!

Just saying!

Accident Report #3

Okay, I'm not sure that this is actually an accident I'm reporting, but more like an incident.

On Monday, I was talking on the phone and felt a strange, painful burning sensation on my head (on my scalp, right on the back of my head).  I grabbed my head and thought my pony tail was pulling a stray hair causing the burning pain.  Once I released the pony tail, the burning still continued.  I rubbed my head and was confused about the burning sensation.  It was only a small, localized area, about 1 inch of  scalp that burned.  After about 20 minutes, the burning subsided.  Shortly thereafter, I got an excruciating headache.  I took some Motrin and the headache went away.

The next day everything was fine, except I had a knot on my head where the burning was, and I had developed another knot further below.  The second knot was larger and sorer than the initial knot/bump.  I went to work and ignored the bumps.

Wednesday I woke up with 2 very large, painful bumps on my head, a stiff neck, and a headache.  Again, I took some Motrin, went to work and continued with my daily activities.  That night, I woke up with throbbing pain in my head.  The second, lower bump was getting larger and more painful, and sensitive to the touch.  It was so painful, I couldn't get comfortable, and it hurt to lay my head on the pillow on that side.  Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

Yesterday (Thursday) I couldn't take it anymore, so I went to the doctor.  It turns out something bit me or stung me on my head.  My body isn't tolerating the bite well, and the lymph node below the bite (yes, you have lymph nodes on your head) is swollen, trying to process and clear out the toxins from the bite.

The doc said I don't have an infection, and should recover in a few days.  But if it gets worse, I have to go back for some antibiotics.

And I have no idea what bit me.  I was inside talking on the phone in my apartment when I got bit.

All I know is Japan has some weird ass bug that will bite you on the head and give you a headache for a week!

Bugs suck!

The Swagger Wagon

This is awesome!

My running mojo

I think I found my running mojo again.  Thank God!

My running mojo gets lost in the summer, but it usually comes back in the fall.  It typically hits me when I'm running in the dark, and a cool breeze slaps me in the face, cooling off my hot, sweaty, greasy, flushed cheeks.  There's nothing better than that cool breeze... at the moment when you think you are too tired to keep going, when you think you are about to give into the hurt of your exhausted body, that breeze containing your mojo hits you, awakening your senses, giving you the power and strength to keep going, to push it beyond what you thought you were capable of.  That's the moment you know it's back.  You're thankful for its return, so thankful.

Now the goal is to keep it.

**************************
Dear Mr. Running Mojo,

I missed you, but I'm glad you're back.  It's good to see you!  I hope you stay for a while.

~Weenie

Training for Tokyo Marathon 2011

So, I started running again.  I'm starting to gear up for Tokyo Marathon 2011.  I'm not particularly excited about this race because my favorite running buddies have or will be moving away, leaving me, forcing me to run alone--something I loathe.

And, I'm not a real runner, I'm a social jogger.  My favorite part about running is chatting with my friends.  The running part is just the catalyst that allows me to run around scantily clad through the streets of Japan cursing and telling stories.  If I weren't jogging, I'm sure I would have been arrested years ago and thrown into the loony bin!  I'm sure of it!

So, I'm kind of on a search for new running buddies.  If you know anyone in the Tokyo area that would like to jog and train with a difficult, overly opinionated, medicated, loud, foul-mouthed, midget, Mexican, asthmatic momma with a bad attitude, please leave a comment or e-mail me.  I promise I won't bite, unless you want me to!

Faster than a speeding bullet

Okay.  As you know, I know nothing about computers.  Nada!  I'm a midget, Mexican momma with an English degree.  So, today I had a computer nerd come over and clean-up my computer, and what a difference!  Before the clean-up, it would take about 20 minutes to log on, write a post and post pictures.  Now, it only takes about 3 minutes!  Yes, 3 minutes!

So you guessed it, you'll be getting a lot more of Weenie's World in the coming days and weeks.

Computer nerds rock!

Yes, he's my child

Today I went to Jude's school and ate lunch with him.  I also hung out in his class for a while, chatted with his teacher, and discussed how his first week of kindergarten was going. 

His teacher only had nice things to say about Jude.  She mentioned he is an exceptional child with an amazing imagination and vocabulary-- things I already know. 

But then we had this conversation:

Teacher:  "Jude is a great kid with a great vocabulary.  The other day I was reading a book about farm animals and there was a donkey..."

Weenie:  "Uh-oh!"

Teacher:  "Jude kindly raised his hand and said, "A donkey is also called an ass."'

Weenie:  "Uh-oh!"

Teacher:  "Don't worry, I didn't make a big deal about it, and I don't think any of the other kids were paying attention.  I was just surprised he even knew that." 

So, yes, my kid is already wowing his teacher!

He survived

Jude survived his first day of kindergarten.  In fact, he loved it.  He came home and told me all about it.  He told me about the bully in his class, the story the teacher read, who sat next to him at lunch and about the kid who crapped his pants.  Score one for Jude!  He wasn't the one who crapped his pants!  Hey, people!  We have to celebrate the small victories in life!

This morning he woke up in a great mood and excited about his second day.  In fact, he raced to the bus stop, making sure we wouldn't be late or possibly miss the bus.  Once the bus arrived, Jude got on like a champ.  He looked a little sad, but he said he didn't cry because crying is for babies. 

And I survived as well.  My heart was heavy the first day, but today I was fine. 

I'm not good with change.  I'm an OCD, anxiety-ridden, Type A personality, but I seem to be handling this change better than I thought.  I guess I always knew this day was coming.  It just came too soon.

Before I knew it, I became the mom of a kindergartner.  Wow, I'm old!

On your very first day of Kindergarten

Dearest Jude,

Today is your very first day of real school.  I can't believe how time has flown by.  I still remember when we brought you home from the hospital, and you had explosive poops that would shoot out the back of your diapers and assault bystanders.

This morning when I took you to school, I was really nervous, probably more nervous and scared than you.  I had so many thoughts flowing through my mind:  will you make friends easily, will you listen to your teachers, will you crap your pants and be laughed at, will you pick your boogers and eat them, will you spill your lunch and starve the rest of the day, will you drop an F bomb in front of your teachers, will you yell out Goddammit when you make a mistake...there are so many things that can go wrong, I thought.  For your sake, though, I kept quiet and put on a brave face.  Besides, you looked cool and ready to tackle whatever was ahead.

So, congratulations to you for being brave and strong today.  You were much stronger than mommy.  I was brave until the parents' meeting, where I let out a single tear, trying desperately to hold it together. 

So on your first day of school, I hope the rest of your class appreciates what a brilliant mind you have, what a caring heart you have, and what a great kid you are. 

Mommy loves you!

Jude dancing, installment #2

Turn up the volume to hear the music.

Airplanes galore

<>

We look like sweaty Mexicans!  If you look below, you can even see Husband's forearms sweating.  It was hot!

Last week we went to an airplane show. Jude loved the airplanes, but the heat kicked our asses! I was about 98 degrees with 90% humidity. We all had sweaty balls! Okay, I didn't have sweaty balls, but if I did they would have been sweaty, saggy and dragging on the ground, leaving a trail of ball sweat on the runway! Seriously, the heat was intense, too intense for our pansy asses!


We went early, but by 10 AM the ball sweating was out of control, so we had to leave.

There's nothing worse than sweaty balls!

Husband's 40th

I have tons of other pictures from the event, but Husband is a little bit googly eyed in them, so I'll refrain from posting them. 

Happy 40th Birthday, Husband.  You're old!  (But I still love you!)