The burden of being human

It started with the 17 mile run....or maybe it ended with the 17 mile run. I think any time you schedule something like a 17 mile run mid-week is just asking for trouble.

I'm traveling this weekend and don't really see time in the weekend schedule to run 17 miles, so I did it today. With plans to come home and study. Here's what's on the agenda from now until Mon/Tues. Study for two midterms, write 4 research paper annotations (like 3 page book reports, but for research papers that are way over my head), study for a quiz, read for and actually do my homework for Unix/Linux, somehow come up with a proposal (including supporting evidence) for the Joint Fire Science program to give me $25,000. Also, I'm traveling.

So post 17 mile run, I talked to Jen on the phone for over an hour, ate, showered, ate, then sat down to read the required chapter in my Linux book. I got up and got a cup of coffee. Halfway through it, I thought- maybe I should just take a nap instead. I napped for about 20 minutes, drank more coffee and opened up the Linux book again.

Nope.

I switched to studying for my Advanced Dynamics midterm. I got stuck and no one from my study group was up on Facebook with answers. I grabbed a beer (pumpkin ale) and continued working. I started on a second beer and started craving crispy fried chicken from KFC. I looked at my glass. Almost 2 beers down. No driving. Bike? No way. It was getting dark and I have clip-in pedals....and live in the city. The only time I've ever ridden my bike under the influence was in Yreka, where there were no vehicles and I hadn't switched to clip-ins (or "clip-less" as they are ironically called) yet.

I checked the menu for the local bbq joint two blocks away. Slow smoked chicken. Not crispy fried. I settled for leftover sauerkraut with potatoes and kielbasa.

Then I thought- hot fudge sundae! With brownies!

I considered my options. The corner up the block from my house is fairly sketchy. There's a 7-Eleven and a McDonalds. Also a Pho place across the street. Again, getting dark, sketchy area....

I had salsa. No chips. BBQ sauce, no chicken (or fries). An ice cream maker, nothing to put in it.

Pizza sounded awesome.

There would be no more studying tonight.

I tried to read Runner's World. Nope.

Heart of a Buddha. Nope.

I thought about the little video of the sliding polar bear I put up on Facebook. Yes, that is what I wanted. Even more than KFC and a hot fudge sundae. I just wanted to be a polar bear sliding around the ice on my belly.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/polar-bear-sliding-on-chin-chest-across-snow-field-stock-video-footage/559-132

So I tossed some frozen cherries into plain yogurt, added cocoa powder and honey, and called it good.

No fried chicken, no french fries, no chips and salsa, no hot fudge brownie sundae, no pizza, no chocolate cheesecake....no sliding around on my belly covered in fur.

And no more studying tonight.

This human thing is really rough.