The "Avengorail"

There have been rumors circulating for the last month or so about Disney bringing an "Avengers" style wrap (similar to what they did with Tron) to one of the monorails of WDW. To my utter dismay, the Disney Parks Blog has confirmed this today. I have so many problems with this...

First off, you all know how I feel about non-Disney franchises being brought into the parks. I have this same problem with Pixar and even Lucasfilm. I know that Marvel is now part of the Disney company, but still... it's NOT Disney. I don't see Mickey and Minnie in any of the Marvel comic books, so why put them here? Hell... They're not even saying that Disney is distributing this film. If you watch the trailer, it says that Paramount is.

Second, they are putting this monorail on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. Really??? Nothing says "The Magic Kingdom" like the Avengers. I could possibly forgive this if it was on the Epcot loop. That's what they did with the Tron monorail and it worked. I don't know why, but I just have a problem with this monorail making the loop around the deluxe resorts of the Magic Kingdom. What's next? The Hulk throwing around cars on Main Street? Spiderman wrapping Cinderella Castle in a web? It's bad enough that they have Marvel merchandise in the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop, but now this? Enough is enough!

I understand what Disney is trying to do. They have a new franchise and they are trying to exploit it as much as possible. Putting this monorail on the Magic Kingdom loop may actually encourage boys to actually want to go there, which is a problem that Disney has faced forever. But, as a purist, I hate to see things change and take away from the original experience. I don't have a problem with things that add to it, but I feel that this takes away from it.

Even though Disney is notorious for keeping "temporary" things around for decades, we know that this will not last for very long. It'll last through the summer or possibly through the end of the year. Then it can go the way of the "Cake Castle", the "Wand", and other past hideousness of Imagineering flops. If only we could get rid of that damn Hat. Oh.. and stop "Dances with Smurfs Land".

That is all.

Test Track Goes Pixar?

The other day I was listening to WDW Radio's NewsCast from a few weeks ago. On the show, Lou talked about Test Track going down for an extended refurb and the rumors surrounding it. One of the possibities he talked about was that Disney was turning Test Track into a miniuture "Cars Land" attraction. It was at this point that I began screaming at my iPhone. Lou did say that this was just speculation, however, Lou's speculation tends to become fact.

Quite frankly, I am sick to death of this Pixar invasion into the Parks. Sometimes it works, but when it doesn't the attraction blows...

I think what really struck a nerve with me was the "Pixarification" of another Epcot attraction. I just don't think that Pixar works in Epcot. It takes away from the futureistic theme and really doesn't make sense. It also takes away the educational aspect of the park. Take The Seas with Nemo... Once one of the coolest, best themed attractions in Epcot. Now that Nemo has taken over, it's just a shell of it's former self. Now the focus of the attraction is the ride in the begginging. The aquarium is just a post show now when before it was the main event.

I just feel like that if Disney were to put Pixar into Test Track, it would destroy the educational aspect of the attraction and it would just become another ride for kids that will just annoy adults. I really hope that this does not happen. I think Test Track is fine just the way it is. Sure, it could use a little sprucing up but I don't think it needs to be totally overhauled and it certainly doesn't need "cute" characters all in it.

Disney... I beg you... please leave Test Track alone. That is all.

Topic Du Jour: Finisher's Medals

Since everyone else is hitting on this subject, I thought I'd throw my two cents in. We all know what this is about so I'm just going to jump right in...

First off, this post is not in anyway meant to single out anybody. It is simply my opinions on the issue. As they say, opinions are like [explicative] everyone has one.

It seems to me that the majority opinion here is that a Finisher's Medal is just that, a medal awarded to those who finished a race. I agree with that opinion. I understand all of the hard work that goes into preparing for one of these things. I understand the pain and anguish that one must put into a race. I understand that everyone has bad races and can't always finish. That's terrible and I feel sorry for those people, but they did not finish the race, so in my opinion, they don't deserve a medal. It's just like college... You don't pass your classes, then you don't get a diploma.

Last year at the 2010 Half, they were not giving out medals to anyone except finishers. I made a point to ask because my grandmother was swept. I wasn't upset then. She didn't finish, so she wasn't supposed to get one. I just felt that a 68 year old woman who is 30 pounds over weight, trained for over a year and a half, and completed 11 miles in the most grueling conditions I have ever seen deserved something... so I asked if I could get her one. The volunteer said that she couldn't have one because she didn't finish. I felt that was fair, so I thanked the volunteer and left it at that.

In October, I knew that non-finishers were getting medals, but I brushed that off as the race being the inaugural, and moved on. But then I found out about the same thing happening in January. I was pissed. Totally pissed. But not at anyone in particular. The blame is totally Disney's here. This is a huge screwup on their part. Either give out medals to everyone or just finishers, but pick a stance and stick to it! Disney needs some consistency with this. As much as I love running at Disney, they have been making some big screwups over the past few years and they really need to reexamine their policies.

Just my two cents.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Trip - Day 1 - Digging Myself Out

Last week pretty much started out crappy. I spent all weekend trying to get caught up on school work and work work, but to no avail. It seemed that no matter how much I got done, no matter how hard I worked, assignments just piled on top of me. It was just crazy. But I worked harder and harder to get it done. Most of it was finished by Thursday mid morning though. What made this week even crappier was the fact that two of my professors decided to give a test on Thursday, the day I was leaving. I was really pissed about that and pleaded with them to allow me to reschedule. One was very accommodating, the other was not. Finally, I was able to convince him to allow me to take the test at 8 am on Thursday. It wasn't exactly the best plan, but it was the best I was able to get.

Thursday comes and I'm at my professor's office right on time. He, of course, isn't. I wait and I wait and he finally shows up at 8:45. Apparently he forgot that he was going to let me take the test. I was livid and he knew it. I basically snatched the test from him, went into an empty class room and took the test the best I could. I probably flunked the damn thing, but I didn't care. I was on vacation!

With all that crap behind me, I leave campus and arrived at the airport with very little time to spare. I meet my aunt in the parking lot and make our way through security. Once through, we look at the departure list and see that our flight has been delayed... figures. So, we go over to a little restaurant and get some breakfast. While there, we decide to welcome our vacation with one of the best damn margaritas I've ever had! That sucker was great!

After brunch, we wait around, board the plane, take off and yada, yada, yada we land at MCO with little problems. Now, this was the first time that I had ever flown into MCO before. I've only flown from there, so this was a new experience for me. Now, the original plan was to have me fly into MCO by myself as Aunt De'Dee was going to fly down with my Uncle earlier in the day. So, to keep things interesting she decided to let me figure things out for myself. I did pretty well. I got a little lost having to deal with baggage claim (I still don't know why we didn't just let Disney take care of it), but I think I did pretty well. So, the next time I go down, I'll know exactly what to do.

We go through Magical Express with out any issues and make it to the All-Star Sports and check in and rendezvous with my uncle whose been in on business. Uncle Jodie wasn't supposed to be coming down on this trip, but decided to come on for a night just to take care of some business he had in the area. Since he was there (he isn't the biggest Disney person out there) we decided to skip the Halloween party for the night. I decided to let them do their own thing, so I went out and rode the monorail.

Riding the monorail on the day of arrival is just something I like to do. I don't know why, but I've done it for the past few years and really enjoy it. Since I've started taking the buses recently, I rarely get to use the monorail anymore and I've always kind of considered it to be one of those must do's at Walt Disney World, so this is just a little tradition that I've started doing. Everyone else in my family usually goes to Downtown Disney during that time, so I'm usually by myself, which is another aspect that I enjoy. Sometimes I'll get off and tour the resorts, but not always. I didn't do that this time. Just decided to take in the sites around the Seven Seas Lagoon, then change trains and see Epcot. This is kind of like a "preview of coming attractions" if you will. It's a great thing to do if you don't have time to use a day to see the parks, but want to do something anyway. I just really enjoy it as it gives me proof that I'm actually there.

After the Epcot loop, I got off the monorail and walked around the Epcot entrance area and looked around before hopping on the bus and returning to my resort. It was a good day.

Side thought: It still amazes me that I can be in an empty class room taking a test and in just a few hours riding around on the Monorail at Disney. It makes me wonder why it took me nearly 19 years to discover that airplanes can get you places a lot faster than a car. It's just that my family hates airplanes. Only my aunt will fly and now that I've discovered it, I won't ride again. It's SOOO much easier! Hell... it took 5 hours to get from Jackson to Atlanta to Anaheim. In just 6 hours from leaving my front door, I can be in freaking Disneyland! And yet my family still insists on taking a 16 hour drive to Orlando. Stupid! Oh well... they can take the car, but I'm still taking advantage of that direct flight from Jackson to Orlando!

Race Report - 2010 Renaissance Half Marathon

I've been meaning to get these up sooner, but I've done two races in recent months that need to be reported on. Neither were spectacular performances or anything, but they should be reported anyway. So here it goes.

Where: Ridgeland, MS

When: June 12, 2010

Length: 13.3 miles

Running Buddy: Aunt De'Dee

Time: 3:30:31

Level of Preparedness: Not at all Prepared!

So far, this has been the year of terrible racing. Granted, for the two halfs I've done this year, I was not prepared for them, but still... conditions have been terrible. Remember how cold January was? Well this race was the total opposite extreme. After the race the car thermometer said 109 degrees! God knows what the humidity was. It was so bad, that the NWS issued a Heat Advisory starting at 6 am and the Governor issued a "near" state of an emergency asking everyone to stay indoors. All of this, and we're out running a half.

We knew it was going to be hot. The "hellish onslaught of Mississippi Summer" was in full force. But, we had NO idea that it would be this unbearable! We left my aunts house at 5am and it was already 90 degrees. We knew that wasn't a good sign!

Anyway, Neither my Aunt or I were prepared to do this race, at all. I guess we were just cocky. We ran this race last year at a decent time and after the WDW half and it's terrible conditions we thought we'd be ok. We planned on walking most of the way with a little jogging anyway, so we figured we had this one down... We learned quick!

Pre-race stuff went along without a hitch. There were only about 1500 runners, so there isn't too much of a stress on the facilities. We were both fine up until mile 4. That's when my aunts knees began hurting and when my right foot began to give me some trouble. It felt like it was on fire! I had to stop and take a look. It was at that point that I had on the wrong socks! I was wearing the "great and wonderful" socks that we bought at the Expo in January and not my Dri-max. (Sidenote: Those expo socks are terrible. I think they're scam socks made out of cotton with a little polyester to give them a stretch feel. If I ever see the guy that sold them to me, I'll ring his neck!)After figuring out what happened, I knew there wasn't anything I could do. These socks were going to kill me, but I decided to press on and make due the best I could.

By mile 7, I had to go to the medical tent my feet were so bad. They put on some blister stuff(that works wonders) and wrapped my foot. It felt a little better, but my feet were still hot.

By mile 11, I had to stop again. This time from near heat exhaustion and both of my feet. They put stuff on my feet again and gave me some cold ice water and some frozen grapes. That seemed to help me out a lot, so I decided to keep going. Hell, I was at mile 11... I ain't about to stop now! So I got up and limped closer to the finish line.

By the time I got to mile 13, I was really limping. I mean seriously limping. Pedestrian old ladies who were walking on the sidewalk next to me were walking faster than me! But I didn't care. I was determined to finish. And I did... barely, but I did. It was the worst time yet at 3:30:31, but I did it.

Post race went along fairly well. Medal and food distribution went off great, unlike WDW. And thankfully I parked about 50 feet from the finish line, so I was able to hop in my car and drive home to a cold bath and take care of my feet. (Sidenote: reason why they were burning? Three quarter sized blisters on my left foot, one silver dollar sized blister topped with a nickle sized blister and two quarter sized blisters on the right... Ouch!!!)

Here's a picture of the medal... I was very disappointed in it this year. Take a look...

The front is ok. Design is just a little to "frilly" for me, but since the Renaissance is an upscale shopping area, I'm ok with it.

Here's my problem! Look how thick the damn thing is! A dime is thicker than that! I feel cheated!

Here's another thing I'm disappointed with. The "professional" race grading people screwed up again this year. Last year, they extended the race by a tenth of a mile. That's a long way really. Well, they mucked it up again when they extended it by not one... but THREE tenths of a mile! Yeah... not happy.

We've said that we're not doing this race again next year. I have no intention on doing it, but who knows... I'm sure we will. Give us something to complain about, anyway.

Special Kudos to a random runner at this race. This guy was dedicated and determined to finish. I saw him at both of my stops at the medical tent. He was definitely suffering from heat exhaustion when I saw him at mile 11. He looked faint, he was vomiting, and practically about to fall out. Did he stop? No. Race officials were following, pleading with him to stop. He wouldn't. EMTs then began to plead with him. He still wouldn't. Finally, they had to get the police after him and force him to stop. At that point, they took him away in an ambulance. But, for the downright refusal to give up, this guy gets special Kudos from me.

Captain EO

Hi guys! I hope you all had a great fourth of July weekend (regardless of citizenship). With the spirit of the season, I figured I'd make some fireworks. Yes, it is time for a Disney Rant!



Ok, maybe that was a little over the top, but I'm fed up. Let it be known that I am 100 percent against the return of Captain EO to the Disney Parks. I know, I know, I'm stepping on some toes here but so be it! I'm as mad as hell!

I'm against it for a number of reasons. I'm going to be rambling a bit, so bear with me.

First of all, I feel like this is Disney simply trying to capitalize on MJ's death. Sure, that's what corporations do. I get it. But still, I find the fact that Disney would have never entertained the idea of Captain EO's return had it not been for MJ's sudden death just a little morbid. But sure, I'll give Disney a little leeway here as they are simply doing what a corporation does and "moonwalking straight to the bank".

My second grievance is the fact that the show is so damn cheesy! Ok, sure, I've only seen the show via YouTube... but that's all I needed! What really pisses me off? They took out one of my favorite attractions (Honey I Shrunk the Audience) and replaced it with something that should have died (and did) years ago! Let's face it, Captain EO was taken out for a reason. It was old, hokey, and really had no place in the "new" Epcot. Yes it was time for Honey I Shrunk the Audience to go, but seriously? Let's move forward, not backward!

And, I know that 1993 and 2005 are eons in the entertainment world, but the man was an accused child molester. Sure he was acquitted of the charges, but the fact remains. I could go on here, but that is beside the point. Yes, MJ was an excellent entertainer and was very talented, but he still had those charges. Let's say that Disney brought back an old attraction that starred OJ Simpson. There would be outrage, as there should be. OJ was a very talented football player and he was acquitted of his charges too. But his name can't be spoken without thoughts of his crimes. So why? Why does MJ get a free pass and not OJ? I don't know... I just feel like we're glorifying someone who maybe shouldn't be. Maybe I'm wrong for even bringing that point up, but there it is.

Again, I just feel like Disney has gone about this all wrong. Disney says that the show is only temporary. Well, if this is only temporary, while imagineering thinks up something else to replace it, then great. I'm all for it. Moral objections aside, Captain EO will bring people in and that's what Disney is in business to do. However, let us recall what "temporary" means to Disney:

• Mickey's Toontown Fair was only supposed to be a temporary land for Mickey's Birthday Celebration in 1988. It's been temporary ever since.
• The dreadful Wand over Spaceship Earth was built as a temporary decoration in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration. It wasn't taken down until 2007.
• Camp Minnie-Mickey was supposedly a temporary land for Animal Kingdom while Imagineering came up with something better. The land opened with the park in 1998 and yet it still remains.

I could go on, but you get my point. I have a feeling that Captain EO will be with Epcot and Disneyland for a lot longer than the implied "temporary" label Disney has given us. If this happens, Disney is cheating their guests. They've replaced an aged attraction with an even older, cheaper alternative and that just isn't right to us fans.

I could be over-reacting. I tend to do that a lot, but I get so mad when an opportunity like this is squandered. They had the perfect opportunity to give us an awesome new 3D attraction and they screwed it up. It PISSES me off!!! But, if I'm wrong, and I hope I am, I'll retract this post and apologize to Disney. Hell, if they out do themselves, I'll even give them a kudos... and those are hard to get from me!

Ok, my blood pressure is too high. I must stop. What do you guys think? Are you happy to see Captain EO return? Or are you as pissed off as I am? Maybe you don't care.

In Case You Missed It..

Every year for the past 26 years, Americans have watched the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade on ABC. I know it has become a tradition in my family. We all watch the parade, then talk about it with other family members at my Grandmother's Christmas dinner, later in the day.

My absolute favorite parade was in 2005. Of course this was back during the Happiest Celebration on Earth and was the first time that I can remember where not only Walt Disney World was involved, but also Disneyland and all of the other Disney parks around the world. They all joined together in the finale and pulled off a fantastic show. Every year since, Disneyland has always been featured.

However, after 2005, the parade became less and less of a parade and more and more of a "Disney Channel Invades the Parks" with endless concerts and whatever with the latest goons from the "UnDisney Channel". Then on top of that, it was like watching 2 hours of an endless Disney Commercial. Don't get me wrong... I understand that essentially that is the reason why the Parade is broadcast, but come on, they don't have to do it in such an obvious way. By last year's parade, I had pretty much given up on this tradition, as I was more irritated than anything by the time it was over.

Things changed this year. The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, though still maintaining a slight commercial feel, managed to keep my interest. Yes, the damn Jonas Brothers still graced us with an appearance, and Regis was missing due to his surgery just prior to tapping (which is a disappointment because he is needed to counter Kelly's personality) but all in all Disney did a great job with it. They actually showed the parade this year, had some pretty decent talent, and remained focused on the Theme Parks, rather than pushing the Disney Channel or upcoming Disney movies.

I believe that this year's parade was a success. So Kudos to Disney for turning this Christmas tradition around and on a job well done!

Time for a Rant

Ok... This particular rant has been building up inside of me for a couple of years now. It's concerning Disney's Vacation Planning DVD. I got 2010's edition today and just finished watching it. As you probably have guessed by now, I wasn't happy!

Ordering and watching the DVD has been a tradition of mine ever since the early 90s. I remember having a fake name and age just so I could order it (I was a real rebel...). It was a way for me to have a dose of the Disney Magic whenever I wanted (this was long before I even knew a "Disney Community" even existed). I'd just pop in the cassette or DVD and I'd get "that feeling".

For the most part they were different from year to year, changing with that year's particular promotion or celebration. The best version was for the Happiest Celebration on Earth back in 2005. It was sort of like a better, less annoying, souped up version of "The Top Seven Must Sees" on Resort TV. It was just really cool and very entertaining. I still watch this version as often as I can and really enjoy it.

But that all changed in 2006 with the "Year of a Million Dreams". The 2006 edition wasn't bad. It was alot like previous editions, showing the same old stock footage of different attractions, "interviews" with guests and cast members. But it was a big let down after the 2005 edition.

The real issue comes in 2008, when the Year of a Million Dreams was extended. This edition was identical to the 2006 edition. Nothing was changed what so ever. Not even a mention of the "last year" or anything. Then in 2009, "What Will You Celebrate" comes along. They did add some things, mostly Mickey balloons and a section on the promotion, along with updating the attractions, but it was still basically the same as the 2006 edition.

So, a few weeks ago, I see that the 2010 edition is out. I was really excited. I was thinking that since the whole "Free on your Birthday" thing was being phased out and this new volunteering thing was coming in that SURELY the DVD would be different. So I ordered it thinking that it would be really fun to sit down with the family and watch it just before we go on our trip. It arrived today. I was SO excited! I put in my computer and watched it. IT WAS THE SAME DAMN THING!!!!!!! Yeah, they changed the intro to incorporate the volunteer promotion and mentioned the new Hall of Presidents, BUT THAT WAS IT! Same stupid Castle in the sky, same stupid annoying people dancing at the end, same stupid annoying kids and stupid annoying people in the beginning, same stupid annoying graphics, SAME STUPID ANNOYING EVERYTHING!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!

I feel like I have 4 of the same movies lying around collecting dust... I feel cheated... Does anyone else feel this way? Am I making too much of a big deal out of this? I'm sure I am, I'm easily worked up over stupid annoying things all the time, but this one REALLY got to me. Let me know your feelings on this. Maybe we could get a mini, virtual Rantfest going on here!

Oh, and FYI, I did finish my 6 miles and feel fine now. Going to attempt another 6 tomorrow morning.

There be Squalls Ahead!

Ye come seekin' adventure and salty ol' pirates, aye? Sure ye come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight, with both hands if you please... there be squalls ahead, and Davey Jones waiting for them what don't obey..."

And where the hell was this guy earlier?!

___________________________________________________

Ok, I finally get the motivation to get up and out and get a morning run in this morning. I wake up at 5:30 am, refreshed and somewhat rejuvenated. I put on my warm running clothes, grease up my feet, put my shoes on, tune my iPod to my running playlist and walk out the door.

I notice that it's unusually breezy out for a fall morning, but I dismiss it and count it as a blessing as I will need a good cold breeze around mile 4 or so...

Well as you may have already guessed, I didn't make it anywhere near mile 4. As I reached the half mile mark, it started to rain. And I don't mean a drizzle either, I mean like the bottom fell out. Literally, it was a squall line. But, I pressed on and got a mile in, but only because I had to keep going that way to get back to my dorm! I was drenched by the time I got back here!

According to my stopwatch, this morning's walk was done in 13:34:35. I am almost positive this is the fastest mile I have ever walked in my life! So maybe today wasn't a total loss.

Well that's it for today. I will just get up in the morning and try again I guess. Hope everyone is well!

It Burns!

This is what it feels like when I walk...

During today's walk, my feet started to burn almost immediately. I tried slowing down, I tried readjusting my shoes... I tried everything that I could think of, but nothing worked. I managed to get past the fire and get in a 3 mile walk (no jogging) in 44:04 today. Still not what I want or need to be doing this close to a race, but what can I do? I have two HUGE blisters on my heels now and they still burn.

I'm going to buy some Dr. Scholl's pads for my shoes tomorrow and give that a try. I bought some for my Shox and they seemed to help with blistering some. Maybe they will help again.

I'm also going to try my old socks again. The ones I bought with the shoes are different than the old ones and seem to be thicker and made of a different material. But for $10 at Fleet Feet, you would think that they would work. I don't know...

But this could be exactly what Chris said... my feet could just be rebelling after not running steadily for a few months. If that's what it is, then it's solely my fault and hopefully my feet will get their act together soon.

With all of my whining in today's post (any one have any Brie?!), I am proud of my walk today. I was able to remain under the 15 minute mark with just walking. And other than the blisters and friction, my shoes are working great. I have zero pain in my feet, legs and back. I haven't experienced that in some time. Now... Only if I can stop them from burining my feet, they'll be perfect!
___________________________________________________

Jeff- Maybe if I soak my feet in Orange Juice and listen to Katrina stories, my feet will cool down... what do you think?

Justin- The new shoes are (and I'm reading from the box, so it may not mean anything) Saucony Progrid Hurricane 11's. As I said earlier, I love them so far... just wish my feet did.

Justin and Chris- I like your idea Justin and yes, if I had a permit, I could "pack some heat". The incident I discribed yesterday was not an isolated incident. I have seen the same kids (different groups that sometimes "play" together) do this to other people and have had it done to me a few time. They apparently get a thrill out of scaring people the way they do and I guess they know no one is going to say anything. I guess I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but it really does get annoying after a while. Besides, I get a little happiness whenever I can utter the phrase "Little Bike Bastards". It makes me feel good!

A Question and a Rant

Hey guys! It appears that I'm finally back on the horse today, and not a moment too soon! I had intended for my rebound to happen last week, but due to weather and illness (every time I say I'm going to start back running, I get sick... have you noticed that trend?), I had to wait until this week.

My run today went well, though it was cut short. I was only able to complete 2 1/2 miles in 42:16, which I don't think is bad all things considered. I couldn't go farther because my heel felt like it was on fire! That leads me to my question. What could be causing the burning? I bought new "Drymax" socks, I bought a new pair of shoes (which feel great normally), I'm putting Vaseline on my feet. What's doing it? The only thing that I can think of is that my shoes need to be broken in or my heel just needs to adjust. What do you guys think? Can you think of anything else I can do to address this?

Ok, now for my rant... Do you guys have problems with bikers in the areas that you run/walk in? I'm not talking about the decent human beings that are biking for legit reasons (i.e. Rae). I'm talking about those little hell on wheels biker gangs of 3 or 4 12 year olds. Those "little biker bastards" as I call them, are a menace to society! It's almost like the scope out people with iPods, sneak up on them then zoom past the victim, scaring the bejesus out of them! Then, right when you think it's over, another one zooms past you on the other side, scaring you all over again. That's when the remaining ones come zooming past you. It's really quite annoying. If you're lucky they won't run you over. I've seen that happen to other runners and have a few near misses before.

They're not even supposed to be on the running trail. It would be like me taking my car out for a joyride on the trail and knocking a few of them over! I wouldn't have a problem with them if they would just be considerate of other people and weren't so rude. Where the hell are the parents?! UGH! Ok... I'm going to stop now. See you all soon!

Another Reason to Hate Social Gatherings

Don't get me wrong, I love being and doing things with my friends and family, but why is it that every time any of them want to do something food has to be involved? And it's never anything healthy! It always involves going to fast food joints, ice cream parlors, or restaurants that serve things that are just WAY too tempting for me to resist. It's kind of like taking a drunk to a bar!

What is this rant about? Well I'm going to be facing one of these situations tonight. A group of friends and I are going to see a show tonight, but before hand we're going to meet up at a Mexican restaurant. I could order something "healthy", but in mexican restaurants (at least around here) the "healthy" choices are always greasy and they always drown it in queso dip, hamburger meat, sauce, or something equally as fattening. I ALWAYS ask for them to leave it off or put it on the side, but they ALWAYS do it anyway. Why! Why can't they just listen to what people say?! WHY!!! I know that in some cases, the waiter and kitchen staff don't speak English well, but doesn't "NO" mean "NO" in Spanish too?! Come on people! What's the point of being in a customer "service" business if you flat refuse to listen to your customers! STUPID!!!
........

Whew! Sorry about that, I let my temper take over there for a second. But I've cooled down now. I've considered skipping out on the dinner portion of our get together, but if I do, I'll never hear the end of it. So, I guess I'll just go and try not to do to much damage. Hopefully I'll stay away from the Margaritas too. Maybe a glass of wine instead?

Just Another Setback

This is how I look like now. I look like this because I've been pulling my hair out! I am SO frustrated! You all know that Spring Break was going to be sort of like a mini Renaissance for me. I was going to jump start the wogging, I was going to hit the gym hard. Hell, I was even going to start doing yoga! But, of course, whenever I make plans, something goes wrong. That week, it was sickness.

Well, last week, I thought everything was going well. I felt great! The weather was beautiful. But then... the sickness returned. And this time worse than ever. Not only did I have flu like symptoms again, but I had migraines (worse than before), cold sweats, fever, stomach virus (both ends mind you), strep throat, and dehydration. I don't know what in the world that bug was, but it was one tough bug!

I think that it's over. I still have cough and I'm still recovering my voice and I'm still in the process of rehydrating myself. But I think it's gone. I'm on Avelox (which has some pretty nasty side effects itself... ugh!) right now to ensure that the bug stays away. The Doctor says I should be back to my old self by the end of next week, but until then, NO workouts of ANY kind. I guess I should listen to her so I can get better, but I'm going nuts! I have a race in a couple of weeks that I have to get ready for! Oh well, what can I do?

I hope everyone is doing well and that y'all are all happy and healthy.

I Need Some Head On

Just thought I'd annoy you all today with that STUPID commercial. Yesterday's agenda was kind of shot down. I had that damn headache all day yesterday and it's still lingering even now. I'm not going to let that stop me today though. I'm going back to that gym and I'm going to do all of my workouts today!

Chris- I guess the real name is "Ab Roller"... here's what I'm talking about: http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/Core-Ab-Roller/3481815/product.html?cid=128296&fp=F&srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=20-7832751-2

And I agree, about Head On. It really doesn't work (It's basically like a chapstick version of Icy Hot), it just distracts you and makes you look like an idiot.
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Exercises:

Weight Training
Lower Body Weight Machines

Cardio
Speedwalk 2 miles in the morning
Jog 1 mile
20 minutes on Elliptical
20 minutes on Bike
5 minutes on Stairmaster

In Room Workouts
Ab Wheel Workout
= 10 x 3 Forward
= 10 x 3 Left
= 10 x 3 Right
Crunches (following program above)
Situp Program
Pushup Program

Food Journal:
Breakfast- Pack of instant oatmeal, OJ, Coffee
Snack #1- Serving of Yogurt
Lunch- Chicken Wrap, Cream of Broccoli Soup, small frostingless cake
Snack #2- OJ
Dinner- Small Salad
Snack #3- Protien Shake

NO SNOW FOR YOU!!!!

Hey guys...
I'm sort of ticked off! The entire Southwestern portion of Mississippi has been hit by an ice storm. Thus the entire area has had at least an inch or so of snow. All except Clinton! That TOTALLY sucks! Oh and get this... My hometown (Brookhaven) got eight inches. Yeah, that's right... EIGHT FREAKIN' INCHES!!!!! All of these years, it has always snowed in the Jackson area and never in Brookhaven. Now that I move up here, it snows down there! WTF?!

Anyway, due to the ice storm, the entire area was practically shut down. I know you "tundra folk" are laughing right now, but if there is so much as a flake of snow or an icicle, everything shuts down. We're just not equipped to handle ice storms. So, my interview was rescheduled for Tuesday. Now I have finals AND the inteview to worry about. I probably won't get any sleep this weekend.

Hope everyone is having fun at Mousefest!

Rantfest!

It looks like the Rant Gang has nailed down the details for our first annual Rantfest!

It's going to be held at the Victoria Falls Lounge at the Animal Kingdom on Thurday, January 8th. We haven't figured out an exact date yet, but as soon as I know I'll let you know.

Maybe if we get enough people (and get Jonathan to come) we can go out and see if the Giraffes are out. Since the Mouseguest Experience folks didn't find any, maybe we could give it a shot.

You don't have to RSVP, but we would like to have a general idea of whose coming. So, if your interested, just leave a comment either on this posting or here ( http://mattspoliticalrants.blogspot.com/2008/11/rantfest-here-we-come.html ). If you have any questions, just ask!

Hope to see some new folks there!

A CP Related Rant

My school has screwed me again! And I've only been here for what, a month?

I went to the Registrar's office yesterday only to be told that my Disney classes would not transfer. But here's what really pissed me off. Their excuse is that the Disney classes are not regionally accredited. I tried to explain to them that they are nationally accredited, but they said that it didn't matter. Then they would not explain to me how nationally accredited isn't as good as regionally accredited. I think that's a stupid excuse. What difference does it make where the class is accredited? The point is that it is!

You should see the stack of paperwork that just MC is making me go through just to do this thing. It's almost as if they are trying to make things difficult. Then I get to this! I'm not going to let it stop me though. I'm going to try to find some classes from my old community college and take them online. Then, I'll just have to do some night classes when I get back from the CP. I WILL NOT stay here any longer than I have too (I have a feeling that's what they're trying to do).

Anyway.... I have the CP presentation this afternoon. So I guess that's something to look forward to (or get my hopes up). I'll be twittering through the day to keep you guys posted.

This Stinks!!!

Mongello!

First of all, Kudos to Karen for confirming that the video in the previous post was indeed Jack Wagner. I thought so! I'll have to make a comment on the video.

Karen- Welcome to the Blog! I'm going to add you to my "list". Hope to hear from you!

Ok... Now to what stinks:

It's the eve of my first real, honest to God race. Now guess what happens... I get a freakin' head cold! Come on! That's not fair!!! I guess it's just bad karma for all the [ranting] and moaning I do on the blogs. I'm coughing, my head hurts, my sinuses hurt. You know the symptoms. There is some sort of bug going around campus. I just hope it's not strep throat. That's the LAST thing I need.

And the 5k isn't all of it! Oh no!!! To top it all off, I have to sit through a football game later in the evening. Stupid Football!!! ;-) At least I get paid. I can "pretend" to enjoy the game if the price is right.

Anyway, I'll post my results ASAP tomorrow morning. Until then... Ciao!
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RACE RESULTS:

Good morning everyone! I just got back from my race. Inspite of the cold and the hacking cough, I managed to finish at 34:06. I KNOW I'll have shin splints, but I did "run" most of the course. There were a few times that I had to slowly walk, but for the most part I did at least jog. Ok, I've got my first race under my belt. Now I have to start training for the next one, which is on Novermber 1st.

All Clear!

Hey guys. It looks like the worst of the storm is past us. There is still some high wind gusts and some rain, and we're under a tornado watch, but I think it's pretty much over. Hopefully anyway. Brookhaven had some flooding, and lots of down trees and powerlines. I think power has been restored at my house. No damage yet, thank God.

As far as ranting, I don't have anything on the Local, State, or Federal. All three levels have done a superb job in preparing for the storm. They definately learned alot since Katrina. It also helps that Louisiana got rid of that idiot they had last time and got somebody that knows what they are doing.

However, I just couldn't let Mike down, so I had to find something to rant about. This time I'm going after my school. Instead of telling us last week or yesterday or even this morning, They decide to wait until around 4:00 to tell everyone that classes are still on for tomorrow. Keep in mind that the storm is still out there. I had to drive nearly 70 miles in the freakin' storm, dodging down trees, powerlines, abandoned refuge cars and other debris just so I could get up to Clinton before nightfall. The whole time, MPB (Mississippi Public Broadcasting) is telling people to stay clear of the roads, that it's not safe to be driving in the storm. They are saying that MDOT and MS Hwy. Patrol are asking people to stay clear of Interstate 55 (the only way I know how to get to Clinton) so National Gaurd, FEMA, and other emegency vehicles can move around quickly. And here I am all up in it! What else could I do? I got caught up in a National Gaurd Convoy, haha!

I'm not upset with the school because they choose to have classes tomorrow. Far from it! At the price I pay them to teach me, I want my money's worth. It's just the fact that they choose to tell everybody so late in the afternoon. Even if they had said that they were unsure, they could have at least said something!

Government Response = A+
Mississippi College's Response = F

See you guys later!

Just an Update and Another Rant

Mike- This one is for you!

I attempted to censor myself so I can keep this PG. I feel like if I rant anymore, I may need to put up a disclaimer!

Ok... I have NEVER been so POed at people in my entire running career. I show up at my running track at 5:30 this morning and the parking lot is so full that there are people parking on the street! So I went home and came back an hour later. Still as crowded as it was before. I have a busy day planned so I decide to just bare with it. Man, was that a mistake! There were so many %#@& people there that I couldn't even walk at my normal pace. Most of the people (who all drove in seperate cars. They could at least carpool! Jeez!) were in groups of three, just talking and strolling. I'm like "If your going to walk, WALK OR GET THE #$%@ OUT OF MY WAY!!!". I counted at least 50 people. Keep in mind that the track is only 1/2 mile long and only 5 feet wide. And what REALLY P's me off the most are the groups of 5 or more people that congregate right on the track. Again it's a WALKING track!!! My God! Are people this stupid everywhere? Tell me it's not just here!

OH!!! Then I got to Wal-Mart (The Great Satan) afterward and again the parking lot is full! I had to park a good 1/8 mile away from the door! This is at 9:00 am! Do people just not work anymore? It is Tuesday, right?

Anyway, on to the update...

Like I said in an earlier post, last week was pretty chaotic and it didn't get any better. Band Camp ended on Thursday and my last day at work was Friday. That ment that I had to finish everything that needed to be done in 3 days while dealing with all the extra band stuff. I finished but Oy! No extra runs at all last week because of rain and all that other crap.

This week seems to be just as bad. I did manage to squeeze in a 10 mile wog on Sunday, a 2 mile wog yesterday and a 4 mile stroll (UGGGHHH!!!!) today. Today should be pretty easy, but tomorrow I head up to Jackson and Clinton to get books and some other school supplies, Thusday I go to McComb for a haircut and a doctors appointment, Friday I have to get everything packed and ready, and Saturday I move to Clinton (YAY!!!). Then Sunday through Tuesday, my band camp starts and classes start on Wednesday.

Be sure to stop by my political ranting blog. I borrowed an idea from Jeff and started a Political Caption This.

Rae- Be safe!