Life Goes On

Well, I'm back. I am somewhat disappointed in my lack of blogging lately, but I have to tell you I am so exhausted that all I want to do when I get home is get in the bed. I have been working a lot of double shifts which are tough just because you are on your feet for a long time. (Thank goodness for Dr. Scholl's inserts!) Additionally, my race is only three weeks away so I have been running a lot. Just to give myself a pat on the back, I ran 19 miles yesterday! For any of you who have watched people train for marathons and they inform you of the extensive miles they are running, I have a few things to tell you. First, there ARE water stops and bathroom stops, so you do get to stop every couple miles. I know there are people out there that run the whole way, but I need to keep hydrated. Also, the LONG run is not really very fun. Yes, there is a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish, but every part of my body hurts the day after. Even that weird "poor man shiatsu" stick does not make things better!

From now on, I will be "tapering" so I will be shorter distances to ensure that I do not hurt myself before I head to Chicago. It is amazing to me that I used to have a hard time completing 4 miles and am about to embark on a terrifying journey that requires much more strength and determination that 4 miles does. I truly am scared.

I am not going to go into work. It is fine, nothing has changed. The only difference is that I have a huge pile of cash sitting in the kitchen that needs to go to the bank. I look like a drug dealer, or perhaps a lady of the night!

I want to tell you about my adventure Thursday night. I always thought I was an outgoing person, ready to try new things. I had an epiphany Thursday night. I am not adventurous. For this I blame my parents. (Of course.) I think because we were a flock of girls, my dad took charge and took care of us. We followed and knew we would end up where we were supposed to be. I think this is part of the reason I have had a tough time in St. Louis. I don't know why, but I prefer to run errands with other people and don't really like to try new things on my own. The reasoning is, I don't really know the area and am afraid of what could possibly happen.

Ok, so Wednesday night, Mike's best friend from birth (literally they were born a few months apart) came to visit. He was in town for business, so that worked out well. Thursday night I was working and the boys went to the casino. Mike told me to call him when I was taking out the trash at the restaurant. (That is when I make my secret phone calls!) The plan was to meet somewhere after work for a late dinner. When I called him, he told me he was playing poker and to call when I got home. Did you know you are not allowed to use cell phones when you are in a gaming facility? Apparently, people can cheat with their phones, so they are prohibited. I did get in touch with Mike when I finally got off work and he suggested that I meet them downtown.

Here, downtown is not a 10 minute drive. Mike suggested that I take the metro. I had never tried this method of public transportation in St. Louis, but never heard anything good about it. Also, it was 10 pm. I didn't want to drive and have 2 cars downtown, so I headed for the metro stop. This is where everything started to go downhill. I bought my ticket and walked down the stairs. I knew I needed to go East, but nothing was appropriately marked, and of course, I ended up on the wrong side. After I watched 2 trains go by on the other side, I walked back up and down to wait on my train. I waited. And waited. More suspicious characters began to gather as I stood out like a sore thumb. I began calling and texting Mike about how what a stupid idea this was but he was not answering because he was at the poker table.

Just as I was typing, "I am going home" a train pulled up. I took a deep breath and hopped on. I kept giving myself pep talks, but I was upset and more than a little nervous. (Please keep in mind I was exhausted and hungry and probably the best choice would have been for me to stay home.) Then a shifty couple sat down next to me. I listened as the girlfriend asked what all the papers were that her boyfriend was holding. He explained that they were papers from his public defender and one showed all the drugs he had on him when he was arrested. This is when I started tearing up. (Not kidding.) I was mad at myself for getting upset and figured that this made me look weak, but I kept on crying.

When I finally got to my destination I walked towards the restaurant where we were supposed to meet. I was in full tears as I walked up to the door. For some reason, there were 2 bouncers standing outside of the sushi restaurant. (FYI: If you encounter a girl in tears, do NOT try to talk/flirt or do anything aside from what she wants.) One of the bouncers said, "Hey little lady, where do you think you are going?"

Me: "I want some sushi."

Bouncer: "Well, you can't just go walking in like you own the place."

Me: "Really? To get sushi?"

Bouncer? "Some ID please."

I handed him my license.

Bouncer: "Alabama? What are you doing so far from home little lady?"

Now I am mad. I pushed passed them and headed for the restaurant. I heard one of the bouncers say, "Oh, all you wanted was sushi? You aren't trying to get into the club?" How many times did I say I just wanted to get some sushi???

When I walked into the restaurant, Mike could not understand why I was a basket case, but promised me that I would never have to ride the metro again. The waiter informed me I looked like I needed a glass of wine, and I tried to calm down. An hour later we were done with dinner. The boys wanted to go back to the casino and I wanted to go home. I hopped in a cab and mourned the $50 I spent for an hour of raw fish!