telescopes in 2013-2014

Today was just astoundingly stupid. It started with the three work orders below and didn't get any better.

OUR SINK IN THE KITCHEN CAN NOT PASS THE WATER WELL AND IT WILL REMAINING THE WATER IN BOTH SINKS. I GUESS THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE MAIN PULPS OF THE BUILDING WHICH SEEMS CLOSED.

THE TEMPERATURE UPSTAIRS IS HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE DOWNSTAIRS. BOTH THERMOSTATS ARE SET TO THE SAME TEMPERATURE. THE DOWNSTAIRS TEMPERATURE RANGES BETWEEN 62-68 DEGREES AND CONTINUOUSLY RUNS.

THE DOOR AND THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO

(Our program auto-caps, so they're not all screaming.)

(Also, the middle work order was submitted by a doctoral candidate.)

For lunch, I sat outside and watched the rain clouds far away, and enjoyed their breeze and shade. I ate my slightly-stale PB&Js, drank my water, and listened to music. At the end, Aaron called. It was really, really nice. Even when the sun came out and baked my arms, the quiet and peace was priceless. Never work in a functional hallway, y'all.

After work, I was all about a good run.

Storms were north of me and drifting further north, so after the one tantalizingly close (from the top of my hill, I could see the discolored sky from the updraft, almost yellowish against the slate blue clouds, contrasting against the green trees along the river) dissipated a little and moved on, I scurried outside for my run. I was full of energy. I had a good long warmup for my cold shins. I didn't worry about time, did a lot of power walking in between stretches, went further, and enjoyed myself. I was triumphant getting in, with a time under 50 minutes, I logged the workout and--I had only gone .13 further? DEFLATED.

There was no wall, but that bottom part? THAT WAS ME.

(I also did not run 18 miles. lolololol I wish.)

Ugh. Whatever. Told myself a run logged is a run logged and no one could take my pithy .13 miles away from me, iced my legs, and slunk into the shower. Whereupon the thunder started, and Sheppy hid behind my bathroom door like a boss.

I spent some of today looking up photo after photo of traditional Panamanian dress, la pollera. My aunt has a photo of her dolled up like that, and I've seen my grandmother looking regal. It's one of those curiosities that hits sometimes, usually when I'm missing my grandparents and sad that they won't see me get married. My dad never talks about life in Panama, so sometimes it's like researching a secret family history. I could just talk to my aunt, my godmother, but that kind of feels too easy. I will and have, though. For example, I really want some kind of family arroz con pollo at the wedding. I'm already wearing Tita's diamond in my engagement ring, but she has other jewelry that I inherited, and it might make a cameo as well.

Anyway, so I went a-googling, looking for inspiration for wedding makeup, figuring that if it's traditional then it probably won't look too hideous or unnatural on me. The hallmarks seem to be vivid eyes and bright lips, with hair done up tight and covered in two dozen combs, which is not unrealistic. (Maybe less hair ornamentation.) The thing that really struck me, though, was that I kept recognizing elements of my own face: somewhere between round and heart-shaped, with huge cheeks, long lashes, a large-ish nose, and a strong chin. The skin tone comes and goes (I'm pretty diluted), and there was a distinct lack of freckles in the photos, and my hair is a little lighter (dark brown rather than almost black). But other than that, seeing things that I know came from my grandmother and then verified against dozens of other Panamanian women... that was a really neat, warm feeling. Especially because I kind of resent my enormous cheeks and tendency to look like a chipmunk in pictures. It was just... nice.

(For the record, we're of Spanish descent, not Kuna or the other tribes. They took totally different.)

My parents come up Thursday. I cleared it with my boss today. If I can pull a double workout tomorrow or Wednesday, I can conclude June with 5 workouts every week. This stringent no-junk diet ends Friday. I see my hot best friend Friday night.

Let the countdown 'til the junk-food-and-beach binge begin!