Winding Down

See that countdown timer over on the left side of my blog? It's scary. Watching the seconds tick down until Disney. For the last 2 months, my life has been centered on Half-Marathon training - even when we traveled to Cozumel for 13 days and I was scuba diving. I had to schedule my runs before and after dive days so I wouldn't get "bent." Did it, too -- ran once out past the airport onto a gravel road where horses and campesino cowboys rode right towards me, headed for the big Mexican Independence Day parade; and again up north, at night, past the lighthouse and beach partygoers drinking beer and margaritas while I panted heavily, looking for water.

Guess it's that time of year when I start to "wind down" and think about the past: where we've been, where we're headed. I've been reminiscing about friends and family a lot recently. Always think a lot about my FBI friends and family - Brian (who has hopefully recovered from kidney stone surgery) and Faye; Allen (who calls me every year about this time); my former L.A. partner, Rich; Kenny D. (who is trying to get a crime scene job with the PD where I work now), Susan and Erich (now in Sofia, I think; I lose track of which embassy she is at!); Chaplain James Quinn, and my fellow runners on L.A. "Baker to Vegas" relay teams.

Family: Linda, my multi-talented sister, whose 7MSN blog I read every morning, before the paper - in fact, instead of the paper. I'm so excited because I should be receiving our Christmas gift from Linda today: even though I didn't win the Great 7MSN Giveaway, I asked for a canvas print of Micio for Christmas, and we collectively designed a really cool image. Mom and Dad (the best Micio pet-sitter!): we're planning a new traditional holiday here at the Villa: salmon on the grill, with baby potatoes, cranberries, and Whole Foods fruit tart. We saw J.P. while we were in Tampa on Tuesday night; he's headed up to New Jersey to visit Pat, Jr., and all the "Ants" at Christmas (we were invited, too, but we're not crazy; it's TOO COLD). The Antonas make me think of Claudia and Kevin and how much fun we had with them during our L.A. visit in September. And they make me think of Nolia and her family - I wish I would have taken the time to see them while we were in Tampa; I'm really concerned about how they are faring in these hard economic times - but I just couldn't face dealing with their marital difficulties.

Especially since Gianni and I celebrated our 13th wedding Anniversary yesterday! Where has the time gone? This is us, all dressed up for Thanksgiving Dinner in Cozumel. Kind of funny in retrospect: I'm not wearing a red dress (like I did for my wedding, but I'm still wearing red - a Mexican shawl this time!) Seems like it was just yesterday that we were packing up the condo and furnishings in L.A., getting married on Catalina Island, and traveling across country to Florida. A whole new life in Florida. New friends, new "family", new experiences.

Here's a picture of our "new family" at dinner one night in Cozumel:
Me on the left, with Andrew & Serena, Alex & Tracey, Gianni, and DAD! What fun we had eating tapas, laughing and planning our next trip.

Which brings me back full circle: past and future. I'm thinking Cozumel again next year (of course). Italy again? Fiji? First, of course, there's Orlando and Disney: and, I repeat, take a look at that countdown timer clock over there on the left. How much longer do I have to train? Gotta run hills tonight .... oh no, my aching calf!

Impressive (??) Running Training

WOW! Isn't this cool?
It's a graphic summary of all the running I have been doing from September 12 until yesterday.

Note the black HILLS of Glendale, California - I'd forgotten how "fun" it can be to run hills since, in Florida, that means running up over the causeway above the Intracoastal Waterway -- or the reclaimed Landfill --phew!

The distances are really starting to look good - and note that I ran on the track last week for my time trials. My paces and heart rate aren't shown on the graph, but they're gradually going down.

Yup, think I'll be OK for Disney in January. I can crawl over the line at this point.

Running at O'Dark Thirty

I had to keep telling myself, "It's a good thing. You can do this. Running early in the morning will be good training/practice for Disney." And I do believe that.

This morning was my first group run -- or at least since running with my New Agent's Class at FBI Academy in Quantico during summer 1990! The group I joined, Gold Coast Runners, has a 1/2 Marathon Training Program. I joined Tuesday night; time trialed on the track with a 2 mile run at a 10:12 pace - and really had to push myself to do that. I was happy with the time; not happy with my performance vis-a-vis others in the club - I came in near the end of the pack.

But this morning - despite an auspicious beginning (I really did set my alarm clock for 5:00 a.m.; I just forgot to turn it on!) - I made it on time to the start and ran with the 4 leaders for the entire run. Everyone else who finished ahead of me on the track was *behind* me this morning. Guess it's true. I am built for endurance - not speed.

Don't think I'll ever really enjoy early morning running. But ... springing up out of bed at the very last minute, rushing to throw water on my face and swish toothpaste around, then throwing on running clothes I had religiously laid out last night ... well, it vividly reminded me of early SWAT missions.

Brian, my former partner, always used to tell us, "We leave at O'Dark Thirty." That's me, meeting in the dark to be with a bunch of other crazies -- FBI Agents or runners.

"Cat"ching Up

Oh no.
Been procrastinating waaaaaay too long.
No competition.
No blog rivalries.
Just me and my thoughts.

New activities - joined a running club.
Training hard for Disney 1/2 Marathon.
Just back from L.A. and seeing family and friends. More to follow.
New kitty! Micio bello.

Love Runnin' In The Rain!

I'm runnin' in the rain.
Love runnin' in the rain!
It's wonder-f'ly relaxing --
And, no, I'm not insane.

'Cause usually it's hot and sun.
But still, I've gotta run.
So when it rains, let it rain.
I'll laugh and train!

Change Your Life

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Wish I could claim credit for this quote, but I can't. I don't even know the identity of the guest who wrote this, but I read it in a "thank you book" aboard SUN DANCER II, the liveaboard dive boat I sailed on in the atolls of Belize earlier this month. Here I am, squared off fish-face to regulator-mouth, with a pretty little Grey Angelfish. My view of diving has changed dramatically ever since I started really looking at -- and counting -- fish.

I *will* credit ANDREW Donelson for the photos on this page. Andrew is a phenomenal photographer -- and one heck of a good diver! If you click on his name, you'll link directly to his website and see many other great underwater photos. (And some above water, too.)

Like me and my best dive buddy friend, Tracey, seated here in front of *my* Queen Angelfish painting in the boat's dining salon.

Looking at life from another perspective. That's what I've been making a conscientious effort to do. Kind of like this Yellowhead Jawfish, peeking out of the sandy bottoms of Belize at us bunch of crazy divers and photographers. Or running so slowly that I can hear birds cheeping at one another. And breathing so slowly in and out during my yoga asanas that I can actually feel the air moving through my nose hairs.

And diving so slowly that I can look into the inquisitive eyes of fish. Like this wary little Indigo Hamlet.

Or this Hawksbill Turtle.








But, best of all, is the unique perspective of a gaggle of giggling new girlfriends, sitting around after a great week of diving, bonding over margaritas and Belizean beers. (That's me, second from the left; Tracey beside me, of course!)

What a grand time! Thanks much, Andrew, for the photos and the fun.

Giggling at Work; Men and Their Little Brains

My bosses, Donna and Nancy (and quite a few of the uniformed guys), at the PD think I'm just a little bit wacky, but they're enjoying the fun, nevertheless. And I've been having such fun the past few days, I've been walking around giggling in the halls.

We're finally moving a whole lot of people off of the first floor in the station so we can complete reconstruction of our building. MEN. Of course, they never asked us WOMEN -- who know how to be organized, and know what needs to be done -- how to do anything. We just have to clean up the mess they make. It wasn't too much problem moving people, desks, computers. But it's been a nightmare trying to move 30 years of case-related property that is evidence: it must be controlled tightly for chain-of-custody in court purposes. filing cabinets, boxes, bags, bikes, computers, tools, miscellaneous "stuff"; and then, of course, Valuables: drugs, money, jewelry.

There we were today, moving property in the rain and humidity: filing cabinets, boxes, bags, bikes, computers, tools, miscellaneous "stuff". And then, of course, Valuables: drugs, money, jewelry. Now June is the start of the rain and hurricane season in Florida; you think the guys would have thought about that first when asking us to move now! And we were trying to fit all this evidence into railroad cargo containers -- and coming up short because the MEN had not ordered enough of them (even though we had asked them to); and onto shelves that were being built by the MEN as we moved the evidence (because they wouldn't believe us when we told them several times in the last few months that we would need more shelves). Sheesh.

Anyway. I was trying to help this endeavor and designed a spreadsheet containing all our evidence (26,000 lines that I cleaned up to 856!) and several maps for our Property ladies to use in locating evidence while they are living in/working out of these lovely railroad cars for the next year. The map is so cool! I drew all these shelves, numbered all the evidence boxes, inserted drawings for all the bikes, computers, bags, and other stuff -- and then, tonight, inserted little pictures of women inside the railroad cars.

Silly stuff. Giggling at work. Got to do something when the men drive you crazy with their testosterone! But my bosses, Donna and Nancy, love it. And I know, one day, these same guys will be looking at my spreadsheet and map, saying, "We could have done it better." Because they're always thinking with their little brains.

Above Water, Non-Running BLOG Space

Love this idea! Posting a photo of where you blog.

And, yup, I'll give credit where credit is due.
First, to my sister, Linda, at 7MSN. I read her blog every day and regularly steal her ideas. But Linda was "tagged" by Pony Girl - so she gets credit, too.

I've been a closet reader of blogs devoted to horses, ranches, and cowgirls for several months now. Time to come out of the closet.

So this is "my space" - when I'm not diving somewhere underwater or out pounding the pavement in training for Disney 1/2 Marathon. (See the bottle of water on my desk? I'm drinking like a good girl.) Also notice the new ThinkPad perched atop my rolling desk - I am what my blog header says: a multi-tasker who just has to be mobile and doing many things at the same time. Also for those newbies who might be visiting this blog for the first time, that's my FBI SWAT "In Appreciation" plaque hanging on the wall to the right, just over the official White House Congrats card I received from George and Laura when I retired a few years ago. Guess you'll have to read earlier posts elsewhere (and some in the future) for more on that life.

There are two photos of me diving on my desk at left, my dive log books on top of the desk. I really do have to finish updating my Belize dive information and REEF Fish count stuff! My "I'd rather be Scuba Diving" sign is hanging over the printer/phone. And here's a sample photo from my recent Belize dive trip to National Heritage Site, "The Blue Hole" (140 feet deep!) Actually, this is a photo of a painted drawing in this itsy bitsy museum on Half Moon Caye. When my dive buddy photographers send me the underwater photo of me diving *in* the Blue Hole, you'll get a better concept of the whole experience.

In the meanwhile, if you're reading this and you have not posted a picture of where YOU blog, TAG ... you're it.

Less is More. Less is More.

Keep repeating it to yourself, Kat.
Less is more. Less is more.

So. Write more often. With shorter posts.
I really admire my sister's 7MSN blog and others, like hers, so humorous and easy on the eyes.
I've gotta write less - but more often.

Last Night: Ran 2.5 miles on the track. RAN the whole thing .... no walking. That's a first in about 2 months. Just as I suspected. My heart rate monitor has been set waaaaay too low. No wonder I've been WALKING so much during my "runs".

Re-focus. Motivation for re-starting Disney 1/2 Marathon training.
Yeah. Right. In the middle of the summer. In South Florida. In the heat. And the humidity. In hurricane season. I'm insane.

Indulging Other Addictions

It's always good to have more than one passion. Or addiction, as the case may be.

First, I've become semi-obsessed with learning everything there is to know about blogging these days - an extension of my nerdy computer addiction. Hence, the photos, links, videos and continual re-editing of colors and stuff on this blog page. Second, my sidebar statistics and obsessive ruminations in various posts are evidence of another of my passions: running.

Third, I was out all afternoon yesterday in the yard with my trees and plant, listening to the birds chirping as they build their nests. This is a close-up photo of a nest built by our Florida mockingbirds in "Claudia," the Sabinea Carinalis, Carib Wood shrub (a native Dominican tree) in our back yard. (Yes, we named this very pretty, showy tree after our daughter! In fact, all of our trees have family member names. That will be a future Blog subject.) It's time to start "hurricane proofing" for the season, and I love getting sweaty and dirty when I pull weeds and dig in the mud.

And Fourth. Well, it's pretty obvious from my banner headline that scuba diving is one of my most serious passions. It has been, for 21 years now. So, today, while I'm packing for my liveaboard dive trip next week on Peter Hughes Sun Dancer II - to Belize - I thought I'd show you my dive gear and how I try to pack a whole lot of dive toys into a lot of little space.

This is all (well most, anyway) of my stuff. Clockwise, from upper left: a purple shorty surfer's suit (for warm water diving); buoyancy compensator (vest to hold my dive tanks, with pockets for tank banger, flashlites, dive sausage, REEF fish ID book, magnifiying glass); pink diver's tool box (see detailed info, below); bright yellow/green fins (with neat orange lycra fish sox!); blue 3 millimeter wetsuit (for repetitive dives, cooler water); regulator and dive computer (with hoses); black-skirted dive mask (black is better for looking cool in underwater dive photos, and my old-age eyes see better with black); 2 underwater writing slates (one for logging dive info; one for counting fish!); and 2 underwater dive lites ("two is one, one is none" - an old Marine/SWAT motto.)

My gear weighs about 20 pounds. Which makes it tough flying these days, because my wheeled dive bag weighs 23 pounds. With weight limits of 50 pounds, that means I have only 7 pounds for clothes, bathing suits, sundries, books, and other "stuff." So, I have to pack VERY lightly. To be honest, I take along a mesh carry-on dive bag for most of my land stuff and my regulator/computer. I don't mind having to rent dive equipment if my bags are lost somewhere, but I really want my own regulator (the breathing thing that goes in your mouth) and Suunto dive computer when I'm diving. You'll note that, even underwater, I'm still doing nerdy computer techy things. Besides, these two pieces of equipment cost about $1500.

My dive computer is hard to see in this photo - but it is waaaay cool. It has a compass attachment: not that I ever use it; I'm pretty good at "just knowing" where I'm at. And it is also air-integrated, keeping track of how much air I've used, how fast I'm using air, and how much air I have left until I suck my tank dry -- which has never happened, by the way. For every dive, the computer also keeps track of time underwater, depth of dive, oxygen and nitrogen used and warning limits, times between dives, planning info for next dive, and a symbol about when I'm allowed to fly again. That comes in handy when you're on a liveaboard boat, like I will be next week, diving 5 times a day. Serious, addictive diving.

Oh. Before I go pack, I really must explain my pink dive tool box. I've had it for the entire 21 years I've been diving. It's waterproof and has really neat stuff inside it that every diver needs. On the cover is my DAN sticker. I've been a member of DAN for 21 years, ever since I started diving. Best darned resource and insurance to have. It's comforting to know DAN personnel can make arrangements for you to fly to the nearest recompression chamber if you get "bent," and they can also get you (and your significant other) home if there is a dive "accident." DAN doctors gave me great advice on combining my running training with diving, too.

On the inside (left) of my dive tool box we have: a laminated card with dive computer info (I can never remember exactly which button to push for everything); blue tube of spray-on stuff for cleaning masks and glasses; a REEF creature id book; and a back-up regulator cover (with black masking tape because it cracked in the heat while in Curacao).

On the inside (right), we have: a large-toothed purple comb (untangling curly hair after diving 5 times a day is tough); black film container with extra O-rings (for air tanks), cotton balls, rubber bands, and regulator port covers; "all-in-one" dive tool (with various sized Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools); yellow wrist strap with clip buckle for dive lites; blue skinny tube with back-up reading glasses; SPIT (mask defogger); large orange carpenter pencil sharpener (for fish counting pencils); white bottle with Soft Scrub (to clean dive slates); roll of black electrical tape (good for everything!); pair of pliers; ten extra orange tie-wraps (for temporary attachment of night lites and other gear to vest); large yellow pencil sharpener (a backup since blades always get rusty); round blue pot of silicone (for O-rings); blue night dive stick (hangs on tank as a marker for finding buddies); spare carpenter pencil (gotta be able to count those fish!); Swimmer's Ear (for immediate, after-dive water blockages); and tube of toothpaste and toothbrush.

As for the toothbrush - here's an homage to my best dive friend and buddy, Tracey. This is Tracey looking mighty fine in her super duper dry "wetsuit" on the deck of our room in Utila last October. (Note the fashionable purple dive socks.) I was having major problems with my dive mask during this REEF dive trip. It kept fogging up all week long, and nothing seemed to work to clear it for more than 2-3 minutes. A real pain when you're trying to identify fish as part of a group of professional fish counters. I was getting really good at improvising new mask clearing skills when one of the ladies reminded me of the old toothbrush/toothpaste trick. (You need to "clean" new masks with toothpaste to get all the pre-manufactured glass sheen off of it.)

Sure enough, late during the week, I grabbed my toothpaste and the nearest toothbrush (which just happened to be Tracey's) without even thinking and started scrubbing away. It worked great on my mask, too. No more fogging up. Fortunately, adhering to that old Marine/SWAT rule (see above), I had packed an extra toothbrush and gave it to Tracey for the rest of the week. She was so gracious about the whole thing. And we laughed and laughed.

With that thought, and knowing I really have to PACK NOW -- I'll sign off with a big THANKS to Tracey for the toothbrush (and being a great dive, fish-counting buddy); to Gianni (for letting me go off and indulge my addiction diving next week); and to Alex/Andrew - who will be joining Tracey and me next week on the boat and taking fantastic photos. I already know it.

Ode to My Sister, Linda

My sister, Linda, received the "Great Horse Tips Award" yesterday from one of her companion bloggers. After Gianni and I spent a long dude ranch weekend at Linda's 7MSN Ranch ("7 Miles South of Nowhere", dontcha' know!), I am in total agreement with the Award.

In fact, Linda deserves rewards for many things.
1. Best Margarita Maker
2. Champ at Following Dreams
3. Blog Excellence (my running diatribes just aren't that interesting)
4. Gracious Hostess (Extra points awarded for tissue donations)
5. Creative Kitchen Culinary Concoctions
6. Most Patient Horseback Riding Instructor

And now, a Kathleen-designed Special Award to Linda for:
Most Inspirational and Patient Partner to "Dancing with the Stars" burro celebrities, George and Alan, of Mountainair, New Mexico

Check out this brief amateur video clip** from my camera and see Linda's training talents and techniques (using "Chuck"), and with a guest appearance by my favorite horse, Hank. It is brought to you here "live" for the first time. I can't wait to go back to The 7MSN (in good health) and see the burros Salsa!

**Unfortunately, the movie I made from this clip (edited out wind noise, titles, credits, music) won't upload here 'cause I created it in Microsoft Movie Maker and file is not compatible. Sheesh. Another reason I should have bought a MAC Book when I replaced my laptop computer!**

Running 101

It's like a lite bulb went off in my head tonight while "running."

Well, I guess you could call it running. On April 1 (April Fools Day seems appropriate, in hindsight) I started a new regimen, in anticipation of running during the intense S. Florida heat this summer and the Disney Half Marathon I'll be running on January 10, next year. The regimen is called Low Heart Rate Training. (Link here for a basic explanation; lengthly, but darn interesting if you're into nerdy analytical stuff.)

Bottom line. Run verrrrrrrrrrrrry slooooooooooooooow to learn how to run faster and better. It's definitely counterintuitive. Per the regimen, I've been running with my Heart Rate Monitor set for my MAF - "Maximum Aerobic Function". At my age (don't go there) and fitness condition, that means I have to keep my heart rate between 124 and 136 beats per minute.

What does that translate to? My last 5K race and average running time prior to the regimen was between 10:15 and 10:30 minutes per mile. With the LHR Training regimen, my 2 mile "run" tonight averaged 16:57 minutes/mile. Do you know how hard it is to SLOW down almost 7 minutes per mile? Basically, I "run" slowly for about 75 steps; then walk 100. (I know, I count them; over and over; for 2 miles.)

No more IPod for me. No siree. No more Springsteen and "Born to Run". No more electronic dance music. No more running Podcasts. Just the steady beep of my heart rate monitor beeping at me. While I breath in 5 times; breath out 5 times; each breath synchronized to the rhythm of my high knees and limited bouncing steps.

It's been insane these past 6 weeks. I've hated it - as everyone in the runner's forum said I would. It's painful to run slow. It hurts where it's never hurt before. I've felt like a complete idiot on the track while even the slowest people passed me by. I really felt dumb "running" (mostly walking) on the Las Vegas Strip at 8:00 in the morning -- past the hookers and last night drunks. But I was determined to continue "running" the protocol because - well, why not?

It's 95 degrees down here (early heat wave) today. Granted, it's only 47% humidity this early in the summer; not too bad, really. (Everything is relative, right?) But it will get a lot hotter as the summer goes on. Disney is still 8 months away. I should have this breathing thing learned by then and my heart rate and aerobic capacity squared away in another two-three months.

All I know is that, *tonight*, the lite bulb went off and running (even at 17:00 pace) felt good. I'm REALLY stoked for running competitively. I can't wait for Disney. And I'm looking forward to seeing what effect my regimen has on my Scuba diving.

Starting Again

Starting something over -- and over -- and over -- and over: you get the picture. Starting Again seems to be a pattern in my life.

The perpetual challenge of losing the last 10 pounds. I've worked on that one at least 4 times in the past 40 years. And currently, as before, in the last 10 years. Ever since female surgery and menopause. (We won't even go there right now.)

Then there's running. I started "jogging" before I entered FBI Academy as a New Agent in 1983. Kinda sorta liked it, but I basically ran back in the 80's because I had to: it was either run or not graduate -- that was not an option. Continued periodic jogging only because I had to run 1.5 miles during bi-annual FIT tests. And jogged with my buddy, Susan, along San Vicente Boulevard in L.A. because it was the trendy thing to do to meet people.

Then started running again when I went back to Academy in 1990. Even got it right that time: really enjoyed running the hills at Quantico and with my students. Trained, ran (and finished in 4:37:54, thank you very much!) the Marine Corps Marathon in November 1990. Ran some more for several years when I got back to LA, including 3 years as a member of Baker to Vegas 126-mile Relay teams, running Leg 14 (a 10K serious uphill), usually at 3:00 a.m.

Gave up running in LA when Susan moved overseas and my left knee really began to ache. Too many hills. No one to run with. No benefits. Lots of excuses. Ran a little here in Ft. Lauderdale with Gianni when we moved to Florida - that lasted only about a year. He's a short-distance sprinter; I'm a long-distance endurance type.

Started back again, the first time, in 2005; running the Couch-to-5K program pretty religiously, until Hurricane Wilma struck on 10/24. Restarted C25K last October, and actually finished it in January, then completed three 5K races. Started pre-Half Marathon training (I'm registered for Disney next January) the first of April with a "Low Heart Rate" regimen. Only to get sick in Las Vegas 10 days ago. Haven't run since.

But I'm Starting Again. Right now. On the way out to the track with my heart rate monitor. YEAH!

Eulogy for the Pooper Cat

That inevitable moment many of us dread happened this morning. Ever since we returned from Cozumel, Pooper Cat has been gradually getting weaker, skinnier, and more lethargic. We petted him, tried to feed him (anything), loved him, and called his name more often in the last two months, but finally this morning we said goodbye.

Here's to Pooper, the Talking Kitty. He entertained us with his shenanigans from the first moment I adopted him from another agent in California -- his true name, by the way. He continued to talk to us and love us for 16.5 years. And he will be sincerely missed, yet always remembered.

I love you, my Pooper. Goodbye. I look forward to cuddling up in bed with you, Sierra, and Rhett Butler again one day. In the meanwhile, you three take care of each other, talk to each other, and compare notes about how much I loved each of you - differently - and remember what fun we had together, what love we shared.

Epicurean Delicacies in Tallahassee

Ever heard of "Gator Bites"? A very interesting delicacy that Gianni and I "enjoyed" in the booming metropolis of Fanning Springs, Florida, enroute to his business meeting in Tallahassee. Seemed like a good idea at the time: bite size pieces of alligator meat, deep fried in cornmeal, flour and spicy cajun seasonings. Yum. Actually, the gator bites were better than the pork BBQ sandwich I ate at the wonderfully quaint Huckleberry's cafe.

Seems all I have done during the past few days while here in Tallahassee is eat. I've learned that eating is a real social activity for most people - and a whole lot more important to others than it is to Gianni and to me. That's probably why we usually just sit in front of the TV with a baked potato and veggies (me) and oatmeal (Gianni) for our typical late-night dinner. And we're really happy with that.

Saturday nights might find us enjoying sushi or Italian, or maybe some type of grilled fish and veggies. But, thank goodness, I can honestly say that I now Eat to Live - and not vice versa. Except for Starbucks, of course. Thank goodness I found one nearby the hotel here so I could enjoy my triple grande latte these past two days while Gianni has been hobnobbing with elevator politicos.

I did manage to squeeze in one run the night I arrived here in Tallahassee - around lovely Lake Ella, just north of the Capitol in downtown. It was actually a really great place to run - lots of people and a smooth .6 mile course around the lake. I was advised by locals that it was a "very safe" place to run. And it was. Except for the Muscovy duck who attacked me while I was running on the back side of the lake. These guys are so ugly that they're almost cute. Seems he was really interested in the bread that one guy was tossing out - to the exclusion of anyone in his path. The stupid duck flew/ran right into the back of my left thigh! I kept running, of course, while everyone on the path looked shocked and appalled because it totally stunned the duck and knocked him out momentarily. Can't help but wonder if there's such a delicacy as "duck bites."

(Hopefully) I'll find a place to run in lovely Ocala or Mt. Dora on the way home tonight. I've got to run off some of this food. The trip has been successful in several ways, with great news in my running challenge: I've enticed JP to run Disney Half Marathon with me next January. That will really be fun!

En *courage* ment

It means so much. To have someone Encourage me. I had been unsuccessful in thinking of a good way to start my "E" week until I ran my second 5K race Sunday morning in nearby Central Park. I'm going to need 10 months of en-COURAGE-ment to meet my new goal. Disney Half Marathon, January 10, 2009, 6:00 a.m.

(What I'm really going to need is a kick in the ass to get out of bed at "0-dark:thirty" so that I can be on the race course! I am a NIGHT runner. Oh, wait. I will be running in the dark; I just won't go to bed on Friday night!)

Sunday, I ran the 5K for a great cause, "C.O.P.S." I pick my races carefully, and this one was appropriate since it benefited an organization that honors the fatal sacrifices made by cops and their families. Of course, I didn't get any encouragement from guys on the Plantation PD team; they were too much into competing with each other to even notice I was on the course. Sheesh.

But, rounding the last bend on the lake in Central Park, just before entering the track for a final lap, I was greeted by one lone woman, about my age, who was standing there clapping loudly and shouting out my race number, yelling, "Way to go 84. Looking good! Keep going." Her encouragement meant so much to me. I was still feeling pretty strong at that point and knew I would finish the race. Yet having someone acknowledge my efforts motivated me to run even harder. I finished the race at a pace that was 30 seconds faster per minute than my first 5K just three weeks ago; I did not get injured; and I ran the entire race. I'm proud. (Even came in ahead of some of the PD guys!)

There have been a lot of people in my life who have encouraged and motivated me. This month, especially, En *courage* ment seems to be a theme. A salute herewith to:

• Dr. Frank and his veterinary staff at 9 Lives Cat Hospital for saving and taking such good care of Pooper cat.
• All my on-line Weight Watchers forum friends on the "Been There, Done That" Maintenance Board. A wonderful sisterhood of women struggling with life, families, jobs, and (oh, yes!) weight issues.
• Donna and Nancy: two of the most inspirational, motivational, and genuinely KIND women I know; they are much more than my "bosses" - they are friends.
• Mom and Dad: who have encouraged me in EVERYTHING I do.
  
• Diane: My Amrit yoga teacher, who gently reminds me every week to "be in the moment" and just accept myself for who I am, with no criticism, no judgment (and who allows me to stand on my head in class whenever students are doing other things.)
• Gianni. Always Gianni. He constantly tells me that I am, "THE BEST PIP". But I can never hear it enough. I know that he'll be standing somewhere among the masses at the Finish Line in Epcot next January when I come across the line at Disney - especially since he'll be the one kicking my butt out of bed to be there. That is enough en-COURAGE-ment for me.
  

Pretty Important Personal Things

I cannot believe it's been a week since I've posted anything. And what a week it has been! New computers, more training runs, trip planning, a dead fish and serious vet visits for Pooper cat (telling time later; still too tough to deal with), and more.

Started out last week with helping dad pick out and buy a new PC. (Isn't it always more fun to spend someone else's money?) His new HP system is really slick (especially the monitor), even if the O/S is Windows Vista. I swear I'm gonna upgrade and buy a new laptop someday soon (this one is 5 year ancient!). When I do, I'm seriously considering a MAC! Of course, with dad's new system, I had to try and learn all the nuances of Vista so I could configure it to be "user friendly." That took 4 hours on Saturday, another 2 hours of training today, and we're still not done! But it's a lot of fun, and I really enjoy the quality time with dad.

In between computer stuff, I have been maintaining my training runs. I have another 5K race in 11 days! For anyone reading this who is even remotely interested, my running stats on the left sidebar tell only part of the story (albeit they do show consistency and increased mileage). I'm now trying to run 5 days/week, 15-20 miles total. I still want to run Disney Half Marathon in January 2009.

But today I saw a sign in Starbucks (while buying my triple grande coffee latte) about an ultra marathon, a 100 mile race from Key Largo to Key West, including running the Seven Mile Brige. Now doesn't this look like a lot of fun? Talk about a beautiful course. Why not? Who says I have to run the whole thing? The Inaugural Race is May 18, this year. Well, that's not gonna happen. Who knows about next year? A girl has to have goals, right?

Busy planning two business trips to Tallahassee and Las Vegas (with an Albuquerque side trip to visit Linda). I really want to see the homage to the Beatles, as performed by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage, but I have to convince Gianni the $150 tickets are worth it (guess I'll be playing those "Slots for Dummies" machines again) and that he can see the show and still have enough sleep time before his meetings.

Coolest thing, though, is my new personalized license plate for the Audi. It came today. Guess you would have to know Gianni and I to understand our nicknames for each other. But this one says it all about me: a diver, a queen angelfish, a dive flag, REEF endorsement, and my nickname.

Self-Competition; Silent Victories

OK. I've been silent too long about it. I kind of wanted to secretly enjoy my "WIN" in the 5K race I ran on Sunday Super Bowl morning. (What a game! Eli Manning was phenomenal; Tom Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks - ever. And the 1972 Miami Dolphins still rock perfect!)

I have now met my first mini-goals, set last October:
1. I am not injured (race nor training).

2. I finished my first 5K race (in 5 years!)

3. I RAN the entire race: for me, no walking allowed.

4. I finished under an 11:00 pace. OK. The "official results" show me at 11:06. But, sheesh .... it took Gianni and I an entire minute to wind our way through the starting line crowd of walkers! So, that's a 33:25 race. A pace of 10:47, by my records.

5. I managed to sprint across the Finish Line - and TWO SECONDS faster than Gianni. I can't believe it. I am SO proud of my husband. But sometimes I really hate men. He's in great shape. Runs (if he thinks about it or feels like it) maybe twice a week -- and then, just around the block (1.4 miles), including a warm-up walk of about 1/4 mile. ..... So, Gianni does NO training for the race. He has not run a 5K distance in 5 years. And he ran BETTER than I did! It's not fair. He even stopped and walked a little in the second half. But he was STILL ahead of me. Until the Finish Line. Tee Hee.

6. Wow. I actually "placed" 7th in my sex/age group. Of course, there were only 25 old ladies like me IN my age group. But anyway. And I don't think the winner's pace is unrealistic for me to meet -- a 9:13 pace is doable. With more training. Speed work. And no injuries.

Next race: Sunday, 2/24. The COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) Race, right here in lovely Plantation. Running through Central Park and finishing on the track. With a lot of good looking cops and good runners. (Yeah. Like I needed more competition right now.)

Doing. One More "D"

Doing.
Last night I wrote "as if I didn't have enough to do." And that I sometimes had regrets about retiring because "there's a lot of things I could still do."

I remember a time, not too long ago, when I wandered around the house during the day looking for things to do. I think it was probably bounce back from all those years of working 12 hour days (and nights). It's taken me five years since I moved from the ranks of "on duty" to "former"(once an Agent, always an Agent) to find a comfortable place where I simply enjoy doing anything I want. Or, lots of times, when I do nothing. Gianni has helped a lot with that. He's an expert at enjoying himself while doing nothing. That may sound harsh and critical: it's not. I admire him.

Recently, however, I've started agreeing with two of my other "former" friends, Nell and Peggy. There is SO MUCH TO DO these days that I can't find enough time to do it all. An abbreviated list:

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO TODAY:

1. Final edit of yesterday's post; witty repartee comment on my sister's blog (I love a competition!) and this post
2. Answer 6 emails (responding to 6 other TO DO things)
   
3. Breakfast, shower, and pack lunch
   
4. Stop at Starbucks for the usual iced triple grande coffee latte, non-fat, 2 Splendas.
5. PD work: Ah..... the TO DOs are endless. So many new projects, so little time: City Map address verifications; design forms in Adobe; verify criminal State Statute tables; maintain laptop inventory; encourage my boss to "de-stress"
6. Check in on-line with my Weight Watchers group, "Been There Done That," and give/receive motivation
   
7. Run an EASY 2 miles tonight (Sunday is my first 5K race in 5 years!)
8. Finish entering REEF surveys from Cozumel: I still have 4 to upload (and they're a month old!)
9. Watch season premiere of LOST: so excited about this one, I may have to enjoy a glass of champagne in front of the tube, with my feet up after my run, cat curled up on my lap, Gianni snoring on the couch beside me
10. Wake Gianni up from his yoga room stretching and nap and crawl into bed with the latest OPRAH before nodding off to sleep.
    

Game On, Sista!

As if I don't have enough to do -- now I am in this competition with my sister, Linda. Again! It seems like we were always competing with each other for something or other while we were growing up in Brooklyn, Ohio. Boys. Interesting things to do and/or get into trouble doing. Dad's attention (here in about 1958).

It's probably because we were (and are still?) so different than each other. I mean, really. There I was: Miss Prim and Proper, mathematical, logical, future wannabe Astronaut, eventual Fed. There was Linda: hippie, extremely creative, wildly anti-establishment. I still marvel that I managed to pass security clearances to get into the Bureau. I was certain some of Linda's liberal notions and activities would lead to my rejection.

Anyway. I thought we had stopped competing long ago. In fact, I very distinctly remember a long walk in Alexandria, Virginia -- back about 1990 -- when we decided to stop competing. And when Linda finally visited the Villa here for dad's surprise 80th birthday, about the only thing we competed for were tequila shots for our margaritas. Gotta hand it to Linda: her creativity extends not only to photography, animal herding, Web design (and just about anything else), but to making horses douvers and "Margaritas to Die For." Of course, the honky tonk bartending she did out there in Albuquerque probably didn't hurt none.

But this one is just too fun to pass up. So I accept the challenge.

Linda tagged me today with a game called “MEME.” Here's the rules:

• Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
• Post the rules on your blog.
• Post seven random or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
• Tag seven people and link to them.
• Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.
  

SEVEN RANDOM / WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I love to stand on my head. It's my favorite yoga pose - Shirsashana.
2. I do math problems in my head when I'm running: always working the numbers for pace, distance, time until I drop into exhaustion.
   
3. I've been counting fish for REEF since 2001: I am a Level 3 Fish counter, have conducted 74 fish surveys in 4 Caribbean regions, spent 63 hours underwater, and identified 185 different types of fishes -- the most common: Bluehead Wrasse and Stoplight Parrotfish.
4. My favorite food is sushi. (I know. I know. Kind of a conflict with #3.) If I don't eat raw fish at least once a week, I go into withdrawal.
   
5. My husband tells me I should be a "Beta Tester." I break things: stuff around the house, mechanical objects, and (this is really bad) computers.
6. I'm a "Sex and the City" addict: I TiVo the girls and watch reruns over and over - especially Carrie and Alexsander Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov).
7. I sometimes regret "retiring." I loved every minute (well, almost) of my 21 years with the Bu. There's a lot of things I could still do.

Well, like Linda, I don't know a whole lot of people who blog - so tagging seven others may be tough. But here's a start:

• The 7MSN Ranch --- Linda's Ranch: 7 Miles South of Nowhere Place
• TraSea Dives --- Tracey's Place: My Best Dive Buddy
  
• Alexander's Addictions --- Tracey's Hubby (and My Other Best Dive Buddy) Alex's Hangouts (or Hang Ins)
  
• The Infinite Knot --- Jeremy's Family: Cousin of Claudia (my stepdaughter) and Gianni's niece
  

I also have a secret game plan I'm implementing. We'll just see who gets the most hits/responses! Game On Sista'!

Death, Destruction and No More Ds!

I've been killing ants for two weeks now. We returned from Cozumel only to find our house had been invaded by thousands of tiny black ants. Weird - they didn't like food on the counter (tomatoes, bananas, crumbs). They just loved climbing up the wall alongside our sink, hanging out around an electrical outlet, and crawling all across my marble counter while I was trying to read my morning newspaper, check my email, or blog.

We finally had to call in a professional exterminator two days ago. Now I'm cleaning up thousands of DEAD ants. They are everywhere in the house. But at least they're dead.

It's had me thinking a lot about Death these days. Lots of that going around this week. What's up with Hollywood? Two young actors have died in the past couple of days. Then there is Brit and LiLo -- certainly on their own path of Destruction these days.

When I went in to work yesterday, I learned that the husband of one of the ladies I work with had (finally) succumbed to the ravages of cancer and mercifully died. It horrifies me to think about Gianni dying - but at least we talk about it and have planned ahead for our ultimate demises. We signed up a long time ago for long-term care insurance so that neither of us will have to take care of each other when we're Drooling and in Diapers.

And let me tell you right here - no funerals for me! The very last thing I want is to be laid out in a casket in some room filled with thousands of flowers and memorabilia while people solemnly view my dead body and express what they think is appropriate to Gianni or whoever is still around to mourn me. No siree.

Let my wishes be known right here.

1. Burn my body.
2. Give my ashes to Tracey and Alex (somehow I know you guys will do this) in a little tin box.
   
3. T and A [Aside: Oooh, I just realized how that looks; did you guys ever consider your joint initials might be considered obscene?]:
   
• Please take me down on a reef somewhere in the open ocean (preferably Bequia).
• Open the box and let me finally swim with the Angelfishes.
• Tracey: Count every fish in the area.
• Alex: Take photos.
4. Back on land (with Gianni, if he's around), hoist a margarita, beer, or glass of red wine and remember all our fun times together.

Of course, all of this D and D has been aggravated by the fact that I sliced open my finger yesterday with a BIG knife while I was trying to remove a property tag from a laptop computer. Lots of blood - but not much pain. Made me question my own life (and stupidity!)

So, between the great Ant Destruction, Dental visits (the crown I had replaced last Friday was VERY painful!), and Death reminders -- well, I've decided to skip the rest of my theme "D" week. I need to move on to E - quickly.

Dolphins and Sunday Football

Sunday afternoons.
September through January.
Watching football on the couch.
Gianni, me, and Pooper.
We really have a good life.

This photo is quite typical. I took it this afternoon, New England Patriots winning AFC Championship against the San Diego Chargers. I sat here watching the game -- while blogging, surfing the Internet, shopping on-line, entering my REEF fish count surveys, and answering email. Gianni and Pooper napped. (Notice the "always handy" remote control.)

Napping makes a lot of sense when you consider how poorly the Miami Dolphins did this year. Our season was unspeakable. I watched three *former* Dolphins (Chris Chambers, Junior Seau, and my favorite man Wes Welker) help New England win today. And now our famous 1972 undefeated Dolphins are on the verge of losing that distinction. I, for one, remain a loyal Dolphins fan (not like the rest of Miami) -- just like I still love Cleveland Indians baseball -- and I really hope next year the 'Fins see improvement under Bill Parcells and company. And that Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are still around to play for us; Ricky Williams - I have a love/hate relationship with him, but maybe we should give him another chance.

Of course, the really incredible thing is the MINUS ONE degree weather that the Giants and Packers are now playing football in (with bare arms!). Third coldest game in NFL history. Now those are real manly, men football players (not to mention the fans!)

So I guess Gianni and I really have a great life here, even if it's only 66 degrees in South Florida. I have wood stacked beside the fireplace and I can start my annual fire tomorrow on the holiday. Gianni just poured me a glass of red wine from the case our dear dive friend, Andrew, (check out this Photo #3 and the other fabulous shots of us diving in Curacao this summer) sent us for Christmas.

We're barbecuing sweet Italian sausage and portobello mushrooms on the grill. Because I don't have to work tomorrow, I can play on the computer some more and run during the late afternoon before it gets dark. Doesn't get much better.

Alexander's Queen Angel

She's so pretty.
This is why I dive .... to gaze into the eyes of Queens.
Thank you, Alex , for this photo and for all of your other great ones!

Chichen Itza

So many C's. So little time. Christmas. Cozumel. Chichen Itza. Claudia (I really owe her a long Chat!)

Where has this week gone?
One week ago today, Tracey, Alexander, Gianni and I were climbing all over the ruins, gazing into ceynotes, Jeep driving through the jungle, and eating grilled Mexican feasts in Tulum.

Today, I'm back to fighting ants, visiting my accountant, working on computer inventories, and (hopefully) running my 2.5 miles tonight. Love my new Audi - but I'm thinking that shifting gears a whole lot during the past few days aggravated a muscle I probably overused while running the other night. And then, of course, I had to do HOT Yoga last night. Which was actually pretty fun. I needed it - for a whole lot of reasons.

Primarily because I keep forgetting to stop and BREATHE. I feel "frantic". About my weight. About getting back into a 5K running schedule. About my yard and all the weeds and plants I need to prune because of the bad weather. About downloading all my dives in my computer. About editing and uploading all my photos from Cozumel (and Utila!) About all the new tasks I've been assigned at the PD. About all the ideas I have and paperwork I need to do for Kat Eyes. About trying to plan our next vacation -- and wondering if anyone really wants to go to St. Vincent; tired of trying to convince people to come along.

So much to do, now that I'm back at home. Must be this New Year thing, plus being away for the holiday. It is so easy to be right back there (at least in my head) --in Cozumel, playing with my friends and Gianni at Punta Sur. Enjoying a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner and Mexican fiesta.

I feel Sooooooo far behind. Cozumel was like living in another world. It was so peaceful and charming. I dream of having a second home there where family/friends can all gather and we can have fun exploring new things together. I love speaking Spanish. I love diving the Cozumel reefs and counting fish. I love the sunsets. I love the friendliness of the Mexican and Mayan people. I love the food - Oh, the margaritas! And the fresh fish. And salsa to die for.

Funny story. Last night in Cozumel we went to dinner at La Chosa and had wonderful chips in their special cheese salsa sauce. It's so special, I bought a bottle -- salsa sauce from La Chosa, NO label, stored in a recycled clear plastic water bottle. And, yup, managed to sneak it in my backpack, under my regulator, past 3 security (2 x-ray machines and a hand check) at the airport in Cozumel. So much for terrorists.

Cozumel - Then, Now, and in the Future

Back at home only a few hours after spending 11 glorious days with great friends in Cozumel over the New Year's holiday.

Already my soul aches for diving on pristine reefs with families of Queen Angels, elusive Sargassum Triggers, sleeping Hawksbill turtles, Puddingwives chasing Slippery Dicks. My mind's eyes see quaint and colorful Mexican streetscapes filled with blankets, masks, silver, and T-shirts. My ears hear the echoes of mariachis and cruise ship blasts. My tummy cries for salsa, picante, margaritas, and fresh fish.

And my dreams are inspired by the possibility of owning a tiny piece of paradise on this lovely island.