Pressure: Not Conducive to Genius

I don't know what to write about. My roommate Candice is forcing me to write a blog right now because she says I'm falling behind.
Falling behind whom, you might ask.
Why, what a great question, I would reply.
Behind the other blogs she reads, which just so happen to be the two that I follow. You see, she gets on to mine and then gets sucked into the vortex of blog reading that has permeated the online world - and I will mention that I use vortex and permeate in the best possible senses, I love blogs, hence this ones' existence. That's not the point.
I'm being forced now to write something that clearly no one will find interesting or informing and, in being both dull and dumb, will turn my readers so off from anything else I might endeavor to create that my career as a novelist will be eternally damaged.
A novelist? you ask. What have you written?
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I will dodge your question, as there are a number of novels I have thought but never written... a theoretical, figurative, metaphoric connotation to the word novelist is what I was aiming at really.
Ahem, what was I speaking on before?
Your readers.
Thank you. Now, I know that up to this point, my faithful readers have followed my writings with such persistent excitement as to what I will "come up with next" that such mere wordling meanderings and senten-sical nonsense will come as quite a shock to those most loyal, which by the way I mean Candice herself. She is actually sitting right next to me and has no idea but that I'm writing a fantastic piece of modern literature with that ongoing hint of comedy tinging the edges. I guess the comical part I cover quite well through sarcasm but I'm not sure she'll say the same. Perhaps I should post and have done with this.
Perhaps you are right, you say.
Thanks, I like to think I am every now and then. Just my little portion of the unequal distribution of intellectual capital.

The Happy List - Part I

So my genius sister told me to write a Happy List. She showed me hers: a hundred things that make her happy. Now, this happy list can range from serious happy, or joy, all the way down to plain-jane happy, like bringing a smile to your face. I've been working on mine and am currently on 73 - hundred is quite a lot and I want to get it right. So this here is Part I, meaning numbers 1-25. And no, they aren't in order from greatest to least, or vice versa, just happy as it comes.

1. Holding hands
2. Baby laughs
3. Getting mail in my mailbox (or better yet, a package!)
4. Laying on the beach in the sun
5. Taking a nice long shower after a day at the beach
6. Playing games with my family
7. Hearing a song that, even if I tried to, I couldn't help but dance to
8. Clear skin - no zits on my face
9. Finding a pair of jeans that fits just right
10. Hugs from my niece and nephews
11. Holding babies (happy ones)
12. Getting soaked in the rain
13. Feeling pretty - like, really pretty
14. Climbing under layers of quilts when I'm cold
15. Running when you float (i.e. you don't feel every step)
16. Brushing my teeth after they feel particularly dirty
17. The feeling when I finish a huge paper or project
18. Laying on deep carpet
19. Writing a good poem
20. Hearing Les Miserables music
21. When a guy I like tells me he likes me
22. Laughing
23. The Mufasa joke
24. Stretching after a hard workout
25. Playing the quote game

That's it for now. I mean, I do have more, but I figure I'll keep my avid readers in suspense - you know "Tune in next week as Mindy's Happy List moves on to number 26..." Sorry, lame.

I am a Triathlon.

Gas: $8
Sleep Before: 5 hours
Completion Time: 1 hour, 22 minutes
Continental Breakfast: Fo' free
Three Naps: 2 hours, 39 minutes

Finishing my first Triathlon: Priceless.

LTD
Living The Dream.

I won't lie, turning back crossed my mind after swimming 100 yards. Let's just say I'm not a swimmer. I was pleasantly surprised by the biking - I thoroughly enjoyed it, even considering that the bike seat was too high and all up in my business (sorry, if that's too much information). I didn't even fall down once (well, that is if you don't count transitioning between the bike to running, when I tried to do the latter before I was completely off the former). Running, big fan. Especially when Toth - who had already finished, of course - ran with me the last mile and encouraged me to pick up the pace. "Tie an imaginary lasso around that girl up there and draw her in." The last quarter-mile I felt like throwing up and was pretty convinced I never wanted to feel like that ever again. But crossing that finish line - with my heart pounding, my body drenched half in sweat and half in ocean, and the blisters on the insides of my sock-less feet burning - was the most painfully joyous moment I've ever experienced. Now I can't wait for the next one.

I guess, first, I'll learn how to swim. That might help.

Have You Ever Run One?? No.

Wow, it's like Christmas. Only I've got pain, sore muscles, and exhaustion to look forward to. And I guess on Christmas morn I don't get so extremely nervous that I feel like throwing up. So maybe not so much like Christmas. But the excitement factor is there. Tomorrow I'm running a sprint Triathlon down in Coronado, CA, near San Diego. And no, I've never run one before so, hence, all the emotional turmoil.

First, the race starts with an 800 meter swim out in Glorietta Bay, which, of course, I haven't trained for. I mean, I went to the beach last week - so, check. Next, it moves onto an 11.5 mile bike ride along the Silver Strand. Now my beach cruiser gets me most places and I'm pretty comfortable on it - so good thing I'm riding a complete different bike that I fell off of last night trying to get onto. Finally, the race finishes off with a 3 mile run, and considering I work at a fitness center and get to look at treadmills all day - done-zos. Just kidding, the last part is where I feel comfortable, but who knows after the events preceding this part. Oh, did I fail to mention that the course is not closed to traffic so at the same time I trying to breath and live I have to focus on not getting killed (which to some people may see as the same thing - though it is quite different). Good.

Wish me luck!

So Here Goes Everything

I'm not sure who will read this, and I don't know if they'll like it. But what I do know is that I enjoy writing so hopefully others enjoy reading. My sister has a blog and I've really enjoyed getting updated with things that she forgets to tell me in her emails - or otherwise just tells me to look here. Please don't hate me if you're bored, it'll get better I promise. Thanks anyways for just getting this far, I'm proud of you.

There once was a girl who just knew,
to write was what she should do.
So she captured her thoughts and plots and what-nots
and wrote them down here just for you.

Enjoy!