mssheen13

Could have been a lot worse

2009-05-11T13:04:22Z

I almost got hit by a car this morning when I was walking Dakota. Some middle-aged man was driving erratically on the main road in my neighborhood, turned into the Arbor, stopped awkwardly, and then made a really fast U-turn and almost hit Dakota and me (we were by the median heading out of the Arbor entrance). I tried to wave my arms frantically so he would stop, and he did and apologized, saying in a weird way that he was angry and couldn’t figure out how to get out of the neighborhood. They way he apologized over and over made it seem like he was drunk, plus it was 4:45 a.m., and there are some unsafe drivers on the streets between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. It scared me big time.

Tangents on enhancing performance

2009-05-08T11:03:40Z

You're either a black-and-white person, or you believe certain forms of enhancement are worse than others. Sarcastically, and possibly seriously, I'm a black-and-white person when it comes to life, and that includes my take on sports.

I can easily compare performance-enhancing drugs to contact lenses. Each can enhance my performance. Greg Oden had microfracture knee surgery -- which made his knees stronger that before the injury even occurred -- to repair them instead of letting them heal naturally. That enhances his performance, even though he's still a bust in the NBA at this time. Any pitcher who gets Tommy John surgery does it to not only heal but to make the elbow stronger than before the injury happened. That enhances performance. So is having surgery, getting lasik or taking Viagra cheating? Because it sure as heck can enhance someone's performance.

PEDs are no worse than doctoring a baseball, tipping pitches, corking a bat, wearing eye black to see a pitch better or wearing shoes to run faster. All of those factors enhance your performance, yet not all of those are considered cheating. Interesting.

The so-called purists argue back by decrying that taking PEDs is illegal. Some of these same people smoke pot or have gotten DUIs or speeding tickets. If you've done anything, and I mean anything, illegal, you're a hypocrite. If you drive above the speed limit, you're trying to enhance your commute. You're cheating by breaking the law. If you drank alcohol before you were 21, you broke the law. If you cheated on a homework assignment, you may not have broken the law, but you enhanced your performance in a way seen as wrong.

I'm getting to the point where I think everyone should have the choice to take PEDs. Society doesn't stop people from abusing cigarettes or alcohol, and society doesn't keep you from overeating and becoming morbidly obese. So why should athletes be limited? Should we limit how often they go to the gym? How often they pract-- oh wait, the NCAA already does that. ;-) But seriously, if we really want the best athletes, why have any limits at all? Why limit age, sex, medical practice or drug use? If there's talk of legalizing and taxing marijuana, why not PEDs?

I've said in the past that Major League Baseball could have some fun with PEDs. Make the American League the All-Steroid League, which means you can keep the DH. The National League can be the clean league. Now, the All-Star game REALLY would have meaning.

Cheating has been celebrated in baseball for years. Cheating has been part of sports -- hell, LIFE -- for years. You'll never get rid of it.

And who will be getting Dodgers/Braves tickets for the end of July? This lady.

jillmart @ 2009-04-14T19:26:00

2009-04-15T00:27:28Z

A tree fell down in my neighborhood yesterday. Anytime the wind has blown since, I get paranoid.

Awesome.

2009-04-10T10:54:56Z

The strong storms are going to hit downtown Atlanta from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., per weather.com. That sounds like fun. Glad I won't be there.

Paying attention

2009-04-03T02:24:23Z

For the first time in my life, I'm watching what I eat in order to lose weight. Yes, it's to try to win a $500 travel voucher, but it's also because I'm a perfectionist.

The funny thing? The only time I was even close to overweight was in, oh, 1998. And even then, people who know me don't even believe me when I say that.

I'm 5 feet, 3 inches, and I weigh 120 pounds, and the later surprises a lot of people (it's muscle and 20 percent body fat; I had this measured in February). Yea, it's not like I really need to do this. I just am because of Fit Trip and because I'm more aware these days. I've ranged from 115-125 the last 10 years or so, but I'm amazed by how hard it's been to just try to drop a couple of pounds to get closer to 115. Stupid being a woman.

After I did my weigh in, the dude who did the hydrostatic measurements said I should try to lose 4 pounds of fat. I have no idea if I've done this. I still weigh 120, which is what my weight was at the start of this program. *shrugs* Guess I'll find out in May if I'm doing the right thing.

Deja vu

2009-02-28T22:12:02Z

Monday, three weeks after I had sprained my ankle walking the dog, I sprained it again doing the exact same thing in the same area of my neighborhood. Un-fucking-believable. This one is taking longer to heal, which blows. I haven't run in a week, and I've got the CCR 10K in a week. I hope I will be able to run that, but I might not run until race day. That's a shame.

I've got bad genes and luck sometimes. I've been injured for the entire month of February.

Slumdog Millionaire?

2009-02-23T12:09:42Z

Never heard of it.

Wrong number

2009-02-18T11:14:16Z

I was woken up at 11:03 p.m. by a phone call froma 734 area code (I've since found out that this area code is in Ypsilanti, Mich.). Thinking it was just a wrong number, I hit ignore and tried to go back to sleep. Then my phone vibrated, signaling a voice mail. It was a lady named Kelly Dang. She said some guy named Philip gave her my number, that I worked for the Northwest Asian Weekly and that I had some questions for her for a story I'm apparently doing. She then gave me her cell, which is the 734 number, and she gave me her work number, which is a 206 (Seattle) area code.

What the hell kind of call is that? I was tempted to call her cell and wake HER up, but that would be too mean because I wake up at 4 a.m. EST/1 a.m. Pacific every day, so I called her work number at 5:45 a.m. EST and told her she's got the wrong person, that she called me at 11 p.m. EASTERN TIME (!!!!!) and that I live in ATLANTA. I'm also pretentious and feel like more people in the U.S.A. should know that 404 is an Atlanta number.

What a strange call.

Just sayin'...

2009-02-13T20:49:59Z

Yesterday's plane crash that killed 50 people occurred on Darwin's 200th birthday.

What do I think about A-Rod?

2009-02-10T11:43:53Z

I'm not really sure. The first things that come to mind are this:

1. Nothing surprises me in baseball anymore -- unless Greg Maddux took steroids.
2. Alex Rodriguez sure does look like Pat.
3. I miss Pat. I really need to call him.

Then I just sort of forget the A-Rod thing entirely. :-)

But no, really, how Rodriguez should be seen... I dunno. I'm starting to think Bob Costas is right in just adding a steroid wing to the Baseball Hall of Fame and explaining who was in the era but still letting all of those guys in the HOF. I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on this idea, but boy does it simplify things.

Recent happenings

2009-02-04T13:25:57Z

Jan. 31: Cask Ale tasting with the beer nerds. This was the first time I went to one of these, and it was badass. Funniest moment had to be Michael vomitting outside of his car: As the bits and pieces cascaded the back seat window, where I sat, I took a bite of Bryan's sandwich, held it up in the air, and proclaimed, "This is a really good sandwich!" I was drunk with promark420 , and it was glorious.

Feb. 1: I had a hangover, but I didn't get sick. The headache was the one part I couldn't handle well. I'm starting to think that's the worst part about my hangovers. It's not the chills, vomiting, or well, the other exit of solids and liquids. I'm almost convinced the headache is the worst part. It's the one thing I can't control. Anyway, I was in bed for 14 hours before I felt comfortable waking up for good and going out to lunch with the Bennetts. The evening was a mix of Pig-n-Chik, watching the Aussie Open final (an amazing match), and watching the Super Bowl (which was boring as hell until there was seven minutes, 30 seconds left in the game).

Feb. 2: I was off from work, so I slept in till 8 a.m. At 8:15 a.m., I sprained my right ankle while casually walking Dakota. The damn thing just rolled and gave out on me. I rested as much as I could stand (hey -- that's a terrible pun), and the ankle ballooned to about baseball size.

Feb. 3: Limped around at work and used a chair to elevate the ankle. I looked like a big dork.

Today: My goal is to no longer limp by the end of the day.

I'm questionable at best for Saturday's 10K in Roswell. I really hope it happens, but I'm no longer shooting for a PR. My goal is to be able to run at 50 to 75 percent and complete the race.

...

2009-01-09T14:24:29Z

And that's why you shouldn't have preseason polls in college football.

Ohhhh

2009-01-07T14:33:46Z

Maybe the cops ran the VIN number instead.

My first police call

2009-01-07T12:50:09Z

I contacted the police around 4:30 a.m. because Lori saw a suspicious Honda Civic parked next to her when she got hom around 4 a.m. There was no license plate on the car, and a white woman was in there lighting up something while leaning against some mega-foggy windows. Neither Lori nor I had seen the car before, so I figured to make us both feel better, calling the police was a good idea.

I was impressed that two cars showed up within 15 minutes. They checked the car, but no one was in it. There was a temporary tag on the car, and somehow they ran it to see that it wasn't stolen. How you can do that on a temp tag that's handwritten is still unclear to me. However, they were very professional when they approached Lori and me, and that's all I could ask for at that point. I thanked them for stopping by to check out things.

By 5:15, per Lori, two white guys got in the car and left. For my neighborhood, that's just strange. If I lived in, say, an area with college students, this wouldn't be weird at all. But I'm possibly the youngest homeowner in this neighborhood, and I'm 27. See what I'm sayin'?

2008 in review

2009-01-02T15:45:37Z

It tested my patience in a good way, and it was the best year in the history of sports.

I'll take it.

0-16!

2008-12-29T00:04:21Z

So does it really count, though, since Detroit went 4-0 in the preseason?

And do the 1976 (I think) Bucs pop champagne corks? Or are they pissed?

Either way... HA!

Michigan needs to secede from the Union out of shame.

Idea!

2008-12-27T00:32:22Z

The Motor City Bowl should be renamed the Bailout Bowl. It's got a better ring to it, and it's more accurate.

Out of it.

2008-12-10T13:04:43Z

This is the first time I've been sick since I had that weird sinus infection I had for two weeks (which was restricted to fluid in my ears).

Yesterday marked the start of an old-fashioned cold. I can't remember the last time I had one of those before yesterday. Waking up before 4 a.m. just got tougher.

jillmart @ 2008-12-09T06:39:00

2008-12-09T11:39:50Z

So the washer/dryer thing became even more of a pain in the ass than I thought.

Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Get work schedule changed for the rest of the week so I can sleep. I'm normally in bed at 6 p.m.
Take a nap after work so I can be awake when Bryan arrives to help me.
Bryan arrives. I feel sick because of the nap.
We go to Lowe's. I buy a hand truck.
We go home. We realize I don't have pliers.
We go to Target. I buy pliers. I'm slowly dying.
Bryan turns off the water valves and unplugs the washer hoses. Water starts spraying everywhere. We freak out.
I curse up a storm, almost start crying, and bruise my arm by hitting something in anger.
I call my boss to ask for Wednesday off.
I call a plumber.
I go to bed at 11 p.m., cold, stressed and exhausted.

Wednesday was a little more fun.

Wednesday, Dec. 3
The plumber was late, but he was stuck in morning rush hour. Understandable.
Plumber replaces my water valves. It costs me $275.
I sit around for several hours, feeling useless.
Chris comes over and helps me move the washer and dryer outside.
Success. We drink some beer.

Still to come: Getting Bryan's W/D here and installed. *sighs*

It's tough being nice sometimes

2008-11-28T15:20:01Z

I'm donating a washer/dryer to charity Dec. 4, but because I work at 5:30 a.m., I have to have the W/D on the street the night before. I'm going to be *that person* with appliances outside her front door. Man I really hope whoever picks up this stuff gets there by 8 a.m. and not, say, 5 p.m.

Mullings and updates

2008-11-19T13:34:48Z

A lot has been going on lately.

I already forgot if I made a post on my trip to Beverly Hills. If I did, I'll say it again: I had a really great time. Seeing Linda, meeting sports writers my age and meeting writers/TV personalities that have made it made me very nostalgic.

Then, just this past weekend, I got to briefly visit with Pat when he was in town for the Broncos/Falcons game. Anytime I see anyone from my past, I feel regret. I got out of the business to do something easy. Back when I was 22, I didn't really think I was going to get my foot in the door at CNN, but I did, and here I am. I've been here almost 5 years. I figured I was going to struggle as a stringer for a year or two and hope I never got sick and could barely afford rent. It didn't happen that way, and it's almost a curse. I stopped working hard because I got comfortable. Now I have a career that is solely a means to an end.

Part of me really wants to get back into sports full time. I feel at times quite useless at CNN Newsbeam. I'm the one person listening to sports talk radio or reading my Sports Illustrated, or I'm combing the sports wires for stories just out of boredom. But the other part of me freaks out thinking about leaving a Monday-Friday schedule with good hours, and I seriously don't know how promark420 would handle me working different hours than him. Hell, I wonder how I'd handle it. Could we make it? Could I have a life? It scares me. But there's no doubt about it: I've let people down. I may have even let myself down. I'm not sure how I can get a career that will make me and the most important people in my life happy. But hell, should I care what others think? Yes and no. And would I lose my passion as a fan? I never fully lost it the first time around, but, well, it's a thought.

Oh yea, and I'm 27 now. That happened last week. Also last week: I saw the documentary I.O.U.S.A., and it convinced me this country will cease to exist in about 100 years. Eventually, with this stupid deficit, no one will lend to the United States, the U.S. will go bankrupt, and it will be finished. I went to an ASO concert, and it was the best I've ever seen. More needs to be done with percussion. Composers really need to think outside the box on this one. More drums! Please! I also went to the BSP for the first time in a long time. It was fun.

This is why I don't give out my work number.

2008-11-11T12:41:52Z

I never check my company voicemail, but I did this morning out of boredom. The lone message was from Nov. 8 at 11:30 a.m. Some male said, "God loves you," and hung up. The call came from either Arlington or Ft. Worth, Texas, and the number was 817-259-1402. Anyone feel like calling this lonely man?

sighs

2008-11-10T16:08:36Z

Last week I couldn't park at my condo because my association in its infinite wisdom decided to resurface the roads. Parking at the pool clubhouse? A minor inconvenience.

Today and tomorrow I will have no water starting at 9 a.m. each day. I have no idea when it will be turned back on each day. Not showering when I want? This totally sucks.

Holy crap!!!

2008-11-03T21:24:28Z

I've been going nonstop since Tuesday, and it's been awesome until today. Now I'm back at work, and it's election week. Then I've got some more vaction time. And then I won't be slowing down till Nov. 18.

Quick highlights:

Oct. 29-30 Beverly Hills was fantastic. I made some fast friends with some really good Murray Scholar alums, and I was fortunate to meet a lot of people that have really made it in life, if you catch my drift.

Oct. 31: Despite missing the chance to meet Kato Kaelin, I don't regret taking the redeye back so I could make it to Ryan and Lydia's wedding.

The drinking continued on Nov. 1 (Bryan's Oktoberfest) and Nov. 2 (drinking leftover beer from Oktoberfest; this will take weeks to complete, hehe).

In other news, Bryan closes on a condo in Buckhead in a few weeks.

I turn 27 in less than two weeks.

I'm slammed. That's it for my update.

Milestone.

2008-10-28T23:31:10Z

There are very few friends that I love [as friends, that is]. One of them, Nathanael, is going to be a father. I'm so proud of him.

It's funny. When I was growing up, I was ahead of the curve. I did things before just about anyone in school, athletically, or just mentally. I graduated from college in less than 4 years. I got a good job before most of my friends were finished with college. I was the first one of my friends to buy a home with zero financial aid from the parents.

Yet, despite me finishing all of my assignments the fastest and planning so far in advance in high school, I've fallen to the back of the pack in adulthood. All of a sudden, I've realized I'm content to crawl. I skipped the crawling stage when I was a baby, I've been told, so maybe it makes sense to go back and experience that, except as an adult. Bryan is a big reason why I've slowed down, and it's letting me enjoy life despite not being married and not having a family. And honestly, I don't know if those things will be right for me. Married, maybe. Kids? I don't see it.

Nate, the procrastinator in high school, finished college first, ahead of me, even. He finished law school before any of my friends. He got married before me, passed the bar before my friends, got a great job in Manhattan, and now he's going to be a father. He has sped ahead of all of us. And the weird thing? I kind of predicted that, yet I'm still shocked knowing that it happened that way.