Weekend Wrap Up!

 

Happy Tuesday!

If you missed Tyler's interview yesterday, be sure to check out my interview with him about his Ironman!

Now, it's time for my wrap up...

Warning: If you don't like the word "fuck" and you do not believe survivors of sexual assault, be forewarned that you may not like this post. If you do decide to read the post, do not come at me, because I warned you about it.

Note: Today is the last day to register to vote in the November 6th midterms. If you're not registered, make sure it is the first thing you do today!

It takes 2 minutes!

https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/

You can also check to make sure you are already registered!

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

As soon as I woke up and realized that not only was it a Friday, but it was an early release day for the students, I was super pumped! I didn't get much sleep the night before, so this was the kind of day I needed!

I went to the gym to lift upper body and do my 35 minutes of PT exercises. It's time consuming! But I am trying not to break my streak of daily exercises. So far, so good. Aren't I the model PT patient!?

I can still look professional in sneakers, right!?

I decided I'm going to wear sneakers to work whenever I feel like it. I walk 4-6 miles every day at work and stand most of the time... all on carpet covered concrete. Thanks in part to that, I'm in PT for lower back pain! So as long as I still look professional, I'm just going to go ahead and wear sneakers and wait to see if I get in trouble for it... And if I do get in trouble, then I will just get my union involved. Because that's why I pay $800 in union dues every year, right!?

When I got to work, I poured my coffee and prepared to teach my first trombone lesson in 14 years. It went well and the boys had fun!

Then I taught three music classes and a clarinet lesson. The clarinet lesson was easy because it was only two students and I have played the clarinet since 4th grade.

After the students were dismissed, the teachers had a meeting about deescalation strategies for ES students. The whole meeting was annoying for several reasons, some of which I will mention.

We had assigned seats. ASSIGNED SEATS. For literally no reason! (Did you know that elementary teachers sometimes get treated like elementary students?) Also, the technology wasn't working so we started late. The 3:40 bell rang and the presenter was still talking, so many of us just got up and left. That's one good think about working under a union contract, you cannot get in trouble if you leave right at 3:40. When that bell rings, your workday is OVER! ($800 annual dues for the WIN!!!!)

On the way home, I got an alert on my phone that Senator Susan Collins(R) from Maine was going to vote yes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. I knew it was going to happen and I prepared myself for it, but it hit hard. 

No fucking wonder women don't report their assaults... MEN END UP GETTING AWAY WITH IT ANYWAY AND END UP IN POSITIONS OF POWER. Oh, and the president and his supporters will laugh at you.

We all wondered, would the republicans believe Christine Blasey Ford? And the answer is clear... They believe her, they just DON'T CARE. In fact, they may not even believe what he did to her was wrong.

Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation is a huge FUCK YOU to women. The republican party literally said FUCK YOU to all of us. They don't care if we were raped. They don't care if we were sexually assaulted. They don't care to let WOMEN CONTROL OUR OWN BODIES. Our bodies should be controlled by men and legislation put forth by men.
We are second class citizens in their book.

I learned in an article in the Washington Post by Philip Bump that "Kavanaugh, though, has a distinct honor: He will be the first justice nominated by someone who lost the popular vote to earn his seat on the bench with support from senators representing less than half of the country while having his nomination opposed by a majority of the country." 

And I found this interesting article by Dale R. Durran about how votes are weighted in each state according to the electoral college. It was fascinating. Here is the last paragraph:

"The way the Electoral College rewires American presidential elections in comparison to a simple popular vote is clearly complex. The Electoral College does add extra weight to votes cast in the least populated states. But the way this system treats voters in the remaining states is not well-understood. In states with seven or more electoral votes, it tends to weigh votes based on that state’s voter turnout, rather than its number of electoral votes.

Whatever one’s political affiliation, it is hard to be enthusiastic about a system that penalizes voters in high-turnout states."

What is the point of all of this!?

FUCKING VOTE IN NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And before you accuse me of hating men, I do NOT hate men. But this sums it up:

Also, femenists can be men too.

Moving on...

I was in such a bummed out mood when I got home but made myself do exactly what I had planned to do initially: Switch out my spring/summer clothes for my fall/winter clothes. These clothes take up much more room in my closet so I have to get creative with storing everything. I did some more under the bed bins and even moved some running clothes to a cabinet in the sun room. What I really need is a nice, big, dresser.

Paul made a huge pot of chili for the week. I ate dinner and went directly to bed. It was just one of those nights.

I went to the gym to do my PT exercises (I'm more motivated there) and ended up doing 6 miles on the treadmill with NO lower back pain. I was so happy!

Then Paul and I drove to Philly to hang out with Cheetah and Maggie. Cheetah and Paul stayed at the house with baby Lila who is beauuuuuutiful......

Don't get any ideas, Paul...

Maggie and I headed into the city for a fancy dinner at a sushi place called Double Knot.

I literally whimpered when I bit into a pork skewer. The food was SO. FUCKING. GOOD. (Hey, since I warned you about the eff word at the beginning of this post, I feel free to use it liberally throughout!!!!)

Then we headed over to the Merriam Theater to see Kathy Griffin perform her Laugh Your Head Off Tour. There was quite the crowd waiting to get in!

The show was vulgar, funny and extremely cathartic. It was amazing to be with a group of like minded people!!!! (Except for the Trump supporter in the second row who started screaming about a half hour into the show and was escorted out by security.)

Kathy talked all about the aftermath of her infamous picture holding Trump's bloody head. Even though the picture was completely covered by the first amendment, Trump had the Justice Department launch an open ended investigation on her to see if they could charge her with a credible assassination threat against the president.

What is an open ended investigation? Well, the FBI can comb through her whole entire life. They can no knock raid her house. She was put on the NO FLY LIST for 2 months, and then whenever she did fly, she was detained at airports and her phone was taken and searched. She was also interrogated by the FBI.

The justice department called her lawyer EVERY DAY. What did they want? They wanted her to do a perp walk in an orange jumpsuit so there would be video of it. You know, to show the president and all of his supporters.

She spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal bills and hundreds of thousands of dollars of our tax money was spent on investigating whether the picture of her holding a Trump mask with ketchup on it was an assassination threat. All because Trump's feelings were hurt and he was mad.

It is VERY alarming that the president of the United States would use his power to destroy someone's life over a picture. (Whether you think the picture was in good taste or not, it was NOT AN ASSASSINATION THREAT and the Justice Department investigation was only launched to try to ruin her life and career. Because that's what Trump does.)

But now Kathy is selling out shows at her Laugh Your Head Off World Tour. She's spilling the tea about how the Justice Department investigated her, and of course, what it was like to live beside Kim and Kanye for a couple years. (Spoiler Alert: Kathy does an amazing Kim Kardashian impression!)

Kathy performed for THREE HOURS! We didn't leave the theater until after 11, got back to Cheetah and Paul around midnight, and then Paul and I didn't get home until 2am. I was sick in my stomach from being so tired on the last hour of our drive home. I can't think of the last time I was up until 2am.

I managed to get up at 8am. I was tired but I didn't want to sleep the whole day away and then not be able to fall asleep that night.

What does one do on a Sunday with so little sleep? YOU RALLY! I went to the gym and did all my PT exercises, lifted, and even did 3 miles on the treadmill. Just call me Super Girl.

Before I went to the gym, I got up the guts to try on a pair of running shorts I have been scared to wear for about three years. I convinced myself I got fat and they wouldn't fit anymore. Well guess what? They fit perfect. I was relieved, but also mad that I cared about something so stupid. I tell you all the time... I am 90% better. Maybe 80% these days. I have a much healthier attitude but I am NOT perfect.

Oh, I finally broke my first glass straw. It shattered in the carport. If I drop it on our hardwood floors, it doesn't break. But concrete? Girl, byyyyye!

That evening, I went to my friend Tammy's birthday celebration at Troeg's. I saw so many running friends... those I still run with and those I haven't seen in awhile. It was awesome to catch up. I love how runner friends turn into real life friends!

And her husband Jeff was awesome to arrange such a great party for her and make it special. I'm glad she has him and I'm glad he has her!

WHAT AN AWESOME, FRIEND FILLED WEEKEND!

Are you allowed to wear sneakers to work?

If you could go see any comedian, who would it be?

Do you have any clothes you're scared to try on?

Tell me something fun you did his weekend!

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT TYLER'S IRONMAN INTERVIEW!!!