Things that are a big deal, probably only to me.

Sunday Miscellanea, with a juxtaposition of girlie/athletic girl stuff.

1) I just found out that there is a master's swim class in the new aquatic center that is 2.5 miles from my house. It meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5:30 am. If I can't be speedy on land, maybe I can be speedy in the water. We begin tomorrow, me and Baboo, and then commute together to my new job, which is also where he works.

2) I always promised myself I'd get super cute shoes some day when I didn't have to stand up all day long on a hard tiled slab. Well, that day has come. I went shoe shopping with DreadPirate, looking for some versatile but pretty pairs of winter shoes. Part of my new job involves pitching to doctors and counselor and patients, so I'm going for the eye candy/scholarly librarian look.
I've never actually been to a woman's shoe store before; it was quite an experience. Without a doubt SweetBaboo would have abhorred every bit of the 2 hours we spent there. That's neither good nor bad; just the way things are, and in the absence of a spouse with a serious foot fetish, some things are just better done with other women.
So here's what I know now that I didn't know before: there is a huge, I mean huge, difference in how you feel standing for a while in nice shoes and how you feel standing in, say, cheap shoes. Huge, in terms of comfort. I took a pair of shoes that had my favorite heel height with me for reference, and made sure not to go over that height.

3) I did the first spin class I've done since April. They do "lifts" where you go up out of the saddle for a few beats, and then sit back down for a couple beats, and up, and back down, and repeat for what seems an eternity. I've never been able to do these all the way through. Today, it was easy. I couldn't believe it. Somehow, I've built my quads up pretty well this year.

4) I've now learned how to backcomb my hair so that it's poofy in the back. Even though I'm from the south, I was never properly schooled in backcombing. Now I am. Okay, so that's probably not terribly relevant to you right now. But to me, it's a big deal. I'm one of the "it" girls now. Rowr.

5) I have another black toenail from last week's trail run. Once again, this pleases me for some reason that I can't quite explain, while simultaneously freaking out the lady that did my pedicure.

6) I have not run since last week's ultra. I wanted to spend some time recovering, so I did a little spin, a little swim, and some elliptical. Most worrisome is a new pain on my right foot. It's on the outside underneath the midfoot, and it's actually gotten worse over the week. Eek.

7) I'm starting my new job tomorrow, finally. The counseling center where I signed a contract in July had a shiny promise that gave way to 2 months in which 4 weeks I'll never be paid for, no office, tyrannical office managers, dogs wandering around unaccompanied, doubled-bookings, and frequent chaos. And did I mention that there is a 40% no-show rate? And that if the client doesn't show I don't get paid?
Instead, I'll begin tomorrow at a secure installation with my own space and I'll still be able to work with behavioral health. Plus, I won't be on my feet all day. It's carpeted and I can wear wildly impractical shoes, just like I've always wanted, and best of all, I'll be paid as salary with benefits and stuff. Just like a grown-up.

I always imagined I could someday have a job where I could dress like a grownup and be treated like a professional. Now let's see if it's everything I thought it could be!

...