Initiations

Can't Stop... Won't Stop!

I ran two miles today and felt strong and ready to keep going at the end but as a promise to myself I am taking this first week easy as I get back my running feet. Wow that was a long sentences!

I'm having a great week, not that anything too cool or unique is going on just that I am having a great week and keeping the positive energy flowing. I may also be super excited because I'm traveling to see my amazing boyfriend, Chris this weekend. He lives quite far away, 2.5 hours and I have not traveled to his town for several weeks. A few hours in the car is worth it to experience a few days with the guy that I love. :)

Initiations
Chakotay is out to complete a ritual and gets caught up in a Kazon initiation ritual. In the end all is well and things are set straight. Not a great episode and the first of a whole season arc exploring the Kazon.

Boom that is Nog from DS9, well the actor who plays Nog that is. 

The 37's

Now I am not one to typically complain when I am at a place of business but today I had to make an exception to this policy. I was at the gym and a group of loud obnoxious boys were in the pool not for fitness but as some type of party. These boys were not following rules, diving and entering the lap lanes despite signage saying to leave these lanes for swimmers only. When one was in my way I surfaced and said "get out of the lane" and the boy moved away slowly. Later I heard one of the boys mockingly say, "get out of the lane." At this point I was just about done and I ended my swim at 1/4 mile as opposed to my intended 1/2 mile. This is a gym and a fitness center not a public pool for a party or some other shit. There should be parents monitoring the kids and the gym staff should be more aggressive in handling complaints. When I complained the staff said I was not the only on to complain. If I'm not wrong a private business should be able to kick anyone out of their business who is not following rule s and guidelines, right?

On a happier note I had a fantastic session with one of my clients that helped me to really remember why it is that I am a speech/language pathologist and particularly why I enjoy working with adolescents who have some more troubling behaviors.

Upper and Lower Body Weights and a 1/4 mile swim

The 37's
The Voyager finds a group of people from 1937 on a planet in the Delta Quadrant and one of them is Amelia Earhart. Turns out that a bunch of people were taken there way back when and are now living on this planet. Over 100,000 humans. The crew is offered a place to live but they all decide to stay on Voyager.

Learning Curve

I ran my first mile in over 2.5 months and it felt amazingly awesome in every way. Even though the weather was a bit chilled and the wind was a little biting I smiled the entire way. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and it went the exact way I wanted it to go. :)

Today was also great because I got a lot of work completed on the yearbook at my school and there is only one page left at this point. WOO HOO! The yearbook is a lengthy and time consuming process that I love and at the same time get increasingly annoyed with. You could call it a love hate but truly it is a love fest about 90% of the time.

Today: 1.3 miles at a 9:14 pace. Slow but I'm incredibly happy

Learning Curve
Story A: A bunch of Maquis crew members are douche bags and Tuvok is in charge of whipping them into shape. He ends up succeeding of course as Tuvok is want to do but through a crazy freak accident not his training.

Story B: The gel packs in the engine room have somehow developed an illness that apparently is from some cheese that Neelix was making so someone could have their mac and cheese.

This is a bit of a lame duck ending to the first season but wasn't supposed to be according to wikipedia.

Faces & Jetrel

So this boy has once again hit point where I just can't accept that I've foolishly let myself put on ten pounds since the holiday season. Running or no running this is not acceptable folks! Now I'm motivated to change and correct my mistakes and yes it will help a little bit that I can start running tomorrow :) I'm able to make this change, I've done it before, I'll do it again and I'll make it happen.

I've laid out a map for the next several months to get me to the Goldy's Run 10 Mile race, the Salk It To Me 5K and the Buffalo Triathlon. I'm just not decided if it will be the sprint or olympic distance. The only part that worries me is that swim the rest I can fake my way through and still succeed. You cannot fake it in the water.

Today:
205 :(
1/4 mile swim
Upper and Lower Body Weight Lifting

Faces
The Vidiian's are at it again and this time they feel that a Klingon will be able to fight off their disease. The split Torres in two and things are just odd but its interesting for character development.

Jetrel
Neelix's past as a warrior is brought to the present when a war criminal turned good comes to cure him of a disease that he has potentially become infected with. Once again Star Trek at its character plot drive best.

Cathexis

Today I didn't want to go to the gym because I honestly just was not feeling it at the end of my work day but.. I went and I am very glad that I did. Lifting has been interesting and I'm sure I'm not doing as much as I should be but hey I am doing it and that counts for something, Right?

The week has been going well and today went super great to be honest. I had my review with the school principal. I was a bit nervous to start but I didn't need to be I know. The kids were extremely well behaved and were able to help me show what they have learned while the principal watched. I have not had my formal meeting yet but I got an email with a very positive message. Days like this make me remember why I love my job and it helps to energize me.

Workout: Upper Body Lifting, 30 minutes on the Elliptical, 15 on the Bike, 1/2 mile in the pool

Cathexis: An alien being has invaded the ship and lots of crazy stuff happens. Turns out that Chakotay's spirit, which left his body is trying to help the crew from total disaster. Not a great episode... once again.

Heroes and Demons

One thing that I hate at the gym is when I am on the bike and about 10 minutes in... for lack of a better word my "undercarriage" goes numb. I am then stuck with numb bits and a whole heck of a lot of time left on the bike. I then think to myself "this can't be healthy for me boys, why am I doing this?"

Apart from my junk going numb it was a great day at the gym today! I have been on a kick of weight lifting at the gym to help my knees gain some strength. I hope it is working because I get to run very soon and I couldn't be more happy. I am also happy because I have been paired up with a running buddy through a program called I Run 4 Michael which pairs a runner with a child who has disabilities as a social connection. I've been paired since December but now I actually get to start running for her and I can't wait to get a T-Shirt and other swag to show off at the races.

Today: Lifting (Legs), Bike and Swim

Heroes and Demons- Voyager meets Beowulf and it sucks! Nothing further is needed!

A few days in one post!

Valentines has come and gone and I'm in LOVE :)

Life is good thats all really.


Emanations- The crew accidentally stumbles on a society's burial grounds and messes stuff up.
Prime Factors- The crew has a chance to get home but the prime directive gets in the way.
State of Flux- The Voyager have a run in with the Kazon and Seska is a bitch and a Cardassian. WOW

Ex Post Facto

Happy Snow Storm Minnesota! It is coming down pretty hard out there and the wind is blowing like none other. I love these storms especially when I get to hang out in the house and I don't have to drive. I do love the winter and it is so strange that when the winter is rough I hate winter but when we are having a mild winter I long for snow storms.

Workout:
Day 2 of lifting- upper body focus today

1/2 hour on the Bike

15 minutes on the elliptical

I am feeling fat and unhappy with my body right now. I know it is a number on the scale and I am letting it take too much of my thought but I can't help it.

UGH

Ex Post Facto- Tom Paris is accused and tried for murder so Janeway and Tuvok investigate and it turns out that he was set up to be used as a spy between two governments. AKA this is the one with the crazy stupid feather/bird head folks.

Voyager starts the trek home!

Today I looked at the scale and I was anything but happy! I got down on myself frequently throughout the day and in my head all of my clothes fit like they were about two sizes too small. Through all of this mental self hate and down talk what did I do more than other days you ask... well it is simple. I ate. A handful of Chex Mix here, a piece of chocolate there and a few airheads. This of course left me feeling like an airhead. I've always had a love/hate with food and today was just another battle in the struggle of my life.

I turned it around through a good workout consisting of the bike, the elliptical and weight training! Yes folks I've decided that I need to start lifting to support my life and to help strengthen my knees.

woo hoo!



Parallax- The ship is caught in an event horizon and things get confusing but on the upside Torres and Janeway bond!

Time and Again- The crew stumble upon a major catastrophe that destroyed an entire planet and now they work tirelessly to stop it as they have found themselves transported back in time three days.

Phage- While trying to find dilithium Neelix is attacked and his lungs have been removed. The crew has its first encounter with the Vidiians who are infected with the Phage.

The Cloud- The ship heads into a cloud that they feel is a nebula but it turns out to be a living environment that must now be repaired.

Eye of the Needle- Kim discovers a wormhole and the crew gets excited. Eventually they figure out how to transport along the wormhole but sadly the wormhole leads to a time 20 years in the pass.

HELLO Voyager

The Star Trek Voyager pilot aired 21 year ago this year and I can remember watching it as a young kid at my parent's house. When I watched it back then I found the show to be interesting but I never fully caught on to it. It also came out about the time that I started waining in my Star Trek fandom.

Today I started watching the Star Trek Voyager series as part of the workout plan and per usual I took the time to simply watch the pilot and enjoy it fully. The pilot was interesting and brought about the introduction of a whole new crew of officers. The show somewhat suffered from the same trappings the DS9 premiere  had, it was at times too "etherial or heady" none of the 24th century star treks had great premieres but they were interesting enough and kept the show going.

What worked well:

The Maquis/Starfleet tension that was set up in this episode was a great idea because it was a great source of adding some tension which would only naturally happen as a group moves home.

The Prime Directive as a way to keep the crew from turning into a group of savages on a mission home is great. It also is another way to set up tensions.

The Kazon were a great enemy that may look a bit too much Klingons but they are a great villian to have set up for the first few seasons.

Janeway... She is a female captain and a badass. She's a bit icy but she has quite the heart too.

The trap that sent the crew into the Delta Quadrant was great!


What didn't work:

The caretaker story line was a bit too out there and the "southern towns folk" were not great either but it got them going.

The full reasoning of the choice for Chakotay as the first officer.

The way that voyager looks in certain shots doesn't quite look great but it is an interesting looking ship overall. It grows on you as well.

What You Leave Behind... Farewell DS9

40 degrees in January is a crazy experience for the simple fact that 40 degrees in September, October or May would feel like a frozen hell! In January though I was outside in a hoodie and no hat running around throwing snowballs for the hound. What a great damn day!

It was another great weekend with my love, Chris. As much as I love my weekends with him I am ready to trade them in for weeks, days, months, years right now. I hate Sunday afternoon because that is when he has to pack up and head home. I never thought I would be in a "long distance" relationship but here I am and we are making it work. 4 months strong and things continue to get better and we get closer but the distance sucks at the moment. It is only 120 miles so I don't know how people do it who are farther away. So for the time being I need to be content in my weekends and simply deal with my miserable Sunday afternoons.



The last 8 episodes of Deep Space Nine:
The war comes to a head and the hold for power continues to shake things up. In the end Sisko disappears, probably never to return. O'Brien takes a position at Starfleet Academy. Worf is the new ambassador to the Klingon Empire. Odo leaves to take his place among the Great Link. It leaves Bashir, Kira, Jake, Quark and Ezri on the station.

Till Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains...
Tacking Into The Wind
Extreme Measures
The Dogs of War
What You Leave Behind


Overall DS9 was an interesting series that overall I enjoyed very much. It was a darker and more imperfect take on the Star Trek universe, which coming off of the Next Generation was a bit of a breath of fresh air. The first two seasons of the show were interesting but lacked a focus. Come the third season when the Dominion began to be talked about the show started to gain focus and by the fifth season it was clear that this was a war saga and serialized soap opera show. The focus of the show was great for the most part once the War was brought up. At it's heart though the show did best when it focused on the characters and their conflicts.

The End Begins

You know I feel lame to post this but... I don't really honestly have much to say today. The workout was good, I miss running, blah blah blah blah.

I'm now in the final ten episode stretch after today's post. I will say more about DS9 as a whole in a few posts.


30 on the elliptical, 15 on the bike, 1/4 mile in the pool

198 pounds

Chimera- Odo finds another lost changeling and guess what... he's an asshole!

Badda-Bing Badda-Bang- Vic's club is taken over and the gang gets in back in this Ocean's eleven style episode.

Inter Arma Elim Silent Leges- Section 31 tries to assassinate a Romulan with Bashir's help.

Penumbra- Ezri and Worf are stranded, Sisko is getting married... or is he?

Ezri Was a Mistake

People at the gym are very unique to say the least. To quote Forrest Gump they are quite like that box of chocolates, you never know what you will get. The people today at the gym were quite nice and talkative and well to be blunt... not douchey! I had a great time on the elliptical and bike and then a great swim followed by some really great conversations in the sauna with a few quality folks.

These are the type of folks that I love to run into at the gym. Not the small-minded bigots and dumbasses that usually linger in the gym in Zim-Town.

1/4 mile in the pool
30 minutes on the elliptical
15 minutes on the bike

Prodigal Daughter- Ezri goes home and her mother is an ass hat, oh and O'Brien is there for no real good reason. This episode played like "Falcon Crest in outer space."

The Emperor's New Cloak - The Nagus is trapped in the mirror universe but its all a ploy to get a cloaking device.

Field of Fire- There is a murder on DS9 and apparently Ezri gets help from an old personality.

Three crap shows in a row. I must admit that the addition of Ezri Dax to the show really has muddled the show because at a time when they should be working towards the build up and conclusion of the war we are left with a number of stories that focus on introducing us to a new character who won't be on the show that long really. Plus the character of Ezri is just not that much of a risk taker. They could have either not replaced Dax or put the Dax back into a man and gave everyone something more interesting to deal with. Worf would have had to deal with the love of his life in a man's body. Julian could have dealt with lingering emotions for Dax and how that may happen if a man is part of the equation. Better than this would have been to just not replace the character and allowed for Nog to take a bigger role in the show.

Yoga and a mini-marathon

Today I took a yoga class with a really great friend of mine who said I should try yoga because I might like it. I have always thought about trying to take a class so I figured I would give it a go. Plus it was a fun way to spend time with my friend. Yoga is something that probably millions of people around the world enjoy and that is really great. After 90 minutes in this class I can testify that I am not one of those people. I left having decided not to take another yoga class in my life, it simply did not do it for me as an exercise form. I know there are many types of Yoga but here are a few observations about yoga that I made today.

1- This particular class was a little too "touchy feely/spiritual" for my taste. I don't care to gently and peacefully move my body to think about my core or how my body is working or my place in the universe.

2- Incense  smell really bad and I spent a lot of time sniffling or blinking because they kind of got to me. It is not a smell I enjoy.

3- I wouldn't pay to try not to fart for 90 minutes in my life ever again. I do that enough on a date I don't need to worry about letting one go in some poor strangers face who is right behind me in downward dog or what not.  And between all of you and me it came really close a few times but I'm proud to admit I was able to control the gas.

4- The time was soo long! About 20 minutes in I was bored and ready to be done. Also during the last 5 minutes we were supposed to sit in silence and think about "what we need" and I didn't know what that was. I will tell you I was looking at the ceiling and noticed that only one of the electrical tubes in the ceiling was still silver and not painted white to match the rest. After 5 minutes my OCD "needed" that tube to match the rest of them. It makes me wonder how on earth I can attend and keep my motivation going for a three hour run? I guess that "fills my bucket" more than yoga does.

5- I didn't enjoy the apparatus. There were mats, blocks, blankets, pillows and a strap. The strap was used to hook around my foot and I guess stretch out my leg. I simply felt like I was one strap short of some crazy sex position. Not what I look for in an exercise.

I very much appreciate going and trying and that some people really love yoga. I am just simply not one of those folks. This boy is a runner and there are only a few short weeks before I can get out and run again.

Chrysalis- Bashir fixes a crazy and they fall in love but like all things he comes on too strong and scares her away.

Treachery, Faith, and the Great River- A Vorta is trying to defect with Odo's help, the Founders are getting sick. Meanwhile Nog is trying to get some parts and causes chaos!

Once More Unto the Breach- Kor is back and convinces Worf to help him go into battle basically so he can have a warrior's death.

The Siege of AR-558 - The Defiant crew beams down to assist a group that is holding a strategic position in a siege. No one comes out the same way they went in and Nog looses a leg.

This last shows proves that Deep Space Nine is most effective when it deals with dark issues and the realities of War. This was a very very good episode in my opinion.

Season 7 DS9 Begins

This week has finally settled down because I am now finally about to get a car after my crash a week and a half ago. What an ordeal. I have learned this from the accident and I want you all to know it:

In the past I have made the mistake of distracted driving be that texting, looking at facebook, talking with a friend or singing to a jam on the radio. I promised myself a few months ago that I would stop that and I have been doing much better but have had a slip up now and then. I learned a lesson about distracted driving from the teenager who hit my car who was a distracted driver. Because of her mistake my car is totaled and she probably got into a lot of trouble. The best part of this story is that we both walked away alive. I have said to my mother since it happened, "cars are replaceable, I am not".  Please people do not drive distracted. IT CAN WAIT.


Over the past few days:
Valiant- crazy cadets take over a ship and go on a rampage.

Profit and Lace- Quark plays a lady to make a business deal happen.

Time's Orphan- Molly O'Brien falls into a time trap and comes out as "Nell"

The Sound of her Voice- The crew attempts to save a woman who helps them sort through their shit as she dies.

Tears of the Prophets- Big fights, the profits go away, Dax dies.

Image in the Sand- Sisko sees a face, Shit is rough on DS9

Shadows and Symbols- Sisko finds an orb and not much makes sense, Meanwhile the Romulans are being tricky.

Afterimage- The new Dax tries to make her place on DS9-- This should have been done differently.

Take Me Out To The Holosuite- The crew takes on some Vulcans in a game of baseball.

The Reckoning

I've been cleansed, drugged, probed and given a clean bill of colon health! What an odd experience that was, I basically spent 20 minutes as a doctor prodded my bum with a long tube and since there was a doctor intern in the room there were about 4 other people in the room watching. I feel fewer people watched Katie Couric get a colonoscopy on national TV than watched my procedure today. The odd this is that the doctor wanted to make some polite conversation much in the same way a hairstylist or dentist makes conversation. The only thing wrong here is that conversation was being had as my naked butt is being examined and that is not really my wheelhouse conversation time. I'm sure I was polite and sweet and a stunning/witty conversationalist but who knows. A clean bill of health was worth the time and pain spent.

Still waiting to hear more information on my car :(

No working out today but I'll be at the gym tomorrow!

The Reckoning
Sisko is called to look at an ancient bajoran artifact and all hell breaks loose when the Pah Wraiths are released. Religion is the key theme here and the end of the world/universe!

Boldly Prepping For...

This weekend I didn't workout at all but I've still managed to lose weight! How did I do it you ask? What's my secret? Should I try it? Well here is my secret... 

I am undergoing a colonoscopy today and I've been on a clear liquid only diet since Saturday at 6am. On top of that I've been given a very robust course of laxatives to take this weekend.. WOO HOO. So by that you all know what my weekend has consisted of, I've been on the couch and on the throne. 

It has not been a great weekend for me between this prepping stuff and I got rear-ended on Saturday. At the moment my car is in the shop and he's not looking to great. The blessing in the whole thing is that I am alive and I am healthy and neither driver was injured. 

Thoughts on Deep Space Nine season 6:

The war has finally gotten started and it was pretty great at first but the momentum of the show is so up and down. DS9 has always been entertaining but not consistent in its purpose, story, or pacing. Amidst a war going on we are left with business as usual episodes or funny character episodes but very few actual episodes about battles and war. We are left with scheming behind the war but no the war. I do enjoy DS9 don't get me wrong but it maybe should have eded at season six and ended on one intense focused last season instead of two seasons that kind meander too much. 

I've watched too many to keep track of so here is a list:

Rocks and Shoals

Sons and Daughters

Behind the Lines

Favor the Bold

Sacrifice of Angels

You are Cordially Invited…

Resurrection

Statistical Probabilities

The Magnificent Ferengi

Waltz

Who Mourns for Morn?

Far Beyond the Stars

One Little Ship

Honor Among Thieves

Change of Heart

Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night

Inquisition

In the Pale Moonlight

His Way 

4 Episode Binge Watching!

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Another great workout today in the gym but I sadly forgot my towel so I couldn’t go for a swim. But I put 13 miles on the bike.

Really I have nothing to interesting to say today so this is a short post.

200 Pounds today. Down One pound so I will take that!

Empok Nor- “DS9 is an old junk heap so let’s go salvage from a similar station” but shit gets weird.

In The Cards- Jake and Nog want to get Sisko a baseball card and that takes most of the time but the big story takes up about 5 minutes. Bad Episode.

Call To Arms- War is coming, let's put up a mine field and hope for the best. In the end they leave the station to the Dominion.

A Time To Stand- The war isn’t going well and the Federation is a bit desperate.

WELCOME BACK! -- Blaze of Glory

I’m Back Ya’ll. So the holidays have come and gone and the number on my scale is well not what I want it to be. I’ve found over the last few years that when things on the scale go up I go back to basics. Basics include working out, watching Star Trek and writing about my life, so here I am.

So much has changed since my last post in May of 2015! I can officially say that 2015 started off as one of the lowest points in my life through a series of rather unfortunate events and proceeded to get worse until about June. I let a toxic person in my life and spent my summer getting rid of that person. I got rid of that emotional baggage and focused on me through several running events (15 in all total for the year of 2015). And as life works when you focus on you and clear out all of the toxic folks in your life the universe hands you a true blessing. I now have the greatest boyfriend in my life. It is amazing how much the feeling of someone who is truly committed to you and in love with you can feel. So much joy!

Today i weighed 201… working my way down to my goal of 185.

Bike- 15 minutes, elliptical- 30 minutes, Swim- ½ mile

What I  missed:

Business as Usual- Quark tries to sell arms

Ties of Blood and Water- Kira helps an old friend pass on

Ferengi Love Songs- Rom’s in love and so is Quark’s mother

Soldiers of the Empire- A bunch of Klingon’s get a much needed morale boost

Children of Time- A time loop causes a bunch of people to feel really bad

This Workout:

Blaze of Glory- Sisko gets involved in a Maquis plan and all turns out pretty poorly.