YOU SURVIVED A CRUSHING WORK SCHEDULE

YOU RAN A NEW PERSONAL RECORD FOR MILES

YOU FINALLY RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR YOUR DOG TO LIVE IN YOUR NEW APARTMENT

YOU ARE HAVING FRIENDS BY THE SCORE TO YOUR NEW HOME TO PARTY AND DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

AND NOW YOU ARE PREPARING FOR A DREAM VACATION TO SUNNY AUSTRALIA

and that is why you, Heather Rose Martin, are having THE...BEST...WEEK...EVER!!

Thanks Mark! We'll have to meet up for beers when I get back. Just like we did after you got back from Japan and Washington State and France and all those other places you seem to go.

That's my most ever! and it only took me 5 days to do it. No wonder my legs are tired this week. 10 miles last night seemed okay until I was done. Hope I survive track tonight and the 20 mile race on Sunday.

I started singing "I See You Baby, shakin' that ass" to my microfilaria as I tried to count them. There were so many, virutally impossible to count at low power by eye but I tried my best and it drove me a little more insane, and my eyes hurt.

Better go run my 10 miles while I'm not thinking clearly.

I was rushing to get to my old place to hang out w/ pups and watch the SU game. I stopped at CVS at Charles/MGH like I do most days to get my soda and other snacks. The cashier guy is always there too. I put my stuff down at the register and he says 'Do I have to go as fast as you?' I guess I was moving real fast! I said I had to get home for the basketball game and he said 'You just got real hot to me real quick.' Dude, you see me almost every day and you didn't think I was hot before, haha. Funny thing is when I first saw him working there long time ago I thought for a second he was BBD. BBD is a guy Nina fixed me up w/ at K-State. She knew him from aikido and he saw me w/ her studying in the main campus library most days. We went on some dates but I didn't like how he led when we did salsa and I couldn't keep my mouth shut about it.

Go SU!

I met you so many months ago, I forget when exactly, sometime in the Fall. Why are you now texting me w/ the 'Hi Honey' shit again? I am not your honey or your girlfriend or marrying you or whatever else you said that night. We had fun dancing, that was it! Okay, one text the next day, fine, I ignored it. Now all of a sudden you randomly do it every few days? Go away!

I'm finally done w/ day 1 of my big project at work. 12 hours, not too bad. I expected much worse. My collaborator is awesome and great to work w/ so it's made things less stressful. He's from Nepal, got his vet degree in India and PhD at LSU and now is doing a postdoc at LSU. He has a wife and twin 17 year old girls. He didn't seem old enough at first but I think I just need to look at him more carefully.

I got a message from admin woman at realty company that has been trying to help me. My realtor is coming back from vacation tomorrow. Apparently he called my landlord and everything is fine w/ lease and dog. Just waiting on approval of dog from building. I was supposed to check back today but I haven't had time w/ the work thing. I don't want to talk to my realtor. He is an ass and I hate him but I don't feel like screaming at him over the phone so I'll try to avoid him somehow, and still get my money back.

Mom also called from the SU game. They are destroying UMass and it's halftime. I need to get to a TV to watch some of the second half but I'm still at work.

Not bad! Nice to walk out my place and see all the busy people and my next door neighbor the State House. Much more busy around there than Charles/MGH, even though that's kinda busy being a hospital and all. But Park St Station is a major hub so you can expect more anyway. My commute was a little longer, 2 stops instead of 1. My songs this morning were:

The Fray "Over My Head (Cable Car)

DM "A Pain That I'm Used To"

The Smiths "Nowhere Fast"

Kenna "Better Wise Up"

and 2 minutes of GNR "Rocket Queen"

Slept pretty well I think. Glad I had the energy to get my bed together last night. Have Easter brunch reservations at noon and I'm not sure where all my clothes are or anything. I think the only shoes I have are my kangaroos. Oops, shoulda brought nicer shoes. My mom went out to get coffee but she forgot the code to get in the front door. Not sure if she memorized it, I'm doubting it, so not sure why she forgot the code since it was such a hassle to get it. Hopefully someone will be coming in and she can get back in. Or I'll have to venture downstairs soon to see if she's stuck out there.

Have lots of unpacking to do but no energy. Feel a cold starting in my nose. Wanted to go to IKEA and clothes shopping but not sure I have the energy for it all. If my mom is up for it then maybe I'll go for it. It's hard to add more stuff to my place when I haven't put anything away yet. Getting crowded. And it needs to be cleaned and I don't have any cleaning stuff really so if I put stuff away into dirty cabinets and shelves I'll have to go back and clean the shelves and then clean my stuff too. Guess I'll have lots of work going on here for a long time.

Guess I'll go stack unpacking. Too bad I forgot my speakers at the old place. This silence is starting to get to me. I guess I can play music through my computer. That'll be loud enough in this tiny place.

Let me know if you want to come over for some unpacking. I can provide food and drink :0)

Oh, I almost started my weekend recap. Shouldn't really do that yet but can't help it. Mom came yesterday, got here around 5:30p. She picked me up at work and then we had to get all her stuff loaded into my old apt. and deal w/ the dogs, then get her truck in the Common garage and get to Beacon Hill Bistro by 7. We made it okay and had a great dinner while I tried to tell her the whole apt. fiasco. I needed a pomegranate bellini, half a bottle of wine and then 2 beers at the BHP to get it all out. Went to bed but couldn't fall asleep until like 2am and had to get up at 7am to go run 19 miles.

Took the T to Joslynn's and went on the run. Mom only had to do 10 miles but got lost on her way back so did more like 13 or so. Tara and I plugged through 19 miles. It wasn't too bad but definitely painful by the end. We were the last to finish because the rest of the team either didn't run that far or runs super fast. We were running for about 3 hrs 10 min. Got back to Jos' for breakfast and then made it home where I had the awful decision of moving into the new place or not.

Finally about 2:30 decided to do it. It was only me and mom doing the moving. It was so tough. I was already drained from running 19 miles and then spent the next 6+ hrs moving. It was torture. I'm not sure how my body made it through all the lifting and the up the stairs down the stairs but most of my stuff is now in the new apt. Now I just have the lovely task of unpacking it all. At least I got my bed put back together. The concierge today is awesome! I told him kinda the quick version of my situation and he was very helpful. Everything is still not squared away w/ my dog so she's living at my old place w/ Rob and Jenn until they move next week and hopefully my new apt. Board accepts her. At least now I'm living here and can hound the building manager to get all my stuff figured out w/ this place. I've left several messages for my landlord contact and he just won't return my calls. The drama is not over but I have a place to sleep tonight.

We had awesome pizza at Upper Crust finally around 9:30 after we had the moving done. Didn't eat anything since the breakfast and weren't really drinking all day either so I feel like I have acute kidney failure. Now I'm drinking beer and getting ready to munch on the Easter basket my mom whipped up for me. Got some toilet paper, Diet Coke, the beer and cookies next door at City Convenience as those are the necessities! What else can I say? I'm exhausted!! and want to sleep forever, but I miss my Cleo! I hope you will be with me real soon Beakey Woo!!

Haha, I sent him a bunch of emails today to get our race report and results posted from the 30K. I ran all that way and wanted some credit! So at practice tonight he waved at me and said nice job on the race and we had a whole conversation. Normally we don't really speak much more then Hi. Guess I got my credit.

Track was great tonight though I had to run solo. I did the workout for those not racing this weekend even though I am racing, because it's only a 5K, but Jake and Raelee said Coach said even if you're just doing a 5K to do the shorter workout. I didn't want short, I wanted longer so I was solo because Jake and Raelee did the shorter workout. I had to do 4 1600s which I thought would be tough but I held my pace and ran 7:30, 7:33, 7:31 and 7:28. Maybe in the 5K this weekend I can hold 7:30 pace and shoot for a PR. I think my best is 23:19 (7:31 pace) and I was in better shape then so maybe it's not possible yet. We'll see on Sunday.

Got the keys to my apt. today to start moving in Saturday. I got a copy of the lease too but the landlord didn't sign the lease, he only signed the 'to my knowledge there's no lead in the place' form. Man, $1100 for this realtor! Can't I get the lease signed for that price??

RobReed, you have to take care of Cleo! For real, sorry, but she loves you so much.

Right now I'm sitting in my office and the fire alarm is going full blast non-stop, just a constant awful noise that is killing my ears. Good thing Jennie put her scarf over the alarm in our office because it's too loud, it's still loud w/ the scarf but blood isn't pouring out of my ears yet.

About 15 min. ago this voice came over the intercom saying there was an emergency and to evacuate so we all took the stairs down the 8 flights, we're on the top, and it was painful for me after my 18.6 mile race yesterday. So we're standing outside watching for the okay to go back in and my boss says he thinks it's okay to go back and he has an important phone call so we all follow him into the elevator as the alarms are still going off and make it to the 8th floor, him assuring us we'll be okay :0) Now I'm in my office and this alarm is still going!!! I'm gonna go deaf!

I'd like some kind of peace when I spend most of my weekend at home w/ you guys.

I basically decided that until my vacation beginning of April I'm not going to go out so I can get more work done, or at least be in a state to get more work done, regardless if I actually do, and maybe in the process I'll save some money too.

Friday night I was going to stay at work late but it was a crazy week w/ the boss on my butt all week and then everyone else in the office left by 5 so I think I took off at 5:30. Cleo and I did 3 miles then I hung out at home. Oh, I cooked stuff which for me is crazy. I made a trip to Whole Foods and actually bought stuff. I cooked up a ton of carrots, and baked some butternut squash and made myself a burger w/ my $18/lb. Spanish goat milk cheese. Forget what else I really did, some x-training in my room and watching TV.

Got up Saturday morning with plans to go to work most of the day. Wanted to get some laundry done first though. Did a bunch of laundry, so many trips, can't wait for my new place and laundry on my floor!, though I don't know if they have front-loaders like the laundromat. I hate top-loaders!!!!! Laundry took forever and it was raining the whole time. By the time I was done I just didn't feel like going outside anymore. Didn't make it to work. Just did stuff, what I don't really remember, oh, catch up on 'Lost' and watched 'Monsoon Wedding.' I've been to one Indian wedding. It was crazy and lots of fun! My friend Sham had an arranged marriage basically, he's a smarty engineer and she's a pediatrician. Haven't seen them in awhile but last time I did they had a little baby. Not sure what's happened since. They live in Boston but we don't keep in touch.

Made a spaghetti dinner last night because I had a big race today. Made whole wheat pasta w/ spinach, sliced almonds, cranberries and my Spanish cheese grated. Didn't have a sauce so it was kinda dry but good anyway. Wanted to go to bed early because I had to rest for the race but didn't fall asleep until about 1:30 and then took the dog out around 3:30 and then had to get up at 7:45 but forgot about daylight savings so luckily Tara texted me at 6:45 which was now 7:45 so I lost an hour of sleep there. I was pissed! Didn't sleep much or well last night. Got up for the run, met Tara and Jos at Central. It was fucking crazy windy out!!!! Got to the race in Beverly w/ plenty of time. Somehow they lost my race packet and number so they had to give me a new number but I paid extra for a shirt and they said I could get it later. I guess I have to contact them about it. Race started at 10am. It was a 30K (18.6 miles). One of the draws for this race is it's only $10. But that means just water on the course, and I didn't get any after about mile 14 because there was either no water or no cups for the water. Some parts of the race were so fucking windy, I couldn't believe this was for real and I still had 10 miles or 9 miles or 8 miles, etc. to go, I could barely push through the wind. I was doing okay most of the race, not pushing too hard and staying under 10 min miles. I wanted to break 3 hrs but I must have really slowed down the last couple miles because I finished about 3 hrs 4 minutes. Still sub-10 min/mile pace which is fine w/ me for 18.6 miles. Jos ended up getting injured during the race. She finished but sprained her knee so we took off real quick to get her home, though we stopped at Spuds for some food, this random place in some town outside Boston w/ all old people inside. We got some food and a good rest before getting Jos back home. Now I'm home and very tired and had a nap for about 15 min. Why I woke up so quickly not sure. I feel hungry again too. Returned a bunch of phone calls but no one is home so they'll all call me sometime later when I'm really exhausted and don't want to talk.

but I asked about going on vacation beginning of April and ever since then I've gotten slammed everyday w/ this experiment and that experiment all to be set up before I go on vacation. It's maddening! My big exp. first time point is getting pushed up from May to end of March. I'm also supposed to set up another exp. asap, and some assays asap, and do this presentation and that presentation all by the end of March. Vacation isn't really planned yet, it's kinda up in the air, so we'll see what happens, if I can fit it all in, plus move to my new apt. this month too, and my mom is coming to help and i have races planned on the weekends in March, not much time to get it all done and I don't want to be sleep-deprived either :0(

Her life in pictures.

love,
auntie heather

Who would have thought grumpy old man would still be around?

'Reah, realri, rust ra rause rubble, ruckin ritches!'

Here's me and Billy at Brighton apt.

Billy in the grass on the way to his new home. We got him in Ohio and this was on the way back home to Buffalo.

Billy at his favorite tree at home in Buffalo.

Billy was his food dish.

Billy with his Buddha.

Billy attacking me on the bed in Buffalo.

And Billy in the suitcase.

Good thing no sound effects!

Dear "Heather Martin Reporting The News",

Long time reader, first time writer. I feel compelled to respond to a comment one of your writers made in a recent edition of your normally splendid weblog. By which, I mean you. Yes, I gave you "crap" about the photos of "David D." and I will continue to give you crap anytime you post these pictures. I demand equal time. If you're gonna post these photos, provide some balance. How about near nude photos of Scully? I think it is only fair. Me and my 12 children will continue to pray for eternal soul. Hallaleujah. Take care and God bless you, you old heathen sinner.
Peace and chicken grease,
M.

A perfectly beautiful song from Moz, Jack the Ripper

Oh you look so tired
mouth slack and wide
ill housed and ill advised
your face is as mean
as your life has been

Crash into my arms
I want you
you don't agree
but you don't refuse
I know you

And I know a place
where no one is likely to pass
you don't care if it's late
and you don't care if you're lost

And oh you look so tired
but tonight you presume too much
too much, too much
and if it's the last thing I ever do
I'm going to get you

Crash into my arms
I want you
you don't agree
but you don't refuse
I know you

Crash into my arms
I want you
you don't agree
but you don't refuse
I know you

You're supposed to make me fall asleep, not keep me awake.

Sincerely,
Heather R Martin

I took a couple before I tried to fall asleep, I'm having some bad neck/back pain and I thought it would help. I threw away my robaxin so this was all I had for now. I'm afraid it's stress-related but the orthopedic doc told me last time if this happened again I'd have to refer to the surgeon and maybe have the awful cervical surgery. No! Don't make me!!

I was watching a DVD before bed and falling asleep so I thought I'd have no problem going to be. Decided to take 2 percocet to help w/ my pain and to sleep easier but all it did was make my brain go crazy and think lots of things and now I'm having trouble trying to settle down and sleep w/ all these ideas in my head. Tomorrow is supposed to be a big day for me. I have grand plans to write lots of my paper and get back into a good working mode. I have lots of other things I want to accomplish tomorrow too mostly work-related and some big life-changing things as well but I'd rather not elaborate until I get some of them squared away. I think I've found the courage to address some things that have been hanging over me for quite some time now but maybe it's just the drugs talking so who knows by morning what I'll be feeling. I wanted to go to bed early and get up early to run, do laundry and get to work, but now it's 2am and though I feel sleepy, I'm antsy as well.

Well, I guess I'll at least try to relax and fall asleep. Wish me luck tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have some good news to share later on.