Thanks for the 3 seasons of Oz DVDs, you're too good to me!!

More pics and stuff to come...

Only 17 hrs from now.

Can I make it??

Can't wait to get this stinking presentation over w/ tomorrow morning.

It should be over by 11a. Hurry, hurry.

you're lucky i'm in a submissive mood baby

have a nice day

I'm trying to further organize my place, consolidate and get rid of stuff. I haven't saved much over the years but I'm going through some cards and stuff that I have managed to save. Wish I had all the letters and stuff from when I was younger but for reason I decided a while ago to get rid of those memories for the new ones. Bad idea!

Anyway, maybe I'm not supposed to do this but I am anyway, mainly because reading these old cards and stuff is kinda making me mad, well actually just one of them.

Here's one from RLK dated August 8, 2002.

Heather,
I wanted you to know, before you left, what you have meant to me, and how much I appreciate your friendship. I want to be your friend forever and know you for a long time. I am sorry for all those times I was not a good friend to you. Stay focused and you'll do fine at KSU. I know you'll be one of the smartest people there. You're one of the smartest people I know right now, and I keep pretty good company.
You know I will always be there for you.
With love always,
RLK

Ha! That's funny, haven't spoken to you since 2006. And yeah I'm still kinda ticked about it.

my other interests, besides running, are

penis sundaes, candy and Beaky-woo

must add this to facebook profile, huh rr?

We are pleased to tell you we did not make any changes to the tax reported on your return.

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.

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!!

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.

Joamil emailed me back to say

You're all set
I dropped them off
You are accepted

So can I say it's official?

I've already had lots of offers to help move, Thanks!

Wanna buy me something or donate something to my new pad?? My first place all to myself! There are lots of things I don't have because I just used my roomies. Erin already offered to contribute dishes.

Plus I had a really great track workout tonight. I ran from home to track, it was soooo cold out but it's a good 1.5 miles or so and then I ran another about 1.5 miles when I got to track so I did a good 3 miles warmup. Then our workout was

3 X (1000m 8k pace, 200m easy, 800m marathon pace, 3 min. rest, 400m easy)

So I ran the 1000m at about 7:20 min/mile pace which was 55 sec/200m and my 800m pace I did slower at about 8:10 min/mile pace which was ~61 sec/200m. No, I don't plan on running my marathon at 8:10 pace but it's really hard to run slower than that on the track. Then I did another 5 min. warmdown on the track and then ran home so a total of 2 miles warmdown. So total I did 9.5 miles. Yay!

So listen to The Sundays 'Cry' while you read. This is my song for today. I have loved them ever since I first heard 'Here's Where the Story Ends' in high school. Basically love every song they've ever done and have such a thing for Harriet that ever since high school I've also said that if I ever have a daughter I'm naming her Harriet. I think maybe only 2 people knew that until now and I'm sticking to it so please don't scoop my name now that I've told you, though most people think it's a shitty name anyway, so good, I want it! Check out some of their other videos too.

Video again is gone! I give up.

Yesterday I saw three apts. The first one I already talked about in the sketchy part of South End. I wasn't taking that one. Then I went to see the one on Beacon St. right near the State House and Boston Common, perfect location!, in a high-rise w/ 24 hr concierge so obviously has elevator, too many flights to walk, laundry on every floor, common roof-deck. It's a studio so not huge but a nice space w/ no separate kitchen but fine for me. I was concerned about the dorm-sized fridge but there are too many other things right w/ it. Only a shower no tub and just one closet, one window. I think the positives outweighed the negatives but I had one more place to see.

Made my way back to a less sketchy part of the South End to see another studio w/ a loft above to sleep in. It had a ladder going up to the loft and fit a twin mattress. Kinda like sleeping in a coffin I thought plus there's no way Cleo could get up the ladder to sleep w/ me. That was definitely not happening! Got lots of advice from people and the Beacon St. place seemed like the one. Emailed the realtor and asked for application. He sent it last night and we arranged to meet today.

Went today w/ my application and credit card checks to meet my lovely realtor boy Joamil and see about getting my Beacon St. apartment, it was very easy. Just read and signed the lease, handed over the checks and he said he'd get the lease to the landlord to sign and then get the lease and keys to me for a March 15th move in date. Joamil is kinda funny, not the typical realtor, more just the young kid trying to make some money and make life easy for everyone, including himself of course. He said he wasn't going to do the credit check or call my landlord, 'You're a postdoc,' he said to me, like that meant he had no reason to. The only sketchy thing he did that kinda bothered me was write on the lease that I have a small dog even though I said she's more medium-sized. I don't think it'll be an issue but you never know, especially if she gets in trouble for howling and they want a reason to kick me out or something. It's a big, impersonal building for the most part, though I guess I'll get to know the concierges, so I like that because hopefully people mind their own business and are less likely to complain about stuff, like howling, and less likely to even hear it if she does. So now I'm just waiting to get the lease and keys, so it's not official yet but close. Hope it works out!

Heather,
Someone is calling with extra special good news today. There is a new club opening up, they have joined a gym, or they just want to gossip. Either way, you are going to enjoy some unexpected company or good news from far away. People will seem energetic and talkative today.

My day has turned very bad. I went to see an apt. I was hoping it would be great but it wasn't. Plus right before I left to see it my boss caught me and said I need to arrange a meeting w/ him to go over the paper I'm writing, which I just thought was due March 8th w/out another meeting, so I don't have much written and don't want to have a meeting. So the apt. was in the South End but a little off of the best parts of South End, close to BU Medical Center past Mass. Ave. and Washington so I was a little sketchy about the area like at night and all. Plus the building isn't the best from the outside but a brownstone so okay. The main doors stick and were heavy, bulky and right when you enter it smells like cigarette smoke, yuck! The apt. itself was okay, high ceilings, exposed bright, 1 bedroom, tub needed a cleaning so I think because I'm not sure of the area though I could easily take the bus to work down Mass Ave. and the cigarette smell, not that my apt. smelled but I don't want to come home to that, I don't know if I could live there. It was $1200 plus I'd have to pay electric, all the heat/hot water, etc. was electric, and then cable and internet. Not sure if it's worth it. Now I have to look at a studio in Beacon Hill that's a good location and cheaper but it could be a dud too. Also I have to call my landlord and tell her what I'm doing, if I'm leaving or looking for a roommate. I think if the place I look at tonight isn't good I will post something for a roommate but tell the landlord that she can look for people too and if she finds someone before me then I'll move out for sure. Other options I guess are to give up on it all. Embrace my loserness. I guess I don't handle crap well. I shut down.

If only I had a rr to tell me what to do.

I got an email this morning about the apt. I was going to see today. Someone put down money already. It sucks because I thought it was going to be 'the one' and I contacted the girl about it right away when she posted it but she was on vacation at the time and asked if I could see it Tuesday afternoon but I said No because I had class and then turns out I didn't have class because MOnday was a holiday and yesterday we were on Monday class schedule. Wish I would have put this all together and contacted her back to say I could come yesterday. Now I have no leads and the search I once thought was promising seems very hopeless.

Maybe it's a sign that I'm supposed to leave Boston. Postdoc isn't going well, ruined relationship w/ roomies, nowhere to live...got nothing, but I also have no where to go.

Hip hop class Saturday morning??

I went to another apt. today. It's in Back Bay basically right on Mass. Ave. It would be very convenient to work, just go over the Mass. Ave. bridge and I'm there. The building was nice and secure w/ elevator, laundry downstairs, though the apt. was on the first floor so don't need the elevator. Laundry is good though! it's a small one bedroom. you walk in and you're in the kitchen. step forward and you're in the living room. to the left is the little bedroom and there's a bathroom. probably enough space for me, and better than a studio because there's a separate bedroom even if it is small. the realtor guy sucked, he was late and then didn't have the key to the apt. just to the front door so i had to wait even longer for him to go get the key. meanwhile another realtor came to show these 2 girls and after they were done he let me look real quick. then he of course gave me his card and said he had the best apts, of course you do. so i keep waiting for my guy. he eventually comes and i take a better look. hardwood floors, high ceilings, everything seems nice, just a little small. it's available now so that's the biggest problem for me. i have another cheaper place to look at next wed. so i'm not making any decisions before that. but this back bay place is $1300/month, unless i take it sooner than later the realtor said i could get it for $1250 or $1275 maybe, whatever that means. i'd also have to pay this crummy realtor half fee. it comes w/ heat and hot water but i'd still have to pay for cable, internet... so it's kinda too expensive though i could probably manage somehow. i found out what my next raise will be end of july, basically enough to take the place and i always have the backup credit cards. anyway, i have another place in harvard sq. to look at that's a one bedroom for $1100 and everything included, even cable and internet. so anyway, that's the latest.

I feel I have no clue what I'm doing. I went to see a place today. Not sure what my criteria are and I went alone so I have no other feedback. I don't think my lease is up until April 1 but I figured I should start looking in case I find something great early and since I have a dog I'm limited in my options. So today I went to this place near the Kendall Theater so it's an easy walk to MIT. Good because I'm close to work and close to home too during the day in case Cleo needs me to come home at lunch or something, especially since when we move she'll have trouble adjusting and could howl constantly while I'm gone and that might not be good w/ the people in the building. It's in a residential area in an apt. building on the first floor, easiest for moving my stuff in. It's a one bedroom and cheaper than I'm paying now. It's basically laid out kinda in a line. You walk in the front door into the living room then next to the living room is a bedroom and then next is a big kitchen and then just off the kitchen to the left is a bathroom. There's also a little room that leads to the back door for storage or whatever. I wouldn't know what to do w/ the space since I have nothing but it'd be possible to entertain. I could have people over, I could host runs and not worry about space. People could spend the night when visiting and there'd be room. Problem is it's the first place I've looked at and I have nothing else lined up. The lease is for Feb 1st and I need to give first and last months so I'd have to pay double rent for 2 months plus an extra month for last months rent. Most people in the building have dogs or cats so I'm hoping they'd be more tolerant of Cleo freaking out, like they are in my current location. There's no laundry in the building so I'd have to walk like I do now and I'm not sure how far it is, though the guy said they had laundromats all over. I didn't see one though, not that I looked very hard. The grocery would be a little issue. It's not as close as it is to me now, though I rarely go to it. I'd have to cab it home or do delivery probably which isn't too big a deal. I'd say I like my location now better but this is cheaper, more space and no roommates. Closer I guess to work so okay and there are plenty of restaurants and bars and the movie theater so it's not awful, it's just not Beacon Hill. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions?

So I went to the Apple Store to buy a replacement sensor for my Nike + because once the battery dies on the sensor you can't just replace the battery you have to buy a new sensor. The initial investment is $29 for the foot sensor and the iPod adapter so the replacement sensor you can get for $19. First I looked online to get all this info and then since I see they sell it at the Apple Store online I thought I could just go to the store and buy it. So I go there and right when I walk in this guy pounces on me asking if I need help. Normally I would say no and keep my distance from these unhelpful people but I thought I would be nice and social so I said yes and told him what I needed. He took me to the display w/ a million Nike + kits but I don't see just the sensor so I explain I just need the sensor and he says he doesn't think they sell it. But I said I saw it online and he took me to a computer to Google search it, wow!, how amazing, I already did that retard. Then he clicks on the link for the Nike store and he just thinks I have to get it from Nike but I tell him that I saw it at the Apple Store online so after several more clicks of other crap he finally goes to the Apple Store online and finds what I'm talking about. Then he has to radio the back to see if they have it but the radio is crap and he can't hear what they're saying but eventually finds out they don't have it so I have to buy it online. Wasted trip.

Then I'm waiting for the shuttle back to Kendall Sq and there's 3 punkass little kids all smaller than me but as they approach I feel like the 3 together could kick my ass if they wanted to. I'm sitting on the bench and the one says 'can you push over?','can you push over so me and my friends can sit?' so i say 'sure' and then they sit but they're acting like jerks, not to me, just in general, and then they keep getting up and then sitting back down and they keep hailing cabs and asking them stuff just to waste their time and yelling 'the shuttle bus is canceled' like it'll trick us and we'll all start walking back to kendall. then some lady said we could throw them under the shuttle bus. nice.

So the snow finally came and everyone else canceled school, except MIT of course but I'm still sick and I just can't make it in. I feel crappy for postponing my seminar, especially since I have it all done, but I barely slept at all last night and I have an even worse sore throat than yesterday and still swollen eyes, thanks rj, so I think it would be painful to try and talk for close to 2 hrs. today. Guess I will go rest up w/ Miss Cleo.

and another day of not running...boo!