Goodbye, sweet girl!

So, my buddy, who's been with me for the past (nearly) eleven years of my life, died this past Friday.

I'm talking about my Honda Civic.  She lived a good life and had 365,000 miles on her, but I'm still quite sad to be without her.

She had been through a lot with me.

Ice storms:

Burglaries (pictured below is what used to be a CD player):

Accidents:

And several moves (pictured below is the time I packed her full of everything I owned and moved to Norfolk, Virginia without knowing a soul):

My account of her last days:
I was set to perform in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend.  On my way to the gig, about an hour outside of town (while still in rural Pennsylvania), my gas light went on.

"Strange," I thought as the gas level still showed there was plenty of fuel.  Not wanting to take chances, I pulled over to get gas anyway.  When I tried to start the car back up, I noticed it was quite difficult and it sounded like it was about to stall.  

I thought nothing of it as my car frequently pulled the "I'm about to stall" bit, and I always assumed it was bluffing.

I pulled over a few minutes later to use the restroom, and again, my car was extremely hard to start.

Ten minutes later, while on the highway, my car stopped being able to accelerate at all.  I pulled onto the shoulder and attempted to start it again.

Nothing.

Uh oh.

I tried again and again to no avail.

At that point, I attempted to call Triple A.  Before we even finished exchanging pleasantries, my iPhone died.

This is where I fought back tears.

Normally, I would have just put my flashers on, looked pathetic and tried to get someone to stop.  But, you see, my flashers were damaged permanently in the above burglary.  So my car was so broken, I couldn't even indicate it was broken. 

Luckily, I had my laptop in my suitcase, so I plugged my phone into that to try to get enough of a charge to call Triple A back.

Twenty minutes later, I was on the phone with them.

The answer I got: "we can't even find where you are on the map."

At this point, I started to freak out since I had a show that night, which I had to make.  Triple A refused to pick my car up unless I was there, and they informed me that if I abandon my car, the impound fees will be outrageous.  In fact, the Triple A rep even used the phrase "more than the car is worth."  Although, given my car, that amount could only be $73.00.

Triple A finally figured out where I was located and agreed to send a truck. 

So I called the club, and the house MC (who was super nice) agreed to come get me within the hour.  I prayed that Triple A would show up in that amount of time so I wouldn't have to leave the vehicle.

After waiting for half an hour or so, I became so frustrated, that I decided to try to turn the car on again.

To my amazement, it came back on!  But, I quickly noticed it was overheating whenever I would accelerate.

Let us remember that I was in rural Pennsylvania, so I had no idea when/where the next exit would be.  But, I decided to take my chances.

I remembered a little trick my good friend, Keith Lenart, taught me when his van broke down in Arkansas.  If you turn the car on, gun it to get some speed, and then pop it into neutral, you can usually ride the momentum without the car overheating.  So I did that for six miles until I finally made it to an exit and coasted into a grocery store parking lot.

Phew.

Soon after I made it to the parking lot, Max, the MC showed up, we packed his car full of my car's crap (which was a lot) and we drove to the show.  There was no time to go to the hotel, so I'm sure I looked like the wrath of God onstage.

The next day, I was informed no mechanics in the area were open (since it was the weekend).  The only place I could find was a junkyard that agreed to tow her and give me a couple hundred bucks for parts.

Thankfully, the headliner I was working with (the hilarious Steve Iott) happened to be from Michigan, too.  So I was able to ditch my car in Pennsylvania and hitch a ride back home with him.

It was quite the stressful weekend, but ended as well as I think it could have.
 
So my girl's final resting place will be in a junkyard in Duncannon, Pennsylvania (a town that's just as small as it sounds).  Not exactly what I wanted for her (I was hoping to at least spread her ashes in a Taco Bell parking lot, since that's one of the places we went to most), but I find comfort in knowing that she had a long, productive life.

Rest In Peace, my loyal friend.

Glass City Half Marathon!

Last weekend, I did what I never thought I could do: I ran a half marathon!

When I signed up for the race in November of last year, I certainly was not ready and I had no idea what to expect.  I had just completed my first 10K and thought "what the hay? It's only double the distance, right?  What's the big deal?"

Well, as I now know (just as there is quite a distinction between $50,000 and $100,000), there was definitely a big difference between 6.2 miles and 13.1!

The day before the race, I headed to Toledo to go to the running expo.  There wasn't nearly as much free swag as I had hoped (seriously, just a coupon to Noodles and Company, like the one I got at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, would have been nice; I also could have dealt with a free $20 bill), but I enjoyed myself.  Picking up my bib definitely made it real!    

Pretty sweet, no?

Plus, the bracelets they gave out in honor of Boston were a really nice touch.  

After hitting up the expo, we went to eat veggie sushi (soy sauce-loading is just as effective as carb-loading, right?).

And the day of the race, I powered myself with Swedish Fish (which I pinned inside my running shorts).

The drive down to Toledo from Michigan (with the exception of almost running out of gas) was smooth sailing, and we encountered little traffic. In fact, once we arrived, we were able to hang out in the car for quite a while before heading to the start line.

As we walked there, I could feel some serious butterflies (although I think I was more nervous about having runners trots than I was about the actual race).  But, my nervousness quickly turned to excitement as I saw all of the other runners.

I lined up with the 11:15 minute mile group.  I knew I'm not that fast (I go at a blazing 12:00 minutes per mile), but there were some openings around them, so I figured, why not?

Almost immediately after starting, it began to rain.  I had planned to ditch my hooded sweatshirt at one of the aid stations (Goodwill of Toledo goes around collecting all of the unwanted running gear and sells it at their stores), but kept it on due to the weather.

I was able to keep up with the 11:15 group until about mile 7, when I started feeling really cold, wet and fatigued.  My feet were sloshing in my shoes with every single step, and my sweatshirt seemed to get heavier and heavier as it collected more rain water.

Plus, my mind was constantly on my iPod and if it would get ruined by all of the water. During runs, I usually just hold it in my hand, so I had to run with my hand in my sweatshirt pocket the entire time to protect it.

Exhibit 1:

 
Exhibit 2:

So flattering.  I think I'll use one of them for my next headshot. 

I was praying that my training program (which only goes up to 10 miles because "adrenaline will carry you the final 13.1 miles") would come through, but when I hit the 10 mile marker, I started to feel really tired and sore.  Plus, the race course, which had previously been routed through a pretty residential area, started to get boring as a couple miles were straight-aways alongside the railroad tracks.

But, I pushed through the soreness, fatigue, cold and weather, and eventually, I crossed the finish line (in a course record-shattering 2:37)!

I could hear my mom (who had come down to see the race) and Drew cheering me on, and it felt amazing!  I was in complete awe and disbelief that I had actually crossed the finish line.  I'm one of the most unathletic people in the world, and two years ago, I couldn't even run for a minute without stopping. So I was quite in shock that I finished!  Of course, that shock quickly turned into a feeling of "dear God, I can't feel my legs!"

In the beer tent post-race.  A shame it was too wet and cold to enjoy the free beer.

But, I am now the proud owner of this:

After the race, I took the nap to end all naps, and it was beautiful.

I also made this little video (watch it if you enjoy cheesey 80's music and/or hearing even more about runners trots):

VegFest 2013!

On Sunday, I headed to VegFest!  If you haven't been, VegFest is an annual plant-based extravaganza!  It features speakers, food samples, non-profit organizations, famous vegans and auh-mazing food (vegan ice cream sandwiches for the win).

I started the day off by volunteering for the Animals and Society Institute.

I then went to a speech by ultramarathoner Scott Jurek.  I can barely get through a 10K, and this guy does 100+ milers?  Holy How-the-hell-are-his-knees-not-blow-out (oh, yeah, because he's a super healthy vegan), Batman!

After Scott spoke, I went to a presentation called "Compassion and Comedy" by stand-up comic Carol Leifer.  I was so inspired by her speech.  She gave a charming and heart-warming account of her transition to veganism, filled with many punchlines and cute stories.

Despite Carol and Scott looking like indistinguishable blobs, I promise that really is them.

Drew and I then met up with my mom

and these nachos (which were nothing short of heavenly) happened:

As with previous VegFests, the day was absolutely excellent!  It's so wonderful to see thousands of people (quite literally) interested in a diet that not only promotes health, but helps stop animal cruelty.  I saw many familiar faces, and as I mentioned before, the food was incredible.  I definitely left with a happy heart and full belly. 

Moving

So...I'm moving.  Again.  Despite me telling myself that I won't pack up everything I own and attempt to squeeze it into my Honda Civic every couple of years, I'm doing just that (although this time I had the assistance of a U-Haul truck).  I'll be taking the summer to do a ton of shows (with trips to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Alaska, Norway and Denmark thrown in for good measure) and be a nomad before I start law school in August.  As I've mentioned before, I'll be attending Michigan State University, so at the end of the summer, I'll make the move up to East Lansing.

Moving when it's thirty-something degrees and you have to dress like you're in Siberia = no fun.

I also realized this: nobody in the history of ever has been happy at the U-Haul store.  Seriously, everyone in there looks like they just had to remove their grandmother from life support. 

And they try to charge you for EVERYTHING.  When I returned the truck, the manager looked legitimately disappointed that I hadn't gone over my mileage or returned it with one-seventeenth less air pressure.

Oh, and a  little tip from me to you: spend the extra fourteen bucks and spring for the insurance coverage. If you're anything like me, everything will go smoothly throughout the day until you're gassing it up 300 yards from the return location and a giant cement pole jumps out at you.  

Another little tippperoo:

 Best way to move alcohol? Drink it all so you don't have to pack it! Note: this may be exactly why the giant pole jumped out at me.

I also learned a lot about myself during this move:

-Apparently, having twenty-three plants and five bottles of conditioner is a necessity, but a dresser isn't one (I got rid of mine just because I was too lazy to pick it up and haul it down several flights of stairs). 

-I have no idea what people mean when they say "lift with your legs."  Everything hurts, my back and legs included.

-I just might be a hoarder, especially when it comes to gum wrappers.

-I don't want to do this again for three years.

-But, I most certainly will. 

Boston

Wearing a race shirt for Boston on my 10 mile run today. Still feeling so very shocked and sad.

Wicked awesome!

I played in Rhode Island this weekend. I love it here, mostly because I can't get enough of the accents. Everyone sounds like New Kids on the Block; it's amazing! PS Is it weird that I asked the Taco Bell cashier to repeat the price of my order just so I could hear him say $4.42 twice? He's just lucky that I didn't ask him to bust out a rendition of "Please Don't Go Girl."

Equality House!

This past weekend, I headed to Jeremiah Bullfrogs in Topeka, Kansas.  Bullfrogs has quickly become one of my favorite places to perform.  The staff is nice, the venue is a cute little theater and the crowds are fun.  Plus, they have giant beer, which I always love.

I had the pleasure of working with the very funny Tim Pulnik.

That's us with DJ Scobby, who came on after the show.

During the day, I was supposed to fill my time with training for my half marathon (it's only 3 weeks away - eek!), but instead, I went shopping (something I rarely do, as evidenced by my repetitive, wardrobe that significantly lacks style) and to a Japanese/Chinese buffet (all-you-can-eat vegan sushi rolls?  Um, yes, please.).  I also went to see the Equality House.  If you're not familiar with the Equality House (and its famous neighbor), you can learn more here.

I think it's so important to show Fred Phelps that his message of hate will not be tolerated.  I was quite pleased to learn that the Equality House has turned into a bit of a tourist destination.  When I pulled up, there was already a group of women taking pictures.  They were really nice and happily indulged my picture-taking obsession.

To support the Equality House, you can do so here.