Little Ranter

Rant on, sister.

23 1/2 hours

I found this video on Mark Remy's blog at Runnersworld.com . I think it's great, not just because the drawings are great (they are) or the presentation is interesting (it is), but because of the message (which is not just about running).

Czech it out!

Warning!

It is not recommended to fall on your butt, off a stepstool, while you attempt to work on lettering on a large outside wall. You will hurt. Very badly. Lesson learned.

I think it's going to be peanut butter week on my blog. Stay tuned!

Skin

Run: 4mi/40:00mins

So getting back into it is not fun at all. My run was fine (although I cut it shorter than I planned), but after getting ready, breakfast, daycare dishes, I was just exhausted. That is strange.

I haven't been involved in the blogging community that long. Okay, actually I wouldn't really call myself involved in the blogging community, but I do have a list of blogs I read daily, and I like finding out what other people are doing. These are mostly running blogs, but there are some other ones sprinkled in. I've noticed a trend in these blogs by other young women that is driving me a little crazy. I'm not usually one to rant and rave in public, so I'll try to keep this minimal.

Six years ago I stayed in Mexico for an extended period for the first time. I was here ten weeks, and I worked in the daycare every day, alongside the teachers. One girl I worked with had medium brown hair, light brown eyes, and beautiful caramel skin. One day we were talking and she told me that she wished she had skin like mine.

I looked at her in disbelief because I was raised in a culture that worshipped her color of skin. I proceeded to tell her that many white women go to tanning beds or buy products to make their skin look like hers. She was shocked and in disbelief. She wanted my pale skin, while I had spent my youth pining for her color because I didn't enjoy wearing shorts when I was younger.  I knew I'd get comments on how pale I was, or I was self-conscious about what other people were thinking.

That was a turning point for me. Our perceptions of skin color - what's acceptable, cool, in - are based on our culture. While many white Americans want darker skin via a tan, many in other cultures see lighter skin as better. And guess what? We're all wrong. There's nothing wrong with how we're naturally made.

Three different colors. But we're so happy!

I see so many young women write on their blogs about how how "white" their skin is, how pale their face looks, how they are sorry if they blind you by their winter legs. Where does this come from? I've had my own share of comments directed at my own legs. My legs see the sun about 10 times a year - I can't go around wearing shorts in my town. Therefore, my legs never get any color (and even when I try, it simply rarely takes).

I've decided to stop fighting it. That girl I worked with six years ago finally got me start believing that it was okay for me to have my skin color. I still tend to worry about it, but I've begun to give myself permission to be myself.

 All different, yet so completely cool, right?

On the road again..

We used to sing that when we went on family trips in the car. And we were in the car a lot today. 4.5 hours to Tijuana, diverted to another border crossing, sat in line for 2 hours, and finally crossed the border at 2pm. Drove through LA, and settled in at our motel.

The scariest thing about driving in the rain in California is.... driving amongst Californians. No offense, Californians, but I don't trust you driving in the rain. Really, I don't mean anything bad by that. It's just because you don't drive in the rain very much. And I have driven in the rain a lot. It's like a Minnesotan telling me I can't drive in the snow. Which is true, I can't. I almost killed myself one time, driving from St. Helens, to Portland, in the snow.

Luckily I escaped alive, and people were cautious and kind. The rain wasn't really heavy. It was actually more of a constant mist to a medium rain, but that mist that kicks up from cars can be pretty vicious.

This is my list for how to drive in the rain:
1) Go slower. I don't care where you have to be. Don't kill me. Drive 5-10mph slower than normal, especially in high traffic.
2) Give yourself more space between cars than normal. You need more stopping room.
3) Signal long before you start to change lanes. Check every single blind spot. Twice.
4) Watch those semis. They're crazy. And you don't want to be pushed off the road by one.
5) Don't slam on the brakes. Hydroplaning is no fun. And the guy behind you doesn't have time to stop. Rule #5 is usually avoided by following rule #2.

Those are some of Meghan's Words to the Wise. It's like a PSA announcement. I should start this as a recurring series. Next up-- Meghan's Words to the Wise: How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream.

What'd you eat today? I had an In-n-Out burger, and then tonight we ate at Corner Bakery Cafe. We are staying in a motel tonight that we've stayed at before, but it's been at least 4 years. Last time we were here, we found this restaurant. I remembered it. Salad/Soup combos are good. I thought I wanted to put in a Sports Bar type restaurant in our town of VG, but I changed my mind. We need a bakery cafe.

I gotta put in 3 miles tomorrow morning. It's raining. I only have shorts. This is going to be fun, right? Right.

We're heading to the California valley tomorrow, to see our dentist. I need major work done. Not looking forward to it.