Okay. I’ve mentioned I have this Halloween Themed 5K this weekend, right? We are encouraged to wear costumes. So far, the best idea I had was to write “JOKE” on the back of my shirt and be a “Running Joke” - pretty good, right?

What about this: What if I pin snakes on my shirt? And be Snakes on a Runner. Yes? No? Too August? Too Geeky? Would anyone get it? Or would people spend the entire time trying to figure out what I was? And if so, would it slow them down any? Because I’m all for that too…

My brother went to Chicago last weekend to run the Chicago Marathon. I woke up Friday night hearing my phone vibrating because I had a text message from him: Hey - Are you up?

I wasn’t sure if he was having pre-race jitters and needed encouragement from the a fine athletic specimen like myself (Why are you laughing?) so I texted back: Yeah - what do you need?

Him: What was the name of the gum with the juicy middle?
Me: Funny. That’s exactly what I thought you were going to say. I cant remember. But now it’s bothering me too.
Him: Was it tidal wave?
Me: Eh. I don’t know…

It turns out it was called Freshen Up. I have no idea what prompted him to wonder this a midnight two nights before he was supposed to run 26 miles. I didn’t ask. It didn’t matter because we quickly switched to texting about how he didn’t get invited to his 10-year reunion and I blamed it on his class being a bunch of douchebags. I actually used the word “douchebags” which took me 20 minutes to text because I’m SLOW and LAME. The funny thing is, I was texting someone else yesterday (What is with me and the texting? I’m so hip!) and I was saying something about an EMT but my cell-phone popped up “douchebag” as an option.

And you know? I find comfort in knowing that my cell now has “douchebag” stored in the dictionary for any future needs. It makes my world feel a little safer.

Three years ago today was, what LilZ and I often call, “The Best Day Of Our Lives.” (MrZ doesn’t quite have the flair for the dramatic that we have - he prefers “A Super Rockin’ Day.”) I started the day off with a limo ride with LilZ and his friends to thank them for helping me put together decorations and party favors. We took the limo up to Monte Sano mountain and practiced the Electric Slide. I recommend every bride start her wedding day off with a limo ride with a bunch of kids followed by line-dancing on a mountain. It was awesome. I ended the day married to my best friend with a cake made out of Krispy Kreme doughnuts thrown in the middle somewhere.

Thank you, MrZ, for being my husband. I love you with all of my heart and thank whatever deity I can that I found someone to spend the rest of my life with who, not only accepts my love of office supplies, but fully supports it. If only all girls could be so lucky.

When you spend a day in the ER with a sick child…the rest of your life piles up outside of that hospital room, seemingly twice as much as it would if you were - say - at home doing laundry. It’s a strange effect that I’m sure could be quantified in terms of Parental Anxiety and Stress Tolerance. Instead let’s just leave it as I’ve Got A Lot Of Shit To Do and No Time to Do It In. Therefore - here is the most random of entries funneling thoughts as they pop out of my head directly to this entry box:

I had an allergy attack last night and one of my eyes decided to rebel against me by itching uncontrollably for hours. Today I look like I’ve either been beat up (on one side of my face) or stoned out of my mind. I’m not sure which would be better for those I encounter to believe.

I lost one of my favorite pens. It is purple. I am sad.

I realized yesterday that I often wear my socks inside out. I notice this because I have to kick off my shoes before entering NikkiZ’s class. Should I start paying more attention to wear them the right side out? Or do you think anyone cares? What if one is correct and one is wrong? Is that worse than both being wrong?

Should I dye my hair red again? I miss my red hair. (That sound you heard was my husband screaming, “Nooooo!” at the top of his lungs.)

I was looking up the times for last year’s half-marathon and I discovered that at my current 7.5-mile pace, I would have come in about 5th from last. And chances are I’d be a lot slower than my 7.5-mile pace on a 13-mile race. This makes me discouraged. I joke about being the slowest one out there - but I didn’t realize I really was the slowest.

I’m hungry.

I was stretching out this morning and I actually hurt my ear. What the hell is up with that? I strained something around my ear when stretching and it still hurts. I think that is probably one of the lamest injuries ever. Right up there with hyper-extending your hair.

I’ve been so wrapped up in family sickness and random craziness I haven’t been able to mention a few developments in my love of all things “entertaining.” Since I know you have all been on pins and needles wondering how I feel about the new season of Desperate Housewives (can’t even bring myself to watchin one episode) or Justin Timberlake’s latest single (it’s growing on me) - I thought I’d make this entry a hodgepodge of Entertainment Industry Related Nonsense.

I’ve decided what it is that makes me really love Studio 60. Well, besides Matthew Perry, of course. I mean, it’s funny/witty/entertaining and all that good stuff, but I seem to love it proportionally more than I’m entertained by it. I finally figured out why. There is a part of me who really wants to imagine the personalities behind my favorite television shows being as cool as the characters on Studio 60. All of those fictional people are just so cool - the actors, the writers, the producers…even the network executives. I want the real-life people behind all of the television I watch to be just as cool. They probably aren’t…but that doesn’t keep me from hoping.

I never bought TV Guide when it was in the small format we all associate with the publication. (Did you even know it had changed formats?) I mean, I think I bought a few collector’s editions of some Simpson’s covers (that are god-only-knows-where right now) but for the content? Never. I didn’t like the newsprint pages and the schedule print was too small. All of that said? I am now a TV Guide subscriber. The new format has brought a bunch of great changes that make it much more like Entertainment Weekly by providing a lot of actual news and/or articles. ALL ABOUT TELEVISION. I don’t know if it was that informative before…but I love it now. If you havent checked it out since they started the new format - you totally need to. At least if you’re a TV Junkie like I am.

I do not think I’ve rented a movie since NikkiZ was born. Where I totally keep up with everything television-related, I haven’t seen anything in the world of movies in months. MONTHS. I feel so out of touch. We used to rent movies quite often, but when we curl up at night, we’re too busy catching up on TiVo shows to watch a movie. Have I missed anything good? If we were to go rent something, what shoud we rent?