Hola

Yes, well. It's been a long time since I last posted.

There should be some great reason for it. But there isn't. I've been busy coaching. I've been busy parenting. I've been busy training. I've been busy playing with and walking and not training my dogs. I've been busy reading... some books with literary merit, some books with little; I've been busy cruising Facebook. I've been busy cleaning this shit hole of a house.

Oh wait... scratch that last one. I guess I haven't been doing too much cleaning--that would be why this place is a shit hole.  We even have rodents. I discovered a mouse taking up lodging in the dog food container. The little dude scared the piss out of me. He looked at me with those pools of big black, innocent eyes....and I screeched.

Since I have taken such a long blogging hiatus,  I feel it important that I provide a truly insightful, interesting, illuminating post.  Alas, I'm not sure I'm capable of doing so. My tiny brain appears to be vacant, even in its far reaches.

One thing on the busyness front: I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time preparing. I prepare lunches, I prepare meals, I prepare for my workouts, I prepare for the breakfast the evening before... If I added the time I spend each day in preparation, I believe the amount would be shocking to both you and me.

Add to this that I believe I might have a slight OCD issue going on with certain types of planning.

For example, I could go out Saturday night (let's just pretend for a moment that actually ever happens) get completely lit, arrive home at 3 am stumbling, and I guarentee I would still set up the coffee machine so all I have to do is press ON in the morning, place my vitamins and other supplements in my cereal bowl, take out a coffee mug and put it next to the coffee machine and the sugar bowl, take out my cereal (Grape-nuts and Go-Lean), my box of golden raisins and a banana, and place them next to the cereal bowl (with vitamins/supplements stored neatly in it).

Exhibit A:

I do this every night. Sometimes I even prepare for breakfast the next day directly after I finish breakfast. I kid you not.

Breakfast preparation is not the only obsessive preparation in my daily existence, either. I must make the kids lunches for the next day as soon as they arrive home. I must lay out what I'm going to wear the next day even though I work from home and wear sweats.
And I spend incredible amounts of time preparing for workouts.

• I get on Gmap pedometer and prepare my route.
• I make the bottles. I make extra bottles just in case.
• I prepare the fuel belt. I put the water and/or sports drink in the little 8 oz flasks and store them in the fridge, and I make sure the fuel belt has the necessary gels in its pocket and is placed next to my running gear.
• I put all bars/gels/food to be taken on route for a ride in a cereal bowl which I place in the cabinet to keep it safe from dogs (and mice).
• I charge the iphone and use an elastic hair band to attach my license and bank card to it
• I lay out every item of clothing I will need, including matching socks.
• I pump my bike tires.
• I put the aero bottle on the bike.
• I put the Garmin computer on the bike.
• I put my gloves and sunglasses in my helmet.
• I place my bike shoes next to my helmet.
• I lay out transition wear including my little Nano and my Garmin and my untied sneakers with fresh socks in them.
• I pack my swim bag making sure I have two clean suits, two fresh towels, my workout written out and stored in a zip-loc bag, my pool ID card, toiletries, a razor, extra caps and goggles (I have about 20 caps so I can always match my cap to my suit) and a gel and water bottle just in case I need it.

Now, lest you think this is just a classic case of OCD, I should point out that this obsessive preparation does not extend to everything in my life. For example, I don't plan my meals except breakfast, and I don't plan my family's meals either. I don't plan when I'm going to the grocery store--I just go when it is clear that the family will soon starve to death if I don't make a trip. I don't plan to go the library, yet I find myself there at least two times a week. I'm often late for appointments, and my system for remembering what I need to do on a daily basis is on a rudimentary desk calendar underneath my computer (this strange and antiquated method left over from my teaching days), and frankly, is not consulted nearly enough.

So why the obsession with preparing for breakfast, what I will wear, my kids' lunches, and workouts?

I think I know the reason. Do you know the reason?
Hint: the reason is not that I am simply obsessed with food and working out (though I am admittedly and obviously obsessed with those things....)

Next post: in which I congratulate you if you figured it out, and I enlighten you if you did not. (And I enlighten you even if you could give a rat's ass... :)