My Karmic Debt to Lance Armstrong

In 2005, Lance Armstrong announced that he would try for a 7th Tour de France.  He had won a 6th and implied that was his last.   And then came this announcement.

We took this picture of Lance on our trip

In the spring when the announcement was made, Husband and I were both working for tech companies, and Husband had decided to start grad school in the fall.  I had never been to France.  We were cycling then (because we didn't have kids) and loved watching le Tour at home on TV.

One thing you should know about me is that I'm not spontaneous.  I'm a certified project manager.  I like to budget for things and plan.  So, when I heard the news, my immediate thought was, "We are SO going!"  and this was not like me at all.

Husband at the Col du Solour

We weren't budgeting for a fancy trip to France!  I decided this was not a problem.  I was traveling a lot for my job, so I could get us plane tickets using miles. I had previously worked for a tech company that had gone public.  I had bought out all my vested shares 4 years earlier and as the company wasn't public at the time, I thought I would never see that money again.  And while it wasn't a lot, because I had joined the company so early, it was a 400% return on what I originally spent.  We could cash out and still have an emergency reserve while Husband was in graduate school.

We were about to go down to one income.  We owned a house.  Going to France was a ridiculous decision.

It was the best trip I ever had.

We flew into Paris, took a train to Lourdes, rented a car, and drove across France. We stayed in 5 cities and 6 hotels.  We saw a mountain stage, a start, a finish, the time trial, and the famous final loop at the Champs-Elysee.

I was so sad to come home.  France was wonderful.

Husband went to grad school and everything was fine.

And a few months after I sold all of my stock, the stock was delisted.

At the Champs-Elysee

So, thanks to Lance Armstrong, I had a wonderful trip and cashed out at the right time.  As a result, I feel I owe him a karmic debt, and try to raise money or participate in Livestrong events when I can.

So, I've decided to run the Austin Half Marathon in Feb 2011 as my next event and raise money for the Livestrong Foundation!  I'm obligated to raise $500, but I'm aiming for $1000!   The Livestrong foundation provides support to guide people to through the cancer experience, bring them together to fight cancer, and work for a world in which our fight is no longer necessary.  I hope that you'll support me while I train for my next event!

The Time I (Accidentally) Had Lunch with Presidental Hopeful Rick Perry

In May 2005, Husband and I were newly married, soon headed to stalk Lance Armstrong as he did "last" and 7th Tour de France, and triathletes.  Before I had children, and I had more free time, I did triathlons.  In case you have no idea what's involved, in a triathlon you swim some distance, dry off and get on your bike, then bike a distance, then ditch your bike, and run.  All in a row.  Quickly as you can.

Husband and I decided to do the Rookie triathlon, which was an early in the season event (I generally did the Danskin tri, first week of June, and husband the Capitol of Texas tri, Memorial Day) and a good training ground.  It's slightly shorter than a normal triathlon, and is somewhat small, making it less intimidating.

We've already discussed how I'm a very slow runner.  I'm actually a VERY fast swimmer--in triathlons I'm generally one of the first ones out of the water.  Sadly, swimming is the sport you spend the least amount of time on in a triathlon, so fat lot of good that does me.  I'm a middle of the road biker and hate it as I feel like at any moment I could get hit by a car or fall of the bike.  I mean, if I'm running and I'm worried I'm going to fall over, I just stop.  If I'm biking and think I'm going to fall over, first I'm going to have to detach my shoes WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THE PEDAL and stop the bike, all while trying not to run into anyone else.  

So, husband and I did the race.  I'm not 100% positive that this is the same year that someone swam over me during the swim and I threw up during the bike portion or not.  But that traumatic experience would explain some of the confusion I had later.  After the race, there is free beer and hamburgers, so that's pretty cool.  So, after the race, we got our burgers and sat down with a friend of Husband's named Bob.

Husband and Bob were sitting next to each other at a picnic table and I was sitting across from them.  We were discussing something when a man asked if he could join us.  I scooted over and kept talking.

It took me a couple of minutes to figure it out.  I was babbling on about whatever, and Husband and Bob were acting really odd.  And they were both sitting up straight.

And it suddenly hit me that the man sitting next to me was Governor Rick Perry.

We haven't really discussed politics, but I have a Bachelor's degree in politics.  I'm a yellow dog Democrat and vote straight party Democrat.  Rick Perry is a Republican.  The year he was elected Governor, I realized that Husband was not registered to vote.  I was mortified, and I took him to a Fiesta on the east side of Austin and got him registered.  And what does my husband do with his new found ability to participate in the democratic process?  Votes for Rick Perry and cancels out my vote. "He's an Aggie!" my husband proclaimed.  I was annoyed I had bothered to get him registered at all if he was going to vote wrong.

I can't remember what exactly was going on in the government at the time, but there was some sort of legislative big deal.  In Texas, our state legislature meets every other year for a handful of months.  Giant state, large budget -- all work for 24 months is done in a few of them.  Needless to say, I was on the opposite side of the big deal than Perry.

I should also mention here that I'm an extremely polite person and can make small talk for hours with anyone.  I work as a manager of a software support department, so my entire day is talking to people:  either someone on my team or a client.  I'm great at conferences and expos--I'll sit down next to a stranger and get their entire life story in about 5 minutes.

So, here I am, sitting next to Texas' King of the Republicans.  Part of me wants to get up.  Part of me wants to tell Governor Perry what I think of him.  Part of me is wondering how does he get his hair to look that good?  I mean, the man just did a triathlon and I'm not sure his hair has moved at all.  And part of me just can't be rude.

The nice part won.  I asked him what he did for fun when he wasn't Governing.  He hunts.  So does my husband, so we chatted about that for a while.  It was his first triathlon.  I recommended he get some EZ laces to cut time off during his transition (which is advice the man frankly didn't need as he placed first in his age group.)

Husband was practically falling off the bench with glee, as pictures are being taken of our Governor talking with the plain folk, his Democratic wife.  Fortunately for me, the pictures never surfaced

Why I Would Make a Bad Reality Star

My employer has a set of company awards every year.  For the sake of this post, we'll call them the Dundies.  There are between 5-10 of them, and employees nominate their peers for the awards  They are presented at the company party and it's a big deal.

Two years ago, our office manager called me and said that one of the persons I nominated was selected for an award and they would like to tape me talking about them for these videos they show during the awards.  I was very excited and of course I said yes!  She told me that my boss had won the award and they would like me to say a few things.

I was a month away from having my son at the time and tried in vain to find something that would look nice on camera that morning.  At the appointed taping time, I waddled down to where the video was happening, got "miked", and sat in the chair you sit in for the taping.  It was me, a cameraman, and a producer.

The producer asked me why I had nominated my boss, who we'll call Michael Scott (not her real name . . . . and my boss is a woman).  "Oh, she's great!" I said.

Cutting me off, the producer said, "Oh, we need you to say her name."

Me:  "Oh.  Michael Scott is great! . . . . . I'm sorry, what was the question?"

Producer:  "Why did you nominate Michael?"

Me:  "Oh, she's great!"

This went on and on in pretty much the same manner for about 20 minutes.  Now, I have done presentations to audiences of 100 people or more and not once fumbled.  Two guys, a camera, and a microphone and I was a complete idiot.  I was mortified and extremely apologetic.  The producer reassured me that they would hardly use any of it, and that my boss' boss had just been in and did wonderfully and they'd probably use all of his instead, which didn't make me feel better AT ALL.

So this happened on a Tuesday.  I really, really hate watching myself on camera.  I have an extremely annoying voice.  And so I was really kicking myself FOR FIVE DAYS that I had agreed to any of this.  And, I couldn't share it with anyone since the whole Dundie thing is supposed to be a surprise!

The day of the company party, my husband and I got there early.  I had been nominated for Dundies the previous two years and since I had switched jobs in the last year into management, I assumed I wasn't going to be nominated, so I wasn't worried about that--but I was still very freaked out about watching myself on camera.  My friend, who we'll call Pam, also got to the party early.  I had totally lost my cool at that point, and told her that one of my nominees had been selected (without telling her who) and that I didn't want to see myself on film since I had done such a crummy job being interviewed.  She said the same thing had happened to her!

And when they showed her video, she was talking about me--I had won a Dundie!

And the sound was really bad during my boss' video and no one really noticed me on camera at all.

This year, when I did my nominations, I did not include my name so I could not be contacted for taping. So imagine my horror when the office manager called me on Tuesday before the party with this intro, "Hey, you know the Dundies and how we do those videos?"

Me:  "Um, yeah?"

OM:  "Do you have your Dundie in your office?"

Me:  "Yes. .  . ."

OM:  "Can we borrow it for the videos?"

Me, relieved:  "Oh!  Yes!"

And that is why I would make a bad reality star:  I would be terrible at the interviews they show to explain clips and provide commentary.