The run above may not look like much, but HOO DAMN it kicked my ass this morning. A couple of decent hills coupled with 80 degree weather was enough to make me want to stop mid-run, sit on a curb, and whine until someone gave me a ride home. My reward for not stopping was around Aloha and Federal, where I crested the hill and could see down past Seattle Center into the sparkling Puget Sound and the majestic Olympic Mountains. Needless to say, the rest was a breeze…

I promise I won’t normally document my runs here. You all come here for my trademark snark (or massive failure thereof), not lame running shit, but I was proud for running a long distance on a difficult route.

If you are in Seattle, have a happy Pride Weekend.

So, remember way back in March when I had my RBFPA day? Well, I do. That day sucked. Balls.

The one good thing that came of that whole experience was a renewed dedication to myself - or rather, my body. Since then I’ve been a lot better about what I eat, making sure I get my body moving, and taking care of my mind.

Part of this project of making myself better involved setting up a running goal around mid-April. Why running? Well, partly because I kept using my lack of stamina as an excuse to push off joining a soccer league. I do miss those muddy, shin-aching, ball-kicking evenings of team sports. But mostly because it’s something that is really hard for me to do. I’ve always been more of a sprinting type since I was a wee lass. In April, running a 5k distance without stopping seemed akin to asking me to do a standing back handspring while balancing a pint of Fuller’s on my head.

Funny thing happened though - I actually accomplished this goal last Friday. To celebrate, I committed myself to a weekend of debauchery, including copious amounts of beer drinking, not counting calories, and other unmentionable sins (*cough*).

So now I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with myself. I thought about doing a triathlon. The biggest obstacle for dedicating myself to that goal are the dickwads on Craigslist who don’t answer emails about their bikes for sale. Now my newest goal is to extend my running distance to 10k. In a month. It’s for a good cause though.

I’ve registered for the Swedish Summer Run, and you should join me. You can do a 5k walk, 5k run, or 10k run. It’s for a good cause (ovarian cancer, which my Mom died of, so it’s pretty personal to me) and you can see me sweaty and gross, which may or may not be a bonus.

Also, because I’m hitting a motivation wall, I’ve set up a private list on my livejournal account to track my workouts and my macros, which will help keep me accountable for what I’m doing and putting into my body. If you are a voyeur like I am, you may be interested in all my silly statistics. I know I find other people’s similar updates informative and interesting, and maybe I can provide the same. If you want to be on the list, let me know.

Yup, that’s the sound of tumbleweeds floating across this dry, desolate land that is my blog. It’s been a bit on purpose. Sorry about that.

I’ve been busy learning more about Denmark in preparation for my Fall quarter abroad, reading deliciously bad fiction to make up for the six straight months of academic literature, enjoying the sunshine, and chasing evil blues away.

Part of this therapeutic moment for me has involved listening to A LOT of Mirah. I’ve always has such a crush on her. She reminds me of sunshine and parks and the grass and the sun. I figured it is only appropriate that I share her with you.

I’m sad the video quality sucks. But there aren’t a whole lot of ways you can both see and hear such cuteness on the internets. Either way, enjoy!

The most challenging, rewarding class I’ve taken in a long time is “Media, Society, and Political Identity”. We’ve been grappling with issues I’ve been mulling over for years, and it’s been both challenging and frustrating to encounter differing opinions and reading academic literature dealing with how changes in the media have shifted global politics. But my intention is not to advertise for the class. This video might convince you in ways that I cannot…

Yup, my classmates did it. Whereas my group failed pretty miserably with the video assignment (which was to create a video with a political message - thats it), these people really made it something exciting and inspiring. If you do like it, go to the YouTube page and vote for it. They get some extra credit, which I feel is totally deserved.

Watch the whole ending. Thank me later.

Sitting on a bar patio Friday night, feeling the cooling evening breeze soothing my sunburned skin while being surrounded by friends I haven’t seen in a while, I felt a lifting sensation. I looked around, trying to pinpoint what was going on. And then I realized it was happening internally. As my soul lifted, a smile came from inside, and I felt truly happy.

Yes, it’s totally hokey. But the sun coming out of hiding was the catalyst I was waiting for - this shifting mood, the sensation of heat spreading across my skin, this low buzz in the air - it’s really the stuff I live for.

While the sun has gone back into hiding, this weekend should be as awesome. It’s Dylan’s birthday on Sunday, which is also the day of the d.iscontent show at the Baltic Room. So all you Seattle people sticking around for the holiday weekend should come to the show. I’ll be busy playing label photographer, but I’ll totally give you a high-five for coming out.

1. Indecency laws are not only vague and archaic, but confusing in what others consider ‘patently offensive’.

2. Getting a proper pair of running pants does wonders to ones self-esteem. In that you don’t have to worry about people look at your sweaty body and any evidence that may be showing…er…through.

3. I need more sleep, lest I get grouchy.

4. Coordinating schedules of three musicians and three full-time UW students is impossible.

5. My political beliefs and needs are best represented by soft power. Cultural exchanges FTW.

6. Immigration detention centers are not only privately-owned, but they also have no regulations. So, no food, no medical care? Sorry buddy, should’ve thought about that before deciding to legally immigrate to the US of A. What, we promised you due process? Well, sheeeeet.

Okay kids, back off to fight the good battle (get through the next few weeks of lecture). Then summer break! Then Denmark! I can SO do this.

Go ahead, click the link. I’ll wait here.

No really, go follow the link. Just make sure you come back.

Okay, now you may be asking why I made you go to Amazon.com. See that book cover?  Go ahead, look at it again. On that cover is one of my photographs. So, if you put two and two together, that means I got paid for my photography. Rad, right?

This is the original, taken while I was in Paris last year.

I guess my photo blog finally paid off. Oh, special thanks to the VIP’s who helped me get an invoice together and figure out license agreements in a rush. You people are my rock.

Feliz cumpleanos hermanito.

And to the rest of you, drink one for me tomorrow.

The sun started to shine in the most amazing way yesterday afternoon as a group of us weaved down a path to a park in the Central District acting as the beginning point in the 4 mile march. The group I traveled with, partly composed of my compatriots heading to Denmark and the other being a Queer rights group on campus, made it to the grass field at Judkins Park and I started to take it all in: the signs, the families, the smiles, the speeches.

Once the march started, I was surprised by the cheering supports from the side. I saw people from all kinds of groups - Asian rights, Human Rights advocates, and even the Women in Black. It was inspiring to see such a large group of people from different backgrounds coming together to support immigrant and labor rights.

As we weaved through downtown I started to pay attention to the nation branding going on around me. We’re currently studying the American brand in my Political Science/Communications class, and I was fascinated by how the different countries were being marketed during the march. Ranging from Mexican, American, and El Salvadorian, (and one sole Che flag) flags to the handwritten signs being used, it all was all contributing to these imagined places. I started to grapple with these images and what they communicate about the countries. What does it mean to be Mexican? What does it mean to be American?

Outside of some newspaper photographers along the route, there was very little media on the ground. There were several news helicopters following us, but I saw only one television camera interviewing people on the ground. The station was Univision, of course. This realization left me evaluating the media story converging with the marketing story - sure, you can have a diverse, engaged, and mobilized group of people marching for equal rights, but if no one cares about the message (and only cares about their interrupted evening commute) is it effective? And if the media keeps a hand-off approach - leading to no message transmission - what is the point? What does this lack of ground coverage imply about the media?

I have decided to push these cynical thoughts to the backburner. I enjoyed celebrating at Seattle Center, watching the Aztecan dancers, smiling at the kids, and basking in the sun. I’d like to think that solidarity and support of the march can only lead to good, and if nothing else I spent the afternoon with some awesome people, being engaged, and taking a nice stroll through downtown Seattle. I suppose that is what being a citizen is all about, right?