The President's Power

This is one scathing, powerful editorial countering the despicable investigation by the Department of Justice's OPR into John Yoo.

Rank bias and sheer incompetence infused OPR's investigation. OPR attorneys, for example, omitted a number of precedents that squarely supported the approach in the memoranda and undermined OPR's preferred outcome. They declared that no Americans have a right of self-defense against a criminal prosecution, not even when they or their government agents attempt to stop terrorist attacks on the United States. OPR claimed that Congress enjoyed full authority over wartime strategy and tactics, despite decades of Justice Department opinions and practice defending the president's commander-in-chief power. They accused us of violating ethical standards without ever defining them. They concocted bizarre conspiracy theories about which they never asked us, and for which they had no evidence, even though we both patiently—and with no legal obligation to do so—sat through days of questioning.

OPR's investigation was so biased, so flawed, and so beneath the Justice Department's own standards that last week the department's ranking civil servant and senior ethicist, David Margolis, completely rejected its recommendations.

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago, Andrea emailed me at work and asked if I had plans. I said no. Donna had just moved, started dating husband to be, and I was lonely. I had gone up to NYC the previous weekend and was surrounded by happy hours. I was lonely.

So I said yes, went to Dave & Buster's, and the rest as they say is history. It took a while, which is why it is called history. Fate or happenstance or chance who knows. Maybe I would have met someone else and had two kids by now. Or maybe I would still be single and bitter. Who knows.

A lot can change in ten years, the week before your 24th birthday or the week before your 34th birthday. And a lot can stay the same, too.

Hungry Girl II

I have been starving all week. I think the fact that I actually have snack food after a quality grocery store visit does not help this matter. Nor does the fact that I keep exercising even though I feel just a tad burnt out. Sigh. I guess my body needs the extra calories but I need to stop snacking on nuts, peanut butter puffins, larabars, and granola bars. And have a big serving of veggies tomorrow.

I also need to cook. Being gone Saturday does not help, but at least I'll be able to salvage the rest of the weekend. And then it will be March!

The Olympics

The Olympics are almost 3/4 of the way through, and I definitely got a bit more sucked into watching this year than I thought I would. Last night was the ice dancing competition, with gold & silver taken by two couples who train in Canton, Michigan.

They both appeared so genuinely happy for each other. Quite the contrast from last week's men's competition when the Russian looked mighty peeved that Evan Lysacek "stole" the gold from him. And of course, it is so nice the Americans were natives of Michigan, too!

This past week also marked the thirtieth anniversary of the 1980 USA Gold winning game. And you forget, they beat the Soviets in the second-from-last game. They had to beat the Finns to take the gold. The advice was to win that gold, because not winning it would define them and they'd never live it down. Will the Americans take the gold again this year? It's a different kind of team, since it's not a bunch of nobodies, but NHL stars...but wouldn't it still be nice?

Hungry Girl

So sixteen miles of running=very hungry girl today. I have been a bottomless pit. Eating fluffy food, too! Peanut butter puffins. Pirate's booty. Larabar. Banana. Pizza. Salad. Oh man am I hungry. And thirsty. I should have had a latte. Not just tea and coffee. And tired.

It's a Monday thing. Or I did too much running this weekend thing. That is the most annoying thing about all of those so-called healthy living bloggers. Most of the biggest runners must lie about their appetites, b/c I never see them ravenous hungry a day after running 26 miles or whatever. I can't stop eating! I am all about pasta tonight.

Lots of puffy pasta.

Two-A-Day

After my massive ten miler yesterday, I wasn't quite sure how sore I'd be today. I slept, yeah, and I had an itch to run. We stayed at the Hyatt last night for S's job, so I jumped on the treadmill and ran a 5K.

It was fine--I paced 6.5mph+, but I wasn't feeling it. So tonight I went for a two-a-day after the meet up with the designer. I did an "easy" 3 miler around the usual route, and in two days, I ran about 16 miles. Yeah.

The question is: Do I brave the Results parking lot tomorrow night? I miss my evening runs! If the weather is lousy as predicted, I use tomorrow as a rest day. Which is probably needed.

BTW tomorrow, UGH.

Ten Mile Run

Well, despite about two or three hours of sleep, I managed to hit the mall for about a ten mile run this morning. I was slowed down at times by the ice/snow, but I managed. Down Maryland, past the Capitol to the Washington Monument, to the Lincoln Monument, around to the Jefferson and FDR Monuments, and past Washington again, to the Capitol, down Constitution Avenue and home. Whew. Sore sore sore. I am a bit hungry now but I hope to indulge later!

The half is four weeks from today, and I hope I can be ready for it. I am intimidated by the distance, but today felt very reassuring, especially since I wasn't so rested. I think I will do one longer run in two weeks, hopefully hydrate better than H20, and bring some energy along with me. I easily burned 1200 calories, yikes!

TGIF

What I am looking forward to this weekend:

Target!
Grocery shopping!
Mall!
Reading!
Wine!
Running!!!!

A little snow really makes you realize what you're missing, huh?

Lunchtime Workout

So for the first time ever, I headed over to the nearby Results to get my run on at lunch time. Usually, the prospect of getting a good run in and showering and re-applying is a bit daunting, but in light of the mounds and mounds of snow, the lack of daylight, and the inability to drive to the gym, I needed to get a run on!

I did about 5.1 miles in 48 minutes in. Did the 5 miles in 46-ish minutes and then cooled down. It was great, though it definitely took a little while to get properly warmed up. Like twenty minutes, then I was rarin' to go. Five miles is good. I NEED to get a good long run in on Saturday morning. Preferably outdoors. Hopefully these 40 degrees days stick around, and any threat of snow disappears permanently for 2010.

I think I should commit to at least one lunch time workout a week. It does free up my evening time. And if I can make it a few more weeks, it'll be daylight savings time. And I can get an occasional morning run in.

Ash Wednesday

I admit it; I skipped church today. I am just not a big fan of the Ash Wednesday service. I guess it creeps me out a bit. I like to avoid it, and I used going to the DMV as an excuse.

Though I find Lent a powerful time, and so much different than Advent, which is anticipation and celebration. Lent is waiting, and it's about prayer and sacrifice and repentance and forgiveness.

I don't do such a good job with the giving things up thing. A year ago, I tried to commit myself to prayer, and now I almost always say the four prayer of childhood when I am laying in bed. For a few moments every day, I would want to commit and pray for someone not myself.

That being said, I'd like to try and commit to praying every morning, if I can. While I walk to work, or shower, or in those moments before leaving the bed. I am not sure if I can keep to that commitment, I would like to try.