The other morning at the gym, there was one open eliptical machine.  No one was using it, there was a bottle of water in the pocket, but after about 7 or 8 minutes, it was still open, so I jumped off the treadmill and stepped on.  Then, out of no where, jumped out this woman in her 40s, who said, "oh, that is mine."  Then she tapped on the water bottle as some sort of proof.  I was more flustered about her jumping out in front of me than about the situation, so that would have been fine.  But then she added something along the line of "well sorry I was here first," in the most insincere and in-your-face tone.

The first reply popped out of my head was, "No problem, you probably need it more than I do."  I stopped myself from blurting it out.  When did I get so freakin' mean?  Still, I ocillated between feeling really bad about even thinking of attacking someone in this backhanded way and really wishing that I had said it all day.  Then, I'd feel worse because not only did I think of saying it, I still wished that I had said it.  No remorse for the mean spirit.

Once upon a time, I was a nice girl who gave up her seat everytime on the crowded buses of Beijing.  Now I would resort to dirty means to settle a gym machine dispute.  That is pretty low...

I am debt free!!!!  As of this morning (or more like 48 hours from now when the check hits), I have repaid all my college loans, principal and interest.  It's a great feeling and came much sooner than I had anticipated. 

It had always been important to me that I pay off the loan myself.  Mom and Dad had offered to get it off my shoulders and get interest free payment from me in return, I couldn't let them.  For a couple who started their lives in the States in their early 40s, their retirement fund had already been disproportionally burdened with my education and the pricy tag that came with it.  It may have been what they considered to be their best investment, and I wouldn't have traded my college experience for anything, still, it is not hard to argue that the cost difference between a Dartmouth education (even at one third to one half the price tag) and a stipend-paid full ride at Wash U. is not covered by the incremental tangible return.  The intangibles make up the most memorable part of my four years and are worth every penny of that twenty some thousand dollars in loans, 11 terms of work study, and all those off-term paychecks that went straight to the bursar.

This is beginning to sound a little too sappy.  My life has not been filled with hardships, it has been just the opposite.  I didn't finance 100% of my college education, as a handful of my friends did, and I have well paid job that let me pay the debt down little by little.  Besides, nothing has materially changed today, as I have always been determined to hold my end of the (expensive) decision I had made 6 some years ago (it's been that long?).  Yet having actually written that check, it feels like mission accomplished, and that makes me smile. 

My parents would certainly think twice about being so supportive my choices if they'd know that part of the intangible incremental return of my "education" included streaking the green.

Just got Nora's baby pix (well, Midori Elta Fitzgerald's baby pix) via blitz.  She's such a gorgeous baby, and we have the same birthday!  There has been an influx of babies and births lately, so much that I don't anyone working in an office that hasn't seen a few pregnancies.  Still, instead of getting old, looking at newborn pictures makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Somebody's biological clock's ticking?

I spent yesterday morning at Paragon Sports doing due dilligence for a potential investment, then stayed around for another hour browsing around.  Going to sporting/outdoors stores gets me pretty high, not as high as actually being outside, obviously.  I am going to try to milk a couple trips to Utah and Jackson Holes out of this deal, with the hope of being able to stay behind and backpack a couple days afterwards.  In the meantime, Tent 'n Trails is up next week. 

Speaking of being sports, maybe i should pick up extreme ironing while i am stuck in the city.