Looking for a Shoulder...

But not for crying.

Did you know you can make yourself car sick? Ok, well YOU might not be able to do that, but I managed to make myself car sick today. I avoided vomiting and heaving when I first woke up this morning (yay), but I had to go to meet a friend for a swim lesson around 10 and didn't fare very well. I had made myself a Vitamix smoothie (sadly, I think you know where it ended up) and I took that with me when I got in the car. I also got myself a little egg sandwich at Pat's Grill up the road to hold me over through the lesson. At $7, it was the most expensive single egg I think I've ever purchased, but I digress.

The road down to the beach is steep and winds around the canyon in switchbacks a few times. Ok, a lot. The speed limit is usually 40, but some parts are 25 and a lot of it doesn't have a shoulder. I figured the no shoulder thing is a problem on two wheels (bicycles, not motorbikes) but I didn't think I would be desperately looking for a spot to pull off the road until today.

Historically, it has been easy for me to get sick in Clint's car, which is a low, sporty vehicle that has what I call superchargers on the back. Nobody needs that kind of power in 20mph LA traffic. I've been sick in my car before, but not while I was driving and certainly not when the car was actually moving. Today was a first. I really thought I could make it to the bottom of the hill-- or at least to the wildflower area where there's ample parking... but I was mistaken.

I will spare you the details, but I would like to recommend the following to all pregnant ladies, no matter how good they feel or what stage of pregnancy they're in:
- Have towels in your car. Both terrycloth and paper towels come in handy. I am lucky, I have a dog and keep one in the car for her too, so I had three towels to choose from today.
- Always have a spare set of clothing - tops and bottoms tucked away somewhere in case you need them.
- Water is good too, so if you have room, leave some bottles of water in the car.
ALL of these things will be useful if you find yourself in the same situation I faced today. Because of my Boy Scout approach to planning, I still made it to the swim lesson. I was late, but I managed to get there after I eventually got myself together after finding the elusive road shoulder I was looking for.

Sleepytime

A few weeks ago, I was told by someone close to me that they didn't know anyone else with so much energy. That was a nice compliment and I thought, I will never be slowed down! I am always busy because I CAN be busy. I have lots to do, short time to do it in, Chop, Chop! (This phrase is credited to Mr. Tim Wyatt, #1 WVa Mountaineer)

Wow! What a difference a few weeks makes. Here I am, having done nothing today except vomit, eat a little, gag a little, go for a walk, do some real eating, watch tv, do some more eating, and watch the Super Bowl, and I'm completely exhausted. I would have gone to bed at 7 if I hadn't felt so nauseous. What's wrong with me?

In addition to the extreme sleepiness, once I am asleep, I cannot remember any of my dreams. Nada. I just enter a big, dark, sleepy place. This isn't so bad, but sometimes it's nice to have dreams. I hear pregnant ladies have great dreams! Where are mine? They're trapped in Sleepytime, never to be found.

One observation I have had about my fatigued/sleepy state is that this must be how old or injured people feel. They want to go do something, but their body won't let them. This, in addition to the nausea, because that's sorta a revolt (and revolting!) thing, are the two toughest parts about the experience so far. As an athlete, and one who doesn't get sick or injured much, I am having a hard time with the this. I'm not really in control anymore. Before, I could do anything! Now I can't. And I certainly can't go up a set of stairs without feeling tired. I think about walking a few miles to the gym (since biking on the street is now out) and I know I could make it, but I get tired thinking about making it back home. Aaaahhh! I'm ready to feel normal again now... only, I know that's not going to be happening for a very, very long time.