"Yes. I'm foolish and I'm funny and I'm needy. Am I needy?"

Taper time! We're nearing the date of Ironman Wisconsin, and here I am, decreasing my training volume, catching up on sleep, eating, dealing with personal affairs, and beginning preparation for the execution of my Ironman plan.  Might seem complicated, but really, to the Unencumbered Woman, it's just another excuse for fun and games.  Yesterday delivered a fantastic massage from the masterful hands of Debra, who's been working on me for at least eight years.  It was hot as anything on my ride to and from the appointment, and as I rode through the lush suburbia of River Forest, I was on the lookout, as always, for something interesting.  LF, you might realize that I don't say a lot about River Forest, but the place is not only a spectacular glimpse at Suburban Grandeur vis-a-vis early twentieth century estate homes, but the abundant mid-century homes are jaw-dropping.  In my time here in the midwest, we've lost many of these homes to tear-downs, but there are still oodles of these homes that I simply adore.  Everything from custom made architectural streamline gems to Jetsonian midcentury modern to sprawling sixties ranches that offer so much to the imaginative, creative soul.

south beach aqua trim, beamed ceilings, slab foundation, white brick, paneled windows and more, if only we could get in for a look-see!

Taper time is always a great opportunity to organize a room or two, and to work on abandoned projects.  Today, we're looking at the "world's longest sock".

the world's longest sock...ok...someday to be the world's longest sock.

I've also made time in my hectic week to make sure that I have a lie-down space on my front porch/office/yarn goddess room.  It's took me a while to figure this one out, legs have been hanging off that sad little love seat for far too long.  Taper time? Fix it, goddamn!!!

chair plus love seat?  equals suitable lie-down couch. yes!

Finally, Addie and I finish our shared endeavor of the summer. All three seasons of the pathetically hilarious Arrested Development.  I'm not going to bother to defend my love of this 2005 TV show. If nothing else, LF, it'll give everybody something to say when they point to me, and say, "she wasn't so politically correct, after all, was she!" 

When prompted, Addie admits that of all the characters, she thinks that I'm most like Lucille Bluth.

It's fun to meet the adolescent at adolescence. So we've slumped on the couch all summer, going through each outrageous episode together.  She laughs out loud just about as much as when she watches Portlandia (hardly ever), but I nudge her every few moments and beg her to laugh out loud.  She always replies, "Mom, I think it's funny, I just don't like to laugh." And so it goes. My child, in utter control. Me, a wimpy, adolescent parent playing at being the one who knows what she's doing.

Now there's a great send-off for my final week of Ironman taper.  This will be the eighth time I've ponied up for a race of this distance, and as much as ever, beneath it all, it seems a juvenile pursuit which could just as easily deliver total humiliation as it could deliver total Jutzpah or even physical harm.  I dug around for a Lucille Bluth quote that might sum things up for me, but really, the gal's a bitch and I'm not like her.  Truly, however, my favorite character and all time Diva Liza Minelli is Lucille2 and here's what I found from her script:

 "Yes. I'm foolish and I'm funny and I'm needy. Am I needy?"

Read more tv spoilers at: http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/characters/lucille-austero/#ixzz25GaAKagt