The Connection Runners

Soup, Salad, the 2012 NYCM Lottery, or Brussels Sprouts?

Want to know how to drive me crazy?

Give me a bunch of decisions to make on the second day of the year, which also happens to be the last day of my 10-day holiday vacation. Add in the fact that I'm super pregnant, can't find a comfortable sitting position, and have to pee every five minutes.

Not sure if this what the experts refer to as "nesting", or if I'm just going plain crazy. I'm going to say it's the latter.

My first dilemma concerns the New York City Marathon lottery.

If you don't know, New York is one of the five marathon majors (along with Chicago, London, Boston, and Berlin) and boasts a 26.2-mile jaunt through NYC's five boroughs. The race draws nearly 100,000 applicants every year, with about 45,000 lottery winners, qualifying time runners, and charity race participants eventually elbowing it out on the course.

Since I'm just average, I won't get in based on fairly rigorous qualifying times (i.e., a 3:23 full or 1:37 half marathon for women), and since I work full-time and will have an infant to dote on, I won't be doing much fundraising for charity (sorry, poor children and those with various ailments - I'll help you out one of these days).

Thus, I'm left with the option of throwing my name in a very large hat today, hoping to be one of the names called on April 27.

Meanwhile, I'll have to put any other fall marathon registrations on hold, possibly missing out on great alternatives like Marine Corps or Chicago. I'll also be committing some welfare fraud in order to front the $266 NYC entry fee in addition to airfare and hotel. (Just kidding, welfare police. Oh wait, welfare police don't exist. I forgot.)

But... it's freaking New York, right? What's a girl to do?

My other dilemma, while vaguely important, pales in comparison to my NYCM drama. It has to do with frozen vegetables.

Yeah, both of those. Today, I attempted to make a final grocery store sweep before the little one arrives. Limping around Meijer (our local grocery chain here in MI), I tried to scoop up every last thing I thought our house and fridge needs.

And then, I had a momentary freakout in the frozen foods aisle over these guys.

(source)

I recently discovered that I kind of like brussels sprouts, but my brain went all A Beautiful Mind on me as I debated whether to buy them or not.

Voice 1: "Oh, look. These brussels sprouts are on sale. I should try them."
Voice 2: "Wait. Hmm. What if they're gross? What if I waste $1.50 on this package of frozen vegetables?"
Voice 1: "Just give it a shot. What's there to lose?"
Voice 2: "But if you hate them, you'll want to try something else but by then there'll be NO TIME in your life to try new things."
Voice 1: "Shut up, Voice 2. You're such a hater."
Voice 2: "I'm not a hater. I'm just a realist. Word."

The exciting conclusion to this story: I didn't buy them.

The moral of today: A $255+ marathon racecation or a $1.50's worth of frozen veggies. Either one is enough to induce a minor panic attack in a 38-weeks pregnant lady and yield this blog post.

I just can't stand to turn out like Peter Griffin, though.

Regret's a bitch.

Do you get the soup or salad at a restaurant?
How do you go about making other monumental decisions?