In the last week, I have had two dreams that involve Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin.
Both dreams have to do with an interview and a segment of debate.
I have written down as much of the details of these dreams as I could recall, for your amusement.
Following is the first installment:
INTERVIEW
Rachael Maddow MSNBC:
As we just saw in this video clip of you speaking at your church, you said that the American troops were on "a mission of God". Do you really believe that? And if so, why?
Governor Palin:
I believe that the effort of our brave soldiers to free the Iraqi people from a tyrant and totalitarian regime is a method that God can use to help open Iraqi society to more modern influences. Influences that can help the Iraqi people gain...
Rachael Maddow:
But how is that a mission from God?
Governor Palin:
I believe God wants all people to be free to live as they want to. Free to work where they want, go to school where they want, worship where ...
Rachael Maddow:
But the people of Iraq already have a religion. Isn't the intervention of the United States in their country forcing something on them that they do not want?
Governor Palin:
No. The only thing we forced on anyone was on the corrupt government of Saddam Hussein when we removed them from power. Now the Iraqi people are free to ...
Rachael Maddow:
Well, okay, back to the comments you made in your church. With such strong personal religious beliefs, do you believe in the separation of church and state?
Governor Palin:
Yes, I do. That is part of our history and it is part of our culture.
Rachael Maddow:
Well, some would argue that such strong personal religious beliefs could keep you from governing in a way that was equitable and fair to all people, especially those with beliefs different from yours. For instance, your anti-abortion stand limits the choices of women who become pregnant as the result of a rape.
Governor Palin:
I have a record as a mayor and a governor that demonstrates that I can work with all kinds of people and work for them as well. Taking a position in defense of the unborn is a moral choice that sometimes has difficult consequences. But the woman who has experienced a sexual assault, as traumatic as that is, is not facing certain death, just a few months of inconvenience. The baby, on the other hand, if facing certain death, if abortion is the ...
Rachael Maddow:
But, Governor, some would say that such strong positions on morality because of your personal religious beliefs forces those moral beliefs on many who may not accept those religious beliefs.
Governor Palin:
That would be true no matter what moral code was used to pattern our laws. But law, almost by definition, is a moral code. So there has to be some basis for our ...
Rachael Maddow:
But what do you say to the many people in America who do not agree with your religious beliefs and who do not agree with many of your political positions that are based on those beliefs?
Governor Palin:
I say to all Americans, you need to examine your choices before you, and choose the party and the ticket that will move this country beyond the business-as-usual pattern that has been in place for the last twenty years or so. I understand that not everyone will agree with me on every issue, but a presidency of John McCain will change how ...
Rachael Maddow:
But, Governor, don't you think that most Americans are uncomfortable with a candidate that has religious views that differ from their own?
Governor Palin:
I that depends on the candidate and the religion. I haven't found any opposition to my religion in Alaska when I ran for mayor or governor.
Rachael Maddow:
So are you saying that your strong religious beliefs will not affect your policy decisions?
Governor Palin:
No, I am not saying that. What good is personal religious beliefs if they have no effect on your day to day life? I am saying that my personal religious beliefs will guide me to make good policy decisions that will benefit the American people.
Rachael Maddow:
But, Governor, many Americans do not share your personal religious beliefs. Many of them are uncomfortable supporting a candidate with religious beliefs that are so different from theirs.
Governor Palin:
Are you suggesting that the only person suitable for public office is an atheist?
Rachael Maddow:
Of course not, I just ...
Governor Palin:
...Is the only value of religion to fill in a slot on a resume?
Rachael Maddow:
No, but, Governor ...
Governor Palin:
...Does the possibility of someone being offended by one's personal religious beliefs mean those beliefs must be ignored?
Rachael Maddow:
No, I am just asking you how you are going to address the concerns of many Americans who do not share your strong personal religious beliefs.
Governor Palin:
I am going to address those concerns by being consistent with my well-documented moral principles, and will govern with fairness and impartiality, just like I have as a mayor of a small town and I have as Governor of Alaska.
Rachael Maddow:
Well, moving on ....
..............................
More later....
.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Wedding Fotos on Photobucket
Here they tiz....
http://s394.photobucket.com/albums/pp23/Steev45/Josh%20n%20Teesh%20Wedding/
Hope the link works....
Okay, I checked this out and you can get to Photobucket with a copy, paste of the link into the URL address field.
That is not the slick link thingy I was wanting/expecting, but it will have to do for now.
But I am new at this.
If you want to look at the slide show, you can select that at Photobucket (it worked for me...).
There are several of these pictures that are too blurry (caused by dim light, shooting with telephoto lens, moving the camera, etc.) to suit my taste and so were not posted by me here, but are included at Photbucket.
http://s394.photobucket.com/albums/pp23/Steev45/Josh%20n%20Teesh%20Wedding/
Hope the link works....
Okay, I checked this out and you can get to Photobucket with a copy, paste of the link into the URL address field.
That is not the slick link thingy I was wanting/expecting, but it will have to do for now.
But I am new at this.
If you want to look at the slide show, you can select that at Photobucket (it worked for me...).
There are several of these pictures that are too blurry (caused by dim light, shooting with telephoto lens, moving the camera, etc.) to suit my taste and so were not posted by me here, but are included at Photbucket.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
DON'T BLINK 2
The posting by BasfsoGp got me to thinking about the general subject of "transitions".
Specifically, the growing up of one's children.
There are several songs about the subject.
The most recent is Don't Blink.
But there are several others written several years ago.
One of them has been recycled as a video about going away to war here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnI9pq60PX4
The song is "Watercolor Ponies" by Wayne Watson.
Here are the words of two more -
"Somewhere In The World Tonight" by Wayne Watson
Somewhere in the world today
A little girl will go out ot play
All dressed up in mama's clothes
At least the way that I suppose it goes
Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She'll be prayin' from a tender heart
A simple prayer that's a work of art
And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus baby wherever you are
Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl's learnin' how to care
She's pickin' up her mamas charms
Or maybe, swigin' around in her daddy's arms
Somewhere in the world to be
Through the future's not real clear to me
Theirs could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above
And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus, baby wherever you are
And a song from the 70's, "Where Are You Going" -
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
turn around and you're four,
Turn around, you're a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young girl going out of my door.
Where are you going, my little one, little one?
Dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you're tiny,
turn around and you're grown,
Turn around, you're a young wife
with babes of your own.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young wife
with babes of your own.
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my darling, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
turn around and you're four,
Turn around, you're a young boy going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young boy going out of my door.
And here are four more piktures from/about the wedding.
.jpg)
For BasfsoGp, here is a couple of shots to provide some perspective on how the closeup shot looked in the room.
It was quite dark for photography.
.jpg)
Here is another "perspective" shot of the two little munchkins.
Just for the record, here is the printed program.
And here is the inside of the program.
.
Specifically, the growing up of one's children.
There are several songs about the subject.
The most recent is Don't Blink.
But there are several others written several years ago.
One of them has been recycled as a video about going away to war here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnI9pq60PX4
The song is "Watercolor Ponies" by Wayne Watson.
Here are the words of two more -
"Somewhere In The World Tonight" by Wayne Watson
Somewhere in the world today
A little girl will go out ot play
All dressed up in mama's clothes
At least the way that I suppose it goes
Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She'll be prayin' from a tender heart
A simple prayer that's a work of art
And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus baby wherever you are
Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl's learnin' how to care
She's pickin' up her mamas charms
Or maybe, swigin' around in her daddy's arms
Somewhere in the world to be
Through the future's not real clear to me
Theirs could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above
And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus, baby wherever you are
And a song from the 70's, "Where Are You Going" -
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
turn around and you're four,
Turn around, you're a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young girl going out of my door.
Where are you going, my little one, little one?
Dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you're tiny,
turn around and you're grown,
Turn around, you're a young wife
with babes of your own.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young wife
with babes of your own.
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my darling, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
turn around and you're four,
Turn around, you're a young boy going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around, you're a young boy going out of my door.
And here are four more piktures from/about the wedding.
.jpg)
For BasfsoGp, here is a couple of shots to provide some perspective on how the closeup shot looked in the room.
It was quite dark for photography.
.jpg)
Here is another "perspective" shot of the two little munchkins.
Just for the record, here is the printed program.
And here is the inside of the program.
.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
And Mo Pichahs
.
.
.
.
I have more pictures (see? I do know how to spel it.) but they are mostly pictures of the rehearsal dinner setup and odd candid shots.
I will be glad to post them is there is any interest.
Otherwise, they will remain for family distrubution.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Mor Pichers and Sum Thots
.jpg)
THE RUN...
... went surprisingly well.
I was tired from all the festivities on Thursday and Friday.
Plus, I did some work on the walls in my house patching the remaining holes in them.
I felt tired when I woke up but was determined to go the long course (barring any semi-catastrophic physical issues).
And I did.
My breathing, which is my gage to how strong/well I am/feel was right on the verge of level three rapidity after mile one (not a good sign).
But I was set on going the long distance (such as it is these days).
So I just settled in to loving the more rapid respiration rate.
The governing thot being "this is normal".
And I was reminded of my racing days when, in order to achieve good (as in, low) clock numbers, I learned that I had to push myself into rapid breathing after the first quarter mile of a 5K race.
So, I settled in to the pattern and made peace with it.
It is not my favorite way to go, but it is survivable.
And to my surprise, I was able to produce a bit of a sprint for the last fifty yards or so.
I was happee.
AFTER THE RUN
After my run Saturday morning, I found myself in a melancholy mood.
Upon reflection, I decided that it was the result of a combination of things.
One - My little Josh is now a man.
(Actually, he was before Friday but part of me was not taking that in.)
While part of my brain "knew" that, I realized that emotionally I have not embraced that fact.
So now it is time for dad to grow up and get a grip on reality.
I hate it when I have to do that.
Two - it was nice to be around the saints of Morgan City again.
After spending thirty years with a group of people it is not easy to leave that environment.
And seeing/visiting with them again was nice.
And it was troubling.
Many of them were teenagers - or less - when I last saw them.
Now, many of those same "kids" are married with babies of their own.
That makes me feel old.
And I realized I missed these folks.
And some of you may be thinking, this "problem" is self-induced.
To which I say, yes, at least to some extent.
But life takes some turns sometimes that cannot be anticipated.
And once some events take place (or decisions are made and acted upon) you cannot go back and start over.
And even if we tried, "things" will never be as if those events/decisions were never made.
So we are left with "things" in an altered state - maybe not as we wish them to be.
So there was that.
But it was a happy time.
And I pray that Josh and Tesia will live happily ever after...
.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Mo Pichas
I took over 100 pictures so it will take a while to get them all posted.
Here is the link to the professional site -
http://www.amberfordphoto.com/JoshTesia/index.html
Somehow, theirs turned out better than mine.
In spite of that, I will continue to post my pictures for the next few days.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
MANY NEWSES
RUNNAGE
The Saturday session was a bit of a tussle.
I am not sure why.
I may have been "sick". (or it may have been too much late-night viewing of REAL athletes on the Olympics.)
Several times a year some un-named and unwelcome invasion will come to visit me, but will have insufficient resources to overpower my immune system.
The resulting malady will be of such low magnitude that I will hardly notice that anything is going on.
It will only manifest itself as slightly sub-par performance during one of my workouts for a day or two or three.
The weather was sub-hurricane cloudy and warm - about 72 - with a nice, warm breeze of about 5-10.
The journey up Hills One and Two were more difficult than I would have liked.
The trip to the summit of Hill Two was particularly taxing.
But I made it.
Mile two and three were more pleasant which allowed me to daydream some.
It was only in mile four that I began to get weary.
There was a brief request from Whimp to stop and walk, which was unanimously rejected by Runner, Coach, and Running Central.
We all trotted on until the end, with a bit of a sprint for the last hundred feet or so. (more Olympic influence, no doubt.)
Then, after a shower and a hand wash of the running clothes, it was off to the planned men's group breakfast and workday at church.
SUNDAY
The walk around the neighborhood at 5:30 AM was done in the rain.
If you could call it that.
It was so light and sparse, I am sure that the oozing bodily fluids because of the warm temperature contributed more to the wetness of my shirt than did the rain.
It was enough to shut the neighborhood down.
Most of the dogs slept in, as did the humans.
MONDAY...
...was monsoon day.
Fay came and sat on us for nearly all the day.
I got a thorough and proper baptism running from my tax class to my car at noon.
Of course, when I got home, it was barely sprinkling.
Too late - I was soaked literally to the skin.
TA DA
I am pleezed to announce (and let the Royal Chronicles show) that the obnoxious wallpaper border that circled my living room is now all gone.
It took a lot of work (soaking, scraping, and pulling) to get it all off, but it is now gone and ready for its last trip - to the landfill.
Foam has been squirted into the last remaining holes in my walls.
This is different than the foam in the big tanks that I used previously, mainly because there is not enough volume to warrant more of the good stuff
The remaining holes are over the windows and door and it does not take much stuff to fill these cavities.
Thus, the little spray cans.
It looks like it will take about four cans.
Then I can complete patching the sheetrock.
And THEN - ta da - I can paint.
I am looking forward to the new colors (that I have been so strangely willing to delay. I mean, if I am really looking forward to the new colors, why have I put up with the muted beiges and off-whites for so long?).
Actually, when I first moved in, I did not mind the colors of the walls. (I DID mind the wallpaper borders, Grrrr... I HATE wallpaper.)
Anyway, I think that I did not know what I wanted to do with my house - color-wise - for several years.
But when I painted my bathroom, that helped me appreciate the difference color would make to the "mood" of the house.
I reelee like how my bathroom turned out.
So now I am looking forward to the color change in the rest of the house.
ION (in other news)
Josh and Teesh get married this Friday.
This will make less of a difference to me than it will to Mitchi.
He lives with her - for two more days - and she has enjoyed having him around.
I suspect that his move out will make her house much quieter.
And more lonely.
More adjustments.
The Saturday session was a bit of a tussle.
I am not sure why.
I may have been "sick". (or it may have been too much late-night viewing of REAL athletes on the Olympics.)
Several times a year some un-named and unwelcome invasion will come to visit me, but will have insufficient resources to overpower my immune system.
The resulting malady will be of such low magnitude that I will hardly notice that anything is going on.
It will only manifest itself as slightly sub-par performance during one of my workouts for a day or two or three.
The weather was sub-hurricane cloudy and warm - about 72 - with a nice, warm breeze of about 5-10.
The journey up Hills One and Two were more difficult than I would have liked.
The trip to the summit of Hill Two was particularly taxing.
But I made it.
Mile two and three were more pleasant which allowed me to daydream some.
It was only in mile four that I began to get weary.
There was a brief request from Whimp to stop and walk, which was unanimously rejected by Runner, Coach, and Running Central.
We all trotted on until the end, with a bit of a sprint for the last hundred feet or so. (more Olympic influence, no doubt.)
Then, after a shower and a hand wash of the running clothes, it was off to the planned men's group breakfast and workday at church.
SUNDAY
The walk around the neighborhood at 5:30 AM was done in the rain.
If you could call it that.
It was so light and sparse, I am sure that the oozing bodily fluids because of the warm temperature contributed more to the wetness of my shirt than did the rain.
It was enough to shut the neighborhood down.
Most of the dogs slept in, as did the humans.
MONDAY...
...was monsoon day.
Fay came and sat on us for nearly all the day.
I got a thorough and proper baptism running from my tax class to my car at noon.
Of course, when I got home, it was barely sprinkling.
Too late - I was soaked literally to the skin.
TA DA
I am pleezed to announce (and let the Royal Chronicles show) that the obnoxious wallpaper border that circled my living room is now all gone.
It took a lot of work (soaking, scraping, and pulling) to get it all off, but it is now gone and ready for its last trip - to the landfill.
Foam has been squirted into the last remaining holes in my walls.
This is different than the foam in the big tanks that I used previously, mainly because there is not enough volume to warrant more of the good stuff
The remaining holes are over the windows and door and it does not take much stuff to fill these cavities.
Thus, the little spray cans.
It looks like it will take about four cans.
Then I can complete patching the sheetrock.
And THEN - ta da - I can paint.
I am looking forward to the new colors (that I have been so strangely willing to delay. I mean, if I am really looking forward to the new colors, why have I put up with the muted beiges and off-whites for so long?).
Actually, when I first moved in, I did not mind the colors of the walls. (I DID mind the wallpaper borders, Grrrr... I HATE wallpaper.)
Anyway, I think that I did not know what I wanted to do with my house - color-wise - for several years.
But when I painted my bathroom, that helped me appreciate the difference color would make to the "mood" of the house.
I reelee like how my bathroom turned out.
So now I am looking forward to the color change in the rest of the house.
ION (in other news)
Josh and Teesh get married this Friday.
This will make less of a difference to me than it will to Mitchi.
He lives with her - for two more days - and she has enjoyed having him around.
I suspect that his move out will make her house much quieter.
And more lonely.
More adjustments.
Friday, August 22, 2008
OF TAXES AND SPORTS
THE TAX COURSE
I am in my second week of the H.R. Block tax course.
It was my plan since last year to take this course as a backup, to provide part-time/temporary employment in 2009 and beyond.
My primary plan is to return to my previous place of employment for a part-time/temporary job for the first four months or so in 2009.
We shall see what works out.
My former brother-in-law did this tax course several years ago (15?) and recommended it.
He ultimately became an HR Block office manager and taught the tax course himself for several years.
I was not interested in it for several years because I always had a better job, but now that I am retired, this would be an ideal helper.
I would only work the "tax season" from late January to mid April at the most.
This is when the weather and daylight are at their worst anyway.
The first year after taking the course they only promise about three weeks of work during their peak season in early February.
(This means that I may have to find ANOTHER job after February to supplement my income in 2009.)
The following year, it may be possible to work more/longer.
I shall give it a try to see how reality matches plan/expectations.
The subject matter is a bit boring yet interesting.
Wee shall see how it goes.
THE WEDNESDAY RUN
The run Wednesday morning was useful and generally pleasant.
The weather was warm and muggy and so I was able to cleanse my body of many liquids.
I, again, did a full leg weight workout on Tuesday so I was purposefully adding more effort to my weekly program.
As a result of the weight workout, I felt tired Wednesday morning as I started out.
(Plus, I had been staying up later to watch the Olympics again.)
No matter, because I was able to keep my breathing (my best indicator of preliminary strength vs running course difficulty) in the comfort zone for the whole hodown.
And when I turned the corner onto my street, I was able to dig down and pull out some sprint juice out of me, and sprint the last one hundred yards or so.
WHOO HOO!
THE HOUSE PROJECTS
I have not finished patching all the holes in my walls yet.
Blame that on the Olympics and the other things I am doing.
My plan was to fill the remaining holes with foam from the small spray can you can buy a Lowe's and WalMart.
I bought two and used both of them up and still did not get all the cavities filled so there is a bit more to do.
That should be finished this next week, then I can finish filling the holes with sheetrock compound and get them ready ... for painting.
(The NEXT project.)
I am STILL scraping the border off my living room wall.
I have about six feet to go before I am finished.
It doesn't really have to be done until I get ready to paint, but I would reelee like to have it finished while I am enthused about doing it.
Some days (true confession time...) I look at the remaining border and say to myself, "Ah, it has been there for four years (my time with it), it can sit there another day or two."
And, amazingly, it does.
THE OLYMPICS
Normally, I am not a sports person.
Once every four years I yam.
You could call them the games of the tall people.
Many of the winners are tall.
Michael Phelps 6' 2" swimming
Misty May-Traynor 5' 9" beach volleyball
Kerri Walsh 6' 2" beach volleyball
Usain Bolt 6'6" runner
Phil Dalhauser 6' 9" beach volleyball
Todd Rodgers 6' 2" beach volleyball
There are many more.
I have just listed some of the names that come quickly to mind.
And the absolute best commercials, IMHO are the Visa commercials.
I rarely commend commercials, as most of them are just bothersome noise.
These made me cry.
Some examples.... (I don't know how to do that embedded stuff.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO8b-zIKixM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V22PebTiik&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVb7LTA4Sts
My brief experience with running and racing has helped me understand how some of these people operate, but in no way do I compare myself the them.
They have my highest respect in the worldly realm.
.
I am in my second week of the H.R. Block tax course.
It was my plan since last year to take this course as a backup, to provide part-time/temporary employment in 2009 and beyond.
My primary plan is to return to my previous place of employment for a part-time/temporary job for the first four months or so in 2009.
We shall see what works out.
My former brother-in-law did this tax course several years ago (15?) and recommended it.
He ultimately became an HR Block office manager and taught the tax course himself for several years.
I was not interested in it for several years because I always had a better job, but now that I am retired, this would be an ideal helper.
I would only work the "tax season" from late January to mid April at the most.
This is when the weather and daylight are at their worst anyway.
The first year after taking the course they only promise about three weeks of work during their peak season in early February.
(This means that I may have to find ANOTHER job after February to supplement my income in 2009.)
The following year, it may be possible to work more/longer.
I shall give it a try to see how reality matches plan/expectations.
The subject matter is a bit boring yet interesting.
Wee shall see how it goes.
THE WEDNESDAY RUN
The run Wednesday morning was useful and generally pleasant.
The weather was warm and muggy and so I was able to cleanse my body of many liquids.
I, again, did a full leg weight workout on Tuesday so I was purposefully adding more effort to my weekly program.
As a result of the weight workout, I felt tired Wednesday morning as I started out.
(Plus, I had been staying up later to watch the Olympics again.)
No matter, because I was able to keep my breathing (my best indicator of preliminary strength vs running course difficulty) in the comfort zone for the whole hodown.
And when I turned the corner onto my street, I was able to dig down and pull out some sprint juice out of me, and sprint the last one hundred yards or so.
WHOO HOO!
THE HOUSE PROJECTS
I have not finished patching all the holes in my walls yet.
Blame that on the Olympics and the other things I am doing.
My plan was to fill the remaining holes with foam from the small spray can you can buy a Lowe's and WalMart.
I bought two and used both of them up and still did not get all the cavities filled so there is a bit more to do.
That should be finished this next week, then I can finish filling the holes with sheetrock compound and get them ready ... for painting.
(The NEXT project.)
I am STILL scraping the border off my living room wall.
I have about six feet to go before I am finished.
It doesn't really have to be done until I get ready to paint, but I would reelee like to have it finished while I am enthused about doing it.
Some days (true confession time...) I look at the remaining border and say to myself, "Ah, it has been there for four years (my time with it), it can sit there another day or two."
And, amazingly, it does.
THE OLYMPICS
Normally, I am not a sports person.
Once every four years I yam.
You could call them the games of the tall people.
Many of the winners are tall.
Michael Phelps 6' 2" swimming
Misty May-Traynor 5' 9" beach volleyball
Kerri Walsh 6' 2" beach volleyball
Usain Bolt 6'6" runner
Phil Dalhauser 6' 9" beach volleyball
Todd Rodgers 6' 2" beach volleyball
There are many more.
I have just listed some of the names that come quickly to mind.
And the absolute best commercials, IMHO are the Visa commercials.
I rarely commend commercials, as most of them are just bothersome noise.
These made me cry.
Some examples.... (I don't know how to do that embedded stuff.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO8b-zIKixM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V22PebTiik&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVb7LTA4Sts
My brief experience with running and racing has helped me understand how some of these people operate, but in no way do I compare myself the them.
They have my highest respect in the worldly realm.
.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
ANOTHER SURPRISING RUN
Forty-one minutes.
That was my time for the Saturday morning contest.
Maybe it was because of all the time I have spent this past week watching the Olympics.
Or not.
There were pluses and minuses leading up to todays performance.
THE MINUSES
Every day this week, I have worked on the house in some way (vents, wall holes, removing wall paper, cleaning, etc.)
Granted I do not work all day.
I can't.
After about two hours, I am tired.
I get sore.
And sometimes, by back starts to hurt.
They there were the weight workouts.
Monday was basic pushes and pulls for chest and back.
Tuesday was squats, lunges and heel raises for legs.
Wednesday was a three mile run.
Thursday was more pushes and pulls.
Friday, I walk in the morning before eating.
This is to burn some calories and lower the level of exertion, to save some strength and recover from the previous efforts.
The reduced load on Friday is to build up for Saturday morning.
But this Friday (yesterday) I spent two hours (or more) on my step stool peeling off wallpaper from my living room.
The work is deceptively tiring.
The key is having to stand on a platform that is about one square foot.
One is constantly pushing, turning, twisting, and bending.
All the while keeping your feet in a very small space.
When I stopped (I am not finished) I was tired.
And my Trainer/Coach said, "you will pay for this."
THE PLUSES
But I have spent the week watching the Olympics.
Watching people push themselves to their physical limit... and beyond.
It is both inspiring and intimidating.
THE HISTORY
During the five years that I was running races, I learned that what we perceive as a physical limit is basically imaginary.
I have heard nearly all my life from sports types, that most limitations we perceive about ourselves are mental.
That if we think we can do something, we can do it.
And upon hearing such words, my reaction was always, "yea, yea, blah, blah."
They were just words to get someone or a team jacked up so they would perform well in their sport.
So people would pay money to watch their game.
I basically did not believe such wordage.
Now I do.
My education came early and by accident.
I was running around Ditto Circle and Hughes Circle, practicing for my first race.
I had never measured the distance of the two circles but guessed each of them to be about a mile each.
Since they form an almost perfect figure eight, they were ideal for a measured practice course.
I was very pleased when I completed both circles, thinking I had run about two miles - good enough for my upcoming first race. (at the invitation of a person that I had helped loose 50 pounds and get into shape.)
I did this several times in the following days, getting comfortable with the distance - something new to me at age 55.
Then one day I decided to drive around the two circles in my car to see if I was deceiving myself on the distance.
My fear was that the distance was less than what I estimated.
I did not want to bonk in my first race.
I was wrong.
The distance of the two circles was exactly three miles!
I was stunned.
And pleased.
This was my first lesson in mental vs physical ability.
I thought I was running two miles.
I was actually running three miles.
Suddenly, I was fifty percent stronger than I thought I was.
It is a very strange feeling.
Good, but strange.
The next lesson in this area came near the end of one of my first races (definitely not the first one).
I was about two hundred yards from the finish line.
I was in accelerated breathing, being pulled along by the other runners who always tend to speed up as the end of a race.
I was running as fast as I thought I could and was content to maintain my pace to the end.
Then something inside me kicked in.
It was not a conscious thought.
But I suddenly felt that I could do more for the few seconds remaining in the race.
Suddenly, without thinking about it, my pace increased and I passed four of five runners ahead of me.
I crossed the finish line nearly sprinting.
Again, I was surprised.
No, I was stunned.
I do not know where that came from.
I am not a competitive person.
I have never felt that "winning" was very important.
Finishing, yes.
Winning, no.
That may have come from a lifetime of never winning anything and it was simply a defensive mechanism.
I don't know.
But I found that day that there was something inside me that I did not know was there.
And I used that unknown element at the end of most of the races that I ran after that.
Sometimes I tried to consciously pull it out of me, but that never worked.
That extra burst was driven by something primal inside of me.
Sometimes I would wonder what would trigger the event and would try to analyze what triggered it, but I could never figure it out.
All I know about it is that in the last ten or fifteen seconds of a maximum physical effort, there is something deep within me that can impel me to accomplish much more than I think I am capable of.
To this day, I do not know where it comes from or how or why it shows itself.
TODAY
When I woke up today, I felt tired.
This was not good.
The Saturday morning run is a big event for me.
To go to my physical limit every time I do it.
So, when I got out of the car this morning at 6:09, I was wondering what sort of party we were about to have.
I felt tired.
It was all my fault and I was a bit amused by it.
Part of the reason I was tired was because I have been staying up late watching the Olympics.
As I started out today, there were twinges of ouch from my left hamstring and by lower back - vestiges from the wallpaper session yesterday.
But just a few minutes later I caught myself daydreaming in the first mile.
That was a good sign.
At the top of Hill One I alternated normal and accelerated breathing, an indicator of my slightly depleted strength.
Half way up Hill Two the accelerated breathing kicked in again.
Not unexpected.
As I motored into mile two I started to daydream again.
Another good sign.
About mid-way through mile three accelerated breathing kicked in and it was to be with me for the rest of the party.
This was early in the journey and not a good indicator for success.
Somewhere early in mile four the wimp in me recommended that we stop and walk for a couple of minutes.
The Runner in me, the Coach, and Running Central all said no to this.
But we all knew that it was going to be a struggle.
I was tired and I was beginning to feel it.
As I ran through the Comcast parking lot, a youngish black lady with an Aunt Jemimah bandanna on her head, leaned out of her car window and said, "That's what I need to be doin'". (I surmise that she was either waiting for her shift to start or she was waiting for someone else whose shift was about to end)
I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
The thought crossed my mind that she could prolly do what I am doing and prolly beat me at it if she devoted a little time and effort to it.
I crossed Governors Drive West and into my parking lot still breathing hard.
By this time I was determined that I was going to finish the dance running.
As I entered that area between the buildings a few dozen yards from my finish line/crack, I was breathing hard and was ready to be pleased with another completed run.
And then an old friend came for a visit.
About a hundred yards from my finish line I started sprinting.
I don't know where it came from or why, but there I was, pouring out the last drops of my strength.
And when I looked at my watch, it said 6:50.
Forty-one minutes.
Wow, where did that come from?
I think it was the Olympics.
.
That was my time for the Saturday morning contest.
Maybe it was because of all the time I have spent this past week watching the Olympics.
Or not.
There were pluses and minuses leading up to todays performance.
THE MINUSES
Every day this week, I have worked on the house in some way (vents, wall holes, removing wall paper, cleaning, etc.)
Granted I do not work all day.
I can't.
After about two hours, I am tired.
I get sore.
And sometimes, by back starts to hurt.
They there were the weight workouts.
Monday was basic pushes and pulls for chest and back.
Tuesday was squats, lunges and heel raises for legs.
Wednesday was a three mile run.
Thursday was more pushes and pulls.
Friday, I walk in the morning before eating.
This is to burn some calories and lower the level of exertion, to save some strength and recover from the previous efforts.
The reduced load on Friday is to build up for Saturday morning.
But this Friday (yesterday) I spent two hours (or more) on my step stool peeling off wallpaper from my living room.
The work is deceptively tiring.
The key is having to stand on a platform that is about one square foot.
One is constantly pushing, turning, twisting, and bending.
All the while keeping your feet in a very small space.
When I stopped (I am not finished) I was tired.
And my Trainer/Coach said, "you will pay for this."
THE PLUSES
But I have spent the week watching the Olympics.
Watching people push themselves to their physical limit... and beyond.
It is both inspiring and intimidating.
THE HISTORY
During the five years that I was running races, I learned that what we perceive as a physical limit is basically imaginary.
I have heard nearly all my life from sports types, that most limitations we perceive about ourselves are mental.
That if we think we can do something, we can do it.
And upon hearing such words, my reaction was always, "yea, yea, blah, blah."
They were just words to get someone or a team jacked up so they would perform well in their sport.
So people would pay money to watch their game.
I basically did not believe such wordage.
Now I do.
My education came early and by accident.
I was running around Ditto Circle and Hughes Circle, practicing for my first race.
I had never measured the distance of the two circles but guessed each of them to be about a mile each.
Since they form an almost perfect figure eight, they were ideal for a measured practice course.
I was very pleased when I completed both circles, thinking I had run about two miles - good enough for my upcoming first race. (at the invitation of a person that I had helped loose 50 pounds and get into shape.)
I did this several times in the following days, getting comfortable with the distance - something new to me at age 55.
Then one day I decided to drive around the two circles in my car to see if I was deceiving myself on the distance.
My fear was that the distance was less than what I estimated.
I did not want to bonk in my first race.
I was wrong.
The distance of the two circles was exactly three miles!
I was stunned.
And pleased.
This was my first lesson in mental vs physical ability.
I thought I was running two miles.
I was actually running three miles.
Suddenly, I was fifty percent stronger than I thought I was.
It is a very strange feeling.
Good, but strange.
The next lesson in this area came near the end of one of my first races (definitely not the first one).
I was about two hundred yards from the finish line.
I was in accelerated breathing, being pulled along by the other runners who always tend to speed up as the end of a race.
I was running as fast as I thought I could and was content to maintain my pace to the end.
Then something inside me kicked in.
It was not a conscious thought.
But I suddenly felt that I could do more for the few seconds remaining in the race.
Suddenly, without thinking about it, my pace increased and I passed four of five runners ahead of me.
I crossed the finish line nearly sprinting.
Again, I was surprised.
No, I was stunned.
I do not know where that came from.
I am not a competitive person.
I have never felt that "winning" was very important.
Finishing, yes.
Winning, no.
That may have come from a lifetime of never winning anything and it was simply a defensive mechanism.
I don't know.
But I found that day that there was something inside me that I did not know was there.
And I used that unknown element at the end of most of the races that I ran after that.
Sometimes I tried to consciously pull it out of me, but that never worked.
That extra burst was driven by something primal inside of me.
Sometimes I would wonder what would trigger the event and would try to analyze what triggered it, but I could never figure it out.
All I know about it is that in the last ten or fifteen seconds of a maximum physical effort, there is something deep within me that can impel me to accomplish much more than I think I am capable of.
To this day, I do not know where it comes from or how or why it shows itself.
TODAY
When I woke up today, I felt tired.
This was not good.
The Saturday morning run is a big event for me.
To go to my physical limit every time I do it.
So, when I got out of the car this morning at 6:09, I was wondering what sort of party we were about to have.
I felt tired.
It was all my fault and I was a bit amused by it.
Part of the reason I was tired was because I have been staying up late watching the Olympics.
As I started out today, there were twinges of ouch from my left hamstring and by lower back - vestiges from the wallpaper session yesterday.
But just a few minutes later I caught myself daydreaming in the first mile.
That was a good sign.
At the top of Hill One I alternated normal and accelerated breathing, an indicator of my slightly depleted strength.
Half way up Hill Two the accelerated breathing kicked in again.
Not unexpected.
As I motored into mile two I started to daydream again.
Another good sign.
About mid-way through mile three accelerated breathing kicked in and it was to be with me for the rest of the party.
This was early in the journey and not a good indicator for success.
Somewhere early in mile four the wimp in me recommended that we stop and walk for a couple of minutes.
The Runner in me, the Coach, and Running Central all said no to this.
But we all knew that it was going to be a struggle.
I was tired and I was beginning to feel it.
As I ran through the Comcast parking lot, a youngish black lady with an Aunt Jemimah bandanna on her head, leaned out of her car window and said, "That's what I need to be doin'". (I surmise that she was either waiting for her shift to start or she was waiting for someone else whose shift was about to end)
I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
The thought crossed my mind that she could prolly do what I am doing and prolly beat me at it if she devoted a little time and effort to it.
I crossed Governors Drive West and into my parking lot still breathing hard.
By this time I was determined that I was going to finish the dance running.
As I entered that area between the buildings a few dozen yards from my finish line/crack, I was breathing hard and was ready to be pleased with another completed run.
And then an old friend came for a visit.
About a hundred yards from my finish line I started sprinting.
I don't know where it came from or why, but there I was, pouring out the last drops of my strength.
And when I looked at my watch, it said 6:50.
Forty-one minutes.
Wow, where did that come from?
I think it was the Olympics.
.
Friday, August 15, 2008
BUSYNESS
The run Wednesday was a pleasant jaunt.
The weather was cooler than usual for this place and time of year - about 65.
And the humidity was down from its usual lofty oppression.
My hands actually got a bit cold on the trip.
Work on the house and weight workouts are keeping the pressure on my body.
During my leg workout on Tuesday, I discovered a very vocal pain in my left (again) hamstring.
But this pain was on the outer Biceps Formus bundle of my hammy rather than the usual inner bundle of that group.
The discomfort was so strong that I dropped my second set of lunges after just four reps.
It did not feel good and I had already done my three sets of barbell squats, so I did not want to push things.
My hope was to give a little less stress on the area now and hope things healed well enough for the mid-week run on Wednesday.
And it was so.
I felt the slightest twinges from my left hamstring for the first few steps of the run, then everybody was happy.
I suspect this injury came from the vent installation session on Monday where I was sawing through the extra bracing in my front soffit.
Evidently, when I stand on a ladder and work a handsaw over my head, I put stresses on my legs that I do not normally do.
Duh.
Anyway, I was strong enough (again!) that I did not have to resort to accelerated breathing until the last hundred yards or so when I sprinted to the invisible finish line at my driveway.
Tuesday I was inspired to tackle another wall of the tacky wallpaper border around my living room.
It is vinyl coated paper and will not easily soak off.
So I am having to scrape it off with water and a putty knife.
I know I could put the steel brush wheel on my drill and break through the vinyl layer but that would sling junk all over the room.
I am trying to avoid that.
So I stand on my little step stool and scrape.
CHANGES
The extra insulation in my walls and the new attic fan and vents have changed the way my house responds to the outside weather.
As it should be.
The tanks.
Now, it seems, the new attic fan will come on around 10 AM but the air conditioner will not come on until noon or later.
This is an hour or two later than its former behavior.
It will run for a while then cut off and not come on again for another hour or two.
On days when the outside temperature is over 90, the attic fan will run until nine or ten o'clock in the evening.
I have set the thermostat on the attic fan to 95.
The house A/C is set on 80.
The A/C will cycle every hour or two until about nine or so, then it goes to sleep for the night.
My gut feel is that the A/C is running about 25 - 33 percent less.
This is good.
All of this makes me curious how things will change in Winter.
Wee shall see.
.
The weather was cooler than usual for this place and time of year - about 65.
And the humidity was down from its usual lofty oppression.
My hands actually got a bit cold on the trip.
Work on the house and weight workouts are keeping the pressure on my body.
During my leg workout on Tuesday, I discovered a very vocal pain in my left (again) hamstring.
But this pain was on the outer Biceps Formus bundle of my hammy rather than the usual inner bundle of that group.
The discomfort was so strong that I dropped my second set of lunges after just four reps.
It did not feel good and I had already done my three sets of barbell squats, so I did not want to push things.
My hope was to give a little less stress on the area now and hope things healed well enough for the mid-week run on Wednesday.
And it was so.
I felt the slightest twinges from my left hamstring for the first few steps of the run, then everybody was happy.
I suspect this injury came from the vent installation session on Monday where I was sawing through the extra bracing in my front soffit.
Evidently, when I stand on a ladder and work a handsaw over my head, I put stresses on my legs that I do not normally do.
Duh.
Anyway, I was strong enough (again!) that I did not have to resort to accelerated breathing until the last hundred yards or so when I sprinted to the invisible finish line at my driveway.
Tuesday I was inspired to tackle another wall of the tacky wallpaper border around my living room.
It is vinyl coated paper and will not easily soak off.
So I am having to scrape it off with water and a putty knife.
I know I could put the steel brush wheel on my drill and break through the vinyl layer but that would sling junk all over the room.
I am trying to avoid that.
So I stand on my little step stool and scrape.
CHANGES
The extra insulation in my walls and the new attic fan and vents have changed the way my house responds to the outside weather.
As it should be.
The tanks.
Now, it seems, the new attic fan will come on around 10 AM but the air conditioner will not come on until noon or later.
This is an hour or two later than its former behavior.
It will run for a while then cut off and not come on again for another hour or two.
On days when the outside temperature is over 90, the attic fan will run until nine or ten o'clock in the evening.
I have set the thermostat on the attic fan to 95.
The house A/C is set on 80.
The A/C will cycle every hour or two until about nine or so, then it goes to sleep for the night.
My gut feel is that the A/C is running about 25 - 33 percent less.
This is good.
All of this makes me curious how things will change in Winter.
Wee shall see.
.
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