will do a real post tomorrow but missing yesterday also made me want to update a little bit. ran 17 miles this morning and then after the work crew didn't come, but the boss did to drop off supplies, some still missing i note, i went off to play 9 holes of golf. run some errands, and hit a bucket of balls and putt some. then back home. that's the short version. forgot to add that i also did 27 miles on the indoor bike while waiting for them to come back with the grout and new door.
the run went ok and i split it up between the hilly loop and neighborhood running and the trail going in both directions. nice weather and the stiffness wore off after awhile and i had some good sections until about 11 miles and then some down time for a bit and then was ok again. strange, but i just kept going basically and drank a lot of water while i was out.
played at jefferson with 2 nice guys and we had a good time. all of us hit some nice and some less than nice shots. with one ball out of bounds when i hooked a drive and one birdie, i was 4 over par. didn't have my putter and missed several makeable putts using an old ping phoenix. did pick up my putter tonight at the range.
quick note that yesterday i ran 5 slow miles and worked at hilltop as the afternoon starter. more on all of this later, but gail just got home from school and i need to go. tile and grout and electric supposedly tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
a simple day of stuff done/mike mussina
finally a day to do almost normal things and try to relax a bit- it won't seem like it when i describe it, but nothing had to be done in a rush for a change-
got up early enough, but the heart rate was 50. something is up though i don't feel sick, but am tiring more quickly than normal for sure. went out to do a short run and go as slow as i could and stayed out touring the neighborhood while the dcrrc 20 miler went on along the trail. did about 6 miles by the time i was done. the legs were more sore than tired and the right inner quad was still very, very sore from the horrible cramp of two days ago.
back home i got on the indoor bike and rode 23 miles keeping the level down and the rpm's steady at 85, a bit lower than a normal ride. afterwards i did a few hours of yard work and gathering up stuff to toss out. we keep paring down things and will do much more of that when the workcrews are done, if ever. rained off and on, but got a lot done and then hit a few pitch shots and a little bit of chipping in the rain, which was pleasant enough.
did notice how early it got dark tonight. seems like it was just hot and now fall and winter are flying in. one day at a time i guess.
good luck to the movers in oregon!!!
after breakfast i went shopping and then headed off to the driving range where i got in some decent long chipping and lots of putting. then hit a decent bucket of short 30-100 yard shots and headed home for dinner, laundry and more trash collection. finally read some paper and folded clothes and put away groceries. a steady and easy enough day. right leg still very sore and i will give up the idea of riding some more. have bills to get ready to go in the mail and will put off emails until tomorrow. also have to go to work tomorrow at the golf course and gail will play stay at home and make decisions about the work construction.
so off i go to pay bills. good win for the skins and not a great day for sergio g. very busy week ahead and gail goes on travel later in the week. lots of reservations to make also.
how about a world record in the marathon at 2:03:59? way to go haille g. at 35 he is still amazingly fast. some people may remember when they doubted people would break 2:09. 53 minutes faster than my best. even at my pace that would be about 8miles plus probably. am not going to figure it out exactly. berlin must be a fast course for sure.
and a special shout out of congrats to mike mussina who won his 20th today. would have still been a really good pitcher if he had not won this one, but it must be a good feeling for him to get that first 20 game winning season. i do remember when the orioles blew two games for him and he was stuck on 19. wonder if he will stick around for 300 and a shot at the hall of fame. he has been a solid rock for many years. hope robin roberts is still out there somewhere doing and feeling well.
got up early enough, but the heart rate was 50. something is up though i don't feel sick, but am tiring more quickly than normal for sure. went out to do a short run and go as slow as i could and stayed out touring the neighborhood while the dcrrc 20 miler went on along the trail. did about 6 miles by the time i was done. the legs were more sore than tired and the right inner quad was still very, very sore from the horrible cramp of two days ago.
back home i got on the indoor bike and rode 23 miles keeping the level down and the rpm's steady at 85, a bit lower than a normal ride. afterwards i did a few hours of yard work and gathering up stuff to toss out. we keep paring down things and will do much more of that when the workcrews are done, if ever. rained off and on, but got a lot done and then hit a few pitch shots and a little bit of chipping in the rain, which was pleasant enough.
did notice how early it got dark tonight. seems like it was just hot and now fall and winter are flying in. one day at a time i guess.
good luck to the movers in oregon!!!
after breakfast i went shopping and then headed off to the driving range where i got in some decent long chipping and lots of putting. then hit a decent bucket of short 30-100 yard shots and headed home for dinner, laundry and more trash collection. finally read some paper and folded clothes and put away groceries. a steady and easy enough day. right leg still very sore and i will give up the idea of riding some more. have bills to get ready to go in the mail and will put off emails until tomorrow. also have to go to work tomorrow at the golf course and gail will play stay at home and make decisions about the work construction.
so off i go to pay bills. good win for the skins and not a great day for sergio g. very busy week ahead and gail goes on travel later in the week. lots of reservations to make also.
how about a world record in the marathon at 2:03:59? way to go haille g. at 35 he is still amazingly fast. some people may remember when they doubted people would break 2:09. 53 minutes faster than my best. even at my pace that would be about 8miles plus probably. am not going to figure it out exactly. berlin must be a fast course for sure.
and a special shout out of congrats to mike mussina who won his 20th today. would have still been a really good pitcher if he had not won this one, but it must be a good feeling for him to get that first 20 game winning season. i do remember when the orioles blew two games for him and he was stuck on 19. wonder if he will stick around for 300 and a shot at the hall of fame. he has been a solid rock for many years. hope robin roberts is still out there somewhere doing and feeling well.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
busy but incomplete day
we were up and out really early today and stayed out long enough to get in 10 miles. ran the east blvd loop twice and added some south parts of the trail to get the total 10 in. ran into john thomas who lives on est blvd and is a phillies fan. short piece with him and his dog. then a couple of miles with a lady from penn state and her dog. some good sections after a tight and tired start. 55 minutes in or above the 70% zone after a morning heart rate for the 4th day in a row of 48. something is up with that, but not sure what. have 51 miles for the week and one day to go though the legs are not springy right now for sure and have been cramping up.
lost 3+ pounds of fluid during the run despite all of the intake. once home and cleaned up and with a little breakfast i did a ton of work in the garden despite the rain and drizzle, moving and re-planting and planting new stuff. lost almost 4 more pounds of fluid again and drank all day trying to replace it.
later we went shopping for stuff the crew will need to complete some of their work and still have a few things to get tomorrow. then we went off to see a french mystery film which was actually pretty good. followed that up with dinner at atlantis and then back home. spent the evening reading and doing paperwork.
here's hoping the legs will get through the night without too much cramping.
way to go maryland and the phillies and caps. big cowboys game tomorrow and the eagles on tv also. we watch so little tv since we are back it is funny.
no golf at all today. not a bit; not what i wanted but maybe a day off will help the head and body recover some.
making slow progress and will pick it up this week.
lost 3+ pounds of fluid during the run despite all of the intake. once home and cleaned up and with a little breakfast i did a ton of work in the garden despite the rain and drizzle, moving and re-planting and planting new stuff. lost almost 4 more pounds of fluid again and drank all day trying to replace it.
later we went shopping for stuff the crew will need to complete some of their work and still have a few things to get tomorrow. then we went off to see a french mystery film which was actually pretty good. followed that up with dinner at atlantis and then back home. spent the evening reading and doing paperwork.
here's hoping the legs will get through the night without too much cramping.
way to go maryland and the phillies and caps. big cowboys game tomorrow and the eagles on tv also. we watch so little tv since we are back it is funny.
no golf at all today. not a bit; not what i wanted but maybe a day off will help the head and body recover some.
making slow progress and will pick it up this week.
Friday, September 26, 2008
short blog while i listen to the debate
out early as the sun was coming up. did 4 loops around the west blvd and neal street hills and then went north on the west blvd and eventually got on the trail and headed back south. reasonably cool and light drizzle made it easier than many of the past days and i stayed out long enough to get 9 miles in. decent run actually except for a strange 3 minutes when my heart rate dropped from the 70% level i was running at (except for the uphills) and down to the 55% level and breathing was hard. but somehow it passed and the run got going ok again. not bad for the morning after i rode a decently hard 34 miles last night.
then some work around the house as we waited for the work crew who showed up almost on time. decided to wait to plant the new stuff until the rain had stopped so the ground could dry up a bit and not turn into cement, probably sunday. got a break when the crew finished their work early and decided to wait until monday to lay the tile, so i headed off to the golf course and squeezed in 9 holes of good and bad shots, but good practice. then did some short game stuff and hit a bucket of balls and went home. still making some progress, but need more practice to get some more consistency with the full swing and to get the speed of the greens down better with the short game.
ran some errands on the way home and decided to take a break and have dinner and read some and then watch the debate. hard to just sit there while these guys merely repeat their stock stuff. i could have answered the questions for both sides i think. nothing big i don't believe at this point or at least nothing new. i decided years ago who i would vote for and so whatever they say won't change my mind.
and another day done- did order a new printer. more to do tomorrow and the weekend will be busy but should be fun.
then some work around the house as we waited for the work crew who showed up almost on time. decided to wait to plant the new stuff until the rain had stopped so the ground could dry up a bit and not turn into cement, probably sunday. got a break when the crew finished their work early and decided to wait until monday to lay the tile, so i headed off to the golf course and squeezed in 9 holes of good and bad shots, but good practice. then did some short game stuff and hit a bucket of balls and went home. still making some progress, but need more practice to get some more consistency with the full swing and to get the speed of the greens down better with the short game.
ran some errands on the way home and decided to take a break and have dinner and read some and then watch the debate. hard to just sit there while these guys merely repeat their stock stuff. i could have answered the questions for both sides i think. nothing big i don't believe at this point or at least nothing new. i decided years ago who i would vote for and so whatever they say won't change my mind.
and another day done- did order a new printer. more to do tomorrow and the weekend will be busy but should be fun.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
79,501 miles marching towards 80k
over three times around the world now running over the past many years- 32 or so; will hit 80k before the end of the year barring anything unforeseen.ha on that as the past couple of months have been unforeseen.
slow run in the morning of 8 miles on the trail and then went off to play golf. got 9holes in and the rain started on the 7th hole so i stopped after the ninth. no need to get really soaked and i had played the last 7 holes well with one birdie and mostly pars to finish at 3 over. played with mrs lee from seoul, korea, who was here visiting her lawyer daughter; harry from jefferson, and dick, a really nice guy. so we had a nice little foursome and fell into a decent pattern mostly. harry plays to his own little drummer, but he is a nice guy and it went ok. i am still trying to find my game but i hung in there and actually hit some really nice shots in addition to the rest of them- a gap wedge to the green from the fairway bunker; a lob wedge from 75 yards to 3 feet; a 7 iron from 140 uphill into the wind to about 12 feet; a 6 iron over the water to the green; and two 8 iron chips to tap in range are some i remember. i also note that i must not start the round without loosening up my back enough or i will leave the ball out to the right, but i putted a little better and made two nice curling putts and had a couple decent lags.
then off to the nursery and picked up a few things and then to home depot and got some organic topsoil to plant them and them home. did a little yard work in the rain and then hit my 100 pitch and chip shots, also in the rain, but it went ok and i am learning some things every time out now.
had a little dinner and rode the 34 miles on the indoor bike at a decent pace. tomorrow will have to be an easy run. spent the time thinking about what i want to do next and how i can adjust my time as there simply is not enough of it to do everything i want to do. only the slightest ideas so far.
what i need to do is muddle through this house fixing period and try to get some things done. i am not the motivated person i think of myself and i have had to keep pushing myself to carry on for whatever reason. the guidance counselor in me worries about me sometimes and that's not good. will keep an eye open.
the bailout junk continues. this is such another political joke. they must really think the people of this country are dumb. they being the politicians and the media. will be interested to see just how right they are.
work crew come back tomorrow supposedly. they are the nicest guys and i hope we can push through and get this done at last.
dinner time. more soon.
slow run in the morning of 8 miles on the trail and then went off to play golf. got 9holes in and the rain started on the 7th hole so i stopped after the ninth. no need to get really soaked and i had played the last 7 holes well with one birdie and mostly pars to finish at 3 over. played with mrs lee from seoul, korea, who was here visiting her lawyer daughter; harry from jefferson, and dick, a really nice guy. so we had a nice little foursome and fell into a decent pattern mostly. harry plays to his own little drummer, but he is a nice guy and it went ok. i am still trying to find my game but i hung in there and actually hit some really nice shots in addition to the rest of them- a gap wedge to the green from the fairway bunker; a lob wedge from 75 yards to 3 feet; a 7 iron from 140 uphill into the wind to about 12 feet; a 6 iron over the water to the green; and two 8 iron chips to tap in range are some i remember. i also note that i must not start the round without loosening up my back enough or i will leave the ball out to the right, but i putted a little better and made two nice curling putts and had a couple decent lags.
then off to the nursery and picked up a few things and then to home depot and got some organic topsoil to plant them and them home. did a little yard work in the rain and then hit my 100 pitch and chip shots, also in the rain, but it went ok and i am learning some things every time out now.
had a little dinner and rode the 34 miles on the indoor bike at a decent pace. tomorrow will have to be an easy run. spent the time thinking about what i want to do next and how i can adjust my time as there simply is not enough of it to do everything i want to do. only the slightest ideas so far.
what i need to do is muddle through this house fixing period and try to get some things done. i am not the motivated person i think of myself and i have had to keep pushing myself to carry on for whatever reason. the guidance counselor in me worries about me sometimes and that's not good. will keep an eye open.
the bailout junk continues. this is such another political joke. they must really think the people of this country are dumb. they being the politicians and the media. will be interested to see just how right they are.
work crew come back tomorrow supposedly. they are the nicest guys and i hope we can push through and get this done at last.
dinner time. more soon.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
reality takes over
well as the title suggests, what i want to do and what i get done are often different these days. did get up very early and went to the track in the dark and loosened up until the sun started to come up so i could see my watch as i hoped to do some speedwork, but reality took over and the legs finally gave in to the past several days of decently hard workouts. i did manage to get in 16 x 100 and 3 x 200's and the ones at the end went better than the ones at the beginning as i loosened up some more, but the truth was my legs were tight. they weren't tired, just tight and i could feel the right quad and groin just waiting to be injured. i kept the pace and stride under control and it almost felt funny as the lungs weren't working hard at all, but the legs were not having any fun. i can usually coast through 53 second 200's on my way down into the high 40's but the three i did today were 57,57 and 56 though they felt much faster as i ran them- so eventually i just stopped and did a twenty minute very slow cooldown-what was i cooling down from i would ask myself. another day perhaps- not injured anyway and everything i do under 8 minutes these days is speedwork of course. i should have known by the morning heart rate at 48. last week was 43. must be tired. gail fought off a cold or flu or something this week and could i have a touch of something? don't think so. time will tell.
and the crew showed up 90 minutes late. but they did come as i was mowing the lawn and replanting some more things. then i hit 100 pitch shots and about 40 chips and called that a day. the water was turned off in the house which made for an interesting day also, but eventually it was back on and i only had to fix one high pressure flood. good thing i don't live near a levee.
and then beth came and we went out to dinner and had a nice pleasant few hours of good company and food and no work.
off to do some chores now and try and get some sleep. keep putting off catching up but in reality not sure it matters. lots of travel ahead and would be nice not to be sick.
mc cain was funny today trying to cancel the debate. what a joke..............will the people of this country ever get serious about who leads them and where they are going, or will they just march along behind anyone going anywhere to do anything? just how much money can we borrow from china? instead of borrowing 700 billion, why not just borrow 250 million and give everyone who paid taxes a million. we could stir up the economy and help pay off mortgages and save zillions?????????????
meanwhile it is time for me to sign up for social security. that should be fun.....
and the crew showed up 90 minutes late. but they did come as i was mowing the lawn and replanting some more things. then i hit 100 pitch shots and about 40 chips and called that a day. the water was turned off in the house which made for an interesting day also, but eventually it was back on and i only had to fix one high pressure flood. good thing i don't live near a levee.
and then beth came and we went out to dinner and had a nice pleasant few hours of good company and food and no work.
off to do some chores now and try and get some sleep. keep putting off catching up but in reality not sure it matters. lots of travel ahead and would be nice not to be sick.
mc cain was funny today trying to cancel the debate. what a joke..............will the people of this country ever get serious about who leads them and where they are going, or will they just march along behind anyone going anywhere to do anything? just how much money can we borrow from china? instead of borrowing 700 billion, why not just borrow 250 million and give everyone who paid taxes a million. we could stir up the economy and help pay off mortgages and save zillions?????????????
meanwhile it is time for me to sign up for social security. that should be fun.....
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
an ok day and 9 mile run
noticed that i always start the blog with a "t" word or at least the last 17 blogs started with a "t". wonder why? but at any rate, i was up and out early enough to get in a decent 9 mile run after a somewhat tight leg start. the last several days have included some harder runs and lots of bike miles and that alone would tighten up the quads. made sure i stretched a lot today and that helped. went north and south rather than out and back. always liked going both ways better than just out and back. makes it seem shorter that way.
after the run i skipped the bike and started in on garden work while the day was still a little cool and then the work crew showed up and started back in on the bathroom and also the finish work in the family and laundry rooms. another long day of that and another day at home for me.
also took care of some bills and banking stuff and solved some problems there. and downloaded some new software. more work in the3 garden moving and replanting things and watering the recent planted stuff. then hit some pitches and chips and eventually after they left i went to the range to practice a little.
and now it is late and will grab a little dinner and glance at the paper. need to be up at 6am tomorrow.
after the run i skipped the bike and started in on garden work while the day was still a little cool and then the work crew showed up and started back in on the bathroom and also the finish work in the family and laundry rooms. another long day of that and another day at home for me.
also took care of some bills and banking stuff and solved some problems there. and downloaded some new software. more work in the3 garden moving and replanting things and watering the recent planted stuff. then hit some pitches and chips and eventually after they left i went to the range to practice a little.
and now it is late and will grab a little dinner and glance at the paper. need to be up at 6am tomorrow.
Monday, September 22, 2008
two days of run and ride
busy two days and slow progress on the house. in a nutshell, i did an 8 mile run yesterday and 7 miles today with both runs being followed up by indoor bike rides of 42 and 23 miles. mentally that is the best i can do right now and as disappointing as this low level of training is at least i am holding on to some level of aerobics though no long runs. hope to squeeze in something soon, but my plans have tried and been changed three times so far. oh well is all i can say right now. will get it together i hope or is life going to be one big jigsaw puzzle of finding time?
with many trips to the lumber yard and lowe's and garden center, etc -won't list every errand run here, except to say that i finally got a haircut after 4 months of trying- could be worse. still no schedule for the oncology program or cataract surgery yet. did get my new orthotics and they work great for up to 8-10 miles. new glasses are coming. getting old is great................
ok- am now 53 emails behind, but have gotten no answers to the last 12 i sent out and not sure they are getting out there-
will catch up more soon-keep saying that, but in truth i am just out of sync right now. listen close and you can hear sarah mclachlan singing; what a sweet voice.
would yell about the economy, but the people asked for two terms of bush and now they got what ask for-- i have more money than my country and what does that tell anyone? and i am pretty broke right now- though not trillions in debt and all of my wars are funded. the roof and the car are next up i suppose.
will put the track work out off until wed. so gail can join me. will do something tomorrow. legs are tight right now, not tired though.
peace...............
with many trips to the lumber yard and lowe's and garden center, etc -won't list every errand run here, except to say that i finally got a haircut after 4 months of trying- could be worse. still no schedule for the oncology program or cataract surgery yet. did get my new orthotics and they work great for up to 8-10 miles. new glasses are coming. getting old is great................
ok- am now 53 emails behind, but have gotten no answers to the last 12 i sent out and not sure they are getting out there-
will catch up more soon-keep saying that, but in truth i am just out of sync right now. listen close and you can hear sarah mclachlan singing; what a sweet voice.
would yell about the economy, but the people asked for two terms of bush and now they got what ask for-- i have more money than my country and what does that tell anyone? and i am pretty broke right now- though not trillions in debt and all of my wars are funded. the roof and the car are next up i suppose.
will put the track work out off until wed. so gail can join me. will do something tomorrow. legs are tight right now, not tired though.
peace...............
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
8 miles and a lot of driving
up early and out the door headed toward mt vernon. was determined to go all the way up the big hill and to the mansion and get my 8 miles in and check out the new path extension being built and that's exactly what i did. a nice cool morning and i ran ok, even a little quicker than usual. timed a couple of the miles but didn't try to run them at a certain pace; just ran them and saw what the time was and it was ok. wasn't going to be quick after yesterday's hills and just wanted to get out and try and enjoy the river and the lack of humidity. many other runners and bikes out of course on a saturday morning, but saw nobody i knew. not the same without steve and rusty out there.
followed the run with a half hour on the bike to stretch out the legs a bit and cooldown at the same time. rode a steady 95 rpm's at an easy pace- on this bile that would be about 21 mph. and then stretched.
after breakfast we headed out to the lumber yard and bought some new doors and made arrangements to have them come and measure and that meant skipping some errands and heading home to meet the measurer. 90 minutes later that was done and we were back out in traffic again and running our errands. hate doing that on a saturday, but being tied to the house during the week leaves no choice.
later at home i decided to skip going to the range as it would have been far too time consuming given things going on and the paving of the roads between here and there. hit some pitches and chips in the back yard and swung the weighted club a bit and called it a rest day.
dinner and some house work followed and will do it all over again tomorrow. lots of yard work waiting also. i did get the blower out and cleaned up the leaves today following the gutter cleaning this week. hard to catch up on an entire year in the 7 weeks we have been home, but we are making progress. it would be easier if the people came when they were supposed to come and do the work. will get there.
need to ramp up the running distance. too many days of 7-10 and no long runs lately after all of the 2-3 hour runs in oxford. just hard to find time and motivation here. the running has been a little quicker, but not long enough. more golf stuff and house stuff mixed in makes time hard to find. also i was thinking that the errands i ran yesterday took 66 miles of driving and in oxford that would have been about 6 miles of walking and maybe a bus ride.
saw very little ryder cup today, just a few minutes. i watch almost no tv here at all, a habit i picked up in england and it is funny but i took a short break after eating dinner to read some newspaper and watched a little BBC. how ironic?
gotta run- more soon.
followed the run with a half hour on the bike to stretch out the legs a bit and cooldown at the same time. rode a steady 95 rpm's at an easy pace- on this bile that would be about 21 mph. and then stretched.
after breakfast we headed out to the lumber yard and bought some new doors and made arrangements to have them come and measure and that meant skipping some errands and heading home to meet the measurer. 90 minutes later that was done and we were back out in traffic again and running our errands. hate doing that on a saturday, but being tied to the house during the week leaves no choice.
later at home i decided to skip going to the range as it would have been far too time consuming given things going on and the paving of the roads between here and there. hit some pitches and chips in the back yard and swung the weighted club a bit and called it a rest day.
dinner and some house work followed and will do it all over again tomorrow. lots of yard work waiting also. i did get the blower out and cleaned up the leaves today following the gutter cleaning this week. hard to catch up on an entire year in the 7 weeks we have been home, but we are making progress. it would be easier if the people came when they were supposed to come and do the work. will get there.
need to ramp up the running distance. too many days of 7-10 and no long runs lately after all of the 2-3 hour runs in oxford. just hard to find time and motivation here. the running has been a little quicker, but not long enough. more golf stuff and house stuff mixed in makes time hard to find. also i was thinking that the errands i ran yesterday took 66 miles of driving and in oxford that would have been about 6 miles of walking and maybe a bus ride.
saw very little ryder cup today, just a few minutes. i watch almost no tv here at all, a habit i picked up in england and it is funny but i took a short break after eating dinner to read some newspaper and watched a little BBC. how ironic?
gotta run- more soon.
Friday, September 19, 2008
meant well plus eye dr stuff
meant well when i said i would keep up with this better, but my time has been overtaken by events as we used to say- working backwards- the crew didn't show up today and it would have been nice to have known they weren't coming as i cut my run short to be home in time for them to arrive. still, i had a nice 8 mile run with about 6-8 hills thrown in. all run today and that was nice also. a.m. heart rate was 44. as yesterday was a really easy 3 miles i expected the rate to be down a bit.
so following a good run and some laundry i headed off to the eye dr as they were concerned i may have had a glaucoma problem. turns out it is cataracts instead. some more surgery to follow at some point when they are "ripe". the left eye was really bad as i knew it would be. i could read the chart with the right eye, but it may as well have been twenty miles away with the left eye- no use in guessing is what i told them. maybe this is why i have been missing all of my putts to the right. ha-ha...
did get some practice in later in the day; a short session with a little of everything and some drills. went ok and i can see progress. do like the 64 degree wedge, though i wish i knew where the first one disappeared to.
almost no yard work today other than a little watering. the new stuff looks ok and the plant i moved is making a comeback. time will tell-
yesterday was a slow and easy three miles followed by 9 holes at jefferson with frank and dan. dan had two eagles and that was pretty good and fun to watch. i had one birdie and one bogie and shot even par for the 9 holes. it was a good day for me though i have to work on re-finding my putting( mostly due to the grip i cannot get comfortable with, but i practiced a bunch today and will step it up even more).
after golf yesterday i ran several errands and spent a lot of time stuck in traffic and then did some gardening and some more golf practice. did takeout for dinner and got gail some for after school and bingo, another day done.
this is all so boring i am sure, and i do leave out lots of stuff related to the house repair at least. lots to do over the weekend and may also catch some ryder cup.
time to get going now. so many emails behind but i will catch up. am way too secluded right now and spending more time with strangers than friends and family. on-line shopping has been a great help for sure.
up early to run. no racing and no time for it, but will get going and putting things in place to make it happen. did re-join PGRC and that could be good. will be interesting to be a member again of a club i started some almost twenty years ago.
more soon......
so following a good run and some laundry i headed off to the eye dr as they were concerned i may have had a glaucoma problem. turns out it is cataracts instead. some more surgery to follow at some point when they are "ripe". the left eye was really bad as i knew it would be. i could read the chart with the right eye, but it may as well have been twenty miles away with the left eye- no use in guessing is what i told them. maybe this is why i have been missing all of my putts to the right. ha-ha...
did get some practice in later in the day; a short session with a little of everything and some drills. went ok and i can see progress. do like the 64 degree wedge, though i wish i knew where the first one disappeared to.
almost no yard work today other than a little watering. the new stuff looks ok and the plant i moved is making a comeback. time will tell-
yesterday was a slow and easy three miles followed by 9 holes at jefferson with frank and dan. dan had two eagles and that was pretty good and fun to watch. i had one birdie and one bogie and shot even par for the 9 holes. it was a good day for me though i have to work on re-finding my putting( mostly due to the grip i cannot get comfortable with, but i practiced a bunch today and will step it up even more).
after golf yesterday i ran several errands and spent a lot of time stuck in traffic and then did some gardening and some more golf practice. did takeout for dinner and got gail some for after school and bingo, another day done.
this is all so boring i am sure, and i do leave out lots of stuff related to the house repair at least. lots to do over the weekend and may also catch some ryder cup.
time to get going now. so many emails behind but i will catch up. am way too secluded right now and spending more time with strangers than friends and family. on-line shopping has been a great help for sure.
up early to run. no racing and no time for it, but will get going and putting things in place to make it happen. did re-join PGRC and that could be good. will be interesting to be a member again of a club i started some almost twenty years ago.
more soon......
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
always behind, but trying;79,443 miles done
just seems like i cannot get caught up; the nice lazy days of england are behind me now and life is a chaotic frenzy and what seems to be fighting off early memory loss-
but the flood repair work goes on mostly in some sort of frustrating fashion and loud noise and incompleteness while still killing off a daily life and any sort of routine-simultaneously making everyone else mad at me as i seem to have no control over my schedule- but i digress to whine and don't mean to-
at least i get some running in. there too i seemed rushed as i am not always up and out at 6:30am as i try and on the days when i am now i still have to be back in time to get ready for the crew in case they come. that can be at 9am or 11 am or not at all.
yesterday i did a nice track workout of 1 x 800, 4 x 400, 9 x 200 and 3 x 100- 45 points under the new system- mostly because i must have lost track- thought i had 50. ran ok and watched to make sure i didn't hurt anything more than necessary. then did some garden work and when the guys had not shown up by 11am i headed over to jefferson and walked 9 holes, playing with frederick, manot and lee. actually played ok to so-so, but had fun. shot 39 with two three putts- still not at all comfortable with my putting as i have just forgotten how to grip the putter. had one birdie when i chipped to 4 feet and made it but i did miss 3 other birdie putts. good for now.
then stopped at the garden center and lowe's on the way home and got some stuff i needed. at home i rode the bike trainer for 25 miles and got some aerobics in. then did the usual stuff after paying bills, washing clothes, moving furniture and getting stuff ready for the guys today.
and they showed up today and spent almost all day working. gail and i ran this morning and after she stopped i did a few loops around the neighborhood and then at home did 25 miles on the bike. then 4 hours of yard work and a trip to lowe's again to get stuff for the crew and then off to the range and hit some balls.
and that was a really quick summary of the past two days. will go into more detail tomorrow, but have to get out of here right now. sorry to alex if you are reading this, also to david and to anyone else --- will catch up soon....peace
btw: have 79,443 miles in my log right now since i started to keep track; more than three times around the world now. will need to live a lot longer to reach 100,000.
happy birthday to coach andy anderson!!!!
but the flood repair work goes on mostly in some sort of frustrating fashion and loud noise and incompleteness while still killing off a daily life and any sort of routine-simultaneously making everyone else mad at me as i seem to have no control over my schedule- but i digress to whine and don't mean to-
at least i get some running in. there too i seemed rushed as i am not always up and out at 6:30am as i try and on the days when i am now i still have to be back in time to get ready for the crew in case they come. that can be at 9am or 11 am or not at all.
yesterday i did a nice track workout of 1 x 800, 4 x 400, 9 x 200 and 3 x 100- 45 points under the new system- mostly because i must have lost track- thought i had 50. ran ok and watched to make sure i didn't hurt anything more than necessary. then did some garden work and when the guys had not shown up by 11am i headed over to jefferson and walked 9 holes, playing with frederick, manot and lee. actually played ok to so-so, but had fun. shot 39 with two three putts- still not at all comfortable with my putting as i have just forgotten how to grip the putter. had one birdie when i chipped to 4 feet and made it but i did miss 3 other birdie putts. good for now.
then stopped at the garden center and lowe's on the way home and got some stuff i needed. at home i rode the bike trainer for 25 miles and got some aerobics in. then did the usual stuff after paying bills, washing clothes, moving furniture and getting stuff ready for the guys today.
and they showed up today and spent almost all day working. gail and i ran this morning and after she stopped i did a few loops around the neighborhood and then at home did 25 miles on the bike. then 4 hours of yard work and a trip to lowe's again to get stuff for the crew and then off to the range and hit some balls.
and that was a really quick summary of the past two days. will go into more detail tomorrow, but have to get out of here right now. sorry to alex if you are reading this, also to david and to anyone else --- will catch up soon....peace
btw: have 79,443 miles in my log right now since i started to keep track; more than three times around the world now. will need to live a lot longer to reach 100,000.
happy birthday to coach andy anderson!!!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
two days in one
i keep telling myself that i will slow down and relax, but it seems like there are just not enough hours in the day. mostly of course because my day is shortened by the work going on and my being a captive audience to it.
yesterday though was a day with no workers. i did have to get everything out of the rooms they would work on today, but first i went out to run my 10 mile run. i need longer runs to get ready for the marathon, but i will just do what i can for now and hope to get a couple decent runs in later. also i am hoping that the several 2-3 hour runs i did in oxford will somehow still help. with 184 marathons behind me now i know experience only goes so far.
but at 6:30am i was out the door and it was really hot and humid already. this was a simple little effort. i went north on the trail and kept going as slowly as i had to to get down to the 8 mile marker at belle haven and then turned around and headed home. i carried my own water-daughter beth had gotten me a camel bak which i am still getting used to but it certainly comes in handy on long run/hot days. the river was pretty enough, but every runner or walker i passed later in the run talked about the humidity. at home i weighed myself and found that i had lost 5 pounds on this run despite all of the drinking i had done.
after the run i did several hours of work in the garden, cleaned out some of the attic, moved everything out of the bathroom, and started to set up the family room and laundry room so we could start using them again. then i left for the airport to get gail, who was coming home from giving a paper in france. and on the way home we stopped for dinner out so we didn't have to deal with it at home. and finally home and spent a few hours just being home and relaxing. eventually i went over to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls.
and finally the day was over. a long and busy hot and humid day, but a decent one.
and then a new day began- out for a short effort as we were up a little late an d the crew was coming at 9am. got the trash out first and did a nice little 5 miles in and then wrapped up the prep work and the crew was there and they got right into work. i spent the morning doing many chores mostly outside. went ok and caught up with stuff i left behind last year to do when we got back. the guys were inside banging away making a lot of noise as they ripped out tile and drywall. somehow gail worked on getting ready for school through the noise. this went on until about 3pm when they decided they had had enough work and dust for one day and would be back early tomorrow. i wrapped up my work and headed off to the range to get some short game in and hit some balls. that went well enough, but what i notice is that it always takes awhile to get into some decent tempo and then just as i start to groove it a bit it is time to move on. just need more time there. the tip the pro gave me yesterday was a big help and i worked on that today. made a big difference.
and then home - now 9:30pm and after a bit to eat and having read the paper here i am - another day gone- did get my new orthotics today in the mail and will try them out on wed. until next time.....go eagles!!!
yesterday though was a day with no workers. i did have to get everything out of the rooms they would work on today, but first i went out to run my 10 mile run. i need longer runs to get ready for the marathon, but i will just do what i can for now and hope to get a couple decent runs in later. also i am hoping that the several 2-3 hour runs i did in oxford will somehow still help. with 184 marathons behind me now i know experience only goes so far.
but at 6:30am i was out the door and it was really hot and humid already. this was a simple little effort. i went north on the trail and kept going as slowly as i had to to get down to the 8 mile marker at belle haven and then turned around and headed home. i carried my own water-daughter beth had gotten me a camel bak which i am still getting used to but it certainly comes in handy on long run/hot days. the river was pretty enough, but every runner or walker i passed later in the run talked about the humidity. at home i weighed myself and found that i had lost 5 pounds on this run despite all of the drinking i had done.
after the run i did several hours of work in the garden, cleaned out some of the attic, moved everything out of the bathroom, and started to set up the family room and laundry room so we could start using them again. then i left for the airport to get gail, who was coming home from giving a paper in france. and on the way home we stopped for dinner out so we didn't have to deal with it at home. and finally home and spent a few hours just being home and relaxing. eventually i went over to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls.
and finally the day was over. a long and busy hot and humid day, but a decent one.
and then a new day began- out for a short effort as we were up a little late an d the crew was coming at 9am. got the trash out first and did a nice little 5 miles in and then wrapped up the prep work and the crew was there and they got right into work. i spent the morning doing many chores mostly outside. went ok and caught up with stuff i left behind last year to do when we got back. the guys were inside banging away making a lot of noise as they ripped out tile and drywall. somehow gail worked on getting ready for school through the noise. this went on until about 3pm when they decided they had had enough work and dust for one day and would be back early tomorrow. i wrapped up my work and headed off to the range to get some short game in and hit some balls. that went well enough, but what i notice is that it always takes awhile to get into some decent tempo and then just as i start to groove it a bit it is time to move on. just need more time there. the tip the pro gave me yesterday was a big help and i worked on that today. made a big difference.
and then home - now 9:30pm and after a bit to eat and having read the paper here i am - another day gone- did get my new orthotics today in the mail and will try them out on wed. until next time.....go eagles!!!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
a busy day of recovery
just love having my day to day life schedule all over the place. finally got to sleep about 1:45am. and so woke up a little late and decided rather than to battle the sun i would just rest the legs from the pounding and rode 31 miles on the bike trainer. did a nice solid ride and i could tell the legs had some bounce back from yesterday's 9 mile run. was a little surprised that the morning heart rate was 48 and i know i ran harder than usual yesterday, but 48 is high these days.
followed the ride with a good weight workout and some stretching. did a little yardwork after that and headed off to lowe's to see if i could get a headstart on picking out things for the bathroom work and also picked up some stuff we needed. then back home to finish some of the yard work and do some laundry. then took the third shower of the day. nice to have heat and humidity again and tomorrow will be even hotter.
then headed over to the driving range and got some short game practice in and hit some balls. had the pro take a quick look and he said i had to slow down coming form the top and also to get more wrist cock. that helped and will keep practicing - making some progress though still not very comfortable with everything. and finally home just before 10pm. seems like a fast day, but it was nice to not have to work on the house all day. that will be tomorrow's chore.
nice win for maryland today beating Cal.
still have to catch up on emails and will try- didn't have any email today and that is strange.
funny how my memory works but i was thinking today that 48 years ago i went to the first bar mitzvah held at beth emeth in phila., richie ecksel's. hope he is still doing well wherever he is. we are getting old fast.
remember the goal is to live to be 92 and shoot my age. but first i have a 20 mile run to do this week.
followed the ride with a good weight workout and some stretching. did a little yardwork after that and headed off to lowe's to see if i could get a headstart on picking out things for the bathroom work and also picked up some stuff we needed. then back home to finish some of the yard work and do some laundry. then took the third shower of the day. nice to have heat and humidity again and tomorrow will be even hotter.
then headed over to the driving range and got some short game practice in and hit some balls. had the pro take a quick look and he said i had to slow down coming form the top and also to get more wrist cock. that helped and will keep practicing - making some progress though still not very comfortable with everything. and finally home just before 10pm. seems like a fast day, but it was nice to not have to work on the house all day. that will be tomorrow's chore.
nice win for maryland today beating Cal.
still have to catch up on emails and will try- didn't have any email today and that is strange.
funny how my memory works but i was thinking today that 48 years ago i went to the first bar mitzvah held at beth emeth in phila., richie ecksel's. hope he is still doing well wherever he is. we are getting old fast.
remember the goal is to live to be 92 and shoot my age. but first i have a 20 mile run to do this week.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Oil briefly spurts near $104 a barrel - USATODAY.com
i note that when oil was on the way up near $104 a barrel the cost of gasoline was closer to an average of $3.16-- or $.43 cents less a gallon that i paid last night. look for more record profits in the next quarter also for the oil companies.
Oil briefly spurts near $104 a barrel - USATODAY.com
Oil briefly spurts near $104 a barrel - USATODAY.com
half day thoughts/ and a nine mile run
the crew is here working and i thought i would take a minute to get started catching up. the tv pictures from texas are already hard to watch as there are already so many houses under water and the storm is still 250 miles away. would i stay here if there were a big hurricane coming? probably if it was just a "1". who knows? i remember bob mason and i were out running during hurricane david many years ago and also when gail and i were on the canal running when the park service kicked us off of the trail. days later we ran there again and saw that the water lines were above our heads. someone needs a new plan for the gulf coast. right....
also get a kick out of watching mc cain and his people just get things wrong and cover it up with lies. it is scary to think that the possible future of the entire world could rest in his and sarah's hands. and yet once again, i repeat, that whoever wins this next election will also be my president and that i want them to do a good job in protecting us and helping the economy, etc. i don't have to agree with them on everything, even most things, but i don't want any president to ignore every single major issue affecting our country just to make money for their rich friends or invade any country they feel like invading. will our voters be so dumb again? are we still racist enough to vote against a person for that reason? if 30% admit they are racist, what is the true number? wish i could live long enough to see how the future plays out, but i am thinking it will be like some of our comic books. i think our sci-fi people figure it out earlier than most.... on a side note i do feel empathy for her as she sends her son off to war. i hope he and the entire military are safe while they are there.
so gail called at 6:30 or so and then i went out to run. after 67 miles of bike trainer i was ready to go out and run. the legs had some rest from the pounding, but not from exercise. worse was the lack of sleep the past two days. with an early morning heart rate of 48 i wasn't expecting a great run, but the weather was not bad at 72 degrees and a little humidity. and i actually ran ok, a decent 4 miles after a slow first mile and then a slower 4 miles at the end to get 9 miles done.
then home and did some garden work before even cleaning up. moved a few things and planted the last new plant i forgot about on weds. then watered and weeded and just at that time the floor people showed up. i threw some laundry in and then helped moved some stuff. will help again later when it is time to move furniture.
and that is almost half a day. just before noon and time to work.
also get a kick out of watching mc cain and his people just get things wrong and cover it up with lies. it is scary to think that the possible future of the entire world could rest in his and sarah's hands. and yet once again, i repeat, that whoever wins this next election will also be my president and that i want them to do a good job in protecting us and helping the economy, etc. i don't have to agree with them on everything, even most things, but i don't want any president to ignore every single major issue affecting our country just to make money for their rich friends or invade any country they feel like invading. will our voters be so dumb again? are we still racist enough to vote against a person for that reason? if 30% admit they are racist, what is the true number? wish i could live long enough to see how the future plays out, but i am thinking it will be like some of our comic books. i think our sci-fi people figure it out earlier than most.... on a side note i do feel empathy for her as she sends her son off to war. i hope he and the entire military are safe while they are there.
so gail called at 6:30 or so and then i went out to run. after 67 miles of bike trainer i was ready to go out and run. the legs had some rest from the pounding, but not from exercise. worse was the lack of sleep the past two days. with an early morning heart rate of 48 i wasn't expecting a great run, but the weather was not bad at 72 degrees and a little humidity. and i actually ran ok, a decent 4 miles after a slow first mile and then a slower 4 miles at the end to get 9 miles done.
then home and did some garden work before even cleaning up. moved a few things and planted the last new plant i forgot about on weds. then watered and weeded and just at that time the floor people showed up. i threw some laundry in and then helped moved some stuff. will help again later when it is time to move furniture.
and that is almost half a day. just before noon and time to work.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
two days and a rambling repeat
two days since i last blogged; have been really busy since then and hope to catch up some in the next three days. the crew comes tomorrow and i will be home all day and then have some weekend time to get caught up some before going to the airport.
took the day off yesterday from running to rest the legs. the speedwork is getting to them as is all of the work on the house and garden. don't mind that actually as i want to get this work done and the races can wait. somehow i will have to crawl though the marathon in november and just hope that the long runs i have done will be of some help. and i will try to get a few more in.
but instead of running i did 42 miles on the bike trainer and rode hard- up to 110 rpm and got a good ride in though i could tell the legs were not that fresh. finally got to sleep at 1:40am and decided to rest the legs another day as i was going to play golf and the workers weren't coming today.
played with 11 other guys from our duffer group and played much better than i thought i would given how little practice i am getting in and how badly it is going when i do get to practice, though i feel like the chipping and putting is getting better. started with 4 pars and then played par and Bogey golf the rest of the way except for the one hole where i dumped a ball in the pond fronting the green-i actually hit the ball into the far bank and got the ball back. just a few inches but that was enough. did chip in once and made two nice putts including one from about 20 feet on the last hole. also won closest to the pin on the back 9 and that was nice. a good start overall and nice to see some of the group again. also played with two guys i hadn't met before and they were both really nice and helpful also.
rode another 25 miles on the bike trainer. the legs were a little fresher so i rode a little higher level at a slightly lower rpm. went well and will see how tight the legs are tomorrow. in between i did my shift of neighborhood watch and must go out again in a few minutes.
a decent day but i feel bad that i didn't get to my email and will definitely get them done tomorrow. am too many behind now. still, progress is being made even if the house is extremely frustrating, but even in this stage it still is nicer being in this house than the one on binsey. do miss oxford though but carry on.
back out i go. one last shift to go. very busy day planned out in my head for tomorrow and must be up at 6am if i want to run any. the world is going on around me and i don't especially love that i am too busy to see what is going on more than by a cursory look. cannot stand listening to the election garbage everyone is spewing rather than talk about any worthwhile issues. i do love the mantra that if you tell the same lie over and over again a set number of times it becomes the truth. have to love that.
everyday an adventure -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a rambling repeat - does it take anothe weird brain to understand my own or does a person just say this guy is weird?
Where does my brain go
When it seems like it is hiding
From me
When I can look at the future
and it all seems so clear
and yet out of focus
when will I take the time
to figure out what is going on
and will I know the answer
somewhere out there someone has
the replacement bulb for the
headlight not working
I walk the streets of a foreign town
And the people speak to me
Without saying a word
And it is like I know them and what
They are going through
And I know I don’t yet it seems so real
Like silent talking and a nod of the head
Tells me their story
And my brain feels like it is on constant caffeine
Though mostly it feels tired
And words I write seem to say nothing
Worthwhile
Though I know what I am trying to say
And cannot find the words or meaning
Where is Cinderella now and what would the
Other Boleyn girl be doing if she were alive
In a world without Pricilla potter and marlene stumacher
Who cares why denise or Christie are getting divorced
Why does middle America worry about rich and famous America
Does it matter what Lindsay lohan is doing right now
And of course it doesn’t really but does it and to who
If the Yankees win a game or lose it does the world change
And become better or worse and does it change the life of anyone
Other than Yankees or yankee fans
Does it wipe out the memories of being a kid and rooting for
Warren spahn and robin Roberts
Does my world consist only of the past and harry Anderson
Or willie mccovey getting four hits off of robin in his very first game
Or do I remember that wrong and do I really want to google
It to find out and how many years from now if someone were
Reading this would it be before they wondered what googled meant
And is it a good thing I didn’t mention records or eight tracks
And where is my 45 copy of “go now” by the moodie blues and
“Lose your money, but please don’t lose mine”
And if my father were still alive would he still be yelling at me to turn down
the volume and would I say in just a minute
and why do I understand that so much better at 61
than I did at 17
and what do I know really as I search for what’s next and find only tomorrow
and I know that I must move quickly or else I will just wallow
in everyday nothingness like these past two years spent searching
and watching and chasing a little white ball
and why do some people just have it and others do not and why does the same clothes
on two different people look great or way out of place
and why can’t Microsoft word let me put words where I want them rather
than have them do it automatically for me and then put them in the wrong place
and isn’t it a good thing that I never did drugs if I can think like this without them
and why did george carlin die when the world needed humor
and is it all just momentary pablum as my father used to say
but I am far removed from where I started to be and am writing about stuff I had no thought of writing about when I started and was trying to see if I could just put thoughts on paper that made some sense without thinking about them before I typed them out
and so where did my brain go for the last ten minutes or so and what is robin Roberts doing right now and harry Anderson is unfortunately still dead and I still have no idea where potter or stumacher are and is Barbara j still drawing pictures of palamino horses
and is carl tancredi still playing dots and does it bother him that I am one day older than he is and I bet he doesn’t remember me at all and that is ok for I am not that guy who was there in 9th grade and viet nam saw to that and then cancer piled on and I am someone different than even I remember but better and worse and if I could go back I certainly wouldn’t go back that far because I couldn’t stand to be that dumb again
and so I will go search for my brain and stop this for now and maybe Michael rush has the answers because I think he knew Priscilla and marlene also
and maybe mr cannon is still playing basketball and mrs fisher is done crying and mrs Higgins has forgiven me and someone should tell mr prone that I still have the breadboard I made in his class that he gave me a b- for and I could tell mrs Jacobson that I am still jogging some 52 years later thanks to her and mrs weiner and they can stop kidding me now about liking anita I can’t remember her last name
and maybe someone nice married ms wallbridge, the love of every 6th grader who wasn’t in love with mrs eisenberg and I didn’t really mean to hit the principal with the dusty board eraser that I was throwing at someone else who ducked
and my world is great and I love it all! Especially the ice cream and pizza.
and I never liked the song venus by Frankie Avalon who was certainly not as good as Jackie Wilson or bennie king or even god forbid mr turn me loose himself, Fabian, but I did like Charlene Goldberg whose house I watched Frankie on ed Sullivan before the boy scout dance and who’s father once gave me a tetanus shot when I was bit on my butt by dusty the red dog
and I should stop my rambling now and I will
bye bye rip ripulski and pudding head jones
we still love you
took the day off yesterday from running to rest the legs. the speedwork is getting to them as is all of the work on the house and garden. don't mind that actually as i want to get this work done and the races can wait. somehow i will have to crawl though the marathon in november and just hope that the long runs i have done will be of some help. and i will try to get a few more in.
but instead of running i did 42 miles on the bike trainer and rode hard- up to 110 rpm and got a good ride in though i could tell the legs were not that fresh. finally got to sleep at 1:40am and decided to rest the legs another day as i was going to play golf and the workers weren't coming today.
played with 11 other guys from our duffer group and played much better than i thought i would given how little practice i am getting in and how badly it is going when i do get to practice, though i feel like the chipping and putting is getting better. started with 4 pars and then played par and Bogey golf the rest of the way except for the one hole where i dumped a ball in the pond fronting the green-i actually hit the ball into the far bank and got the ball back. just a few inches but that was enough. did chip in once and made two nice putts including one from about 20 feet on the last hole. also won closest to the pin on the back 9 and that was nice. a good start overall and nice to see some of the group again. also played with two guys i hadn't met before and they were both really nice and helpful also.
rode another 25 miles on the bike trainer. the legs were a little fresher so i rode a little higher level at a slightly lower rpm. went well and will see how tight the legs are tomorrow. in between i did my shift of neighborhood watch and must go out again in a few minutes.
a decent day but i feel bad that i didn't get to my email and will definitely get them done tomorrow. am too many behind now. still, progress is being made even if the house is extremely frustrating, but even in this stage it still is nicer being in this house than the one on binsey. do miss oxford though but carry on.
back out i go. one last shift to go. very busy day planned out in my head for tomorrow and must be up at 6am if i want to run any. the world is going on around me and i don't especially love that i am too busy to see what is going on more than by a cursory look. cannot stand listening to the election garbage everyone is spewing rather than talk about any worthwhile issues. i do love the mantra that if you tell the same lie over and over again a set number of times it becomes the truth. have to love that.
everyday an adventure -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a rambling repeat - does it take anothe weird brain to understand my own or does a person just say this guy is weird?
Where does my brain go
When it seems like it is hiding
From me
When I can look at the future
and it all seems so clear
and yet out of focus
when will I take the time
to figure out what is going on
and will I know the answer
somewhere out there someone has
the replacement bulb for the
headlight not working
I walk the streets of a foreign town
And the people speak to me
Without saying a word
And it is like I know them and what
They are going through
And I know I don’t yet it seems so real
Like silent talking and a nod of the head
Tells me their story
And my brain feels like it is on constant caffeine
Though mostly it feels tired
And words I write seem to say nothing
Worthwhile
Though I know what I am trying to say
And cannot find the words or meaning
Where is Cinderella now and what would the
Other Boleyn girl be doing if she were alive
In a world without Pricilla potter and marlene stumacher
Who cares why denise or Christie are getting divorced
Why does middle America worry about rich and famous America
Does it matter what Lindsay lohan is doing right now
And of course it doesn’t really but does it and to who
If the Yankees win a game or lose it does the world change
And become better or worse and does it change the life of anyone
Other than Yankees or yankee fans
Does it wipe out the memories of being a kid and rooting for
Warren spahn and robin Roberts
Does my world consist only of the past and harry Anderson
Or willie mccovey getting four hits off of robin in his very first game
Or do I remember that wrong and do I really want to google
It to find out and how many years from now if someone were
Reading this would it be before they wondered what googled meant
And is it a good thing I didn’t mention records or eight tracks
And where is my 45 copy of “go now” by the moodie blues and
“Lose your money, but please don’t lose mine”
And if my father were still alive would he still be yelling at me to turn down
the volume and would I say in just a minute
and why do I understand that so much better at 61
than I did at 17
and what do I know really as I search for what’s next and find only tomorrow
and I know that I must move quickly or else I will just wallow
in everyday nothingness like these past two years spent searching
and watching and chasing a little white ball
and why do some people just have it and others do not and why does the same clothes
on two different people look great or way out of place
and why can’t Microsoft word let me put words where I want them rather
than have them do it automatically for me and then put them in the wrong place
and isn’t it a good thing that I never did drugs if I can think like this without them
and why did george carlin die when the world needed humor
and is it all just momentary pablum as my father used to say
but I am far removed from where I started to be and am writing about stuff I had no thought of writing about when I started and was trying to see if I could just put thoughts on paper that made some sense without thinking about them before I typed them out
and so where did my brain go for the last ten minutes or so and what is robin Roberts doing right now and harry Anderson is unfortunately still dead and I still have no idea where potter or stumacher are and is Barbara j still drawing pictures of palamino horses
and is carl tancredi still playing dots and does it bother him that I am one day older than he is and I bet he doesn’t remember me at all and that is ok for I am not that guy who was there in 9th grade and viet nam saw to that and then cancer piled on and I am someone different than even I remember but better and worse and if I could go back I certainly wouldn’t go back that far because I couldn’t stand to be that dumb again
and so I will go search for my brain and stop this for now and maybe Michael rush has the answers because I think he knew Priscilla and marlene also
and maybe mr cannon is still playing basketball and mrs fisher is done crying and mrs Higgins has forgiven me and someone should tell mr prone that I still have the breadboard I made in his class that he gave me a b- for and I could tell mrs Jacobson that I am still jogging some 52 years later thanks to her and mrs weiner and they can stop kidding me now about liking anita I can’t remember her last name
and maybe someone nice married ms wallbridge, the love of every 6th grader who wasn’t in love with mrs eisenberg and I didn’t really mean to hit the principal with the dusty board eraser that I was throwing at someone else who ducked
and my world is great and I love it all! Especially the ice cream and pizza.
and I never liked the song venus by Frankie Avalon who was certainly not as good as Jackie Wilson or bennie king or even god forbid mr turn me loose himself, Fabian, but I did like Charlene Goldberg whose house I watched Frankie on ed Sullivan before the boy scout dance and who’s father once gave me a tetanus shot when I was bit on my butt by dusty the red dog
and I should stop my rambling now and I will
bye bye rip ripulski and pudding head jones
we still love you
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
no time for this right now
have bee up now way too long but haven't blogged anything in days so this will be a short attempt and i will try to catch up tomorrow. have really not been good at this since we got back to the states.
the last three days of running went 7, 8 and 6. all i had time for there also. did have two good speed workouts in the last 5 days and also got in a 10 mile day so it hasn't been all bad. today i just ran slow and tried to stay steady and got 8 in before we left to go to the airport so gail could head off to france. then i played 9 holes at jefferson on the way home after running some errands. hit the ball badly as typical of the last several weeks, but scored ok as i putted decently and chipped ok.
so the golf goes slowly as does the running. the floor guys didn't show up or call and didn't take my calls other than once to say they would be there. will see how that plays out. did a lot of work around the house the past several days starting to put it back together, but with no carpets down and no bathroom yet i can only do so much. am making slow progress with the house, but it is steady and will get going.
more tomorrow. still have some stuff to do before i go to sleep and it is a few minutes short of being tomorrow.
the last three days of running went 7, 8 and 6. all i had time for there also. did have two good speed workouts in the last 5 days and also got in a 10 mile day so it hasn't been all bad. today i just ran slow and tried to stay steady and got 8 in before we left to go to the airport so gail could head off to france. then i played 9 holes at jefferson on the way home after running some errands. hit the ball badly as typical of the last several weeks, but scored ok as i putted decently and chipped ok.
so the golf goes slowly as does the running. the floor guys didn't show up or call and didn't take my calls other than once to say they would be there. will see how that plays out. did a lot of work around the house the past several days starting to put it back together, but with no carpets down and no bathroom yet i can only do so much. am making slow progress with the house, but it is steady and will get going.
more tomorrow. still have some stuff to do before i go to sleep and it is a few minutes short of being tomorrow.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
out in the rain
short night of sleep and out about 6:30am in the start of the "hannah" rainstorm. the drizzle stayed that way for awhile as i ran about a mile waiting for gail and then we ran north and did the east blvd loop. we had both done hard workouts yesterday so today was even slower than normal at first and i was tempted to call this day's blog, all junk miles, but didn't.
gail and i stayed out long enough for gail to run about an hour and i stayed out to get some more in. didn't make sense to stop now when i knew i would be tired tomorrow and figured i would keep plowing along as long as nothing unusual hurt. so back north i went and basically ran the same loop again and then threw in some southern trail run to make sure i had my 10-11 miles in. actually ran much better the second hour despite some muscle tightness and a really driving rain and a tougher wind. the storm was early as it wasn't due here until 10am. there were several people out after awhile as it is saturday and the dedicated have to get there long run in regardless of the rain. sounds like "Ike" will be the bad guy in the end.
but in the end i had my run in and could adjust tomorrow as necessary. maybe by then i would be dry again. at home i had to deal with some flooding areas and now have a good idea of what i need to do when this is over. the work crew showed up at 10:30 and it is now about 8pm and they are still here, far past their self imposed 4:30pm deadline. we will deal with the next part of this cleanup mess differently. another lost day as far as getting anything personally done, but we are getting closer i hope to recapturing our downstairs. i even called the carpet people and they just said they would be there monday if they were supposed to be. have to love that.
and so the rest of the day was spent in different little things- read some bookclub books; dumped 300 pounds of soil and mulch to deal with the rain; weeded for awhile while the dirt was soft; and hit some pitches and chips off of the wet ground just to not go crazy inside.
and so on we go. i am just so unmotivated to do anything in the house right now it is almost funny and i will get that under control later. a free day tomorrow i hope, but i guess it all depends on where the guys stop tonight. i hear the staple gun so i hope the trim is going in. ha!
ps-- typing this at 9:50pm and the tile guys just left-- is it dinner time now?
gail and i stayed out long enough for gail to run about an hour and i stayed out to get some more in. didn't make sense to stop now when i knew i would be tired tomorrow and figured i would keep plowing along as long as nothing unusual hurt. so back north i went and basically ran the same loop again and then threw in some southern trail run to make sure i had my 10-11 miles in. actually ran much better the second hour despite some muscle tightness and a really driving rain and a tougher wind. the storm was early as it wasn't due here until 10am. there were several people out after awhile as it is saturday and the dedicated have to get there long run in regardless of the rain. sounds like "Ike" will be the bad guy in the end.
but in the end i had my run in and could adjust tomorrow as necessary. maybe by then i would be dry again. at home i had to deal with some flooding areas and now have a good idea of what i need to do when this is over. the work crew showed up at 10:30 and it is now about 8pm and they are still here, far past their self imposed 4:30pm deadline. we will deal with the next part of this cleanup mess differently. another lost day as far as getting anything personally done, but we are getting closer i hope to recapturing our downstairs. i even called the carpet people and they just said they would be there monday if they were supposed to be. have to love that.
and so the rest of the day was spent in different little things- read some bookclub books; dumped 300 pounds of soil and mulch to deal with the rain; weeded for awhile while the dirt was soft; and hit some pitches and chips off of the wet ground just to not go crazy inside.
and so on we go. i am just so unmotivated to do anything in the house right now it is almost funny and i will get that under control later. a free day tomorrow i hope, but i guess it all depends on where the guys stop tonight. i hear the staple gun so i hope the trim is going in. ha!
ps-- typing this at 9:50pm and the tile guys just left-- is it dinner time now?
Friday, September 05, 2008
experiment of one continues
am once again a captive audience to my house contractors who found more problems today that could be fixed for another $470. what do you say to people once your house is ripped apart-no;ha----
anyway- thought i would try to get a head start on catching up on my emails, but cox won't let me log in. so i am using my google account. yea to technology.
ran at the track this morning using my point system. i give one point for each one hundred meters i run. today's workout goal was 48 points. i could have run 48 x 100 and that would have worked if i lasted that long, but i ran 12 x 100; 7 x 200; and 3 x 800 for 50 points as i wanted to see if i could run a couple of real relaxed 100's at the end under 8 minute pace. ran the 800's in 4:03; 3:53; and 3:46( my best in awhile). was keeping an eye on all body parts and the usual tight right quad and right groin. funny but what i call the broken toe doesn't ever hurt on the track, but will later. same thing with the torn abductor- both of which i am sure are golf injuries. only went under 50 seconds a few times today but that was decent. my lungs are ahead of my legs as the legs give out first. not tired, they just get tight and i cannot keep the stride length long. i must do something about getting in better shape overall.
the morning heart rate was 45 and i stretched ok and given the heat and humidity the workout went ok. with a short warmup- and then used a few of the 100's as more warmup, and a short warmdown i got a little over 7 miles in. am now 640 miles short of 80,000 since i have kept track. that doesn't count the years of 2-4 mile days when i kept no log, but that's ok. all meaningless in the end anyway. what it all tells me is that i am better off doing short races if i want to race again as i can not keep up a decent pace for any distance. i have been able to run with some people when i hook up on the trail by accident but still cannot plan to run a distance or a pace so it is hard to plan to run with people. i just take each day as it shows me what is available to me so to speak. more like meandering than actual running and that is ok. it was one of the reasons i loved running in oxford as the trails, canal and river were perfect meandering partners and nobody there cared how fast i ran.
and so back at home i worked on the garden a bit and hit some so-so pitch shots in the back yard. 95 degrees and sunny out now so i will have to wait to do more. the guys will leave about 6pm and come back tomorrow at 10am they say. i need to get to lowe's to get the stuff for the new bathroom and also to somewhere to get some new furniture as we tossed much of what was down there that couldn't be cleaned up and saved.
golf wise i am just beyond frustrated and would just give it up rather than try to re-find my old swing and game, but it is just not my nature and also, if i could do it once i may be able to do it again. but not knowing where the ball is going and not knowing how to swing the golf club is weird. i see some of the problem and will see how to get it fixed. i am getting the club too inside and am hitting the ball with the club face squared to the right much too often. hopefully it will get more comfortable also. hit enough good shots to have some encouragement and chipped well. everything else needs help right now. will give it some more time when i get it and see what happens.
could also lose the job and benefits of the course and range if i cannot get back to work, but there is no choice right now and i know how to buy balls if i have to, though i enjoy working there enough even if giving up the time is hard-p it is all mental i know.
and so on we go -- all useless i know, but it is what it is for now.
anyway- thought i would try to get a head start on catching up on my emails, but cox won't let me log in. so i am using my google account. yea to technology.
ran at the track this morning using my point system. i give one point for each one hundred meters i run. today's workout goal was 48 points. i could have run 48 x 100 and that would have worked if i lasted that long, but i ran 12 x 100; 7 x 200; and 3 x 800 for 50 points as i wanted to see if i could run a couple of real relaxed 100's at the end under 8 minute pace. ran the 800's in 4:03; 3:53; and 3:46( my best in awhile). was keeping an eye on all body parts and the usual tight right quad and right groin. funny but what i call the broken toe doesn't ever hurt on the track, but will later. same thing with the torn abductor- both of which i am sure are golf injuries. only went under 50 seconds a few times today but that was decent. my lungs are ahead of my legs as the legs give out first. not tired, they just get tight and i cannot keep the stride length long. i must do something about getting in better shape overall.
the morning heart rate was 45 and i stretched ok and given the heat and humidity the workout went ok. with a short warmup- and then used a few of the 100's as more warmup, and a short warmdown i got a little over 7 miles in. am now 640 miles short of 80,000 since i have kept track. that doesn't count the years of 2-4 mile days when i kept no log, but that's ok. all meaningless in the end anyway. what it all tells me is that i am better off doing short races if i want to race again as i can not keep up a decent pace for any distance. i have been able to run with some people when i hook up on the trail by accident but still cannot plan to run a distance or a pace so it is hard to plan to run with people. i just take each day as it shows me what is available to me so to speak. more like meandering than actual running and that is ok. it was one of the reasons i loved running in oxford as the trails, canal and river were perfect meandering partners and nobody there cared how fast i ran.
and so back at home i worked on the garden a bit and hit some so-so pitch shots in the back yard. 95 degrees and sunny out now so i will have to wait to do more. the guys will leave about 6pm and come back tomorrow at 10am they say. i need to get to lowe's to get the stuff for the new bathroom and also to somewhere to get some new furniture as we tossed much of what was down there that couldn't be cleaned up and saved.
golf wise i am just beyond frustrated and would just give it up rather than try to re-find my old swing and game, but it is just not my nature and also, if i could do it once i may be able to do it again. but not knowing where the ball is going and not knowing how to swing the golf club is weird. i see some of the problem and will see how to get it fixed. i am getting the club too inside and am hitting the ball with the club face squared to the right much too often. hopefully it will get more comfortable also. hit enough good shots to have some encouragement and chipped well. everything else needs help right now. will give it some more time when i get it and see what happens.
could also lose the job and benefits of the course and range if i cannot get back to work, but there is no choice right now and i know how to buy balls if i have to, though i enjoy working there enough even if giving up the time is hard-p it is all mental i know.
and so on we go -- all useless i know, but it is what it is for now.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
why whine? smalltime chaos....
that's what i want to do, but won't too much. got 9 miles in yesterday and 8 more today. some good and some slower, but ok. morning heart rate is up and will rest tomorrow i hope. was hoping to play golf but it will be 90+ and the guys have a late tee time and i will skip it. the wall guys finished mostly today and i worked around them clearing out the rooms getting ready for the floor guys who showed up wrongly yesterday. won't go into the confrontations i have had in the last few days, but we have moved on. eventually the bathroom guys will get here. the asbestos is now somewhat exposed and will be good to get that cleared up. should be done on friday, but then again they came yesterday by mistake so who knows. glad i confirmed that they would come on friday and not tuesday. also won't bore anyone with the amount of decision making that doesn't get done unless forced. enough.
did get to hit a small bucket yesterday but nothing today. will get to do some tomorrow and not again until sunday maybe. then miss monday and then should be good for awhile in between many trips to lowe's to get the bathroom stuff. the house is in chaos as 4 rooms of stuff is piled into the other rooms. will work out.
am tired constantly but doing what i can to speed this up and make it work. good to get some runs in at least. golf can wait and what choice do i have. am just not getting to emails. had drafted some to send to england when the crew boss showed up and that was the end of that. at some point i will get going. am too tired to be motivated and the heat doesn't help as i spend most of my day outside.
enough not whining. life is good and we'll catch up. gail spoke to some students who were in oxford last semester and they all miss it and are having trouble adjusting back. know how they feel. funny what i missed was my house and car. little did i know-----
big question now is where to move next............at least we are getting a head start on throwing things away. it does get easier all of the time. even gave away a television today.
more soon--
did get to hit a small bucket yesterday but nothing today. will get to do some tomorrow and not again until sunday maybe. then miss monday and then should be good for awhile in between many trips to lowe's to get the bathroom stuff. the house is in chaos as 4 rooms of stuff is piled into the other rooms. will work out.
am tired constantly but doing what i can to speed this up and make it work. good to get some runs in at least. golf can wait and what choice do i have. am just not getting to emails. had drafted some to send to england when the crew boss showed up and that was the end of that. at some point i will get going. am too tired to be motivated and the heat doesn't help as i spend most of my day outside.
enough not whining. life is good and we'll catch up. gail spoke to some students who were in oxford last semester and they all miss it and are having trouble adjusting back. know how they feel. funny what i missed was my house and car. little did i know-----
big question now is where to move next............at least we are getting a head start on throwing things away. it does get easier all of the time. even gave away a television today.
more soon--
Monday, September 01, 2008
short post and a scary moment
always short of time these days- another in a nutshell post; did 4 easy miles this morning trying to get some recovery. the morning pulse was 47, going the wrong way-up. the busy day included cutting the grass; going to home depot and picking up lots of stuff to work on the house while the crew does their thing; cleaning out most of the laundry room (tossed out a lot of stuff and have more piles to get rid of tomorrow)in preparation for the work that starts there this week; working in the garden; and hitting a few balls at the range in a short practice session.
but the scary moment came while driving home from the range tonight when a tree fell as i drove down the parkway and i swerved very quickly around most of it and just clipped it. too dark to really see any damage other than scratches on the mirror and maybe the door. will see more in the light tomorrow. just a bit scary as you just react and then feel it afterwards. fortunately i had no traffic in the next lane or i would have just plowed into it.
and on we go. more tomorrow and i will try again to do some emails and finish my book club book. gail's first day of class. and we are back here and no longer in england. what can i say? will get there soon i hope.
but the scary moment came while driving home from the range tonight when a tree fell as i drove down the parkway and i swerved very quickly around most of it and just clipped it. too dark to really see any damage other than scratches on the mirror and maybe the door. will see more in the light tomorrow. just a bit scary as you just react and then feel it afterwards. fortunately i had no traffic in the next lane or i would have just plowed into it.
and on we go. more tomorrow and i will try again to do some emails and finish my book club book. gail's first day of class. and we are back here and no longer in england. what can i say? will get there soon i hope.
Crooks and Liars » Just Because McCain Says He’s a “Maverick” Doesn’t Make It So
not a maverick, but a sidekick paraphrasing bob casey-
Crooks and Liars » Just Because McCain Says He’s a “Maverick” Doesn’t Make It So
Crooks and Liars » Just Because McCain Says He’s a “Maverick” Doesn’t Make It So
federal legal holidays 2009
Federal Legal Holidays 2009
• January 1, 2009: New Year's Day [Jan. 1 every year]
• January 19, 2009: Martin Luther King Day [3rd monday in Jan]
• January 20, 2009: Inauguration Day [every 4th year]
• February 16, 2009: Presidents Day (observed) [3rd monday in Feb]
note: Presidents Day is also Washington's Birthday (observed)
• May 25, 2009: Memorial Day (observed) [last monday in May]
• July 4, 2009: Independence Day [July 4 every year]
• September 7, 2009: Labor Day [1st monday in Sept]
• October 12, 2009: Columbus Day (observed) [2nd monday in Oct]
• November 11, 2009: Veterans' Day [Nov. 11 every year]
• November 26, 2009: Thanksgiving Day [4th thursday in Nov]
• December 25, 2009: Christmas Day [Dec. 25 every year]
• January 1, 2009: New Year's Day [Jan. 1 every year]
• January 19, 2009: Martin Luther King Day [3rd monday in Jan]
• January 20, 2009: Inauguration Day [every 4th year]
• February 16, 2009: Presidents Day (observed) [3rd monday in Feb]
note: Presidents Day is also Washington's Birthday (observed)
• May 25, 2009: Memorial Day (observed) [last monday in May]
• July 4, 2009: Independence Day [July 4 every year]
• September 7, 2009: Labor Day [1st monday in Sept]
• October 12, 2009: Columbus Day (observed) [2nd monday in Oct]
• November 11, 2009: Veterans' Day [Nov. 11 every year]
• November 26, 2009: Thanksgiving Day [4th thursday in Nov]
• December 25, 2009: Christmas Day [Dec. 25 every year]
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