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January 26, 2007

Oughta be

There ought to be a law.

No one can announce inkle or hint that they are running for President until Jan 1
of the election year.

If you are not within 30 yards of passing a car you cannot be in the left lane and
you had better be overtaking said car within seconds.

You cannot tell the order taker at the fast food place to wait a second so you can finish
your call on the cell phone.

This one for woman, if the rack of clothes is not your size move on.

You cannot spit while in a running event unless you look twice over you shoulder.

You're in a movie theater shut the heck up.

Don’t throw that cigarette out into my world.

If your bulge droops over your waist band so you can’t see your waist band, cover it up.

That's a few things that bother me more than just a little bit.

January 24, 2007

Number 5

I have gone and ahead and chosen to subject myself to a long duration for physical exertion. My application to run Grandmas Marathon is in the mail. This will be my 5th running as long as training goes according to plan.

On Feb 12th feel free to follow my progress as the trek to the marathon goes on for 18 weeks. Oh there won't be daily posts but there might be just 2 or 3 in a week's time frame. I will try and give some perspective on what my ordeal is like both physically and mentally. I anticipate running about 650 miles during the program.

Many ask why I do this? The only answer I can come up with is because I can I guess. I like to run. As with any hobby one likes to display the efforts of his tribulations. This is my way of displaying to myself that I am a runner. So off I go once again.

Anyone who would want to help me on the race course, your efforts would be appreciated. A fellow runner who succumbed to injury and was unable to run and my wonderful niece and a friend of hers helped me last year on the course. You know how to find me so just let me know.

January 18, 2007

Voted For it Before I voted Against it. Redux

Oh those whacky dems.
This from the Washington Post.

On Dec. 5, Newsweek magazine touted an interview with then-incoming House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes as an "exclusive." And for good reason.
"In a surprise twist in the debate over Iraq," the story began, Mr. Reyes "said he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a 'stepped up effort to dismantle the militias.' "
"We have to consider the need for additional troops to be in Iraq, to take out the militias and stabilize Iraq," the Texas Democrat said to the surprise of many, "I would say 20,000 to 30,000."
Then came President Bush's expected announcement last week, virtually matching Mr. Reyes' recommendation and argument word-for-word -- albeit the president proposed only 21,500 troops.
Wouldn't you know, hours after Mr. Bush announced his proposal, Mr. Reyes told the El Paso Times that such a troop buildup was unthinkable.

It's Back

My faith in Mother Nature has been restored. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to move up to the NW Territory to find winter. Winter type weather has found its way to the tropics of Minnesota.

Over the last week or so we have returned to normal winter weather. The temperatures have been below 0 off and on. There have been a few snow falls. All the stuff you can expect in a winter.

There a numerous people happy about this besides me. A number of winter events were on the brink of being cancelled. A fishing contest that attracts thousands of people to stand out in the middle of a lake and try to win one of about 10 prizes. In St. Paul they have a winter carnival that attracts a large number of people came close to canceling some of their events too. So happiness is abounding here in the great state of Minnesota.

For me it meant that I could go out ice fishing without worrying about ice conditions. It sure is a lot more fun when the possibility of falling through the ice is eliminated. It sure beats sitting around and watching TV too.

I also enjoy running outdoors this time of year. It takes a bit longer to get ready due to putting 3 to 4 layers of clothing than just the shirt and shots in the summer. I find it more comfortable to run in the winter Because of the cold it’s easier to dress for comfort. There is a drawback now and than, I did have to wait until 11:00 to run the other day. It was 11:00 when the temperature reached 0 after being -14 when I was up at 7:00. The other is an occasional icy spot to avoid. I may look like Kenny from South Park with my hooded pullover, but I am happy to be outside.

Yes normalcy has returned.

January 15, 2007

Good Day

This is the description of a great day.

Early in the morning the sounds of my granddaughter woke me from my slumber. I crawled out of bed to take charge of caring for here and let her mom rest some more. No one else is awake yet. There is just me and my granddaughter Mira up and moving.

Mira and I just hung out on the couch for a little bit. She was looking at me with her beautiful brown eyes and me talking to her about stuff like fishing with Grandpa someday. This went on for about 15 minutes or so.

My daughter had a bottle prepared for me and just before she went back to bed she said Mira would want it in a little bit. We went to get the bottle from the kitchen and once she saw it she was ready to drink. It didn't take long for her to consume most of it. Just a small amount of the contest was left when she started playing with the bottle and making noises. We set the bottle aside.

Now it was play time. I sat her up on the rug and watched her. She was quite content in playing with her plastic chain that had attachments like a fish, a hedge hug, a butterfly and a elephant. Of course like most kids Mira's size everything needed to be tasted and chewed on. I just sat back and enjoyed watching her.

Once everyone was up our peaceful morning was now in the past. It was time for me to eat and Mira went off for a nap.

When Mira and I did get up I checked the temperature on the indoor/outdoor thermometer to see if it got as cold as was predicted. It had and than some. The outside temperature was -14. It would need to warm up a bit before I would attempt the 3 mile ran I wanted to do.

At 11:00 another check of the thermometer indicated the temp to be at 0. It was than warm enough for a run. After a little bit of stretching and putting on the layers of clothes I headed out for a short run. There is nothing as peaceful as running in the country. The view and the sounds are so much better than the city. In fact there was this new sound. You see when it's as cold like 0 the snow has a squeak to it when step on it. As I ran it reminded of the beat of a song I knew but for the life of me I cannot remember the name. I still can't and it will bug me until I figure it out. I completed the 3 miles in my usual 30 minutes but it seemed shorter in distance and time. I guess I was kind of oblivious to what I was doing and it sure didn't even feel like it was 0 outside.

Wait that is only the begining there is even more. Heck I am only through half the day. I need to have luunch yet.

Okay lunch nothing specal and it did not take that long, It was time to go fishing. When I go fishing it is more like meditating than fishing. Basically my meditation is interrupted occasionally to catch a fish. The lake I fish would no be the lake that a person could count on if they wanted to survive on eating fish. It is however a lake that does not attract a lot of people to distract you while you are trying to fish. However this day I did catch enough fish for a meal.

When it was dinner time I left my little ice shelter and headed in. Dinner was a delicious apple stuffed pork loin that my daughter had made. I enjoyed that along with potatoes and carrots. A very good dinner after a long day.

I did go back out to meditate for a few hours after dinner. This time no fish interrupted my meditation.

I made it back too the house in time to say good night to my granddaughter and than watch a little TV.

A great day.

January 10, 2007

How did we do it?

First we survived being born to some mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts, air bags or child proof locking doors. We drank water from the garden hose, pulled and ate veggies right out of the garden. We would share one soft drink right out of the bottle and we all lived. Oh yes we ate cakes, white bread, real butter and drank more than our share of pop with sugar in it and we weren’t over weight because….

We were outside playing.

We left home early in the morning and played all day and occasionally well into the night when we didn’t have to go to school. This was pretty much for 365 days a year. No one was able to reach us and we were OK.

We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, cable TV, VCR’s, DVDs, I-Pods, Internet Chat rooms… WE HAD FRIENDS and outside was the world we lived in.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and no law suits. We made up games with sticks, any ball we could and despite what we were told no one lost an eye. We rode bikes to get from here to there. If our bike had a flat or something else wrong we walked.

Football Teams had try outs and not everyone made the team. Score was kept for each game and yes there was a winner and a loser. There was disappointment when we were children that is how life goes once in awhile doesn’t it?

The children of these generations produced some of the best risk takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

We had freedom, failure, success, responsibility and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! I say CONGRATULATIONS to all those who survived childhood from the 40's to the 60’s for surviving under those miserable conditions. How did we do it? Kind of makes me feel like running through the house with scissors.

I cannot take credit for this. It was sent to my wife and I from a friend. I thought it was pretty much on point.