Against the wind

It’s time for another running update.  Honestly, there’s not much to report.  I’ve been lazy of late…not even walking that much at work.  I have, however, put on over 8 miles to get me over the 75 mile mark.

Now, as you can see (or maybe you can’t), I’ve arrived at the Dale/Huntingburg exit on I-64 in southwestern Indiana.  This used to be a favored stopping point of mine on trips to Terre Haute, Vincennes, etc.  There was a gas station here and a convenience store.   I haven’t been through here in some time, so I don’t know what’s there now…but there used to always be construction at this exit.  Anyway, now for your Dale factoid:

Founded in 1843, Dale was originally called Elizabeth and was renamed for Robert Dale Owen of New Harmony, the town’s congressman at the time.  Actress Florence Henderson of “The Brady Bunch” was born in Dale and President Abraham Lincoln was raised on a nearby farm.  His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried on that farm site.  As well, there is only one stop-light in Dale.

So there you go.  I finally made it to someplace that had something interesting going on.  Of course, it’ll probably be another 75 miles before I get something else interesting.

In other news, yea though I bemoan the fact that I have not been running, my biking prowess has increased.  Over the course of the weekend, I put 35 miles on the bike.  My butt is killing me and the rest of my body aches, but it was some gorgeous weather in which to ride.  Also, for TAFKAA and SV of Northpeak…we did some hills on those rides and training is slow, but it’s coming along.  The pics look great by the way.

I’ve also been meaning to get some pics of me in my bike gear because I know that you of the InterTubes and Webranet are dying to see them. Maybe soon I’ll have a photo shoot and get some shots of me decked out in my bike regalia.

Check out the movie review page as it has been updated heavily.  Everything else…not so much.

See you in the funny papers!

Tilting at windmills?

I know that there are roughly infinite number of things that could be cause for my own outrage.  A short list would include: hunger, poverty, war, mountaintop removal, global climate change, genocide, etc.  However, there are two things that are really creasing my shorts this morning; two things that have angered me beyond rational thought.

1. Littering
2. The Red Sox bullpen

Okay, so let me take you through the first one as it occurred.  I’m standing at the gas pump this weekend, pumping a ridiculous amount of money into the car.  This is not a normal occurrence for me, as I ride my bike a lot of places these days, but there I was because my wife and I were together and we were going a long distance.  Anyway, as I’m standing there, pouring my life savings worth of fossil fuel into my vehicle, the lady (and I use that term loosely) at the next pump calmly opens a pack of gum, tossing the top as well as the wrapper around the stick of gum onto the ground.  Her companion in the car, also receiving a stick of gum, proceeds to wad up her wrapper and let it fall, slyly yet nonchalantly, down to the ground as well.  All of this happened a mere 24 inches from a free standing, well-lit, garishly colored GARBAGE CAN!  I could feel the rage welling up within me.  With all the problems in the world, you and by you, I mean Kentucky license plate 288-AMK, you couldn’t be bothered to make one lousy step and toss this paper, this miniscule light-weight paper into a trash receptacle?  It’s not like you were being asked to move tires or railroad ties!

I was going to make a comment about it, but I’m not a huge fan of confrontation.  I avoid it like the plague.  Suffice to say, not only was I outraged concerning the litter, I was enraged about my lack of ability to do something about it.  Although, it has been my experience that people of this ilk, by which I mean careless scofflaws, tend toward the stupid side anyway and probably would not understand what all the fuss was about.

So, with that out of the way, I can now focus my ire on the bullpen of my beloved Red Sox.  SERIOUSLY?! How do you continue to blow leads this way?  It’s almost as if you’re trying to rip my heart out piece by piece before the All-Star break.  Speaking of All-Stars, I’m happy to see that none of the bullpen save Papelbon, who is not excluded from my wrath made the All-Star team, because currently you guys stink worse than Naples on a July afternoon.  It’s outrageous that you have given away this much territory in the AL East, especially to the Tampa Bay Rays…THE RAYS!!!  The very team who, in their 10 year history, have NEVER had a winning season.  If there ever was a perennial cellar-dweller, it’s TAMPA BAY!  But what really gets my goat is to have to split a series with those mama’s boys from the Bronx.  I HATE losing to the Yankees!  HATE IT!  You’d better get your act together for the second half gentlemen, because it will be a cold day in Sarasota if you let TAMPA BAY win this division.

See you in the funny papers!

Independence Day

God Bless America

Originally uploaded by ladybugbkt

As the clock winds down on this Independence Day, my thoughts rest heavy on various things. Patriotism and how that’s defined; flags, their meaning, and their defense; celebration of war and sacrifice, or simply an excuse to party. All of these things are part of the United States Independence Day.

Two hundred thirty two years ago, a group of men who disliked the current authority, got together and decided to settle the score on their terms. Using tactics that could best be described as “guerilla” and “terrorism,” this band of brothers set in motion the creation of a new country. A country that, over time, for better or worse, has become the most powerful country in the world.

We’ve heard a lot about patriotism in recent days what with each presidential candidate getting their two cents in. For me, patriotism is closely linked to nationalism, which isn’t far from jingoism in my book. You probably wouldn’t consider me a patriot. And, I’m pretty sure that this post (among others) will preclude me from a career with the CIA or the FBI or pretty much any other government post. Oh, well.

Being a patriot, or one who vigorously defends a country against detractors, can be unfortunate, because you may not be listening to well-intentioned and well-informed issues that affect your country. I know people, some in my own family, that will tell you that this country is the best country on earth…having been to maybe only one or two other countries in their life. I’m not saying that other countries are far superior, I’m just saying that there’s room for improvement in our own.

Not far behind these sayings is a desire to wave our flag, pictured prominently in this post, in the faces of naysayers. Our flag is not a tool or a weapon, it’s merely a symbol. A symbol of our own sacrifices to get to where we are today. By no means should it be used to antagonize or persecute others. Some will say I don’t love our flag. I don’t love what our flag has been made to stand for, but I still cover my heart and tears come to my eyes when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner. My grandfather and uncle, both taken well before their time, were military men and when their flags were crisply folded and placed in the arms of loved ones, I broke down and wept. I have the utmost respect for the flag, but not for the vitriol and bile that is being spread beneath its majestic unfurling.

Finally, as the neighbors set fire to the last of their explosives on this Independence Day, I wonder if we truly understand the significance of having this day, or has it gotten lost in the myriad other days wherein we take the day off work and drink beer with family. Has our understanding of freedom become something we simply take for granted because we don’t have to wake up early? My concern is that we no longer continue to fight for freedom because we think it’s a one and done, that our fighting has been done for us. I believe that it’s far from over. I believe we need to fight for our freedom and independence every day…and not in foreign countries where words like freedom and independence are intangible and unforeseeable.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t enjoy what we have, but I am saying we should remember how we got here and continue to improve on what we have. Far too long have we rested on our laurels in the independence department. And long may our flag wave in pursuit of that goal every day.

¿Donde in the F?

So, it’s time for another running update.  I’m afraid there’s not much to report.  I have gotten a couple of bike rides in which helps my training for other things, but has no bearing on my actual virtual run.  Aside: actual virtual? However, there was a little movement, therefore we get a new graphic.

Not really visible on the map is today’s local town of Saint Meinrad which is home to the famous monastery:

Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Spencer County, Indiana, USA, was founded by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey (Switzerland) on March 21, 1854, and currently is home to approximately 110 monks. It is one of only two archabbeys in the United States and one of 11 in the world.

Finally, a town in southern Indiana that actually has some useful information.  Other than the abbey, I don’t know much about Saint Meinrad.  It’s a shame I didn’t land in Santa Claus, Indiana.  That probably has a wealth of information.

Time now for some Random Thoughts:

• Global climate change might not be so bad if it continues to give us this beautiful 80 degree weather with low humidity.
• There’s nothing like a hammock and a good book.  If everybody had that, there’d be a lot less war.
• It’s a new fiscal year here at work…so everybody should be in soon to be spending the money they don’t have.
• Sometimes the titles of these posts are just for me.

See you in the funny papers

Nightmares

I don’t fear a lot of things.  I’m not a big fan of spiders, flying, or guns.  Everything else I can get a pretty decent handle on, including, but not limited to tornadoes, punches to the face, etc.  That said, it is now 1:20 a.m. on Monday morning and nine minutes ago I had the most vicious nightmare I’ve probably ever had.  I’ve had your run of the mill nightmares before…monsters chasing you, can’t run fast enough, falling…but this one, this one shook me to the core.  The weird part is that it was short and focused and unrelated to anything I was dreaming about in preceding dreams.

This next part is violently graphic in places.  If you’re not prepared or undesirous of continuing, please wait for the next post…hopefully soon!

My acquaintance Scott (not related to any of the other Scotts in this blog) was driving a blue vehicle, seemingly an old Duster like the Paynes’ (who lived across the street when I was little) used to own.  Anyway, he was driving this blue Duster up a cobblestone street, similar to Peterson Avenue where I lived, only I don’t think it was Peterson.  Anyway, Scott is driving and my wife is in the front seat and I’m in the back.  And as we’re driving up, a non-descript young white male whose face very much reminded me of the 1950s propaganda posters from Russia, or China…a very “worker of the world, Communism-lives” kind of character is strolling down the street in the opposite direction.  He’s wearing a black pleather coat, shorter than a trenchcoat, but about thigh length.  Anyway, he’s strolling along and as he’s passing the car on the driver’s side, he whips out a shotgun, pumping it once and blows a hole in the door/window and Scott.  I saw the muzzle flash and I SWEAR I FELT the impact of the the explosion as Scott is blown across the bench seat and glass goes flying everywhere.

The next scene is me holding Scott’s head as he is bleeding all over the place, screaming at my wife to drive as she looks at me in horror, desperately searching for the gas pedal while non-descript worker dude starts following the car holding the shotgun.  At that moment. I woke up.  My pillow is wet with drool from screaming “Drive!” in that mostly asleep state where nothing comes out the way it’s supposed to and I’m sweating and shaking from the vivid imagery that has shaken me, LITERALLY shaken me awake.

I don’t know where that image came from, but I do hope it never comes back.  I’ve fired a shotgun, once, and I understand it’s power.  After I fired it, I knew I desired never to have to fire one again in my life.  I just can’t imagine the images in this nightmare.

I’m sorry to have wakened you.  I’m sorry I’m awake myself.  But I had to tell somebody.  I hope that I can go back to a normal night’s sleep now.  You try and do the same.

See you in the funny papers!

Video Roundup

I don’t ordinarily post a lot of videos, mostly because I like to hear myself talk.  But sometimes, I find some really good ones that just can’t be missed.  All of these Youtubes were found at Jedinet.com, ergo, they are about Star Wars…in a way.  You’ll see what I mean when you watch them.  The second one I believe is pretty well known on the Interwebs, but the other two were new to me.  Have a great Friday!

See you in the funny papers!

The Humpty Dance…here’s your chance

Due to my preponderance of grace and natural athleticism, I was able to fall down the stairs of my home this morning with the style and pizzazz of Fred Astaire doing his best impression of John Merrick doing the MC Hammer.  In addition, the eloquence and verbal wit to which you are so accustomed on this particular blog caused me to utter the singular phrase “Ow!”, mostly to alert my wife that I was still breathing more than any particular pain.  I believe that I was able to avoid severe injury for the most part.  I have a small rug burn on my left elbow and what feels like a bruise on my hip, but short of that I’m doing okay for sliding most of the way down the steps.

Apparently, as I get older, I’ve become more clumsy.  But somehow, I manage to avoid serious complications by the grace of a higher power, or by sheer elasticity.  I’m certain that tomorrow will bring a plethora of aches and pains, mostly in my neck, which I believe landed on the the top step, and my back.

Of course, this fall totally negated the soothing effects of the massage that I got last night.  The last massage I got was about five years ago on my honeymoon, so I was really hoping this one would carry me to my 20-year high school reunion.  Apparently that will not be the case.

See you in the funny papers!

Running Update

If nothing else, I can offer you a running update today.  I was able to get back to the gym this last week and put in a good effort of 2.75 miles.  I had no pain in my ankle, but there’s still some stiffness there.  It’s not perfect, but I can work with it.

TAFKAA and SV: Worked on HP training.  0.25 mi on 15.0 grade.  That’s the highest grade available.  Took me 5:20.  Needed air.  Averaged 2.8 mph.

You’ll notice I passed the 50 mile mark in my trek to Pittsburg, KS.  It’s not visible on the map, but I’m just about at Uniontown, Indiana which is yet another unincorporated place.  It’s interesting, because I know of another Uniontown, IN that is incorporated and is further east.  I wonder which one had the name first.  Anyway, I’m very near Doolittle Mills, St. Croix, and Kitterman Corners…all of which you would think would have interesting back stories.  Alas, you would be wrong.  Again, if you’re from any of these places…feel free to drop me a line and let me know an interesting tidbit about your little area of the world.

That’s about it for now.  Hopefully something more interesting soon.  Otherwise, why would you bother?

See you in the funny papers!

Seriously?!

Okay, I’ve made no bones about my pick for president.  Only, Senator McCain is making it easier and easier to go with Senator Obama every day of the week.  Not that I ever had a problem with that anyway.

Recently, Senator McCain gave an energy policy speech in which he played both sides against the middle.

[T]he U.S. needs more conservation and renewables as well as more oil drilling, oil refineries, “clean-burning coal,” and nuclear power plants. He called for ending a federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling, but reiterated his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Okay, so you can’t have it all.  What the U.S. really needs is a lot more conservation, more renewables, drilling and refineries that are not all about the oil company profits, an understanding that “clean-burning coal” is AT BEST the Sasquatch of energy policy and a better understanding of nuclear power plants, how safe they are, and what we plan to do with the waste.  And I love the “please love me” attitude for both sides of the aisle with his end the moratorium on offshore drilling, oh, but we wouldn’t dare disturb the ANWR.  How very placating of him.

These are the desperate pleadings of a man who has no real ability to win this election and wants to please everyone. In the words of Abraham Lincoln:

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

We will not be fooled Senator McCain.  You are merely the Emperor’s New Clothes; a trifling echo of the last eight years of presidential woes.

In other news, I got back to the gym last night and my ankle feels good (or it at least hurts in a good way this morning), so I think I might be back on track.

See you in the funny papers!

Relaxed

I’m sitting at the Coffee Pedaler in Flagstaff, AZ enjoying a cup of coffee, free wi-fi, and the Cubs game being broadcast in beautiful 1948 black & white (just for a few innings apparently), so needless to say I’m relaxed.  Actually, I’m beyond relaxed.  I’m mellow.  How easy is it to just sink into a mountain town and chill for a day or two?  Really easy.

I’m enjoying my time away from things.  I haven’t thought about mowing the grass, or doing paperwork, in several days.  It’s been great.  However, that being said, I don’t really have anything to write about.  At least not regarding me.  So, I suppose it’s time for some Random Thoughts:

• The flooding in Wisconsin is building to biblical proportions.  It will be interesting to see how quickly the FEMA folks get there with their “poison” trailers.
• President Bush continues to want to “protect” us with his disregard for the Constitution and its processes.  To which, I can only say, PLEASE, STOP protecting us!
• My left running shoe has developed a squeak in the heel.  Quite possibly, there is nothing more annoying.
• If I lived in the southwest, I would have to invest in crates of lip balm and a hat that would stay on in high wind.

That about covers everything for now.  I may write more tomorrow, just depends on my level of relaxation.  If I can find a hammock, I may just sink into a Rip Van Winkle stupor. Aside: not to be confused with Pappy Van Winkle which would be a whole other thing.

See you in the funny papers!