Running in the Rain

I will write more about my excursion out in the rain but as I go through my pics of the venture I can't help but post these sooner than later.

There was a runner that passed me on my way down the trail towards Trader Joes. It wasn't too long until that individual was running back towards me. I wondered how far he had run and how fast. But then I started to think about all the unique things about this park. And the main reason I was out there - running water. Yep - the trail was flooded. So I stopped to take some pics - mostly of the ducks - when another runner came by me. He stopped, looked at the depth of the water, navigated a bit, took off his shoes, took off his socks (always a wise thing to do when you don't know what's at the bottom) and waded through. At that point, I couldn't help but snap a picture or two...

10things Tuesday

Did you see that Prince Charles was named as the worlds best dressed man?
Well it prompted me to visit one of my favourite lists... Top 10 British Men... Truthfully I never get to 10...
(1) Sting
(2) David Beckham
(3) Robbie Williams
(4) Ewan MacGregor (now he may argue that he is Scottish and not necessarily British but for all intents and purposes of this list)...
(5) Gavin Rosdale (have you heard his new song? good stuff... I forogt how much I missed that scruffy voice of his)
(6) Guy Ritchie
(7) Jonathan Rhys Myers (again he may argue the British thing and his resemblance toward Robbie always keeps him lower on my list)
(8) almost forgot Stewart Townsend (again Irish, I know but... oh to be Charlize Theron)

almost a workout

well not really... I have decided over the past 12 hours or so that maybe February is the BLAH month for me... Last year I was sick almost the entire month. This year I feel like I was on the road the entire month. Neither in retrospect were very productive. But I feel full of ambition and motivation last night and this morning. Go figure... OK some of it was predicated on The Police being on TV last night - which turned out to be a LIE! Bad bad PBS channel switching Great Performances and The Police out for Doo Wop. Perhaps I was right in my first thought on the PBS target market - at least around here. So when I got home last night I speedily got a whole bunch done - dishes, laundry, sorting, etc.. It felt good. Now this morning when I walked downstairs to start my day the clutter of the week wasn't staring my in the face. It was already taken care of. SO the next task at hand - oil change... The original thought was to take the car and then do a loop around town pick up a coffee and come on home while they worked on the car. And somewhere in the midst of it all out of my mouth pops - Bacchus you wanna go with me? Now let's frame this picture - this is my 8 year old dog that has two bad back legs that he manages quite well but he is not the walk all around town puppy he used to be. Shoot we hardly make it up to the gazebo. WELL he was all for it - dancing around in circles, barking, following me around. He really wanted to go. So how could I refuse. He is such a pleasure to be around. He is so cute. And people just love him. So I decided I would take him with me and if I have to carry his 25lbs the 1/2+ mile back to the house then so be it. Well that little guy did great! He wigged out over 2 storm drains and I had to carry him a little but overall he did wonderfully. So now I am thinking I need to work in a little half mile jaunt for him on the weekends before it gets too hot. He and his heart might just like it. As for his back legs they seemed to do OK... I suspect if you didn't know you might not suspect at times that he wasn't managing all four wheels so to speak.
Now as for the rest of the workout for the day... hmmm...
Maybe I will work that walk in when I go back to get my car.
I still haven't had any coffee.

Gym bag

does carrying my gym bag to and from work count as exercise
let's be honest i have known all week that some work items were going to take presidence over gym visits
and the weather last weekend lent to just wanting to stay inside
so the gym motivation has been minimal
this week it is going to be very warm so i hope that gets me up and out on saturday...
we shall see

10ThingsTuesday - Snow Memories

Well since we had a late winter storm on NJ standards not even NC standards - I figured let's talk snow...
(1) An emotional storm - February 2006. I had traveled to NY for work and swung a trip to NJ into the mix. When I arrived home that Friday night I learned there was a snow storm quickly approaching and the possibility of me making my Sunday flight was minimal. I could stay and wait it out or I could change flights and get out early. Looking back perhaps the better choice would have been to stay. Dragging my suitcase up the curb and into the airport that blustery not yet snowy Saturday afternoon was the last time I saw my dad. It was gutt-wrenching at the time and even worse in retrospect. The rational cop that he was would say we all made the right decision that day to get me on that plane out of town. So I don't beat myself up on it, too much.
(2) A memorable storm - Winter 92/93 my mom were going to Bermuda for New Years. My dad was taking us to the airport and about 10 miles/10 exits up the Parkway it started to sleet and eventually snow. We sat on the south side of the Driscoll Bridge for quite some time. I remember it well because I had to PEE so bad... Ah and the guy in the Jeep next to us who did as well. He got out of the Jeep, opened the back hatch, emptied a tennis ball can and got back in his car. Not too long afterwards he poured something out of the can on to the road. We eventually made our flight.
(3) We did spend a night at a Holiday Inn in Newark, NJ in 1987 on our way to St. Thomas. Again pending snow and my dad's rational preparedness had us leave for the airport the night before. It surely worked to our advantage.
(4) Snow with the puppy... We had a pretty good snow storm here when the little guy was about a year old. Oh and he loved the snow. We bundled all up, threw on his leash and out into the snow we went. We lived in an apartment at that time and there was a good amount of fields and grass that ran behind all the buildings. We would go back there and walk around and play. I have some pics of that I should try to find them.
(5) Night walks in the snow. I can remember taking night walks in the snow with my mom and neighbor as a kid. It would be so quiet and peaceful in the night time. It was really beautiful. And I suppose we had all the attire to go out there. It is surely not something that would cross my mind to do today. Combined #4 & #5 Sunday evening as the snow fell.
(6) Sleds. I always looked forward to the new sled I would get at Christmas. Now mind you we didn't get that much snow that I would wear the old one out. It was just kind of a tradition. And if I think about it I didn't get THAT many new sleds. It just seemed like I did.
(7) Kid sledding. We would take our sleds and head for the hills. When I was young we would go to the hill on Lakewood Rd. It is now a development of overpriced townhomes overlooking the dumpsters and backside of a grocery store. But as a kid THAT was the hill to go to. When we got a little older and some development started in the neighborhood we would go to the gravel pit. Today that has been flattened to a retirement community. That was always fun. We would go from random him to random hill, one steeper than the next. And we would drag my dog with us. She would get all these iceballs stuck to her fur. We would have to go home and thaw her out and ourselves.
(8) College sledding. That didn't come with a new sled under the tree. The college theory is to borrow trays from the cafeteria and use those to ride down the hill. Good idea. I don't know anyone who ever achieved that. I do remember one time we decided using the wooden bookshelves would be great for snowboarding. Sure, except they were heavy and once they got too cold they split in half. Thankfully they were not our shelves.
(9) Snow ball fights. My dad was always a good sport about snowball fights. Even that time that I soaked the snowballs in water to get them harder. I was about 10 at the time, I didn't quite get the whole ice aspect. I just knew they were good and solid. He would always get me back by just dropping buckets of snow on me as I tried to hide from him.
(10) Snow men. That was more up my mom's alley. We did build a snowman or 2 when I was younger. I ALWAYS wanted to make some sort of snow fort. There never really was enough snow.
And now even a little is too much.

For the geek in all of us....

This made me smile
"3/3/09: Math fans to celebrate Square Root Day"
Of course this is from a girl that is always seeing patterns in numbers...
3/9
6/18
Things like that...

It snowed last night. The roads were crappy. The pwoer went out twice. And the temperature is dropping fast. Today was supposed to be my jump back in the pool with both feet day. I don't even know if the Y was open to tell you the truth.

Monday Music Musings - Movies

I was on the road last week. As I was dashing out of the house at 6am I picked some CDs out of the pile for the ride. One CD in the mix was the soundtrack to Once. That won an Oscar last year, no? Well I didn't want the Oscars this year. What music was nominated? I truly enjoyed the CD for Once.
So I started thinking of other music related to the movies. OK - I know I could go down a wonderful path with this topic but I chosing on a shorter journey... Just a few things that popped into my head over the course of the week...
Like besides all the songs on the Bridget Jones soundtrack, I had no idea Robbie Williams is on the Finding Nemo soundtrack with his cover of Under the Sea....
Or how cool was the sampling of the Planet Bends Between Us (Snow Patrol) on Grey's Anatomy 2 weeks ago. Oh or that they just sampled another song on the preview for Brothers & Sisters (it's the one at the end of the album that is 3 songs in one, they sample a bit of What If This Storm Ends)
I like it when I am watching a movie and it has a song or 2 in it that I know. Moulin Rouge had me in the first few minutes with Ewan MacGregor's tidbit of Your Song. I watch that movie over and over for its music.
I just joined NetFlix. I am trying to think over the course of the week have there been any other movies that hit me with music. NAH - not this week.
Hey but on the Ewan MacGregor front - is he is the new Angels and Demons? I wasn't going to see it in the theater - I have a personal ban of Tom Hanks - I don't believe he CAN act in every role given him unlike those that cast him. But if I get a few hours of Ewan MacGregor in there... I may just have to head to the movies.
OH August Rush - I DID see a movie with music. DUH! I had no idea that Robin(with an N) Williams was in that movie. And I had no idea that Jonathan Rhys Myers could sing. I liked the movie - even if the kid was a little odd. I suppose that was to repreent the genius in him.
This week I think I am in the super hereo comic strip movies section and this Joker is not sampling any Prince in the background.

exercise

i was so going to go to the gym yesterday
then i got a phone call a little after 10am and that got me distracted
i was on the phone for a better part of 30 minutes and then from there i had to address things from the conversation
finally i got back to cleaning when all i wanted to do was lie on the couch
so that's what i ended up doing
sure i pushed the vacuum around but that doesn't count as 4 miles on the treadmill
i was planning on swimming tomorrow
SNOW way is that going to happen now
one of these days and i hope soon i will get back to that gym
i have such a good time when i go

vet

Now some have downloaded their fb accounts to their blackberries. Me, I am enjoying this blog while I wait approach. Today we are at the vet, I am sitting in the little exam room while the little guy is in back getting shots etc.

Paul Newman

I don't know what this means. I don't ever recall seeing this bestowed on someone before. But it made me feel good. Recognizing the good that someone has done over their lives. Do you think there's any connection between the timing of the market drop and his death?

WASHINGTON – Paul Newman, the late actor and 10-time Academy Award nominee, has been honored by lawmakers as a screen legend and humanitarian.
Newman died Sept. 26, 2008, at age 83 after a long battle with cancer. The House on Tuesday night approved a resolution recognizing Newman's achievements on and off screen.
The resolution said Newman's "humanitarian works and incomparable talents have made him an American icon who will never be forgotten."
The Hollywood star won one Oscar and took home two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Cool Hand Luke," "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."
Newman and his popular food company, Newman's Own, have given more than $250 million to charity over the years. He also helped to start "Hole in the Wall" camps across the world for children with life-threatening illnesses.
The resolution is H.R.18.

Triathlon cancelled?

Yes, the Bermuda Department of Tourism announced that they will not be sponsoring the Escape to Bermuda and Bermuda Shorts triathlons this year. It has been postponed until 2010.
I am contemplating visiting anyways - earlier in the year while there are still direct flights and it is warmer. And I am reviewing other triathlons to possibly compete in.

Ten Things Tuesday- NASA

My mom was at Cape Canaveral yesterday. I called her about the cancellation of the triathlon and caught her in a moment. That's all she had to say. I knew what the moment was... My dad. He is the reason she is there. He is the reason I am about to list the few things I know...

(1) I was born the year they first walked on the moon. Big celebration year it is!
(2) My dad dragged me to the National Air & Space Museum in DC when it first opened and every subsequent visit to DC.
(3) When I finally visited DC on my own as an adult, where did I go first? The National Air & Space Museum. Even funnier - there was a Star Wars exhibit there at the time. SO NOT my thing.
(4) I have been to Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center twice. I will have to scrounge around for those pictures.
(5) The first IMAX movie I remember seeing was of the Space Shuttle launch. It brought tears to my eyes. No, seriously. I cried/cry every time I watch Apollo 13. I am a sap that way.
(6) We saw a live Space Shuttle launch the summer of 1984 (?) It was an amazing site to see. Incredibly awe inspiring.
(7) My dad was so moved by the whole experience he bought an Operators Manual to the Space Shuttle. He bought it one of the gift shops. It was bright orange. And I always (even today) make fun of him for it. I wonder what happened to it.
(8) When my parents visited me in Bermuda - we took the ferry to town one night. You might consider it coincidental but I am sure my dad had it planned all along. From the top deck of the ferry you could see the Space Shuttle orbiting over in the late evening sky. It was just a glimpse/a speck but he was all over that orbit and planned it exactly.
(9) He and my mom have been to the Space Camp - not as campers - just as tourists. I still have the tshirt. It is pretty worn out but a really cool shirt.
(10) I was on the phone with my mom watching the TV when the Space Shuttle (please forgive me I forget the name - Endeavor?) caught fire/exploded during its approach.

If you haven't checked out their web-site you should
www.nasa.gov
As of the last news release there will be no launch while my mom is in Florida.

Travel

Well the onslaught of travel has come to an end - for now at least.
Now to get myself back to the gym. In my time away I did ponder some things with the blog. Bascially that I am not getting the workouts in all that much. And once I do get it down to a routine how much of THAT does anyone really want to read about.
So I started thinking of other "new" things to do to write about. I ended up down the path of things I already do that I don't take the time to write about... Hence my first digression - a little music enlightenment. And as the weather starts to turn around here maybe some new things in the garden will get some honorable mention as well.
We shall see.
For now - I am going to blop myself on the couch watch the Oscars for a little bit, drink some tea and go to bed.
It has been a long month.

Monday Music Musings

I find that when I am in the car for too long my mind starts to wander towards monologues of the music playing on the radio. This week's thought... What the heck is the song in the Vonage commercial. So I google it... Well it seems everyone is hooked on the older commercials not the most recent. But after some continued searching... And there was a lone person out there that shared my guess...
"She's So Lovely" by Scouting for Girls
And off I went to YouTube in search of video and commercial.
Well finding the commercial was a no go... And finding the video of the song - well on a few of them I kept getting a message that the video wasn't available in my country. HUH?!
So I just searched the band instead...
http://www.scoutingforgirls.co.uk/video.php?id=47
Hear it?
Could it be that the Vonage guy in Brielle is hip? Or just hires hip people?

pounds

can you see them from there? even my type is heavier.... can you see it?
that's what happens when you spend all this time travelling for work...
there has been tonnes of unhealthy foods....
i can't wait for this week to be back at the gym and eating like a normal person again...
even if that homemade fried chicken and squash casserole in MS was SOOOOO good...

airport

Well this is something new
In my boredom I am sitting here at the airport with my phone typing with my thumbs. Not much to say on the subject. Boredom is not fun. It sucks all the energy and creativity out of me. It has been a long week as well. So much to do. So much to try to get done.
I did make it to the gym once while I was awya. I only did 30 minutes and only cover 1.5 miles. I guess it's better than nothing.

Another neighborhood walk

My intention this morning when I left the house was to do a walk around the office. I figured the scenery would be different etc etc... But I didn't bring lunch with me and I got kinda hungry. So instead I came home, had a pb&j, and headed out the door for another local walk. Today I went a little further - still haven't logged on to mmr to verify - but it was longer. I stopped at CVS for some alergy meds and water. And I did jog for little little bit.
It feels good. The sun is nice and warm. I am taking my latest book out and I am going to sit on my front porch and read for a little while.

In other observations - they were repaving the driveway of the post office during my walk. Why does the smell of tar remind me of the beach, boardwalk and driftwood?

Numbers continued...

No I haven't been crunching so many numbers that I forgot to write. I just haven't been going to thegym this week to write about anything.
Sunday and Monday my sinuses were giving me some pain. And since I spent most of February last year ill, I decided to lay low for a few days. Tuesday I was still on the fence. Wednesday I met a friend for a glass of wine after work. Then met a client for dinner. And Thursday and Friday were a culmination of crazy meetings for the client. Productive and interesting and equally exhausting. I was thinking I would hit the gym yesterday. Instead we went out after work and then I went by a friends.
So not much working out and not much number crunching.
TODAY I did make it out. I waited until later today as it was to get warm around here. And it sure did. The temp on-line says it is 70d. I went for a 40 minute walk around the townhomes and out of the neighborhood. I would suspect it was a little over 2 miles. I could go to mapmyrun but it has been a while since I was out there. Don't need to jack up that addiciton.
The other number crunching I have done is tracking total minutes and miles. Perhaps I mentioned it late last year that for every hour of exercise I did I was going to donate a can of food to the foodbank. I figured I would do the same for this year. So far I have accumulated a little over 7 hours of exercise. And where I can track miles (not zumba related) I have tracked that as well. I am just over 33 miles. So I am pretty excited by all that.
Will need to hit the gym or outdoors again tomorrow.
And put on my gym game face for when I travel. I leave again on Tuesday!

Number crunching

Friends tell me that they get somewhat bored on the treadmill. That they generally walk because at least then they can read while they are walking. I have given it some thought as to what I do. I do occassionally take a book. It is with the intent of walking for a long period of time. So more time than speed or even distance. I will snag a magazine from the shelf at times. I usually find that with a magazine I stare at a particular page for minutes at a time and then realise I need to turn the page. The music is always blaring in my ears - which impacts my speed. And lastly I do watch the tv with closed captions at the front of the gym. All these things seem to keep me occupied as I walk and jog along.
The other thing I am constantly doing is running the numbers in my head. Trying to figure out my average pace. What that first mile? What was the second mile? How fast was that warm up? What impact did it have on my pace. Numbers crunching through my head.
Well wouldn't you know the tv added to my number crunching earlier this week. On one of the channels they had some expert on about investing. It is inevitable these days - one tv is sports, another sitcoms and the 3rd finance. We are junkies for this crap. So the commentary was something along the lines of a 25 year old saving $500 per month in a retirement plan. And on they went about how much this would accumulate to (I don't know what rate they were using). I was just thinking $500 per month saved into a retirement plan at 25?!?! That sounds great but what does that really mean... And off my brain went calculating as I was trucking along on the treadmill. At $60,000 that would be 10% of income. First of all, how many 25 year olds are earning that much? And second of all, how many people are really saving that much into their retirement plan. So as always I just got pissy at that station and focused on the sitcom.
BING - 30 minutes over...

head ache

I have a dull sinus type headache nagging me all day.
I have lots of ideas mulling about in my head what it is from... lack of blood, too much sugar last night with dessert, too much wine (only 2 glasses so I doubt it), lack of water (maybe so I have tried to compensate today)...
Or maybe I just need to start taking my allergy medicine again. There are flowers popping through the pine straw in the front - daffodils, crocuses, Easter lily (that one always kills me because they don't get up enough steam until July to bloom)... So it is probably about that time again.

All that being said I did not go to the gym today. I just couldn't work up the motivation.
Instead I cleaned a little. And worked from home. I know, not fun. But sometimes you just have to do it.

Now I am dragging myself to watch the game. UGH!