Kind of a wimpy title but it's the best I can come up with to describe my late morning run. The weather was a 95% perfect. It was the wind that knocked it down 5%. Temperature 38 degrees, crystal clear blue skies and dry roads. I ran around the neighborhood; down Banklick to Maher accross Independence Rd. and back to Banklick into Battleridge and home. 67 minutes in all. I was properly dressed and very comfortable the whole time. Fortunately I was able to run in a direction and route that minimized the effect of the wind.
This afternoon we have our family Christmas party at my brother Mark's house in Crescent Springs. We'll have a house full of kids and 4 generations present with Aiden being the youngest and my dad being the oldest, 80 years between them.
I like this picture of Aiden; a candid shot that brings out the more pensive side of his personality.
How about this weather! Wednesday was cold and rainy all day; heavy rain at times, just a lousy day for Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was spectacularly beautiful with the sun shining but cold. Today it's again rainy but now very warm with temps in the 50s as I write. It is expected to get as high as 68 tomorrow. It's not unusual to have a warm spot in December but it is certainly unexpected.
Linda and I did a little shopping this morning in downtown Cincinnati. I was surprised that there were so few shoppers but I did notice that things picked up around lunch time. Brooks Brothers was busy. There long checkout lines and folks were buying not returning. They have a great after Christmas sale. I bought 3 new shirts and saved about $90. With my new job I'm wearing dress clothes for the first time in 15 years and needed to buy some things.
As I was leaving BB I happened to run into my friend John Meehan and his wife Jenna. I haven't seen him in a few years so it was a nice catch-up. Linda and I usually see John's sister JoAnn and her husband Ed over the holidays but not this year.
Matt, Ciara and Aiden visited Matt's mom and dad and grandmother in Indiana this afternoon. Aiden came home with another car full of gifts and the living room floor is covered with hot wheels cars, monster trucks, books and toy airplanes. As I write he's occupying himself with the electric train which seems to be his favorite toy. Now there's something squeeking and I can't find what it is, oh, it's something in one of his new books and it's finally stopped.
I made some potato soup for supper then managed to get outside for a short run between rain showers. 39 minutes of time well spent.
Aiden awoke at 02:00 but didn't wake his Papaw. The first time since Tuesday! We think he might be "sleep walking." He didn't get up again until after 7 so I actually managed to get some quality and sustained sleep last night. I kind of missed it.
Now he's playing with the train, his battery powered cars, his wind up jet airplane and his light-up ducks. All at the same time! But the train is still his favorite.
He's now dressed and ready to go see Matt's parents in Indiana. Before going though he has to watch "Monsters." Hopefully we'll get a chance to upload some pictures later.
Matt, Ciara, Aiden (Buzzy), Colin, Charie, Aubrey and Aaron joined us for dinner tonight. We enjoyed an 8 rib Prime Rib with carrots, risotto and salad. After dinner Ian and Rieko joined us on Skype.
While Aiden was getting his bath we heard a clatter on the roof and a jovial man in a red suit stopped in with lots of loot. Aiden had so many gifts he got tired of opening them; he wanted to play instead! Oh the joys of being the only grandchild and nephew!
Spent a lot of time shopping the past 3 days. I guess that's what you do at this time of year. We ended up going to dinner at Abuelo's in the Crestview Town Center on Saturday evening after going to Mass at St. Louis downtown. Linda bought a Santa Claus figure that is long and tall at TJ Maxx. He looks like a wizard!
We went to the Krogers in Walton on Sunday afternoon for some pretty good deals. It was very warm and windy especially for this time of year. I think temps topped out in the high 50s.
This morning it was 55 at 07:00. Now, as I write this at 16:00 it's 29, windy, overcast and spitting rain. We did a little more shopping this morning taking advantage of some deals for ourselves. Now we're just vegetating with nothing exciting left to do. I'm looking forward to getting some reading done.
Ian and Rieko are home from their cruise. They had a good time. We haven't heard anything from Colin but I guess he's concerned about being layed-off, again. We're hoping that no news is good news.
A bit brisk this morning but it felt great. Clear skies, very light breeze and blinding sunlight. No one around. I elected to just run through the neighborhood and that was a nice change of pace.
I got up a little after 06:00 and it was still dark out. The full moon was hanging at about 10 o'clock on the Northwestern horizon and there was a light dusting of snow reflecting the light. It was beautiful. I'm glad I got to see it.
I've worked the past 3 days so I'm glad to have the day off. I know next week is going to be a busy one. It's the same every year. Everyone gets revved up for the holidays then they arrive and are over and everyone goes on about the mundane events of living. I hope it will be different every year but it doesn't seem to change. This year might even be a little bit worse than previous years given all the problems with the economy.
We'll make the best of it.
Buzzy's learning to brush his teeth! It's about time. In the past he absolutely refused to even let you try. Now if Ciara can just convince him to use the potty!
Goetta for breakfast. A good start to the day even if it's loaded with fat; it just tastes too good.
It's 48 degrees. Two days ago it was 18 at this time. Now that's the upside. The downside is we're supposed to get rain, lots of rain, later today. Then I think its going to get cold again. Oh well, I've got a run planned and I've just got to get myself pushed out the door....More when I get back!
To the right is my latest pic of Buzzy. He looks pretty proud of his Christmas tree. It's perfect for him. Linda says he looks so old! I don't know about that but he's definitely not a baby anymore.
I had a great run this morning. It was overcast and very windy. In fact running into the wind was worse than running up hill if you can imagine that. I've been home for a couple of hours now and it's started to rain. A steady downpour so I'm glad I got out the door. My sore throat and earache have pretty much disappeared. I'm just waiting for Linda to get home then I've got to run over to work for a couple of hours.
Matt just texted (sp) me. He's just gotten word from the Commonwealth that his adoption of Aiden has gone through. Now they just have to wait for a court date to finalize everything. It would be nice if that could happen before the end of the year but I'm not going to hold my breath. What a Christmas present that would be.
Ian and Rieko are on a cruise. I think they get back at the end of the week.
What a lousy afternoon for Colin to be working outside. I hope he's got rain gear.
Well I couldn't think of anything else to call it. I started a cold morning by downloading the necessary software to be able to access my desktop at work. Then I had to write my 90 day self-evaluation and e-mail it to my boss. Needless to say it was NOT an entertaining morning. I had high hopes to do something, anything fun in the afternoon but ended up spending the entire day at the house reading and doing small projects. I'm still contending with a sore throat and now I have a cold sore. Go figure.
Linda got home relatively early. We had a quick dinner of filet mignon (from Krogers discount bin), brocolli and buttered rotini. Afterwards we went to the store.
"The greatest day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. The gift of life is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you get to determine the quality of it. Live the next five years on purpose. Now is the time. Imagine the possibilities. Go places, have adventures, make a real difference, do what you love. Follow your dreams, they know the way."
"Where will you be five years from today?"
That's the question the book asked me when I saw it at Starbucks this morning. Of course I bought it how could I refuse? It called out to my base romantic nature. But it makes you think, I mean really think, doesn't it? It's something I should at the very least toy with.
Our Christmas shopping is just about finished. Of course Buzzy's going to make out like a bandit. He's the only grandchild, nephew so he's going to be blessed with excess as a result. Hopefully it will tone down in the future but what's wrong with it now. He doesn't understand it at this point and then, you must ask, what's the point to begin with? Well I guess it just makes us (Linda and I) happy.
It's been really cold the past couple of days. Today was probably the coldest day of this late fall season. I don't think it got above freezing and we had a light dusting of snow overnight which didn't help matters. The skies were crystal blue all day so there was nothing to hold the sun's heat in. We ate lunch at Panera and ran into Molly and her mom. It was nice to see both of them.
Came home, watched a movie, roasted a chicken, drank some wine, ate the chicken with cauliflower, drank a little espresso and vegetated. It was a great day.
I came down with a sore throat and faint earache last evening which has persisted throughout the day and continues now. Curiously and fortunately it's only present on the left side. I just try to ignore it.
Ian and Rieko are on a cruise. I hope they're having fun.
Today was cold, windy and overcast. I spent the morning reading, washing bed linens and cleaning. Linda worked this morning. We ate lunch and then did a little more Christmas shopping. I think we have most of it finished and paid for but there are still a few things left to get done.
The picture on the left was taken of Buzzy in the early summer before his mommy's wedding when he still had all of his hair. I thought it was a fitting picture for a dreary winter day.
I tried to get some pictures of the Christmas tree but so far they just don't look right. I think it's going to take a little more practice to get it just so.
I made a pot of chicken/turkey soup that turned out great. We had it for lunch and we're going to finish it up for supper with a hard crusty bread and left-over penne chicken and cheese. Of course we're enjoying a bottle of red wine at the same time.
Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going." - George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian
It was cold, snow mixed with rain and very windy this morning. I drove out to EI and ran for 2 hours. The trails were wet, muddy and slippery. Quiet. Lot's of deer. The best thing of course was I had the trails to my self. There wasn't another soul there. A great run.
Slept in today (07:07). The bed was just too warm to get out from under the covers. When I dragged myself into the cold kitchen the sun was peaking over the ridge east of the house and the skies were clear. There was frost dappling the deck despite the light breeze pestering the pampas grass on the edge of the yard. After shopping online for a few items Linda and I went out to EI for a run/walk. We expected the trails to be packed but surprisingly that was not the case. There were a few mountain bikers and a couple walking their dogs and a dad and 4 kids out for a hike. Even with that it felt like we had the place to ourselves. We stopped at Krogers for lunch things afterwards.
This afternoon we started unpacking and putting out our Christmas things. The first thing was the tree. It's trimmed and in fine shape. Linda plans on getting some tinsel and putting that up later. Aiden should have a field day when he sees it at Christmas. I hope to get his train up sometime this week.
This has been a wonderful week for several reasons. I especially enjoyed the crisp sunny mornings. Tuesday and Wednesday I managed to get out to EI for some runs. On Tuesday I completed two-thirds of the circuit for about 100 minutes. On Wednesday Linda joined me and we went out after lunch for about 40 minutes or so. The trails are in excellent shape but a little muddy on Wednesday because the early afternoon sun had thawed things out. Scared up lots of deer.
This morning we went to Mass at St. Pius. Fr. "Rapid" Robbins celebrated the Mass with Frs. Brink, Riesenberg and Bejai (?Sp.). Most folks brought food and non-perishables to place on the altar during the offertory. Fr. Robbins homily was thought provoking. He told the story of a man who was thankful for many of the things we complain about because they reflected how well-off he truly was. Stopped by Starbucks afterward and it was packed!
Spent the late morning getting the turkey prepared, cleaning, making a desert and getting everything cooking.
Finally managed to get out for a run around 13:00. What a beautiful day! Crystal blue skies, cool but not cold with a refreshing breeze. Little traffic. Did a lot of long slow hills which wasn't fun but I enjoyed the mental and physical challenge.
Colin just walked in the door. We're expecting Charie, Aaron and maybe Aubrey; they should be here shortly. I'll be de-corking some wine shortly.
Finally, the following quote was published in a French newspaper shortly before Marcel Proust's death (at age 51 on 11/18/22). This was his response regarding what he'd do if he knew he only had hours to live....
I think that life would suddenly seem wonderful to us if
we were threatened to die as you say. Just think of how
many projects, travels, love affairs, studies, it — our
life — hides from us, made invisible by our laziness
which, certain of a future, delays them incessantly.
But let all this threaten to become impossible forever,
how beautiful it would become again! Ah! If only the
cataclysm doesn't happen this time, we won't miss
visiting the new galleries of the Louvre, throwing
ourselves at the feet of Miss X, making a trip to India.
The cataclysm doesn't happen, we don't do any of it,
because we find ourselves back in the heart of normal
life, where negligence deadens desire. And yet we
shouldn't have needed the cataclysm to love life today.
It would have been enough to think that we are humans,
and that death may come this evening.
An interesting and reflective insight and perhaps on this of all days one to ponder. Linda and I have been blessed. We are truly thankful.
Aiden is visiting with Grandpa and Mimi for the week.
Monday we visited the zoo. It was very cold, overcast and snowing/raining off and on but the upside was that no one was there. Aiden and I had every display to ourselves. It was kind of eery at times. But the fun thing was that we could spend as much time as we wanted without having to "share." I think Aiden enjoyed the elephants (who were inside and close) and some of the cats but the most interesting was the manatee display which was essentially one huge floor to ceiling enclosed glass tank/viewing area filled with hundreds of fish and the two manatees. The manatees just floated around without a care in the world while Aiden stood mesmerized by all the activity. There was also a large display representative of a mangrove or sugarcane grove that was filled with numerous snakes of all colors, shapes and sizes the most memorable of which were several large rattlesnakes. What was distinctive about the display was how active they were and visible. Their case was essentially the size of a small room with floor to ceiling glass so you could get up close and personal. There was also a small, aquarium size tank with several large freshwater turles that were right at child's level for viewing and of course Aiden loves turtles so he really enjoyed that too. Despite the cold it was a worthwhile couple of hours.
It rained a little overnight; just enough to makes wish for more. My run on the roads around the neighborhood started in the rain but it was over in the first mile. Temps were in the high 50s. To night we look forward to the first cold night of autumn (45). I'm looking forward to that and maybe we'll see the trees brighten in color as a result. My run was 1 1/2 hours and uneventful.
I just love this picture of Aiden. It is so expressive. He seems to be asking a really serious question of his grandfather and I don't know the answer. That's the problem of course I never have the answer!
I think I'll go into the "office" for a few hours this morning while Linda's at work. If we're lucky we'll get some rain but luck of course is a tricky thing. Linda's been good about watering our trees and for the most part they look good. The ash and sweetgum are a brilliant golden yellow. The smaller pin oaks in the side yard are turning red. The maples are just starting to shade. I'm concerned about the large pin oak in the front yard. It looks like something's been eating it and both Linda are concerned enough to consider getting an arborist in to look at it.
I'll try to get a run in this afternoon.
Addendum:
Linda and I got out to Mills Road Park for the first time in a very long time. Like E-I there was a lot of damage from the wind storm but most of it had been cleared off the trails. I was really sore so I ran slow and short, only about 30 minutes but I did get some quality hill running. It started out sunny and clear but by the time we left 45 minutes later it was overcast. Thankfully we're supposed to get some rain tonight and tomorrow.
JoAnn, 5 in 1 is 5 minutes running 1 minute walking. It's good for muscle and cardiovascular recovery. Very important to ultra long distances.
I met my friend Jeff for a long run at England-Idlewild Park in Boone County. The weather was perfect and the trails were in really good shape. There were a lot of downed trees from Sunday's windstorm 3 weeks ago but they were either off the trail or someone had come through with a chain saw and removed the offending lumber. It must have taken a long time and lots of work to get things back in shape. I was amazed at the extent of the damage. Some of the trees were huge. They often as not snapped off 30 or 40 feet above the ground or were simply uprooted. Anyway it was a crystal clear morning with temps in the high 50s and a stiff breeze that all but evaporated down on the trails. We ran the circuit taking 2hrs 45 min in all. It was a great morning!
A lazy morning so far. I'm kind of in a rush to get to work now; not that I have to be there at any particular time but I do have some things I want to get done before we "go live" this afternoon.
Pushed myself out the door a little after 8:00 for a quick 8 mile run. Did a 10:30 pace at 5 and 1 so not too bad. It was generally overcast, damp and cool with a light breeze. Rained overnight but the rain really didn't help with our drought conditions.
Posted to the right is the most recent picture of Buzzy after coming to town the past weekend. His vocabulary increases every time we see him thanks to his Speech Therapy and the hard work of Ciara and Matt. He's happy and fun to be around. Linda and I miss him.
Long run this morning from the house to Highland Cemetery. Took a little bit less than 2hrs using a 5 to 1 format. Relatively cool, low humidity and cool breeze. The sun was in and out of some high clouds. Now I'm sitting here watching the Bungles...ur Bengals play badly in Baltimore. They're in the game (barely) because the Ravens are just as bad as they are only slightly less so.
Rain yesterday and much cooler with low humidity today. A truly beautiful day! Linda and I pretty much puttered around the house in the morning, ate lunch and then went out to EI for a mid-afternoon run. The trails were in really good shape and surprisingly dry. Lots of leaves have fallen and I suspect we will have an early fall again this year. Didn't run long, only about 40 minutes but it was enough. Linda walked part of loop one then crossed over to loop two; clockwise. We finished at the same time. I'll try to get another run in tomorrow.
I wanted to get my run in so I saddled up the Camelback with gatorade powder, some water and lots of ice. I got on the road from the house around 11:30. There were thin wispy clouds a sahara breeze, bright sunshine and heat that assaulted you from the pavement. I started slow. 3 Minutes of running and 1 Minute of walking. I managed pretty well. Ended up with 90 minutes of running and 31 minutes or so of walking sweating bulletts the entire run. I was pleased that things went as well as they did. Kind of surprised me really. I guess all those runs in the sauna of EI helped.
The man in the accident yesterday died. He was 43 years old.
Another hot, sunny and beautiful day in NKY. After a morning and early afternoon of pre-employment testing for my new job at TCH Linda and I went to EI for a short afternoon run. The trails like yesterday were dry and dusty but otherwise in good shape. It was very hot despite the shade. Fortunately there was low humidity and a cooling breeze when you could find it. Several bikers were on the trails but I only ran into one. We ended up doing about 40 minutes.
It was late afternoon so we went home a longer way that would bypass most of the traffic and signal lights on our usual route. We were travelling south on Hathaway Rd. when we passed a single-truck accident in a culvert at the side of the road. We stopped. A black pick-up had missed the turn and rolled over in the culvert in front of a nice home. A woman swimming in her pool observed the accident and her husband called 911. A young man about Colin's size, unbelted had gone into the windshield and was draped out the driver side door. He was bleeding, unconscious and breathing. There was nothing myself or another nurse who stopped could do. We waited for EMS who showed up within minutes.
The question I pose to myself is why were Linda and I placed at that place at that time. We would not ordinarily have gone that way. The only answer that comes to mind is: slow down and appreciate/value the gifts you've received.
Aiden spent the weekend with Grandpa and Mimi. It was the first time he's been in town for 5 weeks and it was great to see him (also his mom and dad). I worked Friday so we didn't do much. Saturday we had a cookout and played euchre. Yesterday we just kind of hung-out then watched the WEBN fireworks on television. Mom and Dad watched them live from Sonya's grandmother's house in Bellevue.
Today we started with breakfast at First Watch then loaded the trailer for the trip back to Charlotte. It was a short visit but he's due back in town in another 2 weeks.
This afternoon Linda and I visited EI. It was hot and dry but I had a nice run. Linda and I will cook out this afternoon.
Linda and I enjoyed a wonderful weekend at the Dayton Airshow. Matt, Ciara and Aiden travelled North from their new home in Charlotte, NC to see Ian fly "his" C-130J over the skies of Dayton, OH. Colin was also able to come along so it was truly a family day. We missed Ian's wife Rieko who was holding down the fort in Little Rock.
The day was blazing hot and dry. We got to visit the static displays of the C-5, C-17 and various other aircraft. Aiden's head was on a swivel as he watched in utter amazement all the different airplanes and the noises they made. We got to see Ian and his crew open the show by dropping the all-women sky-diving crew The Misty Blues from the back cargo bay. I was proud to hear his name announced as the 1st Officer over the public address system. It was the first time Linda and I had seen him fly. There were also demonstrations of the F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-17 (it looked like a graceful whale pretending to be a fighter jet) and finally the F-22 Raptor. We were able to get a close-up and personal view of the C-130J after Ian was finished for the day and therefore had "front-row" seats for the F-22 demonstration. What an amazing airplane! Poor Buzzy (Aiden) was terrified and electrified at the same time!
We finished out a long hot day with dinner at Smokey Bones. It was great to get everybody together which doesn't happen very often and incredibly was the second time in a month after Ciara's wedding. Aiden was an angel and really enjoyed himself. He was always up for a new adventure despite the sun, heat, noise, lousy food and no nap!
Today will be one of anticipation. It's early morning and we're scheduled to meet Ian, Rieko and Gail for breakfast at First Watch. Linda's up but didn't sleep well. Matt got in last night and he's playing with Aiden. I picked up my tux last afternoon but haven't tried it on yet. I'll do that later this morning. I'll try to get a run in later.
I have to write a toast. That should be fun. Rehearsal with dinner to follow this evening. So far the weather is cooperating beyond our dreams. Cool, clear skies and sunshine! Hopefully that will continue through tomorrow.
Started things rolling by cutting, trimming and edging the lawn and flower beds. The morning had started bright and sunny but then became overcast for the most part and cool which was welcomed.
When finished I fired up the 4Runner and went out to EI for an afternoon run. It was truly surprising how heavy and humid the air was. I was expecting the trails to be more airy, cool and inviting. It was a good workout.
Ian and Rieko are scheduled to arrive late tomorrow night.
Mass at St. Pat's this morning. Aiden was a handful. A typical 2 year old who doesn't want to sit still. A prelude to Friday evening...well, maybe he'll surprise us! It's a beautiful Father's Day. Light, cooling breeze, clear skies and sun.
After church I ran a variation of my typical Banklick route. I wanted to run at EI on the trails but remembered that there was a mountain bike race there this morning and afternoon. Last year we went out there only to be turned back when we discovered the race going on. It was a nice run. Hot from the direct sunlight but cooling in the shade and not as humid as yesterday. Ran for about an hour and a half.
Buzzy's asleep and when he wakes up we'll go to mom and dad's house for a cookout.
Busy day. Started at 06:15 with a trip to Panera for bagels followed in short order with a trip to Starbucks for coffee. Home at 07:15 to hear Aiden clamoring to get out of bed. He's been a handful all day!
After breakfast I finished up some painting Linda wanted done while she shopped at Hobby Lobby with Aiden (what a treat). After lunch I managed to get in an 8 mile run down Banklick and back. It was hot, dry and breezy. After last Sunday I took in slow. It felt good. I'd like to try and get back to EI tomorrow for a run but that might be difficult. We'll see.
The wedding is quickly coming upon us. Lots of little things need to get done before Thursday's rehearsal dinner. Ian and Rieko are due in on Tuesday or Wednesday. Gail on Wednesday and I think JoAnn and Tom and family. It's going to be busy. Dinner tomorrow night at mom and dad's house for Father's Day.
Ran at England-Idlewild around 08:30 this morning. It started out cool but rapidly became hot and humid. Fortunately someone had groomed the trails and they were in much better shape than this past Friday morning. I did a circuit of 3 of 7 trails for 1hr and 36 min. It was a great day. Came home and fed Aiden lunch, took a nap then went out to get my new glasses checked. They put the wrong prescription in them! No wonder I couldn't see.
Eight mile run out Banklick and back 1 hr 33 minutes. That's the basic time for that run (which I've probably done 100 or more times). I'm sore this evening but that might be due to the yard work I did all afternoon and not the run. The thing that I'm most surprised about is how little endurance I've lost over the winter and long periods of time without quality mileage. The rest of the week looks like it will be a bust. I work tomorrow and Friday and then it's off to Charlotte moving Ciara and Matt's furniture and other household items.
I managed to get out on the trails at England-Idlewild this afternoon for a 1 hour run. It was great. When I started it was warm and sunny but the clouds were quickly moving in and by the time I finished the temperature had dropped 5 degrees or so and it was overcast and starting to drizzle. The trails were awash it dangling honeysuckle vines that had exploded in blooms and formed a canopy of yellow flowers in places. Everything was green. It is such a contrast from last summer and fall with the dust and brown, desiccated vegetation. I was hoping to see some colorful wildflowers but they were conspicuously absent. Heard and saw lots of songbirds but was disappointed by the lack of deer, turtle and snake sightings. I'm just happy to have been able to take the time to get out there. Unfortunately with gas costs the way they are I'll probably have to be very picky about getting out there in the future.
Sometimes you just can't think of a clever title for your post.
I wanted to run this afternoon but ended up staying at the hospital for an extra hour or so and by the time I got home Linda needed a break from Aiden and time to fix dinner. So that went out the window. Maybe a longer run on Friday but the weather suggests it will be cold and wet. Today was warm and sunny, oh well.
Not much else going on so I'll just bag it for today.
Up early with Linda, she has to work and I get to "veg" for one more day. It was hard to get out of bed. I'm sore this morning after yesterday's run. Now the sun's up, it's cold with a heavy frost and not likely to warm up too much throughout the day. Buzzy's up eating his breakfast. He's dressed and ready to go.
Watching "Morning Joe" as the talking heads trash and trade barbs with Obama and Clinton spokespeople. It just keeps going and going...
I still feel it will be Obama and Richardson in the fall.
Mass at St. Pius X at 08:00 was packed, standing room only. Matt, Ciara and Aiden went to 9 at St. Pat's. While they were at Mass Linda and I fixed breakfast. It was delicious: crisp bacon, cinnamon french toast with double butter coffee cake, a real heart attack concoction but it was sooooo good! After reading the NYT and vegging for an hour or so I went out for a wonderful Sunday afternoon run. Perfect weather, perfect temperature, perfect dress; what a run. Banklick road for 8 miles round trip in exactly 1:30 with a negative split for the second half, yes!
Matt is on his way back to Charlotte.
Linda and I went for a relaxing drive this afternoon which we always enjoy and got home in time to finish up dinner. We had a roasted chicken with sweet potatoes, risoto with asparagus and salad. It tasted wonderful. Afterwards Aiden and I went out for a brief walk, it was too cold to do anything else.
Now we're watching Louisvill slam Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament.
Mass at St Pius X at 08:00. What an adventure. Aiden was pretty good but it asks a lot for him to be still and behave for over an hour. Today was Palm Sunday so it was even more of a challenge but he and I both survived without joining the crying babies in the "cry" room.
It finally stopped raining and the sun was out on an intermittent basis but it was still in the 40s. We went over to Mill's Road Park for some exercise. Linda walked and I ran pushing Aiden in the running stroller (which I broke trying to fold; it was cheap for a reason). Aiden kept trying to fall asleep on the way home and then only slept for an hour when we put him down for his nap. He got off schedule with the party last night and we're paying for it today.
Now he's watching "Finding Nemo" as I type this note.
Fed Buzzy and myself early. We both ate cereal; he Honey Nut Cheerios, me Wheaties. I ate a blueberry scone but Buzz wouldn't have anything to do with one. Our bananas aren't ripe enough to eat so Buzz passed on them.
This morning it's cool in the low 40s with a stiff breeze but also very foggy. There is no rain though, which is a pleasant change from yesterday. I got out the door in shorts, long-sleeve Patagonia capilene shirt and water/wind-proof anorak. I added a hat and was good to go. For once I was perfectly dressed for the conditions, not too hot or cold. Ran a moderate route of hills and was out for just over an hour, probably about 5 miles or so. It was a nice morning run.
It's been raining here since dawn; a gentle downpour that doesn't seem to have waxed or waned. Ciara and Matt are househunting in Charlotte this weekend so Buzzy is in our hands. Currently he's napping. He slept in to 8 this morning so it's a little unusual that he's still asleep, I suppose it's a result of the rain. I made blueberry scones this afternoon and they turned out pretty good. The recipe I used calls for buttermilk and is relatively simple to make when using the food processor. I should make them more often.
The rain is disappointing but last Friday at this time in the afternoon it was 20 degrees and snowing. We were in the clutches of a full-on blizzard with 6 inches on the ground, blowing snow and another 6 inches of snow to come so I shouldn't complain. I was really looking forward to running but it just made no sense to try and run in these conditions. Maybe tomorrow.....
55 plus degrees, sun shining with a brisk southern breeze. Buzzy and I went for a run in the neighborhood. The wind made it a challenge especially given my deconditioning but what the heck it was fun. I heard a train coming as we got to Webster Rd. so we ran down to the crossing and got there just as the locomotive came around the bend. The engineer even tooted the horn for Buzz. It was a relatively short train with a bunch of empty car carriers but Buzzy still liked it. I was glad we got out for an early start because it's supposed to start raining this afternoon and quite heavily. There are already flood warnings posted.
Buzzy's watching "Cars" as I write and he's playing with "Lightning McQueen."
To the side I've posted two pictures of Buzzy. The first is him enjoying his birthday cupcake on Thursday (his actual birthdate) and then his cake on Saturday. I must admit he doesn't look too happy in either picture. I think he was tired after all the excitement in both pictures.
The top picture is Grandpa holding Buzz captive as we watch Nemo.
Aiden turned 2 on this past Thursday, February 28. Last night we celebrated at the house with Molly, Charie, Colin and Aubrey in addition to Matt, Ciara, Linda and I. Of course the guest of honor was the focus and made off with gobs of loot! I made the family "marble cake" which is a scratch cake that takes a lot of care to make and the results reflected this; it looked like a refugee from a food fight but tasted wonderful. Surprisingly even though it had a Hershey's Milk Chocolate icing Buzzy wouldn't eat it (everyone else did). We have several pictures which I'll try to upload later. I still can't find my "daisy" that allows picture downloads. I know it's around here somewhere...
Ran this morning for the second time since getting sick on January 19th. It is amazing how deconditioned even a conditioned body can become in that short time. Today's weather has been changeable but a nice portend of spring. This morning's run was under a clear sky and sunshine with temps in the 40s. This afternoon it's been sunny alternating with overcast and a little bit of light rain but the temps are now in the 50s. Tomorrow I think it's supposed to be rainy but warm again.
Matt's grandfather died this past week at 94. He and Ciara are in Brookville, OH for the layout this afternoon and the funeral is tomorrow.
My friend Chris died on February 15 from pancreatic cancer. It's hard to believe. We were pretty close at one time but lost touch over the years. It still hits you pretty hard though. I picked up a card to send to his family when I can get my thoughts together.
My dad is 81 today. I talked with him this afternoon about 15:00 as Buzzy was wrapping up his nap. He was in good spirits. Apparently he'd had numerous well wishers call. My brother Danny awoke him at 06:45 thinking he would be up and about!
Buzzy and I made our usual trek to the library this Monday morning for "Storytime." I had forgotten it was Presidents Day but no worries the library was open for business. We checked out several books on airplanes, jets and trucks for him to peruse. After awakening from his nap we watched "Cars" for at least the 1000th time! He enjoys it.
The weather continues to be confounding. Cold and very windy. Yesterday a wind gust blew my huge gas grill across the deck and into the railing breaking one spindle in two and knocking loose another one. The grill had some cosmetic damage to the skirt on the bottom but otherwise I think it's OK.
Lately I've been sampling some late 60's progressive rock: Deep Purple, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Genesis. It brings back a lot of memories but I guess that's really what music is for...."so spoke the wizard in his mountain home." "The Wizard" Uriah Heep. And who can forget Iron Butterfly and "In a gadda da vida."
Here at 10553 awaiting the winter storm that the local media has been revving about since last evening. Their tractor crawl during the Grammy's was as annoying as it was persistent. They just can't seem to do anything but try to whip people into a frenzy of paranoia and panic shopping! Anyway, as I type it's cold (20's) and increasingly overcast but no precipitation. I guess that's supposed to come later. They're predicting a mixed bag of snow followed with freezing rain and then rain.....
Aiden and I traveled to the library this morning for "Babes in Storyland." He wasn't much in to the story or the activities that followed so we browsed for a bit and then came home for lunch. He started to fall asleep on the drive home so I guess he's just tired this morning. He didn't eat much for lunch and took a long nap afterwards. Now he's watching his favorite toy "Lightning McQueen" as he stars in "Cars."
It's now been 3 weeks since I've done any running at all. I still have a lingering cough but for the first time I think it's all but gone. I'll give it the rest of the week and see if maybe I can get back in the saddle this weekend.
Patagucci has their "Winterfest 2008" starting tomorrow and I'm looking forward to trying to get some discounted gear for the late winter and spring.
Dinner is in the oven and Linda's on her way home so I'll post this baby and get on to cooking.
Finally beginning to feel better. It's been a long week. 3 degrees this morning but at least the sun's shining and it looks warm outside. Linda has "my" cold but it doesn't appear to be affecting her quite as badly as it has me. Last night I started coughing and had to will myself to stop which was less than effective. Fortunately Mucinex DM came to the rescue and I was able to get some sleep. This was even more true as I spent the night on the futon in the front bedroom of the house so Linda could sleep undisturbed by paroxysmal episodes of coughing. Hopefully I'll make through my shifts at work this weekend without too much discomfort. The worst part about being ill is that you don't feel like doing anything yet things need to get done despite your wishes.
It's 6 degrees or some such nonsense. Who knows what the wind chill is? I'm toasty sitting in the front room of the house with my oil radiator blasting away. Slept very poorly last night and feel awful this morning. I've got a sore throat and cough. I think it started Friday night and yesterday's morning run in the raw, dry cold probably just exacerbated things. I'll take it easy today and hopefully feel better tomorrow.
Despite the cold it really is a pretty morning. Aiden slept well and is in good spirits this morning. He's playing with Ciara and Linda in the living room. We tried to make scones this morning but the recipe was not congenial and who knows how they'll turn out. They're in the oven as I type this.
My friend Jeff and I ran at England-Idlewild this morning. It was cold, windy and dark. We started at 07:00 and ran the first 30 minutes or so in the dark with flashlights. It was a lot more fun than I would have thought. Maybe it was the novelty but I'm looking forward to trying it again. One of the most interesting things about this morning's run was the lack of wildlife sightings. It was almost as if the trails and all life were asleep as we passed by. The only sound was the crunching of iced mud and grass as we tramped along. Being down in a valley and surrounded by trees we were protected from the wind and were relatively warm but the moment we climbed back up on the ridges the cold descended again like a wet blanket that was quite noticeable. I think the temperature was around 12-13 degrees when we started with a significant windchill. Certainly the coldest run since last winter. I can't wait to do it again.
The day started out cool with the sun peaking out of high patchy clouds and a relatively stiff breeze. I was definitely overdressed but I'd rather be a little too warm than a little too cold; cold is miserable, warm is tolerable in my book. The trails were covered in winter leaves (mostly oak) and very muddy in places but good shape otherwise. We did two loops but none technical or too strenuous (we skipped the stone steps). Jeff and Suzelle are training for the Umstead 100 in March. Suzelle finished 3rd in her age group in the Sunmart 50 last month! I think we probably ran about 10 miles this morning in 2 1/4 hours or so. It was a good thing we ran this morning because as I type this its pouring rain with lightning and thunder; once again strange weather for January even in Kentucky.
Good Morning everyone my bride is 52 years young today.
Can you believe it's January. It was 59 degrees this morning when I started my run. Overcast, true but the sun did come out of the clouds periodically and there was no rain. The wind has picked up throughout the day. My run was the usual out Banklick and back for 8 miles. I guess I could have done more but I was in a hurry to get home and shower so I could pick up Buzzy and take him to the library for story time. He enjoys watching the other children but doesn't really interact with them. It's a nice program and I'd like to take him more often.
Went to the store for dinner tonight. I'm going to grill salmon and have a side salad with sweet potatoes. I didn't buy anything for desert because Linda wouldn't eat it anyway. I did however get some cookies which I love.
