Saturday, September 14, 2002
had two toads in our front yard. one big, one small. my wife watered her flowers which brought to the surface a mess of winged-ants. those toads looked like they were at an "all you can eat buffet" - scarfing down the ants one after another. thanksgiving feast in september and a lot of fun for all, unless your an ant.
tried the foul-mood cure that has been working for me lately - exercise - didn't want to skate again, or run, so i decided to try riding my bike thru the trails in the park. i've wanted to do this for a while, but my bike rack doesn't fit on the tracker well and i never could get my bike inside it...
but today, i found a way to stuff my bike into my tiny chevy tracker - necessity or perhaps frustration is the mother of invention.. tried the trails of my beloved french creek park on bike. since i'm even more of a novice on the bike on trails than i am running, stuck to the real safe ones - as the great one says "a man's got to know his limitations" - this is especially true when the man is a 42 yr old and the limitations are re:athletic activities of any sort.
despite playing it real safe, still was quite a thrill and hard work - love pounding up the hills - started getting much more of a feel for it and did not feel embarassed in the least getting off the bike if things got too scary...
even though i ran in the park yesterday and today is pretty warm, seems much more like fall today
the cure worked. i feel mostly better (a pizza is on it's way, that is guaranteed happy food) - but have had a lot of headaches lately (have one today along with tension between the shoulders)
but today, i found a way to stuff my bike into my tiny chevy tracker - necessity or perhaps frustration is the mother of invention.. tried the trails of my beloved french creek park on bike. since i'm even more of a novice on the bike on trails than i am running, stuck to the real safe ones - as the great one says "a man's got to know his limitations" - this is especially true when the man is a 42 yr old and the limitations are re:athletic activities of any sort.
despite playing it real safe, still was quite a thrill and hard work - love pounding up the hills - started getting much more of a feel for it and did not feel embarassed in the least getting off the bike if things got too scary...
even though i ran in the park yesterday and today is pretty warm, seems much more like fall today
the cure worked. i feel mostly better (a pizza is on it's way, that is guaranteed happy food) - but have had a lot of headaches lately (have one today along with tension between the shoulders)
blog etiquette question: as you can see i am redecorating - am in a bit of a foul mood.
anyhow, there are a number of links which i never visit, doubt if they visit me - many i added when i first started my site - but really, i'd just as soon delete them. i don't have anything, per se, against any of these sites, just never read them...if you were in this situation would you: a. delete them or b. grin and bear it so as to not hurt any feelings and besides they probably have a link to my site...
btw - if you are reading this, i doubt it applies to your site...
anyhow, there are a number of links which i never visit, doubt if they visit me - many i added when i first started my site - but really, i'd just as soon delete them. i don't have anything, per se, against any of these sites, just never read them...if you were in this situation would you: a. delete them or b. grin and bear it so as to not hurt any feelings and besides they probably have a link to my site...
btw - if you are reading this, i doubt it applies to your site...
here i am at about the 7 mile mark or so last week, just starting to feel it...i wondered why there were 2 photographers mid-course snapping my photo. i briefly entertained thoughts (possibly fueled by dehydration) that they were so impressed by my athleticism that they felt compelled to take photos of me, even though they didn't know me. should have known it was just someone trying to make a buck....
went for a brief skate today, felt horrible. perhaps it was too breezy, perhaps still recovering from yesterday's run on the trail, perhaps because i was wearing jeans instead of more appropriate work out clothes - but the whole way was a struggle...oh well, some days you eat the bear...
went for a brief skate today, felt horrible. perhaps it was too breezy, perhaps still recovering from yesterday's run on the trail, perhaps because i was wearing jeans instead of more appropriate work out clothes - but the whole way was a struggle...oh well, some days you eat the bear...
Friday, September 13, 2002
new link to methoozla
he had a thought provoking 9/11 post that inspired an interesting mini-debate
the rest of his site seems real cool as well
he had a thought provoking 9/11 post that inspired an interesting mini-debate
the rest of his site seems real cool as well
Thursday, September 12, 2002
well, i was all comfy on the couch and my older daughter was sitting way across the room in front of the tv eating pretzel sticks. we were watching sponge bob. so i told her, "if you bring me a pretzel stick, i'll show you a trick" she brought me a pretzel stick which i took and ate and said "see, i tricked you into bringing me a pretzel stick..."
hehe
even she thought that was pretty funny!
hehe
even she thought that was pretty funny!
from outside magazine:
lance armstrong's resting heart beat: 32 bpm
number of miles lance bikes a year: 21,000
number of miles avg car travels per year: 14,400
3 yr old son luke's summary of dad's racing strategy: daddy makes 'em suffer in the mountains
lance's speaking fee 2002: $150,000
bill clinton's - $150,000
now i voted for clinton twice (and would vote for him again), but there's no way bc is worth the same per speech as la!
sorry folks, been a few months since last lance post, couldn't resist...
lance armstrong's resting heart beat: 32 bpm
number of miles lance bikes a year: 21,000
number of miles avg car travels per year: 14,400
3 yr old son luke's summary of dad's racing strategy: daddy makes 'em suffer in the mountains
lance's speaking fee 2002: $150,000
bill clinton's - $150,000
now i voted for clinton twice (and would vote for him again), but there's no way bc is worth the same per speech as la!
sorry folks, been a few months since last lance post, couldn't resist...
of all the tv chef's, the one i would like to cook dinner for me is jamie oliver. he formerly did the show the naked chef (no, he did not cook naked (thank god)), but rather he cooked simple, unadorned food. his new show, oliver's twist, i like even better. he picks some folks, then cooks dinner for them. a few weeks back he cooked for some vegetarian friends. a dish he made that has been on my mind since then was a mushroom sandwich. tonight, we had our own unique twist. he made it with herbed butter containing parsley and chiles - we used feta cheese, red pepper and garlic - on texas toast....so very different than his recipe (which i plan to try some day), but i can't imagine how it would have been better than ours. i declared that if possible, this would be the only thing i would eat for the rest of my life...
thank god for jamie oliver and my wife!
thank god for jamie oliver and my wife!
i think i finally connected well with my intro class. i was explaining how you can save a copy of an entire web page to your machine, and i casually mentioned that you could then email the page to a friend who didn't have internet access. as i was saying this, i immediately realized the absurdity of the statement and added "of course, if they don't have internet access i don't know how they'd get the email". we all had a good laugh, as a number of students said, they were wondering the very same thing...i told them were i a better teacher i would have said that to see if they were paying attention, but in my case, it was accidental. i think you need to be yourself with your students, as silly and goofy as it may be occasionally...of course, if you try to force it where not appropriate, it won't work.
as the weather turns cooler, my listening is shifting into more of a jazz mode. this seems to be a pattern. the summer requires lighter, more fun music
as the weather turns cooler, my listening is shifting into more of a jazz mode. this seems to be a pattern. the summer requires lighter, more fun music
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
i won't be posting on 9/11. i doubt if anything i (or anyone else) could say anything to help myself (or anyone else) understand, or deal with the tragedy. it also seems like reporting what i am listening to or how far i skated seems pretty trivial on that day. so out of respect for the victims: direct and indirect - of 9/11 and it's aftermath, i will respect tomorrow as a day of silence. so i will teach, play with my kids, read, study, listen to music - i.e. live my life, perhaps the best or only thing i can do.
the main lesson that 9/11 offered for me is that there are no guarantees. if guess we all know that, on some level, however, 9/11 made that point in an especially vivid way so we know it, not just as an intellectual concept, but deep in our bones.
i expect to return to posting on thursday
namaste
the main lesson that 9/11 offered for me is that there are no guarantees. if guess we all know that, on some level, however, 9/11 made that point in an especially vivid way so we know it, not just as an intellectual concept, but deep in our bones.
i expect to return to posting on thursday
namaste
my cd listening took a 180 degree turn as i am listening to cornershop's when i was born for the 7th time. this record is kind of a mixed bag - more traditional songs mixed with experimental pieces. as is often the case some of the experiments come off musch better than others. but the cd has 2 unqualified classics.
"brimful of asha" is the first. deceptively simple. ostensibly a tribute to indian film singer asha bhosle, it's really a song about escape, taking refuge in something. cool when a song goes from the specific to the general like that. asha and her sister lata mangeskar are among the most recorded singers in history - having recorded the music for many films. lata sang many of the songs on the first "bollywood" movie i ever saw:hum aapke hain koun (i've only seen a few). i had always heard about these movies and saw one was playing locally. i called the number and asked if it was sub-titled, and the person said it wasn't but i might enjoy it anyhow. so i went and really enjoyed it. the "bollywood" cinema has kind of an "everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink" approach as does the music. it was really a lot of fun - very lavish costumes and musical numbers - some broad comedy which transcended language - reminded me of american movies of the 40's. i really enjoyed it - esp. the musical numbers. bought the soundtrack. i was suprised later when i read an english synopses of the plot how much of it i was able to get without understanding the dialog - which wasn't in english other than the occasional english phrase.
the other classic on this cd is "good to be on the road back home again" - although no one from nashville might realize it, this is a darn near perfect country song - in attitude, if not in form. with a vague velvet underground feel....
"brimful of asha" is the first. deceptively simple. ostensibly a tribute to indian film singer asha bhosle, it's really a song about escape, taking refuge in something. cool when a song goes from the specific to the general like that. asha and her sister lata mangeskar are among the most recorded singers in history - having recorded the music for many films. lata sang many of the songs on the first "bollywood" movie i ever saw:hum aapke hain koun (i've only seen a few). i had always heard about these movies and saw one was playing locally. i called the number and asked if it was sub-titled, and the person said it wasn't but i might enjoy it anyhow. so i went and really enjoyed it. the "bollywood" cinema has kind of an "everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink" approach as does the music. it was really a lot of fun - very lavish costumes and musical numbers - some broad comedy which transcended language - reminded me of american movies of the 40's. i really enjoyed it - esp. the musical numbers. bought the soundtrack. i was suprised later when i read an english synopses of the plot how much of it i was able to get without understanding the dialog - which wasn't in english other than the occasional english phrase.
the other classic on this cd is "good to be on the road back home again" - although no one from nashville might realize it, this is a darn near perfect country song - in attitude, if not in form. with a vague velvet underground feel....
Monday, September 09, 2002
wow, looky here
after listening to "not for nothin'" all day, decided to check out amazon to see what year "dream of the elders" was released and saw this - a new cd tomorrow for dave holland. perhaps if the roller derby career doesn't work, i could join dionne warwick on the psychic hotline.
add to this the flyer i got today that borders is offering big discounts this weekend for teachers and you have a deadly combination.
after listening to "not for nothin'" all day, decided to check out amazon to see what year "dream of the elders" was released and saw this - a new cd tomorrow for dave holland. perhaps if the roller derby career doesn't work, i could join dionne warwick on the psychic hotline.
add to this the flyer i got today that borders is offering big discounts this weekend for teachers and you have a deadly combination.
fairly uneventful day. went to yoga last night - prob a mistake. should have just rested.
don't feel sore today (perhaps the post-race massage helped) just kind of overall drained.
do you ever listen to the same record over and over. that's what i have been with dave holland's newest the past day or so. he has fronted one of the 2 or 3 best working bands in jazz for the past 10 years or so and his music is everything i want in modern jazz: great tunes, great playing, a sense of tradition, yet a sense of exploration...
don't feel sore today (perhaps the post-race massage helped) just kind of overall drained.
do you ever listen to the same record over and over. that's what i have been with dave holland's newest the past day or so. he has fronted one of the 2 or 3 best working bands in jazz for the past 10 years or so and his music is everything i want in modern jazz: great tunes, great playing, a sense of tradition, yet a sense of exploration...
Sunday, September 08, 2002
ahhh - i think i figured out the time discrepancy. i bet the time at the finish line was the elapsed time for the running race - which started 10 min after us...that makes sense...
anyhow, this being my third skating race ever, i now have done more skating than running races. i ran two races several years ago, including one in which i was so far behind everyone i kind of lost track of what the course was, so i cut down a sidestreet to meet up with the pack again. perhaps that should only count as a half
anyhow, this being my third skating race ever, i now have done more skating than running races. i ran two races several years ago, including one in which i was so far behind everyone i kind of lost track of what the course was, so i cut down a sidestreet to meet up with the pack again. perhaps that should only count as a half
oh, if any of you get the lorain journal (and frankly, i can only think of one regular reader who might - and give he is very intelligent, perhaps even he doesn't) - i am in the background of a photo in today's paper. see if you can spot me. shouldn't be that hard. think of it as a cooler version of those "where's waldo" books
well, i finished and lived to blog about it.
really not much exceptional to report about my 12 miles skate race. the official time had me at 55 min or something like that. my stop watch had me just over an hour...so something's wrong. i suspect my time was more accurate given that if you do the math, if the official time were right it would mean i did over the twice the distance i did last week in slightly less than half the time and frankly, i can't see myself skating a better pace for 12 miles than i did for 5.5, but who knows and after all, it is the official time and i'm not going to argue.
there were way more runners than skaters, causing the bus driver to look at my skates and jokingly comment that i was cheating. only one real big hill and it was uphill, which i'd prefer. was real hard work. i really felt little fatigue for the first half, then it came and went in waves, probably corresponding to whether i was going uphill or downhill. the whole race was thru the metroparks, very scenic. a few musicians along the path and themed-waterstops made it fun (including santa). got a free massage and a finisher's medal, which, by the time i get old, i'll probably be telling my grandkids it's an olympic gold medal (who knows, by the i might believe it). knee felt a bit sore, so i'm icing - soerness not necessarily caused by last week's fall. getting on the bus for the ride back to the parking lot with a bunch of sweaty runners/skaters, a perceptive runner noted: "gee, the bus sure smells good". fortunatley it was a short ride.
rest of the day is open. may take the kids to the park. might study. might nap. depending on how everything else goes, there's always yoga tonight.
really not much exceptional to report about my 12 miles skate race. the official time had me at 55 min or something like that. my stop watch had me just over an hour...so something's wrong. i suspect my time was more accurate given that if you do the math, if the official time were right it would mean i did over the twice the distance i did last week in slightly less than half the time and frankly, i can't see myself skating a better pace for 12 miles than i did for 5.5, but who knows and after all, it is the official time and i'm not going to argue.
there were way more runners than skaters, causing the bus driver to look at my skates and jokingly comment that i was cheating. only one real big hill and it was uphill, which i'd prefer. was real hard work. i really felt little fatigue for the first half, then it came and went in waves, probably corresponding to whether i was going uphill or downhill. the whole race was thru the metroparks, very scenic. a few musicians along the path and themed-waterstops made it fun (including santa). got a free massage and a finisher's medal, which, by the time i get old, i'll probably be telling my grandkids it's an olympic gold medal (who knows, by the i might believe it). knee felt a bit sore, so i'm icing - soerness not necessarily caused by last week's fall. getting on the bus for the ride back to the parking lot with a bunch of sweaty runners/skaters, a perceptive runner noted: "gee, the bus sure smells good". fortunatley it was a short ride.
rest of the day is open. may take the kids to the park. might study. might nap. depending on how everything else goes, there's always yoga tonight.
