Thinking of Mrs. R

In your honor, tonight's dinner was a wedge salad. It had most of the important ingredients. The main ingredient it was missing was your company.

almost one sixth

Training for a southern marathon has been going well with the normal ups and downs. I don't know how the body does it, but I am amazed at a few things that happen during training.

First, I am amazed that body and mind sometimes have a small skirmish when it comes to any of the 6 X 18 workouts. Said another way, sometimes, when I am walking into the gym, I get the distinct feeling that I am becoming more and more tired with each step I take toward the treadmill. The feeling usually goes away about 400 meters into the run of the day. The mind somehow convinces the body that the workout will take place and there will be effort and that's that. With that, the body releases its tiredness and gets into the workout.

Second, I am amazed that from the beginning to the end of the training, the body adjusts, gets stronger, gets used to running longer and longer distances, culminating in the 18, 19 and 20 milers (training) and the 26.2 of the marathon. Eighteen weeks before that, the body wasn't able to go more than a few miles without being done for the day. (As a bonus, this principle of practice and training works for a LOT of other things - almost everything, in my opinion).

Almost three weeks of the eighteen have been completed. I can feel the increased endurance and wind and strength. Only a little over fifteen weeks to go to success in the southern run.

Have a good one. KipK

faster and faster (or, less slow and lesser slow . . .)

The training for the NOLA Mardi Gras Marathon (which I will run with my youngest daughter) begins next Monday.

On Wednesday, I went to the gym with an eye on seeing where I was in my running prep. I came away with 4 miles, well run, a good sweat and confidence that I have fully recovered from any effects of a cold or recent medical procedure. I got faster and faster and the miles went by. By the way, the music of the Soul Rebels, is good stuff to run to.

On Thursday, my run was one of the easy variety, a mile less and slower, more relaxed. Another easy run this evening, a longer run on Saturday, rest day on Sunday and into the breach on Monday.

I'm ready to go.

Have a good one. KipK

IC PEG-3350 with Flavor Packs AFF

4 liters, two half days, drink it all and go in for the procedure.

I drank it. It worked like a charm. And, I'm going in.

I felt a little like Albus Dumbledore in the sixth book, drinking until he came to the bottom of the fountain.

To all (and I mean all) my loyal readers . . . if I were famous, I'd have this filmed on a reality show for the benefit of those who should do the same.

Have a good one. KipK

Running to beat the band

I'm running myself into shape so I can train to run in the Mardi Gras Marathon in late February, in New Orleans. I will be running the marathon with my daughter, who lives and goes to school there.

We have run several races together from 5K's to 15K's to a half marathon. Now, we'll run together in the big one, a marathon. In our preparation, though separated by 950 miles or so, we will run using the same training program and will usually run the same exact workout, mileage and intensity each day over the next several months.

Today, we both ran 6 miles. I was actually planning to run 5 but, when she texted me and said she had run 6, I knew I had to go the extra mile.

The training will be good for me, working off some of the caloric stores I have built up over the last several years (last ran a marathon in 2006 - a while back). And, I eat better when I train because empty calories hold me back from having good, productive workouts.

I think everyone who has the interest should train and run or walk a marathon. It's a great experience that brings an understanding of endurance that cannot be grasped in many other ways.

Have a good one and good luck to everyone in the Columbus Marathon tomorrow. KipK

smooth and powerful

Wednesday, for lunch, I went to the range and enjoyed the pleasure of smashing the ball with power and authority and precision. Each shot, with each club, was struck purely and flew into the air and down the range with a wonderful arcing flight, exactly as I had imagined the moment before the swing.

Hitting a golf ball with precision and power is like no other feeling I have ever felt in any game or sport. In that sense (sports), I don't think there is anything better. Reigning in the power of physics through practice and execution is so cool and so satisfying and so fun.

The season for full rounds on the course is likely over. The range, until spring returns, is where you'll find me.

Have a good one. KipK

Blogging from a phone

The official beginning of Fall is/was Tuesday, September 22nd. I'm not sure I have ever seen quite the confirmation on the end of one season and the beginning of the next as I saw on that date. The weather had been, up to that day, sunny, mild, mostly dry - a coolish summery trend, enjoyed for most of the Summer. Tuesday passed without incident but, almost immediately the newsweathermen began to forecast rain and cooler temps. And, the rains and cooler temps started to move in (sort of a surprise given the forecasters' history/track record).

Not to claim too personal a foul, my end of season league golf outing was played in it's entirety in a light misty drizzle with a few patches of harder rain thrown in. in case you were wondering, no, I didn't play well at all, struggling with tee shots most of the day, reaffirming my belief
that to play well you must play regularly (it had been a couple of weeks since my last time on the course).

Friday's weather was okay with some showers. The various forecasts for Saturday changed as often as there was a chance to change it. as a very side note, I played a round of golf this morning (having chosen to believe the "sunny in the morning" forecast versus the possible rain in the morning forecast). You can guess what kind of visible humidity/low flying clouds we played in.

As I look out the backdoor window, at 4:15 pm, there is a continuing light drizzle with interruptions of harder rain. I think Fall has arrived.

Personally, I like the changing of the seasons, always have. It's a little sad that my golf work for the year is slowing down, but, my running work is now ramping up. Enjoy the Fall and have a good one. KipK

Running or golf, running or golf

In the early part of this year, I set my sights on doing a marathon in the fall. Specifically, I picked a fall marathon close to where I live and which I had run before with some success. The date of the run would be in mid October and I would train using an 18 week program. That meant, I needed to get into shape and be able to start training 18 weeks before mid October.

So, in the early part of June, I started the training and began to put in the miles and do the workouts. At the same time, I continued to practice on the range a couple of lunch times per week, played in my league every Thursday and tried to play two or three Saturdays per month. Along with the running and the golfing, I wanted to do some reading and writing. Usually, after a lunch at the range and a run after work, and then taking care of the normal chores around the house (cutting, edging the lawn, a load of laundry every so often, making a dinner - this was when my beloved wife was on vacation in the west) I was hard pressed to do anything more than go to sleep - definitely no time for reading or writing.

I'm not sure of the exact date of my epiphany but I'd guess it was about two months ago. At the end of a day when I did not get everything I wanted to get done done, I realized that I was trying to do too much. I'm sure that one night, as I walked out of the gym, having done a good running workout, I realized that I would not make it to the library that evening and I thought about what I was trying to do and my goals. I wanted to do really well at golf and really well at running. Each activity was very similar in terms of the time it takes to work on and get better at - about an hour or a little more each week day and multiple hours on Saturday.

Yes, I did want to run another marathon. And, yes, I did want to play my best golf and continue to make good progress through the summer and into the fall. Then, it hit me. I can only play golf while the weather is good, which, in my town is middle spring to middle fall. I can run . . .

any day of the year. Even if the temperature goes below freezing, I can go indoors and run on the treadmill. You can probably see what is coming.

I decided that during the golfing months of the year, I would use most of my athletic/physical hobby time practicing or playing golf (and, I would keep myself in shape by doing a steady and regular routine of running 2-3 times per week). Conversely, during non-golfing months, or perhaps better said, the running months of the year, I would get into a training program and pursue a marathon at the end of winter or early spring.

The plan above gives the right amount of attention to the two activities I love the most and maximizes the enjoyment of each, without requiring a 25 hour day or 8 day week. I still have time to read, do some writing, and do all the other normal married guy things.

I'm working the plan, currently still practicing quite a bit at the range, but ramping up the running slowly so I'll be ready to train with gusto in about a month. I like the decision and the forward direction it takes me in.

Have a good one. KipK

Like Churchill said

Once again, through the game of golf, I learned (better said, re-learned) an important lesson about stick-to-it-ive-ness. A few words of explanation:

Every year, around the middle of August, there is a local Columbus amateur golf tournament. It is flighted so all levels of players can enter and compete against their peers. It is a lot of fun and something I look forward to each year with anticipation of having two days of good competition and pressure and performance under said pressure (I wish there were more tournaments like it that I could play in).

This year, as the tournament approached, I felt better and better about my game. I was striking the ball well, putting and chipping well and just playing very well. Of course, that was my first clue that something was not quite right.

On the first day of the two day tournament, I got to the course early, warmed up well and was ready to go when my tee time rolled around. Then, from almost the first hole to the last, I played as if I hadn't seen or touched a golf club in the last long while (days, weeks, months, who knows, as Eeore would say). I struggled mightily and at the end of the day, shot a score which essentially, in my mind, took me out of the running for any of the prizes in my flight. Two of the other golfers in the foursome shot 4 and 5 shots better than I did and there were another 5 golfers with the same kinds of lower scores.

On the second day of the tournament, I again warmed up well and then for the first 6 holes played a bit worse than the day before (hard to do, but achieved nonetheless). I was discouraged and then, basically, stopped worrying and relaxed, since I was playing only for my own enjoyment and to see if I could execute shots the way I wanted and planned to execute them.

At that point, I challenged myself to bring things back to bogey golf. That meant that I needed to make just 3 pars in the next 12 holes. Almost immediately, my game shifted into a relaxed, tension free, athletic state. My next drive was powerful, straight with a slight draw, right down the middle of the fairway. I parred the 7th hole.

Okay, now I only needed to par 2 of the next 11 holes to reach my goal. Tee shot on 8 was perfect, leading to a par. Tee shot and approach on 9 led to another par. I had reached my goal in three holes, not 12. Cool and still relaxed, I played extremely well on the back nine, shooting a 38, just 2 over par (including a birdie on a par 5). Kinda fun, actually.

I shook hands with my fellow golfers (two of whom would eventually win 1st and 3rd place) and went in to turn in my score. After handing over my score card, I went to get a plate of lunch provided by the tournament sponsors and then sat down.

I looked up at the posted scores for the flight and found the lowest, next lowest, 3rd lowest scores. As I looked for the 4th place golfer's score, I didn't see anyone's score that beat mine for 4th. Not believing it, I looked again and then again, finally believing what I saw. There were four more golfers left in the flight who hadn't finished yet, but each of them had shot much higher scores than I had the first day and would have had to shoot under par to beat me. They did eventually come in and hadn't been under par, so, when the prizes were awarded, I was announced as the 4th place finisher for my flight. Cool stuff and a lesson in not giving up, in setting small goals and enjoying the little triumphs in life.

Have a good one and never, never, never, never give up. KipK

word verification

Over the past several months, I have commented on several blog entries. With the submission of each comment, there is a brief process which includes the commentor attempting to match the letters of a wavy lined, word by typing its equal into a box labeled "word verification". Most or all of you know that the words are semi randomly generated combinations of letters. In this blog, I am going to attempt below to define eight of these word verification letter strings. Wish me luck.



the word verifications:

reweak

snyersyn

caltsyin

surnal

milain

memeoshi

supre

ladde



"reweak" - easiest one on the list - this string is actually spelled backwards and should read "kaewer", which of course, as everyone knows describes someone who does not have courage, spoken with a lilting Irish brogue. An example of this word in a sentence would be, "poor Johnny McMichael, he ran all the way home to avoid the school bully. He's a bit of a kaewer."


"snersyn" - inner city origin, having to do with sleep. "don't make any loud noises, Uncle Bob is snersyn".


"caltsyin" - a shortened phrase that has to do with a phone call and wanting to see you in a very few minutes. "I "caltsyin" five minutes in front of the drug store. Don't be late." Alternative definition would be if the person making the call wants to see the person named "yin", as in, I called to see yin or caltsyin"

"surnal" - unfortunate word combination of nervous junior officer, who, instead of saying, "yes sir, colonel", said yes, surnal (said junior officer was then made an even more junior officer).

"milain" - Irish driver's possessive of the road, as in, "get out of the way, that's milain"

"memeoshi" - happens when a singer is warming up and gets something tickling his/her nose, as in. " me me -oSHI', to which the polite response is, "Bless you", or "geshundtheit"

"supre" - very specific question to any person whose name is Ray, Raymond, JayRay, Desiree, and occurs when soup is the appetizer to the meal, as in, "supre, or would you like the salad?"

"ladde" - old English version of the very popular laddie.

Count it. Have a good one, KipK

It's been awhile

I been busy . . . Or, how about, I was doing other stuff . . . How's this, "something suddenly came up" (Brady Bunch reference).

Okay, I love to blog but haven't since the 22nd of June (a little tiny bit over a month). Between that last missive and this, there was a very fun birthday celebration for my beloved mother-in-law out west. All her family was there and we had a great time.

Said beloved mother-in-law was the life of the party. She kept us hopping from sun up to sun down and we had so much fun every day that we didn't even get to Rack Rummy (Rumm-E-O is the official product's name, in case you were wondering and wanted to find it via google).

Along with a host of other activities (boating, cooking/grilling, hiking, historical site seeing), we also went white water rafting. It was fun and I think we had the best boat (with the best people in it and the best guide).

In other news, my wrist is better and I am playing golf again. And, I'm seeing progress in quite a few areas of my game, which has led to some recent scores I have been happy with, which possibly bodes well for a tournament I play in each year (note that I am not ever, not even once, saying that things are "great", because the golf gods do not take lightly any person who possibly intimates they are conquering or dominating the sport - seriously, you have to be really careful). I had fun in league tonight too. And, I made a birdie, which in the skins competition would normally mean that I won some money (which actually did happen last week - half of which said money went to the quenching of my fellow league members' thirst), except that tonight, a fellow golfer birdied the same hole and cancelled out the birdie. There were two other holes where two league golfers birdied, cancelling out each other. So, the skins money carries over to next week. I hope to play well enough next week to make another birdie and win DOUBLE the skins (wish me luck - perhaps I could pay you a bit of the winnings if you really did wish me luck . . .).

Our tomato garden has been growing and producing cherry tomatoes at an ever increasing rate(pictures forthcoming, I promise). Sadly, these tomatoes were not ready when my youngest daughter came for a week's visit. And, sadly, I don't think there is an economical way to send her a large quantity of these fresh pop-in-your-mouth treats. I surely would if I could.

AND, I am the happy new owner of a brand spanking new, iPhone of the new variety. It was a gift from my wife and girls (they thought I should join the 20th, oops, 21st century). I have been working on my thumb flexibility and dexterity. I'll admit, I'm not fast, but I get the job done. The phone is fun and keeps me in contact with the WOML (women of my life - to whit, the aforementioned wife and two girls). I can call, I can text, I can e-mail. I'm working on creating ringtones from my favorite music. So far so good but I'm not finished.

En fin, I'll be back sooner than the last time.

Have a good one. KipK

Happy Father's Day to Me

Yesterday, I was well taken care of on Father's Day.



Multiple cards arrived

multiple phone calls were received, multiple blogs were posted,



all with the goal of wishing me a Happy Father's Day


(they worked by the way - I was a happy father, all day - actually, I've been a happy father for a long, long time).



AND, I did about 10 minutes of grillin' and enjoyed a very tasty steak, potatoes, green beans and salad, accompanied by some of my favorite liquid refreshment, pink lemonade (which, amazingly, looked just like the picture/pitcher below).

I also, mighta had a Popsicle to top it all off, I can't remember (I think I might have another one tonight).

To the Women Of My Life, I say: Thank you for your love (tried to find a really macho heart but was not successful).

To all the good fathers and dads out there I say, love your wife and children. I hope your Father's Day was as good as mine.

KipK

G - double O - D - E - Y - E

There are basically three kind of "eye" days for me now that I am an experienced, savvy contact wearer.

The first kind of "eye" day is one without contacts. There is absolutely no hassle getting the little miracles in because they stay, hydrated, calm and peaceful in their cases. The slight downside to a no contact day is, of course, glasses for various types of eye work must be worn (reading glasses, far away or close in glasses, magnifying glasses, whatever).


The second kind of "eye" day is the not so perfect fit or feel contact day. In this instance, the contacts are put in with or without some trials (but the trials are independent of the way the eye and contact battle through the day). Once the contact are in, the unknown source of irritation begins, sometimes causing the wearer (moi, just in case you were wondering) some increased amount of blinking, eye rubbing (which may cause more irritation, not sure), use of eye solution (of course, no eye drops, which react badly with contacts - a little antithetical if you ask me) and some times a trip to take the consarned (actual word) things out and try to put them in better or in a more comfortable state (which almost never works, at least for me). Sometimes, as the day wears on, the nerves in the eye (if there are any) give up, decide to give the contact wearer (again, me) a break and stop firing their pain signals to the brain. This break can be anywhere from an hour after getting to work in the morning to right as I am about to go to bed (ah, perfect feel, now, I need to take them out). Of course, this kind of a contact day is not the end of the world, just as having sand in your eye is not the end of the world. Still, there are more enjoyable things than sand in your eye (I'm just sayin').

The third and best kind of a contact day is when the contacts, once applied, become one with your eye and you see clearly, with no watering, no pain, no . . . basically, you forget you are wearing them, until you go to bed and think "I should really take my contacts out". I had one of those days today (and, really, yesterday). They make the hard, pioneer like suffering days a lot easier to get through, because there is always hope that tomorrow, everything will be perfect.


Have a good one, KipK

Totally Desolated

The quote in the title comes from Little Women (the movie - don't know about the book) and describes the way I felt yesterday after injuring my left wrist, not being able to play in golf league, going to the doctor (a big plus that I was seen), getting x-rays and then having the doctor tell me that I had torn a ligament and would be out for 4 - 6 weeks while the ligament fully healed.

Of course, there are worse things in life. And, of course, there are millions (billions) of people who have a LOT more important/significant problems than my poor ligament and my poor self now that I will not be able to play any golf (or racket sports . . .) for the next little while. Yeah, I get that my little injury is not as bad as the majority of bad things in the world that could happen. Still, it kind of stinks and is no fun.

In related news, two days ago, I had the chance to teach the Young Men (12 - 18 years of age) a little bit about the game of golf. I showed them the fundamentals of grip, stance and swing and then watched them hit a lot of golf balls on the range, with increasing success as they became more adept. After the range, we did a little bit of putting and I had three putting contests, which they enjoyed, the winners getting a soda as their prize. It was a fun night and I really enjoyed teaching them and then watching them improve in leaps and bounds. Next Wednesday, they plan on playing a game at the local executive course, scramble format. This past Wednesday evening, I told them that I would play them and put my score against their scramble score and would buy them a soda (each) if they came out on top. Now, with the wrist thing, I will not be able to play and that is a bit of a disappointment.

Thinking about the current 4-6 week forced hiatus, I wonder aloud if there was/is a reason for the injury. Is there something I need to be doing in the next few weeks that I wouldn't be able to do if I were practicing and playing golf? If I find out that there is a reason and what that reason is, I'll let you know.

Back to the desolation, er, devastation, I came home, a bit in shock, I suppose. I told my lovely wife what had happened and she was very caring and also sent the news to our girls and her sister and mother. Everyone responded with empathy (her sister and mother have both had injuries that have stopped them from doing something they wanted to be doing). Her sister called and asked me all about it - a very thoughtful gesture.

Thinking about it, I guess the most shaking part about this was the fleeting but powerful thoughts that I had really done something permanent and the question of would I be able to play again (I know, a bit fatalistic, but sometimes that's where thoughts go). In reality, the loss of playing in league is probably the most impactful to me. I really enjoy playing the game with guys that also enjoy the game and who are good guys who care about and have fun with their fellow man. My wife had a good idea and suggested that I go to the clubhouse and be there when they finish each week - which I think I might do.

The actual injury happened while I was on the range, before league last night. I was hitting wedges and doing very well. I had also been hitting a 3 iron (also very well). On the swing that produced the injury, I set up well, had a good back swing and down swing. The ball was sitting up a bit and when I came through, the club head seemed to go a bit too fast and out of control and I felt a sharp pain in my left wrist. I thought that maybe I had just tweaked it because of an awkward swing and hit a few more shots, including my driver (pain was there and didn't change much - which is to say, it hurt). I thought, however, that I might be able to play so I went to the first tee. My first swing was not so bad but I didn't roll my hands over (the ball was a block to the right). My second tee shot hurt a LOT and at this point, I started thinking that I should stop. But, I reasoned, if I swung a bit easier, perhaps the pain would not be so severe. So, I finished the second hole and went to the third tee. I teed up the ball, got set to hit the driver and then remembered the pain I had with the last tee shot. I decided to stop and get to the doctor.

A saga, I know, and fairly insignificant in global terms but, that's what's going on. I hope your day and your week have been much better. Have a good one. KipK

birthday day

Today is my birthday.

I am over abundantly blessed with a lovely wife, two lovely daughters, great in-laws, gainful employment, a healthy body and mind and a bunch of other wonderful blessings.

Despite some last minute changes, my birthday was a good one, one that I really enjoyed. The first of my original plans that changed was a game of golf at a nearby course. Due to the accurately predicted, very windy (24+ mph constantly gusting) weather, I postponed the golf game for a later, more settled day and instead had breakfast with the aforementioned lovely wife. Then, while my wife was at the hair salon, I went the library and found a couple of new books that look interesting (and looked into a non-related subject I wanted to know more about). When I finished at the library, it was still gusting and blowing, so I came home to cut, trim and edge the lawn as well as trimming a couple of bushes (while doing the cutting, trimming and edging, I thought of a good subject for a non-fiction story, one that I will enjoy researching and writing - I'll keep you posted). The wind kept it cool while I cut and trimmed, a double bonus. The lawn looks good, in case you were wondering (okay, maybe not as good as the baseball field - but good!).

After the lawn and bushes, at the insistence of my lovely better half, I went to one of my favorite places, the driving range, and practiced putting (1 hour),

chipping and sand shots (1 1/2 hours)

and then finished with full swings (the final 30 minutes). I left the range satisfied with the work I did and the finely honed skills which will help me score better the next time I play in league or a regular round of the King's sport.

I drove home from the range and we ordered and picked up one of my favorite foods, a meat lover's pizza from Dominos. This was another change in plans as Friday night, after going to dinner (a birthday eve celebration) we went to Kroger and purchased a steak for me and salmon for her, planning on grilling both for my birthday dinner. We could have them tomorrow for Mother's Day.

I opened cards and presents and was wonderfully surprised at the thoughtfulness that went behind the presents. I also checked the blogs of wife and daughters and they all had a birthday message for me (again, very thoughtful).

During the course of the last couple days, I have received multiple wishes of happy birthday via e-mail and telephone.

If everyone was as lucky as I am and had the great people around them I do, I think the world would be a pretty happy place.

Have a good one. KipK

use your blinker

I have now been driving for over 34 years. When I first learned how to drive (last century), I studied from the book, took drivers ed., practiced driving with my parents (first my dad, then my mom when I couldn't quite master the art of the clutch), and then took the test (okay, more than once - and I got a much better score on both the written and the practical the second time).
On the written test, and in the rules of the road booklet from which I gathered all my driving knowledge, there were many entries about how and when to use the turn signal (whose technical name shall heretofore be "the blinker"), what to do if the blinker was not working (the alternate hand signals), distances from intersections and corner from which you should signal and so on.
I learned how to use my blinker from the very start and have tried to consistently use it whenever I change lanes, am turning and basically any time I want the people behind me (and sometimes in front of me) to know what I am going to do. I suppose you could say, I am communicating, in the most basic fashion, my intent so that others around me know what to expect and what action they may take in response (if an action is necessary).

Today, in my opinion, there is a decided lack of use of the blinker. The lack is felt not only around the neighborhood, where a driving neighbor could possibly be forgiven for rolling through the stop sign and not signaling their right hand turn. It is not only missing from some of driving around the town, where everyone is comfortable with the same kind of relaxed attitude around the Dairy Queen. Blinker use is lacking everywhere. In my daily commute, I would estimate that 50% or less of the commuters between the entrance ramp onto the highway and the exit ramp fifteen miles later use their blinker. There is such a lack of blinkering that I have often wondered if it is still a part of the drivers test. Maybe, maybe not but I think I figured out a couple of the reasons why people don't use their blinker.

To whit:
Everyone has two or less hands to drive with. One of the hands needs to be on the wheel at all times (ideally). The other hand could either be on the wheel (where it should also be) or occasionally moving the blinker up or down to signal a right or left hand turn. On many occasions in these modern times, the second hand is otherwise occupied and cannot be used to signal. Hand occupying activities while driving have been documented and are, in increasing astonishment, the following: changing the radio station, holding a cigarette, holding a cell phone next to the ear (which sometimes leads the driver to use the hand on the wheel to gesture, leaving no hands for the wheel OR the blinker), reaching into the back of the car to discipline a child, turning the page of a book the driver is reading, applying mascara and even shaving legs (one of which is on the dashboard).
I get that today's life is moving faster and that we need to multi-task whenever possible to stay current with everything we need to do. I'm not sure that multi-tasking has a place while you drive the car. Save multi-tasking for work, home, church.

When you drive somewhere, use both hands for driving and use your blinker. You might save yourself from being rear ended as you pull into the gym parking lot (because the car behind you saw your blinker and slowed down, giving you time to turn in). You will make every trucker on the road happier because they enjoy seeing people obey the law and keeping the roads safer for them. You will make your spouse and children happy because the little blinker, blinker, blinker sound is almost musical and kind of fun. You will make the policeman hidden behind the bush happy because he doesn't have to interrupt his day with a small law break and will be ready for the big one (he may even wave to you as you drive by).

So use you blinker, it's good for you and the rest of the world (the cumulative effect of everyone using their blinker might even create a greater world peace) and have a good one. KipK

a national tradition

Over the period of time since they were invented and since there was a deadline imposed, filing your taxes has become a national institution and an April 15th tradition (except, of course, for those in the small, very vocal and only slightly irritating minority of filers who file early).

While most/all of the people preparing their taxes complain and commiserate with co-workers, friends, neighbors and relatives, I think deep down (really deep down), there is at least a little bit of "we're all in this together" that if it is not satisfying is certainly at least a bitter sweet relationship we carry with us.

Some years, there are refunds and the race is on to file as early as possible to get a refund of . . . uhm, . . . my money back. Yeah, when a person gets a refund, it takes a very clear head not to see it as free money and go out and immediately spend it on something at least semi frivolous (in my opinion, anyway).

The best kind of a refund is the surprise refund. This happens when the taxpayer/preparer thinks that this year he/she is definitely going to be paying something, probably an amount that is at least noticeable if not slightly painful. He is filling out the forms, mentally adding and subtracting interest earned, charitable donations and calculating the number of dependents times the new, higher deduction amount for each dependent. All these numbers, calculations, additions and subtractions finally clear up as the taxes owed is determined and the taxes paid is written (entered) on the appropriate line, and . . . taxes paid is more than taxes owed and the concourses of angelic singers begin their "Hallelujahs!" The tax payer stands, raises his arms into the air in triumph, the conquering hero, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the champion of the world. I've been there and tasted that sweet, intoxicating elixir of success and prosperity.



Then, there is the flip side, where as you are going through the calculations, you get a heavy, almost atmospheric pressure like feeling that the world is not going to be your oyster this year. You continue to add and subtract, you wonder how much the donated sweaters were actually worth and what the donation value should really be, and how the government hasn't ever walked a mile in your income producing, family and community supporting, American as baseball, apple pie a la mode and Chevrolet shoes and if they had, even for a moment, they would be more careful in spending your hard earned dollars. Of course, there eventually comes the time when the same calculation which elated you last year and which will not elate you this year has to be recorded and finalized, the final tally, the losing score, the indignant blow to your psyche (okay, a bit over the top, but I was on a semi-roll). En fin, there are no raised arms, no imagined cheers from the adoring crowd, just a sigh of resignation and relief, a move to get the check book and send more of those hard earned dollars to do their duty.

And then . . . and then . . . your tax triumph/disaster becomes a water cooler story and is gone. Another year, another filing. Let's go play golf (because another sign of the tax filing deadline is better weather).

That was kind of fun, wasn't it. Have a good one. KipK

Hungry, hungry, hungry . . . full, stuffed, ate too much . . .

I don't quite get how my metabolism does these things but here is today's consumption and the body's associated delayed reactions.

Breakfast - honey nut cheerios, Lasts until about when I get in the car to come to work (30 minutes)

Eat a granola bar (in the car), okay, more satisfied, definitely not full.


Yogurt at work, no perceptible change - still good, no need for additional intake.


Work, work, work, work - phone call that takes me past lunch time.

Carrots and yogurt before going to hit a bucket of practice shots at the range
Range work.


Return to work - famished, really hungry, would like to eat a roasted cow leg and then gnaw on the bone for the marrow.


Eat the pasta Fagioli we made on Sunday (heat it and then inhale it - really good by the way), still hungry (maybe still FEELING hungry).


Need more - go and get a pack of peanut M&M's and a non diet Mountain Dew.



Consume M&M's in semi rapid fire style, feeling good, drink most of Mountain Dew . . .







FULL, OVERFULL, AUUGGGHHHH ready to pop, feel bloated and stomach looks like I have gained 30 pounds beyond what I weighed this morning,

FULL, FULL, FULL!!! . . .

A couple of hours later, okay, no hunger, still feel a little fat (maybe, he's fat, he's fat, he's a fatty).

End of work day, have the remaining grapes in my lunch bag (stylish Kroger plastic bag) and feel a little . . . fat.
P'raps I should slohhhhw down just a bit when I eat the Fagioli or maybe wait a little after to see what kind of satisfaction I get from it (maybe a sense of fullness that precludes additional consumption . . .).

En fin, I'm good now and hope to go for an easy run this evening.

Have a good one. KipK

sticking my finger in my eye

Millions of people before me have done it, mastered the skill and think nothing of doing it each morning and each evening, many without mirrors.

Yesterday, I went to the eye doctor to be trained on how to put in and take out contact lenses. The prescription itself is very small, helping my regain the slightly better than 20 - 20 vision I have enjoyed for so long (but had noticed recently was not as clear for long distances). The contacts are only for the long distance vision (defined as anything not close . . .) and were my best option for playing one of the sports I love, golf.

The technician was helpful (I noticed that she was wearing glasses however) and showed me the theoretical way to put in contacts. Then, I gave it a go, under her watchful eye. First attempt, sticking my finger in my eye and then pulling it back to see how I had done, no good, the lens was still on my finger. Second, third and fourth attempts were very similar. For the fifth attempt we (the technician) put more solution on the lens and made ready. I concentrated, tried to keep my other eye open (supposed to help - probably does - won't know until I actually keep it open), and put the contact right on my eye (cake, who said this was hard, easy as pie . . .). And then, we went to my other eye (left, in case you were counting). I tried with my right hand and was unsuccessful (a couple of times). Then, thinking the angle might be better, I went to my left (if I could do the same in basketball, I'd be a dangerous player). A couple more times and, each time poking myself straight in the eye, I was ultimately successful.

Wahoo (I said to myself)! Now, said the tech, let's take them out. Uh huh, sure, I can do that. The extraction process was a little more intense physically (yes, I know millions of other people have done it and continue to do it daily, whatever . . .). But, after moments of frustration, slight opthalmetric (made up but should be a real word) irritation, and determination, I got each of them out (I see a market for a contact extraction machine, perhaps a tiny, very delicate suction machine that attaches to the contact). Now, said the tech, let's put them back in so the doctor can see how they look, how they fit and if they are doing their job.

Uh huh, no problem, I'll just pop them in and we'll be ready. Well, minutes later (I was better the second time) I was ready and the doctor was able to check everything out. And, they were working as designed (always a good thing and double wahoo!).

I wore them home, looking at every long distance street sign and billboard, happy to be able to see like I used to, envisioning pars, birdies and eagles now that I could see things more clearly. After 5 hours, before I went to work out, I took them out with some difficulty but only personal trauma. Day one was a success. I looked forward to day two.

Speaking of day two, getting the right one in was a sn . . snap (two tries before success). I put the left one in on the first try but didn't see any correction in the eye sight. Being a quick study, I reasoned that while the contact was in, it wasn't in the right place and started looking for it. Moments of quiet desperation (okay, a little over the top) and once asking my wife for help (she didn't see it), I went back to the mirror and felt around my eyeball for the vision helping piece of plastic. Somehow, I found it and, after putting it in solution to let it unfold, put it back in, right on my eye.

At the end of today's wearing session (supposed to be 6+ hours), I took each of them out and put them in solution. I was better at it than yesterday and likely will be better at it tomorrow. As Heber J. Grant, the 7th prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said (probably talking about doing much more important things), "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us; not that the nature of the task has change but our ability to do it has increased". So, I'll keep sticking my finger in my eye and seeing better (and playing better golf) as a result.

Have a good one. KipK

success in multiples

Sometimes, when I run, or better said, when I am training to run in a race, I get into a rhythm and lose myself in thought and day dreams. Those are the best runs, when I don't worry about the way I'm breathing, the way my foot is hitting the ground, the pace I am running.


Yesterday was one of those days. I planned (and was scheduled) to run an easy six miles at a pace slightly above last week's easy six mile pace. Before I got to the gym, I put in a successful day at the work, taking care of many different and new tasks with enthusiasm, accuracy and professionalism.


By the time I was ready to go to the gym, it was dinner time and I knew I would need something before the six miles. I had my trusty PBJ left over from lunch and decided to use that as long distance fuel. After the sandwich and the drive to the gym, I got onto the treadmill at the gym with mixed expectations. I was a bit tired from longish day at the office, the last workout I had a couple of days earlier hadn't felt like it was productive and I worried that eating a PBJ so close to a workout might weigh me down.


My first few laps were a bit tentative, worrying that I might feel really tired or bloated. Nothing. So, I kept going, steadily, smoothly putting miles under my feet. By the halfway point, I knew that I would be fine and that I had energy in reserves. With that thought, I upped the pace for the second half of the run and gave it a bit more energy and spirit. I ended the run with six miles logged at a better pace than projected and the wonderful karma of a job well done.


Today, the workout was intervals at increasing speeds. I came home first and instead of having another PBJ (why go with a successful combination?) I made some bacon and eggs for dinner. After the meal, I waited a little over an hour and went to the gym. Interestingly, the taste and feeling of the bacon and eggs lasted a lot longer than the previous day's PBJ and not in a great way.




Still, I plunged ahead with 6 1/4 mile intervals with 1/4 rests in between. The first one felt okay. The second and third ones got really aerobically uncomfortable but I could tell that part of that was warming up a bit. The last three intervals at a good pace (which can still move up, cool for me) pushed me to work hard and in the last half of the interval focus on good form and steady effort. In the end, I did all six at the pace I had wanted, increasing the pace on the final 1/4 mile to more than I had planned, with just a fraction more of an aerobic struggle to get there.



So, two days and two good workouts. I feel like I am getting ready in a good, steady and progressing mode for the races I want to run this summer. And, as a side bonus, I should be in pretty good shape for walking the course in league.



Have a good one. KipK

chin up champion of the third grade

When I was in the third grade, living in England, on Lakenheath Air Force Base, I went to school in a Quonset hut. A Quonset hut looks like a large, corrugated aluminum can cut in half and laid on its side. My third grade teacher was a man, the first time in my entire 4 years of education up to that point (counting kindergarten) I had even seen a man teacher, let alone be taught by one (sadly, I don't remember his name - so he shall be called Mr. Johnson). I liked Mr. Johnson and learned a lot in the third grade. The class I was in was the accelerated class, something they did regularly in the Air Force, which I thought was a good thing. So, the students in the class were all the go getters from the third grade.

Our first day of class, we all came in and saw the classroom. It was very cool from my point of view. We had an aquarium. The bottom of the aquarium was covered with hundreds (maybe thousands) of marbles. I came to know later that our teacher Mr. Johnson, took wayward marbles from students who could not keep them in their pockets or lunch boxes and dropped them with great drama and ceremony into the aquarium. I think I lost one marble to the watery depths but no more.

There were maps and charts and other large poster pictures on all the walls. In one of the door ways, connecting our classroom with another on the other side of the Quonset hut, above the standing reach of any of the students, was a sturdy bar, fixed in place with rubber stops at each end. This was the chin up bar. Over the course of the school year, we had multiple competitions involving the chin up bar, seeing who could do the most at one time. My chief and closest rival, pushing me to do better in each battle was my next door neighbor, Susan. I remember one particular battle, when she went first. She did an unbelievable number of chin ups for a third grade girl (or boy). As I got on the chair to grab the bar, I had only one thought, "I have to beat her." I started off fast and furious, knocking out chin up after chin up. As I got about 2/3's of the way there, I started to get a little tired and felt a little tightening up. In the competitions, the only way you could rest was to be in the up position. I pulled myself up, gathered myself and finished up with several more chin ups, passing her by one. I dropped to the ground as the class cheered, gave a tired but happy smile to Susan and went back to my desk, the class champion.

running, running, running

I read several quotes about running that were all good (and mostly true). Here are a few of them:

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."

Frank Shorter

"I'm never going to run this again."

Grete Waitz after winning her first of nine New York City marathons

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'."

Paul Tergat

Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working.

Brian Tackett

Life is short... running makes it seem longer.

Baron Hansen

Bill Bowerman was, and is, and ever shall be a generous, ornery, profane, beatific, unyielding, antic, impenetrably complex Oregon original. As a freshman, I found him deeply disturbing. Once he bet me a case of Nutrament that I couldn't break 2.00 for the 880 on a freezing Saturday morning. I ran with control, hitting the 440 in 60. I could feel myself accelerating in the last lap. Near the finish I knew I'd done it. I slowed and turned, gasping to hear the time. "2.00,3" he said. "Good try." I leaped on him, screaming made insane with outrage. He allowed me to wrestle the watch away from him. It read 1.56,6.

Kenny Moore

Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.

Charles Schulz, Peanuts

That Which Does Not Kill You.. Makes You Stronger..

Nietzche

"Some running is good, more is better, and too much is just enough." -

Anonymous