One Year to do a 1 1/2 Hour Walk

I woke up at 7 and couldn’t get back to sleep. I probably could have if I had worked on it harder, but I decided that it was time to do something about my lack of exercise. So, stretching the calves for over five minutes, I headed out the door and decided, after lapping my complex once to do a walking loop around the major streets around my complex. It wasn’t as picturesque as the Long Beach shoreline, but it was a good walk. It’s only taken me a whole year to get off my damn ass.

Note so self: next time leave before 7 AM and don’t wear black. Oh yeah, get a damn water bottle too. Ack.

Music: Saturday in the Park by Chicago from the The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning CD

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Everyone Wears a Uniform @ Friendly Confines

Not a great photo and not even close to showing the percentage of people who come to Friendly Confines sporting their favorite team uniforms. It’s also evident in the noise level and shouting and cheering how many partisans are in attendance. Go Bears! er… I mean Dolphins! jbb

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I’ll Have a Right-Upper-Cut w/ My Turkey Drumstick

The Thanksgiving holiday is a family thing. In years past, with one notable exception I’ve never suffered from a lack of having family to spend the afternoon/evening with. I’ve been fortunate that way. Having a “significant other” has been an entirely different story. Given that I’m now a several hundred miles from family and the significant other issue… well, I’m going no where near that one… Let me just say that I have been most fortunate to have several friends here in Florida who have invited me into their homes to share the holiday with. Granted, I would have never anticipated that the turkey, dressing, potatoes, and salad would be mixed with a healthy dose of Nintendo Wii Boxing, Cow Racing and Tennis. All I can say is “Life is Good.”

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And the Last Shall Be First – True Olympic Moments

As impressive as the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies were on Friday and the amazing performances that I got a chance to catch over the weekend, for me the defining Olympic moment is still the 1992 400-meter race when Derek Redmond pulled a hamstring and choose to hobble the rest of the race, the last 100-meters with the assistance of his father. To witness the pain and anguish and determination to finish… I know that a credit card company is cashing in on the image, and maybe I’m overly sentimental about a “game,” but in that moment I identified with the power to rise above what others would call a lost cause. Equally the stadium rose to cheer on this broken athlete as he crossed the finish line. And what was writ large with this Olympic example I saw last year during an insignificant middle school race.

Derek Redmond – 1992 Olympic moment

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