Arlo Guthrie - Coming into Los Angeles

2-29-12 Leap Day.  Columbus Ohio broke a weather record today, 70 degrees!  Yesterday I woke up to 21 degrees!  Quite a difference.  There were tornado watches tonight though, you cannot have a 50 degree shift in temperature without some unstable conditions.  I came home from work around 4:30 pm and ran 5 miles.  The weather was incredible, but I dressed too hot.  I just had a hard time, mentally, putting on shorts.  I wore long pants, a short sleeve shirt and then a quarter zip.  The zip came off and was tied around my waist before I finished a half mile.  I was sweating the whole run.

How does a tiny pebble get in your shoe and always find its way to the ball of your foot?  Especially when you know it wasn't there when you put your shoes on and you aren't running on gravel???  Mine didn't show up today until I was at about 4 miles.  No way was I going to stop at that point to untie my shoes (which I always double tie and that takes more work to undo).  I just kept going and it annoyed me for the rest of the run.  

I ran in a bit of a clover leaf pattern with three big loops that kept bringing me close to home.  There had been a threat of ever weather so I wanted to be close to home at any point along the way.  It actually didn't materialize, but that is okay.  I ran past my very favorite house and the path next to it that connects the walking paths of two neighborhoods. 

My run was better today than it was yesterday.  that seems to be the pattern.  Long run on the weekend is good.  Rest.  Short run on Tuesday, is hard.  A middle length run on Wednesday, getting better.  Nice run on Thursday.  Rest.  Long run on Saturday.  Start all over.  The plants are starting to pop up all over.  My gnomes are ready for spring.

Romney won last night by a close margin in Michigan, much larger in Arizona.  All the media crap is annoying me.  Carl Cameron said last night in some sort of effort to acknowledge that Romney won "Well, Romney managed to not embarrass himself by losing in his home state".  Does that mean "win"?  Wow.  Santorum declares victory.  Not sure what Gingrich and Paul are saying.  I don't want Ron Paul to run for President, but I'd love to have him over for dinner because he just cracks me up.  Sometimes his comments are genuine to a huge fault and he is like a little kid that doesn't seem to know better.  Like, when asked by John King about an attack ad on Rick Santorum where Paul called the former Senator a fake, Ron Paul's response was, "because he is!" with that twangy whiny voice and a little chuckle follows.  Next week is big, Super Tuesday.

After listening to Richie Havens yesterday, I was in a Woodstock mood today and listened to a few songs from that album/collection.  A lot of the songs from that concert are about the war, peace, drugs, freedom, etc.  This one is a classic.  While many are touting freedom and peace and states of mind, this one is just asking for customs to please not check his bag as he comes through the airport.  What?  Got something to hide?  Yes.

Coming in from London

From over the pole

Flying in a big airliner

Chickens flying everywhere around the plane

Could we ever feel much finer?

CHORUS:

Coming into Los Angeles

Bringing in a couple of keys

Don't touch my bags if you please

Mister Customs Man

My favorite Arlo Guthrie song is Alice's Restaurant.  It is so long, I think about 15 minutes.  It is always played on the local radio in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day and I can remember going for a run and having that song occupy almost the entire run.  I think it was WRIF that used to always play that, maybe every city plays that, I don't know.                                                                 

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

Walk right in it's around the back

Just a half a mile from the railroad trackYou can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant  (exceptin' alice)

Richie Havens - Follow

2-28-12  I had planned to get up and work at home this morning and get a run in early.  I changed my mind for two reasons.  First, it was 21 degrees this morning and the forecast was for sunny skies and a high of 55 degrees.  That sounded really nice.  The other reason is that I had several pressing things at work and really needed to get in early and get work done for some afternoon meetings.  So, I got up early and was on my way to the office at 7:15.  Turns out that was a good plan.  I went to the office and at 9:19 am I got a text message from the Delaware County Sherriff's alert system.  It said "Del Co Sheriffs is looking for 2 wht males 1w/ a blk sweatshirt and 1 w/ a grey sweatshirt with blonde hair if seen call 911 shut all open doors (End)".  Hmmm...Delaware County is big so I didn't think much of it.  Then I got an email from a 'communications lady' in Wedgewood.  She had an alert from the Sheriff, that said

9:00AM TUESDAY 9/28:      THE SHERIFF AND DEPUTIES ARE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW LOOKING FOR 2 WHITE MALES WHO JUST ROBBED THE WEDGEWOOD TAVERN.    The suspects were running through backyards and then onto the Safari Golf Course.  Please lock your doors, close garage doors and be on the lookout.  One male had on a grey hoodie.  The other had a red cap on his head, which he may have removed.

Well, that is a horse of a different color.  Stratford is in my neighborhood.  The Safari Golf course is just across the street and both are areas where I run.  At 10:36 I got an updated alert saying that they had both suspects in custody.  I am really glad I went to the office.  I would have freaked out if I saw them running through my backyard and so would Heid.  I would definitely have known they were in my yard if they went this way because my dog doesn't miss a thing.


I am my Mother's daughter (and my Grandmothrer's granddaughter).  I changed my route a bit today so I could run by the scene of the the crime.  The thieves busted a hole in the brick wall of the Wedgewood Pub.  There is a service alley that runs behind the Kroger shopping center and I ran through the alley so I could see the hole in the wall.  They have it boarded up.  I wanted to take picurtes but the TV trucks were all there and I felt stupid stopping to take a picture.  I remember when Lakes Jewelry Store burned to the ground at the corner of Maple and Woodward in downtown Birmingham when we were kids.  Mom piled us all in the car to go watch.  Its in my blood.


Running was hard todya.  It seems now that it is a bit difficult to do my first short run following the long runs.  The first mile today was just plain hard.  I didn't have any pain.  My legs just felt tired.   One thing I have to remember, is that my favorite 3 mile run is the golf course, which is hilly, and maybe hills are not the right thing to do after the long run.  Flat is my friend.


Today, there are three children that are dead from the shootings in Chardon Ohio.  This is such a tragedy and I can't ever even begin to know the pain these families are going through.  I heard one man, I think a police or government official, remind everyone to hug their children if they haven't lately.  I do everyday.  Always hug your children good night, even if they are already asleep.

I don't normally listen to Richie Havens when I am running, but I felt like it today.  I first heard him, like many of us, in Woodstock.  Of course I wasn't there, but sure knew what was going on and loved the music and had the albums.  His music is not upbeat.  It doesn't make you giddy or happy, maybe content.  It doesn't make you run faster.  It doesn't make you want to dance or jump up and down.  What it does do is make you think and reflect.  It is powerful music, if you listen to the lyrics.   A quote from Richie: "I really sing songs that move me. I’m not in show business, I’m in the communications business. That’s what it’s about for me".

The rising smell of fresh-cut grass,

Smothered cities choke and yell with fuming gas;

I hold some grapes up to the sun

And their flavour breaks upon my tongue.

With eager tongues we taste our strife

And fill our lungs with seas of life.

Come taste and smell the waters of our time.

And close your lips, child, so softly I might kiss you,

Let your flower perfume out and let the winds caress you.

As I walk on through the garden, I am hoping I don’t miss you

If all the things you taste ain’t what they seem,

Then don’t mind me ‘cos I ain’t nothin’ but a dream.

The sun and moon both are right,

And we’ll see them soon through days of night

But now silver leaves on mirrors bring delight.

And the colours of your eyes are fiery bright,

While darkness blinds the skies with all its light.

Come see where your eyes cannot see.

And close your eyes, child, and look at what I’ll show you;

Let your mind go reeling out and let the breezes blow you,

Then maybe, when we meet, suddenly I will know you.

If all the things you see ain't what they seem,

Then don’t mind me ‘cos I ain’t nothin’ but a dream .

And you can follow; And you can follow; follow…


Those three children will never smell fresh cut grass again, never taste the sweetness of fresh grapes, never see the sun or moon, and they will certainly never have the opportunity to come in to their own and follow their dreams.

Peter, Paul and Mary - Stewball

2-26-12  Finished week 5 of 18.  I actually think, after today, that maybe I can really do this!  Here is my planner that I use every day.  It has a 4 week planning calendar and then also has daily pages.  I map out what I am supposed to do everyday for the whole month and then I write in what I actually did.  I circle in green if I made plan, yellow if I did not get it accomplished.  I ran 21 miles total this week.  I posted another list a week or so ago, that is the short version that I keep in my notebook at work so that I can see what I have completed and what is coming up while I am at the office.

Today I got out of the "neighborhood" running and went to a trail.  There is a trail that starts in Worthington Hills and goes all the way downtown.  This was so nice.  Much better than running through the neighborhoods, looking at the same houses everyday, getting barked at by the same dogs.  The dogs on the trail don't bark.  I guess they are experienced runners and are used to the routine.  I parked at the Trail Head, which is in the same parking area as the Hills Market.  At this point, I wasn't sure if I would make it 10 miles but I was sure going to try.  The trail goes along the shore of the Olentangy River, so most of the time you can see the river.  There are a few points where you go away from the river, like to cross under the freeway or as you approach the Antrim Park and lake area.  My plan was to just run south for 5 miles and then turn around.  When I got to Antrim Lake though, I changed my plan and ran around the lake and then went south for another 1/2 mile until I reach 5 miles and then I reversed the whole route, running around the lake again.  It was such a beautiful day and I really enjoyed this run. 

The path is paved for the whole route, except for the path around the lake which is dirt.   When I ran 9 miles last week, I had such a hard time as I got towards the end.  The last mile I was really slow and just couldn't wait to get home.  I was thinking today that 10 miles would be worse.  It wasn't.  When I finished the 10, I seriously could have kept going.  I guess that is a good thing.  I think that knowledge will help me get out the door in a couple of weeks when I have to do 12 miles.

All that talk about great accomplishments, doesn't change the fact that I am a slow runner.  You know that saying "If you are not the lead dog, the scenery never changes"?  Well fortunately that is not really true, the scenery does change, but I was not the lead dog.  People passed me frequently.  There was only one man that I passed and it was a slow pass, so I had to look at his rear end for too long.  That actually gave me incentive to speed up just to get passed him.  He was not old, just slow and had a very odd gait.  Maybe he is recovering from something.  Who knows!

I listened to Peter, Paul and Mary all the way until mile 9, then I switched to listen to a little George Harrison in honor of his birthday on 2/25.  He would have been 69.  He was always my favorite Beatle, although he was always overshadowed by the songwriting and popularity of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I think some of his post-Beatles work was pretty incredible and certainly made a name for him outside of the Beatles.  Today I listened to some of the music from the Concert for Bangladesh.  Good stuff.  But back to Stewball.  Today was a day where multiple races were on my mind so that song about Stewball the race horse seemed like a good one for me.  The first race on my mind, of course, is the Bayshore Marathon.  How did Kai talk me in to this?  Ha-ha.  The second race is the Daytona 500, which at the time that I was running, I had every belief was going to take place.  It has been postponed now until Monday, not sure about the weather forecast.  The third race is the republican primary race and the eventual presidential race.  Both Romney and Santorum were supposed to be at the Daytona 500.  I have made my mind up about who I want for president and will not put that here because that is now what my blog is about.  I do wish though that we could just stick to the issues and stop all the in-fighitng.  I like what Jeb Bush said "“I used to be a conservative and I watch these debates and I’m wondering, I don’t think I’ve changed, but it’s a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people’s fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective and that’s kind of where we are,” .  Big days in Michigan and Arizona this week.

Oh Stewball was a racehorse, and I wish he were mine.
He never drank water, he always drank wine.

His bridle was silver, his mane it was gold.
And the worth of his saddle has never been told.

Oh the fairgrounds were crowded, and Stewball was there
But the betting was heavy on the bay and the mare.

And a-way up yonder, ahead of them all,
Came a-prancin' and a-dancin' my noble Stewball.

I bet on the grey mare, I bet on the bay
If I'd have bet on ol' Stewball, I'd be a free man today.

Oh the hoot owl, she hollers, and the turtle dove moans.
I'm a poor boy in trouble, I'm a long way from home.

Oh Stewball was a racehorse, and I wish he were mine.
He never drank water,he always drank wine.

The history of Stewball is that he was foaled in 1741, and originally owned by Francis, 2nd Earl of Godolphin and later sold. His name has been recorded as "Squball", "Sku-ball", or "Stewball". He won many races in England, and was sent to Ireland. His most famous race took place on the plains of Kildare, Ireland, which is generally the subject of the song of the same name.

Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock n Roll

2-24-12  Today was a great day!  I needed to run 5 miles today and decided it had to be early because the forecast wasn't looking good.  It was 46 degrees at 6:00 this morning and by 9:00 the temperature is going to start dropping, the winds are going to pick up to 50-60 mph and it will start snowing.  I would guess that the winds were already 20-30 mph and that made running pretty hard.  My route was mostly out and back, North/South, but even sideways wind is difficult.  So why was my run good, a few reasons.  First, the heavy winter pants that I have been using on most days are starting to fall off.  I had to tuck my shirts inside the pants today hoping that would hold them up a bit, but I still had to keep hiking them up. Kind of looked like Erkel!  Oops, sorry that's not the right Erkel, let me try again!  Ha-ha!

 I have lost three pounds in the last two weeks and I think it all came off the middle!  Yeah! Another reason is that even going against the wind today, which felt like it was slowing me down a lot, I still had my best time yet, since I have started this training.  I'd really like to get my short runs faster and take it slow on the longs runs, concentrating more on distance there (well that and just finishing).  The other reason that this is a good day is that I did all my running I was supposed to do this week, even though I had to adjust my plans due to work commitments and I still will have a full rest day before I go for 10 miles on Sunday.  Last week really bummed me out having that nasty cold and feeling like crap.  Finally feeling a lot better.

Tonight is the first Friday Fish Fry and everybody is going.  We really have fun there.  All the boys eat their dinner in 5 minutes flat and then run around the Parish Hall for the next hour while all the parents socialize.  I have had three friends text me already this morning asking if I will be at the fish fry.   Who would have thought years ago that I'd be spending my Fridays during Lent at the fish fry at church?  Nobody! 

Listened to Jethro Tull today.  I saw him many years ago, possibly at Cobo Hall, not sure where but it was an indoor concert, not at Pine Knob.  I had seats in the3rd row, front and center.  Ian Anderson stood at the edge of the stage, felt like he was leaning right out over us.  This picture is exactly how I remember him.  Apparently he started out playing the electric guitar but gave it up, allegedly because he felt he would never be "as good as Eric Clapton.  He traded his electric guitar in for a flute which he clearly turned out to be pretty darn good at! 

Now they're too old to Rock'n'Roll and they're too young to die.

So the old Rocker gets out his bike
to make a ton before he takes his leave.
Up on the A1 by Scotch Corner
just like it used to be.
And as he flies --- tears in his eyes ---
his wind-whipped words echo the final take

and he hits the trunk road doing around 120

with no room left to brake.

And he was too old to Rock'n'Roll but he was too young to die.

No, you're never too old to Rock'n'Roll if you're too young to die.

This is the Jethro Tull band in early days, look how young they were.  Great band, great fun today, gotta run, lots to do!  

Livingston Taylor - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2-23-12 Boy did I get lucky today.  the weather forecast was calling for rain, starting around noon, heavy winds and severe storms later in the day and in to the evening.  I went to the office, thinking I would come home at 2:00, in between some meetings and finish my day at home so that I could run around 5PM.  It rained lightly all afternoon but we never got the heavy rain or high winds.  I got ready to run and when I headed out the door, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  I don't know how I got so lucky but it turned out to be a beautiful run.  It was 48 degrees and I really enjoyed being outside.  I was shocked to see what looked like daffodils starting to pop up in many yards along my run.  It is February.  This is just crazy!  Can you see the big green patch?

I ran down the 18th fairway and past the chicken house.  There is a shelter on the golf course that the boys thought was a chicken house when they were little and every weekend when their Dad was golfing and we would drive by they would ask me if Dad was in the chicken house.  I have no clue how that started but I was reminded of that today and got a good laugh.

I also ran past the house that was "almost" Eric Clapton's house.  He married a girl from Ohio State and they do have a home in Powell.  This is a house on our golf course that he looked at and supposedly, almost bought.  My guess is that he bought something a little more secluded than a huge house on the 18th fairway that can also be seen from the road.

Anyone that knows me very well, knows that I love Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  It is one of my all time favorite songs.  Please play it at my funeral, but not soon/  Sometime in the last year, while listening to Pandora radio, I heard a recording by Livingston Taylor.  Honestly, I didn't know who he was, but immediately knew he was related to James Taylor, before I saw his last name of course. (that would sort of be a dead give away)  I downloaded that one song of his to my iPhone.  Around the same time I also heard the version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow done by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.  It is actually a medley, part Rainbow and part Its a wonderful world.  I like that a lot too.

I had to change my plan a bit this week.  I had to work a long day on Wednesday and never got a chance to run.  Saturday is supposed to be pretty nasty and we have the boys swimming party at the Y, so instead of Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat, I am doing Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sunday.  It is supposed to be sunny on Sunday and I have no plans, so that will be a better day for my long run (10 miles this week).

Livingston Taylor sings the traditional lyrics, sort of, except for where he says "Bluebirds gonna fly& you gonna find me".  And for where he leaves one of the best lines, "and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true"  Jeez!!!  He was born in Boston but raised in Chapel Hill, must be that southern influence that says "gonna".  Makes my fingernails curl.

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high

There's a place that I've heard of, once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds gonna fly

Birds fly over the rainbow, why, oh, why can't I?

[ Lyrics from: http://www-over-the-rainbow-lyrics.html ]

Some day I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That is where, that is where you gonna find me

IZ does not sing the traditional lyrics at all!  That sort of bugs me.  He has totally shortened it and skipped lines.  He sings it like this:

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby

Judy Garland is still the best, always will be.

 

Jim Croce - Bad, Bad Leroy Brown



2-21-02  Happy Birthday Matthew & Carson.  Nine years ago today, early in the morning.  So early that Bob couldn't even go to Bob Evans for breakfast.  I joked with the anesthesiologist, while we waited for Bob, that he had probably tried to go there for coffee.  Unfortunately, there is very little that I remember from that day.  I remember trying to convince the on-call doctor that it was time and these babies were not waiting a few more weeks.  I remember the joke with the anesthesiologist.  I remember them wheeling the babies past me.  I remember telling Dr. Ruedrich, in the recovery area that it was like Thanksgiving dinner, all that preparation and then it is over so quickly.  I think I went to see my babies later that day, but I am not sure.  I know I ended up getting very sick, I think the second night.  I ended up with an NG tube into my stomach for three days, consuming nothing but ice chips.  One nice nurse would sneak Popsicles to me but I really wasn't supposed to have even that.  Well, its one way to drop your maternity weight quickly!

I ran three miles today.  It was cold and wet this morning so I waited until afternoon.  It was 46 by the time I went out but the wind had really picked up.  I hate running in the wind.  When I am getting ready to run and I can hear the wind chimes out on my deck, I dread it.  Normally I love the sound of the chimes but not when I am getting ready to run.  This was my first run since Saturday's 9 miler.  I was supposed to cross train on Sunday but Mom and Dad were here and Mom and I went shopping.  I wonder, does that count for x-train?  I actually thought I'd cross train on Monday.  It was President's Day, no school and no work.  That just didn't work out though.  Had to do some more shopping in the morning, then had to take the cat to the vet , then the boys had a Social Studies project.  We had to go buy poster board and print lots of picture of Mozambique and Senegal.  Then the new beds were delivered for Matthew and Carson.  It just didn't stop all day long.

While I was running today, I wondered if Matthew and Carson would still want me to read their annual Dr. Seuss Birthday story.  Maybe they are too old?  After they got home, with no prompting from me, Matthew went and got the book and asked me if I would read it to them  So cool!!

So we'll go to the top of the toppest blue space, the Official Katroo Birthday Sounding-Off Place!  Come on! Open your mouth and sound off at the sky!  Shout loud at the top of your voice "I AM I! ME!  I am I!  And I may not know why But I know that I like it. Three cheers! I AM I!"

Seems like there are more police officers patrolling.  A family was robbed around midnight Saturday after pulling in to their garage.  The neighborhood is about 1 mile from here. In fact, I ran through there last week.  Our neighborhood communications lady sent a Sheriff's Alert out to all of us today describing the incident.  It said that after this family pulled in to their garage, before they even got out of the car, a thin white man walked up to the car and pulled out a small hand gun.  Later in the alert, they gave a description of the suspect, saying that he was 5'10" - 6'0" and 240 lbs.  I don't think so.  I replied to Suzanne and asked her to get some clarity on the description from the Sheriff's office.  6 feet tall and 240 lbs is not what I would describe as skinny.  Anyway, I saw patrol cars a couple of times on a short 3 mile run.

My run felt a little harder than 3 mile runs have before.  My lower legs really felt tired and didn't warm up until I had finished 2 miles.  Now that I think back, I didn't stretch, so maybe that was part of the problem.  Anyway, it is done!  Week 5 is off and running!  This is Feather island, so named by my boys because they find so many goose feathers there.  (probably lots of goose poop too, but thankfully they didn't name it Poop Island).

Today is Fat Tuesday.  King Cake in New Orleans, Paczki in Detroit or in any city where someone might be from Detroit or have friends from Detroit that told them to get Paczki.  Boy they were yummy, but I only had two quarters.  I bought lemon and strawberry, had a bite of each.  Bob didn't like them, Carson said there was too much fruit (he doesn't like fruit) and Matthew would have eaten the whole box!

Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown

Now Leroy more than trouble
You see he stand 'bout six foot four
All the downtown ladies call him Treetop Lover
All the men just call him Sir

This is a very fun song.  It always reminds me of my brother Chris.  I remember going to Hawaii to help him out while Melissa was in France with her parents and sisters.  Emma was still in preschool and I think Natalie was in her first year at Punahou (they are both in college now!).  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Chris had a pretty good collection of music, this album being part of it. 





Carpenters - Top of the World

2-18-12  Today was my 9 mile run.  This is the absolute farthest I have ever run (in one day).  I wasn't 100% sure I'd make it, but I also have complete dedication to this so I was pretty sure that I would do it, regardless of how hard.  Wow, so glad I am done. 

I wanted to take a route that got me outside of my normal boundaries so I had decided that I should run towards downtown Powell and through a neighborhood that I totally love over in Powell.  Bennett Parkway is a street that runs though the middle of a fairly upscale neighborhood.  There are no homes with driveways on Bennett Parkway, at all!  The entire street has white picket fences on both sides and has a running path.  There is a park in the neighborhood and everything is connected.  My route was planned to go through this neighborhood and the connected park, Adventure Park (more bout that later).

I screwed up one tiny little factor when mapping my route.  There is about 3/10 of a mile on Powell Road where there is no running path and no shoulder on the road and a steep drop off, about 1 inch from where the edge of the road edge is.  I really had to slow down here.  I was afraid I'd turn my ankle and go down the hill, that was how steep the drop off was.  I drive this road every day but when you are in a car, not on foot, you don't notice these things.  I took it easy and finished this part of the run, which was about 4 miles in.  I remember this because I got a text from Kai at this point and I thought, I have to wait until I am on stable footing to even look at my phone.

So.... Kai wanted to know when my run was.  Ah, I so glad to be able to say, I m half way done ,  as opposed to saying "it is later".  You have to get this shit out of the way!

I was pretty apprehensive about a 9 mile run, but as I got going, it felt right.  I knew I could do it.  And I knew I could enjoy it.  I have come to appreciate the planning of where you want to go.  It is important to have some meaning or some connection with the route.  I am pretty sure if I went in circles around my neighborhood, that wouldn't work.  Today, I felt like going a 9 mile distance, meant crossing the boundaries of my side of town, across to the other side of Powell, Ohio.  It worked, I finished 9 miles today.

I ran part of my run through Adventure Park.  This is a park near my home where Carson had played his "coach pitch" baseball games.  I don't think I have seen tether ball in 40 years, but this park has several tether ball poles.   We had a tether ball pole in our backyard and I just loved playing that.  The best was to just keep hitting the ball over and over as it wound around the pole and the rope got shorter and shorter.  I miss that.  They also have these poles that are like a rimless, no backdrop, basketball hoops.  They are really cool, wish I knew the name of them.

I got very tired as I finished mile 8.  I had been listening to David Bowie for most of the run.  When I was in high school and had problems with my blood sugar, Mom had taken me to a 5 hour glucose tolerance test.  She was, and still is such a good Mom.  She took me from Dr. Bookmeyer's office straight to the record store to buy David Bowie's "Hunky Dory" album.  Changes was my favorite song.  So I listened to all of that music most of my run.  But at mile 8, I was feeling pretty slow.  I wanted to walk, not run.  I needed a boost.  What better thing to pick you up off your feet and give you some huge OOOmphh than Karen Carpenter!!!  I could have, just as easily, pick the Lonely Goatherd ( thanks Chris John) but Karen was meant to be today.  I started with "I'm on the Top of the World" and then listened to her for the next mile until I got home.

My parents came to visit for the weekend.  My friend Patti came for dinner on Saturday.  We were going to have the 'boys' (Royce, Bob, Matthew & Carson) sit at the kitchen table and the girls (Patti, Pam and Ann) sit at the kitchen counter.  Sounded like a good plan but the boys had another idea.  Matthew and Carson wanted to sit with their Grandmother, how sweet!  Here they are. Patti and I sat with the men.

Matchbox 20 - Unwell

2-17-12  I am not feeling well.  I actually stayed home from work Wednesday and went back to bed after I took the boys to the bus stop.  Slept until 11:00 am, can't even remember the last time I did that.  Needless to say, I missed my running plan for Wednesday.  I talked to my coach (Kai) on Thursday because I wasn't sure if I should still try to get all of my running in or if keeping my rest day on Friday would be more important.  Kai told me to pick up with the plan, as is and not try to make up what I missed.  Rest is more important.  Healing the body is work and needs to happen.  I worked all day Thursday and went home about 4:30 to run.  It was cold, wet and windy outside and I still didn't feel that well so I didn't run.  Crap!  I got up today and decided to do a short little run, just to get moving a bit.  I ran 1.5 miles.  I still think I can do 9 tomorrow.  I just hope I don't get sick again, this really throws a wrench in to things. 

I have a planned vacation day today.  Took the boys to Tim Hortons for our Friday donut outing (I have never eaten a donut there, or anywhere in about 40 years).  then I took Heidi to the groomer, then I ran my measly old 1.5 miles (which used to be a normal/long run for me), now I need to shower and I have a haircut at 10:15.  after that I am going to clean the house and then everyone and everything will look good.  Yeah!

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

Usually I go running and whatever song happens to make me smile or reminds me of something good or funny, ends up being my song.  The music happens to me.  Not today, I picked that song because that is how I have felt for a few days, now I am done with that unwell feeling. (mine was physical, not mental) The sun is shining outside.  All is good, going to the beauty parlor, meeting my friend Beth for a late lunch, Mom and Dad coming to visit. It's pizza night.  Life is good.

Gordon Lighfoot - Cotton Jenny

2-14-12 Happy Valentine's Day.   I am going to school this afternoon to help with the 3rd grade Valentine's Day party.  We are making sock octopus dolls.  I cut 60 socks last night.  The weather isn't gong to be great this morning but I need to get my run in so I can volunteer at school this afternoon, taking a vacation day today.    It was supposed to start snowing at about 2am but when i woke up at 5am, there was nothing.  It did start though, around 7am and by the time I got out the door to run at 8:30 am it was really coming down.  I used my Yaktrax today for the first time.  Really fun!  My legs felt a little tired running on these, or is it that I am just plain tired from not sleeping well and from having a cold.  I started coughing fits last night and had a lot of trouble sleeping.  I am sure Bob didn't sleep well either.  I haven't been sick this whole cold/flu season, but wouldn't you know, the week that my Mother is coming, I get sick.  That always seems to happen.  It used to be that they would be getting ready to head to Hawaii in March and she would be concerned (rightfully so) about being sick and traveling.  Now they don't go to Hawaii until later in the spring, but still, colds hit her so hard and always end up in bronchitis.  Maybe this will be gone before Saturday.  Probably.





I ran 3 miles today and the snow was getting heavier the whole time.  It really was fun.  It was kind of like heading out to go skiing when the snow is coming down.  Everything is so pretty and so quiet.  I passed one man that I see all the time running in my neighborhood and he had a big smile on his face and a friendly wave (people don't smile and wave so much when it is 90 degrees and humid and they are running).  I had a stuffed up head when I started.  Who needs Zicam?  Just head outside for a half hour in the snow, no problem.  I couldn't help but think of one time when I was in college and Julie was probably in grade school.  I took her to a dentist appointment, I was still in my pajamas.  I think something happened to her and we called Ron Muske and he said to meet him at the office.  I can't think of any other reason that I would take her in my pajamas  But since I was dressed that way, I stayed in the car.  His office was in Detroit back then.  It was a Saturday and I was parked in front on the street.  Some homeless looking guy was walking by and stopped to blow his nose.  But wait!  No Kleenex, what to do?  Just aim toward the ground.  LOL, it just blew my mind.  I had never seen anyone do that before, certainly not at Kingswood or Cranbrook.  Anyway, just conjured up that picture while I was running today and it gave me a good laugh.

Just as I was getting close to home, I saw a lady out for a walk.  I noticed a leash in her hand but no dog.  I stopped running and walked over to ask her.  She has a Lhaso Apso that ran through her electric fence.  I offered to help and then walked around the golf course behind her house for the next 30 minutes.  We did not find the dog and I had to get home for a 10:00 am conference call.  I feel bad that I couldn't help her more.  This last picture wass taken on the golf course, visibility was getting bad.  I hope the dog comes home.

I listened to Gordon Lightfoot today.  I sort of felt like Johnny Mathis and a little Winter Wonderland but I didn't need to get Christmas music stuck in my head this time of year.  Gordon Lightfoot always reminds me of Andy Taylor.  He loved GL. 

There's a house on a hill

By a worn down weathered old mill
In the valley below where the river winds
There's no such thing as bad times
And a soft southern flame
Oh Cotton Jenny's her name
She wakes me up when the sun goes down
And the wheels of love go 'round
Wheels of love go 'round
Love go 'round, love go 'round
A joyful sound
I ain't got a penny for Cotton Jenny to spend
But then the wheels go 'round