Last night, our poor Monkey was exhausted after a day of puking, light fever, and diarrhea. My darling Christina suggested that I go to the gas station and bring him a Sprite to settle his stomach. It was around 6:30pm when I finally got out the door...dark already.
Driving Mom's suv, I tend to drive a bit on the slow side. OK, I always tend to drive a bit slowly, but that's beside the point. The gas station was maybe a half a mile away, and once I left the subdivision, it was a straight shot from here to there. There was little traffic, the radio was on low, and all was right with the world.
BAM!!!
A deer had run out in front of me. I only recall seeing it for an instant as it slammed into my hood. I hadn't even had time to hit the brakes.
I slowed down and pulled over immediately. I walked back towards where I figured the deer might be...no deer. I looked around the weeds and towards the darkened forest nearby...nope. I stood quietly and listened for awhile, since there was no traffic, and heard...not a darn thing. The deer was nowhere to be found.
Damage to the car was minimal (which means it'll probably cost a fortune). The headlight assembly on that side is broken and loose, part of the body above the bumper was dented in, and there were tufts of deer hair stuck in the bumper. No blood, though. And again, no animal was in sight.
I have to say...that was one tough deer! I can only imagine it staggering to its feet, turning to look at my taillights in the distance, and saying, "Is THAT all you've got? You're lucky I've got things to do, or I'd stick around and kick your ass!"
My hat's off to you, deer. You might be dumb enough to run right in front of an SUV driving 35-40mph at night, but at least you're tough enough to keep on trucking. See you next year!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Discoveries, holidays.
We made it up here to Indiana, and have had a wonderful time. I know that Mom must think that we're the biggest slackers ever...on vacation, we tend to stay up until 2 or 3am and then sleep until 10 or 11. Mom gets up at 5am every day, so her day's half-over before we stagger up the stairs. Even so, we're all having a grand time.
I've taken it upon myself to scan and document the hundreds of pictures Mom has collected over the years. In the process, I'm uncovering dozens of previously unknown stories about my family. Some are sad. Some are hilarious. Some just make you go 'hmmmmmm.' But I'm absolutely loving every single one of them. Many of these pictures are completely new to me, so I have to ask Mom about them. She acts like she doesn't remember, but then launches into a rather detailed (and often funny) account of the circumstances that surround the picture.
Luckily, my wife is a scrapbooker possessed of mad skills. She's absolutely salivating at the prospect of having all of this history at her fingertips, and I know that she'll produce some fantastic scrapbooks eventually.
I'd love to post what I'm finding, but frankly, there's just too much for me to write about just now. I'm attempting to box everything up so that I can ship it home for scanning, but I keep stumbling across something that just needs to be scanned right away.
Christmas was great! Mom is far too generous, as always. As the Master Chief, I'm totally bad-ass...the Covenant aliens don't stand a chance. And just what the heck is Viva Pinata anyway? The best I can figure is that it's something best played after imbibing far too much Nyquil. Sis-in-Law Joanna had her baby, Evan Monty Tucker, on Dec 26, and all is well. Cute kid!
Max, Connor's Elf-on-the-Shelf, was supposed to appear when we got here. However, he was in our luggage, and so we didn't get him until Christmas Day, when he was supposed to 'head back to the North Pole.' Connor was crushed that he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Max. However, Max miraculously reappeared that night, and we explained that he had probably been watching over our luggage, thereby earning a couple of extra days with our family. I've never seen a little boy so happy.
Mom's really enjoyed spending time with Connor. Truth be told, we feel a little bit guilty leaving him with her while we run little errands here and there, but she assures us that she adores spending time with him. However, she probably won't take him shopping again, as he can be a bit of a handful.
We enjoyed watching the UFC fights with my brother this weekend. I had the chance to play the Wii. OK, I admit it...the thing is kind of fun. I still box better without the controllers, though. And I'm a touch embarassed that my 5-yr-old niece bowls far better than I. It must be that loopdy-loop delivery that she's perfected. Crazy stuff. If Dad were still alive, I bet he'd have found a way to beat us at Wii golf, bowling, and tennis, just as he did before.
We'll spend the rest of the day packing up and otherwise being lazy. We're looking forward to getting home, but leaving here will be a bit more sad for me than usual. Mom's finally on Facebook, so that'll help keep us closer. One of these days, maybe she'll actually post something there.
I've taken it upon myself to scan and document the hundreds of pictures Mom has collected over the years. In the process, I'm uncovering dozens of previously unknown stories about my family. Some are sad. Some are hilarious. Some just make you go 'hmmmmmm.' But I'm absolutely loving every single one of them. Many of these pictures are completely new to me, so I have to ask Mom about them. She acts like she doesn't remember, but then launches into a rather detailed (and often funny) account of the circumstances that surround the picture.
Luckily, my wife is a scrapbooker possessed of mad skills. She's absolutely salivating at the prospect of having all of this history at her fingertips, and I know that she'll produce some fantastic scrapbooks eventually.
I'd love to post what I'm finding, but frankly, there's just too much for me to write about just now. I'm attempting to box everything up so that I can ship it home for scanning, but I keep stumbling across something that just needs to be scanned right away.
Christmas was great! Mom is far too generous, as always. As the Master Chief, I'm totally bad-ass...the Covenant aliens don't stand a chance. And just what the heck is Viva Pinata anyway? The best I can figure is that it's something best played after imbibing far too much Nyquil. Sis-in-Law Joanna had her baby, Evan Monty Tucker, on Dec 26, and all is well. Cute kid!
Max, Connor's Elf-on-the-Shelf, was supposed to appear when we got here. However, he was in our luggage, and so we didn't get him until Christmas Day, when he was supposed to 'head back to the North Pole.' Connor was crushed that he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Max. However, Max miraculously reappeared that night, and we explained that he had probably been watching over our luggage, thereby earning a couple of extra days with our family. I've never seen a little boy so happy.
Mom's really enjoyed spending time with Connor. Truth be told, we feel a little bit guilty leaving him with her while we run little errands here and there, but she assures us that she adores spending time with him. However, she probably won't take him shopping again, as he can be a bit of a handful.
We enjoyed watching the UFC fights with my brother this weekend. I had the chance to play the Wii. OK, I admit it...the thing is kind of fun. I still box better without the controllers, though. And I'm a touch embarassed that my 5-yr-old niece bowls far better than I. It must be that loopdy-loop delivery that she's perfected. Crazy stuff. If Dad were still alive, I bet he'd have found a way to beat us at Wii golf, bowling, and tennis, just as he did before.
We'll spend the rest of the day packing up and otherwise being lazy. We're looking forward to getting home, but leaving here will be a bit more sad for me than usual. Mom's finally on Facebook, so that'll help keep us closer. One of these days, maybe she'll actually post something there.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Plains, Trains, and Charter Buses
Things started off well enough. We asked the amazing Larry if he could drop us off at the airport on Tuesday no later than 12:30pm. No problem. The flight was scheduled to depart at 2:29pm, so we wanted to leave plenty of time so that we could make our flight with no rush, no stress...some lunch in the airport, an easy walk to the appropriate gate, a tiny bit of waiting around, and then a nice flight to Chicago. Then a short flight to South Bend, Indiana. At least, that was the plan.
Here's the thing: the weather in Chicago was horrible. They weren't letting planes land or takeoff. That meant that our plane wouldn't even leave the ground until Chicago gave the thumbs up for us to do so. Hurry up and wait, folks.
So, we waited. And waited. And...............waited. At around 4pm, they said that we would begin boarding at around 4:45pm, so Monkey and I wandered off to get some sandwiches for the ride. As soon as we had placed our order (at about 4:15pm), Christina called. "They're boarding!" Oh. Crap.
We hustled back as fast as we could, only to find that the horde of folks awaiting our flight were still slowly filing on board. No problem. We ambled on the plane and settled in for the flight.
This was all well and good, but little did we know that our waiting skills were to be tested this day. Our plane fired up the engines, taxiied around a bit, and then...it parked. We were apologetically informed that Chicago weather had worsened, and that we had to wait again. At least they showed a movie to pass the time.
I'm not sure when we actually got off the ground, but we landed safely in Chicago long after the last flight to South Bend had departed. So we dutifully stood in line to reschedule. Christina had a bright idea, and we called a number from one of the pamphlets at the information desk. Suddenly, we had secured a fabulously cheap rate for one night at the Hyatt Rosemont! Whoa! Then, we touched base with the airline folks about our luggage and next flight, and they suggested we take the bus...and gave us free tickets. Whoa! Cool! So we hustled off to find the hotel shuttle.
I'll shorten this for you...we waited an hour for the shuttle, 20 minutes to check in at the hotel, and 20 minutes for our to-go order to be filled at the hotel restaurant. At nearly midnight, we staggered into our room to a couple of fabulous surprises: 1. the room was super-nice(especially for only $69!), and 2. the food was friggin' FANTASTIC! Expensive, but fantastic.
This morning, things went much better. We found our bus after only an hour and a half of fun conversation with Debbie, a fellow-traveler, and the ride to South Bend was relaxing, fun, and uneventful. We even managed to locate two of our bags at the airport when we arrived! Of course, the one with all of our clothes, presents, and medicines was nowhere to be found. "F$#% you, stripey bag!" They said they'll call us when it shows up. Maybe next time, we'll just take the train from Texas.
So we're here at last. It's great to see Mom, and we'll see everyone else tomorrow. Ho ho ho!
One other note...we just got word that little sister Joanna has apparently been stricken with ecclampsyia. Fortunately, they caught it before things went haywire, and she's only 2 weeks from her due date anyway. All is well, and it looks like she'll be having a Christmas baby boy! I'll keep everyone posted.
Happy Holidays, folks. Share the love. Hug everyone in sight. And maybe give your spouse a little holiday spankin'. ;-)
Here's the thing: the weather in Chicago was horrible. They weren't letting planes land or takeoff. That meant that our plane wouldn't even leave the ground until Chicago gave the thumbs up for us to do so. Hurry up and wait, folks.
So, we waited. And waited. And...............waited. At around 4pm, they said that we would begin boarding at around 4:45pm, so Monkey and I wandered off to get some sandwiches for the ride. As soon as we had placed our order (at about 4:15pm), Christina called. "They're boarding!" Oh. Crap.
We hustled back as fast as we could, only to find that the horde of folks awaiting our flight were still slowly filing on board. No problem. We ambled on the plane and settled in for the flight.
This was all well and good, but little did we know that our waiting skills were to be tested this day. Our plane fired up the engines, taxiied around a bit, and then...it parked. We were apologetically informed that Chicago weather had worsened, and that we had to wait again. At least they showed a movie to pass the time.
I'm not sure when we actually got off the ground, but we landed safely in Chicago long after the last flight to South Bend had departed. So we dutifully stood in line to reschedule. Christina had a bright idea, and we called a number from one of the pamphlets at the information desk. Suddenly, we had secured a fabulously cheap rate for one night at the Hyatt Rosemont! Whoa! Then, we touched base with the airline folks about our luggage and next flight, and they suggested we take the bus...and gave us free tickets. Whoa! Cool! So we hustled off to find the hotel shuttle.
I'll shorten this for you...we waited an hour for the shuttle, 20 minutes to check in at the hotel, and 20 minutes for our to-go order to be filled at the hotel restaurant. At nearly midnight, we staggered into our room to a couple of fabulous surprises: 1. the room was super-nice(especially for only $69!), and 2. the food was friggin' FANTASTIC! Expensive, but fantastic.
This morning, things went much better. We found our bus after only an hour and a half of fun conversation with Debbie, a fellow-traveler, and the ride to South Bend was relaxing, fun, and uneventful. We even managed to locate two of our bags at the airport when we arrived! Of course, the one with all of our clothes, presents, and medicines was nowhere to be found. "F$#% you, stripey bag!" They said they'll call us when it shows up. Maybe next time, we'll just take the train from Texas.
So we're here at last. It's great to see Mom, and we'll see everyone else tomorrow. Ho ho ho!
One other note...we just got word that little sister Joanna has apparently been stricken with ecclampsyia. Fortunately, they caught it before things went haywire, and she's only 2 weeks from her due date anyway. All is well, and it looks like she'll be having a Christmas baby boy! I'll keep everyone posted.
Happy Holidays, folks. Share the love. Hug everyone in sight. And maybe give your spouse a little holiday spankin'. ;-)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A New Addition
Many of you know that we've been trying to add another little member to our fantastic little family. Well, we've succeeded! Maybe not in the way you think, but we're pretty excited about it!
We're dog people. For many years, we had two pugs, Beauty and Beast. Christina already had Beauty when we met. Indeed, I honestly didn't expect for Beauty to come as part of the package when Christina and I moved in together, but it took only moments for me to fall in love with her googly eyes and goofy walk. For one of the ugliest pugs I've ever seen, Beauty was a total sweetheart, and I could not resist her.
Beast came about a year later. We had been thinking that Beauty would enjoy having a companion, so we looked around and found a male pug puppy for sale by a nice couple in Alvin, TX. I remember driving home with him in my cupped hands on my lap. He was an awesome pooch, and I admit that I still miss him.
We had Beauty and Beast for many years, and then Connor arrived. With the demands of a child, Christina finishing school, and me working two jobs, we began to fear that we just couldn't take care of the pugs in the way they deserved. It broke our hearts, but we contacted a pug rescue service, who took the dogs to a vet, where they boarded until a new home was found for them. We kept tabs on them since, and had a chance to come and visit them now and again. We enjoyed seeing them happy in their new home, and although we were saddened when Beauty passed away, we felt that we had done the right thing by giving them up when we did.
Years later, we're living completely different lives. I've got far more free time now that I run my own martial arts school, Christina is a stay-at-home Super Mom, and the Monkey is 7 years old. We're finally able to take care of a puppy again. And we've been really missing our pugs lately, and after discussing it at length, we figured that we should at least start looking for one.
Ah, the universe works in fabulous ways. Someone had already paid a deposit on a pug puppy in Yoakum, TX. Just like Beast, he was born to a family who had two pugs, and only bred them occasionally...they weren't a puppy mill or professional breeder. However, the folks who wanted him blew up their radiator on their way to pick him up. Weighing the cost of their car repairs against the expense of the puppy, they opted to fix the car. Understandable. However, that left the door open for us, and Christina saw the ad online, called the lady, and here we are!
Ta-daaaaa!!! He's really sweet, and pretty well-behaved as far as we could tell. No loud barking, no squirming around...just happy to be held and petted.
We've really missed having a dog around. So, we're looking forward to having the little guy join our family soon. And we're watching a lot of Cesar Millan: The Dog Whisperer, in preparation for having him around. We're discussing names constantly. Here are some of our ideas:
Tank
Maximus
Leonidas
Poopy Pants
T-Shane
Titan
Dammit
Dummy
Sh#@head
Brutus
Silly Beaver
Beaver Nuggets
Beau Gyna (say it fast...you might figure it out)
We're actually leaning towards naming it Mister Mac. That was one of my Dad's nicknames, and somehow seemed right. However, the other name that had us in stitches was this one:
***
**
*
Buttlick Johnson.
I can imagine standing at the back door and hollering for him to come in.
"Buttlick! Buuuuuuuuuutt-liiiiiiiick!! Buttlick Johnson, you get in here!!"
I'll let you know what we decide. Take care, folks. Happy Holidays!!
We're dog people. For many years, we had two pugs, Beauty and Beast. Christina already had Beauty when we met. Indeed, I honestly didn't expect for Beauty to come as part of the package when Christina and I moved in together, but it took only moments for me to fall in love with her googly eyes and goofy walk. For one of the ugliest pugs I've ever seen, Beauty was a total sweetheart, and I could not resist her.
Beast came about a year later. We had been thinking that Beauty would enjoy having a companion, so we looked around and found a male pug puppy for sale by a nice couple in Alvin, TX. I remember driving home with him in my cupped hands on my lap. He was an awesome pooch, and I admit that I still miss him.
We had Beauty and Beast for many years, and then Connor arrived. With the demands of a child, Christina finishing school, and me working two jobs, we began to fear that we just couldn't take care of the pugs in the way they deserved. It broke our hearts, but we contacted a pug rescue service, who took the dogs to a vet, where they boarded until a new home was found for them. We kept tabs on them since, and had a chance to come and visit them now and again. We enjoyed seeing them happy in their new home, and although we were saddened when Beauty passed away, we felt that we had done the right thing by giving them up when we did.
Years later, we're living completely different lives. I've got far more free time now that I run my own martial arts school, Christina is a stay-at-home Super Mom, and the Monkey is 7 years old. We're finally able to take care of a puppy again. And we've been really missing our pugs lately, and after discussing it at length, we figured that we should at least start looking for one.
Ah, the universe works in fabulous ways. Someone had already paid a deposit on a pug puppy in Yoakum, TX. Just like Beast, he was born to a family who had two pugs, and only bred them occasionally...they weren't a puppy mill or professional breeder. However, the folks who wanted him blew up their radiator on their way to pick him up. Weighing the cost of their car repairs against the expense of the puppy, they opted to fix the car. Understandable. However, that left the door open for us, and Christina saw the ad online, called the lady, and here we are!
Ta-daaaaa!!! He's really sweet, and pretty well-behaved as far as we could tell. No loud barking, no squirming around...just happy to be held and petted.
We've really missed having a dog around. So, we're looking forward to having the little guy join our family soon. And we're watching a lot of Cesar Millan: The Dog Whisperer, in preparation for having him around. We're discussing names constantly. Here are some of our ideas:
Tank
Maximus
Leonidas
Poopy Pants
T-Shane
Titan
Dammit
Dummy
Sh#@head
Brutus
Silly Beaver
Beaver Nuggets
Beau Gyna (say it fast...you might figure it out)
We're actually leaning towards naming it Mister Mac. That was one of my Dad's nicknames, and somehow seemed right. However, the other name that had us in stitches was this one:
***
**
*
Buttlick Johnson.
I can imagine standing at the back door and hollering for him to come in.
"Buttlick! Buuuuuuuuuutt-liiiiiiiick!! Buttlick Johnson, you get in here!!"
I'll let you know what we decide. Take care, folks. Happy Holidays!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Future Sis-In-Law Kicks Butt in the Tucson Marathon!!
My future sis-in-law (Christina's Brother's fiancee, Julie) is a seriously kick-ass runner. I usually run the Houston Half-Marathon every year, and I generally come in at about 2 hours and 20 minutes...more or less. That's 13.1 miles for me. Julie crosses the finish line only 30 minutes later...but, she runs the entire 26.2 miles. The woman is FAST. Recently, she ran in the Tuscon Marathon.
Here's an excerpt from the Arizona Daily Star:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.08.2008
Women's winner Julie Simcik finished first in just her fifth competitive marathon with a time of 2:50:12.
Simcik, 26, said running gives her an escape and she was trying to keep it simple in Sunday's race.
"My goal is to look for the girl in front of me and go get her," she said. "But (today) there was no one in front of me.
"I didn't like the Biosphere run and I couldn't wait to get back on Oracle (Road). Once you're back on Oracle you feel like you're home free." Simcik, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, finished 11th overall. She said she doesn't maintain a specific training regimen to prepare for races. Instead, she just likes to go on long runs.
"I don't do speed workouts. I just try to run every day," she said. "About two months before this marathon I started going on three-hour runs depending on how the weather was."
Second among women runners was Amanda Nilsen from Denver with a time of 2:55:57. It was her first Tucson Marathon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, I've got a few things to say about this. WOW. She won the women's division in a friggin' marathon, 5 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. How absolutely magnificent.
I learned that she beat her previous personal best by around 6 minutes. That's tremendous. WOW, again.
AND...she did it without complicated training schedules, coaches, or specific eating plans. I don't even think she runs with an mp3 player. She just...well...she just runs. She runs because she loves it. She runs because she likes the way it makes her feel. She runs because it helps her to clear her mind and helps her to be a happier person.
Julie, congratulations. You are a huge inspiration. You totally rock!!!
Women's winner Julia Simcik is surprised to find out her time of 2:50:12 from fiancé Doug Prince, center, and friend Jayne Hutchinson.
Here's an excerpt from the Arizona Daily Star:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.08.2008
Women's winner Julie Simcik finished first in just her fifth competitive marathon with a time of 2:50:12.
Simcik, 26, said running gives her an escape and she was trying to keep it simple in Sunday's race.
"My goal is to look for the girl in front of me and go get her," she said. "But (today) there was no one in front of me.
"I didn't like the Biosphere run and I couldn't wait to get back on Oracle (Road). Once you're back on Oracle you feel like you're home free." Simcik, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, finished 11th overall. She said she doesn't maintain a specific training regimen to prepare for races. Instead, she just likes to go on long runs.
"I don't do speed workouts. I just try to run every day," she said. "About two months before this marathon I started going on three-hour runs depending on how the weather was."
Second among women runners was Amanda Nilsen from Denver with a time of 2:55:57. It was her first Tucson Marathon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, I've got a few things to say about this. WOW. She won the women's division in a friggin' marathon, 5 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. How absolutely magnificent.
I learned that she beat her previous personal best by around 6 minutes. That's tremendous. WOW, again.
AND...she did it without complicated training schedules, coaches, or specific eating plans. I don't even think she runs with an mp3 player. She just...well...she just runs. She runs because she loves it. She runs because she likes the way it makes her feel. She runs because it helps her to clear her mind and helps her to be a happier person.
Julie, congratulations. You are a huge inspiration. You totally rock!!!
Women's winner Julia Simcik is surprised to find out her time of 2:50:12 from fiancé Doug Prince, center, and friend Jayne Hutchinson.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Lessons from Track, 1987
I found some old scrapbooks in the shed today, loaded with stuff from high school. It's been over a decade since I've seen some of that stuff, and I was pleased to see that the books were still in pretty good shape. There were some old pics in there that will see the light of day online as soon as I can get a working scanner...those are good for a laugh, to be sure.
One of the pics was my junior year track picture. That brought up one memory that I've been dwelling on today for some reason. I'm not sure why this one has stuck in my head, but it's there nonetheless.
Back in the day, our track team ran a race called, and I kid you not, "The Fat Man Relay." This was a 400 meter relay in which the shotputters and discuss throwers took the track instead of the usual sprinters and distance runners. These guys were some extremely big dudes, and were solid athletes in their own events. In sprints, however…not so much. This was a race that we ran for fun, but even so, the guys ran their guts out when their time came. Well...more or less.
I recall a day when one particular athlete was running the second leg of a practice relay. He was taking it very seriously, as he did every event in which he competed. Unlike the other guys in his lane, he was stalking around his starting point, getting his mind right, and really focusing on the upcoming sprint. The others were goofing around, hanging out, just waiting to be told to get to the line and then when to start their sprint.
This one athlete (I'll call him Ken, though that certainly wasn't his real name) was not considered the brightest in the bunch, nor the most talented. Yet, he was dedicated, hard-working, and loyal...a really good guy. When the gun went off for that practice race, he was ready for action. The first runner thumped and clumped his way around the first turn and handed the baton to Ken, who grabbed it and ran like he was on-friggin'-FIRE. His face was clenched with strain, his big arms were pumping hard, and his massive legs were churning like crazy...and yet, his speed was not exactly what you might expect from such an effort.
The big guys around me started laughing, hooting, and hollering at how SLOW Ken was...and Coach absolutely EXPLODED. He turned around and lashed a backhanded slap at the nearest offenders shoulder, actually backing up the guy. Silence dropped on us like a hammerblow.
"You shut your mouths, all of you! Ken works his ass off every single day!! If any ONE of you worked HALF as hard as he does, you'd be F@&#ING CHAMPIONS, you know that?!" Shaking his head in utter disgust, Coach walked away and left us standing there, in shock.
The guys watched the rest of the run in silence. Later on, I saw a few of the guys quietly thumping Ken on the back and telling him what a good job he did. Nobody made a big deal out of it...just a “Good run, Ken,” here and a “Keep it up, Ken,” there.
Ken was never a shining star on the squad, but no one could put down his work ethic…the guy was in the weight room knocking out reps constantly. It never seemed to occur to him that he might not make it as a pro. No, he just wanted to do the very best he possibly could, each and every day. I always admired that.
In my job, I see folks every day, training hard, working towards their goals, and making progress at varying rates. I never really make a big deal out of the students who have natural ability, but I make special note of the ones who are really working up to their potential, those who are putting forth a constant, determined effort to learn and move forward in their training, in spite of their age, physical condition, etc. Those folks earn my respect, day in and day out.
I also ask myself what I’m doing to make use of my own natural talents and gifts...am I working my ass off every day, like Ken? Or am I chuckling on the sidelines? Some days are better than others, but I think I’ll put in some extra work today. Just in case.
One of the pics was my junior year track picture. That brought up one memory that I've been dwelling on today for some reason. I'm not sure why this one has stuck in my head, but it's there nonetheless.
Back in the day, our track team ran a race called, and I kid you not, "The Fat Man Relay." This was a 400 meter relay in which the shotputters and discuss throwers took the track instead of the usual sprinters and distance runners. These guys were some extremely big dudes, and were solid athletes in their own events. In sprints, however…not so much. This was a race that we ran for fun, but even so, the guys ran their guts out when their time came. Well...more or less.
I recall a day when one particular athlete was running the second leg of a practice relay. He was taking it very seriously, as he did every event in which he competed. Unlike the other guys in his lane, he was stalking around his starting point, getting his mind right, and really focusing on the upcoming sprint. The others were goofing around, hanging out, just waiting to be told to get to the line and then when to start their sprint.
This one athlete (I'll call him Ken, though that certainly wasn't his real name) was not considered the brightest in the bunch, nor the most talented. Yet, he was dedicated, hard-working, and loyal...a really good guy. When the gun went off for that practice race, he was ready for action. The first runner thumped and clumped his way around the first turn and handed the baton to Ken, who grabbed it and ran like he was on-friggin'-FIRE. His face was clenched with strain, his big arms were pumping hard, and his massive legs were churning like crazy...and yet, his speed was not exactly what you might expect from such an effort.
The big guys around me started laughing, hooting, and hollering at how SLOW Ken was...and Coach absolutely EXPLODED. He turned around and lashed a backhanded slap at the nearest offenders shoulder, actually backing up the guy. Silence dropped on us like a hammerblow.
"You shut your mouths, all of you! Ken works his ass off every single day!! If any ONE of you worked HALF as hard as he does, you'd be F@&#ING CHAMPIONS, you know that?!" Shaking his head in utter disgust, Coach walked away and left us standing there, in shock.
The guys watched the rest of the run in silence. Later on, I saw a few of the guys quietly thumping Ken on the back and telling him what a good job he did. Nobody made a big deal out of it...just a “Good run, Ken,” here and a “Keep it up, Ken,” there.
Ken was never a shining star on the squad, but no one could put down his work ethic…the guy was in the weight room knocking out reps constantly. It never seemed to occur to him that he might not make it as a pro. No, he just wanted to do the very best he possibly could, each and every day. I always admired that.
In my job, I see folks every day, training hard, working towards their goals, and making progress at varying rates. I never really make a big deal out of the students who have natural ability, but I make special note of the ones who are really working up to their potential, those who are putting forth a constant, determined effort to learn and move forward in their training, in spite of their age, physical condition, etc. Those folks earn my respect, day in and day out.
I also ask myself what I’m doing to make use of my own natural talents and gifts...am I working my ass off every day, like Ken? Or am I chuckling on the sidelines? Some days are better than others, but I think I’ll put in some extra work today. Just in case.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Author, author...again.
I love to read. And I actually love to write. I've written several short stories over the years (mostly, just to amuse myself) and have even taken a stab at writing a full-blown Lord of the Rings-type trilogy. I never finished it, although I was well into the second 'book' when I stopped working on it years ago. I picked up that story again a couple of years ago, and even mentioned it in my blog. But running a business and a family took precedence over my recreational writing, so that story is still unfinished.
Last night, I was scrambling around the house at bedtime, looking for something else to read. I really enjoy reading before bed so that I can sort of purge my mind of all my to-do lists, pressures, and every day stressors by immersing myself in a world of fantasy, detectives, or gunslingers. It helps me to power down, so to speak. Well, last night was not a good night for that sort of thing, and I couldn't find a single decent book to read after I finished one the previous night. Drat.
This morning, I was puttering around on the computer, poking around on one of my external hard drives, and I found all my old story material. Hmmmmmmm. I started reading some of my outlines, story notes, and ideas, and felt the old enthusiasm building again. I opened up that old novel and started reading it again...I was a few paragraphs in when I found a sentence that didn't sound right, and so it has begun again. I'm reworking that old story. Again.
Maybe this time, I'll actually get the whole trilogy finished. Maybe I'll only get a few pages farther than before. Either way, I'm looking forward to meeting all my old characters again, and maybe taking them to some new places in the near future. I'll keep you posted.
Last night, I was scrambling around the house at bedtime, looking for something else to read. I really enjoy reading before bed so that I can sort of purge my mind of all my to-do lists, pressures, and every day stressors by immersing myself in a world of fantasy, detectives, or gunslingers. It helps me to power down, so to speak. Well, last night was not a good night for that sort of thing, and I couldn't find a single decent book to read after I finished one the previous night. Drat.
This morning, I was puttering around on the computer, poking around on one of my external hard drives, and I found all my old story material. Hmmmmmmm. I started reading some of my outlines, story notes, and ideas, and felt the old enthusiasm building again. I opened up that old novel and started reading it again...I was a few paragraphs in when I found a sentence that didn't sound right, and so it has begun again. I'm reworking that old story. Again.
Maybe this time, I'll actually get the whole trilogy finished. Maybe I'll only get a few pages farther than before. Either way, I'm looking forward to meeting all my old characters again, and maybe taking them to some new places in the near future. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Little of this, little of that.
Another weekend has passed, and with it, another chance to paint our house. Drat. However, in return for that missed housepainting session, we watched movies, napped, watched tv, napped, and worked/played on the internet. I'm OK with that. Hopefully, the weather will be good next weekend, and we'll get more done.
We had another Graduation at Jade Mountain this past Friday, and I was thrilled to see that we had far more folks in attendance than I expected. It always touches me to see so many folks training with us, dedicating part of their time to our school. I've always wanted to make a difference in the world, and occasionally, I feel like I'm doing so.
My dear friend Larry is staying with us while we get things really rolling at our school and he gets his Krav Maga classes filled up. In the past few weeks, we've really gotten quite a lot done. We're really looking forward to starting the new year at the new and improved Jade Mountain.
In other news, I finally, FINALLY am able to ride my scooter around town. I have insurance, an inspection sticker, an oil change and repairs to the fuel line, and a LICENSE PLATE!!! I stress the license plate because getting the license plate severely stressed me. It took three trips to the tax office, a fax, a laser printer, a fistful of paperwork, and a partridge in a pear tree to get that silly license plate. But I've got it now!!! So I'm legal at 37 mph. Watch out, now!
The fabulous Brian posted this song on his blog, saying that it was stuck in his head yesterday. Well, thanks...now it's stuck in mine. That's not such a bad thing, though. So I'm passing along the favor. Have a great day, folks!
We had another Graduation at Jade Mountain this past Friday, and I was thrilled to see that we had far more folks in attendance than I expected. It always touches me to see so many folks training with us, dedicating part of their time to our school. I've always wanted to make a difference in the world, and occasionally, I feel like I'm doing so.
My dear friend Larry is staying with us while we get things really rolling at our school and he gets his Krav Maga classes filled up. In the past few weeks, we've really gotten quite a lot done. We're really looking forward to starting the new year at the new and improved Jade Mountain.
In other news, I finally, FINALLY am able to ride my scooter around town. I have insurance, an inspection sticker, an oil change and repairs to the fuel line, and a LICENSE PLATE!!! I stress the license plate because getting the license plate severely stressed me. It took three trips to the tax office, a fax, a laser printer, a fistful of paperwork, and a partridge in a pear tree to get that silly license plate. But I've got it now!!! So I'm legal at 37 mph. Watch out, now!
The fabulous Brian posted this song on his blog, saying that it was stuck in his head yesterday. Well, thanks...now it's stuck in mine. That's not such a bad thing, though. So I'm passing along the favor. Have a great day, folks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)