Entry for November 29, 2010

Just to recap the past week:
Traveled through 4 states;
Slept in 3 different beds (and on one couch);
Drove 1,255 miles; ran 3.1 miles;
Ate from 4 different turkeys;
9 desserts - peanut butter cake, carrot cake, fudge, chocolate chip cookies, nanner puddin', cinnamon streusel cake, apple pie, icing stuffed cookies, Oreo cake and lemon bars;
Fussed at 1 noisy cat in the middle of the night 1 too many times;
Played 9 baskets of disc golf with son, grandson and son-in-law;
Hit 1 deer on NC 24/27;
Watched 1 speeder in Charlotte fly by us and later get pulled (YES!);
Had a great time with Gin, my 2 parents, our 2 children & their 2 spouses and our 2 grandsons.

The picture is post race of the Lake Norman Turkey Trot 5k in Cornelius, NC. Caris came up with the idea that we should spend time together running in different races like the 5k. This was our first and was a big learning experience for me. I learned that my race time starts when the horn blows, regardless of how close I am to the start line. Caris and I lost 45 seconds because of where we stood in the pack. We walked for 45 seconds to the start line because of the crowd. My personal timing device recorded 28:30. My official race time was 29:15. I know what I'll do next race. I'll be the one at the back of the 10k pack, and when that race starts, I'll ease up to the start line and wait for the 5k group to meet me there. Maybe I'll get run over at the beginning or maybe I'll get going quick enough to make a 45 second improvement in my race time (hehehe).

I really don't care that I lost that much time. The important thing to me was running with Caris for half the race and finishing the race. Caris let me leave her at the half way point. I think my long stride may have pushed her harder than she is used to. The long hill on the frontage road pushed my heart rate over 170bpm while maintaining my stride rate. The good thing was topping the hill and only having 2/10 of a mile to go. I legged out the last straight away heading into the finish line. I recovered nicely and was able to encourage Caris for her finish line dash. Overall we enjoyed being able to spend time together pre-race and for the first 1.5 miles.

This past Thanksgiving was a great one. I enjoyed almost every part except the deer being hit Saturday night. I had the OH!! SHIT!!! going full force at impact. The deer rolled forward into the center lane. We did not stop to check on its condition because of the darkness and traffic behind us. I pulled into a parking lot further up the road to check the damage. Just a few cracks in the plastic bumper and the center grill emblem were the only issues. We got lucky on this and were thankful the airbags didn't deploy and that we were not hurt at all.

I am thankful for my family for making this weekend a great one.

Less than four weeks 'til Christmas!
Y'all being good?
P@

Entry for November 21, 2010

Have you ever been between a rock and a hard place? Haven't we all!
Think about this, the plant in the picture is growing on the reservoir side of the Tennessee River's Chickamauga Dam. Thousands of rocks cover the berm from the lake up to the roadway. This plant is between nothing but rocks. It decided to make the best of the situation and just live it up. So why can't we do the same. We all know human interaction is a lot different than plants and rocks. Or, is it? Making the best of a situation is something I have seen people handle without faltering in their ambition. As for me, I become unpredictable. Sometimes rising to the top and sometimes showing my distaste for the situation. As I've become older and somewhat wiser, I have become a little more cautious with my hasty reactions. Every situation needs special handling and time to make the best decision. I'll keep trying to make the rocky situations better than they actually are. I'm still learning despite my elder state.

Last week I missed a unique photo opportunity.  It was either Thursday or Friday morning when the eastern sky was filled with puffy clouds that hung in low layers. Their undersides were tinted a pinkish orange by the rising sun. Those of you who know me know my colors are a bit skewed. Nevertheless, the clouds were breathtaking and I hated that I had no way to record what I saw. To quote myself from a previous blog, "The sky always fascinates me with its ever changing beauty".

This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful for the love and support Gin has given me during this travel job I have been assigned to. I know its not easy being in her position and she has handled so many obstacles that I normally help with.

Caris and I will be running the Lake Norman Turkey Trot 5k this week. I'm confident I can make the entire course. I am also confident that I will not be in the top 20..30...or whatever. I will finish and I will enjoy being there with Caris for our first of many such races. Fathers and daughters need to have something they can do together. Caris came up with this idea and she has been training around her horse pastures. I've been training at the Chattanooga Riverwalk Park each week. I'll break down the results next week in this blog. I'm sure Caris will out run me on this event. It would be a shame if she didn't beat her old man.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!
Be safe and smart in your travels!
P@

Entry for November 15, 2010

Last Thursday was my 50th birthday. No big deal to me. Really!!! The day passed by quietly at work with little mention of the event. I managed to squeeze in a 3 mile run at the Tennessee Riverpark and a light meal in the apartment. I had phone calls later that evening from family and friends. I don't understand the worry about being this age or almost any age. I try to keep myself in the day-to-day thought process. Birthdays come and go so fast that it's hard to keep up.

This past weekend was my turn to be home from the Chattanooga project. I was able to catch up on some honey-do items like cutting the grass (weeds & leaves), installing a threshold molding, vacuuming the house, scrubbing the tub, changing the litter boxes, running to the dump, getting the satellite system changed and.....putting up the Christmas tree. Yes, that's right! The Christmas tree is standing in our living room. A little early with good reasons. First, Thanksgiving weekend will be hectic for us this year. Second, we have a new cat that is into everything. So we want to slowly get him used to this concept. You know, tre first, then lights, then ornaments. Maybe we can prevent total culture shock. Third, Nolan is 2 years old and will be very motivated by the sight of the tree.

Aside from all the things done, we also had dinner Friday night with Patrick and Dean. Also church and lunch with all of Patrick's family plus a several friends of their family and Jessica's sister Nikki. Overall it was an enjoyable weekend.

The pictures are the red maples beside our house. Usually the leaves are gone from the trees by now. I was pleasantly surprised to see them when I returned home Friday. I set up behind the tree for the shot, to allow the sun to filter through the thin leaves.

Have a good one!
P@

Entry for November 7, 2010

I didn't write much last weekend. Let's just say I had to pull myself out of a funk and leave it at that.

My work week was busy with physical labor out dueling paper pushing. I jumped in with the hired hands to install the electric vehicles that move car parts on our monorail system. Nothing like good honest labor to make a man appreciate where he stands in this world. I enjoy both worlds and the challenges each has to offer. The big drawback for me is my age and past injuries making a mockery of my physical strength. Luckily I am able to bounce back and accept the punishment as a mere lesson to a wiser person. I do believe the rigors of running three to five times a week has helped me in my recovery.

Saturday Klaus and I took advantage of the break in the work schedule to enjoy a trip to Music City. Nashville is a little over 90 minutes from Chattanooga. We decided to make a trip to the Grand Ole Opry for a tour of the legendary facility. Mamie was out tour guide and she was an excellent resource of knowledge and experience. She shared stories of her youth about the musicians she loved and saw right on the Ryman Auditorium stage. We heard about how people would stand in line all day and pay 30 cents to pile in the auditorium. sometimes sitting on each others laps. She told us about a 55 gallon drum full of gum that was scraped from the bottom of the benches during the renovation that brought the legendary building back to life several years ago. We saw all the dressing rooms that have played host to legends in the music industry.

After touring the Ryman, we headed out on Broadway for a while. We made our way to the waterfront and had Philly Cheese Steaks at a little deli behind the Hard Rock Cafe. After lunch we walked up the steps of the deli and into the Charley Daniels Museum. It was a souvenir shop with a set of displays in the back full of awards and mementos given to the famous fiddler. The cow skull above was part of one display. We went back out on Broadway and stopped in at The Stage for a house band concert playing some old time country hits. Klaus and I really enjoyed the fact that we were watching some excellent music for free. After one final trip down Broadway and enough souvenir shops with the same type wares, we decided to call it a day.

Today was a good day for daylight savings time to begin. I needed the extra sleep, which made for a fairly lazy day. I visited the Chattanooga Choo-Choo this afternoon, which is not worth visiting. The entire facility is run down looking except for the courtyard gardens. I also stopped by an open air market place behing the famous Finley Stadium. There were many different crafts displayed for sale as well as bakers and farmers selling their best products. I capped the day off with a three mile run at the Riverpark along the Tennessee River.

Hope to see you soon!
P@

Entry for November 1, 2010

A thought occurred to me while jogging one morning this past weekend. If you read my post from last weekend, I made a comment with regards to the leaf and life slowly departing while it still shows life within its veins. Then I thought that the leaf, like most of us, has a purpose for living and giving. As you most probably know the leaf provides the tree with the benefits of sun and rain to the tree. When fall arrives and the leaf is no longer needed by the tree, it changes before falling to the ground. The leaf is not finished its life cycle when it has departed the tree. It continues with decomposing into fertile soil to help the tree grow each following season.

Most of us also evolve like the leaf as a provider for our family (the tree). We provide the necessary means for our family to survive. As we grow older our evolution into old age is the time we provide wisdom and guidance for our progeny (the color change in the leaf). Our reward is the extension of our family from children to grandchildren and so on. Our legacy is the soil that keeps our family growing long after our passing. Sure the soil becomes forgotten over time, but it is always the base for the family (the tree) to stand tall and survive each generation (season).

I love my family.
P@