Day 31: That'll do...

Day is done.  Let's pop open a cold one...

Day 30: Swamp People...

Ok, another rant.  Just wondering, when the HELL did the History Channel become a reality TV station?  Really?  Swamp People?  How is that remotely related to history?  A bunch of toothless inbreds chasing alligators across the swamps.  Or Pawn Stars?  A bunch of overweight guys nickel and diming people over garage sale treasures.  American Pickers, Top Shots, Cajun Pawn Stars, Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers.... the list goes on and on.  At what point as a society did we decide to appeal to the lowest common denominator?  I can't help but think Seacrest and Kim K. must be behind all this.  Ironic that the movie "Idiocracy" is considered a comedy when, in fact, it could be considered a prophecy that Nostradamus would be proud.

It's an overstated cliche but it certainly rings true.  George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".  Kinda makes you think... Vietnam, Iraq.  I'm just sayin'. Kids, do yourself a favor, pick up a book, preferably without pictures, and read it.  And when you're done, talk about it, ask questions, search for answers that aren't provided by E News and discover who you are.  I beg you!

Day 29: Blah...blah...blah...

Ever notice there seem to be a lot of people making careers out saying a whole lot but really not saying anything?  Have you been watching the debates lately?  How about those meetings at work?  I had my annual performance review last week with my boss and one of the topics that I brought up was the fact I don't usually say much during meetings.  I thought it was funny and a bit refreshing that my boss actually acknowledged the fact that it's a bit of our corporate culture to talk a LOT, even if we really don't have much to say.  I've discovered it's the true mark of success to create the illusion of intelligence.

I don't know about you but personally speaking I'm not a big fan of saying anything unless I really have something to say. But it's unfortunate that in our careers and certainly in politics, people are getting rewarded for how they speak instead of what they're saying.  I know a number of people in my profession that are looked upon with reverence and admiration even though what they say is of no substance or consequence.  The same could be said for that collection of smarmy suits, all jockeying for that presidential title.

Tell me if you've ever heard something like this....

"We need to empower our workforce to create a win-win situation with our customers, thinking outside the box to maintain a battle rhythm of success and create synergies across our core competencies that enables strategic growth, shifting the paradigm to a customer-centric market, leveraging cutting edge technologies, making us the employer of choice among the next generation of creative contributors, building upon our legacy accomplishments to secure a global presence among the international marketplace."

I know, how am I not a CEO already???

Day 28: Gratuity...

Nope, this little nugget didn't just fall out of my head.  This is my "gratuity rock".  The idea came from one of the contributors of "The Secret".  It's my little constant companion that reminds me every day to be grateful for the life I have and the opportunities that lay before me.  I've been carrying this thing for a little over three years now.  Almost lost it a few times but somehow it magically returns.  I do get weird looks from the TSA agents.  And yes, it even helps me to be grateful for those TSA folks that grope me through the security line.

I like it because it fits perfectly in my hand and it's easy to conceal in my pocket.  I can't tell you how many times I've been in a stressful situation and this little guy has come to my rescue.  Whether I'm having a very uncomfortable conversation with someone or having to endure a combative conference call with co-workers, I just nestle this thing between my fingers and thumb and think about the positives that can come out of my otherwise bad situation.  I'm sure my mom might say I'm just replacing my "bankie and bah bah" but this little guy is my reminder of my connection to Him and to the wonderful things and people I He has given me. 

So next time we're talking and it seems like I'm fiddling with my keys in my pocket, it could be I'm just reminding myself how grateful I am for you.  :-)

Day 27: Old School...

Today was hooky day after spending a week on business travel.  I decided to spend it up in Breckenridge after hearing they got over 30 inches of snow in the last week.  AWESOME day!  Had the best time snow boarding.  I think I'm getting good enough that I might get one of those helmut cams to video my snow board runs.  I'll probably have to put a disclaimer for "adult language".  We'll see.  :-)

On the way home I thought I'd make a quick pit stop in Indian Hot Springs.  I believe it's an old mining town.  They've got an "old school" train out front of the police department that we've been wanting to shoot for some time.  It was a bit chilly so I only managed a few quick shots with my iPhone.  I figure we'll head back during Spring and Summer.  Great, little town.  

Day 26: Homeward Bound...

Ok, the first business trip of the year is in the books!  Always great to get some face time with co-workers and my boss but I'm ready to head home.  Can't wait to see my beautiful wife and the four-legged creatures.  Also looking forward to playing hooky tomorrow to do a little snow boarding.  It's suppose to snow but hopefully not too much that it bogs down the roads.  I think I've been successful in maintaining my 365 project while on the road and not having my nice Canon camera.  The iPhone and all the available photo apps made it pretty easy to keep on track.  The trick, as always, is to keep things fresh and interesting.  The jury is still out on that one.  :-)

By the way.... is it just me or does anyone else hum the theme song to "Top Gun" as they're taking off?

Day 25: The Glamour That Is Travel...



Let me tell you it's not all wine, food and friends. Left a team dinner last night having to drive through Armageddon. Woke up this morning to Armageddon 2.0. Surface streets were all pools and me with no goggles. Was wondering if I could still do a kick turn. Of course this was also the first time in my 25 years of business travel where my car DIDN'T have a remote car lock. Ah, nothing like fumbling with a key in the rain.

Disclaimer - yes, that photo was "enhanced". Actually the lightning strikes were much more intense.

Day 24: Relax...

No big story here. Saw this fountain/waterfall in my hotel lobby. I always find these things a bit hypnotic. Makes sense to put this things in lobbies or waiting rooms. Helps calm the nerves and I usually need help with that.

Day 23: "Leavin on a jet plane"

Yep, it's a new year and I'm back on the road. Heading to Dallas this time. I have a couple other trips in the next two months to the Boston and DC areas. It's been a while since my last trip so this one I'm kinda looking forward to. Ask me in about six months how I feel about travel. As always I'll say my prayers before takeoff and give thanks when we land. "See ya on the other side, Ray."

Day 22: Anticipation...

I SUCK at waiting.  If you want to make me go insane, make me wait.  Yeah, I'm impatient at times.  Traffic lights, checkout counters.  Not a big fan of either.  But having to wait for something to start is like a slow, agonizing death to me.  I'm sitting here, waiting for the Niners game to start and I still have two hours before game time.  My stomach is in knots and I feel like a caged animal.  Thank God we're updating the guest bathroom.  It's a pleasant distraction, even with the fumes and mess.

Back in my youth I hated, yes, HATED the time leading up to a football game or track meet.  The longer the wait, the more intense my nerves became.  During my years running marathons and triathlons, my nerves usually went into overdrive days leading up to the event.  Sleep and appetite were non-existent.  On race day you could easily see me visit the porta-potty at least four or five times before the gun went off.  At school or work I hated going last.  When it was time to present, I HAD to go first, otherwise I was tormented by all the worry and second-guessing.

I'm not about to justify why I feel this way.  When it comes to my favorite sports teams I'm sure the behavior borders on the obsessive.  Yeah, I get it, I'm not personally vested in the outcome of those games but I've got to believe genetics plays a role in my behavior.   Meditation, incense, playing the Ambient station on Pandora just doesn't seem to make a dent.  Best thing for all is to just leave me alone, let me focus and beware of the occasional outburst of "colorful metaphors" .

Come on!  Let's go!!  Tic toc, tic toc!

Day 21: Toy Store...

So many toys, so few dollars.  For me walking into Home Depot is like a recovering alcoholic walking into a liquor store.  Crazy temptations.  I can walk in there only needing some light bulbs and batteries and walk out with enough stuff to renovate a four bedroom house.

I would like to think I'm pretty handy at house repairs.  If the amount of blood spilled is any indication of my skills, I'll have my own home improvement show in no time.  I think I'll call it "This Old Wound".  Every scar will represent a story of some repair that took a fair amount of blood, some sweat and swears (not tears).  I think I'll continue to be delusional about my abilities to fix things.  I guess as long as the home improvement shows continue to imply that it only takes 30 seconds to hang a door I'll keep donating my A Negative syrup to the results of all my household projects.

Day 20: Perspectives...

Don't worry.  Nothing heavy today.  We were just out and about in Boulder and I decided to bring my camera along to hopefully capture something interesting.  Always love buildings and architecture.  And all those bicycles crammed together looked kinda interesting as well.  Instead of your typical point and shoot, I was hoping I might catch a different and hopefully interesting angle.  Just reminds me that I should do the same in other aspects of my life....

Day 19: Recess!

Man, I can remember the thrill of recess like it was yesterday.  It was like being a prisoner in solitary, getting his 15 minutes on the recreation grounds.  Recess was play time.  Time to burn off all that pent up frustration and angst over the latest school assignment.  Nothing like taking out a bad grade in math on the hallowed dodge ball playing fields.  I cherished every moment of recess and I dragged out every possible second until the warden came screaming for me to return to my cell, I mean class.

You know it never occurred to me when I was graduating from elementary school that I would never enjoy the excitement of recess again in my life.  Why don't we have recess in our adult lives?  Well, I guess I sorta kinda do.  My lunch breaks are usually spent in the gym or on a running trail.  It's not quite dodge ball but it is a way to burn off steam.  But unfortunately, at my age, it's becoming more of a necessity, for health reasons, rather being a time for fun.

The only time I ever see that level of excitement is when I take my Sophie to the dog park or day care.  She goes nuts in the car whenever I get close to either location.  It's such a trip to see her run around with her four-legged friends, chasing and wrestling.  I'm pretty envious of her at times.  Imagine if we could go to a park, as adults, and just start playing with other adults.  Throwing a ball, playing tag or starting up a game of kickball.  How is it as adults we lost that kind of fun in our lives?  Makes you wonder, if you could be a dog for a day, how fun that could be.  Well, save for the habit of sniffing butts, it would be nice to treat life with total abandon and have REAL fun for once.

Day 18: Gratification

If I were a bettin' man I'd say the vast majority of people in this country, heck, in the world, experience little to no gratification in their lives.  And the primary reason is that most folks have no clue what gratification really means.  Now I'll bet at this very moment you're probably thinking of a few examples of being "gratified", such as eating till you're full or buying that car you always wanted.  But we all know those little accomplishments are only temporary.  We'll be back in the kitchen for more food and in a few years we'll be looking for a new set of wheels.

What I just described above is not gratification but rather temporary satisfaction.  The difference between the two is that one leaves you wanting more, the other leaves you feeling complete.  It's my personal belief that as individuals, as a community, as a country we are not gratified.  Think about that for a moment.  We are a country of people always wanting more.  We live beyond our means because we have a superficial need that must be met.  We want the latest and greatest toys and fashions.  Our corporations have a need to acquire more, to be bigger, richer, and usually at the expense of others.  Enron, Fannie Mae, AIG... do any of those ring a bell?  And why is that?  There's a hole in our collective selves that can't be filled. 

The Rolling Stones immortalized this plight with their song "...I can't get no satisfaction!"  Being satisfied, being satiated, is only temporary.  You'll always be coming back for more.  Gratification is when YOU feel truly good about yourself.  It has nothing to do with anyone else.  To sit alone and feel good about you.  Feeling that you've achieved a better version of your perfect self.  The person you want to be.  The person YOU know resides within you.  Think about it.  When was the last time you felt good about yourself after belittling someone?  When was the last time you felt good about yourself when you ate or drank to excess?   Probably never.  But think about how you felt when you helped someone without recognition or reward.  Think about how you felt when you accomplished something that was beyond your perceived capabilities.  Huge difference there.

In the work place, at least in my work place, there are so few opportunities to achieve gratification.  You never feel that you've competed anything and so few things you do have any apparent value.  For me gratification comes in my personal life.  There are things I set out to achieve, not for recognition, but to fill a void that I know dwells within me.  It's an opportunity for me to be someone better.  Once I've achieved those things, I feel gratified and am freely able to move on to the next thing in my life.  I've discovered that the more I pursue gratification, the less I try to satisfy impulsive desires.

Here are just a few of the "empty calories" in life we tend to indulge:

1. We gossip or complain about others.
2. We feel the need to always be right.
3. We expect others to like us.
4. We worry about what others think.
5. We worry about our appearance.
6. We spend a lot (clothing, shoes, gadgets, cars, etc).
7. We seek praise.
8. Excessive eating or drinking.

What holes are you trying to fill?  What is missing in you that compels you to indulge?  As opportunities pour into you, is your life a colander or a cup?

Day 17: "Mannish Boy..."

Another of my new year commitments is to get back to playing the harp.  LOVE the Blues harp.  Nothing like it in the world.  Hard to believe there was a time in my life you couldn't pay me to listen to the Blues.  What was I thinking?  I remember when it finally hit me, though.  Sitting in a dive bar in New Orleans listening to an old Jazz Blues band.   One of the guys was just wailin' away on the harp.  I was hooked immediately.  Within a week I found a how-to book, a cheap harp and got started on learning how to play this wonderful instrument.

I have no illusions that I'll ever play the harp as well as my heroes Junior Wells, Little Walter or Howlin' Wolf.  I play purely for the fun of it.  I've actually played on stage a couple of times but that courage has long since gone.  Let me qualify that by saying it was "liquid" courage that got me on stage.  Heck, I don't really like playing in front of my family.  For now my venues are my car and hotel room.  Who knows, maybe some day I'll find a quiet, little spot on Pearl Street in Boulder, with an upturned cap, playing for tips.  We'll see if I can get my mojo workin'. 

Day 16: Shape up!

My trainer got on me the other day for not attending to my diet as much as I do my workout routines.  Nag, nag, nag!!  Don't tell her I said that.  Any way, I did as I was told and picked up a few things to supplement my diet and try to keep things more on the healthy side.  Now don't get me wrong, I'll never give up my love affair with carbs but I can certainly use a bit more fruits and proteins in my diet.  My issue with healthy diets is that they tend to be a lot of work.  All this prepping just to put together a healthy snack.  It's no wonder folks just grab the box of Chees-its rather than slice up fruit.  But I'll try my best.  Smoothies are great and don't take a lot of effort.  Oh, just FYI, don't ever blend an unripened banana in a smoothie.  Talk about bitter!

Day 15: Funny or Creepy??



I'm sure some of you are wondering "what the hell?"  They're puppets, or more precisely, marionettes.  I got them YEARS ago, back when I was in Junior High living in Germany.  They're hand made, by a local toy shop in a small town outside Heidelberg.  My folks actually have a few of these as wine stoppers.  Most everyone I know that's seen these are creeped out.  I think they're cool.  If you're not sure who they're suppose to be, they're Laurel and Hardy.  So for now, they hang in my office.  Just wish they'd stop staring at me....

Day 14: Marshall Mesa

Had a nice hike today with my favorite hiking partner, Sophie.  Just realized it was our first hike since the "bear" incident.  It was great getting out with my dog and camera.  Trying out my new Lowepro Toploading pack.  Great way to lug around my camera instead of the standard strap that would dig into my neck.  For anyone who hikes a lot and wants a more comfortable way to carry your camera, check out Lowepro.

Day 13: "And then what?..."

Had a great day today in Breckenridge, honing my snow boarding skills (don't laugh).  In addition to an awesome day of snow boarding I had the unexpected good fortune to listen in on a conversation while riding the lift up to Peak 7.  A little boy, probably five or six, was grilling his dad on the geological makeup of this fine planet.   He asked his dad about the different layers, what's below the snow, dirt.  What's below dirt, rocks, all the way down to the center of the earth.  At this point the son reversed the direction and moved up from rocks, dirt, snow.  It went something like this....

"What's above the snow?"

     "Air"

"And then what?"

     "The sky"

"And then what?"

     "Clouds"

"And then what?"

     "Space"

"And then what?"

     "Planets"

"And then what?"

    "More space"

"And then what?"

     "I don't know"

"You don't know?"

     "No.  Neither do the scientists"

"The scientists don't know?"

     "Well, they're not sure."

"Is it God?"

     "Ummm, Maybe.  I don't know."

Nothing more powerful and inspirational than the imagination of a child.

Day 12: Time...



Nothing really profound to share today.  Time has just been tickin' by.  The pocket watch you see belonged to my grandfather, Justice "Pa" Randolph.  I love the simple elegance of these old timekeepers.  There's a lot to be said for the styles of days past.  I don't know if it's because I've been watching too much "Mad Men" lately, but I miss the days of pocket watches, three piece suits, hats and a good scotch at the office.  Ok, maybe some of those things I didn't quite experience but I sure wish I had. 

Day 11: It seemed like a good idea....



I wonder if anyone has done an experiment, to see if it's more likely to sustain greater injury from attempting to keep oneself from slipping on snow or to just give into gravity and see what breaks. We just got another nice snow fall and while I was out there (wearing crocs) I thought I'd try to clear some of the white stuff away before it accumulated too much. So much for bright ideas.

As one might guess a big heave of the shovel, while wearing crocs, is a recipe for disaster. As my feet gave way under me, I instinctively tried to regain my balance. I'm sure it had something to do with not wanting to get covered in snow. My attempts to keep myself upright could only be described as a dance move Elaine Benes would be proud of. "Seinfeld" fans will get the reference. The result was that I didn't completely face plant into the snow however my knuckles were saddled with the responsibility of keeping this old man from becoming a human lawn dart. For those of you that know me, expletives were a-plenty. Not from the pain but from the embarrassment. And keeping with family tradition, no chore can be accomplished without the requisite bleeding.

I’d like to say I learned a lesson here, such as, it’s ok to get covered in snow, you’ll eventually dry off. Or consider using actual shoes with treads when working on slippery surfaces. Folks, I’m here to tell you I’ll probably do this again, and STILL be surprised by the results.

Day 10: Hidden Treasures...



...or is it just junk?  I was digging through my closet (in my man cave) looking for something in particular but having no luck.  Instead I ran across one of my "John's stuff" boxes and found all this random stuff I've collected over the years.  I found things in this box that go all the way back to when I was 5 years old.  Guess you can call me a sentimental pack rat. 

Why haven't I gotten rid of all this?  Well, a lot of it has stories, history about where I came from, what things I did.  I know there's a lot of worthless junk in there and I should just toss it. But I guess the one thing that keeps me from dumping this stuff is that maybe there will be a grandchild or great grandchild that might find this interesting.  Maybe he or she would be interested in know they had a relative that went to High School in Germany.  That he was a discus thrower, an Army officer, a harmonica player, a triathlete, among other things. 

It's also very likely all this stuff about me will be of no consequence to anyone long after I'm gone.  Doesn't matter one way or the other.  I know that I relish all the tidbits of information I can find on my relatives.  Things that would give me some insight into their personality, their dreams and ambitions.  Knowing the paths they've taken in life helps me to understand how I came to be where I am now. 

So, not that I'm planning on kicking the bucket any time soon, I should consider doing my daughters a favor and unload a lot of this stuff.  I can just hear them when the day comes... "What the HELL was he holding onto this crap for?!"  Well, girls, you wanted an inheritance.  :-)

Day 9: Sunset...



I've lived in California and Hawaii and have seen my fair share of sunsets but there's a lot to be said for a Colorado sunset.  As always, I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to capture moments like this.  They say in Colorado, "if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes".  That's so true. One minute you can have swirling clouds dancing around the sun and sky and the next minute it's crystal clear with just an orange/yellow ball blazing into your eyes.  Gotta keep that camera locked and loaded, ready to go at a moments notice.

Day 8: Perseverance...

This whole issue with my laptop is coming to a head.  I've been at it for several days now and I'm at the point that I'm moving all essential data to a backup drive and will try to run a recovery utility to save this machine.  I'm refusing to run to Geek Squad to pay $200 just to have them look at it before they actually do anything to fix it.  I will get through this.  The problem will be resolved.  I'm not about to give up now.

It's my opinion that a lot of folks have trouble with perseverance, trouble seeing things through to the end.  I think the problem with persevering is that for many it includes the option for quitting.  Removing that option makes persevering much easier.  It's a method I learned in the Army, a place where one is afforded very few if any real choices.  When ordered to perform a task, the Army never gave me an "out".  The task, condition and standard were all well defined and quitting was NEVER a condition of accomplishment.  What a blessing that was!  I didn't have to expend ANY energy on mulling over whether or not I should quit when the task became difficult.  The Army took away that option.  At that point I could focus all my energies on getting the mission accomplished.  It's a habit I've continued to indulge long after I hung up the uniform.  Simply put, quitting is a distraction.

I'm sure you might be thinking this is a rather unhealthy way of doing things.  I'm not suggesting that we exercise this absolutism to everything we do in life.  We obviously shouldn't endure through poisonous situations like bad relationships or bad jobs, things that could be deemed physically or emotionally unhealthy for us.  But Perhaps the trouble some of us have is over committing, promising too much to ourselves and to others.  It's the primary reason I don't commit to much.  But what I do commit to, I do so unconditionally.

So let me leave you with one suggestion - commit to what is truly important to YOU and let go of everything else.  Hang on to what defines you and commit to it with total resolve.

Day 7: School Daze...

It's the new year and it's back to school for Sophie.  We've had her enrolled in "Sit Means Sit" off and on since she was a pup.  Yeah, for those of you that know her must be thinking it hasn't paid off.  Well, maybe she doesn't do any fancy tricks and gets a bit rambunctious at times but she's a pretty well behaved dog.  I know she's not perfect but she's perfect for me.  To be honest, I think the schooling is really more for Julie and me.  It's all about consistency.  Like all of us, Sophie falls in and out of routines.  I think she appreciates the discipline and she definitely loves seeing all her friends.

Btw, still struggling with the darn laptop.  Windows 7, you just might be the death of me.

Day 6: Thank God for Alternatives...

Go figure!  Just six days into the new year and my laptop decides to go on vacation.  I've been struggling over the last couple of days with my laptop thanks to Microsoft's recent patch.  Long story short, my laptop takes longer to boot than the evolution of man.  So I'm freaking out that I'm going to miss my daily blog (I'm sure you all are just as panic stricken).  But thanks to the wonder that is the iPhone and this old Apple laptop, I'm able to meet my daily dose of Guten gab.

Now you're probably wondering what the hell does the "Jack" sign have to do with my daily blog, well sit back and be enlightened.  Julie and I had to run some errands this afternoon down in Denver and because I-25 turned into a long parking lot, we decided to take surface streets back home.  On the way we saw the restaurant "Jack and Grill" and decided to check it out.  Again, another long story short (I know, too late), we met a great bartender, had a couple of incredible margaritas and discovered a great, new eating establishment.

So what's my point?  The point is what was planned for today didn't quite turn out.  But what DID turn out were the new opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have presented themselves if things had turned out as planned.  So when things don't turn out the way you hoped, be thankful for the things that come in their place.  At the moment you feel like going off on a piss fit, stop and ask yourself "what did I gain from this?"  Sure, it may not be much but, then again, it could be quite a lot.  Allow yourself the opportunity to explore the alternatives.

Day 5: Sweet Treats...

I tell you one of my all time favorite treats is the See's Candies suckers, especially butterscotch.  Not sure if it's because they taste so good or that they represent fond memories, or maybe both, but I can't seem to get enough of these little gems.  I keep a little mug full of suckers on my desk and they seem to be my go-to crutch when things get stressful at work or I need to satisfy a little sweet tooth, usually after a hard workout.  You'd think that mug would be empty by now. 

To this day I can remember when I had my very first See's butterscotch sucker.  I was in Kindergarten, it was Christmas time and for some reason I was out with my grandmother, Mimi, Christmas shopping.  I was pretty much dressed like Randy in "Christmas Story" and most likely whining about something.  Side note, even at that age I remember stressing about money, not having any to buy gifts.  Sorry, I digress.  Either to be nice or just to plug my pie hole, Mimi plopped a sucker in my mouth and it was like heaven took up residence on my tongue.  I'm sure for the rest of the evening, or until I finished the sucker, I was a complete angel.  As I get closer to the ripe old age of 50, I STILL think of Mimi and Christmas shopping every time I have a butterscotch sucker.  The sucker, like that moment, was and is so sweet and joyful.  You see?  It truly is the simple things in life that we remember and cherish most. 

Now, gimme a sucker??

Day 4: Morning Glory

One thing about living in Colorado, you're always guaranteed to see something spectacular.  Coming home from the gym this morning I was greeted with this vision.  I'll be honest, there was very little I did in terms of edits and enhancements of this photo.  This was all nature's work.  Great way to start the day.  So who knew that these storm clouds would usher in a crappy day.  Life is nothing if not cyclical.  Great days followed by not so great.  Now, the challenge is to see how well I can keep things in perspective and find the good in all things that come my way....

Day 3: Things I learned from my dog...

Last night as I headed off to bed I immediately began to think about having to go back to work the next day. All the stresses I was able to put aside a few weeks ago all came rushing back.  But before I started to get all panic stricken, I started to think of ways I could keep some of this stress in check.  At that moment I happened to look over at my dog, Sophie, lying on the floor. 

Every night, Sophie's normal routine is to hop up on our bed and hang out with us for about 15 minutes.  Eventually she makes her way down to the floor in hopes of finding a nice, cool spot to fall asleep.  We recently rearranged some furniture in our room and Julie's vanity table now resides in the spot where Sophie usually sleeps.  What amazed me about last night was that she still managed to find comfort in a somewhat uncomfortable situation.  With her head crammed in between the wall and the table, she was soon fast asleep.  It occurred to me that I need to find comfort in the uncomfortable situations in my life.  When it comes to work I need to be a bit more adaptable and find some level of peace.  The same could be said for pretty much everything. 

It's no wonder Sophie's my best friend. 

Day 2: The Gauntlet Has Been Tossed...

My trainer, Natalie, has been nudging me for a while to get back up on the horse and run a half marathon.  Up until 2009, when I ran my last marathon, I had spent the previous 17 years running, biking and swimming through 30 marathons, countless 10k's, a dozen or more half marathons, scores of triathlons, a couple Iron distance triathlons, and a 200 mile bike ride through Death Valley.  Eventually my knees and feet said, "Enough!!"  But if you're one of those folks that willingly does distance races, you know you can't stay away from the starting line for too long.  I have to admit that after my last marathon, for the last few years I would still get that itch to lace 'em up and go pound pavement for a few hours.  I'm not about to explain what compels me to do it.  There really are no words that could adequately describe it.  Either you get it or you don't.

So, Natalie, I accept your challenge.  Pick the battlefield and I'll be there.  Bring on the sore knees, blood blisters and lost toe nails.  But once again, victory shall be mine!

"May fortune favor the foolish."

William Shakespeare

Day 1: Let's Get Started...

It's the new year!  Time for new beginnings, new resolutions, setting a new course for your life.  I've got several plans for myself, one of which is this new twist on my blog. For 2012 I plan on daily postings of images and observations of the day.  I can't promise you they will be earth shattering insights or appealing photos but at least they will reflect what's going on at the moment.  I've heard it can be quite challenging to commit to something like this but like in marathons, you never think about the entire 26.2 miles you need to run, just the mile you're running at the moment.  I'm hopeful with all the widgets and gadgets on my computer and iPhone, daily updates won't be too difficult.