Concert clip

How about a concert under the stars? Why don't you add a small venue, where you are right up close and personal, and only a few minutes from home?  Here, let me show you...

 A cloudy night, a cool breeze, a place to sit and relax and listen to a legend.

The pictures aren't that great with the stage lighting washing everything out but here is one. Merle Haggard only took his hat and sunglasses off once briefly. I didn't catch that moment.

A good concert and the right decision for me to take today off from work.  I know I enjoyed last night and I've already gotten a kick start on today!
TT

Prerogative

Ordinarily, at this time on a Sunday, I would already be out for my run. My training schedule says I have five miles today. Maybe it's this long weekend-vacation mode I'm in right now that has given me the opportunity to change up my normal routine. It can be amazing how having a few free days off can make a world of difference in what I do.

Nope...thought I wanted to write up a post right now but I've changed my mind and it's time to go run. I'm going after that five miles right now.
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So I've gone out to run and now I'm back. Sweatin' and drippin' and I have strategically placed towels keeping my laptop safe from moisture. I've managed well with my personally arranged training schedule and earned myself a rest day tomorrow. I realize it's the last day of the month to get a few more miles in before I close out the month at 73 miles total. I know what you are thinking...two more and make it an even 75. I'll take it under advisement since I have a live, outdoor, small venue, Merle Haggard concert to attend tonight. We have tickets in hand and plan on loving the outdoors and tipping a beer or two.

I can imagine Mr. Haggard will live up to his name. It sure is something that he is touring right now at 77. (I checked Wiki for the date (born April 6, 1937). It doesn't discount anything he's done and still doing. We plan on having a good ole' time at the honky tonk.

And then I'm off from work again tomorrow! And then it will be July...and Jay is talking about a trip to my personal paradise. I've been putting it off but maybe it's about time. I should give it some thought. I mean, I can always change my mind.
TT

Perfect time

I am well into the second day of my four day weekend. I realized my desk upstairs had more papers and was more cluttered than ever before. I spent a good amount of time creating a large trash pile. I read through many of the index cards, scratch notes and copies of items I thought were important and then proceeded to realize most could be discarded. Isn't that usually the case?  Very few needed to be stored and now those are put away instead of being strewn across every available surface of my desk (and worktable)! I can actually see the surface of both areas now. It might actually entice me to work!

I found one scribbled note to myself to "break down prologue of Crossed Wires'. It was dated 8/28/13. Do you know when I finally did what I was trying to remind myself to do in that note? It was 5/15/14. It took me nine months. That seems to be the rate of measure for most of my writing. It's unfortunate. I could do better but not until...(insert perfect time to do it here).

Here's the thing. I DID do it. It might have taken me too long, or longer than it would, could, or should have. But that's what it took, and I still did it no matter how long it might have been after a date I scribbled on a note. Now, with my cleaned up area, who knows what other notes I might write to myself that I will find after I've accomplished the task.  I might even get them done before...(insert perfect time to do it here).
TT

Thursday, Friday

Today is my Friday at work even though it's a Thursday! I needed to take a couple of days off before the end of June in order to negotiate the maximum amount of hours my vacation bank is allowed to accumulate. I'll be off both Friday and Monday, which makes for a very long weekend for me. Then when I return to work next week I only need to work three days due to the July 4th holiday. It isn't too bad a situation to be in especially since I'm already in vacation mode.

How will I spend the time? Any way I want, at any moment I want to. Are there some things I already have ideas about doing? Sure do. But we will see how it goes. My only goal right now is getting through this Thursday that is my Friday. Bring on the time off!
TT

4 on the 4th

It looks like I signed up for a race on July 4th.

I got a text from Dante's girlfriend asking me if I wanted to run a 4-miler on the 4th.  I said sure and signed up on-line. She said she would pick me up the morning of the race and we could go together. It all sounds pretty good. I haven't bothered with any any official races since March and since I am trying to do my own training I haven't exactly been searching out social runs.  I don't expect this to be much of a social run since it's sponsored by the RRs.  The RRs are an official group of Road Runners. This isn't a charity event with everybody joining in to help a cause. These people are the real deal. Yikes.

I am a little nervous about it. My expectations run forever too high when I sign up for official races and I have to keep reminding myself it's just a run like all my others. Except it isn't and I think I have to show some kind of athletic performance especially since these RRs are disciplined runners. Wow. So much pressure. I have to keep in mind that I usually have fun when I do these races. I have to remember my original New Years thought about 'having nothing to prove to anybody.' It's four miles. With a crowd of others. I enjoy this kind of thing.

I signed up.
TT

A minute before the last minute

Plans...for the weekend? Do I have any yet? Should I think about making some? It's not as if I don't have plenty to do right here at home. It's where I would rather be at times so does it make sense to organize that time? It's not so much organizing as doing. There are always things I don't even need to add to any organizational list to get them done. They are in the forefront no matter what might come along. So my mind is skimming over things I might want to pack into my weekend.

I wonder if I should take myself out to Runners Haven tomorrow morning for my run. The change of scenery would be a good thing and I've always enjoyed hitting that long road. I checked the calendar and it isn't the first Saturday of the month, so it should be devoid of the market booth atmosphere they create on that day. The road won't be clogged with booths and merchants setting up their wares to sell that day. It's an option I can make my mind up about later and if I don't run there I can always make my way along my usual path.

I'll spend some time editing up more of my story. I've got some good ideas to clean it up but it doesn't do any good to leave them banging around in my head.  It isn't until I sit down and do the work on the actual story that it get's written. Then if I actually get to working on that I might find the opportunity to clean up and back up all my documents. Or would that just be a distraction so I don't actually write? Hmmm...clever tactic.

I'll think about the possibilities a little more. The really great part about the weekend is nothing is set in stone. I can change it all up at the very last minute or the minute before the last minute. Sometimes I can decide there isn't anything to change and sometimes everything changes. Plans are great that way. Kind of like making up your mind. Give me a minute and I'll change it.
TT

Chance of rain

I thought I heard it rain this morning. Just a quick, light shower but when I looked I didn't see any trace of evidence that it actually happened. It seemed darker than it should have been for the time so I was sure there must have been a passing cloud that actually found it's mark above our house. I couldn't tell for sure.

I woke up late. I thought I might get an extra run in this morning but by the time I rolled out of bed I knew I couldn't get out there in time even for a short one. Then I thought I heard the rain, and thought, oh there, it's raining anyway. But now I'm not sure it did. Rain. And the reinforcement for my late sleeping and lack of running faded slightly. Then again, I am on track and I was supposed to not run this morning anyway. Tomorrow is scheduled, so tomorrow it will be.

As for today, well, it might have rained. Or maybe not. Either way, it was great to hear.
TT

Stupid cold

I gave Mr. L my cold. I didn't mean to do it. I'm not even sure when the transfer occurred but he has congestion and a terrible hacking cough. Just like me, like I did.

I'm hoping he is doing better today. I'm doing better today. I sure don't want the little two year old to go through the misery that this stupid cold puts a person through. It doesn't help that he is only pint-sized and has to deal with such ferociousness. If it would help, he can put on his Captain America shirt and fight it off. Hopefully. That might work for him. He is a little warrior. Fight it, Mr. L!
TT

Meat and Potatoes

Another fantastic weekend in the history books! I know that wasn't a complete sentence but it was a complete weekend. If today is Monday, it's because the past two days were so well rounded, so well spent, and so much enjoyed that there isn't anything left to do except call it a Monday.

I admit I was a little slow moving yesterday but I had the time to rest up before giving the floors a bit of a clean up and I had already done my laundry and ironing. I missed a run yesterday because of it but I'm up and ready to head out now to make it up. I thought I would give the light a little more time to peak through and finish this cup of coffee. I'm already checking out my window to see if there is any difference yet.

We managed another great meal in a true Father's Day tradition. Let's go with meat and potatoes, huh?

Fresh tossed Salad

NY Key Strip Steaks (on the grill, of course)

Baked Potatoes (with all the fixings - butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, chives)

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Asparagus 

Cheese Sauce 

For such a simple meal everyone was pretty much stuffed when it was all said and done. What a great weekend! And now it's time for my run.

TT 

Superstition

Today is Friday the 13th and it feels terrific! Mostly, it feels so great just because it is FRIDAY! It's the last day of my work week and believe me, I don't have a superstitious bone in my entire body.

I guess I could do my research.  I could find out why it is when the number thirteen falls on a Friday it causes so much hand-trembling, anxious producing, knots-in-the-stomach sort of day for some people. I actually had someone tell me that they were not superstitious but they wouldn't fly anywhere on that day.

How is that even logical? What could possibly cause someone from not wanting to head out on a flight out of town on a Friday just because it's the 13th? That means they have the entire weekend to get away! What did they expect to happen to that airplane that could possibly be caused by the number thirteen falling on a Friday? I don't think there is any mechanical reason, or anything programmed into the electronics. What kind of bizarre fear is this?

Okay - I couldn't resist a little quick research. Friday, mostly, is considered unlucky due to Christianity. A lot of bad stuff purportedly happened on Fridays. Adam was supposed to have bitten into that apple on a Friday, Jesus was crucified on a Friday. And then the number thirteen could also go back to Christianity since it seems is wasn't good to have thirteen people around the dinner table and Judas Iscariot was number thirteen. That and also there is the thing with suppressing Mother Goddess and, I guess, women in general with their calendar of 13 lunar (and the other female) cycles that occur annually. They didn't think that was a good thing and that might be why the 12 month solar calendar was scooped up and put into use. I'm not finding a lot of logic here but a progression of, well, superstition.

But, that's okay by me. I'll take that plane today if you give me the ticket. I mean, if something bad is bound to happen today, my attitude is I should rack up as much fun in my activities that I can! That way, I might not even notice when that one bad thing actually happens. If it ever does. Which I don't think it has any more chance today than any other day. So, isn't it great that it's Friday!
TT

Not so bad

My summer cold seems to have come to it's ultimate end. I'm just a little groggy and admittedly slept much later than usual this morning, bypassing my alarm when it went off, and rolling over for more sleep. There isn't any coughing or runny nose. So far. Very good news.

Now if only the foggy haze in my head will dissipate, I'll be good. That might only be a symptom of all the laying around I've been doing since contracting this blasted disease. That is laying around after trying to work through entire days at work. I might have probably should have thought about staying home at some point but it isn't much of a point now so why bother thinking about it. So I won't.

I'm really glad the weekend is almost rolling around. I can't wait to hop off of this work-a-week routine and give myself a real break. I really rather be running my own little hamster wheel when I want to instead of when I'm suppose to. But it's another two days of work-hamster-wheeling I'm off to do. At least I don't feel like a puddle of mucus.  Euughhh. Sorry. 

If it helps, I don't feel like that any more.

TT

Not quite 100%

When I got up this morning I had every intention of going out for a run. I had plenty of time. Then, I  realized there wasn't any real reason for me to push so hard. I'm still not back to normal yet. It's not very often I get sick, even if this is just a cold, but why not let myself get the rest I really need to recover instead of pushing through.

I used the time instead to write up two new product reviews on the last two books I read. That took me the entire time. I didn't even leave any time to find the next book for me to get started on.  I'll have to take a look and see what I want to read next. I'll see what sparks my interest right now.

Aside from that, I'll just keep the kleenex close and keep it low-key. Not much else I can do, is there? I'm still not 100%.
TT

Pass the hankie

I believe kleenex is going to be the word for today. I think I've gotten past the worst of this summer cold. The sore throat and hacking coughs are gone and left me slightly weak (like I'm not fully awake, yet) and with a runny nose. It's much better than it was yesterday and hopefully this is the end of it.

I skipped my run this morning but my schedule has built in make-up days so I should be able to get back on track fairly easily. This mornings run wasn't particularly long so it shouldn't be a major stumbling block. I'm the one who would be stumbling if I attempted to run right now and I'm not sure how much tissue I could effectively carry with me anyway, so I will  run tomorrow instead. That is, if I ever become fully awake and feel sure-footed enough to do more than blow my nose.

It seems that's about all I can do at the moment. Hand me another kleenex.
TT

Forest for the trees

I'm looking over my desk and work-room and realized I never cleaned it up. I think I was going to do that a month ago, two months ago? It looks like I took more stuff out and laid it all over my worktable instead of cleaning up and organizing the way I wanted to do two, three months ago.

I have sample boxes I ordered for cookie packaging and more writing binders and sheets of paper that I pulled out and piled high. I went in the exact opposite direction of my original intention and now that I have half a moment to look around, I realize I am in dire need of a little time to organize this accumulated mess.  More so than I ever was before...you know those three, four months ago.

But, headed to work now. Take one last look around, then get up and leave it for now. Or another couple of months. Not.

TT

I've got this

I'm having my coffee before heading out for my run this morning. I'm sort of anxious to get to it but I also want the time to sit for a moment. It's that quasi, sort-of hurry up and wait to calm down a moment while the restlessness of getting out there churns inside me. The weather is perfect, there isn't much activity yet in the neighborhood, and it's that time! It's that time when I can use the senses to appreciate exactly what is open and opening up as the day yawns and stretches to slowly wake up.  Or is that me doing the waking up?

I'm working toward running more consistently. I'm not setting the goals too high, but I have put some in place. A month's training plan is on a spreadsheet and I've managed a full week so far. I was spending a lot of time thinking about races I should enter. I came across a deal for 5 races, each a month apart, with increasing distances for $150 which would be cheaper than if you entered them separately. Then if you added an additional $50 to that, you could join their training group. It sounded pretty good and I even called to get more information. I could get with some other runners and do long runs on Sundays and training and timed runs on Tuesdays and Thursday. But, not that it matters too much, they weren't exactly close to where I live and there would be a bit of driving across town to join.

So I looked at another spot that was offering a training session for $145.00 (no races included) but was much closer to me. Sunday long runs, Tuesday and Thursday group runs at 6:00pm. Then, somehow, through all the searching, I realized it didn't matter about the group training or the money. Those things weren't going to get me out the door to become consistent. Only I can do that and what good is paying up and driving out if I find an excuse not to show up. It isn't as if I didn't manage to train for my half marathon years ago with any group. I did that all by myself with a couple of training schedules I combined into a spreadsheet of my own. Another spreadsheet that I managed very well and yet now I keep thinking I need to search down the experts?

I've got this. This is all me, and the money and group runs don't really make that much of a difference. I could be driving halfway across town to do the same thing I will be doing right now without all the extra time and effort. I get to finish my coffee, find my place in the calm Sunday morning, and prove to myself  I don't need to pay or organize an entire group to be an expert. I know how to do this on my own.
TT