i cannot believe this.....

The robotic dairy farm is booked!!!!

We can't get in. O.K. all is not lost. We are heading home tomorrow anyway. The one day lost for our trip was the journey to DeeCee. No big deal. Truthfully, it would have been very rushed and not complete. Something we can look forward to in the future.

Assuming everything goes well, i should be back home tomorrow at this time.

Tonite after H-D, we played around the pool for a while. i also was able to go for a nice run around a York city park near the hotel. I ran a few laps around the park, about a 45 minute run in all. No idea on the distance, nor do i really care as.....

Pennsylvania is real hilly...

Bastards, i swear every step i took was uphill, and i was running in circles. How does that happen?

So tomorrow we go home. Saturday i bartend, and Sunday i get up real early for my first of two races next week.

No PR's here, just looking to finish. i know i sounded so enthusiastic about the run in Traverse, but this week of typical vacation bad food shot me outta the water.

Sorry 'bout not being able to report on the dairy farm.

But i gotta say.... this place is real proud of being the factory tour capital.

DYK.... not one H-D employee has ever lost his/her job on the line by being replaced by a robot? Robotics are used, but the employee is re/cross-trained to be able to maintain his/her employment. They are very proud of never down-sizing at the factory level. And it's unionized.

Hmmmmm..... quality product, name recognition, caring about employees.... remind anyone of Ford Motor Co a few decades ago. Both companies were born in 1903. I wonder if Ford has ever downsized at the factory level?

Sorry 'bout the midday entry here...

But the H-D Tour was fantastic.

It hasn't rained in a while so we are looking forward to a slow paced afternoon.

We're going to the Robotic Dairy Farm

I swear the first thing out of everyone's mouth when we ask what to do, is this damn dairy farm.

It's like a friggin' train wreck, i've got to see.

Fun Govenor is calling to book a reservation as a type this

gotta go... the rest of a post to continue later tonite.

It did not rain today!!!!

O.K., i promise to throw some pictures of the trip up next week when we get back.

It didn't rain today. The sun was out and although we were expecting scattered T-storms, it never happened.

Great day to spend at Hersheypark. There was flooding all around us, but the roads from York to Hershey were fine. The weather must have scared off some folks cause the park was fairly easy to navigate. None of the rides had any real lines to them.

O.K. now i admit to being a coaster junkee. The thrill of adrenaline, the weightless feeling, the falls and the speed really get me going. Here's the downer. I tended to evaluate all the rides in comparision to Cedar Point.

There are about 9 roller coasters here. i rode on 8 and they all a pretty good rides. Each unique and none boring, but after riding Milenium and Top Thrill Dragster, nothing compares to the rush.

i got to talking to some other coaster enthusiasts while in line and most were familiar with the rides of the east coast, but none had really been to Kings Island or Cedar Point. Although they had heard of the rides and meant to get to them. Most loved Hershey and thought it was the best place near the east coast to ride coasters.

Tomorrow, i visit Mecca. The largest Harley-Davidson plant. It's only two miles from the hotel.

Since we gave up on the DeeCee we are playfully contemplating the Robotic Dairy Farm. If just for the sheer mockery value. Not quite the same stature of the nations capital but close enough.

Anyway, it's real late and i've been going since 7:00 am, so i'll go into more detail later. Just wanted to create a quick update.

btw... does running to the next ride count as training? It's a real hilly park, does this count in my TUT?

thanks again for reading.

Guess what.... it rained again today.

whoda thunk???

i am so ready for the sun to shine.

Today was an incredible day spent looking at battle fields. We took a great tour of the Gettysburg visitor center.

O.K. for the record, people from Jersey are wusses compared to the Detroit area people. So we're in the visitor center parking lot waiting for a space. It was packed. So we see a van loading up and head over near the spot to wait patiently for it to open up.

So some yahoo from NJ must spot the taillights flash and scrambles over to cut us off from the spot. Now it wasn't raining, and the skies were farily clear. The van in the parking lot backs out, and the idiot cuts us off and pulls into the spot.

Now, you all know i'm not a violent man. i'm a dove not a hawk, but....

i got outta of the van and started towards the suv that stole our spot. Lisa's wiggin' out like a new battlefield will be established today. And i through in my best, "don't mess with me face" that i can muster. The kind that causes ManKenzie to start crying before i've even opened my mouth.

The moron rolls down his window and is like "Yes?"

"dude, did you see us waiting for this spot?"

"Ahh, no" LIAR, YOU HAD TO TURN TO GET AROUND US TO GRAB THE SPOT.

"well, look, we were waiting for this spot. Do you mind moving?"

"uhhh....." think moron think. Please don't call my bluff, if you say yes, i'm done.

"No,.... i'll move"

"thanks"....whew, don't let him see me shaking. Storm back to the car and wave your arms wildly so he can see i meant business as he sees me in the rearview mirror as he backs out. Thank gawd he didn't want to create a scene with his young kids in the car.

It really was the last spot in the parking lot.

I soooo, should play more poker!!!

Gettysbrew.... was closed due to new owners and a remodel....Those bastards!!!!!!

We go back to Bube's soon.

Anyway, loved the battlefields, blah,blah, blah.... turning point for the war.... blah,blah, blah...lots of causulties... blah,blah, blah... Lincoln speech...4 score and blah,blah, blah....

Tomorrow back to Hershey Park for rain filled fun in an amusement park.

thanks for reading, love the coments

total distance: 0:00:00
total time: 0:00:00

Guess what, i have a 10k this sunday and a 15k next saturday. Ouch!!!

rain, rain go away

no more griping bout the weather in Michigan. The grass is only greener due to the rain.

Yesterday's Factory tour of Bube's was nice. i love beer!!

Today hit a tour trap on the way into Hershey www.indianechocaverns.com

It was a cool little stop on the way into Hershey, we figured it was raining so why not. it's underground. Ooops, it was raining on us from the water seeping 100+ feet through the ground to the caverns. Oh yeah it rained on us, but the cavern was cool, literally and figuratively.

Today at Hershey we did the factory tour. Sorta, it's not really the factory but a mock-up version. The kids did it three times. We saw a cute 3-D movie about chocolate. And then watched the Hershey Park patrons scramble out of the park for a hour when the shies opened up on us again.

i am sooooo tired of chocolate. never thought i would say it, but it's true, no mas.

After 7:30 we entered the park for a preview. Hershey park allows a preview for tix holders after 7:30 till the park closes at 10:00. We did a few rides. It's nice. It was a preview so we didn't have time to see everything and the weather prevented all the coasters from being open. I rode three. One was a nice inverted coaster similar to the raptor at cedar point. It was only similar in riding style the ride had a few unique qualities.

Tomorrow will be more rain. So we will try our full day at the park on Wednesday.

Tomorrow will be Gettysburg. Since the entire town is a national park there will be plenty to do and most will be a driving tour or indoors. Screw the rain. It appears there is a brewery in Gettsburg, go figure, so i know where the tour ends tomorrow.

Due to the bad rain on the east coast we will most likely scrap the trip to DC. Philly is still 4 hrs away, so i won't be running up the library stairs, ala rocky balboa, on this trip. c'est le vie.

There's a treadmill in the hotel. i keep looking at it. Does this count as training? i mean at least i'm thinking of running.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update, a la the michael clark griswold vacation.

Since DC might be scrapped we can make time for the robotic cow milking tour. Actually the tour and milking is robotic. The cows are real cows.

Fun Govenor is not happy with my last paragraph. Love the biz center in the hotel but she keeps watching me type. Hey, if we are both in the biz center, who's watching the kids.

thanks for reading...

we made it to York.

O.K. after 9-10 hours, including stops to pee and eat, we made to the hotel in your, unpacked, and took a well deserved shower. We arrived by 6:30

Not a lot to do on a Sunday around the York area, and it's been raining nonstop since we passed Pittsburgh.

By 7:30 we had found a local brew pub and after a beer and a sandwich are back at the hotel, as i type this.

Get this the name of the place is Bube's, pronounced boobies. i gotta get this phoenetic t-shirt...

It's the oldest brewery in the U.S. in it's original location. A speakeasy in prohibition, of course.

How's that for Americana???

btw...have a mentioned that marathon training starts next week. i knew i had a reason for a 16 week train in lieu of a 18 weeker.

Thanks again for reading.

Happy Birthday to Mark, or Maach as they say in New Hampshire

Here's your chance to shout out a Phu@ Y&^ to me. Consider it a long distance birthday gift, you haven't had a good reason to in a while and i'd like to provide one.

Funny how 44 doesn't seem as old as it used too.

This would normally be were i type something corny like how much it means that you signed on to be Jimmy's god-father.

But i won't... cause i too, love you for the kisses. Smoochie-smoochie

no wait that's Animal....

Hey... another reason to say Phu@ Y&^

Small wonder Lisa calls me "her gay husband"

Happy Birthday, have a good weekend.

thank god somebody got the "Vacation" reference.

Thanks to Drew, who the hell is Drew?, i now know two things about Liberal, KS.

1. The second largest ball of twine really is not in Liberal; and
2. Anyone who has ever lived in Liberal, is constantly reminded of the movie, by yahoo's like me, who see it and remember they know someone from Liberal.

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. Since she doesn't live with me, and i if can't reach her by phone today,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLISON

Anyway, she's 12 today.

O.K. so i have my training schedule posted on the fridge and the dates of each run and alternate dates in case of inclimate weather. My training begins the week we return from York. I have a run scheduled at the Pickerel Festival 10k, the Cherry Festival 15k, Mint Festival, 10k, and the run around Mackinac, or is it Mackinaw, Island 8 miles either spelling it's pronounced aw

That should be enough race experience.

Any thoughts regarding race experience from you seasoned, blog stalking, rather not make your opinions known, addicted to running, and, like myself, using what could be productive time in the office in this inane, yet hopelessly addicting and truly wonderful, manner.

Since i've turned off comment moderation, please feel free.

On the spiritual front, i've started to read Job. So i am still plugging away at the Bible. It would be nice to finish about the time of the marathon.

So i've handled physical and spiritual. i still need help on the financial well-being. Anyone need a loan? really just kidding, well not totally.

thanks again for reading

Anybody care to see cows being milked?

hey there, i best slow down before my vacation gets outta hand next week. The whole famn damily is heading to York PA, for a fun filled week of; Hershey, Gettysburg, Washington DC (which apparently has a new well marked running path, just follow the sidewalk poop stains around the various points of interest in DC) and York PA, which is the factory tour capital of the US.

Can this truly be better than the second largest ball of twine, which urban legend claims is housed in Liberal KS? I think not.

Anyway, i am looking forward to our fun family vacation. It'll be a little history, a little Americana, and little thrill, ie Hershey theme park, and, yippee, Harley-Davidson has a factory in York. They build the engines to my bike there, it could be a cool thing to see. After all York is the factory tour capital of the US.

"What else do the folks of York make?" you may be asking yourself. Well, let me tell you, they have a brewery there. Yippee, a Beer Garden, and a restaurant. Y'know what else the Brewery has? A factory tour, because....after all York is the factory tour capital of the US.

Let us pray for samples... just a brief moment of silence.

Now, i first must give credit to my lovely bride, Lisa, for finding this one. That's right, Lisa, affectionately referred to as Fun Govenor around the house, found a Dairy Farm tour. Ooooooh, the thrill is giving me goosenipples, pun waaaaay intended, as i type this. Not only is this a fun filled tour of a Dairy Farm, it's a robotic dairy farm.

The job is so dull that humans will not even attach the breast pump, udder thingy to the cows anymore, so let's make a factory tour out of it, because...after all York is the factory tour capital of the US.

And even worse, now that i have obviously been stalking other running blogs, through A Running Destination, all i can think about as i type is a recent post to the Running Rabbit Chronicles and nipples. So go to the links and find them. Read Not Born to Run for the DC pathway. I laughed so hard i was crying.

Ran 7ish miles this morning took about an hour.

thanks again for reading my, not so much running information, running blog

An old newpapers columnist in Detroit used to run a column he called his monday moanin' thoughts, or something to that effect. This is a small tribute:

Father's Day has come and gone. i have two close friends whose fathers have passed away. one greatly misses his father to this day, another never seemed to care for his father. Funny peculiar, not haha, thing is most of the time i have to remind my father he has a son.

i miss the E Street Band.

i really love The Seeger Session Band.

Anybody who gets a chance to see Bruce Springsteen should. The man is the most ultimate showman. i've seen E Street, one man shows, and now...the Seeger Session.

how come you can find three guys dancing together in the aisles at a Bruce concert, but take the same three guys put them at the movies and they have to take 5 seats due to the "i'm not gay" seats.

i love living in michigan. i grew up and have always lived here. i love the water, the weather, and the terrain is rolling up north, and yeah in case you get lost we all carry a map of the state with us.

i love when people laugh at Michiganders, when we hold up our right hands to point where we live.

i love we have stupid names for ourselves; yoopers, trolls, fudgies, etc....actually that's about it.

i love Kid Rock, Eminem, Bob Seagar, Martha Reeves, Barry Gordy, and even, just the music, Ted Nugent

i love that Kiss Alive I,II & most of III was recorded here. Detroit Rock City

i love that there ain't no party like a detroit party cause a detroit party don't stop

i love the pistons, wings, lions and tigers

i love our reputation as a no-nonsense place to live. People work there asses off here, and almost entirely for the benefit of the auto buying people of the world. Michiganders can be real passionate about where they live and the kind of people we are.

but how about some reality...

Mighigan has one of the highest unemloyment rates in the country. Last figures i saw showed 7.2 %

New housing starts in Michigan are below national averages.

Communities in metro-detroit area havea 60 month inventory of current homes listed on the market.

Michigan is the fastest shrinking population in the country.

Detroit is the fastest shrinking city in the country. 1000 per month are leaving Detroit to head out of Michigan. Last one in the city turn out the lights

Ford Motor is looking to build another plant in Mexico.

Bruce sang the song "How can a poor man stand such times and live?" in reference to rebuilding New Orleans. And in one of his Springsteen-esque moments rambled on before the song about the importance on New Orleans. Which, hey, i agree lets rebuild, but wait a moment, Michigan's not going to be hit with any natural disaster large enough to destroy our community.

That's right no natural monster size disasters. No major floods, tornadoes, hurricaines, earthquakes, volcanoes, mudslides. Just more public golf courses per square mile than any other state, more shoreline than any other state, except Alaska, no shark attacks, all this clean water.

So if you're paranoid of natural disasters, we are the place for you. All of our disasters are manmade.

thanks again for reading.


provided, hacked, sliced and diced, cut/paste, whatever by Backstreets.com a Bruce fansite

June 17 / Detroit, MI / DTE Energy CenterNotes: A beautiful, warm summer night -- looked pretty hot onstage, actually -- in the far north suburbs of Detroit. And well attended, compared to previous shows -- the pavilion was virtually full, with the biggest lawn crowd so far. "Hello, picnickers!" Bruce hollered. There was no pit tonight, but that didn't seem to have any real effect; the crowd was boisterous enough, and there was no need to call for any Detroit asses to get out of any Detroit seats. A very similar set to Cleveland, dropping "Into the Fire" but adding "Further On (Up the Road)" before "Long Time Comin'." The latter was again dedicated to son Evan, whereabouts unknown at first -- Bruce said he was probably asleep backstage, since them teenagers like to stay up all night -- but he came out after the song to bring his pop a a guitar. Patti remains absent, but when a fan called out for her, Bruce said she'd "be back soon." Speaking of moms, Dave Marsh's mother got a shout-out tonight, with a dedication of "We Shall Overcome."

Setlist: John Henry/O Mary Don't You Weep/Atlantic City/Old Dan Tucker/Eyes on the Prize/Jesse James/Cadillac Ranch/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/Further On (Up the Road)/Long Time Comin'/Mrs. McGrath/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob's Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down

Encore: Bring Them Home/Rag Mama Rag/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/Ramrod/When the Saints Go Marching In

Egad....i'm shrinking??....

So here's the deal. i was working the bar last night and our sous chef noticed i've lost a lot of weight and says, "dude, you look like your shrinking"

"Well, yeah, i lost about 45 lbs since January"

"No, i mean you look a lot smaller. When you first started you had a larger than life quality. y'know long hair, and you were a big guy. You had a large presence to ya."

Great, i'm shrinking.

O.K. so my golf league has been going for a couple of weeks. i have got to be the worst golfer in the world. i don;t really care, cause my costs per stroke is real low. Also anyone can play from the fairway, where the grass is short and the lies are easy. Dammit, i prefer the challenge of the rough. That's where the real golfers play. Plus, i feel bad taking huge divots out of the nicely manicured fairways. The rough is supposed to be....wait for it...rough.

Anyway, so the number of my leaguemates who saw the difference in my weight from October to May who said things like, "Mike, are you o.k.?, are you sick? Is there anything you need?" is comical.

No real point just a funny thought. i'm still surprised by people's reactions to my new appearance. i've always thought of myself the way i currently appear. Funny thing how mirrors are one-dimensional. i guess i've been living in denial for years about my appearance. Dumb thing that actually motivated me was "The Biggest Loser". Once the people on the show started to weigh less then i did, it was time to make a change. Just one of many motivators.

Marathon Training: i was given a marathon training schedule for beginners that is a 16 week train. Which means my official start date is July 3rd. i can't ever begin to imagine who developed it, but it came from "Runner's World, August 2004". Since it appears many of my fellow gluttons for running are officially starting earlier than i, i am wondering why i went with the shortest beginner marathon train i could find.

Life as a procratinating obsessive-compulsive. i'm real committed, really focused, but let's wait to the last possible moment to start preparing.

Thanks to all the well wishers

Even Animal who also had to deal with the memory of an old embarrassment. and thanks to Mark for that one.

Anyway, i did the only thing i could think of to get away from my self-inflicted misery. Of course, that meant a long run with real loud music. i went for my long run, with a watch but figured i would map out the distance after getting home.

1:11:17 later, i was home. After mapping it out online, i discovered i had ran 8.02 miles. Now i was running at a real good clip and after looking at the distance the minutes per mile time was a little bit of a bummer. but....

i had two major traffic lights which i hit both with real bad timing and stood at both of them for between 3 and 4 minutes each. so i figure i most likely would have gained an extra 5-6 minutes of the 1:11. So really i figure about 1:06 for the distance. That puts me at about a 8:30 mile.

Maybe it's a reach but hey, a guy's gotta do something to feel better. Which, at least today, i do.

i even felt good enough to ride my mountain bike to work this morning. First time i tried this and it was really enjoyable. A change of clothes in a backpack, and i wasn't too sweaty to create a big stink in the office. i need to do this more often.

i had forgotten how the muscles used in biking are so different than running. i really need to crosstrain more.

Anyway, i'm approaching the Book of Job in the bible. shouldn't there be an E in Job somewhere? This next section may be the most difficult to read through as i am entering the wisdom books. Lot's of poetry here. i may have problem with wisdom but i enjoy reading poetry, not too sure about hundreds of pages of poetry, but i'll keep plugging along.

If i could read through pages of Jim Morrison's stuff the bible should be a piece of cake. Just cause you were a moody pop star doesn't qualify you as poetic genius.

Did anyone see "Rescue Me" last week and thoroughly enjoy the last 5 minutes as much as i did?

thanks again

Real Quick Update:

I just wanted to say thanks to the people who have stumbled on this blog and left a comment.

So most recently, and in no real order, other that the way i wrote them down on a post-it note;

thanks to:

Spindrift, an absolute "just found you randomly" comment, i love that

Running Jayhawk, who i really hope meet in Chicago, i'll be the guy in the running suit and a bib, and

Jane Henry, a feel so international now, good luck with the book, goooooooo english football team, although i'm a bit partial to Germany, my wife's maiden name is Kaiser, i don't really have a choice, but T&T...could be history in the making. maybe..... Dumb american's only watch football, o.k. this is me trying to be trendy, i mean soccer, every couple of years, what do i know? i thought a striker was a position in that stupid game in Harry Potter books.

anyway, thanks for the comments and reading the blog.

Sorry it's been over a week since i've posted.

it's been a bad week.

i cannot seem to remember the last time i've been this depressed.

and apparantly this disjointed in my thoughts.

Anyone out there with some positive energy to help me get through some rough times?

Please help!!!!

sorry 'bout the blatant pity party, i'll be back to my old self soon. i swear, i must be entering my mid-life.

1:20:42

that puts me at 8:40 per mile.

It was a pleasant run and i felt good at the end

that pace puts the 1/2 marathon at 1:53. ten minutes faster than April 1st. i think i could have gone another 4 miles at the same pace.

I should be a little faster at Traverse City with the extra boost of adrenaline and water stations, gu, etc...

Whoopie!!!

Here is my Running Plan for the Day.

i have set a 15k course, it's 10:00 am. 10:30 i run it.

This is for time. Not really going for a PR. Just a good run.

i'm hoping for less then 1:30.

i had a bowl of oatmeal and some peanut butter.

gotta find a new battery for my mp3 player.

i have some time to stretch.

i'll be back later with the time.