i passed

73%

Funny how somehow going from a failing 69 to a passing 73 makes all the difference in the world.

It's a 100 question exam. 2 questions one way and i'm short of getting licensed. 2 questions above the required 71% and i studied too hard. Not really.

But, huge kudos to my bride, the nefarious Fun Guv for putting up with my ugliness this week as i got cranky and studied all week. Why...just to get an extra 4, just four more questions right to become eligible to be a fully licensed investment professional type person.

Truth is, i can't really do anything yet as the license will not be activated for 3 more weeks, but it's done. and now to concentrate on more important things like running the marathon. oh yeah and learning to run a profitable business.

Thanks to all for the good thoughts about the test.

Another big question???? Can a liberal-minded mind exist in a world of capitalist, and mostly conservatives(?)??? Well, this should be a fun new career, eh. How many republican dinner parties will i find myself invited to now????

Maybe, i can concentrate on GREEN, investing??? Or hometown....state....USA products. Wouldn't that be patriotic???

Thanks for reading

Aaaaah, the joy of a new first grader on the first day of school or....Pee Wee Herman as a child. You pick.

Woo, slow down...what's this two days in a row of back-to-back post. Well back by popular demand, namely Kim asking for a political rant, i felt inspired...but first...there's always a but first right????

Tomorrow morning i sit for a second attempt at the Series 66, Uniformed Combined State Law Exam. Sounds scary as i missed the first attempt by 2 questions. Quite honestly, this test sucks. It was written by lawyers and dammit can they ever just write a simple question??? appartantly not.

Wish me luck and think of where i will be at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Please Gknee, you've been a good luck omen to me.

Also...Terese, call me, since she reads this little thing once in a while, i want to discuss the merits of the Deathly Hallows, and not ruin an ending for anybody waiting for the movie in 4 or 5 years.

But on to political rants.....

VW has appartantly decided to pull out of Michigan. Basically, their office in Auburn Hills, home of the Palace, home of the Pistons and a soon to be Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show ('nother topic/'nother day), it's purely administrative for the US operations and employes about 1000 folks. They're heading South....

So our Guv, is again scramblin' to try to keep another company from pulling up stakes and promising the world if they (VW) stay in Michigan. Just like she has been trying for the past 6 years, as companies have been heading away from Michigan.

Now right-wingers out there... love to blame the unions and love to blame the high wages companies pay to michiganders. Right-wingers love to blame our liberal governor, who is best served as a little junket representative for bridge runs (kidding, wink wink...nudge, nudge).

So, thinking about it....which i do,, and this is just a little thought, but....i'm ready for the governor to grow a set.

Next time a company pulls out of Michigan, i want her to call up the CEO and offer to help them pack. If they want to go elsewhere then go. Tired of paying high wages....go see what you get when you move everything to China....right Mattel???

The entire industrialised economy, of the world, is based upon the inventions of Henry Ford (albeit, an antisemite and ealry on supporter of Hitler, not without faults, but...) and the development of the assembly line. We did it. The mid-west work effort defines the state of Michigan.

Companies want to leave to cut cost...go!!! everybody gets what they pay for. Good luck getting people in the South to work mandatory 7 days and double shifts cause production picks up. That's what we do here.

Cheap labor will mean cheap product. So governor, ...please,....as a salesman for the past 8 years i've realized that you can't be everything to everyone, and there is a value to the work ethic inherent to the midwest. It may cost more to stay here, but the risk of moving to a cheaper work force may prove costlier.

That's a winning mentality. The idea of placating every company with tax cuts who threaten to move without them is loser thinking. i guess when i hear folks wish a business person ran things, maybe they want a salesperson in reality.

just a thought

thanks for reading

Keep moving forward!!!!

That's been my mantra for the past year or so. Just keep going and as i approach the Chicago marathon i realize.
...i'm not ready.

And even as i try to blame circumstances beyond my control, i realize i have lost a bit of my running mojo.

See, the little leg injury really started the ball rolling. The more i tried to force a good run, the more pain. The more pain the less i wanted to run.

The new job has taken control of every aspect of my life. And being an admitted obsessive/complusive, not as much time to run. Little excuses like it's too hot, i need to study, my leg hurts, i have to finish the Harry Potter book or my head will explode.....kept me of the not so beaten path of training....

Well, here i am....no much studying left for work....i finished the Harry Potter book (worth staying up 'till 4:00am to finish)...my leg seems fine...my weight is still the same as the end of the Bayshore Marathon.

No more excuses....well....one....after the Chicago Marathon i need to catch a plane to St Louis for another fun filled week of training (starting Monday at 8:00am)

Kind of a bummer, as i will not be able to truly enjoy the afterglow from a good run...better to scramble towards an airport and try to make a plane...yay!!

But, i run, and i figure any training plan is garbage now. Any thoughts for a BQ....gone. Can i finish...i don't know.

This is in no way a cry for pity or encouragement. It's just reality. i haven't properly trained and i know it. i hope in the next few weeks i can put on some decent mileage, take a shortened, but smart taper, and run 26.2.

It will be painful. It will be the hardest race i have ran. It may break me. i may not finish.

But, i will keep moving forward!!!!

congrats to my friend LISA and her fun run across the Mack Bridge.

Watching, or rather, hearing that Michigan lost Saturday meant nothing is respect to watching the extremely moving opening of the college football season through the eyes of VT students, and players. ESPN did a great job in not hyping the moment but letting the pregame just unfold for us. i truly believe nothing brings a campus together like a college football game. Additionally, the fact that Va Tech players enter the field to "Enter Sandman" is phenomenal!!!

Yesterday i ran 8.50 miles, longest run since the midnite 20.....this was more at my pace, at 7 miles the leg flared up a little.

thanks for reading, and understanding that i haven't had the time or motivation to keep up a running blog when i'm not really running.

on to a completely different subject and mood fo the day:

i don't ever want to find myself shedding tears while watching "college game day" on espn again....

Aahhh yes the Steers to what do we owe the name of our beloved moniker too???

but first




if you think this secene is funny....you are on your way to steerdom

or perhaps if before a big game or a big run you like to listen to music to gear up like....




well...this might make you a steer as well.

but maybe you prefer a little bit more cerebral comedy



again, you get the point. And if you understand the meaning of the word



JUJUNE....you're in.

Because waaaay back in the late 90's there was a residence hall on the campus of Central Michigan University named Tate Hall. Up on the third floor was "Hell", i lived in Hell. Along with roommates, Tange, Piss-boy and Alki, i was Luki. (Tange, now a regular stalker of this blog, and commentator).

Tange, ran swam and biked
Piss-boy, a business major and dip addict
Alki, drank a lot
Luki, well i slept a lot, 2 time resident hall "skipper"

But we all played pick-up basketball, and when intra-murals came out we and others in the hall needed a team name....so the story is rather dull, but we went with steers cause the Bulls were still getting beat up on by the Pistons back then....and....the definition of a steer in a dictionary is....

a castrated bovine

try to say those words out loud and not giggle or snicker a little. So Steers became the name and till this day exist.

As Steer players have some and gone, fer instance, Nitmos....brother of King (who lived in Hell) have both been members of Steers basketball teams.

And so the name lives on.....sometimes in odd ways....The Steers, Da Steers, AAA Steers (for higher alpha placement and earlier games)

So the secret of the Steers moniker is out. And all are invited to become members of the new Steers Running Team. Maybe.... Stampeding Herd (sounds like a Marshall thing, maybe not)

Now as i have gotten a little older on wiser...the idea of joining a team named after a castrated bovine seems oddly enough.....appropriate????

Lady Steers??? welcome to the group, but what the hell are we supposed to cut off of you???

Steers Team must do's.....listen to Def Leppard prior to a big game, recite Caddyshack and laugh at Woody Allen movies....and this is not required but a good idea to understand the mentality.....

watch the movie "Eraserhead" one time and try to explain it. Good luck with that one




Thanks for reading

In an effort to post a thought about as the Animal updates his blog, i figure an update is due.

first things first; sorry to not have an update following the 20 mile midnite run. It's been so long and i figure LISA's site covered it and moved to the CRIM and beyond, but a quick little 3:04 am snippet from the night....




...with a little song thrown in....



But since i have been not really updating and am using videos to take up space to avoid typing any real thoughts...let me say i loved my 10th annual 30th birthday party....next years midnite run will be a 40 miler in anticipation of the big 11th 30th party.....funny math for the Germans also know as Kim and Uwe who brought me my favorite beer as a gift....and i'm drinking one now...yep it's....




oooh the alcohol abuse.....but why WARSTEINER?????

three magical little words GERMAN PURITY LAWS

See the germans made it a law that only four things can go into beer around 400 years ago....oddly enough one of the things that can go into the making of beer is.....

wait for it....

...water. oh my god....what can the other three things be....

barley....malt...hop extract....

isn't that truly amazing????? look on the bottle for ingredients and that's what appears.

Cause life is too short to drink cheap beer. thanks guys

The party had beer from canada and germany, and vodka from the ukraine much fun was had by all....so.....

LET'S PLAY MEXICO

Moving on to a little snippet from late in the evening

long distance on the phone with Zack in Utah....

must have been the vodka

thank goodness Kim was there to open the vodka bottle as i had trouble....

open the european style bottle....

again good thing Uwe was distracted

a good time was had by all. How am i going to do this again next year after running 40 miles to commemerate the event. And who is going to join me for this one????

Maybe we can get shirts.....like.....STEERS RUNNING TEAM shirts. Something like a running with the bulls but more of a running with the steers. With individual names so marathon cheerers can root for us. Maybe even a "bib-goes-here" spot for bib....duh.

...and of course the official steers "rock on" wave to other runners gesture...wait for it...it's only another minute long....

you mess with the steers and you'll get the horns....

thanks for reading/watching....whatever

das-be-danya....i can barely spell english...how did you think i would spell this???

later.....

confessions of a half-night runner:

Mission Accomplished

20 miles under cover of darkness.

More to follow

Well let me tell you how much fun i am having.

Meet me in St Louis never rang truer than when 100+ sales people meet to get trained on how to be better sales people.

This may be the most intense, yet educational experience of my life.

More on the later but first:

This week's 20 miler is gonna be great cause the temps will be lower than the 100's the weather has been here. Yesterday i ran 3 miles on the dreadmill at 5:30 in the morning before hitting a shower and training all day. Then a classmate asked me to join him for a run of 3 miles after class, in the gawd awful heat. yippee!!!!!

Hottest day of the year....let's run.....

Sorry to be brief but i just wanted to assure everyone that i'm still here having fun and looking forward to the big 20 miler this weekend.

Thanks for reading

Today was my first ever run west of the Mississippi river.

The plane ride to St Louis was thankfully uneventful and the last day has been spent getting to know my fellow classmates. All in all, this is quite fun.

But after breakfast this morning i figured it's time to get back to training. What a wonderful place to do it at. Except, i really am not acclimated to August in a more southern climate. When i headed out from the hotel, temps were in the high 80's and it was 10:00am.

Wow, this is hot, but being an easy run, i went real easy. Guess what....

No leg pain. My strides were conservative but i figured on about 10 miles would be fine.

The hotel sent me towards a park which has a path which encircles a lake. It was new territory and i admit to being excited. But the run to the lake was about 2 miles. Then 4 miles around the lake and i took about a 2.5 route back to the hotel.

There really are some hillier areas here then i was used too. The return trip had stairs to climb. 220 stairs. And since the temps had risen a lot, i was a bit pooped.

y'know that so hot you feel chills feeling? i had a little of that so i stopped a lot to chat with many of the numerous folks on the trail.

Go figure, i met a runner finishing up his first of two 20 milers before his first marathon. i guess the Lewis and Clark marathon. Sounded fun. He looked in great shape to finish in his 4 hour goal. Of course i cautioned him to be wary of sudden gastro-intestinal issues that may occur while marathoning.

Maybe it's just me but i seem to be comfortable with ALL running topics with other runners. Well, he didn't seem offended so no harm no foul.

Looks like i have found a partner or two to run some shorter distances in the evenings this week.
No one wanted to join me when i said i was going about 10 miles, but there are so other runners here. It could be fun.

Looks like i may get to experience one of my New Years Resolutions soon. Of course i called my great lakes running bud, L*I*S*A to tell her of the beautiful course around the river. and yes i called my wife when we landed to tell her i made it to MO ok.

As Lisa has agreed to help be a rent-a-husband on Friday prior to the 10th annual 30th birthday bash. She may just stay over, go with Fun Guv to pick me up at Detroit Metro and go for her 20 mile run in the morning prior to the party.

i suggested we leave at 11:00pm, due the 20 then be well rested for the party Saturday afternoon, instead of running in the morning. i quest to experience the feelings i.e. thoughts of an all-nite-runner, albeit not quite the whole night is a curiousity.

It could be the start of a new tradition for the 2nd annual running of the 11th annual 30th birthday bash, next year.

Egads, well the hotel pool is calling so i will end this little post with something completely different....or how i ran when my leg/back problems were bad



thanks for reading

84%

That's the score. Yippee. i passed my State of Michigan Life and Health Insurance license exam.

So, on one hand i am a bit bummed that two erroneous answers now have me studying again to attempt the Series 66 Investment Advisor Law exam to be fully licensed, but i am still on track for opening my own office....

Tomorrow, i head to St Louis, MO. You bet this is looking better after passing todays exam.

Somehow, my leg doesn't hurt so much and my back feels tons better. Any relation?????

Enough work stuff, as next week will be fairly intense, let me get back to the streak....

Day 4....maybe it should be a rest day as it was the worse start in a while to get the pseudo-normal stride. Eventually the pain subsided and it turned into an almost pleasant 3 miler. The running through some pain has brought an old, borrowed mantra

"run till you can't run, walk till you can't walk, crawl till you can't crawl"

It's not so bad that i crawl yet, but i will somehow find a way to finish my next marathon.

Which being a little less than 2 months away still seems far enough away to prepare for, but....

i have opted to ponder more the WHY i run as the idea of a BQ diminishes. Given that this has been a terrible training experience, can i walk, limp, hobble, slither away from this marathon knowing that it may be slower, yet still satisfied with the fact that it will be my third in a 12 month interval???

i think i can

Now, the plan today is to end the streak at 5. So i plan to run a little today. For the record, i count a run as 2 miles or more. Why 2????

It goes back to stupid CMU days when keeping track of how many days in a row a person went drinking. 2 drinks counted as plural. ergo... drinking. Same logic applied to running

so running less than 2 miles is one run while 2 or more is running. (Yes, this is a blatant attempt to win the hearts of the running stats folks out there)

Why don't runners get tattoo's of there favorite shoe logo like bikers with HD tattoo's???

Nice segue to Lisa's decision to not get the could-be-chinese for Tyler tattoo. Go with an Aerosmith logo with Tyler Joseph replacing the band name script. i think that may be the idea to go with, as Animal will be getting a KISS something inked into his saggy man-boobs, and he wanted to go along.

Which really is the segue i wanted to get to Cranial Flatul...just call it brain fart, it's so much easier to spell

Since you will never throw away the parenting books....consider this. Think of parenting kinda like changing a poopy diaper...See this helps cause you're changing a lot right now. Now infant poopy diapers don't start all rank and unbelievably hideous. They start out small and not nearly as stinky as they'll get later. Cause if you had to start with a two-year olds mess nobody would be able to adjust. See, you and the poopy diaper evolve as the poopy diapers get nasty and nastier. By the time you're changing poopy diapers of a two year old...you can almost do it an the dinner table between courses.

Now Roz is just an extension of the poopy diaper....See, first you hit the basics...food, cleaning, health, sleep. That's it. And if you think you love this blob of flesh now...wait till you get a real smile, not one you think is a smile...the walk in the room and her eyes light up....man, it's a killer...

But back to the point....as Roz's needs change, i am sure your instinct's will kick in. Relax....she won't be asking if she can go out on a date for years...and when she does, you'll be ready then, without having to consult a book on what to expect from your teenager.

So this turned into a long winded post about advice on ignoring advice on parenting. Am i being redundant or Oxy-moronic???



And thanks Gknee for the well wishes, you seem to be my exam day good luck vibe

Thanks for reading

A stress free one mile.

This is good news as yesterday, during my 3 mile run, i was able to stretch out and get to old groove back.

It brought back that great feeling of a good run again. Even if it was only one mile, it was back. Now, if it doesn't happen again today, i'll be bummed. Alas, fear will not paralize me, i will try to go again a short distance.

On the new job, things have been going about the same as my running. Tomorrow i sit for the State of Michigan Life and Health Insurance License Exam. 150 questions, 70% to pass. i have passed three pre exams this week with scores of 74%, 82%, & 80%. i think i am ok for tomorrow.

Too bad, i scores a 69% on my first attempt at the investment advisor law exam, Series 66. i missed a passing score by 2 questions.

Let's hope for the best. i pass tomorrow, then go to St Louis for a week, (any good running areas there???), come home late Friday night, and drink beer the next day (more on this later in the post). Start my market research and planning while sneaking in some study time to prepare to retake the series 66 exam.

Piece of Cake, Right????

O.K. next little tiny issue. Next Saturday, the 18th is the 10th annual Mike's 30 birthday-slash pool party. i will be leaving Saturday the 11th for the gateway to the west, and coming home Friday the 17th, arriving at Detroit Metro at about 8:30 pm. Since i am unavailable to assist my lovely bride next week.....she needs a rent-a-husband.

Now of course for those of you who know the Fun Guv this will not be a surprise but....She'll need someone who is good at following direction. Or at least as good as i do (so the bar is set real low)....to help prepare the homestead. Any takers??????

odd observation: i received an email from Fun Guv's uncle, i get a lot of emails from him. Y'know the generic joke emails of funny pictrures and movies.....but this one was odd pictures of....PLANE CRASHES...ooooh for christ sake!!!!

Anyway, i'm off for another short run tonite. The streak is currently at 3 days, tonite i go for 4.

Thanks for reading

What we've got here is.... failure to communicate....

Well, let me say the running without a GPS for the past few days has been enlightening. Now, i will be returning to the GPS soon enough. But being injured, and i think being able to start running again, i am having a better time listening to the clues ones body gives them, when not having these bodily clues argue with a per mile pace.

i have decided to streak for a few days. Meaning that since i am doing a lot less miles at a time, i'm going consecative days now. Yes, i am sure i need more rest but...i've put on about 8 lbs through this, and the reality of hitting 200 lbs is a benchmark i am looking to avoid. Weird thing is i can actually feel the added weight.

Not that failing to communicate has anything to do with my running blog, but actually to yet another disappointment in the incredible saga of realizing how a man can ignore the son he choose to adopt 30 some years ago.

Yep, this is a fatherly-son vent. As i have stated before, sometimes i need to remind my father he has a son. i guess i needed to do this last Saturday. Let me set the stage.....

At my Grandmothers 90th birthday party, the summer version for those of us unavailable to go to Florida back in April, my father had the nerve to tell me i do not call my grandmother enough. Now my anger could be an indication that he hit a nerve with me that i realize i don't call her enough. This may be true and coming from anyone else....i would have listened, but for Christ sake...

My grandmother's 90 birthday was in April. i could not make the party in Florida. So i called her the next day, knowing everyone would be gone and without calling the day of said party, we would be able to enjoy a lengthy pleasant conversation.

Which my grandmother and i did. Which even included an explanation from me as to why i did not call during the party. She was busy with other family and i thought it rude to call the day of. Plus being 90, i figured she would be exhausted the day of the party.

Anyway, back in April my sister tried to lecture me that i didn't call. Cause she had left the morning of the day i called and was unaware that i did call. Since my father left the same morning, he too, did not know that i had called. But he decided to wait until the next time we spoke, yep, almost 4 months later, to lecture me that i do not call my only grandmother enough.

Now being the spiteful man i am, i always call my father on his birthday to wish him a happy birthday. Sometimes i send a card. Sometimes i even use the excuse to ride my motorcycle. It's only an hour away. And visit for a few hours.

Apparantly, from my fathers perspective, i made him look back by not calling. Cause, she received a lot of calls that day. Which in hindsite i should have lied and said that i had tried but the line was busy.

So when i lambasted my father in a quiet-yet very stern manner that his argument held no water coming from him. That he couldn't pick the last time he had called me to wish me a happy birthday, and i could tell him all the most previous dates i had called him. That he hasn't bothered to speak with or try to see his grandchildren since December 23. That even though we only live one hour away, they never have been over to our house for a family dinner, because i got tired of asking and being told they couldn't attend because of church functions. Very Christ-like eh????

Please let me vent more, whose blog is it???

My father had no idea i have changed jobs. i had the opportunity to tell him of the change when i called him prior to the Bayshore, but figured why bother. i didn't need the lecture about changing jobs in addition to being told he wouldn't be in Traverse that weekend. i was hoping he would be in Traverse that day and might like to attend. i guess thinking he might call after the race to see how i did was hoping for too much. Hell, my sister lives there and she couldn't bother to attend, but she did offer to let me drive the 20 plus miles out to her house from the Bayshore to visit.

Another little vent, even though my sister knows i write a little blog, and Fun Guv has the link on her email signature, my sister has never read a post.

i wonder if my father thinks i don't call enough, where the hell he thinks i learned it from.--- " 'Cause the new jobs a hassle, and the kids got the flu but it was sure nice talking with you, dad"






Am i the father or son in this song??? At least, the dad in this song called once.

Thanks for reading, my self therapy, sorry if it's a little dis-jointed.

This is one of those forced moments to blog

It's hard to explain why, but i think i understand how a person can let a blog, and really let a Running Blog, become tedious. For the last few weeks this has become so for me.

So no, this isn't one of those moments where the author sends out a fond fairwell, a final thanks, and moves on. It's more of that internal why has this become so. After all, this started as a way to express those oh-so-introspective moments of running. The 5-plus-miles-from-home-zen and the way that my life has improved through getting into a less than round shape.

And, while i type awaiting the muse to grant me quick fingers, with better accuracy, and a moment of clarity. Which truth-be-told exist....it's more of a how and wording, and do i risk letting real feelings out, not just thoughts????

Somehow my little corner of Blog-land has morphed into a statistical wasteland. How many miles do i run, how fast, what are the goals, how i use speed work to gain an extra precious few seconds per mile, and on and on....

i like to look back on the greatest Detroit Lions coach of my lifetime, so far, i hope for a better one....Mr Wayne Fontes, who said after his first lions victory, as an interim coach, on his way to finishing the last 4 games of the miserable season which produced the great draft ability for Barry Sanders. It's not too late Barry, come back..., in which the Green Bay Packers dominated every aspect of the game, except the final score...

"STATISTICS ARE FOR LOSERS"

And so, that's may be why my little blog has become boring, to me and i assume others. It has/had taken on a life that wasn't me. Which if you know my rules for the blog, is a big no-no as i aspire to be truthful.

An oddity in this observation is that while taking so many writing classes on my stellar way to an average English major in college, is that i struggled with the aspects of technical writing most.

So my lesson is learned. As i strayed away from what i loved about running and writing, both passions suffered. To the point that my injuries have me upset about the possiblility of not finishing the Chicago Marathon. My obsession with stats may have been a contributing factor to my injury and so...

I AM A LOSER

So i'm gonna right this ship now......

SING IN ME, OH MUSE....AND THROUGH ME TELL THE STORY

i like to think that all members of the X generation who grew up with FRIENDS, oh the irony, have their own infamous 5 hypothetical free romps in the sack with famous people. Y'know the freebies from marital/significant other wraith. A great sorce for fantastical discussions and while if i was to ever meet Diane Keaton in person, i am quite sure neither she, nor Pamela Anderson, Terri Hatcher, Jessica Alba, or Reese Witherspoon will feel an uncontrollable urge to get to know me, at least in the biblical sense.

Alas, with little fanfair, someone's getting booted today...no... not Diane. Ms Annie Hall is a permanent fixture, as i watched "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" at waaaaay toooo young an age, and as a newly hatched duckling becomes imprinted with the first moving object it sees as a mother, so she has been imprinted as the sex symbol for me.

It's Terri Hatcher. Sorry, although they may be real, but they haven't been spectacular in years. And fine...i'm a pig, but it's my fantasy world and aren't i allowed a little piggishness????? Besides, i'm sure Ms Hatcher is not sitting home sobbing about not being on this list.

But in my new era of enlightenment. And to balance out the ying to Pamela's yang....finish your own joke here

i am pleased to announce the newest member of the Mike's 5 Freebie's

man....i'm such an idiot, if only i had this idea earlier i could of replaced one woman with all the Dixie Chicks....wait that's a totally different type of fantasy.....and a little twisted, buuuutt...hmmmmmmm

But, God this is so sexy




Sorry, i just got lost in a thought, oh well could-ah, should-ah, would-ah

Thanks for reading

i have been cleared to begin running, a little bit

So after a little begging i am allowed to continue, hell, begin the training program. Today is a scheduled 4 miles, so a nice easy way to get back in the saddle. The weather is in the mid-80 and although humidity is a little high, nothing i can't stand.

If this week goes ok, i'll start encorperating some ways to add some drag to my running next week. Like running in the heat of the day, so the fall chicago weather is literally a breeze. Maybe running with the camel-pak more on some shorter runs to increase drag, and most definitely hitting the speed work, while keeping up with the new stretches i have been using.

Weight is in good order, as i have been careful through the sidelined moments and as corny as this sounds, swimming tons of lengths in my little pool. So after jumping on the scale on Sunday, i've had to get back on the last two days to be sure of the weight....

189, ok let's call it 190 but still a new body mass index of 24.39-25.04

Enough of the running already....

i watched The Prestige the other night and not to ruin it for anybody, it seemed ok at first. Two rival magicians, a cool David Bowie, Tesla role, and twist and turns of what someone is willing to do for their craft. But....and if you haven't seen it, sorry.....Bruce Willis' character was dead the whole time.....no not quite, but.....the entire premis of the rivalry/hatred is based on a trick going bad. Except the woman didn't have to die, it was a trick lock, instead of beating on the sides of the glass box with an axe, and wasting time....why didn't they just flip the trick lock???? Obviously, the characters had prepared for this emergency by having the axe handy....It was explained in an earlier scene, y'know how the trick lock worked, by the axe weilding Michael Caine character.

So this is what i think about while swimming little laps in my pool. Two examples the trick going well and not so well, but remember the trick lock??...




the things a person can find on the internet... not quite Flash Gordan, but in hindsite maybe The Prestige needed some Bore-worms......

thanks for reading

It's been...one week since i updated, why, so long it's not really like me not to post????

Well, two or three reasons and trust me this one is not meant to be a brain dump. i'm gonna go go with the drive-by quick hit approach:

Daughter Allison, 13 year old, is visiting from waaaaay up north, geography buffs---up means away from the Earth/ down means closer to the ground, therefore no such thing as up north/down south. It's been great to see her, it's been since the Bayshore Marathoon. It's amazing how fast little girls grow.

After passing the Series 7, General Stock Licensing Exam, i still am not done with exams. I had last week and until Thursday at noon to prepare for the Series 66, Financial Advisor Exam. 100 questions, 71 right to pass, 2 &1/2 hour time limit. This is the State Securities Laws exam. As each State can set there own laws for state registration it's fairly generic based on big picture stuff. Of course, since it's a law exam it was written by lawyers. I've had to study 278 pages this week, mostly new material, and take 1000 practice test questions. Next week is another 600 practice questions before Thurdays 1:00pm test.

My back is FUBAR'd. Or at least it was....i have seen the back-quack a total of three times and although i am expecting a clear to run date on Monday's final(?) visit. i've been in some pain.

Leg strain has been determined to have been caused by hip misplacement (where'd it go???) Leg feels tons better now and back is sore. i swear i was in better physical shape when i smoked 1/2 pack a day.

After a hopeful Series 66 passing score, a two week preparation for the Michigan Life and Health Insurance Test. That will be the end of standarized test and i get to spend a week or two in the near future in St Louis, to train on how to actually use my new knowledge.

So next week: Allison goes by up north, Boooo; i get to re-start marathon training, yaaayyy; i get to take another test and hopefully pass, yaaaaayyy; i get to start studying for another test, boooo.

Being a huge fan of live music: i finally was able to see The Police live last Tuesday. Love'd it, great show, opened with Message in a Bottle, right into Synchonicity II, right into Walking on the Moon, from there it was a never ending blur of hits....but since i figure i'll never get to see this band again, why not do Spirits in the Material World or Synchonicity I???? i know you gotta leave the fans wanting more, but i ain't waiting another 25 years for the chance to see them again.

Fun Guv started a new job this week. Customer Service for a local furniture chain. She can't be Lisa anymore. Apparantly, there is already a Lisa there, so she had to pick another name. Although LISA and i thought Neveah would be a good choice (it's heaven spelled backwards), her new employers opted to pick her middle name, Michelle. No lie, this has got to be the dumbest, most de-humanizing policy i have ever heard of. It's almost like a Toby moment

Ok, wrong scene, but in hind-sight, i figured equating Fun Guv's new job to a scene from Roots could be a little bit over the top.....so i went with this scence from Flash Gordon, go Flash go, which might quite possibly the worst movie ever made with a somewhat decent cast of supporting legitite actors, hell even a James Bond.

Woooo, could i get anymore of topic of this posts???????

Big Welcome to Roz, welcome to the family. i can't wait to be that funny "uncle" who teaches you to pull my finger.

thanks for reading

Big time running withdraws...

When the back-quack told me to stop running for a few days, after he adjusted a few of my lower vertabrates, i cringed. Two days later for a follow up adjusted, he said i could walk but to do nothing jarring. Riding a bike could be ok, but i shouldn't push anything.

Wednesday, i go back for a third and hopefully final pushadjustment. He knows i am trying to marathon train, and like every other sane person i know, is real big on letting my body heal.

Since, i can't seem to post about running and i don't feel yet like typing about new work things, let's go back to a nice political rant.......

i guess i still remember hearing that George Bush doesn't care about black people, and now it seems to be the entire GOP. Big shock, eh? At the recent NAACP convention in Detroit, all presidential candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties were invited to attend.

One Republican showed up. One...Tom Tancredo, who used his time to talk about illegal immigration. Now this seems dumb to me cause, in a convention center filled with members of the NAACP, i guess you expect the majority of the attendees to be...black. Why not speak to your audience??? When many members of group you are speaking to can trace their origins back to slavery, ergo...immigration via abduction and cruelty....

i just think it may not be the front-running topic for the NAACP.

...but Giuliani was right here. He attended a $2500.00 plate fundraiser is Novi. Half an hour drive to Cobo Convention Center Downtown. Sure demographically, most members of the NAACP vote democratic, but what a snub. It wasn't even worth an hour of Rudy's time to make an appearance.

...alas, the now defunct "vote for Mike '08" did not receive an invitation to attend

i love a good conspiracy theory....

O.k. here's the deal...Once in a while, i get to thinking about terrorism. i think how our own government tells us terrorist may or may not be planning to attack us. And while i stare blankly at the idiocy of such a comment, i know many people begin to panic.

And while i never stocked up on duct-tape to protect my family from the non-existent dirty bombs that were en route to my little suburb via non-existent inter-continental iraqi weaponry, i know many who did. Sad but True

After reading the Downing Street Memo's i do not believe anything our government says and little the media tells me. Cause the media is just a pawn, and freedom of the press is dead....

So....i don't really believe the two unexploded cars found in London were planted by terrorist.

Sounds dumb, but i figure in a country where leadership just changed and a new prime minister could be rallied by public support to get out of iraq; it's not in the terrorists best interest to ensure Great Britain stays in Iraq....but it sure is in USA's best interest.

Since when do we hear about unexploding car bombs.....
Since when do terrorist have two that don't explode at the same time....
ooooh, don't we all feel just a little un-safer

pass the dust-tape....

i really need to get back to running soon....

thanks for reading

84%

13 % to much studying. Just kiddin', Thank Gawd this one is over. 260 total questions:10 practice experimental in the mix. These don't count one way or the other, but no way to know which 10. 130 per 3 hour session, with a mandatory 30 minute break between.

I thought after the first session i was dead in the water. It took almost 2 &1/2 hrs of the alloted 3. No gimmees...

The second half was much better. i managed to butter-up the proctor a little to get an indication not to panic. After all they see the scores, after the first half, i don't.

The second half was like a negative split. i seemed to know all the answers, or at least didn't question myself as much. i only marked one answer for review after the test, and finished in under two hours...

Oh crap, did i go too fast??? Did i skim over to many wordings of trick questions?

First rule, never change your original answer. Second rule, if you are positive of the answer because of wording on further questions, then skip the first rule.

I didn't change any answers for the first half and for the second, i only marked one for review. Then press the END key and wait for the test results.

The longest ten seconds spent staring at a computer screen, not remembering to breathe, until.....

Pass 84%.....whew

Thanks to all the well wishers from everyone who wished me well. Thanks isn't enough. i love positive vibes.

Next up...a chiropractic appointment to see what damage i have done to my back after 8 weeks of studying from the wrong type of chairs. Maybe this could be affecting my running, or lack thereof, ability???

Followed by 2 weeks to prepare for the next licensing test. The dreaded Series 66, investment laws, 100 questions, get 71 correct. Then two weeks of insurance studying and the Life and Health insurance test. Only now i get to add market research to the mix of studies.

In the immortal words of Flounder "This is gonna be great!"



Thanks for reading, and maybe soon a running update

And maybe soon, word of Animal's Spawn, kinda stirs up images of Todd McFarlane, for the comic fan-boys out there

In a Preachin' to the choir kinda way....

Another quick Clerks II moment. It's tough to find a pg-ish moment in these movies but every once in a while.



Anyway, it's hot. Holy cow it's hot. So, i ran for 7 miles Saturday and today i am hoping to get in 5 maybe when the sun starts heading down. It'll be a good way to clear my head before the big test tomorrow morning.

It's a a bit nerve-racking to know that i will either pass and still be employed on fail and not. i'm ready and have passed all my pre-test but who knows what will happen tomorrow? All i can do is remain confident in the training and my preparation. Sound like any other activity i participate in????


OK last one i swear



Thanks for reading

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. After my weird morning, everything was back to normal and the kids spent the day around and in the pool as we didn't go anywhere.

We just hung out for a bit and i did some studying. Next week is the big Series 7 examination. It's basically the general stock brokers exam in simple terms. Not exactly the Bar or a CPA examination, but it has required 8 weeks of preparation.

Running stuff: Now is not quite the time for running on back to back days. i had a nice 5 miles on Tuesday and, due to thunderstorms, a not so nice 4 miles on the new dreadmill on Thurday afternoon. Even with one of my favorite Star Trek episodes playing, it was a definite labor of love to run.

Yesterday was another 5 mile run in the plan. Alas, i am not ready for back-to-back days as my body has completely rejected any idea of running. i went a painful 1/4 mile and turned home. Fun Guv and i took the dog for a walk instead.

Looking ahead i hope to be able to go at least 10 miles tomorrow.

Health wise, i seem good. Weight is back down 191 so with BMI, if i am 6'1" my index is 25.19, if i am 6'2" i am 24.52.

Lastly, but perhap a longer moment to reflect on the voice of the x generation. Not Kurt Cobain, i love Nirvana but alas, a la the Lizard King, Cobain did not last long to enough to be more than a legend whose impact has been grossly overestimated....No i mean the genius of Kevin Smith. Who else captures the mentality of the slacker generation???

Since my favorite Great Lakes Running Gal, LISA hasn't seen any of his movies, a teaser or two. Perhaps we will have a View Askew Film Festival and watch them all in a row....

The beginning....



and then, a budget and color...




and the science fiction movie




Why Sci-fi??? according to the director, it would take science fiction for a lesbian to sleep with Ben Affleck

Next, the thought provoking, extended can God create a rock so big she can't move it, joke

look at the size of that budget...Remember who plays God??? Doing Cartwheels....and check out the logo on Chris Rock's shirt, while on the train.




And then the worst, but perhaps funniest of them all. an entire movie of inside jokes reflecting on the previous movies.




and then the Bennifer monster strikes down a decent movie. J-lo's character dies 10 minutes into it but Gigli backlash and no Jay and Silent Bob, but really funny (almost a family movie)



and then the most recent, this time in color....



Hero to the slacker generation!!! With adamantium balls

Thanks for reading (viewing)

The Pseudo-ceremonial passing of the gavel

Last Saturday was the Anchor Bay Rotary Club's installation dinner. Which means i went from President-Elect to President and our President becomes our Past-President, and somewhere another person went from President-nominee to President-elect.

A lot of titles for the guy that just rings the gavel and bell twice a meeting and tries to stay on the topic of top secret Rotarian stuff during the weekly lunches.

Well not so top secret and i keep saying i will someday post about why i joined a Rotary Club. But not today, it is relevent to the rest of the post with relation to a rotarian motto "Service above Self"

And more on that later but first on this 4th of July, a running update:

Yep, i'm running again. Not as fast as i would like, but running.....yippeeeee!!! After Sunday's Bronze medal winning performance, i went out for a nice 5 miles. i averaged a 8:35 pace, and as slow as it feels, it feels good to just run.

Weight: 194, so no big gain during the off time and still lots of time to improve before Chicago. i have a little tightness still in the hamstring, but the stretches are working and it's not a pain to run, more of nagging tightness.

...and running stuff...Great Article about my favorite running store clerks. If you get Runner's World you can see a picture of Brian Sell in the middle of Paint Creek Trail. The PCT gets a lot of publicity via a few southeastern Michigander bloggers maybe this small view of the trail helps explain why.

....the article is good, but the true wonder with the distance project is when a beginning runner goes to buy your first pair of shoes at their store. The runners are the most humble, helpful....it's hard to put words to the feeling. Fun Guv got her shoes there and the clerk, Melissa White (picture in the issue) helped her, it was me who asked about her running in Chicago, and i asked how far she runs in a week.

When i bought my first shoes, i mentioned trying to run a marathon and the clerk, Trent, not pictured in the article, was so positive about the ability i will have for finishing. That i should stop in with any questions during the training. Anybody there would help.

At first, i thought it was just a pitch....but he made no attepmt to sell me the most expensive pair of shoes. Heck...he didn't even push a Brooks on me. But i got the best shoe for me and i try to be a loyal customer. See it's a little service above self here....

Once in a while an event can occur which defines man. No i don't mean, Defines "a Man". That would be some personal individual moment. i mean, what it means to be a man, what is expected and how we react, as a gender. i had one of those moments last evening and this morning.

Lynn is my next door neighbor. She's a single mom, 40 ish with a 14 year old son. Thank god, who was at his dad's last night. Around 1:00 am our phone rings. Lynn can't find one of her dogs, Brandy. Brandy is a little old but she can still jump a fence if she thinks about it or gets scared. With the number of fireworks going off in the neighborhood, and our own cowering waterlogged dog, it's easy to understand how Brandy may have gotten spooked. Or, she's old, maybe like dogs try to do...she found a hidden corner in the back of the yard to curl up and die. i have always heard that dogs are more comfortable dying alone and will try to avoid their owners this way.

So i went through Lynn's yard with a flash light and every possible corner of her basement. Brandy is a medium sized dog, but a little girthy as most old dogs get. But....no Brandy.

7:00am. Phone rings again.... Brandy is found. Lynn went looking for her a 6:30 and found her in the middle of 19 Mile Road. She had been hit. So she called us for help. Lynn was a wreck and i wish she hadn't seen her dog this way. She wanted to help bring Brandy off the road, but Lisa stayed with her while i went with a blanket, and, this part is a little gross, a shovel to get all of Brandy off the road.

i didn't want Lynn to see her dog this way. Although she had driven by, she hadn't seen what i was able to see, or had to pick up. Basically 19 Mile Rd, by our house, has a 45 mph speed limit. This is Michigan, so most people go faster. It was night, and Brandy was a black dog in the middle of an unlit street. At least she didn't suffer.

So as i stand in the middle of the road. First i figure Lynn will want her collar. i had to remove that, and then figure i need to clean it before giving it to Lynn. Then i have to roll Brandy and parts into a old blanket. Then make sure old blanket rolls her up, completely wrapped and pick her up, making sure stuff doesn't fall out, and put her in the back of my van.

I should have brought some large black garbage bags with me. A lot of blood soaked through the blanket and got on the back of van's carpet. Which meant it soaked through onto me as i picked her up to place in the back of the van. Yay

Get back home and then make sure Lynn is distracted while Lisa goes to clean off the collar. And use two big black garbage bags to surround Brandy and duct tape overlapping ends to spare Lynn from seeing all the blood soaking through the blanket. And oxy-clean the crap, outta the back of the van. Oxy-clean does a good job at this.

i get wigged out cleaning fish. i don't hunt because the idea of field-dressing a deer makes me want to hurl. i love zombie movies because they are fake gore. Real gore and me~~not a good combo. But it was either i do this or Lynn does.

This isn't a macho thing, but these type moments define what makes men, men. i've had a few hours to take it all in, and being a terrible situation, i'm glad i was able to help my neighbor. i'm glad she was able to call us. i'm glad her son didn't have to be involved, or her ex-husband.

Ironically, Lynn's on-again/off-again boyfriend/one-time fiance was over. He bartends and had gotten over about 3:30am and they are spending the afternoon at his parents house. He didn't get up to help. Too tired.

Service above Self

Thanks for reading