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I seem to have very much fallen out of the habit of writing here. Even when I have something to say, it’s easier to put it on twitter (because what I usually have to say is something pithy and short) or maybe on Facebook. More often nowadays I just let it go and not say anything.

The ol’ blog was never really anything in particular. I don’t do this for money, attention, or to help a cause. I don’t have any traffic to speak of, not in modern internet terms, so marketers don’t even give me a glance. Not that I want to market anything, but it seems to be a hot topic right now. Let’s just say nobody wants to fly me anywhere or give me something to try and write about. That’s fine by me, because I don’t want to have to meet a deadline for writing about their junk or stop cussing or whatever it would take.

However, having dropped a lot of cash at Ikea this summer rebuilding our entire kitchen, I wouldn’t mind if they’d send some coupons or something. Just sayin’

Whassup with me? I’m trying to teach my body to run again. yeah, I know, things were going great, then I kinda got off track last summer, and then way off track last winter, and when you are as, um, substantial as I am, you can’t just go out and do a ten mile run. Well, maybe you could, but me? Not so much. I’ve been running in the mornings (when it’s a cool 81 degrees, compared to the evenings where it remains well over 90 at 11:00), and waking up is hard. My knees and legs are protesting, but it’s kinda working. I gave up on the heart rate monitor (somewhere in the archives) because either I’m getting a lot of interference or something is broken or both, so why bother. I don’t have the money to replace it, so I just try and run easy right now. If I get to where I can run 10 or more miles again, well, I’ll reconsider.

Other things – we rebuilt the kitchen. It looks awesome. It works great. I’m loving it. I have tons of pictures. I can’t find the fucking cable that connects the camera to the computer, so I can’t show them to you. Just imagine new cabinets, new paint, no soffets, new sink and appliances (except for the refrigerator). There, just as good as a picture.

Other stuff – I went back to Galveston last month, first time post-Ike. Not as sad as I had feared, but still, it’s obvious they have been deeply affected by the storm. Saw some new construction, areas that had been cleared, and also saw wrecked houses still standing, probably waiting for insurance to get straightened out.

My kids can now all swim, and the baby (she’ll always be my baby) is starting to read some, getting ready for 1st grade and taking on the world. Not necessarily in that order.

My boys have grown about a foot this summer. You know how THAT is. Amazing.

I do have a new goal: I need to lose enough weight that they will let me use the slide at the pool. (yes, I’m over the “250 pound maximum” on the sign) (a lot over). So I’m hoping by next summer I’ll be able to go with the kids on the slide. The pool closes in a few weeks, so it’s too late for this year. They can forget about the lilly pads, though, no way in hell I’m doing those…

Y’all take care. I’ll try and post more than once every six months. Maybe.

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So, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything remotely meaningful here.

I was wondering about that. I mean, my blog is a little like therapy, and worth every penny. Also, you only get out of it what you put into it. I’m sure I can find another cliche to toss in here if I wanted to.

I started this thing years ago, and to this day my most popular posts are anythign that mention Emma Watson, Texas Cheerleaders, liquor stores, boobs of any kind, and granny sex. See? There’s no accounting for taste.

A new school year is upon us, I now have three kids in school. This, of course, is exciting and challenging, as any of you with school kids already know. There is much to be done on a given day, from homework to bathtime to extracurricular things. The other night I spent 45 minutes braiding my daughter’s hair, trying to give my wife a break (she’s the expert), and of course when my wife saw it by the light of the next morning, it all had to come down.

Since I fret here on occasion about energy issues (we are in a crisis, whether folks want to call it one or not), I thought I’d mention how odd it is that oil prices continue to fall (as of today) in spite of most of the gulf of mexico production remaining idle thanks to Gustav and now Ike. Ike could truly hit hard – the forecasters are saying it could be the worst Texas hurricane (himacane?) in forty years. Unless it isn’t. You know how these things are, so so many variables and unknowns. We’ll just wait and see. Now as for me, personally, the most I’ll see is a bunch of rain (if it follows the predicted track it should go right up the middle of the state, and we’d be on the rainy side). I’m a five hour drive inland from Corpus, on a good day, and three hours up from Galveston, so you can see that the brunt of the storm should be spent before it gets here.

We need the rain.

However, my wife is still ticked at me for not wanting to go to the beach last weekend, and this weekend the weather looks like crap, and if the storm surge is as bad as they predict there may not be much beach left to visit the following weekend.

Time will tell.

As you can see by looking around here, most of my blogging is on twitter, and that’s all well and good, but leaves me leaving a bit fractured. I’m gonna check the magic box on this entry and post a link to this to twitter, too. What the hell.

I’ve been running, trying for three days a week. I wound up at 12 miles in August and so far I’ve got 10 in September, which is a whole lot better than July (2 miles! On the same day!) and hopefully I’ll get close to the 40 miles per month I was logging in June and prior. I’m also doing the hundred pushups program, but I had to step back and do a “prequel” to week 1 since I’m so wimpy.

We need to buy a new printer, since we killed our existing one. I’m torn on trying to get too fancy or just saving money since we’ll break this one in a couple years. We really enjoy having a scanner and the ability to print photos, but in reality we don’t print them much, we can do it at Walgreens about as easily. But they dont’ cost toooo much, and are necessary for homework assignments.

Oh, crap, is my time up already? Oh well. Back to reality.

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Why do you give me the run around?

Mom on the Run tagged me to do this, and I shall!

Tagging is easy. Just copy the following onto your post. The rules of the game are posted at the start of your blog post. In this case, I’m asking you 5 questions about running. Each player answers the 5 questions on their own blog. At the end of your post you tag 5 other people and post their names. Go to their blogs and leave a comment on their blogs telling them they’ve been tagged and to look at your blog for details. When they’ve answered the questions on their own blog, they come back to yours to tell you. Got that? OK – here is my reply:

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I could not run. I was, however, riding a bicycle fairly often (my oldest son would have just started walking, and we were also foster parents at the time). I would ride either at 5:00 AM or late at night, around 11:00 PM, because that way I didn’t leave my wife stranded with the kids, they would usually be asleep. Key word “usually,” because the little buggers have an uncanny ability to know if a parent is out of the house, and tend to wake up at odd hours if that is the case. I started running probably three or four years ago, when I joined an adult soccer league for a little while and they (literally) kicked my ass. Also, cycling seemed to be getting more dangerous, I had a couple of people try and run me off the road, which when you are riding out in the middle of nowhere, is a pretty scary thing. Not that aggressive drivers are ever fun, but when they make a point to do it where there are certainly no witnesses? Think about that.

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?
I don’t race. I’ve run a few 5Ks, pretty much at my turtle-like recreational runner speed.

3. Why do you run?
On the one hand, to try and stay healthy (I’m “morbidly obese,” in case I haven’t made that clear enough elsewhere in my blog. Heart attack waiting to happen, if I don’t do something). On the other hand because I like to hear some heavy breathing and maybe get a little time to think.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you’ve been given about running?
Buy good shoes. Us heavy guys (see #3) need shoes that don’t torture our feet. Also? Body glide.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
When I graduated college I weighed over 100 pounds less than I do now.

I don’t know enough folks to tag anyone to do this, but if you want to do it, just leave a comment or link back and I’ll put you on the list!

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not related in the slightest

I ran four miles this morning, making it my first 11 mile week in… well, in a long time. (two months? holy crap)

I’m coming down with a cold. Dammit. This means less likely to be a twelve mile week this week.

I watched “PS: I love you” today. OMG that made me cry. One of the best lines? “I want to be somebody’s Gerry.” Hilary Swank does fantastic.

We were at the park, and the dogs were watching for squirrels. My daughter said “They’re probably looking for coconuts.”

My son is watching “When We Left Earth” with me, so I’m gonna hit publish and pay attention to the show. Science is cool.

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If you’ve been reading me, you’ve seen me acting pretty down low lately.

I just wanted to pop in here and say that today, so far (needs a disclaimer), is pretty darn good.

I ran this morning, three miles – didn’t break any speed records, but didn’t feel hurt. I have a new pair of shoes, again, and they seem to be working OK. It was cool, freaky cool for almost May here, and only one car tried to run me off the road. Mental jukebox: CCRWRSWAM.*

I seem to have a spring in my step, I’ve managed to semi-placate thirty people this morning, so I’ll be allowed to stick around another day or two.

Maybe it’s the free donuts somebody brought to work. Maybe it’s because I got lucky last night. I’m banking on the lucky.

*CCRWRSWAM is catchy:

YouTube Preview Image

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