I can't say that I'd be kidding if I would consider this line of work. It sounds like a dream job to me. Also from the Seattle Times here is a personal piece about the writer's grandmother and the effects of alzheimer's disease.

"Alzheimer's was the catalyst that heightened my relationship with my grandmother to maturity and a sense of grace that only came about once her cognition and ability to communicate faded.

"Unencumbered by the limits of words or the desire to explain, my immobile and incoherent grandmother was free to boundlessly love me. It was as if each of those little visits throughout the weeks and months slowly revealed that this is how she'd felt about me my whole life.

"In this way, Grammie gently showed me what it means to be humble, for it has been the most humbling feeling in the world to discover that someone has been in love with me my whole life."

Bill O'Reilly says, "shut up", and some more mud slinging.

Red Dirt Girl writes, "I generally tend to think of nostalgia as a kind of disease that keeps us from enjoying what we have right now."

IPA News Release: War Crimes?: "a crime against peace"

I haven't run the big race yet and I've found another one, but it may be too short. I like the sound of peace in the name of the race. Where is there true peace?


And they are giving away homes at ~almost~ home.

Poindexter Resigns but Defends Programs (washingtonpost.com) And don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

The ACE has two new sprockets, a new chain, new brake pads and an oil change, so it's ready to go for another year.

I ran about 12 or 13 miles yesterday. Here is the breakdown on the middle 8 miles' times: 7.23.87, 7.43.33, 7.32.65, 7.58.85, 7.40.50, 7.28.25, 7.47.86, 6.53.55. Not bad for an old guy. The last three miles of this stretch were fast because I was sort of racing a woman who didn't like me passing her. I found out later, after thanking her for pushing me, that she is traininq for the Sacramento Marathon. I ran with a marathoner. She pushed me to a sub 7 minute mile. That's very good for me. My right knee is giving me a little trouble but I don't think that it is anything that won't heal on it's own well enough. It isn't a deep down knee pain but more off to one side. A more connective tissue inflammation problem. The 8 miles were timed at 1:00.28 and I averaged 7.33.60 minute miles. It surprised me. See y'all.

The counter works! The counter works! The counter works!

I was wondering why I wasn't getting any comments. I had to update my YACCS code. Now if I could only update the counter. Maybe I'll look into it now...

Try this. this imploding heart: "Imagining stampedeing Llamas taking over the freeways."

It isn't easy running after a 10 hour day, plus an hour commute home, but I pulled it off today.

Big worlds and little worlds.

I am registered for the race in two weeks. It hasn't really been fun moving my body around in the training. I'm once again starting to feel what the body mechanics are like in a runner. I guess "letting myself go" could describe where I am now. It isn't that bad but when I want my body to run well from 7 to 11 miles, for three days in a row, I can feel the gap between how I feel now and how I would like to perform. Pain is my friend. It should be fun.

I ran over 10 miles today, maybe 11. I'll try to get more miles like this done on Monday, less on Sunday. I want to be at least sufficiently ready to finish the race on Labor Day without too much pain. I ran the 6 middle miles all under 8 minute miles. I'd like to do better in the future but I realize I am no longer 18 years old, as I was when I did a string of triathlons. I'd like to do more of those some time. It has been over 20 years now, whew. It sounds really bad when I write it down, so I probably won't write about this again.

"If you have a typical white person's skin, known as type 2, and you live above the 42nd line of latitude, then you should try to get outside for 5 to 10 minutes between 11am and 3pm during the five months of summer in order to build up enough vitamin D to last you through the winter. But if you're depressed, be careful not to overdo it."

"nickel-and-dime treatment", or Thanks for the M.R.E.'s.

Now isn't this the truth?

I've been lazy. I need to update here on Becca-Erica and Abby's visit, my proposed running in a half marathon in Woodinville, my apartment situation and whatever political writings I find interesting in this right-wing horror show we find ourselves. (or I find myself) Y'all have a great week.

Well, the car's brakes are fixed. Unbeknownst to me the rotars, drums and calipers were fading away and the mechanics were amazed that the brakes worked at all. And now poof-presto-chango I have new brakes. Never mind about the bill, we get to drive to Mt. St. Helens tomorrow. And we know we'll be able to stop.