Yesterday, I walked 1,334 steps/ .50 miles.

Texas A&M will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 2 for the day of mourning for President Ford. I will pause for a bit to think about President Ford and his family and be grateful for the extension of my holiday.

I was born during the Nixon administration but Gerald Ford was the first U.S. president that I was aware of.

I walked 5,839 steps/ 2.21 miles yesterday.

This week I ran 30.82 miles, burned 3,670.2 calories and weigh 168.2 pounds.

In 2006 I ran a total of 1,047.29 miles and burned 123,533.3 calories.

Tuesday: 6.23 miles in 65:00
Wednesday: 4.32 miles in 45:00
Thursday: 6.20 miles in 65:00
Saturday (in the rain): 14.07 miles in 2:49:00

Not a bad way to end 2006.

Walter got well. Went to work.

It was good luck that Walter was sick, yesterday. A tornado ripped the roof off the pawn shop where he works. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Walter would have been there or even worse in his car when the tornado struck. Please pray that people get their cars repaired quickly and that the damage to the shop is repaired in a timely manner.

I walked 5,041 steps/ 1.91 miles yesterday.

Pickles is back with her foster mom. Isaac and Loki received their Christmas ham bones and are working on them.

Walter is sick. He is resting. He thinks its because of taking too much pain medication on an empty stomach. I made him some breakfast and he took some migraine medicine on a full stomach and he is sleeping. Hopefully, food and rest will do the trick. If not, I'm dragging his butt to the doctor.

The in-laws are coming Sunday afternoon. The house should be mostly clean by then. The rest will just have to be behind closed doors.

Today, I will start scanning all the cartoons that I have drawn this week. By my calculations a cartoon drawn in 2007 will appear on the website in February.

Here is a weird thought on the ex-presidents: Ray Charles and Ronald Reagan died less than a week from each other and Gerald Ford and James Brown died on the same day. Is the life of a soul singer linked to the life of an ex-president? Who will George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton take with them when they die? Would it be in Aretha Franklin's interests to monitor the health of our former U.S. Presidents?

I walked 6,747 steps/ 2.56 miles yesterday.

Walter has the day off so I'm looking forward to spending some time with him. The house is looking better. I will spend some more time cleaning it today. Drew two cartoons yesterday for a total of six so far this week. I need to start scanning. I'm still working on some clip art. I hope to finish that tonight.

Next year I will be adding content to the website 7 days a week. The cartoons will still be 5 days a week but on Fridays I will be adding different humor content; currently the Betty Crocker Recipe Library; and Saturdays adding new clip art.

The dogs are outside enjoying the weather. Pickles will be going back to her foster mom today. Isaac is filling out. I think the large breed dog food is helping. Loki is as sweet as ever. When Pickles leaves I will give Isaac and Loki their other bones that I bought them for Christmas.

I had a pleasant visit with the family. I'm enjoying my days off. It is a great opportunity to clean the house, get ahead on some cartoons and just go at my own pace.

Things are a bit chaotic as far as the dogs are concerned but I think it will calm down.

I received a talking pedometer as a gift. Yesterday, I walked 9,670 steps/ 3.53 miles. This does not count the 6 mile run I ran yesterday.

Loki's Diary was diary of the day at Dogster. He received a lot of new pup pals and a few rosettes.

I'm going to work on the house some more.

This week I ran 27.65 miles, burned 3,222.5 calories and weigh 169.3 pounds.

Monday: 4.15 miles in 45:00
Wednesday: 3.20 miles in 35:00
Thursday: 4.28 miles in 45:00
Saturday: 16.02 miles in 3:15:00

I have run over 1,000 miles in 2006. 1,016.47 to be exact. There is still one more week in 2006.

My father-in-law is coming over. I need to cook something.

Tomorrow it is scurry, scurry, scurry.

Can this week move any slower? It probably could but I don't want to find out. The students are gone, most of the faculty is gone and I wonder what the heck I'm doing here.

I have been scanning surveys and binging on sweets. I could clean my desk but I would rather do that when I get back next year. At least there is a nice week off.

I think Isaac is a cat in a giant dog suit. He behaves like a cat most of the time. I am fostering a 100 pound cat. He only behaves as a dog when it comes to going on the leash and feeding time. I'm going to increase Isaac's food the rest of this week and next week. He is looking real thin. If he doesn't gain any weight then I will have the vet check him out.

Pickles will be staying with us over the holidays. My father-in-law will be watching all the dogs Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I'm really looking forward to the days off between Christmas and New Year's Day. That will probably go quickly.

I've been working on this cartoon gag off and on for months. I've talked to Walter about and from time to time revisit it to make it work. I've been unsuccessful so far. So I turn to the public for help.

The gag is based on the cliche, "Would it kill you to..." For example, a wife says to her husband, "Would it kill you to rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher?" A different way of nagging over somewhat trivial but annoying habits: failing to put the toilet paper on the dispenser, squeezing the toothpaste tube from the middle, pressing the clear button on the microwave after removing something prematurely, etc.

Anyhow, the gag: a woman is at a funeral, she says to a woman sitting next to her, "I asked him if it would kill him to put his dirty socks in the hamper? It did."

A variation on the gag: A doctor says to a woman, "Your husband was killed by putting his dirty socks in the hamper." The woman says, "My God, I had no idea that would really happen."

Another variation: A couple in a doctor's office. The doctor says, "Yes, it would kill him to put his dirty socks in the hamper."

Yet another variation: No dialogue. A woman standing in a doorway, look of shock on her face. Her husband lying dead on the floor, next to the hamper, one hand stuck on the top of the hamper. In his hand a pair of dirty socks. This one is only funny in the context of the previous variations. This one could change into a CSI gag.

Any suggestions? There is some comedy there but I'm having trouble getting to it.

You, the reader also got a glimpse into the gag writing process. My process anyway.

For the record, Walter always places his dirty socks in the hamper.

This past week I ran 33.83 miles, burned 3895.1 calories and weigh 172.5 pounds.

Monday: 4.40 miles in 45:00
Tuesday: 3.52 miles in 35:00
Wednesday: 4.51 miles in 45:00
Saturday: 21.40 miles in 4:43:00 - It was a beautiful day for everything but long distance running. The high temp was 78 degrees.

My Christmas wishes:

• A home for Isaac (check him out at http://www.woodstocktexas.org)
  
• Shorter board meetings (I have a certain amount of control over this. I did not exercise it last night)
  
• A nice long vacation this summer
• A job that does not require getting up so early in the morning (Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. - Ben Franklin. @#$%! you! Ben Franklin!)
• A more positive outlook
• Good health, peace and freedom for everyone

I've been listening to "Drive Time Essays 2", a CD featuring various readings from "Interconnections", a publication for lay leaders in Unitarian Universalist churches. I made several copies which is encouraged and permissible by the UUA.

"Interconnections" calls itself a "relentlessly useful publication". The absurdity of Dilbert intersects with the absurdity of liberal religion. Conservative religion is absurd, also. I'm a UU. I'm allowed to say that religion is absurd. I'm even allowed to hold a position of responsibility within an UU church community. My problem is not with religion per se but with inappropriate adverb usage regardless of the theological leanings of said religion.

Most of the readings and Interconnections itself is quite useful in a non-relentless way. Some of the readings do nothing more than point out the inadequacies in my church. It is a great church but damn listening to some of the things that other churches are doing puts a great deal of doubt on that. My church has enough self-esteem issues.

I have listened to 15 of the 18 tracks on this CD. The solution to every problem highlighted in the CD involves various combinations of committees, meetings, potlucks, paid staff, chalice lighting, and social justice projects. Maybe, I'm becoming too cynical for this faith. Maybe, it's my Gen-X soul that is incapable of viewing anything non-ironically. [Insert snide anti-baby boomer tirade here]. Maybe, it's my introversion (Oh, God! more meetings! Hummus and fried chicken, mmmm.) that prevents me from looking at this more positively. Maybe the managerial bullshit at work has become too much to bear and it pisses me off when something that smells similar invades my religious life. Maybe I have read too much Dilbert.

In fairness to the UUA, our congregation can use some of the information and I made several copies of the CD to give out to leaders in the hopes that something on the CD will inspire them or help them. If I really thought the whole thing was useless I would not have made the copies. My view of the CD is colored by my somewhat negative attitude at the moment. I did find one reading especially useful and it has reignited my interest in a project. I want to revisit this project and reading once my term as Board President is over.

More information about licorice can be found at uua.org/leaders.

Dear other drivers in Bryan/ College Station:

I am fully aware that the speed limit on Highway 6 is 70 miles per hour. I apologize for failing to drive at 70 mph or faster this morning on my way to work.

My dear fellow travellers, I have a slight mental defect that affects my driving. I tend to adjust my speed according to the road and weather conditions rather than simply obeying the signs that the highway department has kindly posted.

I know that several of you cannot understand why I would lower my speed when it is foggy and the roads are wet. I like to be in control of my vehicle. I find that control is easier to maintain at lower speeds when driving in foggy and wet conditions. I try my best to maintain control of my vehicle for my safety and the safety of others.

Yes, despite my some of my writings and cartoons indicating otherwise, I do care about people. Fortunately, for you Mr. Nissan driver who tail gated me from University Drive until I exited the highway at Southwest Parkway I possess a good amount of empathy. One perfectly timed tap of my brakes could have spilled that hot coffee all over your nice clothes, nice gray leather interior, windshield and your bare flesh. I could have ruined your day but I chose not to exercise that power. You continued on your merry way oblivious of the power I had over you.

Theologians, philosophers and psychologists will debate what prevented me from hitting those brakes.

This week I ran 30.61 miles, burned 3609.6 calories and weigh 169.8 pounds.

So far this year I have ran 954.99 miles and burned 112745.5 calories. It looks like I will make my goal of running 1,000 miles in one year. Just need to run a little over 15 miles per week for the next three weeks.

Tuesday: 6.10 miles - 65:00
Wednesday: 4.37 miles - 45:00
Thursday: 5.97 miles - 65:00
Saturday: 14.17 miles - 2:50:00

I've been forced to use the Ctrl + Mouse Scroll Wheel to increase the size of the words on my e-mails and websites. I'm getting old or I need to change my contact lenses.

Tomorrow I make merry with my co-workers. Usually, the whole thing is not too painful but it serves as a reminder as to why I am paid to be with these people. No really, they are nice people but I'm not into the whole socializing thing. At least socializing that is not on my terms.

I know, how self-centered to expect that all social activities occur on my terms. Hey, put a nice face on and soldier through it. Sometimes, I even enjoy it.

It's an INFP (or on some Meyers-Briggs tests - ISTJ) thing. The only thing definitive thing from these MBTI (Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator) I've taken is the I. Everything else tends to be about even. One test I scored 100% in the I. The I stands for "I @#$%! hate people". No, it stands for Introvert. My opposite/ arch enemy is E - Extrovert. In the United States the E outnumber the I - 65% to 35%.

I'm told the world needs people of my type. I wonder if I really need the world. Somebody has to deal with these people. Better them than me.

Last week, before the toy drive I ran 18.09 miles, burned 2179.3 calories and weigh 167.8 pounds.

Monday: 5.78 miles in 65:00
Tuesday: 5.81 miles in 65:00
Wednesday: 6.15 miles in 65:00

I've taken day off from work to rest and run errands. I was summoned for jury duty but was excused.

It is finished. At least the order filling part of Radio MASH (http://www.brazosradio.com/mash/). Donations are still coming in. The cash will be used next year, the batteries will be stored for next year and toy donations will go to other groups servicing needy children in the Brazos Valley.

This was one of the best drives that I have worked. This was my 16th Radio MASH. The volunteers were great - Brazos Valley Bombers Bombshells, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Bryan High FFA, Bryan High Air Force JROTC, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the ladies from Longhorn Tavern, single volunteers, and other groups that I do not remember. The Bryan-College Station community was quite generous as usual.

Special thanks to the Texas Army National Guard for setting up the tents, testing toys, loading and unloading.

The weather was great. No rain, except on Thursday. It was cold but everyone dressed in layers.

The official count: 3,330 children. All those children will have toys for Christmas thanks to everyone's generosity. Also everyone's hard work and generosity allowed us to finish at a decent hour. Some years have been all nighters or late nighters. Thank you everyone.

There are pictures posted from this years MASH (isn't digital photography great?) at http://www.brazosradio.com/mash/mash2006/ There is even a link to this blog.

In case you are wondering, I'm part of the USS Intangible. We coordinate the back tent operations, shop for toys, call organizations and repair to the best of our ability gently used toys. We are also a Star Trek fan club. The club has been involved with Radio MASH for 16 years.

I just finished the first day of volunteering at Radio MASH Radio MASH is a 100 hour toy drive benefiting the children of Bryan/ College Station and the surrounding area. We have 3,278 children that need toys. So far 628 children have toy orders filled. All 3,278 children will get a toy. The drive accepts new and gently used toys, cash, checks and donations online via PayPal. The PayPal link is at http://www.brazosradio.com/mash/

Information about the toy drive can also be found there as well as pictures.

It was a cold one today. It did not freeze but it still was freakin' cold. Loki and Isaac stayed inside most of the day. Very little destruction was wrought despite two big dogs being left unattended in the house. One fridge magnet and one videotape was destroyed.

Isaac made it to his temp foster's house. He will have lots of other dogs to play with. Loki will spend part of the day with me at Radio MASH - day two.

THIS IS CETI ALPHA SIX!

I've had the urge to say that all day. Not just say it but to say it like Ricardo Monteblan. No reason. I cannot think of a scenario where quoting that bit of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan would make sense.

I could have called my husband and just shouted that but he is at work and his superiors expect him to work during work hours. My superiors are a bit more flexible about that. One of the reasons I don't just quit to find something more fulfilling.

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!

SuddenLink, my ISP, is down. Or at least my home is not getting any service. So no new cartoon. I'll update tonight if the problem is solved.

Tomorrow Radio MASH starts and the temperatures are predicted to go from 70 degrees to 29 degrees in less than 24 hours. A cold front is coming. The roads may ice because of rain. Texans do not do snow or ice well. Texans know this and stay off the road if possible. The transplanted midwesterners make fun of Texans for our inability to drive in icy conditions. The roads become littered with the vehicles of transplanted midwesterners who claim they can drive in icy conditions. It provides entertaining footage for the Texans at home watching TV. That and watching a midwesterner break a sweat after getting a bit of medium salsa on the tongue. OH MY GOD, WHAT'S IN THIS STUFF! A TOMATO?

Thank you transplanted midwesterners for the entertainment and providing a market for mild salsa.

Texans provide entertainment for people from India whenever we taste a bit of their spicy food. I know what it is like to fart fire.

I like eBay. One of the greatest things ever invented. eBay is responsible for a substational portion of family income. eBay is also responsible for a minor annoyance.

Walter and I go to garage sales to find bargains, interesting things and to make fun of people's stuff. Some of the stuff does end up on eBay.

Lately, this conversation has occurred often:

Me: Will you take $X for this?
Seller: No, I can get more than that on eBay!
Me (thinking): Well, then fucking put it on eBay!

If I wanted to pay eBay prices then I would have gone on eBay. It would have saved me the bother of talking to you. Granted, I'm probably going to turn around and sell it on eBay but if you want eBay prices then put it on eBay yourself. Of course, eBay is a gamble whereas I have the cash right now and will haul off the item. No dealing with feedback, shipping, packing and checks clearing. Cash in exchange for item going away. But no, you just have to have eBay value. Well, then get off your lazy ass and fucking put it on eBay yourself. You don't know how? For a percentage of the final sale I'll put it on eBay for you. What? You want all the money? I guess you're screwed. Not only are you not getting my money but you won't get the eBay money because you are too lazy and/or stupid to post a damn auction. The burden of being you must be unbearable.

I visited register.com and found thenfuckingputitonebay.com is available. I think I will purchase the domain, build a site that links to eBay and print business cards with "Well, then fucking put it on eBay" and the url on them.

Would it be overkill to label this post eBay?

This week I ran 33.14 miles, burned 3,849.9 calories and weigh 168.5 pounds.

Monday: 6.02 miles in 65:00
Tuesday: 4.17 miles in 45:00
Wednesday: 5.95 miles in 65:00
Saturday: 17 miles in 3:33:00

Odd running schedule but it was the Thanksgiving holiday. I got some needed rest. Meditation on Sunday was especially helpful. It helped put my mind to rest. Time with Walter was also helpful. It finished what the meditation started.

Next week will be another odd running schedule because of the Radio MASH toy drive. Volunteering at that event is equivalent to a 20 mile run. I'm looking forward to it.

I will post cartoons only three days this week.

I was a bit lazy last night. I did not update. Watched the Comedians of Comedy movie and then went to bed. I also ran after work.

Today, is a half day. I'll update when I get home. I will run some more.

Pickles will be visiting this weekend. 3 dogs.

Eat, sleep draw, run, web - that is my life.

My job does not suck so much.

Everybody get a little closer to each other!

This week I ran 25.85 miles, burned 3043.3 calories and weigh 167.8 pounds.

Monday : 5.79 miles in 65:00
Friday: 6.06 miles in 65:00
Saturday: 14 miles in 2:52:00

If I can keep up the pace I ran on Saturday throughout the entire marathon I should finish in less than 5:30:00.

I lifted weights on Tuesday. I spent Wednesday at home babysitting the dogs but did take them to the park - probably walked 3.5 miles. Thursday celebrated Walter's birthday.

My legs are a bit sore from running the 14 mile run after slacking off because of the cold. Then Saturday night, I danced. It was a party celebrating my church's 50th anniversary. You can read about it here: http://www.theeagle.com/stories/111806/faith_20061118020.php I was even quoted. It was a great party and the Sunday service was nice. I had a bit of trouble with the welcoming but everything happened mostly as planned and no one was scarred for life.

Lately, I've had the urge to do a few push ups. This urge never hits at an appropriate time and place but at the office or at home. I just continue what I'm doing until the urge passes. I don't know what triggers this urge.

Yesterday, Walter celebrated his birthday. We went to Chili's and I ate too much. I gave him the first season of Robot Chicken on DVD. The set also came with a ViewMaster viewer and 5 reels. Walter collects ViewMasters.

Isaac slept all night outside his kennel. We all got a better night's sleep because of it.

The repairmen put the fence back up and cleaned up the backyard. They will come back in a month or two to level things out once the ground settles. 8 feet of our sewer pipe was replaced. The clay pipe had collapsed. Everyone with the city was nice and very efficient. Great work guys!

I took Loki and Isaac to Lick Creek Park and let them run off leash for a short while. They scared me when they ran out of sight but both of them came back to me. I put them back on leash when they came back and praised them for coming back.

The FTP problem resolved itself. I posted the update that was for Monday night.

I will continue the process of moving my site to a new server. Unfortunately, my host wants the last four digits of the credit card they have on file. I don't remember which card they have on file.

I'm at home babysitting the dogs and the house. The city is repairing the sewer line. Yesterday, they repaired it enough for us to shower and use the toilet. Today, the repair crew is in my backyard with a backhoe. They tore down part of the fence to get the backhoe in there.

Rather than just letting the dogs out, I have to walk them on leashes for them to do their business. Isaac and Loki walk well together on two different leashes.

The repair crew is doing a great job and I appreciate their response and efficiency. The city crew called the gas and phone companies so that the gas and phone lines can be marked. The gas company came out yesterday and the phone company came early this morning.

I'm not sure if the city puts the fence back up or not.

I tried to update my website last night but I cannot get my host to accept my new files. I'm not sure if the problem is with Ipower or FTP Commander.

I've sent a request to Ipower to have my account moved to one of their other servers with an up to date control panel. This will require uploading my entire website. This could take hours or days depending on how much this new thing allows me to upload at one time.

I like to use the control panel as a back up in case FTP fails. Maybe I can FTP everything to the new server. That would be nice and a bit faster since my website is rather large.

Our sewer backed up and Walter is trying to clear it up. Isaac is still jumping the fence. I hate to keep him in the kennel for 12 hours a day.

Life just keeps getting better.

I did not run much last week. I've been fighting a cold. I think I will be over this by Monday. I feel pretty good. All I have now is an hourly coughing fit. That does not affect my running too much.

I rode a bike on Monday for 5.51 miles and then Wednesday walked and ran with Loki for 2.48 miles. I weigh 169 pounds.

I rested Friday. That did a lot of good. I also skipped running today.

I should be back into it next week. I got a couple of good long runs ahead of me. I know I can finish this marathon.

This is Isaac at my office. He could not resist the sedative qualities of the sunbeam. Today, he is at the vet getting neutered.

Loki will get some extra attention when I come home. He was quite upset about Isaac riding in the car while he had to stay at home.

If you want to adopt Isaac or any of his other cat or dog buddies check out http://www.woodstocktexas.org

Rick Perry will remain the best coifed governor in the United States despite about 60% of the voters in Texas voting for someone else. The joy of a 4 way race. Chet Edwards, my congressman, retained his seat. The people of South Dakota voted against the abortion ban in their state.

Walter called to tell me about the Rumsfeld resignation. Nobody at Texas A&M saw that coming. Dr. Gates will be hard to replace. It does not affect my day to day job but I did like the direction Dr. Gates was taking the university and most of the initiatives are well underway and funded. The rest of the team will be staying on.

Change, the most exciting and frightening word in the English language.

This week I ran 15.91 miles, burned 2013.2 calories and weigh 168 pounds.

Monday: 5.83 miles in 65:00
Wednesday: 4.14 miles in 45:00
Friday: 5.94 miles in 65:00

So far this year: 839.31 miles, 99,514 calories

I skipped the Saturday training run because I caught the cold that Walter had all last week. Unlike his, mine skipped the sinus and went to the chest. So far, Zicam and Echinacea along with orange juice has helped. I bought some Nyquil day and night cough relief. The night formula has 10% alcohol. Good stuff. It is a bit difficult to type right now.

I hope to be well enough to handle the 18 mile training run next Saturday. I will be taking it easy on the other practice runs until this passes.

I love Nyquil.

Pictures of Loki walking Isaac on a leash.

This week I ran 28.29 miles, burned 3433.3 miles and weigh 168.7 pounds. WooHoo!

Monday: 4.99 miles in 55:00
Wednesday: 4.13 miles in 45:00
Friday: 5.17 miles in 55:00
Saturday: 14 miles in 2:49:00

If I can maintain the Saturday pace during the whole Houston Marathon then I can finish in less than 5:30:00.

For your viewing pleasure, extreme close-ups of the rash on my wrist.

I unsubscribed from the Mercola.com e-mail newsletter. Too much conspiracy theory and quackery.

If Mercola.com is to be believed the cure for my rash is to drink raw milk straight from the udder of a grass fed free range cow and tap on some energy meridians to get to the emotional root cause for my rash. Actually, if I followed his total health program I wouldn't have this rash in the first place. Now that I have it, I should shun all manner of pharmaceutical products because it only treats the symptoms not the cause.

The cause which is not contact with a plant in my backyard but too much sugar in my diet, cooked food, not enough high quality krill oil (It wasn't monsters from the Id that destroyed the original inhabitants of the Forbidden Planet but slaughter for diet supplements*) and unresolved emotional issues which can be resolved by tapping on my head, torso and sides of my hands.

I'm all for organic food and examining the influence of pharmaceutical companies on the FDA and other common sense health measures but too many times Mercola.com steps into the looney zone and uses some of the same tactics that the "evil marketing geniuses" of big pharmacy use in order to sell products. I can do with less BS in my life.

*Yeah, I know that the name of race on the Forbidden Planet was the Krell but I couldn't resist making a joke with an obscure reference. It is how my generation likes to communicate.

I have a rash on my left wrist. I experience a bit of discomfort when I bend my wrist back. The rash is a bunch of tiny blisters and my skin feels thick and leathery. There is swelling and I can watch the area change colors as it throbs. I think the tiny blisters are merging to form one giant blister. The rash has appeared on other parts of my arms, neck and back. Those are under control. Either scabs, dry skin or gone. I've stopped wearing a watch because it irritates my wrist. I have some prescription cortisone, over the counter cortisone and benadryl. The benadryl is mainly to make me too sedated to scratch the itch while I sleep.

The whole thing is gross but fascinating. The throbbing is almost hypnotic.

I'm definitely allergic to something that grows in the backyard. The rash appeared after I worked in the backyard with Walter in an effort to keep Isaac from jumping the fence.

Walter took some pictures of both Isaac and Loki. I need to edit them to crop out some elements. I will post the pictures soon.

Maybe I will take some photos of the rash. Might make a neat background or wallpaper. Just in time for Halloween.

Local radio has descended into further depths of suck. Two of my car radio presets have changed formats. One is Spanish - not good Spanish music but Tejano shit. The other station switched to country. I'm very selective about the country music that I listen to. Most country stations do not play good music. Hooray for Pandora.

My car radio can pick up two stations out of Houston but on cloudy days the signal is weak or a Tejano station butts in on the frequency.

This morning, the radio gods were conspiring against me. I'm in my car for 60 minutes a day. There is no reason I should be subjected to crappy music and inane chatter during the brief times driving my car.

The morning people on radio stations are not funny. Local or nationally syndicated. You are not funny. I know not funny. Shut up and play some damn music that does not suck.

I know the whole radio thing is an annoyance that I've mentioned before. Sort of an annoyance theme. My other annoyance theme is my inability to find and purchase pants that fit me. I really hate skirts and dresses so the lack of pants that I (a) would like to wear and (b) fit, is a real annoyance.

I used to get pants at Lane Bryant but I've lost enough weight that their smallest size is too large for me. I also liked shopping at Lane Bryant because the sales people were less attractive than me. Right now you, the reader is looking at the profile photo, thinking, "Damn! there some ugly women working at Lane Bryant!" That photo was taken after finishing a marathon - not my best. I look pretty much like the photo except for neater hair, less sweat and a slightly less crazed smile.

All I want is a couple of pairs of chinos with pockets. No flared legs, no hip hugging waist, no capris or "cropped" legs, non-stretch pants, the legs that will not shorten by 3 inches after one wash, cotton or a cotton blend, zipper and button on the front, machine washable. I want to be able obtain these pants with minimal human contact and crappy music playing over the sound system. Oh, leave the kids at home.

This week I ran 24.49 miles, burned 2,959.3 calories and weigh 172.2 pounds.

Monday ran 4.45 miles in 50:00
Wednesday ran 3.14 miles in 35:00
Friday ran 4.60 miles in 50:00
Saturday ran 12.3 miles in 2:30:00

If you ever read the Dilbert Blog or any of Scott Adams' non-Dilbert writing then you know about his thoughts on affirmations.

Here is a link to a recent blog entry about this: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/10/affirmations.html

As an experiment I'm trying them. I working on two. Neither are physics defying impossible, like regrowing a limb (I have all my limbs). Both are attainable but not too easy.

One of the affirmations is the time in which I will finish the 2007 Chevron Houston Marathon. This one is measurable and the time goal is ambitious but not completely out of my reach. I'm writing that I will finish this marathon in 5:08:00. This will require maintaining a pace of between 12:01 min. pace per mile (5:15 finish) and 11:27 min. pace per mile (5:00 finish). I have run at those paces but for shorter distances. I will not alter my present training. Just use the affirmations. The 5:08:00 is an hour off my 2004 Houston Marathon time. I finished the 2006 Freescale in Austin in about 5:39.

When I registered for race I put my estimated completion time at 5:30:00. So, I'm a realist sometimes. I would rather start with the slower group than fall behind the faster group. I'll run this race the way I run all of them: keep moving until I get to the finish line. If it happens at 5:08 then hurray for affirmations - if not then only thing that would be different is my time. I still get the t-shirt, medal and other finishers' swag.

The other goal is longer term and not so easy to measure.

Last week I ran 20.97 miles and burned 2542.9 calories.
This week I ran 22.2 miles and burned 2322.6 calories and weigh 169.8 pounds.

October 2: 3.84 miles in 45:00
October 4: 3.02 miles in 35:00
October 6: 3.99 miles in 45:00
October 7: 10.12 miles in 2:08:00
October 10: 3.91 miles in 45:00
October 11: 3.08 miles in 35:00
October 13: 4.06 miles in 45:00
October 14: 11.15 miles in 2:13:00. This includes about 5 minutes of petting a cat. The cat fulfilled one of its purposes in life - to take away some dignity from a human. While I was bent down petting the cat, it jumped up on my back and made itself at home. I did not want to bend up for fear of having my backside clawed. It jumped off my back when another runner came around and saw me bent over with a cat on my back. What is the use of taking some dignity from a human if there is not another human to witness it?

I have a new foster dog. His name is Isaac. He is a 95 pound hound mix. Very calm. He is not ready for adoptions yet. He needs shots and neutering.

I've made some new clip art but the last two evenings have been full so I only did minimum updates.

Sunday night was spent watching TV. Discovery Atlas and Adult Swim. Monday evening, I attended an Iftar dinner.

I tried to fast on Monday but was unsuccessful. I made it to noon. I had a headache so I ate my sandwich. That made the headache go away.

Islam's requirements are tough. I would make a poor Muslim. There is the no pork thing and the some of the reasons for the hijab bother me. It seems to me that if my uncovered head is such a distraction or temptation to a man then it is the man's problem to take to Allah to solve not mine to solve my covering my head. Making the other responsible for your happiness, virtue or problems is the first pillar of unhealthy relationships.

Islam has its good points. I'm just not ready to convert.

Peace be upon you. In Texan, Peace be upon ya'll.

No update last night because of a power outage. Read all about it here: http://www.theeagle.com/stories/100406/local_20061004001.php

My power did not come back on until almost 2:00 am. Fortunately it was a cool night and Walter hooked up a little fan to a battery. Finished reading a very dated book about cartooning and read more of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Journey towards enlightenment while still alive so that you will recognize what is happening during journey in between physical death and Buddhahood. You really want get in on the transition to Buddhahood early because it gets quite scary after the 7th day that your physical body has died. The 12th day - you don't need to be wandering around for 12 days.

I believe in the existence of hell but not that it is any worse than the things that humans do to each other. The worst tortures are not always physical.

I don't believe that hell is an eternal state. Seems rather unjust.

The only thing that I am certain of in regards to the nature of God is that he/she/it has a sick, sick, sick sense of humor. It's not funny, anymore.

This week I ran 14.72 miles, burned 1808.4 calories and weigh 169.5 pounds. So far this year I have run 727.45 miles.

Monday: 3.75 miles in 45:00
Wednesday: 2.97 miles in 35:00
Saturday: 8 miles in 1:28:00

I had a fast Saturday. I was more recovered and there were some nice downhill stretches. It was a good run.

I identified the cause of my frustration with work. The contrast between the stagnation of my work-life and the growth in my personal life has become too much to ignore. I have some ideas about what to do about it.

Mediocrity.

Some stuff has been buzzing around in my head and I need to get it out before it drives me crazy.

I think I've been going through a "third-life" crisis. I'm too young for a mid-life crisis. Crisis is too strong a word.

My, I hesitate to call it a career, is at a standstill. To me a career is something that is sought with more intention rather than wandered into. Also, I imagine a real career requires one to wear a blazer all the time. That is a by-product of my late 70's elementary school years. All the school material about careers included illustrations of smiling women wearing blazers and walking while projecting an air of self assurance. They were always carrying documents.

I could upgrade my wardrobe. At least I would look the part of an adult with a career.

I need to stop going back and reading what I wrote and criticizing it. That's why it takes so long for me to write a blog entry beyond running stats.

Mediocrity. I'm quite aware of my own mediocrity. I think I can do better but wonder if I really could. Is this really my best? Getting beyond this requires stepping out of a comfort zone. I know this. Easier said than done.

It would help if I were stepping toward something other than "not this." I have a greater idea of what I don't want rather than what I do. I can envision a certain lifestyle but have no clue as to how to get there.

I know I need to do something. What, I don't know. No use in stepping out aimlessly.

Life does not come with a route map. Maybe it is time for me to seriously map one out.

Disclaimer: Please do not take this entry as an opportunity to sell your self-help book, life-coaching services or your religion. I do need help and will consider serious offers but I prefer to find my own resources. I'm cheap, you have to work hard to convince me that your book, guide, services, etc. are a good investment of my dollars. I've seen lots of guides, books, tapes and CDs at garage sales. If this information was so valuable why let it go for 25 cents to $2.00? I would either keep it or give it to someone I care about.

Burn out.

This week I've only done a minimum of church related stuff. I had the time but I chose to do other things. I've done a minimum of work related stuff as well. The other things I've chosen to do are quite trivial. Play games, watch a bit of YouTube, random web surfing.

I still haven't written an article for the church newsletter. I hope it goes to print without me. At the moment there are other things that I would rather do. This for example.

Ramadan started Sunday, September 24. According to sources on the internet, Osama Bin Laden will launch his latest offensive, an American Hiroshima - nuke 10 U.S. cities with dirty bombs. Materials to make these bombs were smuggled across the Mexican border. This offensive will allegedly take place during Ramadan (September 24 - October 23).

A Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency, a psychiatrist, has all this information on his website. Nothing scarier than a paranoid psychiatrist.

Relevant links for your amusement: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=72986 and http://www.cortforpresident.com and http://www.stopdoomsday.com/

I need to get away for a while. Not because of the above silliness but just to recharge my batteries, make a decision or two and move forward with some plans. Mainly to recharge.

Crap still needs to be done whether or not I feel like doing it. I should learn to do it with enthusiasm. Fuck that. I'll reserve my enthusiasm for something I care about.

Results of the trail run:
http://cpmimages.com/events/LakeBryanTrailRun/LakeBryanResults.html

This week I ran 33.73 miles, burned 3,787.2 calories and weigh 167.8 pounds.

Sunday: 35K in 5:41:08
Wednesday: 2.06 miles in 25:00
Friday: 2.97 miles in 35:00
Saturday: 7 miles in 1:26:00

I ran 35K in 5:41:08. That's 21.7 miles for those using English measurements. I did not make the cutoff time to go on 15 more kilometers. The heat and humidity got to a lot of people. 22 signed up for the 50K. 8 finished, 8 more managed 35K. The rest stopped at 25K.

The next day, Monday, a cool front blew in. Perfect running weather.

My legs are still a bit sore.

I slept most of Monday.

I would like to take another shot at a 50K trail run.

This week I ran 7.72 miles, burned 1,021.9 calories and weigh 167.9 pounds.

Monday: 2.80 miles in 35:00
Wednesday: 2.01 miles in 25:00
Friday: 2.91 miles in 35:00

Tomorrow is the big race. I picked up my packet this evening. Walter and Loki came along and we walked a bit along the levee that surrounds Lake Bryan. Loki went into the water.

Found a lot of interesting and valuable things at the garage sales this morning.

I'm taking Monday off to recuperate from this race.

The Suddenlink tech came by and got us up and running. The modem was replaced and Walter had to remind them that we are paying for two IPs. This took talking to three people. Walter showed the tech our bill. The tech had to talk to two different people.

Are we the only customers in Bryan paying for two IPs?

The new minister arrived last week and will be at tonight's board meeting. The dedication of the new chalice went well.

Tonight a new cartoon will go up. Along with a new recipe and a new book.

3 days until the 50K race.

The extended internet service outage caused a problem with our cable modem. A technician will come to our house on Thursday morning. That means no updates until Thursday evening, assuming that Suddenlink delivers on its promises.

Fortunately, the service call is free.

The ugly tattoo lady that I saw in front of the pawn shop has achieved greater immortality than she ever could have imagined. You, the reader, are lucky. You see only an interpretation of the woman. I saw the real thing. I would have photographed her if I could operate my camera phone discreetly. She was with others and I don't think my car would have withstood the pounding.

At least this outage has given me the opportunity to draw more cartoons. Whether or not that is a good thing is a subject for debate.

Today's tip for improving the efficiency of your administrative assistant:
Make detailed notes of what changes you want done on a PowerPoint presentation, go over the notes and then walk off with the notes and trust that your assistant will remember everything.

Do you have what it takes to become a citizen?

You answered 95% of questions correctly. Here's your rating:

0-20%: Maybe you're still thinking too much about the Old Country -- and that's where you should probably be.

25-40%: Mmmm. Do you really want to be a citizen? This kind of performance isn't going to impress those nice immigration folks.

45-60%: Not too bad, but you really need to break out the civics books again -- word is, the INS is looking for an 80 percent score.

65-80%: Hey, you may make a good citizen yet! Look at your wrong answers and a little revision should do the trick.

85-100%: Welcome to the United States! (And, truth be told, you know more about this great land than most Americans.)

I missed the one about the correct form for applying for U.S. citizenship.

Give it a try.

No update. Suddenlink, my internet service provider, in Bryan is down. Technicians have been working on it all night. Still was not fixed as of this morning.

I used the extra time to draw another cartoon.

An update will be posted if Suddenlink can get reconnected.

This week I ran 13.98 miles, burned 1,780.5 calories and weigh 168.2 pounds.

Monday ran 2.74 miles in 35:00
Wednesday ran 1.98 miles in 25:00
Thursday ran 2.86 miles in 35:00
Saturday ran 6.4 miles in 1:16:00

One week until the 50K!

The finches are definitely escaped pets. They don't fly far away from people or dogs. It looks like they have chosen a tree next to the feed to perch. I put out some water for them because it appears that they don't venture very far from the tree or the feed table. Tomorrow, I'm going to put up a nest box under the eave for them. This weekend we'll try to find a finch cage that they can be coaxed into. Pictures of the Zebra Finches. I've named them Bruce and Sheila. Bruce is in the plate and Sheila is eating by the tray. The first picture shows them sort of together.

I looked up finches last night. It looks like my two visitors are Zebra Finches. Walter took some pictures of them this morning. I will print the pictures and take them to one of the professors I work for. He is an ornithologist; he can confirm identification. One of the perks of working for an ornithologist is that I can legally search for tits on Google during work hours.

I will post pictures later.

I still think the finches are a pair that escaped from a home or breeder. They appear to be thriving.

It rained! It finally rained here! Hooray.

A pair of finches stopped at the bird feeding table. They looked like something that you would find in a pet store. Zebra finches I think. I hope they are really wild and not a couple of pets that someone let out. Pet birds don't do well in the wild. At least these two found food. The cardinals did not mind their presence.

My work week so far has been highlighted by a pile of minor annoyances. One minor annoyance is easy to handle but this week the annoyances have been ganging up on me.

I'm not referring to people. I'm referring to actions. Making me work to get a simple piece of information. Displaying confirmation bias. Engaging in hyperbole. Assuming that I know something.

Things will get better. They always do.

This week I ran 26.66 miles, burned 3,310.6 calories and weigh 168.8 pounds.

Sunday: 12.02 miles in 2:15:00
Tuesday: 5K in 31:25
Thursday: 5.75 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday: 5.4 miles in 1:02:00

Two weeks until my 50K!

I haven't drawn a cartoon in two days. Fortunately, I have a backlog of a month's worth of cartoons.

My schedule has been turned topsy-turvy since school started. Things should be back to normal by next week.

My first training run for the Houston Marathon is this Saturday. I hope the morning is still nice and cool.

I love last minute revisions and additions.

Loki slept all night outside his kennel. He walked into the bedroom at about 5:30 am. I was awakened by fuzzy muzzle to the middle of my back. Hot dog breath is even better.

Right now Loki is outside enjoying the exceptionally cool morning.

Walter made breakfast so I have time to do other things.

So far, I've made it to work on time and have not hit the 10:00 am wall of drowsiness.

I'm not feeling so overwhelmed by church stuff right now. That may change later in the day.

I made a Dogster page for Loki: www.dogster.com/?373607
He has seven pals so far.

Yesterday was the first day of classes. It was a long day. I got quite a workout - climbing and groping.

A new projector has been ordered for my classroom. Meanwhile, the old projector is showing a lamp replacement warning. Since the remote disappeared I have to hop onto a table and then reach up to the manual controls and feel for the right button to turn off the warning. Did this five times yesterday.

So far today, most of the classes have not needed the projector. The afternoon classes will need to use the projector and one evening class will use it. I showed the assistant in last night's evening class where the off button is, so I don't have to do this next week for the Monday evening class. I hope the new projector comes in soon.

I still have a lot of church related stuff to do. This is almost a fulltime job. So how do I find time to post blog entries and make a Dogster page and update my cartoon website? I don't have to work all the time. The breaks make me more productive.

I will make the time to do the church stuff. I just don't want to do it right now.

This week I ran 14.85 miles, burned 1,877.6 calories and weigh 167.8 pounds.

Monday: 5.29 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday: 5K in 31:57
Friday: 6.08 miles in 1:05:00

Walter and I took Loki for a walk this evening. He did well. Only had one minor incident with a loose smaller dog. People will learn that this city has a leash law.

I made it to work 15 minutes early. Walter making breakfast made that possible and getting out of bed by 6:00 am also helped.

Now, I'm trying to get through the 10:00 am sleepiness wall. If I can make it to 11:00 am without dosing off then I should be alert for the rest of the day.

A successful person is one who went ahead and did the thing the rest of us never quite got around to.
I wish a successful person would come along and write the things I need to write for church.

People rarely disclose their character so clearly as when they describe someone else's.

Everything now being done is going to be done differently; it's going to be done better, and if you don't do it, your competitor will.

Loki has become more clever about opening the back gate. Not only did he push up the latch but also the wire we installed to keep the gate closed. Walter put him in the back yard and then went out the front door and found Loki greeting him.

Walter revised the installation of the wire. I'm hoping that Loki learns to use the mower or refill the holes that River dug.

I'm waiting on Loki's paperwork so I can take him to the vet and maybe obedience classes. I also need to pay Woodstock.

I received my appointment letter for the next fiscal year. It is a letter detailing my job title and pay scale for the next fiscal year. It is becoming more difficult for me to change jobs when this one is fulfilling most of my number one personal objective. If I did not have to get up so early then this job would hit it 100%.

Money can't buy happiness but neither can poverty.

A scary picture. It was part of an e-mail I received. Not the most flattering photo of this person. Vaguely looks like my mother. A younger version of my mother or an older version of my sister. In defense of both my mother and sister, neither of them would send an unflattering photo as part of a testimonial. Neither of them wear that much make-up and no longer use excessive hair product. And they don't have any weird growths coming out of their necks (at least they didn't last time I saw them). The more I look at this picture more unlike my mother and sister this woman becomes.

The photo is from My Points. I do remember how the woman in this photo redeemed her points. The photo blotted it out from my mind and all I wanted was my lousy 5 points for reading the e-mail.

The photo looks like a mug shot. Maybe My Points has the same photo filters as the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Watched the Roast of William Shatner last night. Boy, George Takei took a lot of hits. He dished it out quite well. He really stepped out of character to deliver those lines. I might purchase the uncensored DVD. I tried to catch some of the exclusives on Mother Load but the interface was a bit frustrating and I could not play the videos I wanted.

Loki is home. I filled out his application today. He was glad to see me. He has put on a bit of weight. Right now, he is sleeping on the floor by the computer desk.

This week I ran 33.16 miles, burned 3849.8 calories and weigh 169.2 pounds.

Sunday ran 14.49 miles in 3:20:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 32:31
Friday ran 5.9 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday ran 15K in 2:24:00

I ran the 15K loop of my upcoming 50K race. Tough trail. I nearly fell down four times. I will walk quite a bit during this portion of the race. I may have to reevaluate my time goal.

The special board meeting went well. We had a quorum. Even had a board member vote from the hospital. The potential minister is excited. I'm waiting on paperwork.

The gag well has been running a bit dry lately. I can come up with many funny things but nothing that translates into cartoon form very well. For example, Dolly Parton singing the opening song from the Sound of Music. Cartoons are a visual medium and this Dolly Parton thing is an audio gag.

Dolly Parton has recorded a lot of music. I bet she has tackled Rogers and Hammerstein. I'll have to search my MP3 service.

Loki is coming back. Walter and I are going to adopt him. He needs a real permanent home. I'll be glad to see him again.

Salvador's flight feathers have grown back so he is back to his old self.

This gag writing slump has gone on too long.

Speaking of writing, I need to write an article for the church newsletter, welcome packet, welcome web page and search packet. There is a lot of writing involved in the board president job. Also, I still need to talk to some more people about church stuff.

"Church stuff" is a term I use when it is inappropriate, in a publicly available blog, to go into detail. I write about church stuff here mostly for my benefit but also for the benefit of anyone curious about the inner workings of an UU church. There is the words we share with the public and there is how we really act. In the case of my church the words match the deeds 90% of the time. It could be higher but my church welcomes imperfect people. Some of these imperfect people get elected as Board President. Maybe these writings will benefit anyone thinking about taking on a leadership position in their church.

Right now, things are a bit heavy on the church front but so far, as a whole, this Board President experience has been rewarding. The load will lighten when some of the more pressing church stuff is taken care of. I can't afford to bribe everyone with dessert. I hope someone says yes.

I saw the new chalice early and I look forward to heaping praise on the Finance Committee at an appreciation dinner for them.

Obtainable Affirmations

1. As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I am in touch with my inner sociopath.
2. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
3. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.
4. I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise myself, unless I want to stay employed.
5. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
6. Having control over myself is almost as good as having control over others.
7. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of self-judgment.
8. I honor my personality flaws for without them I would have no personality at all.
9. I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those censorious, self-righteous people around me.
10. I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them.

[From AndyChaps!]

River went to her new home today. I took her to work and she enjoyed the attention.

I took the afternoon off to take River to her home. I enjoyed having the extra time. I finally put up the clean clothes and loaded the dishwasher.

The crows and grackles ate all the bird seed. No dog to run them off.

Tomorrow, I attempt to use my powers of persuasion. The English language makes absolutely no sense.

Since I got things done a bit earlier than usual, I'm going to bed early.

"The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person."

--P. J. O'Rourke

I have a special church board meeting to preside tonight. The main agenda item is the hiring of a minister. Actually, in this case a ministerial candidate. She has completed her course work and needs to do her internship before she can become ordained. Hopefully, she will gain some good experience with our church and the church will gain something as well. I look forward to working with this person.

I need to write a nice welcome letter for our packet and website. I will try to use my own voice without displaying the more twisted parts of my personality. Be warm and friendly and leave the comedy at home. Most of the comedy.

This week I ran 14.47 miles, burned 1805.1 calories and weigh 169.3 pounds.
Last week I ran 24.62 miles, burned 2496.5 calories and weighed 169.5 pounds.

Sunday, July 30: 14:06 miles in 2:56:00
Monday, July 31: 4.56 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday, August 2: .52 miles
Friday, August 4: 5.45 miles in 1:05:00
Sunday, August 6: 10K in 1:27:00
Monday, August 7: 4.51 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday, August 9: 5K in 33:06

I had a bunch of meetings these past two weeks. I have more next week. I don't want to know what it would be like to be the Board President of a large church.

Tomorrow, I will attempt to run about 21 miles. I mapped out a 3 mile (2.97 miles exactly) route. I did this to prepare for the mental challenge of repeating trails in the 50K trail run in September.

River's adoption application was approved. She will be going to her new home sometime this week.

Thursday is the usual quote day but I had to put a few things on notice.

Not a day passes over this earth, but men and women of no note do great deeds, speak great words and suffer noble sorrows. - Charles Reed

The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. - Henri-Frederic Amiel
Used this one as opening words for the church Board Meeting last night. It was a hit.

Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing. - Alexander Woollcott (a man of many double letters in his surname)

Forget your opponents; always play against par. - Sam Snead

You're on notice!
On notice board generator courtesy of http://www.shipbrook.com/onnotice/
Follow the instructions and don't steal this guy's bandwidth.

Blog 108: August 9, 2006

The latest sample of Steve Sutton in action

Something Awful introduced me to a man so uninteresting that he loops back to interesting. Steve's World - the world of Steve Sutton, a captivatingly boring person.

I've posted a cartoon with an offer. I often receive e-mails urging me to kill myself and/or stop posting cartoons. I also receive positive e-mails.

Taking a cue from the U.S. government, I will not post a cartoon on a day that I receive $200 USD. Like the U.S. government paying farmers not to grow certain crops, I'm asking people to pay me not to post cartoons.

If people are really concerned about the quality of web comics then back it up with some cash. For those who like my cartoons, I have other buttons at http://www.aperfectworld.org

I have no plans to kill myself.

It's pithy quotes Thursday!

No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a teacher. - Ben Johnson

People who write the most interesting and effective letters never answer letters. They answer people.

And they never answer my @#$! e-mails! Especially, when I need information. The simple answers take forever to get but the more complex things are responded to immediately, despite a not possessing a full grasp of the situation.

There is something terribly wrong with my country. I don't know how to fix it.
http://gutterboylive.livejournal.com/96870.html#cutid1
Anyone that thinks that this cluster-fuck can be resolved by simply voting for Democrats is an idiot. I think it will take something more cataclysmic. I'm thinking something bloody and violent but that never ends well.

I was at a retreat Sunday and Monday. It was fun, productive and much needed.

Got out of bed at 5:45 am this morning and I'm not struggling to stay awake. Hurray for small miracles.

Because of the retreat I have a half gallon of Blue Bell Buttered Pecan ice cream that I have to dispose of. In the interests of the starving children in Africa I must eat this ice cream myself. It's what Jesus would do.

This week's list - Why I hate clothes shopping

1. Collared shirts without sleeves. These damn things are on the racks. Clothing should not go on the rack until it is finished. Sewing sleeves on cannot be any more difficult than adding a collar. The sleeveless shirts do not keep anyone cooler than a short sleeved shirt.
   
2. Capris. I @#$#%! hate capris and their variants - cropped pants, extra long shorts. I have a hard enough time finding pants with long enough legs without @#$%! capris lurking on the shelves and racks pretending to be legitimate pants. Want to be cool in the summer - try shorts.
3. I'm not a plumber, carpenter or refridgerator repair man. I can't wait until this low-cut crap goes out of fashion. I live in the United States - the low-cut look is not hot on 70% of the women in this country - yet clothing manufacturers make these things in sizes that would accommodate that 70%. Certain clothing should not be made in certain sizes.
   
4. Would it kill fashion designers to put real sizes on clothes? Waist, Hip, Inseam. 3 little numbers. No, I have to try on everything. It's amazing that a size 12 in one brand fits just as well as a size 16 in another. Look at the amazing shape shifting woman!
5. Shouldn't a higher size number on a pair of pants have longer legs than the lower number? In my world the legs should get longer as the size number increases but that does not happen in the world I'm forced to shop in - things only get wider.
   

I would enjoy clothes shopping a bit more if I did not have such a crappy attitude and stores stopped selling ugly, ill-fitting garments.

This week I ran 27.58 miles, burned 2,929.2 calories and weigh 167.8 pounds.

Sunday ran 13.11 miles in 2:40:00 at a 12:12 min./mile or 4.92 mph.
Monday ran 4.96 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 33:41
Friday ran 6.04 miles in 1:05:00

Quotes from the little magazines:

The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none. - Carlyle

Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.

Okay. The above quote fails to take into account the cause of most problems - someone with less ability.

Opportunities multiply as they are siezed, die when neglected.

A man is never astonished that he doesn't know what another does, but he is surprised at the gross ignorance of the other in not knowing what he does. - Haliburton

Loki got adopted. He went to his new home yesterday. I hope it goes well. He has a nice yard and two boys to play with him.

I'm temp fostering a 3 month old puppy named River. She is a mutt of indeterminate ancestry. She has already piddled on the carpet. Right now, she is sleeping under my desk.

I'm a bit tired myself. I've been trying an earlier wake up time. Lasted two days.

Early mornings without the prospect of a nap suck.

List of the week: Animals that freak me out

1. Chinese crested dogs
2. Hairless cats
3. Horned toads
4. Shaved bears
5. Sasquatches
6. Opossums
7. Angler fish
8. Jelly fish
9. Sting rays
   

Interesting site of the week: Eugene Sandow & The Golden Age of Iron Men
Has several pictures of body builders from the Victorian and Edwardian Era, reproductions of various training courses - including the Farmer Burns course, and a section on physical culture on the Indian sub-continent.

None of these men are vein-bulging, steroid popping, circus freaks. These guys not only looked great but could perform feats of strength with the muscles. They were wrestlers, circus strongmen, weight lifters, yogis and boxers.

The photos is from the site and it depicts Eugene Sandow supporting the cast of a vaudeville show.

Walter and I visited the flea market and found some interesting things.

It is not a real flea market unless there is a man with a tracheotomy selling random items. This flea market had its tracheotomy man. For some reason I feel compelled to purchase something from the tracheotomy man - pity maybe? The man, if he knew my thoughts would say, "I DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN PITY!" Actually, it would be more like, "I DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN PITY!"

I bought a bunch of post cards and greeting cards from tracheotomy man. The oldest card was sent in 1908 and the most recent card was sent in 1980. There are several undated post cards. It is enough cards to keep me occupied for a year or two with scanning, posting, research and snarking.

Presenting the Church of Tomorrow! It is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The First Christian Church, located at 3700 N. Walker, is one the most beautiful sights in Oklahoma City.

It sort of looks like a Bizarro World version of the Legion of Doom's Hall of Doom.

This week I ran 14.28 miles, burned 1787.3 calories and weigh 168.2 pounds.

Monday ran 4.84 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 34:18
Friday ran 5.98 miles in 1:05:00

I will do my long run - 13 miles - tomorrow.

Star Trek - Knights of the Round Table

I'm not quite enough of a Trek geek to name all the episodes from whence the clips came. A very well done Star Trek - Monty Python mash-up.

I fried my cell phone. One month past the warranty and 5 months before the automatic replacement. I hope to have a replacement sometime today. I wonder if I will still get the automatic replacement in January?

I don't receive many calls. At most I use 30 minutes a month. Yesterday, several people needed to speak with me. I found out about it via e-mail. How did everyone know that I do not have a phone?

After I exercise in the gym, I sit in the sauna. I use the alarm function on my cell phone to limit my time. I've been doing this for months.

Wednesday evening the phone went dead. I assumed that I allowed the battery to run down. So I plug it into my car charger. The phone did not come back on. I went home and plugged it into my home charger. The phone came on and I allowed it to recharge. Then at 2:00 am the phone made all kinds of noises. I unplug it. I woke up at 6:30 am and tried to turn the thing back on. The phone would not turn on. I removed the battery and put it back in - still no response. I pulled the battery back out. I noticed a little note. It said "Do not expose to temperatures above 140 degrees (F)" The sauna at the gym is 170 degrees.

It's a dry heat.

A couple of pithy quotes:

We often act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when what we really need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.

Wonder if the writer of that statement considered serial killers.

Self-centered people are the ones who spend so much time talking about themselves that we never get a chance to talk about ourselves.

If according to the first writer the key to happiness is something to be enthusiastic about, why not choose self? The self-centered have found something to be enthusiastic about, therefore are happy, and won't shut up about it.

The quotes come from some tracts about management and leadership. I bought them at a garage sale. They were published in the mid-1980's. The tracts do not contain anything particularly profound. The content is broken up so that a concept can be conveyed during an average bowel movement.

This blog would be a lot more interesting if I posted more often.

Honestly, I've not had much to write about.

Even my gag writing has waned. I can come up with a gag when it is time to draw but I like to have a few written down because often the gags drawn on the fly are not that funny.

This week I ran 19.51 miles burned 2243.2 calories and weigh 168 pounds. I've got to stop eating so much sugary stuff.

Monday ran 4.83 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 34:57
Friday ran 5.90 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday ran 5.32 miles in 1:08:00

Ran Saturday at 4.69 mph or a 12:47 mile. I intended to run 12 miles but it was too damn hot. 8:00 pm and still over 90 degrees.

I need to do these longer runs in the morning so I've decided to do the long runs on Sunday mornings. I can wake up an hour earlier. This will still give me time to go to church and take a nap after church. If the sermon is boring enough I'll take a nap during church.

I like to spend Saturday mornings going to garage sales with my husband, which is why I don't run on Saturday mornings. Found some good Yoga and stretching books this morning.

Loki received two adoption applications. Jam might get a home if the first application works out.

Tomorrow, I'm going out to lunch with my dad and the rest of the family to celebrate his birthday. He will almost be 70. He doesn't actually turn 70 until Wednesday.

This week I ran and walked 26.63 miles, burned 2,763.6 calories and weigh 167.2 pounds.

Monday I walked Loki for about 6 miles.
Wednesday ran 5K in 35:37
Friday ran 5.92 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday ran 11.26 miles in 2:28:00

Ran Saturday at a 13:09 min./mile or 4.56 mph.

For fun I did a self Google search.

Not only am I a cartoonist and very funny person but I'm also an illustrator of evangelical Christian children's books, a former Melbourne High School classmate, the mother of Miss Lousiana (2005), appointed by a probate court as something, bought a partnership home in 1997, a member of the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce, Social Studies teacher, a Southern woman who loves to read, barrel racer, Blood Drive coordinator, employee of Coppell ISD, a runner based in Vermont, employee of Radian International, member of a transportation board, very dear friend of the late Margaret Loretta DeWoody, part-time kindergarten teacher, died in Allegheny County Pennsylvania, and co-author of Surface-Coating-Free Materials Workshop Summary Report.

That was just the first 20 pages. The things I learned about myself through Google.

I took Loki to Lake Bryan. We walked about 7 miles.

I let Loki off leash to play in the water. He has pretty good recall.

He displayed an interest in things beyond his immediate surroundings. I found that behavior unusual in a dog. He watched a heron landing 100 yards away and watched a boat pulling a tube.
Loki likes to lay in the water with his nose just above the surface.

Right now he is sleeping and dreaming.

Our Lake Bryan expedition was cut short by a bone headed act. I left my planner on top of my car. I drove off. Someone found it an flagged down a police officer. The police called me while I was in the middle of the woods. I headed back after the police called. An officer brought my planner to my house. Everything was still in it. The police used my fishing license to find my phone number.

I was so intent on loading Loki into the car that I forget to get my planner off the roof. Thank God for luck and honorable people.

This week I ran 14.76 miles, burned 1,709.7 calories and weigh 166.5 pounds.

Monday ran 4.72 miles in 1:05:00
Sunday ran 10.04 miles in 1:59:00
According to mapmyrun.com I ran Sunday at a 11:51 min./mile or 5.06 mph. It has been unusually cool this past week. 10 degrees makes quite a difference. The amount of time off from running might have helped as well. Allowed my body to fully recover.

I had a couple of church related meetings on the days that I normally run.

The meetings this weekend were especially productive. The Prairie Star District has a fantastic Ministerial Settlement Representative and I'm glad she chose to make her services available to my church, even though it is outside her district.

I'm feeling the full weight of responsibility of Board President.

I have the day off tomorrow. I think I will take Loki to the Lake Bryan Trails and hike them. Get a feel for what awaits me in September. I've turned in my entry form for the 50K.

List of the week:
Things that unnerve me

1. Men a lot shorter than I am
2. People scraping bare feet on concrete
3. Hefty women showing too much cleavage
4. Chinese Crested dogs
5. Ugly babies
6. Nondiscreet public breast feeding
7. Guys who can't walk without one hand on their crotch
8. Hairy armpits on a woman
   

Disclaimer: My reaction to the above is my responsibility. I do not expect any of the above to modify themselves in order to make me feel better. Numbers 1, 4, and 5 can't do anything, the others might want to consider other people but ultimately no one has any control over how any one will react.

Your Inner Child Is Sad

You're a very sensitive soul. You haven't grown that thick skin that most adults have. Easily hurt, you tend to retreat to your comfort zone. You don't let many people in - unless you've trusted them for a long time.

How Is Your Inner Child?

This week I ran 22.05 miles, burned 2,471.5 calories and weigh 167.7 pounds.

Monday ran 4.62 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 37:17
Friday ran 5.93 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday ran 8.05 miles in 1:44:00

According to MapMyRun.com I ran Saturday at 4.64mph or 12:55 mins/mile.

I took the day off to help Walter purchase parts for the truck. I needed the day off. Got a lot done and Walter bought the right parts to get the truck running again.

Brilliant! I did all the updates in FrontPage and then forgot to upload. Oops.

I upload via FTP rather than using FrontPage's publish function. I experience fewer bugs and with a site as large as mine things update faster. I use FrontPage for the auto thumbnail feature and navigation bars. I can do a bit of coding to tweak things.

This is what happens when I do updates very late at night. I was also making purchase and download buttons for my clip art. Now some of my clip art is available in other file formats and can be purchased and downloaded instantly. This feature will become available as soon as I get home and actually upload the updates.

It looks like something was in the air yesterday. It affected me, Phil Mickelson and the Dallas Mavericks. I guess the Mavericks really like playing basketball because it looks like they are going to play all 7 games in the series with the Miami Heat.

You are 80% Pisces

How Pisces Are You?

This week I ran 23.93 miles, burned 2,723.2 calories and weigh 168.2 pounds.

Monday ran 4.51 miles in 1:05:00
Wednesday ran 5K in 37:01
Friday ran 6.17 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday morning ran 2.75 miles in 31:00
Saturday evening ran 7.06 miles in 1:28:00

I intended to run the 7 miles Saturday morning but a storm cut things short.

According to MapMyRun.com I ran the 2.75 miles at a 11:16 mile pace (5.32 mph) and ran the 7.06 at a 12:28 mile pace (4.81 mph).

You can check out my running routes at http://profile.mapmyrun.com/Toonhead
MapMyRun.com is a very useful site for runners and walkers. Not only can you map a run but there is also a tool to calculate stats such as average pace, average speed and calories burned.

You can look at the maps of other runners in your area. The tool works in conjunction with Google Maps.

Loki spent the day at the office, yesterday. He received lots of attention. I took him to the vet after work. He needed to get his rabies shot certificate. The old one got misplaced.

Loki had a good time exploring the campus and chasing squirrels. A mockingbird strafed him.

Loki was well behaved. He is a great dog.

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My term as Board President is going okay, so far. I've met with the office staff and informed her of changes. Met with the search committee and got them started. I will be contacting the District Ministerial Settlement Representative to give her a time when we can meet.

There are still other things to do. I'm doing them at my pace but I get the impression that my pace is not fast enough for others. I'm not a sprinter. I try not to let the to-do list overwhelm me. Have to remember to stay steady or else I will not have the energy to make it to the finish line.

I presided over my first board meeting. It went a little long but it was a huge agenda. I'm glad that the past-President was out of town that day. I found it helpful to not have that shadow over me at the first meeting. It allowed me space to set the tone. I think I will skip the first Board meeting that the new president will preside over.

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I haven't attempted a sprint in a long time - just run as fast as I can for a short distance. I ran as fast as I could during the last .2 miles of the Freescale Marathon but that is not quite the same. I wonder how fast I can run straight off the start line? Last time I attempted a sprint I aggravated a knee injury. That was over 11 years ago. My knee has survived 3 marathons and the training. My legs are stronger but I'm still hesitant to try a sprint. Kind of odd, since I've ran up to 8 mph on a treadmill. I felt as if my legs were going to fly apart when I set the treadmill that fast.

I need to visit a track and time a single lap. It might be interesting and/or comical.

Do I know how to run fast anymore? Run fast for no real reason, like I did as a kid.

I subscribe to eHealthy News from Mercola.com. It's about natural healing, food, and homoeopathy. Dr. Mercola is into technology so he posts good technology articles. Most of the information is useful and verifiable but a fair amount treads into "loony" territory. I agree that the U.S. healthcare system needs major remodeling, Americans should eat less processed food and exercise more but the site loses credibility when statements like the following appear:

Are you among the millions of people everyday exchanging your health for the convenience of microwave ovens? Before you use your microwave one more time, you might want to consider some facts.

The Nazis are credited with inventing the first microwaves. Known first as radiomissors, they were used for preparation of meals on a mass scale during the invasion of Russia -- thus eliminating the logistical problem of cooking fuels. After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. So alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976.

(The whole page: http://www.mercola.com/forms/turbo_oven.htm)

Okay, Dr. Mercola needs to sell products in order to keep his website up. I have no problem with that but this whole invoking the Nazis just to sell an appliance is ridiculous. The Nazis were evil - the Nazis used microwaves - only a Nazi would use a microwave. Even the godless, commie Russians banned microwaves. You're smarter than them aren't you? So why are you still using a microwave oven?

Dr. Mercola writes against the advertising tactics used by big pharmaceutical corporations but appears to have no problem with using similar tactics to sell products. The proceeds of the sales are used to advance his vision for a new health care paradigm. Sleazy advertising tactics to advance a noble cause does not make the tactics less sleazy nor really do much for the cause.

Actually, the pharmaceutical companies use more subtle tactics.

I'm not a fan of the pharmaceutical companies. I just want less bullshit in my life.

Bullshit is a natural product, perhaps it is appropriate for some to appear on a natural health site. I'm sure the bullshit that appears on Mercola.com comes from free-range, non-genetically modified, non-hormone treated, organic, grass fed bulls.

Still stinks.

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flow You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer A total joy to be around, people crave your stability. While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done You're passionate - just selective about your passions

Do You Have a Type A Personality?