It's my fault the old Shop-Vac died. I left it outside to dry after vacuuming up water that might have had sulfuric acid in it. It rained cats and dogs the next day. The watersoftener ran yesterday and reflooded the low parts of the basement near the floor drain I was trying to unplug. I plunged out the drain, which runs fine now, and went to get the Shop-Vac to clean up the bathroom rug. Then I remembered that I'd left it out under the eaves in front of the garage door.
I poured about a cup of water out of the motor compartment. I gave her twenty-four hours with the dehumidifier to dry out. It wasn't enough. She lasted about five seconds after I turned her on before the motor burned out. I should have blown her out with a blow dryer first.
No time to mourn. I still have to get that rug dry.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
1:34:15
That's my time for the Manitou 15K. They don't use electronic chips, so that's my gun time, and I wasn't paying attention to anything but whose feet I was about to step on at the start, so I can't even estimate how long it took me to get to the starting line. Maybe twenty seconds - it wasn't that big a crowd.
Some were probably turned away by the thunderstorm predictions, but we only got a few raindrops during the race. It was raining pretty steady out last time I looked outside, but that didn't start until after noon sometime. Race conditions were cloudy and high sixties, with almost no wind. A little warmer than perfect racing weather, but pretty close.
For the first 5K I just hung with this group that seemed to be going the speed I wanted to go. The second 5K the crowd was pretty stretched out, so I just concentrated on breathing at the rate I thought would keep me at about a 10 minute mile pace. My watch verified that I was doing a heckuva job at it, though I was lagging a bit. The final 5K I pushed it a little more, though it started on a long upgrade - you probably wouldn't notice it in a car, so I waited on that until I got to the "top" before pushing. Then, finally I did a real kick for the last quarter mile, steadily accelerating through the finish line.
They probably haven't posted the results yet, but let's see anyway.
Nope. Not yet. They're supposed to post them on Apple Raceberry JaM by 6 PM.
I bet you're wondering how I feel now.
I've got a couple of raw spots - notably, one blistered toe, but other than generally tired legs, I feel pretty good. I mean, thank god it's raining and the yard work is all done for the week.
Oh, yeah. The floor drain in the basement is backing up so I've been hauling three gallon buckets of water from the clothes washer to the shower drain. Now we've knocked a hole in the wall between the laundry area and the bathroom and run a hose directly from the washer to the drain that works. I put the hole in a spot that wanted some work anyway, so no biggy there.
Ok, here are the official Manitou 15K results. Apparently I lost a second: 1:34:16.
Some were probably turned away by the thunderstorm predictions, but we only got a few raindrops during the race. It was raining pretty steady out last time I looked outside, but that didn't start until after noon sometime. Race conditions were cloudy and high sixties, with almost no wind. A little warmer than perfect racing weather, but pretty close.
For the first 5K I just hung with this group that seemed to be going the speed I wanted to go. The second 5K the crowd was pretty stretched out, so I just concentrated on breathing at the rate I thought would keep me at about a 10 minute mile pace. My watch verified that I was doing a heckuva job at it, though I was lagging a bit. The final 5K I pushed it a little more, though it started on a long upgrade - you probably wouldn't notice it in a car, so I waited on that until I got to the "top" before pushing. Then, finally I did a real kick for the last quarter mile, steadily accelerating through the finish line.
They probably haven't posted the results yet, but let's see anyway.
Nope. Not yet. They're supposed to post them on Apple Raceberry JaM by 6 PM.
I bet you're wondering how I feel now.
I've got a couple of raw spots - notably, one blistered toe, but other than generally tired legs, I feel pretty good. I mean, thank god it's raining and the yard work is all done for the week.
Oh, yeah. The floor drain in the basement is backing up so I've been hauling three gallon buckets of water from the clothes washer to the shower drain. Now we've knocked a hole in the wall between the laundry area and the bathroom and run a hose directly from the washer to the drain that works. I put the hole in a spot that wanted some work anyway, so no biggy there.
Ok, here are the official Manitou 15K results. Apparently I lost a second: 1:34:16.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Let me start gathering notes for that spiritual autobiography
About Al
The name "Old Whig" comes from Hayek's "Why I am not a Conservative," in which he disparages conservative positions and places himself in the Lockean camp. He says some things in praise of Edmund Burke in that article...fortunately Burke once wrote a piece called "A Vindication of Natural Society," which makes it possible for me to continue using that moniker.
My Life
Milestones: My "best friend" punched me in the stomach three times in Kindergarten. (Maybe that shouldn't be listed first, but chronologically it's the first thing that disturbed me. It was the birth of a deadly rage, in me.) Dad taught me to fight and I "got even" with that sob. That was never satisfying. I wanted to be friends, or at least be left alone. Both of those were out of the question. He wouldn't leave me alone, and he couldn't take me. Beating him up became a grim, several-times-per-week chore. Nobody offered him psychological counseling or me a better solution. Christ! I was 5, 6, 7, 8 years old! People are telling me, "You're fighting too much," or "violence doesn't solve anything..." Funny that nobody seriously tried to stop us. Ever.
...
Age seven: accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized. We went to a Wesleyan church which is a fundamentalist offshoot of the Methodists. My mother was raised Missionary Baptist in Oklahoma, and occasionally we went to an Assemblies of God church in town. In college, I called myself a Baptist/Methodist/Pentacostal. The first and the last figure the other is a variation of Satanism. Ho ho ho!
Age eight: started beating the crap out of my enemies. It got to be a dull chore.
Age nine: Read the whole Bible. When I was done, I started rereading it, bogged down in Leviticus, skipped ahead to Numbers, bogged down again, skipped to Deuteronomy, bogged down again... No, I was good with the Books of History, plodded through the Books of Poetry and the Major Prophets (Daniel is good story-telling), gave up on the Minor Prophets, except for Jonah and went ahead to the New Testament. Most of the preaching and teaching I heard all those years was from the New Testament, though we did some OT Bible studies from time to time over the years.
I should talk about what a lousy witness for Christ I was at school. I'm sure nobody ever thought I was anything but a heathen there. If they knew I was a Christian, they were repulsed by me. I had a foul mouth, talked "dirty," ...and, most shameful of all, when I became a big jock, I bullied some people. There's a guy named Dave I need to make amends to.
College: German major, Math & Philosophy minors. Graduated a nihilist. Nothing was true unless it was right in front of my face. I went to the Grand Canyon to make beds. I was shanghai'ed to drive a delivery truck (because the boss was a racist and the other candidate was black).
I found that part out when I got to know the boss better. I was ashamed to look the other candidate in the eye after that.
I need to check something. Some part of me doesn't want me to describe my time at the Canyon. Or doesn't like the way I've done it, now, twice. I've discovered two ways to accidently delete a post.
Suffice it to say, I met a guy who was the quintessential Christian moron, rejected him, read Nietszche and enjoyed godlessness for a while.
Where I'm at right now:
We raised our kids Lutheran, though, lately I've been monkey-wrenching church attendance. I've just been absent when it's time to go, so nobody goes. It's not the right way to handle it, I'm sure.
It's hard for me to believe that my wife didn't get that I was an atheist until I said it flat out a couple of weeks ago. I guess she was working really hard at keeping two and two apart. I suppose the whole thing of rejoining the choir made a really effective smoke screen. (I like singing and I like the style of music we sang - and the choir director and members... But I can't help them spread that word anymore.)
I have three witnesses that prove there is no god: my brother, my stepson and the guy from the Canyon. They're the strongest Christians I know and all nutty as squirrels.
The name "Old Whig" comes from Hayek's "Why I am not a Conservative," in which he disparages conservative positions and places himself in the Lockean camp. He says some things in praise of Edmund Burke in that article...fortunately Burke once wrote a piece called "A Vindication of Natural Society," which makes it possible for me to continue using that moniker.
My Life
Milestones: My "best friend" punched me in the stomach three times in Kindergarten. (Maybe that shouldn't be listed first, but chronologically it's the first thing that disturbed me. It was the birth of a deadly rage, in me.) Dad taught me to fight and I "got even" with that sob. That was never satisfying. I wanted to be friends, or at least be left alone. Both of those were out of the question. He wouldn't leave me alone, and he couldn't take me. Beating him up became a grim, several-times-per-week chore. Nobody offered him psychological counseling or me a better solution. Christ! I was 5, 6, 7, 8 years old! People are telling me, "You're fighting too much," or "violence doesn't solve anything..." Funny that nobody seriously tried to stop us. Ever.
...
Age seven: accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized. We went to a Wesleyan church which is a fundamentalist offshoot of the Methodists. My mother was raised Missionary Baptist in Oklahoma, and occasionally we went to an Assemblies of God church in town. In college, I called myself a Baptist/Methodist/Pentacostal. The first and the last figure the other is a variation of Satanism. Ho ho ho!
Age eight: started beating the crap out of my enemies. It got to be a dull chore.
Age nine: Read the whole Bible. When I was done, I started rereading it, bogged down in Leviticus, skipped ahead to Numbers, bogged down again, skipped to Deuteronomy, bogged down again... No, I was good with the Books of History, plodded through the Books of Poetry and the Major Prophets (Daniel is good story-telling), gave up on the Minor Prophets, except for Jonah and went ahead to the New Testament. Most of the preaching and teaching I heard all those years was from the New Testament, though we did some OT Bible studies from time to time over the years.
I should talk about what a lousy witness for Christ I was at school. I'm sure nobody ever thought I was anything but a heathen there. If they knew I was a Christian, they were repulsed by me. I had a foul mouth, talked "dirty," ...and, most shameful of all, when I became a big jock, I bullied some people. There's a guy named Dave I need to make amends to.
College: German major, Math & Philosophy minors. Graduated a nihilist. Nothing was true unless it was right in front of my face. I went to the Grand Canyon to make beds. I was shanghai'ed to drive a delivery truck (because the boss was a racist and the other candidate was black).
I found that part out when I got to know the boss better. I was ashamed to look the other candidate in the eye after that.
I need to check something. Some part of me doesn't want me to describe my time at the Canyon. Or doesn't like the way I've done it, now, twice. I've discovered two ways to accidently delete a post.
Suffice it to say, I met a guy who was the quintessential Christian moron, rejected him, read Nietszche and enjoyed godlessness for a while.
Where I'm at right now:
We raised our kids Lutheran, though, lately I've been monkey-wrenching church attendance. I've just been absent when it's time to go, so nobody goes. It's not the right way to handle it, I'm sure.
It's hard for me to believe that my wife didn't get that I was an atheist until I said it flat out a couple of weeks ago. I guess she was working really hard at keeping two and two apart. I suppose the whole thing of rejoining the choir made a really effective smoke screen. (I like singing and I like the style of music we sang - and the choir director and members... But I can't help them spread that word anymore.)
I have three witnesses that prove there is no god: my brother, my stepson and the guy from the Canyon. They're the strongest Christians I know and all nutty as squirrels.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Moron running
Just so I don't forget, after the race last Thursday I jogged back to the start to get the girls, so there's two miles total that day. I ran 38 minutes Friday night - not sure how far, I cut across a park at one point. Saturday I ran from the house to and around Palmer Lake - seven miles in 80 minutes; and today I ran 75 minutes for an as-yet unmeasured distance. I'd like to think it was over six miles, but I haven't mapped it out yet. It'll be a good route to have in my Map-My-Run profile, because I'll be using that one again and expanding out from it.
I'm feeling over trained right now, so I'm going to rest tomorrow.
I'm feeling over trained right now, so I'm going to rest tomorrow.
Friday, May 14, 2010
I'm feeling pretty cocky today
No, I can't say that I really kicked butt in the TC 1-Mile. I ran too cautious a race and finished in 8:09. I was slowed in the beginning by people who had no business lining up in the front. That's what I get for running in the "Family Wave."
No, I had good reason to do that. The Master's wave started a half hour later, and I was headed back to the car by then. And that was good, because... Laurie was working late and I had the girls with me. I think they had a mildly good time. After picking up my race packet - number and chip and a pretty cool looking shirt - we had an hour to kill downtown, so we walked over to this sculpture park in front of an office building. Naturally the younger girl got us all yelled at by a security guy by climbing all over everything. Actually, he looked like he understood perfectly, but 'orders is orders.'
But, sorry, no death, destruction or great bodily harm ensued... No chases - per se - or slaking of wanton lust, for those who demand such things.
No, I had good reason to do that. The Master's wave started a half hour later, and I was headed back to the car by then. And that was good, because... Laurie was working late and I had the girls with me. I think they had a mildly good time. After picking up my race packet - number and chip and a pretty cool looking shirt - we had an hour to kill downtown, so we walked over to this sculpture park in front of an office building. Naturally the younger girl got us all yelled at by a security guy by climbing all over everything. Actually, he looked like he understood perfectly, but 'orders is orders.'
But, sorry, no death, destruction or great bodily harm ensued... No chases - per se - or slaking of wanton lust, for those who demand such things.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Cinco de Mayo? Aw, bleep! Missed it.
Misleading title alert.
As a follow up to the previous post, I found myself sending this message...yes, to someone who cares:
As a follow up to the previous post, I found myself sending this message...yes, to someone who cares:
I'm signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon on Oct. 3, but I'm not asking you to include that. I'll need to do some races to train for it, so it won't be hard to get the numbers. I'm signed up for the Twin Cities 1-Mile next week. There's the Manitou 15K on June 5th I could be ready for, the Minnesota Half Marathon on Aug. 7… so 1+9.3+13.1 gets me 23.4… Just need to throw in a 5k.So there's a basic outline of my training program for this summer (summer starts right after the snowstorm tomorrow night). 9.3 miles by June 5th is pushing it quite a bit, but I'll deal with it (I hope).
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Now I've done it
I finally overcame my ambivalence about running another marathon and signed up for this fall's TCM. I certainly wasn't expecting any feeling of elation over it, but I feel downright euphoric. I'll be darned.
I had already signed up for the TC 1 Mile on May 13th, but I was having a heck of a time getting motivated to train for it. I'd done a few 2 and a half mile runs, but I wasn't working it into a habit. Now I walked 3 miles at lunch yesterday and ran 2 and a half last night and this morning. Last night I pushed a measured mile a little. I did it in ten minutes. This morning I dogged it a bit and did the mile in about ten and a half.
Sunny and 52 this morning. Kind of cool for a t-shirt and shorts, but I managed to work up a sweat. I took a "before" picture of myself, but I don't think I'll share it until I have a fairly impressive "after" picture.
I was surprised by how elated I felt after I filled out my registration. Apparently something inside me really, really wants to do that. I guess I don't just want to be "a guy who ran a few marathons." This'll be my fourth TCM. I took last year off to let my feet and legs heal up, but, emotionally I felt rotten all year. I didn't like not having the big goal out there to reach.
It's absolutely the peak of Spring here. There are pink, white and red apple blossoms all over everywhere, the lilacs are in bloom, the young leaves are neon green, the whole world smells like candy... What a wonderful time to be coming back to life! It was sunny and 52 during my run this morning. A bit cool for a T-shirt and shorts, but not too bad. Exactly the weather I'll want on October 7th, or whenever race day is.
I banged my knee on a chair last night. It's hurting pretty bad now, though since I managed a slow jog for two and a half miles, it probably won't screw up my training for the TC 1-Mile. It would if I were planning to win, I suppose, but I don't. I just want to get close to 7 minutes.
The wife's at Clutterers Anonymous right now and the kids are watching cartoons. I haven't showered up yet.
I had already signed up for the TC 1 Mile on May 13th, but I was having a heck of a time getting motivated to train for it. I'd done a few 2 and a half mile runs, but I wasn't working it into a habit. Now I walked 3 miles at lunch yesterday and ran 2 and a half last night and this morning. Last night I pushed a measured mile a little. I did it in ten minutes. This morning I dogged it a bit and did the mile in about ten and a half.
Sunny and 52 this morning. Kind of cool for a t-shirt and shorts, but I managed to work up a sweat. I took a "before" picture of myself, but I don't think I'll share it until I have a fairly impressive "after" picture.
I was surprised by how elated I felt after I filled out my registration. Apparently something inside me really, really wants to do that. I guess I don't just want to be "a guy who ran a few marathons." This'll be my fourth TCM. I took last year off to let my feet and legs heal up, but, emotionally I felt rotten all year. I didn't like not having the big goal out there to reach.
It's absolutely the peak of Spring here. There are pink, white and red apple blossoms all over everywhere, the lilacs are in bloom, the young leaves are neon green, the whole world smells like candy... What a wonderful time to be coming back to life! It was sunny and 52 during my run this morning. A bit cool for a T-shirt and shorts, but not too bad. Exactly the weather I'll want on October 7th, or whenever race day is.
I banged my knee on a chair last night. It's hurting pretty bad now, though since I managed a slow jog for two and a half miles, it probably won't screw up my training for the TC 1-Mile. It would if I were planning to win, I suppose, but I don't. I just want to get close to 7 minutes.
The wife's at Clutterers Anonymous right now and the kids are watching cartoons. I haven't showered up yet.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
I just discovered Medici.tv
I'm watching Mozart's Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" played by the Orchestre national de Lyon, directed by Ton Koopman.
It's Mozart, so naturally it's beautiful.
It's Mozart, so naturally it's beautiful.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Portal Credits song is about the prettiest song
I've heard in a long time.
If you ignore the subject matter, anyway.
If you ignore the subject matter, anyway.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
So, d'j' all celebrate the holidays appropriately?
The Ides of March, St. Urho's Day and St. Patrick's Day?
We fired up the hot tub for St. Urho's Day, but otherwise, we didn't do nuthin'.
We fired up the hot tub for St. Urho's Day, but otherwise, we didn't do nuthin'.
Monday, February 15, 2010
I been bustin' my @$$ tryin' t'figure this crap out
and it's been in the accessories file all along. Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Character Map.
They got crap like this: Ωand ⅓, Ä... All kinds of stuff I want to use.
They got crap like this: Ωand ⅓, Ä... All kinds of stuff I want to use.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Favre and the Horny Helmets won today
As did the Packers.
Favre connected on a 60 yard bomb to Rice (was it?) that was incredibly impressive.
Oh! I said I put up a couple pix to show how things are going at Mom's house.
Well, here's the bunch I brought out trick or treating:
Quite the cute bunch, aren't they?
Here's Mom and the family:
And, Fall in Muskogee:
Favre connected on a 60 yard bomb to Rice (was it?) that was incredibly impressive.
Oh! I said I put up a couple pix to show how things are going at Mom's house.
Well, here's the bunch I brought out trick or treating:
Quite the cute bunch, aren't they?
Here's Mom and the family:
And, Fall in Muskogee:
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Build a better mousetrap...
We have, of late, had the opportunity to test several different types of mousetraps. Sticky-traps work well, but I think the mice, since the boards don't silence the victims immediately, learn to avoid them. And, if the mouse is strong enough, it can work its way off if you don't get there quickly and mash the mouse into the glue. (Wear a glove. Then, also, you have to drown them, brutally. A most personal proceeding.) We've caught over a dozen of the little effers with those.
We tried these plastice live-traps, but they caught nothing. Though the bait paste they came with does seem to draw mice when you use it with another type of trap. The old-fashioned snappy kind of trap silences them immediately, but doesn't always go off, and somehow they don't seem drawn to them.
The one that's working best is a slight modification of the old-fashioned trap which has a plastic bait holder that holds the jaw well, yet is somehow more sensitive than the old, metal type.
This one, right here.
Monday, July 06, 2009
I thought of a little ditty while showering up after the long
July 4th weekend:
All right, a couple lines were tortured into to place to fit the rhyme and meter. We didn't have any rooves to fix this time around. But I'm not quite clear on why they need to remove deadfalls from the woods. Not that it isn't fun to play with chainsaws.
Oh, and I actually like my mom-in-law quite a bit. So, sorry about that one, Mom. But...you know...stereotypes...rhyme schemes...
Bug bites and sunburns and duck-poop-caused itchin'
Long weeds and deadfalls and Mom-in-Law's bitchin'
Patching the rooves that hail damaged last Spring
These are the truths of our lake cabin dreams.
All right, a couple lines were tortured into to place to fit the rhyme and meter. We didn't have any rooves to fix this time around. But I'm not quite clear on why they need to remove deadfalls from the woods. Not that it isn't fun to play with chainsaws.
Oh, and I actually like my mom-in-law quite a bit. So, sorry about that one, Mom. But...you know...stereotypes...rhyme schemes...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
I went to the shrink today
I'm saying this back here because I'm a chickenshit. Man, I behave like a spoiled baby! What part of me wanted to sick Molyneux and Ron on each other? What the hell was that?
As to the therapy session, I just blatted all my fears and worries and guilts all over the guy. I couldn't get 'em all in in one hour, actually. Basically that was just the poor sod's introduction to me.
I diagnosed myself as a narcissist. He said we'd talk about that next time.
I'm still not quite clear on how the payment for this works.
As to the therapy session, I just blatted all my fears and worries and guilts all over the guy. I couldn't get 'em all in in one hour, actually. Basically that was just the poor sod's introduction to me.
I diagnosed myself as a narcissist. He said we'd talk about that next time.
I'm still not quite clear on how the payment for this works.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Here's something philistinish
The song, "Love is the Answer," has been running through my mind a lot for the last month or so. It came to mind first when I was watching this 9-11 Truther on YouTube, though then it was ironic (my intention in singing it), because the guy was pushing some kind of New Age religion. Now that I'm checking out Stefan Molyneux, though, it keeps coming back.
It's late. Remind me to dig up some links for you. OK, I found some, though I still have to get the YouTube links. And work in Alice Miller while I'm at it. Molyneux talks about her book, The Drama of the Gifted Child, which I haven't been able to find at the local bookstores, new or used, but I think she may just have said the most important thing she has to say right here. I mean, important for you and me, right now.
For some reason, they've got Todd Rundgren singing it here.
It's late. Remind me to dig up some links for you. OK, I found some, though I still have to get the YouTube links. And work in Alice Miller while I'm at it. Molyneux talks about her book, The Drama of the Gifted Child, which I haven't been able to find at the local bookstores, new or used, but I think she may just have said the most important thing she has to say right here. I mean, important for you and me, right now.
Here are the lyrics (edited by me):
LOVE IS THE ANSWER
England Dan & John Ford Coley
Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can't stay here any more
And I've looked high and low
I've been from shore to shore to shore
If there's a short cut I'd have found it
But there is no easy way around it
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer
Who knows why
Someday we all must die
We're all homeless boys and girls
And we are never heard
It's such a lonely, lonely, lonely world
People turn their heads
And walk on by
Tell me is it worth just another try
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer
Are we alive
Or just a dying planet
What are the chances
Ask the man in your heart for the answers
And when you feel afraid
Love one another
When you've lost your way
Love one another
And when you're all alone
Love one another
And when you're far from home
Love one another
And when you're down and out
Love one another
And when your hopes run out
Love one another
And when you need a friend
Love one another
And when you're near the end
We got to love one another
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer
For some reason, they've got Todd Rundgren singing it here.
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