Roof Cat

Dawn captured this photo of the cat this morning. It is curious with bright blue eyes and a grey coat.

Grave of the Fireflies Double Feature

Via Wikipedia:

Its initial theatrical release was accompanied by Hayao Miyazaki's much more lighthearted My Neighbor Totoro as a double feature.

Wow. Having a hard time wrapping my head around that one. For an American audience it would be like pairing Schindler's List with Heidi, or Apocalypse Now with Annie. This is too weird.

UPDATE: ah I see. Here's the reasoning and aftermath of the decision to pair the movies, via Wikipedia:

• The movie was originally intended as a sort of front act of another Ghibli movie, My Neighbor Totoro. Ghibli's parent company reasoned that Totoro's tie-in with a movie with more educational merit would guarantee its inclusion in the list of summer's recommended movies for school children.
• In commercial terms, the theatrical release was a failure. While the two movies were marketed toward children and their parents, the extremely depressing nature of Grave of the Fireflies made most parents stay away from watching the film with their children. Subsequently, Totoro dolls became a phenomenal hit in Japan and this has covered the loss sustained by the theatrical release.

KYDS Songs

One song from last night:

Five For Fighting's "100 Years," from his 2004 album, "The Fight For Everything" on the Sony Music Entertainment label. Video.

Latvian Words for Dawn

I lived in Latvia for four months in 1997 and sadly my memory of Latvian is so rusty now. While at home I promised Dawn to write down some words we came across in my Latvian-English dictionary, and here they are:

paldies: thank you (pahl-DEE-ehss)
warrent: pilnvara (PILN-vara)
Daschund: taksis, āpšu suns (TAK-sees)
cat: kaķis (KA-cheess)
icicle: lāsteka (lahs-TAY-ka)
hazelnut: lazda (LAHS-da)
please: lūdzu (LOOD-zu)
greetings: sveiki (SVAY-kee)

www.lv -- how do you like that for efficiency?

Roof Cat

Caught this cat napping in the shade outside my window this morning. It noticed me making noise in my room, rolled over on its back, turned the other way, and went back to sleep. Very cute. As the shade receded the cat decided to find a cooler spot and left.

Be Positive

That's my blood type.

KYDS Songs

One song today:

Chicago-based Fall Out Boy's "Dance, Dance" from their 2005 album, "From Under the Cork Tree" on the Island label. Video.

Buckle Up...

...it makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car

-Bumper sticker seen on a car

For Dawny

I think you were wonderful tonight. I love you.

I don't see my head ever getting achy like this but if it did, I'd be happy to have you with me.

Love

Kevin

It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

We go to a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.

It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."
Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=JSIQo4WXoRc

Curry and Rice Girl

In a previous job I worked with several contractors from India who shared stories of engagement and marriage from their culture. From my recollection, parents traditionally pick mates for their children, although things are becoming more progressive. This video plays on that cultural norm: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4532245984549289375&q=head+snap+tango

Tango

Dawn and I decided we would like to learn to dance, and the Tango would be fun to try first.

Linkees:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_%28dance%29

Vicini's Pizza

My favorite pizza place is Vicini's Pizza in Vacaville. Yum.

The Wild Onion Restaurant

Dawn suggested visiting The Wild Onion restaurant in St. Paul next time I visit. Writing down so I don't forget. Looks yummy. ^_^

KYDS Songs

Songs heard within the last few days:

Galveston, Texas-native Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" from his 1973 album "Stone Gon'" on the 20th Century Records label. Video. Barry White was a vegan.

Slab Fork, West Virginia-native Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" from his album "Just As I Am" on the Sussex Records label. Video.

Ripley, Surrey, England-native Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" from his 1977 album "Slowhand" on the Polydor label. Video.

Philadelphia-native Mirah's "Apples in the Trees" from her 2001 album "Advisory Committee" on the K Records label.

Galveston, Texas-native Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" from his 1974 album "Can't Get Enough" on the 20th Century Records label. Video.

Boston-based Extreme's "More Than Words" from their 1990 album "Extreme II: Pornograffiti" on the A&M Records label. Video.

Los-Angeles-based The Aquabats' "Danger Woman" from their 2000 album "Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures of the Aquabats!" on the Fearless/Horchata Records label.

Los-Angeles-based The Aquabats' "Martian Girl" from their 1995 album "The Return of the Aquabats!" on the Horchata Records label.

Late night waffle post

I enjoy toaster waffles and maple syrup anytime as a snack.

While eating I scan labels. Tonight I was scanning the syrup bottle label and noticed how similar "Sodium: 0mg" was to the Internet abbreviation "Sodium: omg" (oh-my-god):


It's a Valley thing.

21-inch flat panel monitor

Drool. My techno-lust for the day. Not in the budget in the near future unfortunately.

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-07-21

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-07-21
Resting heart rate: not available (forgot)
Weather: overcast, then sunny; 41% humidity
Temp: 30 C (86 F)
Time: 09:00-09:50
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: In the middle of a summer Sacramento heat wave. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, which is issued when the temperature is 40.5+ C (105+ F) during the day and 26.7+ C (80+ F) during the night for two consecutive days. Yow. Today is the first day we've had 40%+ humidity and I felt it. Practiced landing on the heels of my foot today as I strode, and I felt muscles getting worked that I haven't felt before. It felt good to do this, given my recent history of my left toe hurting (I think my left foot is slightly longer than my right, so shoes are a bit tight). I found a frisbee in the grass at the parking lot on the south side of the pedestrian bridge. I said hello or good morning to a number of people today as I passed but people seemed focused on their own running. I started out in a relaxed, slow, comfortable stride and kept my focus far down the trail, and I enjoyed the sensation of losing myself and being in the moment without much other thoughts in my head. I am working on my form and found today that my arms felt a bit tingly, meaning I was a bit too tense in the upper body. Turned at the half-way point and ran the parallel trail back, briefly on the private trail of the residential community. The yellow thistle plants are everywhere and in full bloom. They leave me very itchy if I'm unlucky enough to scratch myself. As I ran back and watched the river to my right, I felt happy to have the opportunity to run there. The slow-flowing, low water of the river reflecting the bright sun looked so peaceful it seemed to have human qualities of laziness. It seemed to be experiencing the same reaction to the brilliant summer sunlight as the people running along the trail. So there was a sense of connection to the river this morning based entirely upon personifying it with human qualities. After I reached the parking lot on the south side of the river, I picked up the frisbee, when an asian man flagged me down and asked me for the name of the park. He described how someone had smashed three vehicle windows earlier that morning, and when he reported it, the person he talked to requested the location. So I shared with him the info he needed, and he thanked me and went on his way. As I walked back across the pedestrian bridge, I said hello to a biker who sat on the planks relaxing and watched a woman and a yellow lab play fetch in the water below. Fun. My red RaceReady singlet clung to my chest from the humidity, something that has only happened one other time, during Grandma's Marathon. I felt great, limber, and attributed that to running on my heels. I'll give it a try on my long run this Sunday, my last long run before the marathon.
Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.45 km (4 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 400 miles + (lost count)
Weight (after run): 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs), with clothes
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, Safeway frosted mini wheats in soy milk

Flowers for Dawny

Today's flowers are once again brought to you by my housemate's bottle of Anderson Valley Brewing Company's Hop Ottin' India Pale Ale.

I love you Dawn xoxoxo

Bonk

Dawn enjoys the way I use the onomatopoeia "bonk" to describe everyday actions when we're talking on the phone, so I thought she might get a kick out of reading this:

American hopeful Floyd Landis ran out of steam on Stage 16 Wednesday. He "bonked," as bicyclists like to say. He was the overall leader at that point, but fell eight minutes behind the pack as he pedaled up the last climb. He handed over the yellow jersey to a Spaniard, Oscar Pereiro. Analysts said Landis was washed up, terminé, for the tour.
Link: http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/14280314p-15088696c.html

D-Mod Hydroplane Racing

While on my walk this morning I noticed a stack of boats with the words "D-Mod Hydroplane Racing" on the side at the corner of Farmgate and Westgate. Wikipedia remarks these boats are also known as thunderboats. Hydroplane Boat and Race Museum (sound warning). Fun. D-Mod seems to be a category of engines, with the modified bit indicating customizations over stock. I think. I'm a newbie.

Math Comic for Dawny

Link: http://xkcd.com/

Places to Live in America

My girlfriend and I are looking at various places to live and have so far, in no particular order:

Boulder, CO
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
Seattle, WA
Colorado Springs, CO
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, NC
Austin, TX
Phoenix, AZ

Found this link to 150 Cheap Places to Live

Climate is important to both of us, as are tech jobs and education.

KYDS Songs

Heard these songs on KYDS recently:

London-based Blur's "Song 2" from their 1997 album "Blur" on the Food/EMI label. Video.

Seattle-based The Presidents of the United States of America's "Boll Weevil" from their 1995 album The Presidents of the United States of America on the PopLlama Records label. Video. Weird.

Late Omaha, Nebraska-native Elliott Smith's "Memory Lane," from his 2004 album From a Basement on a Hill on the ANTI- label. Video. Loved the guitar work, reminded me of Paul Simon.

Reading, England-based Sneaker Pimps' "6 Underground," from their 1996 album Becoming X, on the Virgin Records label. Video.

Glasgow, Scotland-based Belle and Sebastian's "Dirty Dream Number Two" from their 1998 album The Boy With the Arab Strap on the Matador Records label. Video. I really liked this video, full of playful, silly fun.

Edinburgh, Scotland-based KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" from her 2004 album "Eye to the Telescope" on the Relentless/Virgin label. Video.

English-based Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" from their 1971 album "Led Zeppelin IV" on the Atlantic label. Video. The original song was written in 1929 in reference to the Mississippi flood.

Also heard on other stations:

Philadelphia-native Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones," from his 1970 album "Ebony Woman" on Neptune Records. Video of The Dramatics covering the song.

North Carolina-native James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" from his 1970 album "Sweet Baby James" on the Warner Brothers label. Video.

Desperado

Earlier this week I was surprised and confused to hear a contemporary-sounding country-western cover of the song Desperado. The arrangement of the song sounded exactly like the Eagles' version, except with different vocals. I imagined the singer's epiphany: "You know what this world really needs? One more cover of the song Desperado." I also felt irritated because I suspected this person was cashing in on the popularity of the song.

So I was relieved to discover today that the song I heard was most likely from Katy, Texas-native Clint Black, as part of a collaborative 1993 Eagles tribute album "Common Thread," on the Giant Records label.

Growing up in rural northern Wisconsin, country-western music was ubiquitous. It was played in the barn where my father and my uncle worked, it was played during the two hours I spent on the school bus each day (really), it was often played on the radio during family time spent in the car. For me, escaping country music was escaping my environment and finding peace. The songs never resonated with me.

The Eagles' song Desperado was one of the songs I remember enjoying from the eighties, hearing it played during the made-for-television country-western movies my father enjoyed watching.

Solo Éxitos

Saw a van for Sacramento-based Radio Magia on Fair Oaks Boulevard this week. It had the words "Solo Éxitos" on the side, which I didn't understand until I found this Sac Bee article:

Normally, weighty and divisive political issues don't find their way onto the morning drive-time show on Magia (KLMG, 94.3 FM). The Spanish-language station's motto, after all, is "Solo Éxitos" - "Only Hits."

I typed it into Babelfish but without the accent over the 'E' it didn't translate it properly. Ugh. Why can't you understand what I mean and not what I say Babelfish?

I moved to Sacramento from Wisconsin in 2000, and I found the Spanish radio stations and their cultural differences fascinating. I listened to them everyday for several weeks with a desire to improve my Spanish comprehension from high school and college. I did end up learning a car insurance jingle but unfortunately little of general utility. Disappointingly, I still can't speak, read, write, or understand Spanish.

Phil Collins

Heard on the radio yesterday Phil Collins was deaf. The Wikipedia article clarifies it's his left ear that has the hearing problem.

Invisible Touch was the music video on MTV that hooked me on Genesis. For a number of years during the late 80's and early 90's, I was a Phil Collins junkie, listening to all of his solo work and collaborations with Genesis.

In the mid-90's the song "I Can't Dance" didn't resonate with me and I lost interest in his work. Today I hear his music and think of his dysfunctional relationships and the pain in his work and want to change the channel.

SUV Sightings

Saw a 2006 Hummer H2 SUT with 21-inch performance tires and chrome rims, near Del Paso Road and Natomas Boulevard in Natomas. I felt amused because I can understand the desire to show bling to impress others but the idea of putting performance tires on an off-road vehicle strikes me as humorous. And at the same time I react to it with some admiration of their honesty -- I wonder how many of the SUVs I pass each day have left the paved streets and highways of Sacramento.

A colleague from a former job shared he and his wife purchased their SUV in part for safety considerations during trips to Lake Tahoe during the winter. Since it doesn't snow here in Sacramento, I question how much bang for their buck that amounts to. Especially considering how vehicles often seem to get used for commuting and other single-occupant driving, rather than for the rugged niches sales and marketing folks seem to enjoy conjuring up and sharing during commercial television breaks.

Helga Schneider

Visited the Fair Oaks Public Library this on Tuesday and discovered a book I will most likely not have time to read: Helga Schneider's "Let Me Go," published in 2004 by Walker Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8027-1435-8.

"Let me go" by Helga Schneider has, for its epigraph, the words of Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz death camp: "The feeling of hatred has always been alien to me." When Helga Schneider was four, her mother, Traudi, abandoned her to work as an extermination guard in Auschwitz and Ravensbruck. In 1998, Helga received a letter asking her to visit her mother, then 90 and about to die. She had met her mother only once before this, when Helga had first learnt the facts about her mother’s past. This slim book is about these two meetings, and about the nature of parental damage and how forgiveness might come, if at all.

The Telegraph, Calcutta, India

Curious to see how the interaction played out between them and if she was able to find any compassion for herself and her mother. It's hard for me to fathom understanding what fears or desparation drive people to such extremities. As a friend tells me repeatedly, people are infinitely maleable, even to get them to do violence of such magnitude and efficiency. *shivers*

Ms. Schneider has a new book just published in Italy (where she resides) with a picture of her at age 10 with Adolph Hitler on the cover, entitled, "I Was A Little Guest of Hitler," by Einaudi Press.

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-07-17

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-07-17
Resting heart rate: not available (forgot)
Weather: sunny
Temp: 21C-32.7C
Time: 04:36-9:53 (w/25 minute break)
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: 20 miles today. After getting bonked over the head repeatedly by high-heat failures, I got up way early, before the sunrise to beat the predicted 42 C (108 F) heat (109 F actual, a record). Drove first to American River College and ran on the track because I thought they might have lights (turns out the track was dark). After one mile I noticed the sky lightening around 05:00, so I decided to drive to the American River Parkway and continue running there. I enjoy running trails, especially when it's cool. As I walked in the pre-dawn sunlight from Bridge Street to the trail, a man ran past me up Bridge Street with a headlamp on his head. Neat. At mile two, I came upon two female wild turkeys and their five baby turkeys feeding on the side of the trail. They were tame and allowed me to run past them, then watched me carefully as I stopped and watched them from about six feet away. About a mile down the trail, I passed a dozen black-tailed deer, some bucks with sizeable antlers, eating in the pre-dawn coolness in the field on the other side of the fence that ran along the trail. One buck less than a foot from the fence looked up at me nervously with a ball of hay in its throat, then returned to eating. I wish I had a camera with me to take pictures of the things I see. At 6:00, the sun rose. At 6:24, I noticed the first flights from Sacramento International Airport flying overhead to the east, and the first bikers passing me on the trail. Running in the pre-dawn coolness is fun but at the same time I was a bit nervous about safety. I considered carrying a sign that says, "Runner carries no cash." I noticed blackberry bushes ripening all along the trail. As I entered Ancil C. Hoffman park, an older runner passed me, greeting me with a cheerful comment about beating the heat, to which I laughed. He split onto a separate trail, and when we met again he wished me well and continued. After hearing his excitement I was uncomfortable telling him I was about 4.5 miles from my half-way point and willing to suffer the heat on the way back. Around 07:00, the bicycle commuter traffic increased rapidly as people made their ways to work. Along long stretches of the river, I also noticed dragonflies flying in swarms above my head. Morning doves resting or feeding by the trail-side sounded alarms as they flew away from the trail in excitement. After reaching the half-way point, I turned into the rising sun and faced the heat head-on. Re-crossing the American River at Ancil C. Hoffman park, I saw the river was low enough and the water clear enough to pick out the features on the bottom, such as the large rock slabs and sand. As I reached mile 14.5, I noticed a soft crackling in the grasses next to the trail I had never heard before. I wasn't sure whether it was insect- or wind-related. I had a gut-check moment around mile 16 where I considered changing my running style to adapt to the heat (by that time about +20F from when I started). After a few trials, I decided to return to running three minutes and walking one minute. Happily I had my water bottle with me. I'm beginning to wonder how I made it through runs before without it. At 9:53, with the heat of the day rising rapidly, I reached mile 20. I walked to the river near the defunct boat launch (I see they've erected a earthen hill to keep out vehicles from the launch), past the Espinosa Surveying crew marking out some areas, and dunked my legs into the cold water. As I cooled down, I watched a fisherman float by on an innertube. The only thing I saw him catch was some plant matter from the bottom. Two flotillas of ducks met each other to my left, then seperated back into their respective camps. Several pigeons flew overhead from the pedestrian bridge to the bank, then one returned with a twig in its beak. On the opposite bank, on the small shore at the base of the towering bluffs, a deer disappeared back into the vegetation. After I realized I was feeling chilly, I left for home, by which time the temperature was 32 C (91 F). Too hot. I continued to see people running though, and wished them well.
Time: 5:17 minutes (4:52)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 32.3 km (20 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 400 miles + (lost count)
Weight (after run): 78.6 kg (173 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: sore leg muscles, left toe a bit sore (shoe?)
Foods eaten today:

KYDS Songs

Heard this song on KYDS today:

Los Angeles-based Hole's "Violet" from their 1994 album Live Through This on the DGC label. Video.

and this on some other station when I got out of range of the school:

Gary, Indiana-based The Jackson Five's "I'll Be There" from their 1970 album Third Album on the Motown label. Video.

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-07-14

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-07-14
Resting heart rate: 70 bpm (60 second test, @ 12:00)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 22 C (71.6 F)
Time: 07:30-08:14
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: Enjoying running in the early morning. Quiet, cool, plenty of pedestrians perambulating about the park. Picked sunny wildflowers for Dawn, and saw what looked like yellow cyclamens along the trail. I think most likely I have cyclamens on the brain after yesterday, it's too hot for them this time of year, unless this is some hardy variety. Ran all the way to the parking lot closest to the Nimbus Fish hatchery today. As I ran along, I passed a man dressed in all black who said to me, "Is it red day today? I thought it was black day?" I laughed and said, "It works for me." Fun. I re-discovered blackberry bushes near the southern end of the pedestrian bridge and gorged myself on them. Many are not ripe yet. I imagine pedestrians will strip the bushes bare before I get a chance to eat many more. Saw one fishing boat on the river this morning, and some ducks on the banks near the broken boat ramp. Yellow thistle is flowering everywhere. Thistle about one-half mile to the west of the pedestrian bridge is going-to-seed, the enormous thickets of tall stalks lifeless, the bulbs of seeds ready to become airborne. Eppie's Great Race is this Sunday...the day I do my long run. Only two weeks to go until the San Francisco Marathon. My longest run after Grandma's Marathon has been 16 miles, last Saturday. I'm not entirely sure how much is over-running. This weekend for sure is a 12-miler, but the weekend before the marathon should be something like that too. I think I'll do some speed-work for the first time this Sunday and do a 12-miler next Sunday. Fun. My next marathon after the SF Marathon is on October 14. Note to self, plan out training schedule for marathons.
Time: 44 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.12 km (3.8 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=287548
Total Distance For Year: 400 miles + (lost count)
Weight (after run): n/a, recharging scale batteries
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle feeling a bit sore
Foods eaten today: Safeway Honey and Nut cereal with soy milk.

Flowers for Dawn

I love you Dawny xoxoxo.

Today's wildflowers are brought to you by Honest Tea First Nation Peppermint, Tux the Linux penguin, and the American River Parkway. They're a bit wrinkly because I ran with them for 1.5 miles and then spent 15 minutes with me on the ride home. Anticipating picking you fresh flowers when you visit. :)

Flowers for Dawny

I didn't pick these purple cyclamens, but discovered through calling every nursery and florist in town that they will be available in late September, early October since they like cool temperatures (< 20 C) to flower.

Love and hugs xoxoxox

Happy Birthday

It's my birthday, it's my birthday. Today marks the start of my 30th revolution around the sun (I'm 29).

I wondered today what other astronomical methods of measuring age exist. Wikipedia states the equator of the sun rotates once approximately every 25 days. Therefore, I am roughly 423.69 solar rotations old ((365.25/25) * 29).

The first radio pulsar, CP 1919 (now known as PSR 1919+21), with a pulse period of 1.337 seconds, indicates I've been alive for 684,495,437.5 pulse periods ((60*60*24*365.25*29)/1.337).

Age aside, I've enjoyed this birthday immensely. I ran about four miles this morning, then chatted with Dawn for several hours, then spent the afternoon reading at the Fair Oaks public library, then came home and talked with my mother and my brother, and IM'd Dawn. I also ate nearly a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, my favorite. Yum.

Special thank you to Dawn for spending time with me on my birthday. I love you. *snuggles*

UPDATE: Dawn points out in the comments that this is the leet pulsar. Brilliant. Thank you.

Hamburger Day

Dawn pointed me to 123greetings.com, where they apparently have a calendar of non-mainstream celebrations. Here are the ones we plan to celebrate during her visit to California later this month:

July:

28: Hamburger Day, Cheese Lover's Day
29: Rain Day
30: Cheesecake Day (reward after running the SF marathon)
31: Jump for Jelly Beans Day, Cotton Candy Day, Raspberry Cake Day

August:

1: Girlfriend's Day
2: Ice Cream Sandwiches Day
3: Watermelon Day, Grab Some Nuts Day
4: Champagne Day

123Greetings says Hamburger Day is July 28, but other web sites indicate it's December 21. Who's the authority? Who started these days? I searched on Google and couldn't even come up with an answer for something mainstream-sounding like Girlfriends' Day.

Uncyclopedia

I discovered the Uncyclopedia today via Dawn. Loving it, especially their This Day In History section. Above is an image from the article on Grues.

Flowers for Dawny

Today's flowers are brought to you by my housemate's bottle of Anderson Valley Brewing Company's Hop Ottin' India Pale Ale.

I love you Dawn. xoxoxo

Virtual Flowers for Dawny

I love you Dawn

Blackberries

No, not the technology. Blackberries, they're ready to eat, along the American River Parkway bike trail. Yum yum yum.

There are some bushes before the mile 17 marker, and some in Ancil Hoffman Park, near the Eppie's Great Race marker.

No U-Turn

I live on Lucky Lane here in Citrus Heights, CA, a dead-end street which empties into San Juan Avenue just to the south of the Sperry Drive stoplights. I frequently want to go south on San Juan Avenue but a cement median prevents me from taking a left-turn. So what I do is go north immediately into the left-turn lane at the Sperry Drive stoplight, do a U-turn under a protected green turn signal, and then proceed south on San Juan. To complicate things, some time ago the City of Citrus Heights posted a sign reading "No U-Turn" on the south-bound side of the stoplight. It makes sense because most vehicles cannot make the narrow U-turn. I choose to risk getting caught though because the alternative is to take a left, do a U-turn farther up the street into a liquor-convenience store parking lot or some other weird U-turn on Sperry Drive.

So the intersection situation I live with every day is irritating. Apparently my actions irritate someone else though, because on Saturday morning as I went to the American River Parkway to run, a man disapprovingly said to me through my open window as he went by, "No U-Turn." I sensed he was concerned with safety on the road but I had no way to communicate in return.

So thank you for sharing your concern, anonymous, older man in the big, shiny, red car. You have been heard. Perhaps you'll read this blog post someday and we may continue our conversation.

KYDS Songs

Backlogged on blog posts. Enjoyed these songs over the last weeks:

Glasgow, Scotland-based Belle and Sebastian's "Is It Wicked Not To Care?" from their 1998 album The Boy With the Arab Strap on the Matador Records label. Video.

Huntington, West Virginia-based Neutral Agreement's "Let Me Clear My Throat" from their 2000 album "Motorbuggy" on the Indianola Records label.

Detroit-based The White Stripes' "Cold Cold Night" from their 2003 album Elephant on the V2 Records label. Video. I enjoyed the lyrics "And I know that you feel it too, When my skin turns into glue...."

Seattle-based The Presidents of the United States of America's "Back Porch" from their 1995 album The Presidents of the United States of America on the PopLlama Records label. Video (partial).

Dawn and I listened to lots of songs during my visit which I enjoyed but did not write down.

I've found that watching the video sometimes detracts from the song...it's a bit different experience to hear the song both aurally and visually, especially if one finds the video unappealing or distasteful.

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-07-10

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-07-10
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 17.2 C (63 F)
Time: 05:26-06:11
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: Awoke at 05:00 and arrived at the American River Parkway early to beat the heat. Way early. As I crossed the pedestrian bridge a gaggle of young girls had assembled themselves on the slats to watch the sun rise. I had a mental breakthrough on my 16-mile run on Saturday, where I realized that running tall means standing straighter. I ran that way today, enjoying it, and found myself running 10:45 miles. Compared to my 13:20 marathon pace, that seems to be an improvement (although today's run did not have walk breaks). There were one or two people on the beach underneath the pedestrian bridge throwing stones into the water. A number of bicycle commuters passed me, as did one runner in denim shorts, a white tee-shirt, and a cowboy hat that seemed too small for his head. I saw an ex-skunk today on the side of the trail. It looked like maybe someone hit it with their bicycle, bad news all-around. My new shoes seem to work, although my left toe seems a bit squished inside the shoe. I think one of my feet was a bit bigger than the other, and I am guessing it's the left one. I saw several new yellow flowers today but decided not to pick any because I did not see them in abundance. When I see flowers I think of Dawn and how I'd like to share them with her, if she was here. As I recrossed the pederstrian bridge, I noticed the girls had left, leaving some trash behind. On Bridge Street, several wild chickens sounded their morning call as they scavanged for food. I felt cool and happy running in the early morning today, compared to running hot and exhausted even a few hours later.
Time: 44 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.12 km (3.8 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=287548
Total Distance For Year: 656.3 km (392.9 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left toe hurting a bit, left quad a bit sore, right knee a bit sore, left muscle behind the knee a bit stiff. Mostly feeling great.
Foods eaten today: Safeway Honey and Nut cereal with soy milk.

Ooo Baby I Love Your Way

Searching for this song to share with Dawn this morning. Wasn't on YouTube or Google Video, so on a hunch went to Peter Frampton's web site, where I found he shares his music hits for free. Bravo, woo hoo, thank you, more like this please.

Dawn, I love you, am wanting to be with you night and day.

Doraemon

Yesterday I parked next to a Mazda 323 with a children's window shade with the name Doraemon on it. I spoke with Dawn last night and her initial reaction to the Wikipedia article on Doraemon was "scary." I was a bit confused about what she meant until I saw the image this morning, hee hee. It's cute in a "causing massive worldwide tsunamis by collapsing the North Pole" sort of way. Sadly, the creator died in 1996. Apparently, Doraemon loves dorayaki, so maybe the earth will be saved the next time a planet-sized ball of dorayaki wanders through the solar system. Or perhaps Godzilla will return to protect the children of Japan from Doraemon. I am enjoying this morning foray into Japanese culture.

UPDATE: Ah, I see, there's a Doraemon movie coming out in 2006 (or is it out already?). Cute.

Grandma's Marathon Results

Finished my first one in 5:55, am training for the San Francisco Marathon on the 30th. Race day was 93% humidity, 78 degrees, no wind near Duluth, MN on Sat, Jun 17.

Love

I'm wearing a blue Superman tee shirt Dawn purchased for me in this photo, taken quickly last Wednesday before she left for work. I am feeling overwhelmed in a happy, joyful way being in a relationship again. I really enjoy spending time with Dawn and want things to work out for the long term.

It's awkward writing about Dawn to the public because I know she reads this too, so: Dawn, I love you and am missing you. xoxoxo

I am addicted to Tic Tacs

I have some in my car and eat two before travelling.