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.

Accepted to NYC Marathon

I'm in, I'm in, I'm in: http://www.nycmarathon.org/

Random Bits

Some things that haven't gotten into a blog post over the last few days:

Saw two women in four-inch high-heels cross the street in front of me near I St. and 8th St. downtown. Apparently they work at a bank there and were returning from lunch.

Conor, from my favorite KYDS show "Teh Conor LOL," is graduating high school.

A 70's supercar on San Juan with the license plate frame "Who's Your Daddy." Cute.

A young woman with headphones sitting on a park bench on Sunrise near 50 bobbing her head up and down. We connected eyes and I smiled.

KYDS mentioning Happy Satan Day and Happy Apocalypse Day on 2006-06-06. Saw a teenage boy wearing horns on Watt Avenue.

KYDS Songs

Heard these songs this last week:

Issaquah, Washington-based Modest Mouse's "Shit Luck" from their 1997 album "Lonesome Crowded West" on the Up Records label

Now defunct Toronto-based Joydrop's "Beautiful" from their 1999 album "Metasexual" on the Tommy Boy label.

Los Angeles-based NOFX's "Franco Un-American" from their 2003 album "War on Errorisms" on the Fat Wreck Chords label.

Kingsland, Arkansas-based Johnny Cash's "I Hung My Head" from his 2002 album "American IV: Man Comes Around" on the Lost Highway label.

Los Angeles-based Goldfinger's "99 Red Balloons" from their 2000 album "Stomping Ground" on Umvd.

Kingsland, Arkansas-based Johnny Cash's "Man in Black" from his 1971 album "Man In Black" on the Columbia label.

Fort Worth, Texas-based Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" from her 2004 album "Breakaway" on the RCA label.

Rob Dougan's Clubbed To Death Music Video

I enjoyed the symbolism because it wasn't obvious to me initially. Man sees giants walking differently than the mainstream, inspires him to escape, he becomes a giant, inspires a girl to walk differently. Some allusions to Jesus' sacrifice as he sails toward the wall.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCpyPNyC06g

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-06-01

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-06-01
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-06-01
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 22 C (71.6 F)
Time: 08:54-09:24
Terrain: flat
Comments: Ran right past some sleepy ducks and they quacked a few times but otherwise remained in place. Skipped breakfast this morning and went immediately running. Didn't exercise Wednesday. Considered running last night but then thought I would enjoy it more if I got up and ran early, and possibly run really early, at 05:00. I overslept, not getting to bed until 01:00. I read from the marathon book for the first time in weeks last night, enjoying the tips. The temperature felt warm at 09:00 already. Ran a 30-minute recovery run today.
Time: 30 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.2 km (2.6 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=213074
Total Distance For Year: 650.2 km (389.1 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: legs felt tired, big toe ached a bit
Foods eaten today: oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and soy milk.

Airports

Thought it would be fun to post the airports I've flown to/from and when:

Domestic:

• Appleton, WI: Outagamie County Regional Airport (ATW), 2006
• Chicago: O'Hare International Airport (ORD), 1997, 2006
• Denver: Denver International Airport (DEN), 2000
• Duluth: Duluth International Airport (DLH), 2000, 2002
• NYC: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 2004
• NYC: LaGuardia Airport (LGA), 2004
• Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 2004, 2007
  
• Las Vegas: McCarran International Airport (LAS), 2004
• Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 2006
• Maui, Hawaii: Kahului Airport (OGG), 2024 
• Minneapolis: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), 2000-2006
• Philadelphia: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), 2019
• Phoenix: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), various dates, as hub
  
• Sacramento: Sacramento International Airport (SMF), 2000-2006
• San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), 2016, etc.
• San Jose: Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), 2000
• Washington DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), 2001

International:

• Berlin, Germany: Tegel International Airport (TXL), 1997 (not sure if this one or SXF)
• Frankfurt, Germany: Frankfurt International Airport (Rhein-Main-Flughafen)(FRA), 1997
• Riga, Latvia: Riga International Airport (RIX), 1997
• Seoul: Incheon International Airport (ICN), 2016
• Vancouver, Canada: Vancouver International Airport (YVR), 2017

Brother's Wedding

Highlights from my brother's wedding in Wisconsin this weekend:

Thursday Flight to Chicago:

• I found this web site helpful with tips on resting while flying.
• Stayed up all night Wednesday/Thursday packing, checking airport web site, doing laundry, making a check-list of things to take. This helped. Left for the airport at 02:30.
  
• As my shuttle bus passed Sacramento International Airport's Terminal B, we noticed the alarm flashing. The shuttle driver passed another bus, and used his loudspeaker to say, "Hey dumbass, you have passengers waiting." He said that he had gotten caught on camera saying something like that in the past. I remarked that he still had his job and he laughed. As I disembarked, he said, "Enjoy your wait."
• United check-in desk opens at 04:15, so I rested.
  
• Slept lightly on the flight to Chicago. Enjoyed wearing sunglasses. Had a dream where I was in a room with my friend Lanna, and I had a bag full of rock candy. She said that they were made out of diamonds, so I took one and put it in my mouth. I began inflacting and buzzing out-of-control around the room as if they were a narcotic, then woke up. Wild. I remember the flight attendant on the service to Chicago had a beautiful blond-braid.
• Flew on a Boeing 757 200-passenger (752) airplane
  

Thursday flight to Appleton:

• FAA delayed the flight to Appleton due to flow control. Spent 30 minutes on the tarmac head-to-tail with other flights. Slept lightly.
• Flew on a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) airplane
  

Thursday Fox Valley Area (Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh):

• Met my brothers at the airport. Overheard a man sharing his enjoyment of his trip to northern Massachusetts. As we queued in my brother's vehicle to leave the parking lot, we let the same man into the line. He rolled down his window, thanked him, and said, "You'd never see that happen in Massachusetts."
  
• Met my mother, grandmother, and uncle Dave at my brother Adam's home in Neenah. They expressed surprise and happiness seeing me as my brother requested I make my trip a secret.
• Met aunt Debbie that evening when she returned from shopping. They departed for Madison to pick up my cousin Tessa and her two children, Jace and Tia.
• My two brothers, mom, and grandma attempted to eat at Griddle's Family Restaurant, and finding it closed, opted for Gulliver's Bar and Grill in Neenah. Had a portobella mushroom burger and for the first time in years had fried cheese curds. Yum.
• Slept on the couch at my brother Bryan's home in Oshkosh.
  

Friday Fox Valley Area (Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh):

• Bryan showed me recordings of Discovery Channel's HD Sunrise Earth on his high def television. Peaceful.
  
• Mandy's friends Joe and Angie arrived from Toronto, then her mother, father, brother, sister Allie, and grandparents. Mandy wore a green dress, bryan wore a cream-colored shirt, khaki-colored pants, and a light green tie which I helped tie.
  
• Met Dave, Debbie, Tessa, her children Jace and Tia, Dan and Diane, and Mandy's aunt and uncle at the courthouse.
  
• I enjoyed the wedding service. Simple, informal, with family members in attendance.
• The wedding party handed out bubble soap and bubble wands which I entertained Tessa's children with. Fun.
• Mandy's grandmother is full of energy, so is her mother, and so is she. I enjoyed noticing the maternal lineage. Mandy's grandmother is a native member of the Bad River Tribe, I think.
  
• After pictures, we commuted to the Roxy Supper Club for lunch. Ordered the vegetable stir-fry on a bed of spaghetti noodles. I enjoyed the vegetables. Noticed Jace and Tia did not enjoy their food, so shared the noodles with them. Jace held the noodle in the air then straightened it with his fingers before swallowing it. Tia seemed more interested in working out the mechanics of grasping the noodles with her fingers and bringing them to her mouth, in the process dumping the noodles onto the table.
• Jace then proceeded to demonstrate that he was a wildcat by crawling around the table, scrunching up his face and growling at people.
• Went to my brother Adam's apartment in Appleton, then shopped at several clothing stores for my brother Adam and my cousins Tessa and Lynsi. They told me to "ride the curb" of the round-about, but I chose not to. Met up with Bryan and Mandy and others at his apartment, then drove to Oshkosh.
  

Friday afternoon drive to Wisconsin Dells:

• Stopped for a break in Montello, home of the Montello Granite Park and Waterfalls, which provided granite for Grant's Tomb. Who knew? We also drove by the cottonwood that Montellans claim is the largest tree in Wisconsin, but apparently is a disputed claim.

Friday evening (Wisconsin Dells):

• Checked into the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
• Ate at the Moosejaw Pizza and Brewing Company. Drank half a pitcher of Nut Brown Ale, which knocked me silly considering I was starving. Ordered the vegetarian pizza which I loved (sauce was yummy). Myrina the foreign waitress forgot to bring us cardboard moose hats after the meal. Such is life.
• We walked down Broadway Street, visited the Swiss Maid Fudge Shop, Bryan got his fortune read by a mad scientist, then we went for mini-golf at Timber Falls Adventure Golf.
• Returned to the resort and relaxed. Bryan and Mandy went for an exploratory walk.
  

Saturday morning (Wisconsin Dells):

• Mom, grandma, Adam, Bryan, and Mandy left to eat breakfast at Paul Bunyan's Wisconsin Dells Restaurant while I slept. They ended up panning it.
• Checked out of our hotel room and drove to cabin two.
• Napped

Saturday afternoon (Wisconsin Dells):

• Swam at the resort's waterpark. The Wilderness Resort has a new 65,000 sq. ft. Wild Waterdome, containing a wave pool. Bryan and I rode down the Dueling Mammoths raft ride, which is entirely dark until the final drop. My favorite ride was the Hurricane in the Klondike Kavern, which I went down backwards after a 30-minute wait. We also tried the Bonanza Brook (Lazy River), the 180-foot body slide. Then we headed back to the Wild Waterdome, where we waded into the Great Wave Wavepool. I found the one-person tube works best for staying afloat.
  

Saturday evening (Wisconsin Dells):

• Ate a dinner consisting of Johnsonville Stadium Brats, hot dogs, baked beans, fresh fruits, snacks, and salads. Homemade wedding cake (white cake and white frosting) from Mandy's mother for dessert. Yum. This was the first brat I've eaten in years, and I enjoyed the taste. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian 99.9% of the year, but I make exceptions for special meals.
• A storm flashed lightning and a bit of rain.
  
• Talked with Derek and Karen. Lots of humor about taboo subjects discussed, such is my family when they consume alcohol. I enjoyed it for a time, then felt embarrassment because Mandy's family was most likely hearing it, and I wanted them to feel comfortable interacting with our family.
  
• Bryan and Mandy toasted each other with champagne, then requested toasts from the crowd.
• I felt exhausted, watched The Day After Tomorrow with others.
  
• Mandy went to the Ho Chunk casino with friends. I think some others may have visited the waterpark.
  

Sunday morning (Wisconsin Dells):

• Informal breakfast of Honey Nut Cheerios. Adam reheated the brats. My uncle Jim smelled this and dashed downstairs to ensure he got one.
  
• Left at 09:30 to make my 13:15 flight at the Outagamie Airport (I affectionately called it the Okey-Dokey airport until I remembered the name).
• Ate a veggie burger, fries, and poppyseed muffin for lunch at the Creative Croissants cafe.

Sunday afternoon flight to Chicago:

• Sat next to a man named John, who struck up a conversation with me. His looks reminded me of John Ritter. We talked about IT, and he felt comfortable enough to share that his mother had died a week before. He seemed to want empathy, and as we talked he broke down as he described his wife's win over brain cancer. He occassionally interspersed his dialogue with religious overtones at the end, like "Thank the dear Lord," and other bits like that.
• Noticable and a bit disturbing turbulance on the descent.
  
• The in-flight stewardess's name was Cocoa, and she was from Texas. Fun.
• Flew on a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) airplane

Sunday afternoon flight to Los Angeles:

• Watched the in-flight movie King Kong. Turbulance flying over the Rockies. Read about Plato's worldview.
• Flew on a Boeing 757-200 Passenger (752)

Sunday evening flight to Sacramento:

• Watched the crescent moon over the pink-orange twilight sky as I flew into Sacramento. Perfect.
  
• Sat next to a woman returning from India living in Elk Grove.
  
• Flew on an Airbus Industrie A320 (320) airplane
  

General thoughts for next time:

• Felt tired Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday. I attribute this mostly to not sleeping Wednesday evening
• I enjoyed the dark environment sunglasses create in otherwise brightly-lit plane interiors and terminals.
• Not worth arriving at the Sacramento terminal until around 04:00.
  
• Had no problems with packing.
• Economy lot worked well, although the elastic in my car cover has failed to spring back
  
• Remember to pull car antenna out so I can listen to radio on the way home

KYDS Songs

Songs I have enjoyed within the last few days:

Seattle-based Foo Fighters' "Everlong," from their 1997 album "The Colour and the Shape," on the RCA label.

Athena, Georgia-based REM's "Nightswimming," from their 1992 album, "Automatic for the People," on the Warner Brothers label.

Brooklyn-based They Might Be Giants' "No!" from their 2002 album "No!: Songs for Children," on the Rounder label.

Omaha-based Bright Eyes' "Landlocked Blues," from his 2005 album, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning," on the Saddle Creek label. He also sings the song, "When the President Talks to God."

Chicago-based Fall Out Boy's "Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends" from their 2005 album, "From Under the Cork Tree" on the Island label.

Vancouver, BC-based singer Chad Kroeger's "Hero," from the 2002 soundtrack, "Spider-Man: Music From And Inspired By" on the Sony label. I liked the lyrics, "And they say that a hero can save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait."

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-29

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-29
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-29
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 27.78 C (82 F)
Time: 12:47-20:48 (16:20 split)
Terrain: flat
Comments: Came back from vacation Sunday evening and decided to run a full marathon today. Then I decided to go five miles farther than I did previously to give myself more endurance. As I ran past the 17-mile marker, a trio of bikers passed me and asked, "Are you Russian?" I did not respond since they asked after I passed, but I thought about saying "Nyet." As I passed the 18-mile marker on the way out, I noticed lots of cheering people out on the American River on rafts. Three police vehicles were in the parking lot and a crowd had assembled on the banks of the river. Apparently people beached their rafts and were enjoying themselves with drinks and food. The cheers occurred as a motorized orange raft passed carrying several passengers, one with a video camera enclosed in a waterproof cover. Fun. At the 11-marker I noticed someone has used chalk to write "I *heart* U" using one of the numerals, and also added some flowers. I enjoy seeing clever, positive graffiti. As I approached the 10-mile marker, a father and son passed me on bikes, and I overheard the son ask the father how old he was. The father said he was 40, and the son replied, "I thought you were 39.99." I laughed, I love it. There is no water from the Watt Avenue bridge (around eight-mile marker) and the six-mile marker where I turned around. Those four miles were tough, in direct sunlight, no water. I realized at that point that the heat affected my distance, bringing the wall in closer. At the 13-mile marker, I stopped, and relaxed on the ground, exhausted, arms tingling a bit. A passing runner called out to a man standing behind me, "Is he all right?" The man behind me said yes, and the runner said, "When I see a runner on the ground I get nervous." I felt happy to hear this concern. I lay there for about 15 minutes, then I got up, dusted myself off, and began walking back the last seven miles. As I walked, I felt better and better. I noticed that my hands were swollen, not sure why. At the 14-mile marker, I heard a man to my left say "Please, please." I looked and an older man with a cane was on his knees on a trail in the tall grass. I walked over and helped him to his feet, and walked him up to the bike trail. He was covered in stickies from plants, and spoke little English (sounded Russian). He saw his nephew, and called out to him. They thanked me and I wished them a good evening. The parks were full of people enjoying Memorial Day. As I walked back along the mile 17-marker, I noticed a white bird of prey hovering in the air, then diving into the tall grass out of sight. As I approached, I heard a screeching sound like a hawk. While I've seen birds hover, I have not seen them dive. I noticed on the return that people have added graffiti of a tail to the "winding road" sign, and the words"Snake Xing." Cute. Along the 14-mile marker there is a downed branch that looks a lot like a dragon's head. As I walked, the sun set, and bugs and other animals came out to feed. I saw six deer, a rabbit, and felt many mosquitos. Passed an Asian family with fishing poles, a couple walking with arms around each other, and bikes with lights on. I have decided a number of things from today's run. First, new shoes. Second, run in the morning. Third, bring water. I think without the heat I might have made the full distance.
Time: 481 minutes (8:01)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 45.16 km (28 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=210093
Total Distance For Year: 646.0 km (386.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: sore knee joints, sore muscles. Left big toe a bit sore but ok.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and soy milk, stuffing

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-24

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-24
Resting heart rate: 70 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-24
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 11:23-13:41
Terrain: flat
Comments: Ran past the 14-mile marker and heard the Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from his 1964 album of the same name on Columbia Records. Before I got to the 14-mile marker, along the fence, I stopped and said hello to two black-tailed deer sitting in the shade, three feet away. They seemed caught between fight and flight, and we watched each other, then I went on my way. Approaching the 15-mile marker, I noticed two squirrels sitting on top of the posts. A woman was digging with a shovel near the bridge in that same area. As I approached the mile 14-marker, a female biker exclaimed to her male companion, "You know what's funny about GPS -- I don't care." I hear lots of bits of conversations like this. As I returned, I greeted a runner who cheerfully said, "Hey guy." I haven't heard that greeting before. At the end I walked to dip my legs in the cold water of the American River, and watched two crows chase a hawk away from their territory. They dived at it in succession, and it finally left.
Time: 138 minutes (2:18)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 16.13 km (10 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 599.8 km (358.5 mi)
Weight (after run): 27.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit
Foods eaten today:

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-22

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-22
Resting heart rate: 81 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-22
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 15:01-16:01
Terrain: flat
Comments: Feeling lots of guilt because I want to do well in the marathon, but this is the first time I ran since last Thursday. My big toe was hurting on Saturday, so I postponed the run, thinking I would do it on Sunday. Went for a walk instead, thinking I would run on Monday. Then I almost missed my run today because of a meeting this evening at 18:30. So instead of a 16 km long run today I got a 7.25 km run in, that's all the time I had after emerging from a project I was polishing. My toe has still not fully healed. It hurts a little bit this evening but not so much as last week. Ran fast this afternoon since I knew I only was running 7 km and it felt energizing. I ended alert and upbeat. As I recrossed the bridge I saw a woman and a man kissing and holding each other close. Awwww. A boy and his father on bikes passed me and the boy asked me, "Have you seen caterpillars today?" I replied in the affirmative, and asked if he had, and he said, "Yeah" enthusiastically. And I did, the red and black caterpillars I saw last week are numerous today. I saw about five. Felt irritated when I heard a man riding a ultra-mini scooter around the parking lot at the mile-18 marker. I heard it loudly from a half-mile away. I appreciate the silence and the communion with nature, not the noise of his engine.
Time: 60 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.25 km (4.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 583.7 km (348.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, pizzas, grape juice, bagel, bananas (2)

KYDS Songs

Heard these songs today:

Now defunct El-Paso-based At the Drive-In has a song called "Invalid Litter Dept.," from their 2004 album "Relationship of Command" on the Fearless Records label. I've heard it a few times on KYDS and didn't understand the lyrics. I thought the tune was irritatingly catchy and didn't understand why it kept getting played. So it wasn't until this evening when I decided to blog about recent songs that I realized the meaning behind the song. Now I enjoy it, want to see the video. UPDATE: Here's the video on YouTube.

NYC-based Blondie's "One Way or Another," from their 1979 album, "Parallel Lines" on the Capitol label. I love Deborah Harry's confidence, playfulness, and fun.

Seattle-based Minus the Bear's "Memphis and 53rd," from their 2005 album "Menos el Oso" on the Suicide Squeeze label. I enjoyed the tightness of the band and the dream-sequence expressed in these lyrics:

That night we laid on the floor of the desert but I could barely sleep
Yeah, I had this dream
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I woke up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me

I enjoy the random chaos of my own dreams, so this resonates with me.

Tree branch outside my window

A branch (7.5 m long, maybe) belonging to a cottonwood tree fell on the garage roof last night:


It showered Friday evening for an hour or two so it seems the shock of the water weight caused the failure.

The trunk:


mid-section:


tip:


The branch attaches to the trunk about 7-8 m off the ground. Saw a squirrel scampering up the new pathway between the garage roof and the tree. Fun.

Various Friday Notes

This evening KYDS played the song "James K. Polk" by They Might Be Giants, from their 1996 album "Factory Showroom," on the Elektra label. Fun. Apparently he really was known as the "Napoleon of the Stump."

Noticed for the first time in eight years of owning my car that my radio cuts the volume to 50% when I start the motor. How thoughtful.

This evening while sitting on my bed writing an e-mail I heard a loud crash outside my window as a relatively large tree branch fell. Will check it out in the morning.

Math

This week I have been helping a friend with review for elementary- and college-level algebra so she might take her AccuPlacer test and skip some classwork.

We have a inside-joke team name, the East Side Culver's Math Brawlers. We name our variables fun names like Christopher and Allowicious.

I graduated from college with a minor in mathematics. Six years out of college, I'm finding my retention of math quite poor, but I am enjoying re-learning. This blog post inspired me a while back but until now I have not had the motivation to dive into math again.

Tonight she seemed to feel exhausted and stated she wanted to wind down after a problem in the exponents and polynomials set stymied us. After the phone call I completed the set and discovered I simplified them all correctly except for one trick I forgot. If a variable, let's call it Christopher, has a negative exponent and it's in the numerator, you can dump it down to the denominator (lengthy explanation of why this is so omitted). So tonight was a learning opportunity. Fun.

McMansions of the American River Parkway

An activist web site about violations of building codes along the bluffs and the recent legal battles:

http://www.mcmansions.org/pages/5/index.htm

Fair Oaks Bluffs

More info on the proposed plaza and the history of the easement where I enjoy sitting:

http://www.savethebluffs.org/pages/321132/index.htm

The American River: The River of Sorrows

I enjoyed reading this history of names for the American River:

What's in a Name.
The American River has had a variety of names since the early 1800's.

• Kum sayo (Roundhouse River) -- This is the name the Nisenan Indians gave to the river. The Nisenans lived near the mouth of the American.
• Rio de las Llagas (River of Sorrows) -- Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river on his 1808 expedition into the Sacramento Valley
• Wild River -- After observing the wildness of the Indians in the area, Jedediah Smith renamed the river in 1828.
• Rio Ojotska -- In 1833, Captain John Cooper got his name for the river from the phonetic Russian spelling of the word hunter.
• Rio de los Americanos -- This last title, from which the current name evolved, was chosen by Mexican Governor Alvarado in 1837 because the area was often frequented by American trappers.

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-18

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-18
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-18
Weather: Sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 30.56 C (87 F)
Time: 11:51-12:36
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Hot, sunny, mild breeze. Thought again today about getting an iPod to listen to motivational bits as I run. Something to keep things interesting. Noticed a black caterpillar with red stripes crawling quickly to the side of the trail. Cute. As I prepared to run, I felt surprise when I noticed a black phoebe sitting on a ground-hugging branch. It sat there, chirping, less than three feet away. I knew the feeling. Who wants to run in such heat. At the 21-mile marker, I noticed two posters for the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure event this Saturday, May 20. It starts at Natomas Oaks Park, 2230 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, and the longest distance is 75-miles. There are beautiful flowering trees along the bike trail now, but I don't know their name.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.30 km (3.29 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=189355
Total Distance For Year: 576.4 km (344.0 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar

KYDS lyrics

From this evening:

• "I just want to be bad, oh oh alright" : Tegan and Sara's "Want to Be Bad," from their 2003 album, "If It Was You," on the Vapor label. They also have the distinction of having one of the most fun album covers I've seen in a while:
  
• "I woke the dawn, saw horses growing out the lawn": Eisley's "Marvelous Things," from their 2003 album "Marvelous Things" on the Reprise label. That's some weird stuff but the music is catchy.

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-15

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-15
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-15
Weather: Moony, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 23 C (73.4 F)
Time: 21:06-21:52
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Was up late last night tying off loose ends. Woke up late this morning, so remembering last Saturday's heat I decided to wait until this evening before running. I hydrated by drinking a glass of water every hour. Decided to run at the American River College stadium track, which was deserted. They have installed signs from www.californiatrack.com and www.sportbuild.com which document what the colors of the various bits on the track mean. I ran for abou 46 minutes, getting faster and faster. It wasn't as boring because I ran for a specific length of time rather than laps. After I finished running I used my GPS to see how long one lap in each lane was. Lane nine was 0.261 miles. Lane six was 0.245 miles. And lane three was 0.227 miles. And here I thought this entire time that lane six was 1/3 mile.
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.45 km (4.0 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 571.1 km (340.7 mi)
Weight (after run):
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts after a while running, left ankle still not fully healed, after running I noticed the area below my left knee hurt a bit
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-raisin bagel, toasted cheese sandwich, mac & cheese

KYDS lyrics

From this morning:

• "I could search years, but who else could change my tears into laughter, after you?": Cole Porter's "After You, Who?" from the 1932 theater musical "Gay Divorce"
• "Opinions were like kittens, I was giving them away....": Modest Mouse's "Out of Gas," from their 1997 album "Lonesome Crowded West" on the Up Records label
  

Chocolate Snob

Visited the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op this evening to purchase my favorite tea, Honest Tea First Nation Peppermint. I decided to buy a bar of chocolate (you never know, the world could end tomorrow), and I remembered reading the above comic, with Cecilia sharing her favorite chocolate: "high-end single-origin 70% dark cacao."

If you've been to the Sac Co-Op, you know that they have approximately 50 combinations of brands/flavors of chocolate bars to choose from. The display takes up about 1/6 of the aisle. Some labels displayed the amount of cacao, some didn't. The displayed amounts ranged from 50%-88%. I noticed that the higher the amount of cacao, the darker the chocolate.

Suddenly I realized I was becoming a chocolate snob, and I smiled an uncontrollable embarrassed smile.

I purchased two of the bars with the highest cacao content: Endangered Species Chocolate's Extreme Dark Chocolate bar (88%) and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's Extra Dark Chocolate bar (82%). I got in my car and started eating the Endangered Species bar, and loved it. Finished it off when I got home, then tried the Scharffen Berger bar, which seems a bit a lot more acidic.

I can understand why chocolate becomes an obsession for people. And I don't have a problem. I can quit anytime.

UPDATE: The Schaffen Berger Chocalate Maker company is from Berkeley and they have factory tours. Sounds like a fun road trip. Edangered Species Chocolate is based out of Indianapolis, IN. Honest Tea is based out of Bethesda, MD.

Eppie's Great Race, Sacramento

Looking at the Kayak courses at CSUS Aquatic Center and noticed Eppie's Great Race, a mid-July tradition here in Sacramento for the last 33 years. It's a mini-triathalon, about 6 miles running, 12.5 miles biking, and 6.35 miles paddling. I love it, want to do it. I just don't have the skills and the money to at this point ($75 plus kayak training/rental plus fixing my bike), and I don't have the energy to do it two weeks before the San Francisco Marathon. The CSUS Aquatic Center is nice enough to provide kayaks and support to those who pass their training/refresher course ($135/$70, respectively), which is generous, although there seem to be other companies in the area. I have paddled a canoe, but I need a refresher course.

I have seen the Eppie's Great Race rock in William Pond park, but never quite grasped the significance.

Other things I have learned this evening: the bridge separating William Pond park from Goethe Park is called the Arden Bar Bridge, while the footbridge next to Sunrise is called the Sunrise Avenue Footbridge.

And they call entrants Ironpersons. Cute. Simplifies things.

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-13

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-13
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-05-13
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 32.2 C (90 F)
Time: 14:29-18:06
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Realized late last night that I didn't want to race the 5K, so I slept in. Instead, I decided to run a 10-12 mile course between the Nimbus Dam along the Pioneer Express Trail. Today was a learning opportunity. First, I didn't hydrate. Second, I didn't check the temperature. Third, I didn't bring water or Powerbars on the run. Fourth, I over-extended myself. Fifth, I didn't check the terrain I planned to run. The temperature today was brutal. Mid-afternoon 32.2 C (90 F). Jeff Galloway recommends a bunch of helpful tips on combatting heat, including the helpful note that running in heat will move the wall closer. Well, I hit the wall at the halfway point. I walked back most of the seven miles. Running up a 7% grade hill (186 feet vertical in one mile) to the half-way point was a negative considering the heat. This is the first hill-climbing I have done. I enjoyed the terrain once the trail looped back to Lake Natoma. I doused my head with water. There are many water fountains along the trail during this section. From this point until the Folsom Lake recreation area, I don't think there are any. Saw more TTES chalk inscriptions: Arms! Arms! Arms! (before running up the embankment to the Hazel overpass); I am able, I will, I can. The Nimbus Dam had six gates open. The Folsom Dam had three gates open. Saw an informational sign along the trail sharing the types of oaks: Interior Live Oak, Blue Oak, and Valley Oak. As I ran along Lake Natoma at the beginning, I saw that they had a rowing competition at the CSUS Aquatic Center. The web site says it was the Collegiate Regatta Pacific Coast Rowing Championship. They had a score of large white tents dotting the south shore of the lake for shade. Members of the crowd were cheering on the finish of a heat, shouting "UCS." I bet I mis-heard the cheers for University of Central Florida though, who were in the heat I watched around 14:30. I noticed a large board propped up on the north side and wondered if it was used to line up the finish buoys. I reached the half-way point (mile 30 marker) at 16:06. Along the way I saw jackrabbits sitting in the shade (how smart), vultures and hawks lazily circling overhead, kayakers and canoers skimming through Lake Natoma, ducks, geese, and lots of people out enjoying the day. On the way back, as I was drinking from a fountain, a man began playing guitar for a group of teenagers that were chatting. I was so tired I didn't stick around and I didn't notice the tune. As I kept walking, I got stronger and stronger. The temperature dropped by about 5-6 C, the shade from the bluffs and trees was greater, and I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery. Lake Natoma near the Folsom Dam is beautiful. The history signs said that Negro Bar used to be a mining town there. The architecture of the bridges was beautiful. There is another beautiful pedestrian bridge there. There is a beach, and families were playing frisbee and volleyball. The air was arid, making breathing difficult. About two miles from the turn-around point, I noticed I wasn't sweating anymore, which bothered me. That's one of the reasons I stopped on the way back and took it easy, besides the physical fatigue. I watched a trio of young Russion girls skate down a hill on a skateboard and inline skates. The girl on the skateboard pumped her arms in the air, very happy to stay on the board. Fun. When I returned to the Nimbus Dam, I spotted a place where I could douse my legs in the icy-clear waters of the American River. The chill was painful at first, then pleasant. I sat like that for about five minutes, watching a man on the north shore pilot a radio-controlled plane, and a few birds go in and out of their mud homes on the underbelly of the overpass. I think I have mentioned this in the past, but the Pioneer Express Trail is lonelier than the Parkway Trail. Gone are the residential homes butting up against the parkway, and the small wayside parks. In their place are towering bluffs and a vast lake. I spotted a trail on the south side of the lake which I think I will explore next time. Overall, negative running experience, although I feel very alert and active this evening. Learning opportunity.
Time: 217 minutes (3:37)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 23.23 km (14.4 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=180744
Total Distance For Year: 562.6 km (336.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore, neck muscles sore
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, ramen noodles, green beans, carrots, gookinaid

Running journal, Friday, 2006-05-12

Running journal, Friday, 2006-05-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-05-12
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 28.3 C (83 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: 5K race tomorrow. No exercise today. Feeling a bit anxious about running another 5K, since I want to do better than last time, but overran last time. I'll run a bit more conservatively, I think.
Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk

10th Annual 5K Race For the Cure Saturday

Packet pick-up begins at 06:15 at the Cal Expo main gate. 5K timed race at 07:45. Course map here. The Business 80 Exposition Boulevard off-ramp closes between 07:30 and 09:30. Looks like race parking is in Cal Expo parking lots A-D. Lots B and C look like the best ones.

Vim Color Schemes

Vim's contributed color scheme downloads:
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script_search_results.php?keywords=&script_type=color+scheme&order_by=creation_date&direction=descending&search=search

Examples of text from C, HTML, Java, LaTeX, and Perl in the above color schemes:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~maverick/VimColorSchemeTest/

Default color schemes in Vim:

blue
darkblue
default
elflord
evening
koehler
morning
murphy
pablo
peachpuff
ron
shine
torte
zellner

Power Toothbrush Replacement After 12 Years

My Braun ultra plaque remover motorized toothbrush (type 4713) failed last week. I observed the recharge light fail to display when placed in the recharging base. Next, I noticed that the unit failed to recharge properly after a night of sitting in the recharging base. Sometime later, I noticed that the internal two-minute timer failed to stop the toothbrush after two minutes. Finally, the unit stopped recharging.

I have had this toothbrush unit since 1994, about 12 years. This is pretty good considering the web site says expectations are that the battery will last three to five years. It lasted me through my final year of high school, college, and now six years in California.


Today I purchased a new Braun AdvancePower power toothbrush. It looks identical to the old one, except it has a blue color scheme instead of green.

I noticed in the manual that it shares how to dispose of the nickel-cadmium rechargable battery that was in the old toothbrush, so I decided to take my old one apart and see how it operated.


This is a shot of the motor, the circuit board, the battery (under the circuit board), and the water-tight base seal, which houses the induction-type battery charger. Click the picture to see the high-res version.


Close-up of the base/induction charger. The coil on the right goes on top of this. Note the two copper wires attached to the circuit board from the base and the copper wire coil inside the base. Also note water has penetrated the base and left mineral deposits. Ick.


Circuit-board close-up. The LED is a square on the mid-right, next to the right-most integrated circuit. I don't know what the term is, but there's some gunk on the board that probably wasn't there when I bought it. You can see where the copper wires attach to the IC.


Motor (top-down). Those two plastic tabs on the top are the start/stop buttons. The spindle on the left is what attaches to the brush-head.


Motor (side). A better shot of the motor, and you can see the battery compartment.


Battery top and bottom. It's a NiCd battery, it doesn't say anything about capacity. The instructions which came with my new toothbrush say that a full charge takes 16 hours and lasts for 20 minutes. They also say, "Caution: Opening the handle will destroy the appliance and invalidate the guarantee. Note: You will not be able to place new batteries in the handle." Which is a half-truth, since you could probably swap out the batteries and use a soldering iron to re-attach the handle's connectors. You can see on the left where I cut the metal on each end to detach the battery so it could slide out the base of the handle. There are no markings on the ends.


An inside look at the handle after removing the battery. Note the two black spots inside the battery compartment near the motor. Not sure what those were for. The connector attached to the battery comes down from the top at that location, so it probably had something to do with electricity to the motor.


You can see the mineral deposits inside the handle cover here. Lovely.

That's it. Fun. Next up, a post on the fascinating topic of arranging my sock collection.

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-11

Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-11
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-11
Weather: Moony (ha ha), 2 m/s wind
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: 09:37-10:23
Terrain: flat
Comments: Perfect night for a walk. Visited the American River College campus and walked around. Not much to report. The new stadium track looks perfectly groomed. There are signs taped to everything warning people to stay off the grass. They amused me, taped to everything in sight. The track feels rubbery and nice to walk on. I calculated at three laps per mile, that it would take 79 laps to complete a marathon. Ugh. Who could stand the mental boredom of running in 79 circles, and how would you keep count?
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.03 km (2.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.0 kg (174.195 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: muscle behind right knee sore, left ankle hurt a bit once today
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen soup, bread, carrots, toasted cheese sandwich, cinnamon-raisin bagel, vegetable juice

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-10

Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-10
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-10
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 22.2 C (72 F)
Time: 10:43-11:30
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: I think the heat is causing me to sleep less comfortably at night. I woke up today not feeling rested, and I find it harder to fall asleep. As soon as I started my run, a woman passed me running in a sprint. I greeted her but she did not respond. I enjoyed watching her run so fast. As I left the first copse of trees, I saw her walking. I passed her about a quarter-mile later, but when I stopped to douse my head with water, she started jogging. I lost sight of her after that. My left foot felt sore today from the visit to the foot doctor, so I went out slow, around 5.5-mph. There is an elderly asian man I pass frequently about 1.5 miles in. He wears gloves and stops at a picnic table and seems to do exercises. On the return a female wild turkey surprised me mildly by moving in the brush to my left. It watched me pass, leisurely moving away from me. The temperature felt hot, especially on the asphalt away from the river. There is this weird ghost runner effect that I hear when I run lately, a shoof-shoof noise that sounds like someone is running along with me, but when I turn no one is around. It's the reflection of the sound off the foliage and the hills to the sides of the trails, and I find it a bit confusing. I thought about slipping into the American River today, but my left foot isn't completely healed, and I thought it safest if I let it heal before submerging it in river water. As I returned to my car, I noticed a Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS) van, and a sheriff's SUV. The sheriff's department official was interviewing two men about their car, from what I could tell, and it looked like they were not happy. Something about not registered. So apparently the police occassionally do spot checks on vehicles parked on Bridge Street? I felt a bit nervous that there was some law I did not know about that required me to have parking registration, but I had no ticket on my car, so I left.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.5 km (4.05 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=175181
Total Distance For Year: 535.4 km (319.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8, 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left big toe hurt about 30 minutes in. left foot
Foods eaten today: apple-cinnamon cereal, soy milk

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-09

Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-09
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 21.1 C (70 F)
Time: 08:23-09:12
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: It's warming up, even at 08:00. Noticed someone chalked a huge "Jesus Loves You" inscription on the pedestrian bridge planks today. I felt irritation about that, and all the other graffiti on the bridge. I'd rather have a clean-looking bridge. I felt brain-dead this morning. As I walked, I said good morning to about three people who didn't answer me back. Perhaps it wasn't a good morning for them. Saw a few places along the river I could bring a book and read for a while. Saw a family of five jack-rabbits playing on the access road at the beginning of my walk, and two or three deer as I walked back along the river.
Time: 49 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.78 km (2.35 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=173916
Total Distance For Year: 528.9 km (315.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.5 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: maple nut clusters cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen noodles, french-cut green beans, organic chili, sparkling apple cider, cinnamon-raisin bagels, wheat bread, cheddar cheese, crackers, vegetable juice

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Berkeley)

Hail yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrUf4Jlamok&search=jimi%20Hendrix

Playfulness

This woman's face resonated with me. Peaceful, raised eyebrow, confident, freckles, focused. Seems to me like she's just about to break into a smile. Link: http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2006/05/open_letter_to__1.html

Definitions

Cranky Bear: someone grumpy but non-violent. "John sure is a cranky bear this morning. I wonder if he slept all right."

Growly Bear: grumpy and potentially violent. "Jane said that when someone is nicey-nice and not genuinely honest with her, she feels like a growly bear."

Now you know.

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-08

Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-08
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 26.1 C (79 F)
Time: 10:48-11:43
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Clear, bright, mild wind, and getting warmer. Noticed on the bike trail someone has scrawled motivational messages for a Sacramento Train To End Stroke (TTES) event. They read: "U Will!", "Go Kona!", "U Rock!", U R Able!", "Go TTES!", "TTES Way 2 Go!", "Go SD!". The last one I noticed yesterday west of the pedestrian bridge somewhere. Fun. I ran faster than I thought recommended, but I wanted to test my new-found muscles and see how far and how fast they might take me. I ran about a 6.0-mph pace for about 30 minutes, then I slowed down for about a half-mile, then I sped up again until the finish. This is an improvement. On the return I chased some female wild turkeys down the private trail for about a half-mile. They kept running down the open trail. Shared greetings with lots of people today, I felt relaxed and confident, and people seemed to feel comfortable with that. Noticed lots of trash in the parking area north of the pedestrian bridge. As I was parking, a man kindly shut his door so I might pass him to park. On the way to the bridge, I thanked him and he shared how he felt fearful that someone might get hurt because the road was narrow and some people drive quickly to the bridge. I ran farther today than I ever have in 23:00, about 50m short of the entrance to the Nimbus Dam park building. That's including a stop to wet my head at the same beach I stopped at on Saturday. I'm glad I did, since there are no other water breaks for about two miles. I doused my head again at the fountain, then returned. When I finished, I took off my shoes and socks and removed all the gear from my pockets and rested my legs in the icy-clear water of the American River. It's almost unbearably cold at first, but after about five minutes my legs acclimate and I can relax and enjoy the scenery. Watched a pair of ducks mate, a canoe pass, and a woman on top of the bluffs light a cigarette and watch me. The sunblock came off my legs in the water and created a milky cloud. I really enjoy the water and interacting with the natural surroundings of the river. And I scratched my watch face today. Ugh.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.81 km (4.85 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=161412, 7.04 minutes/km (11.34 minutes/mi) pace, 4.95 hr marathon pace.
Total Distance For Year: 525.1 km (313.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.6 kg (171.1 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: about halfway in, my left ankle hurt again, and my right knee felt a bit sore
Foods eaten today: banana