The final Calvin and Hobbs comic strip, 19 years ago today...

The final day of 2014

     I'm back!  I accomplished my marathon drive from here to Austin and home again.  Sixteen hours to get there, sixteen and 1/2 to get return, and I made it home before the extreme weather hit. Yay.

     I had a wonderful Christmas there with my kids and grandkids.  Thank you everyone.

     I took Charleigh along.  She wasn't fond of the long drives but absolutely loved her time there.  She got so much attention and playtime and loving and treats. Now that we are home it has been too cold to even go outside for long.  Just walking the block to the mailbox yesterday had her limping with cold. So she pretty much has glued herself to my leg begging for attention. She misses you Sydney and Alex.

 

     In case you can't tell, we were being the star of Texas.

Merry Christmas to all

     Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.  I'll talk to you after the holidays.

Cooking and human evolution.

     Humans doubled their brain size in a relatively short period of time around two million years ago. The theory has been that this occurred due to human ability to run long distances and hunt and eat meat. They must have had meat to fuel the brain expansion, right?
     A competing theory is now in place which sounds much more likely.  Humans discovered fire much earlier than previously thought.  It was the ability to cook that may be responsible for the brain expansion. Cooking allowed for more nutrients to be metabolized from tough fibers, plus the fire kept dangerous predators at bay allowing better sleep.
     I wonder how today's nutrition is fueling future human evolution?

http://running.competitor.com/2014/01/injury-prevention/are-we-really-born-to-run_93817
   

Shared from Senator Cory Booker

Cory Booker

You were not born to be average, normal or typical.

You were not born a carbon copy.

You were born unique, born to excel, born to manifest the glory of the universe in your authentic truth.

You are not weak.

You are stronger than you imagine, wiser than you know, and have vast powers that you have yet to actualize.

Stop playing small.

Be YOU. Tell your truth - now, today, this very moment.

Manifest your true self - not a poor reflection of your circumstance.

Don’t walk through this world unconscious of your greatness, sleep walking, surrendering your light to the bland grey around you.

You were born to be brilliant,

to be light,

to be fire.

Infuse your glory into this moment, into your choices, into your deeds, into the habits you create.

Consciously choose.

Choose your body through conscious consumption.

Choose your attitude, through conscious thought.

Choose your destiny by being present right now – for remember mindful moments multiplied, totally transform tomorrow's.

Today choose integrity, choose discipline, choose joy, choose joy, choose joy.

Rejoice in your blessings AND, most importantly, know that EVERYTHING is a blessing.

And your blessings are rich soil.

So choose to grow into the boldest, proudest, most glorious version of YOU.

You were born for this.

     Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  Here are some great things to choose.

An ad from 1893....

     Here is a Quaker advertisement from 1893.  I love my steel cut oats every morning.

       shared from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Miscellany

mis·cel·la·ny, noun, a group or collection of different items, a mixture, melange, blend, variety, mixed bag, grab bag, potpourri, pastiche, mishmash, salmagundi, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, hash.

Eating less meat is essential to curb climate change says report.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/03/eating-less-meat-curb-climate-change

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/12/04/meat-consumption-climate-change



Organic farming can feed the world if done right
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/organic-farming-can-feed-the-world-if-done-right-scientists-claim-9913651.html


America has a sick health care system.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/diagnosing-and-curing-our-sick-health-system_b_6255390.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy%20Living


Kalettes
Have you heard of the new vegetable called kalettes (brussel sprouts crossed with kale)?  It is also called brussel kale, lollipop kale, and flowersprouts.  They haven't arrived in my grocery store yet, but I look forward to trying them.
http://www.kalettes.com/


Yesterday Freedom Service Dogs graduated 25 more client/dog teams.  It touched the hearts of everyone in the packed house, as always.  25 absolutely wonderful dogs were rescued and saved from death to become best friends and life-savers to 25 humans.  It takes months of work to train the dogs. Some of the training was given by Colorado Prison Inmates, some by at-risk youth, some by University of Denver MSW interns, some by a legion of trained volunteers such as myself, and most by the professional trainers. It is win-win-win all around.


It is snowing, and "Baby it's cold outside."  Maybe we will have a white Christmas.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

― Rachel Carson

Carrot Clarinet

     This is pretty amazing!  What a science project this could be.  Enjoy watching.

Tis the season!

     I am starting to get into the Christmas spirit. It takes me longer each December to drag myself into the mood.  I am trying to formulate a gift list in my head at least and am thinking about sending some Christmas cards.
     All the Christmas music in stores can be irritating, but this is so beautiful!  Please watch.

The Penguin

     I've written before about John "The Penguin" Bingham.  He was a non-runner who experienced a changed life by running.  He has written several books over the years.  Here is his last column.  He is retiring.  Waddle on, John.

http://running.competitor.com/2014/12/inside-the-magazine/penguin-chronicles-goodbye-farewell-amen_119059

Oops I let the cow in....

     You may have seen this adorable video before, but it is worth seeing again!

Note to self

     It takes 18 hours and 63 miles to walk off Thanksgiving dinner..........

http://sportsgeezer.com/2014/how-to-walk-off-a-thanksgiving-dinner-63-miles/

Happy Thanksgiving

                                        Shared from Be the change you want to see in the world 

Great quote for the day

They tried to bury us.  They didn't know we were seeds.
                                         Mexican Proverb

Great video by ESPN

     Here is a wonderful story of a HS runner......

http://runblogger.com/2014/11/catching-kayla-great-story-via-espn.html

I must remember this.

                                 shared from The Awkward Yeti


This ranks right up there with:
"There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."----explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes

PE in Naperville, IL

     A great video on the surprising results of PE

                                          (go to blog to view video)

I guess I should persist.

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/older-runners-walk-like-people-decades-younger?adbid=10152428838741987&adbpl=fb&adbpr=9815486986&cid=social36013617


If found on ground, please drag to finish line.

My politics?

Can't argue with this.

Running punning....

                                    Shared from Run The Edge

Live

Hotter Sex, Cooler Planet,

     Here is a post from the Blog of Dr. Dean Ornish.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-dean-ornish/whats-good-for-you-is-goo_b_6161132.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

"Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now."-----Bob Dylan

                                                                        Purple Clover

2/3 of Americans suffer from malnutrition.

   
     Mark Bittman is a NY Times columnist and author.  He was the keynote speaker at their Food for Tomorrow Conference.  When you have the time, you will want to view his very interesting speech on how to change the food system and how to feed the 9 billion.
     Malnutrition has two forms....hunger and obesity.  They are two sides of the very same coin. By that definition, the percentage of malnourished people in the US approaches 2/3!
     

http://www.foodpolitics.com/2014/11/the-new-york-times-does-food-for-tomorrow/

****************************************************************

7 AM, zero degrees and snowing.  We'll see how the dog walk goes.  Today I added tights under my pants, wool socks, boots, gloves under mittens, and my winter parka. Charleigh loves this weather, but we will keep it short.

1 1/2 miles walked.  Still my fingers and toes are numb.  Will add more layers next time, although I already felt like Randy from "A Christmas Story"........so bundled  up if I fell over I wouldn't be able to get up.  Charleigh would have to drag me home.

Be safe out there people.  There are lots of car accidents.

10 AM and it is a minus 2 degrees.  Something is wrong with this.

I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for treadmills.

     The high temp for tomorrow is 8 degrees with windchills of minus 13, plus an additional 3 inches of snow on top of 1-3 inches overnight tonight after having 3 inches so far.
     I am so not ready for this.
     Keep warm and safe everybody, and don't chuckle too hard you Austinites.

Make an impact with your life

Ancestors

      I feel this every once in a while.  It is sort of a deja-vu feeling.

World Run Day

      The Sunday closest to November 8 marks World Run Day each year. It is a day for runners worldwide to join each other, wherever their location, in a celebration of running and charitable giving.

     I am scheduled for a 3 mile run today according to my training schedule.  While out there, I will contemplate what new charity I will support today.  I am thinking Greenpeace.

     I wonder how many millions, or more likely billions, of dollars runners have raised for charity over the years?


*****************************************************************

     I live halfway up a hill.  At the bottom of the hill the neighborhood has planted a series of crabapple trees.  This morning there were more than a dozen deer clustered beneath trying to eat as many crabapples from the ground as possible.  I walked within 2 yards of one of this year's fawns.  Charleigh was very good and never tried to lunge at them, even once.  They all look skinny. They always come down en masse to our neighborhood just before a worsening change in the weather. What beauty and grace they have.


*****************************************************************


     I had to share this Calvin and Hobbes comic today.  It was Dean's favorite.  Kids and Grandkids, do you remember it?

Politicians discussing climate change

This sculpture in Berlin has been dubbed "politicians discussing climate change" by social media users.

Sculpture by Spanish street artist Isaac Cordal, image via The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe.

Shared from I fucking love science

Motivation for your weekend.

     I lacked motivation this week so seek inspiration to change.  I blame the time change and leftover Halloween candy.

http://www.runnersworld.com/races/92-year-old-and-above-knee-amputee-set-world-records

After the NYC marathon.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/100000003212076/after-the-new-york-city-marathon.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0


50564 people finished the NYC marathon last weekend.  There were only 305 who did not finish.  That made it the largest marathon ever.

Eight foods we are in danger of losing due to climate change

http://www.theguardian.com/vital-signs/2014/oct/29/diet-climate-maple-syrup-coffee-global-warming

Whatever you are, be a good one.----Abraham Lincoln

     I should be out walking the dog enjoying the last nice day for a while.  Snow is in the offing.  Instead I slept in and am watching the NYC marathon online.  A nice morning to spectate.
     How about you?


     PS
          Wow, what a race!  Close finishes for men and women despite brutal windy weather.  Kenyans won both races, but Americans can be so proud of Meb, Kara, Deena, and Desiree.  Meb came in 4th for the men.  Desiree came in 5th for the women.  The wind gusts were up to 40 mph....must have been so hard for these slight runners.

     From Competitor.com,a funny quote from elite marathoner Patrick Rizzo about all of the side stories: "If ESPN covered basketball the same way it does the marathon, we'd only know that fans eat hot dogs and nachos. There's a game?"

Love, love, love this

     Here is a link to a guest blog titled, "Thank you from the front of the pack to the back."  As a mid to back of the pack-er, I really appreciated the sentiments.

http://rulesforrunning.com/2014/10/28/thank-you-from-the-front-of-the-pack-to-the-back/



     How was your Halloween night?  Our weather was beautiful and I was expecting tons of trick-or-treaters, especially since it was a Friday night rather than a school night.  I did get maybe 30 very polite kids ringing my doorbell, about half as many as I had planned on. Therefore I have a lot of the cursed leftover candy to dispose of today before it starts calling my name.(And I bought the good stuff.)
     I wonder if parents are wising up and having Halloween parties instead for the kids, or if maybe I just live in an aging neighborhood.  But I live right by an elementary school, so I don't think that is the problem. I favor parental wisdom as the answer.

Happy Halloween!

Quote of the day.....

            I like this.

     I went to running group last night.  I have been remiss in getting there this year.  I don't enjoy running at night, or in the dark, or in the cold. But winter approaches, so if ever I am going to go, I need to go now.  It was a beautiful night.  I had a headlamp to see where I was going for the last  half.  I ran with 3 others who are about my speed.  It was really enjoyable.  Chatting makes the time go faster. We run 2 laps around a small lake in a park.  The moon was out.  The breeze across the lake was actually pretty warm.  And we always get frozen yogurt afterwards (they do have dairy-free).

More turtle

     This cute video has been making the rounds.  Does it make you want to dance or take a shower or hug a turtle?

"'Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock
Turtle replied, 'and then the different branches of
Arithmetic--- Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and
Derision'" 

- Lewis Carroll quotes (English Logician, Mathematician,
Photographer and Novelist, especially remembered for Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland. 1832-1898)

My lop-sided pumpkin pi

     The concept was better than my execution of it.  I am loving the roasted seeds, though.

 

     Now compare with my artist friend Sue's jack-o-lantern-scape.  It has arms, legs, and is juggling painted mini-pumpkins.  It even has blinking Christmas lights.  Wow. Of course, I spent 2 hours. She must have spent 2 days, and it shows.  She has creativity and talent.

     Here are a couple of pictures of my Grandkids doing a 5 K for water this past weekend.  They are terrific kids, and so speedy.  I wish they'd teach me how to run fast like they do.  It comes so naturally to them, both being speedy and being terrific.

     Sunday my daughter and I went out to eat at a new Native Foods restaurant near her home. It is in the fast-casual category and is 100% vegan.  The food was outstanding and reasonably priced.  This restaurant started in California and now they have 3 in the Denver area, and will soon have one each in Fort Collins and in Colorado Springs. I wish there was one near me....I would go out to eat often.

     Yesterday when I blogged about the talented performers at Phamaly, I should have mentioned their website which is:  http://www.phamaly.org/

Pity Pity Bang Bang

     Yesterday my daughter and I went to see "Pity Pity Bang Bang,"  an original sketch comedy about living with disabilities.  It was done by the Phamaly Theater company (formerly known as the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League.)  We have previously been to a couple of musicals they have done but this is the first show I've seen that they have written.
     It was absolutely fantastic, done in the manner of Saturday Night Live.....drop dead funny, sometimes raunchy, sometimes heartbreaking.  I hope my descriptions can do them a little justice.
      There was the sketch by Paul who is blind and deaf, with bilateral cochlear implants, he called himself a modern day Helen Keller.  The sketch was called "Dyslexia in Dots."  He talked about learning braille as a child in a Catholic school taught by nuns, and how he couldn't distinguish between Ds and Fs.  He was spot on in imitating the nun's voices as he read aloud in a little child's voice.  He said that to this day he hates those god-damned little f....klings from the book.
       They did a skit about late-night product advertisements, and about new condom packages with braille writing so you can solve that pesky problem about distinguishing between mints and condoms in your pants pockets. You can visualize the hysterical scenes in demonstrating the need for this new product.
       Stephanie is a tiny older woman with cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.  One of her sketches was "I got this" and was about surviving another day.  It was about locking her keys in her apt., and trying to figure out how to get back in.  She did wheelies on the sidewalk outside her apt. in Arvada for hours while contemplating what to do.  Finally she elevated her wheelchair to its utmost, and after more hours of trying, reached a lockbox to retrieve a key.  She survived another day.  But if she ever didn't, we will probably find her dead on the sidewalks of Arvada.
      She had a one-liner about how her Aide puts her pants on one leg at a time.....just like we do.
      And when they did a routine on how to distinguish if your partner is having an orgasm or a seizure, she did an impeccable imitation of the scene from "When Harry met Sally,"  the "I'll have what she's having" scene. You don't expect this from a tiny older woman in a wheelchair.
      Two  women who have great difficulty talking, one with Parkinson's disease and one who has had eight brain surgeries, did a sketch where they were in customer service at a cable company.  A frantic  customer whose service had gone out in the middle of an important football game, called in.  They each tried to assist him, one speaking slower and more succinctly, than the other.  The caller kept asking to speak with someone higher up. Finally one of them spoke very slowly in a marked Hindi accent trying to assist.  The caller was so frustrated, he demanded to speak to an American.  This time the actor who has had all the brain surgeries responded by imitating the voice recording of a very slow US telephone automation queue. It was spot on.
      There was a tribute to Robin Williams. This was done by Lucy, the tall slender woman with Parkinson's, who has a great deal of trouble walking and talking.  She had met Robin three times, most recently at a Michael J Fox Parkinson's fund-raiser.  As she stood there alone in the spot-light, holding her eyes open with her shaking fingers because often they remain closed on their own, she talked about Robin's recent diagnosis with Parkinson's.  She mentioned that it makes your body move frenetically, but that it freezes your face into a clown-face, and how that diagnosis must have affected a prominent person such as him. And she said how her membership in Phamaly has helped, and how if he had had a Phamaly to talk to or if he had joined their Phamaly, he might still be around. Not a dry eye in the house.  
   

Siri

     Did you see the movie "Her" where a man falls in love with the personal assistant in his cell-phone?  Once, after seeing that movie, as I was trying to stay awake while driving home in the early hours of the AM I asked Siri repeated questions, like what is the population of Omaha, of Denver, of Chicago, of Austin.  It was amusing and kept me alert. I never thought of taking the conversation further, however..
     Here is a great article about a boy with autism and his friendship with Siri.

Judith Newman in the New York Times with an incredible read on the friendship between the iPhone's Siri virtual assistant and a boy with autism. 

"Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die." .....Paul Simon

More turtle motivation

Halloween approaches....

     I have been searching for an idea for a jack-o-lantern this year.  I thought this one was really cute, especially for a turtle like me.  I don't have the appropriate-sized pumpkin or small butternut squashes, though.

Worried about Soy?

     I've had a couple of people ask how much soy I eat, as if it were a bad thing.  I do always choose organic, and only buy organic tofu and tempeh. I never get processed items with soy protein powders or soy protein isolates. I eat soy maybe twice a week.
     Tofu originated 2000 years ago in China, so soy has been around a long long time.
     These same people seem unaware of the massive amounts of soy they take in because they eat meat. They are eating processed and non-organic soy multiple times a day.

I would hate to be accused of being dull!

 

The youngest I'll ever be

     Yesterday's race was good.  It was a new course, however, and was very hilly.  I felt bad for the full marathoners when they pulled off at mile 13 and had to run another 13+ miles.
     The weather was terrific.  It was a cold 41 degrees waiting at the start for 90 minutes, but soon warmed up once we were finally moving.
     I had my alarm set for 3:30 AM again, but woke up at 2:30 and couldn't sleep thereafter, so it was a very long day.
     I finished in 2:42.  I had been hoping for 2:30 but the hills, including a half mile one going up a humongous viaduct, set me back.  For women in my age group I finished 33rd out of 81, so not terrible, but the top woman in my age group finished in 1:47.  Those are 8 minute miles!  Wow!
     This was my last planned race of this year.  Now to start planning for next year.
   
   

With friends at 6 AM.  I'm in orange.  I guess my jacket really is reflective as advertised.

Cute race t-shirt and nice medal.

Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon - Half Marathon

October 19, 2014

• VIEW RESULTS BY YEAR
• VIEW LIST OF EVENTS
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Participant Detail

16319

Deborah Johnson

Littleton, CO

Age: 63 | Gender: F

Finished In:

02:42:39

• Overall: 6672 out of 8113
 
• Division: 33 out of 81
• Gender: 4139 out of 5260

• 5 km
• 10 km
• 10 mi

• 37:56
• 1:17:30
• 2:04:09

• Pace
 
• Chip Time
 
• Clock Time

• 12:24
 
• 02:42:39
 
• 03:06:16

Sea

1/2 Marathon Day, posted at ass-o-clock in the morning

A few more motivational quotes as my last scheduled race of the year is in the morning.

I have found my hero, and he is me.

"Success rests in having the courage and endurance and, above all, the will to become the person you are, however peculiar that may be. Then you will be able to say, I have found my hero, and he is me."

-George Sheehan, Running & Being: The Total Experience




"A goal is just an awesome way to force growth on yourself."
                                            Deena Kastor

"It doesn't matter what happens between the starting line and the finish line. All that matters is that you cross both."

-Tracey Maher

"I'm the kind of person who likes to be by himself. To put a finer point on it, I'm the type of person who doesn't find it painful to be alone... The hour or so I spend running, maintaining my own silent, private time, is important to help me keep my mental well-being. When I'm running I don't have to talk to anybody and don't have to listen to anybody. All I need to do is gaze at the scenery passing by. This is a part of my day that I can't do without."

-Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

"Everything we do is a choice—every action, every thought, every feeling. We choose every day whether to feel apathetic or passionate, lazy or inspired, and the easy choice is often not the one that is best for us. Denial is easy. Inaction is easy. Selfishness, excuses, and indifference are easy. Honesty, positivity, and action, on the other hand, take bravery."

-Ben Davis, Do Life: The Creator of "My 120-Pound Journey" Shows How to Run Better, Go Farther, and Find Happiness

http://theoatmeal.com/

 
     Yesterday I posted a link to a Columbus Day comic by on-line artist Matt Inman, aka The Oatmeal.  He spoke last night at the Tattered Cover independent bookstore in Highlands Ranch.  He is funny, sometimes a little twisted, sometimes a little crude, plus is a runner.  He was there doing a book signing for his fifth book, which is about why he runs. It is on the NYT best seller list.

     All of those who know me know I got there predictably early.  Thank goodness.  A few hundred people showed up and must have been in line for hours after his talk to get their books signed.
     Ben, I wore my Blerch tee shirt.  He liked it.