Here’s what I did last month. The red is on the bike, which was limited. The dark blue is running and the light blue is in the pool, which was especially limited. It isn’t nearly enough for where I’d like to be.
It isn’t nearly enough.
I do not know what is happening.
25
Jun 14
Why didn’t anyone ever recognize Forrest Gump, anyway?
I ran five miles in 75 degrees with 79 percent humidity tonight. Think I just exercise for Shot Bloks, which is fuel that tastes like candy to me. But you’re not here about that. Right. Back to our regularly scheduled observations.
One of the joys of having a cat around is watching a cat sleep in the sun:
A lot of things have to happen to make that work out. Someone, years ago, had to decide to orient this neighborhood along an east-west axis. Development behind us had to thin out the western tree line to allow the sun through at that time of day. My brilliant wife had to be motivated to purchase that cat condo at some point in time. We had to put it in front of that window and I had to be sitting in an adjacent chair, which we also put in place almost four years ago, to capture the moment. To say nothing of the phone and camera and Internet technology.
All of that so I can say “One of the joys of having a cat around is watching a cat sleep in the sun,” and you know it to be one of the singular truths of pets.
Just file that away under things that the subdivision developer, Steve Jobs and Tim Berners-Lee didn’t think about when they did their heavy lifting. I bet the cat condo people knew what they were doing, though.
Turns out it was made in Tennessee. I’m not sure what bearing that has on this conversation.
Things to read … because reading always gives us answers.
Maybe Vox — which is trying to brand itself as the explainer of things, can tell us. You’ve been using paper towels wrong your whole life. Here’s how to completely dry your hands using only one.
Jeff Bezos is looking more brilliant by the moment, no?
The New York Times’ Lively Morgue featured a photo of speed boat queen Loretta Turnbull. For some reason I did a little more Googling and reading about her, and was rewarded with this quote: “The odds of a shark biting a 67-year-old are remote; I’m going in.”
Sounds like an awesome lady.
This one is worth bookmarking. Multimedia reporting with mobile devices
Normally you’d watch out for the word “complete” but this is a pretty thorough discussion on the topic. The Complete Guide to Getting Started With Podcasts
Another soccer video:
This video is titled “How video from drones can be useful during news events,” but it misses a big a point.
We, the audience, still need the context of a reporter’s collected efforts to tell us the story. Where was that subdivision damage? Was it from a storm? Why were all of those people gathered at night? What were they protesting? How many structures or lives had been lost in that fire?
It also demonstrates that not all drone videos are created equally.
Forrest Gump was released 20 years ago next month. Finally, there is an Honest Trailer about the film, and it makes a great point about the recognizability of the character:
“And Lieutenant Dan kept his word. The end.”
When I saw Apollo 13 — which was released 19 years ago next week, by the way — there was a woman behind us who was getting caught up and emotional in the drama. Her kid, her child, said “Don’t worry Mama, Forrest Gump is driving.”
The end.
24
Jun 14
The picture of the World Cup
If you’ve ever really wondered about the agony of defeat, here’s Boubacar “Copa” Barry to show you what it looks like. The guy had played a fine game, only to watch one of his defenders give away a foul in the penalty box in extra time today. And that means a penalty kick, which is decidedly to the striker’s advantage. All Barry can do is guess and hope. He guessed, but his hopes were not met. So, in the final moments of stoppage time, the Ivory Coast gave up a goal that meant Greece would advance and the guys in green would go home.
This was a great “What just happened here?” shot they got of Barry through the back of his net.
Much better than Luis Suarez’s biting of Giorgio Chiellini.
So I’ve got my SEO taken care of for today, right there. Excellent.
Today I swam 2,500 yards, which is almost a mile-and-a-half. I did it in sets of 500s, because let’s not think I’m so ambitious here. This let me set a baseline time, which is good because I have something to think about in the water now, as I narrowly chip away at that with each set.
I won’t tell you what the time is, because it is excruciatingly slow.
Let’s just say this, on the wall there are large signs for pool and NCAA records. I walked over to look at the 500-yard freestyle record. It turns out that the guy that holds the pool record in the 500 also holds the pool record in the 1,000. If he was swimming his 1,000 at his record pace, he would be finishing up about the time I was starting my last 100 yards in a 500-yard swim.
So, you, see, excruciatingly slow.
A guy jumped into the lane next to mine near the end of my swim. I didn’t speak with him, but everything about him just screamed swimmer. He was backstroking down the lane faster than I can freestyle it. And he could backstroke about three times and be at his turn. It was a beautiful thing, watching the guy swim was like watching a ballerina do her warmups. They are just easy because they’ve spent countless hours making it look effortless.
Whereas I would like to take about 15 percent off of my 500 time, putting me in line with the pool record in the 1,000.
I counted the championship banners hanging from the rafters tonight. I’ve previously counted the names of Olympians stenciled into the wall. Serious, serious athletes have been in that lane. The rest of us are just in their way.
Later in the evening my buddy, Murphy, and I ran a 5K. You never know what you’ll get when you invite someone to go for a jog. I thought about that after the fact. That guy is fit, and he played flanker in high school football. And now I’m going to run with him? We had a nice jog and a nice chat and I was able to keep up.
Take that, anonymous swimmer in the next lane.
Things to read … all headline links edition … because I’m a slow reader, too.
Have to go see it … Coca-Cola mural in Opelika could be over 100 years old
‘No-fly list’ process unconstitutional, US district judge decides
A tedious SEO headline, to be sure. I wish this story was in the American media … Also, the story buries that President Bush costs more. Taxpayers will spend $944,000 to support Bill Clinton’s lifestyle in 2014 as he claims he and Hillary are not ‘out of touch’ because they ‘talk to people in our town’
Go back to high school and blame your civics teacher. A third of Americans can’t name any First Amendment rights
Someone at Slate thought “Ya know, we have to remind people we’re Slate!” Looney Tunes Cartoons Were More Brutal Than You May Remember
I wonder how often this happens. Veteran believes he sees his image in Berman D-Day exhibit
Score one for city hall. Kansas Boy Forced to Remove Little Free Library From His Yard
For my reaction, see Boubacar Barry, above.
10
Jun 14
Another sea day
Before my first cruise, when I was skeptical about the entire idea, I was pretty sure a sea day would be the worst part of it all. Before that first cruise was over I decided I liked the sea days best of all. You can rest and read and relax and there is always plenty to do.
I did some more high-tension climbing on a stationary bike this morning, about six miles worth, just warming my legs. This is the view from the gym:
I ran a 5K on the deck where a guy announced they should kill the engines and run off of me. We’d never make it to Bermuda.
Perhaps that was his point. Maybe he wanted another sea day, too.
Our view before dinner tonight:
We have not felt the ship move at all. The water has been incredibly calm. And we arrive in Bermuda tomorrow.
9
Jun 14
A sea day
We’re heading to Bermuda. We’re eating a little, but not too much. I’m determined that I’ll exercise a ton and lose a pound or two.
We went to the preview show last night in the main theater and enjoyed seeing Jordan Peterson again. We listened to him last year and now he’s even better. Here’s a bit of a Billy Joel cover:
We woke up to this today:
Rode five miles on a stationary bike — nothing serious, just a little resistance to burn the legs and then ran a 5K yesterday.
This morning I got in six miles of climbing on a stationary bike and then tried to run. After a half-mile my feet said “Nope.” I’m trying to listen to what my body says.
Hey, I’m exercising on vacation.
