Holiday

A much needed break from work.....The dentistry and the patients are easy.  I really don't mind any of the procedures that I do.  I just needed a break from all the tension around the office....with the big lawsuit between the docs and the management group finally going to court on the 9th of July, it has been a madhouse of letters, threats, offers of cash..you name it.  I just need to get away and clear my head.  Both sides have said they will win the lawsuit, but I guess now we will see.  Anyway, don't bug me about work, I am on a holiday. 

480 miles.

Heat of the morning

So I went out to run this morning at 7:00 am. As soon as I walked out the door, I knew it would be a difficult 4 miles.  It was about 80 degrees and a dew point of 70.  I crashed at about mile 3.  If I had run the opposite direction, I would have hit some U of M sprinklers along the way, but the way I went, I only hit the long unshaded area all the way down Larpenteur.  My legs were dragging for the last mile up-hill on Cleveland. 460 miles....40 to go for 500 since December.

Went over to Cy's to play some poker last night.  A bunch of the usual suspects were there...John John and bro, Dikeberg, Cy, TY..anyway, I finished tied for 3rd among 12.  I definately could have done better given the nice flops I saw.  I sort of went in with the plan of seeing as many flops as possible and going from there.  I hit some very nice cards and built an early lead, but in the end, kind of squandered what I had and went out in a bad play to tie for 3rd.  I am quite sure a better player would have probably won with the same cards I saw, but oh well.  It was a good time all in all.

Hot Week

Today, it is hot. We went to como zoo yesterday morning before it got way too hot. We love our new deck with the lattice above. It gives a nice amount of shade.

Track workout

Did Dave B's track workout today at the dirt track by my house.......arg. I have been putting in many miles running for cardio in the past few months...400+ miles. I am certain that helped prepare me, but it still kicked my ass. The 6 sets of 200 meters is a killer. Thank goodness someone posted this sign, or I may have.

Weekend

Well, it was a festive weekend in Saint Paul. Friday kicked it off with an icecream and pie social on the seminary grounds. It was a fundraiser for the local 4H club. I had myself a pumkin pie while Anita went for the blueberry. We hung out a bit and then strolled home. It threatened to rain the whole time, but there was nary a drop. Saturday was the St. Anthony art fair. I went last year after my near death experience and could barely walk down to muffuletta, but this year, I went for a 4.5 mile run early in the morning and hit the fair. Again, it looked stormy, but no rain fell on us. Anita bought a housewarming gift for Josh and Jeannie. Finally, to wrap up the weekend, we went to Grand old day. This is one of my favorite events. It is a bit like the fair without all the big fat people. I think it is because the whole thing is walking up and down Grand ave. I mapped it out and one will probably walk an average of 3 miles. Next year we will bring the Bug. Yesterday, the boys got to play together. It is funny, they don't even take the time to greet, they just have at each other.

lazy day

Easy like a sunday morning

Bella laugh

one of her first laughing fits.....

Where in Minnesota?

these photos were all taken at the same place....can you guess where? Get it right and I will send you a beer.
B

bug baby pic

Heather and Andy sent us a pic of our Bug as a pup with three of his siblings. Byron is second from the left. The two black dogs are female and the one to the far right is Parker. He was adopted by one of Anita's cousins.

Our deck is done party

The story of our deck is a short one....It was too small and got way to hot in the summer. We decided we needed a new deck to enjoy our time in the summer as Bella keeps us around the house more than we use to be. So....we called Pat Noonan. He designed the deck and put it up with his crew headed by Mike Noonan (who I played tennis with back in highschool) from wed to friday. We then had the crew over for a grill out on that saturday...

Out and About

Out and about is a whole different deal with Bella aboard the cruise ship svert. We have to plan around feedings and nap time. This leaves a bit of time to fit a walk, or a quick outing in the city. Today we went and parked on lexington and Grand, walked to Grand ole creamery and had ourselves a cone. I forget how big of cones they make and got a double. about half of my cone went into the circular file, but it was good. I got a strawberry custard and banana chocolate sugar cone.....yum! Most of our walk, we reminisced about where we use to go as we strolled Grand Ave. One of my favorite restaurants is now closed :( The Italian Pie shoppe. Man, they made good Za, but, I guess, much like my Kung-fu, not good enough. Billy's was looking pretty good to me...I remember only a year ago sitting with a reuben sandwich and a corona beer just soaking in the sun on the patio. Bella made it through the whole extravaganza without getting too cranky, so that was a rousing success.

my little twins fan

Would your car do this for you?

Don't piss of Kit

Practice?

Yeah....practice.

Well, your wolves have done it

Losing by 20 to the Grizzlies. Pathetic. I use to be a season ticket holder, but truly in the last couple of years I couldn't give my $100 per seat tickets away. No one wanted them, and now I don't either. Maybe I will get some gopher tickets next year, or Twins pack when they get the outdoor stadium.

Can Madsen make a 3?

The farce that is your minnesota timberwolves 06-07 season mercifully ends on wed. at the target against the league's worst Memphis Grizzlies. Minnesota, again like last year, is in a "must lose" situation. Last year Mark Madsen fired up 6 three point shot attempts. This year he needs at least that many so they don't blow it and actually win. They say it is hard to win in the NBA, lets see how hard it is to lose.

Fire Billy Packer?

I think not. Fag, just because it is used as a derogatory comment here in the U.S. doesn't mean it is used that way elsewhere. It reminds me of a conversation with a friend of mine who grew up and lives just in Manchester England. Mark, who had just quit smoking, and I were talking of cigarettes to which he said they were called "fags" most commonly. He had to laugh when I told him it basically was only a derogatory gay remark here in the U.S.. He said, so you wouldn't say " I am going to go outside and have a couple of fags?" No, that would be bad. Interesting that it would be a word that one could get fired for in this extremely p.c. world of ours, but I guess that's the deal. He was using it to say "tire, or bail out on him" and it is very clearly in context.

Mike Freeman is an idiot

ATLANTA -- Some people believe I am insane for even suggesting it. They are measuring me for a rubber room. They are laughing hysterically. They are all wrong. They are so wrong and stupid. They could not be more wrong and stupid.

I'm right. I'm right in thinking that the Florida Gators could probably beat five lower echelon NBA teams on a neutral court.

"I don't know, it would be a lot of fun," said Florida's Corey Brewer. "We'd be competitive. I don't know if we'd win, but we'd be competitive.

"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it."

what is fit?

I pretty much only listen to KFAN...I know, a sad declaration, but sometimes it gets me thinking. One radio spot that runs many times a day revolves around Jeff Dubay pontificating about how we should all try this weight loss program. One that you can eat all you want and never excercise and still lose weight. I really don't remember what the stuff is, but a couple of years ago he did the same thing with "body solutions for men."
I get to thinking....he really doesn't want to be healthy. He cannot stop being a glutton or a lazy ass, he just wants to appear more slim.
So I think...what is healthy these days.... Lance Armstrong/Barry Bonds? Both appear very healthy, but what underlying liver malfunction is waiting. Model runway babes...while being very slim, go back stage and hurl while they smoke. Pooh likes to tout how thin is not always meaning healthy, but fat certainly isn't healthy.
I guess it is all about moderation. Eat moderately, exercise moderately and smoke...never.
Our society will always say thin is healthy even if you have to starve yourself and purge your food to do it.....