From This To That

Before

After

Merry Xmas!

The Holiday Spirit

While I enjoy the feel goodness that the holidays brings out in people - giving gifts to needy children or paying off families balances on lay away - I hate the fact that it illuminates our feeling of need for things. People do not need gifts on christmas. People do not need things in general. If our society was less driven by this desire for objects, if there was less pressure to provide items to show appreciation for our loved ones, if holidays were less commercialized, than people who can't afford necessities wouldn't be stretching themselves beyond their means just to meet these societal expectations. 

The truth is that people are no less in need during the holidays than any other time of the year. This drive we feel to make sure that everyone is minimally (however you define that word) provided for should stretch the entire length of the year - not just a few months time. 

So if the holidays drive you to want to help provide for someone else - great - but take a look at why you are doing it and ask yourself why you don't feel the need to more often. If you happily go and buy gifts - objects people probably don't need - for those in need why do people get so up in arms about providing housing assistance, food assistance, and health care to these same people?

This isn't meant to be political, I just genuinely don't understand. If you'll spend $100 for toys for a family at christmas time, why are we not willing to give that same family $100 for food in July.

Gobble Gobble

I just pulled a 20 lb turkey out of the oven.

Yup.. at 1 am..

That's just sort of how it works around here.

mmmmmmhmmmm good.

Today We Give Thanks

Every year people gather with their friends, families, or themselves and reflect on what they are thankful for. Often times this comes down to being thankful for the people in their lives and the good fortune that has found itself to them.

Laying in bed this morning reflecting on what I was thankful for I found that I could sum it all up in a single word.

Time.

I am thankful for time. Time to screw up and make things right, time to experience and learn new things, time to work through hard days and time to have better ones. I am thankful for time to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets - and yes time to better get to know my family and friends. I am thankful for the time to evolve myself into a better person, to exercise random acts of kindness and to read more books. I am thankful for the time to be thankful, and thankful that I realize that at any moment there may be no more time for me or anyone else. I am thankful for the time I have had in the past and the people who shared that time with me even if they are no longer a part of my life.

I am thankful for my time, for your time, and for the opportunity to have the next hour, two hours, day, week, month, year or decade(s). Whatever amount of time it is, I am thankful for it.

Splash

Took another run in the rain after work today. I love that feeling. That's probably a good thing since it's going to rain for the next 10ish months here. I could feel one of my ankles tensing up while I was running, and expected that I would be feeling some tendon soreness afterwards but so far so good in that department. I haven't gotten out to take pictures of that trail yet, being the slacker that I am.

It was raining fairly heavily for Seattle rain today, but I still enjoyed every moment of it.

I think the parts of running in the rain I enjoy most are that you stay pretty cool, there is never anyone else out, and you get to splash in puddles along the way.

We've actually done quite a bit that I haven't written about none of it too exciting though.

Monday, Monday

I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

Random Musings - Need Some Holiday Cheer?

I went for a run yesterday. I ran 2.5 miles or somewhere around there, I don't really know. I'm pretty sure I can run infinitely as long as I don't worry about how fast I go. If I take the next day off I shouldn't have to worry about my tendons. We'll see how that works out for me.

There's this little nature trail by my house that I've walked part of before but I have never explored all the offshoots. I don't have any idea how long it is but it's like a little piece of trail running tucked away just for me. I will try to get out and take some pictures tomorrow. It's a nice little trail, I'm not sure why I hadn't ran it previously.

It's staying dark later and getting dark earlier these days. I'm fine with running in the dark, but not so much running in the dark while pushing a jogging stroller. So my options are really I can either get up early and run before work (yea, I'm going to be honest.. that's probably never going to happen) or I can run right after work - bleh.

I'm going to work on it though. I've been trying to limit/cut my processed carbs I eat at work because they seem to drain the life out of me.

Something else I've been thinking about, and I will probably re-vist this in the weeks to come. . .

I'm not really a fan of the holiday season. I always viewed them as being for families, and I didn't have one. I used to always volunteer to work every holiday - I'd offer to work a double that day. I didn't have anything else to do, and other people should be able to be with their families because they are lucky to have them. Holidays always just depressed me and made me feel extremely isolated and lonely.

Even now, they sort of just remind me of all that I am or was lacking. Reflecting on things familial are just sort of saddening to me.

There's no reason for anyone to feel that way.

So my friends, this is my offer to you.


If you'd like to receive a holiday card from me, just let me know. I know it's not much - but everyone deserves to know that someone, somewhere took 5 minutes out of their day to think of them - even if it's from the most unlikely of places.
I'll even take a step farther - If you know someone else that could use a little extra holiday cheer this season, I'll send them one too.

Wednesday July 16, 1975 - Thursday October 20, 2011

I hope you died deep in your memories of the wonderful life you lived, the many lives you touched, the people you changed and those you shared your very happiest moments with. In times free of cancer, free of suffering, and filled with your infectious happiness. People will speak highly, affectionately, and lovingly of you in death not because of the sainthood death brings, but because of the life you led. Cheers to you my friend for making me a better me by knowing you.

We The People

People should not be afraid of their government. 

Governments should be afraid of their people.

I will start with saying that I'm not very political - at all. I have no allegiance to one side or the other, and typically dislike the extremists on either side equally. I have friends that are as liberal as they come, and friends that are as conservative as you could wildly imagine. 

This isn't about left or right.

Republican or Democratic. 

Those are distractors. 

We need to step outside our left and right paradigm.

Culture war identity politics keep us distracted.

We don't talk about what's wrong with the power balance in this country as long as we can continue to argue about abortion, who should be allowed to get married or start wars on teachers.

We mix mortality with politics.

Religion with economy.

And in the process overlook the big picture for pet causes that pull at the heart strings.

We cling to myths about both sides.

The right thinks the left are lazy want-everything-for-nothing or over-educated elites.

The left thinks the right are rich don't-care-about-anyone-but-themselves.

The protests happening around the world is not about what they are for

but what they are against.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/10/14/understanding-occupy-wall-street/

The relationship between corporations and politicians has perverted democracy. 

We all know it. It's no secret. 

The voices of 

We The People

Have been drowned out by 

We the corporations

With their megaphones to the ear of our politicians 

keeping them strictly in their pockets

buying them off.

Our politicians have been bought with huge corporate campaign donations

which are essentially sponsorships. 

Signed into contracts protecting the best interests of mega corporations.

Corporations are not people.

They do not have the interest of we the people in mind.

Corporations work for their shareholders.

They are legally bound to maximizing profits for them.

"We have to grasp, as Marx and Adam Smith did, that corporations are not concerned with the common good. They exploit, pollute, impoverish, repress, kill and lie to make money. They throw poor families out of homes, let the uninsured die, wage useless wars to make profits, poison and pollute the ecosystem, slash social assistance programs, gut public education, trash the global economy, plunder the U.S. Treasury and crush all popular movements that seek justice for working men and women. They worship money and power."

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_movement_too_big_to_fail_20111017/

We need

Desperately

To

Get the corporations 

Out of 

Our

We the people of the 

United States Of America

ALL OF US

Out of

Our

politics. 

As long as our politicians are corrupted with money

and our media is orchestrated to pit us

right against left

left against right

only showing what they

think we want to see

or what

they want us to see

Our government should be accountable to it's people

not to it's businesses 

Thai, Occupy, Frank

I feel like running. 

RIGHT NOW 

but it's quarter to twelve, and I have to work tomorrow. 

I'm afraid if I run now I won't sleep at all tonight. 

I'm one of those weird people that the more energy I burn, the longer I stay awake. 

Figure that one out. 

Tonight we went out to my favorite Thai restaurant (we can only go there when we have a babysitter because it's not really kid friendly), got some coffee and took a stroll downtown to look at the Occupy Seattle crowd. I really need to invest in a nice point and shoot camera for the times I don't feel like, or am not comfortable, lugging my DSLR around. Just something about carrying an $800 camera around after dark makes me uneasy.

Over dinner we talked about things we'd like to do, and decided that over the summer if we can get the little man in a summer camp program that we'll take up bouldering at the local bouldering gym (hear that Jim?) Pretty excited to get a chance to give that a try - just hard to do with the tight schedule we have.

There had been a march yesterday which saw the movement spread into the thousands. They marched form the park they have been occupying to the famous pike place market, sitting down in one of the roads closing it for around 10 minutes. There's been some arrests - but all of it has been respectful and peaceful - protestors even thanking the police for doing their job respectfully.  The park is supposed to close at 10 pm - but they have only been arresting people who refuse to take down tents/shelters.

Where they are gathered, or 'occupying' is in an open area smack dab in the shopping district of downtown - across from the mall. Today there was tons of tents (I think I read about the night of 500 tents to take place yesterday evening...) When we went by it was still fairly early in the night but there was at least one news stations, a big police van/bus and at least 5 cop cars. Interested to see what happened with all of that tonight - so far nothing on the news websites about anyone else getting arrested.

Afterwards we headed back up to Neumos to see Frank Turner. As a side note, Neumos is a great venue, but to tell you the truth Seattle has tons of awesome, small venues. There was a few bands playing before him, we managed to miss the first one and the second one, while not bad, seemed to go on forever. We were only able to stay for about half of Franks show, but it was good and fun none-the-less.

Not bad for a GO phone cell pic eh?

During the opening act (that we caught) there was a bunch of kids (guessing high school) moshing. Which is funny - because this is sort of folk punk music. The band stopped to tell them during the set - it wasn't Pantera or anything, chill out.

When Frank came on the guitarist that was playing as part of the band looked drunk or drugged out of his mind, or maybe he was just suffering from heat stroke and dehydration from the amount of sweat pouring off him. All I could think was damn, these guys must be really well hydrated.. and the fact that the people way up front must be getting spit on.

But! it was a good time, glad we went, and need to figure out a way to do it more often.

By the way, if you don't use Pandora, you should.

Falling Into Fall

I love fall. 

It's by far my favorite season. Probably part of the reason I love living in Seattle.

I love carving pumpkins. 

I love some nice hot apple cider.

I break out my tea in fall. 

I enjoy the crispness of the air. 

Nice to see you fall.. hope you stay a while. 

ps. I did another night time run this weekend. No rain this time. 

'Live the Life you Love, Love the Life you Live'

 

Rest in peace Steve.

Running in the Rain

Sunday I managed to make it to REI to get a headlamp. So Sunday night I went for my first night time in the rain run.

and it was awesome. 

I took music, put on an upbeat tune (It was Matt and Kim, but I don't really remember what track? I think it was block after block but you should also check out daylight, and cameras by them.. I'll link at the bottom. And you're welcome in advance!)

I had a good pace (couldn't tell you what since I didn't look at the clock) and my legs were moving on their own as I was rocking out. Stuck with just 2 miles since I hadn't ran in a while.

There's a certain amount of freedom that the dark brings. It's so much easier to just pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist when it's just you, the darkness, your light and some music. An added bonus is that you can really tell if you're being all sorts of bobbly when you're running with a light on your head. As I was gliding along my light made a steady line, no jerky up and down movement. Sweet. And it was raining, which made it just that much more fun.

I know a lot of people dread getting out in the rain, but I love the rain.

You don't live in Seattle if you don't have a certain amount of affection for the rain. After living in Arizona for 1.5 years.. I LOVE the rain. I don't love the downpours type rain the rest of the country seems to get, but the misty don't even really notice it rain we have here, is wonderful.

Come On Everybody Sing It 1, 2, 3, 4

He's playing at a local (small!) venue next month, time to find a sitter?

What You Miss When You're Going Too Fast

Yesterday on my run I found a dollar bill.

I like to think I've found a fair amount of money laying in the street in my life. I wonder how long it laid there before someone came strolling by paying enough attention to the ground they were walking on to notice it.

On our bike trip across the country, I found an entire wallet that contents had been strewn on both sides of the street for about 1/4 mile. I don't remember the exact amount of each but hundreds of dollars in cash, giftcards, and also some credit cards along with ID etc.  All because I saw the license upside down on the road. I would have never seen it if I had been moving faster (as a matter of fact, my better half rode right on by it - he was running with me yesterday as well and stepped right over the dollar)

The wallet ended up belonging to a teenager that had just graduated high school (that's why there were so many gift cards). He was lucky enough to live in a small town where his last name only brought up one name in the phone book. We were able to get it all mailed back to him.   


I've been slacking a little bit on running. We went to a family event that took us down the Oregon coast and away from home for four days, after a hike that was supposed to be 8 miles but turned into about 12 ( I think, more on that later), only to come back and start going to work to get things ready for the start of the school year. It's getting darker earlier now so with work starting I'm going to have to really figure out a schedule for running in order to make it happen. I tried going for a run in between there, but got about .5 miles and wasn't feeling into it so I headed home.

Happy trails - slow down and enjoy the view! 

Happy Independence Day USA

Map of freedom 

 

Green = Free

Yellow = Partly Free

Purple = Not Free

Map Of Happiness

On a scale of green to brown 

Green being most happy

Brown being least happy