The return of warm weather...

Today was a blessed, warm day. I took the opportunity and did a mountain bike ride. It was a beautiful 2 hours. I tinkered with the disc brakes along the way and finally got them as they should be. Sarah Sat came along and has made terrific progress in weight loss and fitness. She can be proud. The trail was a little mushy in places. If we enter a dry spell, it will harden nicely and make for great riding.

My turn in that chair...

Cold weather here in Alabama has kept me inside during this month of January. In reviewing my journals I see that it is common for me to do exactly what I'm in the process of doing now. Losing weight. It seems I've managed to gain a few pounds each year and by the end of the holidays, I somehow find the will to lose some of the gain. In recent past years, we've had mild weather that's allowed me to do my exercise outside. This year I've been riding a trainer inside instead. I can get in 40 to 45 minutes which allows enough calories burned to let me get on track with weight loss. Today, I did the prescribed 41 minutes while listening to my Ipod. Just as I was finishing up my spin, the theme from the movie Cocoon came on. It is a delightful movie, one of my favorites. The theme speaks to aging and death. It caused my thoughts to turn to my Mom. Without removing the headphones, I walked into the living area where she spent most of her 9+ years living with us and sat down in her little chair. I looked out of the broad picture window onto the lake whose surface was rippled by breezes while reflecting golden sunlight. The waters danced with light underneath a blue sky.

There was a time when my Great Grandmother Lona grew old and could no longer make the walk to her garden. Then that time came for my Grandmother Odessa. And now it came that time for my own Mother. And as I sat there in her chair, I realized that time must come for me. And I realized that time was approaching far faster than I ever imagined it would. It is a sober thought. Whatever it is that remains for me to do, time should not be wasted. Nor should I in haste expend all my effort in some futile attempt to forestall the inevitable. Rather I want to have a Buddhist-like mind and savor the here and now.

Goodbye 2010

No year goes by without changes. This one was no exception. Much changed. Some things remained the same. I watched the Grandsons get older and stronger. Sara came through a big change. Now she's a student at Troy. We had another successful family reunion. We lost Mom in July. We missed her at the Holidays. There was a snow at Christmas for the first time in 100 years. I trained up and ran 13.2 miles earlier this year. Joe trained along at the same time and ran the Half Marathon in Seattle. David took an interest in hunting. Max has become a Star Wars fan. I don't think I did very well with last year's resolutions. This year's resolution for weight loss will be hampered by an irritated ileotibial band. Running will probably be out of the question for weeks. So much for getting up for a 30 mile run. But weight loss remains my resolution again this year. Perhaps I can discipline myself for it.

Determination and goals...

Here I am again writing about being determined and trying to get that weight down again. It seems I can't keep myself motivated to bring myself to get my weight down to my ideal. I need my goals. Now I have at least 3 to keep me straight and narrow. Firstly, we will do the bike safari again next year. I also have a backpacking trip to do with Kirk. And Joe asked me to come to Hawaii with them next year. SO now I need to get a better looking build for a swim suit. Then there is also the run I have slated for February. So we've started eating right as of yesterday. I need to set a fit day. How about April 1st. Body weight 185.

Miles to go before we sleep...

Last week was a big week for exercise for me. It was also a continuation of a goal I'd had since 2005. Back then, when I'd become inspired with cycling, I researched many trails around the region within driving distance and discovered the Virginia Creeper and the New River Trail. Then in 2007 when I accompanied Bev to the first quilting retreat there at Camp Cheerio, I brought a ATB tandem that we rode on the Virginia Creeper from Abingdon to just outside of Damascus. She was hooked. It was some of the most beautiful Autumn scenery anyone could wish for. Then we rode again from Galax toward the Fries Junction and back. That day we pledged to return and ride the rest of the trails. Work schedules intruded so it took until this year for us to have the chance to go back. But we made the most of this trip. We rode every day leading up to the retreat. We finished the unridden portion from Damascus toward Abingdon and then rode the portion from Damascus to Whitetop and back. Then we rode the portion from Foster's Falls up to the Dora Junction and back. Then we rode the Galax to Fries Junction portion leaving only the Fries to Foster's Falls to do when we return another year. Total miles on the tandem mountain bike this week for Bev and me, 115.06 miles.

Thursday evening we drove over to Roaring Gap to Camp Cheerio there. Without my cycling partner and with weekend leaf peeping traffic increasing, I elected to add to my trail running totals. I managed 9.3 and 9.4 miles on the next 2 days. So 18.7 miles running in addition to the 115 miles riding. Not a bad week for exercise. Unfortunately I had great food and negated all the calories burned.

Work, work, work...

I've spent the best part of this off week building a ground level deck to replace the patio we had downstairs by what used to be the entry to my Mom's apartment. After we built the upper deck, the rain falling through was making the little patio a mess, so we debated which would improve the appearance. My first idea was to simply build the boxes that we would attach decking and put those directly onto concrete blocks on the ground. Then I saw an idea with 4 x 4 sleepers in the ground to support the deck. After a big day of work pulling out the old brick patio, I had a fitful night of sleep. Too many aches and pains from using all those muscles I didn't remember I had. While lying there awake. I had an idea to combine the ideas, putting the back part of the deck on the sleepers and supporting the front of the deck with blocks under short legs down from the deck. Well the result was a really solid deck platform. After working with the alignment with the house, I found a spot that worked best. Then yesterday, I sawed all the decking and fitted it to place. Well, almost all the decking. I found I was 5 pieces short of finishing the project. So today, I started early using wood screws to lock the boards down. It was a lot more work than I thought. Right in the middle of my project, the skies opened up and rain came down for about 20 minutes or so. It really drenched my project. Once the rain passed, I got busy with a big effort to finish but fell short by a row and a half. If I have the time tomorrow, the last row can be cut and fitted. Then the fascia needs to be fitted. And if I get those attached, the deck part of the project is just about finished. Next comes the walk path to connect the stairs with the deck. That and some minor cosmetic work around the shrubs and the grass. Not too much left to do.

This looks like a job for....

Bev and I are working this week. When we are off, we invite the boys, David and Max, to spend Friday night with us. Since that was impossible this week, I took the boys to the municipal pool this morning for a treat. Then we would later go to lunch at Burger King so they could play in the "play-place".

The fun started about 30 minutes after we'd gotten into the pool. David had found a playmate and they were out a little deeper than Max. But Max wanted to join in with the bigger kids. Max worked his way out further and further by staying up on tip-toes until the water was up to his nose. Then he went a little further so that he could only catch a breath when he made little bounds. And then with a misplaced bound, he went further than he intended and now the water line was up over his eyebrows. Now as he bounds I can see he can't quite get his nose above water. As I quickly start across the pool, I can see surprise in Max's eyes and his rapid bounds take him a little further away and a bit deeper. With David right beside him, but unaware of his difficulty, I call to him to help his brother. I call a second time, but he still hasn't noticed Max. With my third call, he turns, scoops Max by the waist, and lifts him up out of the water. I can see water running out of ears, and eyes, and nose, and mouth.

Of course, I was closing the gap as I spoke. I was only a step away as David lifted him clear and had him in my arms in a flash. With water still streaming off him, I borrowed a page from my friend Coach Dan Perkins. Using the same unruffled approach as Coach I asked, "Max, are you trying to drink my pool?" Then I said, "If you do, we're going to have to get the hose out and fill it up again." It worked as well with Max as it did with Coach Perkins' daughter all those years ago. He told me that he needed to see him Mommy so I put him out on the side and asked him to come back in when he was ready. In less than a minute, he was back playing in the SHALLOW end.

Later at lunch I praised David for "saving" his brother. An exaggeration, I don't think so. I was on my way to succor him but it was David that lifted him to air. Could the time it took me to take those 2 final steps made a difference? Perhaps. I felt this was a teaching moment. One where his role as big brother could be defined and reinforced. A moment for him to see that being a hero was within his grasp.

(When called upon to save Max, you should have seen how he lifted him. Superman couldn't have done better.)