The trick is to keep breathing

Well all the time ya spend trying to get back what's been took from ya, more is going out the door. After a while you just have to try to get a tourniquet on it.

Lately, I'm not the only one
I say, never trust anyone

Jump in the line

During my normal drive to work, I pass by a fenced park, that is about a block in size. The main feature of this park is a large mango tree, which is centered on the block. Under the tree is a lawn.

This morning as I drove past the park, one addition to the scene occurred. The tree still shaded the square park and it's green wire fence. An early mist softened the air. The morning sun, softly lit things through the light cloud layer. The addition: perched atop the fence, in a row, were 4 ducks. Standing there, on the fence, all facing the street.

Alas, I had no camera take a picture of this, but in some respects, it's better that I didn't.


Shake, shake shake, Senora
Shake your body line
Work, work, work, Senora
Work it all the time

Ooh, just a little bit dangerous

When I arrived at the pool tonight to swim, all the lanes were filled. So I determined that I would need to share a lane, and set about identifying which of the several single-swimmer lanes to ask.

After scoping things out (in all my near-sighted wonderness) I went up to a gentleman as he stopped on the wall, and the following conversation ensured....

• Me: "Is it alright if I share the lane with you?"
  
  
• Swimmer in water (SIW): Yes.
  
  
• Me: Cool. Do you want to split the lane or circle or something else?
  
  
• SIW: Well, actually, I'm doing backstroke right now, and I won't really know where I will be.
  
  
• Me: Oh, ok. Well, so do you want to pick a side and-
• SIW: I don't know where I'll be; I kinda go all over the place when doing backstroke.
  
  
• Me: That's alright: I can keep an eye out for you. So should I take this side-
• SIW: I kinda go all over the place, and can't really stay straight.
  
  
• Me: It should be ok, should I just take-
• SIW: I just don't really stay on any one side.
  
  
• Swimmer in the neighboring lane: You can get in here.

Now, as his responses progressed, I began to wonder why the gentleman initially said that it was ok for me to share the lane: with each subsequent answer if became further apparent that it was not alright.

Get out of my way, get out of my sight
I won't be walking on thin ice to get through the night

Fading like a flower?

I am just back from a meet this weekend in Clearwater. Overall, things went well. My main goal for things was just to get a status on where I am and to start getting used to racing again--which I think happened. I was not really looking to try to race too hard, and in the case of the 400 IM, I was checking if I could finish it (my fly is in mid-revamping at the moment).

The result? Well, I was able to come back well in all my races, particularly the 2 backstrokes, where I came back on people in the back half (and even-split-ed the 100 to boot). I continue to be perplexed that I went out faster in my 500 than in my 200 free; but I am also just happy that I was under 2:00 in the 200 free and sub-55 in the 100 free.

In any case, times from the weekend:

• 100 free: 53.48 (25.86/27.62)
• 200 free: 1:57.72 (59.09/58.63)
• 500 free: 5:03.58 (58.34/1:01.44/1:01.96/1:02.23/59.61)
• 100 back: 57.21 (28.55/28.66)
• 200 back: 2:04.50 (1:01.84/1:02.66)
• 100 fly: 56.45 (26.62/29.83)
• 400 IM: 4:38.05 (1:03.50/1:12.26/1:18.10/1:04.09)

(I'm not completely remembering the event order, save that the 400 IM was the last event on Saturday, and the 500 the first on Sunday.)

I will try, I just need a little time

Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile

A large portion of my January was spent reading these four books by Russian author Sergey Lukyanenko.

I had read the first book (Night Watch) a few months ago, but decide to re-read it when I finished my previous book just before the holidays (and figuring that I would get the remaining 3 books in the series for Christmas).


My getting three sequels (Day Watch, Twilight Watch, and Last Watch) almost ran afoul of the Kindle I also got; but instead I now have the 3 books running afoul of using my Kindle.

In any case, if you are looking for a good, semi-fantasy book series, I recommend these. And now I go to read... something else (I've not quite figured out what just yet).


The precious moments are all lost to the tide
They're swept away, nothing is as it seems
The feeling of belonging to your dreams

Another day, just breathe

The past weekend went rather well. Highlighting it were two things:

1. I made it to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art to see a Norman Rockwell exhibit there. The exhibit is in its second-to-last weekend, but wasn't too crowded (thankfully). Among the items in the exhibit were many of his paintings--including No Swimming [pictured at right] as well as Lincoln for the Defense--and a wall with the 300+ covers Rockwell did for the Saturday Evening Post.


2. A field trip to Fuddruckers.
I had been under the impression that all the Fuddruckers within driving distance of where I live had closed. However this is not the case. There were two locations that have closed: one less than a mile from my condo closed just before I moved to Lauderdale; and the next nearest location (about a 10 miles away) closed about a year-and-a-half later. So for the past 2 years or so, I thought there weren't any in South Florida. However, while in Pittsburgh in January, I found out two locations are still present in Miami-Dade County. And after a semi-indirect trip to it (taking about 2 hours), my friend and I found the closer one in Pembroke Pines (it took about 30 minutes to get back from it).

So all-in-all a good weekend. The weather was even nice: sunny and not cold.


Another day, just believe

Strange highs and strange lows

2010 has been a bit strange so far (Happy New Year, by the way).

The weather here in South Florida went from hot (those 90s in early December) to cold (we had a week of 40's at night, and 60s during the day--I even had to use my heater at home). It was so cold, a local Masters meet got postponed a week because the water was too cold (the pool's heater couldn't keep up with the dropped air temp). The delay worked out well for me as it moved the meet from the MLK weekend, when I was out of town in Pittsburgh (where it was unusually "warm": in the 40s and not snowing for the first time in 2 weeks).

Because the meet was moved (to last weekend), I was able to go for a day. I even managed to swim a 1000 and did ok (10:49). I actually went to help with running of the meet, and decided to swim the 1000 kinda on the spur-of-the-moment. As such, I decided to not warm-up for the race--a decision partially swayed by the fact that for the past couple years warming-up has seemed to hurt rather than help. But in a change, last weekend's swim really felt like it could've used a warm-up (which is a good thing in the overall scheme, but meant it the swim didn't feel so hot).

Anyways, post that 1000, my swimming training has actually picked up a bit this weekend. My yardage had been flirting with 5000 for most of the month, but this week I bumped it up to 5,500 and, surprisingly, started feeling a bit better in the water.

Hopefully this will mean good things for February....


There'll be days, when I stray
I may appear to be completely out of reach
I give in, to sin
Because I like to practice what I preach

I don't want a lot for Christmas...

[Seasons] Greetings from San Antonio, and Merry Christmas.

Christmas Day, while being spent with the family, does provide me with some downtime: post-present unwrapping, and talking to my dad and sister in California (after they'd patiently waited for us to open presents after them--my sister tends to rise very early on Christmas morn; so our 10:00 a.m. or so start time here to open things threw her off). But just a brief bit o' time away from things to post here.

As an update to the gift-finding fiasco that this year turned out to be: I managed to find/buy a few presents, though a few of them will be delivered in January. My lack of present finding continued through my departure from Florida, which while helpful in that I didn't need to truck them on the plane here to SA, my one day here prior today didn't leave much time to really find much. But it did go better than previously: I at least found things, though I still need to track down some things, particularly for my Dad....

But I do get to see my family, and a few friends, which is good. Happy Holidays.


I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day

Tengo una mañana constante

Spurred by a surge of reading during my trip to Ohio last week (killing time on flights, and staying out of the cold), I have finished Don Quixote: woo-hoo!

The problem now is what to start now? I don't want it to be anything too heavy, to have a change-of-pace as well as allow for the likelihood of being done in time for Christmas.

And speaking of Christmas, my present searching goes terribly. Earlier this week I looking for some gifts. I spent about 2 hours at the mall, and found nothing to give. Not even a belated gift for my stepdad's birthday which was last week.

Pesky pre-Thanksgiving switch-over of radio stations to Christmas music still has me bummed. It even almost stopped me from buying a plane ticket home for the holiday. But I do have that; leaving a week from today. Leaving me a week to get presents....


Tengo una mañana constante
y una acuerla esperando
verte pintado de azul

Up on an airplane

Greetings from Columbus, Ohio, where I am at for work through the weekend.

The weather I heard earlier reported that the low here tonight would be 11 °F. Shortly after this, it was also mentioned that Miami had a record high of 91°, making me all the more glad I am here for the high in the mid-20s. (I miss cold weather, actually; and it's strange to me to have to have my air condition on in December.)

It reminded me of what happened yesterday book-ending my flight up here:

• At 8 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, I sweated as I walked in pants and a polo shirt to catch the bus. (I did get "glove" service from an elementary school crossing guard: she held her gloved hands up in the air, holding off the early morning traffic as they stopped to let me cross)
• My flight into Columbus was on a smaller plane, so when we landed we were too low to warrant a jetway to our door. As we disembarked from the plane, it was to the outside and a brief walk into the terminal. It was probably around 27° out (I could see my breathe), and I willed myself to be warm ("I am warm, I am warm" being the mantra) as I thought about my jacket being packed in my checked bag....

There was also a pair of Navajo code-talkers on my flight out of Florida, just a few rows ahead of me (which was also cool).


I never should have read my horoscope
Or that fortune on the bubble gum strip
Saying, "What you think won't happen, will."
Great thing to read before a trip

Things that make you go hmmm

Sometime last month, I received a rather strange catalog in the mail: the Holiday catalog from Heifer International.

I had never heard of the company before, but like most pieces of junk mail, I brought it inside and left it to sit on the floor for a bit. A few days later, in glancing around, I recognized that there was a picture of a sheep on the cover. Given my liking of throwing sheep on Facebook, I decided to flip through the catalog.

To my surprise, the catalog was to buy animals to give to other parts of the world. Sheeps, goats, pigs, chicks, and even heifers, were available for purchase--among other things.

This just perplexed me. Not only because I wonder how/where they got my mailing address, but that there's even an organization that exists to do such a thing.


It's those things that make you go hmmm
Things that make you go hmmm, yeah

There can be no, hat like thee

I continue to make my way through Don Quixote. As such, a quote from the Second Part....

"Be quiet Señor," replied Sancho, "for by my faith, if I start asking and answering, I won't finish until tomorrow. As for asking fool questions and giving nonsensical answers, I don't need to go around asking my neighbors for help."

"You have said more, Sancho, than you realize," said Don Quixote, "for there are some who exhaust themselves learning and investigating things that once learned and investigated, do not matter in the slightest to the understanding or the memory."

-Don Quixote, Second Part, Chapter XXII (p.601)

Golden helmet of Mambrino
There can be no hat like thee

(and a rather interesting find: the song in Korean)

Money talks, money talks; Dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you, oh...

I should be preparing to return to work tomorrow, but I'm just not yet ready for that.

I have returned from my Thanksgiving weekend refreshed, but far from really ready for it to be over. Alas, the weekend can't be extended neither for the good time had, nor to hear the remainder of the Radio 1 countdown still to air on the satellite radio in my friend's car.

One of the pleasant things to come from this weekend: I have finally tracked down a long-lost song of mine, Dirty Cash by Stevie V. I had a vague recollection of the song, and occasionally the chorus of the song would float through my head. And due to the lack of being able to either locate the song itself, a reference to it, or someone else who knew what I was talking about; I had begun to think the song really didn't exist--that I'd dreamt it up or something. 'Course, the fact that I thought the song was called "Money Talks" did nothing really to help me to find it.

What did assist me in finally tracking in down, however, is a song currently on the British charts (by the interestingly named Dizzee Rascal) that samples the song and borrows its name. This led me to find it.

Having found it iTunes even makes worthwhile hearing Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA every time we were in the car this weekend....

Money talks, money talks
Dirty cash I want you
Dirty cash I need you, oh

I'm already gone...

I have made it to Thanksgiving break this week, after a rather crazy 3-days at work. It really feel like I was pushed to do a 5-day-week's-worth of work in this week's 3--not the least stressful things ever.

But that is now done, and I'm prep'ing to spend the 4-day weekend relaxing. A friend and I are headed over to Florida's Gulf Coast for a trip to Busch Gardens on Friday. Not really anything else planned for the weekend, so we're just kinda going from there. Should hopefully be restful.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.


I want you to know
That it doesn't matter
Where we take this road

Keep away from a runaround Sue

In the mail Tuesday, I received from citi a notice that they're raising the interest rate on one of my cards to 23%--up from 18%. I was a tad shocked at this, not only because the 18% APR was bad, but also that they were raising it. (It really doesn't help that I have a balance on the card in question that I'm trying to pay down, as well.)

So, after this fun news, yesterday via email citi sends me an email boasting of the great built-in benefits this card (now?) comes with. Unfortunately, a decent APR is not one of those benefits; nor is the ability to invest savings money at anything close to said 23%....

To top it off, today, citi sent me a survey where one of the questions asked was along the lines of "what one thing would you like to see not currently associated with your card?" I said a 7% APR--I wonder if I'll get it....

I should of known it from the very start
This girl'll leave you with a broken heart
A-listing people, what I'm telling you
A-keep away from a runaround Sue

Why do you keep coming a-round, playing with my heart

A local radio station has switched over to its Christmas music format already; I heard it while at lunch today. It is a over a week before Thanksgiving. This is disgusting.

Now the "appropriate" term for the station isn't "Christmas", rather it's a "Holiday" formatted station. 'Course this allows them to justify that, as Thanksgiving is a "holiday", it's ok for them to overrun it with the holiday after it.... I'm surprised the countdown to Christmas hasn't started on their station; although maybe it has, and I've just not heard it since I'm now purposely not listening to the station. Nothing gets me out of the "holiday" spirit faster than entities (like stores) who try to start the Christmas season as early as possible to maximize sales to we, the consumers. They are also the ones who stop the holiday season abruptly on December 26: 12 days before Little Christmas. The radio stations will do it too. Actually, I'm surprised the radio stations even make it through December 25 playing Christmas songs....

So, hello radio stations: it's now 9 days till Thanksgiving! (stop making it be 38 shopping days to Christmas). And likewise to the grocery store that switched out--for All Saints Day on Nov.1--the Halloween candy for Christmas items on the shelves right when you walk in; or the mall store that already was piping in Christmas music on during the Halloween night trick-or-treat event in the mall.

But back to the radio station: I feel compelled to call into the station and request a Thanksgiving song... and let them figure out what that is. Or maybe I'll request Auld Lang Syne (maybe I can get them to skip right over December all together).


Set me free, why don't you baby
Let me free, why don't you baby
'Cause you don't really love me
You just keep me hangin' on

I light my torch and wave it for the new moon on Monday

I spent today doing laundry and reading.... Well, at least until I finished reading Night Watch (I then transitioned to cleaning) and then until I ran out of laundry soap. And as I'm attempting to not spend any money today, I'm deterring myself from going to the store to buy some more detergent. (Oh darn it, I'll have to stop doing laundry--the heartache!; I'm crestfallen.)

Night Watch has an interesting notion in it, about how people commonly "damn" things, with things like "dammit". An underlying theme in the book (and presumably the series of books to which Night Watch is the first) is a battle between light and dark. (Currently is a stalemate truce, where the light side occupies the day, the dark the night. The night watch is the light's squad for watching/monitoring the dark side; their is also a corresponding day watch that monitors the light during the day.)

The book frames commonly uttered "dammit"s and the like as sending an actual dark curse onto the person/object/whatever to which it has been directed. So instead of proliferating further darkness in the world by using those words, the night watch members are taught to replace those curses with things like "light and darkness". It lead me to the notion of wishing salvation, or intelligence or patience, on people... (just seems interesting).

Also interesting:

• there is a new moon tomorrow night, which is a Monday;
• the movie based on the second Twilight book, New Moon, comes out later this week as well.

I said it again, but could I please rephrase it
Maybe I can catch a ride
I couldn't really put it much plainer
But I'll wait 'til you decide

Little bird, little bird, in the cinnamon tree

I have finished Book 1 of Don Quixote--woo hoo! Still only halfway through the 900 pages of the book; but at least I'm halfway.

Actually, I finished Book 1 while in South Carolina over the weekend, and have even read a wee bit into Book 2. But I am pondering reading a "break book" before really getting into DQ Book 2 (if only to assist in my not getting Man of La Mancha songs stuck in my head--such as today's subject).

Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch is the book in question... and I will leave now to start it.

Hasta.


I have waited too long, without a song
Little bird, little bird, please fly, please go
Little bird, little bird, and tell her so
Little bird, little bird

Music of the night

Remember, remember, the fifth on November...

Greetings from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (well, actually North Myrtle Beach) where I am for some work stuff this weekend. And in what may be becoming a tradition for me on Guy Fawkes Night, I have just finished watching V for Vendetta. Watching the moving has calmed me somewhat from the craziness I had upon my arrival here.

My flight up today went rather smoothly, but getting from the airport to the hotel was interesting. I knew prior to leaving that I would need to find a ride to the hotel from the airport. Prior to my arrival at MYR, I thought that meant I would grab a cab. However, faced with at $50 fare to the hotel--and the shock of it being that much--I decided to check into renting a car, instead. I ended up finding and renting a car as it was on par to a taxi to the hotel and back (I do need to get back to the airport on Sunday).

I then proceeded to drive towards the hotel. About 20 minutes into the drive, and halfway there, the road I was on completely blocked off--all 5 lines of traffic. A fire engine was blocking traffic from my north-bound direction and police cars about a block away covered the south-bound lanes. With no parking lots to cut through to get around (and several cars attempting to do so in the one parking lot nearby), nor any parallel streets, I was at a loss as to what to do. In a unfamiliar city, at night, and the one route I knew would get me near where I needed to head, shut down. (And strangely, there was nothing in the road... rather the police seemed focused on things adjacent to the road.)

Thankfully, I had snagged a map at the rental car desk and from that I found an alternative route (which only require a wee bit of backtracking to get to). And so a few hours after my flight's arrival, I walked into my hotel under an unusual red, mostly-full, moon, the full moon being just 3 days ago on Monday.

At the front desk of the hotel I found my reservation didn't start until the next night (the hotel adjusted my reservations); and it was then that I remembered a few things I'd completely blanked on and left back at home.... (After a minor worry attack and having watch the aforementioned movie, I'm now planning to resolve said things mañana--particularly since it was too late tonight upon my arrival to really do anything about them).

Hopefully the weekend will go better.


Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright.

Did you see the moonrise tonight? It was amazing.

With the full moon and the enlargement distortion that happens near the horizon, it looked huge. The (fairly rare) cloud-free South Florida skies made it even easier to see here. And the fact that twilight/dusk had just started added a purplish hue to the sky....

Making it even better for me: I just happened to catch it. It wasn't even planned to be spotted: it was just there to catch me be surprise on my drive over to the pool post work. It was nice.

It's hugeness stayed for about 10-20 minutes, and then the moon gradually shrunk back to normal size. Though still a very bright full moon tonight.


Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a roving
By the light of the moon.