a trip to Bardstown...

We arrived Friday and checked into the Old Talbott Tavern in downtown Bardstown. This place is supposed to be haunted. Angie claims to have heard some odd noises in our room during the night, and this picture features a strange looking light/orb/reflection on the ceiling...


So, we just walked around for most of the day. Bardstown in Autumn is pretty...


Saturday morning, we got up early and ate our complimentary country breakfast. Then, we walked around a bit more before returning to our room to take a nap.


After our nap, we embarked on a 2.5 hour train ride through the countryside on My Old Kentucky Dinner Train. The three-course meal was delicious...


Next, we decided to hit up My Old Kentucky Home. We'd both been as kids but couldn't quite remember the details. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip...


Sunday, we visited Old Bardstown Village. Here we went into several museums, mostly focusing on the Civil War, and visited the Pioneer Village. Then, we high-tailed it to Loretto, KY to visit Maker's Mark Distillery, which was my favorite part of the trip.

Here I am about to dip a bottle of bourbon in hot wax...


And here's my fine dipping job...

I'm just sayin'...

LOL...

the oh really factor...

hmm...

is there something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull?

Yes, I went to Wal-Mart today...for Rosemary...in a tin.  As I drove to my parking spot on the "supposedly bad" side of the lot (you know, the one that requires you to walk more than two feet to get inside), I witnessed just how far one will go to park just two spaces closer.

So, the three things I took away from today's Wal-Mart experience:

1. The sustained image of lots of processed-food-filled shopping carts being pushed around by less-than-healthy individuals.

2. Said individuals who dared not walk an extra four feet to and from their vehicles.

3. The strong inclination that I should avoid Wal-Mart more than I do.

charlie...

Let it be written -- on the evening of Tuesday, September sixteenth, two-thousand and eight, Jon Doss viewed, for the first time in his life, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

for the record...

Metallica's Death Magnetic is $5 at Hot Topic today.  Also, Metallica shirts are $5 today.

the world is a...

My wife and I had just finished watching Raising Arizona when she looks to me and the following conversation takes place:

Angela:  I'm a Vampire.
Me:  Where are your fangs?
Angela:  They're right here.

She opened her mouth.

Angela:  They're invisible.  Do you want to see?  Then we can be vampires together, and we can have a baby vampire.
Me:  Can vampires have babies?
Angela:  Yes.
Me:  But don't vampires stay the same age when they become a vampire.
Angela:  Not if you have special, magical supplements.  Are you ready?

in defense of food...

I'm getting pretty serious about my health. After reading Fast Food Nation and becoming more active, getting healthy seems to consume a lot of my thoughts (hopefully not to a point that is mentally unhealthy). Last night, I skimmed through some of Twinkie Deconstructed, which breaks down all of the ingredients (chemicals) in most processed foods. It was enough to gross me out, but the scientific processes started boring me a bit.

I also picked up In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (Michael J. Fox's brother-in-law) at the library. Talk about an even further wake-up call. The premise of the book hinges on these seven words - "Eat food. Not so much. Mostly plants."

Seems easy enough! But what a lot of people miss is that most of the stuff available to buy at a grocery store is NOT food. It is chemicals and nutrients formulated into an edible foodlike substance. These things were never intended for human consumption.

I'll get off my soapbox now. I just wanted to share with you things I'm finding out for the first time in my life (that may be common sense to you already).

upcoming race...

The Run for Sight 5K is one week from today. I'm stoked. We'll be tapering our runs as the week progresses. 30-minutes tomorrow / 20-minutes Thursday / 15-minutes Saturday. It seems as though my scale at home is a liar, and I'm about 8-10 lbs. lighter than I thought. Also meaning, I've lost somewhere between 10-12 lbs. since I started running.

C25K grad...

Tomorrow is graduation day (if I am successful). I will have officially completed the Couch-to-5K program. Supposedly a 9-week program, it took me just under 5 months. I'm proud of myself to have completed this. It may seem silly to a lot of you reading, but getting in shape has been exhilarating to me.

reasons for running...

My first 5K is three weeks from today. I'm getting kind of excited. This upcoming week is finally our last week of the C25K. What was supposed to take 9 weeks ended up taking me just over 4 months. But here I am, about to be running 30-minutes nonstop.

I may have touched briefly on my reasons for running. I'm not sure, but here's the skinny. One day, I woke up and realized just how lethargic I'd become. When lying on the couch, I found it more and more difficult to just sit up, let alone stand up. I had no energy and was slowly putting on more and more weight. So, I started running.

It has made such an impact in just 4 months. My self-esteem is the highest it's been in years. I feel accomplished. My waist is shrinking. And it's great knowing that it's only going to get better from here.

too funny...

Stolen from Rob. You'll probably have to click to enlarge it.

the hill...

Walking up the hill tonight, and you have closed your eyes
I wish I didn't have to make all those mistakes and be wise
Please try to be patient and know that I'm still learning
I'm sorry that you have to see the strength inside me burning

running for my life...

So I was finally able to run 28 minutes straight yesterday morning, and I feel great. We took a week off from running, and boy did my legs need it. We shoot for 28 minutes again tomorrow morning. I hope it's easier than yesterday's run!

Being active has considerably changed everything about me. I feel more positive. I look better. I have more energy ALL the time. I was seriously starting to feel like an old man at 28-years-old.

attention parents:

Which restaurants are making your kids fat?

CSPI has taken a closer look at some of the biggest restaurant chains in the country and what they are offering in the form of kids' meals. The findings are alarming, with most chains offering meals ranging from 900 to 1200 calories.

my first race...

Here are pics from my first race (3K). I finished at 21:49.

My running time since then has digressed. This morning, I could only run for 15 minutes before having to walk. Maybe I'm running too fast. I felt like I was running faster than normal, but every time I tried to slow down, soreness started to creep into my calves.

another brick in the wall...

Last night, I could only run 20 minutes before feeling nausea coming on. So, I stopped at the pavilion, hydrated, then took off again. I was able to run roughly 3 more minutes before crapping out. The goal was 28 minutes nonstop.

It was so hot and humid. Maybe I'm not keeping myself hydrated enough. My pace felt natural. I didn't really have any leg/calf pain. My breathing was okay. I just felt like if I had kept going, I might have vomited.

I guess it's research time.

Clerance Chuckston...

This will change your life...
Clerance Chuckston
...

falling short...

I seem to have hit a wall. Sunday was supposed to be our last 25-minute run. We got started at 6:45pm, and it was roughly 95 degrees. I ran 21 minutes before I just couldn't go on. I attributed it to heat, and it didn't really discourage me much.

But this morning, while attempting to run 28 minutes, I crapped out again at 21 minutes. I still attribute some of it to the heat. Perhaps we should be starting even earlier in the morning. It's the hottest part of summer, afterall.

My first race is a 3K (1.86 miles) this Thursday evening at Kereiakes Park. Wish me luck!

6.2 miles?

I decided to train for the Medical Center 5K on October 25th. We're schedule to be done with the Couch-5K program on August 3rd. That gives us about roughly 3 months to train for the 10K. I found a 10-week program called the "One Hour Runner" that we'll start immediately after finishing the C25K.

It's exciting to be able to run 25-minutes at a time. That's translating to somewhere roughly between 2 and 2.5 miles. It's almost surreal. I seriously wasn't sure if running a 5K was going to be possible. Now that I'm almost there, I'm setting my sights on another goal to shoot for. The 10K is now that goal.

father/son...

My dad's 50th birthday party was Sunday. This first pic is my dad holding a cake that has his senior picture on it. And, of course, the second pic is of the cake itself. My dad, who used to rag me about my "longish" hair, adorned this stylish top in his eighteenth year.


It was a good weekend. I ran the 25-minute run Sunday morning with no problems. This morning, we began Week 7 (of 9). This entire week consists of 25-minute runs. My first race is more than likely going to be Thursday, July 24th. There is a 3K at Kereiakes Park.

So, running is going well.

The Dark Knight comes out Friday. We bought tickets to the IMAX online today for Saturday night. I'm all geeked out for this one. I've got a movie poster above my desk at work, wallpaper on my PC, a screensaver for my PC and my iPhone. What can I say?!?

Speaking of iPhones, did I mention my dad ordered himself one? The apps are amazing.

running man...

I just realized that tomorrow morning will be my last run with intervals. Tomorrow's run consists of :

5-minute warm-up walk
Run 10-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 10-minutes
5-minute cool-down walk

After that, it is non-stop running...beginning Sunday with 25-minutes straight. Will I be able to do this? I will be in Muhlenberg Co. this Sunday, so I'll try to run it alone, but I have my doubts about that. Running alone at this point in my journey is really tough.

I did buy some running shorts, and that has made a difference in keeping me cool. Now I think I need to ditch the ol' cotton t-shirt. Don't worry, I won't go shirtless until it's a pleasant sight.

Proctor & Gamble says, "Pringles Are NOT Potato Chips"

Seeking to evade a 17.5% sales tax, lawyers for Procter & Gamble successfully argued that Pringles aren't actually potato chips. Even though all Pringles containers are clearly marked "Potato Crisps," Procter & Gamble's lawyers argued that "Pringles don't look like a chip, don't feel like a chip, and don't taste like a chip."

The absurdly hypocritical claims were made to weasel out of a British tax on potato crisps and other potato-based foods. London Justice Nicholas Warren ruled that Pringles were made, not of potatoes, but out of good 'ole fashioned American chemicals.

running man...

I ran Week 6, Day 1 (W6D1) last night, sans Josh. It almost seemed like backtracking after that 20-minute straight run, but I'm going to trust the program and stick to it. The run consisted of:

5-minute warm-up walk
Run 5-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 8-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 5-minutes
5-minute cool-down walk

Running seems to go in and out of being enjoyable during the actual run, but I always feel accomplished after. Last night's run was amazing. I loved every second of it. There was no pain. No discomfort. It's something that is becoming more and more addictive. I'm absolutely looking forward to running in the morning.

I may or may not end up running W6D1 again tomorrow morning, depending on whether or not Josh ran the equivalent on his own this weekend. If we move on, we are scheduled to finish the program July 31st, which is a goal I'd like to stick to. If we push it back, we'll finish August 3rd.

wal-mart...

Walmart "Junior" Panties Suggest That Your Genitals Are Better Than Credit Cards



Over at Feministing, a reader noticed these panties in the "juniors" section at the Wal-Mart on Kildare Farms Road in Cary, NC.

C25K midpoint...

Running:

Week 5 is complete. We ran for 20-minutes straight yesterday morning. What an accomplished feeling! I'm literally on a high right now!

About ten minutes into the run, I thought my legs were just going to give out. My calves were burning and a little tight. But somehow, I got over the hump and pushed through it. When Josh told me we had run 14 minutes, it pumped me up. Once I had reached that point, I knew I had to finish. And I did.

a pic i took...

miracles welcome...

Last week, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, which accounts for 10-15% of all breast cancer. She found out by going in for a soreness she felt in the "other" breast. It's amazing that they caught it so early since she went in for the other's soreness.

Now, the hard part: if you have ILC in one breast, there is a pretty good chance it will show up in the other breast in the future. So, she now has to make a decision whether to have a lumpectomy, removing only the part with the tumor...or a mastectomy, full removal of both breasts.

It's a pretty difficult time for Angie and her whole family. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Angie's taking it pretty hard.

Few and Far Between...

Today is a glorious day! Is it the best day of my life? No! But a glorious day it remains. There is nothing special about it...just that it's here. Even with my slight headache, for which I'm contemplating some serious over-the-counters for, it's nice.

I've heard it said that "Bowling Green is the happiest town on earth." Is that true? I don't know. Is it a pretty happy town? For me it is. We should have moved months ago. For four years, I've had at least a half-hour drive to work, with the last year being an entire hour each way. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have ditched that commute.

But it's not only the drive, it's the people. We've been going to Westminster Bible Church on Wednesday nights for several months...now we get to participate a lot more. And what a family we have found in them! While I miss my friends in Muhlenberg, I've been blessed with many more here.

Here's to life...

for the weak...

is it so simple?
that she can step into the bulb
shower
start over in the tub.

make way for her
she's a queen
with a colony of freaks
to lick her honey

is it so simple?
that she can brush my face
a coward
a background flower

make way for her
she's a sight
her lips are a prize
for the weak.

is it so simple?
she's so complicated

so am i.