Go here and enjoy!

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Here I go again with the quotes

Well, even in that deep misery I felt my energy revive, and I said to myself: in spite of everything I shall rise again, I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing, and from that moment everything has seemed transformed in me.

~Vincent Van Gogh

inspired to run

I hope I am not re-posting something that I posted about last year already ... that would be a sure sign I'm losing it, wouldn't it? I'm too lazy to go back and check, though, so at the risk of repeating myself, here goes....

I was watching the Olympics Sunday night - one of the women's races. It made me remember how awesome it feels to sprint. I hate running long distance. I have tried to like it. I like it in theory just fine, but it's like cranberry sauce was to me as a kid. It looks attractive. Other people seem to like it. But it doesn't work for me. Oh sure, I go through these spells where I'm going to "be a runner." I'm going to "take up running. " I'm going to "train for a 5k." We all know that just won't last, though, don't we, because deep down I don't like running. But sprinting, now that is a different story all together. Sprinting I do like. And watching the Olympics made me remember that, and remember what a fool I made of myself 4 years ago due to being inspired by the Olympics:

Four years ago I was watching some Olympic race, and I remembered, just like I did this past Sunday night, how awesome it feels to sprint. To really stretch completely out. To give all you've got. To feel like a machine. So I decided, at around 10:30 p.m., that I would go sprint down the sidewalk. My thinking: Kevin was asleep and couldn't stop me, and it was dark so the neighbors couldn't see me. It probably wasn't the best idea given that I wasn't exactly in sprinting shape, and again, it was dark, but I was inspired, and hey, when inspiration strikes....

I laced up my shoes. Crept out the front door. I even did a few stretches. (Normally I don't stretch. Never have unless someone forces me to. I can hear you now, gasping and tsk-tsking at my lack of stretching, but it has worked for the past 30+ years. Plus Kevin tells me every day about the perils of my no-stretching lifestyle. He tells me enough for all of you, believe me!) I walked out to the sidewalk. Took some deep breaths. And I was off! Sure, I was a little rusty and hesitant at first. And sure, I was scared I would fall on a crack in the sidewalk. But man, did it feel good. Stretching out. Reaching with the arms. Working the legs. I was feeling pretty good. I stopped and turned around to sprint back. Just as I started back, a dog suddenly appeared, barking his head off and chasing me like I was an intruder. I thought he was going to eat me! Then I realized it was just Jimbo, the neighbor's schnauzer. Apparently my sudden burst of speed looked out of the ordinary to him, and so he had gone after me in total attack mode. His owner came running over to get him, obviously embarrassed because he was in his boxers. I was obviously embarrassed because I was, well, sprinting in the dark and looking insane. I mumbled something about inspiration and the Olympics and slunk back inside.

This year when inspiration struck, Kevin was up and stopped me from repeating the late night sprint. I'm just glad I'm not inspired to try gymnastics.

Sunset at my house

Please pray for Jason and Tish

A great guy I know -Jason Myers -is fighting a mighty battle with melanoma. You can read about his fight here.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasonmyers

You will have to enter an e-mail and set up an account to view this site. It's free.

An old friend said to me today, "It's not too late for me to do what I really want to do. If I die doing it, so what? What's the harm in that?"

Well said.

August 1, 2008

I will start this month off right, by golly. With a post! And one of my favorite pictures, from one of my favorite places.

Just because I can.