Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?' - Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian
Showing posts with label letterboxing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letterboxing. Show all posts

Friday, June 22, 2007

Friday Mish Mash

There will be no continuity or theme to this post. You have been warned.

I made a new logbook for letterboxing. I let the husb pick out the paper and he chose it based on color and that the pattern looks like stamps.
This is the second personal logbook I have made. I am pretty happy with how it came out. The cover paper didn't go on the book board exactly smooth. I think it was a little thin. I like the ribbon bookmark though. That will make it really easy to find my next pages instead of thumbing through them all with grubby hands.

My dogs are pissing me off. They took to raw feeding like, well......, like greyhounds to running :-) I started them off with turkey and chicken. Then I branched out into pork and beef heart. My thinking was they would get a chicken back or turkey neck for their evening meal followed by pork trim (60 lbs for $.93/lb - woo hoo!) or beef heart ($.49/lb!). Nice and balanced, right? Lots of meat and a little bone. Sounds perfect in theory. In reality, once they tasted the pork trim and the beef heart, no way are they going to be bothered with chicken and turkey. Freaking Momo almost knocked me over and chewed off my hand once trying to get at the beef heart! New rule: they only get the pork and beef after they eat the chicken. So, I throw the chicken backs out in the yard and all I get are pacy, whiny dogs up against the kitchen door. They are pitiful. Give us our pork and beef! I have tried stuffing the beef and pork in the chicken back and turning it upside down in the grass. They just work it over to get the good stuff. Today, I was so disgusted, I just left the chicken backs, fermenting in the yard. Hey, my neighbors already think I am a freak when I cleavered a whole 18 lb. turkey in half and threw the halves out in the yards for the dogs to eat. You think they are going to care about a couple of little chicken backs? Eventually, the dogs did eat the chicken after they sat out there for 2 1/2 hours. Guess we are going to see if all those raw feeders who maintain dogs can handle high bacteria loads in their food are right. Actually, I think Cosmo went out there and ate his when I told him we were running 4 miles tomorrow.

The husb got all four wisdom teeth out today so I have been playing nursemaid. Don't have the little outfit and I thought that would disappoint him. Turns out he could care less what I am wearing as long as I bring the painkiller at the appointed time. I don't handle teeth stuff very well. Driving him there this morning, I had to fight off a root canal anxiety attack with breathing exercises. Jen found that hilarious. He has handled this like a champ, impressing me very much. Also impressing me is his remarkable physical and vocal resemblence (at least on his left side) to a puffy, jowly, Marlon Brando/Vito Corleone/Godfather 1. His voice is low, raspy, lips barely moving when he speaks. Last impressive fact about this whole ripping teeth out episode was that the doctor just called to check on him - 9:15 on a Friday night. First time for that in my book.

ETA: One last little item of insanity. I don't know what the hell is the matter with us but W and I were talking Thursday on our run about doing a half. We both agree if we can get to the point where our midweek runs are regularly 5+ miles and increase our distance on the weekend runs, we think it is do-able. Especially if we bite the bullet and join the gallow-walkers. Don't know - just something to think about and ponder. I told her if we did it, it would have to be some huge race with both a half and a full marathon and lots of walkers, maybe in early 2008. We also talked about doing another tri, maybe as a team. She immediately nailed me for the swim leg. I was actually thinking, 'ok' and then I remembered what it is like to swim in an open water, mass start.

No thanks.
And just incase you think the above is a joke or exaggeration:

Double no thanks. Guess it comes down to the fact that I am tough enough to have done 3 sprint tris but not tough enough to love them and keep doing them. I wonder if I am tough enough for 13.1.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Letterboxing photos

I thought I would chime in on the weekend letterboxing adventures. Last week, I planted a new box, Runswithdog, along the park trail that Cosmo and I run. Bridg and Jen graciously offered to check my clues before I posted them. Their accounts of the weekend are here and here. They found my box easily with only a suggestion or two for clue changes. Here is Jen wandering around looking for it:



I forgot to photograph the log book before planting the box so here is Jen modeling my handmade logbook:



Here is Bridg and Jen employing all the stealth they are capable of, stamping in the logbooks right in the middle of the trail:

(I am kidding about the sarcastic stealth bit. We take the letterboxing stealth and discretion issue very, very seriously. There just was no one really around.:-))

Hiking later at Oneida Shores. About this time, those two were starting to get stir crazy and exhibit signs of ADD. The conversation went like this:

Me: The clue says this.....blah, blah, blah.
Bridg: Maybe it means this tree. (looks behind the first tree she comes to)
Jen: Lucy is so absolutely gorgeous, don't you two agree.
Me: Look over in that area.
Bridg: The box is gone. Isn't it a nice day?
Jen: (not talking, just taking hundreds of photos of Cliff)
Me: Keep looking, you two. It has to be here.
Bridg: It's gone.
Jen: I love your new camera Bridg.
Bridg: (not talking, but down on her knees barking at Clifford)
Me: (15 minutes later) I got it.
Bridg: I could have sworn it was gone!

This is Bridg in a post moon shot. Yep, she mooned us. Why? Don't know. Too bad my camera isn't fast enough.


Here is a perfect example of how my boxing companions occupied themselves while I searched for boxes. Wonder what they are saying to each other?

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Stamp retiring


With spring coming along - I know it is hard to believe since it was below freezing this morning and we have some snow on the ground - I was going through my letterboxing stuff last night,
getting prepared for hitting the trails in a few weeks. I am retiring Angus's signature stamp. I was thinking of planting the stamp permanently but I decided against that. I couldn't bear the chance of losing it. So it will be placed, along with his ashes, his sweater, his collar in his memorial box. I will also include all the cards and the printed internet/email thoughts we received, too.

I carved the stamp from a drawing that Jen did. It is one of my very favorite images. It captures his joie de vivre so perfectly. Angus loved being out in the woods, hiking. He never met a trail he didn't want to head down on. He was a game little fellow, ready for anything - a little one mile jaunt or a 9 miler. It is definitely going to be lonelier for both Cosmo and I out on the trails this year.















Friday, December 29, 2006

Crappy times in River City

I have been sick since Christmas day - sinus infection and head cold. I haven't run since the Sunday before Christmas. All I do is get up, go to work, come home and deal with all the attendent kid and dog drama. This week was only four days but it felt like the longest.....I woke up this morning thinking, how can it NOT be Saturday yet????

Needless to say I am looking forward to this weekend - no plans. I do hope if the illness abates to head down to Highland forest on Sunday for a day of hiking and letterboxing with Angus and Cosmo. Sunday is forecast to be the best day of the weekend and I am looking forward to getting some fresh air with the dogs.

I have lots of blog reading to catch up on.....