7and8

This morning I participated in and finished a micro-Triathlon.
Swim - 300 yards in 5:34
Stationary bike - 20 min ~12 miles
Run 1 mile - 8:43

It was fun. I think I made some friends that will be the folks to try to beat.
I couldn't have done it without the support of the family and many others. The hard part was showing up and all those I've mentioned did much more in preparing me for that than they know.
I have my sights set on a Sprint level tri and a century this summer. Last fall the tris weren't even on the radar and the century seemed a pipe dream. Now I'm trying to decide which ones I want to do.
I don't say this a lot and I don't always believe it when I do say it but; I am proud of myself.

They dynamics of this undiscovered country are odd. I have been burning 1,000+ calories on days I was training. My weight hasn't exactly dropped through the floor, as a matter of fact I know I'm eating a lot or even too much. Definitely need to cut some things out of the diet. It also didn't help that I case of the nerves last night and wound up having 4 drinks. I wasn't hungover but it wasn't my best game. I think I've learned my lessons: 1) I can do it. 2)I can do it better.
It was cool to get a number written on my arm and leg.
It was also really cool to have the staff and volunteers cheering us on as it went. It was easier to start cheering for those still going at the end and they appreciated it.
We'll see if it sticks. I got a free T-shirt and can cross this off of my list of things to do before I die. If nothing else comes of it... I think I can live with those benefits.

We went to the NEAQ (New England Aquarium but I like the abbrv.) yesterday to make the most of 7s winter break. I'm not sure if the whole thing is people watching fish or fish watching people. Think of the reciprocal dialogue "Oooh look at that one. Wow, what colors. That one keeps going around in circles. I bet that one will get eaten real soon."
We saw the folks in the unflattering wetsuits feeding the various fish. Two fish would eye a bite and start to move towards it. Either the fast one got to it first or the big one scared the fast one away. Seems like a simple law of nature. Then we went to the Cafe'. The territoriality to find and protect a table was..impressive and appalling. Parents seemed to be the traffic cops; ushering new strangers to empty tables or sacrificing chairs for little ones. If you stepped back to watch this social dance it very much was like feeding time in the tank. People circling and circling. Someone reaches for a coat and the senses of those table-less are heightened. Someone seated jostles and picks up a diaperbag, and fifteen people are there asking if these seats are taken.

There was a very nice Mama fish that was getting ready to go and let us take some seats. She called her boys (I don't remember both names but they were very German and sounded beautiful when said together). I commented and she proudly stated that she was German American. The amusing thing was the German inflection with a Boston accent. One of her boys innocently starts tracing the pattern on the back of 7s chair. It wasn't bothering anyone but it made Mama fish edgy. She asked the boy to stop. She told the boy to stop. She started to threaten and stopped herself. She told him in German, "I know you understand German and I'm only going to say this one more time. Don't - touch - the - CHAIR! Mind you she was not yelling but had that parental admonishing tone. As you might have guessed I know some German, I'd guess I have the vocabulary of a 2-yr-old. A few minutes later she left to visit the sea lions. I thanked her again for the chairs, in German. She was surprised, but bade me a good day more amused than embarrassed.

Yes, Trish, we saw einen haifish.

There is no in between with poop. It's either disgusting or funny.

• disgusting when it is on you
• funny when it's on someone else
• disgusting if you dropped your cell in the toilet (on accident)
• funny when the cell starts to ring when you try to flush it
• disgusting when the kids have too much grape juice (and they are in diapers)
• funny when they grunt and try to talk about Power Rangers (an appropriate pairing)
• disgusting when the backyard thaws and you have two months worth of two dog's work
• funny when you find mostly intact crayons in the dog poop
• disgusting when you step in it, slide and your other knee lands in another pile
• funny to watch someone sliding...

I could probably do a list with farts but it would be almost redundant. Although a fart in church is about the funniest and most disgusting.

P.S. It's funny that blogger doesn't know the word fart when spell checked.

Sunday - Snowblowing
Monday - Watching others snowblow
Tuesday - I don't remember but I know had to wear a hat
Wednesday - Slush
Thursday - bike rides, sun
Friday - Windy windy. Ahhh warm in the morning and 'how did it chill so fast?' afternoon
anticipated Saturday - Freezing

At dinner tonight the boys thanked God for:
7) For making stuff out of stuff
8) For not making things with things in them

I must also mention that they were looking at forks full of tuna casserole I made while making these pleas to the Almighty.

Appropriate for this Valentines Day.

The wife got valentines for all of her employees. I sent an e-mail asking how everyone liked them with the subject line "Heart on?"

As I pushed send *can you guess where this is going* I realized it wasn't going to my wife but a woman with the same first name who happens to be my Son's music & movement teacher.

I sent an apologizing e-mail and didn't let on how embarrassed I was. All-in-all it could have been much worse. I haven't blushed this much since, I can't remember when, but I bet it was another bone-head move by this guy.

New Acronym for At home dad blogs (NAFAHDB):

Flogs - too violent
Dlogs - sounds like someone with one shouldn't stray too far from the toilet
D.O.G.S - negative connotation
AHDB - sounds too much like a syndrome
Caring sensitive Caregivers Who Happen to be Male = CSCWH2BM - the number in the middle is very hip but it's to long and would need the explanation. Couldn't fit on a bumper sticker.

These suck I'll keep thinking about it

I'm not sure why this has taken so long but I am now finding all of the At home Dad blogs (we should make a new acronym and see how long it takes it to make the feel good news on CNN). This is very comforting and makes me forget for a while that we are a sliver of the population.
Dads are Dads all around. -- It's interesting to see the differences and similarities in the blogs. For this observation I'll stick to geography. The East coast Dads have a similar writing style and the West coast Dads have a similar writing style. It's subtle but interesting.

I'd love to have a beer with you guys and talk about the curse of the PowerRangers but I have to untangle 7and8 from the clutches of a Zord-thingy that looks a lot like a cardboard box to me. There is also the 14 inches of snow that need to blown and the dishes and the ..... You feel me guys, don't cha? And that, my friends, feels good to say.

We got a new TV. HD even. We didn't get it for the XL Superbowl but after watching a Bruins game in HD, I couldn't wait. When the hockey players checked each other; we ducked. The wife said the picture was almost better than being there.
Sunday rolls around and then here comes all the Motown music and the sound is crap. When the commentators where talking every thing was cool, 5.1 even. But anything the refs said and the freakin commercials where crap. Now I've been using the TV for the previous week and have put the thing through the paces. The sound is tweaked.
ABC is to blame. Darn you ABC, Darn you to Heck. I swear I'm not watching another Superbowl on your channel until the next one! We wound up watching the non-HD channel so we didn't have to keep messing with the sound. I'm so miffed that my Irish is up, ruffled feathers even.

BTW:magic fridge was my favorite and pardon my language

I've been accused of having too much time on my hands (hence this blog). Further, I'm pretty accepting of others views, hobbies and even lifestyles. But these folks take the taco. Not just the activists; the whole damn thing. I guess it puts money into the economy of PA. Besides it was a good movie...am I right, or am I right, or am I right, or am I right...

Suddenly Monster Garage isn't a guilty pleasure.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11140813/