Thanksgiving

Well, we started Thanksgiving with a bang, or should I say with a BARF! At 2 AM Madalyn was vomiting, and of course she threw up a couple times in the hallway and then got to the bathroom. Nothing like the upchucking sound in the wee hours of the morning! So, Teresa and I were cleaning barf out of the carpet for a while. Teresa already suffers from Vomit Phobia, so once she was done cleaning she was off to go shower. Anyway, Madalyn made it through the night with no further barfies and hasn't had a problem since.
I got up and ready for my Turkey Trot Run. It was raining, but it held up right before the race began. I'll tell you what, this years shirts are the dumbest ever! I really want to design one and ask for them to please use it! I met up with Carl and his friend Brad, and 3 of my nieces, they were there to take pictures and cheer us on. I forgot to bring my gloves, but it didn't matter. Anyway, we got to the starting line and waited, as always, then finally after 10 minutes were off. I started with a pretty good pace. In fact my first mile was around 6:20-ish. I fell in behind some high school girl and kept pace up until about the last 3/4 mile and then she pulled away. Well crap, I'm 42 and she is 15! I tried to kick it on home and was shocked to see that I was under the 28 minute mark! I finished at 27:56. In my age bracket, 40-44, I was 5th and 69th overall. Carl came in at 35:57, so I missed my goal of beating him by 10 minutes. His girls missed him finishing so he popped back on the course and had them snap a picture. I told him he would make a great Democrat the way he was re-writing history! I am very satisfied and a bit shocked at my time.
We went to Carl's house for Dinner. I picked up my mother en route. She hasn't been out like that for a long time and she did real good. My brother David, his son Hayden, and his two daughters, Miranda and Carly, were down from Idaho. It was a lot of fun to hang out with them. We ate and got bloated, played games and reminisced about our childhoods and such. It was very fun. When we got home I was so stinkin' tired that I don't remember laying down in my bed at 10 PM! I was out like a light. So, it was a great and fun day, and no one barfed at night!

Pre-Thanksgiving Misgivings

Here's a couple Thanksgiving memories-
Of course we always had the Turkey Bowl football games. One year, probably late '70's, I get the ball in the open field and there is nothing but green and goal post in front of me. I ran as fast as my wee legs will let me. I'm jubilant as I picture scoring a touchdown when I see fingers coming into my vision from above. I feel a sharp scalp pain then see my feet in the air! My brother David chased me down, reached out and grabbed my hair and pulled me back causing a complete horizontal flop to the ground. But I held onto the ball!
Another rousing story from T-Day is when Carl ate so much he thought he was going to die. So, Carl, our friend Lance and I head over to Kaiser Hospital. While waiting Carl suddenly exclaims, "I need to barf!" So he grabs one of those kidney shaped plastic dish things, heads into the stairwell and proceeds to vomit about 3 times the amount that that poor little dish could hold. Lance and I lean through the door to see orange (with lots of black olives) barf everywhere and that little dish filled to rim and Carl saying, "I feel better... let's go." So we walk away leaving all the vomit in the stairway! Man, we suck! And why didn't he just find a bathroom?!?!
My Grandma Snyder, who was born in 1895, couldn't hear a thing and talking with her on the phone was BRUTAL. I recall a Thanksgiving in the early '80's when David answered the phone, said a couple words, then told me the phone was for me. I say Hello, only to hear my Grandma talking. David was beat red from laughing at me having to deal with her. The sad thing is I see myself acting too many times the way my dad did with his mother. I gotta be nicer or I am off to hell. (I've thrown in a couple pictures of Grandma, probably circa 1920 and then 1960) I do love my Grandma and she made the BEST coleslaw EVER! Too bad she took that recipe to the grave.
So with the Turkey Trot (who came up with that name? Sounds like what happens after eating too much then running) it is supposed to be wet and cool. Carl said the other day he would like to run one day in a blizzard. Well, last year was horribly cold and the wind was blowing from the east. Egads it wasn't fun. But I have learned that running with sweats isn't fun, and keeping a big sweatshirt leads to chaffing of the chest.

Sometimes You Gotta Turn It Up

You know, every now and again you just gotta turn the volume up. I am at "11" (Spinal Tap joke) right now and enjoying it. My wife has left the house to attend a play, so it's all good. When I haven't listened to Zeppelin in a while and then put them on, well, it is rather therapeutic, especially after a nutty week at work. Plus, you just forget how great they were.
It is funny how different songs put you in different times and places. Ramble On and I am in Lance's dad's truck listening to an 8 Track tape of Led Zeppelin II. When the Levee Breaks and it is 6th grade cranking up my dad's Panasonic, giving it all it can take. The neighbors were probably cringing! Too bad. Immigrant Song and I am in the back of Steve Fisher's Toyota with these girls we picked up from Monta Vista High School. The funny memories are when listening to Physical Graffiti- I'm back with Lance, Carl and John at Christmas time driving in Lance's '79 Capri! Kashmir and Ten Years Gone really put me in the Christmas spirit. Yeah, that may sound odd, but true nonetheless.
So, I am trying to get all ready for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I am sooooo happy that running doesn't affect my back. It makes my shoulder hurt, but the back doesn't feel it until I am done, then it gets kinda funky feeling. I went to the surgeon a couple days ago. He said healing is in increments of 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. It will be 3 months on the 25th! Wow. He said the pain will take time, but with all the nerves that were cut the numbness is probably permanent. Let's just hope there aren't any continence issues. My shoulder still really hurts and the weather is freaking it out, too. Anyway, Jayton and I have run the 4 mile route the last 2 weeks. I have improved my time form last years race. He says that it is all due to him. And it is. He he keeps a brisk pace and pushes me. So, the goal is to beat my brother Carl by 10 minutes. I don't know if that is possible, but I will try. Don't tell him or we won't be let in for Turkey Dinner at his house!
I did attend the Spinning Class a couple times. You would think it would hurt my back, but it was the pressure on my shoulder that really killed me. And I wanted to wear my helmet in there, just in case.
Whew, how about this economy and the Changity-change-change that is going to take place. Oh, wait, Clinton cabinet, Lyndon B. Johnson and FDR ideals and tactics, hmm, oh well. Obama is too important to fail, so he will be given a bail out.

Use Extreme Caution

No reason for the title of this entry.
I have been hesitant to write after hearing how people are stealing info from blogs to use for identity theft. I'm sure some how Scoopy will come into play somewhere down the line.
We had a fun Halloween. Madalyn and Emily went trick-or-treating and Bishop Billings and the Wakefields all went along with them. It's always nice when after a couple blocks the girls say, "I'm done." Oh yeah.
We had a fun party at the Cleggs place. Janice Kapp Perry made a special appearance! (It was Andrea Frandsen, but she was convincing). I feel bad singing the karaoke because I don't know any of the new songs, new meaning anything after 1978.
I find that I am dragging a bit; I need to do something like a painting or write a story or something. Oh well.
Hey, 2 Christmas music stations already!
How about those crazy Californians and their protesting and now extreme "tolerance" towards the Mormons! Um, didn't a whole lot of other churches and people vote for Prop 8? Huh, I guess you can be tolerant as long as you agree with me.
Chantel had a blow out in the dumb van today. The side of the tire ruptured. It's always fun to change a flat when the weather is cold.
Hey, I missed the Turkey triathalon over at the Rec Center. Geeze. I really wanted to do it this year. But alas, I still haven't been back on my bike yet. My back is really tight and sore with the cooler wet temps. Lots o' fun. Jayton and I did run the 4 mile Turkey Trot route. I was at 30:01. So, I am going to push it real hard to be under 30 minutes. I went and bought some new shoes today; my Pearl Izumis are getting old and I can feel my shins starting to hurt. So I will give them a wee break and then go hard.
I miss my Tama Swingstar 7 piece drum set. Here is a 1983 shot of me in my room playing. I don't think baldness runs in the family. Leif Garrett maybe, but not baldness.