40 Years Ago Today - December 25, 1979

I spent the Christmas holidays with my mom for about five days. According to my mom, she had just met my soon to be step-father, Robert McKay (aka Bobby). She sent the photo below and said I fell asleep after dinner at Bobby's mother's house. She said I was probably tired from all the excitement the night before at Joe's house. Joe was Bobby's brother and, even though my mom said she told me they wouldn't have presents for me, they had Christmas presents for me. I believe her when she says I was excited.

According to my dad, I was a little confused at celebrating twice. I don't remember it but I remember many other Christmas' where I celebrated at my mom's and my dad's. I don't remember it being confusing at all, just exciting that I got to do it twice!

Happy Thanksgiving

40 Years Ago Today - February 14, 1977

I spent my first Valentine's Day with Dr. Cho getting a "well baby check." Things went "OK" at the check-up.

40 Years Ago Today - Thanksgiving

While I don't have any photos that are expressly from Thanksgiving 1976, I thought I'd hit the pause button a little bit and take a step back in time beyond 40 years. Even though I'm moving forward and delving deep into 1977, I'm still digging into the past. In the case of this post, I'm having old negatives scanned because I don't have prints to scan. As I go though the records that I have, it's weird to find a roll of negatives without prints. Getting a print was really the only way you could look at what you took a picture of back then. The fact that I've found so many un-printed rolls of film is even more odd.

Before I could dig deeper into the mystery, I took a trip to see my mother. During the trip, she let me bring home some of her photo albums. Pretty much the only photo albums she has after the divorce. That made me a little sad to think about how things as simple and small like photos become the dividing line of a marriage. And even sadder that sharing the photos, all of the photos, wasn't easier.

But within the sadness, I found the answer to my mystery. My dad had the negatives and my mother had the prints. Not everything matched up as some prints were missing, but after so many decades, I was just happy to have what I had. And as I started sorting and labeling the digital images from the scanned negatives, the power of history struck me again.

All of those prints I was worried about scanning and carefully removing from the album were no longer a problem. Photo albums, for those that don't remember them, were the easiest way to store and organize photos back in the day. And nearly every album had thick plastic sheets that covered the photos and a cardboard page that had a glue-like substance on them to keep everything attached. Over time the "glue-like substance" became glue and the photos could not be removed without damaging them.

Modern technology saved the day as the scanned negatives became the better source for digital images. I knew time could pose a threat to printed photos but it never struck me as all that big of an issue. Until now.

An original print (not stored in a photo album) of my parents in December of 1972.

The same photo but from a digital scan of the original negatives.

 

2016 DECA Veteran's Day 5k Race Report

It was a last minute decision but I wanted to give the race a try. I did it a couple of years ago and enjoyed the small-town feel. Most local races are small but this one is what I would call "hyper-local" in that there's rarely more than 20 people there. This year there were only eight runners. That's right, 8 runners.

But I didn't know that when I got up this morning. I didn't sleep well last night. Lots of tossing and turning. Weird dreams. Cold sweats. It's been a long, rough week. So I had low expectations when I dragged myself out of bed and into my running clothes. I ate some toast, had some coffee and did my pooping.

Since the race was all of 5 miles from the house, I didn't need to get up super early. But I still left with more than enough time to get there since I still needed to register. Once registered, I asked how many people they were expecting. The girl said only six people so far. Which made me nervous. I didn't expect a medal or prize or anything like that, but I was nervous about placing. If I were an elite runner or a regular at placing in my age group I'm sure I'd become used to the sensation of getting on the podium. But now that I knew I was even remotely close to placing anywhere in the top ten, I was a bundle of nerves.

Once I hit the bathroom a few more times, we listened to the NJROTC do the Pledge of Allegiance and then were were off to the Start line. Eight people. All I needed to do was finish the race and I'd automatically be in the Top Ten. There were only five men so I was automatically in the Top Five for my gender. And only one guy looked old like me so I was at worst second in the Masters Division. All of these thoughts left my mind, briefly, as we started the race.

And maybe I should clarify a bit, it was a race, but it was also billed as a fun run/walk. So there wasn't a lot of "racing" going on. Sure, we all went out and ran, but I don't think very many of us really, REALLY, pushed the envelope and raced. Except maybe me. But I ended up racing myself, not the others, so I'm not sure how much that counts as actually "racing."

Anyway, the Cross Country Coach decided to take things easy on us and instead of making us run the actual course, we ran a heavy mile loop ("heavy" as in it was a mile loop but it was a little longer than a mile to make it come out to 5k or 3.1 miles at the end). And it was almost perfectly flat, just a small rise of maybe 50 feet of gain per loop from the lowest point to the highest.

The first loop I settled into 6th place and cranked out what felt like a good, but fast pace. I knew I was going too fast but I wanted to push things a little and see how close I could get to last week's time of 33:40. I kept the weird hat lady (I know her name, that's just what I call her in my head so I can remember who she is - she makes funny hats, including a Yoda hat for my son) in close reach. I didn't plan to pass her and she looked like she could easily drop me if pressured. But I wasn't racing her, I was racing myself.

I came around the turn for the first mile and looked at my watch and nearly shit a brick. I was way, WAY faster than expected. Like two minutes ahead of pace. I knew I went out fast and now I was worried I would blow up. I didn't but I did slow down a little bit. But I also kept my foot on the gas because now I was looking beyond the 33 minute goal, beyond my 31 minute PR, and staring down the barrel of a sub 30 minute time. My ultimate goal. Sub-30:00.

I went into the second mile with a whole new chain of thoughts. Should I push hard and aim for sub-30? Or should I ease back and aim for a new PR? Or should I just go with the flow and see what happens? I opted for a little of everything. I'd continue to push but not hard enough to hurt myself. So I came through the second loop and there was Coach again telling me to aim for the sky and keep digging. My split was slower and as I went into my third mile I didn't feel like I could make up the lost time. But I still pushed hard. And when I felt like I needed to puke, I let off the gas. A little. By this time I had just passed the young man in front of me and could see the next two runners in front of me. I had moved into 5th and could see 4th and 3rd ahead of me and I had less than a mile to go. The game was on.

My position never changed but I did my best to push hard at the pace. As I came out of the woods one last time, with maybe a quarter mile to go, I glanced at my watch and saw I wouldn't make the sub-30 goal. But a new PR was still in the air and so I ground it out to the Finish.

After a quick recovery I cheered on the last runners to come in. We walked over to the water table and the first three runners got medals. I never expected any award but ended up walking away with a 5th place finish (I know, I know, 5th out of 8 runners). And to make things even better, I got a new PR. Not only a new PR for the trail, but one that's faster than my previous road PR. I'll take it.

Weather:
Temps were about 40F but quickly warmed to 50F during the race. Sky was clear, sun was out, and there wasn't much wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Two slices of toast and coffee before the run. Plain water during the run. Recovery was nothing.

Aches and Pains:
Felt pretty good before, during, and after. Had that "gonna puke" feeling but it passed as I slowed down a bit.

Gear:
Wore pants, shorts, thermal top, t-shirt, BUFF, and gloves. Ditched the pants before the race started. Ditched the BUFF after the second mile.

Today's Motivation:
Aside from my mental need for a run, my body needed it too. My training has been horrid this week but I'm making wonderful progress on the attic insulation. And there was a little bit inside of me that wanted to surprise my coach.

Naughty Neil:
This week has been horrible for my diet. I've eaten all of my emotions many times over. I'm afraid to get on the scale. But this race, this new PR, has given me that joy, that smile that I needed. I'm hoping it's enough to get my eating back on track.

Splits:
(remember the miles are a little longer so they total 3.1 miles at the end)
Mile 1 - 10:00
Mile 2 - 10:42
Mile 3 - 10:11
Finish - 30:53 (new trail 5k PR, new 5k PR)

Memorial Day Luminary Workout

Yesterday's Workout:
Not pictured is all the little stuff I did. Like working on the railing at the rental house. Working in the garage. Working at the pool. You get the idea. But I did stop to take a break for a photo-op with my apprentice for the day. He seems to like my old tractor.

After a long day of work, we cleaned up and went to Fredericksburg for the annual luminary at the National Cemetery. It was way cooler than I expected and I'm so glad the kids got to go (and to learn how to be respectful in a cemetery).

The photos don't do it justice.

Today's Training:
Hot and humid. Welcome to summer in the south. Yuck.

Can't even walk around the house without busting out in body fluids. The only time you feel clean is in the shower. And then as soon as you turn the water off, you start sweating all over again.

That pretty much sums up the past few days around here. Especially today's run. It's my own fault for getting up so late but damn that was a cool dream. How often do you get to chase down the bad guy and be the hero?

The morning was a little touch and go. I was slowly waking up with coffee when my son decided he wanted to ride his bike while I ran. So I waited for him to finish his breakfast. When he finished, he said he didn't want to go. So I was halfway out the door and he changes his mind. And my daughter decides she's going to run with me. Despite just downing a bunch of donuts. But she survived. And so did my son. And so did I.

Weather:
Temps were about 85F. Sun was out with only a few light clouds. Humidity was high.

Fluids and Fuel:
Few sips of coffee before the run. Small bottle of water during the run. Recovery was more coffee and several donuts.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.

Gear:
Wore shorts and a t-shirt. Shirt came off at the halfway point.

Today's Motivation:
Well, I thought I was going alone but ended up losing my self-prescribed therapy. Instead I decided I was setting a good example for my kids in exercising. We'll just ignore the bad example of the donuts.

Naughty Neil:
Hey, I said we'd ignore the donuts, didn't I?

Splits:
Loop 1 - 17:41
Loop 2 - 17:34
Finish - 35:15

Home Alone - A Classic

The family and I recently went to a limited showing of Home Alone in the theaters. It was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the movie. But for us, it was a celebration of family time as we enjoyed one of our favorite Christmas movies.

We weren't the only ones in the theater but it was surprisingly empty. The small theater was maybe 25% full and most of the viewers were older, like my wife and I, putting them in the age-range of having seen it in the theaters as children when it was first released. Our favorite fans in the screening with us were the family of four that wore matching shirts that read "Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal," but in different colors of course.

As we sat down to enjoy the show, there were no previews. I really wish they had shown something like Rocky V, Look Who's Talking Too, or even Kindergarten Cop. Something from that era of the early 90s that would have set the tone for a great movie.

I think the lack of media coverage was due to everyone focusing on Back to the Future Day. Or maybe they were hungover or overdosed with nostalgia to think of another classic having an anniversary. Thankfully, I read the USA Today article, found a local theater, and bought tickets. THe rest, as they say, was history.

The most I got out of the showing, besides the family time, was catching some of the scenes and dialog that I missed after all these years. So let's walk through them.

The man at the desk.
In a great camera shot, we see Joe Pesci ask for the parents of the house by seemingly talking to every kid that walks by him. But did you notice the guy at the desk in the background? In the same window where we see the lamp move near the end of the movie, there's a man, sitting in a chair, at what looks like a desk. Who is it? Uncle Frank is my guess. He looks a little bald and is wearing a sweater vest.

"You probably have the kind of traveler's checks that don't work in France."
I remember the scene distinctly, it's when Buzz chokes on the pizza in the kitchen. And I remember them trying to get money to pay the pizza boy. And I remember Uncle Frank claiming he had no cash, just traveler's checks. But I've never heard this line before. It's in there, but it's in the background, hard to hear, and I think Peter, the dad, says it under his breath a bit.

Was Kevin's mom a seamstress?
Check out the basement. Notice all the mannequins? You may remember Kevin using them in his first attempt to deter Harry and Marv from breaking into the house by hosting a fake party. But I never really paid attention to where they came from. Then my wife mentioned that the sewing machine in the Master Bedroom was older than the sewing machine in the basement. Which got me to thinking, was Kevin's mom a seamstress? There are mannequins, sewing machines, and even a dressmaker's mannequin in the house.

Marv swears.
Again, I knew this. But in the theater, it was much easier to hear. Sure, Harry says some stuff that sounds like swearing, but it actually isn't. And Kevin says "ass" at least once. But it's the Marv scene that stood out. If you're not sure of the scene I'm talking about, it's when Marv checks out the kitchen door by himself, sticks his foot in the dog door, then looses his shoe. He says "shit" but you can't hear it clearly on the DVD. It's pretty clear in the theater.


The deeper link between Kevin and his neighbor.
It never dawned on me before, but there's a deeper link between Kevin and his neighbor, Old Man Marley (aka The South Bend Shovel Slayer). It hit me when they were in the church talking before Kevin heads home to defend his house. Kevin admits to saying things he shouldn't have and thinks that it has driven his family away. Mr. Marley then goes on to admit essentially the same thing. They have the same family issue and I never noticed it before. I always glossed over this scene because it was light on action and only had a few good jokes.

Old people as friends.
About the same time I caught on to the link between Kevin and Mr. Marley, I realized that in the second movie he befriends an older woman. Not much else to say here but thatjordangirl has a nice image to share.

The lamp moves.
I knew about this one. So did my kids. But did you? Check out the last scene or two from the movie where Kevin greets his mom and the rest of his family. In the background you see the lamp in front of the window. Then as he goes to the window to look at his neighbor, The South Bend Shovel Slayer, the lamp has moved.

Classic.
This wasn't really a scene from the movie itself, but a scene in the theater. The audience was laughing at something, there was that lull in the laughter, and my son says, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Classic!" Indeed it was son, indeed it was.

Not only was the movie a classic, but his reaction and the experience is classic. I can only hope your holiday season brings about positive memories and scenes to remember for years to come.

Sunrise Services

Was feeling a bit blue this morning and not really in the mood to run but once again, the idea of going back to bed and skipping a simple 2 miles is just too ridiculous. So I go out and run instead of going back to bed. Kind of like, here, have a cookie. It's tasty.

Anyway, today was foggy and blurry and fit my mood as I started down the road. But the fog started to lift and the sun started to rise and the run, and the day, started to look a little bit better. So I carried on down the road and finished my run and began my day.

Photo:
It's getting spooky out!

Weather:
Temps were about 65F. Lots of ground fog and heavy humidity. Light wind. Sky was mostly clear.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had a little coffee before the run. Plain water during the run. Recovery was three slices of toast, three sausage links, two eggs, and coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Some lingering numbness in my left foot but nothing major. Comes and goes. No pain, just feels like my sock is bunched up in my shoe sometimes.

Gear:
Wore a long sleeve top and shorts. Also sported my headlamp since I was tired of carrying a flashlight in my hand.

Today's Motivation:
I sound like a broken record but really, this short distance stuff is the bomb. I also thought about delaying my run until this afternoon but I wasn't sure if I'd be running with the kids or not. So I knew I had to get it in this morning.

Naughty Neil:
Did better with eating yesterday. Didn't hit my mark on everything but convinced myself to eat a BLT instead of a big ass burger. And I skipped the fries but went with mac and cheese. In the end, I ended up just 25 calories over my mark. Not perfect but better than the day before.

Splits:
Lollipop 1 - 12:49
Lollipop 2 - 13:23
Finish - 26:13

Big Garden Update

Had a great Mother's Day in the garden. Managed to squeak out some free-time and drag the kids outside for some play-time in the dirt. Although only one stuck around long enough to actually be of any help, it was nice to get them both outside for a bit.

The bad news is that shortly after planting the first round of carrots, onions, and lettuce (with marigolds too), we got lots of rain. Like, way too much rain. Like, the garden flooded a bit. The good news is that at least the lettuce and marigolds seem to have survived. The little triangle flower bed I made by the back steps looks totally trashed, but I'm hopeful something will crop up out of that. If not, well, at least I can plant something there later. Anyway, the lettuce is looking quite nice and perky so far.

As for the rest of the garden, I raked off the leaves from the spinach plot and planted corn. I'm pretty sure the spinach won't grow but at least I had room for the corn. And the mulch went great on top of the walkways between the plots.

With corn in the ground, we also planted pumpkins, zucchini, and more marigolds. I snuck a few extra carrots in but doubt they'll do anything. I also transplanted my tomatoes and peppers. I felt really bad weeding out the weaker plants but it also made me feel a bit like a "professional" gardener. Ha! Anyway, I cut them into singles, then dropped them into the ground. I also took the time to put a cage up now instead of later when it's too late. For the most part, I followed the directions in spacing, but since I had some extra plants that looked too good to waste, I over-planted one section just to see what came up. I figure I can always thin them out later.

Finally, we planted some sunflowers. The package says they'll only be three feet tall but I'd be happy if they just grew. The kids tried to pick a spot in the middle of the yard but I talked them out of that. Since "good drainage" wasn't going to happen in the back yard, we ended up putting the seeds down by the front sidewalk. The ants hated us but at least it will get some solid sun.

Podcast - Mile 76 - Black Friday

Coming down off the high of having my first interview, I delve a bit into a man-crush on Ashland Dave. Oops. Don't tell his wife. Or mine. Anyway, from there I meander into the holidays with thoughts on shopping and allude to some big news. Too bad it isn't a major award.

Anyway, as usual, you can find the show on SoundCloud for a limited time. Only 20 percent off!

10 New Christmas Movies

In years past*, I've covered Christmas movies. My favorites; those I think are under-appreciated; even some really bizarre ones. So this year I thought I'd try something a little different: new movies. Not new as in "in the theater new," but new as in "this is the first time I've seen them new." I've also tossed in a movie I'm actively looking for but haven't found yet.

Yet To Be Watched:


The Man In The Santa Suit
Why this one? Because it had Gary Burghoff in it! That's all I need to know.

The Ten New Movies:

#10 - A Christmas Story 2
Oh dear God, please don't watch this movie. If you like the original, don't waste your time on this one. It's not worth it. If you're a fanatic of the original, then okay, go ahead and watch it. but be prepared, it's kind of the like Star Wars Holiday Special. You really only need to watch it once every decade or so.

#9 - Fred Claus
Only slightly better than the Christmas Story sequel, this is another movie that you can feel free to skip. The premise sounds interesting, the brother of Santa Claus, but the acting, plot, and the special effects just suck. There are a few stand-out scenes but they are sadly lost in the mire of everything else. And it's pretty rare when special effects take me out of a movie, but these were below even the SyFy Channel's requirements.

#8 -  Rise of the Guardians
Not necessarily a Christmas movie but it does star Santa Claus. And Jack Frost. And, line the Santa Claus series, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. It's billed as a kid's movie but there are a few scary parts in here. Not scary to me but I can see how a smaller kid would be afraid. As for the plot, meh, it's okay.

#7 - A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
I don't know what possessed these people to make this movie but it is Christmas related and it is funny. Not the best in the series but funny enough to keep you occupied. And the waffle robot is pretty cool. Maybe if I watched it in 3D I'd like it better. But probably not.

#6 - Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
While it doesn't come anywhere near touching the humor in Home Alone 1 or 2, it does a fair job of giving 3 and 4 a run for their money. The kids hated it but I kind of liked the old house and the actors. Even though it was yet again another new cast, they seemed to do a better job of handling the acting part of the movie.

#5 - Good Luck Jessie
Technically not a movie, this TV special is a cross-over between Good Luck Charlie and Jessie. Both are on the Disney Channel and both are shows that my daughter likes. Which is pretty much the only reason I watched the special. The best way I can describe the special (and the shows) is to call it generic. Yes, the jokes are funny, there's some drama, and even a little romance. But it's Disney. So you know what's going to happen. There are no big surprises or sad endings, it just is.


#4 - Trading Christmas
I stumbled onto this one when I thought I had recorded Pete's Christmas. I kept watching and watching waiting for it to repeat itself. Finally, after I was nearly halfway through, I realized it wasn't the right movie. A check of IMDB revealed it was something else. But I was invested enough into the thing that I couldn't delete it. Instead I finished watching it and was mildly surprised at how good it was. Sure, it was some sappy Hallmark movie, but at least it had a decent plot, decent acting, and a good ending. Better yet, my wife and daughter enjoyed it well enough to want to finish it too.

#3 - Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas
While based on the TV show Good Luck Charlie, this is actually much better than the crossover show. And it's more of a full-length movie. Certainly entertaining and as usual, lots of Disney values forced down your throat.

#2 - Pete's Christmas
Why this one? Because I didn't get to watch it. And I'm pissed about it. It sounded like a great cross between Groundhog Day and Christmas Day. But the stupid Hallmark Channel decided to not show it and instead it's on a blocked channel. Humbug! Thankfully I have a great wife and daughter looking out for me and they picked it up on DVD. Turns out, it was pretty good. Not as good as Groundhog Day but still enjoyable enough to keep me glued to my seat.

#1 - Surviving Christmas
This movie was so bad it was good. A rich guy basically rents a family to impress a girl. But this damn thing was so sloppy, so badly done, that it snuck up on you. It was almost like a car accident that you just had to watch to see what happened in the end. Now the actors are pretty good with James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, and Ben Affleck, but the mom from Home Alone, Catherine O'Hara, is also in it. And be warned. You may never watch Home Alone the same way again. Let's just say there's a few scenes that show how well she hasn't aged.

*If you want to step back in time, here are some of my older posts on Christmas movies:

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/11/holiday-movie-guide-preview.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/12/holiday-movie-guide-part-i.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2006/12/holiday-movie-guide-part-ii.html

- http://tk42one.blogspot.com/2012/12/top-5-under-appreciated-christmas-movies.html

Podcast - Mile 67 - Labor Pains

My in-laws came to visit over the holidays and I promptly ran out the door. Not because I was trying to be rude but because I needed to get my workout in. At least I was able to start my weekend off right with a good run. I just wish I could continue the tradition on a more regular basis.

Anyway, the majority of the show is about a few updates in life, one of them being everyone going back to school. My wife (a teacher) and my kids are now back in school and that means I get the house to myself during the day which means that I get some peace and quite. Not that they were terribly loud this past summer but it's still nice to be able to keep the door open and not hear screaming voices.

Another update is my new coach, Coach Jeff, who will be beating my fat ass into submission for at least the next six months. It's still too soon to tell how well it will work but so far I'm satisfied. The big thing is that I just need somebody to get me moving and so far he's done that.

In other news, I may or may not be doing a guest spot on Ashland Dave's Running In the Center of the Universe podcast. We haven't finalized any details yet but the seed has been planted. However it works out, I'd like to get him on my show at least once. Maybe if I get him talking enough he'll slow down so I can keep up.

And that's about it. Lots of news being birthed in this show so you can go directly to Podbean for the delivery or do it at home on your own. No doula needed. And if you're feeling adventurous, you can even do it on the side of the road through SoundCloud.

Gardens and Farms

First, a small update on my garden. I'm a complete novice which is bad news for my plants. But the good news is I'm learning quickly and haven't really spent a lot of money on this adventure. I've harvested a few radishes already (red and white) and my dad has been willing to give them a taste test. Some were a bit mushy in the middle which means I've picked too late. Beyond that, there's a long laundry list of things I'm doing wrong but hey, I'm learning.

Here's what the latest batch looked like.

In other news, we spent the holiday weekend adventuring around and doing some work. I spent Saturday working in the yard and on the trail. Sunday was hiking and biking and playing. Monday was laundry and a picnic. The kids had a good time, I got a new bike, and nobody died. Can't complain too much.

Here are the kids having fun at Westmoreland State Park and at the Westmoreland Berry Farm.

Top 5 Under Appreciated Christmas Movies

I thought I'd take a turn for the bizarre here today and talk about a few Christmas movies that are seriously under appreciated. That's right, those movies that people have only vaguely heard of but have only seen once or twice or maybe even never. Oh, and yes, I know it's the day AFTER Christmas. This just means you have plenty of time to either go shopping at the sales this weekend or to get an early start on next year's list. So here goes.

5 - Die Hard
Seriously, this is a Christmas movie for me. At least #1 and #2 are. I'll continue to argue this point until everyone agrees with me so forget about trying to change my mind.

4 - Unaccompanied Minors
Yet another classic that comes across as campy and cheesy but still deserves more appreciation.Lewis Black and Tyler James Williams are stellar in this show. And while Wilmer Valderramma does a good job acting, all I hear is Handy Manny. On top of this, we have Brett Kelly, the pickle kid from Bad Santa. Hilarious! And of course, it's very much like Home Alone, just set in an airport with five kids instead of one.

3 - I'll Be Home For Christmas
Another classic that doesn't get the airtime it deserves. Sure, it's campy and sure it's cheesy. But there's a 5k race with people running dressed as Santa, classic! And for those 7th Heaven fans out there, you get to see Adam LaVorgna (Robbie) and Jessica Biel (Mary) before they got together on the show!

2 - Scrooged
Many fans of Bill Murray are well aware of this 80's classic but it still exists on the fringes of the mainstream media. Besides, it has Mary Lou Retton, Jamie Farr, a very young Wendie Malick, Buddy Hackett, and Bobcat Goldthwait. It is a bit scarier than I remember but those are just the scenes with the Ghost of Christmas Future. It's like Caddyshack for Christmas.

1 - The Man Who Came To Dinner
This is by far, the most under appreciated Christmas movie out there. I'd even venture to say that this is the most under appreciated movie of all time. The comedic writing, timing, and acting are by far the best you will find anywhere. If you want to write, act, do stand-up, or even spend two hours laughing, then you need to watch this movie. I've watched it every Christmas for a few years now and it gets better every time.

Maize Maze Mile

Went for a nice walk in the maze with the wife and kids. Until about 10 minutes in when the nice walk began to get a little long. After a full on half an hour, I was starting to seriously think about cutting through the edge of the maze just to get the hell out of there. Thankfully we got lucky when we got lost and stumbled across the exit. Woohoo!

Oh, and take a gander at the map so you can have a good laugh!

Podcast Hiatus

My podcast will be on hiatus for two weeks as I celebrate the holidays. I suggest you do the same.

And as an early Christmas present to you, I'm formally coming out of the closet as the voice behind this podcast.

My Forrest Gump Run

This past summer, Yvonne and I visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. She did a wonderful job picking our cabins through Asheville Cottages. So wonderful, we wanted to go back again.

The Biltmore House in the snow:


With Martin Luther King weekend looking like the best bet for everyone, we booked our cabin and made our plans. The weather was a bit scary leading up to the trip, but we dodged a few major storms and ended up with cold but sunny days. There was snow on the ground just about everywhere you looked, but the roads were clear enough to be easily passable.

The kids had a great time (so did we) and we enjoyed walking through the house, around the estate, and around the barns in Antler Hill Village (formerly the Winery). I was recovering form a sinus infection that kept me away from running for the week, so I was itching to get out there and get a few miles in. But being on vacation, sleeping in, herding kids, and enjoying the hot tub meant I didn't have much motivation to get out the door in the freezing temps to go run.

Fortunately Yvonne found a way to occupy the kids on a tour, giving me a couple of hours to run around the estate. So I took what I could get and ran with it. Literally.

My run started in the B-1 Parking Lot where I headed up to the Statue of Diana. From there I ran down the open area to the Ramp Douce, across the end of the front yard, and into the gardens. I ran through the gardens, but stuck to the icy trails as much as I could. So I avoided pavement and ended up missing my target trail twice. Oh well. The spring garden had a fun switchback that was fast and slick and I got to run under and across the exit road a few times.

Me at the Statue of Diana looking towards the house:


The garden trails lead to a Bass Pond below the house and I was hoping to take the upper trail that sits on the opposite side of the road from the Pond, but I missed that trail too and ended up running down the paths next to the Pond and nearly took a swim as the path got super-muddy and super-slippery near the edge a few times.

At the end of the Pond is a very pretty water fall that I ran across (on a bridge, not the falls itself) and ended up stuck on the road for a bit. I did my best to avoid the roads since I wasn't really allowed to run on the roads, but it was all I had to run on. I tromped across the cattle guard (actually a deer guard) and made it into an open field where I ran through about four to six inches of fresh and slightly melted snow.

I continued next to the road in the grass (and near a ditch that made me cautious) to the trail that I missed near the Bass Pond before. Along the way I stuck to the game trail that was there and did my best to avoid the acorns and hazelnuts on the ground. No sense rolling an ankle this early into my trek.

Once I made it onto the trail, I got a chance to see the open field where Forrest Gump ran in the movie. It's just a couple of seconds, but if you watch the movie close enough you'll see young Forrest going through that same field. Although his didn't have snow in it. Or a snowman. So as I slogged through the gravel, mud, and slush, I did my best to have fun. But being under a strict time limit, it was hard to unwind enough to enjoy myself as much as I had hoped.

Run Forrest! Run!


I made it to the Lagoon in decent time and enjoyed seeing the bamboo stand there. I don't know why, but I love the stands of bamboo on the estate. Something about them just strikes me as peaceful and beautiful. Once past the Lagoon, I was on a stretch of uncleared but packed snow. Which made for a great test section for my spiked shoes. They held up great on every surface except the slush and the mud. Fresh snow, packed snow, ice, pavement, gravel, water, puddles, and everything else I through at it wasn't an issue. The slush was an issue because it's hard to see if it's slush (and thus soft) or ice (and thus hard) so you're not really sure how you're foot will land. So there's some slop there in your stride as you go through. The mud though, that was just plain slick in some spots. Felt like I was wearing socks on a freshly Pledged hardwood floor.

The trail between the Lagoon and the Outdoor Center in Antler Hill was clear and heavily traveled. The temps were nearing 50 so a lot of people were enjoying the sun and the snow while they could. Fortunately my spikes made enough noise that people heard me coming and moved out of my way.

The clear path near Antler Hill:


The Outdoor Center was my half-way point and an adventure in itself. I ate a banana and took an e-Gel right before I started so it had expended itself once I got to the halfway point. It took me 56 minutes to get from Parking Lot B-1 to Antler Hill with only one bathroom break. I know I went out way fast but it was mostly downhill. Next time I'll run it the other way so my second half is downhill.

The adventure of Antler Hill was two fold. One, I was taking way too long to get going on my return route and two, I had no source of additional fuel. I had to ask directions for the Deer Park Trail (the one I missed back by the Bass Pond and Garden area). I got solid directions and then I asked about Gatorade. None was to be found so I had to add sugar (both raw and refined) to my water (which I had to fill in the bathroom sink - so it was warm). That's right, I ran the second half of this with just two bottles of sugar water. It worked, but wasn't ideal for damn sure.

Once I killed about 13 minutes getting my sugar water, making water, and getting directions, I headed back. At the Lagoon again I saw the wonderful view of the House in the distance and tried to focus on the route directions. I crossed the road and passed two old ladies walking a dog (mind you this was a gravel/snow/ice/slush covered single-track trail). I was impressed with their skill and speed.

At the Lagoon headed back to that big house in the distance:


Once I made it onto the Deer Park Trail (and passed the old ladies) I hit some tough trails. The uphill was hard, the larger rocks made it hard, and the mud made it extremely hard. After a couple switchbacks, I made it to the top of the hill and noticed the little old ladies moving right along on the trail below me. Very impressive.

On I went through a deer gate, across some fields, and to a trail head where I realized my error. In avoiding the Meadow Trail that makes a loop near the Bass Pond, I missed the Deer Park Trail, the one I wanted so I could avoid the roads. Anyway, I nearly skipped across the Meadow Trail and down to the Bass Pond to hit the trail on the other side of the road from the Gardens but realized I would likely miss my time cut-off so I stuck to the Deer Park Trail.

From that trail head, it was a pretty straight shot to the house. Through another deer gate, another clearing, more odd looks from people walking, and I was at the end of the South Terrace. From there it was a short jaunt in front of the house and back to the parking lot where I wiped down with baby wipes and sprayed myself not once, not twice, but thrice with some body spray. You see, my time cutoff was to be back in time to clean up for lunch with the family when they got back from their tour.

Safe, sound, and smelling like Old Spice, I waited a few minutes for them to return and away we went to lunch at Cedric's in Antler Hill where I seriously thought about ordering two courses because I was running on fumes. Literally.

Fluids and Fuel:
I had one banana and one e-Gel right before my run. I also took two bottles of plain water with me. At the halfway point I refilled my bottles with water and added plain, refined sugar as well as raw sugar to them (I used those Sugar in the Raw packs and plain sugar from the coffee condiment area).

Weather:
Clear and sunny. Little to no wind. Most of the wind was confined to the areas around the open fields and near the river. Temps ranged between 30F and 50F.

Splits:
Outbound - 56:00 (approximate time - includes one bathroom break)
Aid Station - 13:00 (approximate time - includes bathroom break, water refill, sugar water mixing, and direction getting)
Inbound - 47:59 (approximate time)
Finish - 1:53:59 (about a 15:00 pace with my break and about 2:00 faster without it)

The Route:
Length - 7.62 miles (approximate)
Elevation - about 2,000 feet above sea level (compared to my home turf of about 200 feet)
Route Gain/Loss - about 350 foot drop going out and 350 foot incline coming back

At the end of our trip, this is the beautiful sunrise I got to see coming over the mountains in the distance: