National Harbor and Williamsburg

Had a few days of busy travel and haven't had time to post. So I'll just throw the photos and videos up for you to enjoy!

Williamsburg

National Harbor

Magnum PI - S1 E2 - Please Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii

Magnum PI
Season 1
Episode 2
Please Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii, Part 2


Overview
Magnum continues his investigation with a meeting with "Snow White," the local dealer of cocaine on the island. We also continue with the flashbacks to Vietnam and Magnum's Special Forces team. What I noticed more this time was the cut scenes between the flashback and the present day. There was a bit more polish and it felt more natural and almost like there was a secondary story to be told. Which I guess is ultimately what the purpose is of looking back in time.

Two security related tidbits I noticed in this episode. First, Magnum and his friend's sister get onto the Naval base without a positive ID. It reminds me of the good old days when my dad would take me onto base and would just slow down so the guard could see the sticker and then wave us through. Second was Magnum taking the gun into the airport. Not sure I miss that part of the old days but it certainly shines a light on how much things were different back then.

Finally, the signet ring. I know the symbol was on the rings, the opening credits, the helicopter in Vietnam, and a few other places. But I'm not sure what it means. Or if it even means anything. I guess I have a few seasons to find out.

Cell Phones
With cell phones, the show would lose a joke in the scene where TC calls the "red phone" that seems to be the private number for Robin Masters but asks for Magnum.

Fashion
The large collars/lapels on Higgins' shirt stand out as very 70s era fashion. The rest seem to be more from the 80s. And again, the military uniforms are fairly static.

Hawaiian Shirt
One of the bad guys wore a Hawaiian shirt. But I figure I need to only focus on Magnum. After all, he's the main character. So no island shirt. But it was nice to see I'm not the only one with a hairy chest.

Scavenger Hunt Run

As directed by my coach, I went on a scavenger hunt run today. With my daughter.

But today's story starts last night. Despite going to bed early, I wanted to stay up late and watch TV. But there was nothing on TV. So I put the kids in bed and went to read in my own bed. And promptly felt exhausted so I went to be early.

At 8:30pm.

I felt like such an old man. I didn't even do anything yesterday to cause me to feel so tired. Just ran around town getting groceries and shopping for camera gear. So after sleeping half my life away, and half a day away, I got up this morning to groggily get some coffee in me before my run. Elizabeth was still in bed so I prepped to go by myself. She must have felt the vibe and got up. Since she was willing to go with me, I waited.

I have no problem waiting to help her set good habits now. Something I emphasized during our run, that she shouldn't get fat because it's bad.

Anyway, today we had to find a few things. We found them all.

Photos:

Weather:
Temps were about 55F. Sky was overcast but the sun was out here and there. No wind. Some humidity from all the rain.

Fluids and Fuel:
Coffee before the run. Nothing during the run. Recovery was oatmeal and a donut. And more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really. We were going pretty slow though.

Gear:
Wore shorts, t-shirt, and jacket.

Today's Motivation:
A fun run is always fun. Even more so when your kid wants to go, then thanks you for letting her go when she's done. Of all the mini treasures we found out there, that's my favorite one.

Naughty Neil:
Ate pretty good today. Skimped on lunch (just a banana) but ate decent food the rest of the day. Except maybe the fries and burger for dinner, but they were fresh and well made, so that makes them at least a little healthier.

Splits:
Didn't time the run. Just a mile and a half and that was it.

Three's Company - S1 E1 - A Man About The House

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 1
A Man About The House


Overview
Come and knock on our door, we've been waiting for you....

Three's Company is a greatly underappreciated show. John Ritter is a a greatly underappreciated actor. Combine the two and you have a great TV show that tends to fly under the radar. And when you add in the plethora of sexual innuendo, homosexuality, and Suzanne Somers, and many adults my age never got to watch it when they were kids.

But I did. So I'm going to try to pass along my love for the show.

And my love for that swinging door into the kitchen.

Physical Comedy
In the opening credits alone, we see Jack (John Ritter) fall off his bike, Janet (Joyce DeWitt) pour water on Chrissy (Suzanne Somers), and Mrs. Roper (Audrey Lindley) throws a dart at Mr. Roper (Norman Fell). Below is a list of just some of the physical comedy. Most of it is little things that make the show so funny.

• Jack slips as he gets out of the tub. It's so minor but it gets a laugh every time.
• Jack's face as he tries to eat the scrambled eggs.
• Chrissy breaks the burnt toast.
• Mr. Roper touching the "bosom" of the potential new roommate.
• Jack putting on hot pants. Right out of the oven.

STEM
I know this is coming out of left field but that's kind of my point. How often do TV show reviews cover STEM? Especially when the TV show is a sit-com? Exactly. So let's keep it weird but educational and cover the STEM aspects of the episode.

The ladle turned green after sitting in the punch. Chrissy made the punch by adding "gin, tequila, whiskey, rum, vodka" and maybe a few other things. As viewers, we're left to believe that the alcohol turned the silver ladle green. Let's find out if that's true.

First, the ladle is likely made of Sterling Silver, not pure silver. Sterling Silver is made of a copper base and silver plating. When the plating wears off, the copper is exposed which then oxidizes and becomes green.

Many sites recommend using rubbing alcohol to clean Sterling Silver so it's likely not the cause behind the ladle turning green.

However vinegar would cause this chemical reaction. But vinegar in a punch sounds a little far-fetched. But knowing Chrissy, it's distinctly possible. Anyway, vinegar, or some other acid, would create the chemical reaction needed to turn the copper green.

Teacher Resources:

• http://buggyandbuddy.com/science-for-kids-make-a-penny-turn-green/ 
• http://www.thetech.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Science-Labs/Chem_Post_Lab_Activity-Green_Pennies.pdf

May the Fourth Be With You

May 4th is also known as Star Wars Day to many fans. Don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure it started out as a joke before it became known as Star Wars Day. At least that's how I remember it. All my fellow Star Wars nerds would gather would come up to you, knowing you were a Star Wars fan, and say "May the Fourth be with you." Some would even use a really bad Yoda voice. Or wave their hand in front of you like it was supposed to be a Jedi mind trick.

1983 Me - About as 1980something as you can get. Watching Garfield.

This is not going to be a re-hashing of the entire series of movies. That would just bore any fan out there. There's no need to summarize the plot, prattle on about random points of trivia, or give favorite quotes. Instead, I'm hoping to look at the series as a whole and how it stands up over time. The movies were created generations apart but do they still hold their sway for an old fart like me?

Prologue (1980 something)

I was but a child when the first string of movies came out. I remember seeing one in the theater and being afraid of Chewbacca. He was hairy, roared really loud, and he had big teeth. But growing up watching, and re-watching, and re-watching the original trilogy has left me jaded towards these three movies. When George Lucas re-released them, I was excited. But I didn't like all of the new edits he made. Don't even get me started on Greedo.

1977 Me. Too young to watch Star Wars.

When the second trilogy came out, I was again excited but things were a bit more tempered. That may be why I enjoyed the movies more than some of my fellow fans. Sure, I'm not a huge Jar Jar fan, but I don't hate him. I just see him as a patsy for Palpatine. But the trilogy turned dark in a hurry and the acting wasn't what I had hoped for. But seeing Darth Vader at the end made up for some of it.

1980 Me. This was not the Yoda I was looking for.

Now as a father of a young boy who loves Star Wars as much as I do, I'm falling in love with Star Wars all over again. As a kid, I never would have seen Star Wars in the theater as much as I did with my son. But it was fun. I think we both enjoyed the experience but on different levels.

Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

The visual beauty of the movie is clear and crisp and sometimes stunning. Yes, some of the effects are plainly, or painfully, obvious, but at least it looks pretty. The battle droids and Jar Jar are clearly comedy generators. And just like young Anakin Skywalker, it seems to be a movie made for kids.

Unknown.

I think what strikes me the most is how clean everything is. I'm hoping it's part of the overall trend where things get more run down and dirty and re-used as the Jedi fall out of power. But I think there's a part of it that comes from the nature of films from that time where things are just cleaner and more crisp. We see a lot of this in the special effects and how props are built in the movie. It's almost like they knew they had the power but instead of using it wisely, they just used it.

This is Roger Roger. I won him as a book signing.

So how does it hold up? It does okay. There's political intrigue, podracing, space battles, and of course lightsabers. I think visually it holds up quite well. At least a stand alone movie. Within the franchise, not so much. It doesn't have that gritty, realistic feeling the others do. The acting is okay. Story is okay. So I guess overall, it holds up okay. But it holds little sway over me now. It was very easy to get distracted while watching.

Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Here we go again. Another movie with crisp and clean shots and not a lot of grit and grime that makes it realistic. The acting takes a step down unfortunately. The overacting by Hayden Christensen and painfully obvious scheming by Palpatine is sad and at times enraging. The overt plots by Palpatine are mostly enraging. But even the Jedi were irritating at times. Mostly because of their lack of action. Patience they say. Bah.

Unknown. 

And oof dah, the acting. It starts out small but then develops into a growth that just can't be ignored. Like a bad mole that starts out like a cute little freckle but ends up sending you to the doctor because you know it needs to be removed. Ouch.

Unknown. 

At least the clones were interesting. Now I can see why they spun those off into TV shows of their own. They certainly had more depth than a lot of the other characters. And I think that's why it holds up a little better than Episode I. But it holds little sway.

Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

A more battle heavy and emotionally heavy movie. But it's also heavy with some over-acting. Again. While the CGI seems to be a bit better than the last movie, it's still a struggle so see some of the reality of things.

Um, yeah. That's me.

I know it's a sci-fi movie and it's just a movie, but that's what the industry lacks is the believability of special effects. There are a few exceptions of course, but as a whole, I think the movies of today lack something. That rustic feel of physical film is a part of it, but even then, there's something to be said for practical, physical effects. Movies like this that rely on so much computer generated magic lose some of that magic when they go too far.

Taken circa 2005.

Speaking of going too far, the movie again shows Palpatine going too far with his schemes. He's so overt it makes you wonder if he's so strong in the Force that he can dupe Jedi into thinking he's the good guy or if it's just bad writing. Then we have Anakin going too far with his pouting teenage angsty self. He's like Kylo Ren but so much more obvious. And like Palpatine, we're left to wonder if he's so strong in the Force he can dupe Jedi or if the Jedi are just blind to the obvious.

Just a minor glimpse of my collection.

In the end, it holds up about as well as the other two prequel episodes. But holds no sway over me. As with the other movies, there's just not much these first three movies seem to add to the franchise other than a bit of backstory. ::sigh::

Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

I'll admit openly and freely that this is my favorite movie of the series. Which means I have a lot of bias towards this movie and how the others measure up to it. With that said, this is also the first time I've watched it on Blu-ray and the first time I've watched it right after watching the previous movie. In fact, this is the first time I've watched all of the movies in order and within a relatively short time frame (3 days to be specific).

Unknown. 

The first thing I noticed was how clean the newly released versions are. Some of the older special effects have been feathered out and it's generally brighter and cleaner. But there's still enough grit and grime to make it more realistic than the prequel movies. So yeah, it's going to be hard to top that.

My old car.

Despite the modifications Lucas made well after the original release, the movie holds up. The story is solid, the acting is great (for some characters but not others), and it still holds sway over me. It is the epitome of the franchise. Yeah, like I said, I'm a bit jaded in my opinion.

Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

I know a lot of people love Empire but for me, it loses me after the Battle of Hoth. The rest of the movie is fine, better than the prequels, but it just leaves me feeling a little meh. I will say that the character development of Luke is progressing nicely. We see him grow from a wimpy farm kid to the leader of the Rebellion and, even though he whines on Dagobah, he's at least growing as a Jedi Knight.

Unknown. 

Speaking of Dagobah, it just creeped me the heck out as a kid. That's probably part of why I never liked Empire as much. But at least Yoda was real. Jim Henson's magic is so clear and obvious even after all these years. That's not just a sock puppet talking or some computer generated character using the Force. That's a person acting there and it shows.

Unknown. 

In the end, Empire holds up over time but holds little sway over me. Yes, Hoth was great and the final battle between Luke and Vader was good, but still, it just doesn't make my lightsaber rattle much.

Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Sure, sure, there's Ewoks and they're cute and vicious. But the scenes on Endor really make this movie. I think it starts out well enough with Luke going full Jedi but I was never a fan of Yoda's death. I guess it was too sad for me as a youngling. But as an adult, it was an appropriately emotional moment between the two. Three I guess if you count Obi Wan.

An animation cel I own.

I think what makes this movie hold up over time, and hold some sway over me, is that the effects are mostly physical and those computer effects that are used, are done so sparingly but with enough quality to keep you in that particular moment in the movie. In other words, it doesn't gut-check you when you see an Ewok or an AT-ST on Endor. Nor are the space battles so full of CGI that you don't know what's going on anymore.

One of the only comics I have.

So yeah, Return of the Jedi is right up in the top three for me and easily ranks higher than Empire.

Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

As we enter a new generation, we get a new trilogy of movies. I went into this with my jaded thoughts about which movie was best and how little I expected of the new installment. While I expected a good movie, I just didn't think it would carry much weight with it. To use an out-of-universe analogy, I figured it would be like a new Star Trek movie and just be meh.

My movie collection.

It wasn't. Time will ultimately be the final judge but for now, I'm ranking this right up there with the original trilogy and would even put it ahead of Empire and Jedi. That's right, I like this movie just as much as I like A New Hope. Some days I like it more, some days less, and some days the same. But in the end, it's always in my top two of all Star Wars movie out there.

Chewie (Peter Mayhew) and the man who killed him (R. A. Salvatore).

As a collector of the books for many years, I was seriously disappointed that they would not hold true to the stories they came out with revolving around the Solo and Skywalker families. They were pretty darn good and a solid arc of storytelling about the galaxy. But as much as I wanted to see those stories on screen, and still do, I'm okay with the new direction they've taken things.

Epilogue (almost 40-something)

So where does this leave us? Well, how about I keep things simple and rank my favorites based on how much they've held up over time and how much I think they've impacted me.

1. A New Hope
2. The Force Awakens
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Empire Strikes Back
5. Attack of the Clones
6. Revenge of the Sith
7. The Phantom Menace

But there's more to it than that, isn't there? No, I don't think so. That pretty much sums it up. But remember, that's just the movies. That doesn't take into consideration any of the spin offs and homages.

You want to check out the FANBOYS movie by Adam F. Goldberg.

Finally, one parting shot of the next generation of fans.

Note: Many of the photos in this post are not mine. I'll freely admit I downloaded them years ago and take no credit for them.

Ad Sense and the Casey Neistat Dream

A few days back, I had a dream about Casey Neistat. It was bizarre but it had a moment of clarity that's important.

I went to a grocery store or market of some sort and Casey was there doing some sort of book signing. He had a huge line. So I hung around, got impatient, and left. I came back awhile later and there was no line and Casey was just sitting there chilling out.

As I went up to get an autograph and selfie with him, some other dude rolled up and cut in front of me. As I was giving him the stink eye, he and Casey were talking about something and he said something to the effect of "I'm going to write a few words and get paid a million dollars for it." To which I responded something to the effect of "I'm going to write a million words and not get paid for it because I know the money will come later." To which Casey really responded in a positive manner to my thought process and brushed off the jerk that cut in front of me.

Now, what does all that mean? Well, it was just a dream. But when I woke up, it made me re-think my blog and how I have ads on it. I've never been a big fan of ads on websites. And it was something I've long thought about changing. So as of right now, there are no more ads on my blog. Will that change in the future? I doubt it.

You see, Google AdSense has a minimum payout of $100 a month. When I looked yesterday, I had a whopping $14.62. I'll never see that money and I'll never get to $100 a month. I'd rather sacrifice the money and run a blog that's more visually pleasing.

So there you have it. No ads. Guess I could have kept it that short but I needed to explain the motivation behind it.

In other news, I'm working on more YouTube videos. I struggled with my channel back in the early days of YouTube, mostly because I didn't understand it. Now I'm a day late and a dollar short on what could have been a cash cow. But at least I understand it. Anyway, below is my newest video. Please check it out!

Magnum PI - S1 E1 - Please Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii

Magnum PI
Season 1
Episode 1
Please Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii, Part 1

The episode originally aired on December 11, 1980, making it one of the quintessential shows of the 80s. Which of course makes it interesting to me.

Overview
The episode opens with a lot of interesting things to take in. We have a voice over, a flashback, and my favorite, breaking the fourth wall. Although you could argue that the voice over is also breaking the fourth wall but I don't see it that way.

We're introduced to Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), Higgins (John Hillerman), and although we don't see him, Robin Masters (Orson Wells). Magnum is a private investigator and security specialist employed by Robin Masters, a famous author. Higgins is in charge of Robin's estate and is generally a pain in the butt to Magnum.

Magnum goes to Pearl Harbor to pick up a friend but he never shows up. Turns out he's killed shortly after arriving. Magnum then sets off to solve his murder and prove Dan wasn't the drug smuggler everyone thinks he is.

Cell Phones
Dan could have called Magnum when he arrived at the airport. I think his failure to meet him would have meant Magnum would have called him if Dan never called. Either way, they would have been in touch sooner. And if Dan was killed before they talked, I think Magnum would have worried about him sooner. Or called from the car on the way home. Or something along those lines. The bottom line is, Magnum would have learned about Dan's death sooner, or even prevented it

Then of course we have the car chase scene where a cell phone would have come in handy. Granted, at those speeds and on that road, using a phone would have been dangerous. But maybe a hands-free headset or Bluetooth synced with the car would be an option. Either way, after the bad guys wreck, Magnum could have called the cops. But it was pretty clear he didn't want to involve them. He says as much.

Which brings us to the bad guys. At the marina and again after they wreck, they could have used a cell phone. At the marina they could have stayed in their car to make the call. Or better yet, used a smart phone to get instructions or a picture of their target. And after they wrecked, the bad guy could have called for help. Not necessarily the rescue squad or police, but some bad guy buddies could have picked him up before the cops arrived.

Fashion
Magnum's shorts when he arrives at Hickam Air Force Base were short. Like 1980s short. And that Lacoste shirt he wore was rocking. Dan's sister Alice, is sporting an interesting blouse when we first see her. It reeks of the 70s with the colors and bow at the neck but the poofy shoulders are very 80s.

There's a lot of the 70s hanging on in the fashion that's on screen. From women's dresses and tops to the men's suits. I think the only thing that doesn't change much, if at all, are the military uniforms.

Hawaiian Shirt
This could fall under the category of Fashion but seeing as Magnum is known for his Hawaii shirts, I thought it would be good to break things out a bit more. You know, for that deeper dive.

Only one shirt showed up in this episode. I think what strikes me as the most odd, is that he tucks it in.

Groceries are exciting!

Work out is done! I'm just slow in writing it down. Got my workout in first thing this morning. My warm-up was cleaning the bathrooms for my wife's party tonight. Certainly got down and dirty with that one and certainly broke a sweat doing it. The workout itself went just fine. Nothing terribly exciting other than it hurt. But in a good way.

After my workout, it was off to town to get groceries. I was trying to find a way to make it exciting but I'm pretty sure it's hard to do. But I tried anyways. After groceries, it was back home to unpack, eat, and go to therapy.

That's where the excitement began. A minor emergency at work meant a lot of driving around and getting way outside of my schedule. But I managed to get things back on track in time to go pick up the kids from school. Then it was back home to prep some more for the party, feed the kids, then off to my trail meeting.

Phew! Busy day. But it was productive and I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight.

Photos:

Video:

Day 3 - Routine

Working on getting into a routine of sorts around the house. Not even a week into the new life so I know it'll take time. Today's adjustment was my new job. Just like in the past, I won't talk about my current employer. Not that I have anything against them, I just find it not quite the right thing to do. Previous employers, sure, I'm more than happy to talk about them.

But talking about current employers has gotten me in trouble in the past. I've overshared certain things and had my hand slapped. And while I try to stick to the rule of "don't say anything you wouldn't tell your grandmother," sometimes it doesn't matter what you say, your employer doesn't like it. I also find it easier to keep my personal life and my work life separate when I don't mix them on social media.

It has nothing to do with the employer, my bosses, my direct-reports, my location, my security clearance, nothing like that. As it stands now, those are all great. I have no issues at all. I just don't want to compromise where I am and what I'm doing by opening my mouth and people thinking it's something my employer has sponsored when it's not. This is my channel, my voice, and I'm wholly responsible for what comes out of my mouth

So in the end, no, I won't talk about where I'm working.

But I'm happy to roast my previous employers over the coals. Or praise them for doing something right. I'm no business expert but I've learned a few things in my time.

Anyway, on with today's story. I started the day out with my planned 2 mile run. I went over a bit but that's just how the route worked out. Along the way I talked to my dad and we made breakfast plans. After breakfast, I vacuumed in the basement and headed off to work.

Work was, work. Nuff said.

Photos:

Weather:
Temps for the run were about 550F to 55F. The sun was out but there were some clouds. Wind was light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had a little coffee before the run. Plain water during the run. Recovery was a veggie omelette, two slices of toast, and hash browns. And more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing hurt during the run. There were a few times I felt extremely light on my feet and totally in a groove. The rest of the time I felt like a blob oozing forward slowly in a herky-jerky fashion.

Gear:
Shorts and a long sleeve top. And my BUFF. Should have worn another layer on top. Should have worn gloves too.

Today's Motivation:
As much as I wanted to continue moving around the neighborhood, the chill air and the offer of breakfast drove me inside to take a shower. As I ran, I realized I'll run for boobs and food. And probably a few other things too.

Naughty Neil:
I really want to eat a cookie. But I'm going to do my best to avoid snacks tonight. I ate a bit more calorie-wise today than I had hoped for. And with my weigh-in on Monday of 246.2 pounds, I really need to knock some of that shit off.

Splits:
Lollipop 1 - 16:02
Lollipop 2 - 16:45
Finish - 32:48

Day 2 - How do you make going to the dump exciting?

Today's challenge was making a trip to the dump exciting. I'm pretty sure I failed but hey, at least I gave it a shot. Along the way, I pulled some serious Mr. Mom stuff. Dishes were done. Laundry was washed, dried, and put away. I did my workout this morning. Pretty much everything on my list was taken care of except doing my two hours of exercise. But after yesterday, I was wiped and was pretty sure I couldn't pull 2 hours of sweating to the oldies.

So instead I walked around like the old farts in the neighborhood. Which is what I felt like when I was out there walking.

The rest of the day was just boring stuff. Organizing things for the rest of the week, helping with dinner, blah blah blah. You get the idea.

Here's more information about Yahoo tanking it in the market. And keep in mind, they discontinued their Work From Home program and claimed that it worked perfectly. That was 2013. So while some think working from home is going to be the norm, it's not something that works for everyone. But for those that can work from home, it's a huge boon to the employee and employer.

Photos:

Video:

Weather:
Temps were cool, maybe 50F, when I did my walking warm up. Not much exciting going on early in the morning. I did the rest of my workout in the basement where it was a warm 74F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Coffee before the workout. Plain water during the workout. Recovery was more coffee, two eggs, four slices of bacon, some home fries, and two slices of toast.

Aches and Pains:
Well, my ass hurts from doing all those fire hydrants. But aside from that, I just felt old. I also managed to knock out two whole pushups. Yeah, beast, right?

Gear:Nothing fancy, just shorts and a t-shirt.

Today's Motivation:
I'm back to being addicted to the green box in Training Peaks. I also want to kill it this summer. You know, get that Ken Doll body. But with man parts.

Naughty Neil:
Breakfast was larger than planned but I was hungry. Hangry.

Day 1 of #mymidlifecrisis

Today was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I'll go into plenty of details later about why I left my previous employer. Today, I wanted to focus on the positive side of a fresh start.

The first day of my midlife crisis is nearly complete and it was pretty good. A little more tiring than I expected but I did everything I wanted to do and a few things I needed to do.

My first, and biggest, goal for today was to go for a hike to my secret, but not so secret, beach at Caledon State Park. I had envisioned myself taking a quick jaunt down to the water, unrolling my towel, and just sunning myself for an hour or so. Turns out it was a hike, not a jaunt. The sun disappeared. And I felt restless. As I hiked myself back to the car, I realized I'm following my father's footsteps in not really taking to retirement. So I decided it's going to be more like a working retirement. And even though I keep saying I'm unemployed, I'm not. I have a job. That pays. It's all about the mindset.

My second goal for today was cutting the grass. Which turned out to be harder than expected. The hike really sapped my strength and gave me some hotspots to deal with. But I toughed it out, spent what felt like forever picking up branches, and got the grass cut. I was going to power through my lunch break and finish and I finally stopped myself and said screw this, I don't need to push so damn hard, I can stop and eat whenever I want.

So I stopped and had lunch then went back and finished cutting grass. By then I was wasted. So I cleaned up, took a nap, and did some laundry. I can envision myself watching Mr. Mom at some point as a training video on how not to have a mental breakdown.

Anyway, that was the meat of today.

The saddest part was the weigh-in this morning. I'm so damn fat. I've put on so much weight, it's scary. But today's just the first day. One step at a time. It won't happen over night.

Photos:

Video:
 

Weather:
Temps were about 70F and rose to about 75F. Sun was out but skies were overcast at times. Wind was light to moderate.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was one egg and one slice of toast. During the hike I had plain water and some NUUN. I had an apple granola bar when I finished my hike.

Aches and Pains:
Ball of my left foot is about a 2. Chafing is about a 2. Right knee is about a 1. Got way too out of breath hiking back. Not like a medical emergency kind of out of breath, more like "I shouldn't be this fat and out of shape" kind of out of breath.

Gear:
Wore shorts, t-shirt, and a hat. Also packed my Mystery Ranch bag with camera gear.

Today's Motivation:
Quitting my job yesterday. I've been dreaming about the hike to this beach for months.

Naughty Neil:
I caught myself dreaming about lunch on my hike today. I ended up eating hamburgers instead of fish like I had planned. But it's the thoughts that concerned me more than anything.

Splits:
Not exact numbers.
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 2:00:00

12 Years Old

Another run out of the blue. Really, it was my daughter's idea and it came out of the blue. I never expected her to want to run on her birthday. But she did. She got up, got dressed, and was ready to go much earlier than I expected. In fact, I put my PJs on expecting her to still be in bed. But no, she was in her running shoes waiting for me.

And did I mention it was chilly? And raining? And she still wanted to go.

So I chuffed along and tried not to slow her down too much while we enjoyed our wet, windy, and chilly morning birthday run. So glad to see each of us smiling by the end of it.

Along the way we saw Mrs. Brown walking her dog. We also chatted about life in general. Largely I unloaded a little on her about how financially stressful my new under-employed status will be but I tried to stress with her that we'll make it work. We won't be buying a mansion but we won't be cancelling Christmas. When I finally gave her some time to talk, she just wanted to invite some friends over for her birthday.

Sometimes I miss the simple things in life that were your biggest worries as a kid. Like who can come over to play.


Photo:

Weather:
Temps were about 50F. Light to moderate rain. Overcast. Winds were light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had nothing before the run. Plain water during the run. Recovery was coffee and a cinnamon roll.

Aches and Pains:
Chest hurt (but not a heart attack kind o hurt) from trying to breath. I've lost most if not all of my conditioning.

Gear:
Wore shorts, t-shirt, and long sleeve top. Hat but no gloves. And a small water bottle.

Today's Motivation:
How often does your daughter ask to go for a run on her birthday? And is still willing to do it in the cold rain? That's enough motivation for me for a week!

Naughty Neil:
Um, can't really think of much at the moment. But the day isn't over.

Splits:
Finish - 18:20

Vague Update

Today was one of those days that I will hopefully remember for a while. It wasn't a huge day. NO major announcements. No good news or bad news. Just an undercurrent, a buzz, that went through the background of my brain for most of the day. I got a little nervous here and there but generally just pushed it aside. When I thought long and hard about the risks involved, I was able to give those nerves a solid shove.

In a good way.

As the title implies, I'm being vague about things. After taking one too many trips to Human Resources, I've seriously curtailed the content here and elsewhere. I'm now very close to the point of just not giving a rip. But that will come in due time.

Today's update is a step beyond vague because the feelings were, well, hard to latch on to. They were good feelings so that's at least semi-easy to clarify. Even as I drove to work this morning, I had these little epiphanies going off in my head like a really small fireworks display. Thoughts bursting here and there. I only managed to capture a few of them.

But like fireworks, even capturing them on film, or words in this case, doesn't do them justice. You can take thousands of photos in DC during the Fourth of July but you don't really capture the vibe of what it felt like to be there. You can take thousands of photos of the Grand Canyon, but until you go there, it's hard to capture the essence of how big it really is.

But like any photographer though, or writer, I'm going to try to capture today with a few images.

I sat through an orientation session and learned a lot. I was a little surprised that I didn't know some of what was there. President's nearly died. Planes landed where houses stand now. Computer programs were infected with "bugs" for the first time. As I sat at the desk, I gave all the wrong answers. And it felt great to be so open and honest and have the choice to say yes or no.

This is my mid-life crisis but I see it as a change and not a crisis.  A change for the better. Like a moth leaving the cocoon or a Phoenix rising from the ashes, I want to be better. Stronger. I want to do the right thing. I want to do what's best for me. Do what's best for my family. Do what's best for the world by making a contribution that's more meaningful. I want the freedom to create. I want the freedom to do what I want to do. As I near 40 years in this life, as I get closer to this mid-life crisis, I feel that I've earned the right to do what I want.

And this is what I want.

Dr. Joseph Laythe

My writing has been sparse lately because, well, life gets in the way sometimes. Sadly it's death that has spurred my fingers to move across the keyboard once again.

As I try to recall Dr. Laythe, there's not much there. And it's not anybody's fault, it's just how my brain works. I don't remember a specific moment in his class or a specific conversation with him, but I do remember his face. His wispy blonde hair that was rapidly thinning. His infectious smile that was very much like a cat-ate-the-canary grin. And his insane skill to memorize your name. After learning about his death this past weekend, I learned that the hair was gone, the smile was still there, and I learned a bit about his trick to memorizing your name.

I had planned on writing a decently long essay of sorts about Dr. Laythe but realized it simply wouldn't do him justice. Nor would it score a decent grade in his class. So instead, I'm giving you what little I do have from my own collection of ephemera.

My notes from October 8, 1997 for my American Urban Development class (HI377):

Portland
- at the Columbia and Willamette Rivers
- Oregon City was the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC)
- just north of the Willamette Falls
- HBC was a large British trading company
- 1820s to 1840s - important city
- 1845
- Pettygrove set up a better trading site at current day Portland
- with in 2 years Oregon City has lost to Portland
- warehouses and wharves were built
- plank road was built into the Willamette Valley
- Portland expands rapidly after gold rush in CA
- 2/3 of the population went to CA while the remaining 1/3 remain and make money
- the elite in Portland are very conservative
- Portland’s population
--- 1880 - 17,000
--- 1890 - 46,000
--- 1910 - 200,000
- Seattle’s population
--- 1880 - 3,500
--- 1890 - 42,000
--- 1910 - 250,000

My list of classes for 1996 through 1998:

And finally, the best image I have of our History Club shirt. It says "Think Historically, Act Hysterically:"

Resources:

Leigey, Macala. Longtime Professor Reflects on Career, in Midst of Cancer Battle. edinboronow.com February 17, 2006. Retrieved March 16, 2016. http://www.edinboronow.com/article/longtime-professor-reflects-on-career-in-midst-of-cancer-battle