Defending Christmas

I posted this on facebook last year and felt it was worth revisiting...

It’s strangely interesting to watch Christmas evolve into something nearly unrecognizable. Each year, we as a society seem to take one more step away from the true meaning towards the politically correct atheistic/ agnostic “holiday season”. It has grown to the point where people feel self-conscious about saying “Merry Christmas” to others for fear of offending them. How long will it be until our calendars say “Festive Holiday” on December 25? Many people already refer to it as ‘Xmas’ (which drives me nuts).

Christmas is first and foremost the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. That’s where it starts and ends.

Personally, I really don’t care that December 25th was once a Roman holiday celebrating the winter solstice and the Festival of Saturnalia. It could’ve been the Buldavian festival of the Holy Hippopotamus for all I care. What is important to me is what it is now, not what it was nearly 1700 years ago (it became Christmas sometime before 336 AD). We get to take one day to stop and think about Christ and what He did for us.

Whether or not you believe in Christ as the Son of God, a prophet, or just a wise teacher is up to you. I don’t believe that celebrating Christmas, or even calling it Christmas, detracts from anyone else’s experience or imposes a set of beliefs on anyone. I don’t feel threatened or that that I am being pressured into changing my beliefs when someone celebrates Hanukka. I’m secure enough in my own faith that I can respect and admire the beliefs and traditions of others.

In remembering the birth of Christ, we also remember His life, teachings, and example. But most of all we remember the sacrifice He made on our behalf in Gethsemane and on the cross. We remember how death is no longer the end, the resurrection of Christ means that we too will live again.

"Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise." (2 Nephi 2:8)

Do you remember when Christmas used to bring a feeling of goodwill to others? When people would give service to others just because it was Christmas? People wonder why “goodwill to men” is on the decline as the focus of the season moves further away from Christ. . .

I Hate Flying...

That’s not really true. I actually enjoy flying. I love the window seats, watching the take-off and landing (which is saying something for someone who really doesn’t like amusement park rides). One of the most spectacular experiences I’ve ever seen was on the flight from Denver, CO to Calgary when I got to watch a lightning storm from above the clouds. How cool was that… about five to ten minutes of flight-time, watching as the clouds lit up as the lightning flashed in and between the clouds. I wish I could’ve caught it on film. But I digress…

What I really hate is the whole airport experience. Pulling into the long-term parking, getting the ticket, checking the display which claims to list the empty parking spots on each level. I have yet to figure out how they determine the number of available spaces when the whole process is automated. Here's how my morning went...

P2: 31. I don’t know what they were actually counting, but it sure wasn’t available parking spaces. 31 out-of-province plates, maybe. Oh well, it’s only 7:05 AM, boarding doesn’t start until 7:30, which still leaves me time to get through security and find the gate. I’ve already checked in on-line and claimed my seat. The flight doesn’t even leave until 8:00…

P3 is for short-term parking, can't stop there.

P4: 42. Again, I’d like to find out one day just what exactly those numbers really represent. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t room for 42 pair of roller skates anywhere on that level. 7:10 AM, getting a little tight on time, but still have room.

P5: 38. “Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell!” (2 Nephi 9:34). I could’ve found 38 frolicking unicorns on that level before finding even 1 parking spot. 7:15 AM, mild panic is starting to creep in slowly. I get my hopes up when I see what looks like a few parking spaces down at the end of the row. As I’m almost ready to turn in and park, I see the “Reserved” signs. “Memo to me: maim you after my meeting…”

P6: 88. I drove around for about three minutes wondering if Indiana Jones himself could find parking in this airport before finally finding a spot (I only had to drive against two directional arrows to get it). 7:20, I really need to move to get to security, never mind through it…

7:25, waiting in line at the security entrance as some woman in front of me is extolling the virtues of her little shih-tzu (who will be travelling with her, on her lap) and how adorable it is. Two thoughts are screaming through my mind, trying desperately to be set free:

1. There’s no such thing as an “adorable” shih-tzu, and

2. You’d better pray you’re not on my flight, or I’ll do everyone a favor and strangle that thing right now. Sure, they might frown on it on the outside, but inside they’d be giving me high-fives and putting me on their Christmas card list.

7:30, I’m now in the actual security line. For once in my life, I actually pick the faster of the two lines. Every once in a while, karma throws me a bone before hitting me with it. The woman in front of me this time felt compelled to wait until she got to the conveyor belt before starting to unlace her knee-high boots. On the plus side, she was short and her knees were fairly low to the ground to start with, meaning fewer laces to untie. On the down-side, she was wearing a shirt that didn’t fit when she was standing up. Let’s just say everyone behind her got a good look at the “tramp stamp” (I think that’s a more politically correct term than “porn star birthmark”) on her lower back. I hope she had a trust-worthy tattoo artist, or those were probably Japanese symbols meaning “advertise here”.

7:45, final boarding call for WestJet flight 150. Yup, that’s me… frantically trying to stuff my laptop back in the bag as soon as I can grab it off the belt without getting in trouble from the friendly security agents (they were even less inclined to humor this morning than normal). Karma must’ve figured I’d suffered enough already because my gate was the closest to security, or she was just toying with me. If I was flying AirCanada, I wouldn’t have been worried at all. In fact, I would’ve stopped for breakfast and still have been early. That’s why I prefer not to fly on airlines run by the devil himself. But I’m flying WestJet and can already picture the gate attendant running down the loading ramp, pounding on the locked door on my behalf, begging them to let me on.

I came around the corner to the departure gate and there are still four people in line ahead of me, so karma was lulling me into a sense of false security. The guy ahead of me decides to wait until the gets to the gate attendant to realize he doesn’t have his boarding pass out and ready. Just when did you think you were going to need it, Sparky?? I wanted to ask him if that was his unattended baggage over by the washrooms, but again my sense of social conformity won out. I have GOT to get that fixed one of these days...

If this were a flight heading South instead of North, I would gladly go through all this and more. I would expect it as some sort of rite of passage initiation to a warmer climate. It would be as though karma was exacting a toll for leaving the cold and snow behind and trading it for sunshine and warmth, and it would still be a bargain. But flying to Grande Prairie?? It’s only -6C in Calgary and expected to go back into the double-digit plus side while I’m gone. After all, the Grande Prairie airport isn’t exactly O’Hare. You have to walk from the plane to the terminal. Outside. In the cold, and snow, and wind. I mentioned cold, right? At least someone had been out earlier to shovel a path from the portable stairs all the way to the terminal entrance. The problem being that it had been long enough for the wind to drift snow over much of the path. Not to beat a dead horse (and then poke it repeatedly with a stick), but this would not be a problem in Ari-freakin-zona.

And then, to top it all off, somewhere between security and the Grande Prairie airport I managed to lose my watch. I know I had it in the Calgary airport because I was frantically checking the time every 30 seconds. I’m pretty sure karma stole it just to prove a point. Well played karma, well played…

A Couple of Chuckles...

We had a planned power outage on Sunday, which meant going to church at 8AM instead of 9. If it weren't for the fact we had kids in the primary presentation, I'm pretty sure the power would've mysteriously gone off at our house some time during the night, rendering all the alarm clocks useless. The one redeeming feature was that we were back home by 9:30.

I decided to curl back up in my bed, covered in four blankets (equivalent to 6 because two of them are folded in half... Dawn doesn't appreciate lots of blankets like I do). Dawn was in her recliner in the "sitting room" watching Animal Planet while I was sleeping. Never go to sleep while someone is watching Animal Planet.

I drifted off to slumber during a captivating documentary on Buddhist monks trying to protect their Asian honeybees from giant hornets. Quite interesting. Thirty of these hornets were able to kill a hive of 30,000 European bees in just under 3 hours. The Asian bees have a higher heat tolerance than the hornet, so when the scout invaded the hive, the Asian bees simply smothered it, raising the hornet's body temperature until it cooked. I drifted off to sleep somewhere after that, and for the life of me can't figure out why I still retain that trivial tidbit.

As I was somewhere between dead-to-the-world and dreaming, I could hear the narrator talking about sedating three of them for study. He described how the researchers were loading their tranquilizer guns and were waiting in position. I don't know why my brain decided that was the moment to receive audio input from the outside world, because it was very vexing trying to figure out how these researchers were going to use dart guns on the hornets. Granted, they were bigger than normal, but still... you have to be a really good shot to hit one with a dart gun. The narrator went on for what seemed like minutes before he said anything about these three specimens being elephants. Apparently I was asleep longer than I thought.

In other humorous news, about a week ago (roughly), Rhys (5yrs) was doing something he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing. Dawn told him if he kept doing it, he'd get a spanking.

Rhys thought for a second and replied, "That seems fair."

Why We Don't Set Goals

The results of my recent poll were unanimous in favor of goal setting. It didn't take very long to count the votes either, because there was only one. Anyhow, this is something that has always been an interest of mine so I hope someone else out there can gain something from this

Before I jump into the fun of setting goals, I want to start out with reasons why the majority of us don't set goals. I dare say that the vast majority of us know that we should set goals, but studies have shown that less than 3% of us actually have goals which we are working towards achieving. That's a pretty dismal number. As near as I can tell from my own study and observation, all our excuses fall into four categories:

1. Fear
2. Doubt
3. Lack of Ownership
4. Lack of Knowledge

1. Fear
The most obvious fear I think would be the fear of failure. No one wants to fail, so we often retreat from experiences that would stretch us and force us to grow. Somehow, I think if we're honest with ourselves, it's not really failure that we fear. Sure, public speaking may terrify some of you, but in the context of the really important goals, I don't think failure is our biggest worry. Let me explain with a quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles)

Jack Canfield once told a story of a lady in her 50's who was able to lift a car off her grandson who had become trapped underneath. In an interview with him, she said she didn't like talking about the experience because if she was capable of doing that, it would mean she was capable of doing so many other things she "knew" she couldn't do. She later faced her fear, went to college and got her teaching degree to follow a dream she had always felt was beyond her ability.

I truly and firmly believe that on some level this is the fear that holds us back from achieving our growth goals. It's not so much, "What if I fail?" as it is "What do I do if I succeed?" It's illogical at best, but I've seen it often enough to be convinced. Somehow, many of us are more comfortable accepting criticism than success.

2. Doubt
Whether you doubt the goal can be achieved at all, or you doubt your own ability, this is a big stumbling block to many people. We get all excited about setting goals from a book or a lecture, but when reality sets in, we find ourselves wondering if we can ever achieve the goals we've set. Low self-esteem, feedback from others, and social conditioning all tend to impede our progress.

Maxwell Maltz once said, "The most realistic self-image of all is to conceive of yourself as made in the image of God. You cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power."

We need to firmly believe that we are worth success, we deserve happiness, and that we have an immeasurable intrinsic value.

3. Lack of Ownership
This is why many corporate goals fail. People at the top get together and decide what the company is going to do, and then they tell the lower ranks what the goals are. But this can also flop on a personal level as well. If you don't seem to be motivated towards a goal, stop to see if it is even your goal. Are you caught in someone else's definition of success? There is a thriving industry built around appearance because society as a whole has bought into the idea of the perfect body or perfect skin.

There is no sense of accomplishment in achieving a goal that belongs to someone else. This is what Stephen Covey refers to as climbing the ladder of success only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.

4. Lack of Knowledge
I'm willing to bet that 95% of the New Year's Resolutions out there would not meet the criteria of being a real goal. Sorry if I burst any bubbles there, but it had to be said. Wishes aren't goals. To-do lists aren't goals. Wants aren't goals. But we treat them as if they were goals and then get discouraged when we don't achieve them. If not done properly, goal setting can be a demotivating process that can almost guarantee not reaching your target.

I want to walk through the process of setting goals. It has been said that the best way to really learn something is to teach someone else. Bear in mind that I'm not doing this because I have perfected goal setting in my own life, but because I need to reinforce what I already know and may not necessarily be doing.

Goal setting?

I was looking through some of my old files on the computer and came across a goal setting presentation I've done a couple of times at work. I thought this might be some good content to post here if anyone was interested (take a second to vote on the poll --> ).

The new Star Wars Lego Death Star has just been released, so that would make a good alternative if no one is interested in goals...

Fall TV Starts Again

The new fall line-up brings mixed feelings for me. On one hand, I’m excited for my returning favorites; CSI (LV & NY, I'll watch Miami if there's nothing else on), NCIS, House, Chuck, Criminal Minds, Numbers… On the other hand, we’re going to be subjected to the stupid shows that won’t die. Please don’t be offended if I ‘dis’ one of your favorites. It’s not an attack on you, and eventually, you’ll get over it.

90210 is coming back as the “next generation”. The only positive I can find here is that at least Tori Spelling isn’t on this version. I’m not any more likely to watch it, but at least she won’t be in the commercials. Personally, I think 90210 is the combined IQ of all the show’s viewers.

Dexter moved from HBO to the cable stations. Oh, joy. Moral of this story: it’s okay to be a serial killer as long as you target other serial killers. That sounds like a positive family message. Gather the children, the show's about to start.

My biggest pet peeve with the TV line-up has to be all the variations on the Reality TV theme. I don’t want to watch reality. I want to get away from reality, that’s why I watch TV. And let's be honest here. Reality TV is about as "real" as professional wrestling. Some of the ‘gems’ that are coming back this season:

Moment of Truth (2nd season). Whose dumb idea was this? Let’s hook people up to a lie detector and see how they respond to stupid questions. At least Who Wants to be a Millionaire had some play-along value. Anyone who has taken behavioral psychology should be able to condition themselves into beating a "lie" detector. I'm fairly certain my 9-year-old nephew could do it right now.

____’s Next Top Model. Canada wouldn’t go in with the US war on terror, but we will jump on any ratings bandwagon that rolls through town. I think someone should tie the models down and make them eat a real meal. “No thanks, I just had a grape. I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.”

_____ Idol (8th season in the US, 6th in Canada. I hate 'em both). AKA, “The One-hit Wonders”. If you haven’t been religiously watching the show since its inception, could you name more than three winners? Sure, Kelly Clarkson is doing well, but she would’ve made it without the show. And Canadian Idol? Please, like any of them have a chance of doing more than their one gratuitous song written by someone else with talent and handed to them on a silver platter. Ever notice how many follow-up hits they have? I really hate it when someone from Alberta is on the show because then I have to hear about it everywhere. Bumper stickers, newspapers, radio, autograph signings… Seriously. When 'whatsizname' from Medicine Hat was on, no one in the city could use their debit/credit machines for 2 hours after the show because all the lines were tied up from people calling in to vote. I say let natural selection take its course and have them get record contracts the old fashioned way.

Dancing with the Stars (7th season). I would rather watch a wildlife documentary on feral chickens. Imagine a British voice-over, if you will (all wildlife documentaries are narrated by someone with an accent). “Here comes Chester, he’s the leader of the flock. Oh no! He’s charging the cameraman! Hurry! Get back in the truck!” Seriously, way better than a bunch of celebrities trying to rekindle their flickering flame of popularity.

Survivor (17th season). For the love of all things good and holy, let this die! Do you really think any of this isn’t staged from the beginning? It’s just coincidence that, other than the token players, everyone looks good in skimpy swimwear, right? I’m so tired of hearing people talk about the “shocking twist” they have every season. “Did you watch Survivor last night?” “I know! I can’t believe they combined the tribes!” “Really, I did not see that coming!” Seriously, it was barely a twist when it happened the first time.

Signs I Travel Too Often

1. I walked into the hotel in Calgary Monday night just before 11:00, and the guy at the desk threw his arms up and said, "Finally! I was wondering if you were ever going to make it."

2. After the staff meeting and working in the office until nearly 8:00 PM, the only thing that sounded good to eat was a Costco hotdog. I did branch out a bit and get a chocolate sundae for dessert... cheaper and bigger than the DQ variety. I started out only two blocks away from Red Lobster, The Keg, and Olive Garden and had to drive past Tony Roma's, Montana's, and Boston Pizza just to get to Costco.

3. Dawn can go to Subway and check the schedule for five minutes and get mauled by the kids upon her return. Granted, Alaina will do that when Dawn comes out of the bedroom (or bathroom, or office...). I have to be gone for at least 2-3 days before I get a "hi, daddy" from Rhys who is downstairs playing on the computer. He usually waves as he says it, too.

4. I never completely unpack my suitcase when I get home, I just take out the dirty laundry. There's a good chance I'll just be packing it up again within 10 days anyway.

5. I still get Christmas cards (and calendars) from the hotel in Medicine Hat, and I haven't really stayed there in 2 years. They still remember me at the desk...

6. When they give me my room number at the front desk, 60% of the time I can tell if it's a really good room (417, that's the one with the big jet tub... 112, that's the nice suite with the 2nd TV, 305, that's in the corner, good thing they have a network jack in the room because the WiFi signal sucks...).

7. At least twice a year I can send Dawn to Great Falls for two nights on the hotel points I have accumulated since her last trip. And that's even around my occassional FutureShop gift card I cash in between the trips.

I Love Lego

I know, I shouldn’t just spring those kinds of surprises on people until I’ve had a chance to prepare them a little. But let’s face it, there may be three of you reading this right now who didn’t already know that. I realize I am leaving myself wide-open to the mockings that will follow, just as surely as rain follows a car wash. I can’t expect to get out unscathed if I have 4 shelves of Star Wars Lego in my office, now can I (I don’t count the very top shelf with the Star Destroyer).

I still remember getting my first Lego set, a space ship (naturally). We were visiting my Aunt Vada and her family, somehow I was allowed to get a toy (can’t remember if I had saved up or if it was a treat), and it was all downhill from there. I remember stripping it down and reassembling it repeatedly. It must be a testament to my fascination with Lego that I didn’t lose any of the pieces. I could probably still build that model from memory, and believe me, I have the parts. Ever since then, I’ve been a lot easier to shop for.

And then along came Star Wars Lego. Where was this when I was growing up? Seriously, I could never get anything to look like an X-Wing and I just didn’t have the parts I needed to make a TIE fighter. Fortunately, I got over that childhood trauma and have been slowly growing my collection. And now thanks to the wonders of eBay and bricklink.com, I have the tools to modify my existing models and to create new ones. This has opened up a whole new world for me. If this were a Disney movie, this would be the point where everyone would be singing along to a completely impromptu-yet-perfectly-choreographed musical number.

I started out just tweaking my ships (taking out the spring-loaded missiles, adding improved functionality, removing dumb features) and then branched out into building new from scratch. My first original creation was Darth Vader’s Sith starfighter, patterned after the Hasbro model. Then I made a red TIE interceptor which, according to the Expanded Universe, was used by the Emperor’s Royal Guards. I built Obiwan’s red starfighter from Episode III. I have photos of all my sets on Facebook if you're really curious. Yes, I’m that much of a geek. Other parents post photos of their children. Not me.

My current project is to finish modifying Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced into a more movie-friendly version. The original kit was all blue and black, so I’m replacing the blue with grey pieces and made the rear of the ship longer. The parts I need to complete my masterpiece are on their way from Michigan right now.

This is how it looked before I started tinkering. See how much blue they used?? Crazy. And it had a flip-top hatch that made it difficult to get Darth Vader in and out.

This is my progress so far. Now the whole cockpit opens, which is much easier. I brought the front out a little, almost have all the blue replaced, the back is longer like it should be. Once I get the rest of the parts, all the greys will match, for those who were worried about that.

Anyhow, I'm not laboring under any dilusion that anyone is still reading. I expect I lost most of you when you realized this whole thing really was about Lego. Part of me just wanted to see if I could do a whole entry just on Lego. Dawn will be so proud of me :)

Quick update

I just realized it has been over a month since I last posted, so I thought I'd put something up so I don't get kicked out of the blog society. I know, Michael hasn't updated his blog in four months... but he's a lawyer and is probably in tight with the blog enforcers. I don't have that kind of connection, so I'm playing it safe.

I pulled all of my Sunday School posts into a separate blog. On the right, you'll see the listing for "My Sunday School Page". This allows me to express my sarcastic side here without detracting from any of the good stuff over there. I have to apologize to those who made insightful comments on the old posts, I could only move the posts across. The comments were a sad casualty of the split. I had a really interesting experience over the last two weeks in class. We did the 'war chapters' (Alma 43-62), and I love the war chapters. For two weeks in a row, I went in without the lesson manual, just my scriptures and a few quotes on paper. Quite an interesting experience and something I've wanted to try for a long time, but never had the courage to do. I think it worked, I wasn't pelted with rotting fruits or vegetables, didn't get any angry calls from the bishopric... I'm not saying I'm ready to improvise a talk yet, but I might get there someday.

The Venetian hotel

Here I am in Vegas, after killing time all day yesterday before my 7:30 PM flight left Calgary. I managed to get a picture of Chief Mountain as we flew over. I didn't get my camera phone out fast enough to get the front face, but here's an aerial profile view. Not much to it from the American side...

Anyhow, landed in Vegas, stepped off the plane at about 9:30PM and it was still about 36c outside. Found an airport shuttle that was going to the Venetian, the front desk finally found my reservation info, and I was in my room before midnight.

Here are some photos of the room. Apparently, all the rooms are this size (I asked for a smaller one and they said this is the smaller one).

A view from the door. The bathroom is to the immediate right...

Here's view one of the bathroom...

...and view two...

...and the shower, which really weirds me out, even though I'm not sharing the room with anyone.

...standing in the bedroom...

Here's the 'lounge' area, along with the printer/fax/ scanner. The couch made me laugh... everything else in the room is very posh, but they have a hide-a-bed from the 70's. Nice touch.

...and the beds, looking from the lounge.

This room is bigger than some of my missionary apartments (could fit two of the "Love Shack" in here). I'm very much not in my comfort zone here. Even if I were filthy stinkin' rich, I'd still be over at the Comfort Inn (at least they have a microwave in the room).

Vegas is completely wasted on me... I don't gamble, I'm too cheap to see any of the shows that are here (I won't mention that Phantom is playing here... and when I say 'here', I don't just mean in Vegas, I mean here in the hotel), and all the shopping is waayyyy over-priced. Dawn says I'm supposed to enjoy it for her, which is really hard to do without her...

My First Mile!!

I ran my first continuous mile since Grade 10 gym class! I did my usual 2 miles/30 minute workout, but this time I was able to actually run for 1 straight mile. And I did it all while watching the last half hour of Nacho Libre (a motivational movie if ever there was one).

I feel like I could have run longer, but my calves weren't cooperating. I need to suppliment the treadmill with the Bowflex so my legs can keep up with me. My legs are burning, but the rest of me feels really good right now! I take a dramatically different approach to exercise than does my sister... I think it feels good to get a nice healthy sweat going.

Now I'm working towards 2 miles... then three. Then I can start on Day 1 of the actual training program.

New Toy!

Long story short... a friend at work sold me his super-cool treadmill for a really good deal because he got a better one. This thing was still unassembled and in the protective plastic wrap when we picked it up. The 'walkway' (not sure what the technical term is) is long enough that I can do a full stride and still have room. Do let's take a closer look, shall we?

As you can see, it has a little TV monitor built in. We have it hooked up so whatever is showing on the big screen will also show on the little one here (hence, Voyager). We can also hook up a DVD player if we wanted. The workout display can be shown along the bottom of the screen, the right side, or hidden. It shows your distance, time, pulse, calories, and speed.

Here's the "command console" with the quick set buttons for incline and speed, and the program buttons for Cardio, Weight Loss, etc. There's also an input jack for hooking up an MP3 player (sold separately). The thin black strip above the screen? That's the two-speed fan.

So this is our new workout buddy. No excuses on not being able to fit in some exercise. If we have time to watch TV, we can exercise at the same time now. Way cool, I'm super excited to try it out tomorrow!

Day 2: Another 2 miles

I'm feeling last night's workout a bit more this time. Apparently I have calf muscles... who knew. I love being able to set the pace on the treadmill, and this time I was able to actually jog for about 0.8 of a mile (not all at once though) and did 2.09 miles in 30 minutes.

Speaking of treadmills, a buddy at work gave me a really good deal on his. Long story short, he has the nice one from Costco that is still in the box (well, three boxes actually)... the one with the TV screen and 3hp motor. So next week when I come up for the staff meeting I get to pick it up.

In my head, I'm planning to do the treadmill during the week and then go out and actually hit the real road on Saturdays. I also need to start doing the Bowflex on my off-days so I can work on my legs.

So this week I've already done more running than I have since gym class in Grade 10 (which was the last time I had to take gym). I've never been one to go out and run for the heck of it, but it's starting to grow on me.

It didn't kill me!!

Woohoo! My first workout as part of the preliminary marathon training program. I actually packed a workout bag for my trip this time so I wouldn't have any excuses. I spent 31 minutes on the hotel treadmill tonight and walked (mostly) 1.92 miles. That's well within the target range for the preliminary training schedule. I even managed to get some actual jogging in for a while too.

I know it's not as good as the "real thing", but there are some nice perks to the treadmill. I can gradually increase my speed until I get to my target range (4.5 mph). Once I felt comfortable there, I bumped it up to 5 for some jogging. I only made it about 0.1 - 0.2 miles at that pace, but it's a start. That's more than I did yesterday. Aside from the fact that I looked like I'd been in a waterfight as I went back upstairs to my room, it really felt good.

The book is really big on keeping a reasonable training pace to avoid injury, so I'll keep focusing on walking interspersed with a few minutes of jogging and gradually work up from there. I have 10 weeks before I tackle the 3-mile run.

Heart Failure (almost)

So, we got a copy of "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" and after the initial shock, it's turning out to be a good book.

Lemme 'splain... no, there is too much. Lemme sum up...

Page 2 of the intro has the training schedule, and Day 1 is listed as '3'. Three what? Well, three miles... 3 miles on Day 1?! They're trying to kill me and I haven't even started yet! I'll just take my cell phone with me, dial 9-1 just to get a head start and keep my finger ready to dial the last 1 as I start to get dizzy and pass out. On the bright side, I'll probably still be in the back yard at that point, so it'll be easy for the paramedics to find me. Heck, they could probably plug their defibrillators into the outside wall outlet and still reach me.

Fortunately I kept reading. On Page 9 they give you the 10-week preliminary training program to get you to the point where you can run 3 miles. I'm all about prequels coming out after the original series, but in this case it would not have killed them to mention the preliminary training first.

Basically, they start you out walking a 17-20 minute mile (which I could probably still do, I have long legs), then 13-16 minutes. Then you jog for 5 minutes, fast walk for 5 (for 30 minutes) and work your way up to running for 30 minutes. That doesn't sound quite as shocking as starting off with a 3 mile run on Day 1.

The book says to pick a marathon no later than 5 months from your starting point. Since I really have no desire to run 26.2 miles in November (unless of course it's in the Caribbean), I'm taking the liberty of stretching out the training schedule. The nagging voice inside me is starting to get excited about running, so I need to get on this band wagon right away.

While I work on the preliminary training schedule, I will work on incorporating the stretching and supplemental exercises (weights, etc). Again, this is part of the book that could've been addressed at the beginning. The stretches aren't introduced until week 4 and the other exercises don't come up until week 8. Honestly, I'm more afraid of the stretching than anything else. Some of you may not know this about me, but I don't bend. I don't remember ever being able to touch my toes without bending my knees. Not even a fuzzy childhood recollection.

Anyhow, there it is. I'm committing myself to running a marathon next year.

The Challenge

Krista phoned this morning to tell me she had a "copy" of the Non-Runners book, Dawn ordered ours a couple of days ago (it may be at the post office now, I didn't check yesterday)... I want to commit myself to this whole fitness thing before I realize how much work it will be and want to back out.

Krista and I thought it would be a good idea to get a team going so we could all reinforce each other and keep everyone motivated. I know myself well enough to know that it needs to be more work to keep making excuses to people why I didn't get out and do something than it would've been to just do it in the first place.

I want to commit to this now before I read the book and realize just how much work is involved. I'm going to have to change my diet (or get one in some cases... I don't always eat regularly), more water, less junk. I'm going on record right now saying that if my body starts reacting to dairy products, I'm back on the couch. I'm sorry, but ice cream is just too good to give up...

Anyhow, if you're interested in joining forces, then lets get a support team going. It's always easier when there are people who care encouraging each other...

I must be crazy...

I can't believe I'm actually considering this, I think my sanity may be in question here. I know some of you think I'm nuts already, so this could just be the conclusive evidence you were waiting for. .

I've been making fun of joggers/runners for a long time now. I've had a hard time grasping the motivation behind the desire to get out and just run for the sake of running. Not to run to or from anything, but just to run. I think most of us can safely say that society has evolved to the point where our lives no longer depend on our ability to outrun whatever wild animal is chasing us. Even then, let's face it... when we measure our top speeds in terms of a 4-minute mile, it's not going to make a difference against a predator that can do upwards of 30 mph.

Don't get me wrong, I've always admired those who are good (or even consistent) at running. Becka ran 20KM before coming out to branding last week. I don't know if I've run 20KM combined in my lifetime. Krista says she's been running. Our friends Barb & Jesse are both getting into it, which may end up being my final push over the edge. They're even talking about a marathon in Idaho next year. They recommended the book "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" by David Whitsett, so I'll have to get a copy and check it out. Let's face it, I'm a non-runner. No one has ever stopped me on the street to ask if I go jogging, or "didn't I see you running the other day?".

It's just one of those things that has always been quietly nagging me and thus far has been rather easy to ignore. I know there are many benefits to running, and I really need to have more activity in my lifestyle. I don't know if I'd ever tackle a marathon, but I do need to get out and do something more often. On the other hand, how cool would it be to actually finish a marathon... or a half-marathon... or to go from the couch to the fridge without getting winded.

For Your Shopping Convenience

This was at Walmart today, so I thought I'd take a picture of it. At first glance, everything seems normal. It's a great idea, making baskets available for people like me who don't realize they're going to need one until they're already in the food section and instead of just getting green onions and evaporated milk like their wives told them to pick up on their way home, they realize they are out of other essentials (Orange pop for making floats, white cranberry & peach juice...).


You know what would be really convenient? Handles on the freakin' baskets! There were three of these little racks at the ends of the aisles, and they all had one handle-less basket. So I had to walk to the front door, past the greeter (while I'm carrying all my grocery items), grab a good basket and walk back. The oh-so-helpful greeter looked at me somewhat puzzled and said "Welcome to Walmart." I'm sure she was wondering why I was coming in with groceries... It's times like that when I wish I could say what I'm really thinking, because I had a lot just waiting to come out.

Krista's Survey

Krista didn't tag me, but I'm going to be a rebel and do it anyway. I'm a little crazy that way... No one reads my other stuff anyway, so I thought I'd play with this (seriously, 58 seconds read-time when I do new posts).

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Sure, let's leave some mozarella out on the counter for a few days. Same thing, right? Who in their right mind would want all that mold on their cheese?!?

2. Have you ever smoked?
Only when I'm on fire...

3. Do you own a gun?
Proud owner of a Nerf Recon CS-6

4. What flavor Kool Aid is your favorite?
Blue raspberry lemonaide, grape, invisibles...

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointment?
Last time I had a dr's appointment was to fill in my mission papers

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I'm partial to the Costco hot dogs :)

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
It's a Wonderful Life, Muppets Christmas Carol

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Slimfast & ice cream, orange ice cream float (hmm... there seems to be a recurring theme here)

9. Can you do push ups?
8 Rhys push-ups, followed by 8 Allie push-ups. If my helpers aren't around, then I can do 18 (with my feet on the couch)

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
Whatever brings out my eyes. Actually, I only have my wedding ring and NZ chain, both of which I wear at all times. Should probably replace the CTR ring I grew out of...

11. Favorite hobby?
Star Wars Lego, computers, Star Wars Battlefront II, drawing, beating on my children...

12. Do you have A.D.D.?
What was the question again?

13. What's your weight?
On Earth? 215lb. On Jupiter: 508. Neptune: 241. Mars: 81.

14. Middle name?
Wade

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
A. Terina isn't scratching my back like she's supposed to be doing
B. Hmmm... ice cream float
C. Ironman is showing at 12:30...

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Milk (the good stuff, none of this white water junk), Rootbeer (hmmmm... sweet nectar), Kool aid

17. Current worry?
Did they fix the hyperdrive? Where does the white go when the snow melts?

18. Current hate right now?
I have no love for the Empire

19. Favorite place to be?
The toy aisle, Mountain View (for the ice cream), the Lego store @ Disneyworld

20. How did you bring in the New Year?
Asleep by 11:30, same as always

21. Where would you like to go?
Who is paying? How long do I have? Who is coming with me?

22. Name three people who will complete this?
I'm not going to name anyone, because then people who aren't named won't be offended...

23. Do you own slippers?
Dang straight... my green dinosaur feet slippers

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
White

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I'd rather sleep in pajamas

26. Can you whistle?
Yup

27. Favorite color?
Plaid

28. Would you be a pirate?
Under what circumstances?

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Not a shower singer, sorry

30. Favorite Girl's Name?
Name of my favorite girl? Or my favorite name for a girl? Let's try to be more specific here.

31. Favorite boy's name?
Again, would it hurt to be a little more specific?

32. What's in your pocket right now?
Still in my pj's (it's not noon yet, what do you expect??)

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
"Get outta the line!" (John Pinette) If you know what I'm talking about, then you're laughing too...

34. Best bed sheets as a child?
Who thinks of these questions?? I don't remember any of my childhood bedsheets.

35. Worst injury you've ever had?
Fell out of a tree (in January), landed on my head

36. Do you love where you live?
What's not to absolutely adore about having snow in freakin' May? Who wouldn't give their first born to live here? 8 months of winter tires, parkas you never really feel confident enough to put in storage for the 3 weeks of warm weather each year...

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
Actually plugged in? 2

38. Who is your loudest friend?
Real or imaginary?

39. How many dogs do you have?
None. Have to fence our yard first. Then hoping for a husky

40. Does someone have a crush on you?
Who wouldn't? I mean, really... I'm not one to brag, but you did ask.

41. What is your favorite book?
Hmm... whatever I find time to read. My Abnormal Psych book is a pretty good read, Harry Potter, Star Wars, anything by Neal A. Maxwell, David A. Bednar, Bruce R. McConkie...

42. What is your favorite candy?
Mint Oreo blizzards, Kit Kat, Reese's Pieces, Peanut Butter Cups

43. Favorite Sports Team?
Who ever decides to go on strike will have my unending loyalty. If I don't have to watch you on TV (or anywhere else, for that matter) or have any of my shows pre-empted because of your stupid sports activity, then I'm all for it. Why stop at just one team? Get the whole league to go on strike... you guys don't make enough money, you should hold out for more... Get a real job and see how it works out for you.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Darth Vader's theme song as my casket is wheeled in/out. I'd also like to have "He's dead, Jim..." on my gravestone.