Have You Ever Had a Song Pop in Your Head...

... that has not been in there for decades?

I took a stab at a new video editor. It is pretty simple to use. I am still figuring out the "order" of things, but I put this together in just a few minutes from some images on my hard drive.

Three things that confirm that you are getting old:

• You drive a Lincoln town car
• You drive your Lincoln town car at 55 mph to conserve gas
• Your Lincoln town car is passed on the freeway by a "SmartCar"

Sitting at the DMV

...waiting for my number to be called... could describe the story of ones life... at least I have the web! My most recent sidetrack is to find or make rear wheel skirts for my truck in an effort to improve gas mileage.

La Jolla Half Marathon Update

Well, I made it. It wasn't pretty. If you want to know how it went, watch the clip below. I think my emotions were almost identical to doctor Frankenstein's in this scene.... same order and everything. The hill that IS miles 6 and 7 of that course are where I was pounding at the door, begging to be let out.



Also, notable comments heard during the race:

• Hey!... you have a lady bug on your tushie... that is good luck!
• Traffic controller telling a guy in a car trying to cut through the line of runners - When I tell you to go, you gotta go ("Gotta" sounded like James Brown)
• Guy on roof/balcony with a white beard, wearing a santa's hat (really) near the Marine Room overlooking the last mile - "That is a wicked mean hill ain't it"
  

La Jolla Half Marathon Training Update

OK... so I'm in trouble...

• 1 Week way from the half marathon
• I have not run in 3 weeks
• I am getting over a week long cold
• I am coming off of 2 straight 70 hour weeks at work

But, believe it or not, it could be worse!

I am not worried. I have thrown any time related goals completely out the window, but I am really confident that I will finish. The last time I went out to run, I felt really good and I am going to get 3 runs in this week before the event. I don't think that I will be the saddest case on the course... close, but not at the bottom.

Life is Funny Sometimes

I started the day knowing that I was traveling to Washington D.C. for business, but little did I know that 10 hours later, I would be sitting in an airport bar having a beer in Denver while I wait for a connecting flight. My normal 15 minute drive from La Jolla to the airport saw me sitting on I5 for 45 minutes. I then looked for a parking place for another 25 minutes and ended up walking in to check my bag 12 minutes before departure.

Needles to say, they put me on a later flight and here I sit. Not that I mind, I have never been to Denver and they seem to take U.S. Currency here. When things seem destined to happen a certain way, it makes me wonder if I was put here for a reason?... so far, the trip has been uneventful. Other than making everyone in my row on the plane laugh once, I have said little to anyone. I will let you know if anything ground breaking happpens on the red eye from Denver to D.C..

Wireless Internet Access

Sometimes, technology really surprises me. I walked into my local sprint store today and walked out 15 minutes later with a new aircard that will allow me to access the internet from just about anywhere.

I just sat down and followed a few easy steps, and less than 5 minutes later, I am writing this post. They gave me the new hardware and software for free and the monthly charge is the same as my old dsl. As I am often on the road, this will really free up time to "log-in" and get work done at times when I am normally sitting around doing little. Hopefully, the end result will be more time at home with the family.

Limousine Time Share

FYI, the wife and I are taking steps to promote our limousine business this year. We are going to be focusing more on catering to small groups of people who are looking to go out on a regular basis and share the cost of the service at a reduced rate.... imagine you and a group of your friends having your own personal "Limo Guy"to use together as a group or to share as individuals or couples.

The ideal customer is someone who goes out about once a month with their friends or with a loved one (date night with the significant other) and want to avoid the hassle of parking and designating a driver, while traveling and arriving in comfort and style at a rate similar to San Diego Taxis and Cabs (for a group of 8 people, the rate breaks down to about $35 per person per month over a 12 month period).

You could think of it sort of as a "Limousine Time Share". More to come, but feel free to let me know if anyone is interested.

More Random Green Thoughts

• Finding a way to capture energy from things I already do every day: I was thinking of setting up a way to charge extra batteries as I drive to and from work every day. The batteries could then be used to run "things" at home instead of a plug in the wall.
  

• Or... the batteries could be a part of a "Portable power Source" that could be taken on camping trips to power things. Imagine a small, round picnic table on which you could place a radio, T.V. or laptop and plug in while you are in the middle of nowhere... Getting more bang for your gas mileage buck!
  

Random Green Thoughts

• If the San Diego Freeways were able to send all of the rain water that collects in it's gutters, to a holding system, how many gallons of water would it collect in a normal year?
• How many desalinization facilities would need to be built in order to supply all of California's water AND THEN be able to send enough water back in the opposite direction to the Imperial Valley in order to grow enough energy producing crops which could be sold in the open market to pay for the entire system?
• Is there a product that produces impulses of electric current when "touched" and that is cheap enough so that millions of them could be laid down in/on California freeways so that as millions of cars drove over them every day, they generated electricity? (credit J. Legarreta for the idea)
  

La Jolla Half Marathon Training Update

I reached a couple of milestones in the last week:

1. I ran 9 miles on Saturday. It was long and slow, but I did the mileage as planned
2. Yesterday, I timed myself for the first time for 4 miles. I was a little surprised to see myself doing sub-11 minute miles. For those of you who are real runners, please stop laughing now.

Years ago, I could do this comfortably at a 8 1/2 minute per mile pace, but I was pretty happy with my progress now. I WAS ACTUALLY PASSING PEOPLE!... sure, they were either 80 pounds overweight, or in their mid 70's, but I was passing them!

Have You Ever Had the Feeling that You were Being Watched?

I was driving into work the other day and felt like someone was looking at me. I looked right and left, but no one was next to me. Then I looked up and saw this...

Scenes from a Run 1/31/2008

La Jolla Half Marathon Training Update

As I mentioned in a previous post, it has been a long time since I have seriously exercised. So long, in fact, that after telling my wife that I had entered the event, she asked me if the race committee had sent their "Thank You for the Donation" letter yet... she has serious doubts that I will be there on race day. She also suggested that I do NOT go out unless I wear sweat pants... she does not want me to be held responsible for blinding anyone that may have the misfortune of looking in the direction of my legs during daylight hours.

Tomorrow is the first day of my structured 14 week training routine. It has me running 5 days a week with the mileage slowly ramping up week after week until I am ready to do the 13 miles on April 27. With the little extra motivation of my wife's comments, for the better part of the last 3 weeks I have been doing a little jogging in an attempt to be ready for the regular 3 and 4 miles runs that begin this week.

I hesitate to call what I have been doing "running" because the pace has been so slow. I have come to think of it as a "Pigeon Pace" because, as I was jogging along one day, I came upon a flock of about 7 pigeons that were standing around eating something off of the ground. They were about 10 yards in front of me and as I closed in on the birds, I expected them to frantically run out of my path and take off in a panic. Instead, they just sort of walked out of my way and cleared a narrow path for me to pass through. As we all slowly waddled along, they just sort of looked over their shoulders at me with pity.... thus the "pigeon pace".

I have to say, however, that I am encourage by my progress to date. Although I do not think that I will be setting any new personal bests in April, I do know that I will be in much better shape and weigh a few pounds less by May. More updates to come with each milestone.

How Time Flies

1999
- New House with a few loose ends to work on
- Newly Wed
- 200 rock hard pounds of muscle
- Brand New Corporate Job
- Unlimited Energy
- Learning to work this New thing called "email"
- Not a Single Grey Hair


2008
- House is just about done
- 226 pounds of something... not sure what that is growing out of my back
- 2 Kids
- 7,420 hours spent in the car commuting
- 5,634 cups of coffee
- A few Grey Hairs
- Limited Energy

Padres Spring Training in Style

A couple of friends and I are in the process of trying to set up a package deal that would allow a few folks to attend a weekend of spring training games in AZ this March. General, we are thinking of including the following:

• Air Fare
• Complete Limousine Transportation in Arizona to and from all events (including airport)
  
• Hotel Accommodations
  
• Tickets over the Padres dugout for all games
• Steak Dinners
• A Behind the Scenes Tour of Padres Facilities
• Andrew Magdaleno Autograph Baseball

Please shoot me a line if this might interest you. We don't have much time to get this going.

Off and Running

I started a new running routine this morning. It has been 7 years since the last time I exercised. It was just one mile, but I had to stop twice and I almost threw up. I felt like I was encapsulated in a giant marshmallow running against the wind. However, I did manage to finish the mile and I will definitely be back at it again tomorrow. In fact, I have entered the La Jolla Half Marathon in late April. This will be my 4th Half Marathon, but I will be starting my training in the worst shape of my life.

I have reached the point in my life where I can no longer rely on the physical foundation that I set in place as a kid. I realize that I reached a turning point... either get back at it, or continue to morph into a blob that my wife will not, eventually, recognize as the man she married.

The "Toothpick in the Mouth" Look

I am considering an attempt at adopting the "Toothpick in the Mouth" look this year. More thoughts and photos to come...

Top 10 Things About Working Through the Holiday Season

10. Easy access to vacationing co-workers work areas, so that phone ring volumes may be raised to maximum as well as disconnecting mice and keyboard plugs from the rear of computers.

9. Performing “Urgent Customer Requests” related to posting web content that will not be read by employees for another two weeks.

8. Discovering that locking doors in manager’s office makes for nice “Nap spot”.

7. Easy access to individual bathrooms marked “Handicap” throughout the day.

6. Sending email to upper management, thanking them for the “Opportunity” provided by new holiday policy which “allows” employees to work on Christmas and New Years Eve.

5. Receiving “Underutilization Alerts” from offshore resources related to lack of work assignments on December 25th.

4. Light traffic on freeway cuts one-way commute in half to only 50 minutes.

3. Consuming “Soda” left over from office holiday party throughout the work day.

2. “Security Guard Small Talk”

1. Nice parking spot right up front marked “Reserved for CEO”.

Just Wondering...

If a person ingests an antibiotic pill which has been dropped on the floor, will the effectiveness of the pill override the germs obtained while on the floor?