Notable Quotables!!!

I've got some down time today here in the little village of Sawtry, so I thought I'd throw up a post I've been wanting to do for awhile...  Here's a short list of some of the quips and quotes that I draw inspiration from... I've always been a big fan of "quotes" because I think it's never a bad thing to get a leg up from the words of someone who has come before you and accomplished great things.  I hope you can draw inspiration or encouragement from some or all of these, as I have over the years... 

Enjoi!

-L

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've imagined!" - Henry David Thoreau

 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover." -Mark Twain

 

"Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage." -Theodore Roosevelt

"Get busy living, or get busy dying." -Andy Dufresne (Character played by Tim Robbins in the movie The Shawshank Redemption)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -Lao Tzu

"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime." -unknown

"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas." -Davy Crockett

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -Helen Keller

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." -Marianne Williamson

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." - Thomas Edison

"Do one thing every day that scares you." -Eleanor Roosevelt

"To laugh often and much.  To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children.  To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends.  To appreciate beauty.  To find the best in others!  To leave the world a bit better, weather by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition.  To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived... This is to have succeeded."  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Wassssuuuuuuppppp" -Budweiser commercials.  (I kid, I kid....)

2011 Teva Mountain Games

Teva - It's pronounced "teh-vuh" not "tee-vuh", contrary to what I've believed to be true for as many years as I have recognized the brand... For that matter, as many years as my friends have as well***... Is it my fault for the mispronunciation, theirs?  For this I am certain... I have clearly stated the correct way to pronounce it now, and as a result, my debt to society owed for the years of mispronunciation has hereby been paid...  But, I digress...

What an AMAZING experience the Teva Mountain Games was!!!  I've been wanting to attend this event for the better part of 7 years but work has always hindered my ability... Obviously, that was not a concern this year...  Jody was nice enough to come on the trip with me to keep me company and offer a TREMENDOUS amount of help carrying and setting up gear!  Now I understand how essential having a good assistant is if you're ever to be successful as a good photogrpher... At least one that has about 150 lbs. of gear to lug around... Just shooting was tiring enough!

Jody and Me On The Road Again! 

Besides the fact that I am an avid fan of all the sports that are part of The Games (i.e. mountain biking, bouldering, running, BMX, kayaking, etc.) the event is unique in itself for one reason... The organizers allow amateurs to compete alongside the best in the world at their chosen sport...  Fortunately for me, that includes the "Mountain Click Photo Competition", which granted me the same access given to the media.  In my case, the "pros" were made up of freelance photographers from all over the world, guys from Rock and Ice Magazine, Outside, Dirt Rag, and the Austrailian version of National Geographic Adventure. 

The point of the contest was to take the best photo and submit it for the competition.  Winners were to recieve money, prizes and their photo would be published in Outside Magazine...

For me, however, that would not be the case... After arriving at the games, I quickly learned that I was out of my league concerning knowledge, skill and proper gear for shooting events and sports such as these... I did win in a way though...  After meeting the people I did and speaking with them, as well as taking the opportunity to closely monitor their every move, I received an education in action sports photography that cannot be heard in a classroom or read in a book.  As a result, I will return next year better equipped and with the knowledge and skill to compete with the pros.  The student becomes the teacher, young grasshopper...

Ok, maybe not quite, but it is still gonna' be WAY more AWESOME from now on!  Gnarly!

I included a few of the photos below, and although they are substandard relative to the guys and girls actually competing in the competition, I'm pretty proud of them... They aren't too bad for a rookie from West Texas...

You've got my word that I'm going to keep chasing this thing until I've got what it takes to teach some other hopeful newbie something that he can use to compete with me the following year...

enjoi,
-L


Mee shooting some of the BMX Slopestyle... (Photo: J. Rickwartz)



Women's bouldering comp.

  

Shooting the freestyle kayaking comp.  (Photo: J. Rickwartz)



Freestyle Kayaking!



Freestyle Kayaking!



Dual Slalom freestyle bikes!



Xavier Rudd was amazing, especially from the pit!  He was one of the two free concerts we got to see!  (The other was the Dirty Heads) 


***Since writing this post, I've spoken with a friend that met the founder of Teva... Contrary to what everyone else thinks, he says there is no official pronunciation... Hmmm?  Well, I'm always a fan of something new, so I'm going to stick with "teh-vuh".

British Airways Flight 192

Few experiences in life unfold to be so profound they they seem truly surreal. I had heard about the excellent quality of British Airways flights before, and the fantasy that is the first class cabin, and had even seen a few amateur videos on You Tube about it, but it was impossible to truly comprehend for me... Until now.

I am not going to, nor would I ever lead on that I could under any circumstance, afford a flight in the first class cabin of any airline, much less British Airways. In fact, the retail cost for this flight, (which I did not pay) was around $13,000.00 (no, not Pesos, US Dollars!). Instead, I was fortunate enough to have enough American Airlines frequent flyer miles to supplement the cost of the flight, paying only the taxes and security fees... (BA and AA are partners in the "One World Alliance", making their services interchangeable with one another's frequent flyer programs. In the end, the flight cost me 125,000 miles and $970.41 (again, US Dollars)... It did not come so cheaply, however... The miles were earned over a 12 year period whilst toiling away from here to there, meeting to convention under the direction of corporate america (which, if you've been reading this blog for very long, you know I am no longer a member of). Oh, whoa is me! (if you're not good at sensing sarcasm in writing, that was a prime example of my best attempt). For the record, I was more than happy to purge the miles in order to fly first class to and from my European adventure...

All of the flight attendants are from Britain, (as their accents suggest) and they were amused to see me taking pictures of everything in my "cabin", which you will see momentarily. They giggled when I asked "what are these". Well, these turned out to be Macadamian nuts... But whole ones... I don't know if I should be embarrassed to admit that prior to this experience, I had only seen slices of them, mostly in the cookies at Subway... They are mistresses (isn't that the feminine for "masters"?) of fantastic customer service, they are as polite as anyone I've met and they call closets "wardrobes" and overhead bins "lockers". This just keeps getting better...

You must know that I have flown first class before... Mostly on American Airlines and always on domestic flights... That is important because I've noticed a difference in the way people act... On a normal AA first class flight, everyone seems to act entitled to be there, as if they've never flown coach... I've even caught myself acting that way from time to time, making the labored effort to peer up from my Blackberry just long enough to give that "I'm in first class and you're not" gaze to those "less fortunate" souls who have to sit in coach... Wait a minute... I've never felt like that... But it's almost impossible to avoid... When you've flown coach and been so unfortunate as to walk past the already seated first class passengers, you have no doubt been victim to the gaze from someone peering over their free copy of the Wall Street Journal at you as you pass by... The funny thing is, myself, like most of the other passengers up there, were given the seats for free as reward for flying a certain number of miles loyal to American Airlines... The sense of entitlement comes free with the flight... However, on this flight, there are no such attitudes, and the other 13 passengers in the cabin with me seem just as excited as I am about the seats that turn into beds, the pajamas and the gift baskets that we all received. I gave up very early on thinking that I could (or wanted to for that matter) fool anyone into thinking that this is something I do all the time on the way to my second home in London... I admitted to the attendants very quickly that I was a first timer, and that I was having as much fun as a Texas A&M alum at the Dixie Chicken... (they obviously didn't get that joke)

THE MENU (a small sample, as each course had 4-5 selections...)

Starters -
-Fig and goat's cheese tart with tomato tapenade and mache lettuce.
-Chilled gazpacho soup.

Main-
-Grilled fillet of beef with wild rice gallettes and black cherry Pinot Noir reduction.
-Roast halibut stuffed with marmalade and basil with roast potatoes, heirloom tomato, fennel and citrus cream sauce.

Bistro Selection-
-Chanterelle mushroom and cannelloni pasta with smoked aubergine cream sauce, sautéed chanterelle mushrooms and tomato.
-A selection of cheese and fruit.

Dessert-
-Strawberry tiramisu with raspberry and mint.
-Chocolate mudslide cake.

As I write this, I am only about 30 minutes into the flight... I don't think any number of descriptors or photos could make sense of this experience. So after adding a picture or two, I'm going to shut this down, recline my seat and enjoy one of the thirty or so "still in theaters" movies that I have to choose from... And oh yeah, my appetizer is almost here... Lobster with mango salsa and Thai sweet chili glaze... Whatever that is...

Cheers!
-L



All the stuff awaiting me in my "suite" when I got on board... A few nice pillows, plush blanket, a set of pajamas, slippers, a toiletry kit and some Bose headphones...



The contents of my first class toiletry kit, included this stuff as well as ear plugs, socks, slippers, and an eye cover...



My table setting for dinner...



My dinner appetizer. IT. WAS. FANTASTIC!



Best sleep I've ever had on a flight, thanks to my seat that turned into a bed and my Bose noise canceling headphones (which I had to give back when we landed...)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:DFW to LHR

The Man Trip - Camping Chevlon Canyon Lake...

Oh, the man trip... A concept employed by wives, girlfriends and mothers alike for centuries to rid themselves of the nuances of men and boys... We men like to think man trips are our idea and do our best to take ownership of the invention, but in some cases, the initiation is a suggestion of one of the women associated with one of the men... This trip was no different, and I'm not sure to say wether we acted more like men or boys...

Late into the night on Wednesday the 25th of May, four of us (65% of our six man group) set out from Amarillo, westward, toward Flagstaff, Arizona.  We were myself, Blake Henderson, Blaine Henderson (no relation) and Nate Dalke, who had recently arrived in Amarillo from his mission posting in Managua, Nicaragua.

"On The Road Again"... Heading out from Amarillo... (L to R, Blake, Nate, Blaine and Me)

Upon arriving in Flagstaff at around 5:30 a.m. local time, we all four collapsed onto the floor of a relative of a friend's house on sleeping palates they had set out for us...  After three hours of sleep and a delicious home cooked breakfast from our gracious hostess, we set about finishing the last minute details of our man trip by meeting up with the other two members of our expedition, local Flagstaffians Brian Tinder and Charlie McCallie, purchasing supplies and food and renting a canoe from a local shop in Flag.

Fast forward a few hours past some more organization, some driving and an hour long stop at Wal-Mart to purchase fishing licenses, more supplies, and, eh-hem a "little" beer, we were standing atop a mile long gravel road, impassible by vehicles larger than a four wheeler with around a half ton of gear, including our canoe.

So it began...

L to R, Me, Charlie, Brian, Blaine, Blake and Nate.  Just before our decent down a +/- 1 mile gravel road (on foot) to Chevlon Canyon Lake.

The stars and lake our fist night of camp (Photo: Charlie McCallie).

After my first night of sleeping outdoors, I needed some coffee (Photo: Charlie McCallie).

Blaine and Charlie went out in the canoe to find us a better camp site.  They were successful!

We had to haul all of our gear to the campsite for night 2 about 1/2 mile across the lake (Photo: Charlie McCallie)

Campsite 2

The View of Campsite 2 from a ridge above the site... (Photo: Charlie McCallie) 

My morning view when I woke up at campsite 2.

Nate had to borrow a tent from Blake.  Apparently, Blake brought the tent that his kids use.

On a ridge above campsite 2 (Photo: Charlie McCallie).

About to hump our gear back up the mile long gravel road... The smiles didn't last long (Photo: Charlie McCallie).

Camp 3.   

 

Our man trip, no matter who's idea it was, was indeed a great one. We were able to relax, re-charge, do man things like fish and paddle canoes (which this author may or may not have tipped over for no apparent reason 100 meters from shore in freezing cold water... It shall remain a mystery for those not present). We had great conversation, cooked fish pulled directly from the lake over an open flame, drank a beer "or two" and expressed our freedom to do things with our bodily functions that women hate and little boys and men alike think are hilarious...

Most importantly, we all picked up our friendships right where they left off the last time we saw one another.

On the morning of day 4, just before returning to Flagstaff... Left to Right, Bear (in the arms of Charlie), Charlie, Blaine, Blake, Petzl (in the arms of Brian), Brian, Me and Nate.

As it stands, we've promised to re-connect and return on a man trip at another time and place sometime in the next year. I've got my fingers crossed that it will work out for us all, as I will be willing to travel as far as possible to create new blogs about new trips with these guys for as long as I'm physically able. Check this blog throughout 2012 to see if we stayed true...

And, oh yeah... I think I can speak for all us men when I say we don't mind at all letting the ladies continue to think that the man trip was their idea...

Cheers,

-L

Proximity...

[prok-sim-i-tee] –noun nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation.Origin: 1475–85; < Latin proximitās  nearness, vicinity. See proximal, -ity

This is one of those deep thought moments that only comes to someone who has the liberty to sit around "stressing" most of their days about wether to go to the driving range or play XBox...

I was daydreaming yesterday about how much of our life is determined by proximity.  The thoughts stemmed from mentally admiring my neighborhood, currently Oliver Eakle, a few hundred yards from Washington Street and two blocks from Amarillo College.  I love the brick streets, the parks, the residents that have lived here since the 60's and the short distance to my favorite restaurants, coffee shop and grocery store...  This is the 3rd neighborhood I've lived in in Amarillo since 2004 when I moved back from Dallas, and it got me thinking... I was quite fond of my other neighborhoods as well, mostly for the same reasons...

In 2004, I bought my very first home... It was a two-story just off of 45th and Western in the Western Plateau neighborhood...  A number of restaurants, a good coffee shop and a grocery store were all within walking distance... My neighbors were pleasant and there were plenty of residential streets that were great for running, long boarding or riding bikes... From 2004 until I moved in 2008, that square mile of Amarillo was a great deal of my existence, with the exception of working and visiting friends...  I was content there, and didn't see any reason to venture other places to get coffee, do my dry-cleaning or shop for groceries.

In 2008, I bought a new house, this time in the Foxridge neighborhood of Amarillo.  From the day that I moved, I never went back to the grocery store, coffee shop or running route proximal to Western Plateau...  Though I loved them once, they had quickly been replaced by conveniences more proximal to my new location...

In 2010, circumstance forced me to a new home, where I now sit, on Van Buren Street... Which I stated my affection for earlier...

The point is, I realized that relationships are somewhat determined in the same way... I can remember friends from college that I was in-separable with, that is, until post-graduation, when I went one way, they the other and we were no longer proximal to one another...  So many people have come in and out of my life due to circumstance, convenience or proximity...

There are, however, exceptions to every rule... There are those shops, and eateries and friends that no matter how far away we are, we will always return to... It took me almost two years to stop going to the dry cleaners in my old neighborhood in Western Plateau... They just did such a great job and knew exactly how I liked my clothes...  The same is true with some friends... I've got one in England that I met in Austin in 1997, one in Austin that I met in Canyon in 1996, one in California that I met in New Jersey in 2006, one in Arizona that I met at Boys Ranch in 1992 and several more all over the world that I've met all over the world... No matter how far apart we get, we always come back together... Albeit via phone conversations, texting, Facebook, or face-to-face visits, we can pick up right where we left off as if our proximity to one another never changed...

Here's the challenge I'm presenting to myself and to you... This week, I am going to reach out to a former best friend that I haven't spoken to in years... The only reason he is "former" is because I moved away when I was young and our communication became spotty at best... I'm not sure, but my rough assumption is that we will pick up right where we left off, as if I never left the neighborhood...

I'm encouraging you to do the same thing, step outside your proximity and attempt to revisit and/or re-connect with that former favorite... You may be surprised what you find.  

-L

Where in the World Is???

My  schedule for the next few months...

05/24 - 05/31: Flagstaff, AZ for a camping trip with a bunch of dudes!
06/01 - 06/06: Vail, Colorado for the Teva Mountain Games
06/07 - 06/14: Amarillo, TX
06/14 - 08/03: European Union!  Countries visited will be... England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, France, Monaco and Spain! (so far)  I know, I know... Liechtenstein and Monaco are not technically countries (they're principalities)... But you get the point!

As for the Europe trip, my plans are fairly loose.  I'm going to be able to fit a lot in in two months, including visiting some friends in England, Germany and Italy, the Running of the Bulls at the Festival de San Fermin and the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France!!!  Wahooooo!!!  For twenty of the days I will be in Europe, I'm taking a tour with a company called Contiki.  They specialize in travel for 18-35 year olds (eeeek, I'm creeping up on that age limit).  It's a good, inexpensive way (only about $140/day) to see a lot of Europe in a short amount of time... Here is an itinerary, check out the map below.... The other 30 days I'm there, the plans are totally flexible!

Here's a map of the Contiki Tour:

I'm assuming that being away from my friends, family and puppy for two months may make me at least a little queasy in the home sickness department... The good news is, I just got an iPad 2 and since it has a camera, I can SKYPE!  So, if you're on there, send me your user ID so I can hear a Texas accent every few days!  I also bought a keyboard and SD card reader for the iPad so I'm hoping to spend some time keeping updates posted here about my progress!!

As for August the 4th, I've got no plans as of yet after the jet lag wears off...  So, if you've got any ideas, or you want to do something and all you need is a friend, let me know!

In Defense of Crocs...

Hello, my name is Larry, and I'm a Croc wearer... (in unison "hello, Larry")


When I bought my new house about a year ago, I was ecstatic to find that the original hardwood floors (circa 1940) were buried beneath the light bluish/cat urine stain colored carpet.  I hired a company to refinish them in an elegant, yet manly shade called "Gun Stock".  I could NOT wait to re-enact the scene from "Risky Business" in which Tom Cruise comes sliding across the floor in his socks and underwear lipsinking to "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" (except I would be wearing boxers, not those other things...).  It wasn't until a few "takes" later that I realized a some problems...


1. I weighed 245 lbs* at the time, and walking around barefoot and or in socks on a hard floor all day isn't good for the ol' dogs... It makes them hurt!
2. Wearing white socks on h.w. floors in a town where dust infiltrates everything makes said socks look like they were on the feet of a Vietnam Army soldier after a day in the bush.


Thus began my journey to locate my very first pair of house shoes...


I went everywhere I could think of... Dillard's, Gap, Wal-Mart, Target, American Eagle, JC Penny, etc.  I tried every brand of house shoe made of every material for +/- 50 square miles... During my journey, I passed by at least three racks of multi-colored (e.g. blue, black, camo., orange, etc.) Crocs.  You would of thought they had the plague.


However, I, like most people I'm assuming, had never tried on a single one of these for some reason socially un-acceptable, anti-lady getting clogs...  


Once I finally gave up my search for "real" house shoes, and during the exit from the mall, I passed by the rack of Crocs in Dillard's once more...  After taking a few 360 degree glances around the shoe department, and awkwardly roaming aimlessly, pretending to look for something else, I gave in to my desperation and grabbed the first pair of men's size 11 Crocs that I could find... 


What was this?!  Suddenly all the jokes I had heard, the social puns concerning what "type" of people wear Crocs, the fear of rejection by every person I knew, all completely disappeared...  Crocs were not just comfortable, they were light, my feet could breathe...  It was like walking on clouds!


Needless to say, they came home with me.  As I type, the same pair of size 11, khaki colored Crocs I awkwardly shoved onto my feet some twelve months ago, sit confidently in the open, right next to my bed, as they have since that fearful day in Dillard's.  I don't mind at all that I'm made fun of constantly, for those who bully the idea of Crocs have never experienced their amazing glory!

I say it proudly, one more time...

Hello, my name is Larry, and I'm a Croc wearer, and I would encourage you to slip a pair on before you consider giggling at you doctor the next time he squeaks away in his favorite work shoes.

For all you Croc wearers out there... Let us unite and break free from the social oppression cast upon us by those who do not only not wear Crocs, but have never even had the pleasure of putting a pair on!

Happy Croc-ing.

-L


*As of today, I have lost about 20 pounds since I started wearing Crocs (un-related).

Becoming a Blogger...

I know that "blogging" is becoming the cool thing to do these days and I have promised myself and will promise you as well that I'm not attempting to be a "band wagoner"... I've had this blog going for a month or so now, although I haven't told anyone about it... I wanted to make sure that 1. I would continue to update it, and 2. that I feel as though I had something interesting to write about.

As for the title, "Mr. Hutton's Lullaby", though it is not the manliest title in the world, it makes sense to me... It is an adaptation from the song "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" by The Counting Crows.

Take it or leave it, but if you know me, and you know the song, it will make sense to you too...

Well, in the time that I've been posting, several life changes have come to fruition, and as a result of the outcomes of those changes, I definitely think I will have some things to write about... Mostly my overall life situation, which at the moment includes not having a job, planning travel and contemplating when/where to move away from Amarillo. I'll do my best to explain later... I'm under no impression that people care enough about my personal career situation, but I will be going to some pretty interesting places and seeing some pretty amazing things over the coming months, and I feel it would be selfish to keep them to myself... I will also be doing a lot of traveling in a lot of foreign countries all alone... I think it will make me feel like I've got friends along with me if I update everyone via this blog...

Let me know what you think of what I'm writing about and if you have any suggestions or questions, let me know!

I will update the travel writing as it occurs. Now, however, I will explain the "no job" thing...

Since December 1, 2008, I have been working for Boston Scientific's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division selling pacemakers... On April the 12th, they laid off 300 U.S. employees and for whatever reason, I was one of them... For those who already, know about the loss of my job, I appreciate the condolences and encouragement... However, you all must know that I could not be more happy about the situation. I feel very lucky to have been given a severance package as part of my separation from the company, which will afford me the ability to take some time off before I re-join the workforce... And on that note, I'm not sure what I will do and when... I don't know if I will re-gain employment in the same field, or even sector for that matter... Funny thing is, I'm o.k. with it...

All I can say is, I'm finally following my heart for the first time in my adult life... I'm overjoyed about my journey and hopeful about the things I will see, the people I will meet and the situations I will experience.

I hope to see you all along the way.

-L

Dude Food - Cooking So Easy, A Man Can Do It!

On a recent trip to visit my friend Brian and his wife Shea in Flagstaff, AZ, I learned a great recipe from (a very pregnant, not to be quarreled with) Shea! It's simple, quick and relatively healthy! It's one of those things that can be eaten any time of the day as a quick snack or even for a light meal!

First thing is first, if you're like me, finding your way around a kitchen could most likely be compared to navigating the Sahara with a blindfold on... She taught me a lesson about the kitchen that I think I'll use for the rest of my life... Its called broiling. The broil feature is found on your oven settings on your stove and though I always knew it was there, had no idea what it was... Basically, broiling is the use of the top "burner" of your oven... It's a fantastic way to make toast (as we will in this case) or, as I have found, hot sandwiches! (which I will post about later)

So, thanks for the lesson, Shea!!! I've eaten a lot at home thanks to your simple two minute lesson!

Fried Eggs and Toast

Per Serving Stats:

Prep Time - About 5 min.

Calories - About 250 for two pieces

Cost - >$1.00

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread

2 medium to large sized eggs

1 teaspoon of butter or margarine

1 pinch each of salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven by setting broil to "high".

2. Place a skillet on the stove and heat to a medium heat.

3. Butter one side of a piece of each piece of bread and place on a cookie sheet, butter face up. Once the oven is pre-heated, place the cookie sheet on the top shelf. (you need to monitor the bread to make sure it doesn't burn. let it cook until you are satisfied with the color)

4. Grease skillet with 1/2 teaspoon of margarine, butter or olive oil.

5. Carefully break eggs into skillet. Let the eggs fry until the top portion of the egg has almost no "liquid" remaining, then flip over with a spatula.

-You will have to experiment with how you cook your eggs. I like mine over easy to over medium. The longer you allow them to cook, the more firm the center will get. Once you fry a few eggs, you'll get better at knowing when to flip and flipping itself...

6. While frying eggs, add salt and pepper for flavor.

7. Remove toast from oven and place freshly fried eggs on top!

8. Add salt and pepper at your discretion.

9. Enjoy!

Alternative:

Try different breads and spices!

Let me know if you try this and like it!

-L

Running With The Lights On

When you think of running on the most basic level, it is by far the simplest form of exercise. That is, put one foot in front of the other at a "rapid" pace until you burn a calorie. There, you’ve just exercised. It is also the only form of exercise that we don’t have to be taught to do, that is, it comes naturally to us… We don’t have to learn to throw something, swing an object or distribute our weight properly (sort of)… Running is something that nature bestowed upon us to employ during times of desparation and flee in times of danger… It is the only form of exercise that has been constant since the dawn of man…

So, my question is, why do we make it so darn complicated? Before most of my runs, I busy myself with planning a route on google maps, making sure my GPS watch has a signal and my heart rate monitor is sensing, filling up water bottles and eating gels while preparing my iPod playlist, strapping on my flip phone that I purchased just for running and securing my Road I.D. somewhere on my person... Just getting ready to work out is a work out!!! Do I need any of these things to run? Or are they simply distractions from the pain and boredom of the sport that I have claimed to "love" for the last two decades? I am no historian, but I’m quite certain that when Pheidippides ran the first marathon 2000 years ago, he did it without an mP3 player, custom sunglasses or a heart rate monitor.

My contention is, all this gear, although nice, completely distracts me from the things that make running an amazing way to experience the outdoors and stay fit. More specifically, when I run, I am constantly concentrating on a laundry list of things other than putting one foot in front of the other. (e.g. what song was on my ipod, getting to the next song on my ipod, talking to my running partner(s), checking how far and how fast I’ve gone so far on my multi-function wrist top computer, checking my heart rate, worrying about hydrating, eating, peeing, stopping for traffic, et cetera, et cetera.)

So, this Easter Sunday, I decided to load Nico in the car and head to Palo Duro Canyon State Park for a nice, un-distracted trail run. When I walked out the door, I passed by my GPS Watch/Heart Rate Monitor, iPod and extra cell phone. I decided that today, in the canyon, I was going to "run with the lights on", that is, enjoy the run by paying attention to the things around me in the canyon that I would normally ignore if paying attention to my music or my GPS. (e.g. the creek flowing beside the trail, lizards scurrying out of the way as I pass by, the amazing rock and clay formations that fill the canyon, families on the trail enjoying the holiday, etc.). Other than waiting 35 minutes to get into the front gate of the park (due to Easter traffic) and a slightly twisted ankle, it was one of the most pleasant running experiences I've had in years! Nico and I put in a solid 4 or so miles and we did it without the help of any gadgets...

Above: "Running With The Lights On" with Nico in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

That all being said, sometimes I need to run in order to be distracted… It’s a funny thing, but I use the gadgets and gear that I run with to distract myself from the gadgets and gear in my everyday life… Sometimes running with the lights off is a great way to numb your brain from the goings on of work, negative aquaintences and life’s stressors in general… So, in other words, I am not ruling out the use of modern conveniences and technology in my run tomorrow morning. I am simply promising that next time I am in a circle of runners and someone says “I could never run without….”, I will say “yes you can, just turn the lights on”. I am also promising myself that I will, on occasion, run without any discractions other than the world around me and the sound of my soles tapping the ground…

Try running with the lights on next time you go out... You may be surprised what you will find and how good running can feel without any distractions!

See you out there!

-L

Dude Food - Cooking So Easy, A Man Can Do It!

So, now that I'm unemployed and need to watch my ca$h flow a little closer, I've decided to start cooking at home as opposed to eating out 3 meals a day at a cost of about $20-25 per. For someone who is way better at holding a hammer than spinning a spoon, this may prove to be a challenge... Or will it? I've got a few simple, quick and cheap ways to prepare meals at home that are so simple, even a man can do it... Uh, I think! Mooooommmmm?????? (Yes, I put a "$" in place of my "S" above. Thank you Ke$ha. You are an inspiration to us all!)

Oatmeal With Fruit

(replica of McDonald's Fruit and Maple Oatmeal With Brown Sugar)

A quick, healthy and inexpensive breakfast for the dude on the go!

Per Serving Stats:

Prep Time - Less than 5 min.

Calories - 272

Cost - $1.50 (or so) (compared to the $2.15 at McD's)

Ingredients:

1 packet of instant oatmeal

1 apple

1 pkg. of raisins

1 pkg. of dehydrated cranberries

Instructions:

1. Slice apple into 8 pieces. Chop one slice of the apple into cubes. The other 7 slices can be stored in the fridge for snacks later in the day when you feel like popping a few Oreos.

2. Prepare instant oatmeal according to mfg. instructions (Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar variety takes about 90 seconds in the microwave)

3. Add apple cubes, 1/8 cup of raisins and 1/8 cup of dehydrated cranberries into oatmeal.

4. Stir thoroughly, let cool to desired temperature.

5. Enjoi!

Alternative:

Try using different flavors of oatmeal and different fruits... It will be even cheaper if you purchase bulk canisters of oatmeal!

I'm pretty sure when my mom sees that I'm cooking at home, let alone posting recipes online, she may have a heart attack...

Let me know if you try this and like it...

-L

Conformist Confessional

I'm inspired to write because writing is cool,

and I'm inspired to be cool because I'm society's fool.

Poking and prodding at my brain they are,

about what I should eat and how I look in my car.

My next new toy is just around the bend!

Clicking to pay to have them send,

it's digital "this" and technology "that"!

I'm treadmilling away while some guy's wallet gets fat?

Fly Here! Go There! Do This!

"It's a life changing experience you don't wanna miss!"

"Read it, watch it, smell it, see! This thing we're selling will set you free!"

"Keep going 'youngin', theres no time to sit,

don't worry about your freedom,

everyone's doing it!"

Sweating off days and wasting away,

just for night time financing of play.

This 700 count goose down duvet

is giving me such and enjoyable stay!

Just so I can dream of my next material sin,

as a robot in this world just short of two-thousand and ten.

-------------------------------------------------------

That is my ode to express my frustration with the world of conformism that we live in. It's my expression of self-frustration with my lack of courage to go my own way... I wrote it, tie tight around my neck, neatly pressed suit suffocating my body, on an upper floor law office in a building in Dallas... In 2001.

In 2001, I was fresh out of college... I had the world by the tail and my heart was on fire, sure that I was destined to do great things! However, there I was, doing exactly the opposite of what I always said I was going to do... That is, follow my heart.

I remember the day I got the call... I was in my office just down the hall from the studios of KWTS, 91.1 fm, the rock station managed and operated by myself and other broadcasting students at West Texas A&M University... I was a senior and had just interviewed with a company in Downtown Dallas that provided legal services to attorneys... I had no idea what they really did, I just knew I was going to make, like, a trazillion bucks a year! Actually, the starting salary was $30k, but to me, it may as well have been all the money in the world. At that point in my life, the largest number I had ever seen on my W-2 was around $6,000... Imagine a 6' 2" man in cargo shorts and a t-shirt with some cleaver saying on the front and flip-flops on his feet, jumping up and down and shreeking like a 13 1/2 year old girl that was just told by her parents that they bought her Justin Beiber concert tickets... Got the image in your head? Because that was me...

I realized very quickly that I did not want to pursue this corporate lifestyle, however, with every raise came a new toy or trip or experience that only someone that makes $35k or $42k or $55k can obtain... And with every dollar "earned" and spent, further did my dreams get pushed down the order on the life "to-do" list...

Until now.

Seventy-one days after receiving my 2010 W-2, which, by the way, had on it the largest number of any of my previous 16 W-2's, I was laid off from my job as part of a national reduction in sales employees.

Bummer, right?

Nah, not too much... They gave me a little dinero to go away... More politely referred to as a "severance package", for which I will be eternally grateful to my soon to be former employer...

So, raise your imaginary glass with me and share a toast to freedom, adventure and holding onto the shirttail of your dreams as long as your shuffling feet can keep up. Because this blogger has been given a second chance at being 17 again, and my hope is that this time I don't F**K it up.

I'll keep you posted...

-L