Yesterday my kiddos were arguing. I could hear them from where I was. The Boyo was poking at the Sweet Pea verbally, and she was getting a little hot under the collar.
Picking, picking, picking. And I could hear her getting more and more frustrated until she yelled at him to stop!
I walked in to intervene (I like to stay out of it for a little bit to see how they resolve their issues).
"What is going on in here?" I asked.
"Daddy?" Sweet Pea said.
"Yes dear?"
"My brother is AGONIZING me!" She said with her best angry, pouty lipped face.
"Do you mean 'antagonizing'?" I asked.
"Yes. He's antagonizing me!"
Apologies were offered and accepted. We talked about better ways to treat each other and better ways to express frustration. We role played a little. And Sweet Pea got ten points for her attempted vocabulary!
And life goes on.
I love my kiddos!
More Later
My Dog Shoba
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Intolerance
I've been swimming long distances lately. On the 12th of September I did three miles straight. Just to see if I could. (Turns out I can!)
All that swimming gives me plenty of thinking time. Lately I've had a singular question floating around in my head that I can't seem to answer satisfactorily to my inner self.
Am I a hypocrite?
Recently I wrote about all of the hate speech being used in the political campaigns this year. I tried to address not the usual mudslinging, truth bending things. But the direct hate and intolerance others seem to feel so self righteous about. I may not have been entirely successful at getting the point across, as somehow I offended people by posting offensive memes. They weren't offended at the memes themselves, but the fact that I found them offensive.
On Facebook today, a friend of mine posted an article that has been making the Interweb rounds since 2008. I posted the Snopes take on it as being false, but somehow one of her other friends jumped on and said it was true, mainly because he doesn't like Obama, ergo anything bad said about him must be true. My guess is that he is a birther, too. But I found myself getting aggravated by his lack of logic and failure to discern truth from fiction. I am trying to be civil in my discourse, but how do you reason with someone that the sun shines light on us during the daytime, when they firmly believe it gathers light from the stars, the moon and the planet Krylos to beam down on us?
I say at the bottom of my blog, jokingly, that "I hate haters and so I am filled with self loathing." It was tongue in cheek when I first wrote it, but developments in the past few years have led to some re-examination of my beliefs.
And so we come to Intolerance.
I have little tolerance for those who are intolerant. So am I a hypocrite? Perhaps. Perhaps. But I am tolerant of those who will listen to my opinions without judgement. Of people who believe vastly different things from me, as long as they aren't trying to force those beliefs on me. I am tolerant with my friend Josh, who politically is about as far away from my beliefs as Pluto is from the Sun. But we can listen to the other view point. Disagree with each other. Agree that we won't see eye to eye on the best path politically for this country. Yet still talk about knives and hunting and bows and stuff. If the end of the American Empire suddenly fell on us and anarchy and chaos were the order of the day, I'd still trust him to have my back. He knows what he believes and I respect that. In turn he respects what I believe. Seems simple.
We disagree, and we tolerate that facet of our friendship so we can maintain a friendship.
But there are those out there who honestly believe that if I am not 100% in agreement with them, then I am their enemy. People who don't know me from Adam, but decide that since I support Obama, I must be an anti-American, Socialist, insert your particular brand of hate here, no good SOB. (Which no longer means Short Of Breath to me.) They willingly throw baby out with the bathwater, and seem to believe they are right for doing it.
If I claim to be a tolerant person, am I a hypocrite for being rather intolerant of them? I must be.
But if I am, how do I go about tolerating their hatred and vitriol? Does tolerating their beliefs mean tolerating their behaviors and attitudes? Tolerating lies told at the expense of truth? Is it not possible that if we sat down for a meal or two together, that we might find more things to agree on than to hate each other for?
My kid skins his knees when he falls down.
Hey, mine too!
I hate shoveling the drive after a heavy snow.
I hear you there!
Every morning the sun comes up and I try to do the best I can with what I have, and try to make a better life for my little ones.
Holy cow! The sun comes up in my world, too!
When we get down to it, nobody has all the answers. Almost everybody goes day to day doing the best they can. Republican, Democrat. Christian, Muslim. Rich, Poor. Black, Yellow, Red, White. Everyone wants a better future. There just seem to be differing opinions on how to get there.
But one thing is for darn sure. Hatred and Intolerance have never solved any problems. With their little buddy Lies, they tend to do more damage to a better future. Is it too much to ask for Truth, Kindness, Compassion and Reason to find their way into debates and disagreements? Or God forbid, to become a norm for a political campaign? Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said I'd stay out of politics until November. Perhaps my goal should be to only use positive attributes of my chosen candidate to highlight, rather than the obvious flaws of the opponent. Hmmm. I'll give that some thought.
Until then, I believe that intolerance of intolerance will have to be OK. I don't mind reasoned disagreement. I am tolerant of that. I cannot tolerate those who hate others because they disagree. So I think it is OK to be intolerant of intolerance.
What do you think?
More Later
All that swimming gives me plenty of thinking time. Lately I've had a singular question floating around in my head that I can't seem to answer satisfactorily to my inner self.
Am I a hypocrite?
Recently I wrote about all of the hate speech being used in the political campaigns this year. I tried to address not the usual mudslinging, truth bending things. But the direct hate and intolerance others seem to feel so self righteous about. I may not have been entirely successful at getting the point across, as somehow I offended people by posting offensive memes. They weren't offended at the memes themselves, but the fact that I found them offensive.
On Facebook today, a friend of mine posted an article that has been making the Interweb rounds since 2008. I posted the Snopes take on it as being false, but somehow one of her other friends jumped on and said it was true, mainly because he doesn't like Obama, ergo anything bad said about him must be true. My guess is that he is a birther, too. But I found myself getting aggravated by his lack of logic and failure to discern truth from fiction. I am trying to be civil in my discourse, but how do you reason with someone that the sun shines light on us during the daytime, when they firmly believe it gathers light from the stars, the moon and the planet Krylos to beam down on us?
I say at the bottom of my blog, jokingly, that "I hate haters and so I am filled with self loathing." It was tongue in cheek when I first wrote it, but developments in the past few years have led to some re-examination of my beliefs.
And so we come to Intolerance.
I have little tolerance for those who are intolerant. So am I a hypocrite? Perhaps. Perhaps. But I am tolerant of those who will listen to my opinions without judgement. Of people who believe vastly different things from me, as long as they aren't trying to force those beliefs on me. I am tolerant with my friend Josh, who politically is about as far away from my beliefs as Pluto is from the Sun. But we can listen to the other view point. Disagree with each other. Agree that we won't see eye to eye on the best path politically for this country. Yet still talk about knives and hunting and bows and stuff. If the end of the American Empire suddenly fell on us and anarchy and chaos were the order of the day, I'd still trust him to have my back. He knows what he believes and I respect that. In turn he respects what I believe. Seems simple.
We disagree, and we tolerate that facet of our friendship so we can maintain a friendship.
But there are those out there who honestly believe that if I am not 100% in agreement with them, then I am their enemy. People who don't know me from Adam, but decide that since I support Obama, I must be an anti-American, Socialist, insert your particular brand of hate here, no good SOB. (Which no longer means Short Of Breath to me.) They willingly throw baby out with the bathwater, and seem to believe they are right for doing it.
If I claim to be a tolerant person, am I a hypocrite for being rather intolerant of them? I must be.
But if I am, how do I go about tolerating their hatred and vitriol? Does tolerating their beliefs mean tolerating their behaviors and attitudes? Tolerating lies told at the expense of truth? Is it not possible that if we sat down for a meal or two together, that we might find more things to agree on than to hate each other for?
My kid skins his knees when he falls down.
Hey, mine too!
I hate shoveling the drive after a heavy snow.
I hear you there!
Every morning the sun comes up and I try to do the best I can with what I have, and try to make a better life for my little ones.
Holy cow! The sun comes up in my world, too!
When we get down to it, nobody has all the answers. Almost everybody goes day to day doing the best they can. Republican, Democrat. Christian, Muslim. Rich, Poor. Black, Yellow, Red, White. Everyone wants a better future. There just seem to be differing opinions on how to get there.
But one thing is for darn sure. Hatred and Intolerance have never solved any problems. With their little buddy Lies, they tend to do more damage to a better future. Is it too much to ask for Truth, Kindness, Compassion and Reason to find their way into debates and disagreements? Or God forbid, to become a norm for a political campaign? Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said I'd stay out of politics until November. Perhaps my goal should be to only use positive attributes of my chosen candidate to highlight, rather than the obvious flaws of the opponent. Hmmm. I'll give that some thought.
Until then, I believe that intolerance of intolerance will have to be OK. I don't mind reasoned disagreement. I am tolerant of that. I cannot tolerate those who hate others because they disagree. So I think it is OK to be intolerant of intolerance.
What do you think?
More Later
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
September 11th. Forget?
(In lieu of the gravity of this day, this post does speak a little about politics of the past, and a little from today. It simply cannot be avoided in discussions about this day. You've been warned.)
Well. It's the 11th day of the 9th month again. 9/11. Now also known as Patriot Day. Most Americans who were at least seven or eight years old on that day back in 2001 probably remember exactly where they were when the planes hit the towers, the Pentagon, the field near Shanksville.
NM
I remember walking during my lunch break and seeing the strangely empty sky. Thinking that the world was about to change in pretty drastic ways. And if not the world, than at least the US.
I got home that evening and brought in my American flag - then the only one flying on the block, and one of a few in the entire neighborhood. Other flags were flying, of course. Garden flags of leaves and rainbows, college or pro football team flags or colorful welcome flags. But very few American flags. I had Kraft mac and cheese for supper, and sat on my couch with Shoba, watching the TV in disbelief. I didn't go to bed until late, and even then had pangs of worry about the future. My last thoughts of the day were to check in with the Marines to see if I could or should re-enlist. Or maybe go into the Navy as a medic. (But only if I could be guaranteed assignment with a USMC unit, of course).
I remember everything I did that day. As does everyone else.
Never Forget.
Not a problem.
But unlike a great many of my fellow citizens, I also won't forget the next few days, weeks and months. How suddenly my lonely American flag was not alone fluttering in the breeze. Within a week nearly every house had an American flag flying.
How the Congress, both Dems and Republicans gathered on the Capitol steps to sing "God Bless America". The feeling of solidarity regardless of political views, religious views, sexuality. The country seemed to come together, and even I - who thought that George Bush was the wrong choice for a President - stood behind him as he called for all Americans to stand strong and stand together, and we would get through this crisis together as a country. We would be stronger on the other side for our unity, and maybe the world could be a better place.
We all stood with the New Yorkers, with the families that lost members. We all wondered why. And the answers came slowly but surely.
And as we got answers, I remember that something else started happening.
I heard of back lashes against Muslim people, communities and places of worship. I saw anger and hatred of those who were different start to rear its ugly head. I heard songs on the radio about how the USA is the greatest and we'd have to kill the bad guys, songs filled with hatred and sung to whip up the hatred of the "enemy" when the enemy was very undefined. I watched religious and political extremism bloom in response to an act of religious and political extremism. "Let's Roll" went from being a call of hope, courage and sacrifice, to a battle cry to attack, attack, attack! Hate and Attack. It was a sad, sad time.
I watched as a President, who had an amazing opportunity to bridge political gaps that had been widening for years, instead drive wedges into the gaps. Then threw dynamite into the chasms to widen them further still.
When I was a paramedic, it seldom failed to amaze me that when we arrived on scene, no matter how chaotic, bloody, life threatening... whatever was happening, our attitudes and actions often dictated what happened next. I admired most of the medics I worked with because when we got to the scene, we were calm and level headed. We made quick decisions based on our knowledge and experience, and put minds at ease, brought some order to the chaos. Found a way to move forward and get through the crisis.
I remember how our leaders didn't seem to have the same skills in a crisis. Instead we charged ahead with ill advised wars based on supposition and knee jerk fear and not fact. Our leaders, both right and left, ran amok all in the name of Patriotism and National Security. "We" had been "attacked" and now we had to fight back.
To use a metaphor, we responded to the hornets attacking us by screaming maniacally and going off to kill every badger we could find.
I remember one of the newscasters saying in closing that the only way the terrorists could win was by dividing the American people, which he was sure wouldn't happen. And I remember the months and years between that event and today, wondering if somehow the terrorists did win a little bit. Because we are awfully divided today.
I will never forget the events of that day and today, as I do every year on this day, I fly my flag at half mast to remember the victims of the 9/11 attack and the servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much since then. I will also never forget the repercussions of that day that linger to this one. And I'll fly my flag at half mast for the rest of the month as I do every year on this month, in remembrance of the unity and non-partisan cooperation that glimmered in the days following 9/11. The feeling of hope that was squashed by political and religious fervor.
I sure wish things had turned out differently, and my prayers today include prayers for the intolerant and partisan. Because the very thoughts that drove the perpetrators of 9/11 to their acts of violence seem to be infecting the minds of extremists in our country. And if that continues, then the terrorists did what they set out to do that awful day. Divided the country irreparably.
Do you remember?
More Later
Well. It's the 11th day of the 9th month again. 9/11. Now also known as Patriot Day. Most Americans who were at least seven or eight years old on that day back in 2001 probably remember exactly where they were when the planes hit the towers, the Pentagon, the field near Shanksville.
NMI remember walking during my lunch break and seeing the strangely empty sky. Thinking that the world was about to change in pretty drastic ways. And if not the world, than at least the US.
I got home that evening and brought in my American flag - then the only one flying on the block, and one of a few in the entire neighborhood. Other flags were flying, of course. Garden flags of leaves and rainbows, college or pro football team flags or colorful welcome flags. But very few American flags. I had Kraft mac and cheese for supper, and sat on my couch with Shoba, watching the TV in disbelief. I didn't go to bed until late, and even then had pangs of worry about the future. My last thoughts of the day were to check in with the Marines to see if I could or should re-enlist. Or maybe go into the Navy as a medic. (But only if I could be guaranteed assignment with a USMC unit, of course).
I remember everything I did that day. As does everyone else.
Never Forget.
Not a problem.
But unlike a great many of my fellow citizens, I also won't forget the next few days, weeks and months. How suddenly my lonely American flag was not alone fluttering in the breeze. Within a week nearly every house had an American flag flying.
How the Congress, both Dems and Republicans gathered on the Capitol steps to sing "God Bless America". The feeling of solidarity regardless of political views, religious views, sexuality. The country seemed to come together, and even I - who thought that George Bush was the wrong choice for a President - stood behind him as he called for all Americans to stand strong and stand together, and we would get through this crisis together as a country. We would be stronger on the other side for our unity, and maybe the world could be a better place.
We all stood with the New Yorkers, with the families that lost members. We all wondered why. And the answers came slowly but surely.
And as we got answers, I remember that something else started happening.
I heard of back lashes against Muslim people, communities and places of worship. I saw anger and hatred of those who were different start to rear its ugly head. I heard songs on the radio about how the USA is the greatest and we'd have to kill the bad guys, songs filled with hatred and sung to whip up the hatred of the "enemy" when the enemy was very undefined. I watched religious and political extremism bloom in response to an act of religious and political extremism. "Let's Roll" went from being a call of hope, courage and sacrifice, to a battle cry to attack, attack, attack! Hate and Attack. It was a sad, sad time.
I watched as a President, who had an amazing opportunity to bridge political gaps that had been widening for years, instead drive wedges into the gaps. Then threw dynamite into the chasms to widen them further still.
When I was a paramedic, it seldom failed to amaze me that when we arrived on scene, no matter how chaotic, bloody, life threatening... whatever was happening, our attitudes and actions often dictated what happened next. I admired most of the medics I worked with because when we got to the scene, we were calm and level headed. We made quick decisions based on our knowledge and experience, and put minds at ease, brought some order to the chaos. Found a way to move forward and get through the crisis.
I remember how our leaders didn't seem to have the same skills in a crisis. Instead we charged ahead with ill advised wars based on supposition and knee jerk fear and not fact. Our leaders, both right and left, ran amok all in the name of Patriotism and National Security. "We" had been "attacked" and now we had to fight back.
To use a metaphor, we responded to the hornets attacking us by screaming maniacally and going off to kill every badger we could find.
I remember one of the newscasters saying in closing that the only way the terrorists could win was by dividing the American people, which he was sure wouldn't happen. And I remember the months and years between that event and today, wondering if somehow the terrorists did win a little bit. Because we are awfully divided today.
I will never forget the events of that day and today, as I do every year on this day, I fly my flag at half mast to remember the victims of the 9/11 attack and the servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much since then. I will also never forget the repercussions of that day that linger to this one. And I'll fly my flag at half mast for the rest of the month as I do every year on this month, in remembrance of the unity and non-partisan cooperation that glimmered in the days following 9/11. The feeling of hope that was squashed by political and religious fervor.
I sure wish things had turned out differently, and my prayers today include prayers for the intolerant and partisan. Because the very thoughts that drove the perpetrators of 9/11 to their acts of violence seem to be infecting the minds of extremists in our country. And if that continues, then the terrorists did what they set out to do that awful day. Divided the country irreparably.
Do you remember?
More Later
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Swimming
Summer is "over", but the fun continues. I am back in training as far as swimming goes.
The English Channel Swim Challenge has begun! This means I have a goal of getting twenty one miles done in the pool before the end of the month. I wasn't able to start until this past Tuesday, when I swam a very broken mile.
By that I mean I swam 1650 yards in 50 and 100 yard groups, with some breathing and relaxing in between. I haven't been in the pool to lap swim in months, so it was a slow start. It took just shy of 50 minutes to do.
Thursday I decided to up my game a bit and swam 2 x 250 yards followed by an easy 50, then swam 2 x 500's with a 100 yard cool down at the end. That took a little over 40 minutes. Still pretty slow.
But this morning I felt pretty good, so I swam 3 x 500's in just over a half an hour, with easy 50's after each one. That brings me to 3 miles this week. I'm going to try and get up early before church tomorrow and do a solid two mile swim. We'll see how that goes.
I do love being in the pool. I always have. So one of my other goals this month is to get the kiddos in the pool and swimming like fishes as often as I can.
Know of any interesting distance swims in your area? Let me know in the comments and I'll see if I can do them next season.
More Later
The English Channel Swim Challenge has begun! This means I have a goal of getting twenty one miles done in the pool before the end of the month. I wasn't able to start until this past Tuesday, when I swam a very broken mile.
By that I mean I swam 1650 yards in 50 and 100 yard groups, with some breathing and relaxing in between. I haven't been in the pool to lap swim in months, so it was a slow start. It took just shy of 50 minutes to do.
Thursday I decided to up my game a bit and swam 2 x 250 yards followed by an easy 50, then swam 2 x 500's with a 100 yard cool down at the end. That took a little over 40 minutes. Still pretty slow.
But this morning I felt pretty good, so I swam 3 x 500's in just over a half an hour, with easy 50's after each one. That brings me to 3 miles this week. I'm going to try and get up early before church tomorrow and do a solid two mile swim. We'll see how that goes.
I do love being in the pool. I always have. So one of my other goals this month is to get the kiddos in the pool and swimming like fishes as often as I can.
Know of any interesting distance swims in your area? Let me know in the comments and I'll see if I can do them next season.
More Later
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Politics and the American Dream
I've been giving some thought to this lately. Mostly due to posts on facebook by friends of mine. Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever, they are almost entirely negative about whoever the "enemy" is.
I understand the history behind negative ad campaigns. They've been around as long as politics. But it seems to me that sanity and logic have fled from the everyday person. That the lines that divide us politically are being widened into chasms that cannot be bridged.
But I'm seeing a trend in this sort of thing that has given me some pause.
Take the following for example...
I found these by googling "liberal attack memes".
Then I googled "conservative attack memes"
The ones from the "conservative" sites were similar in tone to the "liberal" sites...
Again, using half truths and insinuation to make Obama and the liberals look bad.
This one struck me...
because of the ongoing cry of the extreme right that they don't like being labelled "racist".
But it was not hard to find the following pictures by googling "tea party attack memes"...
There is a difference about spinning the other sides weaknesses or faux pas to your advantage, and spreading things like the above, which focuses on outright hatred and yes, racism. Now, I am aware that not every Tea Partier is a racist. Just as I'm aware that not every Democrat is a socialist, nor every Republican a rich, white man. But this sort of thing is disgusting and should not be tolerated by other Tea Party members. Does racism exist in the Tea Party? I'd have to say yes. Lots of hate out there.
Then there are those on the right that post stuff like this....
Note the t-shirt on the guy in the picture above. "Glenn Beck is my Hero" People like Beck and Rush Limbaugh are not much more than hate-mongers. They spew lies and twist things to fit their narrow worldview, and for some reason people eat it up, usually while chanting "USA! USA! NUMBER 1!"
This too, sickens me. There are actually people out there thinking that armed rebellion is in order if Obama is elected to a second term.
Really? What sort of patriot do you take yourself for if armed rebellion is an option in a legal election cycle? Don't tell me you stand for the Constitution and believe in that.
But I digress. The hatred from the right of center just seems so much more...intense these past four years. Much more pervasive. And it only seems to be getting stronger.
This surprised me a bit. That the Christians and especially the Catholics, seem to be coming out in droves with their own brand of hate. But they call it persecution.
War on religion? Seriously? How are men and women so different that I as a male can choose what is best for my body, and you as a female can do so as well, except when it comes to your uterus? How does two guys or two girls getting married and enjoying all of the same legal protections I do being married to my wife threaten said marriage? How is any of this a "War on Religion"? This country was based partly on freedom of religion. Which literally means that no single religion should be dictating the law. We are not, as some would have us believe (see the guy in the top photo) a Christian Nation. We are a nation of many religions, and those who have no religion. I think Jon Stewart summed it up pretty well...
It boggles the mind to think that there are people out there who actually insist that their beliefs are the only true way to be American. We are a melting pot of race, religion, sexuality, socio-economic classes, etc. And rather than finding ways to come together for "America" we seem to be falling apart into those very boxes that would define us. Then we build a fortress around that box and arm ourselves with hate and lies, and somehow anyone who believes differently from you is not American. Not a "True Patriot". Not a "real Christian". "They" become the enemy.
I've been unfriended on Facebook by those whose views I disagreed with. I would like to say it was only a couple of whackadoos who I wouldn't really miss. But my "friends" numbers over the years has fluctuated a lot because of those choosing to block or unfriend me. And some of those people I do miss, very much. Because I value their opinions, even though I disagree with them. Because I value their friendships, even though we will vote for opposing candidates this fall. Because, politics aside, I really enjoy enjoyed their company.
But better still, I have friends out there who are staunch Republicans. Fiery Libertarians and Independents. Outspoken Tea Partiers. Even extremely devout Christians. They post memes on their wall. And while I don't agree with some of them, none of them have been so offensive as many shown here. These are the people that will disagree with me, vehemently sometimes, but still value my opinions and we have mutual respect for each other. I feel extremely protective of their rights to voice differing opinions, as that is one of the things I signed up for as a US Marine.
Best of all is when these same friends and I are able to talk through our frustrations and realize that solutions do exist beyond that point. That compromise is possible, and sometimes even preferable to the way things stand. That sometimes "my side wins" and sometimes "their side wins" but both sides realize that the sun will still rise in the morning and life will go on and we'll still be friends.
My American Dream is that some day the seats of power in Washington DC will be held by people like those friends. People who can disagree on issues, but compromise to get things done, and have mutual respect and honor. People who discourage their supporters from lies and hatred. Actual leaders who take calculated risks in the hopes of making things better for the people they represent. People who are able to see their ideas voted down and not be filled with vitriol for those who voted against them. I'd like to see leadership that does not use God or the bible as a weapon. That takes into consideration ALL the people in the country, not just the loudest or the wealthiest.
I'd like to see an American people not filled with blood lust against those with opposing political views. Those with minds that are able to grasp that not everyone will believe as they do, and that's usually OK. And although I consider myself a Christian, I'd really like to see a day when Christians realize that opposition to their beliefs is not a war, and that our country must remain separated between church laws and secular laws. I think I stated some spiritual truths in a previous post. All religions should stick to that and let others do the same.
Most importantly, people like this guy...
.... words fail me. Just... don't be this guy. OK?
OK, enough rambling. The hour is late. Bravo to you if you've read this far.
I'll end with this promise. For the remainder of the political cycle leading up to the elections in November, this will be the last I speak on politics unless directly asked or challenged. My mind is set for who I'll be voting for and what I'll be voting for. As ever, my vote goes to the people who most line up with my core beliefs. I can't see anything that would change my mind between now and then.
And if you disagree with me, that is your right. Just don't deny me my right to disagree with you. Go vote! Vote your convictions and beliefs. But when all is said and done, don't hate. I promise I won't if I don't get what I want. Have a little faith in the future. I believe there are still more good people in this country than whackadoos.
No More Later (on this topic)
Monday, September 3, 2012
It's All Downhill From Here
I recently celebrated my 41st birthday. Not long after that I visited my doc to check on my hip, which has been bugging me a lot lately.
And by bugging, I mean being so painful after a training run that I couldn't run again for weeks. My triathlon season was non-existent because of it, so consequently I have not done much training in the other disciplines.
So finally I went to my doc to see what was up. I was expecting a torn tendon or something, but x-rays showed something else.
Arthritis.
What? I said to her. I'm only 41!?! How do I have arthritis? And only in one hip? What?
Yeah, so I'm now that "old" man with the arthritic hip. She gave me a script for some souped up NSAID's, and if that doesn't help, we'll move on to steroid shots. If all else fails we just replace the thing. Sounds easy peasy, huh.
Well, the meds are doing ok. I can walk pretty well again, and the constant grinding ache that was there has been tamed a bit. But I have a feeling my triathlon days are numbered. Or at least the solo tri's.
Turns out I can still swim like a fish, so I'm looking into doing some distance swims. 5K. 10K. Maybe the Alcatraz swim or a swim around the Statue of Liberty someday. Heck, maybe I'll swim the Mississippi some day. Or the English Channel!
Speaking of which, this month I am entered in an English Channel swim at the Dan (gym). I'll log each swim and try to get the total mileage by the end of the month. More on that later.
As for the arthritis diagnosis. Well. I'm not that old, and no arthritis pain is going to stop me, so I'll do what I need to for the treatment and prevention of it getting any worse. Until then, anybody wanna do the "run" part of some triathlons next season?
More Later
And by bugging, I mean being so painful after a training run that I couldn't run again for weeks. My triathlon season was non-existent because of it, so consequently I have not done much training in the other disciplines.
So finally I went to my doc to see what was up. I was expecting a torn tendon or something, but x-rays showed something else.
Arthritis.
What? I said to her. I'm only 41!?! How do I have arthritis? And only in one hip? What?
Yeah, so I'm now that "old" man with the arthritic hip. She gave me a script for some souped up NSAID's, and if that doesn't help, we'll move on to steroid shots. If all else fails we just replace the thing. Sounds easy peasy, huh.
Well, the meds are doing ok. I can walk pretty well again, and the constant grinding ache that was there has been tamed a bit. But I have a feeling my triathlon days are numbered. Or at least the solo tri's.
Turns out I can still swim like a fish, so I'm looking into doing some distance swims. 5K. 10K. Maybe the Alcatraz swim or a swim around the Statue of Liberty someday. Heck, maybe I'll swim the Mississippi some day. Or the English Channel!
Speaking of which, this month I am entered in an English Channel swim at the Dan (gym). I'll log each swim and try to get the total mileage by the end of the month. More on that later.
As for the arthritis diagnosis. Well. I'm not that old, and no arthritis pain is going to stop me, so I'll do what I need to for the treatment and prevention of it getting any worse. Until then, anybody wanna do the "run" part of some triathlons next season?
More Later
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
A Raptor Success Story
Remember my post from April 29th about the Great Horned Owl I rescued that was caught in a soccer net? It turns out "he" is a "she".
Well, today the kiddos, the Wife and I got to witness her release back into the wild!
A man named Hank brought her back from The Raptor Center, where she has spent the summer recovering from her soccer net adventure. They had called me to do it yesterday morning, but I was out on an Ode hunt with the family and missed the call.
That's OK though, because at least I got to see her fly free again, and was able to get some pictures!
More Later
Well, today the kiddos, the Wife and I got to witness her release back into the wild!
A man named Hank brought her back from The Raptor Center, where she has spent the summer recovering from her soccer net adventure. They had called me to do it yesterday morning, but I was out on an Ode hunt with the family and missed the call.
That's OK though, because at least I got to see her fly free again, and was able to get some pictures!
Hank gets her out of the carrier.
She keeps a careful eye on him as he tosses her into the air. The kiddos loved seeing this.
FLYING FREE!
She took off immediately for the nearby forest.
She was also a VERY fast flier!
The owl and me back in April.
A beautiful creature returned to her home.
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