Another Sample of Stephen's Work

W O W


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Twenty-One

January 12, 1988

At seven years young
you opened the door.
Your too long gown
gently dragging the floor.

Looking up at me
so quiet and unsure.
With questioning eyes
and innocence pure.

"Who might you be"
your unspoken word.
"Are you a good person"
I silently heard.

A humble beginning
yet this moment I knew.
A special connection
born for me and for you.

From Raggles to Reindeer
and Catholic school.
Or emergency rooms
til well after two.

And those teenage years
all fraught with drama.
Of a rusted out truck
oh my God, what a trauma.

Then off to Georgia
a new chapter began.
The Red and the Black
and a Bulldog fan.

Now another milestone
you've grown and come far.
At last you can legally
drink in the bar.

And as the years passed
I've watched as you grew.
Gracefully dealing
with all that you do.

Hoping you remember
when life seems unfair.
Nothing can break
the bond which we share.

Happy Birthday Beth Anne!

I Came, I Saw, I Ate

By now the garlands and lights have likely been taken down, the stockings and Christmas CD's have been put away and the trees, stripped of their yuletide trimmings, have all been cast to the curb and are happily decomposing in the local landfill.

Likewise, the champagne bottles, noise makers and party hats used to ring in the new year have also been discarded as we now collectively settle back into the normalcy of our pre and post holiday season lives.

However, given the events of the last quarter of 2008, normalcy may have changed a bit.

From the sub-prime meltdown to the auto industry bailout; from the near disappearance of the 401k to the biggest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history, 2008 leaves many of us a little shell shocked and somewhat unsure of what the new year may hold.

But nevertheless, for me some things about the beginning of a new year remain constant.

For instance, the holidays are the times I tend to take on the persona of a procrastinating bear who is way behind in it's preparation for hibernation and consequently consumes virtually everything edible in sight.

Deviled eggs by the dozens along with entire hams and turkeys have been known to completely vanish when I'm left to my own devices in the kitchen.

Mashed potatoes, gravy and casseroles disappear faster than a politician's promises while desserts literally leap from their containers onto my plate.

As a result, one of my ongoing resolutions for the new year is to realize I'm not going to hibernate and therefore I need not act as if I am a human Electrolux.

Beth would tell you it's impossible for me to do so and admittedly, I've always had a healthy appetite. But during the rest of the year, I normally run enough to offset the increased consumption.

So for me the new year means its time to get back into the fitness groove; time to forgo the utilization of my unending list of excuses of why I can't run today; time to set some running and race goals for the coming year and time to begin training.

And it also means its time for me to make peace with my bathroom scale, put away my super-size pants and start dressing from my regular closet once again.

Because in reality:

I eat therefore I am.

Happy 2009!

It's A Bird. It's A Plane. I'ts A Maniac!

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Baby it's Cold Outside

On November 22nd I ran my first race (and longest distance) since having had disc surgery this past March.

The event was the Star City Half Marathon held here in Roanoke VA. And as it was the 23rd year this race has been run, Mother Nature decided to commemorate the occasion with a start time temperature of 23 degrees. How thoughtful.

Arriving early, I joined a multitude of runners holed up in a pre-race huddle inside the Rocwood Indoor Climbing Center and as I passed the time prior to the mass migration to the start line, I scanned the wicking clad crowd for my two running partners.

Joining me in this noble quest for frostbite was my brother-in-law Bryan and my nephew Jay; both of whom travelled about 3 hours to share in this delightful experience. Just goes to show what grown men will do in order to hang on to any remaining (perceived or otherwise) shred of their youth.

While Jay and I are veterans of several half marathons – including this one, this would be Bryan’s first. Having taken up running relatively recently, he ran his first race this past April – the UKrops 10k in Richmond VA and at my urging, stepped up to the plate and committed to this event while it was still quite warm here in the Old Dominion. (Just to clarify, this in no way should be considered an act of deception on my part as Bryan is well aware that late November is historically cooler than mid July.)

At any rate, before too long the three of us found one another and began to plot our race strategy. It went something like this:

“Damn it’s cold outside!”

“Yea, I can’t feel my toes.”

“What the heck were we thinking?”

Feeling this was an adequate amount of planning, we spent the next several minutes re-tying our shoes and regaling one another with tales of our past race experiences - Bryan had to keep repeating the same story - until the ensuing tsunami of running tights pulled us through the front door vortex with the 300+ other soon to be no longer warm bodies and deposited us squarely in the midst of old man winter.

After a brief (and way to brisk) stop at a port-a-john, we headed over the foot bridge and assembled at the designated location to await the firing of the official race gun, all the while bouncing up and down like a Discovery Channel Tutsi tribe in a failed attempt to keep from becoming human popsicles.

Following a spirited rendition of the national anthem, the gun finally fired causing everyone to cease bouncing and start running. And run we did, for just up ahead we exited the shade and emerged into the sunlight where it was easily 3 degrees warmer.

It should be noted at this point that both my brother-in-law and my nephew are several years younger than me and while there are many runners my age who are as fast as those several years younger, I am not one of them. In fact, I’m not faster than those younger, the same age or older. Even walkers sometimes finish ahead of me but I don’t care. I still get the t-shirt.

And so proceeding at our own pace, we soon split from one another in pursuit of our individual goals. Bryan’s was to complete his first half marathon. Jay’s was to shave a minute or two off his time and mine was to not puke.

I’m happy to report, we all succeeded.

(L-R: Bryan, me and Jay)

Tagged

Mr. Mouse told me my blogging friend Anne in San Diego tagged me with the task of listing 6 things which make me happy.

Now normally I'm a pretty happy person but there have been times in my life (as with most people I suspect) when this hasn't been the case. Perhaps because of this, I've come to realize just how grateful I am to be happy. So here goes; 6 things (in no particular order) which make me happy.

1. Leilani - People always say there's something different about a grand child. They're right. To listen to her laugh, to get lost in her hugs, to hear her call me Popeye is an experience I'm unable to put into words.

2. RFWDG - Together we Lazy White People share an appreciation for fine food, wonderful wines and memories made. But most of all we share in the value and importance of our friendship.

3. Buccaneer Villa - Aptly dubbed by the London Star as "The coolest place to stay on the planet," this paradise on earth is the most relaxing place I've ever been. Iree Mon, Iree.

4. Thunderstorms - Ever since I was a child, I've loved thunderstorms. There is something about the raw power exhibited when God decides to kick it up a notch that is both awe inspiring and humbling.

5. My Siblings - Or more accurately, our relationship with one another, is an important source of happiness for me. There are four of us, 2 brothers and 2 sisters, and even though there are 25 years between me (the youngest) and my brother (the oldest), we all love one another, we all like one another and we all get along. This made our Mother very proud.

6. Beth - Happiness only touches on the emotion I feel because of her. When we married, we promised to walk the path of life together, not one in front of nor one behind the other. We promised to be each other's best friend; to be always kind; to not lose sight of what we found when we found one another. And even though there have been times when I stumbled blindly in darkness, she never faltered. She has always and will always be the reason "I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

I'm supposed to tag 6 others but aside from Anne, there are only 3 other bloggers I know, so here they are:

Amy in GA

Cheryl in AZ

and Zoe in VA

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Return Of Mr. Mouse

Thirty plus years ago, a small group of friends came to know an individual who's antics often placed us in difficult situations.

Last week, he showed up on my doorstep. I'm not sure how long he will stay nor what he will do but one thing is clear; he's not changed a bit.

Consequently, I suspect his visit will be at the very least, interesting and so I invite you to check in periodically for updates.

A Star Is Born

Reilly raised $655.00 for the SPCA in the Howl O'Ween Walk and made it onto the Red Carpet in the process!

How Much Is Enough

I believe in the capitalist system but this is disgusting:

A 2007 study of 137 large companies by data-tracker Equilar Inc found that 72% of the CEOs had severance agreements and 82% were promised exit packages if they lost their jobs following a corporate takeover or "change in control."

Stanley O'Neal, Merril Lynch:
Golden Parachute: $160 million, including more than $129 million in stock and options.
Claim to Shame: O'Neal takes the fall for failing to adequately control the firm's credit and market risks, which resulted in a stunning $8 billion-plus write down in the third quarter.

Philip Purcell, Morgan Stanley:
Golden Parachute: $43.9 million plus $250,000 a year for life after being forced out.
Claim to Shame: He angered a group of shareholders who had already called for a break up of the firm by reorganizing management and promoting some executives who were seen as loyal to him.

Richard Grasso, New York Stock Exchange:
Golden Parachute: Took $140 million in deferred compensation.
Claim to Shame: The disclosure of which sparked a furor that led to his departure. The pay also provoked an investigation and lawsuits, which are still being worked out.

Douglas Ivester, Coca-Cola:
Golden Parachute: Took $120 million when he stepped down in 2000 in his mid-50s.
Claim to Shame: The departure was deemed a "retirement," but Ivester had presided over a period of stagnant growth, declining earnings and bad publicity.

Robert Nardelli, Home Depot:
Golden Parachute: $210 million.
Claim to Shame: He fixed up the home products retailer using techniques he learned as an executive at General Electric, but by 2006, he was starting to seriously irritate shareholders. The final straw was when he told the board to skip the annual shareholder meeting and prevented shareholders from speaking for more than a few minutes. He was ousted in January 2007.

Bruce Karatz, KB Homes:
Golden Parachute: Gets up to $175 million.
Claim to Shame: The former chief executive of the home building company resigned in November 2006 after an internal investigation into whether he and other executives backdated stock option grants.

Stephen Hilbert, Conseco:
Golden Parachute: Took an estimated $72 million.
Claim to Shame: Hilbert bought GreenTree Financial in 1998, just as the subprime lending business was about to go topsy turvy. The purchase left Conseco, an insurance company, with big write downs and ultimately contributed to its 2001 bankruptcy. The company has since reemerged from reorganization.

Michael Ovitz, Disney:
Golden Parachute: $140 million after less than two years on the job.
Claim to Shame: A former big-time Hollywood agent, Ovitz was recruited to Disney to work under Chairman Michael Eisner, but the two couldn't play nice. The pay was disputed in a Delaware court, which decided in 2005 that the board didn't violate its fiduciary duty in awarding that much severance.

Hank McKinnell, Pfizer:
Golden Parachute: $198 million, including $78 million in deferred compensation he built up in 35 years at the pharmaceutical company.
Claim to Shame: Pfizer shares sank 40% on his watch, which ended last year. The company had to cut billions in costs and fire thousands of employees and said it wouldn't see revenue growth until 2009.

Frank Newman, Bankers Trust:
Golden Parachute: $55 million.
Claim to Shame: A former deputy Treasury secretary, Newman was brought to Bankers Trust to restore confidence after the 1994 derivatives scandal. He made aggressive moves into technology banking and lending (buying boutique Alex. Brown & Sons in 1997). But that push, plus a big position in Russian government bonds put the bank on the brink. Newman left in 1999 after selling the company to Deutsche Bank.

Carly Fiorina, Hewlett Packard:
Golden Parachute: $45 million including a $21.4 million severance package.
Claim to Shame: Fiorina was dismissed as the CEO of Hewlett Packard in 2005 after a merger with Compaq floundered, stock prices plunged 50 percent and 20,000 people were laid off.

Alan H. Fishman, Washington Mutual:
Golden Parachute: $18 million in bonuses
Claim to Shame: Was only employed for three weeks at the failed savings and loan.

Bob Nardelli, Home Depot:
Golden Parachute: $210 million
Claim to Shame: Pocketed a lavish severance package and left shareholders with a stock that languished even as sales have nearly doubled during his six-year tenure.

Richard S Fuld Jr, Lehman Brothers:
Golden Parachute: Unknown however he was paid approximately $350 million from 2000 to 2007.
Claim to Shame: Ignored a warning that the bank's 'liquidity can disappear quite fast' and dismissed suggestions that staff may not get their bonuses. Also, according to the Associated Press, internal company documents detailed a request to the compensation committee that three departing executives be given $20 million in "special payments." The request was made on September 11 - four days before the company went bankrupt.

One positive note:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's outgoing CEOs Daniel Mudd and Richard Syron aren't going to receive the millions of dollars in severance that had previously been expected. The Federal Housing Finance Agency said it will block the severance payments which together had been estimated at up to $23 million.

Lions & Tigers & Bears - Oh My

The following AP article recently caught my eye:

An ambulance official says a jogger has been taken to hospital after he was attacked by a kangaroo on the outskirts of Australia's second-largest city.

Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokeswoman Christine Paterson says the man, in his 50s, was attacked Monday as he apparently ran between a male and female kangaroo near his home at an outer suburb of Melbourne. She says the victim ran to a nearby house and telephoned for help while the kangaroo hopped away.

Paterson says he was taken by ambulance to a hospital in a stable condition with a gash on his head and minor claw scratches to his chest, arms and hands.

A Royal Melbourne Hospital spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment on the man's condition.

Ok lesson learned: Clearly one should never come between a Roo and his lady.

Encounters between runners and animals are not uncommon however for most of us; it’s limited to the occasional dog who decides to pace us. But as evidenced by the above article, more exotic meetings do sometimes take place. So in the interest of education and safety, I’d like to share a few tips I discovered while researching material for this piece. (I swear I didn’t make any of this stuff up.)

Bears

If you see a bear in the distance, respect the bear's need for space.

Remember a crowded bear is an unhappy bear.

It’s a good idea not to wear hair products if you anticipate a bear encounter.

Bears apparently detest mousse, gel and Brylcream.

Identify yourself as human by talking in low tones, with arms outstretched.

In your best Barry White voice say, “Hi Gentle Ben, it’s me Bobby. Give me a hug!”

If a bear actually attacks you should fight back aggressively as this will encourage the bear to "give up" and leave.

However it is deadly to do this with a grizzly so be sure and ask the bear for ID prior to employing this tactic.

Rattlesnakes

If you run into a rattlesnake on your path - stop! Enjoy the encounter - Do not attempt to "shoo" the snake away.

Rattlesnakes are known to be sensitive and may take such action personally.

Some common symptoms of a rattlesnake bite are: Fang marks, Pain, Nausea and Dizziness.

Did we mention death?

Lions

Do not approach a lion.

They aren’t interested in anything you have to say.

If confronted, stay calm and face the lion.

Try humming a few bars from The Lion King to build trust.

Do not run.

Like rattlesnakes, lions are also known to be overly sensitive.

Try to appear larger by raising your hands.

This may also serve to confuse the lion as he may think you wish to ask a question or need to use the restroom.

Avoid bending over.

I don’t even want to speculate as to the reason for this tip.

Remember, the animal kingdom was here first so it’s understandable they might feel a tad resentful at man’s usurping their environment. So when running the roads and the trails, be respectful, be careful and be prepared.

At least most of us don’t have to worry about kangaroos!

G’Day!

Too Good

Godspeed Morgan

My sister-in-law Chris received an email this morning from her husband Morgan.

He and his unit have arrived in Iraq.

Please keep him and all of our service personnel in your thoughts and prayers.

Kindergarden - Day 1

On Tuesday she began kindergarden.

She was a bit nervous.

I was a bit emotional.

Where has the time gone?

Amazing

I remember this well - it occurred about a month before I shipped off to boot camp.

Two years later I was stationed in Manhattan and visited the World Trade Center. I could not then nor can I now comprehend how anyone could accomplish such a feat (much less desire to do so).

To say I don't do well with heights is an understatement but while there I went to the roof anyway. Doing so did nothing to alleviate my phobia but looking back, I'm glad I went.

Love

Semper Paratus

August 4, 2008

218 Years of Service

The Long Road Back

When I was released by my Doctor in mid April, I firmly believed I would be able to work my way back to distance running in a very short time.

I've come to realize I was overly optimistic.

So far my only double digit run has been a 10 miler which put me away for two days and reminded me that too much too soon is too bad.

So I've resigned myself to the fact that to rebuild, I must gradually increase my mileage, get enough rest, lay off those damnable Cheez-Its (low fat or not) and listen to my body while it whispers instead of when it screams.

On a positive note, my training log shows a steady increase since April so I'm still planning on the Star City Half Marathon come November.

Monthly Distances

August: 9.5 Mi 1:42:02
July: 59.8 Mi 10:32:34
June: 39.5 Mi 7:10:38
May: 26.3 Mi 5:01:27
April: 18.2 Mi 3:21:47
March: 0.0 Mi 0:00

Mahalo

Where Did The Years Go

July 18, 1982

Little blond curls, so soft and sweet
always waiting, at the door to greet.
With hugs and kisses, a playful grin
you stole my heart, again and again.

The years flew by, you grew too fast
before I knew it, time had passed.
No longer a child, longing to play
all but the memory, had gone away.

But no matter the time, pass as it may
I’ll always remember that special day.
When into my world, you chose to be
and in picking a Father, you picked me.

So celebrate my child, and never forget
I’m still your Dad, and I’m not done yet.
That little blond girl, with curls galore
resides in my heart forever more.


Happy Birthday Abbey!

I Came, I Saw, I-Pod

Got one of these for my birthday.

Good thing it comes with iPod for Dummies built in.

Some of what is in my Running playlist:

Gimme Shelter - Grand Funk Railroad

Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations

Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen

Struttin' My Stuff - Elvin Bishop

In The Mood - Glenn Miller

I Wanna Be Around - John Cale

Smooth - Santana

Babylon - David Gray

Deep Forest - Deep Forest

What's in your iPod?