New music

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to get back to listening to more music instead of podcasts. On my road trip through Arizona I brought several CD's along that I had not listened to in a long time, and it was great hearing them again as the miles flew by.

Though I have two big boxes of CD's to catch up with, I would love to find some new bands to add to the mix. Back in Seattle, there is this great radio station called The Mountain. They play an eclectic mix of old classics as well as new bands that aren't yet (or never will be) played on more mainstream radio. This was about my only source of new music, and I have not found a similar station down here in San Diego.

Recently, my only discoveries have been from a running podcast I listen to. Steve puts in a single song in the middle of each episode, usually from a new artist that has offered a song up as "podsafe", meaning that podcasters can use it without dealing with copyrights or making payments. Some established artists also release a song or two as podsafe, so occasionally Michael Franti or Ingrid Michaelson will pop up.

We were recently over at a friend's house for a birthday party, and we ended up staying the night. Over breakfast the next morning, the host put on some music, a recent discovery that they love to play on weekend mornings. I enjoyed it and ended up buying the album. I listened to it for the first time during my Grand Canyon run, and it made for a great soundtrack for the morning.

And I thought, this is how I should be discovering new bands, I should be talking to my friends to find out what their latest fave is. So, thanks Jonathan and Lynne for introducing me to Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons.

I asked my friends in Phoenix the same question, and they came up with some bands I already listen to. When they countered with asking what my latest finds were, I was initially stumped. That's my problem remember - no new music. After thinking for a bit, I guess the most recent bands I have purchased whole albums from are: Brandi Carlile, Needtobreathe, and Gomez. Not new bands, but newer to me. My newest addition just came in today, courtesy again from the Phedipidations podcast. He has played a couple of songs from Great Big Sea, and I ended up getting their Up album.

Then the other day, Matt was cleaning out the shed and dropped this in my room.

He knew I was looking for music, so he offered these up before they were sent off to the Salvation Army. No new bands, but I did find some older stuff that I didn't have.

So, what is your latest musical find? I'd love to hear about it.

Lit

I just finished the book Lit by Mary Karr. It is a memoir about her struggle with family scars, marriage, motherhood, and becoming a writer all through the hazy veil of alcoholism. The book details how her dependence on alcohol pushed her away from life, and ultimately tore apart what she knew of it. Later in the book, she struggles to get sober, and through her support group, grapples with "letting go and letting God".

I have read a number of "my life sucked, let me tell you about it" memoirs over the past few years. At some point they all seem to run together, and I need to step away from this genre. I'm not sure what online snippet led me to put this book on my 'to-read' list, but it lurked there for almost a year before I sat down to read it.

I had some difficulty getting into the book initially, but about a third of the way through it grabbed on to me. She has an unflinching way of writing about how alcohol blew apart opportunities and relationships, without playing the victim and glossing over her part in the collapse. Though she is descriptive in the details of the demise of her marriage, she is clear that her descriptions are not only filtered through a haze of alcohol, but her own perceptions of what happened. She allows that the story would be quite different if told by her ex-husband. As she notes in the book, "I would’ve preferred that my ex vet this manuscript and correct the glaring flaws. Wisely, he balked – I’d have hated to see his version, too."

Many dependency recovery programs have a strong element of prayer and faith. Mary would have none of it initially, and it is interesting to read about her reasoning and struggle as she grapples with letting go of control and preconceived notions. She walks a rather crooked path before entering the doors of church, and even when she sits down in the pew, she brings something to read in case she is bored. Not a quick conversion by any means, but I found her path interesting.

As a side note, I have been marking good passages in books over the last year or so. If I own the book, and particularly if it is a work of non-fiction, I will highlight good passages or turns of phrase in pen. If it is a book on loan from a friend or a library, I have been using these little Post-It flags. This is what Lit looked like when I was finished.

A bunch of flags is usually a good indication that I enjoyed the book, but not always. There have been a few books heavily flagged that I thought weren't the best. Although, some of them were read when I was going through the toughest part of our separation, so it makes me wonder if I was just not in the right mental place.

On the flip side, Lit may have been really enjoyable for me because I read it at the right time. The author's struggles with depression, dependency, divorce and despair may have hit me at the right time. Who knows, if we had read it in book club back when life was different, I may have written it off as just another woe-is-me memoir. But I don't think so. I think this one stands above the others, no matter when I picked it up. Worth a read.

Happy Labor Day

On those rare mornings when I don't set an alarm, this is how I wake up:



The pooch's stomach is on its own clock, and she puts her nose on the bed and starts doing her little tap dance to get me moving. If there are covers on the bed, she will use her nose to lift them up and drag them away. It is pretty cute, but not at 6:45am on a day off.

For some reason, she hit snooze this morning and let me sleep in to almost 9:00 this morning. Best start to Labor Day ever!

Training update

So I just finished week ten of the sixteen week marathon training program. Quite often during a training period, I reach a point where I grow tired of it, and I am skimming along that point right now. The training runs are getting faster and longer, but the marathon is still far enough away (six weeks) that I can't quite see the finish line. It is that point in climbing a hill where your legs are about to fail, but you can't quite see the summit. It is the discouraging feeling where you are not sure if you will make it and you start to wobble. 

The miles have been piling up, and I feel like I never quite recover between workouts. I start each run with legs that feel a little too sore and a little too empty. The weekend long run is now becoming legitimately long, and is a two to three hour investment of time and energy. The weather has been warm, and though I try to get out earlier, I often weigh an extra hour of sleep against trying to beat the heat. Though this has been a milder summer from what I understand, it is still hot enough to make it a struggle for me.

And there is just the mental fatigue of trying to run every scheduled mile, to hit every scheduled pace. The training calendar becomes this thing you just dread looking at. I had a tough long run last week, and was feeling like I could use a break to recharge. But this week's mileage was going to be the highest so far.

But this time, it feels like the dip in enthusiasm may be more short-lived than in the past. Even though the last three days of work were physically draining (digging through clay and rock, carrying 8" x 18" wood beams), I put in 10 miles on Thursday and 18 on Saturday. Both were run at a decent pace and I finished feeling like I still had some more in the tank. Though I was feeling a bit run down physically and mentally, I was able to find a reserve I wasn't sure was there. I gives me some confidence that I will be able to push through this lull and show up race day ready to run.

I am still happy with the new training program, as challenging as it has been. I haven't missed any of the runs, and have only cut one short so far - a 17 miler became a 14 miler in the Phoenix heat. I haven't been as good at the cross-training, averaging about once a week rather than twice. But overall, I think the program is a solid one, and I am feeling more prepared than I have in the past. 

Less than six weeks until the final exam. 

Game day

The promise of a new season.

The first University of Washington football game is today. It is half time, and the score is UW 17, BYU 13. The last few seasons, the Huskies have been pretty dismal, bottoming out in 2008 by going 0-12. Last year with a new coach, they improved dramatically to 5-7. Our Heisman candidate quarterback is returning, and the buzz is that we may go to our first bowl game in eight (?) years. Of course pre-season hype does not equal success during the season (as the Mariners are painfully aware).

I went to UW for two years, and had student tickets for the football season for three years. This was back when the Huskies were at their peak. One of those years the Dawgs went undefeated and shared the national title with Miami (before #1 and #2 played each other at the end of the season). Husky stadium is one of the loudest stadiums to play in, and especially during those years, opposing teams had difficulty even calling plays. Our defense was so impressive, it was not unusual to look up at the scoreboard and see negative numbers for the other team's rushing yards. We were on our feet for almost the entire game. 

Three years in a row, my brother, I and various friends made the road trip down to Pasadena to see the Huskies play in the Rose Bowl. I am not one of those guys that is obsessed with sports, able to quote stats past and present, but I do love to watch Husky football come game day. 

Today, I am huddled around my computer to listen to the game online. Not the same, but GO DAWGS!

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

Aw, crap - Huskies lose 23 - 17.

Some animals were harmed during this production

The radiator of my truck after a week on the road.

Grand Canyon morning

I heard several times that I had to see Grand Canyon at both sunrise and sunset. The look of the canyon can change dramatically depending on the angle of the sun, and the cliff walls really come to life when the sun is low on the horizon. I had already been at rim's edge as the day came to a close, and the plan was to get up before the sun breached the horizon the next day.

When considering where to stay, I had originally planned on staying in nearby Tusayan. The town is only about five miles from the park, and I had even toyed with riding my bike to and through the park. But the more I thought about it, I figured since I was only going to be there for around 24 hours, I might as well spend the extra $30 to stay within the park. It would mean less hassle, more time in the park, and of course a few extra minutes of sleep before meeting the sunrise.

I am really fortunate that I made that choice. Road construction near the entrance caused delays of up to 45 minutes, which would have been frustrating as I drove in and out of the park at the start and end of the day.

I was scheduled to run six miles on Thursday, and I thought running through Grand Canyon National Park at sunrise would be pretty spectacular. There is a paved and gravel trail along the rim of the canyon, connecting the village to many of the viewpoints and overlooks. It was about three quarters of a mile from my hotel to the rim trail. The alarm went off sometime around 5:00am after another short night of sleep, and I set out about a half hour before sunrise.

Before I even started, I threw out any thoughts of maintaining any training pace. Not only would I be stopping regularly to take in the view, but the park sits at about 7000 feet of elevation. I had previously biked at around 6500 feet, so I knew that living at sea level and exercising at 7000 feet would not be very comfortable. No, the goal of the day would be taking my time to savor the moment.

Here is a picture of the route I ran (click to enlarge):

The first bit was a decent path through the park and the trees, but the show really began once I turned onto the rim trail. As you can see from the picture, for much of the time, the path is within tripping distance of the edge. The center of the picture where it says 'Grand Canyon' is where the restaurants and nicer hotels are. I was unsure how many people I would see along the path, so I lingered a while early on the rim trail before I reached 'civilization'.

When I reached the village, I found a number of people out to greet the sunrise, but it was in no way crowded. The sun was still below the horizon, but it was already light out. I paused in a number of spots, trying to decide on the best place to be at sunrise. I decided to run past the village and out toward the Hermit's Rest route I had traveled by bus the day before. I had intentionally skipped the first couple of viewpoints, figuring I would run to them in the morning.

In the above picture, the Hermit's Rest route begins where my red running route makes a right turn toward the top of the picture. I saw a sign as I entered this portion of the path that said something about a "worship center" 300 yards ahead. I hadn't heard mention of it before, and I didn't know what to expect, but I have to assume that this is what they were talking about.

I also didn't have a picture in my head of the 'ideal' spot to watch the sunrise, but once I saw this, I knew I had found what I was looking for. There was no one else around, so this little platform would be my own private meditation spot. With a little timer assisted photography to capture the moment, this corner of the park was all my own as the new day began.

After watching the sunrise, I pressed on to Maricopa Point and the Trail Overlook viewpoints. Maricopa Point was my turnaround point, and the trail branched off to a lookout point that seemed suspended over the canyon. I met another runner there, and we both leaned on the rail and took in the dawn without a word spoken. I stopped by the Trail Overlook on the way back, and met another runner. He was more chatty and we talked about the Bright Angel Trail that snaked into the canyon below us.

You stare at a thing of beauty for too long, and it can become less spectacular. Spending several hours at various viewpoints the day before, my eyes began to glaze over and the incredible details began to fade a bit. I don't know if it was just stepping away for the evening, or if being out there nearly-alone on foot had something to do with it, but the canyon seemed new again, and I think I enjoyed it even more the second day.

I ran back to the hotel, getting in the required six miles marked on my training calendar. With the altitude, steep trail, and multiple stops to enjoy the view, it took about two hours to complete. But moving any faster through this glorious morning would have been a mistake.

I showered, grabbed a quick breakfast, checked out of the hotel and hit the road once again around 10:00am. I decided to leave the park from the east exit, and stopped at a couple more viewpoints along the way. Once again, it was beautiful, but the magic was beginning to slip away (again). This part of the canyon was different and beautiful in its own way, but I didn't linger quite as long. It was time to move on.

Below are some of the photos from the second day, both during the run and on the drive out.



Now it was on to the Phoenix area, and some time spent with friends I hadn't seen in a year. Out of the woods and back to civilization.

The Grand Canyon

"No language can fully describe, no artist paint the beauty, grandeur, immensity and sublimity of this most wonderful production of Nature's great architect. [The Grand Canyon] must be seen to be appreciated."

~ C.O. Hall, Grand Canyon visitor, 1895

After fueling up on gasoline and caffeine in Williams Wednesday morning, I headed north to the park. The road is a pretty straight shot through barely populated land. Much of the area was covered in low trees, short and round like all they had to do was dry out to become tumbleweeds. There was some road construction, so it took a bit longer than planned, but I still made it into the park by 9:30am.

I headed straight to the nearest viewpoint, and it...was...stunning. It would be the first of probably ten different viewpoints I would visit, and I would end up taking some 250 pictures trying (futilely) to capture the spectacle. I knew no picture would ever tell the story, but I couldn't help trying.

Grand Canyon National Park has several shuttles that will take you around the village and to all the different viewpoints (all included for the price of admission). It is a great system and eliminates all the crazy traffic that would otherwise exist.

After dropping off the truck, I spent a couple of hours along the Hermit's Rest route. A recorded voice would announce the next viewpoint as we drove along the route. I had planned on going straight to the end and working my way back, but I could not resist getting off the bus when I heard "now approaching The Abyss" (so named for the sheer drop off). Of course you are largely looking at the same canyon, but each viewpoint offered a slightly different perspective.

After grabbing some lunch, I listened to an interesting lecture on the California Condor. The endangered bird has been brought back from the edge of extinction, and there are a number of these huge birds that now call Grand Canyon their home.

After belatedly stopping by the visitor center, I checked into the hotel. It was not one near the rim, but it was still great to be staying in the park. It was a more traditional place with a tv and fridge, but it still felt a little rustic since this was the view from the room.

After getting settled, I headed back to the village. I wanted to see the sun go down over the canyon before grabbing some dinner. It was a beautiful night, and there were many people along the rim taking in the nightly show. Once again, pictures could not capture the beauty of the light playing off the rock walls, but we all kept trying just the same. And we would put the cameras down for long moments, trying to savor the images in real time.

Below is a small sample of the pictures I took the first day. The next morning, the Grand Canyon experience was somehow, even better. More on that tomorrow.

Williams, Arizona - gateway to the Grand Canyon

The rough schedule was to spend a day or so at the Grand Canyon on my way out to see friends in Phoenix. It is about a nine hour drive from San Diego to the Grand Canyon. I decided to stop off in Williams for the night as it is only an hour short of the canyon, and the hotels were about 60 % cheaper. The next morning I would drive the 60 miles into the park and start the day fresh.

Williams of course survives on people doing the exact same thing as I was doing. When I looked online, there were around 25 hotel options in the small town. I ended up choosing the least expensive lodging, and it ended up being a pretty cool choice.

The appropriately named, Grand Canyon Hotel claims to be the oldest hotel in all of Arizona. It opened in 1891 and once the railway to the canyon opened in 1901, the city and hotel became the launching point for people around the nation to visit our own 'wonder of the world'.

The historic route 66 runs right down main street of Williams, so the hotel and city also benefited from people passing through on "America's Highway". However, once I-40 pulled travelers off of route 66, fewer people traveled directly through Williams, and the hotel stood empty for about 35 years.

A couple bought, restored and reopened the hotel in 2004. The hotel has been restored, rather than remodeled. The wood floors look original, the rooms are small, and for many, the bathroom is down the hall. It is definitely a period piece, and they proudly advertise "25 beautiful individually decorated television free rooms." Williams still has that small town feel, and they have capitalized on the route 66 kitsch. The hotel fits right in, and it was great.

And I found a appropriately kitschy restaurant to complete the experience. I sat out on the patio for dinner, and there was a local guitar player doing covers and singing some of his own stuff. He was actually pretty good. I lingered for a while after dinner, relaxing after the long drive, and looking forward to the next day.

On to the Grand Canyon!

Happy National Dog Day!

Miss my pooch. There are a few dogs here in the park, and if your day could be made happier at the Grand Canyon, it would be with your smiling companion nearby.

The pooch sometimes drags my shoes or clothing out to the front room when I am away. We were recently gone overnight for a child's birthday party. When we came home, this is what was waiting by the front door.

Can't wait to see the pile when I get home after a week away. 

The road trip

The call of the open road. It is probably an American ideal especially, what with our expansive country, relatively cheap gas, and intricate freeway system. With a single tank of gas, we might be able to cross state lines, yet even with three months on the road it would be difficult to see it all.

The road trip, or even the Sunday drive used to be a thing in and of itself. There was plenty to see along the way. That like life, it was as much about the journey as the destination. Today the journey seems to be a hassle on the way to our destination. Airplanes can't get us there fast enough, and our frustration pushes flight attendants to the emergency slide.

As a teenager it was completely different. Like most men I imagine, cars were an important part of growing up, and we would look for any excuse to go for a drive. A couple friends of mine would ditch class to drive to eastern Washington just to go to the U-Tote-Em Drive In for lunch. We had plans at one point to drive to California - each of us in our own cars, because we all wanted to drive.

I of course don't get as excited about driving these days, but the road still speaks to me. As I prepared for the trip out to Arizona, the drive wasn't just a hurdle to cross in order to get to where I was going. The drive was going to be part of the experience.  I dug through the CDs and grabbed a large handful for the drive. I charged up the iPod as well, but I was really looking forward to listening to some music I hadn't heard in ages. Before long, I was belting out some 80's classics as I drove down the interstate. (There are some definite advantages to driving alone).

The first car I owned was a '67 Ford Mustang. I bought it for $1,300 (it clearly wasn't in "classic" shape) and had the car for over 15 years. It was my daily driver for most of those years, and I was thinking about that car as I climbed some mountain passes today.

My Mustang had power nothing, and certainly no air conditioning. My friend always called it "2-55 A/C" - 2 windows down driving 55 mph. But it was worse than that. Whenever I headed over the pass to eastern Washington, not only was there no A/C, but I would crank the heat in hopes of preventing the engine from over-heating. As I climbed the passes, I would be physically sweating as I watched the engine temperature tickle the red zone. Once I was done climbing and on the downslope, I would shift into neutral (it was a stick shift) and turn off the car completely. As I coasted down the road with the engine off, I would watch the temperature gauge fall back down to normal. Good times.

Today, I was crossing over the moonscape that is eastern California, and the temperatures were above 110. My truck is now 11 years old, so to be safe I turned off the A/C on the uphills. That seemed to be enough to keep it out of the red zone, so at least I didn't have to turn the heat on.

My route today took me north on I-15 to I-40 east. I-40 is the interstate that killed old route 66. Route 66 was dubbed "The Mother Road" and was the first to connect Chicago to Los Angles in a reasonable fashion. Many small towns along Route 66 blossomed as so many Americans took to their cars to see the country. The year after I-40 was finished, Route 66 was decommissioned. Several of those small towns withered, but several others (including Williams,AZ where I stayed this evening) have latched onto the kitsch of 66, and remain as business loops off of I-40.

The interstate highway system does an amazing job of connecting this great nation of ours, the size of which boggles the mind when you stop to think about it. When I turned onto I-40, there was a sign that said, "Wilmington N.C. 2554 miles". It is pretty amazing to think that I can drive that far on a single road (assuming I would want to drive to North Carolina).

But there is something lost with the increase of speed and the skipping by of small town America. As Charles Kuralt said when I-40 was completed in the 1980's, "Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything."

I can't claim that I took the long way here today, but I am really glad I stopped at Williams for the night. It is a great little town semi-preserved in time from the heyday of Route 66. The journey is pretty good so far, and the Grand Canyon is only an hour away.

More about that tomorrow(ish).

A brief departure

When it is all stripped away, what would you do if there was nothing holding you back?

As a follow up to yesterday's post, I have been thinking about what I could/should/might do with this life of mine. In the past year or so, several things have been stripped away from my own ledger. No spouse, no house, and smaller expenses. I still have my own obligations and debt that must be tended to, and I am mostly treading water at this point, but the load is lighter than it once was. Not that this is where I wanted to be, but this could be looked upon as a golden opportunity. With a lighter obligation side of the ledger, and with my decisions mostly affecting only myself, I could get busy pursuing my bliss.

But were the obligations really holding me back? Many of us strain against these real and imagined chains that hold us back from pursuing our bliss. "If only I could cut my bills in half, get a different job, buy a smaller place, had more time, I could get on with LIVING!" But so many of us when given the time, we don't know what to do with it. We might be suddenly unemployed, and have an extra 40 hours a week that we didn't have before, but rarely do we use that time to chase after our bliss. Suddenly those chains that we thought were holding us back fall away, and we realize that we still aren't moving forward.

We cannot wait for those perfect circumstances to arrive before we pursue our life goals and follow our bliss. We must start along the road before it is entirely open. So many success stories start with something like, "I got up at 4:30am every day before the world was awake so I could write/study/create." Once we start carving out spare minutes and moving forward, we begin to evaluate and adjust how we spend our time to prioritize what is important.

For my own part, I never really felt like I was being held back. I had it pretty good, with enough time that I could waste it. No, it wasn't for lack of time or the chains of obligation, it was from lack of a clear idea of what bliss might mean. Now, I have all the time I need to stare at the ocean for answers, but still none have bubbled up from the foam.

But we all have some vague thoughts of what we would like to do, if we could. What were my dreams if I could turn my back on my life for a while? One recurring image is Thoreau-like. To go off to a cabin in the woods to strip away all the excess, live simply, and see if beneath all the clutter there wasn't something I had been missing. I somehow believed in this little fantasy that I would suddenly begin to write like I had always wanted to. But like those imagined chains, I don't need to make drastic changes to be able to write. I have all the time I need right now, but I so often stare at the blank page (when I bother to sit down in front of it).

One of the other visions I have had looks a little like this:

I have long had the desire to take a few months and see this great country of ours. To hit the road with only the vaguest of plans, gathering adventures, stories, and yes a few souvenir stickers along the way. The original plan was by motorcycle, but these days a Honda Element is more the imagined vehicle. Of course my car would have a bike rack instead of a canoe rack. And biking across America remains a dream as well.

It is still possible, and who knows, I may just make it happen. I know the pooch would not enjoy the journey, so that is of course something to consider. But there are always solutions, and I don't need to imagine any more barriers than already exist.

I actually briefly considered the Jet Blue "All You Can Jet Pass". The pass allowed you to fly anywhere Jet Blue flies, for a month. It was tempting, but I decided it wasn't what I was looking for (they sold out almost immediately anyway). For now, I am headed out on a little one-week adventure. I was already planning on visiting a friend in Arizona for a long weekend, and now work has slowed enough that I can extend it to a week. I have decided to visit the Grand Canyon on the way. I haven't seen it in almost, *cough*, 35 years, so why not!? It is a natural wonder of the world for crying out loud, just a day's drive away. And I have the time.

I don't have to run off to the woods to clear away the clutter - sometimes just being on the road for a while will do. And maybe the expansive canyon will hold more answers than the ocean has proposed so far. At any rate, I hope to get some writing done. I may disappear for a few days, depending on wifi access, but I will resurface, hopefully with a story worth telling.

Working toward bliss

There was a discussion recently about finding your bliss, how that ties into what you do for a living, and how your obligations may hold you back from your pursuit of bliss. We started with a white board with a vertical line down the center (No bad ideas people!). On one side of the ledger were your talents, gifts, and desires (bliss). On the other side were your obligations - house payments, car payments, food, bills, spouse, children, buying and maintaining all your stuff.

The discussion opened with differentiating your gifts vs talents. You may be good at something (a talent) but it may not bring you fulfillment like making use of your gift. The discussion moved on to the question of how our obligations might hold us back from going after our "perfect job". Some of us would work for less if we could get a job related to our pursuit of bliss. But then we bump up against those obligations. We start looking at the expense side of the ledger, it seems to limit our freedom to make these choices.

There are of course things you can do to make that obligation side of the ledger a little lighter. No you can't get rid of your children and shouldn't get rid of your spouse. But many folks are trying to do with less - spending less on luxuries, keeping their car instead of replacing it every few years, eating in instead of out, and curbing the endless pursuit of stuff. Through necessity or a new focus, many people are ending their habit of piling up debt to increase their pile of stuff. That pile of stuff takes a lot of time, energy and mental space to maintain. Time and energy that should be used in finding and pursuing their bliss.

It was an interesting discussion, and what I came away with was this - So very few of us get paid to follow our bliss (maybe 1%) or even work in its general neighborhood. If you are lucky, you enjoy your job well enough, even if it isn't what you'd call "pursuing your bliss". For the rest of us, our jobs are a means to an end, and we should be pursuing our bliss outside of what we do for a living. And it is possible that you will make unexpected connections and find new pathways in that unblissful job.

Some of us who are unemployed or underemployed are reevaluating what we should be doing with our lives. We (myself included) are thinking "This is my chance to start over. What would be my ideal job, and how can I get it." I don't want to discourage people from this line of thinking, because finding a dream job is a noble pursuit. But I think trying to find your bliss in what you do for a living might be a long shot (especially in this economy), and it limits you unnecessarily. A more realistic option would be to find something that you at least enjoy, that pays the bills, and keep pursuing your bliss wherever you can - inside and outside of work.

More on a related topic tomorrow...

Sweet memories

I went for another bike ride today. While bike riding is just cross-training at this point, I should do it more often. Of course it is great exercise, but more importantly at this point, it is good for the soul.

It is funny, these days it is somehow easier to go for a run than go for a bike ride, even though the bike ride is much more fun. Part of it I suppose is that I "have" to go for a run three times a week. It is on the calendar, so it must be done. And the deadline in 56 days is all about running. The swimming and biking are part of the training of course, but not the focus, so it is easier to let them slide. And the other factor is that I am out of bike shape, so biking is tougher than running these days.

But I'm trying. I've been trying to find some enticing local routes to make it more tempting to get out there. It actually looks like San Diego is relatively bike friendly from what I've seen so far. There is a nicely detailed bike map put out by the county, and a number of signed bike routes around the city. Today's route was around Mission Bay and up the coast to Seal Beach.

The weather was warm, but more pleasant by the coast. There was some wind to cool things down, as well as fight against the last few miles. It was a great ride. Seeing the city by bike is completely different. The route of course had some great water views, but just rolling through La Jolla and Mission Beach at bike speed was enjoyable.

As has become tradition lately, I went out for breakfast after my weekend workout. I tried a new place in Ocean Beach, and I found a breakfast I have only had one other time in my life. Banana Bread French Toast! Coincidentally, the one other time I had it was on another bike ride.

This was a great "Second Breakfast" stop on our way to Glacier National Park back in 2007. Each morning we would have bagels and coffee before leaving camp, but would often stop along the way for a more substantial meal. Our group basically took over this small diner, overwhelming the patient waitress. But we were in no hurry, and we even pitched in to brew and serve coffee. 

It was one of the best days of riding, and the breakfast and company were both wonderful. Today's breakfast brought back fond memories, but in no way compared with the original.

Hooray, pizza day!

Friday is pizza day at the house. Pizza is an easy meal at the end of the week, and quite frankly, pizza is something to look forward to. Pizza day is a happy day.

There is even a song about it. The Pheddipidations podcast features a song each week by an independent artist, and one week it was "Pizza Day" by Jonathan Coulton. He wrote in honor of the (best) school lunch. As he says, "In my school, it was Friday. The pizza wasn’t any good at all, but you can’t really argue with pizza at school can you?".

You can hear it here. I picked it up at iTunes, but it looks like you can get it for free on his blog if you are interested.

Did you notice something?

Did the world seem different since the moment you woke up today?

Everyone’s excited

Everyone feels happy in a way they can’t explain today

Doesn’t matter who you are

How your week has been so far

Cause you know when lunch time comes, that everything will be OK

Hooray, pizza day

Hooray, pizza day

Some of us are lucky

Some of us have lots of friends, our tables will be full today

Some of us are lonely

Some of us have no one but it doesn’t matter much today

Even if we don’t belong

We know another week is gone

And we know before too long, the whole damned thing will go away

Hooray, pizza day

Hooray, pizza day