I'm not a success

I’m not a success.  One of our lessons featured a ‘psychometric’ test designed to tell a person if they have the right stuff needed to become successful.  The results were tragic if you took them at face value.  To be a bona fide success, one needed a score of 20-24.  I received an 11.

more amazing than we can imagine

One long-sleeved t-shirt, hat, gloves—a fine outfit.   A new record for the mid-run sprint.  It must be understood that such a record is no small accomplishment.   It’s not like I slacked off when I had run this stretch earlier.  It’s not like this is a downhill sprint like I unwittingly created this summer in Emmetsburg.  I am truly giving it all have every time.  

father of two Cesareans

           Two long-sleeved t-shirts and a hat.  Sweat all over.

            Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me was a collection of clips from past episodes.  One bit featured a British comic who was totally hilarious.  I remember now that I am the proud father of two cesareans.  Listen below to hear the explanation:

billy connolly

           

            Yes, -6 is noticeably colder than 0.  For all you residents of the modernity-challenged ‘greatest country in the world,’ -6 is about 21° F.  I wore two long-sleeved t-shirts today and a stocking hat.  I sweat a bit; so I could probably have gotten along with only one such shirt. 

darkness

I broke the 1:05 mark again—easily this time; over 1 second faster.  One thing about the sun here is that it gets up quite late.  We DIDN’T change the clocks from Daylight Savings Time, so the sun is an hour later in the morning than in the past.  I haven’t been here in the past, so I have nothing to compare to, of course.
Since it is dark outside, when I don’t have my glasses, I need to ask people I meet on the street to read my watch and tell me what time it is.  Now that the sun is sleeping so late, this happens more often. Last week, at 7:20, I had to crowd-source my time investigation.  Today, I had my glasses on when I left the house.

provincial

A good day today.  My days are filling up, so I don’t have time to write much about the run.  After shattering my record by more than 2 seconds on Monday, I guess my body is accustomed to running quickly.  In the past, I thought that breaking the 65 second mark was a big deal.  Now it’s terribly provincial.
I enjoyed Wait, Wait today.  Mo Rocca was on for the first time in awhile.

record, birthday card, Zhirinovsky

Some people reading this may notice that I took more than 2 seconds off my record time for the mid-run sprint.  I was shocked!  It may have been because I was running later in the day and that my body was more limber, loose, and ready to roll.

Diet

         Someone asked a couple weeks ago about my diet.  I have been thinking about my answer, but haven’t gotten to it until now.  Last night, I came back from work at 10:45 to find the air in the apt thick with cigarette smoke an extra 5 tattooed, drunk people drinking and smoking and stumbling around.  One was slumped on the couch storing loudly.

car talk, music sample

A quick, no frills run today.  I have 4 lessons in 4 different places today.  Amazing that 1 week ago, I had one lesson on Fridays.
During the run, Car Talk—Zue called from San Francisco called.  Click or Clack said, “I thought the zoo was in San Diego.”  Very funny.

Afghanistan

I began the sprint at a slowish pace, then sped up.  Finished strong.  I guess that is the way I should always do it.
Listened to an author talk about his book.  http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/11/13/looking-ahead-with-jake-tapper  His book is one that talks about a camp in Afghanistan that was put in a terribly indefensible position.  He also talked about the fact that the wars are separated from the American people.  It’s worth a listen.

Bull-same vowel sound as good?!? Give me a break.

It was hilarious last night.  I needed to teach some pronunciation.  I went into this exercise with the understanding that I would have to try to understand British pronunciation.  The very first word was 'bull'  I was supposed to pronounce it as if it had the same vowel sound as 'good'  A clear travesty as far as someone from the USA is concerned.  I was sweating.

Alonzo Bodden

Wonderful sleep last night.  Very seldom do I sleep until 8:00 am.  Finally, going to sleep at midnight is allowing me to sleep a bit later in the morning.  I usually don’t get home until at least 10pm so I stay up late—usually fiddling around.  I ought to go to sleep.  I am pleased with the result of the sprint.
I enjoyed Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me this morning. One of the guests was Alonzo Bodden, the funniest black man I have never seen.  I first became enamored with Mr. Bodden in the spring when he did a fabulous impersonation of Pres. Obama at a factory that processes highly textured beef product.
The guest on the show was Martha Stewart.  It seems amazing that she has risen from a convicted criminal to regain her position as whatever she is.  They didn’t even mention her time in prison—did she spend any time in prison?—much less make a joke about it.

Middle School

A bit colder, but nothing dramatic.  From the details above, it’s obvious that I was really pulling a plow this morning.  The weather calls for sun this afternoon and no rain for three days.  Tomorrow, I may participate in a hike before the ground gets covered in snow.

rain

I held back on the sprint at the beginning.  I put out only 90% instead of 150% until I was near the finish.  It felt faster.  I wasn’t picking up pillars of lead at the end, but the result was not as fast as an earlier time.
I ran this time at night again.

revocation of US independence

This is so funny, I will share it here.  This is exactly the stuff I'm dealing with everyday.  I'm tasked with teaching British English with a British textbook.  Last night, I came across, "The team are hoping to win the game this weekend."  Is it just me, or is 'team' a singular noun?  Once or twice each lesson, I need to say, "Maybe that's how they say it in England, we doan talk lak tha wherrrrre Ah cum from."

musical inspiration

Tonight was all about the music. After getting off the bus, I looked around me and realized that it wasn’t raining, and it looked like it hadn’t been for a couple hours.  The rain had been steady all day so I decided that I needed to jump at the chance to get out while it was a bit dry—you know, “Make hay while the sun shines”

birthday

My birthday run was super.  Shorts and t-shirt—small amount of sweat.   I guess I didn’t start out fast enough on the sprint because I was sure that I ran faster—not the case.

One of my students, a 15-year-old young man, wants to be a chef.

What do you listen to while running?

       The other day, I heard an interview with Martin Sexton, a guy about my age who is a folk singer.  I loved what he said.   Some of it could have been taken directly out of the file cabinet between my ears.  It's likely that I will try to find some of his music.  He also explained, however, his attitude that people who go around with ear phones in are tuning out the world.

dips and a new sprint

Too many clothes—it’s 5 degrees.  Could’ve done with a t-shirt and shorts.  Pull-ups will all be without ‘body boosting’ from now on.  I’m making this decision even though I believe the US Navy allows momentum boosting even though they say it is not allowed.

a small round piece of tin foil

I could feel their gaze. I could see their smirk of incredulity.  As I continued my run, I could hear their words, “What’s this cream puff doing running around picking up bits of trash?  We pay Asians to do that.”
A minute earlier, there had been two guys standing outside a food shop smoking.

-1, still sweating

Regrettably, I sweat significantly on this run.  I wore too many clothes, of course.  On the way home from my lesson, I couldn’t get my hands warm even though they were inside my purple fleece gloves, there was snow all over, yada, yada, yada.  I thought it would be cold.