Sparrowman’s Perch

I was listening to WYEP FM (Pittsburgh, PA) over the net and I heard a voice and some sounds that I’ve not heard in quite some time.  Could it be?  Yes!  They’re back!  Eddie Brickell and New Bohemians are back and out with a brand new album, Stranger Things.  It was just released today.  From what I understand, all of the old New Bohemians have returned as well.  I emailed one of you today about this; I thought I’d post this here for anyone else who may be interested. 

 Hmmm…, I wonder what I’m going to buy this weekend?  (Yes, I actually do buy music.  I do believe in supporting the music that one likes, whether it be recorded or especially live.)

The 5K from Hell

Hey folks, you should know that I finally did it—I participated in a 5K race!  Well, I did (or attempted to do) the speed walking part .  I thought this would be a cakewalk.  I mean that I’ve been walking on our rail trails every other day for the past several months.  I’ve been trying to increase my speed.  I should be able to do this without a problem.

A friend from work has been on me for the past couple of years now to sign up for some of these 5K things.  “If you’ve been walking, you can easily do the walking part.” He says.  

The Brew Pub Twilight 5K is a nice one.  You do your thing and then come back, get a very good quality T-shirt, get a pasta dinner and a couple of beers.  

I saw my contenders.  Probably about 95 to 98 percent of the people there should have the word turbo emblazoned on their backs.  “Health people.”   I kind of singled out the possible walkers.  Hmmm. Yes, I can pass these people.  No problem.  

The starting line was in front of the Brew Pub.   We go down the road until the park entrance.  Walkers went along the Decker’s Creek trail whilst the runners went towards the Arboretum on the river trail.  

And they’re off … and so am I.  Okay here are my actual contenders around me.  Sure enough though, one by one, I get passed.   There are a few behind me: some gray-haired folks and one who seemed a bit chunkier than me.  The gray-haired people now seemed like they just strolled past me without effort.  The chunkier person passed me and the grays.  To my dismay, I am now THE LAST one of our group!

The dog people were out on the trail too walking their critters.  Man, even micro-wiener dogs were out-pacing me!  Good Lord.  To make matters worse, a turkey vulture flying above seemed to like to circle over me.  A bloody turkey vulture!  Not a good sign.

Today was generally not a good day though.  The humidity was incredibly thick.  It was almost 90 degrees.  And I am one who only comes out at night in the summer.  (I don’t do the sun. Nada.)  These are really not my thriving conditions.  Plus, my shins were splinting and my sacroiliac (it does exist) wanted to disengage and find a new body.  Sweat found a way to actually exude from fingernails.  And by the way, a warning to you mouth breathers out there: try not to breath in as you go through those gnat clouds that form in the early evening.  It’s not pleasant and they don’t taste like chicken.

Well, as the sun was going down and the crickets started to chirp, I eventually did make it to the finish line, DEAD, DEAD LAST.   

How do they do this!  The walkers just look like they are gliding on air.  No effort at all.  Me, I know I’m moving but I’m not going anywhere.  Very disheartening.

Moral of the story: Do not try to run with the gazelles when you can barely crawl with the turtles!  I had planned on signing up for a few other 5K walks, but not now.  I’m not giving up though.  I know beyond any doubt that I can out pace one of those micro-wiener dogs!   I’m there.

← Proof of doing this race.  Note the smear of movement of the tag.

 La Fête Nationale de la France

 le 14 juillet 2006

Yes, it’s July 14th, Bastille Day. My apologies to the French if I have mangled any of the above wording. My ability to do "survival French" is fading.

Since I was in France for the Bicentennial of the Revolution in July of 1989, I have since then in small ways paid mind to this date. Usually, I end up turning up the volume when public radio plays La Marseillaise. Other than that: I might buy a baguette or croissant, try to have a glass of French wine, or just reminisse of the several weeks of traipsing through the middle of France during ‘89. I miss the "snacks" of a local cheese on fresh bread and of course, the glass or two of wine. (IMHO, even the "cheap" wines there were so good!)

As I was either humming or whistling the tune of La Marseillaise today at work, I didn’t remember or even know any of the words to that anthem. I searched a bit and saw that there are several translations. I’ll post one of those here. Man, we mustn’t forget the intensity of that very bloody revolution that overthrew not only tyrannical monarchs and monarchial systems but also that of philosophies and cultures.

More on Bastille Day here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day
For fun, try your luck at hitting a cake: http://electricartists.com/frenchrev/game/ (There are some interesting history tid-bits as well).

Folks, I’m back for now.  I’ve been slowly building a new computer, thanks to a very generous donation from a friend/colleague from work who gave me a newer model motherboard with an AMD (Pentium IV equivalent) processor.  I hope to scrounge up some cash and go to a computer expo this weekend to get a few other new parts.

Also, dial-up here averages around 21.1 to 31.2 so I just pop in and out of the internet whenever necessary.  I blame the wiring in my apartment.  Plus, I look at computer screens all day at work and I’d rather do other stuff.  More later.