• Random and Odd

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    Whoa.
    1024 feet in loss and gain today.  This is much like Training Hill, but not as steep and not as long.

    I don’t usually wear headphones while on the trail, but I made an exception for a podcast.  I popped one bud in my right ear and headed down this trail I have been wanting to do for awhile.  The podcast is one from TrailRunnerNation.com and it was featured these two Western States 100 miles runners back form the 80’s. It was neat to hear them recount simple things like how vacant the aid stations were in comparison to the ‘convenience store’ they are now.  What they used for water bottles (maple syrup bottles and mustard bottles) and some of the stories from their trail runs how they compare to now days.

    The part that just blows me away is when they talk of running these trails, they toss around names of trails or side trails where I run as if everyone knows what they are talking about.  They talk about Last Gasp and how there was a time in AR50 they did it in reverse and Last Gasp was first.   Last gasp isn’t a trail. It’s just a portion of a larger trail that was given that name.  It’s like “Tommy’s Trail” that Dan and I call it.  It now has an official name, but when no one knew about it, we called it Tommy’s Trail, after the guy who cleared it.
    Hearing them talk about Railbed Hill and how they run it, it just brings me right back to where I want to be…right where I was.

    I loved when they talked about Michigan Bluff and he was talking about “Doing work”.  I was just about 100 feet into a 1000 feet climb when he said, “I know when I am out there and I have 30 minutes of hills, I dig deep and tell myself, ‘I work for 30 minutes. When I am done, then I can break down.”
    Holy shit, I needed to hear that.
    I put my head down and did the best that I could do and when it got painful I told myself, ‘when you’re at the top, you can break down.’ and when I got to the top, I felt so great that I began to run out the knots.

    The guys talked about their mentors. This kinda bummed me out because I don’t have any yet.  I’m doing this all on my own. The best that I can do is talk to people who have done Ultras and ask totally random questions.   Listening to them talk about how they got through the early days, reminded me of my very first few months and how much I learned through failing.  The things I have learned in just the past year, I should write it all down. OH WAIT, I AM!

    I’m so excited for this upcoming year.  The Resolution Run has turned into a full blown Runs With Rusty Scissors meets Honey Badgers Hockey team run!  I told one of the players, “You should do this…” and now we have players and their wives and all their kids running it too.  Mind blowing.  It seriously makes me tear up thinking about how amazing my world is and how happy I am with the way it’s playing out.

    Happy 2013 everyone!

  • Random and Odd

    lock em up!

    8315252996_0080227b37_z

    API endpoint, my ass.
    Whatever. I will figure out that shit later.

    As I was digging through my settings and files I found 3 posts that were password protected. I opened them up and said, ‘fuck it, no need to worry about THOSE being seen my anyone’ and I took the password off of them.
    They had an option that said, “STICK THIS TO THE FRONT PAGE” I actually started laughing because, as much as I could give a flying fuckity fuck what those white trash assholes think, I certainly do not want it posted on the front page of my site.
    It still makes me giggle a little.

    Went to Alcatraz yesterday with Dan and the brats. So much fun with them. I have such cuddle bugs for children. At every turn it was a hug, kiss, handhold…they even fought who got to hold my hand walking back to the car.
    I love Kara’s voice. I forget how much I miss it. Alyx’s stupid looks and Shea’s “look at me” moments.

    It was a very good day.

  • Random and Odd

    the view from my run



    the view from my run, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

    I decided to go trail running on Friday.
    Lester gave me the news about the school shooting and it just felt like someone kicked me in the stomach.
    Facebook was filled with shock, sadness and promises of prayers and outpouring of support. I turned off my computer and grabbed my gear.

    I came back several hours later to a completely different feeling on Facebook and on the news.
    It was filled with how we need better gun laws, gun control, melt down all guns, hatred for those of us that have guns and don’t think they are right. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!

    I get it. I’m not a fan of the assault rifle, but I am a fan of my right to own one.
    What I don’t get is how this has turned to the weapon used and not the real problem we have which is lack of help for the people with mental health issues and lack of help for those people caring for them.

    http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html

    This is an amazing story and it took a lot of guts to write it. I have tried to keep quiet on Facebook about how I feel about all of this.
    Yes, I’m sickened…but I won’t watch the news or read the articles that are posted.
    I am irritated by the pictures of the candles or please post 20 hearts on my page. I GET IT, people need to feel like they are doing something to help. I’m sorry, but it’s not helping by posting picture showing sympathy.

    Do I know what to do to fix the problem? fuck no, I have no idea where I would even begin to address this issue…and maybe all the people I know feel like they are in the same boat and the only thing they can do is post articles and pictures saying, “we need help.”

    I know what we don’t need and that is the crazy mother fuckers from WBC picketing their funerals. I did read that on my Twitter feed and I about lost my lunch!
    They believe because gay people can marry now, God is killing babies.
    I just have no words that can fully express how I feel about that hate clan.
    My father is a patriot rider and I know that he would be there doing all that he could to stop that from happening and if they are all like my daddy, those patriot riders in CT will do their best.

    The best few hours I have had since Friday were spent on the trails looking out at the beautiful views…enjoying the silence.

  • Random and Odd

    block…



    DSC_8753, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

    Got an email from a reader asking if I really blocked someone for putting an Gnome on my facebook wall. He had blocked someone for putting a picture of the “hey Vern’ guy and after some thought decided it was a bit harsh and unblocked him. He suggested I rethink my blocking of the gnome folks as they thought they were just being funny.

    I told him I hadn’t actually blocked anyone YET for the offenses, but my cousin was damn near the edge.

    I’m a fan of blocking. I have rules I need to follow when it comes to blocking and guidelines I have to stick to.
    If you unfriend me, I block you. I don’t want you to come back and say, “Oh, sorry, I was having a bad day and I decided since you were friends with so and so…” BLAH BLAH BLAH…shut up, you’re blocked now.

    If you do me wrong. Blocked. I don’t want to see you pop up on a friend’s page, I don’t want to randomly see something you ‘liked’.
    There is this fun game I learned after my ex left…it’s the: You died in a fiery plane accident and no longer exist in my world.
    Judge me all you want, but it works.
    The only time I have to even hear about something he has done is when I talk to his daugh…..OH WAIT…blocked. I NEVER have to hear about him anymore.

    There are times when I go to search for something and someone who is blocked but has TWO facebook accounts come up.
    I swear I never laughed so god-damn hard in my LIFE when I clicked on the pictures and saw that two people from my past life are now together…like…TOGETHER-TOGETHER. Like, vacationing with the kids together.
    I had a feeling those two would hook up. It’s actually funny to me in a totally “way to go, Karma!” kind of way.
    Trip to Hawaii….didn’t know they allowed recliners on the beach.
    AND THEN BLOCK THE SECOND ACCOUNT.

    I decided to go check out my block list…okay, it’s not THAT bad…it’s just filled with people I don’t care what they are doing and I am taking the precautions to make sure they don’t care what I am doing.

    What you get from here is mooooore than enough! :)

  • Random and Odd

    The ongoing debate!

     

     

     

    Well, it’s not an ongoing debate with me, because I have known all along that those damn things were face eating creatures.
    They are like something out of a Dr. Who episode when those cubes tried to take over the world. People had them in their houses and low and behold they were aliens just waiting for the right moment to attack.
    These creepy ass Elf on a Shelf are just like the cubes. They will at some point, sneak in your room while you’re probably still snickering about the funny little predicament you put him in and then eat your face like a hungry zombie!

    I’m not a fan of gnomes. This is a very well known fact among my circle of friends and all of my facebook friends who think it’s just OH SO FUNNY to randomly put a picture of a gnome on my wall.  It’s come down to threatening to not only unfriend them, but to block them if they do it again.
    One of the hockey husbands gave Lester a gnome for his birthday and for some reason, it doesn’t bother me at all.  It’s actually kind of cute, so I am under the impression that at some point in his little life he wasn’t always a gnome. Perhaps a baby seal or fluffy kitten.
    I know he did it because we had just had the discussion of how creepy gnomes are and how they are evil on every level…and that Lester thinks they are cute.  Lester also thinks that skull and crossbones are cool, blowing things up, farting and burping the alphabet is cool  (okay, so that stuff is cool, gnomes are not)
    Maybe because it was given to him with love that it doesn’t bother me…but I swear on all things precious to me, if at any point that little dick gives me the evil eye, he will be firewood at our next bonfire.
    Gnomes and Elves are creepy fucking cousins.

    The other day, Lester and I are lollygagging along through Barnes and Nobel and he sees the Elf on a Shelf, which he KNOWS I have an issue with because of that creepy, “i could kill you even though i have no hands or feet” smile.  :::heebie jeebie::::  and he says, “Oh yeah, we should get one of these.”
    I don’t usually say much when it comes to what we as a couple should bring into the house, because I don’t really care much, but this I put my foot down on. “NO. WE WILL NOT!”  and he then reminded me of the funny website with the Elf posed in really funny ways that I put on Facebook with the caption:  “And this is probably why it’s  good that my kids are grown and the job of posing those creepy ass Elf on the Shelf is not in my hands… these are pretty funny, but I could win awards for disturbing. *evil laughter*”
    “NO LESTER.”
    He does this giggle and starts to come up with another reason.
    “NO, NO, NO!”
    This back and forth carries on into the cafe where I finally throw it out there, “NO. I will leave you. It’s me or the Elf.”

    I get it, I get how people think that it’s funny and how your kid would think ….no, it’s still fucking creepy.  I never liked the idea of Santa creeping into the house and eating cookies.  The first time Kara asked if Santa was real I told her the truth.  She in turned told her sisters.
    I did say this though, “No, he’s not real…but if you just go with it you’ll get more presents under the tree and a stocking full of candy. I love you, kid.”

    Scrooge? Naw. I love Christmas. I love the tree, the colors, the lights, the music and the all around good tidings bullshit.  I just don’t like those scary ass face eating elves.

     

  • Random and Odd

    WHO KNEW!?



    BAM! like that!, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

    Went out running with Birdie and Victoria through Rocklin’s street of holiday lights and the first mile or so was my normal speed…then I decided to pick it up a notch to run at Birdie’s pace and holy shit balls! I didn’t know I could run an 8:45 mile!
    Here I was struggling for a 13 minute mile and I had a fucking 8:45 in me all along!

    I’m going to make Birdie come out with me to teach me speed work and show me how fast and how long I can hold that speed.

    Eeee! so excited!

  • Random and Odd

    Tree up!



    Our first tree, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

    Now we just need the outside lights and to wrap the presents!

    I love our first tree. He does too.

    It’s been a good year!

  • Random and Odd

    Most Fantastic!



    Reindeer Run 2012, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

    This Team run was started as Victoria’s graduation run because it was near her home.
    It quickly turned into a team run where we had fun dressing up and being goofy…thanks to Birdie. She can turn any run into a fun run.

    Lester, Birdie and Bonnie all placed in their age group. I thought for sure that Shea would place again, but she was surrounded by a bunch of teenagers at this race and she stopped a few times to take pictures (yes, she is my daughter)

    Alyx and Victoria’s Ma stayed back and took pictures and cheered us on!

    Bonnie and Lorrie are now officially part of Runs With Rusty Scissors!
    Victoria’s friend ran with Victoria and saved her from a single zombie attack.

    The second to the last run of the year….SUCCESS!