FAILKnow that feeling you get just before your calf goes into a brutal cramp? I've had that since about the 1-mile point in this morning's run. You know what I'm thinking...and it's not a nice thought. Ten days from the event I do NOT need a pulled calf muscle. I'm stretching, drinking and praying. You cannot imagine how ticked I'll be if, after almost 16 weeks of training I can't do this tri.
Something similar happened when I was training for my first marathon. Two weeks before the race I went to the dr. about the pain in my left leg to find out I had a stress fracture and couldn't run for six weeks. Pam will tell you I was not a pleasant person to live with for the next month or two. OK, she might say it lasted more than a couple of months, but we don't need to go there.
In an on-going effort to redeem myself for that and other offenses real and imagined - an endeavor doomed to failure - we are currently watching Chuck instead of MNF. Oh, what we husbands do.
I had fun today. Did some projects for a friend. Fixed two sliding doors, a garage door opener, and a lockset. I also took apart another garage door opener and ordered a gear kit to fix it.
I do enjoy fixing stuff. It's tactile and the results are immediate. Paired with ministry - brain work with long-term results - it's the ideal combination for an ADD guy.
Josh W. and I are going for a motorcycle ride Thursday. We were supposed to go last week but he had to cancel. We'll head up to Jerome - twisties and great options for lunch.
Tomorrow morning I go for that fancy ultrasound. They'll do the first one at 8:00 a.m., give me an injection of something, and then do another scan at 12:30. I think I glow in the dark in between. And if there were a black light in our bathroom.... OK, never mind.
Friday I go to see the surgeon. He'll have all my test results, including tomorrow's, and will discuss what happens when. My only non-negotiable is no surgery before the race next Thursday. I decided I'm going to ask if I can have whatever he takes out. Sort of like the auto mechanic who gives you the replaced parts back, except that in this case there aren't any used parts. I'm curious what these small but powerful parathyroid glands look like when they're on the fritz. Hey, seems like there should be at least two good sermon illustrations here, and visual aids are always good.
While I was driving to the job site this morning I listened to a discussion on NPR about the bailout under discussion for GM, Ford and Chrysler. Heard some interesting things. For every job position in those "big three" companies there are 10 jobs in auto-related businesses. I don't know how many of those are employees at dealerships wishing they had something to do.
One caller suggested that the govt. give taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar rebate for whatever we spend on a new car from those three manufacturers. He thought that would help stimulate the economy, insure that the benefit to the big three wasn't squandered on exec. bonuses, and boost their sales figures.
That made me think about whether or not I would take advantage of a deal like that. The short answer, of course, is no. My tax liability is so low that the rebate I'd get would amount to the value of the car's rear view mirror. If they gave me a dollar-for-dollar rebate for the cost of the car and allowed me to carry it over from year to year until it was used up...I'm not going to live that long.
But let's say, for the sake of discussion, that my tax liability was large enough to be offset by the rebate, or close to it. Then the question is, would I buy a car from GM, Ford or Chrysler?
A: maybe, but only for the rebate. I wouldn't want the car. I can't think of a "domestic" car that excites me on any level. The Charger is kinda nice, but it only comes in a 4-door. Whassup wit dat? Vette's are clearly a case of automotive compensation for inadequacies. Can't think of a Ford that works.
Cooper S, Volkswagen GTI, Mazda 3Speed - all reasonably priced with a high FQ (fun quotient). Raise the budget and things only get better. Porsche 911 Carrera S? Mercedes SLK? AMG version! Lots of good stuff in between, too.
IMHO.
OK, I"m going to spend some time stretching.
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