My Mouth Has Been Writing Checks That My Legs Have To Cash

So, about two months ago, my future brother-in-law decided to get serious about getting back into shape. Since then we've been working out together: three days a week jogging, two days weightlifting, one day calisthenics, and one day of rest. I haven't lost any weight yet, but it's certainly getting my strength up.

Last night I was at a group birthday party, and an acquaintance who lives nearby bemoaned his lack of a cycling buddy. Long story short, now I'm not just on the hook for that daily workout in the morning, I'll be going on long bike rides several times a week in the late afternoon. I'm either going to be in shape or die trying.

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The FBIL and I are getting in shape partly for health, but as it helps to have a tangible goal, we've signed up with an event put on by Run For Your Lives in August. It's a 5k run (an easy distance for me) with obstacles and zombies. Yes, zombies. Runners wear flag-football style flags, and if you get to the finish line with at least one of your flags remaining, you get a "Survivor" medallion. If you finish without any flags, you get a smaller and less glorious "Victim" medallion. Costumes are encouraged, so we're still in discussion over that. Our military uniforms are an obvious choice, but a little uncreative. "Hillybilly survivalists" has also been tendered as an option.

Posted by: Boviate at 02:37 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Avuncular Duties

I have occasionally joked that as an uncle, it is my duty to get my nieces and nephew into trouble.

So a bit over a week ago, I met my Uncle Frank and Aunt Pat at a bicycle swap meet. My fiancée couldn't come, as she had a prior obligation. At the meet, I admired the bikes, but only bought a pair of winter gloves.

As we ate lunch together after the meet, my uncle convinced me to text my fiancée that I had bought three new bikes at a great price. She was not pleased to learn this.

I guess it just goes to show that an uncle's job never ends.

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Soccer

Things must be different now for the young kids playing soccer. When I was doing it in elementary school, I never saw the game at the professional or international level. Perhaps Wide World of Sports ran twenty minutes of highlights every fourth year for the World Cup, but that was it.

Now, of course, even basic cable's ESPN shows several MLS games per week during the season. NBC shows games over the air, if your local affiliate doesn't preempt them with infomercials. If you want to spend the money to go premium, there's an entire network dedicated to soccer alone.

Now get those kids off my lawn!

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Meow

I've said it before– while I love cats, you have to realize that all cats are monsters. If you took a domesticated dog an enlarged to to be 150 pounds, you'd get something that was loving and great with kids. (And we have in fact done just this.) If you took a domesticated cat and enlarged it to be 150 pounds, it would probably eat your kids and kill you in your sleep.

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Prince Rupert's Drops

Anyone that's been to the Corning Museum of Glass has seen a Prince Rupert's Drop, but this is a cool short video featuring high-speed cameras. The fracture front moves very very fast! And while my father would know more, their science explanation agrees with my memory of how they work.

Posted by: Boviate at 08:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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