If you must make protest signs, Learn to Spell

Thanks to www.themudflats.net for these photos. Mudflats is an Alaskan blogger, who is funny and insightful on the political scene in that state. It always reminds me why I would never live there.

These folks are protesting the addition of the words "sexual orientation" to the state law about denying housing or education or reason to be fired from a job.


So, no mis-spellings here but I wanted to post this one next to the one below that says "gays recruit children". Is this just a really short, youthful looking heterosexual adult?




kind of hard to see but it's corrupted, with one r






Mudflats line is "honk if you can spell"







this is a talk radio show jerk in Alaska, and a good friend of the governor

Did I Forget to Blog the Grad ?

AnnaLise Bender-Brown is leaving the conservative southern California town of Thousand Oaks to attend Reed College in Hippie-ville (Portland OR). YIPPEE !!
It couldn't come soon enough for us to get her back to the Pacific Northwest. Apologies to Traci and Denise but we have never forgiven you for taking her away. :) (I guess that should read No Apologies)



for some reason the Husky Marching Band van followed us all the way to Santa Monica.


AnnaLise, showing off that SoCal tan.. Her skin was made for Portland, OR.



that's ANN a Lise to you.




last drumming gig for T.O.H.S. (she's in the white, to the right of the fake palms)

THE Grandmother, Cornie

THE Mothers, Traci & Denise

THE Godmothers, A & G

But hey, enough about the kid... how about us ? yes, we had drinks with "Natalie" from Monk. and hung out in the airport lounge with Al Pacino. God , are we cool, or what??

Mom's Rehab, the photo story

shiny new metal parts in mom's body

support teams

tues. church & coffee gang (with a couple interlopers)

you will kick those cones

and eat your veggies

and bend

and walk

and walk

and walk

and walk

and walk

and stand tall

and push this button if something bad happens

HOWEVER, no PT, group support, surgery, diet, or prayer will EVER ALLOW YOU TO DO THIS !

GymNauseum, part 4 Cheryl's gone

So, one of the best things about our gym was Cheryl Marek, the spin class teacher. She was the one the owners (henry and tony) originally were gonna fire, cuz she isn't a "hot babe". But they had to give in because every member took up her cause.. and perhaps they checked into her credentials.

Anyway, she stayed on. Probably against her better judgement. But it all finally grated on her too much.. and it really isn't worth her time for what they pay her. She just did it cuz she liked us as much as we liked her.

But today was her last class.

And I think she's glad to get out on her terms.

So, the gym... yes, it sucks . big time. Changes have been made. for no apparent reasons. There are by my best estimate, less people around. For sure lots of folks have quit. There are new people but Gina and I think they were members at some other gym with Henry, and he gave them a free month or 2. There can be no other reason for new people to join. It costs way more than other, better equipped gyms. For sure it cannot be for the ambience. It's deadsville.. Even the weirdos (private eye with gun in bag and WSU sweats) are gone.

And I use my iPod now.

It is no longer the Cheers of Gyms .

And our good buddy Rock has not been back since his bike accident. Which makes us sad. Because we miss him and hope his injuries don't last forever.

AND we KNOW he would pitch major shit to Henry and Tony, just to amuse himself, and us.

There are a couple folks that have been hired that are nice. But there is no one comparable to anyone who previously worked at Anderson's. Well, there was that one jerk several years ago but...

But it is 5 blocks from the house. And our membership is good thru July.

Help, I've Fallen and Can't Get Up

That was the phone call my brother got last Sunday. My mom was shopping at Macy's and fell. She broke her femur and wrist. Yes, both on the same (right) side. She's been having a lot of knee/leg pain. Her leg just gave out.

So, she had surgery on Monday night. A nail in the leg with screws and a plate and screws in the wrist. Somebody better warn the TSA when next she heads to an airport. The machines will be blasting.

She's doing remarkably well, post surgery. Seems as tho the anasthesia and the post -op drugs were doing her in, more so than the injury. But she's pretty much thru that phase. They moved her to a rehab. place (Fairport Baptist Home) (shhhh don't tell the pope). She stayed there a few years ago after her back surgery. I think they have a frequent stay program.

She'll be using a platform walker to get around. And it's going to be a big hassle for her for a while but hopefully the leg heals properly and she'll be able to enjoy summer at the lake.

Patty is there now. Joan will fly in next week. And Jim, then Catherine, then Mary, then me, then Maureen. Each for about a week or so. And then I presume the rotation will start anew if needed. Good thing we are a huge Catholic family. :) Unfortunately, none of those 7 kids live in or near Rochester.

The photo is from a couple weeks ago when she met her newest grand dog. Kiefer, the golden doodle.

Thanks, Rock

I'm just wondering if Rock ever saw this killer Green Lake squid in the lake, back in his paddlin days?

Opening Day

I stole these fotos from the Seattle P I. (the online version since it is no longer a paper paper)

But if I had my camera I would have taken these exact pictures. Esp. the one where Ken tips his hat to me and Gina.

Attack of the Giant Octopus

The dangers of living so close to the lake...

I kid, of course. These are tell tale signs of the "cupping" technique that my acupuncurist used today. It's a method of drawing blood to an area, to improve circulation and release toxins.

No, it didn't / doesn't hurt. Hopefully, it will help the pain in my butt. And you know who you are.

This is a link to a story CBS did a few years ago. Cuz someone saw Gwyneth Paltrow with similar marks. Yeah, my buddy Gwyneth.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/12/earlyshow/health/main628788.shtml

Go Toots !!

Nicknames of the 64 teams... to help you make your picks. Cuz I know you use this scientific system.

Tigers, Bulldogs, Bears (if you include Bruins and Bearcats) are popular. Huskies and Aggies right up there.

West Region:
#1 UNC - Tarheels
#2 Oklahoma - Sooners
# 3 Syracuse - Orangeman
# 4 Gonzaga - Zags (ok, the Bulldogs) and not the Zahhg's as the announcers will say
# 5 Illinois - Illini
# 6 Arizona - Wildcats
# 7 Clemson - Tigers
# 8 LSU - Tigers
# 9 Butler - Bulldogs
# 10 Michigan - Wolverines
# 11 Temple - Owls
# 12 Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers
#13 Akron - Zipps
# 14 SF Austin - Lumberjacks
# 15 Morgan State - Bears
# 16 Radford - Highlanders
Midwest Region:
# 1 Connecticut - Huskies
# 2 Memphis - Tigers
# 3 Missouri - Tigers
# 4 Washington - Huskies
# 5 Purdue - Boilermakers
# 6 Marquette - Golden Eagles
# 7 California - Bears
# 8 BYU - Cougars
# 9 Texas A&M - Aggies
# 10 Maryland - Terrapins
# 11 Utah State - Aggies
# 12 Northern Iowa - Panthers
# 13 Mississippi State - Bulldogs
# 14 Cal State Fullerton - Titans
# 15 Cornell - Crimson
# 16 UT Chattanooga - Mocs
South Region:
# 1 Pittsburgh - Panthers
# 2 Duke - Blue Devils
# 3 Villanova - Wildcats
# 4 Xavier - Musketeers
# 5 Florida State - Seminoles
# 6 UCLA - Bruins
# 7 Texas - Longhorns
# 8 Oklahoma State - Cowboys
# 9 Tennessee - Volunteers
# 10 Minnesota - Gophers
# 11 Kentucky - Wildcats
# 12 VCU - Rams
# 13 Portland State - Vikings
# 14 American- Eagles
# 15 Binghampton - Bearcats (you gotta love the SUNY schools) (yes, I went to one)
# 16 East Tennessee - Buccaneers (how much is the corn on the cob? )
East Region:
# 1 Louiville - Cardinals
# 2 Michigan State - Spartans
# 3 Kansas - Jayhawks
# 4 Wake Forest - Demon Decons
# 5 Utah - Utes
# 6 West Virginia - Mountaineers
# 7 Boston College - Eagles
# 8 Ohio State - Buckeyes ( I have a different nickname for them but this is a G-rated blog)
# 9 Siena - Saints
# 10 USC - Trojans
# 11 Dayton - Flyers
# 12 Arizona - Wildcats
# 13 Cleveland State - Vikings
# 14 North Dakota State - Bison (personal inside info: they are the MIGHTY BISON )
# 15 Robert Morris - Colonials
# 16 Undecided

JUNIOR'S home for real

Yippee !! Ken's back in a Seattle uniform. Here's hoping he stays healthy thru the summer. Or at least til we get to a game.

And yes, it seems I did post similar photos back in 2007, when he was a visiting player.
And yes, we still have the Griffey, Jr. candy bar in the freezer (and the Bernie Kosar bar, and the Joey Cora bar - hey, you never know)

nope, not gonna eat it.

a random photo from last Saturday's group run (10 hilly miles) Here's P-Nak and Coach Lesley post run.

oh, yes, the candy bars, coffee and vodka.

Do not mess with Lance

These photos are from yesterday's Tour of California bike race. I copied from photographer's website.. Tim DeWaele. I felt guilty, til I saw them on a zillion other blogs. and since I'm sure my loyal following of blog readers don't read those other biking blogs.... I offer you these.

The dude in the costume is the "Yellow Devil" the back of his shirt says "Live Clean" . Yellow and Live.... references to Lance's winnings and his LiveStrong cancer campaign.
The pitchfork made of syringes alludes to doping, that Lance NEVER tested positive for. Anyway, this clown thought he would run along side Lance and the peloton.

Lance spies the dude


Lance shoves the dude (without missing a beat)
(I practically crash just taking a drink from my water bottle)


Dude falls into the snowbank

Dude hopes his wife doesn't read this blog.

We hope there's no yellow snow remnants.

Stop the Insanity of valentine's day

I just got this email valentine's wish....


Roses are red
Violets are blue
Brockport is green and gold
And we love you!

Happy Valentine's Day from the
Office of Alumni Relations and Development!

and if they think it will spur me to make donations, they've got another think coming. I mean, I had a great time in college but get real.

Remember the Olympic Games in Beijing?

http://www.chrisreeves.com/pictures/china/

The above link is to some photos that my cousin's(Paul & Nancy) kid took... does that make him 2nd cousin??

His name is Chris Reeves (no relation to Superman, but he does have some super photos). This picture of him is just outside the NOT SO SECRET POOL... the WaterCube

You might remember I found a photos of the little remote car that picked up and returned the javelin??? well, he was there, saw it in person, and has some great shots of it. Also, he was sitting in row 5 when Usain Bolt won the 100m! Pretty darn cool. And some heptatholon gals, and canoe 'ers, and baseball, and marathoners, and 5K, 800, 4 x 400's, Juan Antonoio Samarach, and a Canadian mountain biker, and closing ceremonies. Lots of good action. and of course, he saw the Great Wall (looks like he went for a run on it), Tiananmen Square, and all over Beijing.

Also, if you like National Parks and wildlife, he's got some good stuff from Utah, Colorado, and surrounds.

But I like the robot car. :) and Paula Radcliffe.

Thanks for sharing, Chris.

Big Workout Weekend

So, on Saturday I ran 10.5 miles. That was great.
Then on Sunday, we joined Coach Lesley and gang for an indoor ride of an hour, followed by a 2 mile run.

We went home and hoped there was no message from Pam about swimming at 11:30am.. There wasn't. whew. Til she called at 10:30.. feeling a bit of peer pressure, I packed up the swim gear and went off to Madison Pool.. Part of it was interest in seeing a new (old) pool.

Erin, a swim coach from somewhere, was there to lead Pam, Val, and myself thru a workout. A workout that included all 4 strokes. And no, the side stroke does not count. She helped my beginner self with the butterfly and backstroke. Although, I think I will leave the 'Fly to Michael "Bong Boy" Phelps. My legs were pretty fatigued from all the previous workouts so even doing that for 25 yds. was killer. I felt like I was just thrashing my way down the lane, hoping not to sink. But by the time we got to the set of 10 x 50 Free's, I was good. Love those. For some reason Val was not going as fast as we all know she can, so we were able to somewhat keep pace.

Then I got home and crashed.

Here's to Betty

Betty Jameson, one of founding members of LPGA, died today.
Interesting obit in NY Times today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/sports/golf/10jameson.html?ref=obituaries

Hello for 8 points

unless i can place it on a double word.... my/our lives have been consumed by Scrabble. Loving it. Except when Wendy comes up with a 70 point word... to quote the Wyoming Wonder "Yikes!!"

So, in case you are wondering, yes, we do still run, etc. Tomorrow we're going to do 10 miles with the group. Yahoo ! double digits again. and Sunday we'll do a spin class with coach Lesley and the gang, and we might swim, too.

I have gotten back into a twice a week swim, two spins and 3 or 4 runs a week.

Below is a photo of the secret pool... and other than that nasty stain on the bottom of the pool, you can see why I like it... Empty of people. shhh..... Unfortunately, in these dire economic times the daily fee has DOUBLED !! but the solitude is worth it.



and because placing photos is easier blogging than writing, below are Krissy and Tara, playing with persimmons.
Why their parents won't buy them toys, or even a book, for goodness sake, I don't know.

You can see that Tara is the NY State logo model for Super Jock & Jill

Will the Real ATR please stand up?

More from the dueling Photoshoppers:


Margaret B's version ( i wish i were that ripped )


Rock's version (look closely for all the details)



original photo

SO, did I mention we ran 8 miles (really 9 with the .5 warm up and cool down) last Saturday? Yep ! lame knee me..
SO, did I mention how happy this is making me?

By the way, if I never post to this blog again it's because I'm too busy playing umpteen games of Scrabble on Facebook, and in real time at the dining room table... now you know the source of the original photo.. joking about cheating at scrabble.