Thoughts while enjoying a very quiet evening at home…
• Took the bus most of the way home tonight, then jogged the remaining few miles. I brought an MP3 player and headphones along to listen to on the bus. So I figured I’d leave them on while running. I never run with headphones and today reminded me of why. They altered the running experience to the point that it was almost completely unfamiliar. I didn’t have a full sense of what was going on around me. I wasn’t dialed in to my breathing, stride or much else going on with my body. All in all, the music was just a big distraction. I’ll stick with running the old fashioned way.
• A young man was killed while riding his bicycle to work this morning. He was riding northbound on I29/35 just south of Front Street when a semi-tractor trailer hit him. Early indications are that the cyclist was riding where he shouldn't and the driver couldn't have avoided the accident.
Posters to the KC Star’s comments section of the story will inevitably hide behind anonymity to spew hate about how this is another example of why bikes shouldn’t be on the road. Wrong. This is an example of two things. First, some bicyclists ride where they shouldn’t. Cycling on the interstate is illegal. Not only that, but it was 4:30 a.m., dark and raining. Second, Kansas City hasn’t done many favors for people who don’t drive cars. I’m guessing anyone riding a bide on the interstate at any time of day isn’t doing it by choice. He simply had to get from one side of the river to the other and that bridge was his only way. Despite that, the Missouri Department of Transportation designed the currently under construction Christopher S. Bond Bridge without a pedestrian/bicycle lane. Brilliant.
• Our church, St. Pius X in Mission, always pays tribute to veterans on Memorial Day weekend. And Father Ken Kelly always makes a particular comment when recognizing veterans of World War II: “Thank you for saving our lives.” Each year, when he makes that comment, I think of people like my grandfather, who served his country in the war and in the Battle of the Bulge. Could they have possibly known then what their service and sacrifice would mean to us and to the world?
Simply put, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here now enjoying a very quiet evening in Lenexa, Kansas.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Inez Mae Ronan
Our grandmother passed away on Thursday. She wasn’t one to waste words, so I’ll pay tribute by keeping this short.
Several years ago, I spent some time working on a family tree project. I interviewed many family members, including Grandma. Those who know her won’t be surprised to hear I didn’t get much out of her. She was quiet. But she was also one of the stronger people I’ve had the benefit to know. She raised seven children, who all turned out to be decent people. She was married 67 years, an achievement remarkable to anyone familiar with Grandpa’s orneriness.
I'm aware of how fortunate I’ve been to grow up knowing each of my grandparents. Nearly all of them said something to me at one time or another that’s stuck with me. Grandma was different in that she taught me something important by not saying anything at all. More specifically, to not talk unless you have something worth saying. Because that's how she operated, when Grandma talked, people listened.
She’ll be missed.
Several years ago, I spent some time working on a family tree project. I interviewed many family members, including Grandma. Those who know her won’t be surprised to hear I didn’t get much out of her. She was quiet. But she was also one of the stronger people I’ve had the benefit to know. She raised seven children, who all turned out to be decent people. She was married 67 years, an achievement remarkable to anyone familiar with Grandpa’s orneriness.
I'm aware of how fortunate I’ve been to grow up knowing each of my grandparents. Nearly all of them said something to me at one time or another that’s stuck with me. Grandma was different in that she taught me something important by not saying anything at all. More specifically, to not talk unless you have something worth saying. Because that's how she operated, when Grandma talked, people listened.
She’ll be missed.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Close encounters with the canine kind
I mixed it up a bit and ran a route that took me from Crown Center back home this morning. Bike To Work Week is coming up. So I loaded up the car with a week’s worth of clothes, dropped it off at CC and ran back.
I was hoofing it down Gillham Road at about 40th Street when I heard the familiar jingle of dog tags behind me. Turned and saw a dog racing toward me, drool glistening from its mouth. It started barking when I turned to see it. Those who know me and are aware of my bravery won’t be surprised to hear that I jumped in the back of an F-150 that was parked on the street. (I’m not sure what made me think the dog couldn’t have jumped right in there with me if it wanted to.)
As the snarling dog crouched in front of the truck in what appeared to be “I’m about to eat you” position, I heard a female voice say, “Oh, he won’t bite.” The woman was standing at the closest house, sucking down a cancer stick. I replied, “I’m not sure how I could have known that.”
She walked over, grabbed the dog by the collar and led it back to the house. (It was then that I noticed her other dog tied to a tree.)
I tell this story to bring up a few points:
• I am a very tough and brave person.
• Unless I know you and your dog, I have no idea whether your dog is good, bad or indifferent. I don’t know if it will bite. I don’t know if it will jump on me. I don’t know anything about it.
• What I do know is that I’ve been bitten, knocked over and otherwise bothered by several dogs over the years. In each and every case, the owner said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe he/she did that!” Well, maybe it’s because the dog saw something running and that triggered one of any number of instincts….fear, aggression, playfulness….who knows.
For whatever reason, lots of people believe they and their dogs are exempt from leash laws. I’ve never understood why. I see loose dogs on at least half of my weekly runs. One time I was running down Johnson Drive during rush hour and a dog ran at me from across the street, causing several approaching cars to slam their brakes to avoid it. In that case, the dog just wanted to play and I stood with it until its jogger owner crossed over to retrieve it.
Bottom line, please leash the dogs. I’d love it if you did it because you cared about my well being. But if that doesn’t do anything for you, then do it for your dog’s.
I was hoofing it down Gillham Road at about 40th Street when I heard the familiar jingle of dog tags behind me. Turned and saw a dog racing toward me, drool glistening from its mouth. It started barking when I turned to see it. Those who know me and are aware of my bravery won’t be surprised to hear that I jumped in the back of an F-150 that was parked on the street. (I’m not sure what made me think the dog couldn’t have jumped right in there with me if it wanted to.)
As the snarling dog crouched in front of the truck in what appeared to be “I’m about to eat you” position, I heard a female voice say, “Oh, he won’t bite.” The woman was standing at the closest house, sucking down a cancer stick. I replied, “I’m not sure how I could have known that.”
She walked over, grabbed the dog by the collar and led it back to the house. (It was then that I noticed her other dog tied to a tree.)
I tell this story to bring up a few points:
• I am a very tough and brave person.
• Unless I know you and your dog, I have no idea whether your dog is good, bad or indifferent. I don’t know if it will bite. I don’t know if it will jump on me. I don’t know anything about it.
• What I do know is that I’ve been bitten, knocked over and otherwise bothered by several dogs over the years. In each and every case, the owner said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe he/she did that!” Well, maybe it’s because the dog saw something running and that triggered one of any number of instincts….fear, aggression, playfulness….who knows.
For whatever reason, lots of people believe they and their dogs are exempt from leash laws. I’ve never understood why. I see loose dogs on at least half of my weekly runs. One time I was running down Johnson Drive during rush hour and a dog ran at me from across the street, causing several approaching cars to slam their brakes to avoid it. In that case, the dog just wanted to play and I stood with it until its jogger owner crossed over to retrieve it.
Bottom line, please leash the dogs. I’d love it if you did it because you cared about my well being. But if that doesn’t do anything for you, then do it for your dog’s.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Thoughts On The Run
Thoughts during today’s run…
• The Killers concert at Sandstone was pretty good. Didn’t think they quite reached the level of the Boulder and Denver shows we saw, but still a fun night. Note to self: don’t be stupid enough to take the I-70 route to Sandstone again…24/40 all the way.
• Really hoping “Chuck” gets picked up for a third season. Fun show. Fun actors. And Yvonne Strahovski is a credit to the great country of Australia.
• 30,000+ Americans die each year from the “regular” flu. That doesn’t stop us from flying, taking the train, shaking hands or anything else. Put the word “swine” in front of “flu” and everything changes. We’re a nation of panickers.
• Top “Shaft” movies:
1. "Shaft"
2. "Shaft"(2000 remake)
3. "Shaft’s Big Score!"
4. "Shaft in Africa"
(The 1973-74 TV series was an abomination .)
• Best 80s movie featuring a “Chuck” NSA agent: Has to be “My Bodyguard,” Adam Baldwin’s first movie. Also featured Matt Dillon (three years before “Outsiders”), Jennifer Beals and Joan Cusack.
• Has grocery shopping become such a strenuous exercise that a Starbucks is mandatory for tooling around the store? Those things are more hazardous to shopping cart operation than cell phones are to car operation. (And watch out when a Starbucks, cell phone and shopping cart are mixed.)
• Best Adam Baldwin quote from “My Bodyguard”: “Poor little guy... poor little guy.”
• How did “Caddyshack II” ever see the light of day?
• The Killers concert at Sandstone was pretty good. Didn’t think they quite reached the level of the Boulder and Denver shows we saw, but still a fun night. Note to self: don’t be stupid enough to take the I-70 route to Sandstone again…24/40 all the way.
• Really hoping “Chuck” gets picked up for a third season. Fun show. Fun actors. And Yvonne Strahovski is a credit to the great country of Australia.
• 30,000+ Americans die each year from the “regular” flu. That doesn’t stop us from flying, taking the train, shaking hands or anything else. Put the word “swine” in front of “flu” and everything changes. We’re a nation of panickers.
• Top “Shaft” movies:
1. "Shaft"
2. "Shaft"(2000 remake)
3. "Shaft’s Big Score!"
4. "Shaft in Africa"
(The 1973-74 TV series was an abomination .)
• Best 80s movie featuring a “Chuck” NSA agent: Has to be “My Bodyguard,” Adam Baldwin’s first movie. Also featured Matt Dillon (three years before “Outsiders”), Jennifer Beals and Joan Cusack.
• Has grocery shopping become such a strenuous exercise that a Starbucks is mandatory for tooling around the store? Those things are more hazardous to shopping cart operation than cell phones are to car operation. (And watch out when a Starbucks, cell phone and shopping cart are mixed.)
• Best Adam Baldwin quote from “My Bodyguard”: “Poor little guy... poor little guy.”
• How did “Caddyshack II” ever see the light of day?
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