tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63850960433582849102024-03-14T05:26:36.356-06:00Cerebrate Good TimesJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.comBlogger1180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-83026737501191797012020-05-15T16:19:00.003-06:002020-05-15T16:19:53.527-06:00CarolIt's been a while. I changed jobs and routines, and I have less free time in general these days. And the whole pandemic thing has really left me feeling weird and unsure what to blog about. But I do have a story to tell.<br />
<br />
I had been scheduled for a regular colonoscopy as a checkup on my crohn's disease. Originally it was going to be in March, and then the whole world stopped. It got pushed a couple more times until the final date was this last week. I was originally going to go alone, but Katie decided to have us all go as a family. I felt a little irresponsible about having us all go, given the current recommendations against traveling out of state, but it also gave us the chance to bring home an old pickup truck my dad was giving us. They had been trying to get it to us since March.<br />
<br />
Everything went fine on the trip, and we were heading home. I was in the truck, and Katie was in the van with the kids. We stopped at a gas station near the Utah/Idaho border for a bathroom break, and when they came out they were talking to an older woman named Carol. Apparently her car had died and she was trying to get home to Montana. She had no money and nobody she could call. I know this sounds like a scam or something, but we talked to her enough to feel like she was telling the truth. Her husband had passed away several months ago, and she was on her way back from visiting her daughter in California.<br />
<br />
Carol initially asked for a ride just to the next big truck stop, but we eventually decided Idaho Falls would get he closer to home. Then as we continued on I realized she was going to end up alone, sitting outside a truck stop at night, as a 70-year-old woman. So we did something I never would have anticipated doing. we brought her home, fed her dinner, and had her sleep in Clara's bed (Clara has been sleeping in Allison's bed lately anyway).<br />
<br />
I gave a lot of thought to how we could help her get home, and after a little searching realized she could rent a car one way for about $30. The next morning I offered to pay for her rental, but she refused to "drive someone else's car," and she was still a little spooked from her transmission giving out on the freeway. She insisted on just being dropped off at the truck stop, so I took her. I gave her some cash and my phone number (she did have a cell phone), and instructions to call if she couldn't get anyone to give her a ride. She also promised to call when she made it home.<br />
<br />
Side note: Her husband had been a trucker for 40 years and she spent a lot of time on the road with him, so she was comfortable trying to find someone heading the way she needed to go.<br />
<br />
Carol never called me, so the next morning I called the truck stop to ask if anyone had seen her hanging around. Nobody had, so I have no choice but to assume she got a ride. I also failed to get her phone number, so there's no way for me to contact her directly. So I feel good for trying to help someone, but I have no idea if it worked out for her. I hope she's safe and made it home.<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-49262017870910211622020-01-21T21:17:00.002-07:002020-01-21T21:17:50.130-07:002019 in Stride<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
I've been meaning to post this since the year ended. But it was the best running year I've ever had, at least in some ways.</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>1,183 miles—a new personal record, or an average of 3.2 miles per day</li>
<li>23 runs of a half marathon or longer</li>
<li>1 marathon</li>
<li>3 pairs of shoes</li>
<li>126,665 calories burned</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br />I also walked a little under 400 miles (as exercise, not just daily steps). I think that means the knee surgery was a huge success. Now I just hope it holds up; I know some people have had improvements only for the scar cartilage to wear out after a year or two. But even if this was my last chance to run as much as I want to, it was really nice.</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-81959602162265436662020-01-07T21:35:00.005-07:002020-01-07T21:35:54.096-07:00Cat NapOn New Year's Day as it got near bedtime, I noticed something. Or, rather, a lack of something. Cinder had been in the house most of the day, as had the other cats, since it was cold and snowy. But whereas Dortmunder and Vin tend to spend a lot of time napping in closets or under furniture, Cinder always lets us know where he is. He flops down on the floor where we are constantly walking from kitchen to living room, or is curled up on the couch for hours at a time where the kids like to sit. The point is, it's never a mystery where he has gotten himself off to.<br />
<br />
So we looked around and concluded that he was not in the house after all. I went outside with a flashlight and found kitty prints going toward the neighbors' yard, but they had shoveled a little later than I had, and I couldn't find any more tracks.<br />
<br />
The next day there were cat prints on our back porch, so during the night he had probably come to the door there wanting to be let in. I went out and followed them, but again couldn't tell where he had ended up. I walked around the neighborhood trying to tell if he had been running around other people's yards, to no avail. I left the garage door open a bit that night, but he still wasn't there the next morning.<br />
<br />
The following day I went to the animal shelter just in case someone had taken him there, but still no luck. I was surprised at how much it had brought me down, but because we had raised him from a kitten in the house, and because I had spent the time training him and developing a pretty close bond, he somehow felt more like a family member than the other cats. He is also a lot more vocal and generally communicative than the others.<br />
<br />
On the evening of that third day I heard a cat growling outside of the front door. I opened it, and Cinder ran in. We were thrilled, and I was especially relieved because I had pretty much thought we'd never see him again (despite our <a href="http://jojohoser.blogspot.com/2016/11/cat-starvation-averted-reason-to-be.html">previous experiences</a> with the other cats).<br />
<br />
The weird thing is, he had a tiny bit of carpet in his paw, and his fur was not cold when he came in. He also seemed a little agitated. So I wondered if someone had kindly taken him in but had then kept him from leaving when he wanted to for a couple days. Then he bolted when a door was open for a minute. At least, that's how I imagine it. So we didn't let him outside for a couple more days, just in case.<br />
<br />
Whatever happened, though, we were glad to have our strange family whole again.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-54934202166308487402019-11-19T19:00:00.000-07:002019-11-19T19:00:02.215-07:00New-clearWell, it's been a minute. Things have been extraordinarily busy, and I've been hanging onto some news that I wasn't really ready to announce until things were official. But I'm changing jobs next month.<br />
<br />
We moved to Idaho for me to take a marketing communications job at a nutritional supplement company. And it's been great. I love the people I work with and enjoy what I do. But earlier this year I was contacted by a recruiter for the Idaho National Laboratory about writing for them. The INL is a huge complex that performs research into nuclear power and other areas of energy and national security. The have a site out in the desert an hour away that houses the Advanced Test Reactor, but I'll mostly be in town working with the people managing nuclear research programs.<br />
<br />
It's going to be a big adjustment, for two reasons. One is learning the technology itself, and I'm trying to research as much as I can before starting. The second reason is that working for a large government entity (technically the company contracted to run the lab) is a huge cultural shift, since I've mostly worked at small, independent companies. Just learning what all the different groups are and who does what will be a serious undertaking.<br />
<br />
I'm really excited to have a chance to work in the scientific field and do something I strongly feel benefits humanity. I'm really sad to leave my current job because I really love my coworkers, and my boss and team have treated me extremely well. But in the end I have to do what I feel is best for my family, and I'm looking forward to a new adventure. So, onward and upward.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-7055951514860795312019-10-08T07:54:00.002-06:002019-10-08T07:54:21.577-06:00Rogue WonIt's funny how attached we become to worldly possessions. That's the case with my car.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zOdtUj9QYu7Er9umdnJuK48kMEMbYMQJ4CuVP-QNgEySx48mYmUpMMSwcUSwCC6x4_jh4ipOojm-4FZLnElkdwzrSltaPDFrYQVEoxbDDaQskl7dEt4fT7bQlsX959Nlnm8t4e3vXY1v/s1600/IMG_1798.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zOdtUj9QYu7Er9umdnJuK48kMEMbYMQJ4CuVP-QNgEySx48mYmUpMMSwcUSwCC6x4_jh4ipOojm-4FZLnElkdwzrSltaPDFrYQVEoxbDDaQskl7dEt4fT7bQlsX959Nlnm8t4e3vXY1v/s320/IMG_1798.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
This is a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. Katie bought it when we had just started dating, in December 2003. She drove it for a few years until we got something bigger for her to take the kids around in, and this has been my commuter car for the last 10 years. So yeah, I've become attached to it. It's not much to look at, but it's been surprisingly reliable over the years. It's also got relatively low mileage for an 18-year-old vehicle (164,000).<br />
<br />
But all things must come to an end, and so it's time to bid farewell to this relic of our courtship. And like our courtship, I went through a while "shopping around" and then once I found the right vehicle it clicked immediately.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l73zWKpPI0Ob1b3Dhl7usbrsOYZi84jzWh8S6JeLI2_QEug4OlKyZb6Fsx-HQGFsthYxUkKsSLzRFWHAfsW_eQT0ka8obTKlu4ugym1sNfEp9oAk8L6uYyH6lU_be5op4dL_mwJ5mDSv/s1600/IMG_1788.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l73zWKpPI0Ob1b3Dhl7usbrsOYZi84jzWh8S6JeLI2_QEug4OlKyZb6Fsx-HQGFsthYxUkKsSLzRFWHAfsW_eQT0ka8obTKlu4ugym1sNfEp9oAk8L6uYyH6lU_be5op4dL_mwJ5mDSv/s320/IMG_1788.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
I ended up getting a 2015 Nissan Rogue. It's significant to me because every car I had ever owned was a GM vehicle (2985 Chevrolet Celebrity, 1994 Chevrolet Corsica, 1999 Chevrolet Lumina, the Sunfire, and our 2008 Chevrolet Uplander). So this is a completely different experience.<br />
<br />
It's also significant because for the first time I actually had the chance to purchase a vehicle that I wanted to drive rather than whatever was available in my price range that would get me around okay. So I chose a vehicle with heated seats, panoramic moonroof, all-wheel-drive, navigation, and a bunch of nice safety features like cameras and blind-spot monitoring. And it still gets better gas mileage than the Sunfire. So I'm very happy.<br />
<br />
And so of course it came time to name the vehicle. The Rogue had been owned by a smoker. The dealer was pretty good about getting the smell out, but it will take some time for it to go away completely. That also made it much less expensive, so it was a trade-off I was willing to make (my old Corsica had been the same, and it ended up being fine). It's silver, and it has a lot of gadgets. So I named it Bender, after the character from Futurama.<br />
<br />
Welcome home, Bender.<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-45139284015483949082019-09-10T16:12:00.000-06:002019-09-10T16:12:00.337-06:00Time FliesI rarely have a moment when I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. And as a creature of routine, I am generally pretty comfortable in my rut. I am also always aware of what time it is, so it's not surprising that my life is more or less scheduled out to the minute. Here's my daily routine, Monday through Friday.<br />
<br />
5:45 Wake up<br />
5:45-6:00 Shower<br />
6:00-6:20 Read scriptures<br />
6:20-6-40 Exercise<br />
6:40-6:50 Get dressed, get things ready for work<br />
6:50 Wake up kids for school<br />
7:25 Get the kids out the door for the bus<br />
7:30 Leave for work<br />
8:00-Noon Work stuff<br />
Noon-1:00 Walk (Mon/Wed/Fri) or run (Tues/Thurs), eat lunch<br />
1:00-5:00 Work stuff<br />
5:00 Leave work<br />
5:30 Get home<br />
6:00-8:30 Make dinner, get kids to do homework<br />
8:30 Have kids brush teeth<br />
9:00 Get Clara and Allison in bed<br />
10:00ish Prepare whatever I need to for the next day and get ready for bed<br />
11:00ish Collapse from exhaustion<br />
<br />
I try to encourage Katie to get out for a bit in the evenings for a break, and she goes to the gym a few times a week. That means I'm usually trying to make dinner and watch the kids for an hour or two, and by the time she's back and everyone has eaten (which usually requires making 2 to 4 meals to satisfy everyone [don't judge me for enabling my kids]) it's just about time to start getting ready for bed.<br />
<br />
If there's nothing specific I am trying to accomplish at a given moment, I try to field all requests from the kids so Katie can do something, which is usually dishes or laundry or some other cleaning task she wants to get done. But if there's a few minutes when I'm not immediately swamped with tasks, like the kids are out playing with friends, I find myself at a loss. I don't really like to sit on the couch and watch TV, because I'll get interrupted every 30 seconds or just fall asleep. So I usually wander aimlessly looking for small things that need to get done.<br />
<br />
This probably sounds like complaining, but I like efficiency, and I feel like I've figured out how to get the most done by trying to focus on tasks. I feel that even small things are worth doing well, and if my life's not glamorous at least it's full.<br />
<br />
Do you have a schedule, or do you prefer to play it by ear?Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-84574325945908822862019-08-28T14:37:00.003-06:002019-08-28T14:37:28.578-06:00Kindergarten ClaraClara started kindergarten this year. There's always something unique about sending your child off to school for the first time. There's a little relief, and a little sadness. And since Clara has always been our wild card, we weren't totally sure what to expect.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGotYkm9HfZoyeuvHPKvV5dfC8Hop8BRTUfookKoPYOtR0T-uoHReVxu6QlUd9qhbV76hg3HAVy3bv4wHt8QZmfp3tz5FCzqsKy8lVw8F3ou-r7kRdoRetkXEkFwrNlmMBr0BMYCdk8FEd/s1600/IMG_1669.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGotYkm9HfZoyeuvHPKvV5dfC8Hop8BRTUfookKoPYOtR0T-uoHReVxu6QlUd9qhbV76hg3HAVy3bv4wHt8QZmfp3tz5FCzqsKy8lVw8F3ou-r7kRdoRetkXEkFwrNlmMBr0BMYCdk8FEd/s400/IMG_1669.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
She was really excited, though, and counting down the days. I don't really remember her expressing any fear about it, which seemed a little unusual.<br />
<br />
It's still the first week, but she's been goo about getting up early. As a side note, I swear our elementary school's 8:00 starting time is earlier than others. I think mine started at 9. And Clara has usually slept until past 9. So getting her up before 7 is a huge change. We'll see how it works out in the freezing winter months. Oddly, we requested afternoon kindergarten but didn't get it; in the past it's been no problem because more parents seem to want the morning schedule.<br />
<br />
Last week we had back to school night and met her teacher. Apparently she had literally been hired that day, and the classroom was just the computer lab because it was the only space available. Plain tables, blank walls because she had no time to prepare. But you could tell immediately that she had that kindergarten teacher feel about her. I'm pretty cynical, but I feel that kindergarten teachers have something special about them.<br />
<br />
I have noticed that Clara has been more mature and helpful lately, including using better manners, even before school started. I think having a little structure in her day is great. It's also a good opportunity for Allison to be a more supportive big sister. There has always been some friction between the two of them, at least since Clara was a toddler and started hitting Allison, and Allison complaining when Clara wanted to play with her toys. They really wanted to start sharing a room a few months ago, and we put up the bunk beds once school got out. It's been an off-and-on success, but I do think Allison is looking out for Clara at school, even helping choose outfits and tying Clara's shoes for her.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpND2NNYreadjVxWdVvL5q7_HMbRNqK06DQ91O6o-bb2blOBvgZbPRzMbDcrAfmdyJK5aShUOheXGFheDYD3UFFTw76w_v9qhozAQQyb6WK_dEaLwXAtWn6vZ2MzP6XO5TDmYmW3R9Jqk0/s1600/IMG_1670.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpND2NNYreadjVxWdVvL5q7_HMbRNqK06DQ91O6o-bb2blOBvgZbPRzMbDcrAfmdyJK5aShUOheXGFheDYD3UFFTw76w_v9qhozAQQyb6WK_dEaLwXAtWn6vZ2MzP6XO5TDmYmW3R9Jqk0/s400/IMG_1670.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kindergarten and 4th grade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Anyway, things seem okay so far. We'll see how it goes as it gets colder and darker...Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-81840595178175464382019-08-20T09:08:00.000-06:002019-08-20T09:08:31.251-06:00Do You Like Scary Movies?This is one of those subjects I usually avoid because it seems like so many other people talk about it, but here we go. I enjoy a good horror movie. I think it's like vigorous physical exercise—tough while it's happening, but there's a rush of endorphins when it's over and you survived.<br />
<br />
I often discuss with people the concept of "scary" horror movies vs. movies that are just gross or trying to shock people. And a friend and I were considering whether PG-13 horrors might actually be more frightening because they have to rely more on atmosphere and implied violence rather than blood and gore. So we started making a list of "scary" PG-13 movies vs. R-rated movies. And that led to us listing movies that are great and fun, but not necessarily really scary. Anyway, this is far from an exhaustive list, but it's what we were thinking.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>PG-13</b><br />
<i>The Ring</i>—Still probably the scariest movie to me at the time I saw it. The original Japanese version didn't really do it for me.<br />
<i>A Quiet Place</i>—More super tense than scary, but very effective<br />
<i>Lights Out</i>—The first half of this movie in particular is really creepy and lots of fun<br />
<i>The Babadook</i> (not rated, but could probably be PG-13)—Scary on several different levels. If you're a parent this will terrify you.<br />
<i>The Sixth Sense</i>—We've all seen this by now, right? It still holds up.<br />
<i>Poltergeist</i>—Can't believe this is actually PG. A good "family scare" if such exists.<br />
<i>The Grudge</i>—This was a lot like The Ring, pretty scary at the time I saw it.<br />
<br />
<b>R</b><br />
<i>Alien</i>—One of the best horrors of all time. Everyone should see this.<br />
<i>It Follows</i>—Really primal fear, and some of the best scary moments in addition to the creeping dread throughout.<br />
<i>Halloween</i>—The grandmother of all slashers, just great.<br />
<i>The Loved Ones</i>—This movie... is incredibly bonkers. Pretty shocking, actually, but it's stayed with me.<br />
<i>Ghost Stories</i> (not rated)—A great anthology with a unique twist to integrating the frame story. Very good. Also, Martin Freeman.<br />
<i>The Descent</i>—I love that it's an all-female cast. Claustrophobic and really scary. But make sure you see the original ending, not the cop-out US version.<br />
<i>Oculus</i>—I am terrified of dark mirrors, and this pushed all my buttons.<br />
<i>Hereditary</i>—I've never seen anything like "that moment" from this one.<br />
<i>The Witch</i>—The production design, setting, costuming, and dialogue make this a real treat to watch. Truly terrifying, and with a great deal of ambiguity.<br />
<br />
<b>Excellent, not necessarily scary</b><br />
<i>Scream</i>—Possibly my favorite "scary movie." Holds a ton of nostalgia for me. The whole series is pretty good, really.<br />
<i>Happy Death Day</i>—One of the most "fun" horror flicks out there.<br />
<i>The Guest</i>—This is mostly a thriller-type movie but takes a turn that is awesome.<br />
<i>Get Out</i>—What I think of as a Very Important Movie. Everyone should see it and think about the issues it explores.<br />
<i>Us</i>—Another great Peele horror, playing on something primal about our need to be unique.<br />
<i>It Comes at Night</i>—This was either marketed horribly or perfectly. Nothing like the trailer leads you to believe, it's a very different kind of horror.<br />
<i>The Terminator</i>—Kind of like the original It Follows, really. A classic.<br />
<i>Aliens</i>—I remember watching this (edited) on TV without my parents knowing. I had nightmares for years about the aliens. Perfect action horror.<br />
<i>Predator</i>—This will put hair on your chest. Just solid horror-type action.<br />
<i>Tucker & Dale vs. Evil</i>—This is my favorite horror comedy, turning all the tropes upside down. You should see it.<br />
<i>Shaun of the Dead</i>—Another masterpiece of horror comedy. Simon Pegg is brilliant.<br />
<i>Zombieland</i>—Kind of a horror/comedy.action blend. Tense, but funny, with a great heart.<br />
<i>Under the Shadow</i>—I just saw this the other day. It's Iranian, and takes place in the 80s. It's as fascinating culturally as anything I've ever seen. It made me want to know more about Iranian culture and history.<br />
<i>Anna and the Apocalypse</i>—I don't like musicals, but this is a British Christmas musical zombie comedy. I don't like soundtracks either, but I listen to this one all the time.<br />
<br />
<br />
There are a few common threads here. I really like horror comedy, because I love contrast. I also love ambiguity, like the movies that explore whether the "monster" is real, or where you're not sure who the bad guy really is. Anything that makes me think is good.<br />
<br />
Do you like scary movies? What are your favorites?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-36281101358809529522019-08-05T16:44:00.002-06:002019-08-05T16:44:59.172-06:00Marathon PostAbout a week and a half ago was the Idaho Falls Marathon. I was pretty excited for my first one in four years, and the culmination of the most intense training I've done. As the race approached, I looked more at the information I would need for that day, like the details for getting my bib and more specifics on the course. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was generally familiar with the course, but there were a couple strange things about it. Most marathons (okay, the two I've done before) are big loops that are pretty simple to follow. This one started way up in the hills east of town and came into the city, as one would expect. But there were a few strange twists and turns once we got there. Here's one such area.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85vDmX7nj-PvI6uZQ4wnA2CpymrQUfYdWt7uIt9H0bvHVWjIuW6SrCxoFLlB1yjny3iRzVIiDlWmNvwrjCceUu7zrk37nkwBAbd5Mdfnuv5TCB0G5LUPW9QrIhI8DXgVmPFpJhcpQW8HV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-23+at+9.53.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="571" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85vDmX7nj-PvI6uZQ4wnA2CpymrQUfYdWt7uIt9H0bvHVWjIuW6SrCxoFLlB1yjny3iRzVIiDlWmNvwrjCceUu7zrk37nkwBAbd5Mdfnuv5TCB0G5LUPW9QrIhI8DXgVmPFpJhcpQW8HV/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-07-23+at+9.53.10+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little weird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I knew this was a fairly small race, so I thought it might be good to familiarize myself with the course in detail so I knew where to turn if there weren't a lot of supporters. For the last few days beforehand I spent time on Google Maps going over the city portion of the course in street view, and I even printed a little sheet of directions to keep with me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The race was slated to start at 5:30 a.m. Everyone had to ride a bus to the starting line, which left at 4:15. That meant I had to wake up at 3 to be ready and here in time. Although I tried to get to bed early, according to my watch, I got just over two hours of sleep. Not a great start, but not wholly unexpected either. I tend to get anxious before races.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I caught the bus without a problem, and we got to the starting line at about 5. What surprised me there was that it was still quite dark. About a minute before start someone asked about markers. The guy running the show said to stay on the right side of the roads and we'd see orange arrows telling us where to turn. One alarm bell in my head went off when he said there was only one set of arrows. I knew from looking at the course online that the half marathon started at about the halfway point (duh) but they had some different turns. So this didn't make sense.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then we were off. The first mile was dirt road, which is just asking for someone to break an ankle in the dark. But after that it lightened enough to see okay. I knew the first ten miles was up and down, before a pretty good decline for the next five, then things were flat once we got into town. I didn't realize, however, that there were 1,000 feet in elevation gain during that ten miles. I made it through okay, though.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On the downhill portion we started to pass the slower half marathoners, many of who were already walking several people abreast in the road. So that was a little irritating. At the first turn I noticed the marker arrows were small orange things about six inches long that you could only see if you were close. And because of the way people hug turns and just follow the person in front of them, that meant most people then started running on the left side of the road.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At the first major road crossing there were some missionaries who had a stop sign to walk into the street and stop traffic, which was nice. Missionaries also helped out at a number of the aid stations, which was interesting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The first hiccup was one particular neighborhood we were supposed to turn into. Everyone was still on the left side of the road, and I don't think the half marathoners were supposed to turn there. Which meant most of the marathoners probably just followed them. I was alone on the right side and saw the arrows indicating the left turn, so I went through the neighborhood. I didn't see a single other runner the entire time, until I came back out onto that street again. So that was interesting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By mile 20 I my legs were hurting quite a bit, which has happened in my other races as well. It wasn't a problem during training, but I had been going faster and had done all that climbing. I had also started taking in some food fairly early to try to keep myself going, but I knew I was in a little trouble. I pushed on for another mile before I had to walk a little bit. So for the last 5 miles I walked for about 3 or 4 minutes and then ran the rest. I hate doing it, but it was a good way to feel like I was employing a strategy so I could push through.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The most ridiculous part came at one of the largest intersections in town, about half a mile before the finish line. By that point people were pretty spread out, so there weren't crowds crossing the street. We had to take our chances with the traffic (by this point it was about 9 a.m.) or wait for the light to change. I was incredulous that there was no support there. But I made it to the finish line.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODawpqmnSu6qi0tLaRUBY-cTyHR2AxTGqha3I5gdc6Pzi1hC2jk-VVhP5hvHQGYqwUJERz4tFPcepEiyiD6YXBzF4AU_8-a165t6nCfUtM6A3fiVq20EEHxWzxyG2vGTI-j8-prgSH3yV/s1600/2019-08-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODawpqmnSu6qi0tLaRUBY-cTyHR2AxTGqha3I5gdc6Pzi1hC2jk-VVhP5hvHQGYqwUJERz4tFPcepEiyiD6YXBzF4AU_8-a165t6nCfUtM6A3fiVq20EEHxWzxyG2vGTI-j8-prgSH3yV/s320/2019-08-05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My GPS indicated that I ran 26.4 instead of 26.2 miles, which could have been their weird course or just me weaving back and forth a bit for a few hours. But I had a coworker who also ran the marathon. He ended up getting mixed up with the 5k crowd, which was doing a totally different route, so he ended up running an extra mile and a half. I would have been LIVID if I were him.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I ended up finish in about 3:37, which was a little slower than I hoped but not too terrible all things considered. One nice thing about having only 100 or so runners is that it's easier to place in your division, and I got second place in the 30-39 group. So that was cool. And my family met me at the finish line, which was great.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was super sore for about three days but did manage a few short runs last week to try to maintain some conditioning. It felt kind of weird to not have specific distances or pace that I had to achieve. My knee seems okay but perhaps slightly stiff again, to a much smaller degree than before the surgery. So I need to decide what my future running goals are and how I can keep going as long as possible. I did calculate that I could get in 1,000 miles this year, which would only be the second time I achieved that, so that's probably my primary goal for now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thanks for making it through this long post.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-87703462181345623952019-07-24T19:00:00.000-06:002019-07-24T19:00:04.020-06:00A Little Summer KetchupI've started a few posts lately but haven't felt strongly about publishing any of them. So here are a few random updates.<br />
<br />
James turned three a couple weeks ago, and my parents came for a visit along with my sister and her family. It was nice. The kid's stinkin' cute.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBGjJmWtaLYnd3YZ05-iOZLZnny_sZMgZjULBhDDpZm2g-QT5hecAP8Ogt5ynC3hC89f-onzBR-SzX4Ch5-rwxUjUk3BDWXc0rFG_UyZ1HBTEQcWWLAucn2lTip3etq2vuTLxWTvJmlVM/s1600/James3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBGjJmWtaLYnd3YZ05-iOZLZnny_sZMgZjULBhDDpZm2g-QT5hecAP8Ogt5ynC3hC89f-onzBR-SzX4Ch5-rwxUjUk3BDWXc0rFG_UyZ1HBTEQcWWLAucn2lTip3etq2vuTLxWTvJmlVM/s400/James3.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's Nacho Libre in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sam's been struggling a little bit with teenager-hood. We finally took him to a counselor, and they diagnosed with with some anxiety and OCD tendencies. So we're working to find the best way to treat it so school isn't so overwhelming for him. I think a lot of it has to do with his troubles sleeping, but we'll see how things go.<br />
<br />
We're going to visit Utah in a couple weeks. My sister recently moved back from DC with her husband and little girl. They're staying with my parents while they look for a place, so we'll go down and spend some time doing family-type things. Last time we took Cinder, but he was just a kitten. Now he's kind of a giant cat, and still growing, so they may not want him in the house.<br />
<br />
In three days I'll run the Idaho Falls Marathon. This is where my mind mostly is this week. I've done all 400+ miles of the training program, which was much more intense than any I've ever done. My knees are a little iffy but relatively stable (although I banged one hard on the dryer door last night and now it's surprisingly sore). I've been obsessing over the course, which takes a bunch of twists and turns in town. I'm concerned they won't have it marked well enough (a lot of it overlaps the half marathon course, but not all of it), so I'm going through Street View in Google Maps to try to memorize it. I'm sure I'll post about it again afterward. Oh, the worst part is that the bus we need to ride leaves at 4:15 a.m., so to get there in time I need to get up at around 3:00. That's unbelievable.<br />
<br />
More to come!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-80998150554453545082019-06-11T19:00:00.000-06:002019-06-11T19:00:08.030-06:00A Vacation... from My ProblemsOkay, that's a reference to What about Bob? Which is a movie that probably downplays the seriousness of mental illness, but nevertheless is a very fun watch.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway, last week Samuel went to a young men's camp for three days. He's never been away from us more than just overnight before, and even then only a couple other times. So while he was gone, Allison was the oldest child, at 9 years old. It was interesting to sort of go back in time a few years so the problems you're dealing with as parents are different. Samuel deals with teenager issues now, so things that seem much more serious, particularly given his responsible personality. Allison, on the other hand, is still at the stage where it's about sharing her toys and eating dinner before dessert. So it was nice to have a bit of a break from the all-consuming existential crises of a teenager.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That being said, we were happy to have him back.</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-85240781952154430422019-05-21T19:00:00.000-06:002019-05-21T19:00:03.931-06:00PiercedWell, this was a first.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsEx5UoIuw9VTxV0sDBF5hrBVYpQSiyHuSVDaTICAL8MUX3zf5ZPB8WxsE9RXqvay7QucxB7pjGZS3jyuNbs0E4DCixO_8BmAC_Ht-PTFARu7TVn1ueSP__Z1CdersU6zqVidLjqHsJ9_/s1600/Pierced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsEx5UoIuw9VTxV0sDBF5hrBVYpQSiyHuSVDaTICAL8MUX3zf5ZPB8WxsE9RXqvay7QucxB7pjGZS3jyuNbs0E4DCixO_8BmAC_Ht-PTFARu7TVn1ueSP__Z1CdersU6zqVidLjqHsJ9_/s640/Pierced.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Last week Allison got her ears pierced. This is a rite of passage for a lot of girls, and it's even more interesting in our family. My mother doesn't have pierced ears, and neither does Katie. So it's kind of a first. But she had been bugging us about it for weeks, because one of her friends just got her ears pierced.<br />
<br />
Katie and I had discussed this before. I guess the reason she had never done it herself was more because of the pain rather than an objection to the practice itself. I've always admired that she had never done it (I'm honestly not a big fan of the ridiculous things women have to do for appearance, including makeup and even shaved legs), and I wasn't sure how Allison would fare. She is rather sensitive to pain. We can't even brush her hair without her screaming about it most of the time. So that she was willing to undergo this said something about her determination.<br />
<br />
Anyway, she reported that it barely hurt, and so far she has been diligent about cleaning her ears multiple times per day as instructed. We'll see if it lasts.<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-35228888701593216932019-05-18T16:51:00.000-06:002019-05-18T16:51:00.976-06:00Kitty SchoolFor a while I've been wondering if it's possible to train cats. I mean, I knew it was <i>possible</i>, because they're in movies and whatnot. But I've never trained an animal and didn't know how to go about it. Then in my regular Internet wanderings I came across a book a couple years ago called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trainable-Cat-Practical-Making-Happier/dp/046509371X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+trainable+cat&qid=1558132857&s=gateway&sr=8-1">The Trainable Cat</a>. Then I finally picked up a copy shortly after we got Cinder. Training them younger is supposed to be better, so I thought I'd see what the book has to say.<br />
<br />
It took me a few months to get around to it, and I still haven't finished the book all the way, but here's what I've learned in general. You're supposed to reward them for doing the thing you want, not negatively reinforce things you don't want them to do. The reward also has to immediately follow the action, because they associate whatever their mind is focused on at the moment with what is happening. You're also supposed to train them in a quiet, distraction-free environment. That's rarely the case at my house, but I can occasionally get a few minutes of relative quiet. I'm trying to do two sessions a day, just 5 minutes or so at a time.<br />
<br />
Here's how I'm doing it. I get some food (he loves tuna, so I'll put some in a bowl and grab a tiny bit at a time). He's already associating the bowl with training, so he knows what to expect. The first tricks we're working on are those that he can do just by following the food, like standing on his hind legs or turning in a circle. I've also got him jumping on a chair and down again, following the food. I've also been able to get him to consistently sit now, which I think is cool. I'm trying to shake his paw, but that's not quite working. I may just try for the paw/fist bump, which could be cooler anyway.<br />
<br />
We're just a couple weeks in, but he likes doing it, and I think it's fun. In the long run I want to get him to come in from outside whenever I call, and be able to perform some simple tricks in front of people. I'll probably update this in a few weeks with more progress.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-59783600925370177632019-05-17T16:36:00.003-06:002019-05-17T16:36:52.926-06:00Category 5 CycloneIt was Clara's birthday this week.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxauYRDvJ2hPhGkegZkInoRHkZX6QuAzybm-NsaceFrz3r-YyA5uiZtPdrYS_A4lELw_ivf_zQzWB9LLXwKr6Y0JsJIxyZLN1xgfOCgGXDX2PUnRI4mriPcNzJeD6zTxND2qPkFP2Js6r/s1600/Clara+B-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="800" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxauYRDvJ2hPhGkegZkInoRHkZX6QuAzybm-NsaceFrz3r-YyA5uiZtPdrYS_A4lELw_ivf_zQzWB9LLXwKr6Y0JsJIxyZLN1xgfOCgGXDX2PUnRI4mriPcNzJeD6zTxND2qPkFP2Js6r/s400/Clara+B-day.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How dare you take my photo?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last year has been interesting for her, and she's definitely had her ups and downs. Clara's favorite thing to do is to draw, and it's been really fun to see her unique artistic style develop.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWmz6J4wUD8_GXIXiskNyJWWtRDNes9KtGJMR8AU-sgil6h6vAIknHnQXGsDOClzqNlZ3f6Z2BfwowU6uDHWCZ0vbH2IlvdMegTFSUV4YbtYaO_fX36OJEP6lds7gHzaITFmxXliCa7cx/s1600/IMG_1355.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWmz6J4wUD8_GXIXiskNyJWWtRDNes9KtGJMR8AU-sgil6h6vAIknHnQXGsDOClzqNlZ3f6Z2BfwowU6uDHWCZ0vbH2IlvdMegTFSUV4YbtYaO_fX36OJEP6lds7gHzaITFmxXliCa7cx/s400/IMG_1355.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jI8kEwbjAdhQwn8SdioFw_-CBk6TTCoFrLIzyKhIgTfNILDkpsjRGjtnT7qL5XJf5v3H9KWXE0AjaogXnojjOHe1KoIK55n9ZQevmL9aLN8YGljZvuKkMLP29-Ds6sAkA7se0Yah_Jg4/s1600/IMG_1058.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jI8kEwbjAdhQwn8SdioFw_-CBk6TTCoFrLIzyKhIgTfNILDkpsjRGjtnT7qL5XJf5v3H9KWXE0AjaogXnojjOHe1KoIK55n9ZQevmL9aLN8YGljZvuKkMLP29-Ds6sAkA7se0Yah_Jg4/s400/IMG_1058.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LI6P5StxrOiUUDOr6TT7jw1r_D-tfOK4fOBdxcr4pZuAGsvTlBLliGYZEmrfFO3UccmyTL_yl3CoEzjxa1IRG6U3gAWTs_boTZWBJMzcBtlty6mRzXQEbXuUxRNKBZgf4UDi0FUq8A0d/s1600/IMG_0843.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LI6P5StxrOiUUDOr6TT7jw1r_D-tfOK4fOBdxcr4pZuAGsvTlBLliGYZEmrfFO3UccmyTL_yl3CoEzjxa1IRG6U3gAWTs_boTZWBJMzcBtlty6mRzXQEbXuUxRNKBZgf4UDi0FUq8A0d/s400/IMG_0843.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVYE3SDBhtll_qFD8HJ1cyiWbfmb4EyGoWF7lbMZHsSqFOpVpOKHxbXjeHy1h6jt-lP7vmgQ5Vk5DjWUDao2kRo-RQ3ZLQKHSaP_MeCdP-tEDmIS9GJF3if38KWAS4XknGssCKQfz_cnN/s1600/20180914_175630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVYE3SDBhtll_qFD8HJ1cyiWbfmb4EyGoWF7lbMZHsSqFOpVpOKHxbXjeHy1h6jt-lP7vmgQ5Vk5DjWUDao2kRo-RQ3ZLQKHSaP_MeCdP-tEDmIS9GJF3if38KWAS4XknGssCKQfz_cnN/s400/20180914_175630.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOJT-MT5Ze9CkyAo4WHkSTTKuO62qSbOtOTgqQOx5ZGSa8FxEQChf6C0JmM8BeGwhb4IgChEQ65YHayMDcOxE89zw24RAcZyTPQ_qKaIiNQNIkKSvuVZ2VIbtDtRmKKHiJWmT0LfPnXhj/s1600/20180914_171034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOJT-MT5Ze9CkyAo4WHkSTTKuO62qSbOtOTgqQOx5ZGSa8FxEQChf6C0JmM8BeGwhb4IgChEQ65YHayMDcOxE89zw24RAcZyTPQ_qKaIiNQNIkKSvuVZ2VIbtDtRmKKHiJWmT0LfPnXhj/s400/20180914_171034.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In reverse chronological order, for some reason.<br />
<br />
When not drawing, she has a very mischievous personality, particularly where Cinder the kitten is concerned. One moment she's covering him with a blanket as he naps, and the next she's yelling in his ear or pushing him off the chair. But overall we have seen an improvement in her behavior over the last 12 months. And sometimes she is actually more obedient and helpful than James or Allison, so that's interesting.<br />
<br />
Clara's relationship with Allison is a constant source of frustration. Allison wants to play with all her toys by herself, and Clara will take one of them and run, making Allison mad. No matter how we try, we can't convince her to share with Clara, and invite her to play together. We think when Clara is included she doesn't do bad things. And interestingly, the girls have been clamoring for bunk beds, which we said we won't do as long as they are fighting.<br />
<br />
Clara also loves running around the neighborhood playing with her friends, and she's already preferring to spend more time with them than the family, much to Katie's consternation. She also still hardly eats anything and basically hasn't gained any weight in the past year. But she seems perfectly healthy, so I just have to hope that will come along eventually. <br />
<br />
Happy birthday, Cyclone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-20965862028883376832019-05-08T19:00:00.000-06:002019-05-08T19:00:01.569-06:00It's (Almost) Go TimeAll right, time for another boring running post. As I'm sure you remember, I had <a href="http://jojohoser.blogspot.com/2018/10/kneezy-does-it.html">knee surgery</a> last fall. After a couple months I was slowly able to get running again, with good results. The swelling was gone, and the scar cartilage seemed to be coming along nicely. In March I ran my first half marathon post-procedure.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, at work we learned that the company would reimburse anyone who wanted to enter the Idaho Falls Marathon in July. So I decided to give it a shot. I still haven't registered, but I started training last month. I'm also training a little differently than I ever have before.<br />
<br />
I'll try to keep the details minimal, but in the past I've always run a consistent 3 to 5 miles a couple times a week, then increased my long runs on Saturdays until I got to the marathon distance. This time I am following a <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20799296/run-your-best-marathon-with-less-training/">specific training plan</a> I've been eyeing for years. It involves just three runs per week (most plans have you run 4 to 6 days a week), which has always been better for my joints. It also has me running much faster for some workouts (which honestly has me a little worried about injuries), and much slower than my target pace for the long runs. The idea is to prepare you to eventually run at a reasonable speed for a long distance. I've seen positive reviews, and I figure it's worth a shot. If I can't make the full distance because of my knee, I should at least be able to run the half marathon that day. If I'm not paying for the registration, there's really nothing to lose.<br />
<br />
One other note. I have always run without music for some weird reason, but I finally gave in and purchased some <a href="https://www.jabra.com/bluetooth-headsets/jabra-elite-65t?gclid=CjwKCAjw2cTmBRAVEiwA8YMgzY8T4Y5ND7Pt_qcSW0DUrTq9onKVzOEGgDm4hyEX12lFQ0yZpKCrRxoCwUcQAvD_BwE">true wireless earbuds</a>. I've wanted this kind of thing for many, many years, and maybe one day I'll discuss the company I pre-ordered from that turned out to be a scam. Anyway, I LOVE these things. I use them running, while in the car, on walks, and just about any time I want to listen to podcasts or music. I made my first ever running playlist and used it for a pretty tough 10-mile run with lots of uphill, and got really close to my personal record. Since the last 6 to 8 miles of the marathon have always been the worst for me, it could make the difference psychologically on race day.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's it for now. I'll try not to bore you more about this for a while.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-66230806964546129472019-05-07T19:00:00.000-06:002019-05-07T19:00:01.460-06:00Taking Care of BusinessesThis is kind of a weird thing to think about, but sometimes I get as sad about a company going under as I do a person having struggles.<br />
<br />
October 2013: I purchased a Pebble watch. As far as I know, it was the first smartwatch on the market. I loved getting notifications on my wrist, and being able to send canned responses without getting my phone out. I could control my music, customize the watch face, track running stats, and do a few other things from it. It was just black and white, but it lasted several days between charges. Later they developed a color display, which I also got, and loved it. Then other companies started releasing them with touchscreens and other bells and whistles.<br />
<br />
Eventually Pebble went out of business and was acquired by Fitbit, which would supposedly incorporate some elements from the Pebble operating system to their products moving forward. I now use a Garmin smartwatch that is heavy on the running data and GPS but doesn't have quite as many everyday functions as something like an Apple watch. It's nice, but I miss my Pebble.<br />
<br />
Since moving to Idaho Falls it seems like lots of other businesses have gone under, both local and national. First was a cool used bookstore. Then a local entertainment store that had music, movies, comic books, and hipster sporting goods (frisbee golf discs, etc.). It was a fun place to browse for toys. Then Toys R Us shut down, and K-Mart, and now Shopko. Others are local restaurants. It's weird since the community is growing quickly.<br />
<br />
I'm a little worried about the company I buy my running toe socks from, called Injinji. A few years ago they had tons of styles, but now it's far fewer. I don't want them to go under, so I need to order a few more pair. You should, too. Try their everyday styles. Your feet will sweat less, and you'll be less prone to blisters.<br />
<br />
I know corporations aren't people (unless you are a GOP lawmaker), but they represent someone's dreams. So... support your local business? Yes. That's a good idea.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-20996989870442114132019-04-17T19:00:00.000-06:002019-04-17T19:00:02.403-06:00AllisoNineThis little lady just turned 9.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnb-NbetUMlacO_EFfjfIqq7yajz2rJgDkNEy3Ly5Jq_Te3DSs8enXNEYVJq4dgTTuV-1yf1Ize58CkRehxHiNV9E89eYkLQsZxYNZ5CPbT7wX0VIvcaHqncBOF8okjZKMTzPliWD9pLW/s1600/2019-04-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnb-NbetUMlacO_EFfjfIqq7yajz2rJgDkNEy3Ly5Jq_Te3DSs8enXNEYVJq4dgTTuV-1yf1Ize58CkRehxHiNV9E89eYkLQsZxYNZ5CPbT7wX0VIvcaHqncBOF8okjZKMTzPliWD9pLW/s320/2019-04-17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She can make any outfit work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Allison has always been the most unique one of our kids, beginning with her entry into this world too quickly for Katie to get any anesthetic during her birth (we were barely in the hospital). She is the one with red hair when the rest have the sandy blond color, and is much more average in size instead of being tall and lanky like the other kids. I picture her being the feminine, elegant one when she's grown up with Clara being more athletic and tomboyish. But we'll see.<br />
<br />
Allison is very much into the things we typically associate with femininity, like clothing and jewelry. She likes to carefully match her clothes, including her socks. She's currently petitioning us to be able to get her ears pierced, which will probably happen sometime soon. (It's a new experience for us, since even Katie doesn't have pierced ears.) She's really sensitive to sounds, from the cats fighting to the fire alarm at school, and is currently challenging Clara for the title of Most Picky Eater in the family.<br />
<br />
She has a strong nurturing side and will sit down and read books to Clara and James. She's also getting to that stage where her friends mean more to her than her family, which should prove interesting over the next decade. I hope she chooses the right friends.<br />
<br />
Each night I read the Book of Mormon with her, and then we read another book together. We've covered a lot of the books I had as a kid, from The Great Brain, to The Sign of the Beaver, to Roald Dahl classics. That time with her is one of my favorite things, and has helped us have a better relationship. She'll probably outgrow it soon, so I will enjoy it while we have it.<br />
<br />
Happy birthday, Allison!Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-81228851655305469232019-04-05T18:00:00.000-06:002019-04-05T18:00:08.151-06:00Dream Log: April 5I remember this brief glimpse of a dream last night. It's sort of a little video I was watching. A couple with a young teenage son was in a car similar to a newer VW Beetle. The husband had been driving but gunned the engine to sort of crest this hill on momentum (but it was airborne) while he got out and walked (somehow) ahead of the car, allowing it to come to a stop at the top. He was making some kind of joke to the "camera" that I can't quite recall. The mother was in the passenger seat drinking apple juice from a sippy cup, and the son was in the back.<br />
<br />
The really weird part, however, was their hair. The wife had her long, curly blond hair piled on the top of her head with the sides cut really short. The dad had long darker hair that was swept up and forward and really looked ridiculous. But the worst was the son. He also had blond hair, but it consisted of bangs and two pony tails in back, and the rest was buzzed. It was absolutely bizarre.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-40264023296075093192019-04-05T09:10:00.004-06:002019-04-05T09:10:52.209-06:00Handy CapI've probably mentioned this many times, but I'm not super handy. I enjoy trying to fix things when I can, but overall it's not a skill I have. Still, I occasionally make a minor repair to the car, glue broken toys back together, or sometimes just take things apart and put them back together to see if they are fixed (this has actually worked a few times).<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago Katie noticed that our washing machine was leaking a little water on the floor. It's an old unit, but we had been told before that this model lasts forever, so we've never been inclined to replace it. I opened it up and as far as I could figure it was just a hose that was leaking. I ordered a news hose and put it on. But it was still leaking that little bit. I did more investigating and found that it's the "siphon break" which is a piece that attached the drain hose inside the washer to the one on the outside. So I ordered that as well.<br />
<br />
The next day the new hose slipped off the pump because I hadn't tightened it well enough, and flooded the washroom. The water got out into the living room and seeped through the wall to our bedroom. It also went down the vent into the downstairs bathroom, where it seeped through into the hall and Sam's room.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the result was our second insurance claim for water in as many years. Instead of saving maybe a couple hundred dollars it cost us our $1,000 deductible, and the insurance company is still fighting the restoration company about the repairs.<br />
<br />
The moral of the story is... I have no idea. Sometimes everything is just terrible?Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-37340511650510105452019-03-07T09:07:00.002-07:002019-03-07T09:07:35.106-07:00Kitchen ConfessionsI don't know if I would categorize myself as a <i>great</i> cook, but as the primary meal prepper for our family for 15 years I feel reasonably confident in my abilities. But there are some corners I cut. So here are my kitchen confessions.<br />
<br />
I often use regular vegetable oil instead of olive oil.<br />
<br />
I use paper towels for pretty much everything, including plates sometimes.<br />
<br />
I haven't purchased ground beef in... 8 or 9 years? We exclusively use ground turkey. It started as a cost-savings thing, but now we just like it and I feel it's healthier.<br />
<br />
My chicken parmesan recipe is super simple. I just bread it with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan. I don't even pound the chicken flat.<br />
<br />
I use Prego spaghetti sauce, but I add shredded cheddar and ground turkey. And parmesan, of course. It's really good.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite lunches is just plain spaghetti noodles with butter and parmesan.<br />
<br />
That's three parmesan items in a row. But can you ever really have enough parmesan?<br />
<br />
Steamable veggie bags are the best. Five minutes for a side dish I don't have to feel guilty about. They're also great for simple stir fry. I used to buy fresh veggies and take forever cutting and cooking them.<br />
<br />
I think I'm the only person in the world who still makes casseroles. But I love my tuna casserole, and ham & cheese too.<br />
<br />
For the most part I think if you are using more than 5 ingredients you're overdoing it, likely masking the flavor of whatever the main ingredient is supposed to be.<br />
<br />
I don't generally bake. I will occasionally do cinnamon crunch banana muffins, or some random thing like soft pretzels, but I leave the baking to Katie. She likes it, and I'm afraid that if I did it well it would bother her.<br />
<br />
Rhodes Warm and Serve Rolls.<br />
<br />
A couple of times I have mixed up corn starch and baking powder. I realized it quickly, at least.<br />
<br />
As I posted elsewhere, the Instant Pot is good for various tasks, particularly meat dishes that would otherwise take too long to prepare. For example, I cooked baby back ribs in about 30 minutes. But they're still probably slightly overhyped. One-pot meals are kind of a headache if you have foods that require different cooking times.<br />
<br />
What are your kitchen confessions?<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-19345140550258881182019-03-01T19:00:00.000-07:002019-03-01T19:00:07.878-07:00Teenage Mutant Parent HurdlesFull disclosure: I stole that title from an episode of Futurama.<br />
<br />
We've had a teenager now for about four months. That still feels surreal to me. In some ways it's what I expected, and in others it's not.<br />
<br />
Samuel is the same good person he has always been. He cares deeply about things, has a keen sense of justice, and makes intelligent observations about the world around him. But it does seem like puberty hit hime like a truck. He's already 5' 6", which I think is about 6 inches taller than I was at his age. He's struggling with terrible acne, as both his parents did, and we're in the process of getting him the industrial-grade meds to deal with it.<br />
<br />
His biggest challenge right now is that he takes FOREVER to do ANYTHING. When I was his age I was going like a maniac. I was still smart enough to get my homework done without too much work, or I at least did a half-hearted job at everything. But I got it done. Every night he seems to take hours to even get started on his homework. If he can take a shower in one hour it's a miracle.<br />
<br />
His slowness causes stress and gets him depressed. The real problem seems to be an inability to focus on anything. Whenever I ask what he's been doing for the last hour or two he honestly can't answer me half the time. We're trying to evaluate whether he has ADD or not, filling out some paperwork for the doctor.<br />
<br />
It's so different from what I have experienced that I don't really know how to help him. Katie has been much better about dealing with the way he does things, but I feel like nothing gets done if I don't step in and constantly bug him about doing homework or whatever.<br />
<br />
*Update* I drafted this a few days ago, and Sam was having a hard time getting to the bus on time. I leave for work about 30 minutes before the bus comes, and everyone else is usually still asleep. I guess he just gets distracted and is always running to catch it, and the bus driver got after him one day. So we tried setting some alarms to help him be on time, and so far it's been working. We also got his acne prescription approved so that should be improving soon as well.<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-89983476531591407352019-02-22T19:00:00.000-07:002019-02-22T19:00:04.522-07:00Set-Up SisterI love discovering new facets of my kids' personalities. That recently happened with Allison.<br />
<br />
She enjoys writing notes for people, and recently Katie's brother had sent the kids a bunch of Hot Wheels cars. So when she asked Katie to mail a letter she had written to him, it didn't seem that unusual. The odd thing was that she asked us not to read it.<br />
<br />
Naturally, Katie read it. It was a note telling her (single) uncle how much he has in common with her teacher, suggesting he should take her on a date. We decided to go ahead and let her mail the letter, although we don't think the match would work for a number of reasons. The next day Allison's teacher texted Katie a photo of a hand-written note she had received from Allison with a similar message.<br />
<br />
This is pretty adorable. Allison can be incredibly perceptive and wants everyone to be happy (unless it involves sharing her toys with Clara sometimes). She is focused on wanting to be a mom someday, and also currently aspires to be a paleontologist. I am 90% sure that I was her age when I wanted to be a paleontologist too.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-62373577522451644722019-01-31T19:00:00.000-07:002019-01-31T19:00:05.096-07:00The $1,000 BrownieThe other night I woke up around 1:30 with chest pain. I was mostly annoyed that it was keeping me from sleeping, and eventually I got up to take some ibuprofen. I kept tossing and turning, however, and a couple hours later when James woke up and came in I decided I better take it more seriously. I ended up going to the emergency room, which (as Brian Regan pointed out) is a nice, relaxing drive. Someone else was checking in right in front of me with chest pain, so I guess it's all the rage right now.<br />
<br />
I went back to the triage room and they got me hooked up to an EKG machine right away. It was normal. They took some blood to check for the marker the heart releases when it's distressed. That was normal. They took a chest X-ray, which was also normal. They repeated the EKG and blood tests a couple hours later, and they were normal again. After talking with me for a while, the doctor decided to have me get a CT scan to eliminate a problem with the aorta. That came back clean as well.<br />
<br />
In talking with the doctor again about what could cause this, he did mention reflux, which I've heard about before. It's nothing like standard heartburn, if indeed that is what caused it. Instead of burning it's a crushing feeling in the chest. But I had eaten a brownie with milk before bed, and I've noticed that can cause heartburn. I have no idea if that's the cause here, but if so then that brownie could end up costing well over $1,000.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the good news is that nothing at all appears to be wrong. Obviously because I exercise and am reasonably young means a heart problem was unlikely, but I wanted to not die just in case. I guess the moral of the story is you can put a price on peace of mind?Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-30081095752595888722019-01-22T18:00:00.000-07:002019-01-22T18:00:01.354-07:00Undead EarwormI normally eschew this kind of post because they don't seem very original, but it's been on my mind and it's my blog and I'll review a movie if I want to.<br />
<br />
First, check out the trailer for <i>Anna and the Apocalypse</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0yS7ZCrSI">here</a>.<br />
<br />
You guys, it's a British Christmas zombie high school musical. Of course I had to see this. I was waiting for it for months.<br />
<br />
Now, I've mentioned <a href="http://jojohoser.blogspot.com/2009/02/things-i-wont-do-willingly.html">before</a> more that <a href="http://jojohoser.blogspot.com/2008/12/todays-entertainment-recommendation.html">once</a> that <a href="http://jojohoser.blogspot.com/2007/11/break-leg.html">musicals</a> aren't really my thing. And, oddly, this is a combination of things I'm not that excited about. Musicals, specifically of the <i>Glee</i> or <i>High School Musical</i> variety, are very much not meant for me. And I'm pretty done with zombie stuff. And while some Christmas movies are awesome I've never particularly gravitated toward them as a whole. So I don't know why, but I wanted to see this because the combination of genres was so weird.<br />
<br />
And it was fantastic. The music was really catchy, it made me actually care about the characters, and it was just fun and different. So if you don't mind a little gore, you should definitely check it out. The songs have been in my head for weeks.<br />
<br />
And interestingly, there is more than one zombie musical. <a href="https://www.tor.com/2019/01/15/zombie-musicals-are-the-perfect-genre-mash-up">This</a> was a pretty interesting list, and includes the short film on which <i>Anna and the Apocalypse</i> was based.<br />
<br />Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6385096043358284910.post-60178157547591835682019-01-17T18:30:00.000-07:002019-01-17T18:30:07.338-07:00Stupidity: Part One MillionPeople are stupid. Everyone knows that.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing. We're all people.<br />
<br />
We all try to deny it and think we're the exception, but we all do dumb things. How many times have you criticized a driver for something that you did five minutes earlier? "Well, yeah. But I was <i>in a hurry</i>! It's totally different!"<br />
<br />
"You don't know that we had two different Roosevelts as president? Your so stupid! What's that? It's 'you're'? Whatever."<br />
<br />
I know I've talked about this before, but it's good to periodically remind myself that we all have holes in our knowledge that would seem silly to others. So we should try to give others the benefit of the doubt.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017776667875077490noreply@blogger.com1