Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I just finished the last workout of the first week and have made a decision to enter a 5K on March 2nd. I figure this gives me enough time to complete the program, and even allows about three weeks for the inevitable winter cold. Spending money almost always gets me to accomplish something. It will also be very cold and very early in the morning, but I'll live. It will be nice to run my first full 5K in years.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

I did part two today. It was exactly like part one except that I successfully did the second part of something. Running on sundays is a little harder simply because I'm not yet fit enough to just zone out and enjoy the workout and the television on sunday afternoons sucks. It was nice to know that I had done it though. Part three comes on Tuesday and will consist of exactly the same workout as parts one and two, but will be the last of those workouts. Let's hope I can make myself do it.

Friday, December 14, 2007

I've decided to start running again. My freshman year of college, I got really into running, which was followed by a summer at camp as the hiking counselor, which meant that I was very fit. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but that is no longer the case. At any rate, in the attempt to not be a New Year's resolution, I've started now, today in fact.

I'm attempting a program called Couch to 5K. It seems to be a logical progression to running a 5K, that is, you simply insert longer and longer bouts of running into your walking. Since I'm fairly proficient at walking (must be from all that shopping and those treks across UALR, which has the most inefficient parking I've ever seen) I decided that this would be a good way to start. As is the case with anything I undertake, I have much more success if people know I'm doing it, so I feel like posting on my blog is a good way to get people to know that I'm attempting it. While I have no intention of making this a fitness blog, because who would take my fitness advice seriously, I do fully intend to report my progress on here. After all, look what that same course of action did for Dr. Mark Elrod.

I started the 5K program today. The first week consists of three workouts, each of which are the same and call for you to complete a brisk five minute warm up walk, then alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking for a total of twenty minutes, that is, the entire workout is 25 minutes long. It went well, much better than simply running till you get tired, frustrated and probably injured. I left the gym feeling better than I had in months, largely because I hadn't been to the gym in months. I won't do day two of the workout until Sunday, but you can expect a post. If not, you should ask me why I didn't post and why I didn't work out.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Alright, because I was tagged and I'm incapable of backing down from a challenge, I've got my eight questions and answers for all of my adoring fans. Comments please, because I like to know that I'm more correct about everything than anyone else in the world.

1. Why is there such an abundance of abysmal grammar and vocabulary, even among educated people?
Because people don't read enough anymore. Now that we have television and movies and video games available for download, people just aren't inclined to pick up a book and read the little letters on the pages. In addition to the epidemic of illiteracy, we have a society that allows people to be less than they are capable of. We should stop this.

2. Why do we define home as where our parents live?
For me, the answer is simple: my mother is a good cook and my dad gives me money. I don't meant to sound like a materialistic swine, but home, at it's very rudimentary level, represents the safest you can feel, and for me, not having to worry about money or food.

3. Why on earth do men say they want someone capable and independent, but those of us women who actually are all those things don't get second dates?
I don't really have an answer for this one. I'm sorry; I know that means I didn't follow the rules and will probably get marked down on this assignment.

4. Why is the deposit for the electric company twice the monthly average?
It would seem to me that requiring the monthly average, or better yet, the monthly mode, would make more sense than requiring me to pay a deposit that will probably pay the electricity that I would use for two and a half months.

5. What do I want to be when I grow up?
I'm thinking an emergency room physician in a large urban area. I like being able to interact with real people with real problems. Are there other good options?

6. In today's information age, why do people complain of boredom?
When I was a small child and I would complain that I was bored, my dad would tell me that smart people don't get bored. When I was three, I found this advice frustrating, but as an adult, it as served me well. I don't understand why people can't read a book or check their email or write a paper or write a letter to their congressman or senator or to our troops overseas. There are countless things to do.

7. What's so wrong with Harry Potter?
I've read all the books. I've seen all the movies. I understand that it's about sorcery. I understand that they use the word witch. I understand that there is good magic and bad magic. I do not understand why so many Christians are in an uproar over Harry Potter, when these same people watch/read Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, all of the books about Merlin. Don't those have magic? Don't those have good and evil?

8. Gas companies are turning their largest profits ever, even proportionally speaking. Why aren't we doing anything about it?
I'm tired of being gouged at the pump. I drive a reasonable car. I generally don't make unnecessary trips all alone. I probably spend $200 on gas a month. This seems ridiculous. While I have no serious knowledge of economics, it seems inappropriate to me that we are allowing the monopoly to continue. Why are we letting the boards of directors be the same for all of the major gas companies, and why are we allowing them to continue to jack prices up? Alright, that's signifigantly more question than answer. You'll all probably live.

There you go. The eight questions I could come up with tonight. Perhaps I'll start asking and answering a question a week. That way they can have more substance than tonight's rather lengthy set.

Monday, July 02, 2007

For most of my life, I have had a cousin that is a member of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Since I was old enough to understand what it meant, I've wanted to ride with him and see what it's actually like, and more to the point, see how different my cop shows are from reality. This past weekend, I got my chance.

First things first, I had to sign a form insuring everyone involved that I and my family would not hold the OKCPD responsible for any injuries or death sustained while voluntarily participating in the night's events. Then I got to actually have fun. Because I have elderly woman tendencies, I'm usually in bed before my cousin even picked me up for the night, so I got to see a side of life that I'm most unfamiliar with. His beat, if you can call it that since as a Lieutenant he is no longer required to run patrol, covers the northern quadrant of Oklahoma City, which includes downtown, the red light district, and the northern side of the park along the lake.

He spent most of the night apoligizing to me for the slowness of the evening, but in fact I was enamored. I had no idea that people called the police for so many things. I had no idea that so many people were out so late at night. I had no idea what the inside of a cop car looked like and I was thoroughly amazed at my cousin's ability to type and drive. I saw an incredible number of drunk people, including one man who had managed to become so intoxicated that he was roaming around his apartment complex in his tighty-whities. We also saw some people having sex in public. I was embarassed, but apparently that's old hat for a veteran cop.

The evening was all fun and games and hanging out with my cousin until he answered a call made by a six year old boy to the police dispatcher. Apparently his mother had left him and his 2 year old sister home alone so that she could go partying. That's the first time in my life that it's ever been made abundantly clear to me that people leave their children and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Ultimately the children were as squared away as possible when the cops have to come to your house and I was proud of my cousin and the rest of the officers that dealt with the situation.

What struck me the most when I was out with him this weekend was the sheer amount of incidents and crimes that a good police department prevents during the night. Most of the things that I saw, I was largely unaware ever happened. Of course, that also speaks to my ignorance, but more than that, it speaks to the vast amout of things that could happen to me that don't because of someone's vigilance. Most of my adult life, which is admittedly very short, I've seen cops as people who pull me over for speeding and write me tickets, but I was given a new viewpoint this weekend. While I have no real desire to be a cop because dealing with unsavory people frightens me, I've been given a newfound respect for police officers. And, I was given a topic and quite a few useful anecdotes for my ethics paper, whose rough draft is due on friday.

In other news, I'm now the owner of season three of House M.D. You may all be quite jealous now.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Coming soon:
1. A post about giving in the Church and why we've probably got it all wrong.
2. An essay I was supposed to write during my junior year of high school on the Scarlet Letter. So if you read this Mrs. Story, is it too late to turn it in?
3. A blog about education in America.

But for today, we have this: Go Colts!!!!!!