Rantings of an Old Coot

Hump Day Fo Sho

2008-07-16T07:59:00.003-04:00

Folkerinos, it's Hump Day here in Old Cootafornia. I think hump is the word of the day (or days) in several respects. Allow me to expand...Hump DayI think we all know that Wednesday is traditionally Hump Day. It's the middle of the work week (or school week for you Readerinos out there getting your edumacation on) and once you crest that hump, you're home free.During the summer, Hump Day

I heart LLBean

2008-07-09T14:57:00.003-04:00

HO LEE CRAP! It's been a longylong time since I last hollered at you. My sincerest apologies, but I just didn't much feel like blogging. I was in a funk-rut but for the last couple of days I've been thinking "Hey, I need to blog this" so here I am, blogging "this".LLBean, more like LLBombFor those of you out there in Readerland who order stuff from LLBean, you may be familiar with the benefits

All Wrapped Up

2008-05-19T23:54:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I set to work on a book I started reading last summer. I bought it to take on my trip to Japan, and have been slowly pecking away at it until this past weekend, when I attacked it full force. Tonight I just put the damn thing to bed.The StandLast summer a friend recommended Stephen King's The Stand as an easy read for a vacation. I rushed right out and bought it in all of

This Weekend in Review

2008-05-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

The weather is getting nicer, the nature is getting greener (or otherwise more colorful) and the hours are still growing longer. What a time to be tapering for a race.One Week AwayI gotta tell you I've never been this worked up for a race before, with the exception of The Josh, and I'm getting antsy. I had a nightmare the other night where we couldn't find the start of the race and when we did

Lit Up from the Tit Up

2008-05-16T19:30:00.004-04:00

Coot fans, I am sad to tell you that my trademark red hat is gone. I was riding to my Thursday Night Run last night and it blew off my bike rack. I should have known better than to not attach it better but it seemed so secure I didn't give it a second thought. When I arrived at the park it was no longer on the bike. I didn't just give up though...The Quest for the CapThe entire ride home from

The Bad with the Good

2008-05-14T23:31:00.004-04:00

I started this post the other day, and I'm going to finish it up before starting in on today's post. All I did the other day was come up with headings, so I'll have to fill in all the text. Read on, bitches.My New Bike Arrived...BrokenFor those of you who have been waiting with bated breath, my new folding bike arrived the other day (Tuesday I believe). I rode home from work (on the mountain

This Heading Intentionally Left Blank

2008-05-08T11:59:00.004-04:00

I was on a tear, then off said tear, now I'm trying to climb back on. As any regular blogger knows, this shit is time consuming and from time to time we just fall away from it as life becomes more boring/interesting. However, the tear I was on for that brief period felt good so I'm going to try and keep posting.iCan't iChatA friend of mine tried to get a video chat going last night to help

Cinco de Mayo, Son!

2008-05-05T21:51:00.006-04:00

Alright, I have a problem and I thought I had it under control, but I don't. It's not one of my regular problems, it's one that is fortunately secret to me, but today I'm going to fess up in the hopes that taking that first step will be enough to help me through it.I Want to Be Dave ChappelleI was watching some YouTube videos last night of some of Chappelle's skits and standup performances.

It's In!!

2008-05-03T17:59:00.002-04:00

Just wanted you folks to know that my new iMac has arrived, and it set up and ready to go. If you include the time I spent wrestling with the box and the tape on the keyboard connector it took 12:27 (that's 12 minutes and 27 seconds) to go from sealed box on the floor to fully functional. Killer!Don't worry, I took pictures and I'll get them uploaded as soon as I figure all of that out. For

Closing In

2008-05-03T10:07:00.002-04:00

I've got a few things on my schedule that have been slowing coming to a close. My training plan for the half marathon culminates in the race in 3 weeks. My long-lasting wait for my iMac ends today (fingers crossed). I've got another item on my mind that might give me something else to look forward to, but I'm still molling over it for a while.The Training PlizanThis week my training was dealt

That Does It!!!

2008-04-28T14:43:00.003-04:00

Despite the moniker Old Coot, I am actually not old and not a coot. My Libran fairness gives me a world of reason and understanding that often works to my disadvantage. Alas, even I have my limits...The LAMFB DogYesterday morning I was startled awake by the yelping howl of the neighbor's loud ass mothafucking barking dog (LAMFB dog) at the ripe hour of 7:30AM. As usual he would continue to

One Helluva Day

2008-04-25T21:46:00.003-04:00

Cooterinos and Cooteristas, I had one hell of a day. I am absolutely pooped, and not from what you're probably guessing. It all started when I played hookey from work...People Watching for BreakfastI had breakfast this morning with a friend of mine and we sat out in the sun drinking our coffee and watching all the people. Not too shabby.Holy Oke!Sorry, that heading might be a hair lame. After

So...Cold

2008-04-23T07:58:00.002-04:00

It was about 50 degrees this morning when I was riding my bike into work. I was wearing a wind breaker, but my ankles (I roll up my pants to avoid the grease tattoo) and hands were exposed and quite frosty. That's to be expected, since they're always the coldest. What I wasn't used to was my upper lip being so cold. There's nothing like a freshly shorn lip to really catch the breeze.

Goodbye to a Friend

2008-04-22T21:04:00.003-04:00

Our friendship lasted only a few weeks but in that time I had really grown attached to my new friend. We spent all of our free time together, poking fun at each other, laughing, eating meals and enjoying the leftovers. Alas, the world was not ready for a relationship like ours and we have been forced to go our separate ways...Who is this Friend?This friend about whom I am writing is my Speed '

I'm Getting There

2008-04-20T14:35:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I told y'all out there in Readerland about the bike ride I'm doing in support of the local Multiple Sclerosis chapter. With my road running training, I haven't been able to ride yet (until this afternoon) but I am certain the ride will be a no-brainer. Things are underway...I'm In!I set a lofty fundraising goal for myself, above and beyond what they ask each participant to raise

Tuesday Night - Pow Pow

2008-04-08T22:07:00.002-04:00

Cooterinos, I'm hollering at you one more 'gain and let me tell you, things are looking up for The Coot. Grab a glass of milk and some cookies, plunk down in your favorite easy chair and let me spin you a yarn.The Painting ProjectIt's been a long, nasty battle against the funkiness that was my spare bedroom. I've been looking at it in it's Kilz Primer White anti-splendor for so long that I

Jesus, Mother of Joseph!

2008-04-06T14:12:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be Jesus, Mary and Joseph but Jesus Mother of Joseph is funnier. Anyway, I' sitting here drinking my coffee trying to muster the energy to type and I gotta tell you, it's not easy. Allow me to egg-splain.Hancock/Richmond 12 MilerThis morning I set out at the crack of 9:30 to meet up with some folks for the Sunday long run. When I arrived at the meeting spot it was

Please Consider Sponsoring Me

2008-04-05T12:32:00.003-04:00

Coot fans, I'm not one to ask people for favors or solicit funds, but I think this is a worthwhile cause so I'm going to give it a go.Multiple Sclerosis Bike and Hike the BerkshiresLater on this summer I'm going to be riding in the MS Bike and Hike the Berkshires 100 mile bike ride. They have a few different rides, but I thought the 100-miler would be the one for me.For a while now I've been

It's a Lazy Afternoon

2008-04-05T12:11:00.003-04:00

Cooterinos, it's a lazy blah-zay afternoon here in Newe Englande. The weatherfolks said it would be warm, sunny and calm which means you can precisely rule out the possibility of it being any of those three. As it turns out it's cool, cloudy and windy. Check.The Multi-Function Room is UnderwayThe last two weekends I successfully put off working on my spare bedroom slash yoga studio slash

Speed 'Stache Results

2008-04-02T12:18:00.002-04:00

Last night included a track workout at our friendly neighborhood highschool. There were tons of people there enjoying the first warm day of the season (it stayed in the 60s until somewhere in the middle of the night), including some mildly decent lookers who were probably jail bait.Just Get to it Man!You didn't come here to hear about the jail bait and old ladies in big ass sweaters wearing

The First 48 Hours

2008-04-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

I realize I sort of bombarded y'alls with postings on Sunday, so I'm going to take that as an opportunity to get myself motivated to blog some more. Mostly I want to update you on the Speed 'Stache.Some Positive FeedbackAs expected, there were a lot of chuckles, snickers and guffaws at my expense yesterday. Our young, non-male secretary seemed to be having the most fun with it and laughed right

One More Thing

2008-03-30T16:37:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks I've been talking some smack at work in the realm of facial hair. For those of you who don't know me in the real world, I am follicly challenged about the face, head and ankles. If I undertake a new facial theme it takes serious dedication because any mistake takes months to undo. Well, the latest has been a real leap of faith...Introducing the Speed 'StacheAll winter I have

Procrastination at it's Finest

2008-03-30T14:53:00.003-04:00

Let's see... Last weekend I was supposed to take my full three days and repaint (or paint for the first time) my spare bedroom/yoga studio/computer room. Well, I successfully managed to not do that. Fast forward to this weekend and I got so far as to take everything off the walls, patch any holes or spots that needed filling, cleaned the cobwebs and spider nests out of the corners, and

Blood Letting

2008-03-26T12:24:00.003-04:00

Since my last post, there hasn't been a whole lot going on but I'll fill ya in on what excitement there has been. Fasten your seatbelts, it's about to get rowdy-rowdy in heruh.Set Back by a PintMonday evening I went in for my bi-monthly ritual blood-letting. They re-confirmed that I have not since 1977 been given money to live in Europe (for time adding up to 3 months) with anyone infected with

Don't Get Your Hopes Up

2008-03-22T22:57:00.003-04:00

Alright, I've been badgered from urry urrngle about blogging but that's not why I'm writing. I just watched a Woody Allen movie and I'm all tensed up and thought this would be a nice way to unwind.Editor's Note: The Old Coot gets into some shit here, so if you don't like foul language or hearing the truth about stuff, please point your web browser elsewhere. The rest of you, come on in.But For

Wednesday Rant Day

2008-02-13T08:24:00.003-05:00

For those of you who aren't lucky enough to live here in New England, let me tell you about the weather we've been having. February is after all, the most depressingly cold and wintry month of the year. Well, not this year. We had a string of two days below freezing this week, culminating in one of the finer snowfalls I've seen in a while. Of course, I was out running in said snow storm

Training Isn't Just for Training's Sake

2008-02-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

Cooterinos, every once in a while a person says to hisself "Why am I doing all of this? What am I preparing for?" I found myself saying those very things and decided to do something about it...Ha Ha, Tricked You Into Reading About RunningI convinced four of my running compatriots to join me in this year's Boston's Run to Remember, a combination 5 mile and half marathon race. Since Boston is a

It's Easy Like Friday Morning

2008-02-06T08:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I started writing this post back on Wednesday and it was all about how Wednesday is Hump Day, but when your workweek ends on Thursday Wednesday is really Over-The-Hump Day. Now that it's Friday and I'm sitting in the comfort of my own "study", sipping Lady Gray tea, listening to Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk I can truly appreciate the short work week.Double-Meat's New DevelopmentJD, AKA

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2008-02-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, this weekend was a real trifecta as far as quality goes. There were good things, there were bad things, and there were ugly things...The GoodOn Friday night my running group had a private Spinning class at a local gym. For the low, low price of $2 each we got to have our asses handed to us for an hour straight. For many of us, this was our maiden voyage into the world of Spinning

Can I Please Go Out and Play?

2008-02-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

Alright folks, here's my problem. As I'm sure you recall I was injured last week and couldn't run. Then, once recovered, I went out and overdid it on Sunday but in a good way. The next thing I know, I have a cold. What you need to know folks, is that I don't get sick so I refused to let this get me down. It got me anyway.Down for the CountMonday night I was feeling a little chilled but it

The Last Third of the Weekend

2008-01-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Monday again and it's a long week for us here in the old Powerpoint factory. Burned by the way I was treated after giving up my entire Saturday last weekend, I worked none of this past weekend including our Friday off. That was my first full weekend off in a long time, and it was killer. You already heard about my Friday and Saturday, but here are some eggstra tidbits for

Mid Weekend Update

2008-01-26T16:40:00.001-05:00

Cooterinos, let me tell you about my three-day weekend thus far. Yesterday I awoke at 8 am after a long night of Dude's Night Out, fed the cats and took a nap on the couch until 11. Okay, so Dude's Night Out consisted of dinner, a game of darts and a couple games of pool. There was no debauchery, no run-ins with the law (unless you count the parking "note" M-to-the-C got) , nope it was simply

Beat It, Nerds

2008-01-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

Quick rant. I would estimate that half of my blog traffic comes from nerds searching for a very specific picture of The Invisible Woman. I won't even post a link to this picture here, lest I should attract more nerd-specific traffic. Suffice it to say, this shit has got to stop, nerds. Go back home to your mamas, put on your Batman mask, crack open a bottle of YooHoo and for Christ's sake

Back in Effect

2008-01-22T14:04:00.001-05:00

Hot Damn, it's been a long time since I hollered at y'alls. I'm sure you've been wondering why that is, and I'll tell you. It's because I didn't feel like writing for a while. Simple and plain, so deal.New LanguagesThis is just a head's up for anyone who has noticed that Blogger is now available in Hebrew, Arabic and Persian. While the rest of Blogger might be available in additional

Almost a Run-In

2008-01-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

Many, many moons ago I had a run-in with a (ahem) friendly fellow on the Rail Trail. I was out for what was a really long run for me, and this gentleman was on a bike so I was afforded no escape short of pushing him into the reservoir. I had never seen the guy before, although he claimed to be there all the time. His fleece neckwarmer in the middle of the summer gave him a distinct look one

Cat Update, For Bizarro Todd

2008-01-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

Bizarro, since I know you're so concerned here's an update. The Battle of the Viruses is going, but not without casualties. Allow me to explain...Come Here Kitty - Biff Pow SliceBetween work, picking up a new cat carrier courtesy of J&MO and zipping off to my Thursday Night Run, I successfully picked up Nano's second medication from the pharmacy. I'm not sure if I already told you, but they

The Feline Two-Fer

2008-01-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

Hey Cooterinos, here's the latest on my eldest cat Nano. You may recall that he has been sneezing, oozing and lethargic, so I called and made an appointment to bring him to the vet.Please Pass the ShoehornSurprise surprise, when I called yesterday morning to make an appointment she had a 4:00 opening so I jumped at the chance. That would mean leaving work early, a crying shame.Now, Nano is a

Damn It!

2008-01-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

Good evening Cooterinos. As you know my cat Vinny had a nasty problem with a bad tooth and associated infection. After a few trips to the vet, a few car payments worth of vet bills, a lot of stress and a few weeks of medication and special food he's pretty much on the mend. Now, my attention turns to Nano...Cover Your MouthWhile I was dealing with Vinny's problems, which took an absurd amount

Weekend Update

2008-01-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

Cooterinos, it's Sunday night and I'm gonna take a few minutes to rap at ya. I'm not going to lie, I had a great weekend. I'm sure there's something I can rant about, but it's gonna take some real thinking to come up with it. Oh, I just thought of something. I'll get to it in a minute...Take it Up a NotchAllow me to set the stage for you. I was out on Friday night, enjoying the brisk

Not Out of the Woods Yet

2008-01-04T09:35:00.000-05:00

Once again it's been a few days since I hollered at y'all. I started writing a New Year's post, but that's going to take some real thought and personal reflection to finish. To keep everyone interested, I thought I'd fill you in on my poor, poor kitty.In the Dentist's ChairWell, technically it's probably more of an operating table, and technically he's not actually on it yet, but I was able to

Cat Got Your Tooth?

2007-12-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

Looking for information on Bright Green Cat Vomit? I've been getting a lot of hits from people searching for those keywords. There's information you may find helpful below, please read on.File Footage of VinnyHey everybody. I've been getting calls from people from far and wide about my poor kitty, Vinny. My sister called me all the way from Japan (thanks Ab) to see how he was doing, and I've

Christmas 2007 (Part II)

2007-12-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I had my little notebook with me to jot down some notes and observations while I drove. It's easy to say "Oh, I'm gonna blog about that", but when you finally sit down you can never remember the subtle details that made the moment for you. Yup, the mini notebook is pretty handy to have in the car.So LonelyThere's something about sitting in a car for six hours,

Christmas 2007 (Part I)

2007-12-26T11:33:00.001-05:00

In case there was any confusion on my sister's part, I am clearly The Favorite. Now, my sister will make the claim that her ornament bearing the words "Oldest Child (Mom's Favorite)" proves her place in my mother's heart is at the top, but I can offer conclusive proof to the opposite.The ProofWell, the ornament my sister has bears the words "Oldest Child" and then makes the claim that she's the

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

2007-12-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! I was awoken this morning by some off-key Carolers throwing snowballs at my bedroom windows. It took me a few minutes to figure out what the hell was going on and when I looked out the window I saw it was some of my running buddies taunting me for bagging that morning's run. I had my reasons.So... Wiped... OutBefore I start my complaint about being so tired I'm going

With Snowshoes A-Blazing

2007-12-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but this recent snowfall has given us an appreciable amount of snow. I'd say we have about a foot in all, even more in drifts. What's a runner to do when the snow falls?Thursday Night RunOn Thursday, we got a good amount of snow. They were closing schools left and right, and panic was striking the hearts of people everywhere. At work, parents were worried

The Winter Has Arrived

2007-12-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hoo Dee Hooooo! Hey Cooterinos, what's the good word? The good word here is paid overtime, although with the Good comes the Bad. Bad? Yeah, you still have to work the extra hours to get paid for them.A Whirlwind Wrapped in a FirestormLately I've been working myself to the bone, and it's been both invigorating and annoying. The invigoration comes from having a job to do that keeps me busy all

Kicking Ass and Taking Names

2007-12-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

So it's been a few days since I rapped at ya. I was giving That Squirrel Story some time to sink in before I went on with the rest of the craziness that is my life. Well, I assume it's sunk in by now.C'est La VieI have no idea if that heading is proper French or not, but we'll assume for now that it is. Editor's Warning: This is about to get nasty. One of the sad side effects of running a

Santa Came Early

2007-12-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

There I was, enjoying my after-breakfast coffee. The fire was roaring, the coffee was delicious and I was gently drifting in and out of sleep to the smooth jazz of The Philadelphia Experiment. There were some strange noises coming from the fireplace, but they could easily have been the sound of steam leaving a log. I got up to fetch another cup of coffee and in the time it took me to walk to

Poo Neck Storm

2007-12-04T07:57:00.000-05:00

Ha ha, I hadn't named this post yet and when it autosaves, it just takes the first few words in the post and uses those. Well, I only typed in headings yesterday so I'd remember what I wanted to write about. The first section was to discuss the poo on my shoe, the second was to talk about my injured neck, the third was the storm windows and the last was to bitch about travel mugs. The autosave

The Poop Deck

2007-12-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, folks. I'm going to try and make this quick, which you've heard before, but this time I mean it. I have to get this puppy whipped out during lunch because I'll never get to it tonight.Put on Your Shit Kickers and Kick Some ShitLet me set the scene for you. It was a nice late summer day and I was out mowing the lawn. I'm sure the birds were chirping and I'm sure there was a

Three Day Report

2007-12-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

What's the good word, yo? Today has been a long, tired day. Yesterday was also long, which made today tired and Friday was just a good productive day.Friday - Still Working on them WindursYep, just as I thought I'm still working on my storm windows. The temperatures and snowflakes have already fallen and I still don't have my act together. I picked up some primer earlier this week, driving

Bunk Neck

2007-11-29T09:47:00.001-05:00

It's that time of the week again. What time? The middle. For those of us on a 9/80 schedule it's almost like Thursday since we have Friday off, but that doesn't make it any better.Jacked My NeckLast night I was making my way around the local high school track when I noticed a slight twinge in my neck. I made a mental note of it and moved on. A few laps later I noticed the twinge was becoming

The Return Trip

2007-11-27T07:46:00.000-05:00

As promised, I'm back one more 'gain to holler at y'all 'bout my return trip this weekend. So here it goes...I was EggsnecstaticIt took us a few days to pull it off, but we finally got out to breakfast on Sunday morning. I got the call moments after putting some Grands cinnamon rolls into the oven; I'd have to eat those quickly to be ready for breakfast.If you haven't had Grands for breakfast,

Tales from the Trail

2007-11-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I got home last night from the long weekend in Buffalo. As usual, I stayed too long and was driving across NY State during peak across-NY-State-driving hours. Added to this was the accident I would crawl by later in the day. But for now, I want to add a few little stories from my trip out to the 'lo that I forgot to mention. Lot Two-SteppingI pulled into a parking spot at a rest stop,

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

This will be a short one since I just wrote the post I was supposed to write back on Wednesday. I planned to write about things for which I am thankful, but instead I'm just going to talk about the Turkey Trot.Another Record YearEach year the Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot sets another record or two. As the longest continually run road race in America (longer than the Boston Marathon), each year it

Westward Bound

2007-11-21T23:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Tri-Centennial. This is our 300th Issue of The Rantings of an Old Coot.Wednesday morning I awoke to my alarm, lounged in bed in the knowledge that all I had to do today was pack up for the weekend, get the cats ready, run a quick errand or two and go into autopilot for a few hours. At the end of all that I'd be in Buffalo casually relaxing for a few days, eating Thanksgiving dinner and

High Living, Cold Temps

2007-11-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are again at the end of the week. I've been saving up some tender anecdote morsels for all of you so I could drop them all on you at once. Also, before I start I'd like to mention that this is my 299th post here at Blogger. I don't have anything special planned for #300, but maybe something good will happen today.Fog Rolls InIt was midweek and I was drearily driving into work,

Windows, Tiles and Wood Chips

2007-11-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

Hey folks. I've been working on an interesting story or two to share with everyone, but so far I'm OOIS (out of interesting stories). I guess we'll all have to get by on my normal droning for today.Got My Glaze OnThis here is a corner of one of the windows I've been working on. As you can see, the glass is installed (you know it's an after picture because there is glass where there once was

The Weekend Is Looking Up

2007-11-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Merry Sunday, sucka uckas. I'm glad some of you enjoyed yesterday's Venn Diagram. If Dom ever finds his way to my bliznog he should be proud to have been showcased. Speaking of Dom, I'm gonna roll that fool when I'm in the 'lo in a few weeks.Friday Was WackFriday night I was bored as hell. I finally got some energy up to bring my radar detector to the Post Office to send in for service. We

Never the 'Tween Shall Meet

2007-11-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

My homebizzle Dom from the B-lo sent me an e-mail today. To it he attached a Venn diagram that I think might clear up a few questions for those of you who may have had different experiences to those we had back in high school. Take a gander and let me know if there's anything you don't understand.Is Wu Tang Clan Anything to Fuck With?If you're having trouble seeing where Wu Tang Clan and Things

List of Things To Do: Update

2007-11-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hey guys. I was just perusing my Olde Blogge (remember the blog I had before I came here to Blogger?) and I stumbled upon a list I made on January 11, 2006. I had been inspired by a popular television show to come up with a list of things I wanted to do before I turned 30. I still have plenty of time, but I thought I'd check in and see how I'm doing.The ListRun a marathon Take a bike trip

The Weekend Three-Banger

2007-11-06T07:28:00.001-05:00

Hey y'alls, what's up? Or, in the words painted in blaze orange on one of the boulders up in The Boulders "Whast (sic) tha (sic) word". Yes, that's correct. Two misspelled words in a three-word sentence, painted on a boulder for all to see. Dumb bastards.FYI, The Boulders is 634 acre piece of land owned by Crane & Co. (they make the paper on which our money is printed) and protected by the MA

Off the Dome

2007-11-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to keep posting on a regular basis. Over the weekend I spent hours writing, but then pulled the plug at the last minute when I deemed my monologues unworthy. Instead of talking about what I've been doing, I'm just going to put down some thoughts I've been having lately.Feel-Good Lyrics Pop QuizThere are some songs in regular rotation in my living room and in my head, songs that

Another Asskicking Weekend

2007-10-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

Another weekend has come and gone, but it was once again a fun-filled two days. I watched most of the Sox game on Saturday, a first for me. Yesterday I caught most of the Pats game, a first this year. Last night I even watched some regular television programming over at the COW abode. But let's look at the weekend in detail...I'm Ruuuuuuning in the RainSaturday I let myself sleep until almost

The Bike and The Route

2007-10-22T11:12:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since I hollered at y'all, and judging by the waning hits to my blog I can tell you guys are getting restless. So, here's another treat for your reading pleasure.This picture is just a teaser of what's to come. It's a shot along my favorite running route in the whole world. As you start off what I've named "The Richmond Route" you are treated to these trees lining the side

I've Got the Trots

2007-10-17T18:42:00.001-04:00

Ha ha, gotcha. You saw that headline and couldn't help but to read about what you thought was something nasty. Instead, you've been duped...Bizack on TrizackYesterday, I had the trots. I trotted around the local HS track during Tuesday Night Track Club, hosted by and primarily attended by, yours truly. I'm working on a few race goals that I won't mention here because either: A) Frankly, my

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's Off to Work We Go

2007-10-13T20:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday Cooterinos. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I fear that summer is over. Today I was slated to help build the playground at one of our local community schools. When I left the house at 6:45 this morning, it was 38 degrees (Fahrenheit) and my oatmeal was fogging up the windows. I know, I know, I shouldn't eat oatmeal while I'm driving but I was in a hurry.It's Time

The Silver Rule and The Silver Lining

2007-10-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

It's a Thursday night and I'm sitting here at home, warm and cozy with a thunderstorm a-brewing outside. My Thursday Night Run was cool and rainy, and we had to leave the woods about halfway in favor of more stable footing. There's a nice dirt road that brought us most of the way back, so it's not a terrible tradeoff. I was getting a little cranky by the end because I was cold, wet and hungry.

Just a Quickie

2007-10-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

It's getting late, so I'm just gonna bless y'all with a quick recap of my fantastic day.Clean, Clean, CleanWhen I got home today my #1 goal was to clean the bottom panel of the oven manually, reassemble the oven and kick it off in self-clean mode. After that I was supposed to clean up all of the dishes that have been piling up since I hogged the whole sink with oven panels.While the dishwasher

Back By Popular Demand

2007-10-07T18:59:00.000-04:00

I guess I was being a little selfish lately and hording all the good news to myself. Well, not much for news but the weather has been so fantastic that I've had no choice but to be out doing what I do best, playing. There's no sense in trying to play catch-up, so I'm just going to give you a wrapup of this weekend's activities.Thursday Night Run HeroBecause I'm so dedicated to my job, I arrived

Spider Bites, Revisited

2007-09-25T22:50:00.000-04:00

My sister so graciously sent me into a fervor when she mentioned spider bites that itch are really spider eggs. I looked it up and she's wrong.Spider Bites DefinedOkay, according to an online source, what I have is definitely spider bites...Symptoms of Spider BitesThe bite is often painless and the first sign may be cramping abdominal pain. The abdomen becomes hard and boardlike as the waves of

Weekend Update

2007-09-24T07:51:00.001-04:00

Raining on my ParadeThe other night (Friday, I believe) I decided it was just plain wrong of me to leave the faucet in my tub dripping. I opened the access panel in the closet behind the tub in search of a shutoff valve, and found none. Why would someone put in a shutoff valve next to a fixture? The genius who plumbed my house had zero foresight. And I know he wasn't a real plumber because

A Fine Cuppla Days

2007-09-21T09:53:00.000-04:00

Good morning Cooterinos! It's Friday, it's my "day off" and I'm sitting here digesting chocolate chip pancakes and sipping freshly brewed coffee. It's been an exciting couple of days: some good, some bad, and some pedestrian. Before I go into any of the details, I'm going to hook you up with a piece of photojournalistic gold...Pardon the poor image quality, it's a photograph of a newspaper

I'll Claim Success

2007-09-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

As many of you have surely noted, but have yet to find time to comment on, the Josh has come and gone. It was not without much fanfare and celebration, and unfortunately I haven't had the time to fill you in on the details.Most Importantly FeatureBefore I get into it, what's most important about this competition is that I placed 4th out of about 20 in the Ironman Kayak division. Considering my

Ode to Feta

2007-09-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

Despite the myriad vegetables spending the prime of their lives in the bottom drawer of my refrigerator, this evening I was set to sup on a big bowl of cereal. As I pictured the sweet, sweet red peppers just rotting I was overcome with guilt and changed gears.When in Doubt, Shish KebobAfter hemming, hawing, hemming again and finally hawing one last time, I opted out of stuffed red peppers,

Fun is Free

2007-09-08T10:40:00.000-04:00

This morning I enjoyed my blueberry pancakes and coffee with Jack Johnson, specifically Live at Bonnaroo, playing in the background. This specific album has little snippets mixed in with Jack et al talking about the songs, performances, the band and life in general. At one point, one of the guys was talking about the parallels between performing on stage and surfing (they're just laid back

What to Do With My Day Off?

2007-09-07T22:43:00.000-04:00

I awoke this morning to the sound of a garbage truck doing its thing in the proximity of my house. As garbage trucks tend to stop at every house, this one did its thing for quite some time. Fortunately my trash has been out for two days because of Monday's holiday so I was able to simply roll over and resume my beauty sleep.One Man's Trash...For the first time in my life I took the trash out

What I Did During My Summer Vacation

2007-09-06T09:11:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't like to admit it but I think the bulk of the summer is behind us. I don't know why I always have feelings of regret at the end of the summer, as if the fun I had wasn't the right kind of fun, but this year is no exception. Like you had to do in elementary school, I'm going to give a brief (or not-so-brief, we'll see) synopsis of what I did during my summer "vacation" so maybe I

Parents Weekend

2007-09-04T13:41:00.000-04:00

I apologize to all of you who have been sitting at your computers all weekend hitting the refresh button on your favorite web browser, hoping, just hoping to find something new on this here blog. I'm sure there was plenty to share with you, but I was busy entertaining ye olde folkse.Much Ado About NothingOkay, I'm going to claim ignorance here and admit that I don't know what "Much ado about

The New Look

2007-08-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

I was reading a guy's blog today about bike mount kits for the GPS watch I have, when I noticed he has a really cool looking setup. What I liked most was the picture at the top, so I stole his idea and added one to mine.Panoramic Mountain ViewThe picture at the top of the blog is one that I took my own very own self. It's actually a panoramic shot consisting of about 8 pictures that I took

My Endieseling is Coming Along Nicely

2007-08-29T22:51:00.000-04:00

"What did you do yesterday, Old Coot?" I kicked ass and took names.How's My Dust Taste?Last night was the final Live on the Lake at Burbank Park, and the final running of the Live on the Lake Race Series (AKA Dave's Races). For me, it was opening night because I haven't been able to make it to any of them. As expected I showed up too close to the start for a proper warm up, and since I haven't

I'll Be Damned

2007-08-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday it seemed I had more than one occasion that called for the old expression "I'll be damned". Since I know you're dying to hear about them, let me get right to it.They Actually Gave Me My MoneyBack in the beginning of December I made the switch from Sprint PCS to Verizon Wireless for a number of reasons. I didn't like the smug look of the Sprint commercials, my phone was about to die,

Comic Nerds Be Gone

2007-08-29T09:12:00.000-04:00

Last week or so I mentioned that I've been getting a lot of hits on this here blog due to my use of an Invisible Woman picture. Apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg.I May Have to Add AdsI checked with my Sitemeter counter and depending on the day I'm getting 30-40% of my referrals from Google Image searches for the stupid picture in this entry. I have been resistant to put ads on my

I Found My Calling

2007-08-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

There have been a number of times in my life where people told me that I may have missed my calling. The more I dislike working in an office, and the more I like not working in an office, the more I'm starting to believe those people. Here are a few of those stories...Maybe Engineering School Isn't for YouPicture this... The year was 1996, Wu Tang Clan's Enter the 36 Chambers is blasting in

C.R.E.A.M. Get the Money

2007-08-27T15:40:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard, we're going to be getting a new set of C-Notes up in this piece. The best part is that the paper used for printing our American dolla dolla bills, y'all is made right here in Western MA. We know how to stack that paypa', ya hurrrd.Lyrics You'll Be HearingAs you may have noticed, rappers like talking about money. They like to take money right from their hoes and "make

Whew, Friday Wrapup

2007-08-24T14:43:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon all, I have the day off today and I've been running errands and cleaning the kitchen. Pretty soon I need to get after the rest of the house, but I don't want to.Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'Last night I got home from my Thursday Night Run and felt inspired to get on the bike for a few minutes. I've had my bike rollers for over a week now and have only used them once. I got everything

With The Speed of Free Delivery

2007-08-20T13:24:00.000-04:00

Not much here but a little ranting.When Free Shipping BackfiresI'm a junkie for buying stuff on the internet. Of course when tempted with the prospect of free shipping I can hardly resist. Lately, I bought a number of items from Amazon which qualified me for free shipping. In the past, I've been tempted to pay anyway so that I wouldn't have to wait, only to cheap out and be pleasantly

Clif Bar - Tri Training Commercial

2007-08-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

For all of my regular readers out there, you know I don't normally like to link to YouTube (or any other kind) videos, but this one tickled my funny bone.Train Like you RaceI've never done a "real" triathlon (swim, bike, run), and as a matter of fact until this September I won't have even done any kind of triathlon (bike, paddle, run) but I find the people who do them to be my kind of crazy.

Finally Made it to Friday

2007-08-16T23:03:00.000-04:00

Week...passing...so...slowly.At the risk of sounding like an 80s cliche, thank God it's Friday. It's a good thing I was listening to NPR this morning, because they announced that Congress passed a bill that specifically required my personal motivation to increase at least enough to get my sorry a$$ out of bed. I'm not saying they passed some random bill that aligned with my morals and made me

Double Hump Day

2007-08-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

This whole week my mind has been one day ahead of the calendar. Added to that is the fact that this is a long week for us at work, so it feels like I have to work 6 days instead of 5. I don't even like working 1 day, but you can only get paid for not working for so long. I might have to take a few hours off tomorrow, especially if it's nice out.Autumn Already?Yesterday I decided that no matter

Holy Rollers!

2007-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

The title of this post is not Holy Rollers like churchies on motorcycles, but more like "Holy Smoke", but with "Rollers".As you may have gathered from some of my recent posts, I'm becoming a cycling junkie and for a number of reasons I decided I needed a way to be able to ride during the winter± 7 InchesLast night my new Kreiler Poly-Lyte Rollers were waiting for me at the side door when I

Sunday is Funday

2007-08-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

I started this post earlier this morning but I was having so much fun I didn't want to leave out one detail. Read on, friends and live in envy of my fun, fun Sunday.Once a Year Whether I Need it or NotWe all know the sayings: I get a haircut once a month whether I need it or not, I brush my teeth once a week whether I need it or not, and so on. Well tonight we get the annual visit of the

Weekend Update

2007-08-11T19:47:00.000-04:00

Tonight I'm going to take a break from my vacation report, because well, it's really dragging on. I might do one quick blast of a review to get it over with, and that'll be that. For now, here's the news from the front lines.Simple Quote"E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business."

Japan Trip - Vol IV

2007-08-09T10:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, I apologize if you're tired of hearing about my vacation but this is my way of documenting it for posterity. Plus, when Sofia Coppola decides she wants to make a movie of my life I'll be able to help fill her in on the finer details. But at any rate this is my freaking blog so I'll write whatever I damn well please.Taisho VillageOnce again, my recollection of the day's activities is

Japan Trip - Vol III

2007-08-08T10:53:00.001-04:00

As it turned out, I never gave y'all the third installment of my vacation. Instead, you got to read about my mole catching cats, who have subsequently been erroneously walking around like their shit doesn't stink.To Tsumago We GoOur first day trip took us to two nearby towns. First we hit up Tsumago (SU ma go) where we visited an old district of houses and buildings. It was hard not to take

Earning Their Keep

2007-08-07T09:24:00.000-04:00

Many of you have probably heard me say that my cats are lazy and are non-contributors to the household. While I was away on vacay, my cat sitter informed me that they had caught a mouse. Of course they have about a dozen toy mice all over the house so I figured she was joking. I figured wrong...Lookey HereWhen I got home from my run this morning, I saw the cats proudly standing around the

Japan Trip - Vol II

2007-08-05T07:40:00.000-04:00

With the success of yesterday's post reviewing the first day of my trip, I'm back again to regale you in my adventures for the second day of travel. This included the flight from Chicago to Nagoya, Japan and has a few key notes for anyone out there who might be traveling internationally in the near future.Don't Be GreedyMy second flight (first of the second day) from Chicago to Nagoya was called

First Vacation Installment

2007-08-04T06:57:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone, today I'm going to give you a brief rundown of Day 1 of my vacation. I'm also going to include a section entitled "Diary of a Mad White Man", an excerpt of some notes I had taken while traveling. I didn't have my laptop on hand, so I took old fashioned hand written notes when I had the chance.Leg 1 - Albany to Chi-TownMy flight out to Chicago was late in the day on Friday

Purikkura - The Shit!

2007-07-30T21:45:00.000-04:00

Yo players. This is the Old Coot comin' at you one more 'gain from the Eastern Hemisphere. This is my last day here in sunny Japan, so you can expect that I'll be hollerin' at you on a more regular basis in the near future. I took somewhere on the order of 350 pictures, so you'll have to give me time to go through them all. In the mean time, here's a shot from the Purikkura (sp?) we did in

Japan Teaser

2007-07-26T09:54:00.000-04:00

Konnichiwa bitches! This is the Old Coot coming live and direct at you from Japan. I've been keeping myself eggstra busy, or my sister has been I should say. She's had the whole trip orchestrated for me, and I just been following along. This is how vacations should be!I Ate Some Shit Tonight"Ha ha, he ate shit" you're probably saying to yourself and those around you. But I mean it in the "

Rantings of an Old Coot

Hump Day Fo Sho

I *heart* LLBean

All Wrapped Up

This Weekend in Review

Lit Up from the Tit Up

The Bad with the Good

This Heading Intentionally Left Blank

Cinco de Mayo, Son!

It's In!!

Closing In

That Does It!!!

One Helluva Day

So...Cold

Goodbye to a Friend

I'm Getting There

Tuesday Night - Pow Pow

Jesus, Mother of Joseph!

Please Consider Sponsoring Me

It's a Lazy Afternoon

Speed 'Stache Results

The First 48 Hours

One More Thing

Procrastination at it's Finest

Blood Letting

Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Wednesday Rant Day

Training Isn't Just for Training's Sake

It's Easy Like Friday Morning

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Can I Please Go Out and Play?

The Last Third of the Weekend

Mid Weekend Update

Beat It, Nerds

Back in Effect

Almost a Run-In

Cat Update, For Bizarro Todd

The Feline Two-Fer

Damn It!

Weekend Update

Not Out of the Woods Yet

Cat Got Your Tooth?

Christmas 2007 (Part II)

Christmas 2007 (Part I)

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

With Snowshoes A-Blazing

The Winter Has Arrived

Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Santa Came Early

Poo Neck Storm

The Poop Deck

Three Day Report

Bunk Neck

The Return Trip

Tales from the Trail

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

Westward Bound

High Living, Cold Temps

Windows, Tiles and Wood Chips

The Weekend Is Looking Up

Never the 'Tween Shall Meet

List of Things To Do: Update

The Weekend Three-Banger

Off the Dome

Another Asskicking Weekend

The Bike and The Route

I've Got the Trots

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's Off to Work We Go

The Silver Rule and The Silver Lining

Just a Quickie

Back By Popular Demand

Spider Bites, Revisited

Weekend Update

A Fine Cuppla Days

I'll Claim Success

Ode to Feta

Fun is Free

What to Do With My Day Off?

What I Did During My Summer Vacation

Parents Weekend

I heart LLBean