Strange Loops

A Manifesto

Manifesto - a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization. source

T - 7 and counting

Seven days until the marathon.

We've been tapering for the last two weeks after the 20 miler. The previous weekend was spent on Tiger mountain running 12 miles.

Yesterday was our last team practice as we ran 8 miles around the Greenlake area. This has been a great training season for me, I've been extremely privileged to work with Jim (coach) and a core group of team mates.  I felt a touch of melancholy at the thought of not seeing Jim, Kit, and the team every Saturday. When you start out marathon training, it's uncomfortable. Going outside when its dark, wet, cold (or a combination) is hard. It's hard to motivate yourself sometimes. When you do it with a group, that you bond with over the course of the season, going out to run no longer becomes uncomfortable. It becomes something you get done.

On our very last Thursday run, me and Jim chatted while we warmed up around the park. He talked about how a marathon is a training exercise, how that when I got it done I would miss waking up early on those Saturday mornings. For him, the greatest pleasure was the discipline of setting a plan and executing on it. The main event is in many ways a victory lap for those months and months of preparation that was required.

Throughout the season, Kit has been an incredible source of inspiration for me. The ability to do what she has done and live with CLL. She's always shown up at our Saturday practices even though it drains her energy deeply. Having her at the coldest days of the season handing out hand warmers was a great motivator for me to keep moving. Like her, many CLL patients fight constant challenges to keep a sense of normalcy.

Unlike them, I have one final challenge left this season. One long run to get done.

More stuff

Various thoughts dripping through the holes in my head!

The First Week

My first complete week at work has just ended (the actual first week back only consisted of two days so it doesn’t count). Other than performance reviews, it was a moderately busy week filled with the usual.

Day 1: The Return

Just got back into the office today. The vacation has left me in a noticeably relaxed state. 

2007

I'm not sure what 2007 will bring but I'm hopeful. Hopeful that I'll be happier in general. For reasons I cannot understand, 2006 was a depressing year for me.

Locked out of my garage

I might be a spazz but I think the lock to the garage is jammed. I can't get my key all the way in. Of course I had to leave my cell phone in the car too. If you need to get a hold of me, drop me an email/im or call my home phone.

The next step

My apartment is always messy. I’ve never been able to keep it clean for any extended period of time. There is a simple reason:

I have too much stuff!

When a good friend left town, he got rid of his clutter. Even though I’m not doing that, it feels like my material possessions are weighing my soul down with emotional attachments. Yes I think that sounds absurd! But somehow it rings true.

Here’s a short list I’ve made this week to help me get started:

• Get rid of old shoes – recycle them at niketown
• Get rid of old computer parts – recycle them at repc
• Organize closet space, get rid of old clothes, consolidate!
• Have one bookshelf of core book collection
• Minimize comic book collection

I’m hoping to have a crack at it this weekend!

See more progress on: minimize my material possessions