Last couple nights did 8 miles on the treadmill:  4 & 4.  Guess I can forget about running outside for a while due to weather.  Temps have been in the 30's touching the low 40's during the day and I can certainly handle that but we've had 2 snow events this week including today with about 6 inches or so.  Considering the roads get more narrow because the town doesn't plow the entire width of the streets and many folks and businesses don't clear their sidewalks adequately I won't risk my running safety.  Also I don't want to mess up my cool shoes!  Just kidding.  I'm still running with a pair of Asics Gel Kahana which I got, oh, close to 2 years ago.  They're extremely comfortable and are holding up exceedingly well.  Only minor wear on the soles which is surprising considering the amount of pavement miles I've put on them.  I've got 2 more pair of runners--an Adidas and a Reebok--waiting in the wings.  I'll probably break in one of those early March when I start training up for the Cheshire Half Marathon slated for the end of April.  Can't wait.  It'll be another fun day!

Another quick 4 miles on the treadmill this Christmas Day watching the Indiana Jones marathon.  Caught the end of Last Crusade and the beginning of Crystal Skull.  Wanted to go outside to run--the temp wasn't too bad but the daylight didn't cooperate with me.  At least I feel well again.  It's amazing how good you can feel when you're healthy compared to how bad you can feel when you're sick.  Anyway--Merry Christmas, all!

Well, I'm not fully recuperated yet but I went ahead and jumped back on the treadmill tonight for a quick 4 miles while while watching Bones.  Still headachy and congested but well on the way to recovery.  Hadn't done any type of exercise in nine days.  Felt good.  I'll try to go outside on Tuesday for a Christmas day run.

The Big Fat Combo

     My father and I had the pleasure Thursday night of attending a show by the popular local rockabilly band The Big Fat Combo.  It was more than a pleasure.  It was so rewarding that it was more like a blessing--a Christmas blessing.  The gig was down in Hamden in a video rental shop called Best Video--one of the last remaining video rental shops in the world.  They have a cozy little performance space between Documentaries and Foreign Films.  There's an oriental rug, a low ceiling, 35 folding chairs, and a few cafe tables for people with drinks from the "bar." 

     The Big Fat Combo is a rockabilly band with a rockabilly beat.  They are Tom Hearn (guitar, lead vocals), Cary Pollick (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Murphy (drums), Tom Murphy (stand up bass, vocals).  The first time I heard them their sound just grabbed me and never let go.  I can only describe it as rich, warm, and flavorful.  They played several of their original hits like Tag Sale, Hale Bopp, and Chicks Dig It--after which my father leaned into me and said, "You've got to see if you can get the words to that song for me."  I was proud to lean back and say, "Don't need to get them.  I already know them!"   Then they also did several old, stylized numbers by the likes of Peggy Lee, Sons of the Pioneers, Hank Williams, The Ramones maybe.  We even heard a barely recognizable yet far more palatable rendition of Islands in the Stream which front man Tom pointed out was written by the BeeGees.



     And they made it an interactive Christmas spectacular by passing out lyric sheets to the audience so we could all join them in an electric version of Must Be Santa led by their special guest, popular long-time New Haven rocker Gary Mezzi, aka Buzz Gordo who also did Donde esta Santa Claus? (Sorry, I don't know how to make the upside down question mark in front) and joined them on their Christmas Medley which consisted of their "rockabilly/surf style" Away in a Manger coupled with Silent Night jammed on some wicked guitar.  Stand by to experience that in person if you wish.  Somewhere in the Christmas portion of the show they even managed to work in The Lord's Bright Blessing, a song and narrative piece from, of all things, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol which for the entire show was playing on mute on a big screen behind the band.  That they perform that particular song from that particular movie is just one of the quirky little things that makes BFC special. 

     Eventually, the show momentarily came to a close but the audience was having none of it and began chanting for an encore while applauding raucously.  To every one's delight the band, instead of playing one more quickie single, launched into a lengthy and vigorous rendition of Tiger in My Tank.  Everyone loved it.  Well done, Big Fat Combo.  And thank you for a spectacular show!  See you next time!

Oh, and by the way, they also have a "No Cuss" guarantee.  So you never need to worry about bringing the kids along to the show!

Sick Leave

Sad to say I've been terribly sick since last Friday and have not been running.  To make matters worse tonight I strained a trap, I think due to my inaction.  Agony.  Can't wait to get back to running but I've been so weak I'll need to build back up slowly.  Or maybe I'll just jump back in where I left off.

The Maya (and Elvis Costello?)

     So, according to common, current mythology the World will be ending in just a few days--December 21, it seems.  We've been hearing about this for some time but now the day of reckoning is bearing down on us and we've not much time left. 
     Apparently, and as I understand it, the Maya--more commonly referred to as the Mayans--designed this great calendar some time ago and they for some unbeknownst reason created it with an expiration date.  This calendar is said to be extremely accurate and precise in ways that we in modern times can't understand.  That is, we can't really understand how a primitive, if you will, society was able to come up with it.  So we've decided that they were skilled mathematicians and astromomers and that explains it.
     I've done a bit of research on the Maya (read that: I googled "Maya" and read a couple paragraphs about them) and to say the least, I am now educated.  I won't bore you with details but I learned a couple interesting things.  One is that the Maya were not just some little native tribe living out in the jungle, as is commonly believed, but a burgeoning civilization of millions and millions of folk in numerous cities who, over the course of time thrived in many ways--most notably calendar making. 
     The second thing--and, again, I'm not giving a formal history lesson here--there are Maya alive and well today, albeit not as thriving or burgeoning as they once were.  In fact, it seems there are approximately 20,000 living in southern California, of all places. 
     This got me to thinking:  What do the modern Maya do for work?  I'll bet they're not operating a calendar kiosk in the mall.  I mean, if they are, and they're selling these really great, precise calendars then what's the point?  They're going to be out of business in a few days.  And would they even take returns?  Also, are they out right now running around maxxing out their credit cards?  If they are then maybe the laugh is on us, after all.  If they're not then I'd say the laugh is on them.  I mean, what's the point of making and promoting a doomsday calendar if you're not going to live up to it?  You got to walk the walk, people.
     Honestly, I'm not too worried about it.  Come Saturday morning I'm just going to flip my Mayan calendar over and start again at the beginning.  That's what all the Mayan calendar scholars tell us, anyway.  (Hold it--let's back up for a moment--can you believe we even have Mayan calendar scholars?  "What do you want to be when you grow up, Johnny?"  "I want to be a Mayan calendar scholar!") Basically, they ran out of room on the stone so at the end they just carved a little arrow next to the word "over."      
     Actually, it's various other groups of doomsday profiteers who have co-opted the Mayan calendar thing to promulgate their own warped and twisted fantasies.  I really think that if the world were going to end on a particular day then Nostradamus or Jesus would have at least mentioned it in passing ("Oh, and by the way...")
     Yep, so I'm planning on getting up on Saturday and going about my life.  By that time the Mayan calendar will be as relevant as an abacus.  A few days after that is Christmas and a few days after that is the new year:  2013!  And you can bet on it because our calendars work, girlfriend, uh-huh!  Oh and by the way, no offense intended to any living Maya.
     So now, for your listening and viewing pleasure, here's His Majesty, Sir Elvis Costello discussing this very topic.  Click the "play" button and enjoy...

Thursday

Just a quick 5 miles on the treadmill in the home gym.  Well, not really that quick--I walked it:  66 minutes.

So, as I was walking along, watching NCIS and Big Bang Theory, I was wondering:  Are all of the ethnic Mayans alive today maxxing out their credit cards this week?  I mean, if they are then maybe the laugh is on us.  If they're not then maybe the laugh is on them.

Tuesday

Did my six point two mile loop today--regular route, counter-clockwise.  It was a rainy, dank day up until around noon then the sun came out and it seemed like a pretty nice day but when I went out to run at 3 it was a hell of a lot colder than I was expecting.  Still, glad I'm able to keep squeezing in outdoor runs while it's still decent weather.  I'll keep it up outdoors as long as I can.  I've been going with a tied hood lately but that's kind of restrictive so maybe a knit hat next time.  Plus, it's just about time to break out the running gloves.  Got a really nice pair last spring at the Adidas outlet in Mystic--3 bucks.

And what a difference a day makes.  I felt quite ill yesterday afternoon and evening.  I had been to my nephew's birthday party on Sunday and probably overate rich foreign foods.  I felt fine all day until around 3:30 when I came down with a painful headache and stomach upset.  Took some Tylenol and a nap.  When I awoke I felt like total crap with fatigue and joint aches into the night.  Thought I was coming down with the flu.  Felt like doing absolutely nothing so I just bummed around on the couch the rest of the evening which is way out of character for me.  Went to bed early and woke up feeling fine.  Now I'm fine.  When I first started running my knees were a bit weak but ultimately held up fine for the entire route.  61 minutes--actually 60.5 but we'll call it 61 for now.

Working outside in shirtsleeves today. Would someone please turn off the manmade global warming hoax?

Saturday Run

Another leisurely 6.2 miles today.  I think that'll be my regular training run now for a while.  As long as I can go outside in nice weather I'll do 6.2.  It had been 5.2 but I might as well up it while I can.  I seldom do anything less than 5.2--it just feels like I haven't accomplished anything and it leaves me wanting.  Inside on the treadmill is different but even there certainly never anything less than 4.  Route:  Warren, West Main, Ives, Oak, Higgins, Linear Park, North Brooksvale, South Main, Main, West Main, Warren.  61 Minutes.

Noticed something funny while I was out running.  For years, the recycling program in town consisted of placing our stuff in a blue plastic tote box which every week would be collected manually by guys from a recycling company.  So every December the guys, after emptying the totes, would leave behind self-addressed envelopes and a Christmas card in the totes--looking for holiday tips, of course.  Well, a couple weeks ago the town switched recycling companies and the new one doesn't use the totes--a truck with a mechanized arm drives by and empties a larger container.  The change left the other guys in the lurch.  They've been doing the recycling duty all year so dammit they want their tips only there are no more totes AND the guys don't even work around here anymore.  So apparently they went around and unceremoniously left their cards and envelopes inside plastic ziplock bags on residents' front lawns.  Can't imagine they'll fare well at all considering most of them were just lying on the grass down by curbside.

Cheshire Band Concert

I attended the annual Winter Concert of the Cheshire High School Music Department this evening.  The word which keeps coming to mind is MAGNIFICENT.  That's it.  That's the best way to describe the performance of this talented and dedicated group of young musicians.  Under the direction and expert tutelage of Mr. John L. Kuhner, who looked quite fetching in his black tuxedo with red tie and kerchief, the concert consisted of performances by the Concert Band, the String Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonic Band, and the Marching Band. 

I must say that Maestro Kuhner does an outstanding job with all of his students, who so certainly look up to him as their skilled leader and conductor.  At this point in their musical careers, all of the students--most of whom have come up through Cheshire's award-winning music program--have put in years of practice on their instrument.  But for sure it is Mr. Kuhner who nurtures them to draw out the best of their skills, talents, and gifts.

A couple of highlights of the evening--for me, anyway-- were the String Orchestra's performance of Vivaldi's Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. 11 and the Symphonic Band's Arabian Dances in which a couple of percussion guys were playing bongos and a couple of percussion girls were playing darbukas--the traditional Arabian lap drum--during the selection. 

Beginning with the Concert Band and proceeding through the Orchestras and Symphonic Band, the evening culminated with the Marching Band perfoming for the final time their 2012 field show "Shipwrecked."   With the entire stage covered with the Marching Band percussion section and the rest of the musicians lined up on the floor mere inches from the front row of the audience, the breathtakingly powerful rendition was awesome to behold.  Again:  MAGNIFICENT!

Regarding X Factor

Missed the results show tonight but I understand Cece and Diamond got tubed.  Cece was long overdue and it was Diamond's time as well to go bye-bye.  She was just barely hanging on and two folks are going each week so it's got to be some one, or some two.  Anyway, even though Tate is on top again I don't see him winning the 5 mil.  This Tate Nation thing is all fine and good for now but I doubt the folks voting for the others will turn out for Tate when their act gets booted.  That is, those voting now for, say 5th Harmony aren't going to jump on board Tate Nation--They're much more likely to vote for the only other remaining girl, I'd say.  But then again, those voting for a group might just vote for the other group and all the teenie-boppers voting for the boy band might not be so keen to vote for Carly but they also might not vote for the old country guy.  They might just up'n change the channel.  It's any one's game at this point going into the semis.  I think the girl group will be the next to go.  I think Carly should win on her gift but the boy band might pull it out.

Ran a leisurely 6.2 miles this afternoon.  The weatherman said it was going to be sunny and 60 but it was a mostly dreary day where I was and in the low 50's.  I went with the shorts and did fine.  Once again I miscalculated dusk and ended up finishing in the dark.  I'm going to have to start wearing my reflective vest.  Then again, if i can make it to December 21 I think the days start getting longer after that for what good that'll do me.  Route:  Warren, West Main, Ives, Oak, Higgins, Linear Park, North Brooksvale, South Main, Main, West main, Warren.  62 minutes.

It seems the text message turned 20 years old yesterday.  Got me thinking, if I had composed the first text message ever i would have written "Watson, come here.  I need you."

Just an easy 5.2 miles today in the mild 40's.  Route:  Warren, West Main, Ives, Oak, Higgins, South Main, Main, West Main, Warren.  49 Minutes.

But check this out:  earlier in the day I went to the local dollar store to get a few items.  Needed some food storage containers and some type of cleaning liquid for the floors.  So I got a Pine Glo and three 3-packs of containers and with tax it was $4.25.  So I pull out a 20 and the lady's like, "We're not accepting large bills because we don't have any singles."  First of all, the change would have included a 10 a 5--not any singles.  And secondly, it's the DOLLAR store!!  Hellooooooo.  How can they NOT have any single?

Later in the day went to get our Christmas tree from local merchant Dietrich Gardens.  Here's Glen trimming up the bottom:

Stuffed Mushrooms

Just a before and after shot of the stuffed mushrooms I made this evening. 

Oil pan with olive oil, stuff mushrooms--pile 'em high-- with StoveTop Stuffing (of course you need to cook that first in a saucepan).  Drizzle with more olive oil then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (pre-heated).  Exquisite. 

AND mushrooms have no nutritional value whatsoever!  Just kidding--that's only a myth.  Enjoy!