Conchetta

Almost not making it in before a New Year, but good enough to be considered part of that year, like finishing a long race just seconds before the final cut off, that would be you. But whether early or late or just smack dab in the middle, you turned your stride on and take things into your talented hands to a most special level. Keeping that part of the tribe on Loma Linda together when the heads of state called it quits, you turn around with all that you've learned and start a family of your own, Sister, Mom, Grand Mom, all rolled into one. You certainly have done your share of building a loving household. You continue reinventing everything to suit your fancy, cooking, running, and teaching those too young to do it all for themselves, pleasing everyone. Time has moved on, but it hasn't passed you by, after all, you have grabbed for all the living you can get hold of. So have yourself a Very Happy Birthday! You are a Legend and an Inspiration!

Ain't No Hollaback

It was 36 degrees when I ran yesterday morning. After being out in the air with Boodini, and dropped her off, it didn't continue to rain so why not. Regardless, it is necessary to get some physical movement going, any way get used to it, because cold is really what we're going get. Looks like the sun is out so it's another chance to walk around the hood, besides my dog friend will love that. Simply a chance to sniff out all the places and events that have passed the path at some point in time. In a few days we'll have a new number in the year category. We can't help focus on what that might mean, and there will absolutely be changes large and small that we never saw coming. Fearful or not, being accepting and prepared might get us through when that's the only choice. Just like the weather, the day, the things going on around us, we're above the ground and breathing, if that doesn't seem special just this moment, well, that goof ball at the end of the leash sure feels so.

Easily Defeated

It's actually cold again, some crazy weather times, and cold is to be expected. In a few days we will get into the real stuff, maybe a bit of sleet or snow, but that would be a good winter weather story that always sells. We are just getting started, we have at least sixty days of the fun ahead. The future might be bright, but wearing those new Xmas shades will have to wait until the sun shines again. Let's take this topic down a notch, to where the superficial gets melted with the heat of discussion. So I'll have to use a prompt for motivation, try this one, what is my inspiring key word of the upcoming year?  After giving this some thought, I don't have a clue, with the thousands of available words, I can't  even pick one. All it has to be is something that will tell tale the theme for my life in the year ahead, something maybe motivational, maybe to strive to be, and still why the hell is it necessary to pick one anyway? Well not much from that prompt, let's try another. What things in life do you most value? What things do you most stress about, and if so how do you deal with stress. Well maybe getting to rise above the superficial is not working, the picked prompts aren't working, so I guess we're just going to go back to the blank stare at the empty page, or talk about the weather, well that's a fine how do you do, guess what? It's cold! Blank page 1, writing 0.

Say No to New Year's Resolutions

So it may be just a little bit early for thinking about another year, 2015 to be precise. But it just happened to cross my thoughts. Not so much as a looking forward, maybe not even a looking back at 2014. Most resolutions are a good thing and like goals they can set the stage for what you possibly might shoot for. Maybe that is the question that keeps popping into my head, what I am shooting for? There are no definitive answers, but like most, maybe it isn't so much what you hope for, but more like what you live for. In the past whether it be work or play it seems like things get set off into lists, things to accomplish, and then crossing this or that off. I have a lot of things on the crossed off side and that is all so over. What is more of interest, is the day to day tally of how did time gone by get spent, blogging is somewhat of a tally, but it is out for you to see. Word sentences and grammar are important so that you aren't communicating half in Boodini's  language and then in the real world language. A diary is not what I have in mind. I wonder what journaling is? Well it might be a good idea to use the remaining days of this year to decide, and yes, this does sound like another dose of new year procrastination.

TO X or Not to X

It turns out, “Xmas” is not a non-religious version of “Christmas”. The “X” is actually indicating the Greek letter “Chi”, which is short for the Greek, meaning “Christ”. So “Xmas” and “Christmas” are equivalent in every way except their lettering.

In fact, although writing guides such as those issued by the New York Times; the BBC; The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style; and Oxford Press discourage the use of Xmas in formal writing, at one time, it was a very popular practice, particularly with religious scribes, who are thought to have started the whole “Xmas” thing in the first place. Indeed, the practice of using the symbol “X” in place of Christ’s name has been going on amongst religious scholars for at least 1000 years.

Eventually, this shorthand trick spread to non-religious writings where nearly everywhere “Christ” appeared in a word, the Greek Chi would replace that part of the word. For example, in the 17th and 18th centuries, there are numerous non-religious documents containing instances of “Xine”, which was a common spelling for someone whose name was Christine.

Boodini Award

    Alright, so we have dwindled to just a few days till the Big Day, Christmas, notice it wasn't spelled with an X. This year it is all too obvious who has been good and who has been naughty. Tessa has shown tremendous Holiday spirit in her baking and cooking abilities beyond the call of duty. But maybe with a large family as her's she relishes doing all the traditional  niceties that  go with keeping the "Home Fire Burning". So it is no wonder that congrats are in order to Tessa for receiving the Boodini Award!

   Next on the list is "That Guy", he's the one that makes all his friends feel that he is solely devoted to them alone. Call it charisma or what have you, he can always be counted on to check in, get things stirred up with future games, and always try his best to help out. This year whether it was pacing, volunteering all night long, or just a text or a call, he was what I can only refer to as devoted. So it is with no surprise Jeff is the recipient of the Boodini Award!

   In this broken world of ours where sometimes we forget or lose sight of what is genuine or real important, if you keep Christmas this year we don't have to be a Boodini Award winner to touch someone's life. God bless us, Everyone!

   

Guess You Just Didn't Know

Oh yes there are many breads and cakes without yeast, starters of potato and meal are generally the base for bacteria that feed the rising properties of baking flavorful breads. Sweet breads generally use the enriched fats in egg and butter that give a leavening  aspect to popular quick breads. After all in early Appalachia or the pioneer days you just didn't run up to the Hoggly Doggly and buy red star yeast, and the real flavors come from the starters held in crockery forever, yes, even like the yeasts that ferment cognac and beer. On another note the twelve days of Xmas are not leading up too, and are actually after Xmas leading to the Epihany, and for you pagans out there that's supposedly when the the wise guys showed up with their trinkets. So the record has been set straight by good ole Tessa, that's right the under age embezzling bride. Ha! The bad stuff continues with smokers on the trail, looking for the smokers lounge at the nearest aid station, and injuries wreaking havoc on the best well laid plans. But regardless, it is, let's get this right, twelve days LEADING UP to Xmas, and it is delicious Panetone baking in the oven without yeast! So sorry you are injured! So sorry we are oblivious too and misinformed!

Seven Times Seven

Yes we're done singing church songs, and done is the word for the 2014 Run Like the Wind. I was shocked to find out it was the highest fund raiser to date with this event for the Schrodi fund. We had a smaller crowd of runners, but having this twice in one calendar year may have pushed the excitment
for this event to the limit. Our sponsorship was up. So where were you? Jeff sacrificed his three day weekend to give his hands and heart to take a huge load off me, and I was not use to having anyone else helping except me. He also tricked Justin and Mark to come out as well. January who volunteered all day was really a gift, her positive and kindly approach sure was inspiring for a group of serious whiskey peddlers. Being an RD of the event it would be necessary to evaluate my performance, and unfortunately I failed miserably. Aside from the smaller decision blunders, fires begin with an ember, and if your job requires putting them out it would make sense when you see those embers it is easier to extinguish them early. The leash rule for dogs at our Dog event is for a reason. After all there are many pet owners who in spite of best intentions are not responsible, if they were, we wouldn't need the Schrodi fund. I failed to react in time until it was a big fire, then when enforcing the rule so late, I become the bad guy. When you have a race you mark the course so no one gets lost, those markers are always taken down when the last runner passes the end run. Well when a volunteer takes a type of marker down two hours before the race is over and you let them know not to do it, I haven't really handled the fire at all for two reasons. When the second time you encounter the same volunteer and they have all the markers in their hand twenty minutes later, it does appear they have their finger extended right in your face saying screw you! When I was 10 my best friend shot me between the eyes with a BB gun, so having best friends for volunteers these things are probably going to happen. After 36 hours of being awake and physically working, mentally it will take a toll. It is best to laugh, and I hope you will too. Because twenty five years from now we'll never know the difference.