Boo

Try to calm down and relax. I know Christmas is right around the corner, but that's no reason to drive yourself crazy over the next three weeks. You may not find that "perfect" gift. The Christmas dinner may not turn out to be the culinary experience of the century. And that's okay. If you're like me, you are far from perfect the rest of the year. Why would the holidays be any different?

Shout out to Jo and her fellow Aussies. I used to call this exercise the "inverted row." Recently, I heard it called an "Australian Pull-Up." I like that term better. Do you Pull-Up from a land down under...

Thirty minutes was the maximum amount of time I could go between cigarettes without feeling that old familiar pang of withdrawal. Other times, I was ready to light up another smoke within five minutes of ashing out the last one. When you ask: how much does the addict want, the answer is always "more."

Added a few more books to the collection: Harold and the Purple Crayon (Rozuki recommended this one in the other thread). The Little Engine that Could. Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth. This is the most contemporary book we've purchased. I wasn't familiar with Oliver Jeffers, but I really like the story and artwork in this one. And last but not least, two more books by Shel Silverstein: A Giraffe and a Half and The Giving Tree. Eventually the kid is going to be the proud owner of the entire Silverstein collection.

I'm bona fide, certified, and thoroughly vetted now. I'm in the process of setting up a new account at work with a company that has contracts with the military. To get clearance I had to go through a thorough background check. Received notification earlier today that I cleared every hurdle. For the record: the Federal Government of these United States of America has deemed ol' Boo a citizen in good standing and not a threat to the Republic. So...I got that going for me.

Horny Toad and Loony Bird Rendezvous Down Under. It has all the makings of a summertime buddy comedy.

Solid signing, low risk at one year, and much needed. It would be nice if we had Dallas Keuchel for another season, but that seems very unlikely now. A healthy Hamels should be a solid fourth in the rotation behind Soroka, Foltynewicz, and Fried. Still have my fingers crossed that we get one more year of Josh Donaldson in Atlanta.

I've posted this song every December since joining the forum. I'm not breaking that tradition now...

Thanks Steve. Back in early 2016 I smoked more than a pack of cigarettes per-day, drank way too much, had terrible eating habits, and was leading an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Then I quit smoking and channeled my addictive tendencies towards health and fitness (I'm not good at doing things in moderation). Feel better now than I did twenty years-ago. Good call. I've seen folks who went through amazing transformations that started with a 5k plan. I like how those plans can be adapted to anyone at any level and they provide clear and measurable goals to work towards. Happy running Steve.

When I was a kid, Bumble seemed scary. Now the scariest part of this scene is the positioning of Yukon Cornelius' revolver; it's pointing right at his nuggets.

I named my dog after Johnny Cash. Allegiance confirmed.

Pulled 465 this afternoon. Added a couple of 2.5's to get to 470 but hitched it so it doesn't count. Slow and steady wins the race.

OTIS! Enough said.

Couldn't decided which Christmas song to post today. Then Saz posted a John Prine song and the choice was obvious...

Putting the finishing touches on Christmas decorations around the house. Tree is up and decorated. Wreaths and bows have been hung. Outlined the front of the house with white lights. Now, we're just sorting through a big box filled with various holly-jolly accessories and what-nots figuring out what stays and what goes back in the attic. Sugar Britches is the artsy one with a vision. I'm just the handyman.

I'm a day late, but I hope you had a good one.

Congratulations Abby. The lido deck awaits.

Time to get back out on the trail and do some running. Heading over to Laurel-Snow this morning, run out to Bryan Overlook and back for a total of 10.8 miles. Just waiting on the sun to come up over the ridge.

And the Christmas season begins...

Good job Steve.

Thanksgiving day is almost over and after a long day of travelling, socializing, and eating too much...It's time to just kick back and listen to some Guy Clark.

Congratulations Heather.

Getting ready for an interesting night. A cousin of mine that lives in Texas now is back in the area for Thanksgiving. I said "we should get together while you're back in the old stomping grounds." He took it as an opportunity to invite himself to the house. He said: "you live up in the mountains now don't you?" All I could think was: Oh shit, I hope he's not on the lam and looking for a place to hide. Every family has one...