Conversation:

Eden: Daddy, what's that?
Me: Baby, the correct way to pronounce that question is to say, "Daddy, what's this?" (she was holding the object)
Eden: Ok! What's this Daddy?
Me: That's a loofah!
Eden: Don't say that daddy! That's not nice!
Me: It's not a bad word baby...
Eden: Well, um, well, I don't like it a lot.
Me: Why not Princess?
Eden: I don't need a reason Daddy! Just because... It's dirty, this is super duper...not for you ok daddy?
Me: Ok little monster!
Eden: I'm not a little monster, you're a big monster! (running away laughing)

We, The Runners of Tomorrow

I have been without the ability or the permission to run for almost three weeks now, well, at least since my Half Marathon failure in Houston at the end of January. Since then I have dealt with a number of different things in my life that have left me close to depression and quite far from my definition of success and satisfaction. Now I am well aware of the ups and downs of life, I have been dealing with them for 27 years now. In fact, my 2010 set new standards for life's lows. Be that as it may I still have the health of my family and yet no matter the course or discourse of the day I awake once more to see the moon has kissed the sun goodnight and the sun has chosen to greet me again. For the emergencies of life we look to set a cushion between us and disaster. Dave Ramsey said it best in one of his seminars. He said that if we setup a budget for life's disasters of emergencies we create a partition betwixt the two and they are no longer disasters or emergencies. For instance, if we have an emergency fund in a money market account or cash value in our Life Insurance Policies of say $5,000.00 and a $3,000.00 disaster happens, well it's not really a huge disaster because we were prepared. It still sucks, but it's not as bad as if you had no funds whatsoever and then a $3,000.00 disaster struck. I was there last October. I won't let that happen again. Two weeks ago a tree fell on the corner of my house...shitty yes but I had learned my lesson. I made a few phone calls and viola! no more broken house.

This past weekend I didn't have a financial disaster accost me with such burdens, I had a psychological one. One of immense proportions. One that I had never thought would ever plague my life. I realized at that moment that this situation was no more severe than previous situations, the only variable was my running was not present for this one. That 1 hour escape for lunch had eluded me for so long I began to lose my grip on stress. I began to remember past situations, though troubling, I knew every day I had one hour of just me and elements. Whether I did 3 miles or 6 miles I wasn't coming back for 1 hour. No cell phone, no computers, just the wind and the sound of my feet on the pavement. It was euphoric, liberating even, how elemental my runs were. Every Sunday morning a track workout at Saint Martinville Senior High School and then a distance run to ease the muscles. All this was gone from me for so long I hadn't noticed how important is was.

Running is my cushion between life, and what life decides to deliver to me. If I am having a great day, what better way to celebrate than a tempo run through local neighborhoods. If a bad day it is, then how better to sort things out, or forget about them completely, than with a slow methodical run. It's a release no matter what. I am not the fastest runner, but I am a runner nonetheless.

I am released to begin my running again on Wednesday. Hopefully my weekends will be free from too much work. I love life and I love running, they are not my masters but my servants. Despite their status I need them both. 

Daddy's New Office

     Eden made herself right at home today when she came to visit me in my new office. Our move is officially official. I have spent 70 hours this week alone renovating and organizing the facilities of the newest Mechanical Engines Service Company in the greater Lafayette area, Pelstar. It's been an interesting adventure. I was working for a company last year and we hired a gentlemen to start an Engine Department for our offshore cranes. The department grew so quickly in a few short months, it was decided that he would branch off and start his own Engine Company. I was elected by him to accompany, it has been wonderful and things are looking great. Thusly, my commute to work was shortened from the original 30 mile trek every morning now to a very amicable 8 miles. It takes me 12 minutes (with red lights) to get to work in the morning. Although with a new position comes new responsibilities. I have spent all day Saturday and Sunday here at the office, in fact, I am posting from the office now.... no my boss doesn't read my blog. Good times, great weather. I have a very large window, so I was able to enjoy it, I also found reason to walk the yard a few times today, just to get outside.

I'm On a Boat....Shoe

The Boat Shoe has been a staple in the world of fashion for quite sometime. Invented first by Paul Sperry in 1935, Sperry got the idea after watching how well his dog ran across snow and ice he cut sipings in to the bottom of his shoes which helped him repel water more easily whilst out boating. Also known as Deck Shoes, the Top-Sider shoe was initially made for boating/sailing, but as fashion would have it around the 1980's the shoe was assimilated into the world of fashion in America and England as everyday foot wear. The photo pictured here is courtesy of my good friend Wilablog @ BOB. The quandary exists within the perimeters of this outfit and its merits to wearing the shoes pictured. I will take this approach from two angles. The first will be from a point of style, the other from that of fashion.

     Stylistically, I have to say no. That was easy. The first problem starts with the slacks' approach to the shoes. I can only assume, due to the cuffless nature of the pants themselves that these are flat front trousers. Be that as it may, there is not crease in the center of the leg so what needs to be adorning the foot is a laceless loafer. Secondly, boat shoes were made for shorts, jeans, and linen pants that do not require a crease.

     Fashionably, this is quite acceptable. If you walk around most just about any high school campus, particularly a private school you will notice that the slacks the boys are wearing have cuffs, you will also notice them wearing boat shoes (this is also true in the case of no cuffs). So it is only fair that the shoes be accepted outside of the realms of style for this motif. What needs to take place at this point is the upper portion of the outfit needs to be as lazy as the bottom, because that what these shoes are, lazy. That is why, I imagine, they are so popular in our generation. They are a quick and easy fix to any outfit one chooses to wear. The laces are frivolous as they serve no real purpose to secure the shoe to the foot, the leather is unrefined giving the listless look of a laid back atmosphere.

     I believe fashion and style have their place in society. There is a time to overlook certain standards of style and indulge in the self-made individuality of fashion, as it seems there is always a time when an aspect of fashion has become a staple of style. So to this photo at hand, I say its a go for everyday wear. With a nice polo shirt or V-neck T shirt it can makes it way to a good look. Thanks for the pic. 

Ross Barron, the Talk of Lafayette

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of Coaching for Lafayette High School. We were playing Pineville High School in the first round of the playoffs. I expected this game to be like any other, with the talent and caliber of this, it was to be an absolute rout. I was in for much more. With 20 minutes left to go we were winning 8-0, and things were all well, then the most amazing thing I have ever seen happened. The opposing Coach, Grant Eloi (a Class A Gentlemen and Sportsman) put in a player named Ross Barron. Ross has Downs Syndrome. I was baffled, awe struck, this kid was so passionate in every move he made. Head Coach Jeremy Cart walked over to Grant and chatted him up about Ross' situation. It was to be Ross' last game of his career and come to find out Ross had never scored a goal, other than a PK, well Jer Bear decided to orchestrate a goal for Ross. We had both teams involved, as you will see in the video, it was well planned. Here is something most people don't know, Ross was diagnosed with a disease that caused all of his hair to fall out at the age of 3, he was always very embarrassed by it. When he reached High School, the players caught wind of Ross' inhibition with his bald head. Well one day Ross' mom drove up to pick him up from practice and saw the whole team huddled in the center circle. They were chanting and cheering and then Ross' bald head pops up and everyone was cheering and laughing, the team had made Ross' bald head a good luck token for the team. He told his mom that night that he liked being bald, he felt special. Ross is a great kid, he was so elated to have scored. This video does nothing for the excitement that was on his face. I am very glad to have been a part of such an amazing event. And much respect to Coach Grant Eloi of Pineville for giving Ross the opportunity to fulfill his dream and become the leading playoff goal scorer for the Pineville program for 2010-2011. It takes a man of strong character to have the selflessness of Grant's actions. 

It's a Girl

At Sneak Peek 4D Ultrasound, and it's confirmed, I officially have to
worry about every penis in the world...again. 100% girl. I'm ruled now
by estregenical tyranny.

Sent while traveling.