Coming off a record breaking weekend. I managed to run 7.2km on Saturday. As a direct result, I feel like a 75-year old right now. It seems that any time I really push past my last PB for the first time, it takes a few days for my body to get itself back on track.
It's a simple truth that this summer has been, and will continue to be, incredible. I don't know that I've ever been as content as I am this year. We have such a great situation. Weekends... waking up on a Saturday morning, throwing on a coffee, heading out to the back yard to poke around, throw a ball around, watch Kar working in the garden..
I'm learning it from her. She's always had this thing about her. An ability to sit and watch, and look. Watch... cats messing around in the backyard. Watch... bugs crawling around in the dirt. Watch... the garden growing. There's so much to see. I sit and listen. I sit in the backyard and hear.. everything that's going on in the city. She looks.
Then, grabbing an apple, throwing on the sneaks, and hitting the road for a mid-day run. The city, just waking up, the heat not quite fully realized, but in that late morning, hard-blue sky, cool breeze, hot sun scenario. Jeff asking me questions as we run... me responding with nods and hand signals.. (must.. conserve.. energy...) Don't flex any muscles that aren't aiding in the process of running. Hands loose, thumbs pointing forward, resting on the index finger. Face relaxed. Conservation. Breathing: 3 steps... in through the nose... 3 steps... out through the mouth... 3 steps... Manage the heart rate.
The afternoon is a slow mixture of laundry folding, homemade soup simmering, guitar playing... the ball game is on in the background, but only as a visual. One of many party-mixes takes care of the day's audio. Tom Petty is starting to make himself at home.
Evening is all about options. Drinks on the patio? The Quinnie's patio is the gold-standard. Slightly sunken below the porch-height to give you that cozy, tucked-away feel, and under constant cover of a huge Oak tree. The neighborhood is quiet at night. The little kid across the street plays Wii in front of his huge upstairs window. Last night it was bowling. When it's calm, I can smoke a cigar and just watch the smoke. It goes nowhere... just hangs in wisps.
Or maybe we walk off the day's remaining energy. Our new format is a quick subway ride to Greektown. From there we can walk through the restaurant district and across the Don Valley into the city. There's too much to see. I take pictures with my eyes.
Or maybe it's "small budget, big heart" movie night, and then discussing what WE would do if...
Sometimes, I think I wouldn't do much different than what we're doing right now.
Life's good.
JB
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
RunRunRun
Me and El Hefe (Jeff) looking soaked, sweaty, and pumped.
My buddy Jeff is into running.
You guys know that I've never been into running. I always hated it. It was hard, and it felt completely unrewarding.. like there was no reason for me to be out there doing such a preposterous thing anyway..
Anyway, a while back, Jeff asked me if I wanted to start running with him. So I got myself some cheap runners (all-stars don't cut it for this type of thing..) and hit the pavement. It was terrible. I came back feeling the same way I always had about it.
Then, about a week ago, Jeff got me to go again. I think the fact that it coincided with my feeling a bit restless.. ready to start summer-life.. had to help. So anyway, we did a 4km loop around our neighborhood. And something weird happened... I LOVED it! I wasn't good at it. In fact, I made it about 3km before I had to shut it down and walk the rest of the way. I guess sitting at a computer for a living will do that to a guy.
But there was something about it that just sucked me in. So I went out again on my own the next day, and pounded out the full 4km, and it felt fantastic. My breathing was better, my feet felt stronger, and while I was totally wasted when I got back, I felt like I was clearer, and more alive.
So I headed out again the next day.. two days ago. This time I managed 5Km. And oddly, I finished feeling like I could have done another one at least. The recovery was quick, and again... I just felt great.
So, naturally, I entered a race.
There's a running club that runs in the park behind our house. I say park... it's more like a trail that goes from our area and connects all the way down to the Don Valley, and from there, into downtown. The race today was a 5Km. It was pouring rain, but we were pretty pumped up about it.
I gotta say, it was fantastic. I ran a 26min, 05 seconds. (Jeffy banged out a new PB, something in the 22 range or something). I can't describe it. The park is beautiful. Dirt (mud) and asphalt trails winding through forest with a big creek winding through it. Being out there on your own is incredible. I'm all alone.. as a direct result of the fact that I'm running a 26 while everybody else is pounding out 22s with Jeff. Pounding along on my own, counting my breathing, listening to my steps, and the creek... looking around at everything, just enjoying it.. I loved it. And the idea of tackling a personal challenge is also so cool. I've had a lot of that with guitar... forcing myself to learn new tunes, climbing the hills of technicality... it's like that, except so much more physical. Crossing the line at the end, I'm a mess, full of sweat and rain and mud, and you just feel like you worked for it.
Anyway, more to come. Gonna keep things going over the summer. I'm still in the early stage, where the improvement comes quickly. I know it'll get tough quick. For now, I'm loving it.
Side note: immediately following the race, Jeff, Kim, Karen and I went to McDonalds. I ordered a Big Mac combo. With Coke. Life is a game of balance......
JB
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer
Summer is fantastic. It's that simple. We've been loving weekends up here, just getting outside, walking around the city, etc.
A few weekends ago we planted the garden. Or... in reality, that should read, 'Karen and Kim planted the garden... Jeff and Jon played catch". It's coming along alright... we're just working on getting the watering schedule right. It's packed this year. Tomatoes, Cukes, Radishes, Carrots, Peas, Beans, Red Peppers, Sage, Oregano, Kale, Chives, Lettuce... seriously the makings of several glorious dinners. Here's Kar in her kingdom:
On top of the garden, there's been a lot of catch. Jeff and I are big ball fans, so at some point on most saturdays we're out in the back yard having a catch. Is there anything as relaxing and enjoyable as having a catch with a good friend? I mean, it's second-nature, so it's great for conversation. And every now and then, you just put a little extra mustard on a toss to keep the other guy honest.
Add in lots of walks. Our new thing is to subway down to Pape and then walk from there to the downtown core. You get to go through greektown and all the nice restaurants and patios, and then over the bridge at the Don Valley. It's really an incredible view, actually, to stand on the bridge and look over the valley and see the city rising up over the treetops.
So here's to a great summer coming up. Life's good.
JB
A few weekends ago we planted the garden. Or... in reality, that should read, 'Karen and Kim planted the garden... Jeff and Jon played catch". It's coming along alright... we're just working on getting the watering schedule right. It's packed this year. Tomatoes, Cukes, Radishes, Carrots, Peas, Beans, Red Peppers, Sage, Oregano, Kale, Chives, Lettuce... seriously the makings of several glorious dinners. Here's Kar in her kingdom:
On top of the garden, there's been a lot of catch. Jeff and I are big ball fans, so at some point on most saturdays we're out in the back yard having a catch. Is there anything as relaxing and enjoyable as having a catch with a good friend? I mean, it's second-nature, so it's great for conversation. And every now and then, you just put a little extra mustard on a toss to keep the other guy honest.
Add in lots of walks. Our new thing is to subway down to Pape and then walk from there to the downtown core. You get to go through greektown and all the nice restaurants and patios, and then over the bridge at the Don Valley. It's really an incredible view, actually, to stand on the bridge and look over the valley and see the city rising up over the treetops.
So here's to a great summer coming up. Life's good.
JB
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Visitor
We watched a great movie this weekend.
My idea of a great movie has changed a fair amount over time. So much of what once appealed to me seems to do the exact opposite now. I was talking to a buddy, Zak, about music, and he said that he has to feel as though the guy he's listening to has put himself out there.. left it all on the table. It's a matter of knowing that the guy has really poured himself into the work. I like that. If it didn't feel like it cost a part of your soul to create it, than maybe it doesn't have much soul in it at all.
I've been really appreciating great acting. It seems like the movies I've loved in the past while have been all about actors and directors at the top of their game. 'Frost/Nixon', 'Marley and Me' (ya, seriously). I just bought in, fully. That's the best thing about movies. They just transport you. Which is, I suppose, why I like a specific type of movie. You can always kindof tell when a movie is mostly just about itself, and it's never an experience that really takes me.
Anyway, the movie we watched was 'The Visitor'. The actor is Richard Jenkins. It's about a chance meeting he has with a couple that's living in the country illegally, trying to make ends meet. They've done due diligence. They followed the procedures set out by immigration when they arrived, and then they waited. By the time they heard back, it had been a few years, and they had settled in. They had dodged the bullet. They were here, they had jobs, they were home. Then they were told to go home. Only.. home was, at that point, in their minds, an undefined idea.
It strikes me particularly, maybe, because we live in a community that is made up, largely, of immigrants. People trying to create home, trying to escape bad situations, trying to find, or create, 'normal'. The movie has a beautiful way of pitting one struggle against another.
In a white, suburban life where financial stability is a foregone conclusion, work is easy to find, and there aren't many things standing between a person and what might be considered a comfortable life, there are other demons.
In what is truly an aggressively real scene, everything comes to a head, and Walter (Richard Jenkins) reacts to the frustration that so many of us discuss internally on a daily basis.. to unfairness, or injustice, or inequality... or just whatever it is that makes life what it is.
It's a very big movie in a very small package... sometimes it seems like they always come that way. The smaller it is.. the less glossy...
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/thevisitor/
Watch it if you can!
JB
My idea of a great movie has changed a fair amount over time. So much of what once appealed to me seems to do the exact opposite now. I was talking to a buddy, Zak, about music, and he said that he has to feel as though the guy he's listening to has put himself out there.. left it all on the table. It's a matter of knowing that the guy has really poured himself into the work. I like that. If it didn't feel like it cost a part of your soul to create it, than maybe it doesn't have much soul in it at all.
I've been really appreciating great acting. It seems like the movies I've loved in the past while have been all about actors and directors at the top of their game. 'Frost/Nixon', 'Marley and Me' (ya, seriously). I just bought in, fully. That's the best thing about movies. They just transport you. Which is, I suppose, why I like a specific type of movie. You can always kindof tell when a movie is mostly just about itself, and it's never an experience that really takes me.
Anyway, the movie we watched was 'The Visitor'. The actor is Richard Jenkins. It's about a chance meeting he has with a couple that's living in the country illegally, trying to make ends meet. They've done due diligence. They followed the procedures set out by immigration when they arrived, and then they waited. By the time they heard back, it had been a few years, and they had settled in. They had dodged the bullet. They were here, they had jobs, they were home. Then they were told to go home. Only.. home was, at that point, in their minds, an undefined idea.
It strikes me particularly, maybe, because we live in a community that is made up, largely, of immigrants. People trying to create home, trying to escape bad situations, trying to find, or create, 'normal'. The movie has a beautiful way of pitting one struggle against another.
In a white, suburban life where financial stability is a foregone conclusion, work is easy to find, and there aren't many things standing between a person and what might be considered a comfortable life, there are other demons.
In what is truly an aggressively real scene, everything comes to a head, and Walter (Richard Jenkins) reacts to the frustration that so many of us discuss internally on a daily basis.. to unfairness, or injustice, or inequality... or just whatever it is that makes life what it is.
It's a very big movie in a very small package... sometimes it seems like they always come that way. The smaller it is.. the less glossy...
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/thevisitor/
Watch it if you can!
JB
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The End
The Jays are screwed. NY was fine. Game one was the best I'd ever seen, and it all looked like gold, but they got the better of us, and I was ok with that. Even Boston was alright. You get beat by better teams early, you turn it around, find your stride, and win when it counts. But then it was 3 straight to the Braves. Seriously, how old is Chipper Jones?
Yesterday to the O's was my backbreaker.
To quote Dan O'Toole from this morning's Sportscentre: "And you're not going to believe this ladies and gentlemen... but an RBI last night for Vernon Wells. That's right.. his first in 18 games. And let me remind you, folks..... he's hitting cleanup."
Don't worry Vernon. When you hit rock bottom, you'll almost certainly land softly on a pile of roughly $15 million.
Jeff, meet me on the deck tonight for a cheap scotch and a bad cigar. It's Red Label, and it bites on the way down, and the cigar cost $1.25, but given the circumstances, I think it'll do just fine.
Yesterday to the O's was my backbreaker.
To quote Dan O'Toole from this morning's Sportscentre: "And you're not going to believe this ladies and gentlemen... but an RBI last night for Vernon Wells. That's right.. his first in 18 games. And let me remind you, folks..... he's hitting cleanup."
Don't worry Vernon. When you hit rock bottom, you'll almost certainly land softly on a pile of roughly $15 million.
Jeff, meet me on the deck tonight for a cheap scotch and a bad cigar. It's Red Label, and it bites on the way down, and the cigar cost $1.25, but given the circumstances, I think it'll do just fine.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Shed A Little Light
JT getting it done.
Let us turn our thoughts today to martin luther king
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth, ties of hope and love, of sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children can grow free and strong
We are bound together by the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound
There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest
Shed a little light, oh lord
So that we can see
Just a little light, oh lord
Wanna stand it on up
Stand it on up, oh lord
Wanna walk it on down
Shed a little light, oh lord
Cant get no light from the dollar bill
Don't give me no light from a tv screen
When I open my eyes
I wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill
There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest
Oh, let us turn our thoughts today
To martin luther king
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
Let us turn our thoughts today to martin luther king
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth, ties of hope and love, of sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children can grow free and strong
We are bound together by the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound
There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest
Shed a little light, oh lord
So that we can see
Just a little light, oh lord
Wanna stand it on up
Stand it on up, oh lord
Wanna walk it on down
Shed a little light, oh lord
Cant get no light from the dollar bill
Don't give me no light from a tv screen
When I open my eyes
I wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill
There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest
Oh, let us turn our thoughts today
To martin luther king
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Take me out...
It's a sunny day.. blue sky, clear as glass. You get home from work and race inside. Time's ticking. You throw on a blue shirt and your vintage Jays cap. You're out the door just as your buddy is parking out on the street, so you meet up with a high five and hit the sidewalk in the direction of the subway. Life is good.
On the subway, the crowd is mixed. Primarily businessmen/women on their way home from work. Blank stares, crossword puzzles, Sudoku. A few Jays caps stand out above the METRO dailies and REALTY magazines. One kid stands in the corner leaning against his dad's knees, looking around like he's never been on the train before. They've both got ball gloves in their left hands.
With every stop, a few more jerseys, a few more fans. The volume is rising. Every now and then, you catch the odd conversation rising above the grinding of the train.. "... and if A-Rod doesn't....", "... but with Doc on the mound...."
At Sherbourne, a group of about 15 high school kids stumble into the car. The volume jumps. T-shirts, jerseys, gloves. They're going where you are. Lots of laughing. Normally frustration from the business class... 'dang kids!'. Not today.
The changeover at Yonge is the switch. The train south to Union is 90% Ball fans. Groups of buddies randomly chanting, yelling.. high fives. The trains are packed.
You jump off at Union and hit the street. We're taking over Front Street at this point.. it's become a one-lane road. You stop for a frank on the way (onion, ketchup, mustard, and a dash of BBQ for me). Every now and then you pass a Yankee fan in the middle of the moving mass surrounded by yelling, laughing, booing Jays fans. His poor girlfriend hanging on to his arm, red face, while he puffs out his chest and shows off his 'Jeter' authentic jersey. Everybody is laughing.. the spirit is great.
By the time you merge with the crowd coming down BlueJays Way, it's electric. Buskers are in full force. A homeless guy playing spoons down at the fresh-cut fry truck, and bagpipes up on the bridge under the CN tower. Scalpers are yelling, avoiding eye contact, waving overpriced tickets in your face while cops stand by eating hotdogs. You meet up with your other buddies at the gate. More high fives. The Doc is on the mound tonight. It's a lock. The lines into the dome are buzzing with discussion. Batting averages, ERAs.. everybody knows everything, and nothing is left undissected. Somebody asks you who Teixeira played for last year. You're trying to remember when a guy three rows over yells, 'Angels!' These conversations are communal.
The game isn't something I can really describe. Everything that could've happened... happened. A-Rod's first at-bat, a 3-foot dribbler. Johnny Damon getting thrown out at second by Snider in left field. A fan throwing back an A-Rod foul ball down the first base line (sooo great.. sooo insulting). Burnett getting booed more aggressively than anyone I've ever heard.. or A-Rod getting berated every time he stepped in the box just for being... well.. A-Rod. Rolen's no-out, bases-loaded double down the left-field line in the fourth. Hill's solo bomb to left in the eighth. Chasing Burnett in the eighth, and then booing him off the field.. all the way to the dugout. Doc Halladay pitching a masterpiece, lockdown mode, classic complete game.
It was one of those nights. TV doesn't do it justice. Over 43 000 in the dome, and every single one of them knew it was going to be big. Every big play, the dome was on its feet. High fives with everybody in our section, losing voices, fist pumps. I know I'm supposed to be a little embarrassed to be so excited about May baseball. "It's a long season..." I know. I know. Doesn't matter. If you were there last night....
Then the game ended, and everybody flooded out onto the street, towards the subway...
Great game, Great night.
On the subway, the crowd is mixed. Primarily businessmen/women on their way home from work. Blank stares, crossword puzzles, Sudoku. A few Jays caps stand out above the METRO dailies and REALTY magazines. One kid stands in the corner leaning against his dad's knees, looking around like he's never been on the train before. They've both got ball gloves in their left hands.
With every stop, a few more jerseys, a few more fans. The volume is rising. Every now and then, you catch the odd conversation rising above the grinding of the train.. "... and if A-Rod doesn't....", "... but with Doc on the mound...."
At Sherbourne, a group of about 15 high school kids stumble into the car. The volume jumps. T-shirts, jerseys, gloves. They're going where you are. Lots of laughing. Normally frustration from the business class... 'dang kids!'. Not today.
The changeover at Yonge is the switch. The train south to Union is 90% Ball fans. Groups of buddies randomly chanting, yelling.. high fives. The trains are packed.
You jump off at Union and hit the street. We're taking over Front Street at this point.. it's become a one-lane road. You stop for a frank on the way (onion, ketchup, mustard, and a dash of BBQ for me). Every now and then you pass a Yankee fan in the middle of the moving mass surrounded by yelling, laughing, booing Jays fans. His poor girlfriend hanging on to his arm, red face, while he puffs out his chest and shows off his 'Jeter' authentic jersey. Everybody is laughing.. the spirit is great.
By the time you merge with the crowd coming down BlueJays Way, it's electric. Buskers are in full force. A homeless guy playing spoons down at the fresh-cut fry truck, and bagpipes up on the bridge under the CN tower. Scalpers are yelling, avoiding eye contact, waving overpriced tickets in your face while cops stand by eating hotdogs. You meet up with your other buddies at the gate. More high fives. The Doc is on the mound tonight. It's a lock. The lines into the dome are buzzing with discussion. Batting averages, ERAs.. everybody knows everything, and nothing is left undissected. Somebody asks you who Teixeira played for last year. You're trying to remember when a guy three rows over yells, 'Angels!' These conversations are communal.
The game isn't something I can really describe. Everything that could've happened... happened. A-Rod's first at-bat, a 3-foot dribbler. Johnny Damon getting thrown out at second by Snider in left field. A fan throwing back an A-Rod foul ball down the first base line (sooo great.. sooo insulting). Burnett getting booed more aggressively than anyone I've ever heard.. or A-Rod getting berated every time he stepped in the box just for being... well.. A-Rod. Rolen's no-out, bases-loaded double down the left-field line in the fourth. Hill's solo bomb to left in the eighth. Chasing Burnett in the eighth, and then booing him off the field.. all the way to the dugout. Doc Halladay pitching a masterpiece, lockdown mode, classic complete game.
It was one of those nights. TV doesn't do it justice. Over 43 000 in the dome, and every single one of them knew it was going to be big. Every big play, the dome was on its feet. High fives with everybody in our section, losing voices, fist pumps. I know I'm supposed to be a little embarrassed to be so excited about May baseball. "It's a long season..." I know. I know. Doesn't matter. If you were there last night....
Then the game ended, and everybody flooded out onto the street, towards the subway...
Great game, Great night.
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