United in Sport

I derive a great deal of pride having been born in the great city of Springfield, Massachusetts, namely because this locale is also the birthplace of basketball. While the rest of my family missed out on the basketball gene, I've been encoded with an addiction to the sport. This addiction usually surfaces from November to April, when I become fixated on ACC basketball. I think the "aura" around basketball can make all of life better. This thought occurred to me at the beginning of the president's state of the union address this past week. I suffered through only the first five minutes of this spectacle before retiring upstairs to read Newsweek and pretend to not be falling asleep. However, while watching the pomp and circumstance of the event's introductions, husband and I determined a way to make this political drudgery slightly more interesting. After all, watching the address, it does seem like a sporting event with the attendees sitting, standing and clapping (substitute kneeling for the clapping and you have Catholic mass). If only the introductions were more like that of a basketball game. The lights in the hall dim and loud music screams over a public address system (Gary Glitter or the Alan Parsons Project, take your pick). All of the folks who are formally introduced enter the arena with warm up suits, complete with rip off pants and a baggy jacket, to be ripped off, revealing the justice's gowns, formal suits and small American flag pins (made in China, of course) on every lapel. The attendees of the address would add to their exercise regimen by performing the wave at precise intervals. Maybe, just maybe, I would last for more than five minutes. Perhaps even a mascot and scantily clad women could shoot ties and dress pumps into the audience.

Trail Blazing

Today was an awesome Saturday morning. Somehow I wrenched myself from the peace and tranquility of the bed early this morning to meet up with the running group for some trail running. By the time I got home, I was absolutely exhilarated from the day's outing. We trekked on more technical trails, navigating rocks and roots, causing me to slow to something of a hiking pace, but I didn't care. The second "half" of our run consisted of surveying possible trails for an upcoming race that's being planned. During this portion, we blazed new trails where none existed previously. I managed to knock my head on a low tree in my focus of watching my feet. When I stepped out of the car, I realized I was muddy, I'd gotten my pristine white shoes (the ones I wore for the marathon, on which I'd put some inspirational sayings) dirty, I accidentally misstepped into the creek when making a crossing, I had blood dried on my legs where branches and briars had left their mark. I was elated. Maybe it was the bump on the head, but this was the best run I've had in ages. I have no idea of how far we went through our travels, which is terrific. This morning made me realize my new running mission: just run for fun. Right now, I have no desire to sign up for any races. I'd prefer to forage new trails with an open mind. As a planner, this philosophy defies my very nature. I can't continue to live life constantly looking forward to some future event because I'm missing the now and the steps along the way to the future. Having no plans for distance or location today, just following the flow of the group, was better than any planned run I've ever done.

Resolve

Every year it's the same. The same self-promises of healthy eating and proper exercises, the fleeting mental commitment to be a better person. Not but eight days into the new year, I've not done much in the way of meeting my resolutions. Eight days and I'm not a better me. While I have started running again without pain, my gluttony has overtaken any physical strides made. This gluttony has once again culminated with the mousse. My ongoing quest to perfect the mousse recipe from Alton Brown. It's just so rich. Almost too rich to eat. If it weren't chocolate....

Okay. So eight days in, maybe I need to make my resolutions more "public." It seemed to work the last time I made a public pronouncement of annual resolve. The last time I proclaimed at a New Year's Party that I would get perfect grades the following semester. That was over a dozen years ago in college and probably after some sort of celebratory concoction. But this resolution did come to fruition. So, here's my resolution for this year: forget the quest for the perfect mousse.

1. Do something I've never ever done before and never dreamed that I'd actually do (skydive ?wrestle an alligator? travel to Fargo, North Dakota?).
2. Find other ways to gain and or maintain physical fitness (I can sort of check this off by the whole "yoga" thing, but I'd like to start cycling too).
3. Smile more.
4. Make the people I meet in life glad that they met me.
5. Figure out what will make me professionally happy.
6. Write more. Write poems, love songs, essays, who cares, just something.
7. Socially interact with my husband's family so that they don't think I'm a mute imp.
8. Run harder.
9. Eat five fruits or vegetables a day.
10. Drink enough water to float a boat.

There. Now it's public. All I need to do is live up to it.