a Very Special run

Run Time -- 15 minutes 10 seconds (+0:18)

• indoors

• Total Running Time for December -_______44 min 38 sec
____________________November -- 2 hours 18 min 45 sec
_____________________October ---_______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
_________· So Far -- 10 lb... finally double digits

Alright! Another excellent run today!! Another milestone kinda, sorta... no, not really... 1/16th of the way to running a marathon! Uhhh... whew, I've a lonnnnnngg way to go. [big sigh] Oh boy. Increasing by 15-20 seconds each run will never get me there. Actually sure it will, I haven't done the math, don't have the insanely impossible to comprehend Einstein-kind of ability to figure it out instantaneously, don't wanna take a whole part of a minute to figure it out, but if I did do the math then maybe I'd know in about 35 years or so I'd be up to 4 hours... if my body doesn't fall apart first. Ay caramba. Part of me wants to jump up to half minute increments. I know I can do it. Surely I can. I think. I'm not sure. The other part of me is just fine with the exercise I'm getting now. Better than nothing! And besides, running a marathon is not my dream... more like a crazy idea and with the sole purpose being to raise money for charity. I could care less about accomplishment. Since there are other ways and other things I can do to raise money, not using a marathon for that purpose will probably be just fine.

Yup, in any case -- good run at the gym today! Got there just before noon and as usual was in and outta there and back home gettin' cleaned up in less than an hour. Time for a nap soon... I gotta work at 9 tonight, all night long, another overnight shift, my last for at least a couple weeks.

Hopefully another run tomorrow.
I'll probably be too darn tired but I'll see how it goes!

Part 1 is one post
before this one...
here's the rest...


A
Very
Special
Christmas

1989






192 kbps whole album dload
► A Very Special Christmas (Volume 1)

256 kbps
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) -- U2
I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas -- Bon Jovi
Christmas In Hollis -- Run D.M.C.
Winter Wonderland -- The Eurythmics
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas -- The Pretenders
Run Rudolph Run -- Bryan Adams
Merry Christmas, Baby -- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
+ a bonus tune...
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town -- Springsteen & The E Street Band

There are a bunch of really good tunes on this album. Part 1 has the songs I care less for while (most of) these are my favorites. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) has seriously, I think, gotta be one of U2's best songs ever. Even the tune from Run D.M.C. is pretty cool as is Winter Wonderland from Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics.) And Run Rudolph Run is a fun romp from relic Bryan Adams... I guess he was pretty big when this was released in '89.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmasby The Pretenders is absolutely without a doubt one of the best versions I have ever heard. Chrissie Hyne makes this beautiful song just about perfect. It completely gives me the feeling of a peaceful and pleasant Christmas that I used to have years ago.

And while they don't have the same quiet sound as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, both of Springsteen's tunes here are also Christmas to me. Each of them I used to hear on the radio quite often around Christmastime, back on New York City's WNEW (the best radio station in the world once upon a time) when I was growing up out in the Jersey 'burbs.

So much Christmas music I can't tolerate because it's garbage. Fortunately there are collections like this that give me some excellent Christmas tuneage that can be enjoyed all through the year, not just in December. With this album there's something for almost everyone and it's for a great cause which makes even sweeter!

This is an album that benefits an amazing and wonderful 501(c)(3) non-profit that does a beautiful thing in the world so please consider buying this and/or other volumes in the series.

The Special Olympics doesn't operate solely in the United States. Currently they reach an incredible 2.5 million people in 165 countries. If they had their way, they would leave NO one out.

Or please consider donating your time or a few dollars to this great organization. You don't have to give $100 or even $25... they would still appreciate even just 5 dollars! Most charities would. Please help. Thanks.

On The Trail & In The Garden

Rehab Hike -- Take 2

Trail Time -- 1 hour & 14 minutes

Humuhna! humuhna! humuhna! what a GREAT day to be alive!

Back out on the trail! I tried this a little over a week ago? Probably more like close to two weeks ago? (I forget and I'm not gonna check.) Whenever it was, it was too soon. My leg hurt for days afterwards when I thought I was okily dokily to be back hiking. Nope.

Well, the past week in general, and especially especially especially the past two days -- my leg has been FANTASTIC i.e. normal. So I headed out earlier tonight, right before dusk, hit the trail in my hiking boots, long sleeve hiking shirt, music in my ears, saw one moose, felt awesome! A couple days ago or so, I answered a question: "What gives you joy daily?" I shoulda said -- being outside on a hiking trail. It just didn't occur to me 'cause that's not been a part of my life, for the most part, over like the past 100 freakin' days. This stoopid broken leg has taken forever and an extra half a life, it seems, to heal. Finally -- it's healed, it's gotta be! Bein' out there was heaven on a stick, Mick. My total time wasn't very long, some people in America somewhere today walked around a mall for longer than I was on the trail but they were in a mall (so wrong!) and I was out hiking! HAA!!!

Now here I am hours later. Noticeable pain on the trail: NONE! Any noticeable pain since? NONE!! Ya know what, it took soooooo long, my summer hiking was obliterated, I gained 20 pounds without any significant exercise to speak of... but I would say that this time it's true -- I'm back, baby!

And almost ready to start running, I think. Holy cow, I'm not gonna just be Pressing Play on any old tunes, I've gotta start doing running Play Lists. Okay. Haven't worked on those in over three months? No worries. Least of my worries, actually. I believe I'm ready. I wanted to run today, at least for a few minutes. I'm definitely gonna work my way all the way up from like a mere 5 minutes, back to 20 minutes and beyond. Adding a minute each time out will take a while but I've gotta make sure the tibia is strong. To reinjure that fracture would be hell. So it'll be a slow progression but I'm stoked! My even have my first run by the end of this week coming up!

Tunes on the trail...

Eurythmics

In The Garden

1981 debut album

(2005 remastered reissue)

English Summer
Belinda
Take Me To Your Heart
She's Invisible Now
Your Time Will Come
Caveman Head
Never Gonna Cry Again
All The Young (People Of Today)
Sing-Sing
Revenge
Le Sinestre [B-side]
Heartbeat Heartbeat [B-side]
Never Gonna Cry Again [live]
4/4 In Leather [live]
Take Me To Your Heart [live]

Over the years, going alllll the way back to the early days of MTV (back when it was actually cool and relevant, back before they essentially killed the music video,) I've been a fan of this duo hailing from London. "Sweet Dreams are made of this" -- great stuff! But only a handful of songs from them I have really known through the years. Of course, these days that's not stopping me from delving into the past of an artist I've heard of and liked a song or two from. And like so many, I dig startin' way back with a debut album. Sometimes they're great, really cool tunes, sometimes even the best songs a band ever produces! Not the case here. Apparently this album was, for all intents and purposes, a flop. No wonder it wasn't until the album after this one when I first heard of these guys. No video play from this album and nothing moved up the charts enough for mainstream radio to play... not that I would've heard anything from them in America in 1981 on WNEW back in NY/NJ, not at such a young age. Listening to it now I can see why it didn't catch on. There's just nothing really catchy. One thing can be said for sure and that's Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart didn't stick to conventional music making. Their new wave sound is almost bordering on psychedelic and avant-garde at times. Once or twice I did get thoughts of Devo, Duran Duran, the Psych Furs and The Pretenders... but really this doesn't strongly compare to anything except early Eurythmics. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Overall this ain't bad but someday I'll look forward to Pressin' Play on their stronger stuff while leavin' this behind.

192 kbps dload @ Zona Musical