Move over Cherry Garcia

The other day I was talkin with my good friend Sugar Mag about ice cream... and of course the craving for some arose... I fought it off.

Ice cream is purely an unneeded luxury expense in life, one which a huge part of me just does not like to make -- A) it's unhealthy and it contributes to America's obesity epidemic and B) when so many in this world have nothing, a conflict boils within me concerning spending on myself versus giving to those in need. Which is more important? Certainly the lives of those who suffer.

But sometimes I've just got to spend on myself, a little bit at least -- I caved and I went to buy some ice cream. It's always just plain old desire that takes me over. Happy I will not be until I have a carton in my freezer... or in my fridge softening up and waiting for my spoon.

I swear I could eat this stuff morning, noon, and night... and set my alarm clock to wake up at 3 a.m. for another helping.

Problem in the store is there are too darn many great flavors to choose from.

This is what I got today...

Mmmmmm.... soooo good! But as great as that is, I was looking for something else. Couple days ago, I think while watching the FOX NEWS CHANNEL, I heard about a brand new flavor from Ben & Jerry's...

Imagine Whirled Peace ... damn, not in stock yet. Damn! That was about how long I was upset until I just grabbed the Breyers Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream and split. I'll be keeping an eye out for the new B&J flavor 'cause who wouldn't want to eat some peace?! Plus ain't it finally time for that Jerry Garcia guy to just fade away already!

One question, though -- who's this John Lennon dude?!?

Tuneage...

		Instant Karma - U2 Imagine - Avril Lavigne Give Peace A Chance - Aerosmith featuring Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Imagine - Jack Johnson
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur

	Phil Lesh & Friends 10/27/00 Strawberry Fields 12/19/04 Imagine

Boy what a Run!

It would only be good to be a Smurf if Smurfette was easy.

Yay, I love work. That's sarcasm. Actually -- I do love work... but being an EMT can be so draining sometimes. The job's not exactly routine... that's one of the things I love about it. Helping people in need completely trumps that... but I'm just glad I don't wake up Monday-Friday and put on a tie to go to the office... same thing, all the time. Yawn. I just couldn't do it. So I do this. 7 shifts in two weeks. Sometimes an 8th. Sometimes 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. ... usually 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ... and sometimes a 24-hour shift.

There are days when the worst case is someone's wittle tummy is upset... so we taxi them to the hospital where they get the doctor's examination which'll probably end result in something like this -- "You've got gas."

Then there are the meth addicted mommies who can't take care of their kids. And sometimes the elderly are neglected because their kid is the one who's addicted to meth. Hooray.

No wonder there's a high burnout rate in the profession. But for now I stick with it. Glad there's an open gym after work and good music to listen to.

Monday After Work Run: 17 minutes 22 seconds

(+4) · indoors ·

XXXXXXXX+++++++ 04 sec +++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time February: 1 hour 59 minutes January: 2 hours 56 minutes

Been a couple days since my last run. Decided to take yesterday off for
President's Day. I needed to pay respect to Millard Fillmore and George W. Bush, etc, etc...

A good run; it went... alright.

My left hamstring's been acting up over the past week or so... and I don't know why. This really blows. Yesterday's day of rest seemed to do it no good at all. Oh well. It's not hurting, thankfully. Discomfort there is but no pain that makes me cringe or go "owww." That's a good thing, yes, good indeed. I've gotta monitor it, that's all.

As far as running, the hamstring did not hamper the performance at the Rec Center this evening. Felt fairly good, no major trouble. Feelin' damn fine now and knowing that I'm doing something good for my heart and my health and my waistline -- just makes running absolutely worth it!

Running tunes from
the album of the day...

U2

Boy

1980

their debut





I Will Follow
Twilight
An Cat Dubh
Into The Heart
Out Of Control
Stories For Boys
The Ocean
A Day Without Me
Another Time, Another Place
The Electric Co.
Shadows And Tall Trees

Great freakin' album! I think U2 still today is the 2nd coolest band alive, next to the Rolling Stones, of course. They'll turn to dust soon enough (I have reason to believe Keith Richards already has, he's just a hologram on stage these days) and U2 will be king. But sometimes I joke that this is when they were truly great. The music on Boy is from a time when they were nobody on the world stage, just a small club band from Dublin, Ireland. Today they'd sell out Madison Square Garden 20 nights in a row... but when they first traveled across the seas to come to the shores of America, small joints like The Ritz was where people would have go to see them play. Man... they've come a lonnnnnng way. Read the AllMusic review here.

320 kbps dload right here

U2 - Boy

First Run in January

Geez, I have been neglecting running for sooooo long now. I'm not even gonna check... but if I did check I imagine I'd find out that my last run was around Dec 23rd or so? Not good. Actually: very bad. I mean, that's FAR too long of a time to go without any significant exercise. That's just insane. Almost worse than not running and sitting on my ass for the most part, is the fact that I have no good excuse why I seemingly just stopped.

Finally tonight I went to the gym. Final-freakin'-ly.

Run Time: 15 minutes 5 seconds

· indoors

I'm still not happy with myself that it's been so long... but at the same time, man, I feel sooo good!!!!!! Mostly. Taking well over a week off takes a minor toll on my lungs. Still now about an hour since my run, there's a slight burning feeling upon deep inhalation. Quite minor by now and earlier it wasn't much worse than this. When I hit my End Cue and started walking for a couple minutes to recover, that was time I really needed. Overall -- not an easy run. Not torturous but not easy.



No album today,
just three running songs from U2...

All I Want Is You (Diffusion Remix)
My Time Hasn't Come (demo)
The First Time (Innovative Mix)

Music comments: All I Want Is You is sort of a club mix, shorter and faster than on Rattle & Hum, it's clubby but okay, actually very good for running. My Time Hasn't Come demo isn't of great sound quality but it's interesting, kind of. The First Time... not bad. That is all.

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.

A Psychedelic Run; or Not Quite Pretty In Pink

9 degrees today (-13 C.) Pretty cold but not biting to the bone. Completely overcast. Some flurries here, some light snow there. It's gonna be a long winter. We've been above average for the most part, a little on the High temps but especially on the Low temps. National news I watch religiously but local news almost never... caught it tonight and they said the Record High for this day was 41° (5 Celcius) all the way back in 1916. Wow. 41. At this point I couldn't imagine. Actually I can. Shorts weather! Seems like it's been a couple months since we've had those temps. Deeper into the Interior today, many villages were well into double digits below zero. The wicked cold has set in there... but not here yet. Soon. It's gonna be a long winter.

Decided at Halftime of Sunday Evening Football to go for a run. Another blowout for the New England Patriots. I think they had 5 touchdowns at the half! Holy cow. (Being a New Englander by birth, I once tried to adopt the Pats as my favorite team, or one of two along with the Chicago Bears, but eh, never caught on.)

The temperature was just below the cusp of the point where it's just too darn cold to be out there on the trail running or casually hiking... and it was dark so on over to the Rec Center I drove. Oh joy. Having to fire up the Bronco and drive over there, walk inside, walk back to the truck, drive home, still not sitting well with me -- but it's worth it.

· Run Time -- 13 minutes 16 seconds (+0:21)

· Indoors

· Total Running Time for November -- 1 hour 36 min 59 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 8 lb.

Not a bad run. Great in a way despite it not being on the very easy side. The last two or three minutes I was a little distracted in that I wanted for it to end already. I wasn't dyin' so I was okay. Still gettin' used to this indoor temperature and the rather hard running surface. Not to my liking whatsoever... but acceptable especially since I'm not gonna shell out for a treadmill and "run" indoors at home... although, that is kind of sounding like a good option here. Hmmm. I can make up my mind in a split second on a course of action to take in order to stabilize a patient at work... but trying to decide on whether to buy a treadmill for "running" at home during the winter (which is technically still more than a month away) is something I could make my mind up about! For now I'll utilize this indoor track. While I might not like it, I'll like the results (so long as I don't fracture my tibia again!)

I ran to three of these...


The Psychedelic Furs

self-titled debut

1980





India
Sister Europe
Susan's Strange
Fall
We Love You
Soap Commercial
Imitation Of Christ
Pulse
Wedding Song
Flowers

What a great freakin' album! This is not the Psych Furs on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. That's fur sure. Recorded in late '79 and released in early '80, this is one of many albums that led the post-punk, modern rock/new wave/alternative charge into the 1980's. Within the vocals of Richard Butler, clearly there are hints of whats to come from these guys. But this is gloomier, at times almost goth-ish and dark. A few songs even lean backwards in time to a punk sound that these guys probably played a lot with before they hit the studio to record this album. Afterall, that scene in London is the one in which this band emerged from. Almost every song here has a subdued feel to it while still full of energy. No band member every really takes the spotlight. The music is crafted to be a full ensemble with no spotlight on anyone, especially not Butler. It's like while the band plays he's singin' every song but not really giving a damn... but it all works perfectly.

Listening to this makes me wonder why I spend so much time exploring so much other music. I kind of need a kick in the head to make me just spend time with great albums in this style and period of time.

320 kbps dload @ A Dashing Blade

Some U2 also in today's Playlist:

_ ►Beautiful Day (Beautiful Dance Dub Mix)
_ ►Slug (Grain of Salt Remix)
_ ►All Because Of You (Killahurtz Fly Mix)

Meredith Edwards helping me Reach my running time

Run Time --- 10 minutes 23 seconds (+0:13)

Total Time On The Trail: 64 minutes
Temperature: 25ºF (-4ºC) ... and snowing lightly

Trail Time in October -- 14 hours 33 minutes

(starting Oct. 1)
Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
So Far -- 5 lb.

Two days in a row with a run. I'm thinking that wasn't a bad idea seein' as how great I'm feelin'!

I headed out to the trail this afternoon just before darkness set in. Two songs carried me along, helping to take my mind off the horror that is running. A fairly easy medium pace was pretty easy for about the first 8 minutes before I was really really really wanting the music to come to an end. Could... not... quit. No way. Since God didn't strike me down, I knew that I could make it. And make it I did. Whew. On top of the world I finally was about a minute after my stop cue. Not as easy as yesterday but not bad. That burning lung feeling from a couple of runs ago has gone away, I am so happy to say and so elated, I could jump in the bay... but since there's no bay around here, I'll pass.

In any case, once again after getting off the trail and back in my front door, I was pretty much wiped out. After a long shower I layed down to watch some Rutgers college football and some of the Red Sox-Indians playoff game... and was asleep with a half hour. A nice little nap was had and here I am later. Although, I'm not sure if it was really a little nap since I slept for about 4 hours. Missed almost all of the Rutgers game. Almost all of the baseball game. And Utah college football was on, also. Two of the three college football teams that I care about were on TV tonight but I slept right through most of 'em. Oh well. Made some yummy broccoli, chicken, and reindeer sausage stir-fry for dinner and here I am.

Tunes on the trail...


Meredith Edwards

Reach

2001





In Any Given Moment
A Rose Is A Rose
The Bird Song
Ready To Fall
A Beautiful Mess
You Get To Me
But I Can't Let You Go
Slow Learner
This Is The Heartache
Reach
You
Places In Your Heart

If you don't make it Nashville then Get Lost! Meredith Edwards never seemingly made it in Nashville. She was/is a no-hit non-wonder. I'm sure she's a fine person... but the Nashville country music industry either spit her out or she decided that it's not for her. This 2001 album is her only release and right now it appears she is not a singer any longer. Her very brief Wikipedia bio has this about her:

"Edwards earned a double degree in Political Science and History from Belmont University in Nashville. She will attend law school at University of Mississippi starting August 2006."

Okay, but how's her music? Produced by Richard Marx, this isn't a bad Nashville country music album. I'm really surprised the tune Slow Learner wasn't a single because that may have had a better chance on the country music charts than the two released singles: A Rose Is A Rose and The Bird Song. Not that those are two bad songs but Slow Learner is, methinks, the best tune on the CD; it's got a pretty fun NashVegas rockin' style sound to it. Everything else here is decent with one track that could be considered a Christian song -- You. Very nice of Ms. Edwards to give a song to God... but in the end I'm guessing Nashville decided to eat her up and spit her out. So many artists get a chance to make it big with their very own first shiny CD, a shot at stardom... but if nothing charts, well, these days, you'd better make sure there's something you're good at in order to have some other career 'cause music ain't for you, sister. It's sad, in a way. Whatever happened to having a first album bomb but persisting anyway, giving it a go with a second release a year or two later? Not often does that happen anymore and it looks like Meredith Edwards is a victim of the One and Done mentality. If your debut don't make it, you're done -- See ya. Too bad 'cause I wonder how many great voices get put out to pasture. Their star may never have caught fire but the little music they did get produced for us who dig music, it's still out there, just gotta go find it.

256 kbps dload
Meredith Edwards - Reach

Also listened to on the trail this afternoon -- some "U2"...
Mission Impossible Theme (Techno Theme Remix)
Lemon (Serious Def Dub)
In God's Country (Positronic Mix)

(Mostly) Severely Obscure Songs 4 Saturday

a rather
interesting

U2 mix...

Pop Muzik (Pop Mart Mix)
Holy Joe (Garage Mix)
Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come
Paint It Black
Fortunate Son
Are You Gonna Wait Forever?
I'm Not Your Baby (Skysplitter Dub)
Boy/Girl
Race Against Time
Alex Descends Into Hell For a Bottle of Milk
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
A Celebration
J. Swallow
Treasure (Whatever Happened To Pete The Chop?)
Neon Lights
Wild Irish Rose
Two Shot of Happy, One Shot of Sad
Xanax and Wine
Ave Maria (Jacknife Lee Mix)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Instant Karma
The Saints Are Coming (with Green Day, live in New Orleans)

What an interesting almost 90 minutes of U2. Spanning from 1982 to 2007, most of these songs I've never heard before. This was almost like hearing a brand new album of material. I've always been intrigued by demos and B-sides and miscellaneous tunes. U2's made available in one form or another mostly everything. But not all. It's pretty cool that there's still a bunch of stuff out there that's not easily available. Gonna hafta get more used to these tunes. Not sure why I don't listen to U2 more often. Curse my stoopid idea of expanding my musical horizons to include tons that I've not had the time or previous desire to listen to! Once I was limited to a slightly narrow list of what gets pressed play on. Now that list is essentially endless and that's not allowing me more time for more U2 or more of certain other bands and artists. The internet is bad in this case. Then again the internet is good 'cause I more than likely never woulda bought any of the CDs -- or even LPs -- needed to hear all this.

Running, But Not To Stand Still...

Best run ever. Happens every time, well, except that once... but yet again today I've made it up another level, so to say, to another super-minor milestone which isn't much improvement but it's some improvement over last time... slow and steady wins the race. If I try to push it by 30 seconds, say, each time out, that might be a bad thing so small increments are fine & dandy.

Time on the trail: 70 minutes...

Running Time: 18 minutes & 1 second (up 11 seconds from last time)

tunes:

U2

Wide Awake In America

1984

Bad (live)
A Sort of Homecoming (live)
The Three Sunrises
Love Comes Tumbling

U2

The Joshua Tree

1987

Mothers of the Disappeared
Exit
One Tree Hill
In God's Country
Bullet The Blue Sky
Trip Through Your Wires
Red Hill Mining Town
Where The Streets Have No Name
Running To Stand Still
With Or Without You
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

from: A Very Special Christmas

U2 -- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

There's almost nothing to say about this music because words don't truly do it justice. The live version of Bad on Wide Awake in America has got to be one of the very best songs on any official U2 release. My first ten minutes on the trail is a warm-up hike before I set off running... but listening to Bad I wanted to take off running immediately. I never have that feeling. Ever. This evening I did. I didn't run to the song but I'll keep it in mind to use it for a run sometime in the future.

And The Joshua Tree is far and away so much better above and beyond almost any other album ever made in the history of music. Since it was released, (with the exception of the Grateful Dead) I have probably listened to those 11 songs more than anything else. This is one of those very few albums that I just cannot get tired of.

I've really gotta add in more U2 to what what I listen to. Excuse: since I'm paying to rent tunes, I'm trying out a whole lotta stuff I never got around to buying plus other stuff I haven't heard in awhile. I'll hafta add them in more often, though. No doubt about it!