Mo outdid himself this time! Thanks, Mo, I always wanted a Zen garden, but figured I can't buy one, it has to find me somehow. This inspires me to move faster on some of my other projects, like the large driftwood bonsai holder that had termites. I sprayed it last week, and need to stabilize the wood with varnish or something. I have another load of jade tumbling away in the garage, on the second week (medium grit), so a few more weeks to go. I have always had the idea that I would create a fountain of all the jade. I have been giving pieces of it away to cancer patients I meet.
I have been going to a cancer support group at the local cancer support center, and have now met two people that are trying to decide or have decided not to have chemo and radiation, but to fade away instead, they don't want to deal with the pain and sickness. This actually hurts me, but I have to shut up, it is their choice.
Today I will get my Literacy Council student and start out on that journey. I am eager and anxious to begin, knowing that I will have to muster all the patience I can, all the positive energy I can, and especially all the empathy I can. It should be fun and rewarding, zen-like even.
I had my last long training walk yesterday, 12 miles, and I had to go it alone. The scheduled walk/run was Saturday, but I had Literacy Council training all day. I planned to get going at 8am while it was still cool, but one thing led to another and I started at 9:30. It was already in the mid-70s. As usual my left hip was crying in the first mile, but the prednisone and Aleve kicked in and it shut up. The temp was climbing and it probably was up to 87 or so, but I chugged along and finally made the shady Bob Jones Trail in Avila for the last two miles. Various body parts were crying out the last three miles, but I acknowledged and then ignored them.
Avila Beach was packed, but I found a table in the shade at a coffee shop and got a frosty mocha, against the advice of the training manual, and Dana showed up with ice packs and our dog. She says, 'Want to go for a hike on the beach?' Wow, what could I say? So we went to the dog beach, where dogs can go off leash, and Woody was overwhelmed, lots of dogs, lots of balls, lots of fun. It was probably best for me to keep moving anyway.
I love these prednisone-off days, waking up at 4am and charging into all the things that need doing without making any noise. The tutoring is at 7:30 tonight, so I may have to take a nap when the 3pm crash comes. I usually don't, but end up asleep at 9pm. That won't work today.
So if my karma was broken before, I am taking steps to fix it. The poemery about the broken cow in the comments on the last blog was awesome, as is always the case with poemerizing of Manny, Mo and Mac, the Pepcid Boys.
No more bubbles
is what caused my troubles.
In the rag bag
in the shed
I grabbed old skivvies,
what was in my head?
I wrapped that cow
with old underwear,
that it would shatter
I had no fear.
Too small a box, too little padding,
and now the cow is not so fine.
I feel bad, I'm really saddened
that I hurt my karma with that bovine.
Our Cow is mad
ReplyDeleteMad Cow Disease
It made her puke
And made her sneeze
She’s really pissed
From UPS
She did get dissed
She’s broken hearted
No more Swiss
UPS has no empathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Gave its victims
No apology
Hoof and mouth
Disease they say
Will shatter life
No way
Way
I heard her Cow bell
Next to Dell
Where both are resting
One’s in hell
Late last night
From that cold grave
A familiar moo
Holy Cow - so brave
So now you’re on to a garden of Zen
Perhaps it will bring
A finch or a wren
Maybe even find
Where Figgy has been
Mac
i turned sixty last month
ReplyDeletei have gotten used to it or at least accepted
as best as i can
time passes quickly
how did i get so old
good living?
maybe just living
i had been thinking i needed more cardiovascular
activity
movement is meditative to me
though i am not compulsive
i am am rather obsessive
i have taken up bike riding
i have an old trek road bike that i have resurected
and rehabilitated it is a nice bike until i go into a bike showroom and look at the new ones
the shine, the features so fast,at rest, light......
i try to get out every other day, the bike path in wakefield goes to the train station in kingston, about 12 miles round trip. a good blast breathing the wind through my hair.
Last thursday I wanted to go for a ride longer than usual. I parked my car at the So County hospital, with easy access to route 1 south towards Westerly.
Thinking that I can usually do about 14 mph on my 12 mile rides, I'll go for an hour and then turn around. I was biking along. I saw a leather glove by the side of the roard, I was moving along smarly, but I stopped and turned around. It was a left, wow, just what I need , as I had a pair at home with a bad left. I pocketed the glove and continued,quickly getting back up to speed. It was windy and long inclines and long descents. About a mile or so from where I had found the glove on the ground I found the right, it's mate! I removed the fingerless boating gloves that were making my hands numb and put on these new soft and supple calf skin gloves. I thought I was moving just great. Until another biker passed me and kept going. Was it the shinny bike the spandex clothes, or was he just in better shape? So I'm a little obsessed.
Thanks once again for the inspiration, as I work on zen sandbox assessories.
Mo
Hey Mac you're on a role are cows sacred in Japan.
Are you still there?
Mo,
ReplyDeleteWay to go on the biking routine. Sounds like a great workout. And hey, even better when one can collect free shit along the way. It reminds me of when the TLW and I lived in Phoenix back in the early 80s. There were great bike trails there, adjacent to the canal system that snaked around the community and inner city. Problem was, in the Phoenix summer heat we had to leave the house by about 5AM in order to avoid getting cooked like a Ho-Spiced finch on a Dell Bar-B-Q.
I know what you mean about hitting that sixty number. I made it back in April and I’m still trying figure out how the hell that happened. Fortunately, I can still get in my daily walk and I often walk all 18 holes of golf. Knock on wood.
I’m done with my Japan gig. The only thing that makes a cow sacred in Japan is the discernable ability of the Japanese to raise them for the ultimate trip to a great steakhouse. I must say, it’s the best beef I have ever eaten. Each region has their own distinctive beef name. They go so far as to feed them organic grains (not sure why a grain might be unorganic – or is it inorganic ), sake mash, give them rub-downs with milk or sake, walk them through hot spa treatments, etc.
Geez John, I hope all this Cow/Beef talk isn’t irreverent. And wow, what about those of you whom are, ah, whatyacallem up north and out west - vegetablearians or somethin like that. For the latter group, well, broccoli might have feelings too, you know.
Mac
I went to the Waterfire in providence last night, last of the season I think. Many costumed character mostly the younger folks. It was not as packed as some of the summer events. It was a very strong gusting southerly. Parking up at the state house I could smell the smoke and hear the songs carried up from the river. I don't know how someone could copyright fire on water, but it sure is nice. Sometimes the heat can be felt, walking along in the lee of the fires. The gondolas were having a tough time in the gusting conditions, and had paddlers in the bow to aid control. It definitely disturbed the beauty and grace of the boats, in fact was rather disturbing. I sat by the water's edge, relaxed and watched the steady stream of people pass up stream and down. I lingered a little too long as a minute before I reached my car the rain came early.
ReplyDeleteI got myself involved in a "handyman" boat project, out of boredom and searching for the magic in all the odd places. Screw down some metal hatch trim pieces, a cleat under the sink counter, and try to stop a water leak in a plumbing nightmare. The boat is an old fiberglass pacemaker power cruiser, with a live on owner. The woman, at the risk of seeming judgmental is a nut job. Ah well, an endless amount of work, but beyond the "handyman" stage.
Fall is not my favorite time of year. Cool and crisp, the pungent smell of decay is kinda nice, but it is a hell of a lot of clean up and emptying the pool kind of stuff. Darkness, that's what gets me. Cold and long dark nights. Good for guitar playing, and sleeping. Not my weather for bike riding. I do have an indoor stand that allows me to bike indoors. A little strange. Pop in a video or listen to music and pedal for an hour or so. Documentaries are good. I enjoy a Hawaiian set as it just flows along for a little over an hour. I have a cheap onboard computer, so I can keep track of distance and speed. It works. It is a rush, kind of seems to be helping my leg feel better. That's about all the juju I got going here. It works, a lot of the time.
Mo
Best wishes going the distance November 7!!!
ReplyDeletealso how is the literacy training going? are you recruiting a lot of new customers for our book?
ReplyDeletepat