The Announcement

This blog is no more.

If you wish to view my new blogspace, drop me an email at bobmoore5 at msn.com

Thank you for reading this most self-involved piece of cyberspace.

Go In Peace. Go In Love. Take of You.

Insert a Meaningful Life Here

The Bride is sick and hacking up a lung. She has no sick leave left, so she is forced by her office to either go to work or take leave without pay (even though she has annual available and FMLA). I suspect she has broncitis because her boss had it and the symptoms she's described to me and the sound of the cough. Eldest was sick earlier this week but is looking much better and she went back to work on Friday. (And I didn't have the flu, as misreported earlier. It was probably something I ate the previous night.)

The Bride and I had good interviews on Friday. She met with the folks at the Nevada Department of Transportation and, across the parking lot a couple hours later, I interviewed for a Management Analyst position with DMV's Research and Development Division. We were both met by nice people and we agreed that if offered, it'd be hard to turn down the positions.

If you're looking for my old website, don't bother. bobmoore.org is gone. I shut it down today because it had served its purpose well for the time I needed it. I was always a tad uncomfortable with the domain name because, technically, an ".org" extention is reserved for non-profit organizations (charities). I'm far happier with my current site and will be working on it this weekend. Stay tuned for a special announcement sometime this year. :-)

Got up this morning and did school stuff first-thing so I could go riding. What a day! High sixties and low seventies for the entire trip with no wind. Did the Three Albertsons and felt good about my pacing, though the lack of outside riding caught up with me afterwards. Looking at my three other Albertsons' ride from last year, I'm a little miffed that I haven't improved in speed/time since last year, but I am eight pounds lighter since my first one at the end of September, which means I didn't gain too much weight over the off-season. Feeling a little leaden right now but that will pass and I'll burst with squirrel-like energy very soon.

Are the Olympics over yet?

The demented people I work with are always dropping video links on the office. These three are good and they are work-safe. WARNING: not for dial-up.

- Get the feeling Big Brother is watching? The ACLU is worried about your privacy and sponsored this page to wake you up. Don't take it seriously.

- If you want to be a commissioned officer in the greatest military force in the history of history, you gotta learn to dance.

- Yes, there are love songs about computer geeks not making love.

This is the coolest web site I've seen in a while. I freely admit I'm a techno-geek and love electronic toys. You are reading the blog of a dude who once owned (and they're still in the house somewhere) the original blueprints of the Constitution-class U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701. I'm too embarrassed to admit here how many hours I spent drooling over those blueprints and, now, this website.

So it'll be no surprise to you that I support this ticket in the upcoming presidental election.

I'm going to miss Don Knotts, the bumbler with the heart of gold. Take a minute to whistle The Andy Griffith Show theme song, would ya?

Distance: 14.4 miles
Time: 1 hour 12:37 minutes
644 calories burned

Al Gore Is Right

I am not a "green," but I was in elementary school when the state of the ecology was a daily topic. Whenever I get gas for the truck or make paper copies for class, I privately wonder how long these resources will be easily available.

And what of the planet itself? It seems every couple of years now, the world's population hits a new record. A record seven billion people are not that far away and we'll easily surpass ten billion in my lifetime. At what point will the mass of humanity overwhelm the cradle in which we live?

The below editorial from Fortune magazine is worth the read:

Owning Up To Global Warming
It's time for Americans to face reality about climate change.
By David Kirkpatrick, FORTUNE senior editor

How can anyone living through today's bizarre and mutable weather not be concerned about global warming?

This winter, New York had its largest snowfall in history on a Sunday, followed by a 60-degree day Thursday. A week later, I sat in the audience at the TED conference in Monterrey hearing Al Gore enumerate fact after fact that underscored the gravity of the changes in global weather.

The 1100 attendees -- including many of the world's leading technologists -- listened raptly as Gore presented his nonpartisan and well-researched speech outlining the scientific evidence that there is a dire and unprecedented change in earth's climate underway, seriously aggravated by human activity.

It's a speech Gore has been giving regularly. But this could be the year when a national uproar finally causes the nation's leaders to pay attention. A movie based on the speech comes out this summer. Meanwhile, Gore says that he is working with "all of the major environmental groups in the United States" on a new consortium that will enable them to band together on a "campaign of public persuasion" about global warming and its consequences.

The techies who were in attendance are on board. Says Google (Research) co-founder Sergey Brin, who has heard Gore give versions of the speech for several years: "The data coming in is just very compelling. The speech has consistently improved as the data has gotten worse. It's remarkable just if you look at the rise in global surface temperatures."

Bill Joy, longtime Sun Microsystems chief scientist turned venture capitalist, says his only complaint about the speech was that Gore left out some of the most powerful data -- about how melting arctic tundra in Siberia is allowing vast quantities of methane to escape into the atmosphere. That adds to the concentration of atmospheric CO2 and further worsens the problem.

One after another I heard people say they found the talk convincing and compelling. Says Kim Polese, CEO of open-source software company SpikeSource: "I just don't understand why it's still a debatable topic. The evidence is just overwhelming."

As I spoke to Polese, George Dyson walked up. He's a historian of science and also son of famed physicist Freeman Dyson, who has argued that global warming does no harm. But even George was wowed. "I question some of the evidence, but Gore made a convincing case," he said.

Gore's speech enumerates well-documented scientific evidence that the global climate is changing significantly -- and fast. Here are a few data points:

- Global CO2 levels are way outside what have been historical norms over several hundred thousand years.

- All ten of the hottest years on record, globally, have occurred in the last 15 years.

- Last summer, all-time heat records were set in both the U.S. West and East.

- Global ocean temperatures are far outside of historical norms.

- Even after last year's devastating Hurricane Katrina, the subsequent Hurricane Wilma was briefly the most severe hurricane ever recorded.

- Last year Japan hit an all-time record for typhoons: 10. The previous record was 7.

- The largest downpour ever seen occurred last summer in India.

Thirty-five years ago there were an average of 225 days when Alaska's tundra was frozen enough for trucks to drive. Today there are only 75.

Gore presented his data in elegant charts and graphs. The series of before-and-after photos of glaciers that have receded in recent decades -- from Latin and North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa -- was one of the most vivid and shocking moments in his talk.

Then there is what's happening in Antarctica and Greenland -- land masses topped with huge melting ice sheets. If these start falling in quantity into the sea -- and Gore's data suggests it's quite possible -- global ocean levels will rise appreciably. Vast coastal areas could be inundated -- areas where 20 million live around Beijing, 60 million around Calcutta, and even large portions of Manhattan.

Gore claims that none of the peer-reviewed scientific articles published in recent decades have disputed that the earth's temperature is rising, even as more than half of all articles in the US press over the same period have. We journalists, in the search for "balance," may have contributed to a national complacency.

The movie based on Gore's presentation, called The Inconvenient Truth, will be released in late May by Paramount Classics. I sat across the table briefly from Gore at a dinner after his talk, and he was effusing about what a great job the filmmakers have done.

The movie is more than just a record of the speech. "It's Al Gore's personal journey and how he got to this conclusion," producer Lawrence Bender says.

Some will object to this movie for obvious political reasons, but it is likely to catalyze a national debate we desperately need. And the world needs to be awakened if his facts are right. Bender says religious and political leaders who have seen the film -- including many supporters of the Bush administration -- have been highly supportive.

My biggest complaint about Gore's talk is that despite the overwhelming evidence he marshals of dire climate change, he ends with an upbeat promise that it's not too late to do something about it. But there's no question we have to face reality -- we're hurting ourselves by hurting the climate. Thank you, Al Gore, for saying it bluntly.

Blah

I am not a nice person when sick (and less snarky than when healthy, but only those who know me can tell the difference). Woke up this morning fairly certain I caught the flu from The Bride, who got it from Eldest, who probably got it at her new job. Canceled my interview today, but went to work where I have the dubious pleasure of infecting the information technology unit for the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services.

(Hmmm. When I think of it that way, maybe this ain't so bad.)

The yuckiness I woke up with, though, is fading away. It could have been from something I ate last night.

(Darn.)

The semester is livable so far and far superior to last semester. Can't believe tonight is the end of the third week of classes. Already scheduled the first test and have repeated this phrase at least five times:

"Do not be lulled into a false sense of security because this is an open book and open note test. You should read the material before you come to class or you will be shocked by the test."

Yes, open book tests are generally harder, I don't give hard tests, but the rules still apply: you will suffer if you don't prepare. And there's always a handful of students who don't prepare.

It'll be in the upper 50s this weekend. Dollar and me are hitting the road!

"Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes!"

I used to be a die-hard Olympics fan, but I don't watch them at all now (summer or winter). The below from History.com brought back some fond memories, which I'll get around to posting eventually.


"THE MIRACLE ON ICE:
February 22, 1980

In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Soviet squad, previously regarded as the finest in the world, fell to the youthful American team 4-3 before a frenzied crowd of 10,000 spectators. Two days later, the Americans defeated Finland 4-2 to clinch the hockey gold.

The Soviet team had captured the previous four Olympic hockey golds, going back to 1964, and had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. Three days before the Lake Placid Games began, the Soviets routed the U.S. team 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Americans looked scrappy, but few blamed them for it--their average age, after all, was only 22, and their team captain, Mike Eruzione, was recruited from the obscurity of the Toledo Blades of the International League.

Few had high hopes for the seventh-seeded U.S. team entering the Olympic tournament, but the team soon silenced its detractors, making it through the opening round of play undefeated, with four victories and one tie, thus advancing to the four-team medal round. The Soviets, however, were seeded No. 1 and as expected went undefeated, with five victories in the first round.

On Friday afternoon, February 22, the American amateurs and the Soviet dream team met before a sold-out crowd at Lake Placid. The Soviets broke through first, with its new young star, Valery Krotov, deflecting a slap shot beyond American goalie Jim Craig's reach in the first period. Midway through the period, Buzz Schneider, the only American who had previously been an Olympian, answered the Soviet goal with a high shot over the shoulder of Vladislav Tretiak, the Soviet goalie.

The relentless Soviet attack continued as the period progressed, with Sergei Makarov giving his team a 2-1 lead. With just a few seconds left in the first period, American Ken Morrow shot the puck down the ice in desperation. Mark Johnson picked it up and sent it into the Soviet goal with one second remaining. After a brief Soviet protest, the goal was deemed good, and the game was tied.

In the second period, the irritated Soviets came out with a new goalie, Vladimir Myshkin, and turned up the attack. The Soviets dominated play in the second period, outshooting the United States 12-2, and taking a 3-2 lead with a goal by Alesandr Maltsev just over two minutes into the period. If not for several remarkable saves by Jim Craig, the Soviet lead would surely have been higher than 3-2 as the third and final 20-minute period began.

Nearly nine minutes into the period, Johnson took advantage of a Soviet penalty and knocked home a wild shot by David Silk to tie the contest again at 3-3. About a minute and a half later, Mike Eruzione, whose last name means "eruption" in Italian, picked up a loose puck in the Soviet zone and slammed it past Myshkin with a 25-foot wrist shot. For the first time in the game, the Americans had the lead, and the crowd erupted in celebration.

There were still 10 minutes of play to go, but the Americans held on, with Craig making a few more fabulous saves. With five seconds remaining, the Americans finally managed to get the puck out of their zone, and the crowd began counting down the final seconds. When the final horn sounded, the players, coaches, and team officials poured onto the ice in raucous celebration. The Soviet players, as awestruck as everyone else, waited patiently to shake their opponents' hands.

The so-called Miracle on Ice was more than just an Olympic upset; to many Americans, it was an ideological victory in the Cold War as meaningful as the Berlin Airlift or the Apollo moon landing. The upset came at an auspicious time: President Jimmy Carter had just announced that the United States was going to boycott the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Americans, faced with a major recession and the Iran hostage crisis, were in dire need of something to celebrate. After the game, President Carter called the players to congratulate them, and millions of Americans spent that Friday night in revelry over the triumph of "our boys" over the Russian pros.

As the U.S. team demonstrated in their victory over Finland two days later, it was disparaging to call the U.S. team amateurs. Three-quarters of the squad were top college players who were on their way to the National Hockey League (NHL), and coach Herb Brooks had trained the team long and hard in a manner that would have made the most authoritative Soviet coach proud. The 1980 U.S. hockey team was probably the best-conditioned American Olympic hockey team of all time--the result of countless hours running skating exercises in preparation for Lake Placid. In their play, the U.S. players adopted passing techniques developed by the Soviets for the larger international hockey rinks, while preserving the rough checking style that was known to throw the Soviets off-guard. It was these factors, combined with an exceptional afternoon of play by Craig, Johnson, Eruzione, and others, that resulted in the miracle at Lake Placid.

This improbable victory was later memorialized in a 2004 film, Miracle, starring Kurt Russell."

Brain is tarred

You ever get wore out to the point where syllables just sorta run together? I'm feeling a little of that right now after a crap day at work and a tiny little bike ride on the stationary, then some time walking concrete floors at the prison. If I keep doing this behind-bars teaching thing, I'm gonna have to spend some real pesos on boots made for concrete.

There ain't much going on besides my belly-aching. The temps are slowly moving up and maybe there will be outside riding this weekend. Lawd, that'd be something. So far in 2006, I've ridden about 169 miles at the gym and outdoors. That puts me in the top 2000 riders for the year in terms bike miles traveled, per the ol' bike journal. The top rider of the year has more than enough miles to cross the Lower 48, no matter what direction you choose (3700+ miles), and this person lives in Kansas! Do you know what Midwestern winters are like? Holy cow.

Anyhow, gonna drag this carcass into the bedroom. Y'all be happy now, ye hear?

Distance: 4.38 miles
Time: 15:00 minutes
328 calories burned

Dedicated to Aunt Lily

For no particular reason other than she’s in my thoughts today as she continues to recuperate from a lifestyle-related accident. (Doesn’t that sound sexier than what really happened? ;-))

Two new locker room etiquette rules:
1. When naked, ALWAYS squat. Never bend over. Thanks a lot, sir, for the surprise lifetime memory.
2. If you’re going to leave your cell phone in your locker, set it to silent mode. We do not want to hear your perky Caribbean drum song nor is there any chance we’re going to do the Bossa Nova. Sheesh.

Enjoying the last state three-day weekend until Memorial Day. Spent a lot of time this week grading papers and setting up my classes for the rest of the semester. Also spent a little time in search of my favorite blood chemical, the definition of which is courtesy of Wikipedia:

Endorphins are endogenous opioid biochemical compounds. They are peptides produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. In other words, they might work as "natural pain killers." (emphasis added)

This is one reason I believe in God. There is probably more than one evolutionary anthropologist who can easily explain why our bodies developed such a yummy reason to exercise, no doubt along the lines of need to curb pain in order to survive extended hunting periods. I think it’s simpler than that. God wants us to stay in shape over long periods of time and rewards us when we hit a certain point in our exercise program. For those folks who’ve experienced the feeling naturally, we know it’s almost a spiritual event. (By the way, "endorphin" is a contraction of the phrase "endogenous morphine".)

I used to be on the outside, looking in at people who search of the natural endorphin. More accurately, I was looking down at them, wondering why the hell they put themselves in such pain. But you know, now that I’ve been on the path, there is sometime to the feeling of delicious agony that cannot be found anywhere else in the human experience.

If you ain't done it, then I'm not going to try to describe color to the blind, but listen: put down the éclair and Starbucks. Put on some shoes and go outside. If you’ve never been there, you’re missing a whole world of ecstasy and yummyness that can’t be found in a Crispy Crème shop or under the Golden Arches. If you have been there and have lost the way, we’ll slow down and wait for you. Endorphins are best when they’re shared.

Today’s chemical rush was unplanned, especially in light of my last two biking sessions at the gym, which I was forced into because of snow throughout the weekend. I got up early on Saturday and went to work to grade papers, then headed over to the gym, but didn’t eat or drink anything before I went. I was wasted after a relatively short time, but was heartened (will never use that word, again) by my pace. If I had kept going, I would have been close to setting a personal best: 9 miles in 30 minutes.

Saturday:
Distance: 6.05 miles
Time: 20:00 minutes
455 calories burned

I had to go back to work on Sunday because I forgot to bring the teacher stuff I needed to grade papers. After that, it was back to the gym to try again, but my mistake that time was pushing myself too fast, too early. I’d forgotten that biking is a marathon, not a sprint, and whatever energy reserves I had were gone far too quickly. It was the shortest time I’d been on the bike in a while, but the pace was still on track for the 9 miler:

Sunday:
Distance: 4.50 miles
Time: 15:00 minutes
399 calories burned

I started today with two pieces of toast, then it was off to the gym and the bike. I started off good, keeping speedometer rolling along between 18 and 19 miles per hour, listening the Rolling Stones and Prince, but I started to wilt at the 13 minute point, so I dialed down the bike and chose to be happy with another eight-mile day. I wasn’t going slow (16-17 mph), but it wasn’t going to happen today.

At the 20-minute mark, I clicked over to distance readout and was pleasantly surprised to still be within reach of six miles. I figured I could withstand the pain for ten minutes, so I dialed the bike back up and tried to stay as close to 19 mph by using my thighs to push the pedals as much as possible. But it wasn’t working. I kept dropping below 18 mph. I wasn’t horribly behind the pace, but lord, it was frustrating not being able to keep a steady rhythm.

But my frustration was for naught, it turned out. At about the 28.5 minute mark, the odometer read around 8.5 miles, which meant I had 90 seconds to get that last stinking 2600 feet. Quit or die? Easy choice. I dialed up the bike and rode like a sumbitch. When the odometer clicked over before the timer ran out, I shot my arms up like I’d just won the gold:

Distance: 9.02 miles
Time: 30:00 minutes
676 calories burned

As I sat there, bent over the handle bars, with my head on my crossed arms, the rush hit me and it was good. From this point forward, whenever I’m down on myself, I will remember today’s race against myself and how I beat more that just a personal record.

Four Green Fields

The subject of grief and mourning have been floating in the debris lately. Walking through Raley’s the other day in search of warmed-over Chinese cuisine when a thin old lady with curled grey hair entered my peripheral vision. I caught my breath but motored on, knowing intellectually it was nobody I knew. Middle Daughter (affectionately known as PBJ because she’s stuck between two pieces of white bread) is still dealing with the passing of her namesake, her great-grandmother. Aunt Lily recently wrote of her mother’s passing. In the seven months since it’s happened, it’s safe to say all three of us are missing Grama.

Cultures handle the aftermath of death in the way that suits them best. Asian cultures balance spirituality and realism during their funeral services; they know death is a part of the wheel of time, accept it, and move on. At the other end of the scale are the Scots and Irish, my antecedents, who hold drunken celebrations of life and get every feeling and memory out into the open. Nothing is sacred, least of all the recently deceased, and an emotional purge of grief and happiness help cleanse the souls of loved ones left behind.

Grama’s memorial was perfect for her. It was tearful, solemn, and respectful of a woman who did so much for her family, but while it was appropriate for her, I’m wondering if it helped us move on. Maybe we need to have a good old-fashioned Irish wake with plenty of booze, music, and bad behavior.

And we should make it just loud enough for Grama to wonder what the hell we’re doing down here. :-)

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The title of this blog is from an old Irish tune whose lyrics go something like this:

What did I have, said the fine old woman
What did I have, this proud old woman did say
I had four green fields, each one was a jewel
But strangers came and tried to take them from me
I had fine strong sons, who fought to save my jewels
They fought and they died, and that was my grief said she

Long time ago, said the fine old woman
Long time ago, this proud old woman did say
There was war and death, plundering and pillage
My children starved, by mountain, valley and sea
And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens
My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she

What have I now, said the fine old woman
What have I now, this proud old woman did say
I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage
In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me
But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers
My fourth green field will bloom once again said she

No one can do sadness and depression like the Irish.

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Along those lines, Craig Ferguson is a late-night talk show host whose father recently passed away. Here is his public tribute to his dad from Craig’s TV show. It’s worth fifteen minutes of your life.

Review: "Hitchhiker's Guide"

Needs more dancing and singing dolphins and a lot more Severus Snape. Less Guy Fleegman would help, too.

Review: "Wedding Crashers"

Like vanilla cake with a chocolate pudding center: it's bad but it's gooood.

It's a little bit funny

First off, Happy Valentine's Day, with the following conditions found on the internet:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit best wishes for a socially-responsible, non-sexual harassing, non-gender biased, sexually-safe, Valentine's Day, based upon the generally accepted traditional expressions of affection commonly associated with February 14, but not without due respect for other non-traditional expressions of affection, and further, with respect for the expressions of affection of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the greetee.

(By accepting this VALENTINES DAY greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the greeter to actually implement happiness for her/himself or others, is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the greeter. This greeting is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of a VALENTINES DAY greeting for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this greeting or issuance of a new greeting at the sole discretion of the greeter.)

Welcome to the world of litigation.

----------------------

With that behind us...

On Sunday, I told The Bride we were going to get good news this week. There was nothing behind that statement other than a feeling of certainty. Well, we didn't have wait long. This all happened yesterday (Monday) and all of this is OUTSTANDING! news. The Bride and I are very proud.

- Danielle found out that she's going to be published in a short story anthology. This one is devoted to tales of horror, 2000 words or less, and her story is something she wrote when she was fifteen. More details to come down the road.

- Lara did something awesome, too. Western Nevada Community College named 192 students to the fall 2005 Dean's Listin in an article in the Nevada Appeal. Eligible students completed at least 12 credits for the semester with a 3.5 or higher grade point average. One of those fine people is named (*TA DA*) Lara Moore.

- Trina got a job at a local automotive company out on Highway 50. A good friend and former Port of Subs co-worker has been out there for a few months, already got promoted to a new job, and fenagled Trina into her old job. It's full-time and above minimum wage. This was on top of the sales bonuses her boss handed her yesterday.

- The Bride has yet another job interview today, this time with the Nevada Department of Taxation. She's getting a lot of practice, at the very least.

- Edit: I have a job interview with DMV next week in their research department. This could be good.

----------------------

A quick thing about VP Cheney and the shooting incident, and this is aimed (pun intended) at the media: get off their back.

It was a simple accident that happens hundreds of times a year during hunting season and Dick Cheney is probably feeling pretty bad about it. Yes, he broke a hunting rule and he didn't have a $7 hunting stamp. The media, still suffering under the legitimate criticism that they screwed up the WMD and Iraqi war investigations, have jumped all over this like it's Watergate.

Yes, it took over 20 hours before the story on the shooting was released. Big deal. They wanted the victim to get treatment and they want to get their facts straight. Get a grip, ladies and gentlemen of the media. We people out here in the "real" world probably have the right perspective on this and, if anything, the accident makes the VP look more human. You people are going to look like idiots if you keep going this way. Let's focus on important stories, guys.

----------------------

Aunt Lily is in our thoughts this morning as she goes see a medical minion today.

Sailing Takes Me Away

"Real" bike riding is superior to gym riding. Biking outdoors on city streets is a full body workout, with constant twisting and turning of all the major muscle groups as you speed through stop signs and navigate traffic, whereas stationary riding focuses mostly on calves and thighes. Each has their place in a fitness routine. Around here, you have to exercise inside during the winter to keep in shape and to keep sane, but given a choice, I'll take the sun and fresh air.

There's a cold front moving in later this week. With that in mind, I ran out of work tonight to take advantage of what sunlight there was at the end of a warm winter day (in the 60s, per the bike computer). From home to the library via Washington, then up Carson to the north Albertsons, then down Carson to visit Trina, then down Mountain to back home. When the sun dropped behind the hills, it got cold fast and the sweat on my back began to chill as I pulled into the garage. Though the below stats may not reflect my efforts, I really booked tonight to get out and get back before it got too dark and too nippy to be on a bike.

Update: There are now two students who've dropped my class. *mumble mumble*

Lastly, I hear there's an opening in Dick Cheney's hunting party. Applicants advised to bring their own bulletproof vest. (Yes, I am one of millions that will never, ever forget that.)

Yesterday's stats:
Distance: 6.30 miles
Time: 34.57 minutes
320 calories burned

Today:
Distance: 5.70 miles
Time: 29.05 minutes
324 calories burned

Plan A

Not a perfect child of God here. Not even close. Started the day with the absolute promise to myself to do school work first thing. Had a veggie omelet with The Bride, then got situated, got organized...then looked outside. Oh my. Lots of sun and no clouds and no wind. Sadly, I thought to myself, I have to work. Hands on the keyboard. Another look. Then realized I needed an new semester binder to organize the papers and syllabi for my three classes, but The Bride had the truck...

So much for Plan A.

It was very nice out there (68 degrees per the biking computer). Avoiding the frozen mistakes of yesterday, started off in fleece and insulated biking gloves, but got rid of those soon enough. Went south on King and Curry to Office Depot, then north on Carson to Safeway, then south on the main drag (sidewalk) and Curry to Fifth Street. Up the hill, then home. Riding on sidewalks is a mortal biking sin, but Carson is too narrow for cars and bikes and, besides, it's fast and fun.

By the by, The Bride and I've been married way too long. She must have known I was going to play hookey because check out the DVD she bought me this morning.

Edit: Actually doing class work and found one of my students has withdrawn after one class. AARRGGHH! WNCC has an open-drop policy that basically states students can walk away at any time, but it's only been one frickin' class! *insert deep, cleansing breaths here*

First One Outside

Feeling off at the moment and got no words for it, so not doing any serious blogging right now. Went on the first outside ride of the year and probably burned more calories keeping warm than actually riding. It wasn't exactly cold, but some fleece would have done a world of good. Down King towards Curry and around Dead Man's Curve. Stopped at the south Albertson's then down Carson to work. From work to Roop to Stewart, across the Legislative Plaza, then up Telegraph to home. The time in the gym has helped because my legs don't feel nearly as leaden as they did last year.

There's no snow on the ground. That picture is how my legs are feeling. Hot shower, here I come!


Distance: 7.30 miles
Time: 39.42 minutes
370 calories burned

UNR

Didn't get the job and I believe it's for the best, aside from the tiny bit of disappointment I'm feeling. I'll work that out of my system tonight at the gym.

Blog Lite

Been slow on the upload because of first week of classes. Will get some stuff up here tonight. :-)

Interview Canx

Spoke to the personnel person (again) at the Nevada Division of Cultural Affairs and she finally said that they needed a money person that needs to hit the ground running, so I cancelled the interview. (By the by, I asked her the same questions the first two times we talked and she wouldn't say then that they needed a financial person. Did she assume I was a money person just because I was on the list or were they so desperate for interviewees? I did tell her I'd come in for the interview if they needed to fill a quota.)

The first two classes have been fairly uneventful so far, except I couldn't take the books into the Tuesday night class, but I was prepared for that. Tonight should be the interesting class, in light of recent events.

One Sentence

Another crap day, another quick workout, and it's time to get set-up for the second class of the week, this time at Northern Nevada Correctional Center.


Distance: 5.86 miles
Time: 20:00 minutes
441 calories burned

Two Sentences

Crap day at work and a short workout that was barely worth the effort of logging into the journal, but it got work out of my aura, at least. Tonight is my first class of the semester.

Distance: 5.68 miles
Time: 20:00 minutes
420 calories burned

40 things you would love to say at work

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit.

2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.

3. How about never? Is never good for you?

4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.

5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.

6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.

7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.

8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.

9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a damn word you're saying.

10. Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.

11. I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.

12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don't give a damn.

14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.

15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.

16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.

17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.

18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.

19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?

20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.

21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.

22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

23. And your crybaby whiny-assed opinion would be...?

24. Do I look like a people person?

25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.

26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.

27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.

28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?

29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.

30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.

31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.

32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.

33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?

34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.

35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?

36. Chaos, panic, & disorder-my work here is done.

37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?

38. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted a salary.

39. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?

40. Oh I get it... like humor... but different

There Is Good News Everywhere

Stayed home because of my back. No exercise or work today. Back to everything manana, including the first class of the semester tomorrow night.

Looked up an old blog about a cancer patient and this sentence is in the most recent entry:

"My *December CT shows no evidence of disease." Hallelueh.

The medical bills for the daughters' December experiences are starting to roll in. As you may recall, Lara had emergency surgery to remove her gall bladder and appendix, and Danielle had preapproved surgery to remove "just" her gall bladder. I'll tally up the figures later but I am now a BIG fan of medical insurance. That is, once you convince the keyboard-punchers at the hospital and HMO that they need to reconsider some of their financial decisions. So far, I'm batting 1.000.

The Bride came home from a job interview with State Personnel and she's feels really good about her chances, and she has an interview at Lowe's tomorrow so we'll have another check coming in the house. I have a job interview for an Administrative Services Officer position at the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs on Thursday. There is no way I'm qualified for the position, but what the heck.

Last Super Bowl related entry (maybe). From David Letterman, these are the viewer-submitted:

Top Ten Cool Things About Having The Super Bowl In Detroit

10. No need for Homeland Security as entire audience is armed to the teeth
Heidi H., Sault, Ste.

9. Every place you go are plaques stating "Madonna Slept Here"
Bob T., Westminster, MD

8. Commemorative bullet proof vests for all fans
David B., Brick, NJ

7. Finally, a chance for Lions fans to watch a professional football team
Peter O., Ames, IA

6. Burning cars in the street make it feel like Miami
Jim D., Sparta Twp., MI

5. Sounds of heckling fans drowned out by gunfire
Marty S., Oak Hill, VA

4. 30,000 Ford pink slips can be reused as confetti
Mike S., Spokane, WA

3. According to James Frey, "It's great to have the Super Bowl return to the Motor City where I quarterbacked the New Orlean Saints to their first World Championship in 1973."
Nick Y., Waynesboro, PA

2. Sudden death a real possibility
Dan L., Superior

1. Buy two hotdogs, get a free Ford Focus
Pat P., Fairmont, WV

Going through my blog and reading the old bike-riding entries. Looking out the window, the sky is so blue and clear out there. Dollar is calling and we want to hit the road, but no. Not today but soon...

Btw, the best commercial was...

The only guy on the planet who can use a "Little Tree" car freshener to cut one-inch rope and a turkey baster to blow up a terrorist hideaway. Need we mention the multiple uses one can find in a single gym sock?

And exactly how many razor blades do we need on a single razor? The latest number is six, apparently. Is the twenty-three blade razor very far behind?

Pittsburgh Wins

- Great gadget play, perfectly played from Ben blocking the defender to Hines pulling it in. Pretty obvious Mr. Randel El was a college QB.

- Where did Mike Holgrem disappear to at the end of the game and where was the traditional interview from the losing locker room? Message to the Seahawks: blaming the refs is the last refuge for the incompetents.

- The Bus has stopped here. Thanks for a great run, Jerome.

- A very ordinary game that didn't come close to living up to the hype. But they hardly ever do, do they?

Congrats to the Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of Super Bowl XL.

Halftime Observations - Quick

- Seattle should have had that touchdown. He did not push off on the defender.

- Taking the shoe of Shaun Alexander was a good defensive play.

- Ben did not cross the goalline with the football. Another bad call and it should have been overturned.

- Both teams are sucking on offense. The second half should see the teams adjusting to each other and there will be points.

- The commercials are okay. The car commericials suck without end, but the booze commercials are evening it out. The razor commercial was absolutely stupid.

Yakked It Again

Ah, the semi-annual back spasms. Beginning to believe it occurs during times of high stress, which means I need a lot more alcohol and reality-altering substances in my life. I wish.

The Bride found this web site. The above picture is from that site and was taken in 1873. The St. Charles hotel is the tall building down the street on the right and it still stands today. The wooden fence surrounds the capital building, and the buildings and wooden tower on the left are on what is now the Legislative Pavilion. If you look closely at those buildings, you can see one of them is a saloon. Make your own political jokes here.

One of Eldest's friends was over last night and she brought her son, and he may be the cutest non-Moore in existence. Matthew is a toddler and a ball of energy, and he has all the womenfolk wrapped around his tiny little finger. The dude will go far with the fairer gender.

Finished my class prep, then went to the gym to hit the recumbent bike because it can't make my back hurt worst and I needed the endorphin buzz. Again, SO darn close to the 9 mile mark. I'll get it next time...unless I don't.

A quick review of locker room etiquette:

1. When looking for an empty locker, check for locks. If you put your stuff next to a locked locker, odds are you will dressing and undressing very close to another dude. While that may blow your dress up, it ain't Brokeback Gym. Find another stinking place to put your gym clothes.

2. Sir, thank you for being part of the Greatest Generation that saved Western Civilization from the Huns and Nazis. But take your frickin' bull session someplace else...and we hope that place requires clothes. All of them.

3. Do not leave bandaids in the shower. DUH!

4. And shower before you get into the co-ed spa. Chlorine can do only so much.

5. Sir, bringing your ten-year-old son to the gym is a great bonding experience, but he does not need to see any of the above during his formative years. In fact, he should not be exposed to it until he's older than me. A lot older.

Super Bowl is about to start and the house is overflowing with food and munchies, a Moore tradition. It'll take the rest of February to burn off what I will eat today. Pittsburgh, baby!

Distance: 8.78 miles
Time: 30:00 minutes
661 calories burned

Sweating to Surgery

Finished about 90% of my class prep today, so it was off to the gym. The quiet gym that was nearly empty. Very nice.

Since Nevada Fitness became a Gold's Gym franchise, they've been slowly replacing the equipment and rearranging the first floor to pack as many machines in there as possible. There a palate's workout center upstairs (for an extra fee) and they introduced some spinning classes. Spinners are nuts. And there are not nearly enough recumbent bikes to go around for the normal people and folks like me.

Important workout tip: if you choose a machine in front of the TV, check the channel before getting comfortable or you may got exposed to the joys of lasik surgery...on certain feminine parts. Ew! Followed by liposuction. EW EW EW! Way too much reality television.

Almost hit 9 miles in thirty minutes today. So close.

Edit: Send your name to space. Like there's not enough crap out there already. :-)

Distance: 8.89 miles
Time: 30:00 minutes
669 calories burned

And the results are in:

The Football Hall of Fame class of 2006 are Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White, and Rayfield Wright.

My final four got in with a couple of other class acts.

Congrats to all.

Good Feelings for Your Cup

Doing class prep at the moment and this is my Spring training: getting things organized for the big season that will run from the winter cold to June fever. In my mind, every student is ready for class and they're eager to learn. This feeling passes after about five seconds into the class, but for now, this is a perfect semester.

When I am president...king...okay, DEMI-GOD...I will decree that every day begin with a good omen. Your coffee will be extra smooth and won't burn. You'll get a couple extra miles out of that $3 gallon of gas. You'll always have twenty boxes of cereal in your cabinet to choose from (note to Aunt Lily: you guys are so damn cute - never change). You'll wake up to two rainbows and a warm rainshower. That last one actually happened in Carson this morning.

Guess I'm feeling the emotional letdown after days of building up to the interview and, in retrospect, I completely overstressed on the entire issue. The upside is I was as prepared as anyone can be for an interview (except for a possibly fatal error...which I'll discuss down the road). The people there at EXS are friendly and I gave them a great presentation. Man, I was relaxed and hitting on all cylinders. The absolute best thing about the whole experience is the last time I left UNR, I had a bad taste in my mouth that lasted for years. If yesterday was my last interview and last "behind the counter" day at The School on the Hill, then all is good and that bad taste is totally washed away.

Super Bowl prediction: Pittsburgh 31, Seattle 24

And the final Football HOF will be out later today. My prediction from an earlier entry: Aikman, Madden, Moon, and White.

If it were up to me, though:
1. Troy Aikman
2. Harry Carson
3. L.C. Greenwood
4. Warren Moon
5. Thurman Thomas
6. Reggie White

That would be an awesome freshman class.

And why the picture? Because the second decree I would issue as a DEMI-GOD would declare all blogs must have at least one very cool picture of Red Skelton. Reason, you ask? Just because.

Rant Cut Off

Had this big honking rant about Republicans. Here's the picture instead of the thousand words.

Done!

The interview is done! Yay! I'll post details about it when I hear the results. If ya wants to know soona, emailz me.

Blogger is being a dog today. The west coast blogs I usually read are down.

Slow Deep Breaths

Just chilling right now, brain fully occupied with the interview on Friday.

What I've done...
- Read through the UNR Extended Studies Strategic Plan 2003-2007
- Puttered around their web site. They got their fingers in everything.
- Analyzed their enrollment and graduation figures, which will be here tomorrow.
- Read some newspapers articles.
- Ask for and received some good advice ("Relax and be yourself.")

Need to do...
- Finalize and practice my presentation
- Read through some interview questions and answers
- Get a belt and white t-shirts
- Pick up my cleaning!

Time for more reading.

Distance: 8.81 miles
Time: 30:00 minutes
663 calories burned