Sometimes I need to forget about who people think I am. Enjoy an anthem. AC/DC has it right...

26 Things, Wet

The last letter was easy, F, for flowers. Nothing special about this picture other than I adjusted the shutter speed to get the effect I wanted. I learned that I could only go to 1/160 sec with the flash activated. Got a little distracted by my fantasy teams tonite, so did a quickie shoot. I did learn that hot water from the shower caused the lens to steam up, and this caused a bit of confusion for awhile. That was an easy fix though. 

Letters used so far: A, B, E, F, K, Q, S. 

Governor Palin is a hottie....

But she's not vice-president-worthy. McCain's idiotic choice lost 2 votes. I was on the fence, Debbie was going to vote Republican, but this cinched the deal for us. Who cares that she pulls in the evangelicals? Even more reason to vote against her (and McCain by default).

26 Things, RAW

The last image represented E, for earthquake. The little pendulum thingy is supposed to sway and make a mark in the fine sand when the Earth moves. It gets quite the workout here as it is situated next to the bedroom. So far the letters used are: A, B, E, S, and Q.

Today I experimented with the RAW format. One thing I did learn is that pictures taken in RAW won't upload to this site. I think I need some sort of conversion program. One day I'll work on that. For now, I'll stick with JPEG.

Democrats and Entitlements, or "My back hurts doctor"

Tonight I suspect withdrawal from the Olympics. I'll have the DNC in the background. Today I saw for the umpteenth time a 35 year-old man in the hospital. Healthy appearing but on "disability" for 2 years because of his back & nerves. He seems to be able to ride ATV's and horses with no problem, but he can't seem to be employed. Amazingly his wife sees no shame in her husband not bringing home a paycheck. I don't think I can stomach a democratic administration which will encourage more of these despicable low-lifes.

Clan (without the K) Update

26 Things...it gets weird.

Each picture I try to learn something new; with this one I used my remote button for the first time. The second picture shows my set-up. I need to buy a better studio light. Of course, the last letter was B, for butterfly. Taken on my back in the shrine room.

Yosemite

I got back Monday night. Mark this one off my life dream-list. I learned new skills, and look forward to taking the boys out camping, and even doing some solo trips. The first stop will be Paintsville Lake, then Red River Gorge. I started my trip at Lake Tahoe to spend a day acclimitazing, then drove to Yosemite. We left from Tuolumne Meadows and picked up the John Muir Trail. Three days and 3 nights in the back-country. Here are just a few pictures, more are posted on my other web site.

26 Things-Compendius

In short, 4 letters taken. The last S, for shadow. This one is easy. Taken on my back from the yoga temple. I learned that I can use flash & aperture setting at same time. Also learned how to use crop feature on the photo editor. I have lots of interesting photos from The Store, which I'll post once I get back from Yosemite. All the packing is done and all I have to do is show up at Tuolumne Meadows on Thursday.

26 Things. A, K, & Q are now gone.

Thanks for the votes. I loved the idea of a triangle. But, I needed a representation for Q, and Q-tips worked there. This picture was fun to take. The art work is of a Cirque de Soleil model, purchased on Rodeo Drive. Try your turn on the next letter.

The Breaks

I planned this weekend around doing a long backpack at The Breaks, an interstate park south of Pikeville. It's the so-called Grand Canyon of the East. We drove there Saturday afternoon so I could see if I had cell coverage for the trip on Sunday. Coverage was acceptable until we got into the park, and then it was gone. Scratch that idea, I can't be unavailable for 3 hours. We promised ourselves to go back one day, as the park is indeed wonderful. A friend told me that her parents took her there when she was a child, and that makes it even more special. Unfortunately the only camera I had was my cell phone. The picture gives only a glimpse of the area, but it gives the idea.

26 Things. 2 Down..

...24 to go. The last picture was "K", for knobs. Above the kitchen sink. I learned aperture on that shot. She got the knobs in Middletown, some store that has stuff like that. Next is a letter that is difficult to photograph. Use your imagination. No one mentioned my panmixia.

C'est mon lit

My bed. Mostly I sleep alone. Mostly. I like the left side. One hard pillow, one soft.

Panmixia Denied

I'm such a pussy. Really. My leg finally healed but last weekend I came down with the crud. As a doctor, I probably should be more descriptive, like say it was adenovirus, rotavirus, or even some previously unknown mutant strain, multiple antibiotic-resistant, trepenomal bacillus. But, I'm just a country cardiologist, and I'm certain it was the old-fashioned crud. And it made me feel yucky. I lost a whole week of training, and the less I trained, the worse I felt. I had myself talked into a malaise-induced, running-impaired, ruttish-lacking quandry. I am way behind my Chicago schedule. I might not catch up. Earlier in the week I learned of a local 5K race, and I was both excited and saddened. Excited that the race was to be run on my home-court, the lake rail route. Saddened because I had not run 3 miles in 2 weeks and I was feeling...yucky. Cameron called last night and told me he had signed up for a SEAL memorial race in Va Beach, a run-swim-run.  That was enough to enhance the immune system and caused me to limit my pre-race alcohol intake to 2 glasses last night. Today I ran the race, won my age-group, and magically I feel better. I even feel up to working on the panmixia now. 

26 Things. Next Letter

As before, I take pictures around the house, each picture suggesting a letter of the alphabet. The first was easy. heretofore, much more oblique. Comments please?

Jethro Tull, The Rain, and The Grill (redux)

Deb was back in town for a few days. Yosemite training consisted of a 2 hour hike Sunday in a nice steady rain. Deb did well, but she paid for it today with her back. My running is back on track, for now, the leg didn't cause turmoil. Found a new XM station (Ch 46) which reminded me of college days at UK by playing Thick as a Brick. Brought back memories of the blue smoke and HoHo munchies. Went to the local ACE hardware for patio furniture, and found my grill..already assembled!  Talk about chagrin. Only 2 have cast votes. The answer is "A", for apple. Other pictures will be more obscure.

26 Things-Home

I read a suggestion for improving photographic skills: take a picture of something that has to do with every letter of the alphabet. I figured it might help, can't hurt. In the future I hope to add 26 Things-Work and 26 Things-Outdoors. Any suggestions, ie 26 Things-Bodies? Drop me a comment and tell me what letter I have represented here.

Too much time on my hands

Watch this. I pirated it from another blog site, but it's worth sharing.

End of an Era

Lots has happened this week, not the least that my dad was hospitalized for a SBO, fortunately he didn't need surgery and he's being discharged today. But, after 50 years running the store (yes 50!) he announced retirement. You can check out more of that story here:

                      
Posted 7/3/2008 7:48 PM EDT Louisville Courier-Journal
This is the story of a wonderful man. It's all true, and nearly unbelievable. I witnessed it and am here to write about him. I wish I were an essayist or a journalist. The story is worthy of Charles Kuralt, Tom Brokaw, or maybe Bob Hill will pick up on it before he rides off into the sunset of gardening.

Robert (Whitey) Parrish is going to retire and close the joint. I heard it today at 6PM, July 3, 2008. At this time he's sitting in a hospital room at Norton's. The years at the store have caught up with him, and have put him in the hospital once again. He has literally worked himself to death. But, he will be Ok..for now; but let me step back and start at the beginning. I don't think anyone reads this blog, but I will be sure to direct my family and friends here. It's the least I can do to celebrate my father.

In 1953 my natural father and mom moved from Seattle to Louisville. Cecil Payne was a former professional prizefighter, and a very good one. He had fought for the featherweight championship, and was a local legend during his fighting years of the 20's & 30's. After WW-II he landed in Seattle, married my mom, and his family encouraged him to move back home. He bought the cafe, named after him. It's at 1010 South 32nd Street. It's located in the Parkland neighborhood. No one, I mean no one knows the area. It's south of Broadway, close to the former "Little Africa", Cotter Homes, and Park Duvalle. Those areas have been revitalzed. 32nd Street & Kentucky however will never be on anyone's list of a place to put city monies into. I could write here more about Cecil Payne, Jack Dempsey, Cassius Clay, and many , many other celebrities, but..this is about Whitey.

32nd Street in 1958 was Leave it to Beaver. Even better, it had alleys. But our world fell apart in December when Cecil died of Leukemia. The store was a restaurant/bar. In fact, it was a honkey tonk. Plate lunches at noon, beer garden at night. Within the year my mom remarried Whitey, one of the neighborhood punks, 10 years her junior. She had 2 young children, and needed someone to help her run the joint. Some nights the take home from the register was $30. We ate a lot of beans. But we attended Holy Cross grade school, and had clean uniforms. We always wanted, but never needed.

Soon thereafter white flight occurred and the street changed overnight. Whitey took control, and slowly turned the place from a beer joint into a grocery store. He probably holds the city record for selling penny-candy.I know for a fact that it still has the reputation for the coldest beer in town. It was at first potato chips, then bread, milk, and soon followed within about 5 years it was the earliest convenience store. The hours were brutal, 10AM to 2AM, every day. For years. In 1968 he was shot in a robbery (see a former post). It was then that he finally took Tuesdays off. But, the long hours, hard work, and toll on the body continued. My parents put 3 children through college on meager earnings. Day in, day out, bologna, Colt 45, and double bubble kept the place afloat, and Whitey fulfilled. By-pass surgery, prostate surgery, knee surgery, a GI bleed to a hemoglobin of 6 never kept him down.

This man loves his work. The neighborhood loves him. It is a wonderful, peaceful, symbiosis. His customers need him. He needs them. The building is a tinder box. I'm so surprised it didn't burn to the ground years ago. I remember many, many forays back to the place in the middle of the night because it had been burglarized. Fortunately in the late 60's an alarm system put an end, mostly to that problem. There has been only the one hold-up and one gun-shot. This neighborhood is strife with drug-dealers. In fact however, he has encouraged loitering in front of the place, (despite LMPD's protests) because the dealers know him, and provide a bufffer of protection. Think of South-Central LA, Cabrini Green, or any other large city slum, and you have a picture of 1010 S 32nd Street. The drug dealers buy Ho Ho's too, and the 80 year-old widow next door can't make it 6 blocks to Krogers to get milk, but she can send a child there. I remember when he first started stocking up notions, in about 1965, and we all laughed that be stocked Coppertone. it provided humor for all for a long time. I think he finally sold if off.

I could go on. But, this week he was hospitalized again for a surgical issue. Let me be clinical.....he incarcerated a hernia, got an obstruction, because he had no one around to help him lift cases of beer. The doctors have pointed out the obvious....he is working himself to death.

He is the hardest working, most honest, most honorable, wonderful man I know. He needs to retire. He will probably not like it that I have written this. He is also the most humble man I know. He gets his positive vibes from Ducky, Shotgun Charlie, Little Bill, Ms Charla, and all his customers.

32nd Street will miss him. It's the end of a 55 year run. Thats so difficult to type. 55 years. No one does that anymore. He will miss 32nd street. But, I pray God is not yet ready to take him.

it's time Whitey.... Dad.... Please.

If anyone has read this far, and has any interest in more of this remarkable journey, please contact me.





My gimp leg persists, and Chicago is looking tenuous. Have to start cross-training. I started getting ready for my Yosemite backpack trip with a 2.5 mi hike with pack, not too bad, but the leg hobbled. Someone might just have to shoot me. The required fireworks pictures are attached, some Jenny Wiley trail, and my grill!

Rented Spinal Tap, I wonder now why it took me so long to see it.

Apparition

I saw one today. Let me explain.

I feel at times like I live in a parallel universe. My weekends in Louisville gives me my fitness fix. I can literally choose from a menu of activities and friends to do them with: running, biking, hiking, swimming, anything..and I have the support and companionship of a fellow athlete. This is important to me as I bear down on my Chicago marathon training and as I get ready for my Yosemite vacation. (more about that in future posts). Although Louisville is not a training-mecca like San Diego, Portland, Boulder, or other places that I jones for, it suffices for me quite well. Appalachia on the other hand puts me in a deep exercise-funk. The average BMI here I'm sure exceeds 35.

I did my run today and picked up a female friend at the campground at mile 1 of a planned 8 miles. . She was smiling, invigorating, and could run laps around me. She was wonderful to have as a companion. I offered her water, but she was reluctant, but still stayed at my heels and smiled the whole way. At mile 5 I pulled a calf muscle...pity me. But was able to shlog my way back with her to the campground to her companions. I was saddened to hear from the ranger that she's a stray. She followed me as I hobbled back up the half-mile hill back to my car. I was sorry to leave her. The picture shows her in my rear-view mirror.

But, I digressed. On my way home from morning rounds later, with my leg aching, and feeling even more down than ever, I ran across a group of bikers on KY 23. They were serious..I can always tell by their pace-line and looks on their faces. Their bikes were primo. At the end of the group was a stunning brunette, long hair flowing from her helmet, deeply tanned, and fit, cut, muscular arms & legs. She was smiling as she rode. Where did they come from? How can I hook up with them ? or her?

Sublime Weekend

Deb is in town. Hiking. Dinner. Theatre. Cooking. Cleaning. Planning. One other verb that can't be published here. 

Tale of the rat

This week I'm in Boca. A city certainly God's punishment for gentile males. The native language is northeastern Jewish with a generous amount of whiney inflection. What can the men here see in their counter-species? Granted, plastic surgery owns its roots here, and the amount of silicone per capita does grab ones attention (especially as the long days turn to lonely nights), I couldn't imagine the act. The line in the song "it's just you and your hand tonight" comes generously to mind. 

Conspicuous consumption of the 1980's is alive and well here. It seems that the mode of transportation is a Mercedes driven by a Jamaican female. I even saw a young man with a cast on his leg pushed through the mall by what certainly was the assigned black chauffeur. What did he need at the mall so bad that he had to make an appearance  in person with his entourage? A new pair of Oakleys? 

I'm in class from 8 to 5 every day. I spend as little time as possible in the room. I've turned into one of the bar lizards. A couple of glasses of wine, the newspaper, and I can easily waste 2 hours. Even longer if I can enter a conversation with a fellow loner. The temptation is ever-present, and I know that I'm fair game if my occupation gets out, but I have strict rules, and have not crossed the line yet. 

The weather is damned hot. I ran at 530 this morning, and it was as un-fun a run as I've ever had. The pool is right out my back door, but I can't even get a margarita here. 

Pity me.   

Kentuckians are myopic

My lovely state has come under some  scrutiny with the recent democratic primary. Unfortunately racial bigotry is still alive & well with my rural neighbors. To blame it on old-fashioned independence trivializes the real fact, that indeed many Kentuckians are indeed racist. Poor educational attainment is but one part of the calculus, but it is a malignancy that pulls down those who would like to believe that the State's quality of life could rival that of Virginia, Minnesota, or even Oregon. Blame doesn't solely rest on the mediocre politicians, but is shared by parents, grandparents, the village, and even the under-achieving children themselves. I'd like to think that the fisherman pictured here is a staunch libertarian, but more likely he simply couldn't read the sign.

Lake Day

They say the best thing is to have a friend with a boat....I disagree, it's even better to have a child with a boat.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/OPINION03/80521059/1020


This cartoon has generated a tremendous amount of controversy locally. I think it was brilliant. There is no doubt my neighbors are are embarassingly bigoted. Barack will not even be close to being competitive in Kentucky. I certainly don't want my neighbors making political decisions for me.

New Slang

Enjoy some random pics while listening to my favorite song. Click on the YouTube button below. I've finally learned how to embed songs here. Hopefully it will be smoother in the future.