Blogging on the Powwow

I occasionally have to do my long runs on the treadmill. It can be pretty awful to undertake this task...9, 10, 11+ miles on a treadmill. I once did a 19 mile run on a treadmill. In truth, it's pretty good training for psychologically enduring whatever may come my way during a marathon. It is usually weather or an upset stomach which puts me on the treadmill for a long period of time. To make this task bearable, I try to find something on TV to watch that has a strong narrative line that keeps me reeled into the story, as opposed to watching the miles pass 0.10 mile at a time. My new gym provides a TV with each piece of cardio equipment, so with more channels than I have at home, I can usually find some kind of "junk TV" to watch. I like detective shows: old, new, reruns...it doesn't matter. I just like detective shows. I think that the intensity or thrill of a show helps me with my runs, too. My adrenalin is already pumping, so it's pretty easy to get sucked ...

Apparently someone named William Clark, or someone who uses the name William Clark and whose email address is: wclark200@yahoo.com . Last week Neil mentioned to me that he had received an unusual request from "William Clark," for oboe lessons for his 13 year old daughter, Mary. He stated that they were out of the country, but would soon be coming to the United States. Mr. Clark failed to answer any of Neil's usual questions for new students, such as how long Mary had been playing, inquires about her instrument, and whether they would be taking lessons at USM or Dartmouth - the locations of his two teaching studios. Neil usually asks if the child has, in addition to playing oboe, any other tendencies toward self-injurious behavior. Silent on all of these matters.  Then Mr. Clark wanted to pay for several weeks of lessons upfront. Neil had never encountered this before, but why would a free-lance musician say no to a parent wanting to pay for lessons in advance? Then N...

I see that my last post about our gardens was June 22. I suspected that this might happen. In addition to my own schedule and writing woes, I have a friend who says " Facebook Killed My Blog ." It is pretty easy for me to just throw my garden pictures up on Facebook for many, many more people to see, as compared to those who will read my blog. Then again, not everyone uses or enjoys Facebook. Anyway, I digress. Our gardens have been wonderful! I cannot complain. I have found perennials on half-off sales and plunked those in the ground, I have found perennials at full-price, which I just had  to have, I have found perennials which I didn't especially like, but which had good color, and things which have sprung to life which have been more wonderful than I ever remember from a previous summer. I think that's the way it is with memories though, which is quite the blessing, come to think of it! So, on with the pictures and my attempts to identify the plants in our garde...

Yes and no. I started running 9 years ago, as part of a weight-loss strategy -- like so many other people. The weight has come and gone multiple times over the last 9 years, but the running stuck. Like so many others, I found running and physical activity absolutely addictive. I went from running 3 miles to training for a half marathon almost over night...and then marathons and I even did a 50k (31 miles) once. In all, I have run 9 marathons (or plus); I tend to run 3 or 4 races a year: 5ks to marathons. But, like many amateur runners, I have suffered running injuries here and there. Last winter when I was recovering from a stress fracture, my wonderful physical therapist, Bob, at Pinnacle Physical Therapy , said to me: You need to fire yourself and hire a coach, because you have too many training errors. So, I did. My former physical therapist at Pinnacle, Leigh, moved to Texas and set up an online coaching business. A cyclist, runner, and swimmer who does full-length Ironman race...

Drake was about 11 weeks old when I noticed that he would sometimes limp on our walks. When he was 4 months old, he wouldn't want to bend his elbows after a lot of exercise. I remember carrying him home a few times when we were out of walks. It took multiple x-rays and multiple trips to multiple specialists to confirm what we and our regular vet suspected: Drake has elbow dysplasia , which is an abnormal growth in the elbow joint. Dysplasia is more commonly seen in some breeds than others. Labrador Retrievers, and some other large breed dogs, are most commonly known for hip dysplasia. One hopes that a breeder has been selective in his or her breeding, in an effort to minimize occurance of these conditions. Even when careful, these conditions can arise. There is no cure for dysplasia; the joint will never be normal. Some surgeons like to go in and reshape the bone when the dogs are pups; other surgeons recommend waiting until the dog or owner's quality of life has been negativel...