Daytime in Duluth

Remember that place you said you wouldn't work there if it were the last place on Earth? Well, I found the Last Place on Earth. It's in Duluth, Minnesota, and they're hiring.

If It's Thursday Night, I Must Be In ...

Duluth, Minnesota. I would describe it to you, but it's very late at night and dark outside. We flew to Minneapolis and then drove two hours to Duluth. So far all I know for sure is that there's a gentleman's club a few doors down and a store that advertises urine cleaner in its front window. I can't wait until daylight.

I'm here for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. I would tell you more about that, but I'll wait until I actually do it on Saturday.

For now, I'm going to bed. Stay tuned for another Luanne adventure!

Treadmill Cats

Today for your viewing pleasure, I am showing you a way to justify your treadmill - the cat needs it.

Lazy Cat

Two Cats

Cat and Friend

And yes, it's been a slow news day.

The Best Moment of the Day

If you had to pick it, what was the best moment of your day today? Was it early this morning because you just love getting up early? Will it be tonight, because crawling into bed is the moment you've looked forward to all day? Was it some moment in the middle of today when you finished a project, or met someone for coffee, or just had five quiet minutes to yourself?

For me, it was the moment just after I had taken the recycling and made it to the bank before they closed. Both were tasks that I needed to complete, and I was happy to check them off my to-do list. I was pleased that I had just barely managed to accomplish both on time.

There were several good moments today, but that was the best because it turned an ineffective afternoon around. In the space of five minutes, I became productive, motivated, and encouraged.

Much ado about nothing, I suppose. But maybe by recognizing a seemingly insignificant moment for the influence it had, such moments gain importance. Small moments become meaningful because I make them so.

Watch for the small moments. They can become the moments that make the big things happen, or change the course of your day, or just make a day make sense. After all, no moment is ever small if it matters to you.

Marvelous Mondays

Some Mondays are surprises. Just when you think it's going to be another day of getting back on schedule, recovering from the weekend, or catching up from behind, you get surprised. Today was like that.

I knew I was going to have to get 10 miles in today. I have another half-marathon on Saturday, and I am in no way prepared (shocker, I know). I haven't done any significant mileage on a regular basis in over a month. Although I logged five miles on Saturday, I knew that ten today was absolutely vital.

I haven't been motivated to get out the door to train. I haven't felt like jogging, so I have been talking myself out of even trying. Today I knew if I wanted to get the ten in, there would be no jogging. So I started out walking. The first two miles, I was mad and I hated everything. Finally, at Mile Two, the endorphins must have kicked in because suddenly I felt better. I was thinking about Tiger and the US Open that I would be watching later and things evened out. I had eight more miles, but I knew I would finish - hopefully by sunset. I managed to get back to the house just in time for the U.S. Open playoff.

I watched for four hours as Tiger and Rocco battled it over 19 holes. The lead went back and forth, but neither gave up. When they hit bad shots, they kept going. When one got ahead, the other battled back. Neither gave up when things looked bad. In sudden death, Tiger was ahead by one stroke. Rocco gave it one final valiant try, but didn't make his putt. The tournament was over.

The marvelocity of today is that I learned the lesson of perseverance. I saw firsthand how to keep going even when you might think you're done. I saw an athlete keep playing while experiencing significant pain. I watched an underdog refuse to be intimidated by a champion. I watched two men play their own game, not letting mistakes cause them to give up.

So maybe I'll remember Tiger and Rocco when I don't want to get out and train. Maybe I'll remember that Rocco is considered "old" and Tiger was two months out of surgery. Maybe I'll remember that it's not over until it's over - you just have to keep trying.

Today I found out that I need to get out and walk/wog/jog everyday, because it benefits me. It makes me feel better and clears my head. The pace isn't always important - the important thing is to get out and go some distance at some pace. The important thing is to do it and keep doing it every day.

Perseverance - a great lesson to learn to begin the week. Thanks Rocco and Tiger, for showing me how.