Drought Saying of the Day

As you may have heard on the news (I know if you've watched the Weather Channel they've mentioned this, and I know that the Weather Channel is national--except for Los Angeles where the weather never changes), we're in the middle of a severe drought in the Southeast. The governor of Georgia called for a mandated 10% reduction of water usage, and we recently got a letter from Fulton County (the county we live in, and the supplier of our drinking water) that if they couldn't acheive the 10% reduction through voluntary measures then they would financially penalize the people who were not achieving the 10% reduction. So we're doing our part--the kids take baths in much less water than they used to, and then we save the water to use on the plants (both inside and outside). But the best thing I've heard for saving water is a saying that I heard my mother-in-law say:

If it's yellow, let it mellow, If it's brown, flush it down!

I laughed out loud when I heard that one! I'm not sure where she heard it, so I can't give the appropriate attribution, so if any of my 3 regular blog readers know, please tell me!

Did it Again: Marathon Man Times 2

Sorry for the lack of blogging--like it says at the top of the screen, I'm fairly terse. That translates into, "I dont' blog a lot." So for the two people whom I know check in on this blog on occasion, let me just say, "Hey Cat and Wally!" Yeah, you know who you are. Of course, it didn't hurt that I named you. :-)

Anyway, the big news of the evening, actually of the week or month, is that I completed my second marathon, the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon (sponsored by the Chattanooga Track Club), last Saturday. It was held at, you guessed it, Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park.

I shaved a full 29 minutes off my previous time back in April (though I didn't blog about it until nearly a month later in May). New marathon record time (for me) is 4:14:24. Yes, that's in hours, minutes, and seconds. That's a lot of running at one time!

Here's the official score for the three of us from the Chattanooga Track Club's site:

MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39
Place	O'all	Name	Age	City,St	5mi	Half	2ndhalf	Chiptime	Time
=====	=====	=====================	===	====================	=======	===========	===========	=======	=======
40	230	Steven Jackson	38	Milton GA	49:26	2:07:56.10	2:06:27.75	4:14:24	4:14:36
41	235	Darren Chambers	38	Alpharetta GA	49:27	2:07:57.25	2:09:02.35	4:17:00	4:17:12
58	367	Mark Hildebrandt	35	Alpharetta GA	49:38	2:13:37.20	2:48:40.00	5:02:18	5:02:29

Melissa even brought the kids up the morning of the race, and they made it there in time to see me cross the finish line! That was cool. I had my cell phone with me during the race so I could call and touch base with her while she drove, and again while she was finding her way through the park to the finish line. They got there when I was at about mile 23--just in time!

Here's the breakdown, mile for mile:

Mile	Time	Cumulative Time
1:	9:37	9:37
2:	9:59	19:37
3:	10:02	29:39
4:	9:58	39:37
5:	9:48	49:26
6:	9:30	58:57
7:	10:15	1:09:12
8:	9:44	1:18:56
9:	9:14	1:28:11
10:	8:59	1:37:10
11:	10:17	1:47:27
12:	9:42	1:57:10
13:	9:37	2:06:47
14:	9:44	2:16:32
15:	9:45	2:26:17
16:	10:02	2:36:20
17:	9:32	2:45:53
18:	9:16	2:55:09
19:	9:33	3:04:43
20:	9:40	3:14:23
21:	10:18	3:24:42
22:	10:23	3:35:05
23:	9:43	3:44:49
24:	9:45	3:54:34
25:	9:44	4:04:18
26:	8:19	4:12:38
(Finish) 26.2:	1:46	4:14:24

I'm actually feeling great after this one, unlike the previous marathon. I remember reading in my post from May that my knees hurt for days afterward, but this time around, it was only my thighs which were sore, and only for about a day.

We've already signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, as well.

Darren jokingly asked (at least I think he was joking) if I wanted to do the full marathon on Thanksgiving day, and I just said, "No" right away. But in thinking about it, it would make sense, since we're already in shape to run it. But we're just doing the half marathon--don't want to feel bad (i.e sore) the rest of Turkey Day!

While I've been traveling to Winston Salem, North Carolina, on business, I've been training for this race at Salem Lake. I have a blog post in my head about that place. Hopefully I'll get it written soon... stay tuned.

[Update: I can't do math any more...I shaved off 29 minutes from my first marathon time, not 19 as I had originally stated. The time has been updated above. -Steve]

Blogger Play

This was posted on Blogger's "dashboard" page: Blogger Play. It's a more-or-less real-time slideshow of images that people from all over the world are uploading to Blogger currently. Disclaimer: I won't be held responsible for the lack of work that you get done because you're watching random images instead of doing what you're supposed to be doing!

Strange Sight in Winston-Salem

I've been traveling on business to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the past, oh I don't remember, number of weeks. Well, a couple weeks ago I noticed that some crews were out marking up the streets--evidently getting ready for some sort of road-tearing-up-and-then-making-better project. Now this is not a doctored image--this really exists on Broad Street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the good ol' USA: Yes, that is a manhole cover in the middle of the road. And I'm supposed to keep it closed. I'm fine with that--they're usually pretty heavy, and I'm usually wearing my business casual attire while walking by, so I'm apt to leave it alone. Leave me a comment with your ideas of why they felt the need to write this in the middle of the road!

"You Know You've Been Traveling too Long When..."

You know that you've been traveling too long when you no longer feel the same thrill with taking the shampoo, conditioner, and soap that the hotel gives you. I'm leaving it at the hotel this week! [Still in Winston-Salem, NC.]

On The Road Again

Just like nearly 3 years ago, 7 weeks after my child is born I'm traveling again for business. Last time, after Ella was born, I traveled to Houston on a project. This time I'm in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Not much else to say, other than I'm glad I'm working inside. It has been in the high 90's the past few days here! Oh, and this week's rental car is a Lincoln Towncar. I could get used to it!

Careful What You Wish For!

I was just going back over some older posts. I really should be careful about what I write on this site... "That much closer to being a diaper-free family." Ha! As it stands, Ella only wears a diaper at night now, but Zack goes through them like they're going out of style!

Emmie's Poem

The other day, Madeline and Emmie were trying to remember one of their favorite poems from a book that my mom has. The poem is called, "I Went to the Store", and it was written by Jack Prelustsky. This whimsical poem is about a person who goes to the store and gets all sorts of things that he didn't go there for. Here are the opening lines:

I went to the store for a pear and a plum. The fruit was all gone, so they sold me a drum.

The rest of the poem is similar, and like I said, the girls love it.

Well, the girls couldn't remember the poem, so Emmie offered this one:

I went to the store to buy some more. When I got home, I found out I was poor.

Pretty cute and creative, if you ask me!

Kidding Around

The other week, I was joking with Emmie when she was whining, "Whaaat's for diiiner?". With a smirk on my face, I said, "Food." Emmie whined again, "What kiiind of fooood?" Without missing a beat, Ella replied, "Meat." I think Ella is going to be a comedian when she grows up.

Peachtree Road Race

I ran my first ever Peachtree Road Race, which is touted as the world's largest 10K. It started out as a great day for a run, with low humidity and temperatures, but I had a number that a neighbor gave to me which was in the 80,000 range, which meant that I didn't actually cross the starting line until 1:05:00 after the race officially started. Yes, that's ONE HOUR and FIVE MINUTES. That meant that it was starting to get pretty warm by the time my race began.

Here is where I lined up (in front of Phipps Plaza)--you can't even see the starting line (which is front of Lenox Square Mall):

In this shot, we're getting close to the starting line:

I felt like since I was in starting group 8 that I would be surrounded by a bunch of walkers, or at least a bunch of slower runners, so I managed to work my way to the front of the pack. Once they said, "Go!" a bunch of people sprinted ahead of me, thus debunking my theory.

I used my new watch that I was given for Father's Day, which has a chronograph with 100 lap memory. Each mile was fairly clearly marked with a big sign, and when I saw "Mile 1" I looked at my watch to see what my time was. I was in disbelief: it read 7:54. I was running a sub-8-minute-mile! I had been training at a 10 minute mile pace, so dropping that down by over 2 minutes per mile meant that I was cruising! It helped that the first 3 miles were either level or downhill, too! At mile two, I remembered that I could use use the "split" feature of my watch to record each mile's cumulative time. Here's the breakdown for the race:

• Mile 1: 7:54 (estimated)
• Mile 2: 15:53 (7:59 mile)
• Mile 3: 24:33 (8:40 mile)
• Mile 4: 33:33 (9:00 mile)
• Mile 5: 43:07 (9:34 mile)
• Mile 6: 52:30 (9:23 mile)
• Finish (6.2 miles): 54:28

As I passed Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, where the restaurant "Jalisco's" is, I called my mom on my cell phone. We always like eating there, so I was reminded of her as I jogged past. I could only talk for a minute or two, because just past there is the start of "Cardiac Hill" (or is it "Heartattack Hill"?). I was headed uphill, started breathing heavily, and said goodbye to mom. I slowed way down going up that hill. Partly because the people in front of me all slowed down, and the walkers weren't keeping to the right like they were supposed to. But mostly because I was hot, I was running uphill, and I had already run 3 miles in 24 minutes: I was tired! Getting to the top wasn't too bad--it seemed like a fairly short hill, plus there was water along the way. Then the course leveled out for a little bit to get to the bridge over I-85, then went up a little more. People were handing out ice along the way, which felt great. There was a lot of sun at this point in the race, and it was getting hot! After getting past the High Museum, the course started to level out and then go back down hill. I picked up my pace again, especially when I could see 10th Street ahead. Around the corner would be the finish line, though I wasn't certain just how far around the corner it would be. It was a little farther than expected, but I kept up my pace as best as I could. The street was very crowded at this point! I called home after passing the mile 6 sign and was on the phone with Madeline as I crossed the finish line. I think she got a kick out of that. Can't wait until she can run it with me (she's got to be at least 10 to run the full race).

Here's a shot in Piedmont Park of all the finishers and other spectators: It was a great day for a run!

[Updated on 7/12/07 with pictures!]

"Let Me Be Your Wings" Video

Here is a video of Emmie, singing "Let me be Your Wings" from the animated movie Thumbelina:

She won't allow other people to watch her, especially if they're smiling at her, so I had to hide upstairs and shoot the video from the second-floor balcony... [She says that if someone is watching her she gets nervous.] In the video, Emmie is looking at Madeline, who is in the next room (kitchen). At the end you can hear them both laughing after Emmie runs off-camera.

Zackary Clayton

Melissa and I and our daughters have a new addition to our family: Zackary Clayton was born last Tuesday, June 12th, at 6:07 PM. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 8.9 ounces, and was 19 inches long.

The delivery was relatively easy according to Melissa, who was able to pose for a picture shortly afterward: Unlike the previous two deliveries, the epidural actually worked, much to Melissa's delight.

The girls are, so far, happy to have a baby brother. Especially Ella, our youngest daughter. She is becoming the little mommy. Several times we have heard, "Give him to me." She loves holding him in her lap, and helping to give him a bottle.

Emmie, our middle daughter, loved rubbing her face next to his and giving him kisses.

Madeline loved holding him, too, at least until her arms get tired.

Here is a picture of all of my childred shortly after Zack was born. It is also a rare occasion that got caught on digital film: all my daughters are quiet and getting along with each other!

[In honor of Zack's birth, the site has gone blue!]

Marathon Man

It's been almost a month since I ran my first marathon, so I thought I would finally post a message about it.

First off, I finished! The 2007 Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN, is in the history books! I crossed the finish line 4 hours 43 minutes 52 seconds after crossing the starting line. What an experience!

I never thought I would even consider running a marathon in my lifetime, but I'm glad I decided to join my friends Mark and Darren in the training and in the marathon itself. My knee hurt for days afterward, but I think it was worth it. People have told me how impressed they are that I ran a marathon, but I didn't do it for glory, or for boasting. I'm not even certain why I did it, in fact, other than I told Darren that if he joined the YMCA then I would run the marathon with them (I had been on the fence about it beforehand).

Anyway, the course had a few more hills than we had trained for, and the weather was warmer than what we had trained for, so the run was quite a bit tougher than what we had prepared our bodies for.

We never did find Scott at the starting line--he was staying at a different hotel with some high school buddies who were also running, so we weren't too worried about him. Mark was the first to show some signs of trouble. He started complaining about difficulty of breathing, and after 11 or 12 miles he told Darren and I not to wait for him. So Darren and I ran the second half of the marathon by ourselves, and Mark was solo.

We had trained by running for 10 minutes and then walking for one minute, but by mile 20 we were needing a walk break every 5 minutes. We had expected this, though, since the same thing happened during our longest training run (which was about 22 miles). However, after mile 23, Darren got a severe cramp in his left hamstring, which reduced us to walking for about 4 minutes and jogging for 30 seconds or so. He finally managed to massage it out and put some ice on it (a first aid station was conveniently located at about mile 24), so we started jogging a little more frequently at that point. [This was the third part of the race course that went out and back, and we were on the back part when we saw Mark and Scott coming toward us on the out part of the leg. Darren and I felt much better about Mark at that point, once we knew that Mark had found someone to run with.]

But instead of watching the clock, we starting finding landmarks and would run to it (the third phone pole, or a car parked on the side of the road, or an overpass, for example), and then walk to the next landmark we picked out.

But we ran the final 1/2 mile to the finish line!

After the race we walked around quite a bit, got some food, stretched, you know--all the usual post-running things. Then went to get lunch at the San Antonio Taco Company. For some reason I wasn't very hungry--must have been all the post-race snacks I ate. We then made our way back to the hotel for some rum drinks and some sitting around. We thought about hopping in the pool or the hot tub, but never made it down there. We had dinner at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, which was pretty good.

Overall, like I mentioned above, it was quite an experience. We're already talking about doing another marathon later this year--Mark wants to do better time-wise. I'd do it just because I got used to running and I enjoy Mark's, Darren's, and Scott's company. It's my "guy time" that I never really had before I started running with them.

It's Starting Again...

The grass is turning green and it's time to start mowing again. Soon it'll be twice a week that I'm out there on the John Deere cutting the grass. Don't get me wrong. I like taking care of the yard. Plus this year we bought a bagging attachment so that when the grass gets too tall to mulch then we can bag it (although my guess is that it'll be too tall to bag, as well--it'll keep clogging up the chute). It's just that I have a basement to finish and I don't need to be spending all that time out in the yard. [Can't wait to get that basement finished! I'll post some pictures when I have some.]

Travel Tip

I traveled on business last week to Baltimore. It started out as a bad trip, since I got a much later start than I had intended. I knew it was going to be bad when the helpful person at the ticket counter said that it was too late to check my bag. I always check my back, despite what some folks say. (Note: he could have saved me lots of hassle if he had just booked me on the next flight right then and there!) Since I had planned on checking my bag, I hadn't taken the time to make sure that I only have 1 quart-sized plastic bag full of 3oz containers of liquid. In fact, I didn't even have a quart-sized plastic bag. So several of my items were confiscated out of my suitcase. Now here's the kicker, any my travel tip: They didn't look through my laptop bag at all, and I had a few more items in there which technically should have been in plastic bags. I'm not advocating trying to smuggle things onto the plane that you're not supposed to smuggle on to a plane, but I thought it was interesting that my suitcase filled with clothes and toiletries was most definitely targeted over my laptop bag which had two computers, several cables, toothpaste, toothbrush, hand lotion, and so on. In fact, I think the items in my laptop bag were more "dangerous" than anything I had in my suitcase! Go figure. Damn Islamic terrorists!

Out of the Mouths of Two-year-olds

"Boys have peanuts." -Ella, when describing the difference between boys and girls.

Half-Marathon Man

I did it. I completed the Alpharetta Half-Marathon in record time! At least that's record time for me: 2:08:34. It was cold and windy and they weren't handing out Gu along the way like they said they were going to, but I had a good running partner and good conversation along the way, so I didn't mind so much.

Place No. Name Age S City St Cou Finish Pace ===== ===== =================== === = =============== == === ======= ===== 215 1529 Steve Jackson 37 M Alpharetta GA USA 2:08:34 9:49

I had never run over 9 miles before, so this was an accomplishment for me! I felt great after the race, but the next day my right foot started hurting along the outside bottom edge. I guess the pounding was a bit much for it, or I didn't stretch enough, or maybe it was something else. It's starting to feel better now, but it's still sore when I walk on it.

Spot the Fake Smile

Here's something I happened across today. I got 15 out of 20 correct. Tell me how you fared: BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Spot The Fake Smile. At the end of the quiz there are tips for how to spot a fake smile, in case you need help.