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Sunday, September 28, 2003

Random ramblings...My Pats lost an ugly one this afternoon, boohoo :( And sadly, despite that, they still almost had a chance to win it late in the 4th...oh well...2-2 at the quarter point of the season...Sox made the playoffs, play the A's...please, Sox fans, DON'T let yourselves get sucked in again, thinking "this might be the year", you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak...And a question- when did, um, men's shoe makers STOP making smaller sizes?! I had to get a couple of new pairs of athletic shoes last Friday (running shoes, and cross-trainers)...I usually get 'em at the Saucony outlet in Cambridge (because I like Saucony's shoes, and because I'm cheap! :) Now, I have NO problem buying/wearing women's clothing, shoes, etc...(no kidding, right?!) but for athletic shoes, yeah, I buy men's. But NOTHING in my size?! Well, I always knew being transgendered would be useful for something, at least I know my shoe size in women's as well, so, yep, I bought women's running shoes and cross-trainers! (The only concern I had- since I'm colorblind- is to make sure they weren't pink, or purple, or teal or something, as I work out, well, non-gender specific anyway!)...In a sorta related vein, I was never really a fan of their's growing up- most of the kids who listened to 'em were the druggie crowd (one of the few vices I've never indulged!), but I'll tell ya, when I'm working out, especially on a cardio machine, or toward the end of my run, almost anything from Led Zeppelin's recently-released "How The West Was Won" live disc just REALLY gets me pumped! (Even that tender, sweet, romantic ballad of their's, "Whole Lotta Love," lol! The lyrics to that don't leave much to the imagination, do they? Hee!)...And while sorta on the subject of drugs, can I get on my soapbox for a moment? Again, I've never been one for using illcit/illegal drugs- as we've seen recently, I sometimes have more than enough trouble responsibly handling legal substances, ugh...but, and maybe it's the small "l" libertarian in me, but is there a more useless allocation of law enforcement resources than the so-called War On Drugs? Really, what is the point? To keep citizens healthy? Well, we don't ban alcohol or tobacco, and these also can contribute to ill-health if abused or used improperly. Morally- is there really any difference between getting stoned on tobacco or alcohol vs. on other substances? An intoxicant is an intoxicant. So why waste the time and resources of the law enforcement and judicial systems on activity that is consensual? If an adult wishes to use these substances, why is it government's business? As long as they don't demand treatment from the government should they run into trouble, it seems to me it's a waste to go after these folks. Again, my vice is alcohol; tobacco? Ewwwww...and smoking, snorting, or shooting any substance holds no appeal to me. But if adults wish to...it wasn't potheads who were flying those jets on 9/11, and I've seen that the Feds have stopped running those inane PSAs trying to equate the purchase of illicit recreational drugs with funding al Qaeda, as if your local marijuana grower, or some Colombian druglord, is sending their profits to Osama bin Laden...and from that, to the absurd! In commemoration of it's re-release...out of curiosity, I searched online...in the movie "Scarface" the "f" word- or variations of it- is used 218 times! Even more funny, tho', is the edited/television version of "Scarface:" how many times can the words "freak" "fool" "fight" "fuss" "flip" etc...be used in place of, well, you know?! "Fool the freakin' Diaz brothers?!" Doesn't quite work, hee!

"It's been a long time since I rock and rolled/It's been a long time since I did the Stroll..."

Saturday, September 13, 2003

Outstanding run this morning! I've been able to increase my mileage a bit more again, getting in about 6.5 miles most mornings, with decent time...I know I say it 'til folks are sick of hearing it, but this time of year in New England, September and October, is the best time of year here, the weather is almost always perfect to do almost anything, it makes the winters here almost bearable! :) Between the increased mileage, kicking up my gym workouts a notch (Emeril-sounding, huh?! lol :), walking a bit more than usual (and yes, we know why, ugh...), my weight has dropped a little more, to the point where I actually weight the least I have since- gulp!- I was in 8th grade! (But STILL hafta work my abs harder, grrrr...!)

And a belated RIP to an American icon, one of the very few artists inducted into the Rock, Songwriter, and Country halls of fame, the gravelly-voiced legend, John R. Cash.

"But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back/'Til things are brighter, I'm the Man in Black."

Thursday, September 11, 2003

This morning dawned clear and blue, just as it did two years ago today...the evil violence of two years ago is still fresh in many peoples' memories, but probably none moreso than in the memories of those who lost loved ones that morning. I know it sounds trite, but I can't help but think especially of the children who lost mothers and fathers that morning; while the loss, particularly the sudden loss, of any loved one is tragic, the loss of a parent to a young child leaves a hole that never is completely filled; there's an emptiness that is always there, a loss that is never completely overcome.

"Hallelujah, hallelujah/God bless the child who suffers/Hallelujah, hallelujah/God bless the young without mothers..."

Friday, September 05, 2003

Had my court appearance today...went pretty much the way I was told to expect it to. Some HEFTY fines and fees, mandatory classes to attend, probation, another month and a half before I get my license re-instated, but assuming I stay trouble-free (which will be no problem, believe me) the charges will eventually be dismissed. Certainly a humbling experience, one I don't recommend for anyone. But I brought it all upon myself, no one to blame but me; at this point I just have to try to move forward, wiser and more responsible. Don't drink then drive.

"Sheriff John Stone/Why don't you leave me alone?/I feel so broke up/I wanna go home..."