Still in Kansas but out of Dodge

Being in Kansas in Breeder has really shown me how much farming has become mechanized. Just a relatively few people get an awful lot done. Most people work alone or with only 2 or 3 other people. We saw 3 combines cutting hay all in the same field. They probably did the work of 100 men in one day. The combines can be GPS driven and almost on auto pilot. They are not as technical as planes but they have a lot to them that makes farming really efficient. It is hard to imagine how large the market is for grain, hay, meat and barley. Good people but little seems to change.

I am looking forward to our Triathlon. We go to Chicago next weekend to pick up new bikes. That will be fun because we will ride around Chicago. I have come to really enjoy that city so much. It seems safe, clean and full of life and opportunity. I even enjoy flying through the airport. I have concentrated on my running this week. I have mapped out a 30 minute run with a few hills. The hotel has just opened the pool. It is chilly but adequate. I run and swim today. I am ready to get back onto the bike as soon as possible. I am doing a lot of stretching and that is helping with my other exercising. Weight is coming off.

Bring on The Triathlon

Anne and I are working out everyday. My swimming is coming easily to me but I need to get into better breathing habits with the free style. I have the breast stroke really down and I can swim that stroke forever. Biking is a lot of fun too. I can run pretty easily on the treadmills inside but outside is still hard. I know to watch my pacing when I am outside. We are lifting weights too. I have lost about 6 pounds since we started. Down to 209. Want to break 200 as soon as I can.

Had a tooth pulled today so I have eaten only soft stuff. Big hole in my mouth because this was root canal that went bad. Not much pain but lots of fluid. No popcorn tonight!

Your Choice

I talked to a good friend this morning. She is going to take care of an uncle who is in the hospital but has no family nearby. She is doing it because, "It is the right thing to do." No big rewards, no recognition, no need to even make it known. She said, 'You know, life is a walking journey and as you come across things you have the choice to step over something or pick it up."

How many times do we take the time to really think and recognize what we are doing? Can we really see what is going on around us and really think of, "What is the right thing to do?' I think we tend to go to areas of least resistance without the perspective of either what we really want to do or what we must do.

Are we bold and active or fearful and passive? Can we affect something for the better or do we pass up such opportunities. The whole theme of the good samaritan is my point. We don't have to stop and take care of others but the world will certainly be a better place with our spiritual and truly human, spontaneous reaction to things. I read in the Detroit News a good article that said all the greed we have seen in the banks will now have to made up with care about others now in the hard times.

The Circle Game of Life

We are on a pilgrimage of constant growth and change. Sometimes we have jobs and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we are really busy and really engaged in what we are doing and somtimes we are not. Sometimes we are following someone else's agenda and sometimes we are on our own agenda. Sometimes we lose ourselves and sometimes we find ourselves all over again. We discover our origin by going full circle and then recoginizing "our spot" for the first time. Sometimes we recognize our weaknesses and sometimes we see our strengths. We need to accept them all as ours. We made it happen or someone outside ourselves made it happen. We do not know the full impact of what we do. We only hope and believe that living well and good, taking care of ourselves and others has personal meaning and redemption.

"The seasons, they go 'round and 'round,
And the painted ponies go up and down,
We're captive on a carousel of time.
Listen to the Joni Mitchell song: The Circle Game on I Tunes.

Question: So have you been successful with your life?
Answer: I don't know, I'm not done yet.