Swimming after Meals - Myth? - Polar Bear Dip

Growing up, we all lived in the myth that you should wait to swim after eating. You will DEFINITELY cramp up and be in pain. Well, my Canadian friends across the river tested that theory yesterday at the 17th annual Polar Bear Dip for Childcan, a charity for children with cancer. Lunch at 11 said the schedule with the dip at 1 PM (actually started a little after 12:30). I am happy to report there were no reported cramping episodes. Friend Jen, who partook in the dip, said lunch consisted of everyone taking swigs out of each other's flasks. A little liquid cabbage is always a nice topper before going into 34 degree water (one Celsius for our Canadian readers).  

Good time, good people.

Trail Head

the "holding hands" idea didn't last long

"the waiting is the hardest part...."

friend Jen in the forefront - pre-dip - she is warm for now

the scene

 

 

friend Shannon (black shirt - middle) trying to talk herself into it (or out of it)

 
 

  

old cottage looking good

Testing the Threshold of "Too Cold"

Frito Bandito rider was out in the elements today at Island Lake Recreation Area, checking to see if 10 degrees with a sub zero wind chill was "too cold." I am happy to report that it isn't too cold; and that I gave some hikers a double take as I pedaled past them with the noted face mask on. 

The trails were about 80 percent non-ice with yours truly biting it on a portion of the remaining 20 percent just near the end. A well executed fall on my fanny though with no post ride aches to report. 

Freeze on Snow Miser.

Trail Head

Alumni Hoops - 49 feeling like...49

yours truly in red guarding Gus' kid

I was going to post this yesterday but wanted to convey the feeling 24 hours after running up and down an 80 foot basketball court, attempting to keep up with individuals more than half my age. Yesterday was the annual Milford alumni basketball scrimmage against the varsity and my feeling 24 hours after is…..I need a new set of hip sockets and my jump shot has left the building.

A running 5-minute clock each quarter; doesn’t seem too bad on paper and I consider myself in shape for the most part but a few fast breaks (my team unfortunately wasn’t up for walking the ball up the court; come on guys!!) had the brain asking to put the hands on the knees and search for an extra breath or two. On a positive note, the old guys won and I was able to get on the scoring sheet with one bucket that had the crowd of 15 in awe and on their feet shouting for more (slight exaggeration). On a not-so-positive note, I hadn’t played since last year’s game and it showed. If they were handing out nicknames, they would have given me former Piston Cliff Levingston’s persona, ‘House.’ As in, “He’s shooting so many bricks, he could build a house.”

The photos are courtesy of Gus whose son Gunnar is a sophomore on the team. My crafty veteran basketball tricks were of no use as young Gunnar schooled me for a few buckets. My advice to him is what old coach Harris used to tell me, "Shoot the damn ball Timmy!!!!"

Go Redskins...err Mavericks!

Trail Head aka 'House'

trail head looking for his shot - still looking

Scuba Dog

A Seadog shout out to the brother who has done more with no use of legs than the majority who do. His latest conquest being scuba diving in Cozumel, Mexico. A nice getaway for the man who is also teaching others to ski (http://mtbadaptivesports.com/) this winter. 

Get that turtle Jim!

Trail Head

Xmas in Beer Heaven

The 30th (31st?) annual CMU xmas party headed west this year to Kalamazoo; home of....beer. When in the home of beer, you jump on the brew pub shuttle taking you to beer heaven. A gold star to brew pub shuttle driver Tony for taking a group of fossils to the promised land. 

A great time with great people.

Trail Head

guessing pub shuttle driver Tony has some stories

crew cruising the mean streets of Kalamazoo

great band at Old Dog

little late

Alarm Down

lot of wear on that right alarm switch

Yep, the clock literally struck midnight this week as my alarm clock that I've used since the 5th grade (first time I had my own bedroom!!!!) decided to stop telling me when to get up. The alarm switch, flipped back and forth for I am guessing roughly 15,000 times over its tenure, no longer works. Getting up at 5 AM (internal alarm clock still gets me up at 4:50 for some stupid reason) for 26 years of work, getting up is never a problem; yet, we all love the crutch of the alarm clock! I was never a snooze bar user either. It always seemed like you were abusing your body getting shocked awake by the alarm every 10 minutes only to do it over again and again and again...  

The clock's replacement is another reason the world is evolving into Idiocracy. Upon opening the package with the clock, the user is presented with a sticker on it of what the illuminating view looks like. On the sticker (noted below) is the text "REMOVE BEFORE OPERATING CLOCK." 

Good information to know.

Trail Head 

Celebrity Sibling

So there I was yesterday at work, enjoying my lunch, reading the paper, avoiding any articles on my beloved (but woeful) Spartans football team. The sports section has its usual suck-up articles on the U-M football coach so I avoid it altogether. The last section of the paper, Homestyle, is presented to me. The people pictured on the cover look familiar but wasn't sure if I could make out who they were. On go the reader glasses and I get my confirmation. My sister and brother-in-law are on said cover! The first family of Detroit had an article on the updates they have made to their home; some beautiful ones. 

It was earlier this summer that I stumbled upon my nephew Jackson on television promoting a bicycle ride in town. Now we have Detroit's version of "This Old House" in the newspaper. With this much exposure, I might have to start calling my sister's family the Kardashians (ha). I am anxiously awaiting my niece Hannah's (aka Annie Leibovitz) show on photography in all of her worldly travels. 

Keep on keeping Kardash....

Trail Head