Booked Up

I'm deep into the outline for my young adult horror novel. The time line idea faded as more details suggested themselves. So I'm moving ahead, letting new concepts and characters steer me toward whatever ending they like. Then I'll go back and tidy things; hone the chapters in my writing workshop; get feedback from various trusted folk.

Afterwards, notes get added and I write the first four chapters. Finally, my agent takes chapters and outline around New York, seeking an editor who believes in the story. And I dream of listening to spooky soundtracks ( Hans Zimmer's "The Ring") and writing a horror book.



A fine goodly dream and a path I intend to follow.

Best in Awhile

Ran six miles with the team today. I would run one minute, then walk two. Felt pretty good; my knee was heavily wrapped; longest I've done since my injury at Pacific Shoreline three weeks ago.

I think Aqua Running helps.






T'ai Chi makes a return to my exercise rotation. Great for tendons.

Between swimming, cardio machines, strengh training, and T'ai Chi, I have to remember to eventually wedge in a bit more plain, old, ordinary running.

They say it's a big plus for marathon training.

TNT Strength Training

A new TNT training wrinkle this season: strength training. Not weights, but exercises that build up the core — torso — and other parts. One pass through the six different stations feels deceptively easy. Two passes and I want to nap. The training is held in a foothill sport's facility catering to professional athletes. Clients also include teens with well-off parents.

Health Club #3 broke the portly string. The place was brightly lit and filled with busy slim people. I got the impression they went to starter health clubs just to get in shape to join this one. Plenty of cardio machines and Spin classes. However, parking was a big pain.

And so I'll pass.

Who wants to walk several blocks to exercise?

Health Club Shopping

Ran a little at practice last Saturday, perhaps a quarter mile. Some soreness. Longest I've run since the injury. Walked three miles yesterday. Felt fine. I think I need to add a health club to my cross-training. Today, I started shopping.

I selected five within a 10 - 15 minute drive from my home. At Club #1, I was met by an obese sales rep the size of a landing craft. Not exactly your health club poster boy, but competent enough in his chosen field. This club was a meat and potatoes operation with lots of weights and cardio machines; parking was so-so; great monthly rate. No pool. I signed up for an inexpensive 30-day trial while I check out the others.

Club #2 featured a very buff sales rep; fantastic parking, great location, but tiny cardio section. There was an outdoor pool and whirl pool. However the whirl pool was filled—and I mean this in the sense of Jell-o filling a bowl—by a great portly man. God bless him for belonging to a health club, but the sight of this guy rising out of the water cooled me out on Club #2.

A supersize leitmotif? I'll know more after seeing Club #3 tomorrow evening.

No Charms in the Tank

Orgins may differ, but all USMC apricot prohibitions are held by Army tankers. In addition to apricots, armor personal believe Charm's Candy — small hard candies found in field rations — will cause rain. They too are unwelcome aboard tanks. And not just tanks. The apricot/Charms rule pertains to Marine Corps amphibious tractors and LVTs as well as the Army's entire array of steely vehicles. Here's an AP article written just prior to the Iraq war that touches on the these touchy subjects.

Tank Superstitions

Spoke with a young Marine veteran last night. He told me about the mystical world of armored vehicles. As a former Marine, I was fascinated to learn that apricots are most unwelcome aboard Marine Corps tanks.

It seems they attract gremlins.

Back in World War II USMC tank maintenance outfits noted that every Sherman broken down with strange, unusual mechanical problems had C-ration apricots aboard. The only logical conclusion was that tank gremlins, lured by the aromatic scent of tinned apricots, had monkey wrenched the machinery. And so a tradition was born and, ever since, apricots have been abhorred by USMC tankers.The young Marine who told me this was a grunt. But his father, a two-star Marine general, had spent most of his career in tanks. And a good portion of that career was spent gobbling down apricots from the turret. As far as I know, the general's tanks never suffered undue mechanical troubles. However, there were many men who would not ride with the general.

He was seen as reckless.

The Pool or If They Could Sea Me Now

Did I swallow this much water today? No, but it sure felt like it. Swim coach Georgia had me doing a mixed side/crawl stroke prior to teaching the side stroke. But I'm not that adept at kicking on my side. Coupled with a tendency to tighten up, I'm finding myself sinking and ingesting a fair amount of chlorinated water. Georgia realized that a bobbing corpse is a poor advertisement for swim lessons, so she had me use fins. Wow! The express lane of swimming! I zipped across the pool gulping less water in the process.

Aqua ran afterwards but my knee could only take about 15 minutes.

Slow, slow recovery.

But all this water had made me a much cleaner person.

I revel in that.