I had my first race in October. Some buddies and I participated in the Warrior Dash. It was a cool mud run and I had a really good time. unfortunately something got screwed up with the liquor license because they were unable to serve beer. We had a hotel room for two nights with the intention of drinking after the race but because there was nothing stopping us from driving home we did just that. Everyone that raced the Virginia Warrior Dash gets to register for free for another event since they fucked up the alcohol permits.
starting at 0900 roughly 400 people started every half hour for the 5k obstacle mud run. Two friends of mine had the same wave as I did and Flanders and I ran it together. I was able to take my waterproof camera with me so I could snap some shots while I ran. We had other friends in other waves so we stayed until the end. Tom got 2nd place overall and first for our age group and because the first place overall person did not stick around Tom got the prize!
There was also a beard competition and I, of course, was in it. Only three people including myself were called up to the stage and the crowd only consisted of -50 people. The winner was based on crowd response and I got 2nd. I told Ce that this will motivate me to continue growing my beard until the next event. She was not happy with that decision.
A while back before Papa Bud passed I asked this girl CE out to go hiking. We picked a date to go which coincided with Papa Bud getting sick so I cancelled to spend time with family. Later in december I got really sick and then Grandma Shirley passed in January. CE and I didn't run into each other too much and never really rescheduled. A mutual friend had a party in which the two of us attended, and after talking decided we should get together sometime.
We started exchanging sarcastic texts and web-enabled chats. After my kite flying success, I told CE that the next time we have coinciding time off we should get together and fly. On a beautiful windless day a few days later we got together and because the still of the air meant Harrisonburg was a no-fly zone we decided to get ice cream (#1 of 3 in 6 days).
I picked her up and drove us to Kline's Dairy Bar. When the young ice cream attendant was ready I ordered my cone and added "and whatever she is having" pointing to CE. She responded by saying she would pay for herself. I'm a fan of everyone paying for themselves but I was still caught a little off guard. We sat and talked and complimented each others socks. She had to go to work so I dropped her back off at home.
B T Dubs, eating ice cream with this facial hair is pretty disgustingly delicious.
We have gone out again since then. The Mighty Ducks was playing for free at Westover and I really wanted to see it again. CE had never seen the flying V. We were the first to arrive and got primo seats. dead center on the biggest most comfortable gym mat.
We went out again for dinner and a show. After CE departed from work she called me so we could coordinate our plans. She was being very indecisive and I'm not the best plan maker so I said that we could pencil in dinner and martinis at the dodger and then a walk to the Little Grill for the concert. It was a good thing we used pencil and not sharpie because after I picked her up, parked downtown, and went to the dodger we realized / remembered that that night was the art opening for a local artist. We walked circles around downtown for an hour talking and laughing. Laughing a lot, we spent the majority of our time cracking up over the silly things we were doing. CE is a goober and that is a quality that I look for in women, it is almost mandatory.
While at Jess's Quick lunch the fun didn't stop. shooting straw wrappers, videotaping slithering straw wrapper snakes, dropping frys, mustard drooling. I'm sure the waitress's and owner were not finding us nearly as amusing as we did.
We did end up making it over to the little grill where we met up with LT and some of his friends. I tried to hold her hand on the way over and was turned down though. We stayed until the last band finished, which was playing to an almost empty house.
A date or just hanging out, we had a great time and look forward to seeing her again soon.
Last night my phone rang and I did not recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. It was a automated recording from my optical department letting me know that my new glasses have arrived and were available for pickup. This was exciting news for me! The company I work for offers there employees a vision voucher every year that is good for one-hundred and fifty dollars towards a new pair of glasses so every year I get my eyes checked and take my prescription to them and pick out a new pair of glasses. My prescription is so weak that the total always comes out to less than $150. Too bad I do not get to keep the remainder. There was a special going on where if you get two pairs of glasses you get $25 dollars off, which meant I would have $175 towards two pairs of glasses! I picked out two I liked and ordered them.
Well the phone message only mentioned that one pair had come in so on my break at work today I went to the optical department to pick them up. "Oh Ben," Marsha, the optician said, "didn't somebody tell you? We had to send them back, they came in with a huge scratch on them." It will be another week until I get those back. I asked about the other pair and they said it hadn't come in yet.
After a few hours of being home from work my phone rang and it was the optical department again! Hooray, at least my other glasses have arrived, right? "Hey Ben, it's Marsha. I was going to tell you your glasses came in, but they sent us the wrong ones. We got a pair that was supposed to go to North Carolina and they got yours, so it will be about a week until those come in." Damn you! Not you Marsha, but damn somebody.
I had lunch today with L.T. after work and then we went and played pool which was fun. He is a much better player than I am, but I ended up winning almost all the games. I didn't ever have a real strategy, I would just aim and shoot, if a ball goes in, that is when I focus on the next shot. Most of the time the only ball I would get in would be the cue ball. L.T. could aim his shot, make the ball, and have the cue ball positioned where he wanted it. It must have been frustrating for him when he would make almost all the balls in 9 ball and then I would make the only ball that counts. We switched to 8-ball and he would have a pretty solid run at the table, be down to the last ball while my balls were still scattered around the table, and scratch. It was all fun, and I did not gloat too much.
I ordered mustache wax today! The 'stache is not quite long enough for the handlebar look yet, but the wax should at least help it stay out of my mouth, and my soup. Oh, and I don't work until tuesday. Yay.
I went bowling the other day with L.T., a buddy of mine, it was a lot of fun. Here is:
The story of the fowl line.
I have two goals when it comes to bowling. Number ONE: Hit at least one pin per frame. Numero TWO: Break 100.
My goals are not always achieved. L.T. and I played two games, both of which, I at one time or another bowled a 0-0 for at least one frame. L.T. won the first game and I did not even break 100. The second game was about to get started and I was warmed up. The first few frames went by and I promptly fell behind.
L.T. finished up his tenth frame of game number two with a final score of 100. I had seventy-five in the ninth frame. The only possible way I could break 100 (and beat L.T.) was to get Strike-Strike-6(or better) in the final frame. Because of L.T.'s winning of the first game, the pressure was on, and I couldn't let him annihilate me like that so I tightened up my rental shoe laces and picked up the ball. I stared down the lane and said "Well pins, it's you or me, and I don't fall easily." The ball spun off my finger tips and headed straight towards the right gutter, it danced on the edge and broke left at the last second smashing into the pins putting a big X on the board. I was stunned but knew it was not over. If I did not get a strike on the second ball than even with the spare my score would only be 95.
With the ball pressed against my chest it ascended and descended with each breath I took. I made my way up to the foul line and let the ball go. It felt good coming out of my hands but I did not want to look so I turned my back on the pins. I heard contact and could see in the face of L.T. that all the pins were down. My heart was beating faster, two strikes in a row! I was beside myself in joy and disbelief. knocking down five pins would tie me at 100 anything past that is a win. I've gotten strikes before, I may even have gotten a double before but I know that a turkey has never been an achievement of mine. My minimal goal was to get a five so I could be at 100, but a turkey would be pretty cool.
I picked up the ball I had used the previous two times and began my scamper up to the the line. I let the ball go... the spin felt good, it looked gravy, it could just do it...
Turkey!
STRIKE!
XXX!
TURKEY!
Just call me the comeback king.
105 is not even my best bowling score but this was my first ever turkey! Although frame ten looks awesome, check out frame eight 0-0... :-/ meh. Bowling is fun.
Next on... King Crimson and the Death of Listening
A couple days ago my friend L.T. and I were going out to eat and it was snowing. There is nothing like the first snow of the winter, it really validates the cold. I mentioned this to L.T. and he asked me if it truly was Winter. "It's December," I replied "Of course it's winter."
After looking up when winter officially became winter on my phone I realized how mistaken I was. Winter does not start until the twenty-first of December. I do not like this. All of December should be winter, as well as most of November. Last year we had a shit load of snow in December. The average January high for the last ten years has been in the high 60's.
Come on seasons, what the hell do you think you are doing? Winter, stop trying to be summer. Can't you be happy being yourself? Spring and Fall are just transitional seasons, and every year nature fucks with me.
"Hey Ben," the God of season changes says. "You know how autumn is set to start about 2/3 of the way through September? Well, I think I am going to keep the temperature in the 70's until November and then drop all the leaves in one week and make it snow."
Well you know what Mister? I am not abiding to Your schedule any more! The dates mean nothing. Nothing I say! Fall will start when there is a drastic change in the color of leaves. So suck it God of Season Change, YOU DON'T CONTROL ME ANY MORE. You want to paint the leaves orange in August? I am ready for change and I am ready for you. You want to throw some snow down at the end of November? "Winter," I exclaim. "Winter!"
The weather and vegetation dictate MY seasons. I do not give a shit about the planetary position in relation to the sun.
I had my first race in October. Some buddies and I participated in the Warrior Dash. It was a cool mud run and I had a really good time. unfortunately something got screwed up with the liquor license because they were unable to serve beer. We had a hotel room for two nights with the intention of drinking after the race but because there was nothing stopping us from driving home we did just that. Everyone that raced the Virginia Warrior Dash gets to register for free for another event since they fucked up the alcohol permits.
starting at 0900 roughly 400 people started every half hour for the 5k obstacle mud run. Two friends of mine had the same wave as I did and Flanders and I ran it together. I was able to take my waterproof camera with me so I could snap some shots while I ran. We had other friends in other waves so we stayed until the end. Tom got 2nd place overall and first for our age group and because the first place overall person did not stick around Tom got the prize!
