Dan Threlkeld

Jan 31, 2012

2012-01-31T23:43:00.000-06:00

Got a swim in! Wasn't much about 15 ugly laps. At the new pool a length is 25 meters, so today at 50 meters a lap that makes today's outing 750 meters. Weak!

Weatherwise, it was an amazing day. We hit 72 in Tulsa. Average high is 50. A year ago is when the temperatures began to fall. New fell that evening and by the end of Feb. 1st we had 13" of snow. What a difference!

Jan 30, 2012

2012-01-30T23:31:00.000-06:00

Had hoped to swim today, but Aquacise for the Seniors had already started. The elderly are killling me!!!!

Walked on the treadmill for 30 min. (took it very easy) then spun for about 20 minutes. Stepped into the spin class for a few seconds, they looked pretty hard core. In no shape now to join them....but soon.

May try the noon swim class Tuesday. Anxious to get this large body back in the water.

Jan. 29, 2012

2012-01-29T23:13:00.000-06:00

Had a great weekend. Got in a nice walk Saturday and Sunday. Weather was fantastic! Got started on the compost. Anxious to see how long it takes to cook down to mulch.

Goals for the week: One run, one swim, one spin.

Jan 26, 2012

2012-01-26T23:34:00.001-06:00

Jan. 26th - spun for 25 minutes. It's been a while and my bottom was a bit sore. That will improve. Got a good sweat going. Worked on getting my compost tumbler installed. My brother made this for me for my birthday. Can't wait to start using it!

Jan. 25th - Had an early meeting and didn't get to walk.

Jan. 24th - Walked for 60 minutes on the treadmill. Did 3 miles.

Jan. 21-23rd - Was in Austin visiting. Sadly didn't get the chance to do any exercising while I was there in the warm weather.

Jan 20, 2012

2012-01-20T18:03:00.000-06:00

Lifted weight for 30 minutes. Later in the day, I spun on my trainer for 20 minutes. Knee is sore so I am taking a rest day Saturday and will hit it again Sunday.

Jan 19, 2012

2012-01-18T23:56:00.000-06:00

Did an hour on the treadmill. Mixed in a few 3 minute runs. Knee hurting. May take a rest day on tomorrow.

Jan 17, 2012

2012-01-17T23:56:00.000-06:00

16th - did 90 minutes of yard work. Finished up the raking of leaves!

17th - did 3.5 miles on the treadmill. Mostly walking, but did a few brief runs until my knee started hurting.
Drinking more water and eating better.

Jan. 14, 2012

2012-01-14T23:52:00.000-06:00

Had a productive Saturday. Got several projects done around the house. Still finishing up on raking the leaves. Spent 40 minutes doing yard work. Feeling stronger.

Jan 12, 2012

2012-01-12T23:49:00.000-06:00

Did 45 minutes on the treadmill this morning. Will try to do some swimming next week.

Met a friend for lunch. He's been through a lot. We had 1/2" of snow last night. Most of it melted today. This image was taken by Jack Smith, in Pensacola at sundown.

Jan 11, 2012

2012-01-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

45 minutes on the treadmill. Knee hurt a little, but not too bad. May take a rest day tomorrow. Snow in Tulsa from 7:30pm until 11pm. We had 1/4" some areas picked up 3/4". This image was taken by a viewer west of Mannford.

Jan 10, 2012

2012-01-10T23:48:00.000-06:00

Worked in the yard for 3 hours. Raking leaves then moving tree trunks. Hired a guy with a huge stump remover. Loaded up the trunks and hauled them off.

Jan. 9, 2012

2012-01-09T23:55:00.000-06:00

Time to get serious about getting back in shape. It is not going to be easy. I still get tired very easily, but the journey begins. Joined the Y today and walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Read somewhere that the first part of diet is "die" so while I have no drastic change planned to my eating, I do plan to cut down on my portions. I also work on eating healthier things. That, more sleep, and exercise is my plan of attack.

2011-11-14T12:16:00.001-06:00

Got up just before sunrise to swim. Took this picture on my way to the pool. Did 38 laps an a very easy pace. Practiced on technique and flip turns. Went home to rake leaves.

It's going to take a while, but it's a great workout.

Nov 9th

2011-11-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

Swam like I was drowning today. No excuses just didn't have it. Will hit it again tomorrow. Talked to a man named Mike. Said he was 72 and a former master's swimmer. Has some good advice on pacing yourself (something I have stuggle with). Hinting that I was going at it too hard. Suggested an old swim technique book that I will look for on Amazon called "Swimming Fastest".

Nov. 4th

2011-11-04T23:42:00.000-05:00

Got in 37 laps. Did a lot of drills. Slowly feeling stronger in the water. Would like to find a longer pool and perhaps a coach. Have been watching online videos, but still need some help.

Gonna try to get some rest this weekend.

Nov 2nd

2011-11-02T23:40:00.000-05:00

Got in 40 laps in 46 minutes.

Here's the breakdown:
10 freestyle
5 kickboard
5 freestyle
5 one arm pulls
5 freestyle
5 kickboard
5 sprints/with slow recovery returns

Big cold front was coming in, so I got to work early. Huge drop in temps. this evening.

Nov. 1st

2011-11-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, a busy day.

Walked for 50 minutes this morning. Left knee hurts. Anxious to get back to running, but the knee issue will have to be addressed. Until then will be swimming and walking.

Got a haircut and attended a gathering at the station to remember our engineer Steve Epps. Got a few other things taken care of, then worked.

Oct. 31st

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Had a rough weekend.

Lost a friend who was an engineer at KJRH - Steve Epps. A bright and very kind person.  Atteneded his wife's funeral a few years ago. A gentle and quiet man who could fix anything. We had many conversations about muscle cars. It is difficult to imagine working at KJRH without him. He left this world much too soon.

Was phoned Sunday and told Bob Barry Sr. had passed. Worked with Bob for 17 years at KFOR. I know little about sports, and yet Bob and I always had things to talk about. I coached his grandson in pee wee football. He would ask me how he was doing.   He and I both love lame clean jokes, I would share one with him and he would return the favor. He loved to laugh and I will miss him.

Didn't sleep well Sunday night but decided to get up early and swim. Did 40 slow laps this morning in about 45 minutes.  Will sleep in Tuesday and hit the water again Wednesday.

Oct. 24th

2011-10-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Got to the pool a little late. Did 35 laps in 39 minutes. Feeling a little stronger in the water. Here is the breakdown: 10 easy, 5 kickboard, 5 one arm pulls (changing arms every length), 5 easy, 5 kickboards, 5 sprints with return laps as recovery.

Took Emma on a walk and took this picture.

Sept. 7th

2011-09-07T09:28:00.001-05:00

Swam 36 laps in 39 minutes. Got to the pool late and was tired after 20. Will take a rest day on Thursday.
Knee still sore, but will try doing some biking next week.

Sept. 6th

2011-09-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sept 3rd - Walked 62 minutes. Left knee got a little sore, but overall did fine.

Sept 4th - Roke bikes with the wife for 35 minutes. Weather was great.

Sept 5th - Swam 42 laps in 46 minutes. Felt good.

August 30th

2011-08-31T11:52:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a good swim day. Only did about 30 laps but practiced my flip turns about 50 times. Still not quite there, but it is getting smoother and more natural. Spoke with Russ McCaskey and he said that he does them slightly different than what I was trying to do. So I will try that.

Wednesday I did a rest day. Have a blog to finish and wanted to do about an hour of work on the downhill derby car.

Taking off Thursday and Friday, so will likely swim on Thursday. Knee feeling better and I'm getting a little better with my diet. Drinking lots of water, and cutting down proportions. Slow but steady progress.......

Speaking of... Work continues on our new set. Still a lot of work to be done, but the bones are there. Engineers will be adding a lot of monitors, computers, and other gear to add. It will be on the air very soon.
As they say on t.v. Stay tuned.....

August 23rd

2011-08-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

Got to the pool late (7:15am) so I was only able to do 33 laps. Got tired because I swam yesterday. Did a few more laps with bilateral breathing. I think this is the way to go. Will be good in rough water during open water swims and if I can master it, will make me faster.

August 22nd

2011-08-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

Got in 35 laps in the pool. Still not 100%. Overdid it this weekend.

August 17th

2011-08-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

Walked about a mile on Tuesday. My son wanted to walk up a hill near our house. We did a couple of loops.
Left knee was sore but not too bad.

Today I swam 40 laps in about 45 minutes. Felt good. Next goal will be to do 20 laps non-stop then work up to 25 laps, then 30....

Will swim again Thursday or Friday then I hope to get in a decent bike ride this weekend.

August 3

2011-08-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

I fought the pool....and the pool won.

Did 35 laps in 43 minutes. Still can't seem to get over the hump. Need to be knocking down 40-45 laps in that time. Still....some progress. Worked some on bilateral breathing. Did 5 laps on the kickboard, which slows my time.

44 laps is one mile. Need to be able to do this in 40 minutes. Still lots of work to be done. Needing a rest day, so will take it easy Thursday and swim Friday.

August 2

2011-08-02T12:55:00.002-05:00

Did 18.7 miles in a slow 1:19:08. The computer said 14.2 avg. speed. Not sure if this includes the three times I stopped to take pictures, or not. Anyway it is just burning calories.

Stopped at the Pedestrian bridge and took this shot. The Arkansas River is up more than normal....and so are the temperatures. Today may be the hottest day, so far, of the summer.

Will swim tomorrow.

August 1

2011-08-01T10:53:00.002-05:00

Got in 35 laps in 46 min. Felt pretty good. Still wanting to get to 44 laps. Did some with the kick board which slowed my time. Did about 5 laps using bilateral breaking, which I am not very good at. All in all not a bad swim.

Will meet with an old co-worker today at lunch. Hope to get a ride in tomorrow morning.

July 31

2011-07-31T13:44:00.003-05:00

Despite the heat, I had a good ride today. Did 20.2 miles in 1:27:34. Computer showed my average speed was a leisurely 13.9 mph.

Stopped and took this picture along the Arkansas River. Hope to swim in the morning.

July 28

2011-07-28T23:43:00.002-05:00

I've got to get back in the habit of blogging.

I swam last week and again today.

This morning I did 35 laps in 41 minutes. Swimming is getting a little easier. Hope to do a couple days of walking next week. Knee is still sore, but much better than it was a month ago.

Heat has been intense.

Wednesday's high was 107. We broke a 75 year old record!
Today's high was 106.

July 18

2011-07-18T23:28:00.002-05:00

Hit the pool at 7am. Did 34 laps in.....well my watch didn't stop. So I don't really have a time, but it went a little better.

Have a radio interview on Tuesday morning, so I will not be able to swim. Will try to swim on Wednesday or get an early morning ride in. Still have a very very long way to go.

July 17

2011-07-17T14:59:00.003-05:00

Shot of Stage 14 through the Pyrenees

I have been inspired these past two weeks by the amazing sights and sounds of the Tour de France.

These young men are some of the fittest athletes in the world. What they do on a daily basis is nothing short of amazing! So I rode both days this weekend.

Saturday: 12.6 miles in 54.23. Average speed was a snail's pace 13.9 mph

Sunday: 15.6 miles in 1:09:06. Average speed was 13.6 mph

Heat is a big factor. Not going to let the avg. speed frustrate me. Happy I can do this pain free.

Will try to get a couple days of swimming in and a couple days of riding in next week. Knee still hurts so I haven't tried to do a long walk. Still working on the weight and getting fit...and watching the Tour.

July 14

2011-07-14T23:07:00.003-05:00

Had a good day today. Swam 35 laps (1400 yards) in about 40 minutes. Pretty wiped out by the time I finished. Came home and watched the Tour.

Picked these guys from the garden this evening. Heat is slowing down the tomatoes.....and slowing me down.

July 12

2011-07-12T23:40:00.002-05:00

I've gotten behind in blogging.

Rode Sunday. Did about 14 miles and think I may have over did it a bit. Heat took it's toll felt bad the rest of the day and went to bed at 8pm.

Monday - rested

Today - Swam 32 laps in 37 minutes. Had a long day at work. We had storms and left at 11:30pm.

Will try to swim a couple more times this week. Still don't like it, but it burns calories.....

July 7

2011-07-07T23:29:00.002-05:00

Had a Dr. appt. yesterday, so I didn't get to exercise.

Today I hit the pool and did 31 laps in 37 minutes. Getting just a little easier, but still have a long way to go. Want to be able to do 44 laps (one mile) without stopping by the end of the year.

Body is a little tired, so will likely rest Friday.

July 5

2011-07-05T12:05:00.003-05:00

Got in a ride yesterday so today I swam. Did 30 laps in 37 minutes. Felt fine, still slow, but it is getting easier.

Met an elderly woman who says she swims 22 laps (1/2 mile) a day. Impressive. She had a very smooth and easy stroke. She doesn't thrash and turn up water just a slow turn over.

Hope to ride tomorrow, if I can get out before the heat kicks in.

July 4

2011-07-04T10:59:00.003-05:00

Went to OKC yesterday for my daughter's baby shower. It was great seeing her and our son-in-law. Picked up my son and then we all went out for lunch. Wonderful to have everyone together, even if it was just for a short time.

Got up today and biked 13.7 miles in 53 minutes. Average speed was 15.2 mph. Avg. heart rate was 98 bpm. Not bad. I backed off when it got high. No need to kill myself, just burning calories at this point.

July 1

2011-07-01T16:39:00.003-05:00

Wednesday I spent the day in Joplin. So surprised at the damage there. I wrote a blog about it
for my station.

What is left of Joplin High School.

Though much of the debris has been removed. This is a common sight.

Those sights will stay with me for a very long time. Wish I had gone sooner. These folks will need a lot of help over the next few months and years.

Swam on Thursday, June 30th and did 30 laps in 38 minutes.
Mowed the yard this morning. Still trying to burn off a few comp. days, so I took the day off.

June 17

2011-06-17T23:06:00.005-05:00

Had the day off and decided this old body needed a rest from swimming/biking. So I went out to Hallett Motor Speedway. Mustangs from all over the country are in town, and many of them were at the track.

As I was paying to come into the track area, the lady who makes you sign the waiver said, "you know they are going to lynch you?" This was a reference to what I was driving, my Camaro. I told her I also own an F250 and she said "that's good".

No one gave me a hard time. I did pull to the end of the lot and quickly got away from my car.

Some very nice cars there. Some new, some old, but all very cool.

This evening wife's company picnic was at Discovery Land. There they have done the play Oklahoma for years and I had the chance to meet some of her co-workers.

The weather was great, and the singers/actors did a good job.

The pre-show had a couple of Native American Dancers. Amazing athletes.

If you've not seen this play, come check it out. I preferred the car racing, but a little culture doesn't hurt anyone. Now if I can just get that song out of my head..... O. K. L. A. H. O. M. A.......

June 16

2011-06-16T09:54:00.003-05:00

Woke up to storms this morning. Hit the pool at 7am and lifeguard had the door locked. She said if there was lightning in the area, she would not let anyone in. I showed her radar on my phone and convinced her the storms were over for us but ongoing to our east. She unlocked the door.

Swam 27 laps in 33:40. Found out the pool was 20 yards in length. That means a lap is 120 feet.
So I floundered through 3240 feet this morning.

There are some good and entertaining videos on the Internet on freestyle swimming.

Will try to ride in the morning, depending on how I feel. May need a rest day.

June 15

2011-06-15T20:54:00.003-05:00

It was a late night at work due to storms, but had to get a ride in. Rode with my son, Brian, into Tulsa.

Max speed 29 mph
Avg. speed 12.9 mph
Distance 12.4 miles
Total Time: 57:53

It got warm, but I felt pretty good. Will purchase a couple more water bottles. Need to look into some newer cycling shoes. Need to wait for someone to have a good sale.

Will try to swim tomorrow morning.

June 14th

2011-06-14T11:26:00.003-05:00

Have decided to shake things up. Hobbling around and doing little to get back into shape isn't working. Will focus on things I can do, and not dwell on my limits.

Someone said, "The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions."

So this morning I swam again. Wasn't impressive, but it was progress. Paid $60 to swim for six months at the Salvation Army/Boys Club pool. Good pool, but they have limited lap swim times. They cater to geriatrics with water aerobics. The same lifeguard, Polly, was there from several years ago when I trained for Ironman.

Did 24 laps in 29:23. First 10 laps were not too bad. After that it was lap, rest, lap, rest, repeat.
Depending on when I get off work tonight (severe weather expected) will either swim or ride bike in the morning.

Looking forward to getting out of my rut.

June 13th

2011-06-13T23:26:00.003-05:00

Thought it was time to try riding again. Last time my heart spiked after a few miles. My knee was sore and it wasn't pretty. Thought I would give this a few month's rest. Now, inspired by Tulsa Tough I hit the road with high hopes and my heart rate monitor.

Did 14.3 miles in about 1:12:26. My average speed was a slow 11.9 mph, but that was fine for now.
Heart rate did kick up but not too bad. At one point it was 160 bpm, but my monitor showed the average was 109 bpm. That's decent.

So for fun...thought I might try riding up Cry Baby Hill. This was packed with screaming fans during Tulsa Tough. It was steep, but the bike climbed right up it in the lowest gear. I didn't want to push my luck. Slowly rode home and went to sign up at the pool.

Will try swimming Tuesday morning. Like riding, it won't be pretty, but you've got to start somewhere........

Tulsa Tough

2011-06-12T20:02:00.006-05:00

Tulsa Tough wrapped up today, and I have to say it is becoming one of my favorite events in Tulsa. If you missed it, make sure you plan to be there next year.

What is Tulsa Tough? It's a bicycle race and a party held over 3 days in 3 locations in Tulsa.

My son standing next to a man in a mask atop Cry Baby Hill.

Here are just a few of the sights and sounds. There is a place called Cry Baby Hill. It became a huge party by Sunday afternoon. Lean and fast cyclists hammer around Riverside then hit this slope lined with rowdy fans cheering them, and taughting the ones who struggle up this steep incline. Some fans don custom made Cry Baby Hill shirts, some were in costume, one guy was wearing a little black Speedo and a cape. In my circles, I rarely see either one of them, and certainly not together.

And we didn't.

There was a great band positioned rockin' the crowd at the top of the hill. Here you can see the lead singer dressed as a baby and holding a baby. Playing up the Cry Baby Hill theme. The cyclists seemed to like it, though it was difficult to tell because many had a grimace on their face.

The cyclists loop the closed courses. Friday they raced around the Blue Dome District.

Saturday the course was in the Brady District. I went down in the afternoon with my wife but the rain started so we went home. Later that evening I returned and saw more of the action.

The night racing was fun. Cooler temperatures and the cyclists are a blur as they pass.

Today they raced along Riverside Drive then up the hill into the neighborhood near there.

Cyclists are some of the best athletes you will find anywhere. This is becoming a huge event for our city.

Thanks to all the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers it took to put this on. Somehow I would like to be more involved in this next year. Perhaps even ride it. Not sure if that is possible, but who knows?

2011-04-11T11:42:00.002-05:00

Somedays you have it.....somedays you don't.

Hit the pool about 8am and was ready to get out by 8:30am. Only did 17 laps and was tired most of the way. Well at least I got the ol' heart rate up for a while. Came home and did some yard work.

Looks like our weather is going to be quiet today. Will try to run again later this week.

2011-04-07T23:56:00.003-05:00

Got in 25 laps at the pool in about 40 minutes. Felt just a little bit stronger today. I'm still suckin' air after 10-15 laps, but overall I would say there is some progress.

Hope to do a couple of runs next week. Nothing too serious, but will use these walk/runs as recovery days from swimming.

April 5, 2011

2011-04-05T12:47:00.004-05:00

Didn't get to swim yesterday. I got there and found out the pool was closed. Actually the day off was good. I was able to get a few things done around the house and yard.

This morning I got in 25 laps in about 45 minutes. I am still swimming very slow with a lot of recovery time between laps, but overall it is getting less difficult. Hope to get stronger over the next few weeks and months.

Yesterday, and today I worked on an old pump organ we bought at an antique store in Pawnee. We bought it on a Saturday, but were in the Camaro, so we came back Sunday in my truck and picked it up.

It is about a 100 years old and doesn't work. Thought it might be fun to take apart, clean, and repair it.

Top part. We broke one of the mirrors on this top part getting it home.

After I get it cleaned and working, I plan to put this in the dining room. I don't know how to play it, but guess I could learn.

April 11, 2011

2011-04-02T23:25:00.005-05:00

Today was the 1st day of 2 Walks For You. A walking program
organized by George Flickinger. We met at River West Park and
walked 3 miles. Had a good turnout and a lot of fun.

(L to R) George Flickinger, Deana Silk, Jason Grubbs, Michelle Lowery, and me.

In the afternoon we took a day trip to Pawnee. Saw this place and just
had to stop and snap a picture of the sign.

Pawnee Bill's House and Mansion is fascinating look at Oklahoma in
the early 1900s. Bill was quite the entrepreneur and showman.
He toured not only the U.S. but the world with a large groups.

The museum is free, but to tour the house it is $3. and well worth it.
After the tour they have a nice little pasture you can drive through and
get a close up view of the buffaloes.

April 1, 2011

2011-04-01T23:43:00.002-05:00

Didn't get to swim yesterday because I did a talk in Claremore. Honestly, the day off helped.

Got to the pool early and knocked out 25 laps, or 1250 yards. Told myself I wasn't going to get caught up on speed and time, but wanted a baseline to compare the progress I am making. Still have no stamina and after about 10 laps fatigue sets in.

Once I get stronger, I need to do some structured workouts.

I

MARCH 30, 2011

2011-03-30T12:12:00.003-05:00

Okay, it's time to start blogging again. It's just a way for me to keep up with the changes in my training. The hope is there will be significant changes in the next 12 months.

Cycling isn't working because there are still some equilibrium issues. Running gets my heart rate racing well over 180 bpm after only a short distance, so by default I am swimming again.

I have a love/hate relationship with swimming.

Love- It is a sport you can do your entire life. It is a total body workout. Unlike running, it is low impact on your joints. You can burn a ton of calories in a relatively short time.

Hate- I am a very poor swimmer. Unlike running, you have to gather all your gear, drive to the pool and hope there is a free lane to swim in. Not sure if this is unique or common, but I get water in my head. Not sure where it is seeping in (nose, mouth, ears?) but for hours after a swim I have drainage issues and sniffle like I'm dealing with the flu.

When I trained for Ironman a few years ago, the goal was pretty simple. Complete the 2.4 mile swim in under the cut off time. I knew if I could get out of the water I could finish. Cycling and running have always been pretty easy. Swimming intimidated the heck out of me. I've never learned the flip turns, don't look good in a suit, and flounder in the water like a scared drowning pig.

So I joined the Y and swam yesterday. No immediate goals, other than to get better. Didn't want to get too hung up on lap times, just stay in the pool for 30 minutes. Do as many laps as you can. Don't drown. Fortunately there were few there, just a lifeguard called Wayne, who seemed concerned after watching me splash through a few laps. I was tired the rest of the day, but I knew that meant it was a decent workout.

I went back today, and did a few more laps, using a slow backstroke in recovery to get my heart rate down. I swam for 35 minutes. Wayne the lifeguard watched on. Will begin counting laps soon, so I can track my progress. Will attempt to get a short ride in this weekend as well.

Gonna be a long and winding road back but it is a journey I'm looking forward to!

Can't swim Thursday, have a morning weather talk to students at RSU in Claremore.

Feb 21, 2011

2011-02-21T11:12:00.003-06:00

Had a productive weekend. Walked 40 minutes with my son on Saturday and 52 min. on Sunday. We planted the garden and plan to cover it before freeze nights.

Three types of onions, some Burpee brand salad bowl lettuce, Ferry~Morse brand spinach, and Radishes.

And watered them in well.

2011-02-19T22:20:00.002-06:00

Jan 4, 2011

2011-01-04T10:45:00.008-06:00

At our New Year's Eve celebration in Brookside, someone asked me if I had made my resolutions for the new year. Then I hadn't but now I have.

From the stage on Brookside just moments before midnight.

So far, I've kept them...as far as you know......

One of my goals, like others, includes better health. It will be easy to beat 2010, but it is way overdue. I miss working out and working towards a fitness goal.

My wife and I will work on this together, so it should be fun. I will log my progress and am really looking forward to this re-start we call New Year.
(No Jo Ann I wll not log your progress if you pay me $20)

I am an optimist by nature, often choosing to not focus on reality, but I will say this has the potential to be our best year yet!

The rest of my resolutions, I will keep to myself for now. Not that they are strange. Because learning taxidermy and playing thing the accordian are lofty goals................

You know, I admire those who stick to a plan and say, "I will do this ....... or not do this for a year". Some proclaim I will loose 50 pounds, or I will read the Bible every day. But what works for me is working towards a goal every day. Like running an ultra. You just do it step by step. Nothing to hard about that. Just have to try to work towards those goals every day. That's my plan.

So you'll know, and my wife won't worry about me, taxidermy and according playing are not on my list.....at least not this year!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Dec 16, 2010

2010-12-16T13:41:00.002-06:00

Had a productive morning. Dropped my truck off at a shop to have them look at the transmission. It's having some issues.

Then went to met with a guy who knows his stuff on ham radio.

He looked over a hand held radio I had bought. Said I got a "great deal" which made me happy. Another radio, that was given to me, is also in good shape. I am planning on putting it in my truck at some point.

This guy has an amazing home set up, and I look forward to learning more about this stuff. We might even be able to talk him into doing some storm chasing for us.

Walked for 30 minutes at 2% incline at the gym. Then did the recumbent cycle for 15 more. Went to lunch with my wife and son and then off to work.

Anxious to see the data for Friday evening. Could be interesting.

Dec 15, 2010

2010-12-15T23:48:00.004-06:00

Got up early again and got a walk in.
Did 20 minutes with the dog, then brought her home and walked/ran another 38 minutes.

Wrote 12 Santa Update spots and got those recorded. Got my ham radio hooked up at work. Will meet with a very knowledgable ham guy on Thursday and hope to learn more about getting a rig set up in my old truck.

Having some transmission issues with the truck. Hope to find out some answers on Thursday. Hoping it is not the clutch.

Dec 14, 2010

2010-12-14T09:22:00.005-06:00

Someone reminded me I haven't updated this blog in a few days. So here goes.

I've been trying to take more pictures these days. These were taken this morning on my walk. Did 46 minutes.

It was 21 this morning. The clouds made for a beautiful sunrise.

This made me think of the old movie "On Golden Pond".

Have been doing more walking. Did the Jingle Bell Run, a 5K, on Saturday. Walked and ran it and felt pretty good. My time was slow, but it does not matter at this point. Left knee is a little sore, but no big deal.

The holidays are making it tough to loose weight. Here's a shot of my wife making some cookies. It is difficult to resist warm cookies out of the oven.

Had a chance to take a helicopter Christmas light tour this week. My wife and son went along. The weather was great and we got a very unique view of Tulsa.

My thanks to pilot/owner Charlie Crumpton. He flew us over Utica Square, Rhema Bible College, downtown, and place called Paragone Pipe. It is a business with an amazing display in south Tulsa. I had never heard of it, but it was amazing.

These pictures didn't come out great. I think I should have changed the camera to a faster shutter speed. There is a "sports setting" on the point and shoot camera and I should have changed it before we took off.

Still working on the truck. Having some transmission or clutch issues I need to address when it warms up a little.

Dec 1, 2010

2010-12-01T10:15:00.005-06:00

This was where we ate our Thanksgiving Day lunch.

But don't feel sorry for us, because we were on our way to Austin to visit our daughter and wonderful son-in-law. This was to be our first Thanksgiving where they fixed the meal.
We used Thursday as a travel day, and had Thanksgiving on Friday.

Andy did the turkey. He and Ashley had fun playing with the neck and extra parts stuffed inside the huge bird. There is always a bit of drama and lots of laughs when we get together.

My wife is an amazing cook, so she helped when asked, and is a natural teacher.

It was a great time. We hit the Alamo Drafthouse Theatre, where three comedians had open mics and crack jokes throughout the movie, The Blind Side. Hard to describe, and yes a bit rude at times, but so very funny.

No matter what you do, just being with family is special. Brian had a blast, and we even found a place that had a huge rock climbing wall, so he was able to do a bit of climbing.

We were not surprised when Ashley already had her Christmas Tree and lights up. Like her mother, she loves Christmas.

The food was terrific. Turkey, stuffing, and all the sides were amazing. We returned home on Sunday and already looking forward to our next trip back to Austin.

2010-11-24T10:04:00.004-06:00

Nov 20, 2010

2010-11-20T10:18:00.008-06:00

I am married to the nicest person I know.

She is a wonderful mother and raised two amazing children.

They both love her very much and turn to her for advice.

She is a master gardner and can grow anything.

She loves to travel and see new things. It doesn't have to be an expensive trip to the other side of the world, just a place to see things and learn about other locations.

She bought me a "running dog" that doesn't run.

She stayed with me day and night was amazingly strong while I spent the summer in the hospital.

She loves to get me out of town so I will not work as much. She is always looking out for me. She loves relaxing on our porch.

We were married right of of high school and she is still my best friend.

She is an amazing cook and enjoys cooking for others.

She is also a "mole master" and takes care of the moles and gophers in our yard.

She does not like the limelight and it is rare she lets me take her picture, even though she is beautiful.

Even goats like my wife.

She is patient and somehow deals with my strange hobbies and interests.

She is very patient and beautiful.

I asked her to married when I was just 19. Thank God she said, "yes".

She can be funny.....at times and loves to laugh.

The kindest person I've ever known was born on this date.
Happy birthday Jo Ann. I love you.

2010-11-14T15:11:00.004-06:00

Had a busy week, but got a few more things done on the truck. Still concerned about the old gas in the tank, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a cheap pump and pumped out nearly all of the gas from the dual tanks. I then added about $30 of fresh fuel.

The mirrors were also "floppy". My father-in-law had used bailing wire to fix this. He wrapped the base several times to hold them in place. That is what I loved about Joe. He found a way to get things done. He was too busy to replace them, but on the fly he "engineered" a solution. You do that on the farm, can't drop everything to run to the parts store, when you can find a way to fix something on your own.

I found a couple of cheap mirrors outside online for $15 each and ordered them.

Had to use the original screws because they ones that came with the mirrors were way too short. They look pretty good, and no bailing wire. I also ordered some tail lights to replace the broken lens on the passenger side.

The new ones were slightly larger, but I sanded them down the mounting tabs a bit and they went in. They look a bit too Euro for an old truck, but they were cheap and look good.

I put the spare tire under the vehicle and then removed the gooseneck friendly tail gate. I plan to sell this on Craigslist for whatever I can get out of it. I've got a friend, who knows a guy that will sell me a replacement tailgate for $100. I will try to make contact with that guy and get a regular tailgate on this when I can.

Still haven't messed with the propane yet, but will. A windshield will be $200 installed, and hope to have this done this upcoming week. Need an interior rear view mirrow, but that can wait for now.

I needed some extra video for a story I am doing in Bartlesville. What a beautiful town. We stopped by downtown and took a few pictures.

This was the only Frank Lloyd Wright "skyscraper". It stands 19 stories high and was completed in 1956. We would like to go back and take the complete tour, perhaps even stay the night. Looks beautiful with the patina metal on the outside. Very unique.

My wife was sweet enough to come along this morning. We got the video shot and I took her to Dinks Bar-B-Que.

To our surprise a storm spotter from Bartlesville came by our table to say "hi". When we finished and went to pay our tab, we were told he had secretly paid for our lunch. What a nice gesture. Thanks Jimmy Williams!

Hope to get some walking/running done this week and work more on the truck. Next up the windshield, a tailgate, and a brake job.

November 7, 2010

2010-11-07T21:20:00.007-06:00

This is not what it looks like. I did not slit my wrists, though had we gone to one more bed and bath store yesterday, I might have. My wife finally found exactly what she was looking for but it took third store to find the comforter for our bed. I will say this - she did a good job and it looks good. I'm a man, and would have just found the cheapest one I could, glad she didn't.

These are the bandages she put on my chemical burns from yesterday. I wanted to cover them up before I began yard work.

Did more work on the truck. Changed oil and filter.

Replaced the serpentine belt. Later I plan to replace all the hoses. They all look like the original hoses so that means they are 19 years old.

Then I flushed the radiator and replaced it with new anti-freeze.

Then I took some steel wool and lightly took the rust off the bumpers.

After that I used some rubbing compound to remove the dead paint on the body.

The bumpers came out pretty good.

I started waxing it but ran out of daylight. I found outside mirrors and a tail light lens online and ordered them. They will be here in about a week.

It's going to be a busy work week, so I may not get much done until next weekend. By then my wrists will be healed!

November 6, 2010

2010-11-06T20:33:00.005-05:00

I'm hoping to get this '91 Ford back into daily use. It has been sitting in a field for about 2 1/2 years and is very dirty. Got it running, but still needs a lot of attention. Will replace belts and hoses, plugs, filters and change all the fluids.

Windshield needs to be replaced and it needs a tail light lens.

It has propane tank and ability to run on propane, but I really don't know much about that yet. I'll research the unit and see if I can get that going, later. For now it is running on old gas, which also needs to be replaced.

I thought to cut through the build up of pollen, sap, and other assorted gunk I used bleach on it this morning.

Bought a gallon of Clorox and a sponge. Got on my rubber gloves and hit it pretty hard.

After an hour of scrubbing, nearly all of the crud came off. I'll take a few pictures of it tomorrow and post them. I'll get some touch up paint and then go over it with rubbing compound then buff on a coat of wax tomorrow.

But while I was busy with the Clorox and sponge I felt a slight burning on my arms. Didn't stop until the truck was finished, then washed the truck down. When I was washing the bleach of myself, I could see my wrists and forearms had chemical burns.

I put some ointment on them tonight. Guess I needed some longer gloves. Lesson learned.

November 3, 2010

2010-11-03T13:04:00.007-05:00

Thank God the elections are over for a while! We've all had a steady diet of political commercials for the past 6 months, and it will be wonderful to see Kristen Glover and the Mathis Brothers again.

We now have a new Governor. Mary Fallin is the first female Governor in our history.

Pardon me, but There's Something About Mary I like. I've met here a few time and seems like a nice person. Hope she does well for our State. We need to get Oklahoma moving and I am anxious to see what she can do.

As for my walking/running. Had a good morning. Did 56 minutes. Every half mile I ran for 90 seconds. The running is very slow, but getting easier. Hope to slowly increase this to 2 min, then 3. On track to run a 5K by December. Still need to work on the ol' waistline but not today........

November 2, 2010

2010-11-02T12:58:00.003-05:00

Got out and voted before the precinct was busy. A lot of state questions this year. I went online yesterday, read all the questions and made a cheat sheet to speed up the process. It worked well and I noticed others had done the same. Anxious to hear the results tonight.

Have been exercising. Yesterday I walked 60 minutes. Every half mile I tried to do a slow run of about a minute.

This morning I did 55 minutes. I tried to do 2 minutes of a slow run ever half mile. The goal is to do the Jingle Bell Run (3.1 miles) on Dec. 11th. My wife has been walking and my little sister Cheryl has been doing the same. Hoping I can get them to walk together and ask my son if he will run with me. Could be fun, and honestly I needed a goal to keep motivated.

Feb. 20th is the Austin Marathon. Would be great to go see my daugher and run. Love to do that, but that is pushing it. They do have a half marathon, and perhaps, just maybe I will be ready for that. We shall see.

October 20, 2010

2010-10-20T21:07:00.008-05:00

Thought we'd try something different. A relaxing vacation. A short easy-going few days off. Normally we try to pack in as many activities as possible, but this time we were going to be laid back even if it killed me. We stopped anytime we saw something interesting. Like this sign over a small town in SE Oklahoma.

We started by going to Krebs, a small town near McAlester.

We ate at Pete's Place. If you are ever within an hour of it, stop. Go there and eat. I promise you, it is amazing.

From Krebs we drove on to Hot Springs, AR.

It is a nice little town, which was built on the theory that hot water can heal your pain. In the 1920 huge bath houses were built and the town still lives off of tourism.

We had to take in some local culture.

Hot Springs is nice. You probably don't want to stay there for longer than a couple of days. The views are nice and the natural hot springs are amazing. The water comes out of the ground at 159 degrees!

We enjoyed a couple of long walks and a few tourist shops.

Just happen to be a film festival going on. So we attended a movie. A very strange movie that was made in 1986 about a guy living in a cheap motel in El Reno, OK during an active spring. He watched the weather, television, and life outside his hotel room. It was very odd.

We took a lunch cruise on the Belle.

Fine dining.

They provide a lunch and a tour of Lake Hamilton. Yep. that's white bread and Campbell soup.

My wife enjoying sweet tea from the top of the boat. On the top floor of the Belle they have benches and you can listen to a pre-recorded presentation talking about the history of Hot Springs, the gangsters who once lived here, and the current rich folks who own the big houses that dot the shoreline.

On the way home we went along the Talimena Drive to see the color.

There was thick fog and some light rain when we stopped at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge in Mena, AR.

The color was not at peak, but in spots, it was beautiful.

There are many turn offs for picture taking. Surprising traffic was light, and I can only imagine what these views would be like in a few weeks.

A nice relaxing trip. Something we both needed and enjoyed.

October 16, 2010

2010-10-16T14:03:00.006-05:00

Went to the Sand Springs Downhill Derby this afternoon. It is a great event and they had a good turnout.

There were a lot of kids there having fun.

And a few adults who were very serious.

Some amazing cars.

Last year we had a tornado car. Looked good, but wasn't very fast.

In 2008 my son and I built a mini storm chaser.

I look forward to next year. Would like to build another car and compete. This year, I promised my wife I would take it easy and not over do it. So I watched instead of building and competing.

October 15, 2010

2010-10-15T12:58:00.004-05:00

Leaves are changing and it will not be too long until we dust off the rake and begin bagging the leaves. A beautiful time of year but I do not look forward to the added yard work.

This is our back patio. Already a good collection of leaves.

Lisa Butler met my wife and I at the station. She writing a story for an upcoming issue of
the Tulsa Running Clubs newsletter. Lisa is an amazing athlete and has been writing a while. Anxious to read what she put together after speaking to us for nearly an hour. I think she said it will be in next month's issue. She asked us about running, my illness, and about how Jo Ann supports me.

We picked up lunch at Blue Moon Cafe. We ate it at home. They were a little slow with our order, but the food was fantastic. I will definitely go back. They have a huge breakfast business and a large selection of breads and sandwiches.

Did my PT exercises then went off to work. So very glad it is Friday.

October 14, 2010

2010-10-14T09:37:00.005-05:00

A beautiful start to the day. Miss Emma and I took a morning stroll. Air was crisp, the lake was calm, and the trees are changing colors. I remember reading a quote that goes something like this; "I have to exercise in the morning, before my brain figures out what is going on." Even if you have a very busy schedule, you can always set the clock a little earlier and get out there and walk.

Looking forward to running but walking is so peaceful and relaxing. This is a great time of year when daily you can see the transition to cooler days.

Caught this fisherman out enjoying the morning.

Checking out the morning lows I was surprised of reported 32 reading this morning in Oilton. (that site seems to always be a few degrees cooler than the surrounding locations). Inola and Nowata fell to 33, Bixby was 36.

Emma was tuckered out after our walk. I sat on the porch while she rested in the sunshine.

2010-10-13T15:56:00.002-05:00

Time to start blogging again. Thought it fitting to begin with the last picture taken in the hospital. With my goofy little smile (still had a lot of the bell's palsy in my face) and my stuff packed up I was rolled out the door and went home. My sweet and amazing wife who spent day and night with me at the hospital did the same at home. Honestly, I think it was harder on her than it was on me. It has been odd to transition back to our normal life.

My physical conditon has changed a LOT since then. I no longer need a wheel chair, walker, or even the cane to walk. Now able to drive and get around pretty good. Have completed my out patient physical therapy and returned to work full time. Probably went back to work too soon. I still get out of breath easy and legs hurt by the end of my shift.

Mother Road 3 begins in 30 days, and sadly I cannot run. Don't get me wrong I am so happy to be walking, but it would have been nice to complete all three of these historic ultras. I pre-registered months ago and paid my $100 entry fee. So I'll go to the packet pickup, see some friends and take pride in my $100 t-shirt. Hoping to get to the race and perhaps even volunteer to work an aid station. This is something that will allow me to be around runners again.

Visited my friend Jack Wing in the hospital this morning. He is so positive and supportive, that you forget he is ill. He has lost his hair from the chemo, but just laughs it off and wore a visor with a wig sown on top. Since he will not able to attend the Tulsa Run this year, he asked that I do some of his duties. I'll do some of the announcing, but fully expect Jack to be back to assume his role by next year's Tulsa Run. Looking foreward to seeing my running buddies again.

Have tried to slow down and enjoy life. Getting back to the gym and working on getting this old fat body back into shape. Greatful for God giving me a second chance.

July 10, 2010

2010-07-10T10:26:00.002-05:00

Nice easy ride this morning. Did about 15 miles at an uneventful pace. The good news is, cycling doesn't hurt the knee! So I plan to do more walking and riding in the weeks and months ahead. Running, for now, is on hold.

Need to mow the yard, but that can wait for tomorrow. Recovering from a nasty cold that has taken about a week to run it's course. Have consumed enough Nyquil to be admitted into a drug rehab center. Ready to get that artificial cherry syrupy chemical taste out of my mouth. Will relax today.....

June 23, 2010

2010-06-23T10:41:00.005-05:00

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

Please use caution exercising or working out in this heat. Try to get out early when the temperatures are not as intense. Slow your pace, shorten your distance, and stay very well hydrated.

Consider using the dreadmill, or come indoor cross training. Just be careful out there my friend.

Yesterday, I had a good heart to heart with the doctor but we didn't talk about my heart, it was about my recovery on the ol' knee. I decided that the things we were doing at the physical therapist, could easily be done at home. So I am not planning on going back there.

He strongly suggested I begin to do "other exercises" such as swimming and biking. So the plan is to continue to walk and only run a little until the knee gets stronger. Just don't need another blow out. Will dust off the bike and do some cycling.

Took it easy this morning, and walked 43 minutes at a brisk pace. Ran a couple of times but very slow. When I felt the knee pain, I immediately went back to walking.

My daughter is a much more creative writer than I am. She wrote a nice entry about our recent trip to Austin. Here is the link to her blog: www.luksys.blogspot.com/

She, and our son are wonderful kids. We are very proud of both of them!

June 21 2010

2010-06-20T21:28:00.004-05:00

We spent a few days visiting our daughter and son-in-law in Austin. Here Andy, has a strange smile, we were joking about the "meat plate" that was on the way. More on that coming up.....

Our daughter always finds some interesting things for us to do. This trip she asked if we would like to visit the location where they tape Austin City Limits.

We did and were surprised by a few things. I did not know it was on the campus of the University of Texas. Enough burnt orange to make me feel very uncomfortable. A huge campus, but a very small tour.

They take you through halls where they have numerous pictures of artists that have appeared on the show. They vary from Johnny Cash, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthwes, Kenny Chesney, to Flaming Lips. The tour guide answered our questions about upcoming shows, various artists, and how to attend a taping. The shows are free, but they are first come - first served, and they go fast.

The studio is very small. Seems much larger on television. The backdrop, in person, seemed very cheap, but it really pops on camera.

While we are were in Austin we did some tree trimming and lost a few lbs. in the heat. Did a couple of morning walk/runs with their amazing dog Molly, and you could feel the Texas humidity. No, it wasn't 130. Temperature is always taken in the shade, their backyard thermometer gets afternoon sunlight and spiked. But it sure felt this warm.

Austin is a great town. A lot to see and do, cutting through a parking lot I saw this fitness center and had to grab a pic. No, I did see Lance inside working out.

We are always taken to amazing restaurants, this trip was no exception. For Father's Day, they took me to Salt Lick. Don't let the silly name fool you, it is amazing. The quantity of meat is heart stopping.....literally.

Andy called it a "meat coma", that sluggish, drowsy, bloated feeling after you eat here. We both felt it that evening. It was a fun and relaxing trip and we can't wait to get back.

But next time.... a little less meat.

June 16, 2009

2010-06-16T16:17:00.005-05:00

It's official, I have cancelled my order for the Hoveround. I am able to walk pain free. Before vacation I had been doing extra physical therapy sessions. I tried to do some running mixed in with my walking and it was fine. The problem was when I tried to mow the grass. Then the pain returned. So it is back to just walking for now. Still..... I think this is progress.

It's been hot so a week ago I added this small fan so Emma can sit with us on the front porch and not be so hot. She got her "summer cut" before vacation and that seems to help her.

About a week ago I bought a truck. Silverado four wheel drive. I had my old truck longer than I have owned just about any vehicle. It was time for something I can drive on snow and ice.

It's much larger than my old truck. In fact it is so much longer that it wouldn't fit into the garage! Never thought to measure it. So before vacation I did some remodeling, and removed a portion of a wall that went to the tool room. Now it fits fine, okay it is snug, but it fits.

I was at a car show this weekend and this ol' rat rod caught my eye.

You have to love the modified mailbox scoop.

Finally, a use for the Tulsa World!

June 10, 2010

2010-06-11T00:03:00.003-05:00

Have gotten way behind on the blogging, so I will give a few updates. The physical therapy is working! Getting stronger, and more confident every day. It is slow, but able to walk pain free. I have been given the okay to do "some" walking. I did a couple of walks of about a mile.

Today she said I could do "a little" light running, but mostly walk. I will try that on Friday. Still a bit apprehensive and concerned I might re-injure the knee, but I'll never know unless I try.

The garden is coming along. Expected more tomatoes, but you know I've learned a long, and plan to make some changes in the garden before next year.

Have picked a few cherry tomatoes, and have the aphids pretty much under control. Still feels like the plants are needing more sunshine, so the trees need some serious trimming.

Bought a truck a week ago. My old truck wasn't 4 wheel drive and had a few miles on it. The new one is a 4 wheel drive.

It was about a year old. We found it in Pryor at a dealership and got a very good price on it. Just hoping it doesn't use too much gas. Now all we need is some ice or snow to try it out.

Gonna take some needed R & R and be off work for a week. Very anxious to try to do some walking and yes even a little running! Could this finally be the "fix" I have been waiting for? As they say on t.v. ......Stay tuned...........

May 17, 2010

2010-05-17T11:19:00.004-05:00

Recover is going so very slow. Did a walk Saturday. I begin a new round of physical therapy on Wednesday morning. The doctor set me up with 12 visits. Anxious to see if the exercises are any different than what I was doing at the last place.

Went walking this morning, and did about 2 miles. It hurt a little, but I'm willing to endure some pain if it means ever running again.

The garden is doing great. I put down some mulch this weekend. It will keep the plants from drying out, and cut down on the weeds.

Most of the aphid are now gone. Still something eating on the plants, but overall they are looking good. Still think it is the soil, seems to be way too much sand.

My wife planted the only bed left we have that doesn't have some flowers. She put in some dusty miller and impatiens in a bed that has elephant ears coming up.

An amazing hail storm hit OKC. I was concerned about this storm moving into our area, so I went into work for a while. The storm moved just SE of our broadcast area. It finally weakened and moved SE, so I wasn't there long.

Here is a clip someone sent me of some of the hail as it was hitting OKC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFv2W7Duqiw

May 8, 2010

2010-05-08T20:55:00.004-05:00

Got in a 30 minute walk this morning. I was limping by the time I finished, but hey, it was good to get out there and do something. I have a doctors apppointment on Monday, and hoping for some news on what I can do to make this knee work again.

Yesterday we discovered we have aphids on the tomato plants. We wanted to find a natural way remove these suckers before they destroy the plants.

Jo Ann found a recipe for a brew that does not damage the plants but zaps the aphids. Here is the recipe:

2 Tbsp of dish washing soap.

1 tsp vegetable oil

1gallon of water. Shake well.

Then she poured it in a spray bottle.

My wife labeled the bottle so we can store it in the garage and hit the plants as needed.

We sprayed down the stems and leaves giving extra attention to the underside of the leaves.

I think this is something I will need to do several more times until we get them all taken care of.

Hoping to be picking tomatoes in a few weeks!

May 2, 2010

2010-05-02T11:28:00.002-05:00

Will go back to the doctor in two weeks, hoping to get some resolution on this knee pain. In the mean time, I want to try to start biking again. Dusted off the bike and did a slow 15 miles today. Knee hurt some, but nothing like when I try to run, so at this point I am willing to endure the strain to get some exercise in.

April 26, 2010

2010-04-26T09:32:00.004-05:00

The Enemy: Cutworms

Cutworms are larvae of several species of night flying moths.

They can destroy a plant overnight. I've been reading up on preventative measures that don't involves chemicals.

I thought I would try using these toilet paper rolls. You can make these into a collar around the plant's base. Some do this with aluminum foil, Styrofoam cups, or other objects.

I like the fact that these will just biodegrade back into the soil. You cut the tubes at length.

Wrap the tube around the stem then bury it below ground about an inch.

The thinking is this blocks the cutworms from attacking the stem. As the plants mature, the cutworms are less likely to feed on the stem.

This weekend we saw our first tomato. It's not even as big as a fingernail, but it's there! My goal is to have several tomatoes the size of your fist in a month.

April 19, 2010

2010-04-19T10:29:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was the Sand Springs Herbal Affair and Festival. They expected 15-20 thousand plant loving visitors to visit the city. Despite the clouds and light drizzle, it was a huge turnout.

Some bring their dogs, others bring their wagons (some do both). I saw many who loaded down their wagons and carts with herbs, perennials, annuals, ornamental, vegetable, and other types of plants.

We had plenty of folks from Channel 2 there. From right to left.
Krista, Michelle, Erin, Deana, Justin, and someone else.

We gave away about 800 rain gauges. They went fast. I had a presentation set up for 9am. When I got to the room, this is what I saw.

Only two were in the room. One of them was my wife! I had bought 2 dozen doughnut and took them outside and announced free doughnuts and a weather talk in 5 minutes. Soon they started filling in. We had a packed room and the talk went well.

My wife made lunch and George Flickinger came by, as well as our son and one of his friends.

This morning I got up to watch some of the news coverage on anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. So very hard to believe it has been 15 years. It brings back a lot of memories of that morning. I still remember exactly what I was doing when the bomb went off, how we went on the air without any information, and the first few hours of confusion that morning. I was doing the morning show on KFOR, in Oklahoma City, at the time. Our news director stuck us on the air to "fill" until we could get our live shots up and had word of what was really going on. We though it might be a natural gas explosion. No one, had any idea of the extent of what had happened.

If I live to be 100, the thoughts and actions of that terrible morning will stay with me.

If you get the chance, please visit the Memorial there. It is well done and my hope is many will see it and reflect on what happened that morning....just 15 years ago today.

April 17, 2010

2010-04-17T20:25:00.012-05:00

We had a promo shoot this week for the Air and Rocket Racing Show coming up on the 24th. They set us up with the folks at Crumption Aviation at the Jenks Airport. Charlie Crumption was our pilot. A sharp young guy and we were to shoot a few lines to put in the spot.

In the back was our photographer, Charles Elmore. He had gotten there early to hook the audio system up to the helicopter's headsets so we could record.

And we are off.

We flew from the Jenks airport north over Turkey Mtn. and up the river towards downtown.

From the air you could see how green everything was and Tulsa looked like a big city.

You can also see all of the work that has been going on downtown, and all of the construction on the IDL and I-44. The weather was great and you could see forever.

I asked Charlie to fly over the BOK center and the new ballpark.

We got the promo shot then shot some stuff to use during the air show. It is next weekend, and I still need to finish the script we will use. They want us to do a 30 minute stage show about the weather. Looking forward to it. If you want to find out more about the show here is the link: http://www.tulsaairshow.com/

April 11, 2010

2010-04-11T22:15:00.004-05:00

A busy weekend. Visited my Mom on Saturday. I took her to buy a computer then set it up at her house in Checotah. This weekend we did some needed work on the yard. Jo Ann wanted to go to the garden center to get some plants for the front.

She likes to fill up some of the pots on the front sidewalk and on the porch. She mixes various colors, heights, and textures. She loves this part of the process.

They filled up the back of my truck.

Now to get them planted. We bought some topsoil into all the pots.

She arranged everything, and I basically watched.

Emma helped.

I laughed when I saw the deer across the street. They were watching us and it made me wonder if they were thinking of all these bright colors as a new salad bar going in. We'll see if they decide to much on these over the next few months.

Play Ball

2010-04-09T23:14:00.004-05:00

Last night was the opening night for the downtown ball park. I've seen stories about it on our newscast and driven by, but this was my first opportunity to check it out.

Concerned about parking problems, I went down about 4pm. I found a $10 lot next to the stadium, but just a couple of blocks away were some $5 lots. The public wasn't allowed in until 5:30pm but they were letting media with passes in.

Players were warming up and the trainers giving them pep talks. They all looked like they were 20 - 25 years old and seemed very fired up about the big game.

Walked through the park and shot this from the concession area. The park was clean and first class. Looked major league and you could tell they spent a long time planning everything. It was impressive from any angle.

I thought everything was ready, but when I tried to visit the men's room I noticed this sign. The paint was still drying!

The sky was blue and the grass smelled fresh cut.

About 4:20pm I was talking to Frank and asked Travis to come over for a picture. I have a lot of respect for these guys. We compete on air for viewer, but I know how much time and effort it takes to be a chief. We chatted for a brief time then ol' Frank had to get ready for his 4:30pm newscast.

At 5:30pm, they opened the gates and the public came it. I took this of the mayor and his wife as they entered.

Then finally, the opening pitch was thrown out. Country music star Tim McGraw had a concert at the BOK center next door, so they had him throw it.

Next time you have the chance. Check it out.

April 7, 2010

2010-04-07T23:17:00.005-05:00

Still can't run, but I have been doing some upper body work. Will go back to doing all of my PT exercises.

Had lots of severe weather Tuesday night. It was a long day. Worked from noon until 1:30am. Fortunately there were no tornado warnings.

Shot some video of the garden this weekend. Went in today and edited the video. It was a challenge and I enjoyed putting my new taught skills to work.

We were taught Final Cut Pro and how to operate some smaller HD cameras. There was much more to it than I ever imagined. I have a much deeper respect for photographers and videographers.

Last they pulled us off our normal duties to do more training. It was very well done with two heavy hitters.

Lisa Berglund is an award winning videographer. She was the first woman in the 50 year history of the National Press Photographers Assoc. to be named Photographer of the year.

She really taught us a lot about sound, lighting, and shooting. Gave us some great examples.

Then John Larson taught us story telling. He was the West Coast Correspondent for Dateline and has done numerous stories for NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and many others. He gave us some fantastic examples of how to make stories interesting.

Then they cut us loose on some "assignments". It was really good for our little station. Employees working together and having some fun.

This is the second group that went through the class. I got my "degree" and now looking for opportunities to use these skills. It is the future of our business, everyone shooting and putting stuff on the air and on the web. It should be fun.............

March 30, 2010

2010-03-31T00:02:00.004-05:00

Still can't run. I walked about a mile yesterday, and it hurt. So this morning I rode about 15 miles. Felt fine during the ride, but my knee was sore this afternoon at work. Gretting pretty frustrated with the whole mess. I can't wait to get back to running.

On a brighter note, the garden is coming along.

Here are some of the green onions.

We planted a couple of different kinds of lettuce.

Spinich and Radishes are also coming up.

Will try to walk again Wednesday morning.

March 23, 2010

2010-03-23T23:20:00.005-05:00

I've been walking some, but still not running yet. We've had some interesting weather. We hit 73 on Friday, then snow on Saturday and Sunday. Had to work this weekend and anxious to get some longer walks in.

I covered the garden on Friday, before the snow hit. Glad I did, temps dropped below freezing and we had 5.5" of snow.

Covered the tender plants and they did just fine.

Emma does not love the snow. She was very interested, but ready to go in after a few minutes.

The deers across the street came out on Sunday looking for food.

Things in the garden are coming to life. We've been watering twice a day, and the veggies are responding. Almost finished with my wire framework around and over the garden.

We'll see how well it holds up in high winds this spring. If we live here next year, I would like to build a 2nd raised garden.

Can't wait for it to warm up enough to put the tomato plants in. That should be fun.

Garden Update

2010-03-17T10:01:00.006-05:00

I was trying to come up with something to keep the deer out of the garden. Not sure if this will work but here is what I did.

Bought 8 pieces of 1/2" pvc pipe. I wanted to try and build something that I could use as a frame to cover in wire. I didn't like this, it looked too much like a covered wagon.

So then I used some 45 degree joints at the top.

To hold the structure in place I used some 3 way joints I screwed into the frame. This way you can pop open one side to do your garden work, then put the side back in place before you work on the other side. Much to my surprise, it works very well.

I then began covering the structure with some chicken wire. Not done yet, but I do think this will keep the deer out.

I think I could even cover this in plastic, and make a cold frame, and possible a green house.
We were getting concerned because so far our crops haven't come up....at least until today.

If you look hard, at the center of this picture, you can see two tiny leaves of some lettuce. So
at least we have some growth, expected this about a week ago. Not quite enough for a salad, but hey it is a start!

March 17, 2010

2010-03-17T09:44:00.003-05:00

The knee is still sore and it still hurts to run. Getting frustrated so yesterday I thought I would dust off the bike and taken it for a short ride.

Took it easy but was anxious to see how riding felt on my knee.

Did about 13 miles at a very easy pace. Rode into Tulsa.

Surprising at the time the knee was fine. A few hours later, while at work I could feel a little pain, but wasn't too bad. I love running, but will settle for biking for now.

Home from Vacation

2010-03-11T20:49:00.010-06:00

Just back from a week on the road. Sadly, we couldn't bring back all the souvenirs I wanted.

Antebellum - [an-tee-bel-uhm] adjective - before or having existed before the war, esp. the American Civil War.

The plan was to visit some antebellum homes in the south. We began the journey heading south to spend a few day with our daughter and son-in-law in Austin. We had to do some tourist stuff, so we took a tour of the Texas Capital building.

Alright....so this wasn't the Texas Capital. But it was a great place to sample boiled peanuts. Surprising they were very good.

There's that Capital building picture. Seriously, it was huge and rich in history. Tour it if you can, it is an amazing structure.

Then we consumed the best pizza I've had in my life. There has to be more great restaurants per mile in Austin than any other place in the world. At Home Slice folks line up well before they open and I found out why.

My daughter wanted us to help her re-do the flowerbeds in front of their house. My wife helped her select the right plants for the location.

It was fun getting our hands dirty and spending time with our great daughter and amazing son-in-law.

It came out pretty well. With Austin's heat, it's difficult to keep some plants alive and there is that little thing called 'watering' which my daughter sometimes forgets plants like.

After a few days there we headed into Louisiana, I did my best to take as many sunrise and sunset shots as I could.

We crossed over the Mississippi and spent a few days in Natchez. Each year they host something called the Spring Pilgrimage. Over 30 historic homes are opened up for tours. Beautiful old mansions with names like; Rosalie, Stanton Hall, and Magnolia Hall.

Southern Bell's dress in period clothing and greet you with stories of the history of the home and the owners. Surprisingly most are lived in and all decorated in period antiques.

Below is the owner of the home. She's lived here since the early 70s and was kind and sweet and seemed to enjoy showing off her home.

My favorite was just on the outskirts of Natchez called Longwood. Spanish moss covered trees line the entry way and as you approach the home it really feels like you've stepped back in time.

It is the largest octagonal house in America. It is five stories with a 6th floor observatory. It is hard to describe how huge this home is. The bottom floor alone is 10,000 square feet.

This is a shot from the inside looking up into the observation deck.

The story of the Longwood is as interesting as it's architecture. Workers stopped the construction when the Civil War broke out. The owner and a few slaves finished the basement and moved the family into the home while waiting for the war to end. The owner died of pneumonia, but legend insists he died of a broken heart over his dream house never completed.

His wife and the eight kids lived there for 30 years. After the kids were raised and gone the wife passed away. The grand kids owned the home until 1968. The house is left unfinished so tourists can see it just as it was in the 1860s.

We sampled some great southern food as well. I wanted to eat here just because of the name of the restaurant, "Fat Moma's Tamales".

There are some things in the south that difficult to explain or understand. I sort of doubt you could get by constructing this little restaurant today.

From Natchez we went on to Vicksburg to visit the Civil War museum and the National Military Park. You drive through the battlefields with monuments. We enjoyed a movie on the history of Vicksburg and how it was the turning point in the war.

They have a museum set up for the U.S.S. Cariro. An ironclad gunboat built by the Union Navy for the Civil War. Confederate troops rigged primative bombs to sink it. It sat on the bottom of the River from 1862 until the 1960s then restored. It is quite a site, and if I ever had the time, would love to research and read more about these amazing ships.

Had to grab this sunset on the Mississippi with a Casino paddle boat in the shot.

While on our way to Monroe to visit an old friend who is a weatherman there, we saw this sign in Port Gibson, Miss. I was not aware Grant had refused to burn this small town during
the Civil War. He claimed it was, "too beautiful to burn."

On our way back to Oklahoma we drove through the tiny north Texas town of Detroit, which I had never heard of before this.

It was a fun trip and we enjoyed seeing and eating things we otherwise would not have had the chance to experience. But comin' home and sleeping in your own bed.....well that's the best part of a vacation!

March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T11:23:00.006-06:00

March 1st did not exactly come "in like a Lion" this morning, but it was cold. Pain or not, I was determined to get a walk in this morning. Did 42 minutes, even tried to jog a bit, but after a few steps the ol' knee hurt again, so I stopped.

While walking I saw this spray painted on the sidewalk. I think gangs call it tagging where gang graffiti is put to mark their territory. But this dragon's head looked familiar.

Am I wrong or isn't this pitchman Billy Mays? Ahhh....these kids today.

This is Emma "playing outside" this weekend as we worked on the front flower beds.

Got the leaves out and new mulch down.

I am smiling because we are almost finished. I think our next house will have a smaller yard!

Planting the Garden

2010-02-27T19:51:00.007-06:00

Although the calendar shows it is time to plant the cold crops, our temperatures have been too cold to get them into the ground. Today we got about half of our little garden planted.

In my career, you get pretty good at spreading this around. We ammended the soil with a little manure before we planted.

The onion bulbs were set in the ground. They are close together because we plan to harvest them as green onions and not wait for big round onions. We put them in the ground about an inch and a half then covered them lightly.

I still haven't decided how best to keep the deer out of the lettuce when it begins to leaf out. My fear is we get things coming up and wake up to this.

May just have to build a fence around it. This would work, but probably a bit extreme. At least it might keep them from eating the garden before we do.

Lettuce will germinate and we should see some growth in a couple of weeks.

The seeds are tiny. My wife suggested we only put about half in the ground. She put the rest in the freezer so we can plant them in the fall.

There's something to be said for a raised garden bed. Our sloping yard means one side
of the garden is up about 3 feet. Made it very easy to plant.

My wife hates being in photographs. I had to sneek this one when she wasn't looking.

So half of the bed is planted. I watered it in well.

Will keep an eye on the temperatures and cover it when we get our next shot of cold air. Spring isn't here yet, but why wait? The worst of winter is over, and if we get another snow, I'll protect what we've planted and hope for the best.

February 22, 2010

2010-02-23T01:10:00.004-06:00

Not running yet, but my morning walks are getting longer. Did 30 minutes this morning with only a slight pain in the knee. Hope to be doing some running in a week or so. At least that is the goal.

The garden is coming along. I covered it up before the weekend rain with the idea of not getting
it soaked and compacted before I finish getting the soil ready.

We picked up 1 1/2" of rain and the raised garden turned into a redneck hot tub.

It was cold but dry this morning. I added a few bags of Back to Nature. It is an organic fertilizer made of cattle manure and cotton burrs.

I mixed in 3 bags. After I top off the soil, I'll add in the other bags.

The soil is looking good and if it warms up I hope to get some planting done by March 1st.

Tell me that's not good looking soil? May have to rename the place "Green Acres" Here is my wife and I riding off to the lower 40.

February 13, 2010

2010-02-13T21:26:00.004-06:00

Here's an update on the garden. Dump truck dropped off 6 tons of dirt on Friday. It cost me $160. Some in the street and some in the yard.

It was a combo of top soil and compost. Emma was very interested in the unusual smells .

This morning I got up and finished the wire mesh. My son put down the first layer of chicken wire. The thought was to perhaps stop moles and gophers from getting in. He stabled it all the way around. I had some extra wire and put down another layer. This, along with the metal barrier I sunk down 10" below grade will hopefully keep them out.

Then I put down several layers of old newspaper. The thought was to kill out the Bermuda roots grass roots still left in the bed. In theory, the newspaper will decompose with time, and by then the Bermuda grass will all be dead.

Finally, a use for the Tulsa World. Then my son and his friend Tommy, showed up to make a little money. I hired them to haul the dirt uphill from the curb up to the garden, about 75 yards.

The dirt was moist and heavy and after just a few loads my son suggested we use the lawn mower and little trailer.

After about 2 1/2 hours we had the bed filled up about 75%.

The boys wanted to get on the road. They were going to do some rock climbing in Fayetteville.
They plan to be back Sunday to finish the job. I told them it was going to Snow on Sunday but
the didn't believe me. Likely I will finish it myself. Just trying not to hurt the knee, but want to get this wrapped up.

Next will be to amend the soil with some compost and let it all dry out. I'll keep an eye on the weather, and when I see a warm period, we'll put some plants in.

Treadmills

2010-02-10T23:45:00.009-06:00

Life on the mend.....

By now I fully expected to be running, still not there yet. Sort of like running an ultra.... my recover is just slow forward progress. Walked 20 minutes on the treadmill, but it still hurts to run.

Tonight, while looking online, I found an interesting treadmill site: http://www.treadmilllife.com/ Quick: Do you know what this is?

When I clicked on the History tab, I found out something interesting. The first treadmills were not made for humans. No, they were made for animals to use the energy to power butter churns, spinning wheels, and water pumps.

On another site, I found this about early day use of the treadmill:

"A treadmill is a mill consisting of a large wooden cylinder with steps on the outside. It is worked by persons treading on the steps, their weight causing the cylinder to revolve. The treadmill was invented in China and originally used for raising water. The treadmill employed in British prisons as an instrument of torture or punishment was invented by Sir. William Cubitt. The first penal treadmill was erected in Briston Jail in 1817, The 'hard labour' of prison discipline was formerly the treadmill."

And I found this, more recent picture of prisoners being punished.....

Looks like the men's room at halftime of any football game.

So next time you are running on a treadmill, remember it was once considered punishment for
inmates.

There there is this..........

Honestly, what is the point?

And for those of you who would like to get a little work done as you are on the treadmill.
Someone has made a work desk, with multiple monitors just for you:

I could so use this in the weather center!

But lets be honest....in most homes, the treadmill looks like this:

February 6, 2010

2010-02-06T20:08:00.004-06:00

I hate gophers and moles. The thought of them excavating into our little garden has me taking a few extra precautions. Not sure if it will work, but perhaps, just perhaps, it might slow them down.

It was a cloudy and cold Saturday. The ol' knee still hurting, so I worked on the garden instead of attempting a long walk. Today's goal, get some flashing down below grade. My thought was to provide a barrier to keep ruthless moles or gophers out (or slow them down), and try to reduce the amount of Bermuda grass that creeps into the garden.

So I dug down 8 inches below the bottom of the base and put in a 10 inch wide layer of thin metal.

I pre-drilled the metal then screwed it into the wood. Cut through a cable t.v. line, mine still works but I wonder if my neighbor lost his. I buried the evidence !

After I went all the way around, I back filled the ditches I dug.

The next step is to dig out the Bermuda grass roots, and then add several layers of chicken wire on the bottom, to stop the gophers or moles from digging in from the bottom.

Priced around and found out a place that has a top soil/compost mix. The cost for the dirt to fill this up, delivered to the street is about$160. Hope to do that in couple of weeks.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and it will snow Sunday night, so I'll will probably go into work. Still hope to get that long walk in. Will walk in the morning. Still anxious to run, but the knee isn't there yet.

February 4, 2010

2010-02-04T10:49:00.005-06:00

Did about 15 minutes on the treadmill. It is old and not working so well.....sort of like me. The knee is still sore, but it is better than it was a week ago.

Took Emma to the dog park. Had driven by this many times and she looked like she was ready to get out of the house. I guess the light mist kept the crowds away. We were the only one at the park.

It is a converted baseball field. They have the large and smaller dogs in seperate fenced in areas. A few chairs and it was littered with old dog toys and chewed up Frisbees.

Emma wasn't sure what to think. But she acted like she liked it but didn't get too far away from me. Lots of smells for her I am sure.

Wonder how they plan to enforce this one?

A couple of signs in the park asked for donations.

Probably more fun for her if there were a few dogs there. I'll take her back when the weather is better. Glad they have these parks, they are a great option for folks without large yards.

January 30, 2010

2010-01-30T13:13:00.003-06:00

Following 1/2" of freezing rain on Thursday. Friday it snowed 6.5" of snow. Overall the city did pretty well. In fact, it wasn't as bad as what was expected. Have worked a ton of hours but got to come home late last night. Took a few pictures around the house today. This is a sun that overlooks one of Jo Ann's flower beds. Looks like something from Lady Gaga.

We saw a few breaks in the clouds but temps will stay below freezing to day. So I don't expect much melting on our hill. The house is covered.

Miss Emma does NOT like the snow. She stay out only long enough to do her business then races back to the door.

Took a little video of our house and street.

I'll work today, but likely take Sunday off to clean the driveway, steps, and get some rest before next week. What a winter!

January 29, 2010

2010-01-29T00:26:00.004-06:00

Knee still sore, but better. Hope to begin doing some longer walks next week. Working these very long days haven't helped. Have not been able to swim, but doing my PT exercises. Should be well enough to begin doing some light running within two weeks. Just ready for work to slow down some.

Work has been keeping me very busy the last few days. Had to shoot a story for the February ratings, and deal with this winter ice storm. This computer displays all of the active watches and warnings.

What you don't see on our broadcasts isn't quite so neat an tidy. We all brought extra clothing so each of us could work multiple shifts, both inside and outside.

George kept his "outside clothing" on but only changed into his suit from the belt up. He was about to do a update about midnight.

Kept the crew from going home during the normal dinner break. Station fed them pizza, and as you can see from the empty ice chests, all the canned soda and water was cleaned out.

When I went out to check on my truck at about midnight, here is what it looked like.

January 24, 2010

2010-01-24T20:18:00.005-06:00

Do you know what plant zone we live in? I didn't. Here is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
I live in 6b. It's important you know that, so you can know what and when to plant stuff.

This weekend we picked up some seeds for the garden. Some radishes, spinach, lettuce, and onion sets.

They ranged in prices from $1.49 to $1.79 per package. I wanted tomatoes, but Jo said it was way too early for them.

Jo Ann suggested some onion sets. They are cheap. At Southwood Nursery, for 80 bulbs it cost $3.99.

The wood that touches the ground I went ahead and bought pressure treated 2" X 12" X 10'.

After I completed the bottom row, I started building up the sides. It will look a bit odd because it has to be on a slope. On the east side (left) it will be about 30" high and the west side about 12". Hope to get the frame completed this week, and perhaps the dirt in the ground by next weekend. Will start calling around for dirt prices.

January 21, 2010

2010-01-21T13:13:00.003-06:00

Recovering from yesterday. Left home at 10am to travel to Tahlequah. Spoke to the Kiwanis Club then right to work. Severe storms kept me there until 1:15am this morning.

Went to physical therapy today. Did 5 minutes of a very slow run on the treadmill. It hurt a little but I did it! That is progress.

When I got home from PT, I saw a little critter on our house. Took this video.

So, I still have a bat on our house.

January 18, 2010

2010-01-18T23:54:00.003-06:00

This is my 5th year to do the MLK parade. Today was the warmest.... and the slowest. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11am, and they ask us to stage at 10:30am. The crowd is always energetic and it's usually a wonderful parade.

Today we had some problems. It was very late getting started then something happened and we didn't get to move until about 1:15am. News reported there was a fight that broke out among some kids.

Not sure what happened really, but once it got rolling it was fun. Spent the route behind Swoop, the Tulsa Talons mascot. Behind me was a truck playing some great loud music. I smiled when I heard (and felt) Funky Cold Medina. I was rocking the Storm Chaser on that one.

I couldn't believe how late it was when the parade ended. I took a shot of the radio's clock. A long parade but a blast. I'll attend another physical therapy session tomorrow. Knee felling better. Will try to spin some this week and maybe a longer walk by the weekend.