Bib #6

*&^%# Bad timing to get sick. Arrived just in time for the start line. #%@$! Didn't have time to go to the bathroom! $%*@ Left my headset in the car. Passed 2:00 pacers. Awesome! Was approaching 1:30 pacers. Keep it steady. #%$@! Had to take a bathroom break. I couldn't believe I finished 9th in my category! Must be all those swearing. I swear running is the only time I swear.
 

Mind Game

It's all in the mind. That's what a lot of people claim about running. But how come the other day when I felt like on top of the world my body and soul quit on me halfway through my long run? And then the next day when I felt blah not only did I finish my run, I made a personal best time. Go figure.

Fashion Fad

Once in a while I cave in to whatever fashion craze is in. A blazer with shoulder pads bigger than a linebacker's shoulder thingy. An over the top dress Dynasty's style with equally over the top big hair. Old photos always crack me up. What in the world was I thinking? I wonder what would I think when I see old photos of me in this running skort (skirt + short) ten years from now. LOL or ROTFLOL?

Mutiny On The Bounty

Woke up at 4.30am and was so excited about today's 10.5K run. It wasn't even a race. Just a routine run for a marathon training from MyAsics. Run #35. Forty seven more to go. Woohoo! Had a nutribar and a hot chocolate. Felt like on top of the world. Out the door by 5.20am only to find that my legs, my lungs, my hands, my mind quit on me at 5.68K. What in the world? Oh well, sh!# happens. Move on. Tomorrow's another day.

Running Muse

A man with one arm. My guess he is about mid forty-ish. Barefoot. Running slowly but relentlessly and persistently around GBK.

Looking Glass

Why do I spend at least ten minutes before a run to fix my hair with a hair pin and some hairspray even though I know at the end of a run I will most likely to look like hell? Because when I look neat, I feel good. When I feel good, I smile a lot. When I smile a lot, I will most likely to fulfill whatever today's goals. In running or in life.

Mantra Ray

Sunday long run. I focused on my breath and listened to the rhythm of my body instead of listening to some music. Amazing things happened. My mind stopped reminding me how exhausted I am. My mind stopped encouraging my legs, my hands, my lungs to go on strike. My mind stopped telling me to quit. Hey! I didn't know running can be a some kind of a meditation form. This is awesome! Breath in. Breath out. Forward. Forward. 

Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth

W-pedia

Some people like to talk about themselves like there's no tomorrow and bore you to death. Others are like walking encyclopedia. You can learn a lot of thing from a conversation. And you can tell whether they just want to impress you with their knowledge or they are really enthusiastic about what they know and just love to share with others. Love it!

Trabant Car

Running Angel

Happy birthday Dad. In case you are wondering up there I'm doing great. I'm going to run my first marathon in December. Will you run with me?

My Princess

When Dena was small I deliberately shunned her from Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty. A helpless damsel in distress who depends on a man to rescue her? I don't think so. In our bedtime story, Rapunzel cut her hair short so she can escape her prisoner tower, use her hair to destroy the evil enchantress. 

Dum Doodlely Draw

My little nephew first showed me this drawing game in his iPad. The web version has 2 short episodes. I love episodes #2! My drawing walks, climbs tree, tricks a tiger, flies to save two stick persons.  It's so fun! Try deliberately ignore the drawing request and draw whatever you want. It's so much fun! Anything is possible. You just have to be creative.

Thin Line

Art? Mistakes? Artistic mistakes? Mistakenly art? Don't worry about mistakes. Making things out of mistakes, that's art. The art of making mistakes. In art, as in life, the best way to remedy mistakes is to take advantage of them. Go figure.

Run Baby Run

When my legs are begging me to stop. When my lungs are screaming for air. When my hands go on strike. When my heart is out of sync. When my mouth start quietly swearing at everything and everyone. When my mind start yelling at me to quit. It's time for Kelly. 

Learning Muse

Fourteen years old. Lived on the street half of his life. Just start to learn to read in KDM. Never seen anyone so enthusiastic about learning something. It's like he discovers a new world. So eager and thirsty to learn more. His eyes are beaming with delight every time he is able to recognize a letter or correctly sound out letters in a word. And his smile! I'm swept by waves of smiles. It's contagious. And he isn't deterred by mistakes. He just laughs it off and tries again and again and again. When was the last time I was so passionate about learning something new?

Pro Man

Early morning swim. A man with his toddler son. The man has broad shoulders, tiny waist, muscular neck, hands and legs. Must be a professional swimmer. Showing his son some stretching exercises before swimming. Barely two or three years old the little boy followed his dad's directions diligently. So cute! I waited eagerly to see how he would train his young son. For about thirty minutes they ran around the pool like lunatics, explored every part of the pool and occasionally plunged into the pool. Laughing out loud most of the time. Must be a professional dad.

Furry Friends

Every time I go for a morning run in GBK I notice two things are always there. A girl with long hair ties into a ponytail. Her ponytail would bounce and sway from side to side when she runs. She wears ASICS shoe, always wears blue-purple shades running outfit, and always listens to her gadget. A medium size dog with long strands. No collar. Too nice of a dog to be a stray dog. Reminds me of Benji. Both always go on the opposite of my direction. I envy her hair. The girl's not the dog's.

Once In A While

Once in a while I venture to a kid's section of a book store and pick up a good story. Once in a while I smile and giggle out loud while I read. Once in a while I'm treated with awesome drawing with uncomplicated lines and intricate details. Once in a while I find life's lesson in the story. It's always delightful and refreshing to read children's books.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Read Dog Read!

My most delightful book moment. Dena picked up Pompom, her Shih Tzu dog, put her in a bean chair, picked up a book, sat next to Pompom and started telling her dog a story. Occasionally she would put a page right in front of the dog's nose and point to this and that in the book. She was four. Not a reader yet but already a book lover.

Old School

I love books. Good old books. Not audio books. I'm a visual learner, probably only twenty percent I hear stick to my brain. And those e-reader gives me headache. Nothing beats the smell of crisp paper and print when you turn a page of a book. I hope books will stay around for centuries to come.

E-Sister

Dinner in a restaurant. In one table a group of grown ups were busy talking and talking and talking. Laughing out loud frequently. Right next to their table two children were busy keeping themselves occupied. A young girl was busy texting with her mobile. A little boy sat under the table was busy repeatedly poking the young girl's legs. She wasn't annoyed at all. She just keep texting all the time and smiling once in a while. I wonder what brand of her mobile that gives its user such patience. Mine is not working. 

Before Midnite

A love story. Too good to be true. What are the odds of you falling in love with a complete stranger in less than twelve hours? Probably once in a blue moon. She glowed as she told me her story. My favorite part was when they said goodbye at the airport. Jason Mraz's Be Honest should be playing in the taxi. Who we are when love is what it wants to be. We are free, and we are, having the best day ever by far. Being treated to the light, like a superstar.

Doodle by Patricia

Mental Note

We all have issue. That's the first sentence I read when I open the first page of this journal. I count the pages to make sure I have enough space to talk about all my issues. When I arrive on the last page this is what it says. It's not your fault. Laughing Out Loud. Apparently I don't have issues, I just need some tissues. Tears from laughing myself off.

Watch Me!

I don't wear watch. I dislike being restricted by time. As a matter of fact I don't own any watch till I run, swim and dive regularly. Now I have three. A watch to count running distance and pace. A watch to measure a no deco dive. A watch to count swimming laps. What else do I need? A watch to detect my mood. That would be awesome!

Something Fishy

Running easy against the traffic and the wind. Feeling like a solitary but satisfied salmon going upstream. Craving for crispy salmon skin and sashimi.

Jason & Pascal

Look what I found in my external hard disk! A comic book by Jason & Pascal, former students of mine about two or three years ago. I forgot which one of the two brothers allowed me to scan their comic. I think I wanted to feature it in my blog then but somehow I completely forgot about it. What a delightful work! I especially adore page fifteen where comic and e-world collide. I wonder what are they up to now?

Catch Of The Day #21

Doodle By Dena