I try and tell people to do right. Don't worry about what others are doing, just do right by yourself. I understand sometimes we don't always do right; we are human after all. But, I do have a problem with religious people who profuse their righteousness and don't do right.
Today I got cut off by a person with a specialty plate that said "4CHRIST". Now I know you might be thinking he may not have seen me or he may not have known he had to turn at the next street. No, he knew (I've seen him on this road before). He wanted to bypass the line of cars waiting to make a legal turn. Because I didn't just let him in, I got cut off (had I not hit my brakes I could have hit him (I'm sure if I hit him, I would have been blamed for it, because he's "4CHRIST" and I must be a heathen if I hit his expensive sports car)).
If you are "4CHRIST", you should be kind and courteous to others in your actions, and you should do right. If you don't, you are a Pretender.
I used to have a co-worker who was a deacon at his church and who liked to tell us of all the good work he did. I never minded this, because I've learned that sometimes the only person who will give you a pat on the back is yourself, and sometimes you need a pat on the back (even if it's from yourself). But, he would also tell us how he will be in heaven when he dies, and he said it in a way that implied that we wouldn't. If you imply this to others, you should not sneak out of work all the time and put on your time sheet that you worked. You should not be paid for something you didn't do (like work). This is stealing. If a company is paying you to be there and you're not there (and I don't care if the company can afford it, or if you think you should be making more), you are stealing from that company.
If you are going to tell people you are going to heaven when you die, you should at least follow the 10 commandments. If you can’t do this, you are a Pretender.
Plain and simple, do right.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
What were they thinking must be contagious.
Yesterday I found out I will be getting a new boss (This sucks, I finally got the last one trained to do things how I want him to do it.) (And, it takes a long time to train a boss.). My boss’s title is Senior Instructor of Bus Maintenance Training. He will be swapping jobs with the Senior Instructor of Rail Maintenance Training. So my company is swapping both Senior Instructors into jobs that they know nothing about. So, not only are we getting someone who doesn’t want to change jobs (I’m assuming the new guy is as mad as my boss (I’ve heard that swearing was involved in the meetings)), but someone who doesn’t know anything about what we teach (yea!).
I was told the reason my boss was given for this move was that our department runs well and works well with our customer (Bus Maintenance), and the new guys department is as dysfunctional as a family wedding between first cousins. I can smell the leadership from here.
I almost didn’t survive the last bad boss (I refer to him as the Shade Tree Manager). Three of the instructors at the time left our department (voluntarily) while the Shade Tree Manager was the boss. If this guy is bad enough to be moved, I might want to update my resume. No good can come out of having a boss that doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t understand what you do and is such a bad leader that he is being moved.
If a person can’t do a job well, you should re-train them or fire them. You shouldn’t inflict them on a working group that is doing a good job. What were they thinking?
I was told the reason my boss was given for this move was that our department runs well and works well with our customer (Bus Maintenance), and the new guys department is as dysfunctional as a family wedding between first cousins. I can smell the leadership from here.
I almost didn’t survive the last bad boss (I refer to him as the Shade Tree Manager). Three of the instructors at the time left our department (voluntarily) while the Shade Tree Manager was the boss. If this guy is bad enough to be moved, I might want to update my resume. No good can come out of having a boss that doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t understand what you do and is such a bad leader that he is being moved.
If a person can’t do a job well, you should re-train them or fire them. You shouldn’t inflict them on a working group that is doing a good job. What were they thinking?
More what were they thinking?
I went down to Florida for Thanksgiving. My mother, a brother and a sister live down there. I drove down Tuesday with my 2 dogs, and this started my, “what was I thinking?” moments.
First- I drove ten hours in a car with my 2 dogs. What was I thinking? Allie doesn’t settle down when we travel. She stays in an excited state for days. She will not sleep much. And, she will annoy the heck out of you by not letting you sleep (I guess she feels if she can’t sleep, why should you?). I was lucky to get a nap by sleeping on the couch with the TV on (I guess it makes her feel more at home, considering I often nap with the TV on. (Remember, I’ve said more than once “I’m a big fat lazy guy”.)).
Second- I put all the dogs in the backyard while I took a shower. What was I thinking? I forgot Allie is the big brown Houdini of the dog world. I guess because she is older and can’t climb fences anymore; I thought she would be fine in the backyard. Boy was I wrong. She found a hole in the fence, and pushed under the fence. When I went to let the dogs in, three came in and Allie was missing. I rushed out front to call for her and found her standing in the middle of the road. She was looking around as if thinking, (“None of these houses look right; where the hell am I? Damn this Conway memory”).
Third- My brother-in-law and I took both of my dogs for a hike at the Savannah’s State Park. What was I thinking? Allie is old; although the mind is willing, the body isn’t. We had gone a mile and a half when we realized that if we didn’t turn around, one of us would probably be carrying a 90lb Chocolate Lab. Our total hike was two and a quarter miles and Allie panted for 3 hours after the hike was over.
After the hike I took the dogs over to my mother’s condo. While over there the dogs found that big cold water bowl located in the bathroom. This will often freak out non-dog people, like my mom. When they came out of the bathroom, my mother made it a point to try and shoo them away from her. I found this very amusing, because non-dog people don’t understand that when you talk to the dog and wave your hands at them; they think you want them in your lap, and if you want them in your lap, you must want big sloppy kisses (and they would be sloppy, because the just finished drinking from that big cold water bowl located in the bathroom). It was fun to watch.
Fourth- On the way home, I gave Allie a doggie sedative for the trip. What was I thinking? The sedative relaxed her too much. She didn’t ride standing on the console the whole trip, but for part of the trip, every time she wanted to reposition herself she would bark (LOUDLY), because she was having trouble getting up. If you’ve never experienced a Lab bark when you didn’t expect it, you are lucky. I am lucky I didn’t have a heart attack or hit another car from being startled. (Although, she always barked after I had settled down. She might have been doing it just to mess with me.)
First- I drove ten hours in a car with my 2 dogs. What was I thinking? Allie doesn’t settle down when we travel. She stays in an excited state for days. She will not sleep much. And, she will annoy the heck out of you by not letting you sleep (I guess she feels if she can’t sleep, why should you?). I was lucky to get a nap by sleeping on the couch with the TV on (I guess it makes her feel more at home, considering I often nap with the TV on. (Remember, I’ve said more than once “I’m a big fat lazy guy”.)).
Second- I put all the dogs in the backyard while I took a shower. What was I thinking? I forgot Allie is the big brown Houdini of the dog world. I guess because she is older and can’t climb fences anymore; I thought she would be fine in the backyard. Boy was I wrong. She found a hole in the fence, and pushed under the fence. When I went to let the dogs in, three came in and Allie was missing. I rushed out front to call for her and found her standing in the middle of the road. She was looking around as if thinking, (“None of these houses look right; where the hell am I? Damn this Conway memory”).
Third- My brother-in-law and I took both of my dogs for a hike at the Savannah’s State Park. What was I thinking? Allie is old; although the mind is willing, the body isn’t. We had gone a mile and a half when we realized that if we didn’t turn around, one of us would probably be carrying a 90lb Chocolate Lab. Our total hike was two and a quarter miles and Allie panted for 3 hours after the hike was over.
After the hike I took the dogs over to my mother’s condo. While over there the dogs found that big cold water bowl located in the bathroom. This will often freak out non-dog people, like my mom. When they came out of the bathroom, my mother made it a point to try and shoo them away from her. I found this very amusing, because non-dog people don’t understand that when you talk to the dog and wave your hands at them; they think you want them in your lap, and if you want them in your lap, you must want big sloppy kisses (and they would be sloppy, because the just finished drinking from that big cold water bowl located in the bathroom). It was fun to watch.
Fourth- On the way home, I gave Allie a doggie sedative for the trip. What was I thinking? The sedative relaxed her too much. She didn’t ride standing on the console the whole trip, but for part of the trip, every time she wanted to reposition herself she would bark (LOUDLY), because she was having trouble getting up. If you’ve never experienced a Lab bark when you didn’t expect it, you are lucky. I am lucky I didn’t have a heart attack or hit another car from being startled. (Although, she always barked after I had settled down. She might have been doing it just to mess with me.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
What Were They Thinking?
Last weekend Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta had its monthly hike. It decided to go to Piedmont Park (in the heart of Atlanta), and I wonder, what were they thinking? I know it was a very central location for people to attend, but it’s not a hike; it’s a walk. You shouldn’t call it a hike if you’re just going for a stroll through the park. I also understand that having the group hike at Piedmont Park gets us a lot more exposure to the public. I’m sure a lot more people asked questions about the group than we would get in North Georgia, but this was the only hike this year that we might have been able to see the fall color change.
I’ve heard that the walk was very successful, and everyone gathered for a drink at the Park Tavern after i
t. 
I’ve heard that the walk was very successful, and everyone gathered for a drink at the Park Tavern after i
t. 
Friday, November 16, 2007
It's Been a While
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so I will update you on the randomness that is my life.
- Ever since the corporate run my knee has been hurting me. I’ve not gone to a doctor because I’m a guy, but I did go to Foot Solutions and bought a set of inserts for my sneakers. There are two bad things about this: 1) although the insert has helped my knee, it hurts my feet as I get use to them (the salesman told me not to wear them more than a couple hours a day and slowly increase the amount of time I’m wearing them) (this means when my knee feel good, my feet hurt. And, when my feet feel good, my knee hurts). 2) the cost of the insert was as much as my sneakers. I hate spending that kind of money on an activity I don't like to do. It sucks to get old.
- I went to a hockey game the other day, and our team played like they never played with each other before. The Thrashers need to tighten up. Atlanta is a fair weather town, if you are not winning they hate you, but if you win they love you. (I like the Thrashers either way, winning or losing, but I want to see them play like a professional team not a minor league team.)
- I finished my last Photoshop class. It was a 8 week class at a local high school, and it was well worth the money. One of the class assignments was to make a logo. I decided to make one for the department I work for. Below is my department's new logo.
- Ever since the phone incident, Buddy has been a well behaved dog. That all ended last week when he chewed my glasses. I guess that shoots down the theory that he grabbed the phone because it rang. I think he has expensive taste. (mmmm should I chew on this bone or that chew rope or even that 20 dollar universal remote? No, I’m going for the $150 dollar cell phone or the $250 dollar prescription glasses. I bet they will taste so much better than any of these toys on the floor.)
- I volunteered at Cocktails for a Cause the other day. This was a fundraiser at the Goldfish restaurant for Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA). The president of GRRA is a pimp. He put one of our attractive volunteers (not me) into an “I Love Cold Wet Sloppy Kisses” t-shirt, and sent her around to tables with men at them. Her job was to sell t-shirts and get donations, and she did well. More than one guy, who bought a t-shirt, told us they probably will never wear it. (They said it was to girly, if you don’t have a dog.)
- Next week I am heading down to Port St. Lucie, FL for Thanksgiving. I am driving down (11 hrs) with both of my dogs. This should give me plenty of fodder for upcoming blogs. We are only staying three days (after 3 days fish and guests stink).
- The other day my boss had to go to the termination review committee (I work for a quasi government organization, so you can’t just fire someone) and justify the termination of the guy who failed my class. They upheld that the termination was valid and had us send him a certified letter telling him he is let go. (This doesn’t mean he is necessarily fired yet. This is a union shop, and the membership could vote to have an arbitrator hear and rule on this case.)
- In two weeks I start teaching a new class. This will be the first time I’m teaching an Electrical Class. Because we are short staffed, I’ll also be teaching an Air and Brake class a couple of weeks after that. We are hiring 2 new Instructors, but by the time they will be ready to teach I’ll be pretty burned-out. I feel sorry for the students I'll be training when I get burned out. I have a very low tolerance for stupidity when I'm burned-out, and my company has a tendency to hire stupid.
Well I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
My Week has Been Messed Up
Last week I finished teaching an Air and Brake class (I had 4 students fail the final). This week I was supposed to start preparing to teach an Electrical class. Because I had four students fail, I’ve had supervise their re-training/study time and re-test them. Their re-training/study time has consisted of watching training videos of the air system, completing an interactive CD of the air system, and self study of their hand-outs. On Wednesday I reviewed with them in the morning and tested them in the afternoon. All but one passed.
Thursday morning I went down to my boss’s office to assist him (if he needed it) with the termination of the student that failed. Now I don’t want to see anyone lose a job, but you should not take a job you’re not qualified to do. The student’s argument for not being terminated is he was not told he would be tested when he was hired. If he wins this argument, it will mean that we will not be able to check a person’s knowledge of repairing a bus.
I glad my mother lives in Florida and doesn’t ride the bus.
Thursday morning I went down to my boss’s office to assist him (if he needed it) with the termination of the student that failed. Now I don’t want to see anyone lose a job, but you should not take a job you’re not qualified to do. The student’s argument for not being terminated is he was not told he would be tested when he was hired. If he wins this argument, it will mean that we will not be able to check a person’s knowledge of repairing a bus.
I glad my mother lives in Florida and doesn’t ride the bus.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Rescue Romp
Last Sunday was Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA) annual fundraiser, the Rescue Romp. Every year we invite all the Golden Retrievers that we’ve rescued to a BBQ (they can bring their humans if they want). The day consists of food, games, shopping, and socializing. The day is a lot of fun, and it gives all the volunteers a chance to see how dogs they helped rescue are doing, and it gives the dogs a chance to show off their human families.
Most of the day I spent working at the Golden Store. This was OK with me because all the money we make selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, magnets, etc… goes to helping find homes for Goldens and Labs.
I am somewhat surprised that the psychiatric profession doesn’t protest and boycott this event. Because a person cannot be depressed surrounded by so many Goldens and Labs. Just looking out over the sea of dogs just made me smile.
Most of the day I spent working at the Golden Store. This was OK with me because all the money we make selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, magnets, etc… goes to helping find homes for Goldens and Labs.
I am somewhat surprised that the psychiatric profession doesn’t protest and boycott this event. Because a person cannot be depressed surrounded by so many Goldens and Labs. Just looking out over the sea of dogs just made me smile.
High Falls State Park
My busy week continued with a hike at High Falls State Park. The park is located about 50 miles south of Atlanta, off of I-75. Buddy and I took off around noon on Saturday, and drove about an hour and a half to High Falls.
This is one of the most scenic parks I’ve been to so far. It has two hiking trails that total 5 miles. The first trail is the Towaliga River Falls Trail and the second is a Non-Game Trail. Both trails are located in different parking lots on opposite sides of the river. They are not connected to each other, so you will have to get in your car and switch parking lots if you want to do both trails.
Towaliga River Falls Trail
The Towaliga River Falls Trail is a mile and a half trail that runs along the falls and river. The trail starts off going down stairs along the falls, but unlike Amicalola Falls the stairs are wooden and easy on both human and dog. The stairs lead to a couple of nice observation areas that you can take some nice pictures of the falls (see below). The trail continues along the river with a few places to climb out on the rocks and for Buddy a few places to lay in the water and to swim.
This was a very scenic trail, with photo opportunities along the way. My only problem with this trail was that it was not well marked and it had many side trails, game trails, and trails leading to private property. Buddy and I did get off on one of these trails and got a little lost (and I forgot my Dick Tracy Watch at home, so I didn’t have GPS). Luckily, with a waterfall being so close I was able to follow the sound of the water back to the starting point.
Non-Game Trail
The non-game tail is a two and a half mile trail that runs through the woods. This trail was not remarkable or scenic. It is an easy to moderate hike through the woods on a single track trail. The trail featured mostly gentle climbs and descents that cris-crossed a small creek. I enjoyed the non-game, but I wouldn’t drive an hour and a half just for this trail.The combination of the beauty of the Towaliga Trail and the exercise of the Non-Game trails made for a very enjoyable hike. I would recommend this hike to anyone, especially photographers.
Friday, October 19, 2007
A Busy Week
Sunday
Last Sunday I went Hiking with Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA) at Fort Mountain State Park. This hike was a lot further away than we have done in the past, so we started later and only hiked the Lake Trail and Big Rock Trail. The group always enjoys these hikes. It gives people who like the outdoors and doing things with their dogs an activity. The dogs love it because they get a chance to swim.
The only bad thing that happened was that I flooded my friends car with my camlebak (water hydration pack). Because I didn't drink too much (we only did the two trails and it was a cool day) my camlebak was pretty full, and I must have stepped on the hose or something. I didn't even know it was leaking (I was wearing waterproof hiking boots) until Lisa dropped me off at my car. I picked up my gear and found it all wet, and the floorboard was flooded.
Lisa was very sweet about it. She said she would shop vac it up when she got home ( I wonder if she used the water she shop-vac'ed up to water her plants (we are in a bad drought here in GA)).
Monday
Friday is finals day for the class I'm teaching (Air Brake System). I had to go in early so I could write the test (I have a database of questions). I designed a test that wasn't too hard, but still had 4 students fail. This means all my plans for next week are out the door. I will have to spend time re-training them and re-testing them. Here I thought I was done with them.
Last Sunday I went Hiking with Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA) at Fort Mountain State Park. This hike was a lot further away than we have done in the past, so we started later and only hiked the Lake Trail and Big Rock Trail. The group always enjoys these hikes. It gives people who like the outdoors and doing things with their dogs an activity. The dogs love it because they get a chance to swim.The only bad thing that happened was that I flooded my friends car with my camlebak (water hydration pack). Because I didn't drink too much (we only did the two trails and it was a cool day) my camlebak was pretty full, and I must have stepped on the hose or something. I didn't even know it was leaking (I was wearing waterproof hiking boots) until Lisa dropped me off at my car. I picked up my gear and found it all wet, and the floorboard was flooded.
Lisa was very sweet about it. She said she would shop vac it up when she got home ( I wonder if she used the water she shop-vac'ed up to water her plants (we are in a bad drought here in GA)).
Monday
Monday was the 15th. I do my bills on the 1st and 15th. So, Monday I drove around paying bills. I don't know why I don't mail them in like a normal person, but I drive all around Marietta paying Power, Cable, Gas and Water. I'm sure I spend more on gas than I would on stamps.
Actually I do know why I don't mail them. It's because I have a louse memory. I once got a call from cable company threatening to turn off my cable. I checked my check book and I had paid them, so I was going to go to there office and speak to them. When I got in the car I noticed all of the bills sitting in my sun visor. Not only did I not pay them, but I didn't pay anyone. That's when I started paying at the offices.
Tuesday
Tuesday I had to bring Allie into the vet for her monthly shot (Adaquin) and to pickup her monthly medication (Duramaxx). I think Allie would agree with my mom when she says;"It's tough to get old. The minds willing , but the body's not.", but the shots and the pills help.
Allie is 12 years old and has arthritis and hip displashia. When I got her at 6 years old she had heartworm, which I think damaged her heart. Nowadays, she can only play fetch for 10 minutes before I have to stop (she'll be panting too much) or or walk 2 miles or less before I have to let her lay down. She would continue until she keeled over.
I often feel guilty about taking Buddy hiking and running, because I remember how much she used to love doing those things (she was a great hiking companion). Getting old sucks!
Wednesday
Thursday I went to the Atlanta Thrashers game. My sister and brother-
in-law buy season tickets, and his brother and I buy half of them from them (so I buy 10 games). I then sold 4 of them to a friend of mine (your welcome).
in-law buy season tickets, and his brother and I buy half of them from them (so I buy 10 games). I then sold 4 of them to a friend of mine (your welcome).The game was the second one I saw this year (the first was a pre-season game) and they won both. The Thrashers have not been doing well so far. Thursday's game was the first game they won this season, so I called my brother-in-law and suggested that I was good luck, and that he should give me all of his tickets until they lose with me there.
I took a friend that has never been to a hockey game. I'm pretty sure we have another convert.
Friday
Friday is finals day for the class I'm teaching (Air Brake System). I had to go in early so I could write the test (I have a database of questions). I designed a test that wasn't too hard, but still had 4 students fail. This means all my plans for next week are out the door. I will have to spend time re-training them and re-testing them. Here I thought I was done with them.Sunday, October 14, 2007
Two Dogs and a Fat Guy Again
As you read in my last post, I am back down to two dogs (if anyone from GRRA is reading, I'm not changing the name of my blog). Not only is the first part of the name of my blog back to being true, but the second part of the name of my blog is fast becoming true.After the Corporate Run my legs hurt for a week. I once read that running on concrete was the worst thing for you knees, and I now believe it. It also said that TrailRunning was the easiest on your knees, and this may be true, but sitting on the couch is even easier. Sitting on the Couch is what I've been doing.
Since getting kicked off the Jack Abbott trail at Lockheed I've not been motivated. I think two things are causing this: One - it's getting darker earlier. This means I have to get out to the trail earlier, even though I am working later (I'm currently teaching a class). Two - now that I can't run at Lockeed, I have to drive a half hour to a full hour (instead of five minutes) to get to a good trail to run on. This means I have to get out on the trail even earlier.
Rushing home from work to rush out of the house to run feels too much like work (by now you all should know how I feel about working). So I've been sitting on the couch a lot more. Because I'm sitting on the couch more, I'm gaining weight again. This means that my blog name "Two Dogs and a Fat Guy" is becoming truer and truer.
I think I'm going to write Lockeed/Martin and get them to tell me what the trail policy is. Hopefully they will let me and Buddy back on the trail, because if I don't do something soon I might become the next "Jabba the Hut" (without the cool bikini girls dancing around).
Two Dogs and a Fat Guy Once More
Last Thursday, Dottie (the little stray that I was fostering) was spayed. A family had adopted her, but I held on to her so she could be spayed and heal up. Sunday, after showing no ill signs from her spaying, I met the family that had adopted her at the dog park and turned over her leash to them.
Upon returning home without Dottie I actually think I saw Allie (my lab) smiling. That night I sat on my couch with Buddy (my golden) and relaxed in the calm of the house. Fostering Dottie was a lot of work, and as a lazy guy, I don't like doing a lot of work. I tip my hat to, and thank all the people (especially with Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta(GRRA)) who bring foster dogs into their homes and give them a place to stay until they find their forever home.
So, once again I am 2 dogs and a fat guy.
Upon returning home without Dottie I actually think I saw Allie (my lab) smiling. That night I sat on my couch with Buddy (my golden) and relaxed in the calm of the house. Fostering Dottie was a lot of work, and as a lazy guy, I don't like doing a lot of work. I tip my hat to, and thank all the people (especially with Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta(GRRA)) who bring foster dogs into their homes and give them a place to stay until they find their forever home.
So, once again I am 2 dogs and a fat guy.
Monday, October 8, 2007
The Corporate Run
Recently I ran the Kaisser Permanente Corporate Run (I did poorly). If you don’t know what the corporate run is, it is a benefit run for local charities. It is made up of businesses from around the area sponsoring teams (my company had about 100 runners).I had been training with Buddy leading up to this run, and discovered my training was woefully inadequate. About 2 miles into the run I was done (it probably didn’t help that I worked most of the day, walked to the staging area from the train (over a mile), and walked around the staging area for 2 hours). Every time my heart rate monitor went off I would walk till my heart rate dropped low enough for me to run.
To explain how done I was; at one of the water break station a beautiful woman ran up next to me and grabbed some water (now some of you might know I’m not the most forward person when it comes to women (my friend Steve is laughing about the comment “not the most forward”), but in this environment I can usually say “how’s it going”, boy that hill was tough”, or something run related), but I couldn’t breath well enough to get out a sentence.
If that’s not proof enough; at this point the woman poured the water over herself, and continued on with the race (I’m not sure she knew or cared, but when you pour water over a white tank top it becomes transparent and when the water is a lot colder than it is outside the body reacts). Now this beautiful woman with the transparent shirt and high beams on took off. You may be thinking even if I couldn’t breath enough to talk to her, I could enjoy the view, but no, I was too out of breath to run next to her.
I continued on walking and running, but I could always tell where the wet t-shirt woman was. I would look forward in the distance and see guys with their heads turned, running into each other. It took me over 40 minutes to finish the 5K.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Fort Mountain State Park
Last week, when Lisa and I went Amicalola Falls State Park, we saw a sign for Fort Mountain State Park. Last Sunday I decided to investigate it, and determine if it would be a better hike for the group.Sunday, I made a late start of it, and headed towards Amicalola Falls to where I saw the sign. I didn’t go to Map quest because my hiking guild said it was off of US52 and that is were I saw the sign last week. I never imagined that someone would put up a sign for Fort Mountain unless the park was close by. Boy was I wrong, oh so wrong. Fort Mountain and Amicalola Falls are about 50 miles away from each other and not highway miles - noooooo - winding mountain road miles. It took me an extra hour and a half to get there. Had I done a little research, I would have realized it is close to Ellijay and gone up I-575 (I went home that way and it took me an hour and fifteen minutes) and saved myself a lot of time and miles (I am so glad gas is so cheap) (that last comment is sarcasm, in case you thought I was rich and thought $2.78 a gallon is cheap).
Big Rock Trail
Big Rock trail is along and over an old waterfall bed. It is only a ½ mile trail but it is difficult at times. The sign say’s its moderate to strenuous, and it is. It starts off as a rocky/rooty trail that is two people wide. This part of the trail is moderate. At about the half way mark the trail is split. You can continue on the rocky/rooty moderate trail, or you can climb the dried up waterfall (it’s not totally dried up, it still has a little creek running through it). Buddy and I decided to climb the falls. This is where the trail can become strenuous. The falls were made up of platforms of large exposed rocks. If you have bad knees, aren’t too stable on your feet (you’re clumsy), or you have a small or old dog, you may want to stay on the moderate trail that runs next to it.Lake Trail
The lake trail follows a small lake in the park. It is an easy, wide trail that is a little over a mile long. The lake has a little sandy people beach (I didn’t ask if dogs were allowed) and many camp sites off the lake. This means you will see other people on the trail. At the other end of the lake there is a picnic area with a wide open area for a dog to swim (I am assuming that the lake is OK to swim, considering they built a beach on it). All in all, it’s a nice easy hike for everyone.Tower Trail 
This trail is actually three trails in one. Buddy and I started off up a wide steep trail leading to the top of Fort Mountain. Where the Big Rock trail became strenuous because of the technical difficulty of the waterfall, the Tower trail can be strenuous at places due to the steepness. Before you get to the top you will come to a side trail with a red blaze, this leads to the scenic overlook without taking the steps (I didn’t know that at the time). Closer to the top you will come to the steps that lead to the scenic overlook (once again I didn’t know that at the time). These steps are the same type of grated steps that are at Amicalola Falls. There may not be as many as Amicalola Falls, but there are still a lot of them (this is the way I went, and Buddy was not happy). After taking photos of the scenic vista we headed back up the steps (Buddy was even less happy) and continued on to the tower.
The tower was cool. It is located at the top of Fort Mountain and is old. This is not a park ranger tower; it is an early settler’s tower. Much of the tower’s history is shrouded in mystery, but it’s thought to be built by early Welsh settlers (so bring the Corgis, they might like sniffing some of their history).
This trail is actually three trails in one. Buddy and I started off up a wide steep trail leading to the top of Fort Mountain. Where the Big Rock trail became strenuous because of the technical difficulty of the waterfall, the Tower trail can be strenuous at places due to the steepness. Before you get to the top you will come to a side trail with a red blaze, this leads to the scenic overlook without taking the steps (I didn’t know that at the time). Closer to the top you will come to the steps that lead to the scenic overlook (once again I didn’t know that at the time). These steps are the same type of grated steps that are at Amicalola Falls. There may not be as many as Amicalola Falls, but there are still a lot of them (this is the way I went, and Buddy was not happy). After taking photos of the scenic vista we headed back up the steps (Buddy was even less happy) and continued on to the tower.
The tower was cool. It is located at the top of Fort Mountain and is old. This is not a park ranger tower; it is an early settler’s tower. Much of the tower’s history is shrouded in mystery, but it’s thought to be built by early Welsh settlers (so bring the Corgis, they might like sniffing some of their history).Heading down the mountain is easier than going up (duh). The trail that leads down the mountain is the original trail leading to the tower. Old platform steps (not grated steps, thank god (Buddy said you’re welcome; he’s dyslectic)) are made
using the rocks from the mountain. Part of the way down you will go by a rock wall. The rock wall goes on for over a mile and at some time reaches 9 feet tall (I read that, I don’t know that for a fact). The portion of the wall by the trail is only 2 to 3 feet tall, but when you see all the rocks used you will be impressed (especially if you ever helped a friend with expanding his patio). After the wall it’s a short way back to the parking lot.In conclusion I highly recommend Fort Mountain State Park. Along with fun hiking trails, the park offers many miles of mountain bike and horseback trails. It also has a swimming beach, camp sites and cabin rentals. All in all, I think I will try and rent a cabin there one weekend and explore everything Fort Mountain has to offer.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Amicalola Falls
As many of you already know, I hike with Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta once a month. I have become co-leader of these hikes with Lisa. This means any time we decide to try somewhere new, Lisa and I will go weeks in advance to try it out (we get all different skill levels, so we want to let everyone know what to expect). What they should expect from Amicalola Falls is beautiful vistas and great scenery that is trying to kill you by causing you to have respiratory failure on the way up the mountain (at least you will die somewhere pretty).
We started the climb on the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail. It starts off as a tight rocky and rooty trail with a steep ascent which leads to a much steeper gravel road. This gravel road is a gut buster and has no shade. The only good thing that can be said about this section of trail is that when you stop to catch your breath and get a drink of water it has some nice views (I took pictures of the views so I could enjoy them when my heart wasn't threatening to boycott my life). Once at the top you will come to a parking lot and the top of the falls out look. There are restrooms (pack your own TP), Coke machines, water for the dogs and a fitness trail (I am wondering what SADO-masochist would design a fitness trail at the top of a steep hike).
The way down is along the falls and down some steps (600+ steps). You may be thinking this isn't so bad, and you would be right, if it was just me and Lisa and not me and Lisa and 4 dogs. You see these steps are not regular steps; they are made out of metal grating. Many dogs don't like to go down steps anyway, but add to that the fact that the pads of there feet keep slipping through the grates, makes for a long descent for them. By the time we got to the bottom my knees were killing me (I am using that as my excuse for not jogging Monday). From the bottom of the steps the trail continues down on a paved walkway that leads back to the parking lot.
We started the climb on the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail. It starts off as a tight rocky and rooty trail with a steep ascent which leads to a much steeper gravel road. This gravel road is a gut buster and has no shade. The only good thing that can be said about this section of trail is that when you stop to catch your breath and get a drink of water it has some nice views (I took pictures of the views so I could enjoy them when my heart wasn't threatening to boycott my life). Once at the top you will come to a parking lot and the top of the falls out look. There are restrooms (pack your own TP), Coke machines, water for the dogs and a fitness trail (I am wondering what SADO-masochist would design a fitness trail at the top of a steep hike).
The way down is along the falls and down some steps (600+ steps). You may be thinking this isn't so bad, and you would be right, if it was just me and Lisa and not me and Lisa and 4 dogs. You see these steps are not regular steps; they are made out of metal grating. Many dogs don't like to go down steps anyway, but add to that the fact that the pads of there feet keep slipping through the grates, makes for a long descent for them. By the time we got to the bottom my knees were killing me (I am using that as my excuse for not jogging Monday). From the bottom of the steps the trail continues down on a paved walkway that leads back to the parking lot.
All in all, the hike was between 2.5 miles and 3 miles and took about 2 1/2 hours to complete. This is a great hike if you are into photography or nature. It is not a great hike if you are out of shape, have bad knees, want to go hiking with your dog (no place to swim and grated stairs), are afraid of heights (grated stairs make you look down), or want to do a group hike (mostly single file, especially on the stairs).
Friday, September 21, 2007
Jumping the Shark
My place of business is expanding, and it has promoted some people from the rank and file to supervisor positions. Now I believe that promoting from within is a good thing. I was promoted from within. My only problem with these recent promotions is that they are supposed to be the best of the best not the worst of the worst. They should have something going for them other than their father forgetting to put on the condom.Every worker that has heard the names of the new supervisors has laughed hysterically. That is all workers except my friend Steve who is going to have the two worst working for him (it wasn't his choice to promote them, and he's pissed that he has to deal with them). My friend and co-worker John has referred to this series of promotions as our company "Jumping the Shark". How can you expect high standards from a company when the people enforcing the standard have set such a poor standard their entire career? Once a person moves out of their parent’s house the old line "Do as I say and not as I do" doesn't work anymore. Quality is about to go way down.
Parents often tell their kids when they get older that they hope they have kids just like they were when they were kids. I sort of feel the same way; I hope these new supervisors have workers that are as bad as they were, working for them. It would prove karma does exist.
The Great One
I would like to take a moment to welcome a new member into our pack. His name is Gretzky and my sister adopted him a few weeks ago.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Where Does The Time Go?
Where does the time go? After working all day and spending over 1 ½ hours in traffic I got home and mowed the yard (what fun). After I finished mowing I got the chance to do laundry (do I know how to party)? While I was doing laundry I made GRRA (Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta) phone calls to prospective adopters of Dottie.
Once I finally got a break, I decided to go for a run with Buddy. I was running at the Lockheed/Martin trail, and was half way through the run when I was approached by security and informed dogs were not allowed on the trail. The security guard was very polite and professional not like Lisa’s angry man (I think he just was trying to help me with my lack of time by stopping my running).
I am kind of annoyed by this. I know Lockheed/Martin has the right to ask me not to have a dog on the trail, but why now after all these months and after I’ve asked the security guards if I could have a dog on the trail. This means I have to find a new place to run. I could keep running the trail without Buddy, but that’s not going to happen. Buddy is my running partner and motivation to run. Plain and simple, I don’t like to run, and if it wasn’t for Buddy enjoying the run I would rather couch surf (remember I’m a fat guy, and I didn’t get that way by exercising all these years).
I am a little worried that if I don’t find a good place to run, I’ll stop. Remember, basic physics says an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and a gelatinous blob on a couch tends to stay on the couch (I think that’s one of Newton’s laws). But if I do stop running, I’ll at least know were some of the time is not going.
Once I finally got a break, I decided to go for a run with Buddy. I was running at the Lockheed/Martin trail, and was half way through the run when I was approached by security and informed dogs were not allowed on the trail. The security guard was very polite and professional not like Lisa’s angry man (I think he just was trying to help me with my lack of time by stopping my running).
I am kind of annoyed by this. I know Lockheed/Martin has the right to ask me not to have a dog on the trail, but why now after all these months and after I’ve asked the security guards if I could have a dog on the trail. This means I have to find a new place to run. I could keep running the trail without Buddy, but that’s not going to happen. Buddy is my running partner and motivation to run. Plain and simple, I don’t like to run, and if it wasn’t for Buddy enjoying the run I would rather couch surf (remember I’m a fat guy, and I didn’t get that way by exercising all these years).
I am a little worried that if I don’t find a good place to run, I’ll stop. Remember, basic physics says an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and a gelatinous blob on a couch tends to stay on the couch (I think that’s one of Newton’s laws). But if I do stop running, I’ll at least know were some of the time is not going.
Men are Simple Creatures
My company doesn’t always work smart, but it is a good company and it tries to do right. Today it did something that surprised me. It worked smart, to do right.
My company participates in the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run every year and it advertises and recruits participants. This year they have been really advertising it, but haven’t gotten the response they hoped for from the garages. Here’s where they got smart; the garages are full of mechanics and most mechanics are men, so they sent two of the best looking women from HQ to do recruiting for the race.
Someone downtown must watch TV. Because if you have seen any commercial geared towards men, it will have a beautiful woman in it. We men are simple creatures. We like women, we especially like beautiful women.
These two women walked into the shop and all work stopped and everyone went over to talk to them (talk to them is guy speak for hit on them). All they had to do was ask everyone if they would participate in the corporate run and guys lined up to join (I had joined weeks ago, because it was one of my short term goals).
A funny thing, most of these men joined thinking they might get a chance to hit on the women at the corporate run. But, after they finished signing everyone up, I asked them if they were running or walking? They said they weren’t doing either.
We men are simple creatures.
My company participates in the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run every year and it advertises and recruits participants. This year they have been really advertising it, but haven’t gotten the response they hoped for from the garages. Here’s where they got smart; the garages are full of mechanics and most mechanics are men, so they sent two of the best looking women from HQ to do recruiting for the race.
Someone downtown must watch TV. Because if you have seen any commercial geared towards men, it will have a beautiful woman in it. We men are simple creatures. We like women, we especially like beautiful women.
These two women walked into the shop and all work stopped and everyone went over to talk to them (talk to them is guy speak for hit on them). All they had to do was ask everyone if they would participate in the corporate run and guys lined up to join (I had joined weeks ago, because it was one of my short term goals).
A funny thing, most of these men joined thinking they might get a chance to hit on the women at the corporate run. But, after they finished signing everyone up, I asked them if they were running or walking? They said they weren’t doing either.
We men are simple creatures.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Then & Now
Yesterday I almost didn’t go running. It started with having to wash my running gear (shorts, shirt & socks), and then when I left the house and turned on the Dick Tracy watch it had low power. This got me thinking about then and now.
Then: I use to run in my early 20’s. I was in the Coast Guard and most mornings I ran (unless I was out at sea (my ship wasn’t big enough, and I can’t run on water.(Although, if I could, I would be a lot cooler than I am or crucified))). When I started running I wore a pair of converse, tube socks, gym shorts and a t-shirt. The way I figured out how far I ran was I drove the route before I would run it. The way I figured how hard my workout was, is that I would breathe hard.
Now: I am in my 40’s (and fat) and I run 2 to 3 times a week (unless it’s really hot, then I will make excuses). Now I wear a pair of running sneakers, but not any running sneakers, trail running sneakers. These sneakers are not just for running, they’re for running off road on a trail. I am wearing a pair of socks that help support my arches. The shorts and shirts are moisture wicking and light weight. The way I know how far and how hard I ran is that my watch tells me.
Cost difference between then and now.
THEN
Sneakers: $15
Socks: $5 for a pack a 10
T-shirt: $5 Unless it was a concert t-shirt, then it was $15
Shorts: Free, I got them in boot camp.
NOW
Sneakers: $70
Socks: $15 for a pack a 3
T-shirt: $20
Shorts: $35
Dick Tracy Watch: $300
I think this proves two things, the old adage, “The more you make, the more you spend.” is true and I’m not too bright spending that much more money to do something I’m not crazy about doing. At least I didn’t join a health club or buy a treadmill to run indoors.
Then: I use to run in my early 20’s. I was in the Coast Guard and most mornings I ran (unless I was out at sea (my ship wasn’t big enough, and I can’t run on water.(Although, if I could, I would be a lot cooler than I am or crucified))). When I started running I wore a pair of converse, tube socks, gym shorts and a t-shirt. The way I figured out how far I ran was I drove the route before I would run it. The way I figured how hard my workout was, is that I would breathe hard.
Now: I am in my 40’s (and fat) and I run 2 to 3 times a week (unless it’s really hot, then I will make excuses). Now I wear a pair of running sneakers, but not any running sneakers, trail running sneakers. These sneakers are not just for running, they’re for running off road on a trail. I am wearing a pair of socks that help support my arches. The shorts and shirts are moisture wicking and light weight. The way I know how far and how hard I ran is that my watch tells me.
Cost difference between then and now.
THEN
Sneakers: $15
Socks: $5 for a pack a 10
T-shirt: $5 Unless it was a concert t-shirt, then it was $15
Shorts: Free, I got them in boot camp.
NOW
Sneakers: $70
Socks: $15 for a pack a 3
T-shirt: $20
Shorts: $35
Dick Tracy Watch: $300
I think this proves two things, the old adage, “The more you make, the more you spend.” is true and I’m not too bright spending that much more money to do something I’m not crazy about doing. At least I didn’t join a health club or buy a treadmill to run indoors.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
A Taste for Phones
I've had a house guest lately. A little Golden Retriever mix named Dottie. Since Dottie is staying with us and I'm working on her housebreaking, she stays in a crate while I'm at work. Because Dottie is using the crate, Buddy can't use it. I've been crating Buddy shortly after I got him (he ate my armour, the phone, and a wall). Since I got Buddy 3 years ago, he's matured. Because he's matured, I've let him stay out of the crate from time to time. Most of the time it ended with a chewed up sock or a shredded letter (I think he was just trying to save me from having to buy a new paper shredder).
Last week I started to leave him out because Dottie is using the crate. He did great. That was up till this weekend. This weekend I went to the movies (Nannie Diaries - don't bother), and when I got home I found my cell phone all chewed up.
I think the boy has a taste for phones.
Personal Responibility
I am a teacher. I am not the kind of teacher most people think of. I work for the local transit company, teaching apprentices and mechanics how to be mechanics. My job title is Technical Instructor, but I'm a teacher. I took this job, because I'm a product of this job. I remember going through this program and learning so much. I wanted that knowledge.
At the time I was hired as an apprentice the company was hiring some good people that wanted to learn. I often said that in every apprentice class; a third would be good mechanics and would move up in the company (if they wanted to), a third would be OK mechanics ( they were either real smart, but lazy or not too sharp, but a great worker), and the last third wasn't worth a damn (it's a union job so you can't just get rid of them for being sorry). In recent years we have started hiring people who don't want to be a mechanic, they just want more money than they are making now. In a nutshell we have been hiring slackers, layabouts, and people who are as dumb as a bag of hammers (I apologize to the hammers for insulting them).
Because of the quality of students I've been teaching, I often hear excuses. They make excuses for everything; why they didn't study, why they didn't fix a bus correctly, why they weren't in the classroom on time. It is never their fault, it is always someone else's fault. Because of this attitude I often spend time that I should be teaching them how a bus works, trying to get them to understand personal responsibility (I might as well be banging my head on the wall).
I started running, hiking, and walking my dogs again. For the last two weeks I've sat on my butt making excuses; it's to hot out, I'm to tired today, I look good as a fat guy. After trying to get my students to take personal responsibility and stop making excuses for everything, I realized I was doing the same thing about exercising. So, I got off the couch and started running again (I've even increased my distance to 2 miles).
I can now say my students taught me something, even if they didn't learn it themselves.
At the time I was hired as an apprentice the company was hiring some good people that wanted to learn. I often said that in every apprentice class; a third would be good mechanics and would move up in the company (if they wanted to), a third would be OK mechanics ( they were either real smart, but lazy or not too sharp, but a great worker), and the last third wasn't worth a damn (it's a union job so you can't just get rid of them for being sorry). In recent years we have started hiring people who don't want to be a mechanic, they just want more money than they are making now. In a nutshell we have been hiring slackers, layabouts, and people who are as dumb as a bag of hammers (I apologize to the hammers for insulting them).
Because of the quality of students I've been teaching, I often hear excuses. They make excuses for everything; why they didn't study, why they didn't fix a bus correctly, why they weren't in the classroom on time. It is never their fault, it is always someone else's fault. Because of this attitude I often spend time that I should be teaching them how a bus works, trying to get them to understand personal responsibility (I might as well be banging my head on the wall).
I started running, hiking, and walking my dogs again. For the last two weeks I've sat on my butt making excuses; it's to hot out, I'm to tired today, I look good as a fat guy. After trying to get my students to take personal responsibility and stop making excuses for everything, I realized I was doing the same thing about exercising. So, I got off the couch and started running again (I've even increased my distance to 2 miles).
I can now say my students taught me something, even if they didn't learn it themselves.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Starbucks
Starbucks pissed me off today. For the last three weeks I’ve been teaching at a location other than where my office is located. This means I can’t make my small pot of coffee in the morning, so I’ve been stopping in Starbucks every morning.
All of these mornings I go in and order a large coffee and a pastry, and I receive a large coffee and a pastry. This morning I ordered a large coffee and a pastry, and I received a medium coffee and pastry. I understand that Starbucks wants to resemble themselves after the coffee bars of Europe, thus calling their coffee sizes tall, grande, and venti. But, if you have three drink sizes (no matter what you call them) they have to be small, medium and large. Logic dictates that if you have three different sizes, one size is smaller than the other two. That size will be the small size. And, if you have three different sizes, one size is larger than the other two, than that size will be large. The size left over will be medium. It is smaller than large, but larger that small, it is in the middle and that’s what medium means, an intermediate state (it comes from the Latin word medius meaning the middle).
I know you may be thinking that this is such a minor thing, and I shouldn’t be pissed about it. But, it was the morning, and I hadn’t had any coffee yet. The barista should be glad I didn’t get all medieval on them (that’s the European version of going Postal).
All of these mornings I go in and order a large coffee and a pastry, and I receive a large coffee and a pastry. This morning I ordered a large coffee and a pastry, and I received a medium coffee and pastry. I understand that Starbucks wants to resemble themselves after the coffee bars of Europe, thus calling their coffee sizes tall, grande, and venti. But, if you have three drink sizes (no matter what you call them) they have to be small, medium and large. Logic dictates that if you have three different sizes, one size is smaller than the other two. That size will be the small size. And, if you have three different sizes, one size is larger than the other two, than that size will be large. The size left over will be medium. It is smaller than large, but larger that small, it is in the middle and that’s what medium means, an intermediate state (it comes from the Latin word medius meaning the middle).
I know you may be thinking that this is such a minor thing, and I shouldn’t be pissed about it. But, it was the morning, and I hadn’t had any coffee yet. The barista should be glad I didn’t get all medieval on them (that’s the European version of going Postal).
Friday, August 17, 2007
Found Dog
I haven’t posted much lately because I have a guest staying with me. Last Saturday I decided that I needed to do some type of activity, no matter what the temperature was. So, I called Lisa and asked her if she wanted to go hiking at Sweetwater Sunday and she agreed as long as the temp wasn’t too bad.
On Sunday, Buddy and I arrived at Sweetwater and waited for Lisa. I like to get to the park early so I can do a pre-hike walk, so Buddy can go to the bathroom near a garbage can, and I can dispose of it (it is so much nicer to hike when you don’t hake to carry a bag of poop around). A short time after the time Lisa and I were to meet I received a call. I was expecting her to say “she was on her way” or “something came up and she couldn’t make it”, but what she said was that she was down the street and she just found a couple of dogs.
I loaded Buddy up, and we went down the street to meet Lisa. When we got there Lisa was sitting with a little golden mix, but the lab mix ran off. We loaded up the dog and decided to split up and look for the lab and maybe the owner too. After driving around for about a half an hour with no sign of the other dog or the owner we decided to take her with us on our hike (we didn’t want to leave her, or the area, because we had made some calls to local shelter, animal control and activists in the dog rescue community).
After our hike, Lisa and I discussed our options and I decided to take her home till we could find her owner or get her in the adoption program at Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA). It was better for me to take the pup, because Lisa has 4 dogs and a stray she picked up in her neighborhood ( although if she brought another dog home she might get one of those cool neighborhood nicknames like “The Crazy Dog Lady”, “The Woman With All the Dogs” or “The Dog Babe”).
I brought her home, bathed her and introduced her to my Lab, Allie. Allie is pissed. If you never heard the saying “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”, don’t worry, neither has the pup (we are calling her Dottie now). Every time Allie lies down, Dottie pounces at her. This usually elicits growls, snarls and snaps from Allie, followed by her climbing on top of me to get away from the pup. Buddy on the other hand likes having the pup around. He and Dottie chase each other around the yard, and in the house they play tug-a-war and wrestle (which also causes Allie to growls, snarls, snaps, and climb on top of me).
Besides Allie being pissed, another down side is that Dottie is not house broken. This means I am constantly taking her outside to pee or I’m inside cleaning pee (woohoo). One good thing is I’m loosing weight. It is a lot harder to get up and go to the fridge if you have a 90lb Lab lying on top of you.
I just want to let everyone know I won’t be changing the name of this blog to 3 Dogs and a Fat Guy. Dottie is just a house guest till we can find her a home (either the one she is missing from or a new forever home). I couldn’t keep her and put that much stress on Allie. Allie is too good of a dog and too old to do that to. She deserves to travel into old age gracefully, and not with a young dog nipping at her heals.
On Sunday, Buddy and I arrived at Sweetwater and waited for Lisa. I like to get to the park early so I can do a pre-hike walk, so Buddy can go to the bathroom near a garbage can, and I can dispose of it (it is so much nicer to hike when you don’t hake to carry a bag of poop around). A short time after the time Lisa and I were to meet I received a call. I was expecting her to say “she was on her way” or “something came up and she couldn’t make it”, but what she said was that she was down the street and she just found a couple of dogs.
I loaded Buddy up, and we went down the street to meet Lisa. When we got there Lisa was sitting with a little golden mix, but the lab mix ran off. We loaded up the dog and decided to split up and look for the lab and maybe the owner too. After driving around for about a half an hour with no sign of the other dog or the owner we decided to take her with us on our hike (we didn’t want to leave her, or the area, because we had made some calls to local shelter, animal control and activists in the dog rescue community).
After our hike, Lisa and I discussed our options and I decided to take her home till we could find her owner or get her in the adoption program at Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta (GRRA). It was better for me to take the pup, because Lisa has 4 dogs and a stray she picked up in her neighborhood ( although if she brought another dog home she might get one of those cool neighborhood nicknames like “The Crazy Dog Lady”, “The Woman With All the Dogs” or “The Dog Babe”).
I brought her home, bathed her and introduced her to my Lab, Allie. Allie is pissed. If you never heard the saying “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”, don’t worry, neither has the pup (we are calling her Dottie now). Every time Allie lies down, Dottie pounces at her. This usually elicits growls, snarls and snaps from Allie, followed by her climbing on top of me to get away from the pup. Buddy on the other hand likes having the pup around. He and Dottie chase each other around the yard, and in the house they play tug-a-war and wrestle (which also causes Allie to growls, snarls, snaps, and climb on top of me).
Besides Allie being pissed, another down side is that Dottie is not house broken. This means I am constantly taking her outside to pee or I’m inside cleaning pee (woohoo). One good thing is I’m loosing weight. It is a lot harder to get up and go to the fridge if you have a 90lb Lab lying on top of you.
I just want to let everyone know I won’t be changing the name of this blog to 3 Dogs and a Fat Guy. Dottie is just a house guest till we can find her a home (either the one she is missing from or a new forever home). I couldn’t keep her and put that much stress on Allie. Allie is too good of a dog and too old to do that to. She deserves to travel into old age gracefully, and not with a young dog nipping at her heals.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Brown Air
I have been back from Reno for about a week and I've started working out again. My first work out was a run that took place last week before I was over the effects of my Reno trip. I wanted to get back into the swing of things, even though I didn't feel up to it. The run was my normal 1 1/2 mile run at the Bell Bomber Loop.
I started off and before I even got 1/4 of a mile in I was tired. It was hot out (with the heat index, it was in the 100s), and I was already soaked to the bone with sweat ( this was a lot different type of heat than you see in Reno). The air seamed thicker, making it harder to breath (also a lot different from Reno (higher elevation - thinner air). It took me a lot longer to finish my run than it normally does, and I figured I was just not recovered from my trip.
A few days later I decided to go for a bike ride. I had been riding the silver comet a bit and wanted to try something else, so I decided to go and ride the Berry College Campus in Rome, GA. This is a beautiful campus and a easy ride (as much as any ride is a easy ride to a fat guy). It has a couple of small hills that I thought wouldn't give me any problems, and by now I felt like I was completely recovered from my trip, so it should be a fun little (12 miles) ride.
I started off late in the afternoon, in order to try and beat the heat (it didn't help, it was in the high 90s even then), and before I had even gone 2 miles I was tired. At the 6 mile point I had to go up a little hill and I couldn't make it. My heart rate (HR) was at 95% of my Max HR and I couldn't catch my breath. It took longer to finish this ride than it should have.
As I drove home I started to worry that I may have caused myself some damage hiking in Reno, or that I was in really poor health. But, luckily around that time I started thinking these things the news on the radio reported that it was the forth or fifth straight day that the smog alert was at CODE RED. When I heard this, it was as if my eyes had opened for the first time in a long time. The air was brown. No wonder I couldn't breath well, the air had substance. When I was working out, I wasn't breathing air, I was eating air. This also explains why I haven't been hungry lately (I thought it was just the heat), I'm full from chewing on brown air all day (mmmm brown air).
I started off and before I even got 1/4 of a mile in I was tired. It was hot out (with the heat index, it was in the 100s), and I was already soaked to the bone with sweat ( this was a lot different type of heat than you see in Reno). The air seamed thicker, making it harder to breath (also a lot different from Reno (higher elevation - thinner air). It took me a lot longer to finish my run than it normally does, and I figured I was just not recovered from my trip.
A few days later I decided to go for a bike ride. I had been riding the silver comet a bit and wanted to try something else, so I decided to go and ride the Berry College Campus in Rome, GA. This is a beautiful campus and a easy ride (as much as any ride is a easy ride to a fat guy). It has a couple of small hills that I thought wouldn't give me any problems, and by now I felt like I was completely recovered from my trip, so it should be a fun little (12 miles) ride.
I started off late in the afternoon, in order to try and beat the heat (it didn't help, it was in the high 90s even then), and before I had even gone 2 miles I was tired. At the 6 mile point I had to go up a little hill and I couldn't make it. My heart rate (HR) was at 95% of my Max HR and I couldn't catch my breath. It took longer to finish this ride than it should have.
As I drove home I started to worry that I may have caused myself some damage hiking in Reno, or that I was in really poor health. But, luckily around that time I started thinking these things the news on the radio reported that it was the forth or fifth straight day that the smog alert was at CODE RED. When I heard this, it was as if my eyes had opened for the first time in a long time. The air was brown. No wonder I couldn't breath well, the air had substance. When I was working out, I wasn't breathing air, I was eating air. This also explains why I haven't been hungry lately (I thought it was just the heat), I'm full from chewing on brown air all day (mmmm brown air).
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Things I've Learned On My Trip to Reno
I learned a few things from my recent trip to Reno Nevada. First thing I learned was the higher the altitude, the harder it is to breathe. In order to keep my current level of workout enthusiasm going, I had decided to go for a run after a long day’s meeting. I put on my heart rate monitor/GPS watch (I like to refer to it as my Dick Tracy watch) and other running gear and headed out. About a mile out, my Dick Tracy watch started beeping (I was pretty sure that it was my Heart Rate and not Prune Face robbing a bank) and I was breathing hard. I slowed down to a walk (I know Reno is a betting town, but I didn’t feel like gambling with my life). I couldn’t figure out why I was breathing so hard, my legs weren’t tired, and I’ve jogged up hills and gone further at home. I started looking at the information on the watch and that is when I discovered that Reno is 3000 feet higher than Atlanta and the air was thinner. I ended up having to jog then walk then jog then walk all the way back to the hotel.
The second thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; nothing realigns ones distorted view of their body image as the bathroom mirror in a hotel. For the past few months I’ve been losing weight, and people have been commenting on the loss of weight. I been feeling pretty good, my pants have been looser and I have more energy. I started thinking of myself less as a fat guy and more as a slightly overweight guy. That delusion stopped the minute I opened the shower curtain and saw myself in the bathroom mirror (I’m still a fat guy, just not as fat as I use to be). At home my bathroom mirror only shows my head and I’m either clothed or wrapped in a towel (hiding the fat) when I pass the mirror in the hall.
Third Thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; Golden Retrievers Rock! I know, technically this is something I already knew, but I met a Golden named Boo at the Great Basin Brew Pub (Great Beer). He hung out with me and let me recover from my dog withdrawal (my pups were in the kennel while I was out in Reno, and I missed them).
Fourth thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; I’m not too smart. I stayed an extra day after my
meeting to go hiking. I was planning to go to Lake Tahoe, but because I didn’t plan ahead, I ended up staying in Reno. I decided to go for a hike along the Truckee River (there is a multi use trail that runs along it). So I left for my hike with no water, sunscreen, hat or map (told you I wasn’t too smart). I got to Rock Park and headed towards down town Reno ( I figured I could stop and get a bite to eat and if I was to tired I could grab a cab back), but because my memory and sense of direction is so bad, I didn’t head towards downtown Reno, I headed towards Salt Lake City. After about 5 miles and the total lack of buildings, I realized I must be going the wrong way, but did this stop me? Did
I turn around then? No. I decided I would keep going because by then I was getting close to the base of the mountains, and if I made it to the base I could tell people I went hiking to the mountains of Nevada (this is a pretty stupid reason to suffer from heat exhaustion). By the time I turned around I realized how stupid I was and that I needed water, so I got off the trail and found a truck stop and got some Gatorade and water. After I re-hydrated I headed back to the hotel. By the time I got back to the hotel I was in bad shape. I was sunburned, blistered and suffering from heat exhaustion. I am glad I survived.
The last thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; be it ever so humble (and messy) there is no place like home.
The second thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; nothing realigns ones distorted view of their body image as the bathroom mirror in a hotel. For the past few months I’ve been losing weight, and people have been commenting on the loss of weight. I been feeling pretty good, my pants have been looser and I have more energy. I started thinking of myself less as a fat guy and more as a slightly overweight guy. That delusion stopped the minute I opened the shower curtain and saw myself in the bathroom mirror (I’m still a fat guy, just not as fat as I use to be). At home my bathroom mirror only shows my head and I’m either clothed or wrapped in a towel (hiding the fat) when I pass the mirror in the hall.
Third Thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; Golden Retrievers Rock! I know, technically this is something I already knew, but I met a Golden named Boo at the Great Basin Brew Pub (Great Beer). He hung out with me and let me recover from my dog withdrawal (my pups were in the kennel while I was out in Reno, and I missed them).
Fourth thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; I’m not too smart. I stayed an extra day after my
meeting to go hiking. I was planning to go to Lake Tahoe, but because I didn’t plan ahead, I ended up staying in Reno. I decided to go for a hike along the Truckee River (there is a multi use trail that runs along it). So I left for my hike with no water, sunscreen, hat or map (told you I wasn’t too smart). I got to Rock Park and headed towards down town Reno ( I figured I could stop and get a bite to eat and if I was to tired I could grab a cab back), but because my memory and sense of direction is so bad, I didn’t head towards downtown Reno, I headed towards Salt Lake City. After about 5 miles and the total lack of buildings, I realized I must be going the wrong way, but did this stop me? Did
I turn around then? No. I decided I would keep going because by then I was getting close to the base of the mountains, and if I made it to the base I could tell people I went hiking to the mountains of Nevada (this is a pretty stupid reason to suffer from heat exhaustion). By the time I turned around I realized how stupid I was and that I needed water, so I got off the trail and found a truck stop and got some Gatorade and water. After I re-hydrated I headed back to the hotel. By the time I got back to the hotel I was in bad shape. I was sunburned, blistered and suffering from heat exhaustion. I am glad I survived.The last thing I learned on my trip to Reno was; be it ever so humble (and messy) there is no place like home.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Heft on Wheels
I went riding the other day on the Silver Comet Trail. For anyone who doesn't know what the Silver Comet Trail is, it's a Rails to Trails project that runs from Marietta, Georgia to Birmingham, Alabama (I didn't ride that far, I rode 14 miles). I had decided to ride 10 miles after work (I am trying to keep my workouts fresh so I don't get burnt out and stop (remember I'm a fat guy, I don't need much of a reason to stop)).
The ride was good, I rode from the Cooper Lake trail head to Anderson Mill Rd and back. I was riding great, my heart rate was good, I wasn't tired or sore (I hadn't been on my bike for months). I was on back to Cooper Lake when I became demoralized. It wasn't that I was tired, sore, or that I thought I went to far on my first foray back on a bike. It was that I go passed by a 60-70 year old man on a cruiser.
I could not let this happen, so I sped up. I waited till we got to a road crossing to pass him (this way I wouldn't look like a tool (fat tool) for passing him(he had to stop at the road crossing for the light, and I timed it right)). I layed on the pedals, putting distance between us. I thought "he won't be able to catch me now", and that is when the alarm on my heart rate monitor went off. The alarm is set to warn me when I am pushing to hard (I don't want to break loose any of the large amounts of cholesterol coating my arteries, and have it float up to brain and cause aneurysm (although some of my friends would say becoming a drooling idiot would be an improvement to my personality)), so I slowed down till my heart rate returned to normal. About a mile away from the car it happened again, I got passed by the old man on the cruiser.
I would like to assign blame for why I got dropped by a old guy; my brakes were rubbing, the old guy was on steroids , contrary to popular belief a cruiser bike is more aerodynamic than a road racing bike, etc..., but the truth is this old guy didn't let himself become fat like me, he probably maintained a healthy life style and even at 60 - 70 years old he was in better shape than me. I am heft on wheels.
The ride was good, I rode from the Cooper Lake trail head to Anderson Mill Rd and back. I was riding great, my heart rate was good, I wasn't tired or sore (I hadn't been on my bike for months). I was on back to Cooper Lake when I became demoralized. It wasn't that I was tired, sore, or that I thought I went to far on my first foray back on a bike. It was that I go passed by a 60-70 year old man on a cruiser.
I could not let this happen, so I sped up. I waited till we got to a road crossing to pass him (this way I wouldn't look like a tool (fat tool) for passing him(he had to stop at the road crossing for the light, and I timed it right)). I layed on the pedals, putting distance between us. I thought "he won't be able to catch me now", and that is when the alarm on my heart rate monitor went off. The alarm is set to warn me when I am pushing to hard (I don't want to break loose any of the large amounts of cholesterol coating my arteries, and have it float up to brain and cause aneurysm (although some of my friends would say becoming a drooling idiot would be an improvement to my personality)), so I slowed down till my heart rate returned to normal. About a mile away from the car it happened again, I got passed by the old man on the cruiser.
I would like to assign blame for why I got dropped by a old guy; my brakes were rubbing, the old guy was on steroids , contrary to popular belief a cruiser bike is more aerodynamic than a road racing bike, etc..., but the truth is this old guy didn't let himself become fat like me, he probably maintained a healthy life style and even at 60 - 70 years old he was in better shape than me. I am heft on wheels.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Hikes
I went hiking this weekend. On Sunday, between the rain, I went on a group hike with Golden Retriever Rescue (GRRA) to Red Top Mountain State Park. On Monday I went on a hike with a friend and our dogs (I only took Buddy because Allie can't make anything over 2 miles anymore) to Sweetwater Creek State Park.
I often refer to myself as a cyclist (a big fat cyclist( Mountain Bikers have a great term for a cyclist like me, they call us Clydesdale)), and I know I've talked about TrailRunning alot in this blog, but I really enjoy hiking. It is one of those activities you can do with a group or alone. You can take your dog along (dogs love hiking - lots of new smells and alot of things they have never peed on before). You can take your family along (families love hiking - lots of bonding and alot of things they have never peed on before). It is a great activity.
Red Top Mountain - Homestead Trail
I love the Red Top Mountain Homestead Trail for group dog hikes. It is a 5 mile easy to moderate hike though the State Park located on Lake Alatoona. What makes this a great hike for groups is that the trail is wide enough for two people to walk next to each other and hold a conversation (unless you were my sister, she was too busy sucking air to hold a conversation). What makes it a great hike for dogs is that it has little alcoves on the lake that the dogs can swim, without bothering any other patrons. It took us 2hour and 45 minutes to complete and that was with stopping for 30 minutes for the dogs to swim.
(Note - Buddy started to revert back to being a bad swimmer, I think he got nervous(the Labs that came to the hike might have been mocking him), I thought I was going to have to jump in to rescue him (then the Labs would have really mocked him).)
Sweetwater Creek - Yellow Trail
Sweetwater Creek State Park is one of my favorite parks in Georgia. It is close to home (1/2 hour drive), has multiple trails and some great scenery (like the New Manchester Mill, a Civil War era mill).
The Yellow Trail is across the creek and is less used. The trail is a 3 mile loop that either starts off or ends with a gut busting hill (it's 
not for the faint of heart or heart condition patient). Once you have climbed the hill, you feel like you have accomplished something. The trail is a single file type of trail, so it's not great for large groups and the creek can be fast moving at times, so its not good for dogs that aren't good swimmers (like Buddy sometimes). But, If you are looking for a good workout, I highly recommend it.
not for the faint of heart or heart condition patient). Once you have climbed the hill, you feel like you have accomplished something. The trail is a single file type of trail, so it's not great for large groups and the creek can be fast moving at times, so its not good for dogs that aren't good swimmers (like Buddy sometimes). But, If you are looking for a good workout, I highly recommend it.
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