Pete Pulls a Palin - Abandons Triathlon

Yeah, I hear you.

Pretty sure I know what you're thinking. (I'm thinking it too.) Click this link to hear the non-4-letter word describing my quitting that you're too polite to say out loud.

And yet.

- While I won't be taking any random-scheduled tours on a bus,
   I will certainly be touring on my bicycle more.

- While I won't taunt the media about possibly running for the highest public office,
   it is possible I'll be running for higher weekly mileage.

- And when things don't go swimmingly for me, I won't wade into safer water;
   I'll instead keep my mouth shut, dive in, and do some laps.

Before you know it, I may be posting a new challenge that's caught my fancy.

Meantime, feel free to:
• Dump duties,
• Run from responsibilities,
• Abdicate appointments,
• And otherwise shirk the shackles of assignments, just as long as you haven't sworn an oath saying otherwise.

Bottom line? The June 12 half-ironman I signed up for didn't mandate any swearing, but it did require sweating that I wasn't able to live up to. This time.

Thanks for reading way down here.

Please be green. But not with envy.

Green.


Means go.


Means Spring.


Spring into action.


Action and adventure.


Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


What, someone's gaining?


Better spring into action.


Gotta get going.


Go.


(The picture above is from a nutty guy named Hugh MacLeod and if you click on his name there, it'll take you to his other nutty drawings and musings. Some are even green.)


Before you get to springing into action, please accept my thanks for reading all the way down here.

Why is my cellphone more needy than my kids?

Why isn't it more self-reliant?

• It needs more juice (when the battery's low)

• It needs to be silenced (when I'm in a meeting)

• It needs to be told it can't interrupt me with a call when I'm already on a call

• It needs to be with me at all times because otherwise it'll get left behind.

To help wean it off this dependency, I refuse to take it with me running, biking or swimming (apparently, cellphones are allergic to water).

Hope you find time to fulfill your needs for exercise today. Without your phone.

And thanks for reading all the way down here.

Raise your hand if you're a raving lunatic

It ain't just Charlie Sheen. Although, I did have a bit in common with him as I bicycled in the pre-dawn chill today.

Yeah, it was cold.

Yeah, it was dark.

Yeah, I was the only one out there. And I do so mean Out There. Quasi-delirious.

See, I was deathly afraid of getting mugged by a raging, rabid raccoon in Central Park, not that either of us would've been more crazy than the other.

Turns out it was a false alarm about those furry fiends.

So g'head and get outdoors today for a little dose of crazy of your own. There's plenty of federal, state and local parks. Some doctors're even prescribing a visit to their patients.

But before you head on out, please accept my thanks for reading all the way down here.

In praise for evil plan C

Evil Plan A: Run this morning.
Outcome: Foiled again. It was cold and dark; I was too cranky.

Evil Plan B: Bike to work this morning.
Outcome: Foiled again. It was still cold and dark; I was still too cranky.

Plan C: Swim at lunch.
Outcome: Success. Got out, swam forever and now I'm excitedly cranking out work (this blog entry notwithstanding).

The key to my (self-labeled) evil plan? Tenacity and flexibility. Course it helps being spoiled rotten as I am with a job that lets me scoot out for an hour at lunch.

Hope you find the time to do something fun today. Even if it's your own evil plan. And if you don't may you find the flexibility to do something almost as much fun.

Oh, wait - I owe credit for that kooky drawing (above). It's by a nutty guy named Hugh MacLeod and you can check out his deranged thoughts - click on his name there.

But before you go, thanks for reading all the way down here.

Mother Nature is your secret admirer today

Whether you take advantage of today's weather or not, this is Mother Nature's Valentine's Day gift to you.

Biking to work, while sloppy, is encouraged.
So is wearing shorts (seriously - one guy in the agency actually did today - see the photo?).
Maybe it's time for a slightly shorter-than-usual haircut.

In any event:
• Unmuffle those scarves
• Unhand those gloves and - c'mon -
• Don't be a nay-sayer; skip that extra layer.

Enjoy thoughts of shorter-sleeves and longer, sun-doppled days. Okay ok. It's not quite sandal weather, but it's encouraging to think that way.

Happy Valentine's Day and thanks for reading down here.

Ice ain't nice and snow must go

Sorry to be rude, but Winter's overstayed its welcome. March 19 is its official exit and frankly, it can't get here soon enough.

Here's your hat, what's your hurry, Winter.
Don't let the storm door hit you on you way out, Winter.
Like to say I'll be sorry to see you go Winter, but I won't.

Maybe it's the infectious enthusiasm of Mike Keohane (a great running coach, if you need one) who said on his website: The ice is gone! See you in the park!

Regardless of whether the weather stays or goes, hope you're sure-footed in moving forward with your new year's resolution.

But if that promise remains frustratingly unfulfilled, don't fret. As Vince Lombardi once said, "It doesn't matter if you get knocked down. What matters is if you get up!"

Thanks for reading down here.

(*Yeah, he's the guy they named the Super Bowl Trophy after.)