Marathon training just got real. With less than 100 days to go, I have begun my solo training which is going to be tough. I felt the the runner pictured above from the second I started to the moment I finished what was a grueling, hilly eight mile morning run through the farmland of Rockingham... Continue Reading →
“Well, guilty as charged”
"Well, guilty as charged" Dan Cathy
A rundown in baseball, also known as a pickle, is anytime you have a base runner who's between bases, with defenders on either side, who are trying to chase you and get you out. What happens is they throw the ball to one defender, and then the base runner runs the other way, and at some point, they try to get it closer and closer to where one of the defenders can tag you out. Typically, the defenders win hence the term, from the point of view of the 'stuck' runner, pickle. It is safe to say that Chick-fil-a is firmly in quite a pickle.
Life After “Death”
Humans are not moths or butterflies (duh) so the likelihood of life after death, afterlife aside, is not possible. We do not live as one physical being, go into what biologist Bernd Heinrich calls "a deathlike intermission" and miraculously morph into another. Unlike the worms and caterpillars that transform from ground crawlers to air fliers,... Continue Reading →
‘Generation Rent’
For better or worse, I am 'generation rent.' Since college, I have lived in, excuse me rented, nine different apartments and I recently signed a lease for another one. I could have purchased a home and made better use of the money but I did not. I, like others in my generation, have made a... Continue Reading →
“One person’s craziness…
“One person's craziness is another person's reality.” Tim Burton
Everyone has their own perspective when it comes to nearly everything. Putting yourself in position to truly see a situation through the eyes of others is typically pretty unimaginable. How can anyone who isn't you truly understand your perspective since shaped by your experiences, who you've met, what you've done, what you believe and who you are overall.
It is absolutely possible to gain perspective through new experiences and interactions. The best thing anyone can do is to be open and attentive in the situations you encounter. Yesterday, did my best to be open while driving a massive Penske moving truck, easily the largest vehicle I've ever driven, on a highway for 4 hours. It was quite the revelation. For the first time, I felt connected to Semi trucks, I rocked the slow lane and I was the immovable object that I would typically zip around.
For me, the Penske truck driving example is what I call a "small potatoes" example but it opened my eyes and I could feel it changing my perspective. I challenge anyone who reads this to make yourself open to finding ways to expand or manipulate or simply gain perspective as you live your life. I certainly didn't anticipate what I would gain in the Penske situation but I'm happy for it and I can't wait for more opportunities!
Magic Hat Cap Wisdom!
I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I occasionally prefer Magic Hat. On the flip side (pun intended), I always prefer their bottle caps and the subsequent wisdom each often provides. These fortune cookiesque caps are typically, as described by the Twitter handle @MagicHatCaps, "insightful, witty, humorous undersides of each Magic Hat bottle... Continue Reading →
Wut?!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrnq4SZ0luc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
"Hey check out this ah-mahzing video! No seriously, it is the best/funniest/cutest/coolest thing you will EVER see!" Um, yeah right.... Everyone has that friend that e-mails, facebooks, tweets, blogs or physically grabs you to forcibly watch a new internet clip or video. The actual act of viewing this clip is usually okay but the story never ends there. Your reaction to this shared clip, whether in person or not, has to be one of sheer elation and wonder regarding how great the video is but also how great the friend is both for finding and sharing it with you. Giving a 'meh' reaction is considered rude so you are often left pretending to be in awe. Good luck with that... So why do we share clips? We don't usually make them ourselves so it isn't our own awesomeness but that of someone else that you stumbled across. We share these clips with friends because, like with posting on social media, it feels good to feel connected by the reactions and comments of others. It can be depressing when you are left hanging, whether you are the sharer or the person shared with, so be cautious. In that vain, watch or don't watch this clip and respond or don't respond with your thoughts. I liked the song itself, felt the video was cheesy goodness and I found it via @AlisonBrie. Enjoy it (or don't)! Exercise log: 7am - 5 mile run with the Rutts (hills)
Best of TV Shows All-Time
This is MY top ten list but it is still quite a tricky thing to compile right? Compressing such a list down to a mere handful is rough stuff even if you cheat disqualify a few favorites for a variety of reasons you can see below... (Way) before my time: M.A.S.H, I Love Lucy, Ed... Continue Reading →
Fantasy
"All fantasy should have a solid base in reality." Max Beerbohm
Where is your favorite personal fantasy destination? Is it a vacation of the mind that explores the depths of your thoughts and desires or is it an actual place located in the physical world? The opportunities are literally endless since fantasy is not limited to the capabilities of your imagination but also the imaginations of J.R.R. Tolkien, of Daniel Okrent, of Quentin Tarantino, of Stephen Hawking, of your mother or ANYONE!
Fantasy is defined as "the faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things" but it encapsulates much more. Is it impossible and improbable to take a weekend vacation or to actually get your dream job after college or meet the girl of your dreams? Not all these things are necessarily likely but they are by no means simply fantasy. Real life CAN and does have elements of fantasy that leaves people asking themselves if something is really happening, if that they must be dreaming or proclaiming that something is too good to be true. Sometimes it actually IS happening, they AREN'T dreaming and it IS true.
Unfortunately, truly fantastical moments can be few and far between which serves to make them that much sweeter when they occur. There is no need to lower expectations for what is deemed worthy of being called fantasy. You will certainly recognize it when you see it so keep your eyes open and allow yourself to be ready for those fleeting moments.
There is an every day sort of fantasy that allows you to be transported temporarily out of the doldrums of daily life (literature, movies, tv shows fantasy sports, music etc.) but it isn't the same. Unlike what Max Beerbohm says, fantasy should not be rooted in reality. True fantasy should be so out of this world that it questions whether it is even real? Freddy Mercury and company certainly knew this to be true...
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see...
Exercise log:
3 mile run
Mikethatmiller 