We talked about running today. How running, for some is not just an activity to do, to get healthy, to reach somewhere, but a lifestyle choice. A way of living. And I thought about that while I was running this morning. A snow storm was brewing and getting out was so nice and easy. I've developed this very enjoyable gait, it's slow and comfortable and I can think and not feel tired.
And I felt the snow crunching under my feet and all I could think about was how good this felt. How wonderful this was. Yet the storm was starting to blow and there was water on my face as the huge snowflakes melted on my warm face. I was wearing my spikes and so wasn't too concerned about slipping. My steps felt just as good as if I had been running on the dry pavement.
And as I turned around into another corner, down a street still fast asleep, quiet, dark and lit only by the street lights, I finally came to the conclusion, it hit me like a brick, that this is what I wanted to do. I got up well, I was feeling good, and for the first time in a really long time, I felt as though I never wanted this run to ever end.
About an hour later I changed my mind, but the point is that I know, finally, that I will never struggle to get outside and run, ever again. It's what I do.
It's not about getting from here to there, it's about being there.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Friday, August 14, 2015
The Omelette
The spinach, red pepper, cheese omelette. A very tasty dish.
You need:
Now that's starting to look good. Your sautéed spinach and peppers should be looking like this by now.
You can flip the eggs over for about 30 seconds, then flip them back before adding the sautéed veggies.
Fold it over.
Let it cook on medium heat for about another two minutes. Don't forget, the sautéed veggies are done, and it's just to let the flavours seep through.
When you're done, you can toast a bagel, slice a couple of strawberries for garnishing, and you should have something like this.
Enjoy!
You need:
- A couple of leafs of spinach (to taste)
- A quarter of a bell red pepper
- Two eggs
- Grated aged 2-year Balderson cheese (OK, just kidding any salty old cheese will do)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil (or coconut oil, or even sunflower oil - just don't use motor oil)
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil (or whatever oil you got) into the pan. At medium heat. Not too hot to sizzle the oil.
Chop up the spinach and the red pepper and put this into the pan.
Look at the colour. Isn't it beautiful?
Grate your cheese.
While your spinach and red pepper are cooking, break a couple of eggs and add about a tablespoon of milk. If you run, you can substitute that for cream. You can even use soya milk.
Whip the eggs and then put them in the frying pan.
Now that's starting to look good. Your sautéed spinach and peppers should be looking like this by now.
You can flip the eggs over for about 30 seconds, then flip them back before adding the sautéed veggies.
Fold it over.
Let it cook on medium heat for about another two minutes. Don't forget, the sautéed veggies are done, and it's just to let the flavours seep through.
When you're done, you can toast a bagel, slice a couple of strawberries for garnishing, and you should have something like this.
Enjoy!
Michael Crichton
I read a book written by Michael Crichton when he was still a medical student, writing under the handle Jeffery Hudson called "A Case of Need" exceptionally well written, fast paced with no fillers at all.
An early book showing how good he was going to get. I don't know if he got better at narrative, but his storytelling was already formed at that early stage.
"A Case of Need" is a story about abortion. Weaving through the thriller, Michael Crichton talks honesty about the medical industry (because an industry it is), about the moral, ethical, political and health issues regarding abortion as well as educating the reader on medical terminology and the hierarchy and politics that exist within hospitals.
He knows his stuff and it shows from the story and how it's told.
I'm envious of the ability to tell a story so clearly, lucidly and engagingly. I'm envious of how much he knows about the subject and how easily he can tell it. It's a gift no doubt, that he has and not too many doctors do. In fact, not too many professional storytellers have that gift, the ability to hone in on the absolute minimum number of words to say what you have to say. Not only that, the ability to decide what's important and interesting and only give those details.
It's storytelling not just for the sake of having something to write about, but storytelling because you're dying to say something. You have something that you're passionate about, interested in and you really want others to hear it.
And Michael Crichton's interest in medicine shows. He cares about what he's talking about. He's interested in getting to the end of the story and he makes sure that his characters are believable.
I don't think that's something that you can be taught in school. In fact, the older I get, the more I'm disappointed with the formal systems we have of educating our youth. I think it breaks down somewhere near the teenage years.
In "A Case of Need" Michael Crichton has about three or four themes running through. There's the story of his friend, a doctor, who's been convicted of killing the daughter of a wealthy family (also a medical family) by performing an abortion. The friend never really features in the story, but through the story the depth of the friendship is explored, superficially. Then there's the issue around abortion. How they're done, why they're done, how risky they are, what a baby is, the moral issue of life and when it begins and so forth. There's the investigation, the relationship of police and doctors and finally the different disciplines in the medical field. Surgeons, pathologists, anestheologists, gynocologists plus the cast of different professions all running the hospital. We are interested in open heart surgery, and the operation of this complex machine we call our body.
I'm definitely going to read the rest of his Jeffery Hudson books as well as books he wrote as John Lange and one with his brother Douglas Crichton under the pseudonym Michael Douglas.
An early book showing how good he was going to get. I don't know if he got better at narrative, but his storytelling was already formed at that early stage.
"A Case of Need" is a story about abortion. Weaving through the thriller, Michael Crichton talks honesty about the medical industry (because an industry it is), about the moral, ethical, political and health issues regarding abortion as well as educating the reader on medical terminology and the hierarchy and politics that exist within hospitals.
He knows his stuff and it shows from the story and how it's told.
I'm envious of the ability to tell a story so clearly, lucidly and engagingly. I'm envious of how much he knows about the subject and how easily he can tell it. It's a gift no doubt, that he has and not too many doctors do. In fact, not too many professional storytellers have that gift, the ability to hone in on the absolute minimum number of words to say what you have to say. Not only that, the ability to decide what's important and interesting and only give those details.
It's storytelling not just for the sake of having something to write about, but storytelling because you're dying to say something. You have something that you're passionate about, interested in and you really want others to hear it.
And Michael Crichton's interest in medicine shows. He cares about what he's talking about. He's interested in getting to the end of the story and he makes sure that his characters are believable.
I don't think that's something that you can be taught in school. In fact, the older I get, the more I'm disappointed with the formal systems we have of educating our youth. I think it breaks down somewhere near the teenage years.
In "A Case of Need" Michael Crichton has about three or four themes running through. There's the story of his friend, a doctor, who's been convicted of killing the daughter of a wealthy family (also a medical family) by performing an abortion. The friend never really features in the story, but through the story the depth of the friendship is explored, superficially. Then there's the issue around abortion. How they're done, why they're done, how risky they are, what a baby is, the moral issue of life and when it begins and so forth. There's the investigation, the relationship of police and doctors and finally the different disciplines in the medical field. Surgeons, pathologists, anestheologists, gynocologists plus the cast of different professions all running the hospital. We are interested in open heart surgery, and the operation of this complex machine we call our body.
I'm definitely going to read the rest of his Jeffery Hudson books as well as books he wrote as John Lange and one with his brother Douglas Crichton under the pseudonym Michael Douglas.
Through the fire
Running through the fire.
Or running through pain.
Is when you get stronger.
Is when you become and realise who you are.
Running means forcing.
It means not taking your time.
It means being a little stressed.
It means following your heart, your heartbeat.
Through that moment of pain.
Perhaps more than a moment.
And you're inside yourself.
You think.
It's hard.
And it's agonising.
And it hurts.
Your lungs bursting.
Through the fire.
You pass.
The Power of the Story
The Story.
Before writing there was sound. Pictures painted in the mind. With voices. With actions. The story was acted out by the actor. The actor acted. And the story was transferred from the actor to the listener.
But the story was more than just a means of information. The story was entertainment. Listening to the story and watching the story, we became engaged. We became a part of the story and so lived in the world of the storyteller.
The story has never left us. We live for the story. Without the story our humanity would not exist. We live for the story. We are only about the story. Because the story inspires. The story allows us to reach higher goals. To walk on the moon. To build hovercrafts. To create medicines that heal and medicines that strengthen. The story encourages us to wake up each morning and drive through the day inspired that we matter. The story creates and then recreates us. And so we need to be reminded of the story every day. So that we can rewrite it. Every day. Every moment. We sculpt our story every single moment. And review it and change it.
I'm listening to my mind telling me that tomorrow will bring the same things that today brought. That tomorrow will be a repeat of today. But that's not what I want. I don't want familiarity. I don't want the same story. I want a new one. But if I'm the author of my own story, then I cannot write it until its done. I cannot write that story until it unfolds. Only then can I see what the story was. A contradiction. Not so.
Before writing there was sound. Pictures painted in the mind. With voices. With actions. The story was acted out by the actor. The actor acted. And the story was transferred from the actor to the listener.
But the story was more than just a means of information. The story was entertainment. Listening to the story and watching the story, we became engaged. We became a part of the story and so lived in the world of the storyteller.
The story has never left us. We live for the story. Without the story our humanity would not exist. We live for the story. We are only about the story. Because the story inspires. The story allows us to reach higher goals. To walk on the moon. To build hovercrafts. To create medicines that heal and medicines that strengthen. The story encourages us to wake up each morning and drive through the day inspired that we matter. The story creates and then recreates us. And so we need to be reminded of the story every day. So that we can rewrite it. Every day. Every moment. We sculpt our story every single moment. And review it and change it.
I'm listening to my mind telling me that tomorrow will bring the same things that today brought. That tomorrow will be a repeat of today. But that's not what I want. I don't want familiarity. I don't want the same story. I want a new one. But if I'm the author of my own story, then I cannot write it until its done. I cannot write that story until it unfolds. Only then can I see what the story was. A contradiction. Not so.
Back to posting
Been a long time
Since you touched me
And made me feel that wonderful glow
The way you do
Been a long time
Since you held me and squeezed me
So I wonder what's come over you
Since you touched me
And made me feel that wonderful glow
The way you do
Been a long time
Since you held me and squeezed me
So I wonder what's come over you
--- Ashford & Simpson
The last time I posted on this blog was a while back. That's because the holidays were here and I threw myself into spending time with family. I'm borderline workaholic and the change of pace was good.
So far, August 2015, there have been only 6 posts for the year. You cannot call yourself a blogger with an average of a single post a year. And most of them in May.
But we're back with a commitment to make up for the lost time. There have been a lot of lessons learned, stuff read, experiences had and much to say. I'm 50 now (since December 2014) and perhaps the fright of the big five-o somewhat got to me.
I've been watching a lot of documentaries while working. I watched Lance Armstrong's fall from grace. And I understand. I watched Mike Tyson's fall from grace. And this one's a little harder to understand. I watched a couple of documentaries on vegetable juice diets. Interesting, but I see health risks with those. And I've continued to run. If there's anywhere I find complete solace, it's at 4k mark.
This post wasn't supposed to be inspiring, but just a way to get back onto the keyboard and write.
So far, August 2015, there have been only 6 posts for the year. You cannot call yourself a blogger with an average of a single post a year. And most of them in May.
But we're back with a commitment to make up for the lost time. There have been a lot of lessons learned, stuff read, experiences had and much to say. I'm 50 now (since December 2014) and perhaps the fright of the big five-o somewhat got to me.
I've been watching a lot of documentaries while working. I watched Lance Armstrong's fall from grace. And I understand. I watched Mike Tyson's fall from grace. And this one's a little harder to understand. I watched a couple of documentaries on vegetable juice diets. Interesting, but I see health risks with those. And I've continued to run. If there's anywhere I find complete solace, it's at 4k mark.
This post wasn't supposed to be inspiring, but just a way to get back onto the keyboard and write.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
