Running in the Rain

After a week of two workouts a day, I was on the verge of over training. Luckily I had my rest day which unfortunately became a sick day and lingered on an additional day. So after a couple of days, I took it to the trails for the first time in a long while.

I was hoping to get it in before the rains came. That was not to happen, which turned out to be be fine.

I love running in the rain.

So 7 miles of trails and a little rain and all was well.








Saw this little fellow at the beginning of the run.

Anybody know his official name?

Sailing Out of Despair

The loss of the rabbits hit me pretty hard. I had put a lot of time, money and energy into getting their future home prepared. Unfortunately, I didn't get it together in time. So I had been feeling sad and very guilty about their violent demise.

It made me question a lot of what I have been doing, which is valuable to an extent, but this self-analysis was more than a little skewed by the circumstances.

So when friends of ours invited us to go sailing with them, I realized that my plans to finish the rabbit complex were now on an indefinite hold which left the afternoon relatively free. And what better way to get our minds off the matter.

I'm so glad we went.

It was amazing.



The kids had a blast. The sea was calm which made for a lazy, idyllic sail.



Picture speak volumes





As the sun set the sky and ocean became more and more beautiful.











Sea birds in for the night, watching the sun go down.



Sailor Kip and wife Theresa, thanks again for the wonderful experience.



A magical time that helped me out of the doldrums.

Death Lessons

Friday morning found me rapping a crowbar against the cinder block wall that divides the property lines around my house. I grinded my teeth while I forced down my desire to hop the fence and bludgeon to death the stray dogs that killed our rabbits.

The day before we discovered that the rabbits had tunneled there way out of the garden, something that I didn't think was possible, there were too many walls and bricks and, well I just couldn't imagine that as a possibility. It was. And our not-so-little-Houdini rabbits managed it, much to there chagrin.

They have escaped before and we would collect them in the morning. But on this particular morn, I noticed a couple of stray dogs bounding about the semi-vacant lots that border our house. I knew that was not good. I knew instinctively that our rabbits weren't coming home.

We had to bolt off to prior commitments. On our return, I found one of the rabbits tossed off like a stuffed animal in the neighbors yard. The other is MIA, but I did not hold our much hope.

So today, the day after as it were, we put things in order.

Skye is dealing with it stoically as is her nature.

I am reading much into it. I can't say whether I am reading more into it than is deserved or whether I am using their deaths as a jumping off point.



I reread part of this blog with a day or two of separation and decided to delete...

Let me put it this way, rather than throwing off the backpack as heavy and uncomfortable as it may be, I am tightening up the straps, shifting the load a bit and pushing forward. Trying to learn some lessons along the way, but not beating myself up too much. Looking to make their deaths a source of insight and inspiration, strengthened by their living memories not saddened by their deaths.

So that said, good bye sweet bunnies, Rest In Peace.

Old new shoes a runnin' we will go

I took a quick jog yesterday while Skye was in her Shakespeare class around the neighborhood, through Loyola Marymount's beautiful campus on the perfect day for a run.

That was the good part.

I was fighting a little cold, so I didn't really feel like running but...

I hadn't loaded music on my shuffle, so I was SOL in the tunes distraction end of things, and

I decided to wear these shoes that I bought at a specialty running store. I bought them forever ago, wore them once and decided to stick to my tried and true shoes 'cause I had a marathon coming in a week and didn't want to take any chances. They were "stability" shoes to compensate for my overpronating. They felt a bit awkward, which was normal, I was told, but they were supposed "good for me".

I felt like I was wearing cinder blocks strapped to my feet. Part of this was not having run for a while and feeling a little under the weather, but I ended up with hot spots on my feet which I haven't had in a long time, so I am more than a little skeptical. I might give them another shot in a week, but I see them ending up as sprint shoes or stair shoes as opposed to long distance shoes. We'll see.

It wasn't the best run, but it was better than no run at all.

Yahoo Groups

I became a huge fan of Yahoo Groups through the home school community. It's an amazing way to get information out, respond to it, etc. etc. I've joined some non-home school type groups and for the most part they have served as more entertainment than function. But sometimes, I get some really great info or insights from them.

So when I stumbled upon the chickenchatcoop, for urban and sub-urban chicken keepers, I couldn't resist. I have most of the groups set for a daily digest, that groups all the post together for one daily update. But I figured there wouldn't be too much chatter on backyard chickens.

Clucking like a bunch of hens....I couldn't believe how much these folks chatted.

So I'm telling Skye about this and an e-mail comes in from a friend, with the subject line "because it's funny and you have chickens and then this link; http://littlehenrescue.co.uk/jumpers.aspx

I open it to the Little Hen Rescue site; subject of the day NEW DESIGNER FLEECE JACKETS FOR OUR GIRLS with pictures like




Really.....

With patterns and everything.

So that was a strange coincidence, made slightly less strange when taken along side the relative strangeness of the whole matter to begin with.

Anyhow, I'm afraid the chicken chatters will be downgraded to daily cluck digest status.

As for our chickens, they are faring well. The coup and roost are coming along, interrupted by more pressing rabbit housing and garden irrigation issues.

Just another amusing day at the Milagro Vertical Farm with Farmer Jon.

Interesting Juxtapose

I was on my way back to pick Skye up from a Girl Scout workshop she was at when I pulled off the PCH(Pacific Coast Highway for non-locals) to grab a bottle of water at the AM/PM. (I had already finished my "green" glass bottle of tap that I lug around for the eco-police types, and yes I suppose I could have loaded up with 2 bottles)

Anyway, just north of the Santa Monica pier, a bit before you hit Pacific Palisades, these two magazines were in the rack positioned just like below. I suppose I could have simply taken a quick picture and in retrospect it would have been more authentic and cheaper, but my magazine fetish got the better of me.






Is this what the kids are reading these days?

Who says kids these days don't have values?

Oh I could go on, make up a caption and leave as a comment.

Farmer Jon and Milagro Vertical Farm

After the devasting loss of the rabbits, which prior to their demise,that is their existence in the garden and that of the chickens meant there was no planting or growing of plants going on. OK that was some brutal run-on, beat up sentence structure. Point being I was feeling no green thumb or farmer gene happening at all. But I have of late refocused and am ready to take up the mantle of urban farming, for better or for worse.

I used to buy seeds from where ever, veggies and such from Home Depot or whatever. But I have of late taken to buying from local growers and heritage breeds and seeds and it has strengthened the bond I have to these greeny things.

Today I transplanted Red Russian Kale, Imperial Broccoli, Yellow Bell Pepper and Italian Dandelion plants I purchased from Hayground Organic Gardening, that I picked up at the Santa Monica farmer's market. In the same, bed I decided to take a grab bag approach and broadcast seeded the rest of the bed with the seeds I had left over from last year; Wild Arugala, Swiss Chard(Bright Lights), Oak Leaf Lettuce, Danvers #126 Carrots, Mesclun Lettuce, White Sesame. Some of these are heritage and some are just seeds.

It should be intersting what this year brings. I am learning more and more and greening my thumb along the way.

Warrior Workouts

Skye and I have started taken aerial classes at a really great facility in Manhattan Beach, The Power Plant. They have a 2-week introductory free membership because they've just joined up. Unfortunately with our schedule being the way it is, we've only been able to make it to a couple classes. We made a day of it on Saturday though, Skye did a teen class, I did an adult class and then we both jumped in on the Cirque Class, which had an overwhelming 30+ people.

After all of that, I was still determined to try to keep going with this Spartacus workout. "Keep going", rather I should say start, as in this is my second go at it. Last time I started doing the workout out full tilt and was done before I made it through one circuit of ten exercises. I pushed through and almost finished a second series. You're supposed to do three. Yesterday I paced myself a bit more and made it through 2 circuits and was pretty spent, so I dialed down the time spent on each exercise from 60 seconds to 30 and was able to finish a third circuit.

It's a nice workout, but still repetitious. I made up a pair of "Thunder sticks" and will be playing with them in my FUNctional fitness experiment. More on that latter. Must go for now, off to do a nice trail run while Skye is at Girl scouts.

The Haircut

The day after Cindy left, I took out the clippers and took it all off. I started with #4, not quite short enough. Down to #3, which worked except for in the back and around the ears, #2 for those spots.

I'm not going to doing anything to it until Cindy returns.

I like my hair at this length because it is just so easy, but unfortunately it makes my ears look even huger, same goes for the nose. But it is so easy.

I've been cutting my own hair for a couple of years. It saves money and time. And most of the time, the results have been respectable.

I think I may have unnerved some people with my post on Facebook.



It's not quite so bad...




But you see about the ears....

Catalina 50 mile-run Canceled ....for me at least

Several months back, I signed up for a bunch of races and marathons with the notion that if I committed to doing the event, all of the practicalities, such as logistics and training would somehow just happen. Oddly enough this method did indeed work, up until now. In fact, I posted my best marathon time ever in Death Valley just a few weeks after running my most enjoyable marathon do date in Malibu and with even less standard or traditional training than my usual less than normal amount of traditional training.

However, after much thought and consternation, I realized that the Catalina Ultra marathon was beyond impractical, just a shy step away from impossible. That being said, now I can really ramp up my jui jitsu training, work on my FUNctional routines, fly in aerial arts, grind out the Spartacus challenge and push to get a sub-four hour marathon at the L.A. Marathon, March 21.

I also signed up for the Warrior Dash in April. A crazy looking three mile obstacle course.

Maybe I'll give Catalina a try next year, or the next. I signed up for the Death Valley Marathon around ten years ago and couldn't make it because of work and this year I ran it had a great time, so who knows?

A New Day, A New Year, A New Decade

We've been throwing a New Year's Eve party for the past few years. I almost never take pictures because I am too stressed out trying to get ready for the party. This year was no different. So what I usually end up with is before and after pictures, which I know is a little strange.




The party has become a motivation to finish projects and clean the place up. This was a few hours before the party.



With help from Cindy and Skye, a lot of sweat and a unfortunate barrage of swear words, we cleared the place up.



Our "free-range chickens" definitely not helping.




After.



After a very lovely party, that of course went quite late, I slept for a few hours, and woke just before the sun cleared the horizon, which made for a spectacular sunrise.







Good morning sun.

Then it was down to check on the chickens and rabbits and give them a special treat of New Zealand clover that a guest had brought to the party.






Shadow doesn't realize what she's missing at first.




When she did she jumps right in.

Next, I scuttled about the kitchen and made a fritata with some left-overs from last night's party(asparagus, curry dusted mushrooms, and jerk-style ground Ostrich)







Yummy yummy.

I skipped my tradition of a mimosa on New Year's Day. Instead I gave my new workout a try. I got almost 2/3 the way through pushing myself pretty hard, when I remembered that I haven't done a "workout" in months. I've been working in the back yard and doing some Juijisu and aerial arts, running here and there you know my whole FUNctional fitness philosophy(which I might go back to by the way)

Basically the "Spartacus" workout kicked my butt.

I spent several minutes decompressing by hanging upside down.




All in all a great way to start the New Year.





Los Angeles looking very un-L.A.




The last rays lighting up downtown.

Now I'll wander downstairs to where the beer is still on ice, grab a cold one and settle in to watch some Laker action.



One last shot

A Green Christmas

I was going to leave everything from the last decade, in the last decade. A good clean break, say good-bye to the place-holder decade and hello to the tens. But I had just about finished this entry and it was pretty classic Jon nutsyness.


This year my landfill diversion obsession had me facing a dilemma in regards to our Christmas tree. In the overall scheme of things not much of a dilemma, granted. But we have been trying to be more environmentally sound, and local and green and pretty PC.

After living in Corvallis, Oregon which produces more than its fair share of Christmas tree, I have pretty good idea of the journey these evergreens are in for. Anyway when a friend told us about The Living Christmas Tree Co. we thought it was a pretty neat idea. A bit expensive but the earth is worth it, don't you think.

Like the Prius, in addition to the cost, there would be a considerable number of compromises.





Like its size for instance. But when you sit on one of those little seats from Ethiopia, the little fella looks quite large. Lots of room for presents though.



Merry Christmas and a very, very Happy New Year.

2010 New Year's Resolutions--A Trial Week

2010 New Year's Resolutions

With the end of the year, the end of the decade, coming in a matter of days, I have started thinking about my resolutions. You know those things that you think about, maybe write down, maybe slur out after one too many cocktails on Dec 31 or swear off on Jan 1 after remembering what you declared a few foggy hours before.

Regardless, as we all know these resolutions very often go unresolved. So this time around I am going to make my resolutions prior to the new year, give 'em a week to set in and coagulate, and then, if and only if, they feel doable, right and worthy do they make the list and ring in the New Year with a toast and some sparkly.

That said, it gives me more flexibility knowing that most of what follows will be left in the decade of the zeros. Here goes:

After half-heartedly searching for a magazine that had a recipe I was planning on doing a couple of weeks, last night for an hour, and then searching again, this time in earnest, this morning for another hour, I realized I have to get a handle on my magazine fetish, not that the resolution involves going without my beloved glossies, no just organizing them.

1 I resolve to organize my magazine collection.

In that same spirit and after receiving for Christmas a most beautiful cookbook that literally brought tears to my eyes, Coco 10 World-Leading Masters 100 Contemporary Chefs.....

2 I resolve to cook 2 new recipes a week from the many books and magazines that have taken residence under my roof.

To balance resolution 2....

3 I resolve to chisel out some six-pack abs... by whatever means necessary,(baring medical procedures and spray tanning)



OK maybe not by any means,




and maybe I should re-think the spray tan.

3 By ends year 2010 have posted 365 entries

4 Get my website, "Jon-Of-All-Trades" up and running

5 Get Back Yard Buddies up and running

6. Pursue Educational Co-op Opportunities

7 One long run each week

(Races and events count)

9 Juijitsu class or training at least 2 times a week

10 Get out of the country at some point

11 Finish all animal housing

12 Patch holes through out house from previous explorations

13.
REDUCE PROJECTS AND LISTS TO SOMETHING

SANE
&
MANAGEABLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Chocolate Gems

A good friend of ours is also a master chocolatier and on occasion gifts us with his magical creations.



They are beautiful and taste as good as they look.....




No better.

I am Spartacus !!!!

I was flipping through a copy of my latest Men's Health magazine when I came on a workout that is similar to one I've been considering and a challenge, the Spartacus Challenge.

Game on!!!

The Spartacus workout

Here's how Men's Fitness put it: " we chose 10 exercises that collectively work every part of your body, and then placed each at a 60-second station, in order to challenge your heart and lungs as well as your muscles. The final product: A high-intensity circuit that’s designed to burn away fat, define your chest, abs, and arms, and send your fitness levels soaring. So you’ll sculpt a lean, athletic-looking body—while getting in the best shape of your life."

So I signed up and posted my before picture:







So, this is part of my New Year's Resolution to get a six-pack ab. Is that the right way to phrase that.

Anyways, from keg to six-pack, here we go!!!

There Will Be Blog

Basically this post is a promissory note, a teaser as it were, and a reminder to me of what I shouldn't let fall through the cracks. I am trying to prevent a blog-jam as it were.

So what's on the menu:

Adventures with Farmer Jon

Rascally Rabbits

Homes Sweet Homes

Year Re-cap and resolutions

Spartacus Challenge

FUNcutional and not-so-Fun, but functional fitness

Chocolate Gems

A Green Christmas

Lakers

And much more...

Like I Need Another Hole in My Head...I Mean House I Mean....

Somehow it made perfect sense to me to cut a hole in the ceiling of our bedroom in search of a beam strong enough to support the aerial silks I got Skye, so that she could practice her aerial arts class at home.






I didn't have to cut too much to find these nice sturdy beams.

Following this same strange logic, I decided if I needed to drywall and patch one hole, how big of a deal would it be to patch a second one.

Searching for the Origin of the Leaks



Now I know exactly where to fix the roof above Skye's room



Having determined the problem here, I can most properly fix it.




And last but not least, I was trying to figure out a cool way to safely house my collection of shot glasses, only to run into conduit, structural support, even the piping for the vacuum system that runs through the house and that we consequently never use.

Which brings me to that hole in the head thing......

Hunky Santa and one of our teachers

Skye and I started taking classes in the aerial arts several months ago.

One of our teachers, Lesley landed a gig as one of the Hunky Santa's candy cane girls down at the Beverly Center. We watched the show twice. It was really amazing and inspirational. I highly recommend the show. It is beautiful and really wild how close one is to the performers. Some times it was to close to get a good picture.



Hey hunky santa and there's our aerial arts instructor, Lesley, just hanging out.



Lesley's, to the far left.




And on top if it all, streamers!!!!







Again I highly recommend the show and its FREE!!!!!!!!!!!

A Nighttime visitor

HOOT HOOT

After I put the chickens up to roost, I was just hanging out in the garden when I heard what certainly sounded like an owl.

It sounded way too much like an owl to really be an owl. And then as I was heading back in, there she was, this big Great Horned Owl perched on our roof.

I climbed up to take a picture put couldn't quite pull it off.

I scarred her and she flew to a neighbor's house.





A view from our rooftop, the owl is hard to make out, but after a few minutes she flew to a house across the street.



Birds of the night sky.



A very beautiful bird indeed.