I live life to the fullest

and all of those other cliche sounding adages that I hear people say. Last week I took the old adage by the horns and went skydiving. According to my mother, I seem to have some sinister plot to give her a heart attack (lol). So what in the world would possess me to leap out of a perfectly good airplane at 14,250 feet? Simply, I did it because I could. I did it because I've always been inspired by people who have lived their life without regrets. People who do not have lives filled with a long list of "could'ves, would'ves, should'ves". Now you may say (and justifiably so), ILP, you don't have to skydive to live life to the fullest. My response (besides you're right) would be that skydiving is representative of all of the opportunities that life has to offer and the speed at which those opportunities can fly by.

Since my jump I have been bombarded with questions, primarily, "What was going through your mind as you were coming down?" Interestingly enough...nothing was going through my mind. I was simply in the moment. I simply was. What an incredible lesson about how one should live. How ironic that for me, it took something as extreme as a jump to teach me one of life's true cornerstones.

Since I've landed...I haven't been able to stop humming Tim McGraw's old tune. Right now the lyrics are my life's anthem. Enjoy.

Live Like You Were Dyin'

He said: "I was in my early forties,"With a lot of life before me,"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime."I spent most of the next days,"Looking at the x-rays,"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."I asked him when it sank in,That this might really be the real end?How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?Man whatcha do? An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu."And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,"To live like you were dyin'." He said "I was finally the husband,"That most the time I wasn’t."An' I became a friend a friend would like to have."And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,"Wasn’t such an imposition,"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad."Well, I finally read the Good Book,"And I took a good long hard look,"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,"And then: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu."And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,"To live like you were dyin'." Like tomorrow was a gift,And you got eternity,To think about what you’d do with it.An' what did you do with it?An' what can I do with it?An' what would I do with it? "Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu."And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,"To live like you were dyin'." "To live like you were dyin'.""To live like you were dyin'.""To live like you were dyin'.""To live like you were dyin'."

What I learned from the Inaugural Maryland Half Marathon

The morning of Sunday, May 31, 2009 began cold and damp and with plenty of rain. I showed up to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and sat in my car contemplating whether to go back home and skip the 13.1 mile run that I had committed to run. I sat in my car and wondered to myself, “Why do you even need to run anyway?” Honestly, the answer was not as simple as my needing to keep my word. Months of training wasn’t swaying my feelings either. Running for the cause (the Greenebaum Cancer Center) was doing nada. While watching two runners run back and forth doing warm-ups and seeing race volunteers direct the crowds, a woman in the vehicle next to mine was trying to get my attention. I rolled my window down and she asked, “Do you know if the staging area is where all those people are headed?” I didn’t know, but answered, “Yes, I believe so.” The woman thanked me and then got out of the car. I decided that even though it was raining I should probably get a move one and at least see what was happening in the area where everyone was gathering.

I arrived in the staging area (thank God I was correct) and turned on my IPOD, being able to tune out all the pre run chatter helped calm my nerves. Questions began to swirl in my head. Would I have to run in the rain? Was the course difficult? Would I make my time goal (which for me was under 2:12:24)? What if I couldn’t finish? Then I noticed that the woman from the parking lot was standing next to me. “They just blew the rallying horn. I guess that means things are going to start soon?” I introduced myself and then we began to walk towards the start line. Kim (parking lot woman’s name) and I began talking about what we both heard about the course. We compared training stories. And then Kim said, “This is my first race, ever. I am worried that I won’t be able to finish.”

Well my experience spirit took over, which in itself is hilarious (the Maryland Half was going to be only the 2nd organized half marathon that I had registered). I advised: Don’t let the energy from the crowd take you out too fast. Take advantage of the water stops. Take the race one mile at a time. I even told her how I dedicate each mile to think about something different. Have a plan when you go through the water stops. Get to the finish. Kim seemed to be taking in all of my tips and then she asked, “Why are you running?”

I didn’t get to answer her because the start crowd began to move and then we were off. I lost Kim shortly after mile one. Miles 2-3 were alright. I loved the course between miles 4-5. Running on the 2 lane road was kind of cool. I think the covering of the trees added to the effect. I was mesmerized by the man I saw shortly after the split. He decided he was going to do his 13.1 while skipping rope. I met up with Kim again at the overlap at mile 7. She was looking good. I cursed the course organizers for all of mile 8. Why they felt a hill at that point was a good idea I couldn’t figure out. The Little Red Devils at mile 9 provided the comic relief. I had to dig really deep, so that I could navigate the hill at mile 11. I wish I had gotten the name of the race volunteer, so I could thank her personally for her encouraging words. I was wearing a hat that said, “I run so that I can drink wine.” The race volunteer reminded me that I had a bottle of MD wine chilling at home. I was stoked when I saw the 12 mile marker. As I crossed the finish line and heard the announcer say my name, it hit me.

I run because I can. I run because nothing mimics life more closely. I run because nothing is more satisfying than coming across the finish line knowing that you’ve done it. You’ve finished. My icing on the cake was my finishing time of 2:10:52.

The Countdown Begins

Sunday, May 31, 2009 @ 7:30. I can't wait. This run is for charity. All of my proceeds (and training) goes the the University of Maryland's Greenbaum Cancer Center. It doesn't get any better than this.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

In 2:12 flat! It wasn't to long ago that I informed all one of you out there that reads this blog (lol)that I had signed up to do one more again. And so this past weekend the stars aligned perfectly for me to safely travel to Virginia Beach, Va for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K. What a great weekend! Not only was I impressed with my time (of which I don't believe I could have done any better), but I was impressed with the graciousness of the people. I was able to laugh a lot and relax. I was even able to drink champagne at the finish line (sorry sponsors).

Weirdest moment: Seeing a beer station at miles 3 and 9.
Most hilarious road signage: "Baseball is wrong....a man with 4 balls cannot walk."
Odd restaurant menu offering: Ham Chunks
Most memorable moment: Too many to count
Most inspirational moment: My tears of triumph at the finish line.

Rewarding moment: Champagne and live music after the race.

It was suggested that Virginia Beach become a yearly tradition. I have to say that I agree. Man...great friends, great laughs, great race....equals awesome memories.

Btw: The picture of is of me 5 seconds before crossing the finish line.

A Week that Was...

1. Israel has gone into Gaza to get Hamas. Of course in the middle of all of it are the innocent Palestinian citizens.
2. Obama has arrived in DC and the Obama girls started there new school with a ride in a hella motorcade and numerous TV cameras catching the whole thing.
3. Patrick Swayze admitted that he hasn't stopped smoking even though he is in the fight of his life with pancreatic cancer.
4. Sheila Dixon (the Mayor of Baltimore) and my fellow church member was indicted on federal corruption & theft charges.
5. The Governor of Illinois, Blagojevich , was Impeached. He says he isn't going anywhere.
6. A transit police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man in Oakland, CA and riots followed.
7. Alcoa announced that it was cutting 14,000 jobs.
8. John Travolta buried his 16 year old son. He died in the Bahamas of seizure disorder.
9. Oprah admitted that she fell off the wagon and is currently 200+ pounds.
10. My brother was admitted to the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure.

I think I will stop at 10.

Because this week was a bit more stressful than I anticipated, I added in an extra run. It was truly a godsend. It gave me a chance to think about the 6 locals I got to visit in the 1000 Places to See Before You Die series.

Jan. 5 - Topkapi Palace, Instanbul, Turkey
Jan. 6 - Verbier, Valais, Switzerland
Jan. 7 - Any Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia
Jan. 8 - Tasmania Freycinet National Park, Australia
Jan. 9 - Plaza de Armas, Cuzco, Peru
Jan. 10 - Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA

One More Again

It's official! I registered. Cant turn back now. Yuengling at the finish line isnt bad incentive either. I didnt register with a charity partner, so for now it is all about me and the running. I'll keep the 2 of your that keep up with this blog posted.

It is done...

in 5:05. That is what it said when I came across the finish line at The Marine Corps Marathon. Now according to the Marine at the finish line when my official time is posted (in 72 hours), my time will be less than that because the clock at the finish is the race clock. Since we all didn't start at the same time (I came across the start line 5-6 minutes after the Marathon actually began), my time has to be adjusted accordingly.

Miles 1-9 were grueling! The hills were unlike anything I have ever seen. Miles 10-23 were alright. I cried from mile 24 to the finish. I am not sure where the emotions came from. They just rushed me and I sobbed the entire way to the finish. One the very last hill (about .2 miles), my charity sponsor's trainer Kathy literally ran with me. I was grateful as I didn't think I'd have been able to do it without her.

I am sore and tired. But I feel good. I even got a cool medal for all my trouble.

A Nice Suprise

So all of you readers (the 2 of you) know that on October 26th I'll be running the Marine Corps Marathon. In order to get a spot in the popular marathons, one must have a charity sponsor. You raise money for them, you get training and nutritional support from their team trainers. I am running for Fisher House Foundation.

My goal was to raise $1000. To say the fundraising has been slow is an understatement. People that I knew were financial guarantees fell through. People that I didn't expect stepped up. That wasn't more evident until a co-worker walked up to me today and handed me 3 checks, totalling $250. I am now $45 dollars off of meeting my goal.

Thanks Diana.

To see more on my great charity click http://www.fisherhouse.org/

I Wanna Be like Dana

Oprah's season premier featured 175 Olympic Athletes fresh from Beijing. Yes, Oprah talked with Micheal Phelps, she interviewed the Redeem (Men's Basketball) Team, the Beach Volleyball chicks, and all the gymnasts. But by far my favorite was 41 year old swimmer (and silver medalist) Dana Torres.

She said one thing during her interview that really stuck with me. When asked about her age and competitive swimming, Dana responded, "the water doesn't know how old you are." When asked if she would continue to swim and perhaps try for the 2012 Olympics, she said, "After an Olympics I usually want nothing to do with water for a while, but now I kinda feel like I want to keep going."

Dana is my hero.

Today's Funny

This hilarious drawing is courtesy of Patrick Moberg and you can find his work at http://www.patrickmoberg.com/

Big Up fi mi Countryman!

The footage from Beijing's Birds Nest has been off the hook! That is all!

Locals Makes History

Congrats to Michael, Katie, Principal Debbie and the entire staff at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. I know that there is magic in those lanes.

Compelling Television

In my opinion, TV in the summer doesn't really offer much. I mean reruns and the barrage of reality shows just doesn't do it for me. But I have to admit that over the past 2 weeks, I have been glued to the tube.

Christie Brinkley's divorce from Peter Cook has been riveting. I mean it has sex (Peter with the 18 year old and the porn), it had intrigue (you mean you didn't want to know why Christie was walking around with the dinosaur diorama?), and it provided the media outlets with enough sound bites to take them until the A-Rod trial kicks into high gear. On a sad note, Peter got 2 million of Christie's estimated 60 million and visitation rights. On a good note, Christie has reportedly said that she will never marry again.

Jamie Lynn had a baby girl. I am happy for her. I just hope that all the girls out there that think they can do it because Jamie has done it just remembers that Jamie has money, an infamous millionaire sister, and people that want to pay her for baby pictures.

A Red Sox fan and a stripper came on a television "news" magazine to say that they weren't surprised that Alex Rodriquez was getting a divorce. They wanted to know what took his wife so long to file.

They were asked if they felt bad about the role they may have played in the marriage breakup. I am happy to report that the Red Sox fan said she wished A-Rod well.

What a lovely family! I watched the interview on Access Hollywood. What a coup for Maria Manounos! Seeing clips of the interview on FOX, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, Bloomberg News, CNN, The View, Regis & Kelly was a little creepy.

Lazy Hazy Days

I love summer for just that reason. July 4th, I decided that everyone would come to me for eating, drinking (none for me though...I had a long run the next morning), and laughs. No invites were issued. I used technology to spread the word....general text messages. The text read, "Looks like its gonna be @ my pad. It starts @ 2 n' will end at 3 if y'all don't show by 2.30. Bring what you want to eat."

It worked...(smile).

Michael ran the grill. I think I have a crush on him now. Smile.
Amanda had dessert. She really needs to open a shop. She had her "Betrothed" with her.
Sarah showed up looking like she just left the runway during NYC's Fashion Week. She still hasn't told everyone where she was going. She came with Cruz.
Dalila made her grand entrance...of course way after she was told to arrive.
Odelia our family's resident nut. She is absolutely hilarious. Her latest CD single was cool.
Debbyann arrived 1st. I should have given her a prize.
Paulette arrived with Ms. Marissa. OMG, I had no idea that Marissa could put down potato salad like that!!!
Trudy arrived after everyone left, so we spent quiet time eating the grilled lamb that Michael made for us...yummo.

Then the kids....Jaylynn, Ariel, Ty'Heil, Caleb, Malachi, Marissa (I mentioned her already) and PJ (who let me know that she gained 3 pounds). I was exausted just by looking at them.

We laughed, looked at old family photos, ate (and ate and ate) great food, listened to music, caught up and had a good time.

Headlines in Sports

I am not really a sport fanatic, but I try to keep up so that I can participate in the conversations at the water cooler. These are the conversations that I will participate in this upcoming week.

Farewell to Jim McKay, the man who made me having to watch sports on television as a kid tolerable. He is the man who made the phrase "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat," enter pop culture. As an adult, it has amazed me that I have held all other sportscasters to the standard that he has set. GOLD.

The Record that Wasnt to Be. Big Brown came in dead last at the Belmont Stakes. His odds of winning Belmont was 1-4. Maybe we will have a Triple Crown winner next year.

Barry Bonds and his lawyers entered not guilty pleas on all 15 of the various charges stemming from the 2003 Steriod Investigation. He ended the season last year a free agent. The 2008 Season is underway and every team decided to pass.

And So It Begins

the work of getting ready for this marathon. I sent out dozens of emails (only got 3 responses...sigh) and made phone calls. I set up my web page. Today...I went on my first run. OMG! It will be a few days before I will be able to feel my legs again.

There is one thing that I did notice after I was done running (6 miles) today. I noticed that I was beside myself with a sense of accomplishment. I mean I ran (very slowly) the entire time. I didn't stop to walk either. That feeling is something that I indeed could get use to.

The Beneficiary

Now that the magnitude of my choice to run the Marine Corps Marathon has set in, I guess I need to tell you the name of the charity that benefits from my madness. The name is of the charity is Fisher House.

Whatever your personal beliefs are about the War in Iraq, the people that make the decision to fight in the name of America are real people with stories to tell. They make awesome personal sacrifices to honor that commitment. I often think about what happens when a service person gets wounded. I think about their recovery process. Medical science says that a person has a better chance of surviving a catastrophic illness, if they have the love and support from family and loved ones. The cruel irony is that for many of our service people, recovery is (I found out) many miles away from their loved ones. Organizations like Fisher House does its part to buffer that.

So here is the link, please check them out. Donate to a good cause. Oh....and thank you for your support.

http://www.active.com/donate/FisherHouse2008MCM

April Fool

But this isn't a joke. Today, a group of my co-workers sent out a group email and wanted to know if anyone may be interested in doing some charity work, while getting in shape. I answered and made the decision to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2008. Yikes! I purchased the book Run Less, Run Faster. I have an appointment with a running specialist to get the appropriate running shoes. Now you may ask (all 2 of you that read this blog), why in the hell are you running a marathon? Are you usually this impulsive? Can you even run? My answers are:

1. Why not? Life is so short.
2. No, I am not usually spur of the moment. But, it's never to late to mix it up sometimes...right?
3. I cant run around the block, but that is OK (isn't it?).
4. I'll be raising money for charity.
5. I'll finally really do something about getting my butt (and a rather large one at that) in shape.

Training begins Monday, April 14th.

Just so you know

It's Sunday afternoon and I have just written and addressed all my holiday cards. After licking all of the envelopes (yuk), it occurred to me that I will be throwing $25 out the window. I mean every single year, I go through the process of sending cards to the same group of people that I sent cards to the year before. I don't ever talk to them, not for any particular reason. I don't really know what is going on in their lives, but I send them cheer in an envelope, just to let them know I have "thought about them", and that I will think of them again....next year.

My epiphany about the $25 led me to another epiphany and then another. So on this gray afternoon (with the Green Bay vs. Raiders game playing in the background), I am going to let you in on some of them.

1. I really hate to exercise, but I do it because I am supposed to (you know, good for the heart, weight control, obese Americans, blah, blah). I like the way I feel once I am done though. Cycling and the Treadclimer are my favorites of exercise that I hate.

2. Dark chocolate is the best! I am so glad that I bought that case of 72% Cocoa Chocolate Assortment from Harry & David (http://www.harryanddavid.com/). Nothing else needs to be said about that.

3. Watching Football on TV isn't really that bad. I am not really sure why I used to complain about it in the past.

4. 60 Minutes' Andy Rooney is funny as hell.

5. I may actually be one of those statistics that are out there on black women and marriage. I am 36...not a prospect in sight. I mean I may actualy be alone for the rest of my life. Not sure if I am OK with that. I used to talk about it with one of my chic friends. Then she got married and said to me one day, "Just because you're not married, doesn't mean you are alone." I really could have punched her in her face that day. She came across as preachy and self righteous. I mean she use to understand before she became Mrs. Well I didn't deck her, but I haven't touched the topic with her again either.

6. I really love to travel. How I ever became a teacher (and a good one) is beyond me. I really should have forced the issue with the Foreign Service or mustered the courage to work for a cruise line. Or become that Tour Leader...in Europe. I have researched taking a volunteer vacation this upcoming summer. I will make my decision after the new year.

7. I am relieved that I haven't spoken to my parents this week. I call them The Vortex, as they suck all the energy out of me and I haven't become adult enough to tell them as much. I am sure that my relationship with them is totally dysfunctional and that one day I am going to regret one thing or another as it relates to them, but I just do not possess the mental or physical fortitude to deal with The Vortex right now. Sigh.

8. I am jealous of creative people. Yes, I have finally admitted it. Writers, designers, musicians, painters, actors, photographers, chefs, dancers. I am jealous of how they are able to dedicate themselves to their passion. Dedicate themselves to their craft. To see something when there is nothing and then...create.

9. I need a cleaning person. My house isn't a mess or anything, but keeping the house exactly the way I want it is A LOT of work.

10. I could win the $1,000,000 on The Amazing Race. No, I really could.

11. I really appreciate UPS, FedEx, and the USPS. Most of the trinkets in my house are here because of them. Having them around has made my life so much easier.

With that being said...I guess I should put all my cards in the mailbox. I must do my part in the cycle of mailing, shipping and delivery. I must give (or in this case mail) in order to receive.

I've Been Transfixed...

with this entire Sean Taylor story. I'm not really a football fan. Really, I'm not a any kind of sports fan. I watch them, but that is about it. But since the story broke about the Redskin's Safety being shot and then later dying of his injuries; from an apparent burglary gone bad scenario, I just can't seem to get enough news about the whole thing.

Maybe, it is all of the out-pouring from the fans. Or, the fact that I live in the Washington, DC area, so I see & read the news. I mean, I will sadly admit that a young black man getting shot and killed is not really news to me. I mean hundreds of them die everyday. They die at the hands of other men, they die by the hands of the state, they get killed fighting in wars, they die in car crashes, they die from disease. Black men do death well.

But this Sean Taylor thing...he is different. It isn't his age (he's 24), that he had a family (a one year old daughter), it wasn't that he had issues with the law (not unusual, in my book). He made millions playing professional football. He was good at it. He was getting married (to the mother of his daughter). He was going back to school. He died defending his home. Maybe that is it. Maybe it is that he died doing something honorable - defending the home and family that he created with his own hard work. Yeah, that is what is tripping me out.

I was watching Jim Brown's report on NFL Today last Sunday. He was talking to a few of the players that seemed to know Sean the best. The players all talked about how the press had treated Sean unfairly in his death by referring to his criminal past. They were complaining that the insinuations that Sean's criminal past perhaps contributed to his death wasn't right. They attempted to paint Sean better. They talked about how he had matured. They talked about how he had become a man in the months before his death. They talked about his humbled demeanor. How he had let a $500,000 truck (a gift from someone) sit not driven for over a year in his parking space at the Redskin's workout facility. They did all the things that love ones do when they have lost someone they love. They recall the best. They recall the good. They recall the honorable. They try to get out the magnitude of the pain they feel. They try to comprehend what is incomprehensible.

During that interview, I heard Clinton Portis (in response to the negative press coverage and in defense of his slain team mate) utter 10 words that has left me speechless and deep in reflection. He asked, "What does the past have to do with right now?"

I wonder if someone should tell Clinton that the answer to his question is: everything.