Because I Can… the random thoughts of Marc Scott

Ready for another exciting live blogging adventure as I watch American Idol.  My goal tonight is to not throw anything at my TV when Megan appears.  I still can’t believe she is here!

First and foremost, a thank you.  Dear American Idol producers… thank you for NOT dragging this show out for 2 stinking hours!!!

I really wish my radio studio looked like Seacrest’s studio @ KIIS FM!  Wow.  Nice.  Spacious.  Comfy!

Anoop Dawg kicks off the show tonight doing Usher.  I really like this guy, but I have a hard time picturing him as a rock star.  I don’t know.  Maybe it’s just me.  Doesn’t change the fact that he can sing.  All in all, another solid performance from Anoop.  He really has great vocal control. VERDICT: Possibly hits the bottom 3, but not going home.

OK, here is Megan.  So far so good.  I haven’t thrown anything at the TV yet!  I am achieving my goal.  Oh, have you checked votefortheworst.com?  It’s pushing Megan.  America… for the love of bacon… PLEASE DON’T!!!  It’s time for her to go home.  Quality singers in this competition can no longer be sacrificed for Megan and her Sanjaya like 15 minutes of fame! VERDICT: PLEASE GO HOME!!!

Just curious… could the commercial breaks be any longer tonight???

Danny Gokey singing Rascal Flatts… heck yeah!  This could be awesome.

And we’re back… had to take a break for a fire call.

I like the fact that he is doing almost a Danny Gokey unplugged.  This guys vocal ability is incredible.  Great range.  Great control.  We all know he is going to win.  Maybe we can just skip the rest of the competition and give him the “title.”  That was some serious praise from Simon.  Wow. VERDICT: Danny wins Idol!

Allison is playing the guitar for the first time.  This should be interesting.  Man I like this girl.  No Doubt seems like a great pick for her.  A rock chick singing a song sung by a rock chick.  Makes sense!  In my opinion, she is the best female vocalist in the competition.  The judges have a love affair with Lil, but I think Allison, at 16, can out-sing her.  She definitely has an odd choice of wardrobe, but hey, it’s a singing competition, not a fashion competition. VERDICT: Wardrobe gets voted off… Allison stays!

Scott, a piano and Billy Joel.  It sounds good in theory.  However, I don’t know that it’s enough to get him out of the bottom 3.  If he could see what they did to his hair, I wonder how he’d feel about it?  Just curious.  Anywho, I really do like this guy.  He seems like a really cool, really down to earth kind of guy.  But, this is a singing competition, and he is simply not the best singer of the ones that remain.  VERDICT: I don’t think this should be his last week by any means, but I suspect he is in the bottom 3 again.

Matt Giraud is singing You Found Me by the Fray.  I think this could be a great choice for him.  I don’t understand why this guy was in the bottom 3 last week.  He is so good!  A great musician, a great singer, a great performer.  He definitely doesn’t deserve to be in the bottom 3.  He should be going a lot further in the competition.  America needs to STOP voting for Megan and start voting for Matt!  I think the judges were a little hard.  VERDICT: Vote him through America… vote him through!

Next up… Lil Rounds.  Celine Dion?  Hmm.  Not sure about this one.  OK, you know what.  I just don’t get it.  She is not as good as the judges have been trying to get us to believe.  VERDICT: Likely safe but shouldn’t be for much longer.

Adam is up next.  Play That Funky Music?  Oh man.  I loved Adam last week, but I’m afraid I won’t feel the same this week.  Yup… it’s official.  I don’t feel the same way this week.  Not a fan of this at all.  He’s a screamer.  I want to hear a singer.  VERDICT: America gets him… I don’t.  He’s safe.

Kris Allen gets to close out the show tonight.  This guy really does get better and better every week and that is how you stay in it!  He’s kind of a dark horse in the competition.  I’ve had my eye on him all along, but he’s definitely moved himself to the front of the pack in my opinion.  Plus, check this guy… guitar and piano!  Stripped down.  Unplugged.  Ain’t No Sunshine.  Brilliant.  One of, if not the best performance of the night!  VERDICT: Gotta be safe!

Predictions… based on performance and judges… Megan, Anoop and Matt.  Megan HAS to go home!!!

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

It’s good to have goals.  It’s been said that if you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.  There is truth to that.  I suppose, in a twisted sort of way, there is even success in that.  After all, if you aim for nothing, and hit nothing, then you accomplished exactly what you set out to do.  In previous years, this would’ve seemed a victory for me, and I likely would’ve been content to take it.  Now I’m old and wise.

When I decided I was going to give dating another shot, I decided that I was going to have to set a few goals for myself.  After all, being divorced, I certainly brought enough “baggage” to the table, so to speak.  Because of that, I wanted to make sure I had the rest of my stuff sorted out and taken care of.

Goal one, and perhaps the most important of all the ones I set, was to take care of myself a little better.  My metabolism isn’t what it used to be.  If you need proof, as me to lift my shirt!  It would seem that I have reached a point in my life where I can no longer eat whatever I want and spend every spare moment of my life on the couch, and still look good!  This was a harsh reality for me, but I’ve slowly come to terms with it.

I took a two-fold approach to reaching the goal I set out for myself.  The first step was eating better.  I’m slowly learning how to cook, and I have, albeit with great resistance, started drinking more water than pop.  My refrigerator has come to house vegetables and fruits, two words I wouldn’t even speak in my youth.  Chips, now, are something to be drooled over from a safe distance while speedily pushing my cart past the isle in the grocery store.  It’s not been easy, but, I suppose, nothing worthwhile ever is.

The second step was exercise.  I’ve come to spend a great deal of time with my stationary bike and I’ve even lifted some weights.  It’s amazing the ripped arms you can mold for yourself with a couple of Chunky Soup cans.  Hey, I never said it was a lot of weight!

Anywho, slowly, and I do mean slowly, over the past couple of months, my hard work and sacrifice has begun to pay off.  In fact, I’ve lost nearly 20lbs.  It’s been great.  Finally, I am on my way to accomplishing my goal.  What, specifically was that goal you may ask?  Well I’ll tell you.  The day my pecs stick out further than my gut, and it doesn’t require me holding my breathing and sucking it in… then that is the day I’ll have achieved my goal.

Saggy man boobs and a gut hanging over your belt… just say no kids.  Just say no!

I’ve never been big on birthdays.  Well, not my own anyway.  It’s just not something I’ve ever given much thought to. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them.  I’m just not a “party guy” so to speak.

I turned 30 last year.  It seemed like that one should be a big deal.  I didn’t think it needed to be a big deal, but a lot of other people told me 30 was a big deal.  I wondered what would happen.  Would I wake up in the morning with gray hair, or even worse, going bald?  Would my joints start to ache with each movement?  Would the perfect girl, maybe an angel, fall from heaven and land outside my apartment; a 30th birthday gift from God?  I don’t know.  It was apparent, based on the opinions of others, that this was indeed a milestone.

After listening to the words spoken by all these different people, I decided this time around, for a change, I would mark the occasion.  So, off to the corner grocery store I went where I would buy myself a cake mix and some icing.  I returned home, fired up the oven, busted out the wooden spoon, which for a change was not being busted over my butt, and I made myself a cake.  Before you ask, there were no candles. Nor did I sing for myself.

I celebrated my 30th birthday in my apartment, eating my cake, and watching old movies on TCM.  It was great.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I didn’t feel any different.  I didn’t look any different.  Well, maybe a little different after eating the entire cake, but that doesn’t count.  I was 30 and it felt, to me, exactly the same as 29.

Tonight my family held a surprise birthday party for one of my uncle’s.  He turned 60.  We all gathered together at 7 and at 7:30 he was brought to the hall and, much to the delight of all the conspirators, he was surprised.  My job for the evening was that of photographer, of which I am not.  But, when you have a fancy camera, whether you actually know how to use it is of little relevance.  It seems to be more about looking the part.  I look it well!

I followed him around the room with my camera as he greeted his friends and family, all the while grinning from ear to ear.  There was a lot of hugs and handshakes and he even gave, and received, a few kisses – that on it’s own is a motivator to celebrate a birthday!  The evening was filled with a lot of conversation, even more laughs, lots of “old timey” (think O’ Brother Where Art Thou) music, and dancing, even the square kind! ;-)

One thing that I kept noticing all through the night was my uncle’s joy when he was with members of his family.  His wife and one of his daughters, her husband and their 2 children – his grandchildren.  He would smile and laugh and dance with them and he seemed to glow.  I did my best to capture some of those moments, memories he can hold on to for many birthdays to come.

As I watched the scene unfold throughout the evening, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out a little.  I made myself a cake, and I told myself happy birthday, but I found myself wanting what he had.  A wife, children, grandchildren.  He has it great, and he knows it!  You can see it in his face each time he would look at them.

So Happy Birthday Uncle Frank.  I can only hope that on my 60th, I can celebrate like you.  Not because I’m turning another year older, but because I have had another year of blessings, filled with people I love and who love me.

Inspired by Facebook.  Who would’ve thought such words would ever be spoken?  I certainly wouldn’t have ever expected such a thing, but here we are.  It’s happened.  One of most popular things appearing in my News Feed pretty much everyday right now is “Top 5″.  Normally I skip over these things.  Yesterday though, I was inspired by it.  Now, I share with you my inspiration.  I give you… 5 movies that have had a profound impact on my life (in no particular order)

SMOKEY & THE BANDIT
Seriously, this is one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen.  The perfect blend of action and comedy with a little bit of a love story inter-weaved through the car chases and one liners.  It’s brilliant.  It was the movie that introduced me to two great loves in my life.  First, the Basset Hound.  It’s actually the reason I would eventually go on to own a Basset Hound and hope to one day again in the future.  Second, It’s the reason I went out and bought myself a Firebird.  I loved my Firebird.  A 1989 Forumla, 5 speed, 305 with T-tops.  Man I miss that car.  Maybe one day I’ll have another one of those too!!!

GHOSTBUSTERS
Superman was my superhero, but as a kid, I would’ve done anything to be a Ghostbuster.  And if I were given the chance, I’d be just like Dr. Peter Venkman.  I think there are certain parts of my personality that are a direct reflection of the Bill Murray character.  I could never grow tired of this movie.  I think I have it memorized!  When I was a kid I had all the toys and of course I watched the cartoon.  As a true fan of the Ghostbusters, I was also devastated with the utter disappointment that we now call Ghostbusters 2… although I’m slowing getting over it.  A video game is on the way.  I’ll buy it!  Rumors of Ghostbusters 3, with the original cast, are also floating around.  I’ll wait in line!

BACKDRAFT
I grew up around the fire hall.  My dad was a Volunteer in the community I grew up in for 33 years.  What kid doesn’t love fire trucks?  I always knew I wanted to be a Firefighter, mostly because I wanted to play with the sirens and hoped one day I’d be allowed to drive the truck.  As a kid I didn’t really understand the rest of it.  It was just about the cool gear, impressing girls with the uniform and driving big red trucks.  After watching Backdraft, not becoming a Firefighter was never an option.  To this day, after nearly 10 years of service, that movie still influences me.  Check the end scene, when Baldwin is sitting in the jump cab, drivers side, looking out the window, completely calm, just there for the ride.  Every time the truck goes out, that’s where you’ll find me, and that’s how I look.

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM
That movie, along with American Top 40 with Casey Kasem and Rick Dees and The Weekly Top 40, is the reason I am in radio today.  I’m nearly 15 years into my career and I’d still love to posses even an ounce of the talent demonstrated in the character portrayed by Robin Williams.  Adrian Cronauer must have been an absolute riot to listen to on the air!  I’m not there yet, but I’m still trying every single day.  After watching that movie I figured if it was possible to have that much fun on the radio, then it clearly had to be one of the greatest jobs in the world!  Another added benefit which I came to discover was 4 hour shifts.  Yes, this could quite possibly be the greatest job ever!

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
This is the hopeless romantic in me.  I could, possibly, replace this movie with about a dozen others in the same style.  Many of them would indeed still star Meg Ryan.  The idea that there is somebody out there, and they are just perfect for you is beautiful.  The movie has come to mean even more to me in recent years.  Tom Hanks is starting over after the loss of his wife.  Not convinced that he will ever love again, it takes the prompting of his son to get him to try.  As somebody who is divorced, I too expected I would not love again.  I didn’t have a young son to prompt me to try, but the idea of there being somebody out there for me is an extremely romantic one.  It’s one that motivated me to give it another shot.

So there they are.  Five movies that have had a profound impact on my life.  I do feel it necessary to give honorable mention to another “group” of movies if you will.  Whenever I need to laugh, I turn to the Muppets.  It could be any of the Muppet movies, I don’t care.  But whenever I need my spirits lifted, the Muppets have the ability to do it.

So I just walked in the door from work.  I missed the first half hour of the Idol results show.  I’m sure I didn’t miss much.  I do have one question though…

HOW THE CRAP DID MATT GIRAUD (who Simon himself called a new Frontrunner) END UP IN THE BOTTOM 3???!!!

Seriously… first Alexis, who was one of the top females, gets sent home outside of the Top 10, and now Matt is in the bottom 3.  I don’t think I can watch this show anymore.  It’s ticking me off too much!  It makes no sense.  God bless America but what in the world are you guys doing down there? :-)

OK… next question… HOW THE CRAP DID MEGAN AVOID THE BOTTOM 3???

This is utterly ridiculous.  Idol makes no sense to me this season.  No sense at all!  Scott is safe, Megan doesn’t even make the bottom 3, yet, Matt, who is consistently one of the best performers is potentially going home.  Good grief!

Simon says the save may come into play depending on who gets voted out.  Gotta believe they’d consider saving Matt.

I love Stevie Wonder.  He is amazing.  One of the greatest of all time no question.  Glad I got home in time to see his performance.

Wow… some very odd camera angles on the Stevie performance.  Not sure what that was all about.

Sad to see Michael Sarver go, but I’m not entirely surprised.  He was definitely one of the weaker performances last night.  I am still shocked that Megan didn’t even make the bottom 3.  She must be on the votefortheworst.com site or something!  I’m glad Matt will live to sing another week.

ATTENTION AMERICA: Vote for Matt next week!  Geesh!

Watching Idol on the PVR fast forwarding through all the junk.  It’s the best way to watch it!  I love Motown… LOVE IT!  I’m excited about this tonight.

First up, Matt Giraud.  When Smokey Robinson says, “Matt did more than justice to it” speaking of his performance, that has be a confidence booster!  I love this guy.  I think he’s great, I’m glad he’s here.  I love the way he started the sound soft at the piano and then stepped it up.  The guy has soul and is a great performer.  VERDICT: He’s gotta be safe.  He needs to be around a while.

Kris Allen has come a long way.  Every week he just keeps getting more comfortable, and in turn, he keeps getting better.  I love the song “How Sweet It Is.”  James Taylor, Michael Buble, Marvin Gaye, doesn’t matter.  It’s just a great song, and I think for Kris it was the perfect song choice!  Great vocals, great performance. VERDICT: See you next week.

Was Scott MacIntye wearing pink pants?  That’s odd, not gonna lie!  I love to listen to him play the piano, but at this point, he is just weak vocally compared to the other guys.  I think this could possibly be the end of the line for Scott.  There is no denying his talent and skill.  But next to somebody like a Matt or Danny, he just isn’t on that level.  VERDICT: I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the bottom 3.

I am still shocked that Megan is here after last week.  How she survived and Alexis didn’t is so far beyond my level of comprehension!  Better female singers have gone home, and yet, she remains.  Tonight’s performance was bad.  It was annoying.  It was corny.  I actually fast forwarded most of it!  Randy said it best… a train wreck!  VERDICT: Time to pack your bags Megan.

Annop Dog… or is it Anoop Dawg?  How awesome must it be to sing in front of Smokey Robinson?  Wow.  That’s gotta feel good… and then to have him love you… even better!  Anoop has stepped us his game after nearly seeing him time on Idol come to an end a couple of weeks ago.  The Dawg can sing!  The performance was definitely slow, but that’s the nature of the song.  Vocally, I thought it was solid.  VERDICT: Anoop will sing again.

Michael Sarver has already visited the bottom 3.  He doesn’t seem to be connecting with voters.  He does have a good voice, but he has picked some odd songs, like Ain’t Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up.  I’m not sure tonight was a good choice for him either.  Ain’t To Proud To Beg is a big song, one of my favorites by the Temptations.  I just don’t think it was a good idea for him to tackle it.  He did an OK job.  But OK isn’t good enough at this level.  VERDICT: I think he’ll find himself in the bottom 3 again.

Paula almost starts to cry when she gives a bad review.  It’s hilarious.  God bless her.  She’s a sweetheart.

If Lil Rounds can’t kick tail on Motown week, I don’t know who can.  This is perfect for her and her style.  I do not think she is the best female in the competition, though the judges have an obvious love affair with her.  But he is a really good singer.  She did a solid job tonight.  VERDICT: She’s safe.

Adam Lambert… I don’t get it… I can’t get it.  I haven’t liked this guy from the beginning, but I know I am one of the only ones in the world that feels that way.  That’s OK.  Different strokes for different folks right?  Now, that said, although I am not a fan of Adam, he was… are you ready for this… AWESOME tonight!  He absolutely did justice to one of my favorite Smokey songs, Tracks Of My Tears!  Tonight, he earned my vote.  Does anybody else think he looked like Kurt Russell from 3000 Miles To Graceland tonight or was that just me?  VERDICT: Hands down safe.

Motown is a great niche for Danny Gokey, although this guy could honestly sing anything and kill it.  But this gives him a chance to really show the soul and vocal ability that he brings to the table.  This guy is simply awesome and has been my pick to win since he auditioned.  He is so comfortable on stage.  He just gets up there and has fun.  He really is a natural.  I can’t wait for this guys CD to land!  VERDICT: One of the nights best!

Allison is only 16 right?  Because when I listen to her, I forget.  The fact that she was in the bottom 3 last week still blows my mind.  This girl is one of, if not the top female in this competition now that Alexis is gone.  She really reminds me of Kelly Clarkson.  She continues to impress me every week.  Think about it.  If she’s this good at 16, how mind blowingly spectacular will she be in 10 years?  VERDICT: Owned it tonight!

Simon wants Paula.  I mean, it’s ridiculous.  He TOTALLY wants Paula!!!

My predictions…. bottom 3…. Scott, Megan, Michael.  Going home?  Should be Megan… probably be Michael.

Now that the weather is getting nicer, it seems an appropriate time to get the bike out.  It’s been a long cold winter, and it’s time for those two wheels to meet the road again.  Yes, I love that feeling of sailing down the road with the breeze blowing in your face.  The sharp, stabbing sensation of bugs bouncing off your cheeks and forehead like little bb’s being shot from the gun you used as a child.  You’re the king of the road when you’re out there on that bike.  People notice you.  People respect you.  People wish they were you!  It’s a beautiful thing.

With that in mind, I went to my sisters place and picked up my bicycle, which came out of storage this weekend. 

I haven’t been on it since the Fall.  I’ve missed it.  Want proof?  Check the gut baby, check the gut!  Quality time was most certainly in order.

The first thing I noticed as I inspected my ride was that it had 2 flat tires.  An annoyance, for sure, but nothing that came unexpected.  A quick hit with the compressor and they inflated like my stomach after a good, hard swig of RC Cola.  Of course, when I let my air out, it’s a lot louder, with a deep, rich tone, as opposed to the slow, stealth escape of air from  my tires.  That, however, is another blog for another day.

As I climbed aboard my sister, whom in her old age has apparently developed a concern for her wiser, stellar, older brother, which was previously, and noticeably absent in our childhood, said, “Where is your helmet? Don’t you need a helmet?”

I assured her that I was well equipped to ride a bike, and besides, real men don’t wear helmets.  I neglected to reflect on a previous concussion as a result of a horrific bike crash in my youth.  But really, what benefit is there to living in the past?  Taking her consideration under advisement, but not really, I was off.

I almost made it an entire block.  Almost.  I was moving at a pretty good clip, weaving back and forth across the street, not unlike a bird flying in and out of the trees.  Feeling confident in my equipment I attempted to kick that baby into high gear and really move.  Note to self… don’t be kicking any babies into high gear.

At this moment, my chain instantly fell off and immediately jammed between the sprockets.  This, in turn, made it impossible to move the pedals, which, in turn, caused me to pretty much lose my balance.  Luckily, I still had my brakes, right?  Wrong!  Should have checked them when conducting my pre-ride inspection I suppose.  Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

As I barrelled down on a stop sign, which, obviously, was appropriately positioned at an intersection, I was grateful that I had began writing my will after my jogging incident (refer to this blog), as I was confident I would soon be putting that will to good use.  I had two options in the moment.  Option 1, try the front brakes and suffer any resulting pain and permanent damage as a result.  This option was quickly ruled out as I desire to have children someday.  Option 2 was, try and maintain balance, blow the intersection, pray there are no cars, coast to a stop.  I believe in God, and I believe He loves me despite my stupidity.  Option 2 it was!

I did make it through the intersection alive, and I did eventually come to a stop.  I proceeded to push the bike back to my sisters place, where my tools are.  Of course, in true macho man fashion, I downplayed the entire incident.  The last thing I needed to hear at this point was my little sister basking in her self proclaimed “rightness” at her counsel to wear a helmet.

After about 20 minutes of grunting, moaning, and, if I’m being honest, an utter farce of a show, trying to demonstrate my mechanical abilities, the chain was free and I was ready to go again.  Victory was mine… or at least, for the sake of saving face, I was bound to fake a good victory!!!  I managed to get the bike home, parked it on my patio, called my dad, and told him I was in the market for a new one.  One with with gears and brakes and what not.  But I’m still not getting a helmet!

A portion of the lyrics from “Being In Love With You” by Big Daddy Weave.  Let them speak for themselves.

I don’t need to try to be
The flawless example
Lifted up for everyone to see
I don’t need to stand and shout it
” Hey I’ve got the answer!”
If your presence is living in me
I won’t need to talk about it
In a church committee
For the world to know the truth
All I need to do is just be me
Being in love with you

I’ve been spending all my time
And all my efforts trying
to make you proud of what you see
But to my great surprise
I have realized
Nothing that I do can change your love for me

It was a beautiful Sunday.  A Sunday that I didn’t actually have to work.  I did everything you should be able to do on a Sunday, things I’ve missed out on for a long time now.  I got up early and went to church.  I spent some quality time on the couch.  I watched the NASCAR race and a couple of movies.  I made a nice dinner.  Yes, it was good to feel like a normal person living a normal Sunday.

I think I may have taken things just one step too far though.  After my chicken experiment, which I had for dinner, I got the bright idea that I should take advantage of a calm Sunday evening to go for a jog.  I do work out, but I don’t jog much.  I now understand why.

The skies were dimming, the air was crisp.  The sun was beginning to fade behind the horizon, and it seemed as though nature itself was calling to me.  The problem, so I discovered after the fact, is that nature and I don’t seem to speak the same language.  You see, I thought the call said, “come jog and spend time in my beauty.”  What it really said, or so it seems, was “I dare you… I bet you die.”

I live right across the street from the river, and along the river there is a nice path for walking, jogging or riding.  I walk it frequently when the weather is nice.  It’s a lovely place for a stroll.  Many agree.  You see others jogging, each step seeming to move with the rhythm of the music coming from their iPod’s.  There always seems to be a couple out for peaceful romantic walk, hand in hand, with the soothing lull of a gracefully flowing river and whisper of a gentle breeze caressing the trees as their background.  Then there are the Canadian Geese who are often much less poetic.  Mostly they honk, charge, and crap.  It kind of ruins the picture doesn’t it?  But hey, we put them on our currency, so that has to count for something

Yes, it seemed a perfect evening for a jog along the river.  I brought along my iPod, but quickly learned that with each step forward my ear buds were just going to keep falling out.  After giving up I followed a different rhythm.  That of my heart, as it pounded, perhaps even visibly, out of my chest.  There was a coolness in the air, but it was crisp and refreshing.  After getting started I had no concern of being cold.  The burning sensation that quickly began to stir in my legs was more than enough to keep my body warm.  Though leaving the house without water, it became evident early on that I needn’t fear dehydration either, as I was confident after a very short distance that at any moment I would begin coughing up blood.

I am resilient, or so I like to think, so I wasn’t prepared to stop.  I had a destination in mind and I was convinced I was going to make it.  After all, 500ft isn’t really that far.  I recall passing one couple on my journey.  They were in each others arms, leaning against a fence with the perfect back drop of a setting sun reflecting off the river behind them.  Rays of light beamed through the trees, bathing them in it’s glow.  It like It looked like something straight from an artists canvas.  God’s I suppose.  I certainly didn’t mean to interrupt their tender moment, I’m pretty sure the gentleman was going in for the kiss.  Such a priceless and tender moment, however, loses something when a man comes trouncing by with the heaviness of an elephant, breathing with a force equivalent of an F5 tornado.  I hope I didn’t cost him his kiss.

When I finally reached my destination it seemed a crowd had gathered.  While I suspect this had more to do with coincidence than it did with people standing by waiting to administer CPR, I felt compelled, mostly by pride, to put on a show.  I’ve often said it’s not as much about how well you know what you’re doing as it is about how well you can fake it.  I had every intention, and desire at this point, of collapsing to my death.  Anything to stop the pain.  I couldn’t bring myself to do it in front of all these people though.  The story, as I will tell it from this day forth is… my shoes were untied.  I needed to get on the ground to tie my shoes.  After all, I can’t be taking the risk of tripping and breaking a bone now can I?

I’m back home now.  I can’t recall specifically how I got here.  I think my heavy breathing robbed a certain amount of oxygen from getting to my brain, so there seems to be some blank spots in my memory.  I do know that I started to write a will though.  I remember telling one special person they could have my Macbook – the very instrument I use to write these notes to you.  The rest of it is a blur.

I’m going back to the couch now.  I don’t know if I’ll ever get off it again.  If not as a result of death, then most likely as a result of my legs currently having the consistency of jello!  It truly was a beautiful Sunday.  I can’t wait to have another one next weekend.