NFL Pick Me....

I can't tell if some of these are real or fake....either way, they are pretty cool. I like the last one with Laurence Maroney. Notice the warning : "Do not attempt unless you are an NFL athlete." Which one is your favorite?

Brilliant..

Simply brilliant....I just wonder how you get the ball back out of the goal....

I went to the doctor and the doctor said....

no more monkeys jumping on the bed..."

oh wait, sorry, that's my kids' book.

I did, however, go to see the podiatrist, and I am not sure what I thought of him. He did very little testing or touching, and mostly just looked at my feet and let me go on and on about the pain I feel, etc. He didn't seem like he even asked very many probing questions about things, either. In the end, he recommended some supports for my shoes, so I got fitted and they are ordered. For what I paid, they better work. They should be in next week, and hopefully before long I'll actually feel like a runner again.

I'm loving the Olympics right now too.....anybody else catch the guy that won the bronze medal in speed skating on Biggest Loser? What an inspiring story, to come back from an injury like that. Amazing.

Foot Trouble

In honor of FOOT-ball season officially coming to a close with the Saints victory yesterday, I made an appointment to see a foot doctor, a podiatrist, tomorrow. I've never been to one, and I'm not sure what to expect, but the pain in my foot has lasted longer than I like (more than 6 months), and I am ready to do something about it.

I don't know if I need some custom orthotics, or some physical therapy, or what...but, I need a professional opinion. I ran about 3 easy miles Saturday and yesterday my foot was killing me. I was limping all day. This is getting old. I just hope that it isn't too costly for me.

On a related note, we went to our local home show over the weekend, and one of the booths had these glycerin-filled shoe inserts, called Hydropedes, that made all kinds of claims about how great they make your feet feel. According to their website, they bring relief from "Athletes Foot, Muscle Cramps, Leg Cramps, Spider Veins, Foot Pain, Heel Pain, Heel Spurs, Leg Pain, Lower Back Pain, Bunions, Calluses, Flat Feet, and Pain associated with Walking, Standing, or Running."

I tried some on and walked around for a bit, and they felt very strange on my feet, but I could feel how they kind of massage your feet while you walk. The salesperson said that a runner who had plantar's fasciitis spent $600 for orthotics said that these $30 inserts worked better. I'm always leery of those types of claims, and those types of booths at trade shows, so I didn't bite. Anyone ever heard of these inserts?

Dominoes Everywhere

You're welcome...

The Great Snowball Fight of 2009, er, 2010

We got about 6 inches of snow two days ago. School was cancelled, much to my boys' delight. One thing I hate when we get snow is that the snowplow piles up snow in front of our driveway, so that even though there may be 6 inches in the driveway, there is about 2 feet where the driveway meets the road. That always makes for some extra shoveling work.

Yesterday we went sledding, which was fun, and today-- it was all about the snowball fight. I helped my two boys build some forts (which were about 5 feet apart) and then they went at it. They had a blast, and so did I watching them.

Afterwards, I went for an easy three mile run. The streets were clear for the most part. I had a few places where I had to run over some ice patches or snow, but nothing too dangerous. It felt good to get out, and I actually enjoy running in this cold weather. The foot bothers me just enough that I feel like I still have to go slow, but not enough to keep me from running.

Stand By Me....

This video is from the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it travelled the globe. See more at playingforchange.com.

I love how the world is coming together lately and standing by Haiti......

Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me" from Playing For Change on Vimeo.