Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Dietbolical Goal Reached!!

What a day. What an amazing f'ing day.
I had mapped out my run about a week ago -- I designed my route to spell the word "dietbolical". [For those unfamiliar, "dietbolical" was a plan I hatched 100 days ago. My aim was to run every single day until I reached my target weight of 180 lbs. I started at 198 pounds. You can read my original commitment here: http://bit.ly/kITf5o] As the days passed, it was looking more and more like I would hit my goal about day 100, BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE EXACTLY ON DAY 100!!
Tonight, after running the dietbolical route, got home, showered, stepped on the scale, stepped off, stepped on, stepped off, stepped on, and finally yelled to my wife "Hey! Come here! I have to show you something!" Understandably, she walked up the stairs timidly because usually this request is usually ends up with her wishing she never responded. However, what she saw was me standing on the scale in my shorts saying "Look! I did it!!" No matter where I moved the scale on the floor or how many times I stepped on and off, I could not make it read a number higher than 180. I did it. I freaking did it!!
I don't know what I'm going to do next, but I don't think I can stop running daily now. Now that I've met my goal, I can see there's still a bit more that I could stand to lose (175 lbs. seems like a reasonable goal). I knew nearly 100 days ago (I wrote my commitment 2 or 3 days after I started) that if I wrote it down and "published" my goal, it would be reached. I only wish I would have done it sooner -- I wouldn't have bought 3 pairs of shorts and 3 pairs of dress slacks in the spring with a 36" waist (I'm now a 33 or 32!).
Thanks for all of the encouragement particularly to Jane S. , Rachel B. , Keith H. , Chelsey F. ,Reggie W. for nearly daily encouragement and Tim C. for being the guy who put this crazy idea into my head in the first place. I owe you all a beer. ;) I owe many others a giant thanks too!


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Thank You, Glen Campbell

Today is the official release date of Glen Campbell's "Ghost On The Canvas." I was unaware that the album was in the works until I heard the title track on Milwaukee radio. I was aware, however, of Mr. Campbell's battle with Alzheimer's disease. This is his final album until he slips off into a life of dementia. Truly, truly sad.
However, what is not sad, is how magnificent this album is. I think this is going to be THE album of 2011. It's the type of album not many artists get to make. Warren Zevon's 2003 farewell album "The Wind" is the only one that comes to mind. After purchasing it for only $3.99 today from Amazon.com, I listened to it all day and during tonight's run. I remain awed by the lushness and expanse of the production, the melodies, the musicianship, and -- most importantly -- the power and smoothness of Mr. Campbell's voice. Oh man, I'd give up running if I could sing like that! (First love -- strumming and singing; running's fine -- but it's much farther down my list.)
I hate to seem like I'm shilling for The Man (not Campbell -- the corporate machine), but this album is available for this price for only a few more hours at http://bit.ly/psQcWc. Some won't like it; that's just the way it is, but most will at the very least have a strong appreciation for the man's talents.
Detractors may say, "Who can't make a great album when Jakob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, Brian Setzer, Billy Corgan, Dick Dale, The Dandy Warhols, Chris Isaak, Teddy Thompson, and Keith Urban (and more!) are your collaborators?" But I'd respond that, despite the quality and fame of his fellow musicians, Glen's voice stands above with a soul and quality that makes him a truly gifted artist. Which, I'm sure, is why so many of today's artists fell over themselves to make this album with him.
When I was a little boy, I had 2 hamsters: Johnny Cash and Glenn Campbell were their names. Like hamsters do, they passed away and were buried in the backyard. For a year after that, I would tell people, "Johnny Cash and Glenn Campbell are buried in my backyard!" Mom explained, "Mike's talking about his hamsters -- not the singers!" And regrettably, once my hamsters were gone, I went on to become a HUGE fan of the Man in Black, but The Rhinestone Cowboy was forgotten. Listening to this new album, I realize I've missed a lot and I look forward to going back into his archive and listening before his time with us has passed.
This post was extracted from my dailymile.com post for the day.