I'm not going to give you a title

So it’s Monday January 28th and I’m a little down. Duck season is over after finishing the final day in a “freezing fog” hunting south of Jonesboogie, Rockansas. Still not sure what “freezing fog” is. The only explanation I can come up with is based on my experience yesterday. Standing in the fog, you couldn’t see twenty feet in front of you. Driving was just as much fun. The turn off the highway was so obscured that I almost missed it. Not fun. That’s not exactly a definition of “freezing fog.” That’s the description of the intensity of that fog. Wait, can fog be intense? Imagine the Macho Man Randy Savage as a fog. That’s the only way I can see an intense fog. Anyhoo, the freezing part came in when the moisture of the fog froze on contact with anything. Not like freezing dew on the ground. This froze both on top and on the bottom of things. It was weird. But we still got a few ducks. It was a weird hunting season.

What else is going on? Well I have officially started training for triathlon season as well as other athletic events I’m planning on doing this spring/summer. I have the Memphis Mile Swim on February 10 and the Germantown Half Marathon (if I can do it) on March 16. The Rebel Man Triathlon in Oxford, MS, is March 29. No races in April yet. I have the Memphis In May Triathlon on May 18. For those of you taking notes, yea that’s the Sunday after BBQ Fest weekend. How awesome is that going to be!!! I already feel bad thinking about it. But I may not have to worry about BBQ poisoning the night before the race, because a friend is getting married Saturday night of BBQ Fest week. Calm down. I know you’re shouting “someone’s getting married on BBQ Fest weekend!!?!? What are they thinking?” But I’m sure she has a rational explanation. I don’t know what it is nor could I come up with an explanation (I just know I’m going to get a hateful email for this). But for me this is a blessing in disguise. I’ll go to the wedding (assuming I’m still invited now) and reception, then I’ll head home early to get a good night's sleep.

As far as my training, I'm doing over three miles a week in the pool. I would like to start running in the next week or so, but I've been swimming so I can drop a little weight before running really. A good friend of mine has run a few half marathons and he said the best way to start is do 2 miles 2 days a week and then do a longer run on Saturday or Sunday (like 4-6 miles) and then increase my distance over time. Sounds like a good idea so I'm going to try that. I'm sure I'll need to go get new shoes. And I'm really putting off visiting Campbell Clinic. Nothing's wrong. I ran cross country for four years in high school and developed shin splints at that time. The doctor at Campbell Clinic made custom inserts for my shoes which made the pain disappear over time. Now over the last decade or so (yeah, I graduated from high school ten years ago) whenever I'd start a heavy running regiment again, my shin splints would flare up again. It hasn't happened in the last few years so I hope I'm ok. It just really, really hurts. (skip to the next paragraph if you want, I'm going to describe how it feels to me) Imagine someone tearing the muscle away from the shin bone on the inside of your legs. That's what it felt like at its worst in high school.

Back to BBQ Fest, I'm joining a team. Yeah I know. I've spent the past two BBQ Fests advocating the wonderful part of being a floater. But I think I'd like to try and experience this from a new way this year. I'll let you know more details when I see fit.

This is the last bit before I go to bed. I've also been reading a lot. Hey, it beats watching that shitty show, American Idol. I won't get onto my rant about that though. Anywho, I just finished Slash's autobiography, Slash. I read Ghost by Alan Lightman and Clapton by Eric Clapton. I'm not sure what my next book will be, but it will either be something by Hampton Side, Pattie Boyd (Harrison-Clapton)'s autobiography Wonderful Tonight, or Nikki Six's autobiography The Heroin Diaries. I was turned onto the books by Hampton Side, Alan Lightman, and Eric Clapton from the Drake and Zeke show on 98.1 the Max. They do a great job of being both cynical and inspirational. Drake talks about a lot of books he reads, and that's where I've picked up a few ideas. It definitely helps clear my mind. I find that reading and exercising clean the cobwebs and stress out of my mind.

That's all I have time for today. Hopefully, I'll get to something else soon. By the way, if you've been waiting to see either Smokin' Aces, Norbit, or Children of Men on HBO or Skinemax, don't bother. They are all really bad. Children of Men could be good, but I'm just not in the mood for an apocalyptic film. I'm in too good of a headspace right now.

Have a good one and don't get none on ya.