Marathons and Fancy Spaghetti

I am very excited about The 30th annual St George Marathon coming up in 11 days. Actually it is 10 Days, 13 Hours, 52 Minutes, and 19 Seconds as I write this. Countdown is on this website in the top right corner:

http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/

So I have a colleague. I would call her a friend but she will get a big head. This colleague walked the Top of Utah marathon last Saturday.

http://todaix.lib.usu.edu/run/marathon.htm

She did not have the greatest of experiences and she has run a marathon before so this was more to support a friend more than anything else. Anyway, she sent to me the following article that I thought was interesting about the number of marathoners there are now and how they are ruining it for the true marathoners:

http://www.slate.com/id/2149867/?GT1=8592

To illustrate what this article is about and to let you know what I think of it I have copied the IM conversation that I had with Fancy Spaghetti. This is not earth shattering stuff but presents an idea that I thought some might think is interesting and hopefully with the marathon coming up it is topical. Please enjoy this sneak peak into a fascinating (sarcasm) conversation. Please note, this conversation has been edited for content and to run in the alloted time. Mostly it was edited just to spell words correctly.

fancy spaghetti says:http://www.slate.com/id/2149867/?GT1=8592
fancy spaghetti says:did you read that?
Shayners says:I am halfway, I got distracted
Shayners says:this is funny
Shayners says:you suck so bad running that marathon so slow last Saturday
fancy spaghetti says:i know it kind of made me feel bad
Shayners says:the guy sounds like me in high school when other people started to like U2 and I liked them before The Joshua Tree
fancy spaghetti says:because when i did run that marathon, it was a "life goal" to finish a marathon, i didn't care about my time
fancy spaghetti says:but i did it!
Shayners says:I care about my time but it was a life goal for me too
fancy spaghetti says:why are you so cool, shayners?
Shayners says:just am
Shayners says:It makes some good points that article
fancy spaghetti says:sounds elite-ist to me
Shayners says:it does
Shayners says:that is the problem
Shayners says:but like people that move here (to St George) and don't want anyone else here you want to be part of the club and you want it to be an elite club
Shayners says:I try to talk people into doing the marathon all the time but if everyone did it would it mean as much? Probably not.
fancy spaghetti says:when i was training to walk that marathon, i saw a lot of people training for the st. g marathon on hwy 18, and i admire all of them
fancy spaghetti says:just think of the vibe you feel at the starting line
Shayners says:it is the best
fancy spaghetti says:all of those people are awesome
Shayners says:the finish is just a little better
fancy spaghetti says:i SO look up to all of them
Shayners says:some are jerks
Shayners says:but most are sweet
fancy spaghetti says:think about the mind power it takes to finish a marathon, it is something very emotional and personal
fancy spaghetti says:who does that guy think he is?
Shayners says:yes, and not just physical, very mental
Shayners says:That elitist pig
Shayners says:he is probably from the east coast
fancy spaghetti says:i found that article on the msn homepage check it out
fancy spaghetti says:"Have Newbies Ruined the Marathon?"
Shayners says:U da man
fancy spaghetti says:How slowpokers & poseurs are clogging the routes
fancy spaghetti says:guess i'm a "poseur"
Shayners says:I would say so
fancy spaghetti says:i wasn't asking youS
hayners says:But I feel strongly that you are
fancy spaghetti says:I DON'T CARE!
The End

Elder Bin Laden

This is a short video about what it would look like if AlQaeda recruited its members like the Mormon Church.


http://media.putfile.com/Al-Mormons

Webster

I wish this entry was about the TV show Webster. I tried to make it so but could not think of anything to write about the little guy. So it is in reference to the dictionary instead.

I recently used the phrase, "cut of your jib" in an entry title. I love that phrase. I say it whenever I can. I actually over use it big time but I am around different people so I make sure I just don't overuse it with the same group of people. But I was wondering if I was using it correctly so I went out and got a definition of it on a website, here it is:

"The cut of a jib is the way a sail is trimmed, or adjusted...hence in reference to a person, it is their style and manner"

I am a really poor wordsmith. My brother sent me the best email a few months ago with literary putdowns and I loved it. One of them was from William Faulkner who was refering to Ernest Hemingway when he said the following:

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

I think that is so funny and me to a T. To think he was saying that about Ernest Hemingway is humbling. I just hope I have been using cut of your jib correctly. I think I am okay.

But looking for this definition reminded me of high school with my friend's mom Donna. She might be the smartest lady I have known. Not only is she book smart but she always seemed vert street smart as well, like she knew what was going on in the real world and not just in her town, her home, or in her milieu (you like that?). But the best thing was, and I think I remember right, Josh may have to correct me if I am wrong, but I think we used to be able to say words to her and she could tell us their origins. Like their Latin roots or from what country or language the word came from and was derived from, etc. This was like a magical gift to me, I was awed by the power. Like earlier, I bet I could have asked her what "cut of your jib" is and she would have known right off the bat what it was. Other cool phrases are:

"If that is wrong, I don't want to be right"

"raise the roof"

"talk to the hand"

What are some of yours?

Don't sell yourself short Judge, you're a tremendous slouch

I always had this mantra that you know a true friend if they will tell you that you have something in your teeth after eating. I have a new one too, you can tell everything about a man's (or woman's) character by the way they golf. This is not always true, there is that great part in Cadyshack with Rodney Dangerfield is with this woman and the woman says "how dare you fart before me" and Rodney says "I'm sorry i didn't know it was your turn". But if you can play golf without cheating, you are really making strides as a human being. Golf is a great microcausim of life. Many a correlation has been made from the golf course to the corporate office. And when you are shooting an 8 or a 9 on a hole like I do from time to time, there is a lot of room for fudging and it can be difficult to admit how bad you stink at the game. I have done well the past couple of months and years to take my golf game in a whole new direction, a non-cheating direction. I think it is working out well for me. I joke with a friend how I feel like I am getting better all the time yet my scores are about the same as they were when I played 12 years ago. It is kind of disheartening so I did what I always do when I am upset and I made a graph:



So as you can see by the graph my cheating has gone way down, I am hardly cheating at all these days. And my scores have stayed constant while I have been striking the ball better and playing a lot more. Therefore, it must be that I have indeed become better at the game but only better enough to cancel out all the cheating I used to do.



But now I have an opportunity to really turn a corner. Now I can get better, still continue to not cheat, and slowly move those scores down into the 80's. Now that I think about it though, if I keep playing and practicing AND I start cheating again, my game will go through the roof. But that defeats the whole purpose of this entry which was to tell you that you can really learn a lot about the character of a man (or woman) by the way he (or she) plays golf.

So tell them you got a 9 on a par 3 if it happened and go look for your ball in the bushes without another ball just like it in your pocket. And also, when someone is looking for your Top Flite ball and you have a Nike one in your pocket, don't tell them you are actually looking for a Nike when you hit a Top Flite. And then there is the whole throwing a ball from the weeds and putting your club in the air like you just swung through, that is pretty low. If you are throwing a golf ball, maybe golf is not for you. Of course all of these examples are ways I have seen people cheat but never used myself.

Halloween for Adults Only

I need help from all those reading this. I received, last week, an invitation to a halloween party, for mommies and daddies only. I want to have an awesome costume and I only have 2 months to come up with something. I have always wanted to go to a halloween party for adults only. What would be a great and creative costume? I have already had halloweens where I was the other brother darrell from the Newhart TV show. It was hard to explain but seemed to work out well. Help me think of something good. No Spider man or Napoleon Dynamite suggestions please, I can't pull those off. Just leave me a comment with your good ideas. Thanks a lot.