When we were younger, time was on our side

Days were longer and we were stronger

and consistent as the tide

The years begin to accumulate

The joints ache and we fear we may break

Suddenly it feels like it is getting late

Tides continue to ebb and flow

Though energy is sapped we continue to adapt

And fly south to avoid the snow

.

Sticking with today's poetry theme (thanks, henrun/marj and RCG), yesterday I finished a three-episode series on the Freakonomics podcast about the life of Richard Feynman, the noted physicist and educator. At the end of the series, they quoted a poem that he wrote that explains his fascination with living on the coast and looking out at the sea. He was a physicist -- not a poet -- but this is as close to describing my own personal "theology" as anything I've seen.

...I stand at the seashore, alone, and start to think. 

There are the rushing waves, mountains of molecules
Each stupidly minding its own business
Trillions apart, yet forming white surf in unison

Ages on ages, before any eyes could see
Year after year, thunderously pounding the shore as now
For whom, for what? 
On a dead planet, with no life to entertain

Never at rest, tortured by energy
Wasted prodigiously by the sun, poured into space
A mite makes the sea roar

Deep in the sea, all molecules repeat the patterns
Of one another till complex new ones are formed
They make others like themselves
And a new dance starts

Growing in size and complexity
Living things, masses of atoms, DNA, protein
Dancing a pattern ever more intricate

Out of the cradle onto the dry land
Here it is standing
Atoms with consciousness, matter with curiosity
Stands at the sea, wonders at wondering

I, a universe of atoms
An atom in the universe

    - Richard P. Feynman

Holly- are you feeling better?  Did you miss any work?

Jay - happy many competitive runs with Margaret. So much more fun than by yourself. I see many spirited finishes in your future too.

Marj/RCG - neat and making it apropos again from everybody's Toby Keith tributes that I didn't know until then that, though I'm not as good as I once was and may not be able to do what I used to in a time back in my prime, I still like snow for reminding me of those days now that the years have flown by and my body says "Oh, you can't do this boy (b)ut my pride says,'Oh yes you can.'"

.

Dave (5:43am) - me too.

KSA - did you get back from the 8:00 pm start before Jay got his start going?

Roch - nice Feynman too.

Tom - neat dad.

Clouds overhead but narrow band of clear sky around the horizon enough to see the Cascades and Olympics to the east and west and Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier to the north and south for bussing the mile-and-a-half to the northside hillside park where I finally made enough sense of the interlocking loops and sinuosities to come up with an East and a West Loop of ~one mile each and a shorter, half mile, upper one.

^{ps marj - thanks.}

^{Happy President's Day too, . . .}

^{at least to everyone in Alaska,}

^{Tennessee, West Virginia, etc.}

^{Happy George Washington's Birthday}

^{if you're a federal worker}

^{and get the day off}

^{Happy Washington's Birthday}

^{in the states of Conecticut,}

^{Michigan, Florida,Illinois,} 

^{New York, Massachusetts, etc.}

^{Happy Lincoln's and Washington's}

^{Birthday if you're in Minnesota.}

^{Happy Washington-Lincoln Day}

^{in the states of Ohio}

^{and Colorado.}

^{Happy Presidents' Day}

^{in the states of Hawaii,}

^{Washington, Texas,  etc.}

^{Happy Presidents Day}

^{if you're in Oregon.}

^{Happy nothing day}

^{in California, . . .}

^{I think.}

I am NOT a poet.  I posted Henry's poem because we were having trouble doing it from. an iPad and I can post easily from a laptop.

On running/walking:

Walked 4 miles with 2 friends this morning along the Charles and the wind had died down, so it was only cold.  In the afternoon, we drove to a museum and the parking gods were watching, so we got a parking space and saw some very interesting Caribbean art.

have a greta evening,

marj

Good evening Masters!

I sure wish I had gotten a lot more accomplished on this Presidents Day (Here in NYS) but I don't have a lot to show for it.  I did get a bookcase full of "Great Books" moved downstairs, finally, from my wife's office to the den I'm trying to create in the basement.   I got in a strength workout at the YMCA and a swim workout directly afterward.   The strength workout was a "pull" workout with low back extensions, rows, pull downs, rear deltoid, and curls, in that order, due to the lack of availability of the machines when I wanted to get on them.  Lesson learned - don't go to the Y for a strength workout on at noon on a minor holiday in February.   The swim workout was an easy workout, light on the distance and light on the intensity.  The main set was 6 x 100 yard backstroke on 2:30 (swim 1:33, rest 57 seconds, repeat).   I didn't bother to do any flip turns today though I did a pretty good job doing them last night at the "other" YMCA, both freestyle and backstroke.

Jay, I appreciated the compliment the other day about the planning and analysis.  I sometimes think I exercise so I have something healthy to obsess about.

My swimming mileage is down significantly since I started doing strength training frequently back in mid December.   In October, November, and December, I was swimming between 56,000 and 62,000 yards per month (about 31 to 35 miles), but slipped back to 25 miles in January and 23 miles this month (about equal considering the number of days per month).  It's odd that I never took into consideration that strength training for only 10 to 15 minutes a few times per week would cut into my swimming resources (time and energy) so much.  I think it's been a profitable tradeoff so far.  One thought I've had is that swimming, while great in a lot of areas, does nothing to help maintain bone density, and the strength training should help in that area, should it become an issue for me.  I think it will help also with maintaining shoulder girdle stability and health.  That is, as long as I don't get stupid in the gym.  The 10-2 count will be a good check on my ego.