these are a one-up on the spork, as it harbors the concave vessel of a spoon, the spikey tines of a fork, and yes! the edge and puissance of a butter knife, all wrapped up into one mini splayd!
these were housed in amy's grandfather's closet for quite some time, as they will most certainly be housed in ours for an unforseen tenure yet ahead. they are clearly dope, and as the tag-line proclaims, "nothing can replace a splayd."
so i have wondered on and off about a situation that occurs when i run.
whenever i see someone smoking on the sidewalk up ahead or a stinky old car putt-putt-putts by or when i near chemicals/paint/(insert your favorite dioxin here), i usually hold my breath as i run by.
my question is this: is there physical detriment that can happen by asphyxiating yourself temporarily? perhaps by holding my breath for 7-8 seconds, when i am running and my body is requiring more O2, i am doing more harm than good? the reason that i hold my breath, if it is not blatantly obvious, is that--durrrr-- these toxins can lead to a shortened life. yes, yes, over the course of a lifetime blah blah blah. yes, yes, science has not fully proven yickety-yack. damn it, i don't want to breathe in all this crap. i have the gut feeling that nobody really does. this morning, while pondering on this again, i jogged by a gas station and saw the 3 foot high metal box with a long rubber hose coiled around it that said "Air 25¢." i laughed to myself and said "yes, please."
yesterday, on the bike ride into work my new cycloputer rolled over to 1000 miles since its purchase on june 11. in celebration of the event, taking advantage of getting off work at 1pm on fridays throughout the summer, and the beautiful 81 degree temperature, i choose to take a short afternoon ride around baltimore. before i strapped on my cycling sandals, i peeked at google maps quickly and spied a park that i had not been to yet. it is about 20 miles out and is nestled on the shore of the chesapeake bay.
the ride was good, mostly flat, wrestled with cars trying to get out to the peninsula on which it is perched. once out there though, it was like a different world. thick woods and only birds chirping. meandering around the edge of the land, i investigated the roads until they dead ended and then retreated back toward home, arriving a few minutes before 6pm. amy was headed south with a pal, so that left me without an evening plan.
still full of energy and enjoying the weather, i left afoot for an easy run. went around druid hill park and peeled off south toward downtown. after a half-hour, i turned east and then back north again to head homeward. such beautiful weather, such diverse sights... oh baltimore...you stole my heart again.
i have been doing a good deal of research this evening trying to make sense of this. i found myself floating around wikipedia cross-referencing different articles related to islamic views and beliefs. this research has provided me with a stronger understanding of what islam is and involves, yet i am still perplexed about the current state of affairs. one resolution i did confirm, however, is that wikipedia is clearly the bomb. i always learn more about a topic i crave further knowledge about.
this evening i learned a new respect for this online open-source wealth of knowledge. and i read about the wikimedia foundation and its rather bare-bones structure and meager budget. another non-profit organization filling a service gap in the world. they have an online giving segment on their site for users wishing to ante up.
i love the clif bar. nary a day go by that i do not munch on a soy-protein packed goodie at some point. during the week, it tends to be my staple 2nd breakfast at work somewhere around 10am. i have been thriving on the recently released oatmeal raisin walnut ones as of late. i used to be a big fan of the carrot cake bar, until i over did it a bit. i also try to avoid the new banana nut one, as it pretty much sucks.
yes, they are a bit sweet, but i find that when i run in the morning my metabolism demands something extra shortly after arriving to work. i have tried fruit, nuts, oatmeal, granola, and good old starving it off til lunch-- but none of these futile attempts to curb what my body calls for has succeeded in any way like the clif bar does. i have even been reading raising the bar: the story of the cliff bar which the grocery store was giving away free to those purchasing a box of bars. the book hasn't been too bad. easy read and somewhat insightful in the ways of a rags-to-riches no-frills privately-funded "family" company. clif bar has retained its integrity and loyalty to a quality product that is fueled by natural demand. the very same demand that my stomach feels right around 10 every morning.
