Send in the clowns: Parrot Tulips

Parrot Tulips, originally uploaded by seacat.

I’m really into capturing spring this year in our garden. This tulip is a favorite, always makes a late and dramatic entry. It’s almost tough to shoot because they’re a bit on the garish side. Enjoy!

Running after 50: The Hills of Seattle (a cool map)

Winning a Cold-War with myself so I’m laying low, just walking my run routes the last coupla days.  But someone sent me a map of the steepest hills in Seattle, kind of interesting.

View Larger Map

Running after 50: for the newbies amongst us

I’ve spent the last few years on this blog focused on environmental changes I can make by myself (My Life with Car series) here in my own home and my own life.

Oddly, among the changes my own environmental experiments have wrought, I count my three year old passion/torture: running.

For one year, I tracked my driving habits in order to reduce needless driving, use my bike more, use mass transit, combine tasks, what have you.  While lots and lots of changes–big and small–came out of that year, one change was completely unexpected: my addiction to running.

I’ve never been a runner–not ever.  And some would say, with my paltry collection of 5K bib numbers, I’m still not a runner (my neighbor has indicated that a 5K is not a race, as she can do it in her sleep.  Oh well.).  I recall back in high school going through the motions required for 100 yard dash tests and such, and not enjoying one second of it.

But that’s not to say I’m not athletic at all–I’ve been an avid bike rider for a long time, commuting to work, touring, stuff like that. And then there’s hiking, river rafting…I’m not a total couch potato, but running just has never, ever been on the agenda.

So how did this start?  I used to belong to a gym, and used to drive to the gym.  I really enjoyed the gym but over-use taught me the value of using different muscle sets.  One day I tried the treadmill and was astonished to find I liked the sensation of running–slowly, for sure, but still.

I kept at it and a 10-15 min run on the treadmill was soon part of my normal workout.  About this time, I realized there was something uncomfortably ironic about driving my car to workout at a gym when I live a block from a gorgeous park on the Puget Sound with great running trails.  One day I tried running down along the beach front–hello.  Running on ground is REALLY different from running on a treadmill.  But I liked it! I felt great afterwards.

And I was totally pleased with myself that even though I was over 50, I was sort of kind of picking up this new sport that seemed to be the realm of the long and lean (definitely not me.) This was three years ago.

running in the rain

After about a year of splitting between outdoor runs and the gym, my attendance at the gym had really started to decline. I made the decision earlier this year to cancel my gym membership and focus solely on running outdoors.  This was huge–especially since I view the Seattle outdoors during 6 months of the year to be uninhabitable.  But I did it.

This past weekend I decided that this journey which has honest-to-god changed my life was worth sharing with others who are over 50 and learning to run, or thinking about it, or curious or whatever.  So begins a new chapter in this blog: Learning to run after 50.

The power of those doggone Internets: Rally in Seattle…and the world

Yesterday saw the eruption of equal rights rallies around the globe in response to the pro-discriminatory Prop 8 victory in California. Rallies come and go, but I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a I’m-mad-as-hell-and-I-won’t-take-it-anymore movement to demand equal rights for ALL citizens, regardless of religion, gender or orientation. I also have a feeling that there is a wave out there that is coming to shore, and here’s why:

One week ago, Amy Balliett of Seattle talked to a friend on the phone and both decided they needed to take some action on the Prop 8 issue–globally. One week later–ONE WEEK!–rallies took place all over the world with thousands of people participating. Estimates in Seattle alone are 6,000 attendees. How did they do it? They used the massive power of social networks and tools on the internet.

They set up a wiki overnight that connected multiple cities and organizers and facilitated info share and networking easily and instantly. They spread the word through twitter, through email, through facebook. Before anyone knew what was happening or how far the news had spread, Saturday was here, and thousands took to the street. Awesome, truly awesome.

And now, we move forward from here. The big message was as simple as it is challenging: talk to one person every day who may not share your opinion about marriage equality. Talk to the person in the cube next to you. Talk to someone who hasn’t really even thought about the issue. Talk openly, not aggressively. Listen. Share. Because at the end of the day, opposition to equal rights is usually more about Fear than it is about hatred. We have to believe that in this world that is getting smaller and more complex every day.

And getting the same rights as everyone else who pays taxes, works, votes, participates, and lives in our neighborhoods and cities and states and country is not too much to ask. It’s the very least we can ask for.

Onward.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! info here, in case you need it

How to find out where you should vote:

League of Women Voter’s Site

Local elections site

The Seattle Stranger endorsements (Laugh While You Learn!)

Legal help of any kind re elections: 1-866-OUR-VOTE

Free stuff for voters in Seattle: Starbucks coffee, Babeland, Cupcake Royale, Ben & Jerry’s

Make history and have fun: go vote!