Vake up and Smell Zie Muscles

It's that time of year again, Halloween. One of my biggest annoyances with Halloween is that for some reason many women think of Halloween as a time to wear a costume that is as skimpy as possible. Heather and I went as far left of that as we could. We decided on the old SNL characters Hans and Franz. Hear me now and believe me later, it was a big hit! Although, the young'ins in the office did not know who the heck we were. Oh well.

One more thing, for some reason the most popular comments we get about our costumes are completely out of the blue. When we dressed as tutus, everyone wanted to know where we got our gorgeous muu from. This year, the top comment was: you should cut your hair short, it looks really good. Really? This crazy Davey Crockett look is better than what I got going on normally? Not encouraging...

What you talkin' bout' Haruki Murakami?

I am not a fan of Haruki Murakami. I read the Wind-Up Bird Chronicles in college and was not impressed. Generally, I thought he was a weirdo. Still do. But now I know he is a weirdo and a runner. For me, the running part kind of negates everything else.

My favorite part of Runner's World magazine is always the final page, the article called "I'm A Runner". Which is an interview with someone of notoriety who happens to run. Even if I don't particularly care for the interviewee (ehem, Sarah Palin) I can still respect the fact that they run and am immensely curious as to why they run, what they think about when the run, what music motivates them, etc. Murakami's memoir is an extended version of that article. It gets repetitive at points, but it is still an enjoyable read if you are a running enthusiast. Actually, if you have enthusiasm for any sport or hobby, you can find enjoyment in the book. It's really more about finding something you love to do and the journey that it takes you on.

Black is a Stallion

And he is also brilliant.

http://michaelianblack.tumblr.com/

Takara Grapefruit Chu-Hi- A Review

I am no alcohol connoisseur or anything, but here is my review of the Takara brand grapefruit chu-hi I recently purchased from Marukai.

This Japanese malt beverage is akin to a light effervescent paint thinner with a twist of grapefruit. More of a dessert beverage, it pairs well with Krylon, Behr or any commercial grade primer. Serve chilled.

Also, there may have been berry undertones and something about tannins. But there were no grapes, so prolly not.

Still Awesome

This video is from 1998, which was before I could legally drink. It is still completely fantastic, but it makes me think several things:

1) Dude, this video is old;
2) Dude, I'M old;
3) Maybe I should get drunk and watch this again. You know, now that the option is available to me.

You gotta love those crazy Finn brothers....

Everything is a Remix

Everything is a Remix from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Honolulu Marathon 2010

Back in June I officially signed up for the 2010 Honolulu Marathon. The special early registration discount for local runners was too good to pass up. As I get older I become more of a sucker for "a good deal". Save about $100 by signing up early? You got me. Uncle. Unfortunately, I am still on the fence about whether I am actually gonna run this year. So I decided to make a pro and con list. Here it is:

Pro: The feeling of accomplishment after running 26.2.
Con: Porta potties

Pro: The starting line. Feeling the nervous excitement of all the runners. Hearing the gun sound and the explosion of the fireworks.
Con: Blisters

Pro: Early morning downtown Honolulu in all of its Christmas time glory. The giant Christmas tree at Honolulu Hale and festive Bishop Square (they decorate the trees with red, white and green lights, which turns the square into a forest of giant cauliflower, broccoli and evil broccoli).
Con: Having to run almost every day from here to the end of November to get where I need to be.

Pro: The crowd of people lining the streets and cheering you on. These people did not have to wake up at 5:00 to stand on the side lines to encourage you. But they did. Because they are that nice.
Con: The heat. My god, the heat.

Pro: Ice cold Gatorade and water soaked sponges right when you need it.
Con: Finding out they serve the Gatorade by scooping it out of what looks to be a giant trash can. And that the sponges are used.

Pro: Playlists! And skipping to Eminem's Lose Yourself to get you through a rough patch.
Con: Ipod dead. Silence.

Pro: The final 200 meter stretch.
Con: The final 2 miles leading up to the 200 meter stretch.

Pro: Picking up the shirt given only to HM finishers.
Con: Picking up the BRIGHT NEON GREEN shirt given only to HM finishers.

Pro: The excitement of the night before.
Con: The feeling of the week after. The feeling immediately after the marathon reminds me of lyrics from the song Accidental Death by Rilo Kiley, "You're lying motionless on your back, And your legs aren't taking anymore requests".

Still undecided. Mainly, it's the porta potties that get me.