My big brother Mark

Mark 2010

I have an older brother, Mark. About 20 years ago he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Before that I had never heard of MS. It is really one of those things that changed his life. I had always known my brother as a person that did he own thing and was always successful in anything he had tried. He went from walking and sometimes stumbling to walking with a cane to walking with crutches (sometimes) to walking with crutches all the time to using a wheel chair (sometimes) to using a wheel chair all the time to using a motorized wheel chair. He tries to fight what is going on with his body and you can start seeing changes with his mind. It is frustrating that I can't help with anything. 

Mark 2003

Mark 2006

I can help him with living problems of making sure he has phone and visiting him when I can or getting him a tv or "things". I can't help him get his body to work. I can't help him find a way to live on his own. I can't help him with the things he really wants, mobility and independence. When you meet my brother you really realize what is important in life. Many people will tell you that the most important thing is health, and now I believe them. My brother has this disease and no one knows what he has it. You often hear of the people that are really physical fit and die unexpectedly.

I just always wonder why it happens to the people it does. I have a feeling it happens to people that are strong enough to handle the disability. I hope that is the reasoning, anyway!

Mark 2008

Mark 2002

Visiting Grandma

2004 Mom, Sarah, Jayne

Sarah went to spend a few days with my mom this week. I was very happy to see that she wanted to do it. I think it is important for kids to get to know their grandparents. Grandparents are important to life and we need to know where we came from. I didn't think that as I was growing up, but I realized it more and more after my grandparents passed away. I hope my kids realize to appreciate their heritage more as time goes by.

2009 Lindsey, Mom, Betsy, Jayne, Sarah

As I was looking for pictures to use with this blog I was happy to see that I have many pictures of my kids growing up. One nice things about the digital age is pictures get preserved better. I have pictures of when I was a kid, old black and whites and colored ones that have faded. Those are nice because they look old and weathered, like I do these days, and you can tell they are history. But, I have many pictures of my kids, and my mom, getting older and it is nice to be able to remember when those pictures were taken and what was going on with out lives.

2010 Lindsey, Mom, Jayne, Sarah

Sarah points out that five years ago may not seem like very long ago to me because it is 1/10th of my life, but for her it is 1/3rd of her life and that was long ago. Sometimes it feels like my mom gets younger as she gets older. I often have to remind my kids that their grandmother is over 80 because their friend's grandparents are sometimes in their 60s and seem older than my mom. Let's hope that lasts for a long time. I always want to thank my kids when they visit their grandmother, they don't realize how special it is to her (but they will eventually). I just hope they visit their father more than he visited his parents as they get older.

 

Watching this movie brings tears of JOY to my eyes!

I had a date!

I had a date last Friday night. I answered an ad this woman had on Craigslist. She wanted to go out to dinner with a "nice guy". She asked lots of questions to make sure I was a nice guy and then called me and asked the same questions. After finding out I really was a nice guy we made plans to go to Dave and Buster's for dinner then play some of the video games there. She sent me a picture and I sent one of me. She sent a picture of only her shoulders up so I figured she was a little chubby, like 300 pounds. When I met her I was pleasantly surprised to find out she was very attractive. We had a nice dinner and she held my hand as we walked around the video games. I remained a nice guy! We then walked around the mall and she bought some clothes and then I took her home. She is a single mom so we talked a lot about kids and stuff like that. Turns out she is from the Monterey area and so am I.

My mom lives in a town of 2000 people, and she used to live in the same town when she was married. We got along great. When I took her home I gave her a hug and she started crying because she missed her son, who was with his dad. I was touched. I was really happy about our date, but not sure how she thought of it. I texted her the next morning to say hi, and she returned my text. I texted her later, because I had to teach that day, and never heard from her again. I tried emailing her during the week and never heard back from her. Today I talked to her and she had thought I wasn't interested in her, because of the kid, and I thought she wasn't interested in me because of the silence. I will see her tomorrow. I don't know what will happen between us, but I'm glad we are talking to each other again. I was a little distraught all week because I thought I had done something wrong. I feel happy now.

Wrong Occupation

When I graduated from college I got my elementary teaching credential. I loved the job and thought I was pretty good at it. I then spent 10 years in the Army and by the time I got out of the Army I had to go back to school to get my Masters Degree and then I found out that in California they were only hiring teachers that were bilingual in Spanish. I ended up do many different things, and did teach for a year. When I worked with kids I was always very careful being around little girls. Back then everyone was suspicious about men in elementary schools because they thought every man was going to molest little girls. It was crazy and I was glad I got out of the business. It is about perception, not about reality.

Luckily I never had any problems. It seems now they are worried about men with little boys. I keep wondering if people think every man is homosexual. I wonder if they think men are interested in little boys rather than little girls and if there is a reason for that. When you hear about priests it seems like they always molest little boys not little girls. This guy that worked in the college that they say molested little boys, is that because they showered at the same time? Does that mean that everyone in the Army that showers at the same time is homosexual? When I was in Junior High and High School they we were required to shower after gym, is that because we were homosexual, or the coach was? It just seems like everything gets blown out of proportion. Just remember, it is about perception, not reality!!

Today Sarah and I went around University of Southern California (USC) because that is someplace she is definitely looking at going to college. She had been thinking about going into pharmacy, but now thinking of business. The school was really nice and I was happy with the school philosophy. Sarah wasn't too impressed and she was just happy to go to the bookstore. I want to see her be absolutely sure where she wants to go. I hope she picks it out from what it can do for her personally, not what some statistic says about the schools overall rating. Her sisters chose schools from how good the schools were, not about what their majors were. Sarah doesn't graduate for 2 more years so it is nice she is thinking about this now.

For lunch we met my brother's daughter Katherine. I have never really sat down with her and talked to her. I liked Katherine and was very proud to call her part of my family. She has many good ideas and is a very nice woman. I really hope that if she ever needs any help I can give her she will ask.
I used to always make movies of my pictures when I went places and took many pictures. I haven't done that for a while and I did today. I was happy the way the movie turned out so I did that for the pictures I took yesterday. Because I am happy with these I may do it more often.

Traveling with Sarah

I have had the wonderful pleasure this week of traveling with my youngest daughter. I have done a few hours of work every day, but mostly it has been driving from San Jose to San Diego and tomorrow we will drive back with Jayne. In the past three days I have learned much about Sarah. I learned that a couple of her friends think she has the best smile in her class. I learned that she is REALLY smart. Sarah is learning to drive and she she has driven much of the way. She is getting better and it is fun to watch her grow in that. I have really enjoyed this trip and it will be one of those things in my life I won't easily forget.

Today we got together with Jayne and I have noticed that Sarah has really grown up faster than I realized. When she and Jayne were together people asked them if they were twins. When Sarah went with me to the ship museum they were wondering if she was over 17, she is 15. We have been getting her into movies at kids prices, under 13 until now and regrettably we can't do that if she looks over 17. Tomorrow we drive home and I wish we could go on other trips together.

Yesterday I posted a blog on here and it doesn't show up today. I don't know why, but I talked about looking at colleges with Sarah and how Sarah met one of her cousins for the first time in her life. I was really happy to get to know Katherine, my brother's daughter, and am very proud to call her family!

Solvang and Ostriches

Today I started a 4 day trip. Today I visited the college I graduated from, Cal Poly, and a Community College near it, Cuesta College. Then I visited with a recruiter I haven't met before and then tonight staying in Solvang, California ("danish town" north of Santa Barbara). I am loving this trip because I am taking it with Sarah. I usually travel alone and needed to visit this area and then visit an office in LA and then go to meet someone in San Diego. I will pick up Jayne from school and bring her home on Friday. Sarah has a driving permit right now so I am letter her drive most of this trip to get some time "behind the wheel". Today we visited an ostrich ranch. I have been there before, but not for a long time, and it was Sarah's first time.

I love seeing the ostriches and how they interact with each other and people. Their necks look like snakes. Like cobras on bird bodies. Tomorrow I will go visit the office I need to in Los Angeles then visit colleges that Sarah is interested in. We will also visit my brother's daughter who is a cousin that Sarah has never met before. It should be fun and I am looking forward to it.

I hate hills!!

I ran another 5K last night to make it 12 for the year, this is my second in June! I am half way there. I wish I could stop, but I have told too many people that I will do 2 a month for the whole year (which is one reason I have told so many people). This 5K was a little special because it was to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and my brother has MS. It was fun because it was a 30 minute run through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I am always surprised at how big the park in the middle of SF is, and how beautiful it is. Running through the eucalyptus trees was nice, and seeing the soccer games and people playing softball helped motivate me to look at a sports activity for me to pursue next year when I won't be running so many races. The race was not so bad at first. It started running around the Polo Grounds which I didn't realize was so big. I guess if you take a bunch of horses and run around playing a game you have to have a large area.

I usually don't like how cold it is in San Francisco, but running in the cool air was nice and it was JUNE. There was a 2 mile marker and I was doing good. I ran a little faster than I usually do. I thought it was a little far and then I finally got to the 3 mile maker. I usually am really happy to see that and I know I can finish the race without walking. This time right after the 3 mile marker (which means I have .1 miles left) was a steep hill, think of a hill up the stairs of a stadium without the stairs. This is after I ran the fastest 3 miles I have done ever this year! This picture is very blurry, but I take my pictures while I run so sorry it is blurry (and has part of my finger).

I walked up the last quarter of the hill because it was faster than if I tried to run. After the top of the hill it was just as steep down to the finish line. I finished at 32 minutes (the picture with me in it was taken 2 minutes after I finished). The last race I ran, in Santa Cruz, had a steep hill at the beginning and I complained about that. I have decided I hate hills, but I like them at the beginning of the race better than at the end. I think I would rather run in the morning than the evening!

I will try to start loosing weight again this month, like I did last year in June and July. I will start going to the gym twice a day and being very careful about what I eat. I want to loose 10 pounds this summer to go with the 20 pounds I lost last summer. Wish me luck!

Farmer's Tan

I really like having a tan! I like when my body is brown, I think it looks better. When I go to the beach or pool I like wearing a swimsuit and having a tan all over, rather than only on my arms and face. I don't like having the rest of my body white, like it never gets sun. When I have a brown tan I don't have to worry about getting sunburn as much as when my body is white. If you think of it my body will get white, while my arms stay brown because I wear short sleeve shirts. Now when I go to the pool my chest and legs will be white as a blank paper. YUCK! Then I will get sunburned and then when my skin heals it will start turning brown. I go through this cycle every summer. Once I went to Hawaii for 5 days (for $300) and the first day I got a really bad sunburn.

So bad that I couldn't lay down to sleep, I had to sleep sitting in a chair, my butt didn't get burned since I was wearing swim trunks. The rest of my time in Hawaii wasn't so enjoyable because I was burned so bad. When I got home my skin peeled and it was brown under the red sunburn. I don't want that to happen every year. Maybe I will go to a tanning place because I don't want to be so white when I go out into the sun the first time. Wish me luck on getting rid of my farmer's tan before I go swimming in the bright sun.

I give up, I can't do it!

Waiting to register.

I ran a 5K today in Aptos, CA. I ran in a park with a lot of redwood trees. This 5K race started at 9am,

5K Starting

Half Marathon Starting

 at 8:30 a half marathon started, at 8am a marathon started. This race started on an uphill incline, the first half mile was almost straight up. Then it went down and then was followed with a steady uphill until we turned around and did that the opposite direction. When I left today, at 6:30, I was excited. I thought it would be fun to be there when the real marathoners started. When the half marathoners started, more people did that than the 5K, I realized that I was doing the shortest distance. I started to realize that my 5K was really not very much considering all the people that did four times that in the half marathon and 8 times doing the marathon. I struggle to do 5K, and realize it isn't very much. Why can't I do a marathon, or a half marathon, or even a 10K.

Marathon Starting

 I do the shortest distance. As I was thinking that, the starter gun went off and the race started. I couldn't believe that the beginning was up a steep hill. I struggled up the hill. As I started running where it was flat I fell in behind a 10 year old girl and her mom. The girl was doing good, and I couldn't catch up with her, until the turn around point half way and they stopped to get a drink. After a few minutes they zipped by me again, and then I passed them. Right at the end I heard someone catching up to me and I sprinted and ended up beating whoever was behind me. It was the mother and the 10 year old girl! I started out the morning thinking I should lengthen the distance I run, I am ready to try a 10K or a half marathon. As I started the run I didn't even want to try, I can't do this. I have all these hills and all these little kids are running past me and I feel really depressed that I am not really improving each month, I am staying the same. I don't like running and I don't know why I do these. I am wasting my money running two 5K races a month and why do I wake early on weekend mornings to freeze and then run and get embarrassed by all these little kids as they zip around me as I struggle. As I am running I am thinking about what I would have done if I ran one of these things when I was 10.

10 year old girl and her mom in front of me.

 I was thinking about how a year ago I couldn't walk a mile without resting. I was thinking about these other runners that have kind of dedicated their lives to running and how much it pays off to them and I spend less than 30 minutes a day 4 times a week to be able to keep in shape. I know I wouldn't exercise at all unless I do these 5K races and how the exercise is helping me keep my weight down. I was thinking about the people I know that have been motivated by what I have done and it has encouraged them to do something they wouldn't have thought of doing otherwise. I was thinking about this as I was running. I was crossing the finish line as I realize I can't give up. I have been able to do this half a year, why not keep doing it. What would I be doing if not these races. I have something to talk about, this will be a memorable year! Watch out, I won't be stopped ... even by the 10 year old girl that almost passed me as I was crossing the finish line.

Finished with medal! Can't wait till the next one.