Hey, that’s me at my first Pittsburgh Great Race since 1999, wearing my 1997 race shirt. Officially, this was race 44 since June 2021, on my way to 46 by year’s end. Keeping a good run going Looking back on a lovely 2023 running, I can’t help but take stock of the journey three years... Continue Reading →
Around Christmastime 2020 I was pushing 245 lbs. on the scale, and had gone a good two years since my last attempt at getting back in running shape. Starting Dec. 28, I vowed to work out every day for a year, and starting around New Year's Day I began tracking all my meals and absorbing the daily lessons of the Noom fitness app. By Dec. 27, 2021 I had lost almost 90 lbs., logged nearly 1,600 miles -- including 10 races -- and am cruising along at 40 miles per week with a long run for the year of 13.1.
My first 1st-place Pinewood Derby car only took 35 years. Here is my son Ben's "Screaming Cheese." Crafting a Winning Cub Scout Car: Dadding with DistinctionMy first experience with the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby came in 1984. I was 7, and thus, brand new to the experience of sitting in my dad's basement workshop in... Continue Reading →
Dadding with Distinction: Drawn & Caricatured I'd guess, for most parents, to our kids we're merely caricatures of our real selves, anyway. But that's mostly true of the myriad glimpses different people get of us as we rotate through various circles: work, church, after-school activities, the neighborhood, and not to mention (but I just did)Â social... Continue Reading →
The Surprise Christmas Gift - Dadding with Distinction About Dec. 21 the date circled on the calendar is finally within a few turns of the clock. Christmas vacation. Kids out of school. Parents off work. Presents bought. Tree lit. Vacation bound. And then our oldest proclaims, that night, his heart's fondest desire: "For Christmas, more... Continue Reading →
Taking on Tai Yuen (Toy) Street - Dadding with Distinction I'm a toys guy. Now, before that's taken the wrong way, let me explain what I mean. Growing up, toys were the vehicle to endless worlds of creative expression. Down in our always chaotic basement playroom, or across the carpeted expanses of our bedrooms, my... Continue Reading →
Dadding with Distinction - A Week at Scout Camp There's a quote above the basement fireplace hearth in the administration building at Many Point Scout Camp that's striking for its relative inaccessibility (in the basement, after all), and for how aptly it sums up the Boy Scouting experience for me. Aaaaaaand, the frustrating thing,... Continue Reading →
Shoveling Up Grub: Dadding With Distinction Date: May 15, 2018 Time: 6 p.m. Location: Spellerberg Park Picnic Shelter, Sioux Falls, SD Temperature: 85 F Equipment used: Coleman Roadtrip XCursion propane grill, spatula, tongs On the menu: Approximately 40 frozen burger patties, 40 kosher hot dog links - Costco Length of achievement: 53 minutes Achievement, described:... Continue Reading →
Dadding with Distinction - Lawn Mowed on One Tank of Gas Date: May 27, 2018 Time: 11:55 a.m. Location: Backyard, southwestern Sioux Falls, SD Temperature: 95(!!!) F Wind speed: S 13 mph (negligible) Equipment used: Kenmore Briggs & Stratton Gold self-propelled mower with Dust Blocker bag Length of achievement: 1 hour, 23 minutes Achievement, described:... Continue Reading →
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