Hi folks! I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) the other day, where the life of Robert Frost was being discussed, and one of the 'discussants' stated that Robert Frost was of the opinion that we are all artists, and should live our lives as we see the world, not as others would want us to see it. I liked that idea, though I couldn't find the source of this information. Instead, I found the ... Read more
Of Ironmen, Talking Dogs, And Rattle Snakes
Hi folks, About 10 years ago in mid-summer I was riding a rental bike along a lovely trail in South Dakota, when I noticed a couple of rattlesnakes all wrapped up together in the grass close to a small footbridge with a wooden railing. More about that railing in a minute! This trail was a local railway line that had been converted to a walking/biking trail by the Rails to Trails program (Dagny Taggart is ... Read more
Older People And Younger People Are Good For Each Other
From Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem In Memoriam:27, 1850: I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. From: Chez Ollie Hi folks, Recently I had the good fortune to watch my friend Myles, one of my key Ironman supporters, finishing her first triathlon, Swim For Smiles, with a nice solid time. The first one is not ... Read more
Beware Brad (Greeks?) Bearing Gifts, But Thanks For The Kind Gift Of Amby Burfoot’s Recent Book My Friend!
Hi folks! I am a suspicious person by nature (or nurture?), but I was very pleasantly surprised by a recent present from Brad. Now! I never seem to be able to predict or understand Brad. He just turns up! Sometimes he seems almost scared of me, but he is much bigger than I am so that doesn't make sense. But Deb likes and respects him a lot for all the help that he and his wife have given her with her autistic son, ... Read more
Open Water Swim, New Bike, And Running In The Rain, All In One Weekend: Could Life Be Better?
Hi folks! People often ask me if I am a little crazy doing Ironman training. I think people who don't train are crazy! There is always some kind of workout that you can do, even if you are severely injured or disabled. Just look around and see what some people achieve, like Benjamin Carey, for instance. He and his 'open heart' surgeon completed the New York Marathon one year to the day after they replaced ... Read more
How Do We Motivate The Unmotivated, Which Means Ourselves From Time To Time
Hi folks! Motivation! Now there is an interesting subject. I was perusing the LiveStrong website, and I came across an interesting article on this subject by Dania Sacks March. Up until recently, I considered motivation to be just a matter of using a carrot or a stick to get you going. For instance, carrot-wise I am motivated to train by all the good stuff that goes with it. Stick-wise I am motivated to train, in ... Read more
What Is Balance All About?
Hi folks, I thought I would write briefly about a subject that has interested me for years, balance, a concept that can be applied to many things. For instance, a balanced life should include a healthy collection of components, which reminds me of a useful meditation in this regard, that goes as follows: 'An acquaintance of yours has just died and at the funeral/wake/party to celebrate their life (or lack ... Read more
Our Heart’s Desire Is Often Right In Front Of Us, But We Insist On Looking The Other Way!
Hi folks! Well, it is another lovely day in the Chez Ollie on Planet Earth. One thing I love to do is read, especially with my Nook. Hundreds of books in one little book - still don't believe it! Right now I am reading several books in parallel as usual, and one that is quite interesting and odd is entitled Multiple Streams of Income by Robert G. Allen, and there is even an associated website. There is also a lot ... Read more
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