Rave: Skiing and Snowboarding

 I went skiing several times as a teenager and enjoyed it a great deal.  I was never an expert but did progress to Intermediate trails.  Now, after a long hiatus, I am interested in getting back in the game.  They say that it's like riding a bike.  You never forget how to do it but you may be a bit rusty for the first few hours.  I'll probably have to stick to the Beginner area for the first day.  

 Why did I lose interest?  I sustained a minor knee injury after falling on an icy patch.  It was late in the ski season so it was probably a mistake to go out there on that day anyway.  It proved to be nothing more than a bruise and it only cost me a couple practices during track season and a lecture from my coach about avoiding dangerous activities.  My college roommate was a pretty avid snowboarder but I never joined him on his trips.  Now, I wish that I had done so.  I was afraid of getting hurt and that fear was not overblown as my ankle was quite shaky at the time and I did not want to risk further damage.  I've since gotten a shot of prolotherapy, which was probably helpful.  As an adult, I never thought about going because I did not want to miss my weekend long run.  Now that it is unlikely that I will get back into serious running, I need something to fill the void.  

Believe it or not, there is one ski resort in Alabama, located between Fort Payne and Chattanooga so that can easily be done in a day trip.  The resort is nothing special and probably won't open until December because of the lower elevation but it could be perfect for my first day back.  The best resorts east of the Mississippi are located in western North Carolina, roughly 5.5-6.5 hours from Birmingham.  Too far for a day trip but certainly doable on a weekend trip.  Even an overnight trip is possible if I drive part way on Friday night.  I gain an hour on the way back.  Ski season typically runs from mid-late November through at least the middle of March.  

I recently saw a YouTube video about a man from Los Angeles who went skiing in the morning then surfing in the afternoon and evening.  That's DEFINITELY something that I would do.  There is a pretty good ski resort in Maggie Valley, North Carolina just outside of Asheville.  From there, I could hop on I-26 and it is only 4 hours and 15 minutes to the South Carolina coast in Charleston.  That's a bit too far for a same day trip but it can certainly be done on back to back days.  After I finish my ski session, I can drive to Greenville or preferably Columbia.  Then, it's not far to Chuck Town from there.  Water temp in Charleston never drops below 60F and in November, it may be closer to 70.  Still, I'd need at least a thin wetsuit for protection from the cold.  Santa Cruz, California is a very popular surf spot and water temps there never make it much above 60 even in the summer.  I've considered an epic California road trip that would include skiing in Lake Tahoe, Pacific Coast HWY and surfing in Malibu or Santa Monica.  

Any chance to meet some people this way?  YES.  There is a ski club in Birmingham.  Birmingham Ski Club  It looks like they have social activities and group trips as well.  Some of the trips that have been discussed include not only the Western US but South America, Austria and Switzerland.  That would be awesome!  Both Innsbruck, Austria and Grindelwald, Switzerland are on my bucket list.  I did come to one of their dinners and unfortunately, it was an older crowd but yes, there are people my age in the club.  Learning to snowboard?  Sure, I'm up for it.  Supposedly, it is harder to learn than skiing but "easier to master."

Possible Future Trips:

North Carolina can easily be done.  Breckinridge, Colorado is less than 2 hours from Denver, which is accessible on a direct flight.  Of course, there is Vail and Aspen as well.  Utah and Taos, New Mexico could be fun as well.  The one that I'd enjoy the most however appears to be Lake Tahoe.  I'll be riding down the slopes with stunning views of surrounding mountains AND the lake.

Training 8/29-9/6

 Here's where I stand:

My best hope for recovery is Glutathione plus TRS detox spray.  The only things that I cannot tolerate now are caffeine and probiotics.  The latter does make sense because probiotics reduce sulfur, which is a key component in Glutathione and a powerful cleaner of toxins.  The two products must be taken together.  Without either of them, I am flat out awful.  TRS alone is helpful but not nearly enough.  Glutathione alone is pretty much worthless as is Taurine.  Taurine with TRS is better than nothing but not nearly enough.  Extra Glutathione doesn't make much difference but extra TRS does.  Problem is that I will go broke if I have to take 20 sprays per day (10 morning/10 afternoon).  It would cost me nearly $300 per month.  I've got to limit it to 10 sprays with the exception of race or hard workout days.  The Crazy Horse Half Marathon in South Dakota is apparently ON for October 4 so I've got a little over a month to train.  If I can avoid a relapse, I may manage a sub-2 on a downhill course.  Supposedly, Lead is the last toxin to get out because it is stored deep in the bones rather than in organs.  I can only hope that is what I have been eliminating because it would explain a lot.

8/29- Lakeshore 3 in 30:45 (10:15 pace).  OUCH.  Ran it in the rain and did have a little bit left at the end but not good by any stretch.  Got home and found that extra TRS made a big difference.  Dropped from 78 to 70 on a half lap at Montreat (MINUS 48/mile)  Again, I can't afford to do this every day.  I just have to hope for slow and steady progress.  Figure that I would have been in the low-mid 9s on the full dose.  Perhaps better because effects are greater at longer distances.

Distance=3.5

8/30- Hoped to do at least 6.5 on Lakeshore and it was an abject failure.  Had to quit after just a half mile in 6:20 (12:40 pace) and it was getting slower every step.  No idea!  If this had been race day, there's no way I beat the time limit.

PM- A lot better.  Another half mile this time at Montreat in the rain.  Time was down to 4:48 (9:36 pace) then added a cool.

Distance=1.5

8/31- AM- WORSE than ever.  Half mile at Montreat this time over 6:30.

PM- Much better once again in the afternoon.  Down to 4:20 (8:40 pace)

Distance=1.0

9/1- Lakeshore 3 in 30:42 (10:14 pace).  Splits were 10:37-10:15-9:50.  Better than yesterday but I've got a LONG way to go.

Distance=3.0

9/2- Lakeshore 5 in 48:38 (9:44 pace).  Good progress.  30 seconds faster on the pace over 2 extra miles.  I'll take it.  Not a night and day difference but I want to see slow but steady progress.  That's a sign that this is working.

Distance=5.0

9/3- Another very positive step.  4 miles in 35:36 (8:54 pace).  I could have gone 5 again but don't want to ramp things up too quickly.  I bet I'm still sub-9 for 5 miles but just barely.  Lately, I get off to a very slow start but the pace picks up after about a half mile.  I might struggle a bit in the 3rd quarter but still finish strong.  Splits today were 9:21-8:41-8:55-8:39.  This is exactly what I want to see.  A slow but steady climb out of the pit.  It appears that I can handle occasional beer but I won't try caffeine.

PM- Crestline 3 miler in 25:21 (8:27 pace).  Another step forward.  I did struggle pretty hard in Mile 3 this time (8:38) but it was mostly uphill.  I've hacked off more than 5 minutes at this distance in just 2 days.  Could the next 5 be this easy?  NO.

Distance=7.0

9/4- Planned rest day.  I deserve it.  Planning to go long tomorrow.

9/5- 10 miles.  Double out and back on Lakeshore.  Finished in 92:13 (9:13 pace).  Very pleased with this one.  Just 4 ticks shy of sub-2 pace for a half mary and I had something left in the tank too.  First half was 46:50, 2nd half was 45:23 with several miles below 9 minutes.  No crash this week.  Can I keep it going?  We shall see.  I've done well in staying off caffeine.

Distance=10.0

9/6- 3 mile at Railroad Park.  Planned it as a recovery day.  Ran the first half with a group at 8:50 pace then decided to see what I could do on the back half.  Responded well with a 7:44 clip for an overall time of 24:51 (8:17 pace) to keep the streak alive.  Every 3 miler has been faster than the previous one this week.

Distance=3.0

 -29 miles in the last 7 days.  I can handle 30, maybe 35.

Western Gulf Coast Trip Report

 

I left after work on Thursday and drove almost to Gulfport, Mississippi.  After an early wake up, I arrived at the coast just after sunrise and captured a few nice shots. 

In Mississippi, there is zero surf on the mainland because it is blocked by barrier islands and the Mississippi Sound.  The sand is nice and white, but the water does not look too appealing.  It is even less so once you actually get in as it is brown and smells nasty too.   Fortunately, this state does have a beach with rideable waves and nice water too. You just have to take a 1-hour boat ride to Ship Island.  I had read that it rivals the beauty of the Emerald Coast in FLA/ALA but I would not go that far.  Surf was minimal but that was a risk that I was willing to take.  I’d rather have that happen than see the water closed to swimmers due to currents and high surf as has happened in FLA/ALA.  For the record, I’ve gone in on red flag days plenty of times and never felt unsafe.  I would not allow for young children however.  Still, I caught a few small waves on the board, which was enough to check off Mississippi and complete the Gulf states.  For the Atlantic, I only need Maine, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.  I’m glad I did this once, but I am unlikely to return.

I left Gulfport around 4 and arrived as planned in Houston around 10:00 that evening.  I had a drink at a local bar but did not meet any characters here.  The next morning, it was a walking tour of Buffalo Bayou Park with nice views of the city skyline. 

I got cleaned up then hit the road about an hour south to Galveston.  Here, the water was clearer than I remembered, and the surf was pretty decent too.  It rained for a few minutes, but I never left the water because there was no thunder or lightning.  Soon, the sun was back out.  I didn’t have too much time here because I had a full day ahead.  

Next stop was the NASA museum, which had some really cool exhibits.  I marveled at the technology available and the power of the human mind.  From there, it was a stop at the San Jacinto monument to Texas Independence from Mexico which featured an observation deck similar to the Washington monument and an interesting film about Texas history. 

I would leave here just before 5 PM and made it to Baton Rouge for the night after a quick stop at Lake Charles.  

Here, even though the bars were closed, I did meet a couple characters.  One was a drunk girl who flirted with me a bit.  She didn’t believe that my teeth are real and repeatedly asked how much I paid for them.  The next morning, I did a walking tour that included the Mississippi River, State Capitol and a Greenway park. 

My last destination before home was Dauphin Island, Alabama.  I was worried that the surf would be too rough because of the approaching hurricane but it was perfect.  Plenty of long rides to the shore.  Several head shots but no knock downs.  Just an hour or so east, Pensacola was closed.  Next time, Dauphin Island is a realistic option.  The beach is not nearly as nice but to me, the water being open is a lot more important. 

Training 8/3-8/9

8/3- Just a junk run.  Hurting after the trip but that's to be expected.  It's officially confirmed that the best course of action is 1 Glutathione and 1 Probiotic pill.  How long will it last?
Distance=1.0

8/4- AM- Gap is closing.  It is down to 72 per mile on the half lap loop.  Splits were 94/82.  That's bad but I wasn't putting much effort into it.

PM- Terrible at Crestline.  1.5 miles in 15:30 (10:20 pace).  It got worse as the run progressed too.  1st half was 7:18, 2nd half was 8:12.
Distance=2.0

8/5- 1 mile in 12:14.  I wasn't expecting to set the world on fire but I did expect an incremental improvement over yesterday.  Instead, I was much worse.  The culprit was Probiotics.  WHAT THE HELL!  As recently as 2 days ago, I couldn't get along without that stuff.  Now, I can't tolerate it yet again.  One way or the other, I need stability.  If I need probiotics AND sulfur, fine.  Sulfur without probiotics?  That's fine too.  STOP IT WITH THIS BACK AND FORTH STUFF!  This is exactly why I can't date anybody. 

PM- In what was absolutely no surprise, I got better with more sulfur and no probiotics.  Opener in 3:40.  3:18 with Taurine.  3:00 with Glutathione.
Distance=2.0

8/6-AM Got the incremental improvement today.  3 miles on Lakeshore in 31:13 (10:24 pace).  Tripled the distance and improved the pace by nearly 2 minutes.  I'll take it.  If weather permits, I'll run this evening too and will probably break 30.

PM- 3 miles on Crestline in 27:44 (9:15 pace).  Another big improvement.  MINUS 69.  The gains won't be this drastic going forward but I'll take the incremental gains.  1st half was 14:08, 2nd half in 13:36 so I nearly dipped below 9 on the back half.

Distance=6.0

Collapsed again.  Probiotics are the culprit.  I'm off those suckers for good now.

Charleston and Savannah Road trip

It’s slightly less than 7 hours from Birmingham to Charleston but you lose an hour going east.  I “worked” a full day on Thursday, stayed home that night then hit the road early on Friday.  The route was I-20 to Augusta then I decided to take the back roads and skirt past Columbia via US-278.   The distance was shorter, but it may have taken slightly longer due to occasional small towns.  I still enjoyed it as the scenery was very nice.  As planned, I arrived in town by late afternoon to find a cloudless sky with temps in the low 90s. 

My walking tour included the Historic District through King, Market and Meeting Street.  I stopped at the Marion Park then went down to the harbor just before sunset.  Dinner was a high priced but tasty burger at a fairly high-end restaurant bar.  You’ll find that just about every street is lined with palmetto trees with several historic churches and cathedrals.  There is some Spanish moss but not nearly as much as in Savannah.  The next morning, I went for a junk run at the harbor to Battery Park and its military monuments. 

After getting cleaned up, it was just a 15-minute drive to Folly Beach.  I normally prefer Isle of Palms but heard about parking restrictions plus rumor has it that the surf is usually better at Folly.  If anything, the surf may have been a little too rough.  The waves broke too deep, and those rides were bumpy too.  However, if you stayed a little closer to the shore, you could still catch some long and epic rides all the way to the sand.  If you prefer white sand and clear water, stick to the Gulf Coast.  For more consistent surf and longer rides on the board, go with the Atlantic coast.  Since I gain an hour on the way back, it may be possible to do this on an overnight trip in the future.  Nah, I’d probably need 2 days.  

At any rate, I had to cut this session a little shorter than I would have liked in order to make it to Savannah at a decent hour.  It was a surprisingly boring 2.5 hour drive south on US-17.  Not much there in terms of scenery but I made it before dinner time.  This time, I splurged a bit with a Holiday Inn hotel on Bay St. just above the river.  My evening consisted of a full tour of River Street, where I took advantage of the open alcohol rule.  I was up early the next morning for walk through the historic district from Bay St down Lincoln to Forsyth Park then Bush Street back up.  I was treated to beautiful live oak trees and yes, plenty of palms as well.  The question as to which is my favorite of the 2 cities remains unanswered.

Again, I had to leave a little earlier than I wanted in order to steal a few more hours on the coast.  This time, the destination was Tybee Island.  Georgia’s beaches are not as nice as Florida or South Carolina but still worth a stop and usually a bit less crowded too.  Despite the approaching Tropical Storm, the waves were a little calmer here today.  Still, I caught many awesome rides all the way to the sand.  From there, it was a manageable 6.5 hours back home.  When I left around 3:30, there was no sign of a coming storm.  It was still mostly sunny with relatively calm winds.  I’m sure that I’ll do this trip again someday with more time in each city. 

Enough with Corona

My Maine/New Hampshire trip is most probably OFF due to corona.  I’ve had ENOUGH of this!  What started out as a 2-4 week lockdown to “flatten the curve” and prevent overwhelming the health care system has dragged on into its 5^th month with no end in sight.  In Maine, any visitor who is not a resident of a New England state must self-quarantine for 14 days or provide proof of a negative test that is less than 3 days old.  Essentially, I’d have to get tested 3 days out and run the risk of a false positive, then leave the day that I get the result.  I may be required to present proof of the negative test to get a hotel room with an Alabama ID.  If I get pulled over with a rental car, I could really be in trouble if disobey.  That leaves South Dakota as the only chance to pick up a new state for the rest of the year.   

The mask requirement in a grocery store, airplane or even a shopping mall is understandable.  A convenience store when it’s just myself and the clerk, who is behind plexiglass? Not so much.   At Domino’s Pizza, you have to pay by credit card over the phone.  The employee brings the pizza out, puts it on your hood and leaves.  Customers are not allowed to enter the store and employees cannot even touch credit cards even if they are wearing gloves.  The most ridiculous rule of all is for restaurants and bars.  All customers who enter must wear a mask but as soon as your drinks come, you can take it off.  Technically, you are supposed to put it back on in between bites and sips but that’s not enforced.  

As for work, I am still not allowed in the office nor can I meet with clients or even pick up records to bring back home.  I do answer an occasional phone call from a taxpayer with a question about rules and laws but outside of that, I just sit on my ass and look at a blank computer screen.  I cannot blow it off because my boss could announce a conference call on short notice.  E-mails are sent with read receipts attached and are expected to be read within 15 minutes.  I will confess to a couple of transgressions in which I took slightly more than 1 hour for lunch. 

All of this is over a virus with a survival rate of 99.6% with 40% of cases being completely asymptomatic.  For a person who is under 50 and still paper healthy as I am, it’s more like 99.95%.  I’m NOT saying that it is a hoax, nor do I deny that people are really getting sick and dying.  I’m certainly not going to do anything stupid to put myself or others at risk.  I’ve heard of a crowded house party in which the host was known to be infected in Tuscaloosa.  That is STUPID!  Still, fears are WAY overblown and IMO, it’s long past the time to re-open pretty much everything.  My only exceptions would be spectator sports and live concerts.  Protests and riots have been allowed to continue for going on 2 months and in some cases, it’s actually encouraged by Leftist leaders.  Cancelling a small-mid sized race while allowing the violent protests is LUDICRIOUS!   Sweden went through a couple rough months in April and May because they did NOT lock down but now, the deaths have pretty much stopped.  Herd immunity has kicked in.

  

I’ve heard lots of conflicting reports about hydroxychloroquine.  A lot of fake news sources say it’s ineffective and potentially harmful.  Others say it’s a life saver.  The truth is that it must be combined with Z-pak and Zinc to be effective.  When used properly and taken during early onset, outcomes tend to be very favorable.  It is also safe to prescribe on an out-patient basis too so there’s no worry about overwhelming the system.  If the media reported that, it would vindicate Trump and we can’t have that.  I’ve also heard a promising report of a cholesterol drug that reduces symptoms to that of a bad common cold.  If treated effectively, the survival rate could increase to 99.8%.  When will things begin to get back to normal?  If Biden wins, I predict the news coverage will suddenly stop and we’ll be back to normal by January 2021.  There is talk about a mandatory vaccine, which could be both ineffective and unsafe especially for me with the defective enzymes.  I believe I have a FAR greater risk of long-term complications from the vaccine than the virus itself.  What happens if I refuse it?  I probably won’t be thrown in jail, but I could lose my job and may be barred from international travel.  Again, all of this over a virus with a 99.6% survival rate.    

I tried to point some of this out on a Congressman’s FB page.  Predictably, I was attacked by leftist trolls.  In a textbook example of the regressive left, I was called an inbred hick because I live in Alabama and was told to go back to my trailer and stop screwing my sister.  This person is probably ultra-sensitive to political correctness but will stereotype southerners without a second thought.  I’ve dealt with their ilk many times before.    I was asked how could I be cool with 140K deaths?  I’m not okay with that at all.  If Cuomo and others protected the most vulnerable in nursing homes, the death count would not be nearly that high.  I also believe that the death count is greatly inflated as is the current spike in cases.  A study in Palm Beach, Florida concluded that among corona labeled deaths, just 30 percent died exclusively of the virus.  The rest died of unrelated issues such as a motorcycle wreck or co-morbidity.  I’ve also heard that a fruit tested positive because of a contaminated test kit.  Baseball player Joey Gallo was tested 4 times in 7 days and twice alternated between positive and negative.  Incredibly, I’ve heard several reports of people who signed up for a test but backed out because of the long line yet were informed of a positive test that they never took.  There is clearly a hidden agenda and I’m afraid it will take a miracle for Trump to win re-election.

MAJOR UPDATE:
A large panel of doctors just touted the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine when combined with Z-pak and Zinc.  Wouldn't it be great if there was a simple and relatively inexpensive cocktail of drugs that would sharply reduce the already low mortality rate?  Suppose the mortality rate dropped from 0.4% to less than 0.1% with very little need for hospital stays.  Science can explain how it works.  In that case, open up the whole damn economy as well as international travel!  I'm sure that you don't want it but if this is true, the virus would be no big deal.   Just take the prescriptions and rest at home for a week or two if need be.  There will be no need for a vaccine under this scenario. 

Instead, leftists who claim to believe in science, are pulling out all the stops to discredit these doctors and calling it fake news.  While I have not had good luck with doctors myself, I trust their evidence a lot more than that of politicians.  Should we not be rooting for a drug that is effective and eliminates the danger as well as the need for a vaccine?  The same people who are working feverishly to discredit these doctors insist that a vaccine is the only way to re-open America.  How do you not see a hidden agenda here?  I predict that doctors who speak out will get death threats.  Please DO NOT BE SILENCED!  

Training 7/27-8/2

7/27- Repeated the Lakeshore 6.5 and my time improved from 75:03 to 69:33 (10:42 pace).  No cause for celebration but a significant improvement thanks to probiotics.  Now, let's keep up the steady progress.  I don't have to see noticeable improvement from day to day.  Only week to week with no relapses.
Distance=6.5

7/28- Not up for steady 6 milers at this stage so I backed down on the distance.  Did 3 miles at Crestline.  Hoping for a low-9 pace, I actually broke it with a time of 26:42 (8:54 pace).  Figure that if I repeated yesterday's run, it would have been another 30-45 seconds faster per mile.  Keep chipping away.  Added a half mile cool.
Distance=3.5

7/29- Repeated the 3 mile distance this time on Lakeshore.  My time was down to 26:12 (8:44 pace).  I was hoping for a little better than this but I'll take it.  Cut off another 30 seconds in just 1 day.  Can't be too upset with that.  Keep chipping away.  Long term goal is a sub-21 5K.
Distance=3.0

7/30- Lakeshore 5 in 48:46 (9:45 pace).  Not real pleased with this one but at least I finished.  Probably would have been around 10:00 pace for 6.5, which is still a lot better than 3 days ago.    Dialed back the effort but still hoped for a 9:15 ish pace.  I held it for the first half (23:21) but slipped to a 25:25 on the back half.  Interestingly, I was WORSE after popping an extra probiotic pill.  Was it the pill or the lack of fitness for the 5 mile distance?  I confirmed it to be the former when I got home but was noticeably better after taking extra Taurine.  Hmm.  I may need some sort of ratio to feel best.  I don't like that.
Distance=5.0

7/31- Dreaded intervals at Montreat.  I was very poor in the opener.  Worse on Glutathione alone but MUCH better on both Glutathione and probiotics.  Also, I confirmed that the more I take of each, the worse it gets.  2 of each probably won't be much different than 1 but any more than that and I'll really struggle.
Distance=1.0

8/1- Junk run at Charleston harbor.  Same pattern.  Weak opener, worse on Probiotics alone.  Better on both together. 
Distance=1.0

8/2- Elective rest day.  No running on the beach.

-20 miles on the week.  I'm okay with that number.  I don't want to increase too quickly.

Revised Maine Trip Plan

There will be no epic North Atlantic road trip due to restrictions in New York and New Jersey.  That’s okay.  I’ve got a friend in Philly that I’d like to meet and though I’ve toured Yankee Stadium, it would be cool to see an actual game there.  Instead, it will be two long weekends instead of a single epic trip.  Trip number 1 will be Maine on the weekend of 8/28-9/2 (Friday-Tuesday)

There are two direct flights from Atlanta to Portland, Maine.  One departs at 2PM and the other at 7PM.  That’s cool with me.  I won’t have to spend the night in Atlanta, nor will I have to leave super early to make the flight.  I’ll take the 2PM option and arrive around 5:00.  That’s too late to go to beach or mountains so the best plan is to start driving towards Acadia NP (3 hours).  I won’t have to make it all the way there. 

Saturday- Tour Acadia NP via Park Loop Road.  One day should be sufficient.  There are really only 3 must see landmarks: Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach and Thunder Hole over the 27-mile loop.  I’m sure I’ll stop to check out some hiking trails as well.  I’ll head back towards Portland that night but don’t have to make it all the way.  It could be really cool to catch a sunrise the next morning over a rocky coast.   

Sunday and Monday- New Hampshire beach day and Mount Washington.  It will pose no real logistical problems as the NH coast is just 1 hour from Portland and Mount Washington is 2 hours away.  As far as the swimming, I hope to check off Maine at Acadia NP but if it’s too cold, I have other chances.  I’ll play it by ear depending on the weather forecast but Monday should be decidedly LESS crowded at the beach.  I’ll need to be in Portland on Sunday night for a Monday race at 6AM.  Average air temp is around 75F with a water temp of 65F.  If it’s sunny, that would make it more tolerable.  If I wear a long sleeve tech shirt for protection from cold, it still counts.    

Tuesday- A 6AM flight out of Portland is my only direct option. 

Coronavirus?

At some point, the panic needs to end.  I probably would not have done this between March and May but in late August, it’s time.  The survival rate is 99.5% and the race will have less than 100 participants spread out on the course.  I’m under 40 and still “paper healthy” so my risk is almost nil.  The only real risk of getting sick is if my airplane seat mate is a pre-symptomatic case.  Asymptomatic carriers are very rare. 

Rant or Rave: Opposite Sex Friendship

As painful as it can be, I still believe that I am making the right decision by not pursuing a dating relationship until I get my health at least under control.  I don’t have to be totally free from relapses, but I do need a stable cocktail with bad days limited to maybe 1 or 2 days per month, preferably due to stupid decisions rather than an adjustment to the formula.  A crash absolutely cannot happen every week.  That’s simply not good for either party.  What I would like to have is an occasional female companion that will join me for meals or even day trips.  A weekend or overnight trip would be over the line even if we stayed in different hotel rooms.  This can be a tricky situation and the ideal case would be a situation in which there is no romantic interest on either side.  I may have found someone who can fit this bill. 

Like everyone else, I’ve had my share of crushes on girls who were out of my league.  In most cases, I was able to become friends, but it never went beyond hanging out in a group.  I’m sure that some of them knew or suspected that I had deeper feelings, but I didn’t make it too obvious and it did not affect the friendship.  I’ve been on the other side of this issue as well.    A lesson that I learned in eighth grade is that if the person is simply not interested, there is NOTHING that you can say or do that will change their mind.  If you keep pushing for it when it is clearly unwanted, you could lose the friendship.

How to proceed?

IMO, it takes 3 dates before you can tell for sure if the person is relationship material.  It is of utmost importance to be honest about how you feel or do not feel.  There may be some hurt feelings involved but it is ten times worse if you lead them on when you don’t really mean it.  I had a few dates with a woman who had a bit of a crush on me.  I did enjoy her company but didn’t see any compatibility.  She worked nights and weekends in a hotel and was a bit of a home body.  That’s not going to work with somebody who travels so much and is always on the go.  We’d hardly ever see each other.  I put her in the friend zone hoping that she could be an occasional lunch or movie companion.  She didn’t like it and decided that she would rather not see me at all.  I didn’t like it either, but I can see her point of view.  She’d want me to return her love and affection and would be saddened when it doesn’t happen.   You run the risk of losing the friendship if one party has feelings and the other does not.

If I had the chance to go to lunch with one of my crushes, sure I’d take it.  Friendships can blossom into something more down the road.  I may find after hanging out a couple times that we are not compatible, but I still enjoy her company.  If I still do have feelings, I would hope that I’d be brave enough to tell her.  Unfortunately, I would have to advise against a close friendship with someone who does not share your feelings for the same reason stated above.  I don’t think I could take being continually disappointed that my love is not returned. 

I’ve got a few women that flirt with me on Facebook.  Unfortunately, none of them live locally and I don’t do long distance relationships, especially not with foreigners.  Who knows about their intentions?  They could be using me to gain US citizenship and indeed I do know someone who got burned.  If you want to send me a Good morning or How is your day, that’s fine.  I had one who wanted to chat with me every time I browsed my news feed.  That’s a problem even if we were actually dating.  I don’t like to be disturbed at work so if you send me texts every hour and become upset when I don’t answer right away, that’s being too clingy.  I will break up.  I told her not to message me on a day that I would be on the road driving back from Florida.  I checked my phone when I got back to find 3 missed video calls from her.  She even talked about wanting to marry me after a couple of chats and dug up pictures from 6 years ago.  I responded by muting her and ignoring her messages until she backed off.  I had to block somebody else from Messenger because they called me every single day even though I never answered.  Psycho!    

One thing that is clear about the heath protocol and the detox is that my outward appearance has improved considerably.  Even if I do say so myself, I am much more attractive now at age 39 than I was at age 25.  I have no doubt that if I post my current picture on dating sites, I will draw interest and get dates.  Can I find someone who is compatible?  That will not be so easy.

Age 25

Age 39

One thing that the Church needs to improve upon is its attitude towards those who have never been married.  There are all sorts of support groups for people who are divorced with kids, but people who have never been married face different challenges and have different needs.  These needs are often neglected.  With the exception of mega churches in which most group members are unchurched, once you age out of College and Career or Young Professionals, it’s all couples and families.  The attitude is that if you are much over 30 and not married, something must be wrong with you.  Well, in many cases that’s true.  In my experience, many people who are my age and not married are suffering from mental health issues.  That is no joke.  As I’ve said repeatedly, when chemicals get too far out of whack, YOU WILL BE DEPRESSED.  The imbalances exist independent of your attitude and external circumstances.  If there is ever a segment of the population that needs encouraging fellowship rather than isolation, it’s us.

Epic North Atlantic Road Trip Plan

Epic North Atlantic Road Trip Plan

EDIT:
No can do on this trip for 2020.  As an Alabama resident, I am required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entry to New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.  I cannot count on these restrictions being lifted within 5 weeks.  I can still swim in Maine and New Hampshire though, at least for now.  That means I fly out of Atlanta to Portland, Maine.  I can still do a Philly/NJ/NY trip at some point.  At least according to Mapquest, it appears to be a fairly smooth drive into Rockaway from NJ.  It also appears that parking is available nearby for up to 7 days.  I've seen enough of Manhattan but I'd like to see a Yankee game in the Bronx and go a bit off the beaten path.  I could leave my car in Rockaway and pick it up the next day.  That would be cool.     

Day 1- Fly to Philadelphia from Birmingham.  I looked into Atlantic City from Atlanta but there are no direct flights. I’ll try to catch the earliest flight of the day so I can maximize my beach time.  I will rent a car and drive to the Jersey Shore.  Which beach?  Probably Wildwood even though it’s 30 minutes longer.  I want some Laura’s Fudge so I can mess with some HS teammates (inside joke).  I can stay until sunset because the drive will be short.  I’ll spend the night in North Jersey. 

Day 2- Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York.  The drive time is slightly less than 3 hours from Wildwood and about 2.5 from Atlantic City.  As usual, I’ll go part way and stay in a flea bag motel.  I’ll aim to get as close as I can.  The drive will take me through Staten Island but not Manhattan.  Still, I’ll want to get there early so I can beat the rush hour.  This beach session may be abbreviated a bit because the next day’s drive could be tough. 

Day 3- This day’s destination is Coastal New Hampshire.  It’s roughly 4.5 hours from Rockaway Beach.  It will be all interstate, but I will have to drive through Queens and Bronx.  I’ll pass through Connecticut and probably stop somewhere in Massachusetts the previous night.  That way, I’ll only have a little over 2 hours to go the next day.  I need to get there early because it can be awfully crowded on the weekends in late summer.  Hampton will be nuts but further north in Rye will probably be less crowded.  In any event, I’ll hop across the border to Maine for my afternoon beach session.  For the record, I hit the coasts of CT, RI and MA last summer.

Day 4- Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Island, Maine.  It’s 3.5 hours from the southern part of Maine.  I want to get as close as I can.  I’ll have all day to tour Acadia NP.  I may be able to steal another swim session here at Sand Beach if it’s warm enough.  From here, it's back south.  It’s 3 hours to my next destination in Portland but I MUST arrive that night.  The race is at 6 AM.  I can scope out the race course on the way up.  

Day 5- Race day in Portland.  A 6AM start has its advantages.  Even with the expected slow time, I should be showered and ready to go by 10.  It’s only 2 hours to Mount Washington, New Hampshire.  The weather there can be very unpredictable and it’s out of the way so if I have to skip anything, this is it.  I'll check the weather forecast before I go.  At any rate, I’m 8 hours away from Philly if I go to the mountains but only 6.5 if I skip it.  If I choose the latter option, I could actually make an evening flight back.  Still. I'll take 2 days to get back.  I could probably steal another swim session along the way.  New York will be the most convenient stop but if my New Hampshire day is rained out, I have a chance to make it up here.

Top Priorities on this trip:
-Finish the half mary in Maine.  I don't care how slow it is.
-Swim in the ocean in New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire and Maine.  In late August, water temps should still be in the low-mid-70s in South Jersey.  It will be a touch cooler in New York but even in Maine, it should be at least 65F.  That's tolerable.  Currently, the water temp is 76F in New Jersey and 67F in Maine.  This is according to Magic Seaweed.  Water temps typically peak in early-mid August then gradually fall.  Figure that 5 weeks from now, the temps will be about the same.