How to Chew Gum and Talk to your Congressman (at the same time)

You may have heard that it is rude to chew gum while talking -- Yes, but that is not point of this article.  Instead, it's amazing how well the human body can multi-task throughout the day (as long as you are resourceful and resolute in structuring your schedule).

Yes, you shouldn't listen to the radio and TV at the same time while carrying out a philosophical conversation on the phone.   But there are many other ways to multi-task smartly.

It all depends on the activity and whether or not it is Physical, Mental or even Emotional.  One of both these type of activities can be done in unison since they don't over drain the human body's core mental or muscular functions.

Here are activities that will not hinder your ability to concentrate while getting chores done, so you should try to do them as often possible.

1. Studying (Brain) and edit video on Final Cut (Semi-Brain, Semi-Functional) -- This is not done at the same time.  You do a little bit of editing and during the time it takes for the video to render, you can shift to studying and vice versa.  Note: Unless during finals or major projects, I am not normally a big fan of studying for long periods of time. Instead, study for an hour or two, then take a break by doing something else (preferably functional).
2. Cooking (Functional) and watching the news or listening to my class recording (Brain)
3. Talking on the phone (Brain) and walking (Physical)
4. Jogging and listening to tapes or watching TV (treadmill)
5. Talking and Checking routine email (not writing email)
6. Talking to friend in car (Brain) while driving (Functional) -- Not on the cell phone, though.
7. Reading the paper (Brain) while waiting for the Metro (Routine)
8. Thinking about your job tasks (Brain) while running (Physical)

Tomorrow: First Ever SUP, Bike, Run Tri

November 28th

Morning:

Stage bikes at Jack's

0800: Launch SUP from National Harbor beach

(Leave cars at paid parking)

0900: Arrive Old Towne: Stop for quick rest

1200: Arrive Georgetown: Jack's

• Store Gear
• Lunch at Georgetown

1300: Depart GT via bikes

1430: Arrive National Harbor

• Store bikes in car

1500: Depart NH via run

1700: Arrive Georgetown

Mission Accomplished

• Catch a ride to NH to pick up bike
• Drop bike at Home
• Pick up SUP from GT
• Return Home

Volunteers feed Homeless at "So Others Might Eat"

This year, both our federal and state budget deficit has grown enormously.  Programs are being cut, but we must never forget the men, women and children who sleep on the streets, especially during the winter season.

It has been reported that some 1.56 million Americans were homeless at some point in 2009.

In addition, with the recession and growing unemployment, more and more families are becoming homeless.

This year, city officials are proposing that on winter's coldest nights, the city should provide shelter first to those who can prove DC ties such as proof of a legal address.

Under DC law, the District must shelter anyone who is homeless and seeking a bed when the temperature falls below freezing.

But proving DC residency may become an oxymoron for thousands of DC homeless, and many could die on bitter, cold nights.

That is why it is critically important for us to not forget and to support our Shelters especially during these difficult winter seasons.

Turkey Trot So Others Might Eat

Homelessness is a serious problem in DC and the rest of the nation. In 2007, the number of homeless in the US was estimated to be 671,859  (National Alliance to End Homelessness).

It has also been reported that some 1.56 million Americans were homeless at some point in 2009.

So Others Might Eat at 701 O Street, NW., feeds over 800 meals a day.  But it's not just about the chow, it's providing support and service so that they can get back on their feet.

That is why RUNINDC is a strong supporter of programs like Back on My Feet

From the Nov 2009 blog re: Running w/ BOMF

Back on My Feet gives the homeless a second chance to regain control of their lives. The program's mission also exemplifies several of Runin DC's core values. The first of these is "reflecting on relationships" or seeing how we are all connected. Back on My Feet is not a handout; it is about partnerships and seeing ourselves in others. While running and training, the homeless and the trainers support and challenge each other to strive higher.

Back on My Feet is also about "understanding" or empathizing with people--no matter how different they may appear at first glance.

The neat thing about running is that it is a great equalizer. When we're running hard up a hill, it doesn't matter what socioeconomic status you come from. You are working extremely hard -- rich, middle class, or poor -- all of us have to climb the same hill and have to rely on our God-given strengths and stamina to do it.

Sasha Bruce Safe Homes is a wonderful program that provides homes for our young people. All of these programs also provide counseling and classes that can lead young people back to a more stable and supportive family situation.

Turkey Trot for Hunger

Gobble, Gobble, S.O.M.E.

Ok, here are my plans for Thanksgiving. No, I'm not gonna be w/ family and friends. I love them, and they will always be there for me the rest of the 364 days of the year.  Today, I'm gonna blow them off and make new friends instead.  Or else I'm not eating.  And to me, that means a painful death.

FAST: Skip Breakfast.  Yes, not eat NOTHING.  No bread, no banana.  Nothing but coffee (or else I won't be awake) and liquids.

RUN

0800: Participate, film, interact during the 40th Anniversary TG Day Trot for Hunger @ W Potomac Park

Bike

For every person I meet who tells me about their experiences with So Others Might Eat (SOME) and the extent of their support for this charity, I will then either run 1 mile, bike 1 loop (3.5 miles) or SUP (15 mins).

SUP (Stand Up Paddle)

Then I will SUP from W Potomac Park to Navy Yard and back the number of times necessary to complete the challenge.

Wash up, then head straight to the SOME Soup Kitchen on 71 O St, SE to help serve Thanksgiving dinner.  Yes, I want to eat my first meal of the day w/ my new friends.  And I want to catch their impressions of what this day means to them.

Then head home to put together the footage from today's events including from the family meal to post to recognize the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.  Everyone has a story, and tomorrow I will have an ear for them.

Then for the rest of the day, I'll just spend the quiet evening w/ my bird.  No friends, No Football.  No Turkey.   They will all be there for me tomorrow and some...  And they will all eventually wish that they were not.

Live, Love or Else

In life, you either just live by, or you LIVE in it.  I choose the latter.

After being pickpocketed in front of Macy's Philly and biking consolant but cheerful back to my car in Fairmount Park to grab more cash -- the only thing now left in my name, I stumbled upon something that totally brightened up my visit: couples of all types, lining up anxiously for a memorable shot in front of Robert Indiana's Love Sculpture.

There were couples, madly in love, young and old, friends, platonic and borderline lovers, some rekindling the fire after many decades, their progeny now with many children of their own, wanting to know how the fire sparked that caused Mom and Dad to become ONE.

The image of couples romancing, the line never stopping, made me truly realize that this was too good of an opportunity to let slip by. In life, you either just live by, or you LIVE in it.  I chose the latter.

I set up a camera on the platform behind by the water fountain to film time lapse to prove once and for all that while I was there, the line never stopped -- truly all day and night -- there's always some couple approaching or waiting in line to get their picture-perfect shot.  If not lovers, there are skaters -- one or the other, people tend to flock to and admire the simple but meaningful iconic image made famous by Robert Indiana.

To complete the all encompassing emotionally powerful scene, I decided to chat to couples and ask them two simple but sound questions: 1) Where did you guys meet; 2) What are your plans in the City of Brotherly Love.

The posted video is the results. I hope you find it enlightening as it was for me.  Actually the story from one of the couples resoundingly melted my heart.  My heart is still in tattered pieces as I mindfully revisit this scene.

The SE Anacostia Loop

This Thanksgiving weekend, a few of us hardy souls will attempt to do a 12-mile Md to DC SUP followed by a 15-bike loop and a 10-mile run

The bike loop will be different since we will be biking the SE quadrant to National Harbor.

This is the route from Anacostia to NH:


View Larger Map

My New Love: She's Dressed Up and Ready to Chop

Today I discovered the absolute love of my life.  She is so soft and voluptuous, sweet and surprising and lives in the new-vibrant and cosmopolitan Chinatown.

Actually, she is more flavorful when she's dressed and sexy when she's spiced up, ready for a swing.

Her name starts w/ the letter "C" and she doesn't have a last name, at least I'm not so sure.  She has family, a close relative in Virginia (Roslyn actually) and two other cousins that just moved into the city.

She's not from here originally.  She was born and raised in New York.  But she's all grown up and ready to stretch her wings.

I've known her for some time, for five years actually.  I would see her from time to time, sometimes I would walk right past her, sometimes I would even stop to say "Hi".

Today, I decided to try.  "Go for it, hot shot," I said.  I gathered up my nerves and tried my best to win over her heart, artichoke hearts, that is.

Yes, the romaine was fresh and crunchy, the naked asian salad and edamame beans were simply delectable.

But what is it about Chop't salads that gives it a thumbs-up advantage to their competition, and yes that includes my favorite Chipotle.

It's the way they actually chop the salad into tiny little pieces and wrap all the goodies into a warm, soft pancake-size tortilla that makes your heart melt from the inside out.

I know it doesn't sound too sensational, but frankly there is something delightfully new and unfound new flavors are being released when you chop up the lettuce and greens into tiny little bitty and you mix it with all that's soft and pretty.

It's called Chop't and Honey, she's my brand new fling.

Amy Grant "Holiday Mail for Heroes"

I was really enamored by Amy Grant's new song:
"Better than a Hallelujah". The song really touched my heart because it really relates to people who have gone through hard times.

All the verses are just incredible. Listen to this:

"God loves a lullaby and a mother's tears in the dead of night."

"Beautiful the mess we are"

Thanks to AG, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes and their wonderful program of connecting Americans from all over to our deployed troops who need to know that the folks back home care and support them and they wouldn't be out there without them.

Veterans Day 2010: WW II Memorial

Reflecting

Veterans Day is full of Reflection. At least during my last 20 years of service it was a day of contemplation and tribute. But this Veterans Day, in a sense is nostalgically new.

Although it has been a year, it is strange to recognize our time-honored Heroes by not wearing a uniform myself.

Understanding

This Veterans Day, like anyday, we must try to better understand the diversity of our Armed Forces -- it is full of color, creeds and culture and it is as muti-modal as the Cyberspace World that we thrive in.  And this year, we are on the cusp of Don't ask, don't tell being repealed.  Will it happen?  I believe we should support our Military Leaders and respect the rule of law as it is passed in Congress.

Negotiating

It is important that we listen to our judicious soldiers: From the Frontline General to the deck seaman or buck private, their informed inputs from how we strategize the war to the most fundamental aspects of quality of life will shape our Military and our Country here and now.

The inputs from those who serve must be threaded with the views from the decision makers on the Hill and molded in with the thoughts and minds of those who we serve.

Innovating

As bureaucratic as any large government organization can be, we still have the "old-school" dinosaurs that make it very hard to get things done.  Bottom line is not what they strive for sometimes; prestige and perception my trump productivity.  Thankfully, the military today are filled with young people who grew up their entire life with the internet and who embraced MySpace before Facebook became the 10th continent.  And there are enough young, revolutionary minds within the senior and mid-grade ranks who recognize the power and reach of social media to communicate to their traditional top down organizations and to the American people, too.  They are once again recreating the military -- doing something some of the stiff senior ranks are not known to do -- knocking down barriers and creating transparency so that the common people will be deeply empowered.

Navigating

As we look forward, we must remember their sacrifices as well as the lessons that their notable acts of humanity afforded. What we do now with the ensuing war against the Taliban, al-Qaeda and those who want to do harm against the country that I call home will determine how joyous or remorseful we commemorate Veterans Day in years to come.

Oklahoma -- Oh What a Beautiful Play

Today, Tanushi and I had the honor to attend the Arena Stage's inaugural centerpiece: Oklahoma, and oh we were in for a pleasant experience.  I had waited almost 3 long years for this Southwest masterpiece to be opened, and the wait though painful for an inpatient guy like me, was definitely worth every minute of it.

Oklahoma was everything I expected and everything I didn't expect.  For starters the main actors were not the traditionally white farmers who you expected to see in the rugged southwest during the turn of the century, but African American and Hispanic.

What was amazing was that Curly's love is played by Eleasha Gamble, an African American woman who was raised in DC and studied at Catholic University. What is even more amazing is that Eleasha was called up to take the leading role just days prior to the play's debut in DC (due to a family emergency with the former actress).

There was no time to absorb what she was getting herself into.  She just had to jump in and soak up as much as she could.  The spirit and drive of Eleasha playing her role dynamically shows just how gutsy and endearing she can be.

You first see Laurey singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," and after Curly flirts with her, you fall in love with Laurey right away.

Although Eleasha performed her show with mini scripts tucked neatly in her apron, they were not distracting and reminded me of the gargantuan task that she faced.  Plus, she rarely referred to them.  It was amazing how Eleasha soaked up her script and the whole surrounding so smoothly.  That gal has a lot of guts.

Kudos to Eleasha, Nicholas Rodriguez, and the rest of the stars for making this performance so riveting.  Kudos to Molly Smith for adding in diversity for reverting a potential crisis and for making this production so powerful and life changing.

Who Said New Yorkers aren't Friendly

NYC this weekend was my 10th marathon, and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this whole experience, namely the volunteer and fan support





Since I'm a diehard Washingtonian, I'm partial to the MCM and the National Marathons.  But I have to admit, that NYC has now become my favorite.

Yes, DC, you are still the most runner-friendly city in the world, but the Marathon experience in NYC is like no other.  Nothing compares to it.  If you are a marathoner (what is that?), you should try it before you croak.

The fan support was almost continuous (with the exception of the bridges, of course).  And with people cheering, I felt almost no pain.  No cold, only hospitality.

NYC Marathon

NYC -- an amazing place; The Marathon -- an amazing race

NYC is an incredible place to visit and to celebrate the beauty and diversity of all 5 buroughs and to meet the warm and exciting people from the city and all around the world.

And today, I got to see all that by running through all 5 beautiful buroughs back-to-back. It was one of the most incredible moments this year, of my life, and it was the greatest marathon I've ever experienced, by far.

New Yorkers love the marathon like they love the Yankees, the Giants and the Jets, and they came out in droves to cheer and holler for all of us, locals or not.

And the band support was incredible -- all 120 of them including the Japanese Taiko drummers and a dance marathon with all the runners dancing to the beat of Y-M-C-A in beautiful Brooklyn.

I didn't get a best time, not even close, as I soaked in the crowd, but I scored a medal -- Bronze for my 10th Marathon.

I'm so glad No. 10 was NY -- Nothing comes close to the appeal.  And if I could only do one marathon, this would be it!

I made many friends here, and yes, I'll surely be back.  In fact, I've already registered for next year.