Christmas Poem 2010

Twas the night before running
Twenty-six point two,
Sharing pasta with friends,
And a movie to view.

A wink was had,
Now time to race;
Got in my groove,
And fell into pace.

A record was made
For my personal best.
A good race was had,
And now time to rest.

Later that month
My wallet was taken,
By two con-artists
Who left me shakin'.

They spent with speed
To get what they could;
But Karma will come back
To get them good.

I put my manicure
To the test,
Yielding hammer and nail
And building with zest.

The Habitat home
For a family in need
Was built with love,
And twas an honor, indeed.

The bike was dusted
And given a tune,
In hopes I'd find time
To ride it soon.

I went forty miles
My first trip out;
My conditioning for this
Was surely in doubt!

So what made me think
Sixty-seven was fine,
Two weeks later
With friends of mine?

The first forty-seven
Went all-right;
The remaining twenty
Took all my might.

This lesson escapes me
Every once in a while,
And I'll go on a ride
That beats down my smile.

Eighty-five miles
Is too far too go
When temps reach 100
And I'm too slow.

Traveling was busy
This year for sure,
Making the family
Bi-monthly tour.

For Penny and Troy
I traveled out West;
Then onto K.C.
As Rusty's guest.

I boated in Florida
With Mom and Les.
Collecting coconuts-
That was the best!

Visited Iowa
Seeing many a cousin,
Deb, Dad and friends-
These trips I'm a lovin'.

I'm learning 'bout coaching
And energy too;
'Tis amazing to see
What good thoughts can do!

This line of thinking
Is a passion of mine.
I read all I can,
Whatever I find.

Putting to practice
These principles I learn,
Improving my life
Is the reward I earn.

And helping another
To find his gift,
And live life with joy-
This is what I wish.

A few months went by,
Another marathon run
With five friends from Texas
Who made it more fun.

The course was nice
But the wind was strong.
The last two miles-
They felt so long.

But my nephew and niece
Were there to cheer.
Their encouraging words
Brought the end quickly near. 

A bike race was entered,
And why? I don't know.
Rode 54 miles-
No more could I go.

At a speed of eighteen,
I didn't finish last last.
But I'm outta my league.
Others there were so fast!

I tried something new
And for that I am glad,
But if I do this again
You'll know I've gone mad!

As part of my goal
To update my place,
I ordered new floors
In my style and taste. 

The process was trying-
The floors were not level.
The re-do would leave me
In a state of dishevel.

Valves left leaking
Threatened my floor;
Dips, nicks and gouges-
I could take no more.

I've learned my lesson
And know next time,
To hire the best
My money can find.

A bright idea
Was born in May-
Maybe I'll do
A triathlon one day.

So in the lake
Is where I did go,
Flailing my arms
To and fro.

Five minutes down
Fifty-five to go,
I was so tired
And moving so slow.

The murky waters
Made it hard to see
The 'monster' (weeds),
That wrapped around me.

My heart was racing
But I couldn't give in,
Thy personal challenge
I was going to win.

But once I was done
And flopped up on shore,
I decided on lessons
Were I to do more.

Still traveling 'round
The country, it's true.
The merge with United
Makes me blue.

Continental's a company
Whose reputation is best.
Among U.S. companies
We're above the rest.

But change has come
And there's no point guessing.
It's in God's plan
So I guess that's a blessing.

September is marathon
Three this year.
To Omaha we go;
Mom and Les there to cheer.

Six come from Texas
To make this run.
We enjoyed the city
And had loads of fun.

The course was hilly
As you can't know.
But pretty and scenic
And not at all slow.

A few weeks later
A celebration was had
With family and friends
Making '40' not bad!

A trip to Arizona-
The Grand Canyon we saw.
Me, Penny and Troy
Were left in awe.

The trip was amazing;
One I couldn't describe.
But this gift I received
Was the best of my life.

So bring on 40
And I'll tackle this age,
With grace and adventure,
And another run for the page.

It was last minute,
This decision I made
To run in Des Moines
And for that I paid.

The course was tough
And my body not rested,
But I gave it my all-
My endurance was tested.

My bike with a motor
Has seen action too,
On highways and back roads
Under skies so blue.

I did a few hikes
In our forest so near,
Enjoy peace and picnics
And spotting some deer.

Thanksgiving was spent
In Iowa this year;
Seeing all of my family;
These memories so dear.

An injury now
Has limited my run,
More time to pursue
Other things of fun.

From sewing to jewelry,
To cooking and baking;
The best of this time
Is what I am making.

'Tis the season
To celebrate the birth
Of our Lord and Savior
Who came to this earth,

To love and teach us
To follow his way;
To care for each other
Each and every day.

So may you find joy
This holiday season,
And spread his love
Fulfilling his reason.

I give thanks for my family
And good friends, too;
These great gifts
I also wish for you!

Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!

The Swimmer's Imagination

Too hot to cycle,
Too late for the gym,
My foot is injured,
So I'll go for a swim.

The lake is murky,
Can't see what's below
Even with goggles
It's still hard to know.

I am a bad swimmer-
By the bulkhead I stay,
To prevent my drowning
And keep trouble at bay.

The first four minutes
I am going so strong,
But by minute five
My groove is gone.

I've swallowed some water
And my lungs may explode,
My arms are heavy-
From dragging this load.

I switch to the breaststroke
To catch my breath.
Six minutes done;
Only fifty-four left.

I take a moment
To find where I am.
Way too far out
And here I can't stand.

Panic consumes me
And I feel trapped:
An unknown enemy
Has my legs enwrapped.

I turn and flail
The way that I came
Frightened and graceless-
My courage so lame.

The creature stays with me
For a few minutes more
Releasing it's grip
As I near the shore.

Scared it would follow
I keep swimming on,
Til reasonably sure
That it was gone.

Under the water
I am afraid to peek
Were the creature a snake
I would likely freak.

My mind is overactive
For the rest of the hour.
Twigs became demons
That had come to devour.

The water is poison
That I keep taking in
Burning my throat
And tingling my skin.

My eyes are affected
By the stinging too.
Tomorrow I will find
Something else to do!

Positive Addiction

Running is my energy- my natural high;
Like a drug which you cannot buy.

A gift from God- it's the key for me,
For balance, peace and serenity.

A time to ponder, think and reflect,
On goals and dreams; what I hope and expect.

As I pound the pavement on my daily run,
I mentally prepare for challenges to come...

In my work or home or new endeavor,
The solutions that surface can be so clever.

For my mind gets clear and tension subsides;
A spiritual calm within me abides.

My mind is relaxed and creates a plan
To achieve from this life as much as I can.

The course of action so clear in my mind-
Mountains are mole hills I can easily climb.

With new found energy, I breeze though "to-do's";
Momentum I've gained, I cannot lose.

The endorphin rush sets my mood to great.
A very fine day did my running create!

Road Rage

I was driving to work yesterday and witnessed what became a comical and entertaining show.  Traffic was pretty heavy for this time in the afternoon and one particular driver was showing his impatience by tailgating, swerving in and out of various lanes, and being aggressive to try to intimidate the other drivers. He entertained me for eleven miles where I happily remained in one or two lanes going a modest speed while watching him move all over the place trying to "get ahead".  I had to write about it:

Get a little closer
And you may invoke fear
In the driver of the Honda
For which you're hugging the rear.

But it could backfire
An invoke road rage
And the Honda will slow
Boxing you in a cage.

The speed regulator, left
And the texter on your right,
The Honda up ahead
Challenging you to a fight.

You honk and mouth "get moving"
To any of the three,
Who maybe care enough
And will heed your plea.

A glance in your rearview
And a strategy you plan
To slam on the brake
And cross over if you can.

The far right lane is clear
And you may reach the speed of light,
To make it to your appointment,
Will still be cutting it tight.

If only these other drivers
Could really get to know
How important you are to your job
They'd move over and let you go.

You're running so late
For a very good reason;
Watching the traffice report
For conditions of the season!

So as the plan goes
And gets put into action,
A truck from out of nowhere
Beats you by a fraction.

You pound on the wheel
And mutter a curse;
But it's that Honda ahead
That makes you feel worse.

And suddenly the Honda
Crosses over two lanes
And exits the freeway
The winner of the game!

More Than Serving a Coke!

Oh what a week,
No time to be meek,
For a customer did need
The A.E.D.!
A diversion was made,
And a live was saved!

Oh, the same week,
"Do we have a leak?"
The fuel smell was strong-
We knew something was wrong.
Twas a bag in a bin, smelling awry
Precautions were made to still safely fly!

He Enables

I love my Lord
With all that I am.
His will is mine;
Through Him, I can.

Shine

I shine my light,
My energy from God,
With words and deeds
To further His cause.