ways to think of noise

Neutral and sometimes needed
Offensive but may provide opportunities (such as sound proofing)
Indispensible to understanding quiet
Soft or not so
Entertaining? can be, often is, not very at times

favorite pic of 2007

Shot on the Wasatch Crest, July 24, 2007. Hey, if you can have Christmas in July, you can also have July in January.

birthday quiz

Name two musicians and a fighter who share a January 10th birthday?

The fighter is boxer and inventor/entreprenuer George Forman. The two musicians are Frank Sinatra and Adine Sundberg. Happy 87th birthday, Mom!

the buddy system

I started a fitness class this morning with a good buddy of mine. We've been friends for almost 17 years now. Oh yeah, and she's also my daughter. I've also signed up for another class with some of my co-workers. The buddy system really helps with motivation. On any given day you might not feel like going to lift weights or pedal on a stationary bike, but when someone you work with is standing in your cubicle saying it's time to head to class, it's a lot harder to say "No, I'm going to be lazy today."

ain't a farm boy, ain't a song writer

full color shot, with mostly blacks, grays and whites

I ain't a farm boy (though my daddy was) ain't a song writer (but that hasn't stopped a lot of folks), but if I was a farm boy and song writer, I might write something like this one winter night when my muscles were sore:

Some days shovelin' is my life
Shovelin' feed and manure
the sweet and foul
And snow and coal
the pure white and powerful black
It's all in a day's work
and it helps keep me strong

Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal

Snow brings promise of good crops
and makes the world white and soft
And it means the ol' furnace
will need more coal
I'm happy to shovel to keep my family warm

Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal

The world's mostly gray not just black or white
But the cold snows of winter taught me some
things are only right when they're white
Don't even think about tastin'
snow that ain't white
And some dark truths are needed
to keep us safe and warm

and I learned it all
Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal

merry russian christmas

January 7th is the big Christmas celebration in Russia, so if you didn't quite get enough of the holiday last month, here's a legitimate way to extend the festivities. Maybe I'll turn on the outside lights one last time tonight, although by then it will be January 8th in Russia.

warm winter swimming

University of Utah natatorium

Why would you want to go swimming when it’s so cold outside? All the usual reasons:

• stress relief
• cardiovascular health
• blood pressure regulation
• increased efficiency in producing insulin
• better sleep
• increased metabolism
• stronger immune system
• improved digestion
• improved sense of well-being
• improved mood

Of course there’s the perception that you’ll get cold, but I’ve found that a swim actually warms me up. So instead of telling myself it’s too cold to go swimming, I’ll say a good swim would sure help me warm up today.

So one of the best reasons to go swimming on a cold winter’s day is to spend a few minutes in a warm, nearly weightless environment that will be good for you at the moment and make the rest of the day go better, too.

Related resources:
• Utah Masters Swimming
• Total Immersion Swimming