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Monday: My legs were extremely sore from Sunday’s 6 mile run, but i went to the Bodysculpt class at work anyway, and just took it easy on the legs.

Tuesday: It stopped raining just long enough for me to get in a 5K at lunch.  I found myself getting really bitchy with myself.  “Bitch, this hill is nothing.  You will have to do a worse hill than this after running 12 miles in mere weeks.  You will not walk up this hill.”  What can i say, it worked.  I ran up the damn hills.

Wednesday: Step aerobics was challenging.  My energy level was low.  After work, Lance and i and the pupton went for a nice 3 mile walk around Lake Lynn.

Thursday: Day of rest.  I needed it.

Friday: I did a short running warm-up (1.5 miles?) before heading to BodySculpt class.  Ran into Cindy on the track around the soccer field.  She had a 10-mile race this past weekend.  I hope it went well!

Saturday: I got up and went to Shelley Lake for my long run, but this time i went South towards the mall.  And i ran past the mall before i turned around at the 3.5 mile mark to make it a total of 7 miles.  I have to say, some of those bridges and creekside walkways are pretty creepy, and in my head i was going through the various ways in which i may be accosted.  It actually made me feel better to “prepare” for these situations in my head.  Happily, i made it back without incident.

Sunday: Another 3-mile walk around Lake Lynn.  These walks aren’t strenuous, but i count them as cross-training.

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that made me happy this week: Lots of wins this week: NC State had a huge win, Ohio State pounded Illinois, the Braves are closing in on the wildcard spot for the playoffs, the scales were kind at the WW meeting, and our partnership some cash at money bridge.

Something i struggled with this week: Bridge politics.  I’m on the board for the bridge club.  When i urge caution, i’m a dissenter.  When i’m proactive, it’s just not in the cards (so to speak).

Something tasty i ate this week: Nothing all that new or exciting, but i did experiment with freezing grapes.  The sweetness was a little more concentrated, and i thought they were more fun to eat than regular grapes.

Something i learned this week: I learned about Pareto efficiency charts.  If you have a supply of resources, they can be allocated among vendors in myriad ways.  Efficiency in this case is defined as the upper bound curve where you can’t increase one vendor’s allocation without hurting someone else’s.

Something from the bridge table: At the Friday night money game, we saw a hand where declarer got squeezed in the endgame.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: Many ongoing: Toastmasters, running, photography class.  Nothing new.

Something i am reading: Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, recommended by my brother Nathan.  It will arrive tomorrow from Amazon.

Something happening around the house: Photography class stuff, poker, baseball, laundry, watching Netflix DVDs (Dexter season 3 and 35 Up), cooking food for the week, blogging, walking the dog.

Something i am thinking: I have no profound thoughts to share today.

Something i am looking forward to next week: Pet Day at my workplace.  I think Nugent will have fun sniffing the other dogs, and i think we’ll get a kick out of watching the agility contests.

Something i am hoping: To hear from my mom after she finishes the 6th Harry Potter book.  Someone convinced her she would like them.  When i talked to her yesterday, she was in the middle of book 6, and she was comparing the books to The Chronicles of Narnia.  She said there was an absence of a Christ-like figure in Harry Potter, as she didn’t think Dumbledore quite qualified.  So i’ll be interested if her opinion changes at all as the story progresses.  (And i don’t think the HP books are at all meant to be a Christian allegory, but mom said she can’t help reading it from that perspective.  If it opens up the lines of communication, i’m more than happy to talk about things in that light.)

Something random: I like my coffee with 1 cream and 2 Equals.

Something captured: A photo from this week’s photography assignment.

Earlier this week, we broke our coffee pot.  It’s apparently an unusual size, so we weren’t able to quickly replace it at Walmart or Target.  So this week, i’ve been driving through McDonald’s every morning on my way to work to get a large coffee.  I get headaches if i don’t drink a nice big cup, and it’s something i look forward to every morning.  (No, i’m not giving it up!)

McDonald’s has this thing called Priority Parking.  If you get to the second window and your food isn’t quite ready, you might be asked to pull up to the “Priority Parking” spot.

I used to work at McDonald’s.  For two years in high school.  It was hard work, and yes gross at times, but i actually liked that job at the time.  So i know a little something about how things work at ole Micky D’s.  If you’re not aware of this, the drive-thru is timed.  Every store has a goal to minimize average wait times for each car.  They might get in trouble if their average time is too high.

Here’s the thing - the timer is running while you’re sitting at the window, but you come off the queue once you move to Priority Parking.  It’s just a way for them to move the people behind you through the line quicker, thus keeping their average time down.  As a customer, though, i can’t help but feel the opposite of prioritized when i get moved to that spot, as i watch the other happy customers drive past me shoving biscuits or fries or straws into their mouths while i have to wait.

Oddly, during four visits this week, i have been asked to move to Priority Parking twice.  Twice!! All i ordered was coffee!  There is no possible way that it is quicker for anyone if they make me move forward to that stupid Priority spot.  So what’s the deal?  Have they tricked themselves into believing that it’s actually a special parking spot that customers want to move to?

The days leading up to our vacation were extremely full, and despite good intentions, i did not exercise at all at the beach.  I thought i’d at least do some long walks on the beach, but we only got one good one in with the rain.  Thus, training was derailed for awhile.  I’m happy, though, to have gotten back on track in a serious way in this past week.

Monday: Bodysculpt class.  It was hard.  In a good way.

Tuesday: I didn’t get in a workout at lunch, but came home and signed onto the Wii to let My Fitness Coach lead me through 30 min of intense cardio.  It is an excellent “game”.  Better, by far, than the Wii Fit, if you ask me.

Wednesday: Step aerobics was challenging this week, and not particularly fun.  Usually, i love it.

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: Bodysculpt again - i felt it in my legs for two days afterwards.

Saturday: Just a long walk with Nugent, but at least i did something.

Sunday: I was supposed to run Saturday, but was too lazy to do so, but i got in my 6 mile run at Shelley Lake.  It was HARD after two weeks of not running, but i did it.  Goddammit.

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that made me happy this week: Getting back on track with exercising.

Something i struggled with this week: My blog is suddenly getting a lot of spam comments.  Like, i think i just deleted 200+ of them, and i did the same thing a few days ago.  I’m accidentally deleting my recent friends’ comments too.  Sigh.  Anyone have any suggestions for wordpress plugins that will help?  Akismo is falling down on the job.

Something tasty i ate this week: I made a tasty vegetable soup using a Weight Watchers recipe.  It was quite good, and very healthy.  Yay for things that are good for you and taste good, too!

Something i learned this week: Vacations that are true vacations really energize me.  I was so productive this week after having a week off to relax.  I need to remember this in the future.

Something from the bridge table: White on white at matchpoints, partner opens 3S in first seat.  You hold T ATx AK98x AQxx.  What’s your call?  I bid 3N at the time, although on reflection i think 4S is much better.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: 1) I competed in a public speaking competition in my Toastmasters club.  And i won.  (Well, sort of.  My competition was disqualified when he went over the time limit.)  On to the next level, which will have contestants from 4-5 area clubs.  2) I started my photography class through Wake Tech this week.  Based on the first class, i’m going to learn a LOT.  Excellent.

Something i am reading: I just finished The End of Faith by Sam Harris.  This book is over my head in some ways, but was very good.  It’s given me a lot of things to think about.

Something happening around the house: Taking pictures of random things in trying to fulfill my photography class assignment for the week.  I have no idea what i’m doing.

Something i am thinking about: Moral relativism.

Something i am looking forward to next week: My second photography class, and a money bridge game.

Something i am hoping: To re-lose the weight i re-gained while i was on vacation.

Something random: If you have music playing on your website that i can’t immediately turn off, there is a 90% chance i will not stay for more than 3 seconds and will never return.

Something captured: Another picture from the beach trip - a slightly wet Nugent has been frolicking in the waves.

This is my 4th year with the Shulls at their beach vacation week.  I daresay, this is the only week each year where i really get a true vacation.  Most of my vacation days go for bridge tournaments.  Which i don’t regret in the least, but bridge is not exactly a vacation, since it involves somewhat insane amounts of focus.  This beach week is about relaxation, and that’s what i enjoy about it.

The drive on Sunday was beautiful, and we drove with the top down and Nugent basking in the back seat.  We arrived around 4 pm and then went to the grocery store.  Dinner was served shortly thereafter, and a relaxing evening commenced.

If we had known that that was the last we would see of the sun for 5 days, i think we might have gone to the beach instead of the grocery store.  But we didn’t, and most of the week was rainy and cloudy and extremely windy.  This was fine, in general, as the family tends to spend 85% of their time lounging around the beach house anyway.

But Friday, our last day, dawned bright and sunny.  And we finally got a day to enjoy in the ocean.  And, it was warm enough for me to consent to being buried in the sand.

Being buried in the sand was one of my lifelong goals.  Why?  I dunno.  It’s trivial, but not something i’ve ever done.  I enjoy new experiences.  I have some vague memories of watching others being buried, and how much laughter ensued.  I just want to be able to say i’ve done it.

Here are a few things i learned and want to pass on about being buried in the sand:

1. You will get sand in your mouth.  Not because people are trying to bury your face, but just because you are talking and laughing.  Which you will do.  Because being buried in the sand is somewhat absurd.
2. You will get sand in your ears.
3. You will get sand in places you don’t really want to get sand.  Man or woman.  One piece or two piece.
4. You will feel like a mummy in a sarcophagus.
5. When you break free, you will feel like Frankenstein rising from the dead.
6. Rinsing the sand off in the ocean when you’re done will not do a good job of removing the sand from all those places you didn’t really want to get sand.
7. You should wait to get buried until you’re about ready to leave the beach, because once all that sand is in the places you don’t want it to be, you won’t want to stay any longer.
8. You might take two showers, because one was not enough to really get all the sand off.
9. You will find sand in your ears the next day, even if you took two showers the day of the burial.

Regardless, it’s an experience i wanted to have, and i’m glad i did it.  Thanks to Lance and Kevin for helping burying me, and to ShullDad for taking the pictures.

Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education?

Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , KS , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam:
Salina, KS, 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of “lie”, “play”, and “run.”
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 65 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus .
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States .
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas .
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, and syllabication.
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, sub vocal, diphthong, cognate letters, and lingual.
4. Give four substitutes for caret ‘u.’
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e.’ Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi-, dis-, mis-, pre-, semi-, post-, non-, inter-, mono-, and sup-.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of: Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. It gives the saying “he only had an 8th grade education” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?

One of the things you will find if you search the web regarding this exam is a proposition that this exam shows how much the education system has been dumbed down.  Snopes debunks this rather well.  Still, this example is a rather impressive and comprehensive exam.

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that made me happy this week: Reading for hours and hours at the beach house.

Something i struggled with this week: I struggled with absolutely nothing.  It was a great week.

Something tasty i ate this week: Lasagna with homemade pasta sauce.

Something i learned this week: Lots of interesting trivia tidbits, as we played our new board game, Wits and Wagers.  Such as how big is the biggest freshwater fish ever caught?  Would you believe, over six hundred pounds?

Something from the bridge table: We figured out a scoring format (besides straight rubber bridge) where Lance’s parents can beat us.  Board-a-match IMPs with a 4-IMP handicap for every board.  The IMP totals were something like 93-17 but win-loss was 11-13.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: I got buried in the sand last week.  I’ll have another post about it, as it was both more and less than i was expecting.

Something i am reading: The End of Faith by Sam Harris

Something happening around the house:  Cleaning up after having company for the past two weekends.

Something i am thinking: It irritates me when athletes thank God for their great victories.  I suppose it’s just them trying to be humble?  But in that case, you might give your teammates some credit instead.  So, you must think God answered your prayers, but not those of the folks on the other team.  It’s the opposite of humble when you make that claim.

Something i am looking forward to next week: Photography class starts this week!  I’m very much looking forward to learning how to better use my fancy camera, and just learn to be a better photographer in general.

Something i am hoping: To get back into my groove this week, with my activities and behavior.

Something random: We had windy and rainy weather for most of our beach week.  The No Swimming signs were up for our entire trip, except, of course, on the morning we left.

Something captured:

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that made me happy this week: Hanging out on the porch/deck with family and telling stories and talking.

Something i struggled with this week: Giving blood and drinking a beer within 90 minutes of each other leads to fainting on the bathroom floor of a restaurant, at least if you’re me.  I owe a lot of thanks to the waitresses who brought me water and waited with me until i could stand up again.

Something tasty i ate this week: Some sort of Mexican enchilada lasagna that Carol made today.  Yum.

Something i learned this week: I learned more about wireless networking, as once again one of the computers was acting up.  This time, it was a DNS issue.

Something from the bridge table: No stories this week.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: I gave blood, as i hope to do continually my whole life.

Something i am reading: Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey.  I brought quite a few books with me on vacation, and i bet i will get to several this week.

Something happening around the house: The vacation house has a hot tub, and we just tried it out.  It was the perfect thing to end what has been a breezy beach evening, and i can feel my eyelids drooping.  Sleep will come soon.

Something i am thinking: I don’t like the concept that we don’t have free will, that everything is determined.  I can’t say that i have done a whole lot of research here, but i find the idea that we don’t have any control over what we do depressing.

Something i am looking forward to next week: The beach.  Being buried in the sand.  Reading.  Just… vacation.

Something i am hoping: For sunny skies this week.

Something random: I love rereading those favorite books i’ve already read.  They’re like old friends, coming to visit after a long, cold winter.

Something captured: Lance and his Buckeye Mobile.  OSU played their first game against Navy on Saturday.  Here starts 3 months of football.