Vacation

Wow, has life been nuts. A trip to the east coast, return to Louisville, massive urban flooding, my truck is totalled, the building I work in is damaged. I am currently taking a little vacation from writing until I get my feet under me....I'll be back and hopefully better!
JK

Week 2 of Meat Ado!

Except for once slight cheat (Hey, who can't go to a baseball game and have a hotdog...if you even consider that meat), I have done fairly well with sticking to a no meat policy for the past two weeks. I've been eating a lot more veggies and an occasional fruit here or there. The toughest time is dinner because I usually eat some sort of vegetable and a meat, but now I just add more veggies or a protein shake. It's honestly not that tough to accomplish.

I don't know if I feel better, but my weight has been pretty good with me hovering from 163-165...not bad for not even running, but that doesn't count the two a day gym workouts. Thanks metabolism!

My groin is still bothering me so I've laid off running and won't do any this weekend, what else is new though.

Next Wednesday I leave for Boston once again to go see Ashley. We are going to head to the east coast in New Hampshire and go to the beach and see her parents house. They have a pond. I'll be fishing.

Beer of the Week: Pabst Blue Ribbon
If our President can drink a PBR, shouldnt everyone?




Ok, ok I know what you're thinking. PBR, that's what my grandpa drinks! It won awards in the 1860s, this is 2000! PBR is a great tasting beer. They sell it at Cubs games, therefore along with Old Style, it's a great tradition. Seriously, if a beer has hung around for about 150 years then something works. Although, when I am at home I will usually sip on a microbrew of the ale or stout notion, but when out with the buddies at specific bars I choose PBR. Not because I am cheap, but because it tastes good and is American made. Try a PBR, you'll be in love.

Football season is just around the corner....

home

I teed up and sent a scorching ball down the fairway last night playing at Fuzzy Zoellers Covered Bridge golf course in Indiana, probably the nicest course I’ve ever played on. A Bronze statue of Fuzz himself graces the entrance. I’m not a fan of Fuzzy myself, only because everytime I hear his name I think of the racist comments he made towards the golf God known as Tiger Woods. Well anyways, like the course title ensued, we just build a bridge and get over it, and the course was full of bridges. The golf carts, and I hate using them I’d rather walk but the rate was the same either way, had GPS in them. You pull up to your ball and it shows you exactly how far your ball is from the hole. It was pretty nice and helped my irons out tremendously. I birdied the first one and ended with a 42 on the front 9 (mediocre) and a 46 on the back (disastrous). Oh well, we had fun. My drives were weaving around the fairway more than OJ in a white bronco.

It’s back after a long, long overdue vacation: Beer of the Week/Month/Time I actually drink a beer.

Schlafly’s Bourbon Barrel Ale
Originally, Bluesgrass Brewing Company here in Louisville produced the Bourbon Barrel Stout and Ale. Awesome-ness. What happens is all these bourbon distilleries here in Kentucky are selling off older barrels to beer makers for these smooth, yet pungent drinks. Downfall, the beers are pricy. I think a 6 pack ran 10-11 bucks. The beer is great though and is an instant summer classic, I’d take this over that Stupid Kid rock song anyday of the week.


After seeing that the St. Agnes Church picnic was this weekend, I realized that I have officially been back home in Louisville for one year exactly. I’m back to running (well sometimes, someone asked me what was injured and I just pointed up and down my whole leg), fishing tournaments, rekindling old friendships, and most importantly, enjoying a great job and career. I am making headway on my dissertation lit review thank god, man its boring. I make myself set aside time to plow through journal articles and then type my notes from that article on a word document with a citing so its simply a copy and paste once it comes to reference time.

Of course I do miss some friends and family back home, but I don’t miss the smalltown feel. It never was for me once I went away to college. Louisville isn’t a mega-city, but it’s big, has a lot of things to do, and more importantly, diversity. Diversity is something which has allowed me to grow as an individual and learn to open my mind the understand concepts that were never put forth before me. Never once back home would I have considered myself friends with someone of color or someone who likes someone of their on sex. Why, simply enough because my town was 100% white growing up and if there were gays or lesbians in the community, I really didn’t know about them that much unless they were older. Never in a million years after graduating in a class of 62 from ole LCHS, would I have thought my PhD dissertation would be concerning school counselors and their competency and attitudes towards LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) students. Humpf. Shit happens huh Forrest.

Well, Ashley is still in the waiting game to hear from GE for the new job and also the possibility of working remotely here in Louisville. Waiting is awesome.
So overall I’m glad to be home.

But to me it's so damn easy to see that your people are the people at home
Well I been away but now I'm back today and there ain't a place I'd rather go

I feel home when I see the faces that remember my own
I feel home when I'm chillin outside with the people I know
I feel home, and that's just what I feel
Cause home, to me, is reality and all I need is something real
~OAR “I feel home”

Summer.

Not much going on here. Summer is flying by pretty fast and a majority of my time is spent looking forward to the first of the month so I can see Ashley. The job she is going for officially posted last Thursday so that's a good step in the right direction. This economy blows and I know every joe blow engineer is going to be applying for that son of a gun.

My runs are off and on, my inner groin on my injured leg usually starts getting painful about 4-5 miles it. It sucks. So not really gonna run that much to try and exacerbate the problem. I've been eating well and doing XT and that seems the keep the weight off. I wonder often is the elliptical makes the problem even worse.

I've lost my edge a bit. Im not in the mood, the shape, or have it in my head to want to start training again. Signing up for the Lakefront marathon was a mistake. I'm not near healthy and I enjoy running when I want to much. it'll come back around the same time my legs do. I hope.

Therefore, my post is brief like my grade school underwear.

The Hangover- great movie, finally gave in and saw it. Hilarious.

Possibly might go no meat this week to see if I can and how I'll feel.

time to get a new shirt

So I was on a casual, easy run (my new favorite kind) last night en route to a quick core session at the gym. A block away from the gym, right in front of a church, a trashy 80s van with a white trash derelict hanging out the window yells something. Now I get shit yelled at me a lot, usually from friggin idiots and sometimes I just shrug it off, give them the finger, or just raise my hands and make a motion to “bring it”. They never have. What makes this case different is that this moron flicks a cigarette at me and yells “bout time to get a new shirt man”. Ok, I was wearing my Boston 08 tanktop and no way in hell this guy was jealous of that. He put more Skoal in his mouth that Clif Shots.
So my reaction, in words I can type “ Hey you mother fu**in pu*sy*, why don’t you get out of the car you fu**in bi*ch. “ He didn’t get out of the car, so I said..”yea that’s right, be a little b*tch right in front of your girl you p*ss.” I debated on sprinting towards the van at a light and pulling the guy out of it and beating him in front of god and everyone, but I chose not to sink to his level physically, verbally we were long lost twins I assume. God I love running.

People are morons. Off to the Illinois State University, home, and then Chicago for the Cubs game. Awesome.

reflection

Man in the Mirror. Yea not so much a big fan of Michael Jackson himself or the negative things which followed him, but his music was good. A mirror allows us to see our own reflection. I wonder what the Neanderthals thought when they first saw their flat foreheaded, big browed, shaggy haired image in a body of water. Probably scared the shit out of them. Sometimes looking in a mirror can scare the shit out of us. It makes us ask the question, is this really me? You can tell yourself what you want to see, but eyes can’t lie. Deep into them you can see the truth. You can avoid eye contact with yourself by avoiding mirrors, but like all things in life, it’s gonna catch up with you and you’ll surprise yourself one day when you see someone that is a former shell of who you were.

I had this experience a year ago today. This very day one year ago was the day that changed my life. I found out who my true friends were, ended a pissing match with my dad, and did my best to turn a negative in a positive. What happened isn’t of concern, it’s what has came from it and how I have grown that is what matters most. Last year I was in a time in my life where I was miserable. I couldn’t run due to injury. I hate being in smalltown Illinois and missed Louisville dearly. I had 3 interviews in Louisville for school counseling jobs and didn’t get a one, even from the school I did my internship with. I was down on my luck. I regretted initially leaving Louisville, but it was what I had to do and that year away made me stronger and made me realize I needed to grow up a little bit and start looking ahead.

I wasn’t getting any breaks. I was down and out. I hadn’t talked to my dad for a few months or so. It was one where we pissed each other off, because we are exactly alike, and we were too damn stubborn to do anything about it. I had no goals or motivation. My school I worked for knew I was looking for a new job and they had pissed me off so I had every intention to get the heck out of here. I still held onto the dreams of being back together with my best friend in Louisville, but it just wasn’t there anymore. Too broken to fix, too much pain that an “im sorry” bandaids can’t fix, even a healthy friendship was a shot in the dark. My drug of running was gone, I had no instant cure or way to get rid of all the bads that usually fly of like a bead of sweat. Instead they stuck with me, deep into my soul laughing at me…until one day changed my life, July 28th, 2008.

I woke up the morning of June 29th and had no idea where to turn. Who would still be there? I swallowed my pride. He answered and for the first time in my life outside of a funeral or Jenna, I cried. I apologized for everything. It was a good moment between us, a mutual understanding. It’s ok he said. That’s all I needed to hear. My dad and I have never been really close, honestly I’m not emotionally close with my family very much. Never have been, that’s just how it was. No one is perfect he said and he loved me through the good and the bad. Since then, my dad and I have had a relationship like we’ve never had. A lot has to do with us both finding happiness and realizing we aren’t that much different. Listen to your parents kids, they know what the hell they are talking about. My dad has been through some shit in his life, loss of a brother, a father, 2 marriages and he still holds his head high. He is extremely supportive of my stepmom who I’ve referenced with breast cancer even though h is remarried. He is a stronger man than I thought I ever could be. I never really thought about my dad as a role model as a kid, it took me 26 years to figure out he has his shit together. Back to the happiness, he found his in an amazing woman from Iowa that makes him feel young again and has been a great fixture in his life and in my family. I found mine in Boston through running. The first time we met it was just an occurrence, my good friend mentioned to his wife “I see King and Ashley getting together”. Ashley has been a life changing person in my life, she is amazing. What girlfriend says “that’s cool, im ok with it” when you tell her you live next to, work next to, hang out with, and are best friends with your ex girlfriend.

I then call Jenna. My ex girlfriend/person by my side through thick and thin. She was still in Louisville. Again, all the previous negativity was gone, she was supportive. I recently was cleaning my apartment and found all of the letters and cards Jenna had sent me from the start. A chronological sequence of hopes and dreams that were just on a misaligned path. I kept them, not because of the emotional value they hold, but when I right a book I want to be able to reflect on them and the transformation we both have made. To make a long story short, Jenna and I went from the possibly never having the ability to have a healthy friendship to being best friends. Not many people can say they sit down and talk about their current relationships with their ex’s. Our friendship is unbreakable. One of the first things I wanted to do when Ashley was visiting was to have her meet Jenna. Jenna approved. You’re good Ashley.

I needed to get my life together and be John King again. I turned to my best friends. I turned to Greg Coplen, a running friend who has turned out to be a lifelong friend who inspires me everyday and gives me hope of one day achieving life satisfaction from everyday occurrences like he does. Coplen’s been there man. He’s been a drunken mess who quit rehab and wouldn’t admit he had a problem. Almost lost his friends, his family, and most importantly his life. Trully a phoenix, Cope has risen from the ashes to help others and serve for Jesus Christ. I’m not a religious man, but Cope is the bible I turn to when I need some advice or a positive perspective. He gives and asks for nothing in return, a modern day saint. His kids are lucky to have him as a father, his wife as a husband, and anyone who thinks they have no where to turn or go, Cope’s there to let you know you’re not alone. Thanks bro.

2 days later I got a call. Wanna get your PhD? 2 days later, want a job an your Phd? In a matter of a week, I was where I wanted to be. Full-time job, doctoral candidate, and back in Louisville. My home. Be smart John. Think. Appreciate life. Don’t take things for granted. See what you aren’t supposed to see. Think of others first. You are just a player in a large play, don’t forget you’re lines, you’ll get the spotlight, just make sure everyone gets you’re cues.
I went most of the day today not thinking about it. Then I sat and just reflected. I became thankful. Appreciative. I became who I’ve always wanted to be or so I think.

So what happened on June 28th. It doesn’t matter. I turned a negative event into something positive. I couldn’t have done it alone…
I looked into the mirror this morning, hair is longer and curly. Slight 5 o’clock shadow. I stare deep into my eyes. I no longer saw that person who was there a year ago. I’ve matured a bit, learned a lot, and grown up. There is a twinkle now in my eye, I have a bright future ahead, a loving girlfriend, a great work environment, a supportive family, and more importantly….a stableness in my life. Mirrors don’t like people, they just show us the truth that we cannot accept at times.

On a running relevant note, Ive been doing PT and making my hips stronger and ive ran here or there. I love running in the dead of heat. I like when people look and me and just think “idiot”. My shins are still iffy.
Thanks for reading.