Horrible, Evil Curs

Our border collies are becoming obnoxious in their old age. They bark at nothing, they lick everything, and they lie down in front of the stairs. They steal socks, crap all over the yard and get into trash. They're not sorry about any of this, but that's not the worst of it.

The worst of it has been their decision to jump on the bed every morning around 530a.

I wish I could be a Good Dog Owner and thank them for waking me up. Unfortunately, I don't like to get up at 530a. At best, I like to sleep until 545a or even 615a (actually, I often feel like sleeping until 11a or noon, but that just doesn't work so well).

Anyway, they generally jump off the bed about two minutes later after some licking on their part and some snarling on mine. Then they wait until I'm just about back to sleep and jump back on.

Because they're border collies, and they can do that.

They did it again this morning, so I got up around 545a and got the boys off to school. Came home, picked up my gym bag, and did a fairly leisurely 25-mile bike ride. I was still a bit sore, so I took a day off from running. The pool, of course, is closed until Friday.

Worked fairly hard this morning and stuck to the diet. I call this piece of art "Breakfast in Shadow":


Miscellanea du jour:

*** It's an odd thing that people would devote so much time and effort to cracking the encryption code for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs (09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0). I don't even have time for Netflix, and often have to put my Tivo viewing of "The Sopranos" off until Thursday. Sigh.

*** I'm still getting XM service. I hear not everyone else is getting it today. I had really high hopes for the Bob Edwards/PRI/APM/WBUR show, but it tends to just kind of turn into noise after a few hours. It's just not NPR.

*** Speaking of public radio, I really enjoy WAMC. It's a small miracle, considering that my first exposure to the station was an Alan Chartock-driven fundraiser. Chartock tends to be, well, a bit manic. But I got to meet him at a function where I was teaching a few years ago and later did an on-air interview with him. His stations really are the best of public radio, I think.

*** Chickens, bees ... now fish? The epidemiologists have got to come up with a better name than viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, though. Just doesn't quite have the ring of "bird flu" or even "colony collapse disorder." I think next year's home wildlife play involves beehives. Just in case.

*** Idly thinking about taking the boys to see Mark Breen this week. I don't catch his "Eye on the Sky" radio program nearly as much as I should. There's also a bike repair workshop in Brattleboro this weekend. And a half-marathon to benefit Dartmouth-Hitchcock Children's Hospital. If I decide to be a good person, I will go to all three ...

*** Added a new widget on the lower right-hand rail, courtesy of the Complete Running Network. And not just because they gave me a shout-out. Although -- take note -- I am a complete ho that way.

*** A fantastic issue of National Geographic this month, which I read on the bike. Quite a few of the stories are, meh. But the photos are, as always, incredible. It's my fourth-favorite magazine, which is saying a lot, given the competition (Runners World, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker). And it's $15 per year. Really. Just a few of the online photos make me want to take out another subscription.



Going to do a 10-K tomorrow while the weather's still gorgeous. Maybe eight miles if the dogs aren't bouncing on the bed early. Must also psych myself up to finish the chicken coop this weekend and till the garden. I think we've had our last frost of the year.

Hopefully.