Saturday, August 30, 2008

obama/biden/here

they stopped in dublin today. mom got aggressive and went around 10 in the morning to wait for tickets all day. she is kind of a badass.

their speeches were great. i am looking forward to the debates.


obama, john glenn, biden


biden's speech


obama's


takin off

it's on ohio.

after running the Columbus Half, and really thinking over the smartest way to qualify for Boston, i have decided to return for the Columbus Marathon. i was originally thinking i would run the Denver Marathon since i will be out in Boulder anyway.... it takes place on the same day... but is also located a mile in the air and only has pace teams for 3:20 and above.

my time was effected negatively by the heat in the cbus half. this made me come to the conclusion that if i ran the Denver Marathon i could be fully conditioned to run a 3:10, but miss it due to having to also compensate for the lack of oxygen. i have spent way too many months training to have my time hindered by something out of my control. i would only have four weeks to adjust to the altitude, do my peak training run, and a proper taper. now i can use the altitude to benefit me when i return to the near sea-level conditions of Columbus.

so i bought a plane ticket to come back on wednesday the 15th and will be returning to Denver (very early morning) of the 20th.

i have also signed up to run with cliff bar 3:10 pace team.

join me in running the Columbus Marathon.

Friday, August 29, 2008

too good

mccain picked his vp today. alaska's gov sarah palin, who has even less experience then obama, has now been cast onto the, rightfully judgmental, national stage.

what would have been better?

if hillary went to the darkside. a mccain/ clinton ticket would have been the best thing ever. not for me. not at all. but, then the republicans would be forced to rally behind their only bipartisan option and vote for a true 'reach across the isle' ticket. the desperate hillary supporters would be given a new way to get their woman back into the white house... then the moon would crash into the earth.

but, that didn't happen... and, unfortunately for the republicans, the debates are rapidly approaching. their smear campaigns will be dealt with head-on and their many weaknesses revealed.

it's going to be a great fall.

grilled chicken parmesan

//grilled chicken/(my) homemade red sauce/fresh mozzarella (well... by US standards)/ parmesan reggiano//





my cat.

best cat ever - kitty.
i love this little guy more then anything.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

add one

i will be running the Mizuno Columbus 15 Miler on Sept. 14th. anyone else can feel free to join me.

sign up here.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

bad people

if some higher power does exist, they might find humor in our denial of the inevitable destruction of our society through 'natural' disasters and some incurable plague. morbid? maybe. though after hearing this morning about the continuing trial of a woman who put her baby in a microwave in order to kill it we all have it coming.

i fully understand that in the natural order of the animal kingdom that offspring are murdered by parents constantly. fact of life. eat the young or die yourself. though this does not, by any means, apply to primates or humans. we guard our youth - some animals will be so heart broken by the loss of their young that they will continue to carry around the body and try to nurse is back to health like some warped hopes of a doll coming to life.

bit of a tangent, but back to the point. how did twisted acts of brutality become something so accepted by society that this story barely has an impact on us, and doesn't make the evening news? are mccain's $500+ shoes really that great? is michelle obama's lack of pride in our country really that surprising?

at what point does the bad outweigh the good of humanity?

here's the terrible story.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

columbus half results

08.24.08 half marathon results:

1:32:51
7:06 pace
2nd in age group
31st overall

decent considering how disgustingly hot and humid, and lacking of shade, the run was this morning.

this means i am on target for the denver marathon.

let's get drunk.

Friday, August 22, 2008

'leftovers' pizza



last night i grilled tarragon chicken with a (mustard/white wine/tarragon/honey) compound butter sauce... and i also made eggplant parmesan. both turned out incredible. the best way to use the leftovers? pizza.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008

tapering

it sucks.

when training, you spend your weeks building your pace physically and mentally. then taper weeks come. you have to think 'slower. go slower.' the entire run - restraining any urge to push speed or utilize the adrenaline and endorphin bursts.

miserable.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

revised life plan.

after some pondering and deep self-inflection i have come to figure out where i am headed in the shuffle board match of life.

short-term:
- work at crispin this fall.
- head back to pratt for the spring and summer semesters to finish (ew.)
- convince my dream agency that they should pay me money.
- try to do something positive for the world

long-term
- begin working on interior design and take my graphic design abilities to another level.
- win some kind of superficial award.
- bank capital. spend money. save money.
- avoid needing a car.
- keep thinking on what i could do to better the world.

10 - 20 years long-term:
- open a restaurant with my bros. design everything from the lighting to the forks (aka an exit plan from advertising).
- actually do something positive for the world - outside of offering excellent food...

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

food shots

new rule - whenever i make something delicious and classy and my camera is near, i'm going to shoot it. then post it.

pizzas of the night:

prosciutto di parma, pear, caramelized-onions, gorgonzola, and balsamic reduction


mozzarella, basil, and tomato. a bit of garlic olive oil action too.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

marketing to children

i am a bit torn on the issue of the f.t.c.'s regulations with restricting marketing of unhealthy products towards children. my dilemma is that in a capitalist society, with a free market, a company should be able to advertise to whatever audience their product is aimed (within a reasonable form of media), but then, as a runner and health-conscious eater, i find myself having a problem with the child obesity (and ultra-fat culture) in america.

what can be done?

is it really fair to force companies into only being able to advertise to parents? those are the same parents who were already letting their kids eat the disgusting shit in the first place. how good could their judgement really be?

then again, why should these companies be able to do whatever they want? they have the money and marketing power to reinvent their advertising approach on a whim.

what it comes down to is who gets their chunk of freedom. should the company get the rights to produce whatever abhorrent products they can conjure, then let the parents decide whether to let their kids shove the pre-fab foods and beverages into their gullets? OR should the corporations be placed under tight restrictions, and the parents awarded the freedom of conscious knowing that these evil food goliath's are putting a little less effort into destroying the future health prospects of their children?

Monday, August 11, 2008

bitter

over the past year, for some reason, my pallet has become attracted to the bitter.

some recommended favorites:
- pure cranberry juice (buy at trade joe's)
- (90+ coco) dark chocolate
- greek yogurt
- magnus berries (regional in italy, but still)

< 13 days

with under two weeks to go until my first (real) race in 11 months, i am pretty pumped. it now comes time to refine training, cut out alcohol, and focus on nutrition. the columbus half-marathon is going to be a great test for me to push pace and see if my training is on-target for the denver marathon in october.

see you at the finish line.

trail runners

i think i'm going to buy a pair for colorado.
running through the woods is a lot cooler then dodging cars.

portfolio update


anna kate and i have added to the 'dictionary.com' campaign, and reworked the 'band-aid' ads. i also put up a new photo in the 'other' section.

check 'em out.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

shoe slut



i decided to leave my 'new balance 902s' for the 'nike zoom skylon +2'

the sectioned sole is pretty legit. i recommend looking into it.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

waiter of the night

bad waiters don't generally bother me; unless they mess up my order. i understand that it is not the most fun job in the world. forced human interaction has to take its toll. yet when the night is tainted by a waiter's subtle arrogance, and smug-dickery, then i do start to become a bit bothered.

we went into nyc to grab a meal at 'one if by land, two if by sea' for restaurant week. it's known as one of the best restaurants in the city. i had a good time. great company, very decent food, and yet the evening was altered by a waiter's attitude and service. honestly, it didn't bother me, but it did annoy my brother - to the point of putting enough of a damper on the night that it made me annoyed at the waiter for allowing my brother to think i might have had a bad time.

when paying a good amount of money for a dinner, good service should come standard. unfortunately my brother is way too nice to let his true feelings show in the tip. by the end of our dinner i think this guy was headed toward the < 2% range.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

portfolio photo update


bermuda photos are up. they look sooo much better then on facebook - fucking jpeg formating ruining my vibrant colors.

click to check it out.

grapenuts

by far still the best cereal ever. italy didn't have them... just corn flakes and special k, both with a few variations and knock-offs. grapenuts are one of those things i came to quickly miss.

it's what i eat race day (with a protein shake and half a power bar). they stick with you like a well mixed concrete.

i don't think much cereals can compare when grapenuts are paired with some fresh berries and milk.

Friday, August 1, 2008

attempt at greatness

i made my first meat sauce (post italy) tonight. it was good.

only 'good' for a couple reasons. i am obviously my harshest critic on this one... coming from the food valley and eating the best that italy has to offer, then trying to recreate it is a very very hard task. also, dealing with mediocre to poor ingredients doesn't help. enough with the excuses. there's always room for improvement, and the crowd appreciated the effort. now i work towards a state of perfection that will shock and awe.

game on.

loa



no. not the voodoo spirits from haiti.

leave of absence - as in not returning to pratt in the fall so i can go work for crispin porter + bogusky.

i'll be movin out to boulder, co, in mid-september; with prospects of a marathon and the start of ski season soon to follow.

it might seem like my life has become an extended vacation, and since i love what i do, it definitely has. (well plus the fact i will be living in four different locations within a year)