Yoga, Bowling, Clearwater, Movie Review

Yesterday while traveling back from the 70.3 World Triathlon Championship I walked up to the Anne's pretzel shop, in between flights, to get my favorite giant jalapeno pretzel. When I looked back into the kitchen I saw this lady making pretzels and twisting them all around and getting them ready for the oven. It is so weird the way my mind works, but as I watched her I thought about my first yoga class last week. I have decided to follow the advice of my friends who do this stuff and try it so that I would not be as stiff and can meditate some, rather than be hell bent for leather all the time. So, my first class was called to order by this little oriental lady who had the flexibility of an uncooked pretzel. Not only that she was a black belt karate person and could slap me down on the mat in a New York minute. With this being the said I played my cards close to my chest and behaved myself. This kung fu lady would chop me in two if I didn't play right, so I listened. I found right off the bat that my body was in rebellion to this sitting with folded legs thing and then to try and meditate with all I had on my mind was impossible. But, after she came over and gently pushed my back bones into a straight position, twisted my legs to the pretzel position I was on my way to being the yoga king of the canyons. There was two other people, both women, in the class and I know they must have giggled all the way home after watching me suffer. But the kung fu lady was very patient and only threatened me one time with a massive body chop to my private parts. I was amazed when she said, "don't strain so hard to get in a position that it causes pain, pain is not good, we don't want pain in the class." Yea, and Marie Osmond doesn't faint when she dances! Who does she think she is talking to, I am all about pain, I come from the "no pain, no gain" student body and graduated first in my class with football, track, Ironman training, handball crashing into the wall, broken bones, concussions, and on and on. Pain is my middle name so kung fu lady give it to me, and give it to me hard. But, wait a minute here big boy, with too much pain there is no meditation, so pull your skivvies up and just relax. After my first lesson I was determined to go back and show her my flexibility and be a good student. Next Friday is lesson two, will report back.

Last week's bowling was amazing. Either of my partners did not show up, so I had to bowl by myself against my opponents while using the highest average of one of my partners. This game is amazing since I was able to eke out 3 victories to 1 defeat over the night. I guess the secret is getting their early and finishing off the first beer of the night and then getting that freshly cooked popcorn. It really hits the spot and my yoga tortured body was very lose by the time we started the bowling. My opponents were giving this little chuckle to themselves that there was no way this ole man could beat their butts without my partners. But, lo and behold it happened and I walked out of the alley a very happy bowler. Now off to Gilberts for some spirits and food, bowling does make you thirsty and hungry.

The 70.3 Triathlon World Championship in Clearwater, FL., was this past weekend and we traveled there to work as volunteers and work the expo. The weather was a little cool for Florida but great for the athletes. We worked as spotters for the professional athletes and spent 4 hours on the course fighting the other motorcycles looking for space to ride. The media thinks they own the joint and the officials know they do, so we had to fit some where in between to get our job done. Just so happens I was outfitted with a beautiful 2003 Hog, anniversary model, silver w/black trim, Road Kind Classic. WOW!!! What a ride and a fun day on the Hog in Florida. The race itself went well and the athletes were very impressed with the Championship. We talked to many of the athletes afterward and they were real pleased with the course and the race itself. We look forward to qualifying more athletes for this race in 2008, and maybe doing the race again as we did in 2006.

Movie Review: "American Gangster" *****, Well I haven't seen many 5 star movies in a row in a long time, but this one fits. While it is a very brutal, violent movie it is a true story and the acting is great. Dentzal Washington and Russell Crowe play, respectively, a rising black drug kingpin and an outcast cop. Washington plays Frank Luckas, who exploits an opening in the power structure to build his own empire and rule the inner-city drug trade(get this, with better service and higher quality drugs). Crowe is Richie Roberts, the only one who senses a new power player is rising even about the Mafia families. Rated R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality(got it all, nothing left out).

Off to Houston on oil business,

greerman