Chapter 79

He sat at the bar. It appeared to him that the lacquer finish on the Philippine Mahogany counter top was a foot think. He tapped it with his fingernails to test its hardness pinging out the staccato opening to the William Tell Overture perhaps by accident, perhaps not. Embarrassed, he looked quickly both ways to make sure no one was listening to his impromptu performance of a Rossini opera in a Hawaiian bar. No one was.

He remembered his speech from the prior evening. He was put on the spot by the wife of the Ambassador. He had wanted to avoid all talk of the election and politics, but when you travel with the circus, it's hard not to talk to the clowns. She was loud, drunk, right-wing by marriage and beautiful. Their eyes meet several times during cocktails, and he knew danger was knocking at his door. When she announced to the group that she was most interested in hearing his take on the candidates, he knew that if ever there was a time and a place for tact, diplomacy and eloquence, this was it.

"I think it's about attitude", he began, "more so than the issues, more so than the war, more so than the economy. I feel that we need to return to a country who is respected Internationally, trusted and ready to discuss new ideas, ways and means, new paradigms that will allow growth, will welcome new technologies, and at the same time promote human rights and protect the environment and its resources. I feel Americans truly want someone to admire, respect, and trust to lead us through these difficult times. We need a return to accountability from top to bottom and we need a CEO with integrity, tenacity, wisdom and the good sense as to when to use each. We also need a leader with a sense of humor. To tell a joke when the tension is thick. To laugh with our neighbors and to help our friends when help is needed. Character. Attitude. Charisma. I think the people want to be inspired. They want to help but they don't know how. They want to give but don't know where. They want to do for their country what their country has failed to do for them. They want to be united in a common cause. And, personally, so do I."

The room was silent.

Where was Tonto when he needed him?

Popular Demand

When loyal readers ask, loyal readers receive. This from the 2007 Ironman 70.3 Championships in Clearwater. Live Your Dreams.

Here we go

It's a seasonal thing. The day before the opening kickoff of the college football season. College Football is my last remaining team sport vice. I no longer read box scores or follow baseball. I detest the NBA. And the Superbowl and all the weeks leading up to it bore me to tears. It's all business and showbiz (meaning money). But I can't seem to shake the College game. And especially those Montlake Mutts at the UW. That's University of Washington for those of you who might be lurking in Exeter, Schwabach or Perth. You can debate the pros and cons of this all you want, but I am a loyal follower of this program, and have been for 30 years. I will not even try to shake it no matter how bad we have been since the last big hurrah (see ticket from the 2001 Rose Bowl).

So there is my prediction for tomorrow nights contest down in Eugene.

WOOF

Change is hard

Change is Hard. One of the oldest axioms running. Let's look at it closely. What does it mean and how altruistic is it?

You have all heard the stories about people who refuse to change their behavior even when they understand that it is killing them. I won't go any further than to mention three that are widely accepted in our society. Fast food. Alcohol. Tobacco. Killers all, yet condoned, promoted, supervised and subsidized by both your Big Brother Bob and Your Uncle Sam. Ask the obese, the addicted or the recovering how hard a change in life style truly is. That is our jump off point. I am going to take it a platform higher and state a few observations about our society, here on the day that Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination. My main need here is to try to understand why, as of this moment, he is running head to head with Mr. McCain in the polls. How the heck can this be? Why?

Because change is hard.

We have been successfully brainwashed by Rove, Cheney, two Bushes and countless neo-cons to buy into the politics, and therefore, the society, of fear. We are geldings. And as long as we remain sans testes, and max our credit cards, they giggle and cajole behind closed board room doors. Because they know that change is hard.

Because it is easier to:

Spend $4 for a Big Mac than cook your own soup.
Watch reality TV than volunteer in your community.
Listen to your iPod than listen to your spouse.
Read the paper than search for alternatives.
Drive your car than ride your bike.
Buy into rather than question.
Stay sedated than clean and sober.
Accept the loss of civil rights because of a war on terror.
Accept the loss of choice because of a war on drugs.
Accept the loss of young men and women because of a power struggle over oil.
Look the other way as torture is legalized.
Build a fence than negotiate.
Drop bombs than force dialogues.
Cheat, lie and steal than work, hope and pray.
Blame the other guy than accept responsibilities.
Make money the end instead of the means.
Not get involved than risk being called unpatriotic.
Not practice civil disobedience than risk having to hire a lawyer.
Be silently outraged than vocally appalled.
Be with them than against them.
Take the path of least resistance than the road to glory.
Do nothing than do something.
Moan, groan, bitch and complain than laugh, sing, commend and praise.
Be negative than positive.
Do the right thing than to do what is right.
Be a gelding than be a wild mustang.

So, my dear friends, it seems that 50% of the population would just as soon complain about the prices of gas, heating oil, corn flakes and milk, than suggest that there is a solution. That half of us would rather allow an illegal war to continue without accountability than to speak up in protest. That we don't mind losing our homes, our jobs, our children or our dreams. That it is somehow OK to have our government slide every day closer to fascism and a police state. That it is OK to weigh 350 pounds and think QOL is a 42 inch plasma screen. So we drink and smoke and make sure we have plenty of ammo.

Because change is hard.

And they know it, and they count on us to be spineless lemmings and be distracted by all their smoke screens. And to then avoid the one thing that we truly, desperately and immediately need: CHANGE.

But change is hard.

Dearest Huskies

Dearest 2008 Huskies,

I knew your fathers, your uncles and your hero's from other teams and classes. I hung out with the guys in the trenches, and traded war stories with the low number guys. I have sat in the pouring rain and watched a purple and gold blur march up and down a soggy field. I have watched glorious games in the Rose Bowl, down at Autzen, on the hill across from Sun Devil Stadium and on The Farm.

Many of my fondest memories are of guys with names like Heinrich, Redmond, Steele, Sonny, Tui and Steve. Hoffman, Ink, Hall, Meamber, Chico, Sterling and Chuck. I saw Napoleon carry the ball, Reggie catch it and Brunell toss it. I saw the good teams, the so-so teams and the bad teams. At one time I thought that Don James would make a better president than the one we had.

I was one proud Husky fan. Saturday afternoons in the fall became my favorite time of the year. I got my work done early so I could indulge in the TV coverage for a couple of hours. When we won I slept like a baby, when we didn't I tossed and turned all night, wondering why.

It has been a rough couple of years. Eight to be exact. Poor Gilby and Lambo, they didn't fail from lack of tryin' or because they didn't bleed enough purple. I respect Ty and what he is trying to accomplish, and how. I hope it works. Guess we'll start to find out Saturday night at Oregon.

But I want to say this on Wednesday of game week. Dearest Huskies, I don't care if you win by two scores, or lose by five. All I want, as a loyal fan of the University of Washington, is to see you grow as young men. I want to watch as you take that huge step from High School stars to Div 1 Major College Pac-10 student athletes. I want you to give this effort 100% of your focus on Saturday night in Autzen Stadium. I want you to be proud that you are wearing the colors of the guys I mentioned above, and give it your best for 60 minutes. If you do that, if your teammates all do this, you will win a game much bigger than the one tabulated on the scoreboard.

It's not about Home vs Visitor, Oregon versus Washington, it's about you vs YOU.

Good Luck, lads. We all stand behind you.

Thank You Canada

IMC #26 gets 9.9 CT Legs

You know by now that 10 is PERFECT. Closest to it this year has been Boulders 5430. There area a lot of good races, a few great races, and one or two exceptional races. But there is only one IRONMAN CANADA. I have long held that this is the best long course triathlon in the world. Unless you are a Pro and racing for prize money and sponsorship, this event is every age groupers dream. Folks, there are reasons why it is now in its 27th year. I will list three: Quality, passion, venue.

Quality. Tough to define, easy to see and feel. This event, under the expert direction of North America Sports (Graham, Helen, Roch, Joe, JD, Z, Mark, et. al.) put on a show second to none (are you reading Diana?) From the Expo and registration, through race day and into the awards banquet, this is an experience of an athletes lifetime. Hence the demand.

Passion: Graham told me last year that the people that work for NAS are passionate about what they do (or they wouldn't do it). The wonderful folks of Penticton open their streets, shops, homes and hearts to each and every Ironman participant, every year. They yell, they cheer, they support, they encourage, they inspire. They outnumber the participants almost 3-1. We get pampered every August in the Oakanagan.

Venue: The swim in Lake Oakanagan is about as nice as it gets, photo op mass start and two right turns in comfortable clean water. Aren't many one lap 112 mile courses anymore. Florida, Lanzarote, Kona. 'bout it. The spectacular 112 of IMC has it all. A thirty mile (mostly) downhill to start past incredible mountains and lakes, the signature climb up Richter Pass, the seven bitches - a set of relentless rollers - the Twilight Zone of Cawston, a TdF like climb up Yellow Lake and the screaming downhill finish into town and return through cheering Main Street. And that, folks, is the seriously condensed version, anybody who has done this race will take hours to tell you what unfolded on their personal journey. And the run, once outside of town, is as good as it gets, along Skaha Lake, at the turn in OK Falls and back. Running down Main St. towards the pandemonium of the finish is an experience that every tri-geek should know. How the mind deals with the pain of the body and the elation of the soul is truly unique. To be cheered onward by thousands of screaming fans as you deal with absolute physical fatigue, disorientation and dehydration is only reconciled by crossing the finish line. There are tears. There are hugs. Character is on display. Legends are made here. Heros born. Stories begun and chapters ended. This venue is so special, so magical and so meaningful, that even in the pouring rain at 10PM, fifteen hours after Ironman legend Peter Reid lit the match firing the starting canon, I sat in the rain and watched finishers hit the tape in a steady courageous parade. Sure, I've done my share of Ironman events, but siting there on Sunday night, I realized that I hadn't done one TODAY.

And suddenly a squall of empathetic gratefulness washed me clean. I am happy to have done my races in the past, I am proud of the folks finishing right now, and I am especially grateful that we have this wonderful opportunity to exercise our quality of life freedoms in such a beautiful and passionate venue.

Thank you Canada for 9.9 CompuTrainer Legs.

Photos: Kurt doing a street Renior Saturday night. I love the pipes, especially at mile 21. The Super Shooter Scooter gets primed. The finish and the start, all in a days work.

All I Ask

Friday of IMC 26 race week. Another great expo day. (Kurt above demos the IM OZ RCV to a potential CTer) This race is so popular, so emotional, so perfect (but please remember folks, that a perfect 10 CT Legs has yet to be awarded) that it is almost impossible NOT to sing in perfect pitch to the tri choir. Saw some old and dear friends, Ed Wong who has done (sit down please) ALL 26 IMCs, Matt Reynolds, whom I interviewed on an Hawaiian Airlines flight one year for an hour only to lose the tape when my camera was stolen in Kona), Fletch Newland, who has found a match for his considerable talents as the West Coast sales rep for Cervelo, and Suzanne Nowliss, my favorite all time gal triathlete, who was proudly sporting a HUGE diamond engagement ring, (see photo). SN is one of four people to have appeared in the lyrics of one of my triathlon songs, in this case the infamous "Snoqualamie to Siskayou" from Northwest Triathlon 2003: Tips. She is world class. When I get back to the studio on Tuesday I'll post the lyrics and maybe even a clip if I have the render time. Now that I'm thinking about it, where the heck is Michael Blue?????

I gotta add a couple of political notes here. And this needs exposition upon return.

I could care less what my choice for POTUS thinks about:
Abortion
Same sex marriage
Estate tax
Lapel pins
Health care
NAFTA
Music
God
Fanny Mae
Rush Limbaugh
GWB
PG-13
Ludacris
Jackson Browne
Pot
Coffee
Light sweet crude

Because the choice in all of the above is with me. I will decide for myself, and take care of myself, and be responsible to myself for my choices therein. I don't need nor do I want, somebody (even the POTUS) to tell me what I can or cannot think. I mean seriously folks, if I REALLY want to go gay, smoke herb and praise Allah, I will, legal or otherwise. SO STOP WASTING SO MUCH TIME PANDERING TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC YOU THINK WILL GET YOU THE VOTE. I want someone who will:

Think outside the box
Put the planet ahead of profit and exploitation
Put people ahead of pals, the common before the crony
Tell the fucking truth
Not get drunk on hubris and power
Be flexible
Inspire
Lead by example
Piss off the Petite bourgeoisie
Rock the boat
Walk the walk
Do the right thing (no matter what).

That's all I ask.