Zero, Point Two.

Zero, Point Two.

For 0.2 seconds, I am free.
One foot leaves the earth
while the other has yet to return.

I run not from something,
or even to something,
but for it--whatever it is.

I run for that 0.2 seconds.

In 0.2 seconds,
it all rushes through.

I'm a kid with skinned knees.
It's kickball at recess
or a field trip to the zoo.

In 0.2 seconds,
I flash through it all.

I'm at my Junior prom.
I'm in the locker room at halftime.
I'm watching the towers fall.

In 0.2 seconds,
Time reminds me.

I'm the new kid--again.
Just hanging in the dorms.
I'm getting my degree.

For 0.2 seconds,
it all goes my way.

For 0.2 seconds, I am free.
I come back down to earth.
But I'll be back again.

Free again.

Someday.

Or in about 0.2 seconds.



Derrick

Reading about reading? Eek.

Book update. Just finished Kisser by Stuart Woods. Good book, another page-turner by Woods, with lots of twists and turns and several crazy people sprinkled in. What I learned...Drama in life: BAD. Drama in fiction: FUN.

That makes 8 books in 27 days. 2,361 total pages. Pace holding steady and increasing slightly. Just over 87 pages per day thus far.

Next selection: Run Before the Wind - Stuart Woods

This is much older than the last few I've read [it's Woods's 2nd novel--written in 1983]. Hoping to finish in 4 days, to complete 9 books in 31 days [1 month]. Ten would've been cooler, but I suppose nine is nothing to sneeze at. This one, 337 pages.

Other notes:

- Had a real good run yesterday. 6 miles, 110 degree heat index. Not exactly what you would call 'safe' but it was effective.

- Recently attended a birthday party for my 90-year old friend and neighbor, Margaret Albright. One of the coolest people ever. Seriously, if you don't know her, you're missing out. Drives a red sports car, plays golf at 6 AM. We talked about the football team--she's excited, thinks we'll win state--I agree. Love that lady.

- Here's a funny video clip. It's hilarious and so worth your time. It was on during the ESPYs the other night. Classic.




Cheers,
Derrick

Reading, running, and rain.

Book update: Finished The Appeal today. I think from now on, I'll provide some info on each book I read. So for a New York Times book review for The Appeal, [click here].

Very good book, with a bit of scary realism as far as politics and the practice of law go. The ending was disappointing for me, but not enough so to ruin the story. [Unlike, say, Dear John].

That's now 3 books in 15 days. 954 total pages. My roll continues. In fact, my pace has increased. We'll see if that lasts.

Next selection: The Partner - John Grisham

This will be my 3rd Grisham novel in a row. At the moment, I'm thinking of taking a break from Grisham after this one, since a few of my other books of his are longer [longest one: 598 pages]. This one, 366 pages.


Other notes:
- Today, my first ever college crush got married. Congrats, Sarah!

I have one picture of Sarah and me, but it's about 6 years old, my hair was super long, and I looked really high [I wasn't]. So I won't be posting it. But still, I'm really very happy for her.

Now...can it be my turn yet? Please? Why not? *Sigh* But everyone else gets to go...[little kid voice].

- Perhaps the hardest run of my life this evening. Already on a sore knee, I was running through the rain [I love it], and mostly on dirt roads. The rain I was running in was manageable, but I didn't take into account how much it had already rained. For a one mile stretch, I was running in mud that came up past my ankles--that was messy. But there's nothing more liberating than a good, long run in the rain.

No one reads these things,
Derrick

...it's hard to take a handout--and still feel like a man.

I'm back. Two nights in a row. It was a bland Friday night--but the Cubs won and there was lots of good stuff on TV tonight. *Sigh* I need a social life.

Actually, I'm pretty OK with my solitude most times... [Never thought I'd say that--I must be growing emotionally]... Or maybe people just bore me? That's got to be it. :)

Went for a run today--first time since my ankle injury. Got about 5 miles in. Felt surprisingly good until the last mile or so when my foot went numb. It happens. Shake it off and get back out there tomorrow--weather permitting.

With the ankle injury finally, almost, sort of, but not quite behind me, it's time to get back on the weight-loss trek. I've now gone 6 weeks without pop. Soda, if you prefer. Maybe that's part of the reason I didn't die running today? I miss it some, but still a long way to go...

Other habitual practices:

- I've done a really good job of not texting late at night since 2010 rolled around.
- I fell off the reading pace severely. In fact, I quit the book I was reading. It was good and I'll finish someday, but I think something fiction might pique my interest a bit more for now.

Tonight's task: Choose next book. *drumroll*

And the winner is: Hit and Run - Lawrence Block



I read Block's prequels to this one--Hit Man and Hit List--when I was in High School. The dude tells a compelling story. Owned this one for awhile, looking forward to cracking it open.

Runner up: Wild at Heart - John Eldredge



I've had this book for nearly 3 years. I read about 20 pages, but found it too difficult to get through--not because it has big words, but because of who gave it to me--my best friend. My goal is to suck it up, start anew and read it cover-to-cover once and for all before June 20 at 4:25 PM--which will be exactly 3 years after the date marked atop the handwritten letter that serves as its bookmark.

But first things first...a book about killing. How ironic is that? First, I'll read a book about people being killed. Then, a book about being saved. Neat, huh? *chuckle*

Do the right thing,
Derrick

PS--The title to this blog post [in case you don't have your speakers on or are viewing this from your phone] is a lyric from the newest song I've added to the blog--Easy to Love by Sons of William. Genius song. Love that line, too. Actually might not make a bad replacement title for my blog page itself. Hmm...

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Well folks, it's almost 2010. Almost a new year, a new decade. Let's review. First, a brief glimpse at the past decade. Then the year of 2009.

10 years ago, 1999:

- I was 14. 8th grade. I had a crush on a redheaded 7th grader--yikes!
- I was a part of the first ever undefeated football season at PPMS. I take zero credit for that.
- I was a guard on the basketball team. Shot from the hip and began my affinity for shooting the 3.
- Favorite teacher: Mrs. Matthews. She was mean, yet oddly kind.
- Least favorite: Mr. Baker. He was odd. Nine years later, he added me on Facebook. Declined.

In the last 10 years...

My best year: 2007. June, more specifically.
My worst year: 2003/2009.
Biggest accomplishment: Playing college basketball.
Biggest loss: My best friend moving halfway across the country, and essentially out of my life.

Back to the present, 2009:

Biggest accomplishments: Running 351 miles in the month of July, and re-establishing a relationship with my sister.
Biggest loss: I got dumped the day before Valentine's Day. She then got engaged less than 3 months after saying she still loved me. Neat, huh? Then again, in perspective--maybe not such a big loss after all.

Looking ahead, 2010:

Resolutions:
- Find a job (by end of January, no exceptions).
- Find a girlfriend (by March 6 would be nice, but probably not realistic. Let's say June 1).
- Pray. Every single day.
- Run a few races, maybe a half marathon.
- End bad habits. Live right. Do right. Motto--WWAD: What would Amanda do? This is not a new motto, but I will be leaning on it more from now on. Lord knows I need to.

Further ahead, next 10 years...

Goals:
- Get married/have kids.
- Coach at least one championship team.
- Own a house.
- Own a pickup truck.
- See a game at Wrigley.
- Have my picture taken next to the Jordan statue.
- Learn to play guitar.
- Learn to play piano.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a 23-second video that comes to mind for me every single New Year's. Terrific movie, funny clip. Enjoy.



Make your own luck,
Derrick

First time blogger. Well, here, anyway...

Time to give yet another social networking site a try. I gave up on Twitter in about a week's time--it's seriously lame; what's the big hubbub?

This one seems much different, in that there aren't groups of friends, various apps, an I.M. feature, etc. But it seems a little more up my alley, with the simple nature of being a blogging atmosphere. Drawback? Who'll read anything I write. My dear friend Britani proposed that, if anything, just an outlet for ramblings is its biggest benefit, and she's probably right.

But a big part of my writings has always been based on feedback. Whether for humor's sake, or trying to tug at the heartstrings of my baker's dozen readers or so, almost everything I've written, I've written with a little voice whispering "how will they feel about this one, D?" And that will be the case here, too, only with an added wonderment of who, if anyone, is even reading to begin with.

I intend to set Facebook and MySpace aside in June (along with giving up lots of other luxuries) in my quest to run 300 miles--no dying allowed--in 31 days. Reckon I can allow myself to keep phone privileges (talk, text, but no FB/MS apps), and this thing, too, probably. So here's hoping I can recruit some readers, and maybe even gather up some people who care how my running progresses, if I'm still alive, etc. Fingers crossed.

Quick run-through in my sports world:

- Cubs ...still fluttering around .500. Surely it's time to get it together by now, eh guys? Guys?

- Bulls ...picked up James Johnson of Wake Forest in this week's NBA draft. Didn't know much about him until they picked him, and I did some research. Dude is a black belt in kickboxing (as are 7 of his 8 siblings), and his pops is a 9-time world champ. Strength be not an issue with this cat. Love it.



















I'll probably revisit this thing soon. Could be fun. Mostly just wanted to see how posting would go the first time. If you see this, you don't have to write a full-fledged reply, but an acknowledgment that you were here would be pretty sweet.

D, out.