Two day work weeks are great gigs...

Yep. Back to work for me today. It was a fun two days off. The snow is here to stay though. We arent supposed to get above freezing for a week. So Cincinnati, the White Death is here to stay for a bit.

I sure could get used to working two days a week. I worked Monday, Today, and then I'm off for vacation tomorrow to New Orleans for a week. I CAN'T...and emphasize CAN'T...wait to head south for a while. Warmer weather and NO SNOW! Although Mrs. H. LOVES the snow, I'm learning to like it less and less every year. She and I may end up living in different states someday.

Anyways...Happy Fri...er...Thursday to everyone. Enjoy the snow if you have it...or not!

A few pictures of why Im at home today on a snow day.

The bottom three pictures are views from my front porch down our street. The first picture is from the backyard.

White Death is turning nasty...

So I didn't have work today. The snow won. Which I don't mind at all. It was a nice day to hang out with the dogs and get some housework done. The dogs and I got out in the snow today and played. I took them on a long walk today and I let them play in the snow. I think Rhoda and Sherman both enjoyed themselves.Unfortunately, for tonight, we are supposed to have some bad ice, which we are getting right now. It's not looking good. Fortunately Mrs. H. got home tonight without incident. I'm really imagining that I am going to have a second snow day tomorrow.

Terms Ending...

So today is a pretty big day for me. I end two terms today. I got the opportunity to teach Intro to Broadcast production which the final project was due today. As well, I am in school working on my Master's degree. My Managerial Law class ends today also. So, I'm ending two terms that I'm involved in on the same day. The fun thing is, if I teach next term, my new Master's class as well as my new teaching class both start on Monday. So...I get a week off of which I'm so looking forward to. New Orleans...here we come.

Weather Update...

The White Death is coming...

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Im a suspicious person...

I went running this morning. It was my long run today, a week out from the race next weekend. I ran 11 miles today in 1:20:00. A 7:15 pace. Not too bad. I felt good this morning. Everything was working properly. I'm good to go.

It was a mostly uneventful run, except for one little story.

I get to mile 5 or so. Im pacing out pretty well, when out of nowhere a local policeman pulls up from in front of me and rolls down his window. I stop at his car and he proceeds to inform me that someone who had passed me on the road had called in that a suspicious looking person was running along side the road. Ok, so it was 25 degrees this morning. I'm in my running shoes, running pants, running jacket, gloves, stocking hat, and my earphones attached to my iPod. I can tell while im talking to the officer, that he's trying to keep from laughing. Im sure he is probably thinking that the person who called in was a little paranoid, or just not smart at all.
Here is how the conversation went:

Officer: "Hi. So what are you doing? Out jogging?'
Me: "Yes. I have a race next weekend and this is my long run."
Officer: "Oh, ok. What are those on your hands? Gloves?"
Me(looking at my hands): "Yes. They are."
Officer: "Well keep running."



I think...the only way I looked suspicious was that I was a human being running in Kentucky, the land of hot browns and beers.

A day today.

So Mrs. H. and I are one week out from our first race of the season. I ran 5 miles in 35:30 today, and I felt good about that. That was followed by jumping rope, abs, arms, and back. I felt great today running, and feel that I am almost ready for my 13.1 next Sunday. Im running 10 tomorrow, to see how a double digit miler will do. I just wish, it was a little warmer outside.

I finished today a final for Monday for my Managerial Law class. Im now half way through my masters program at IWU. YAY. November 9th cant get here soon enough. I am excited to graduate, and unlock the new opportunities that may come my way because of my new degree.

For all of you techies out there, I purchased a 500gig external hard drive and MiniDV Camcorder at Best Buy. Im a videographer by trade, and I am currently editing a wedding video I shot for a friend. I needed the space and did not want to use my good camera as a deck to capture footage from. So the purchases will be used directly.

Mrs. H and I are looking forward to our annual trip to New Orleans. We are looking forward to a change of scenery for a bit and also looking forward to warmer weather...well I know that I am.

And finally...the SherMan had his first vet visit today. He came out with a clean bill of health. He was microchipped and looked over. He became a favorite with the doctors instantly. So, good job Sherman. Way to go.

My Town Bellevue...

So this is a little diddy that I shot two years ago for my city of Bellevue, Kentucky. We were entered into a contest to win a big prize from Ikea to upgrade our storefronts. I shot this and entered it into the contest. We didn't win, but it was fun just getting to shoot a video and meeting some great people in the community. Its nice to watch it again and realize how nice my town is.

Our Kitty in the Attic (NEEDS A GOOD HOME!)

So...Mrs. H. has a soft spot for kitties now. Especially kittens. Especially kittens that don't have a home. I suppose volunteering two nites a week at two different shelters will do that to a person. This little kitty doesn't have a home YET! And YET! is very important to ME!. This is the little kitten that has been living in a crate on our third floor for the past week. It's a nice little kitten that is looking for a home. It's cute, friendly, and is overall a happy cat. So...if you are looking to give a cute kitten a home, this one could be for you. We have four fun kitties of our own...and Mr. H. has said four is ENOUGH!. A fifth kitty would most certainly be a crowd.

The Shermanator.

So this is our new "child," Sherman. He is allegedly a two-year old Boston Terrier. There are two things wrong with this declaration.

1) There is no way he is over one year old and
2) He HAS to have some boxer in him...maybe.

He is a loving, happy, little dog.
He is smart as a whip.
He eats fast.
He loves his toys.
He likes his sister...who may or may not like him.
He passes gas like its his business.

For the last one, my sister, who is a vet, recommend just a teaspoon or so of Metamucil or a generic fiber powder every time we feed him. Just sprinkle it in his food, and it should...or could...help aleviate the gas. I think its working.

His story for those who are wondering goes like this. He was dropped off overnite at a shelter in Logan County, Ohio. From there, the Midwest Boston Rescue Organization rescued him and a fosterer through that organization kept him. They put his picture, stats, and story on Petfinder.com. That is where we found him. He is a great little dog and we are happy to have him in our lives.

New Nike+ running device is WAY cool...

So...I tried out my new Nike+ running stat tracker last nite, and it was exceptional for the most part. What I found out by using it is that Im running MUCH faster than what the treadmill is telling me. I tend to run faster than the treadmill belst, so last nite, according to my new iPod device is that I finished 5.05 miles in 33.18. A 6:36 pace. The treadmill told me that I had only finished 4.37 miles in 33 minutes...or a 7:30 pace. So...I have to believe that the iPod device is giving me a TRUE reading of how far and fast my feet are moving in a measured distance. So...I may be faster than what I thought.

New Nike+ Ipod stats:
Distance:5.05 miles
Time:33.18
Pace:6.36

So tonight I am going to run outside and see what kind of a reading I get from not running on a treadmill. I will report back.

Running Technology can be cool...

For Christmas, my sis-in-law got me a Nike+ running device. (Thanks Rach). Its a fun little device that is meant to be used with an Ipod Nano to keep stats, track distance, and keep time of a runner's workout. It seems pretty user friendly, if you know how to use an Ipod. I think whats cool about the device is that when you sync it up with iTunes, you can download your stats and post it to the Nike+ blog. If you are a stat freak, this is the device for you. Im excited to use it tonite for the first time and see how it works. I think it may be that little extra motivation that I need to keep going and become a better runner.

Running New Orleans Style...

Mrs. H and I are travelling to New Orleans to run the Mardi Gras Half-Marathon again. We ran it last year, and it was a really good race. The course takes you throughout the city, starting out through the French Quarter, winding through City Park, and then finishing up back downtown. I have a little bit of unfinished business to settle this year. See, at about mile 10 last year, I was cut off by a group of runners who decided to swerve through the crowds and wreak some havoc. As they cut in front of me, I moved to the side to try and get out of the way. As I did, i stepped in a hole and hurt my knee. Needless to say, the last 3 miles weren't stellar at all. I was on a 1:35:00 pace and was doing well up to that point. This year, Im looking to hit that mark and retrieve some redemption from last year's run.