Run, Baby, Run

On Saturday I completed my very first 5K race in support of the Wounded Warrior Project in Colorado Springs. My time was 38:30, and while I realize that's not a fast time for someone my age and gender, it was a personal best for me.

My fundraising efforts resulted in a $300.00 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause near and dear to my heart. So thank you to everyone who donated to this important project, and a special thank you to the Smart Man, his Dad and Stepmother, who came out to cheer me across the finish line and act as my official photographers.

I'm pretty proud of myself. Before I started running around Memorial Day, it never, ever occurred to me that I might run in a 5K race. It never occurred to me that I would do so without stopping, and enjoy the experience. So go, me.

I'm already signed up for my next 5K - the Denver Veterans Day 5K on November 10th on the Auraria Campus downtown. Next summer, I hope to run in at least two 10K races.

Run, Janiece, run.

Pimpin', Yo

You all remember how I found my friend Matt-Chew through Facebook last month? Well, he's been hanging around, keeping me amused since then. When I was ranting and raving about our nation building efforts in Afghanistan, he gave the discussion some perspective with his definition of when we should nation-build: The Spiccoli Test.

"I've often thought that, before committing to nation building, we should ask ourselves if the country in question passes this basic test: can they, as a society, understand the basic concepts of democracy? After all, the 80's stoned, surfer icon Joe Spiccoli was able to grasp the basic concept after his impromptu tutoring session with his long suffering history teacher (for those two people over 35 out there who haven't seen "Fast times at Ridgemont High", just trust me here). To paraphrase Mr. Spiccoli, he realized that we broke from England because their rules were bogus, and if we didn't get some cool rules, pronto, then we'd be bogus too. I think that's a fair standard to start with . . . Does this or that country pass "The Spiccoli Test"? Are they able to grasp the concept of "cool rules"? If not, nation builders beware . . ."

Well, now Matt has decided to keep me amused by writing for his OWN blog instead of just leaving pithy comments here, the bastard. It's called "The Vagabond Way," and he brings his widely varied experience as a combat journalist, retail manager, coffee connoisseur, Latin scholar and Big Apple transplant to bear in providing his commentary on the world. It's worth your time, Hot Chicks and Smart Men.

Welcome to the Internet, Matt. And you get extra bonus points if you actually wear the costume.

Pimpin', Yo

You all know I loves me some wooden art. I own several of Jim Wright's creations, and I've given several more as gifts to my family and friends. Everyone I know who owns one loves them.

My sister and I also each own a piece made by Jim's best buddy (and now my friend, too), Beastly. Beastly and Jim's styles are very different, as Beastly tends to work in more exotic woods (since he can't trot out to his back yard and harvest green Alaskan birch wood, and all). While Jim's work tends to have a more rustic feel, Beastly's pieces are more delicate to my eye.

And now Beastly's opened his own on-line store to sell his pieces! If you're looking for an interesting, one-of-a-kind piece of art for a gift or for yourself, mosey on over and check out his wares.

I love wood (insert dirty joke here).

Pimpin', Yo

My Smart Boy is a vocal musician, and has been singing for six years. Last year he won the "most improved musician" award for the vocal music program in his high school, and this year he's leading the tenor section of his school's top co-ed choir. Go, Smart Boy!

And it's that time of year again. That time of year when the arts programs in our schools must beg for money in order to continue to function. Our local high school is especially fond of its football and wrestling programs, which usually means the arts are chronically short-funded. I won't even get into how disgraceful that is.

So the Smart Boy asked me to post his fund raising material here, so the students can afford things like sheet music and transportation costs to choral competitions.

The website is here, and the student check-out code to use so that the Smart Boy's school gets credit for the purchase is 147112.

Thanks for any help you can give, Hot Chicks and Smart Men.

She's Just Splendid!

Check out a blog written by Splendid Elles, a local teen here in Colorado.

A most interesting young woman.

Something To Think About

Even if you normally don't read The Angry Black Woman, I would recommend that you read today's guest post.

Something to think about.

Climate Counts

Recently I read about a new website called "Climate Counts," where various companies are rated on their environmental initiatives. I wanted to see if my company had been rated.

It hadn't, mostly because they really don't have very many companies rated just yet. I did check and see how the companies I do business with, either through stock purchase or consumerism, stack up:

Dell - 41 - Starting Climate Change Initiatives
PepsiCo - 26 - Starting Climate Change Initiatives
L'Oreal - 45 - Starting Climate Change Initiatives
Amazon - 0 - Stuck, No Climate Change Initiatives
Anheiser Busch - 29 - Starting Climate Change Initiatives
U.S. Postal Service - 43 - Striding in Climate Change Initiatives
Motorola - 60 - Striding in Climate Change Initiatives
Levi Strauss - 1 - Stuck, No Climate Change Initiatives
General Electric - 61 - Striding in Climate Change Initiatives

I've sent notes to Levi's and Amazon to tell them to get their butts in gear, but I was pleased to see that most of the businesses I'm connected with are at least trying to make a difference.

I'm not a huge tree-hugger or anything, but I'm trying to make choices that don't leave my kids a burned out husk of a planet. 'Cause that would be rude.

Pimpin'

Our buddy Jim Wright is selling some of his hand-made bowls over at Stonekettle Station. They're lovely and unique, and while technical difficulties such as the weather and an unreliable broadband connection are delaying his posting of all of the work for sale, he's made some progress, which can be found here.

Our other buddy Shawn Riley is also selling hand-made wood items over at Beastly. The last time I checked, he had not yet posted his inventory (hint, hint), but you can certainly leave him a comment in this blog and ask for what you want. A sample of his work can be found here.

Lastly, our other other buddy Shawn Powers and his lovely wife lead the youth group at their church. They're trying something new this Easter season, and leading their kids in a "hunger strike" as a fund-raising event for World Vision. I checked out the charity over at Charity Navigator, and it appears they Do Good Work, using 86% of their proceeds for program costs. Shawn's post, and how to contribute, can be found here.

Not that my readership is massive, or anything, but feel free to pimp your favorite project or soapbox issue in the comment threads. Unless you're a spammer. Then you get the Shovel of Doom™.