Associated Press Athlete of the Decade

Recently announced was the Athelete of the Decade. The result was very surprising to me. Who was it? None other than our friend, Tiger Woods. Now personally, apropos to the recent scandalous events that have taken place with Mr. Woods, I have nothing against the man. As Paulo Coelho said, "Who among us can throw the first stone?" Certainly not me. My personal choice for the award, Lance Armstrong, can in second with 33 votes (behind Tiger's 56). I just can't agree with Associated Press in their judgment of Tiger as a better athlete than Lance. He walks around and hits litte white balls into holes, playing against old, fat, white men. Lance rode in the Tour de France (and won it) no less than 7 consecutive times. This is a race that lasts for 3 weeks (that's twenty one days) and each day is a stage that is anywhere between 100 and 180 miles, ridden at speeds around 30 mph, in a pack of 180 riders that are all moving individually literally inches from you. Not only did Lance ride this 7 times, but he won it 7 times, in a very dominating fashion. Oh, and did I mention that he did this after two years away from the sport, after given less than a 10% chance of living from testicular cancer that had metestacized into his abdomen (and lungs and brain.) Surely there is no comparison when it comes to superbness of physical fitness (which, the last time I checked, was what being an "athlete" was all about.)
But my vote doesn't count. So, Chapeau, Tiger. You deserve it (or your sponsors for whom you made millions of dollars who no longer support you do.) I honestly have nothing at all against Mr. Woods. My anger is not directed at you. It is for the imbeciles who run the Associated Press who base their opinions on financial worth, rather than human sacrifice and glorious achievement.

Finals

Now that time of year is here again. I'm not talking about Christmas either. Finals-the joyous Christmas present of every student at Apollo High School. At time for cramming and studying and stressing and complaining and reviewing and exhaustion and....all kinds of stuff. Here now is my chance to say, GET OVER IT. Finals are just tests. Just another test. People make such a big deal out of them like they are a life or death matter. They get all wound up and overstressed just to find out that...oh...that final wasn't so bad after all. Those who argue that they don't do well on their finals are also the ones who devote inadequate studying time. It just seems to me that it's a crying shame that people blow these tests out of proportions (and I mean students, not teachers, just to clarify) and then it turns out to be wasted energy. I'm thankful that we can at least get out of some of them if our grades allow, which isn't going to happen in college, no doubt.

Health and Illness during the Winter

As winter becomes more apparent around us, so does the tsunami of sneezing, coughing, moaning people experiecing the delightful minor illnesses that are a daily occurence during the frigid months. It seems each year, no matter how much OJ I down, I always end up with a small cold or at least a sore throat. While these thankfully aren't serious enough to prevent me from keeping up with school, they are inconvenient to say the least. It's not that a sore throat or a cough are excrutiating or dabilitating, but it's just a little annoyance that keeps ringing your immune system's doorbell and keeps you from running at 100%. I just hope that maybe this winter season I'll be able to steer clear of all that nastiness.

My favorite Christmas decoration

I really enjoy the ornaments that we have on our Christmas tree at home. The glass orbs are always fun to look into, and the tree looks absolutely astounding when the lights that wrap around it are turned on. There is a set of ornaments in particular that I always cherish putting on the tree. They are opaque sapphire blue orbs that depict the journey of St. Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in preparation of the birht of Jesus. They are intricately detailed, and will always be my favorite ornaments that grace our Christmas tree.

The Apollo Academic Team

I'm not usually one to brag, but I have to admit, our Academic team in comparison to some others that we compete with, is not only more socially adept, but also a lot less, well, weird. Of course I have a bit of a bias being a member and all, but objectively, we are pretty cool as Academic Teams go. I guess the main thing that sets us apart (other than Jacob Merimee's pimpin' gangster hats) is that we are smart and competitive, sure, but we aren't really obnoxious and nerdy about it like some other teams. Not only can we pull off the "cooler" image, we also win most of the time too. So the next time that somebody thinks of the typical high school nerd, they can confide in the fact that that person is likely not a member of the Apollo Academic Team.

Paulo Coelho

One of his recent quotes reads: "If you aren't pushing limits you aren't trying hard enough." This question leads me to wonder, am I pushing my limits? Am I being the best I can be? Moreover, is anyone else expanding their boundaries? Is it more consolation to be the only one exceeding expectation, or for no one to? Surely by example, (hopefully not mine, I know that I could do some things better than I do now) more people will realize the potential that they have to do better in life, therefore bettering themselves, their children, and the human race. Is our society as a whole continuing to improve at the rate that it should? Then again, who can know how fast we "should" be moving, if innovation should be present at all. It's hard to know.

School Breaks

They always seem just a bit too short don't they? It seems like just as soon as we get out and have a few days to relax and enjoy the family, free from school obligations and homework, here we are back again at the daily grind. It's not that school is so terrible; it is kind of nice to have a reliable routine. I think that we all wish though that we could have had an extra few minutes to sleep this morning when the alarm went off to the thought of "Here we go again." At least I can confide in the comfort that there is only 3 weeks left until Christmas break...

Every few decades a book comes along that changes the lives of its readers forever.

This sentence is on the back of the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I didn't notice it until I had finished the book, oddly enough, and I'm glad that I didn't until then. I think that if I had seen it before reading, I would have judged it with a skeptical eye. Thankfully though, I was able to keep an objective mind while reading the book.
Now that I'm done with it, and I see that line, I ponder for a moment and realize that there isn't a better way to describe this book by Mr. Coelho. This book has impacted my life, and I am just thankful that I had the opportunity to read it while I still can make some life choices.
Before I read this book, I figured that I would get into a career that paid well, so that I would always be financially comfortable. This book has taught me though that I might not be truly happy unless I forget about how much I'm getting paid for a career and instead focus on whether or not it makes me happy. In this sense, the book has become a life saver, meaning that I think I will consider my choices more closely, rather than following the money or the paths of others.
So thank you, Paulo Coelho. For a man who "can't write", you certainly are one of the wisest people on the planet.

The Gideon "Bibles"

I was walking through school early this morning heading to class, and I passed some Gideons handing out copies of the New Testament to people. I didn't take one, simply for the fact that I have about a dozen at home from past years. So I got to the auditorium and a few people I knew were in there. I was talking about how I "dodged the Gideons" and avoided getting a New Testament. My remark was met with astonishment. "How could you?" I explained, as above. "Well, you should have taken another one and given it to somebody." I responded, "The guys handing them out are at the entrances; if somebody wanted one, they could have gotten it." So then somebody else says, "Why wouldn't you take the opportunity to spread the Word of God?" I don't feel that's my job, I told them. "Don't you want to save people from going to Hell?!?" Whoa, slow down. Who says that because you don't believe in a certain book or "accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior" that you're going to Hell? It would be awfully hypocritical. I don't think God would do that. When I die, I hope that I'm not judged on whether I was baptized or what book I believed in, but whether or not the life I lived was good and true.
Who am I to tell people how to live their life? In this day and age, everyone has the opportunity to be exposed to what they choose. If somebody wants to become a Christian or read the Bible, then they would do that, regardless of anything that I told them. Consider this:As Christians we believe that "our way" is the correct way. Paulo Coelho said that the great fault of religions was when they claimed to know the ultimate truth. How would it be received in our community if a person of another faith, for example, a Muslim, started passing out Korans in an attempt to convert people. Well, of course, many people would be outraged, because they are in fact, insecure about their own ideas, blinding following those who share their beliefs "because Pastor says so". Just a side note, the faith of Islam is actually more similar to Christianity than a lot of people realize. So, just as we have a right to practice our own faith, we should also allow others to believe what they want to, an not try necessarily to change their ways so that they conform to ours.
Please understand, I'm not trying to pick a fight with anyone. It's just that I consider my self a person who wants to know more. More about other religions, more about other cultures. After all, we're all pretty ignorant. So the more we know, the better understanding we have of each other, and through that, ourselves. I will always be a person who is opposed to limits, opposed to boundaries, and opposed to closed-mindedness, because I believe it is what is detrimental to our world today.

Rain

It's alright. Nice change of pace from the blaring sun during the summer months. Hate it during the winter though because it usually turns to ice. We all remember how much that stunk. So as long as the rain isn't too cold, and my socks don't get wet, rain is just fine by me. In moderation, of course.

We do not simply live our lives for ourselves, but for those who came before and will come after us.

One must be terribly self-centered to think that our lives belong only to us. To those who preceded us, no matter what the people of their time thought about them, they always have the respect and love from the younger generations of the family. They tend to represent symbols such as wisdom, longevity, and hard work. From my own experiences, my father used to always talk about his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and parents with a lot of nostalgia. Now, because I have never met them, I can't accurately judge their character, so I rely on the opinions of others who are older and more experienced than myself. So that leads me to believe that they lived a good life because of the way that my older relatives speak of them. Therefore, in order to ensure that our in our legacies, we have to live a decent life so that our descendants look up to us and respect us, like we have done with our ancestors.

A View of the Afterlife

I recently read this book called In Heaven As on Earth: A View of the Afterlife. Obviously, it was fictitious, the author was Christian I think, but the way he explains what all goes on after we die didn't exactly pertain to any particular religious dogma. I guess that's why I liked it so much. Nothing gets me more ticked off than some elitist Bible-thumper on a power trip about how all non-Christians are on a highway to Hell, simply for the fact that they aren't Christian. I'm Catholic, so while I share most of the same religious beliefs as people like this, it's very disappointing to me to think that people can be so ignorant and pompous. But anyway, back to the point. In the book, the main character, Daniel, has just died after a stint of cancer that lasted a couple of years. He gets into heaven, (no pearly gates) and wakes up in a room with no windows and no doors, that has a pleasant green color to it. No furniture, just a structure that sticks out of the wall acting as a bed and a smaller one that is like a chair. In short, the book is about his adjustment to heaven. He has a guide that helps him to adjust and choose his profession in heaven, and also he is able to visit his son and wife who both died before him. He has to deal with temptation from a Satan figure, and also finds out that people, by their nature, choose which way they go when they die (Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory) and one when one realizes where they are, they have the freedom of choice to decide where they want to go.
A very interesting and compelling read, to say the least. Probably the most satisfying thing about it for me was it made me think. It took a different perspective of a normally stagnant issue and made it interesting. To me that makes the book a classic, a treasure.

Today...

So, today is my birthday. I always feel so awkward on birthdays. Everybody throughout the day wishes me a happy birthday, but I haven't ever understood why it's so important. Essentially, it's just another day. All I can do when my family starts singing "Happy Birthday" is smile awkwardly and pretend to be excited. I think a lot of people though make it out to be more than it is, just another day, and then they set themselves up for disappointment. "I can't believe I'm at school on my birthday," or "Why do I have to go to work on my birthday?" or just when people have an average day in general, it's like a disappointment because in our society, birthdays are over-exaggerated.
I'm not disappointed, I just feel that I've learned to not care so much about it. I don't feel any older, (or younger for that matter) so to me, it's just another day in the record books.

Continuation of "Talent"

I accidentally clicked "publish" before I had finished. So, as I was saying...
Alberto Contador, the 26 year old phenom from Spain is arguably the most exciting and explosive professional cyclist since Lance "The Boss" Armstrong. Contador began his cycling career at an early age, showing great potential as a grimpeur or climber. The typical climber is feather-light, and almost dangerously thin looking. Their muscles are composed of slow-twitch fibers, which allows them to more easily ascend the higher mountains than the bulky sprinters.
Contador joined with Lance's old team, Discovery Channel in 2007, and the first thing he "proposed" to the team director was that he wanted to win the first race he was scheduled for, which was Paris-Nice. It's an old hilly stage race that is a classic and would surely elevate the status of anybody that won it. Holding to his word, he won the race on it's tough last day. This set him into perfect form for the Tour de France in July.
When the 2007 Tour finally came around, Contador was stoked to win it. Being one of the best climber in the race, he quickly got into a high placing as soon as the mountains came along and he got himself into the white jersey, awarded to the highest placed rider under the age of 25. Although he climbed with more ease, he could never seem to shake the determined yellow jersey wearer (the first placed rider) Michael Rasmussen. A couple of days before the end of the Tour, it looked like it was over for Contador with no mountain stages left. But then, Rasmussen was sent home by his own team for lying about his whereabouts during a routine drug test. Contador has in a sense "inherited" the jersey, rather than earned it, and for this he received a lot of skepticism. Anxious to prove himself in the next year's Tour, he was denied the chance because of his name appearing on the list of several cyclist involved in the huge doping scandal "Operacion Puerto". He was later cleared, but had still missed his chance in the 2008 Tour, being barred from competition in it. Instead, he focused on the Giro d'Italia, the Italian version of the Tour that takes place in May, and the Vuelta a Espana, the Spanish tour taking place in the months of September and October. This gained him some respect from both the cycling press and fans alike, but winning the Giro and the Vuelta is not the same as winning Le Tour.
In 2009, with a new team, Astana, filled to the brim with the greatests of greats, riders like Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Kloden, and the inemitable Lance Armstrong, freshly returned from retirement, Contador (or Armstrong) looked set to win another one. In the end, Contador prevailed, attacking and distancing his opposition and his teammates, physically and mentally, as Lance undoubtedly gave him some grief for his inexperienced moves, premature attacks, and unnecessary jabs at his own team. (In stage 17, Contador attacked a group containing the Schleck brothers of Luxewmbourg, teammate Andreas Kloden, and himself, and he only managed to drop Kloden, damaging him in the overall classification.
Even after the Tour was over and he had won, he further alienated himself by verbally bashing Lance Armstrong in a press conference, saying that their relationship "was zero".
Inexperienced or not, Contador is showing that he is a great champion, but will he be able to live up to the unassailable heights the media has projected him to soar to? Only time will tell.

Talent

One of the things that irks me about people in general, is the over-recognition that someone receives when they are discovered to be talented. So of these prodigies are pampered and raised on a pedastal and their egos are blown up beyond comprehension. In the world of sport, this is very prevalent. In professional cycling specifically, there is one individual to whom I believe this treatment has been given. Not necessarily through his own fault, Alberto Contador has been elevated to a status as a professional cyclist that he simply cannot live up to.

Alberto Contador Velasco, a 26 year old

What does autumn mean to me?

Autumn to me, like the variety of colors in the changing trees, is a plethora of emotions. My birthday is in October, last time I checked, it was pretty fun. But also it means the end of warm weather, and less time outside, darker evenings, darker mornings, and crisp, biting air. Less time that I can ride my bike, more time I have to stay inside and "occupy myself" with chores usually. Although I don't really like it as much as summer, I suppose autumn is necessary; without change all we do is stay the same. In one word, autumn is refreshing. It's the beginning of the end so to speak, but that's ok. With autumn, there is a variety of weather and of emotions, and I suppose that just appeals to me.

"Never be afraid to sit a while and think."

This quote, for some reason, really connects with me, not only because I agree with what it says but because I do this on a daily basis. I can't adequately explain it, but throughout the day, I just zone out and think about everything for a while. Even in the morning, although this may be attributed to my sleepiness, I tend to sit on my bed for 5 minutes or so and just think. Even if I'm not really thinking about anything in particular, it really helps sometimes to just take a break and relax, to not do a thing.
Though this is relaxing, there are actually a lot of things I should be thinking about. College, my career, my grades, homework, getting a job, practicing my instrument, riding my bike, the state of my life in general. The last one really is what I spend a lot of time thinking about. If I were to die tomorrow, how would I be remembered? Have I lived a good life? I don't mean it to be morbid, but things happen that are out of our control and sometimes lives are cut short. If, God forbid, something like that happened to me or one of my friends, would we be satisfied with how we lived? We are honestly waiting for our lives to start right now, in high school. We aren't really who we want to be yet; some of us are still trying to figure it out. I don't know what I want to do with my life, my life being all of the aforementioned facets of the things that are still in my head; they aren't a reality yet. I feel like I need to stop thinking about it and start to make it real, but right now, I know that I can feel confident that it's still ok, there is still time, I have time to just sit and think.

Act Quickly, Think Slowly

This Greek proverb I think has a double meaning. If someone is going to act on something, then it should be done quickly with little hesitation and much conviction. Otherwise, the moment is lost. Action requires timing. Whatever it may be, if we think too much about something before we act, we could miss the oppurtune moment and then our chance to act is gone. On the other hand, sometimes people act too quickly, and then either make fools of themselves or end up with disasterous consequences. While we act, or thought process has to increase and get faster with it as well.

The proverb also says to think slowly. Thought, being the predecessor of action, it is therefore the foundation of all action or movement or decision. In order to have all or ducks in a row so to speak, and not act prematurely, we have to slow down and not think things through too quickly. Especially if an important decision is on the line. Better decisions are always made after all the possible options and corresponding outcomes have been assessed.

Is it easier to fight with dignity than to surrender in shame?

Of course it is. Take out the fighting and surrendering parts, and what have you got? You are left with dignity or shame. If one had to choose, the obvious choice would be dignity. Who wants to be shamed? Unless you have some sort of depressive disorder, I think all of us prefer the feeling we get from being dignified over that of shame.

Though the idea of fighting may not appeal to us, fighting vs. surrendering is in human nature, and has been since the beginning of time. Fight, or give up and you die.

Fighting is obviously a physically taxing activity, so therefore it is perceived correctly to be hard. If one was to fight and win, whatever they may be fighting, if they won, obviously it was worth the fight. Surrender though, I thnk comes from unwillingness and uncertainty. Am I good enough? I don't want to have to face a negative answer, so I will do nothing; I will surrender. This mentality, while it may be neutral as far as figuring out whether one won or lost, is something that I think people who surrender would have to live with. Personally, I would always wonder and have a sense of regret about anything I surrendered. Could I have won? Should I have surrendered? There's that sense of doubt, and that is a lot to have to think about. Essentially though, I tend to believe that it is better to fight for your beliefs and for your character rather than to yield to someone or something because it is the easy thing to do.

Money

Money to me has never been really important, but more of a welcome nicety. It's good, when I have it, but not awful when there's not as much. Too many people, I think, are warped into believing that in order to be successful, you must be gratuitously rich.
Although money certainly makes some aspects of life easier, the lack of it and sacrifices some people have to make because of the lack of money makes them stronger individuals that are able to overcome hardship. Some people that either have always had money or have accumulated money through their good business fortune or luck are always wanting more. Greed is certainly the largest by-product of money- everybody always wants more. I think this strains a lot of people's relationships with each other, especially maritally speaking. One (or both) memebers in a relationship are more focused on earning money than they are interested in each other.
The lack of money, though, however much we morally defend it as being okay, governments, businesses, and people ultimately suffer in one way or another because somebody always owes so-and-so however much money, and it just creates a big chaotic system we call the economy, which if you haven't been living under a rock, is suffering. So the lack of money is surely a problem that impacts virtually every person on the planet. Even so, I don't think we would solve the whole "lack of money problem" by not having a lack of money. The lack of money is natural. If everybody had enough money, there wouldn't be a need for it. Simple as that.

"A Family that Laughs Together Stays Together"

Laughter has the power to unify. What is it that makes our closest friends? We can share a laugh together. People like to be around other people that make them happy. In the case of my family, everybody is in a better mood at the dinner table when we all sit down and start talking about funny things. The laughter is contagious, and will continue to grow until somebody chokes on their food. (Back slappings all around.)
Laughter can take those situations that are awkward and transform them into a comedic moment. When with my friends, everyday occurences and things that other people do never cease to entertain us, whether it is somebody being goofy at lunch or we're trading off momma jokes.
Some of the people for whom I have a lot of respect are comedians. Even though they may not know it, through their genius and character they can brighten days and create moments that can be discussed over and over again with other people. Comedians probably are some of the bravest people too, because they are constantly making fun of famous people. Some of the things that politicians, celebrities, and reality TV show participants do really are just waiting to be made fun of so that we can all have a laugh.

We might as well win

The directeur sportif of Lance Armstrong during his 7 Tour de France wins was a Belgian man by the name of Johan Bruyneel. His philosophy that was the driving force behind his wins with Lance goes something similar to this. We've put in the many hours of training, mentally planned ourselves, our teammates, and our support staff for this race, we have bothered to show up and compete. We did not do all of this with the goal of coming in second. Therefore, because we have already expended all of this effort for the sake of the race, we might as well win.

I think this can fit with som many other things that it would take me forever to list them. Instead, the two that are most relevant to me right now are a career choice and marching band.

In my future career, and as of right now my education in general, I feel that I have been given the tools to succeed, and therefore have a duty to those who graced me with those tools to give it my bery best. Anything less would be a let down not only to them, but to myself. I think too often people underestimate themselves and society loses a person that could have done a lot more with their talents and blessings had they taken the initiative in the first place.

As far as marching band goes, it fits together so well with Johan's statement that they are like two puzzle pieces. In marching band, we log countless hours of practice and planning, both musically and visually, we prepare ourselves for months on end, we rely on the help and support of our parents and volunteers, and we spend the money traveling and accomodating all the needs of a competition. We did not do all of this expecting to get second or third place. If we are going through all the trouble in the first place, we might as well get the best result possible. We might as well win.

Bruyneel has revealed himself to be not only the greatest athletic mastermind of our time, but he is also one of the smartest individuals on the planet period to be able to come up with such a statement that has so many outlets in which to be applied. No wonder he has experienced such enormous success.

What does home mean to you?

Home for me is more a feeling than a thought. It's more who I'm with, and the conversations and moments that we share and are able to recall from past experiences that makes home rather than a building. That's just a house.

So, because home for me is the place I feel most comfortable, most familiar, I'm not sure whether or not I'll be ready to leave. On the one hand, I want some independence, more to prove to myself that I am capable of living by myself and being self-sufficient. On the other hand, I do still feel that I'll miss that security and comfort that you get by being at home.

Being at home- For me, it's more of a mental state than a physical one. I think, at least I hope, that I'll be able to handle making a home for myself and my future family.

You know what they say...

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. In other words, don't say something bad about people if they can get you right back for something you did. I think this is something we have all experienced, whether we are the glass house inhabitant or the person to whom the stone is being thrown. In fact just the other day, I was eating breakfast with my family after church, and my obese father made a comment about how my slightly overweight sister could stand to lose a few. So naturally, I seized the oppurtunity to call him out. "You know what they say, Dad."
"What?"
"Oh, something about people in glass houses..."
"What do they say?"
Sighing, I just shook my head as my mom and sister chuckled, while my father continued to ask me what I was talking about.

Human Nature- We Need Something to Argue About

Take an individual like Lance Armstrong. 7 time Tour De France winner, cancer survivor, world renowned spokesperson and advocate for cancer and a hero to millions. He has done more in the last 15 years than hundreds of people could pack into their combined lifetimes. Yet still there are people who have a problem with him.

During the first of his seven tour wins, a newspaper L'Equipe (a French paper, big surprise) accused him of steriod use. What actually was going on was Lance was using a skin cream to treat saddle sores and the trace amounts of steriods showed up in his test. Since then Lance-haters around the globe have been like a dog with a bone over this. I think it just might be time to move on, honestly.

Then there is the issue of his womanly pursuits, divorcing his wife of 5 years, dating several celebrities and fathering an illegitimate child with his current girlfriend. So the guy's personal life might "be in shambles", but who else hasn't ever been in the same situation. People just can't get over the fact that he is an amazing athlete the likes of which are to be unparalled for several years to come. Lance is just simply the most dedicated individual in his era who has a passion for his sport and uses his celebrity status to boost funding for cancer research. What's so wrong about that?

People need something to argue about.

"What qualities do I look for in a leader?"

One of the first qualities I think a leader should have is that they know what they are doing, or at least act like they do. Those who can let on like they are intelligent and in control have an easier time leading people than someone who might be smarter or more knowledgable on the subject. If a leader is going to get someone's support, it is because of their charisma and personality, not neccesarily their intelligence or moral standards.

A leader also has to have a bit of a chip on his/her shoulder. The leader has to be prepared to defend his/her position on an issue at a moments notice, and one of the ways to deal with that is to be a little cocky, and to be a bit arrogant. They are the leader after all, right? If I am being led by someone, I want them to be, for lack of a better word, cool. Almost defiant even.

On the other hand, for a leader to be popular he or she must empathize with those that he or she is leading, so that a relationship is formed between the leader and the followers. I would want a leader that understands the needs of the people, and for the most part caters to those needs. I believe that some of the best leaders would be people that share the same experience and come from a similar background of those being led. It would establish common ground for both sides to be able to relate to. All of these qualities I think would be essential for a leader not only to be popular, but also successful and effective.

60 miles

Sunday 8/30/2009

Today I decided to attempt to ride 60 miles on my bike. Since it was the weekend I was a little more rested and had more time on my hands. So I figured, why not? It would be the most I have ridden so far this season, and I was looking for a new challenge.

A lot of people might think that 30 or 40 miles on a bicycle sounds like a lot, but with anything else in life, you get used to it; your body adapts. Usually by the time I hit the 40 mile mark I'm hurting a bit, but the last few times I had gone that far I hadn't had much trouble so I had my hopes up for today.

Normally before a long ride like this I have to suit up with the usual biking shorts and jersey boasting the extinct Fassa Bortolo Italian cycling team logo, two bottles of water, and several enegry bars. Then I adjusted my clip shoes and fastened my helmet strap before leaving my driveway and descending down the big hill nxt to my house that led to Highway 60. Long story short, after about 50 miles, I had circled around west Daviess County back to my neck of the woods. By now my back had been aching for 7-8 miles and it was starting to annoy me a little. Since this was the farthest I had ridden before, I thought that surely while still ten miles from home I would wear out and suffer from glucose exhaustion, affectionately called the "bonk" by professional cyclists. Somehow though, I managed a second wind and was able to power home over the final hilly terrain the goes to my house.

It's very hard to describe the euphoria one gets after completing a long trek such as this. It certainly is difficult, but those who have done it before can attest to the strong sense of accomplishment that one feels after riding a bike for that long.

"Friendship Doubles Joy and Halves Grief" -Egypt

What does this Egyptian proverb mean to you?

I think this proverb states that when you are happy or otherwise joyful, it is multiplied and shared among your friends. Likewise, when you are troubled by sadness or hardship, that burden is divided and they help you carry it. That's what friends are for, no?

Oftentimes in our lives we're graced with happiness. A good grade on a test, a promotion at work, the birth of a son or daughter. We don't keep these things to ourselves- We spread our happiness and it transcends to others. These events in our lives are like tiny pebbles dropped into a pond. What starts out as something seemingly small expands and has a large impact on everything surounding it.

Just as we experience good times, we inevitably have to deal with the not so happy times. The death of a family member. A hard day at work or school. Even the smallest of trials seem huge when we have no one to aid us. When people die, usually at the funeral service many people attend to offer condolences and to grieve. Thus the grief that those closest to the person that died is lightened a little by others. That I think speaks a great deal about human nature. Our friends sustain us. They make the smallest victories and the greatest achievements all the more pleasurable, and the insignificant troubles and heart wrenching failures more bearable. Our friends make us endure; they are our source of support.

Which relative am I most like? How? Why?

Although I somewhat resent it, the relative I most closely resemble is my father. We share not only many physical attributes and other features in appearance, but our mannerisms are very similar. Sometimes almost too similar.

My father is a relatively tall, solidly built, and has a commanding physical appearance. Likewise, I am pretty much an exact copy of my father physically, although a little taller and a little less gifted in the midsection, which I am sure age plays a role in.

Even though we are physically alike, the main ways we are similar is in our personalities. My father enjoys joking around, and will often tease someone to the point of extreme annoyance, a habit that I have found to be capable of also. My father also is very, boisterous, to say the least, in general everyday conversation.

While I do get quite a few laughs for the funniness in my genes, I also think it puts people off a bit. While there's a time to cut up and joke around, there are also times where it is totally inappropriate. You know that guy that just keeps on and keeps on joking around and it quickly progresses from being humorous to rude and obnoxious.

Both of us are also huge control freaks. We have to be in control the majority of the time and if we aren't, we're unhappy, although I think I'm a little better at dealing with it than my dad.

Although some aspects of our personalities are double-edged swords, I am thankful for the uniqueness that I do have, whatever it may be.