death by caffeine

Apparently it would take 153.56 Red Bulls before I'm pushing up the daisies. As of this morning, only 152.56 to go.

wanted: non-smoking, working MRI machine. No pets

Folks, our friend Nate is working at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital in Birmingham and needs your help. You see, the hospital doesn't have an MRI machine. This may seem odd, but it is true. Yes, they have a shiny new building over there and some fancy flower pots but unfortunately the plants give really bad musculo-skeletal readouts. And I hear the new hospital windows are all but useless medically. So pitch in and help Cooper Green win an MRI! Yes, you too can help the ailing medical establishment in Birmingham by simply casting your vote. Be sure and watch the video, too--good stuff.

the clarifier

Introducing the Moringa oleifera, otherwise known as the miracle tree.

i did it

Oh man am I sore. Yesterday I competed in the Coosa River Challenge, a sort of very quasi-triathalon in the beautiful Coosa River environs. The race consisted of a three mile run, 9 miles of mountain biking, then a 7 mile kayak ride. There were also .5 to .8 transition runs from place to place, including a few "challenges" thrown in to make things interesting, like archery contests, trivia stations and mud pits. We also had to scale a cliff and then rappel down it, which I had never done before.
They haven't posted the times yet but I think it took me around 4 1/2 hours to complete. At the end we had to climb up and leap 20-25 feet off of a big concrete structure into the river, with prizes awarded for style and creativity. I gave my best aaiieeeeeeeeee but by that time I was busted and worn out. It was a great day, though. It was very hard but well organized and everyone had fun. Needless to say, I'm nursing a rather severe sunburn and sore quads today. I love it.

UPDATE: It took me five hours and six minutes to complete.

pain and gain

Lately I've been feeling sort of like the fellow at left, and that will not do. You'll notice the little widget in the sidebar showing my new running schedule, which I hope to increase over the next few months. Yes, I'm very slow and out of shape right now. However, I have been inspired by a friend's recent achievements and have committed myself to getting my ass back in gear. The Coosa River Challenge and 12 Hours of Dauset should help get me going in September. Onward and upward, folks.