daverea.com

Normally, they call us the “lunchtime runners” – a group of about 15 (give or take) people at work who try to get out for a run on our lunch breaks, at least a few days a week. Today, the group switched it up a bit, heading off-campus for an after-work trail run in memory of one of our past running buddies, Ron. Ron was a long-time lunchtime runner, and sadly he passed away suddenly, just a few weeks after retiring in 2006.

The forecast said “chance of thunderstorms”, but the skies were blue and filled with friendly, puffy clouds when we got to the Lehigh Valley Linear Trail and headed out. Forty minutes later, we were back, after covering a little over 4 miles and taking in the sights along the trail.

Looking around and raising a toast, we figured Ron must have arranged for the picture-perfect weather. Everyone left content and full of subs, fruit, beer and various treats – and hopefully somewhere, Ron joined in for his trademark two-mile jog and a bit of revelry of his own…

Of course, what else would we expect from the French?!

SAINT-DENIS DE LA REUNION (Reuters) – Ringed by volcanic rock, sandy beaches and the blue swell of the Indian Ocean, France’s Reunion island is hardly a major polluter.

But hit by rising fuel costs and worried about the impact of global warming, particularly on its delicate flora and fauna, the small island nation has set itself the ambitious goal of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
…

“We will be fighting 100 percent against CO2 at the same date that you (the G8 rich nations) will be at 50 percent,” Verges told journalists in July on the sidelines of a biodiversity conference.

So the 793,000 people of Reunion Island are just going to hold their breath? And what will the animal rights activists say?!

Lester Burnham once said, “It’s a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself.” I couldn’t agree more.

Earlier this summer, as the nights inched warmer and the corresponding mornings became more and more comfortable, I managed to squeeze in a few bike rides to and from work. For a few weeks, I was able to temporarily trade in the Saab for my Trek road bike – for at least one day out of five – saving us some coin and burning some appreciable calories as a bonus.

Because work is at a slightly higher elevation than home, my average speeds hovered in the 13 mile-per-hour zone in the mornings, and just below 16 on the return trip. Decent speeds to be sure, but – like so many others – I’m my own worst enemy. Achieving 16.5MPH – after a grueling ride on an 85+ degree day – was a big triumph.

As it happened, summer brought plenty to bear to keep my commute on four wheels. I bought a new mountain bike, which diverted my two-wheeled attention exclusively to the trail for a few weeks. We went out of town a couple times, work got crazy, and mother nature didn’t help by dousing us repeatedly and unpredictably with copious amounts of rain. All this didn’t mean I wasn’t riding – it just meant I wasn’t commuting by bike.

As it happened, this week provided a near-perfect day for a bike commute. Last night, the weather report predicted only a 40% chance of afternoon rain, and with temperatures in the mid-70s and no schedule conflicts, I was able to park the Trek at work once again.

I rode hard, both ways. My 16-ounce water bottle cleared its cage plenty more-than-usual, and I struggled to keep from downshifting out of the top chainring. But dammit – I was determined to hold my now at least eight-week-old pace. You can imagine my surprise when I stepped off the bike at work, pulled the computer off the handlebars, and discovered that I had averaged 14.58MPH! The trip home became a challenge to best myself: could I go on to beat my own past pace after a full day’s work? The answer came under an hour later, when I panted my way into our driveway and clocked in at 17.21MPH.

If you had asked me six weeks, or six months, or six years ago if I’d ever ride 12 miles at a 17+ MPH pace, I would probably have suggested you might have the wrong guy. But it’s amazing how our tastes, our interests, our goals, and perhaps even our vices change with time. It’s not always possible to change for the better, but when you add it all up and take the average across a “life in progress”, I hope I’m at least moving in that direction. From where I’m sittin’, that’s the best stewardship we can offer this life.

I’ve been trying – really! I have! But lately, finding good new music has been a little like a teenager with more hormones than good looks trying to find a girlfriend: a gem only comes along when I’m not searching.

Earlier this week, working with a few colleagues in our lab, Madly by Tristan Prettyman came on, and managed to be the first piece of interesting new music I’d heard since our California trip. Friday night, at the tail end of that beacon of filmmaking excellence – Employee of the Month, which was playing in the background at the ambulance base – I heard a short clip of Shine On by Christian rock quartet Needtobreathe. Aside from this, not much new has entered my ear canals in a while.

I’ve tried Pandora. I’ve tried my favorite FM stations. I’ve tried XM, and I’ve tried the music stations on cable and satellite. I’ve tried surfing around Amazon MP3, eMusic and the rest. I’ve even waited patiently for the B&W Music Club to publish something new. Unfortunately, nothing has grabbed me by the ears, filibustered my tonal attention, and informed me in no uncertain terms that it needs to be added to our music collection.

So I turn to you: what do you do when you’re looking for some new tunes? Leave a comment, and we’ll see if you can end my dry spell here! In the mean time, I’m off to browse around Magnatune…