Operation Jack

Fighting autism, one mile at a time.

By Friday, Creativity Is Gone And Headlines Get Boring: It's Sam's Blog

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I couldn’t think of an idea for a headline. But I have a few other things to talk about.

Today’s Workout
I’m struggling with tendinitis in my right knee (well, that’s what I think it is) and I have an appointment with a sports medicine doctor who specializes in knees on Monday. I’ve been inconsistent over the past couple of months with my training, and on Wednesday night, I decided to stop running until I see the doctor. I have too much to lose and not enough to gain over the next few days. So, I’m trying to be as smart as possible. I didn’t run today (or yesterday for that matter).

The break comes at a good time for me — I’m in the middle of a huge project that has me pretty stressed out and it’s coming due on August 1. So, I’m running myself into the ground with all this work (normally, I just run myself into the ground by running!), but I should get back in the swing of things next month. It’ll be nice to just run early in the morning, work an average amount during the day, and stay off the computer in the evenings (well, except for Operation Jack work).

Questions? Requests?
If you have any questions about running, Operation Jack, baseball, or anything else you want to try to see if I can answer, post it here or send it to me through the Contact Us form and I’ll answer it next week. If you have anything you’d like me to discuss, let me know! I see the numbers and I know y’all are out there … c’mon, let’s interact a little!

Operation Jack Running Goals
A few people have asked me how I’m going to try to run the marathons next year, if I’m going to take things conservatively or if I’m going to go all-out. No question, I’m going all-out. My best time right now is 3:00:05, I’ve run 9 of my past 17 in 3:10 or better and my median marathon time is a 3:16. That being said, my goal is to run an average of 3:09:59 or better. That’s not going to win any races, but I think it’s a reasonable goal to chase that would indicate I gave it my all. What I’m doing, essentially, is a gimmick to try to gain participation with Train 4 Autism. The gimmick should be something decent, and I don’t think an easy marathon once a week is enough to warrant me begging for you all to join up.

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. In this spot in each blog, I’ll talk about Jack a little bit.

Jack had an okay day on Thursday. He went swimming at my mother-in-law’s house (well, wading in a cold hot tub) and then he went with my wife to the gym where he got to play for a while. That’s two more workouts and a lot more playtime than I had yesterday! His therapy session was so-so. More or less, nothing spectacular — just another summer day. We’re looking forward to school starting back up in the fall. He really thrives in a routine.

Ice Cream Update
That peanut butter fudge swirl ice cream I had on Wednesday night tasted even better last night. So, I had two bowls in my special ice cream bowl. Yeah, for Father’s Day this year, my kids made me a custom-painted ice cream bowl and I got a nice, solid ice cream scooper, too. I used both of those last night. I probably should have worn the “Professional Ice Cream Eater” shirt they got me, but I didn’t.

My streak is up to 23 days in a row eating ice cream or frozen yogurt. I don’t know how long it will continue, but I have my work cut out for me today with my lunch at In-N-Out and then a scheduled double date tonight. But it’s not over until the clock strikes midnight. That’s when my ice cream bowl turns back into a pumpkin.

Double-Double Double!
I had a great lunch at In-N-Out yesterday. Normally, I go on Fridays, but this week, I went on Thursday, because I’m going to lunch with a friend of mine at Chipotle today. One problem with that, though, is that I got the following text last night when confirming today’s lunch plans:

Yes lunch 2morow. Can we go 2 i-n-o? I haven’t had it in SO long

Can we go to In-N-Out? DUH! (Duh is short for Duhble-Double.) So I told her …

Me either, been since today! No complaints though!

Reminds me of when I had jury duty for four weeks in 2001 and there was a courthouse within walking distance of the In-N-Out I ate lunch at 15 times over a 23-day span (I kept count and I’ve remembered that statistic — that’s no exaggeration).

Thanks 4 hving it 2 days in a row

No problem, I’m a gentleman. Whatever makes you happy. If you want, I’ll even entertain you with good jokes.

Home Video of Jack
For those of you who have never met Jack, here’s a clip of him from about 1 1/2 years ago, a few months after he turned four (he’ll turn 6 two months from yesterday). He’s made progress since then in various areas, but he probably wouldn’t be able to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle” a whole lot better than this right now.

I sit here and I’m having fun with Operation Jack, doing everything I can to make a difference and boost participation, but sometimes I lose sight about what’s going on with him. We posted this video because we were so excited that he was able to sing this well. But has happy as I was to see it, I wasn’t as excited about this as Tiff was. It broke my heart that this was what I had to be excited about with my 4-year-old, that hearing that kind of singing coming from my 4-year-old was a good thing.

I have a tough time accepting this with a smile — I go back and forth with Tiff on this sometimes. I have to accept all progress with open arms, and don’t get me wrong — EVERYTHING he does is good enough for me. But deep down inside, I want to see him progress like typical children, even though I know it’s not going to happen. It’s really upsetting to see your own child inflicted with a neurological disorder like this and I can only hope that there’s a reason and a purpose for it all. Life isn’t fair, but on the surface, I think I’m getting a much better shake than him.

And that, my friends, is why I’m doing Operation Jack. Because autism sucks, because I hope to do something that might someday eventually help to spare other children and parents from going through everything we go through, and because I think I can make this all happen. I broke my neck when I was 16 and I’m blessed to be able to use my legs the way I am. It would be a shame to waste that gift.

OK, Folks, I’m Calling It A Week
Thanks for coming by! If this is your first time here, welcome, and I hope you return on Monday! If you’re a returner, I appreciate your loyalty. This isn’t just a blog — it’s the best way I have right now to have Operation Jack communicate with you. It’s a great cause and hopefully we can all make a difference together.

A lot of you ask me what you can do to help, and I know I say this every day, but one of the biggest things you can do for Operation Jack is to spread the word. I know a lot of you are doing that now, and I really appreciate it. But remember, anybody can help. It doesn’t need to be a runner and it doesn’t need to be somebody directly impacted by autism. I’ll start introducing some more things in August (when I get through the big project I’m on), but for now, I’m just trying to increase the size of the community here. So, between now and Monday, please introduce just one person to Operation Jack who doesn’t know about it yet! Just one!

Thanks for your support and have a great weekend!

For Me, It's Tough To Run This Many Miles!

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When I say it’s tough for me to run this many miles, that’s because “this many miles” is zero. I hate not running. But I’m trying to be smart, for once (well, once aside from my decision to try to run 60 marathons next year).

Today’s Run
If you’ve been reading this, you know I have issues with my knee right now and I’m seeing a good sports medicine specialist for it next Monday. I’m fairly certain it’s tendinitis, which hurts a little, but isn’t as bad as a tear. For the most part, it takes time and rest to get over. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is, because I’ve had it before, and I’ve run plenty since it first flared up two months ago. I’ve run a marathon and a 10K (albeit both were slow), and a fair amount of training miles since then. I haven’t run particularly well, but I’m not that far off and still running better than I was when I was a 3:20 marathoner.

But I went NASCAR with my running last night. No, I didn’t go out for a 500-miler. I decided to shut it down. Sometimes a car will go to the garage in the middle of a race for some kind of problem, then head back out to the track and run laps. There’s no chance of a victory, but there is an opportunity to pick up some points by moving up. But there comes a point when there aren’t enough laps left to gain any more ground and they call it quits. There’s absolutely zero to gain and no reason to continue.

That’s the point I decided I’m at last night. I think that overall, I’m just a little banged up, but good enough to run. The goal is next year, though. Not this week. And I just don’t want to risk anything between now and then. How much fitness am I going to gain or lose in four days? What if I ran awkwardly and truly damaged something? What if I’m actually on the verge of a tear and one more mile put me over the edge? It’s just … not … worth it. So, I shut it down. I’m in the garage. And quite frankly, this is coming at the perfect time, because I’m so busy with all of my “real world” work obligations. I’m no sponsored athlete — I work way too much, although that’s what you do when you’re single-income, five mouths, especially in this neck of the woods.

For those of you reading this for the first time, wondering how many miles a guy planning to run 60 marathons ran this morning, the answer isn’t too exciting: Zero.

Sweet Schwag For A 5K
I have enough race tees to clothe an overcrowded classroom. I have enough freebie tech shirts to outfit a PE class. Yet I’m pretty excited about the giveaway being offered at a 5K at Angels Stadium on August 1. $30 is the entry fee, and ordinarily, I’d call that a tiny bit high. But ordinarily, race entries don’t include two tickets to a ballgame. So, if you’ve been wondering, “Where will Sam be on the morning of August 1?” … now you know! (Thanks to my friend Danica for telling me about this race!)

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. In this spot in each blog, I’ll talk about Jack a little bit.

Jack had a little bit of a tough day early on yesterday. He got upset for no good reason several times in the first part of the day and had a few meltdowns. That happens often enough, unfortunately, because of the problems caused by his inability to effectively communicate. However, yesterday was his day off from therapy — that’s like a day off of work for him, and he only gets one of those per week. On top of that, he got to go to Us Too Gymnastics, a gymnastics center for special-needs kids. We take him there every other week, but the lucky guy went Tuesday as a make-up session and again yesterday. No therapy, two days in a row at Us Too … yeah Jack!

Ice Cream Update
My kids finished off the ice cream in the freezer yesterday afternoon, so come early evening, there was nothing in there for me and I hadn’t extended my streak yet. So, I did what any rational person would do: I went down to the grocery store and picked up a couple of half-gallons. Peanut butter fudge swirl was the flavor of the day, and it was pretty good. Generic, and only $2.39 per 1/2 gallon, yet very good. The streak is now at 22 days with ice cream or frozen yogurt. I’m not going to get over confident, but I feel good about my chances of pulling within 33 of Joe DiMaggio tonight.

In-N-Out Today!
This is my first week blogging every day, so some of you might not be used to my eating habits. Well, I make a weekly trip to In-N-Out on Fridays. Those of you on the West Coast know what that means. Most of the rest of you probably know what it means. For those of you who don’t, I feel bad for you. Dollar for dollar, it’s the best food on the planet. You might find a slightly better meal (might), but it’s going to cost you a whole lot more that $6. I normally go on Fridays, but I’m switching to Thursday this week because I think I’m meeting up with a friend of mine for Chipotle on Friday.

Sign Up For A Team And I’ll Do The YMCA In A Chicken Suit In Front Of 16,000 People!
Oh wait, I’ve already done that. Yeah, that’s me, in a packed MGM Grand Garden. Don’t ask. For the record, I couldn’t see down or more than three feet in front of me, hence some of the awkward movements. Oh, and I’m totally not coordinated, plus I’m a computer guy, not a professional mascot. Yeah, that might’ve had something to do with it! I’m at the beginning, blindly going down the stairs and scared to death of falling in front of everybody, and I reappear at about the 1:10 mark. I actually fell on top of people, because I couldn’t see, but that’s not on the video.

That’s All I Have For Today
I say this every day, but I really appreciate you reading this. I can tell during the day how many times it’s being read, and I get excited when I see the number jump. You all read this because you are supporting my cause and you believe in what I’m trying to do, and that means a lot to me. I’m going to beg this every day, so here goes: If you’ve read this far, please do me a huge favor and encourage just one person to come to the site! Operation Jack is going to succeed due to tiny efforts by a ton of people, not just huge efforts by a couple of people (well, I’m going to have to work hard, but that’s a different story). You can truly make a difference by bringing 2 or 3 people to the site each week.

Thanks for your help! Have a great Thursday, everybody!

Lil' Jack Likes Country Music! Yes!

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Well, Jack doesn’t necessarily like country music, but he likes a country singer. Definitely a good start. The explanation is in the “Talkin’ Jack” section.

MLB All-Star Game
It had been about 10-12 years since I had been as interested in the MLB All-Star Game as I was last night. I was able to sit myself on the couch with my laptop by about the 4th inning. My wife made me a couple of Nathan’s hot dogs with cheese on top — perfect baseball food. The game went quick, but I enjoyed watching it. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but it was a decent game. I guess when you’re facing Papelbon, Nathan and Rivera in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, you’d better have a nice lead. The Howard-Nathan at bat was fun to watch. Nice rob by Carl Crawford in left. And the American League wins, again. Wait … I’m supposed to write about running.

Today’s Run
The plan this morning was for about 10 miles, because I needed to get back in time for my wife to run. I got up, got ready to go. My knee was bugging a little bit and I couldn’t find my house key. I took that as a sign. But I blew through that stop sign and kept rolling. I found my wife’s keys, did a couple of light stretches and got rolling. While I was running, my thoughts were about how much work I need to get done right now, especially with my looming August 1 deadline. So at the 0.51 mile mark, I did the turnaround. 1.03 miles today. Wow, I feel like a distance runner … a distance runner with a lot of code to write.

I just need to keep telling myself that all this work I have is coming at a perfect time, because it’s allowing me to somewhat rest my knee while I wait to see the doctor next Monday. Yeah, I need to tell myself that, because if I don’t, I’m going to go crazy (crazier). This is so frustrating, words can’t really explain it. I’m looking forward to getting my life back, where I wake up, go for a run, have breakfast with the wife and kids, work all day, spend the evening with the kids before they go to bed and then hang out with the wife for a little while and relax. Right now, I guess I’m settling for work, sleep 6 hours, repeat. August, where are you? Are you getting close?

Does Anybody Read This?
If so, please post a comment or send me a question or something like that! I keep wondering if anybody is actually reading this, other than my wife (Tiff, you’re reading this, right?) …

HUGE Shout To Gundy!
A running acquaintance of mine, Jonathan Gunderson, finished 11th overall yesterday in the Badwater Ultramarathon. If you don’t know what that race is, it’s a 135-miler, starting at 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley, California, and climbing up to Mt. Whitney. Oh, and temps are above 115. I can’t imagine finishing that race. I ran (and I use the term “ran” loosely) a 50-mile race in 85-degree temps and no marathon I’ve ever run was anywhere near as thrashing on my body as that one. If it would have been 30 degrees warmer, I would have only had to run 85 more miles after I crossed the finish line. No way. I don’t know how he does it. And I don’t know why he does it, either. But he does it for a good cause, and he’s amazing.

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. In this spot in each blog, I’ll talk about Jack a little bit.

Yesterday, he discovered the TV show “Wipeout” and apparently it’s a big hit. Anything that makes my little guy happy is a hit with me, too! It looks like we found his Leapster, too (it had been missing for a few days). That’s a hand-held video game system that has educational games. He doesn’t get the same educational value out of it that Benjamin did, but he likes it. And again, anything that Jack likes, I like. Apparently, during “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch last night, that included Sara Evans. He started laughing and smiling when she sang. I’ve been a fan of hers for years.

Ice Cream Update
I went with chocolate chip cookie dough last night, making it 21 straight days with ice cream or frozen yogurt. I originally reached for the mint chocolate chip, but I had just eaten a cookie that was kind of like a Thin Mint (Girl Scout cookie) so I went with the chocolate chip cookie dough instead.

Country Music Song of the Day
This song is several years old, but I’ve heard it on the radio twice in the past couple of days, plus when I used to run with an iPod, it was always the song I closed out every run and race with. So, I figured I might as well post it for all your enjoyment (well, at least mine).

That’s All I Have For Today
I appreciate you reading this, and I’ll probably remind you with every blog that this isn’t just a blog — it’s a daily rambling by a guy working hard for a good cause. It’s all about getting out there and making a difference for a great charity, Train 4 Autism. Register at the site, pick a race (even if it’s just a 5K), and spread the word. Try to send one person here today that hasn’t been here yet. Thank you! Have a great day!

Yeah! It's Taco Tuesday!

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OK, so I’m not writing anything in here about tacos or taco Tuesday, but I couldn’t think of a headline so I just went with that.

All-Star Tuesday
I’m pulling for the National League tonight. In the name of political correctness, I won’t get into my favorite or least-favorite teams here. But my favorite team is certainly in the running. Oh, and since I’m in Southern California, I’ll clarify that it’s NOT the Dodgers!

Running Update
I went out for 10 miles this morning. Nothing special, nothing particularly quick or slow. Just 10 miles. After two days off due to too much work and a flare-up in my right knee, it felt good to get out there and get a workout. The knee was a little iffy last night, but it was OK for the run and it’s pretty decent now. If time is on my side tomorrow morning, I’ll try to head out for a few more miles than I went today.

This week, I’m just trying to log some miles and keep the wheels turning while I wait for my appointment next Monday with a sports medicine specialist. The doctor I’m going to see specializes in knees and shoulders and has worked for professional sports teams, so I’m sure I’ll get the low-down and get on the right track.

Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. He had a fairly uneventful day yesterday, which is a good thing. Is it bad that my pet name for him is “homeboy”?

Dance Your –$ Off
Entertaining show, but I just can’t believe they can name it that way. It’s pretty fun to watch, though. I can honestly say that before last night, I’d never seen a 300-pound man in a pinstriped-suit pole dance. That dude needs to sign up for Operation Jack and train for a marathon!

Ice Cream Update
Last night, I had a cake batter-flavored frozen yogurt with crushed Snickers and Butterfingers as a topping. That ran my streak to 20 consecutive days with an ice cream or frozen yogurt. I have mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in the freezer, so I’m pretty sure I’ll extend that tonight. But until I eat the ice cream, it’s not a done deal, so I won’t call it 21 quite yet.

Cha Cha ChaCha
So yesterday, I found out about something called “Cha Cha” — a service that answers questions via text mail. You send a text to 242242 with a question and you get an answer. It’s like that KGB service I’ve seen commercials for, except it’s free. So, I gave it a shot.

My first question was to get an answer to something I haven’t been able to figure out with a Linux server I’ve been running out of necessity.

So I asked my first Cha Cha, “What needs to be done to enable outgoing html emails on a linux server using postfix? Something to enable mime types?”

I got my first answer: “Configure postfix by changing the following in /etc/postfix/main.cf myhostname = myorigin = $mydomain inet_ineterfaces = Maildir.” Interesting. I’m not going to blindly configure a server based on Cha Cha, but it gave me something to explore.

My next question was “Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask for free?” Once I sent that, I instantly started thinking, “What if it’s only three? Will that question bring me up to two? And if I ask if that counted, would that be my third?” The answer was pleasing. “There is no limit to how many free questions you can ask ChaCha, so ask away! ChaCha again!”

YES!

So I asked another. “What is he bench press equivalent of a 120-pound dumbell incline press?” I’m a runner, not a muscle guy, but I do reps of incline presses with a pair of 60-pound dumbbells and I’ve wondered how that converts into the bench press. “1/2 As incline decreases you will be able to lift more. There is no exact formula to determine how much extra Experiment and see” & “2/2 what works. Be careful! Cha Cha!”

OK, they’ve almost got me hooked.

And then, I moved in for the finale, the moment of truth. Let’s see if ChaCha can seal the deal.

“What is Operation Jack?”

“Hey! Sorry, but ur temporarily out of Qs. U can ask LuLu if she knows. Txt LuLu to have her try to Ans your last Q. Or txt like this: LuLu How old is Miley?”

NO NO NO!!! So close, but yet so far. But my wife has a phone, so I texted with hers, asking, again, “What is Operation Jack?”

“Operation Jack will be an attempt by Sam Felsenfeld to race at least one marathon a week in 2010 (60 total for the year) to MORE?”

Oh yeah, we have a winner. Cha Cha!

Why I Prefer To Run Outside

OK, Time To Get To Work
That’s all I have today. As always, thanks for stopping by. Remember, this site isn’t just a blog — it’s a factory for a great cause, Operation Jack. It’s my hope that with my legs and Jack’s struggles, we can make a difference. So, keep coming back. Leave a comment. Register with the site (free, no obligation, and your information will not be sold or given away). I’m just trying to drive participation, because I figure the more people that know about Operation Jack, the more people will know about Train 4 Autism. So again, thanks for reading down this far. If you liked this blog (or even if you only hated it a little), PLEASE do me a favor and register for the site and/or tell one new person about the site! It’s for a GREAT cause!

Another Day, Another Day Off

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Today, I’ll finally do it. I’m calling the doctor. I got a good recommendation to a doctor (I don’t know what kind — I just know it’s a doctor that takes care of your knees). I have tendinitis in my right knee and it just … won’t … go … away. I had the same exact thing in March 2008, and four days off along with some kind of a prescription did the trick. This time, it flared up after my 50-miler May 9, and while it’s died down 99% at times, it just won’t go away.

If I need to take time off, now is the time. I have to be good to go next year. I get concerned about losing fitness, but my wife just took 9 weeks off due to injury and after being back on for just 9 weeks, she’s already back to where it was. I have more experience than her and I should be able to handle time off even better than her, but it’s tough to look at yourself objectively. I go back and forth between wanting to run and wanting to take time off and get better. Actually, I take that back — I go back and forth between being willing to risk injury and knowing to be smart and take the day of.

But I need to get this done right, so I’m calling the doctor today. I’m a computer guy … why should I be following my plan to make my knee better ? I’ll leave that up to the experts.

So yeah, no run today, not that I could have, considering I was up 2 1/2 hours past my bedtime working last night. That makes two days off in a row, three out of four. I’m doing a lot of perfect pushups, but I don’t think those are helping me much with my running! Better July than December, though. It’s kind of convenient, because I have a ton of work to do and a big project due August 1. I’m just looking forward to next month, when I should be able to get back on track.

Badwater starts today
Anybody who thinks I’m crazy should check out Badwater (or twitter.com/adventurecorps), which started today. A friend of mine, Jonathan Gunderson is running it. Nothing like running 135 miles in 115+ temps from 282 feet below sea level up to Mt. Whitney. The toughest race I did was a 50-miler with moderate elevation gains (varied between about 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet) in 85-degree temps. It was a miserable day for me, but it was 85 miles shorter and 30 degrees cooler than what Gundy will be doing. It’s mind-boggling and something I will never, ever do.

Site changes, Operation Jack update
I made a change to the way this site functions. You don’t totally need to go through the registration process to leave a commeunt. Well, you kind of do, but it’s part of leaving a comment. When you post a comment, name & email are required, but putting those in will automatically register you. You can add a URL if you want to. Also, you can subscribe to the blog via RSS feed now.

I’m getting some positive feedback from various groups around the country. Several organizations are thinking of coming on board to try to help make a difference. It’s a win-win … Train 4 Autism gains awareness, and those organizations raise funds they wouldn’t have raised.

Thought I had …
I love ice cream and frozen yogurt. Right now, I’m on a streak of 19 consecutive days of having one or the other. A friend of mine, knowing this, told me she received two certificates for a free pint of ice cream at Baskin Robbins for donating blood that she wasn’t going to use. She’s going to give them to me, but it gave me an idea. I’m so focused on doing what I can to help the Autism community, but there’s no reason to only help in that area.

I was thinking (which is when I always get myself in trouble) that we can do various things that are easy to do that will make a difference. The blood donation idea was a no-brainer. Right now, there aren’t enough people following, so I want to save the first blood-drive attempt for later. But I’d love it if at some point we had people all over the country donating blood as part of this. I hate needles, but I’d do it. I think it would be cool if 100 or 200 people went out and donated blood on a designated day at some point in the future.

Jack, my super star!
I’m doing Operation Jack in honor of my son, and I talk a lot about Train 4 Autism and running and all sorts of things in between, but I realized I never really talk about Jack. So, I figured I’d throw in a happy Jack story.

Jack is off in his own world quite a bit. He’s oblivious, he doesn’t communicate too well … he just kind of does his own thing. As parents, it’s like Tiff and I have two sets of kids — Ben and Ava, the older brother and little sister, and then Jack, the only child. Last night, we were at Lucille’s, a BBQ restaurant, and he was playing with Ben and Ava, getting wild and having a blast. All three of them were having blast with each other, which is something we never see. Ordinarily, I don’t let the kids run around and make noise in a restaurant. But fortunately, we were in a back room and nobody else was in there (smart hostess!) and it was loud anyways. Ahhhh, the joys of parenthood!

Randomness: I heard this song today and I hadn’t heard it in a while
Big and Rich, Lost In This Moment. I love country music and I listen to it all day long. For whatever reason, I can’t stand Big and Rich. But I love this song. Anything that makes me pause and think of my wife is a good song. This one qualifies.

That’s all I’ve got for today
Thanks for reading. Don’t hesitate to sign up for Operation Jack! Register for a team — there’s no obligation! There are no fundraising minimums and you don’t have to run a marathon. I’m just trying to drive participation and awareness, so please — sign up and tell a friend! You can follow me at twitter.com/operationjack.