I am back home and back at the Big Unit computer to pass on this info this AM.  I will get the hang of the Little Unit (Kindle Fire) given some time.  OK, so a friend of my faithful dog Sture sent me an email yesterday with a link to a NYC article.  Very interesting both.  The article is very interesting and a emailing dog, where is Ed Sullivan when you need him?  We will have to investigate that at some future point.  Anyway, here is the link:

 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/opinion/david-brooks-rhapsody-in-realis

m.html?emc=edit_th_20140624&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=62424975&_r=0&referrer=

I just copied the top line and pasted it in the search line of Firefox and it got me there.  So if I can do it you can.  So, David Brooks in this article called “Rhapsody in Realism”  talks about the ideas of Lydia Netzer who wrote a book titled “Fifteen Ways to Stay Married for Fifteen Years”.   And here is one paragraph from the article that starts to explain her basic idea:

“But Netzer’s piece is nicely based on the premise that we are crooked timber. We are, to varying degrees, foolish, weak, and often just plain inexplicable — and always will be. As Kant put it: “Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.” ”

So, Brooks goes on to take the idea and apply it to life in general.  It is the idea that perfection as an idea is out, at least here in our lives on earth.  Heaven is another story and why it is so highly prized.  But back to earth, we need to all realize our and others shortcomings and not think that goals like perfection are anything else but goals, maybe short for preferred direction.  It is pretty arrogant to think that we can do more than approach such lofty ideas in our reality.  A quot pops into my head from a Jewish friend (good old Jewish wisdom) ” The perfect is the enemy of the good”.  I hope that that is a good approximation of it!  In other words we can stomp out so many good useful alternatives to problems searching for that final perfect one.  Yes?

I think that it was General Patton (WWII US Army General that lead the final thrust toward Berlin to bring organized Nazism to its knees.  He thought like a cavalry officer and borrowing another quote from Confederate cavalry officer Bedford Forrest, the cavalry’s job is to “get there the firstest with the mostest”.)  So, Patton said, “It is better to implement a good plan in a timely manner than a better plan late”.  I might have butchered it but heck it was good and done in a timely manner!  See how it works?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the comfy chair and ready to blog! So yesterday was the first walk with the boy pack. I think that it really is going to be comfortable. Didn’t have the full load in and will have to build up to that. I heard that a full load is less than 10% of your body weight. That would be 19 lbs for me. I think that I will have to quit for now. Man, I was falling asleep and was worried that the Kindle was going to slip out of my fingers and smash on the floor. But not too worry, I “m back after some coffee. I will write on and continue to learn this little unit. That is my nick name for our new grandson who is doing great by the way. Littlle Unit yea, he is not quite ready for bows and arrows yet but close.
Look at that, I learned how to start a new parapraph. I was really born in the wrong century for this kind of stuff. Maybe my new grandson could help me with this. Perhaps I should switch over and blot on this Little Unit starting July 1. We are trying to learn how to operate with all the gear that we will have on the Camino.
OK, so both of my Spiritual advisors are coming out to the ranch to walk this Sunday afternoon. I had better clean the trail up. It really doesn’t’ look as good as it did when I was on it everyday. How extravagant really to have two spiritual advisors, I am now thinking but hey I ‘m worth it, right? Apparently.

Tuesday again and I am off to Swedish Hospital for treatment.  Well, I go every other Tuesday to get it right.  This a chemotherapy treatment that pretty much takes up my whole day.  And it is the kind of deal that any normal person wants to run away from.  Going through the door at the hospital takes a lot of courage.  It is not because the experience is so bad, really the contrary.  It is just that the volume of chemicals that will enter my body this afternoon I don’t want to think about too much.

But beside that it will be fun to see my doctor and nurses.  It is a great crew that are fun to be with.  I have people that I don’t see for two months and we will pick up on the conversation where we had left it.  Maybe it’s books, movies, sports, movies or wine.  All good.  I always try and remember to bring some sort of healthy snack for them.

Anyway, I will take the Kindle along and do more blogging from there.  I have about three hours of being confined to the comfy chair and if I don’t nap off I can get something done.  I will think of something fun to do.  OK, till later, Phil.

Annie pointed out a weakness in the details of the blog.  Due to the fact that we switched over to this new format all the posts from May 21st (when we started) to June 19 are treated as one post.  So for now if you want to comment on any of those go to May 21st and comment there.  The last few posts from June 20 – 23 you can comment individually on those.  Maybe I can figure out how to correct that.  Later, Phil.

Kelly and I went to the big flagship REI (Recreational Equipment In case your pockets are bulging with money, we will help you out)  store yesterday.  We had a list of gear to check out and maybe buy.  On top of my list was a backpack.  Having my backpack is going to lend a bunch of realism to all this training we have been up to.  Did I tell you that Annie and I had a plan for me to carry her pack across Spain but then I learned about boy and girl packs.  Who would have thought?  Yea, boy and girl packs.  I’ve also learned that there are boy sleeping bags and girl sleeping bags. The birds and the bees.  Life is getting more complicated.

Anyway, I spent an hour or two trying various models of boy packs with the help of REI expert, Rebecca.  Quite a process.  I was looking for a medium sized unit that was designed for hot weather, setup for water bladder, would house my walking sticks for the plane rides,  and would be comfortable for my boy body.  And I found one!  I settled on the Osprey , Exos 58 (58 liter capacity)  if that means anything.  It cost an arm and a leg but like the walking sticks have to be the best that can be afforded.  These new packs really fit to your body in a sense that they feel part of your body when loaded with weight.  They cinch up in about 57 ways to be close to the back and is one with the body.  You can bend, lean, turn or whatever and everything moves together.  This pack is extremely light weight and larger in capacity then recommended but all the gear that I put in it finally will cinch down even if not full.  It fits and looks like it will be cool as possible in the heat of the Meseta in August.

So, I got some other random stuff like a 2 liter water bladder, quick dry undies and a quick dry long sleeve shirt with sun protection built in.  Don’t ask me how that works.  If Lewis and Clark had this gear they would have probably gone on to several more continents while they were at it.

Tomorrow I am back at Swedish Hospital to pay a visit.  I will try and remember to take the Kindle and do a blog from there to practice.  OK, off to walk six miles WITH BOY PACK.  Tomorrow, Phil.

Yea, Rick laid that on us last evening, that the whole Camino from St. Jean to Santiago is 1,000,000 steps (of course approximately depending on your stride).  I had to get with the calculator and figure it out for myself.  500 miles X 2000 steps/ mile = 1 million.  Looks like I could have done that without a calculator.  According to the timeline that we figured out yesterday I am going to bus 130 miles to tailor my Camino to the time that I have available.  So, I will have to deduct 26o,000 steps to give me a total of 740,000 steps.  So, if I am walking 27 days that divides out to 27,407 steps per day.  Almost 3X the old thousand step “active” day.  That going to take a lot of calories and a significant amount of that good Spanish wine!

OK, off to Mass, SJA, Phil.

Rick, Kelly and I sat down tonight and hammered out this approximate timeline for my Camino (this is give or take 20 miles or 2 days from St. Jean to Santiago):

Thurs July 24 – appointment at Swedish Hospital, Seattle and leave SeaTac 6:11 PM for Madrid.

Fri July 25 – arrive Madrid

Sat July 26 – arrive St. John Pied de Port, France.

Sun July 27- St. John Pied de Port to Roncesvalles, Spain.

Mon July 28 – Roncesvalles to Zubiri.

Tues July 29 – Zubiri to Pamplona.

Wed July 30 – Pamplona to Puente la Reina.

Thurs July 31 – Puente la Reina to Estella.

Fri Aug 1 – Estella to Los Arcos

Sat Aug 2 – Los Arcos to Viana.

Sun Aug 3 – Viana to Logrono.

Mon Aug 4 – Logrono to Ventosa.

Tues Aug 5 – Ventosa to Azofra.

Wed Aug 6 – Azofra to Granon.

Thurs Aug 7 – Granon to Tosantos.

Fri Aug 8 – Tosantos to San Juan de Ortega.

Sat Aug 9 – San Juan de Ortega to Burgos.

Sun Aug 10 – Burgos to Tardajos.

Mon Aug 11 – Tardajos to San Anton.

Tues Aug 12 – San Anton to Boadilla del Camino.

Wed Aug 13 – Boadilla del Camino to Carrion de Los Condes.

Thurs Aug 14 – Carrion de Los Condes to Ledigos.

Fri Aug 15 – Ledigos to Bercianos del Real Camino.

Sat Aug 16 – Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de Las Mulas.  Last day with Kelly.

Sun Aug 17 – Mansilla de Las Mulas and bus ahead (211 k or 131 miles) to Samos.

Mon Aug 18 – Samos to Sarria.  First day with Rick.

Tues Aug 19 – Sarria to Portomarin.  Start of the last 100 k.

Wed Aug 20 – Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Thurs Aug 21 – Palas de Rei to Ribadiso.

Fri Aug 22 – Ribadiso to Opedrouzo.

Sat Aug 23 – Opedrouzo to Santiago.

Sun Aug 24 – Pilgrims Mass in Santiago.  Last day with Rick.

Mon Aug 25 – fly to Madrid and fly to SeaTac.

Tues Aug 26 – appointment at Swedish Hospital, Seattle.

 

 

 

This is a catchup of stats for the last week that I forgot to log in:

6/14/14  1 1/2 miles and no record of steps.

6/15/14  4 miles with 13777 steps.

6/16/14  6 miles with no record of steps.

6/17/14  5 miles with no record of steps.

6/18/14  4 miles with 14160 steps.

6/19/14  6 miles with 16520 steps.

6/20/14  6 miles with 15984 steps.

6/21/14   3 miles with 10763 steps.

Happy Summer!!!  Things are definitely looking up.  For one, Bud, my good bud has succeeded in switching over our computer and operating system to the latest and greatest configuration.  Rebecca and I took him and his wife, Shela, out to have dinner and wine on the deck of the local country club to enjoy a beautiful preSummer evening.  It has turned into our favorite place to be this time of year.  Surviving the long winter seems worth it all of a sudden when it is warm and dry.

Then this blog seems like it is over the major pains of beginning and we will be able to communicate the action as we proceed toward Spain and the Camino.  My goal is to be able to describe the inner and outer Camino as we proceed.  Everything is posed for future adventure and I have my seat belt fastened.

Kelly has a favorite saying, “We could have done that when we were younger!” whenever he hears of some feat like the reports back from my son on the Pacific Coast Trail and his  group trekking twenty plus miles per day in the mountains.  Which is true Kelly, we could have done that.  Maybe one wonders whether we are smarter now and don’t have to do stuff like that but that is another topic I think.  Anyway, the point as I see it, is that at some point in time over the last few years as I have been grappling with my health issues I realized that I was now a three legged dog, so to speak.  I was recovering from a hit by the careening mighty fickle finger of fate and left three legged.  Things were going to be different.  New ways and adjustments would have to be found.  New ways to think would have to be put together.  But in the end all that happened.

And it is such an inspiration to see a real three legged dog and realize that he is going to be happy in spite of it.  Yea.  And as I am finding out there are hidden benefits to be found.  Mysteries come forth.  New opportunities come forth.  New friends arrive.  Old friends check in.  In the end it’s all good, amazingly.  Saint James is Afoot, Phil.

Good Morning Vietnam!!!  Thinking about quirky and Robin Williams popped into my brain.  But for now my brand of quirky is that we were doing some serious messing around with this blog site last evening and what resulted is on the quirky side which on reflection is probably a good thing.  We wanted to upgrade the site to take advantage of features that would make it better as showing pictures.  And that happened, if you look for gallery and click on that.  Also, we had to cut and paste all the old blog entries and put them in the correct format and they got in their “ass backwards” so a quirky deal is that some go forward in time and some backward.

Vashon Island has always gotten the rap as a quirky place.  So, living here for over forty years I must be quirky too, I suppose.  We’re small but like Mighty Mouse, feisty and on the map.  Does anyone remember Might Mouse?

Thinking quirky, something in the country of Malta comes to mind.  I want to seriously talk about Malta at some point coming up.  I have friends and readers there.  Hi to the Maltese!!  But in one of the old towns and the name escapes me now but there is a church that was built in the 1500’s.  That is not unusual for Malta.  But it has two steeples and on each one is a large clock which as I remember shows the hour only.  The clocks are easily read from the street and handy for the pedestrian.  But the quirky deal is that they have two different times on them on purpose.  Don’t ask he how to tell which one is correct.  The explanation is that they did that at the time to fool the Devil!  Anything to screw up the Devil was a good thing is the idea.  Yea.

Rebecca, my dear wife,  loves movies about quirky people.  Movies, as “What About Bob”, “Oh, Brother Where Art Thou”, “Mixed Nuts”, “Harold and Maude”, “The Commitments”, “The Sapphires”, “Hearts of the West”, “Blues Brothers” come to mind, quirky all.  Now that I think about it maybe that was why she was attracted to me.  Hmm.  And I have been trying all these years to be normal.  That’s a clue.

Enough of that, the important thing to focus on is that this is a brand new day!  What are we going to make of it?  SJA, Phil.