404,300 pushups completed
595,725 pushups to go
1,507 pushups ahead of schedule
With apologies to Bono for the title of this blog...
Well it's been 48,675 pushups since my last blog post. A mere drop in the bucket! Let's see... well, I've had a request for more news of what's going on with the family and kids in this blog so... what are the top ten things that have happened in the life of Thunder John and Co. whilst performing these 2,435 score pushups that I can think of right now while writing this blog entry:
1. Drove to Topeka Kansas. With 4 children. In one day. 570+ miles. I love coffee. And quiet. Went on a run in the Amana Colonies on the way back (we stopped halfway on the way back) and I was attacked by redwing blackbirds. Slice of life. It's not all gold, but the blog don't cost nuthin' to read so... just read on, it might get better.
2. Sold our old Glen Ellyn house on Anthony St. Lived there for 11+ years, brought 4 kids home from the hospital, nurtured and shaved 6 moustaches. Left some of the best neighbors ever. I'll miss that street. Moved into another Glen Ellyn house.
3. Colleen is talking, walking, climbing onto everything, still pooping in a diaper, and thankfully still taking one good nap a day. She has acquired the nickname, "CoCo", a name shared with a gorilla at Lincoln Park Zoo.
4. Jane lost her first tooth on Christmas Eve. The Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus both visited that lucky girl on December 24. I wonder who would win if they got in a fight? My money would be on the tooth fairy. We don't know a whole lot about the tooth fairy, but if the movies have taught me anything it's that it's a "he" not a "she", and he looks a lot like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
5. Jane started kindergarten this year, and May started second grade. May is playing her first season of park district basketball. She also discovered iPod's, rolling her eyes, the phrase "Whatever", but still likes hanging out with mommy and daddy and waking us up in the morning... "Why don't you come downstairs already!" She's starting to get an attitude... I can tell this one's going to be trouble. Just like Daddy was.
6. Patrick played fall baseball, continues to take piano lessons, and can legitimately beat his Dad in a 50 meter freestyle swim race. He is doing great on the swimming team. Very proud of that kid. I can still take him in arm wrestling though. I think... maybe I should make sure... (quick break to arm wrestle my nine year old)... yep, I beat him. Best 2 out of 3, but I beat him.
7. Took a trip to San Diego with Mrs. Thunder John and as a last minute edition, Colleen. Below is a picture of me doing pushups outside the outfield fence at PetCo park, home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padre franchise:
8. Survived the blizzard and cold snap (or was it a cold spell?) of New Year's 2014. Pipes froze, but didn't burst. "Bend but don't break", that's the way to go through life. Way to go pipes! But with all these pushups I'm doing, ain't no change in the weather that's going to freeze Thunder John's REAL pipes! The ones in my sleeves. My arms. You get it, right? Let's move on.
9. As a 40 year old, I PR'd in the Freedom Four Mile Race on July 4. 25m 43sec, 25th overall place. I know nobody else cares, but hey, it's my blog, and if you made it this far, well then it's your fault for having nothing better to do. Consider my own horn, tooted.
10. All three of my children entered the "Reflections" contest at their school. Each of them had at least one submission make it to the next round of the competition - Patrick wrote a short story, May choreographed a dance routine to Katy Perry's "Roar", and Jane wrote a poem.
So that's about it. Not much creative fiction this edition of the blog, but I'll be back with more hooey and applesauce next time.
Peace,
Thunder John
Bringin' the pushups, packin' the pain, loaded with pushups - makin' it rain!
PS - finding yourself with nothing to do? Go on youtube and search for "tim and eric awesome show cinco products". Check out the "fake" infomercials for the eye tanning system, pasta bear, and food tube. It's wonderful stuff.
