Me and my handsome bros, from this past summer.

My wife's work sponsors a 5K every year. In years past, we've walked the 5K while pushing our son in a stroller. This year, though, since I've been running, my wife asked if I wanted to run it. And I said that would be cool. Then this morning, our son woke up with a fever, and my wife offered to stay home and snooze with him while I ran the 5K. Awesome!

This was my first time ever running in a race. When we walk the 5K, we generally finish almost entirely last, scant minutes before they deflate the finish line. One year, we were beaten by an octogenarian who was also walking. That's a very comfortable way to complete a 5K; our biggest problem has been managing a one- or two-year old who doesn't want to stay in the stroller.

This time, though, I maintained a steady 6 mph pace through the entire 5K, except when I paused to tie my shoes (forgot to double knot them, oops) and at the very end when I figured I might as well give it everything I had for the last .107 miles. And I learned that maintaining a steady pace through an entire 5K is a little depressing, because you spend most of the race passing people who started out too fast. And of course, half the people you pass immediately start running a bit faster, so now you simultaneously feel sorry for them and wish you didn't have to listen to them panting right behind you.

The official timing has me at 30:55, which is a bit shy of my goal of 30:00, but well within my secondary goal of "no more than twice as long as the first-place finisher." I also finished slightly faster than one dude who was somehow walking almost as fast as I was running, and every six-year old who competed. Two of the three seven-year olds beat me, though.

Archer's pumpkin looks on in horror as Houser's pumpkin goes "Daddy hamster" on Hunter's pumpkin.  Happy Halloween!

Yesterday was kind of epic.

Recently we spotted an H-Mart from the car while crossing back into town from Elkins Park, north of Philadelphia. I was vaguely aware it's a Korean supermarket. Our neighborhood has cheap, abundantly stocked pan-asian supermarkets, but this looked a little more upscale.

And on the way back into town, we passed through a Korean neighborhood that blends into an African-American neighborhood that blends into... and so on. But from a car, you miss a lot.

So yesterday, with the rest of my household out on their own errands, I decided to hop on my bike and pedal north... forever.

Around 0.3 forevers into this journey, I passed Fly School Circus Arts, currently located on 5th street near Cecil B. Moore. They teach you the flying trapeze. I tried it once. S'fun.

At the 0.6 forevers mark, I stumbled onto El Bloque de Oro, aka the "golden block." Actually several blocks of thriving Latino businesses and a community center.

But around 0.7 forevers, I found myself in what felt like an endless series of abandoned factories. So I changed course, rolled through the green space of Hunting Park, and worked my way north along Old York Road, which parallels Broad Street.

Old York was my ticket the rest of the way to forever: the H-Mart at Old York and Cheltenham Avenue.

I had expected a supermarket, and there is one, more of an upper middle class affair than I'm used to down in South Philly. But there is also an indoor pedestrian mall that feels more like a street market. And a vendor of Korean kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Which... are a vivid reminder that we are not the only high-tech culture on this planet that innovates in the vital arenas of consumption and elimination. But anyway.

The main score for me: red bean donuts. I hadn't experienced red bean paste desserts before, although I know they are a staple in certain cultures. These were served in a very health-label-conscious "parisian bakery" that clearly is no stranger to picky eaters, so I felt more confident than usual in ordering outside my comfort zone.

On my return home, I presented the family with freeze-dried asian pears, Korean corn chips and plum candy for dessert. The "crispy asian pears" were the clear winner; with no ingredients whatsoever other than asian pears, they scratch that "unhealthy crunchy snack" itch. I was impressed. The other two were just okay. But I get points for adventuring, yes?

I'm a big believer in leaving your backyard and exploring neighborhoods you wouldn't normally see.

I'm cognizant that in some places and times there can be risks associated with this. A tiny fraction, of course, of the risk and discomfort folks who don't happen to be white males might experience in far more places. But there are risks associated with never leaving the house, too. It also doesn't hurt that I tend to explore in broad daylight. Which is not to say that any particular places I've mentioned are less safe.

I'm here today. I'm catching up on all the posts I missed and enjoying the new "network" and "public" features. I made some of my longest-time internet friends from friending folks on LJ and I look forward to adding new biological and technological distinctiveness to my... collective. Of.. blogs. We are Blog?

The egg came first...immediately preceded by almost-a-chicken.

I am coming off an insane week.  I am so grateful that I was able to particpate in a once in a lifetime event - the launch of our newest product Acute Care.  I have never seen anything like it - totally reminded me of Apple.  It was a virtual line around the block.  We sold out in just 19 hours....I feel like we are poised on the brink of a new age.  Can't wait to see what enfolds and I am so happy to have the opportunity.  Things can change so much in an instant - love the possibilities

Today, for the first time, I ran while ill. It's just a minor cold, and the run was just a slow 4 miles. But: I ran faster and farther than I could have at the beginning of the year, or really at any point in my life. And: it's really the first time in my life that I've done exercise solely for the sake of exercise while I was ill. So that's a major accomplishment.

Strike that.  Reverse it.

It is my ambition to introduce Archer to all of the plays and musicals I have loved and some of the ones I have been indifferent to, but see as theatre canon.  Then, of course, there are all of the shows that have come out since I was at the height of my theatre days, and all the shows that will be born in the future.  

Next on our viewing list - Peter Pan at the Players' Club of Swarthmore tonight.  I like the Players' Club.  Archer and I saw Joseph there (I don't need to type out the whole name of the show, do I?) and their production was fantastic.  Their production of The Fantasticks was weak due to the casting of Luisa (she could sing, but she needed to act too), but the rest of the cast was good, and their tech is consistent and doesn't make me want to scream, "Light the FACE, the FACE!!!" like so many local theatres do, even semi-professional ones.  Really, it's not that hard, if the actor is meant to be the focus of the scene, get him or her into the light unless it's Bill Sykes and then create some really nasty shadows on purpose.

Also, I am eager to show him the movie version of Fiddler on the Roof for many reasons, not the least of which is to see if he recognizes Max from The Muppet Movie.  Shhhh.

If you know of a good production in the PhilaDel area (we live in Media), please drop me a recommendation.  

Hunter and I are compiling a playlist.  Last night we added the theme from Superman and the Imperial March.  Sadly, we can't even buy a copy of Ewok Celebration (better known to all of us 80s kids as 'Yub Nub') so we have to watch it on YouTube.  And watch it, and watch it, and watch it ... well at least we found the version with Real Vader's ghost as opposed to ... ok, I was about to rag on Hayden Christiansen's "acting skills" but now I am wondering who sucked worse, him in the prequels or Paul Walker (RIP) in Timeline and if we can make this into a drinking game.  Because if I am going down THAT rabbit hole, I will need many drinks.