I guess i lucked out with the swimming in being taught alternate side breathing early, because i'm pretty sure my neck would hate the unilateralism of only one side! But one of the gals i work with swims about 6 miles a week and only breathes on the right...so whatever works! I try to breathe every 5 strokes...but sometimes i cheat with every 3. And sometimes i throw in some backstroke every 4th length so i can breathe freely the whole lap. I had a coach who made us do breath control exercise during 500s: first length, breathe every 3 strokes. 2nd length, every 5. Then every 7, every 9, every 11, every 13....then back down. 7-13 are miserable, but after a full round of that my lungs feel like iron. Ok, briefly jellied iron, but it keeps my asthma at bay when i'm on land. Plus, i swim waaaay faster when i feel like my lungs are about to burst.

It's just I'm going to miss him.

I'm sorry, Burrell. You guys have had a lot of parent care issues. It's tough.

Thanks Hec.

You guys have had a lot of parent care issues. It's tough.

Ugh. I feel terrible for Cody that it's his mother now who is sick. It's not fair. She was so young when I first met her! And yeah, things are going to get harder too.

I never really had to deal with those issues. My mom died when she was 50 (my next birthday), and my Dad had his second wife with him to take care of him. JZ's parents are relatively young and healthy and will almost certainly be around long enough to see Matilda graduate from college. (Knock wood.)

In a separate post, I'll note: Mets fans! Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez both released within days of each other. You gotta cut away the dead wood before you grow something healthy. But at least you've got a good GM in Sandy Alderson to make some ballsy but smart decisions. So, take heart Tom and Amy. He'll have your ship righted in three years.

I'm in the middle of the paintball episode right now, and oh, mothereffing gee,

Just finished it, and OMG, yes!

Lots of ~ma, Burrell, for Cody's mother and your family.

Speaking of which, the American teacher who has now been confirmed dead in Japan is the granddaughter of a friend of my mother's. So a little ~ma in the direction of VA wouldn't hurt. [link]

I have a meeting with a professor this morning which I dread, because she is impossible.

Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez both released within days of each other.

And Castillo was immediately picked up by the Phillies. That could be a disaster in the making for us.

Chicken in a cunning hat. . .

Oh dear.

HOWTO raise a Eugenic Baby (old ad)

This Physical Culture ad for The Correspondence School of Gospel and Scientific Eugenics (whose principal had the comedy name of "M.E. Teats," no less!) manages to capture everything abhorrent about both faith and science, and is a kind of perfect parcel of awfulness, from the mad, stary schoolmarm and pinch-faced schoolmaster on the letterhead to the great! abundance! of exclamation!! marks!!!, to the testimonials from proud parents of "Eugenic Babies."

Bigger version: [link]