MP is in the house!!

Michael Phelps competed in the Annexus Pro-Am today in Scottsdale. One lucky Phoenix Swim Club member was able to meet MP and give him a t-shirt. I so wanted to be there today to watch him play and maybe get his autograph, but maybe another day.

B&B Swimmers

It always amazes me how something ordinary turns into something extraordinary. I'm hoping some day I have the pleasure of swimming with these people and that they continue to swim for years to come.

ASU Swimming

I've spent so much time in the main pool at ASU that it's become like a second home to me. The swimming and diving teams had a meet this weekend against Stanford, which they unfortunately lost, but the feeling is mutual that they all love being on this team and being associated with ASU. I'm right there with them. Here's a short little video that sums it up.

http://thesundevils.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=363994

Aqua Serenity

Ah, peace and quiet. It's not so easy to come by these days. But, today, I found myself in a place where I could actually hear the bees buzzing and no sounds of humanity. It was lovely and I can't wait to do it again.

 Quiet  little cove on Canyon Lake

The end of the line. Nothing to do here but enjoy the beauty and the quiet.

I Can't Believe I Ate the WHOLE Thing!

I came across this hilarious article while reading the news this morning. I had no idea that a hawk would eat so much that he couldn't move! Too funny!

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Article courtesy Yahoo! News by Simon Garner

We all know that feeling - a large lunch leaves us sprawled out on the sofa.

Similarly, this juvenile red-tailed hawk was rendered immobile after scoffing down another bird.

Photographer Steve Shinn managed to snap the stricken bird of prey on its back after a meal of a coot near a nature preserve in Long Beach, California.

He explained: "I shot this just after a big holiday meal and think I could feel this bird's pain.

"I found this bird in a very unhawklike position looking very distressed. It had attacked a Coot near the stream and chewed away on it for about a half hour before it waddled about 50 feet and fell flat on his keister."

Flat out: The bird is immobile

He continued: "It seemed to be breathing well so I called some folks who work for South Bay Wildlife Recovery, a wonderful organisation that mainly works with raptors and other animals.

"They had one of their members on the way in minutes so I opted to not to disturb the bird by getting it upright as being on its back is not a good position as it can interfere with breathing. The stuffed critter was collected and taken in for some rest and recovery.

"A day later it was sitting on a perch and seemed none the worse for the gluttonous rampage. They plan to return it to the same area as soon as recovery is complete."

Peacock Spider -- Stunning!!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I'm confused -- Arizona is supposed to be hot, right? Just kidding. We do get our fair share of cold weather, typically in late January. We've been registering low 20's here for the past two days with a couple more forecasted. But, next weekend, it should be 70 degrees. Whoot! Now, that's what I'm talking about.

It's certainly chilly down here in the Phoenix-metro area, but Flagstaff is waaay beyond cold today. Just check out the temperature in the upper left-hand corner. Yup, that's right -- MINUS 12.7 degrees. Brrrrr.

A true balancing act

The Solution to the National Debt ;)

That ought to do it. ;) http://swimswam.com/michael-phelps-to-grace-one-trillion-dollar-coin/

Inca Kola -- The Taste of Peru

As stated in Wikipedia, Inca Kola (also known as "the Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935, by British immigrant José Robinson Lindley using lemon verbena (verbena de Indias or cedrón in Spanish). The soda has an unusual sweet fruity flavor that resembles a little of its main ingredient, lemon verbena, locally known as Hierba Luisa. Americans compare its flavor to bubblegum or cream soda. It has been described as "an acquired taste" whose "intense color alone is enough to drive away the uninitiated."

I had the pleasure of trying this soda for the first time when I visited my friends in Georgia while at the World of Coca-Cola. During conversations with people, when the topic of soda comes up, I always mention how much I like Inca Kola. Well, today, a colleague of mine surprised me with a chilled can of the luscious beverage that he had found in the clearance aisle at a local supermarket.

I normally shy away from sugared drinks, but I figured since I'm going to swim practice tonight, I could treat myself with my favorite soft drink. It didn't disappoint. It smells a bit like bubblegum, but has a flavor very close to that of cream soda, but in my opinion, it's much better. And, the color -- it is a vibrant yellow, as you will see in the second photograph.

My can of Inca Kola. Yummy stuff! 

The real deal from Peru. 

2013 Resolution -- No TV

Yup! You heard it correctly. No TV for me this year, and hopefully every year to come. Quite the resolution for someone who was born into the TV age. Television has been such a huge part of my life since I was born. Romper Room, Engineer Bill, Ding-Dong School, Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Wonderful World of Color, Bonanza, Mutual of Omaha's - Wild Kingdom -- the list goes on and on.

In my early twenties, I chose to not have a TV and didn't miss it. I was busy riding my horse, hiking, biking, camping, ocean swimming, and just being outdoors as much as possible. It wasn't until I had children of my own that a TV re-entered my home. I have to admit -- letting the kids watch Barney and Sesame Street had its advantages, but neither of my girls sat and watched as much TV as I did when I was their age.

Over the past couple of years, I've come to realize just how much time I've been wasting sitting on the sofa, watching pointless TV programs. Honestly, with over 250 channels on DISH Network, I have found it really difficult to find anything meaningful to watch. I love National Geographic, PBS, History Channel, etc., but even these networks often offer silly shows such as "Doomsday Preppers" and "Man v. Monster". And don't get me started with "Ancient Aliens". C'mon! What happened to TV? And, what has happened to me as a result?

Well, no more. On December 30, I gladly donated my 52" LED TV to my daughter and her boyfriend. They have no intention of watching TV programming, but instead, will be using the TV with NetFlix and the companion Blu-Ray player to watch movies. I thought of doing the same, but I have to admit it, I'm a TV addict. Switching from DISH to NetFlix, which would still allow me to watch all the TV programming I could want, really wouldn't be any different. My daughter, doesn't have the same addiction as her mother, so I had no reservations giving my TV to her.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad for watching TV. For me, it's a choice I willingly made and needed to make. Now, when I have some down time, instead of plopping down and watching TV, I'll get busy doing something more productive, and hopefully avoid this scenario.

The Internet can be just as addictive, but fortunately for me, the World Wide Web is something I use sparingly and has yet to become a problem. Considering the fact I've been active on the Internet since its inception, I don't think I have anything to worry about.