Nothing left to do but smile! smile! smile!

Usually on Tuesday mornings my legs are sore from two days of rest and it takes a minute or so to work out the hitch in my giddy up. This morning my legs felt good and fresh and I was on my way down the road feeling fine when I got a cramp. Not the usual side cramp or calf, no this was different. My face cramped up. As I ran I thought about what might have brought this on and came up with only one solution, my two goofballs! I would consider myself a happy go lucky guy but I don't necessarily smile all the time. I have what some people refer to as the Cantwell smirk. A little crooked grin that appears when something funny enters my brain and since the twins arrived I have found that my smirk has got a lot wider and more frequent. Running along finding my grove my legs finally shifted to auto pilot and I began to think about the simple things that make me smile(which made my face hurt even that much more). It sounds silly but rainbows make me smile. Frogs make me smile because they remind me of Tanner when he was born. When I hear Sweet Emotion I turn the volume up and smile because it reminds me of walking in with my new wife. Snow makes me smile because I remember every time I strapped on my snowboard with good friends. Mountains make me smile. Porch Song reminds of Red Rocks and I smile. When I think about all my friends sitting on decks or next to campfires I smile. So as I ran, smiling, face hurting, I thought maybe I do smile more often than I think. Keep smiling everyone. The say you use 13 muscles to smile and twice as much to frown. That makes me smile.

What a wonderful morning for a Moondance!

I set out for a quick run this morning with a full moon to guide my way. On most mornings I tend to look down as I run but with a coat of condensation and a stellar amount of moon rays the road seemed to glow lunar green. Running along it didn't take long before Van Morrison entered my head and I was singing Moondance. I began to reminisce about the pre playlist days of putting in a Van Morrison cd on a Sunday morning and sitting down with a cup of coffee and a book. I can't say that I miss those days because waking up making banana pancakes for the twins and listening to our campfire playlist seems like a better trade. So I ran and I thought about what actually is the best album for Sunday mornings? Sure Moondance is fantastic but is it the best?

Sunshine! We missed you!

After a week of below 0 weather it is great to see the sun and the temp starting to rise. The twins can't wait to get outdoors and enjoy the sweet sounds of Spring. Making new friends with the animals will probably be a welcome relief from being couped up with two goofy parental units all winter long. I look forward to chasing after them and playing hide and go seek.

Snow Rocks!

As I lay fresh tracks in the morning snow I began to smile. Snow rocks! You can't ask for better running conditions than the snow gently falling as you make way down the road. The stiff crunch under your feet and the tingle of snowflakes smacking your face makes for a great run. I thought about other weather conditions and how they measure up to snow. Sure a clear sunning day is nice but there is something about snow that quiets our fast paced world.

Up and running!

Happy New year everyone! I know it is two weeks past but I am happy to say that we are now back on line from our computer crash. Computer is up and running and hopefully I will break out of my January funk to start eating up the miles. It seems every year I encounter this funk brought on by the holiday feasting( probably gained 10 pounds) and the extreme Midwest weather(-30 below wind chill). I did consider putting on my snowboarding gear and taking a quick run but thankfully my better half rationalized that maybe since the weather on Saturday would be above zero that it might be better to wait a day. I guess this is good idea since I nearly froze my goods not to long ago but that is another story, so it will be hot coffee in hand gazing out my frost ridden window. Shiver Shiver.

The Fam is doing well. The twins are doing remarkably well and growing and crawling like two crazy fools. Katelyn is finding her legs and we think will be walking soon. Tanner is still a low crawler but at least he is not still stuck in reverse. It is both amazing and frightening how fast they grow.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I know waking up Christmas morning and seeing are two smiling babies is gift beyond measure. Sorry for the lack of correspondence during the last couple of weeks. Our computer crashed and is in the process of being fixed.

Shooting Star or Falling Star?

As I ran this morning I happen to see two shooting stars. For me shooting stars seem to turn even the most ordinary run into something magical. So I made my wish and continued on my way back home. Looking up at the stars I began to wonder if you can even wish on shooting stars. Wishes as I remember are reserved for the first star of the night. At least that is the way the song goes. Running along, singing starlight starbright it hit me. Is it shooting star or falling star? Is there a difference? I couldn't decide. The thought banged around the vast expanse I call my cranium and I came to a conclusion. Falling star sounds to negative. The idea that a star is taking its final journey doesn't leave much to the imagination just an end. I'd like to think that a shooting star travels on to greet another early morning gazer.