Good Morning and welcome to a new week!

So, that was certainly an interesting weekend. We started with tons of rain and ended a meltdown. In between, though, pretty good.
All that rain that came down Saturday at least gave us an opportunity to get the house clean. It doesn't feel so bad staying inside when it's all mud and wet outside.
Sunday, though, the sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk.
Well, at least I was able to walk. First, though a little background.
Coming up in September is the Walk4Hearting at Ridley Creek State Park.
So, in preparation, Sunday was a good day to try out the 4.3 mile course. Then again, when dragging a 7-year old and a 4-year old along, there has to be a way to get them around the whole thing.
Bright Idea: Bikes.
So, we loaded two bikes into the van and made the way to the park. After getting on the trail, it seemed to be a great idea. The little ones were riding their bikes and not complaining about 'it being too hot' or 'I need water.'
So, the start was OK. Then, all of a sudden, one bike took off. Brendan, 7, seemed to a have a little motor on the bike (anybody who knows him knows there's a little motor in his body). ZOOM.
Now, you just can't let a 7-year old take off down a trail. So, when he didn't respond to 'STOP' something had to be done. Luckily, somebody in much better shape than me (most of the world?) ran and ran and ran until they met up.
The rest of the course was mostly running for them as I was able to trudge along with a 4-year old girl who kept stopping if she saw me running (thanks!).
Everybody made it around the trail.
So, as the pain in the muscles continues to throb for me, I say thank you for running. There's no way I could keep up.
Next time, though, I'm bringing the bike.

Good Morning and welcome to the first day of the week!

Did you ever notice that taking a week off only makes you want to take another week off? Sure, there is something nice about structure, but there's something a lot nicer about playing baseball/basketball/riding bikes all day. Then again, being so far away from 10-years old, maybe it's just so much nostalgia.
One thing you never realize until you are way past that 10 mark is how good you have it. You go along day-by-day only to have your parent's put limits on your 'freedom.' Then, you become a parent and realize you never had more freedom. Of course, the argument is lost on the 10-year old (or 7-year old or 4-year old) when you tell them it's time for bed or to come inside.
That's even more evident during the summer. The temperature is nice. The sun is shining bright and there are a lot of noises coming through the window.
Where do you draw the line? When is it time to put the foot down firmly?
Well, I guess it's all an internal battle. Of course, when your alarm goes off at 3:15 a.m., well, that battle at least has a time limit.
Then, you have to fight through the sandman to fill the next day and the day after and the day after.
You just have to make it fun not only for those who would bounce off the walls, but for yourself.
So, what happened to my sneakers?


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning, Delaware County!

You eat right. You try to stay active. Well, as active as possible with work and everything else that goes on in this crazy world.
You take walks. You maybe run around with the children. You play some baseball. Some basketball. Some football.
Then, you realize you're really not in 'good shape.' What to do?
As a youngster, riding bikes was a daily thing. We would ride our bikes around the neighborhood, to school, to the store, to the ice cream shop, to our friend's house. It really didn't seem like that big a deal.
Now, with gas prices so high it's tough to afford the trip to the store, how about getting a bike? Sounds like a great idea, huh? Used to do it all the time. It can't be that hard.
So, hopping on the bike as the breeze blew Sunday night sounded pretty easy. Just a short ride, to, you know, ease into things.
Then the pain starts. The seat doesn't feel the same as you remember. The pedals? They keep slipping from under your shoes. Shin splints would be a welcome relief to the pain now in your lower legs.
Forget bike riding, where's the couch? Then comes a voice from behind:
"Come on Dad! Let's go a little longer! This is fun!"
The pain disappears. Let's Go!


If you have any cool links, photos or Larry Mendte sightings, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com