Game On!

A while back I said I switched map applications. Well since then, all the map sites have been fighting for my business... I know, you're welcome. :)

Two days ago, Microsoft Virtual Earth came out of no where and included some next level graphics and interaction into their maps web page. Check it out for yourself: http://maps.live.com. Once you install the plug in you can pan, tilt, zoom, create paths, store locations, share locations, etc... anywhere in the world directly from your browser. The only downfall so far is that it takes a while to load, but once it's up and running it's pretty cool. I was able to zoom into my house and see the hill behind my house. I can't do that with Google Earth or Google Maps.

Soon after Microsoft released it's Virtual Earth plug in, Google introduces Google Street View. This is a cool new feature that let's you see pictures at various predefined locations in a 360 degree view. Again, directly inside your browser window. Here is a cool little video to show you what it's all about:

Needless to say, these are pretty fun times for the web! I can't wait to see what they come up with next...

My Stress Fracture

Well, I went to the foot doctor yesterday and he told me that my MRI came back indicating that I had a stress fracture on one of my ligaments that connects the inside of my foot to the outside of my shin. Apparently this is the best case scenario and my body will just heal itself over time. He told me to not run on it for 2 more weeks and then ease back into running on a soft track. As it turns out, he said that it usually happens when runners do too much "hill work". I didn't have the heart to tell him about my new sandals. I'm sure it was from me trying to stretch the 'toe' strap on my Chaco's all day long. I still wear my Chaco's, but I no longer stretch my toe strap all day...

So the bottom line is that it my injury should heal itself over time if I just take it easy for a little while longer. I totally expected to walk out in a boot, so I'm pretty happy with my visit.

Blake Lewis is Just Plain Funky

I can't wait until Blake to releases his first album. This dude's rendition of "You give love a bad name" is as good (if not better) than Bon Jovi's version. Blake added a whole new beat-box / laid back funk groove to it and made it into a totally new song. He has a very percussive approach to his music and (as a drummer) I like it a lot!

If you don't believe me, then just see for yourself (jump to 1:19):

Jennifer and I rewound American Idol so many times that night just to make sure we heard what we thought we heard. The drummer that played beside Blake was awesome too. If you have ever tried to play kick drum standing up, then you would have more appreciation for this drummer too. Blake did this song on the final show too and I thought he did it better on it, but it was just a few minor things. All in all, this version says enough...

We will be buying Blake Lewis' album when he releases one. I'm already a fan.

My Second Running Injury

Well, darn it!! I screwed up my foot again. This time it's more serious, I went to the doctor today and doc says it looks like a stress fracture.

Everything was going fine. My Achilles tendon healed up quite nicely (more info) and I was adding miles, subtracting the pounds, and shrinking my mile-pace like crazy. I had all summer to look forward to... or so I thought. Jennifer and I went on vacation last week to Myrtle Beach and I screwed up my foot real bad.

Two days before Myrtle Beach, I went out and bought me a new pair of Chaco's and decided to wear them around for a bit before going on vacation. This would allow me to get used to them and "break 'em in". The weird thing about the sandal is that it has a section that covers the big toe and I wasn't used to this. I kept stretching my big toe up to loosen the straps and it was causing the muscles in the top of my foot to get sore. I decided to stop stretching the toe loop with my big toe so compulsively and see if the pain would go away. It did, kinda... but I had already made it sore, so it was a matter of "healing" it at this point.

Well when we got to Myrtle Beach, I decided to find a cool running path and I did. I found a 3 mile path that was right along the ocean. The first night I ran the 3 miles in 27:42 and I felt good; my foot didn't hurt and I felt rejuvenated afterwards. The second night I ran the same path only I cut 30 seconds off of each mile; finishing the path in 26:16. I felt this run a little more than I did the night before, but my foot was still fine. I decided to take Tuesday off and rest a day from running altogether. Of course Jen and I went shopping all day and I wore my Chaco's like a dumb ass. Half way into the day, I felt the top of my foot hurting a little bit from that damn strap. By the end of the day, my left foot was hurting. :(

I decided to try running on my foot Wednesday evening after a full day at the beach... in my Chaco's. I got about 100 yards into my run and had to stop. I limped all the way back to the Condo and put ice on it. It hurt bad!

Well I've been limping ever since that night. I actually had a doctor's appointment today and the doctor stated that I could have broken a bone in my ankle (at the front of my foot). He also proceeded to tell me that this is the worse kind of break because it takes so long to heal... great. I'm supposed to go in for another x-ray next week and they might do an MRI on it.

Until then, no running for me.

Kid Talk

It's amazing how kids learn the English language off of one another. Lizzie and Jazzy have a bunch of words that they both say the exact same way. I know that they feed off of each other too because they talk to each other all day everyday and neither one of them correct one another... therefore the words never get corrected.

Here are some of the words that they use that crack me and Jennifer up:

• Baff - Daizi needs a baff.
  
• Baxet - Put your dirty clothes in the laundry baxet.
• Beebing Soup - Jazzy, that's a purdy beebing soup.
• Bizzy - I like to spin around and get bizzy.
  
• Bruss - I have to bruss my hair.
  
• Checkup - Lizzie likes checkup on her fries and her eggs.
• Chicken - The wefwidgewaitew is in the chicken.
• Curly Flower - Mmm, I just love curly flower (aka: cauliflower).
• Dejert - Mmm, this is delichez dejert.
  
• Doze - Mommy, w'are doze?
  
• Gustusting - Eww daddy, beer is gustusting.
• Hot Tacos - Hot pockets.
  
• Kittar - Daddy, you play drums and I'll play the kittar.
• Parkly - I like your parkly shirt and parkly pants Jazz.
• Parrot Shoot - Look at that guy in that parrot shoot.
  
• Penses - She is such a purdy penses.
  
• Punge Bob - Eww gross, punge bob.
• Pupcakes - These are yummy pupcakes.
  
• Pydurman - Eww gross, pydurman.
• Rolletta - We have a lamb named Loretta Lynn and the girls call her Rolletta Lynn
  
• Sauchez - Lizzie doesn't like sauchez on her pizza.
  
• Sheme - Popcorn comes from a popcorn sheme.
  
• Smaquito - Daddy, Wizzie just got bit by a smaquito.
• Thayah - When are we going to be thayah?
• V'cation - We are having so much fun on our v'cation.
  
• Wefweshing - Mmm, this lemondade is wefweshing.
• Wiji - Daddy look, Jazzy has a wiji.
  
• Wizzie - Daddy, Wizzie just got bit by another smaquito. :)

There are so many more (like 20 or so) that I can't think of right now. Some of them were so funny that they had me in stitches for days afterwards... I'll be sure to update this blog post as they pop in my head...

Update: I remembered what it was that had Jennifer and I laughing so hard about the other night. Jazzy was trying to get us to play her favorite song in the van when we were on v'cation. And the only thing she could think of was a song about "cheese" and a "4 wheel drive". Jennifer and I could not think of what in the world she was talking about. Then about an hour or so later, the song came on:

I dug my keys (aka: cheese) into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive. - Carrie Underwood (Before He Cheats)

Also, I think it is only fitting that I also mention something that I overheard tonight while watching Discovery's Planet Earth with the girls. They were trying to tell each other just how big Earth was and Lizzie said: "Huh-uh Jazz, the Earth is even bigger than our house." :)

MyrtleBeach 2007 - Hardbarger Vacation

Hardbarger Vacation 2007 - Myrtle Beach

"Hardbarger Family Vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina '07. We spent 8 days in a condo, 1 block from the ocean. We had a blast and here are the pictures to prove it. Many lifetime memories were made..."