outdoor (#5, at least)

I took a couple shots in the small woods beside our house. Here are the kids, and in below, the ladies of my love.

she won't die for hunger

Sarita had to pick the phone while feeding Olivia. Olivia wondered about it for a minute and then decided to go for it on her own. Who needs mommy anyway... She has not really done that before, but apparently it wasn't that she didn't know how.

well, now we know that she wont die for hunger... at least at well provided scene

it's evident - but who dares to see

OK, let's face it. I'm getting old (before you go - "of course," remember that so are you) It's kind of obvious anyway. Sarita is heading to her 30th birthday full steam (in few months), and I'm the next in the cue. I do have 13-months-advantage over her in this matter, and it counts triple in milestones like the upcoming 30 - even more so when we'll hit 50, and let alone 100. (By then I'll by her a wheel chair and take her 'round-the-world - so, you've better keep an eye on this blog)

Today, when 100 is still a joke, I do realize that I'm heading to that direction. How do I know it? Well, it's very easy, I sum it up from clear cut empirical evidence - and I'm going to share it with you. Here we go...

1. The already mentioned and damned facebook. In case you're as fortuned as I am and you do know people under 20 - try find them from there...and nope - you can't find them. You know why? - they are not there! You know why? - because it's a place for old folks... ...like who? - like people of my age.

2. I like a lot the latest Bruce Springsteen album. No, I do not own it (yet, at least) but I did listen a couple of tracks in radio and in youtube, and it sounds very cliché-ish - and very good. Exactly what I want from music. Simple keys, simple melodies, simple instruments, very predictable and very nice.

3. I just book a hotel for a short get-away for Sarita and I. Bryan Adams has a gig in helsinki in December and we're heading there. What does that have to do with age - beside the fact that you only ask this if you are old... ...it does. Our age is indisputably revealed in that we absolutely want him perform no new production. We want to hear all his good songs, not the ones we don't know. I don't even know if he has any new ones, I only know songs like summer 69, everything I do, please forgive etc... that are still running in radio. Just fine and easy listening. Mick Jagger said once that your musical taste develops only until you're 21 and from then on it's about listening to the good music. Like the easy stuff from Bryan Adams.

4. The final and crushing piece of evidence. I can't recall when I heard the last someone wonder how young I am. I used to hear it a lot. It began when I first took off to CTS and was found as the youngest in the school. I held the title for a good bit of time, until my sweet and young bride showed up and we became so-young-and-married. Eventually we, too, graduated, and nearly simultaneously became - so-young-and-parents. Then, I also got my first job and turned to so-young-and-a-pastor. Have a laugh at it or shed a tear, but today, I only hear word young referring to me as so-young-and-in-burn-out....

...O' boy...

Nevertheless, if two out of four of the evidence above matches with your life too, you are very likely to be getting old as well. But, never mind, come meet me at facebook - I'm nearly always there. (you do have to register to get in, though. It's not a place for the mere spectators)

(edit)
talking about Bruce, I spent another while in the treasure box of youtube... and woah, check this out: oklahoma home (live from dublin). Perhaps country rock isn't your thing, but view lyrics to ensure you're getting the point on this.

internet findings and coffee containing drinks

Here's a couple of things that has brought delight to my surfing experience lately.

first and foremost: Facebook: Yes, we too. In the first five minutes since registration, both Sarita and I turned into real addicts. It's just fun to find out which ones of all the friends throughout the years has fell into same trap. I didn't yet add the application to measure the level of addiction, but whenever I'm online, one tab is at facebook.

Secondly, some awesome firefox add-ons.

Locator that adds a command into mouse' right click menu, to quickly place the selected address on googlemaps. Nomore copying, pasting and swapping between programs to find direction from web to anywhere in the world.

CoolIris preview that lets you preview any link by simply moving your mouse over CoolIris icon beside it. The icon pops up by touching the link, and you can choose whether you want the preview open by touching the icon or the link itself, with or without a click, and even the delay in milliseconds. I set it at instant by the icon - and it works perfect.

The name, CoolIris, reminds me of something else, though. Stig Hedström, a swedish prof from CTS shared this story in one class. A senior group from a church in sweden made a trip to Ireland some years ago. Typically to sweds and fins these grannies and grandpa's enjoyed coffee a lot. However, being abroad as they were, it was a challenge to find suitable coffee for the well trained taste. Along the week, one elderly and devoted church lady found a cure, and she asked her fellows to join her to a cozy coffee place just down the road that serves excellent coffee called: Iris kaffe.

Despite some minor flaws in pronounciation, and conceptional miscarriages, I'm sure miss Iris(h) brewed her coffee nice enough to cheer up the entire day. =)
but, what must have the folks in that pub been thinking when all the sudden twenty swedish grannies start coming daily for a couple of Irish coffee's?

I just wish I'd been there...

circus in-da-house

We had a circus touring in, all the way into the living room. There was lots to see, brave men doing dangerous tricks and all. Here's a pic, ...it has to be seen to believe.

Graciously, the circus, then, toured on and left the living room...

Tonight, Sarita lit some candles to warm up the atmosphere, in attack against the chilling fall wind outside. This inspired Joonatan for a pose and he asked me to shoot him. Here he is, enjoying candlelight.

Meanwhile, Benjamin did time playing games on mommas cellphone.

Trainer's Program stage #1: the First Steps to Succeed in CTS Alumni Challenge 2008

The last night's post CTS Alumni Challenge 2008 was received well. In 24hrs I've got 3 excited fellows join me, and a couple who still hesitate. We are not in rush. We've still got a good few months to start training, but by the end of the year everybody should be in it, because 20kms is not like the final exams that you prepare for over-night. I guarantee that late comers are determined to have the biggest pain. But for now, even the wreckiest is not too late to start in the next few weeks.

However, to help the folks yet hesitating, I thought to drop some ideas to get over the biggest obstacle - your head. There are just a few simple steps to take and you are determined to be successful among the successful.

#1. Admit it! Admit that running is a sport for the retarded.
Jogging is not a smart sport like curling or golf, but a dumb way of refuse to journey with faster and easier methods which have been around for centuries. Or what else do you imagine our ancestors, who only dreamed of the infrastructures surrounding us, think of us running on concrete roads, with cars and trams passing by on left and right. Jogging is about having a pair of shoes to prevent injuries, and decent clothes to prevent policemen to collect you, and from there on just about keeping on running. Very simple sport for very simple people.

#2. Trick the fool. Once you're past of admitting the silliness of your new hobby, you can turn it over to your advantage. See, every one of us has in built-in refusal for prolonged stress, what jogging essentially is. This is the very reason we do have cars, planes, trams and trains these days. But now that you have been caught fool enough to think of running, you can use little tricks to make you run like crazy.

One of the tricks that I've used is to take the area we're living and think of a place that I normally only go by car - like grocery store, beautiful sight near by, or else where I'd naturally go by car. Then, I just tie my shoes and start running and walking keeping the heart rate decent, and I keep doing it as long as it takes to get me there. Downloading Google Earth and using the ruler tool, helps to prevent your little run-out turning to a day trips.

It sounds silly, but silly we are. Things like that make jogging rewarding. Once you get to the site, it makes you go like "wow, I didn't know one can run here." and then you just run back all exited and check up on Google Earth for your next track. You can also keep customizing your track every time, (...and before you notice you know your neighborhood like never before; and not only that, you are also being known at your neighborhood like never before... ...here goes the runner...)

#3. Get that Heart Rate Monitoring Device. I'm a big believer in those little devices, for a simple reason that anything that keeps me from thinking my poor condition, tiredness, the pain in the legs, and how dead I'll be in few meters more, is good. Observing your heart rate while running keeps you focused on the only thing that really matters, and it pays back in the end of the run as you feel good - not like dying like I we've used to do after running. The devices cost from 50€ on, and decent shoes likewise, and both will pay back. When basically that's all the cost there is, we are not talking about an expensive hobby.

That's all for the Trainer's Program Stage #1, and basically all that I have to share about the sport. I do have in my mind a couple of lads that I'd wish to see in Brussels next year, who for a reason or another did sign in yet. (you know who you are...)

cheers.
Antti

CTS Alumni Challenge 2008

first, some introduction...
Within my six years in pastoral ministry and the couple of years of college studies in preparation, I noticed that my physical condition made a steepening dive downwards. Like in many other mental trade, in pastoring too, the fatigue we feel (that's throws us on our couches in free days) does not match the physical wear - or consumption of calories and stuff. Unfortunately though, often times the fatigue is enough to keep us from exercising. (take is from the pseudonym: been-there-seen-that)

Two years ago I thought to change the course and went jogging, wanting to run a 5kms track... I walked back from the 2kms pole nearly dying, and never went jogging again until this fall. To make a long story short, I've now been running around streets and woods a couple of times, and find it really fun.

The key for me was running slow enough (remarkable, ai?) It turned out that I'd always tried to run way too fast for it to be (a) effective for fat-burning/condition improvement (b) pleasant enough to keep me doing it. I found out that if you keep your heart rate between 160 and 125 beats-per-minute, you can easily keep moving for an hour and very soon extend the time for two hours. (i'm not an expert on this, but that's how it seems to me) Respectively, two hours takes you far away, no matter how slow you go. And the best thing is still ahead: that heart rate is the best to keep you fit, and your fat keeps burning like woods in Greece. This actually makes jogging up into the few things in world where good feels good.

Now, with all my excitement about the lately improvements and the shocking little effort that brought it about, I'd like to share the joy and benefits of it with my dear fellows around the world. To make it even better, let's combine some other delights; such as a alumni reunion.

I thus challenge all graduates/students/teachers of Continental Theological Seminary to join me in Brussels City Half Marathon 2008 (I'd expect it to take place about a year from today Oct.14th) and an alumni meet-up at CTS thereafter.

Technically, this means that we'll register to run half marathon in Brussels next fall - and show up at the given day. (you're welcome to do a full marathon as well, but i think most of us are dead in half way.) The date of the event is not published yet, but send me a note, or drop a comment line below this post, and I'll mail you more info as it appears.

To keep it low-profile, everyone takes care him/herself . I will be in contact with CTS to get us a place to meet and perhaps something to eat afterwards, as soon as I have a littel clue of the number of attendants. you should organize your room yourself.

and to you who are as ignorant as I've been, I asked around some how-to's from the experienced, and came up with a plan. Practically, if you are like me, a complete wreck or even worse... get a heart rate monitoring device (50€ upwards) and start moving three times a week for and hour with your pulse average around 150 -160 bpm. As your condition improves, you'll find that jogging actually makes sense. Eventually, (sooner than you'd think) you should be able to run three times a week 5-8kms (1hour) and once a week for 1,5-2hours. That makes up to 5hours of sports in total. I know this makes many feel like I would have felt three months ago: There's no way to squeeze out another 5hours from the schedule, but I guarantee: You will accomplish more in the remaining hours than you ever would do with the five hours now lost in sports.

Our objective in the race will be making it to the Finnish line, we don't count the time. For the curiosity though, the fastest hundred made it to the website last year, scoring 1h30mins (which sounds like fast to me...) . But our victory is really meeting up at CTS after, more energetic, healtier and fit than in fall 2007.

Join in, anybody?

outdoor

We harnessed the kids for our nutriment acquisition and set them off into woods to plug mushrooms with grandma. It did not take a whole lot to get them excited and we ended up having a nice time outdoor and a delicious dinner afterwards.

Besides, Sarita and I learnt that in two months of nature oriented preschool, Joonatan has become quite an expert in recognizing various mushrooms. Exceeding his dad, anyway, which isn't necessarily a whole lot, but the guy is just 6 years old.

(xxx disclamer: I would not recommend depending solely on his expertise on this matter xxx)

The other one-year-old picking stones instead of mushroom, is the cousin Joona, the son of sarita's brother.

fallsome days

I've been out of office since the end of July on a sick leave for exhaustion. I currently have prescription for a break until January. Now, after a good two months of complete rest it finally begins to feel like progress, and I can actually believe in recovery. It will take still some time to be able to pick up the work, and pace that church business runs these days, but I'm getting there. And, I feels great to be able to say that.

It took me by a surprise. Hindsight 20/20 - it shouldn't have. It'd been showing symptoms for at least two years in growing number, but I just never had wisdom/humility/courage to admit it. By the end of July I just couldn't bear it any longer, and that's the track we've been heading since then. Now that things are getting to look bit brighter again, I feel the relieved for being out of the treadmill that entangled me completely, and surely hope that I am learning the lesson for good.

There'd be loads to tell about, but I leave it for now. We are currently fine - better than we've been for a long time - which is Good. :) Sarita has been amazing throughout the years, and just incredible for the last few months. Last week we spent some time by two of us in beautiful Aulanko Spa-Hotel on a gift-holiday from the church folks. Here's some pictures from the walk around from both Sarita and I. (it was great to shoot together like we used to do more when we still had time to spare)