Ramsayings

I ran my first marathon last year. It was an amazing experience that got me off the couch and back on the trail for the first time in ages. I never looked back.

Now I’ve started training for my second marathon. It hasn’t been easy. It’s been far more challenging to motivate myself. Being in better shape than I was at this time last year is no guarantee that I’m going to be more effective as my training progresses.

I have 19 weeks to see if I can pull it together for this year’s Philadelphia Marathon. It’s going to be a wild ride!

A few weeks ago I wrote about falling in love with my turntable again. It languished in the basement after a long banishment to the guest bedroom, where it sat unused for months. It was pretty crazy for a guy whose job is all about music.

I resurrected it and all was right in the world, or so I thought. But it wasn’t. I wanted to be satisfied with the warm sounds emanating from my Technics 1200, but what becomes of the hundreds of CDs I’ve collected over the years?

I broke down and dusted off my CD player, too, and you know what? It sounds great! I’d forgotten just how clear and loud CDs are! MP3s may be convenient, cheap, and plentiful, but they sound so sloppy on anything other than tinny earbuds.

You know what I did right after that? Something I don’t think I’ve done since ’99 — I bought a used CD on eBay!

Crazy, right? Look at it this way: it was cheaper than iTunes!

Sorry I’ve been away so long, but I’ve been kept very busy lately with my new son, Charles. I’m pleased to report that he’s a healthy, happy little boy.

I’m going to be tidying up around here to reflect some of my new ideas about how this blog ought to look and what I’d like to share here. Hopefully I’ll be able to tweak the site a bit this weekend, adding my Twitter, Flickr, and Delicious profiles to the right rail.

This place could stand to be a little more social, couldn’t it? Well, look for me to add some features that let you decide how you want to stay abreast of updates on Kensington Blues.

(I’m scribbling this post on my iPhone. It’s been my go-to device ever since Charlie was born. I can’t think of something that’s easier to pick up and use during those early morning feedings!)