Frod

I am a fan of the English language, and am continually delighted at the variety of clever ways it is used to enlighten and entertain me. But...you have to admit that English is pretty stupid.

I mean, why do we use the same word to describe a locomotive as we use to describe what we do to get in shape for a competition? And why do we use the word "fast" to describe something speedy when it also means colors that won't run, and also a period of nutritional self-denial?

Why do these three words sound exactly the same, but have radically different spellings?



As you've probably inferred from all this, I had to cancel my credit card yesterday. Because of course, that process got me thinking about all the words that rhyme with "fraud."



Anyway, the irony is that the charge on my card that prompted the investigation was paid to Oxford University Press, which sounds like an organization that would be quite concerned with the English language. It seemed especially odd (another rhyme) that an identity thief (bloody sod) would purchase educational materials from abroad (!)

I started by merely protesting the Oxford charge, but when an additional purchase was made at Apparel Alley (of which I had never heard -- which is grammatically correct, but sounds stupid, Strunk and White notwithstanding), it seemed obvious that I was dealing with an actionable security breach. Ergo, the card (which would also rhyme--if I was from Boston) would need to be expunged.

Surprisingly, the MasterCard support person was a pleasant and articulate American who took care of everything quickly and efficiently. I'll be getting a new card in a few days. In the meantime, I'll try not to spend any money.

On another subject, last night's run practice was another set up uphill sprints at Dinosaur Ridge. My hamstring was stiff and tight from Saturday's long run, but after carefully easing into a long warmup, it loosened up to where I could run until my lungs gave out. I'm happy that I did the workout, but let's all just agree that sprinting uphill is not my strength. (I'm not sure what my strength is, though, unless it's "power TV watching".)

The good news is that I have been back in the water a couple of times since my last post. My shoulder still requires caution, so I'll be taking it easy and avoiding butterfly for some time to come yet. But it is SO nice to get a chlorine fix and actually put in a few productive laps.

Anyway, the Colfax race is now less than 3 weeks away, and my running continues to incrementally suck less and less. I'll begin my taper after this weekend, and intend to post progress reports during that time. Please stay tuned, and have a great day!

[Background data on embedded graphics. Top: General Zod, from Superman II. Middle: clawed, clod, Jean Claude. Last: Mod Squad, Maud Adams, Maude Flanders. Personal note: I can't think of Maud Adams without remembering her from "The Man with the Golden Gun", where James Bond fulfilled one of my greatest fantasies by tossing that obnoxious midget overboard. Can you say "De plane!" from 20 fathoms deep, ya little twerp? Anyway, Maud was also in Octopussy and A View to a Kill...but who cares?]