Continued exploring the ship and enjoying the entertainment!  

Managed Tai Chi in the morning, followed by 4.2-miles on the treadmill afterward.

Continued exploring the ship and enjoying the entertainment!  

Managed Tai Chi in the morning, followed by 4.0-miles on the treadmill afterward.

Exploring the ship and enjoying the entertainment!  

Managed Tai Chi in the morning, followed by 3-miles on the treadmill afterward.

Embarkation Day has arrived!  We begin an eighteen-night Hawaii Cruise with Holland America.

Spent the day at the San Diego Zoo w/DL, with a rough estimate of 5-miles walking on our feet. 

Flew to Denver and onto San Diego with DL for our Hawaii Cruise that begins Tuesday. 

Met up w/K2, Evil & MB for a hike at Cowles to the Ridge & back for 3.7-miles in a bit of snow. 

Visit Mom in Williamstown, Pop in Adams. 

"Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #03 for 2025...

"Sidetracked" by Henning Mankell, published in 1995.

5th in his acclaimed Wallander series.

Swedish: Villospår

The English translation by Steven T. Murray, 1999.

JMH shift early.

PT later.

2-Mile walk around Main Street. 

Garth Hudson, the last living member of The Band, passed away today at age 87.

Eric Garth Hudson (August 2, 1937 – January 21, 2025) was a Canadian multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for the rock band The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. 

He was a principal architect of the group's sound and was described as "the most brilliant organist in the rock world" by Keyboard magazine. Hudson was the last living original member of the Band.

A master of the Lowrey organ, Hudson's other primary instruments were piano, accordion, electronic keyboards, and saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass). He was a much-in-demand and respected session musician, performing with dozens of artists, including Elton John, who has cited him as an early influence.

The Band consisted of Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson.

In August 1965, The Band were introduced to Bob Dylan. In January 1966, they recorded material with Dylan for what would turn into the Blonde on Blonde album. Dylan recruited the band to accompany him on his controversial 1966 "electric" tour of the United States, Australia and Europe. Subsequent to Bob Dylan's motorcycle accident in July 1966, the group settled in a pink house in West Saugerties, New York, near Woodstock. Dylan was a frequent visitor, and Hudson's recordings of their collaborations resulted in The Basement Tapes.

By 1968, the group recorded its debut album, Music from Big Pink. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and New York. The album includes Hudson's organ showcase, "Chest Fever", a song that in the Band's live shows would be vastly expanded by a solo organ introduction, entitled "The Genetic Method", an improvisational work that would be played differently at each performance. 

The initial iteration of the Band made its final bow as a touring band with a lavish final concert on Thanksgiving Day 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, an all-star tribute concert documented in The Last Waltz.

JMH shift early.

A decent amount of snow to wake up to.

2-mile walk around Main Street just before dark.

Bear Hole with K2 & J Evil, total of 9-miles. 

Visit Mom in Williamstown, and a stop to visit Pop in Adams. 

Penwood State Park for 6.3-miles. 

"High Points" along trails during December 2024... 

Working on Getting Better with Cimbing....

• East Mountain, Metacomet Range, West Springfield, MA
• Laurel Hill, Tariffville, CT
• Hatchet Hill, Metacomet Trail, Tariffville/East Granby, CT

JMH shift early.

PT mid-day.

Mclean (Pilfishire) for 3.8-miles. 

What Played in Ed's Head -- 

Music listened to for the time-period December 1st through December 31st, 2024:

JMH shift early.

DL up early to bring neighbor to airport.

Early run at Farmington River Park, 3.6-miles.

BWII Inspection Walk-Around (Paving) mid-day.

PT @ LED.

BWII Meeting at Library in early evening.

JHM & TA DMR's completed.

Drive to Williamstown for lunch with my Mom, with a visit with Pop afterward. 

5.8-miles in the damp at Southwick's Loupinski Property, into the Granville Gorge Flats.

10.9-miles in NWP & Farmington River Park with K2, Evil and Ray.

"Non-Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #02 for 2025...

"The Pusher" by Ed McBain, published in 1956.

87th Precinct #03.

JMH shift early.

PT @ LED. 

BWII meet with JM & DL.

3.4-miles @ Cowles / T'Ville.  Very cold.

DLV Cardio Doc.

JMH Shift early.

BWII Meeting much of evening.

Marathoning on this day...  1996

I participated in the annual "Fat Ass 50" in North Adams, Massachusetts.  

This event consisted of many loops on the road, on a cold, gray day, and I believe there was a pretty bad snowstorm on the drive home.  

I have a time listed of  5:32:35, and I think that was for 26.2 miles - not 50k.  

This was my 8th marathon completed.

Farmington River Park for 4.3-miles.

PT at LED.

Northwest Park for 9.9-miles, including a diversion into the Farmington River Park in Bloomfield.

Drove to Visit my Mom, took a day-trip to sister's place for lunch, Pop included.

From the Marathon Archives:

And on this day in 1997... 

I completed my 14th marathon on this day in 1997.  It was the Grupa Dupa held at the Talcott Mountain State Park, home of the Heublein Tower. 

I believe Tony W and Janice K were the organizers of this "Fat Ass 50" type event.  It consisted of loops up and around the tower, but I do not recall how many.  It was 50k, and I recorded a time of 5:11:13.

And...

Ed Askew passed yesterday at age 84.

Edward Crane Askew (December 1, 1940 – January 4, 2025) was an American painter and singer-songwriter who first recorded in 1968 and lived in New York City.  

Ed Askew died January 4, 2025, at the age of 84.

Born in Stamford, Connecticut, on December 1, 1940, Askew moved to New Haven, Connecticut, to study painting at Yale School of Art in 1963 and took up, more or less, permanent residence there until leaving for New York City in 1987.

After graduating from art school in 1966, Askew was called up for the draft. Not feeling particularly enthusiastic about going to war at age 26, he looked for a teaching job and found work at a private prep school in Connecticut. It was while teaching he started making songs; he also acquired his Martin Tiple at this time. The singer-songwriter moved to New York for a few months in 1967 where he met Bernard Stollman of ESP-Disk, who offered him a contract. Between 1968 and 1986, Ed lived, mostly, in New Haven; doing occasional shows with his band, and later doing solo shows there. Around 1987, Ed moved to New York City, where he continued to write and record songs, and occasionally perform.

Pitchfork and many other high-profile music media praised his work, labeling him as a New York legend.

Ask the Unicorn is an "acid folk" masterpiece and one of the most singular releases from the infamous and historic ESP-Disk catalogue. It was recorded live to tape by a 27 year-old Ed Askew in 1968. Since that time, the impossible-to-find record and the man have acquired a mythological status.

But Ask the Unicorn, one of the most unique and gripping records under the 1960's sun, remained a question and an item of critical and fan devotion.  The cover for the UK release, reproduced here, is the positive of the US edition. It is a photo of the protests in Stamford following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

3.5-miles at Wilcox Park.

JMH Shift early.

BWII Meeting w/ JM+

"Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #01 for 2025...

"Captains Outrageous" by Joe R Lansdale, published in 2001.

Hap and Leonard #06.

Last shift as Contractor, deliverables.

Mid-Morning Shift @ JMH.

BWII Meeting with JM.

Cowles / Farmington River Park for 6.7-miles.