The Greatest Blog in the Entire World: July 2008

The Mind Body Connection and Pain and Such

So the news about my ankle was easily in the top 5 or 6, maybe top 10 medical related updates I got this month.
This has been a month (and year) full of getting updates.

On my way to the Ankle place it felt stiff and more in pain when I was in the parking lot.
Perhaps it was a connection of being at the same spot two weeks ago when I had to hop/crawl through the parking lot.

Then I am waiting around reading HiLights (Goofus and Gallant are still teaching morals...) so it is not bad.

Get X Rayed. The Doctor tells me that I can, if I am up to it, can start running.

Thinking my ankle was going to explode like an over winded clock, I am told that I am not going to do any permanent damage by running. It may be sore.

Now lets pretend that a real jacked up X Ray got beamed over. What would be my pain level be?

We all know the tale of the crab apple fight when the paramedic tells his brother not to look at his leg (or was it his arm)

I think Batgirl was right when she said last weekend, "I think you can get by at this point without the dramatic air cast" (not sure if she said that but did say something to that effect)

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Green Light on the Ankle

Amazingly I was given the green light to run the San Francisco half marathon on Sunday.

Got a new ankle brace and ran up and down the hall in the doctors office.

They said I would not be doing any permanent damage by running.

Will be running tomorrow, maybe 2 or 3 miles.

My goal is to finish it. I will be walking portions of it. I am letting go of any concept of time.

Marcus Ronaldi

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

Volleyball and 1989

As a goof, I walk into the Chevron and say "1 2 3 4 Monsters Walk Across the floor" and as I pay exact change for my drink I complain about battling robots or aliens, then I glance over my shoulder as I leave and they give each other the crazy look.

On my way back from the city I heard on the Pulse what I thought was Werewolves of London but was "All Summer Long" from Kid Rock and he was looking back at the summer of 1989 which would always sell me a lot of tickets (as long as they were not selling comforters)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUaP7LoppGw&feature=rec-fresh

My cat The Squirrel from 1988 watches over me.

I buy hot dogs for a random

OK, Batgirl tells me how I can get an iPhone, I just want to complain....

perhaps we will get more good news..

Amazing I miss more of the season because of a sprained ankle...

I can trick a dog

Marcus Ronaldi

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

White Teeth

For a while, I have been thinking about getting my teeth whitened.

Was in the Sunset. Purchased an ankle brace as Batgirl was correct and I no longer need the air cast. I was able to jog a few steps so I am pretty close.
Put me in a good mood that I am no almost recovered.

Had dinner at Plutos. Considered going to the films but decided my luck at getting an iPhone but instead I get my teeth whitened at a Kiosk. She said I was the easiest sale but it was just a matter of me thinking about it.
Supposed to last a year.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Crabs, Bollywood, Poles for a tent..

Many of the problems in my life are as a result of not some vast external conspiracy but rather simple mistakes made my the moderator.

Drove over to Audrey's annual crab feast. I gave her a Bollywood poster and in addition to crabs, I was given the opportunity to school people to teach proper crab eating.

Drove down to Saratoga for hot summer nights, and this is when I must have eaten stupid pills or had a visit from the stupid wizard. Not sure...

Got to the camp site and I immediately make my first mistake. I pick up a spot right in the middle of our area near the fire. I am not a night owl. In the song heartache tonight, I am the guy who leaves early. The second mistake came when I took out my tent and saw they were no poles. I actually considered packing up and heading home hoping no one would see me because honestly I felt a bit daft. But then I thought I could sleep under the stars but was slightly concerned about alien abductions and/or bigfoot.

Luckily someone had an extra tent. Which I still set up in the same spot as before right in the middle of everything.

When it was time for me to go to sleeping this folk duo, who was not Flight of the Concords, started an all night jam close to my tent. I am a light, light sleeper.

It was a fun night despite my attempts at idiocy. I am glad I was talked into going by the Brewer fans who I forgot changed from the AL to the NL.

They had an inflatable slide and a bouncy castle but due to my ankle, I could not have a go. Lost in air hockey.

Marcus Ronaldi

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

Limbo

I am looking forward to my ankle being 100% and being able to run. Kickball and Volleyball are secondary. The time when I am in the park getting some mileage in is the best.
My blood circulates and my head is clear.

Had a bonus Happy Hour at the Bollyhood Cafe. While I was waiting this woman approached me trying to sell phone cards to Mexico. I started speaking the Spanish I knew which she did not understand. It mostly involved living in the Monkey Cave.

I need to raise another $1570 for team in training.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

The Mathematics of my ankle

All over the country, mathematicians are discussing not only my ankle injury but also my desire for a comeback.
The they think that two weeks does not equal enough recovery time for an injured ankle.

I WANT to run the half of the San Francisco half marathon that I signed up for but I will completely honor the decision/verdict of the orthopitics that I see a week from tomorrow. If they look at my ankle and say, your recovery has been remarkable, run, run like the wind then of course I will run. If they say, you need to hold off, then I will and will give my spot to someone else. I will heed the wisdom from Billy Don't be a hero. I will change the name and the situation.

It was frustrating being on the sidelines of the volleyball game. (even if I can start running, I am putting off playing volleyball and kickball for a bit)
We did not win but they improved quite a bit.

These lyrics are really funny.....

Aquarius and my name is Ralph
Now I like a woman who loves her freedom
And I like a woman who can hold her own
And if you fit that description, baby, come with me

Take my hand, come with me, baby, to Love Land
Let me show you how sweet it could be
Sharing love with me, I want you to

Float, float on (Come on, come on,
(Come on, baby, yeah, yeah)
Float on, float on (Ooh, ooh, baby)
Float, float, float on
Float on (Float with me), float on

Libra and my name is Charles
Now I like a woman that's quiet
A woman who carries herself
Like Miss Universe
A woman who would take me in her arms
And she would say, Charles, yeah
And if you fit that description
This is for you especially

Mmm, take my hand
Come with me, baby, to Love Land
Let me show you how sweet it could be
Sharing loving with me, I want you to

Float, float on (Girl, yes)
Float on, float on (With Charles)
Float, float, float on (Ooh, yeah)
Float on, float on

Leo and my name is Paul
You see I like all women of the world
You see to me all women are wild flowers
And if you understand what I'm sayin'
I want you to

Mmm, take my hand
Come with me, baby, to Love Land
Let me show you how sweet it could be
Sharing love with me, I want you to

Float, float on (So float with me, baby)
Float on, float on (Yeah)
Float, float, float on (Float with Paul, y'all)
Float on, float on

Cancer and my name is Larry, huh
And I like a woman
That loves everything and everybody
Because I love everybody and everything
And you know what, ladies,
If you feel that this is you
Then this is what I want you to do

Ooh, yeah, take my hand
Let me take you to Love Land
Let me show you how sweet it could be
Sharing your love with Larry, listen

Float, float on (You better float with me now)
Float on, float on (Float on)
Float, float, float on (Yeah, yeah)
(You better float on)
(Float on)
(Ah)

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Dog Bite

Yesterday my digital camera got this weird error.
So I needed tiny screwdrivers to fix it. This took me to Radio Shack in the Sunset which was not staffed by rocket scientist or brain surgeons.
It took a while for them to sort out the register and this guy walked into the store with his daughter and tiny dog. I assumed that since the dog was in a store it was nice but guess what? I got bit by a tiny white dog.
Asked the guy if the dog had his shots which he did. I split and went to the vet for a band aid.

Walked back to the store to get the screwdrivers and ran into the dog that prevented me from being an opposite of fred model.

I took apart the camera and put it together again but amazingly it did not fix it. The cost of getting it fixed is greater than the cost of a new camera so I will toss it in the river (I am not actually doing that...)
Considered getting an iPhone but the wait is a while and I am sure I will need to take pictures of poodles.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Gimp trumped (Camera RIP...)

I am glad my ankle injury happened before kickball started (I can hear the blogsphere shouting, enough with your damn ankle!! Please Star Wars dreams or talk about women and small TV's)

So I was invited to a picnic in Dolores Park.

I must have some sort of deep seated self esteem issue related to parking. I parked at 26th and Dolores (like a GENIUS I took a picture of the intersection) then I started walking up the hill with my air cast and crutches. This seemed stupid to walk six blocks. So I made the decision to get back in the Marcusmobile and drove closer to the park. I was of course absurdly early. Was able to get a closer spot. Then I hobbled to the liquor store and then to the picnic. I thought it would have been a fox paw if I showed up empty opposite of freded.

Turned out that the picnic was at the top of the hill.

Got loads of questions about my high tech boot. Later someone showed up with a less technical boot but he fell out a 4 story building which is slightly more dramatic than the curb I stepped on. Then someone else showed up that had a Golf Ball Sized tumor removed from his brain so I was trumped in the injury department (this is MORE than OK....) He was actually able to play volleyball today. (I am out of next weeks game...)

On another note my camera dies. It has a weird lens error. I may get an iPhone. If you have one that you want to give to me to promote the product then let me know.
Guess what my final picture before it went screwy?

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Props

The last few days I have been in Daly City rehabing my ankle for the big comeback but going a bit stir crazy.
So I checked the Urban Diversion calendar and saw they were doing some sort of Improv thing. So I grabbed my props and went down to the station. I need pants with larger pant legs to get my boot on. In a way, it looks like Iron Man. It would be cool if I could get around like that.
On the platform I saw this attractive woman and I sighed about the leg thing. She asked me about it and it turned out she was from Austria, put another shrimp on the barbie!! It is amazing how time passes when seated chatting to an attractive woman and how it slows down when you are seated next to a guy chowing down on Jack in the Box.

Hobbled from the station to the Purple Onion where I watched the first bit of Improv.

Not really much of an exciting day....

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

My Ankle

Here are some pictures of my Ankle over the last few days.

Marcus Ronaldi

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

Boot...

So my ankle was way worse than it was the night before.
Luckily I had looked up Orthos in Daly City on Yelp and I called them as soon as I could.

Had to crawl around my apartment as I could not stand on my left ankle.

It was not fun getting from my apartment to the car and then it was less fun getting from my car to the appointment.
But they X-Rayed my ankle and it was not broken. They gave me an air cast and crutches which made me far more mobile.

Had my Parkinsons Fundraiser and It was well attended. The air cast and the crutches are a good prop.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Ankle Sprains and Sex and the City

I went for a run and as there was no baseball game I ran towards the stadium as it is easier than dealing with the tourist with their garish outfits.
I remembered it was the All Star Break. About a mile past the stadium I came down hard and I am not in the category of injured. I was considering sending for my driver but I do not have one.
Did not even have $1.50 to take the train back. Perhaps I should be more prepared.
Anyway I walked slowly to the Giants Stadium and the rehab place gave me a bag of ice. I sat outside and put ice on it. Was sort of hoping that the Giants doctor would come out and announce that I would be running by tomorrow.

It was a long two mile trek but at least I could kind of hobble along.

The woman at the front desk said I was gone for a long time and I told her about my adventure. The person at Speciality gave more Ice.

Met Bat Girl at the food court. Sent her a text message explaining where I would be. Told her to get me dinner and she was spot on with the Salmon over vegetables. If I had a gold star I would have given her one. But honestly about Gold Stars...
We slowly walked through Bloomingdales and I considered pushing someone over for their use of their cane (this is a joke)

We watched Sex and the City Movie. To women in my demographic, this is their Star Wars. They cared more about what happened to Big than, well almost as I did about Empire Strikes Back. As Mellissa said, it was a bit insightful about women, I think but who knows. To be honest if I had to pick out of those women to date, I would (and I am surprised to say this) was the Jennifer Hudson character. Maybe it was the Michael Basden promotions.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Beyond Tired but update

I am more tired than the song, "I'm So Tired" by the Beatles, Who knows that would happen if you play me backwards...

Took Cosmo and Stelly on a final Virginia duty. It was good spending time with everyone, even that ordinary dog Cosmo.

Went to visit my Mom in the hospital prior to going to return the Aveo to Budget.
I tried out my "Smile Therapy" which was we would smile. When you smile, it tricks your brain into thinking your happy. Good chemicals are produced.

Then I tried out some dance moves including the robot. She said, "Your doing the Robot Dance...." which was the best/funniest thing I heard in a while.

Hassled David in queue at the airport. I am very jet set.

Feeling worlds more optimistic than on Friday.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Update from this weekend

Going into this trip to the DC Area, I was very apprehensive.
One day good news, next day scary, next day good, scary.

It has been a very up and down situation like a mac hine that raises you up and then puts you down and then puts you up but slightly higher than scares you on the way down.

I am glad I came out here and leaving the Bethesda Suburban Hospital I felt more optimistic than I had in the past, cautiously optimistic. The news could change but then again that thing in Switzerland gets turned on in August.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Hash House Harriers

For years, I have heard of the Hash House Harriers who describe themselves as a drinking club with a running problem.
They combine two things I enjoy, running and having a beer.

Urban Diversion, which plans many of my activities that do not involve kickball (btw my Wednesday team may be going the way of the Montreal Expos)

btw the link at the top of this e-mail was this odd web site put on by the College Republicans about traveling across the country and not leaving a Republican Congressional District.
http://whereisthered.com/blog/a-day-rest#comment-152
I made a comment.

So it was at the edge of the Presidio where I have run before. They use all these code words like On On, down down. I should have started speaking in Base Fred and then act annoyed when they had no idea what I was on about. You can get Blackberries from the Presidio.

They made Anton and I sing a song. The only song I know all of the words to was "Billy Don't Be a Hero". I only sang a little bit and was stopped.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles

I am also doing Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf08/mronaldi

Short Sleeve Shirts/Bowling/Running & Team In Training

I will give a shout out to Anil for sending me some nice shirts. They were shirts I would have never bought myself but I got compliments (not complaints!!)

For lunch I went bowling at the place next to the Metreon. I think they also do dental work because they were playing worse music that Danny's.
The first game I was on but the second game I lost my marbles. It was quite fun. I do want to get bowling fred containers.

Went for a five mile run and it was hotter so I got a cup of Malinkey with ice at Kelly's Mission Rock.

On BART there was a weird thing with the train only going to Montgomery. I then explained to everyone on the platform what was going on and where they should go. I should get a megaphone.

Had dinner at a Taco Truck which is the best!!

I made my way to the (I do seem to overuse that) Sports Basement in the Mission which I do not like as much as the Presidio because I no like running in that area.
As I have a "personal connection" to blood cancers I got emotional while watching the video. Ended up signing up so I have to raise $2100 or I will have to foot the bill.

--
Marcus Zack Ronaldi
My LinkedIn Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/67/264

My Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=705175300

I am running 1000 miles in 2008 to raise money for Parkinsons
http://www.firstgiving.com/marcusronaldi1000miles