Okay, maybe just one more photo of J.P. laughing.  For now, anyway.

Joe Cool Behind the Wheel

Honk Your Horn!

This morning, after J.P. and I returned home from breakfast at Bongo Java, he wanted to sit in the front seat of my truck.  After he climbed in, he asked if could "drive."  We spent 20 minutes or so in the truck, with him grabbing the steering wheel, opening and closing the console and other compartments and generally twisting and turning anything he could.

When I showed him how to honk the horn, he couldn't stop laughing.  He'd honk the horn, look at me while laughing uproariously, then honk it again, laugh some more, etc.  I finally had to tell him to stop, because I was afraid one of our neighbors was going to think we were being kidnapped.  It was really, really funny.

Designated Driver

J.P. and Uncle Carley

Another Funny Face

J.P. and Daddy

J.P. and me, at "Battered and Fried" today, where we ate lunch.

1,000 in 2010!

Just past noon today, I finished a 6-mile trail run in Shelby Bottoms.  With that run, I reached my goal of running 1,000 miles in 2010.  I celebrated afterwards by drinking a Newcastle beer in the parking lot, reflecting for a few minutes, then drove to meet J.P. and Carley for lunch at "Battered and Fried" in East Nashville.

For me, it was fitting to run my 1000th mile on the trails in Shelby Bottoms.  It's my favorite place to run and, normally, I do my long runs there on Saturday mornings.  I've run the trails there so often the past several years that it's like a second home to me.  Running the trails brings me a real sense of peace most days, probably because I so rarely see anyone else running or walking there.  

Although running the 1,000 miles is not a huge accomplishment (it's a little less than 20 miles per week) in reality, it's important to me because it required a certain amount of perseverance, discipline and dedication.  I've done it before, but not since J.P. was born.  It helps me to have an annual mileage goal, because it motivates me to run when I might not feel like it.

Many nights in 2010 I ran in the neighborhood after we put J.P. to bed, often not leaving the house until after 9 p.m.  There were a lot of nights when it would have been easy, too easy, to skip a late night run and just watch television or read a book.  Instead, I put on my running gear, grabbed my iPod and off I went.  Often times, I finished my night runs at Bongo Java on Belmont Boulevard, got a cup of coffee and walked the half mile or so to my house.  Always, that was one of the high points of my busy days - walking home, sipping my coffee and listening to Bill Simmons' "B.S. Report," Terry Gross' "Fresh Air," Bob Edwards' "Weekend" or Ira Glass' "This American Life" (all podcasts) on my iPod.  The walks home gave me time to unwind, mentally and physically, and I came to look forward to them almost as much as the runs themselves.

I ran outside most of the time, although there were occasions last winter when I ran on the treadmill at Go Performance and Fitness in Cummins Station.  I ran in the mornings when I could, although doing so regularly was tough with J.P. up and about and Jude trying to get into work.  I ran in a few races, most notably the Country Music Half Marathon (where I walked back a mile or two after I finished the race and re-ran the last mile or two with my sister, Tracy, who was running her first half marathon).  I ran in 90 + degree temperatures and I ran when it was less than 20 degrees outside.  I ran in the rain.  Memorably, I recently ran 10 miles on the trails in Shelby Bottoms, with snow falling throughout the run (I also saw a doe and a fawn on that run, the first time I've ever seen deer on the trails, which I've always thought was strange).

I ran with J.P., pushing him in the racing stroller.  I ran with an old friend from high school I hadn't seen in  years - David Moyer - and I ran with a new friend I'd just met - Ken Wempe.  I ran with attorney friends - Tim Street and Joe Jensen - and an old friend - Mike Matteson.  Mostly, though, I ran by myself, lost in my thoughts.

I ran with a lot of aches and pains (sore feet, ankles and knees).  I ran when I didn't feel well.  I was out of commission for a week late in the year with an infection in the great toe on my right foot.  I was worried that injury might derail me from reaching the 1,000 mile goal, but fortunately I was able to increase my weekly mileage after I recovered.  I'm thankful I was healthy enough to hit 1,000 miles for the year.

I ran more than 200 times in 2010.

Running is what I do.  It's who I am.  I'm a runner.    

Rambling On

I'm going to ramble a bit tonight, I think, because it's just the kind of mood I'm in.  A good mood, actually, but a rambling mood, too.

After Jude and I gave J.P. a bath and put him in bed, I went for a run.  I was thinking about driving to the gym to run on the treadmill, but I decided to run outside.  It's cold, so I put on tights, a windbreaker and a cap and gloves, and off I went.  I love running when it's cold.  Always have, really.  It's never too cold to run.  It's just a matter of having the right gear to keep warm.

I had a fantastic 5 mile run in my neighborhood on a beautiful winter night.  I warmed up quickly, so the cold wasn't an issue.  Bob Edwards kept me company, as I listened a podcast on my iPod of "Bob Edwards' Weekend."  When the podcast ended, I switched my iPod to "shuffle," and finished my run listening to a variety of music (My Morning Jacket, John Hyatt, The Four Seasons, etc.).  Although the iPod is in the top ten, for me, of the best inventions of the last 20 years, the "shuffle" feature on the iPod is in a class by itself.  It was one of those runs when I felt like I could have kept going forever.

About 3 miles into the run, I cut through the grounds of Christ the King, a catholic church and school on Belmont Boulevard, part of my normal route.  I stopped in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary and ran in place for a minute or two, as I normally do.  As I said a quick prayer, I noticed a beam of light from a streetlight behind the statue illuminating my breath in the cold, night air.  The effect was cool.

I ran through the back parking lot and down Oakland Avenue, lost in my thoughts and a little sad with the realization that the holidays, for the most part, are over for 2010.  I began to consider why I love this part of the year (and the holidays) so much.  I decided it's because the holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) always remind me of how lucky, blessed and fortunate I am in so many different ways.

I'm so blessed to have the wife and son I have.  They're the true joys of my life.  My family (my mom, sisters and cousins) is great.  I'm lucky to have a pair of brothers-in-laws like Gary (Hearn) and Dell (Walker), good family men, both, and good husbands to Tracy and Alice.  My in-laws are the best.  Jim and Jane have been so good to me over the years - better than I deserve - and they're so good to my son.  Jude's extended family (on both sides), to a person, are fun, caring and loving people with whom I love to spend time, regretting only that our visits together are often too short.  I have law partners with whom I'm proud to work and a a job that I enjoy, most of the time.  I'm healthy and my family's healthy.  I could go on and on.

These are the kinds of things I think about when I'm running.  Running clears my head, keeps me sane and provides me with some quiet time to think, ponder and contemplate.  Running is such an important and vital part of my life and my identity.  I can't imagine what I would do without it.      

Here's what a "white Christmas" in Nashville looks like from our backyard.

White Christmas!

It's just past midnight on Christmas morning and I as I look out our front windows, I can see the snow falling.  Big, wet and beautiful snowflakes.  On Christmas, no less!  There's almost an inch on the ground now and it's absolutely gorgeous outside.  The temperature is hovering around 31 or 32 degrees, so the streets are still clear, just a little wet.  It's a special night, because it never, ever snows on Christmas in Nashville.

I'm smiling as I look over at the "Thomas the Train" table I assembled earlier tonight, after Jude put J.P. to bed.  On top of the table, there are some trains (Thomas' friends), Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels cars.  In front of the table is the one thing J.P. has been adamant about wanting Santa Claus to bring him - a hockey stick.  He's going to be tickled to death, I think, tomorrow morning when he sees what Santa Claus left for him.

The whole Christmas season has been fantastic for Jude and me, mostly because we've been able to experience it through J.P.'s eyes.  Everything about Christmas is so new, pure and innocent to him, it's like we're seeing things for the first time, too.  It's amazing.

(As an aside, I'm listening to a 70's radio station on iTunes and "Let Her In" is playing, by John Travolta.  John Travolta!  God, I had forgotten he had even made a record.  I remember the song, though, now that I'm hearing it.  Crazy.).

Before she went up to bed, Jude and I were surveying our den - the Christmas tree, decorated and surrounded by presents, J.P.'s gifts from Santa Claus and our stockings.  We're so lucky and blessed, we agreed, to be able to buy gifts for our son and to be able to see that he doesn't want for anything.  It's not like that for everyone and we realize that.  Life is good.

Santa J.P.

Last Friday, as J.P. and I were about to head out the door for me to take him to "school," he grabbed a Santa Claus hat and put it on his head.  He told me he wanted to wear it to school, which he did.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos.  This might be my all-time favorite photo of J.P.  It's certainly in top 10.

A (Snowy) Walk in the Park

Actually, it was a run in the park.  A 10-mile trail run in Shelby Bottoms this afternoon, in 24 degree weather with snow falling throughout the run.  It was a beautiful afternoon and a top 5 run of 2010 to be sure.  It's so rare that I actually get a chance to run in the snow, especially the falling snow.  It just makes the run all the more memorable. 

As many times as I've run the Cornelia Fort Trail over the years, I saw something today I've never seen before - deer!  It's always puzzled me that I've never seen deer on any of my trail runs.  Rabbits, owls, snakes, turtles and birds (lots of birds), but no deer.  Today, though, as I rounded a curve near the 5-mile turnaround point, I startled a doe and its fawn, and they bounded away in the snow as soon as they saw me.  It was really cool.

I hadn't been able to run for 6 days due to a recurring infection in my right big toe.  I was dying to get back out there and run, particurlarly since I've got a yearly mileage goal to meet and I don't have much margin for error, given that it's mid-December.  It was a win all around for me - a run in the snow, 10 miles, deer - what more could I ask for? 

Playing Restaurant

Tonight, Jude had an event to attend after work, so J.P. and I were on our own for dinner.  I decided to cook a pot of spaghetti for Jude and me to eat when she got home.  In the meantime, it was time for J.P. to eat, but he quickly let me know he wasn't interested in sitting in his high chair, in the kitchen, while I cooked.

Thinking quickly, I said to J.P., "how about if we play restaurant?"  Immediately, he stopped fussing.  As his waiter, I brought his small, white table and two chairs into the kitchen.  After welcoming him to the "restaurant," I seated him at the table and gave him a "menu" (a magazine, actually).  He ordered some of "Mom's cereal" as a an appetizer, then a hot dog and green beans for the main course.  He washed it down with a glass of milk.  For dessert, he ate some spaghetti noodles.  

I brought his "check" to him (a magazine insert), he pulled out my wallet and paid me a dollar . . . after reviewing the check.  Seriously.

Good stuff.  

Batman

It's good to laugh.  Man, is it ever good to laugh.

This afternoon, before his nap, J.P. was in the backyard with Jude, "playing baseball."  In other words, he was hitting a wiffle ball off a plastic tee (about waist high) with a fat, plastic bat.  When I walked outside to watch, he took a couple of swings and absolutely crushed the ball.  It was the best I've ever seen him hit the ball.  Solid, solid contact.

However, not unlike a golf swing, it was gone as quickly as he had found it.  As Jude and I looked on, he swung and missed, then swung again and barely tapped the ball off the tee.  He picked the ball up, placed it on the tee, swung and the ball trickled off the tee.  At this point, J.P. started crying, then swung the bat at the ball, laying the grass.  Then, he kicked over the tee and swung the bat over his head and hit the tee laying on its side.  I was laughing - loudly - which seemed to enrage him more, because he threw the bat on the ground, still crying.

I believe my son has a temper.  

I like this photo of J.P.  I'm not sure why, but I do.

Christmas at the Opryland Hotel

Seven months ago, the Opryland Hotel was under water, when the Cumberland River flooded in May.  With people working, literally, round the clock, it opened in time for the Christmas season.  Today, Jude and I took John Patrick there to look at the Christmas lights, trees, etc.

Trimming the Tree

I love this time of year.  October 1 - January 2 is my favorite time of the year.  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  All great holidays, especially Christmas.  It's even better this year, because at 2 1/2 years old, J.P. is at an age where he is starting to understand Christmas and everything that comes with it.

We bought a Christmas last weekend and put it up on Sunday night.  After Jude put the lights on the tree and turned them on, he stood staring at the tree, transfixed.  "It's beautiful," he said.  

A couple of nights ago, I brought the box of Christmas ornaments up from the basement.  He opened the box and his face just lit up when he looked inside and saw the many and varied ornaments Jude and I have collected over the years.  "Wow!" was all he could say.  He reached in the box and pulled out ornaments one by one, handed them to Jude or me, and watched as we put hung them on the tree.  With each ornament he lifted out of the box, he said, "wow, Mom, look at this one!"  It was awesome.

Jude and I always have enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree but I swear, our enjoyment grew exponentially this year, as we shared the experience with J.P.  His wide eyed innocence and wonder will melt your heart.

Oh, and he wants Santa Claus to bring him a hockey stick.  

Jim Seuss

Here's a photo of Jim Seuss, Dr. Seuss's long lost nephew.

Thanksgiving 2010

J.P., Jude and I went to Shelby Park on Thanksgiving Day and a picnic.  A picnic!  We had family meals set for Friday and Sunday, so we decided to get outside and enjoy the unseasonably warm late November weather.  It was kind of nice, actually, for the three of us to spend some time together.

Night Moves

Some nights, when we put J.P. to bed, he falls asleep almost immediately.  Other nights - like tonight - he talks and talks and talks.  To us.  To himself.  To his stuffed animals.  Occasionally, he talks for an hour or so before he finally falls asleep.

On bath nights, Jude gives J.P. a bath, then the three of us cuddle for a few minutes on the bed.  I take him into his room and put on his lotion, then his pajamas.  Next, Jude or I read a couple of books to him.  If Jude reads to him, they sit together in the glider in his room.  If I read to him, he lays between Jude and me on the bed in our room.  When we finish, he hugs Jude and I take him into his bathroom to brush his teeth. Then, we get his blanket and sit in the glider and talk about his day.  Just before I put him in his bed, he always asks me to sing the "Shaq Time" song (a version of the Bare Naked Ladies' song, Snacktime), complete with the nonsensical lyrics I've made up and the different imitations I do (Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Pee Wee Herman, Fat Albert, etc.).

After I put him in bed, he picks out one stuffed animal in his crib to sleep with - Ernie, Ozzie, Gnash, Bunny, Elmo, Elf on a Shelf, Maurice, etc.).  Life's about choices, after all.  I cover him up with his blanket, tell him goodnight, then leave his room.  Within a minute or two, J.P. calls out to Jude - "Mama, come cover me up one last time!"  Another favorite of his is "Daddy, I've got a 'snuffy.'  I need to blow my nose."  Or, "Daddy, my diaper is wet."

When he has exhausted all of his tricks to get Jude or me to walk back into his room, he initiates a running dialogue with us, notwithstanding the fact we're in different rooms.  Typically, it goes something like this:

(J.P.)  Good night, Mama.

(Jude)  Good night, J.P.

(J.P.)  Good night, Dada.

(PRN)  Good night, J.P.

(J.P.)  What are you doing, Mama?

(Jude)  I'm in the big bed, J.P., reading.  Good night.

(J.P.)  Dada, what are you doing?  Are you going downstairs?

(PRN)  Yes, I am, J.P.  Good night, buddy.

(J.P.)  What are you doing now, Mama?

(Jude)  I'm in bed, J.P.  Time to stop talking.  Good night.

(J.P.)  I'm stopping talking now, Mama.  You stop talking.

(Jude)  Close your eyes, J.P.  Good night.

(J.P.)  I'm closing my eyes, Mama.  Stop talking.

And so it goes.  On and on.  Finally, after a while, J.P. starts talking to himself or singing.  That's when we know he's about to fall asleep.  It's pretty funny, actually, and we have a hard time not laughing out loud as he talks to us from his room.