Vlog the Inhaler, or The Occasional Video Blog Musings of Jim Thornton

This is a picture of a fortress, the metaphor that the lovely Leslie Livingston has embraced as her USMS inner identity. How and why she chose such a metaphor is lost in the mists of time.

Or I guess you could ask her.



This is a picture of Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler (upon whom Dracula is allegedly based) that serves as the inspiration for the lovely Jim Thornton's USMS personna. That and Woodstock from the comic strip, Peanuts.

Jim picked Vlad the Impaler as his self-image because it sounded like Vlog the Inhaler. Really, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Hopefully, this, too, will soon be lost in the mists of time.

Jim picked Woodstock because in his inner mind's eye, he is an adorably cute little yellow bird who doesn't talk.

Naturally, when Jim "Vlog Woodstock" Thornton needed counsel about his vlog, he sought out the advice of Leslie "Fortress" Livingston, whose blog "FAF AFP Digest" sets the standard for blogging excellence on these forums.



Picture of Leslie (on left, with beard) and Jim (on right, in dress) undergoing therapy.

Some of what was discussed can't be revealed here because of mandated reporting laws, Amber alerts, the 10 Commandments, and other aspects of Society's ********, man. But the advice that can be reproduced is this:

"Jim, maybe if you put an occasional workout into your Vlog, you'd get more viewers and comments."

Point taken, Mistress Fortress! May I have another, please!

Here's what I swam today, which I should add is the capstone on a January totaling 36.73 miles:

• 1 x 1000 broken into a 600 with open turns and a 400 with flip turns, the whole thing incredibly slow, but no less torturous for the slowness, as all the while "Up the Lazy River" played in an endless loop in my brain

• 20 x 50 on 1:05, the interval chosen so that the exhausted brain would not actually have to count, but rather rely on the clock to more or less do this for him.

• 1 x 10 minutes in the Sewickley YMCA steam bath

• 1 x 8 minutes in the Sewickley YMCA men's shower room, shaving during my shower

• 1 x 30 seconds in the pool again to stop sweating from the steam bath and shower

• 1 reasonably average flight of stairs to the lobby

And home again, home again, like a fat little pig!

Tomorrow, we have a meet in Franklin, PA, 1 hour and 23 minutes from Sewickley. Those interested in the nice local league we Western Pennsylvanians swim in can view not only our meet schedule but Top 10 Times dating back to 1982. Simple click here and enjoy yourself:

http://www.amymsa.org

Finally, Leslie, I shall be monitoring the Vlog's activity in the wake of your excellent advice. Who knows? Perhaps one day, the student might even catch up with the teacher. And you know what must happen then, eh?

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