Life is Healthy

Thanks to MizFit’s post today, I learned it is National Running Day. So in honor of all of you crazies (and I love you!) who run for fitness, including those of you training ala C25K and on your own, I confess my running prejudice and reformation.

It’s our nature that when we’re told we can’t do something, we either try to do it anyway, or we convince ourselves that whatever we’re not supposed to do is stupid and we hate it, even though secretly we’re angry that we can’t do it. That’s how it was (PAST tense) with me and running (and skiing).

Since my first knee surgery in 1977 (I was 14), I’ve been told repeatedly to not run or ski. Ergo, I began to consider each of them a waste of time.

Yet some of my best friends are runners. Heck, my husband’s been running for 30+ years. But I never understood their passion. To me, running was nothing more than sending your knees and feet to an early grave.

But I changed my mind on a quiet Sunday morning a few years ago. I started out with my typical Sunday workout intention: to ride my bike up to the track, walk a few miles, then ride home. Like oatmeal or white bread, Sunday workouts are bland but familiar.

I got to the track and walked the first quarter mile, same as I always do. Then I remembered the dream I had the night before – a recurring dream I had every few weeks in which I ran around an obscure track, being timed by a coach. I thought about how as a kid I loved to run just for the sake of running, and how long it had been since I’d run anywhere, and how if this was thousands of years ago and I was one of the early humans who fell out of the trees and stood erect and went hunting, I’d have been one of the first ones eaten.

But on that Sunday morning, with no one was around to critique me and no predators to eat me, I…well…kinda decided to run. Not far – a quarter to a half mile tops, and only in 100-yard spurts – but it was far enough to make me completely change my opinion of running and runners.

I used to think that since I could walk a 12-minute mile, it was close enough to running. Man, was I wrong. Running is so much more than walking. It’s child-like! It’s a rush! The wind feels different, the air smells different, and all your body mechanics are in hyper mode. In just a few hundred yards, I had a small sense of what runner’s mean by a “runner’s high.”

Back in reality, I know I’ll never actually BE a runner, but I’m glad I tried it again. I appreciate my running friends that much more, and as for that recurring dream, I never had it again. Next up may not be skiing, but I am going to try snowshoeing this winter.

So to all my runner friends and runner bloggers and my daughter Cassie who recently became addicted to 5Ks, happy National Running Day! I love your stamina and enthusiasm. Long live your knees, hips, toes and lungs!

Yudhoyono Confirms Release of 10 Indonesians Aboard Ship to Gaza

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced in a press conference on Wednesday that 10 out of the 12 Indonesians aboard the Mava Marmara ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza have been released. Israeli Navy commandos stormed the ship on Monday morning, reportedly killing more than 10 passengers in a predawn raid that has brought worldwide condemnation and sparked a diplomatic crisis.

The Indonesians were among the 128 volunteers who have been freed. The two injured Indonesians are still at a hospital in Israel. “We are grateful that the 10 people are safe and are now in Jordan in healthy condition,” Yudhoyono said. “Reports said that the two other Indonesians were slightly injured. But these are not light wounds because one of them was shot in the leg and hand, while the other one was shot in the chest. Both of them are now are now at a hospital.”

Yudhoyono said that he received the information from the Indonesian ambassador in Jordan, Zainul Bahir, and from Ferry Nur, head of the Indonesian Committee for Solidarity With Palestine (KISPA), during a telephone conversation at 11:30 a.m. today. “Ferry told me that he doesn’t know where the injured are hospitalized,” Yudhoyono said. “But I instructed the ambassador to take care of them.

We don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel, but we have asked the Jordanian government to ensure that both of them will we well-taken cared of. Moreover, it will be good if they could be evacuated to Jordan.” The two injured Indonesians are Surya Fahrizal from the Sahabat al Aqsha (Friends of Al Aqsha organization) organization and Okvianto Baharudin from KISPA.

Related Article:

More than 300 people in Kebon Singkong, East Jakarta lost their homes in fire (Photo JG/Afriadi Hikmal)

A blaze in Kebon Singkong, East Jakarta, razed 380 houses to the ground and left 2,410 people homeless.

The blaze, which started at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, was extinguished at midnight. The fire reportedly started after a resident left boiling water unattended on a kerosene stove.

Rudy, a resident in the area, was injured while he was trying to put out the fire on his roof. He suffered from a bone fracture and is currently hospitalized at the Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta.

Titi, another resident, said that when the firefighters arrived, it was already too late.

"I could not save anything from my house because the fire spread very quickly," the mother of four told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday. "Now I don't have anything and I don't know what to do," she said, adding that her 8-year-old son is sick.

Asep Syarifuddin, deputy mayor of East Jakarta, that the the victims have been receiving aid since early Wednesday. "We have set up two shelter tents for them and two public kitchens," he said.

Aid from the Indonesian Red Crescent (PMI), the city's social agency, health agency, and the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), have also started to come in. "We have also set up a health post because we have many children here and they may get sick easily," Asep added.

Salim Segaf Al Jufri, minister of social affairs, visited the victims at the shelter and gave Rp 100 million ($11,000) to the East Jakarta municipal government.

"The money will be used to buy food and basic needs," Salim said. "This is enough for two days and we are going to give more aid if needed." Salim added that they are looking at the possibility of helping the victims rebuild their homes.

“We have to sit down and talk about it first, it takes inter-department discussions," he said.

Sandy from Queensland sent me an email last week asking if I had any ideas on how to eat healthy during her 3-week trip to the west coast. I gave her a little of my own advice, but I thought I’d throw this out to all of you, too, because I KNOW you'll have some good, solid advice.

Here’s what Sandy wrote: “My husband and I are travelling to the US from here in Australia at the end of August. I am starting to become really anxious (read “freaked out!”) about being able to eat well while enjoying a driving holiday down the west coast.

“We’ll be travelling for 3 weeks and I won’t have things like my esky (cooler) to help me out. I was thinking of perhaps buying a small one upon arrival along with some disposable plates and the like. I suppose my biggest problem is knowing where to buy things. I've heard of Trader Joes and have found their locations online and have also chased down some farmer’s markets as a source of fresh produce, but storing and preparation may be a problem. Can you let me know of the name of some stores where I can buy fresh fruit and veggies, and do you have any advice for me on how to eat well with no kitchen, refrigeration or 'home' for 3 weeks? I would be so immensely grateful for any advice you can give me - this situation is starting to screw with my head.”

Sandy also started a blog called Belladonna’s Garden that, even with just three entries, I’ve enjoyed very much. I hope you’ll check it out.

If you have ideas for Sandy on how to eat healthy on the road, particularly without a kitchen, please leave a comment here or on her blog, or send me an email at lynnbering@verizon.net and I’ll forward it to my new Australian friend.

Thanks for your help!

It's June 1, 2010. And it's a great day in Morgantown.

I'm still doing the Belly Fat Cure—and I've doing quite well. I'm also still working on improving my outlook on life. And I'm doing OK on that, too. I believe things about to change in my favor in ways I've only previously dreamed of.

I hope you all are doing well. Sorry I've been away from my blog. I've been doing a lot of personal journaling—you know with a pen and paper. Sometimes that's the best way for me. I feel different. And that's a good thing. Life is good.

This blog has been a great source of inspiration for me. I don't intend to let it go. I will be here. And I'll be reading your blogs, too. I may be in the background—but I'll be there.

I was on vacation last week—I was pretending that I was retired. It was great. I was doing such a great job of pretending that someone even asked me if I was retired. I guess I was giving off that vibe—and I didn't even tell this person I was retired. She just said it. How's that for practicing the Law of Attraction?

Anyway, life is good.

Antara New, Tuesday, June 1, 2010 21:04 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta police have arrested a citizen of Uzbekistan , Evgeniya Dolgholichenko alias Nastasia (24), who acted as a courier in a drug dealing syndicate led by an Indonesian named Dedy.

"The suspect was arrested as a courier in a national network of drug dealers," Sr Com Anjan P Putra, head of the Jakarta police`s anti-drug division, said here Tuesday.

Anjan said the foreigner was arrested after the police received information about a drug dealer named Dedy at Krekot Bunder IV Road No 34, Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta.

After a month of observation, police arrested Dedy and seized 1.2 grams of crystal methamphetamine (shabu) and a cellular phone from him.

The police also arrested Nastasia in the same operation when she was in possession of three grams of crystal-meth and two cellular phones.

In Dedy`s room police also found 170 ecstasy pills, liquid chemicals to make crystal-meth, 302 grams of crystal-meth, and a cellular phone.

Anjan said Natasia had been living in Indonesia since 2004 but her visa proved to have expired in 2008. Most of the time she had made her living as a prostitute.

According to Anjan, the suspects were able to earn a net profit of Rp50,000 per ecstasy pill and Rp100,000 on every gram of crystal meth they sold.

Both Dedy and Nastasia would be charged based on a number of articles in Law No 35/ 2008 on drugs carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp10 billion.

Antara News, Tuesday, June 1, 2010 18:12 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (Mer-C) is still waiting confirmation on the identity of an injured volunteer in the Israeli attack at dawn on Monday (May 31), a MER-C spokesman said.

"We are still waiting for a confirmation on the victim`s identity from several related institutions, according to rumors an Indonesian citizen was injured during the attack," MER-C staffer Rima said here Tuesday.

As reported earlier, "MV Mavi Marmara", a ship carrying about 500 people consisting of activists, journalists, volunteers and parliament members, was attacked by Israeli commandos when it was peacefully sailing to Gaza in international waters to deliver humanitarian aid.

Its passengers included four MER-C activists, an undetermined number of people from other Indonesian organizations and at least one Indonesian television reporter.

In the Israeli assault, a number of passengers were reported killed and injured.

According to Rima, Mer-C is still unable to contact Freedom Flotilla humanitarian aid for the Gaza strip convoy since the attack, and waiting for confirmation on volunteers` condition.

The four Mer-C activists aboard the MV Mavi Marmara were Nurfitri Taher (Mer-C project officer), medical officers Arief Rahman, Abdillah Onim and mechanic Nur Ikhwan Abadi.

There were also volunteers from other Indonesian organizations such as the Indonesian Committee of Solidarity for Palestine (KISPA) and Sahabat Al-Aqsha and television camera man M Yasin.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Tengku Faizasyah said on Monday the ministry was still trying to obtain information on the condition of the Indonesians aboard the ship.

Earlier on Monday, Israeli private channel 10 television reported Israeli marine commandos had opened fire after being attacked with axes and knives by a number of passengers on board the ship without naming the source of the information.

The station did not say whether the dead and injured were passengers or members of the Israeli navy.

Israel`s army radio said between 10 and 14 people had been killed in clashes which broke out after the passengers allegedly tried to grab weapons off the naval commandos who tried to storm one of the boats.

It was not clear whether the clashes were taking place on just one of the six boats making up the aid convoy, and the Israeli army had no immediate comment on the incident.

Shortly afterward, the Israeli military censor ordered a block on all information regarding those injured or killed during the storming of the ship.

Due to the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off a planned visit to Washington on Tuesday, as reported by an Italian News Agency, ADNKronos International.

"We have no problems with the people of Gaza. We do have a conflict with the terrorist regime of Hamas, supported by Iran. We want to maintain a situation where we prevent weapons and war materials from coming into Gaza, and allowing humanitarian aid to go to the population of Gaza," he said.

The convoy had been trying to break Israel`s crippling blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip after the Islamist movement Hamas took power there in 2007.

"Our policy was and will continue to be that Israel would allow humanitarian aid, any kind of goods that are meant for peace, to the civilian population of Gaza," he said.

The killings drew widespread international condemnation with several countries summoning their Israeli ambassadors.