Tuesday Free-For-All

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

Another hot day (I’ve already been out sweating in it). Now to the dentist. I know how to party.

Hope you have a great day.

Banjo is a Fireman

Banjo is a Fireman

Posted in MRBA | 9 Comments

The Best Father’s Day Gift of All

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

163864_10150370536690721_594630720_16233317_653464_n-1In the 1970’s we had plenty to worry about. Stagflation, Vietnam, the Bermuda Triangle, the metric system, an oil crisis, Iran hostages, nuclear war, killer bees, Billy Beer, disco — I spent most of my childhood scared half to death.  But what really freaked me out was that people kept telling me how the world was going to change in the year 2000. The 21st Century seemed so scary.

It frightened the leisure suit out of me.

I survived the ’70’s (even disco.) I even made it successfully through the 80’s and ’90’s. But in the year 2000, the dire prophecy came true. My world really did change.

I became a father.

And I had absolutely no freakin’ clue what  I was doing.  I looked at my newborn son and broke into a cold sweat. WTH? Where was the instruction manual? There wasn’t one attached to him when he came out!  (I checked. Twice.) To make matters worse, I’d never been around a baby before.  I could change a tire — but a diaper? OH NO! He peed on me about 4,000 times before I figured out how to cover him up. I was lost. And just to make the learning curve a little steeper, my son decided he wouldn’t sleep through the night for a year. Lack of REM sleep and exhaustion meant maximum stress.  My wife’s lovely blue eyes quickly became bloodshot. And I wasn’t much help. My wife had to raise two children at once.

Thankfully babies are tougher than they appear. Thirteen years later, my oldest is a brilliant, handsome young man. And his two younger brothers are equally smart, funny and good looking (editor’s note, they all look like their mother). But if I had a dime for every mistake I’ve made, I’d have enough money to put the boys through college.

So this Father’s Day, I really don’t need a tie or a card. Boys you have already given me the most precious gift of all: I now know life is about more than myself.  To quote the ever-brilliant Craig Ferguson,“I think when you become a parent you go from being a star in the movie of your own life to the supporting player in the movie of someone else’s.”

Thank you boys, for making me a father. I’m very proud to be your Dad.  And thanks for the gift. It changed my life for the better.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Banjo?

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

971705_10152914134925721_802838239_nMy pen created his face again.  A face that we haven’t see in nearly a year now. But it’s one we see a lot in our head and heart. I drew Banjo for the first time in a while Saturday. A new book has begun.

Asked Amy, “Should we do this book based on Pip? It only seemed fair. She’s our dog now. And she’s a sweet (if feisty) girl.”

Amy sat for a second and I could hear the wheels turning. And then she said something very wise.

“Banjo was a rescue. He had an amazing will to live. That will inspired us to live our lives to the fullest. This is a book about dreams. About being what you want to be in your life. It’s only right that we honor his life well-lived with a book.”

So the book will be about Banjo.

And it will be out in the fall.

 

Posted in Cartoon, Writing | 4 Comments

Fit2Fat2Fit Blog: Day 21

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

title-8-week-lrgIf sweat is your fat crying, my fat threw a hissy fit today.

The heat has finally arrived.  And my perspiration is right behind it. One of the greatest things is to get my water bottle when we’re done. Water tastes better after a workout — like sleep after a long run.

This morning, the ever eager Line 4 did the weight room, jumped rope and did footwork while holding a medicine ball, enjoyed Clark’s Coreapalooza and then did ladder drills combined with 40-yard sprints.  And then everyone did a special core encore at the very end. We got in plank position (as uncomfortable as it sounds) and had to hold it as long as we could.  When we hit our knees, we ran the track.  I wasn’t the first up. But I wasn’t the last — that was Larry (Retired Spiderman).  I think he’s still in plank position.

(P.S. if you have dead skin on your elbows, you’ll love plank position).

I won’t win the PLS Olympics or even the Laff Olympics with my core fitness, but I can tell you this — I’ve come a long way from the first session when I weighed 248. I’d die when we got to Clark’s station. Now I can survive it.

I have fifteen-minute abs.

My fat’s crying about that to. My fat’s a big blubbering baby.

 

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Monday Free-For-All

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

Here we are again! Have a great week.  Make a difference.

The Ridgeland Multipurpose Trail at sunrise.

The Ridgeland Multipurpose Trail at sunrise.

Posted in MRBA | 6 Comments

Saturday Free-For-All

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

Good morning! Took an 11-mile run this morning and then a nap. Now I’m awake and about to draw some pages for my upcoming children’s book about Banjo.

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Posted in MRBA | 10 Comments

Pip Cartoon: Houdini

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

Pip13

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CARTOON: NSA

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

060713NSA

Posted in Cartoon | 1 Comment

CARTOON: Can you hear me now?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

Obama

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Fit2Fat2FitBlog: When it rains

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Marshall Ramsey

943198_10152806247565721_1948624747_nIt’s Friday which means the 5 a.m. running club was supposed to meet and run this morning.  My alarm went off a 4:09 and I looked at the radar on my phone.  It showed rain. And I hate running in the rain. I reset my alarm for 5:09 and went back to sleep.  At 5:09 I looked at the radar again. More rain. And I hate running in the rain. So I set my alarm for 6:09.  At 6:09 I looked at the radar once again.  Even more rain.  And I really hate running in the rain. So I got up to get ready.

I looked at my shoes and clothes sitting on the edge of the tub.  Then I listened to the rain hitting the skylight.  You know, it really wasn’t heavy and there wasn’t any thunder or lightning.  And I was going to get wet from sweat anyway.

So I ran five miles in the rain.

The best part was when I was running along the path in the woods. The rain danced on the leaves, making a soothing symphony of sound that salved my soul.   A cool breeze wrapped around me, comforting me as my heart and lungs worked in tandem to propel my legs forward.  I thought about my life, where I am right now in it and where I REALLY want to go. I thought about what motivates me and what should motivate me.

I missed my friends this morning. I hope they had a good run. But I’m thankful that I had the discipline to get up and run in the rain without them.  It washed away so many of the problems that are bothering me.

Posted in Fat-Fit-Fat | 1 Comment