March 17

NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships

Associated Press/Gareth Patterson

The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships took place over the weekend in Fayettville, Arkansas.

The Oregon Ducks men's team repeated as National Champions with 74 points. Coming in second was Florida Gators with 50 points and the host Arkansas Razorbacks were third with 39 points. On the women's side, the host Arkansas won the title with 63 points over last year's champion Oregon. Oregon was second with 46.50 points and Georgia Bulldogs finished third with 37 points.

Highlights from the state of Michigan was Michigan State senior Leah O'Connor winning the mile with a record of 4:27.18. That time broke MSU's school record, it's the fastest time in the NCAA Track and Field Championships history and the second fastest mile ever run by a woman in NCAA history.

mgoblue.com

University of Michigan Wolverines women's Distance Medley Relay finished in 10:58.64 to claim third place. The DMR team members were Shannon Osika, Maya Long, Danielle Pfeifer and Brook Handler. Winning the DMR was the team from Arkansas in 10:51.89 and Stanford was second in 10:53.66.

March 15

On this day in March 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated. Caesar was stabbed to death by 60 conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, at a Senate meeting at the Theatre of Pompey.

In William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, a soothsayer warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March."

TV shows

I found new TV shows to watch over the weekend. I like them already of course. As my bio says on this blog, Twitter and Instagram: I love TV. Here my two more TV programs that I like.

Alpha House (Amazon Prime)
Alpha House is a political satire show created by Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury creator. It is about four republican congressmen who share a house in Washington, D.C. The show stars John Goodman as Gil John Biggs, R - North Carolina; Clark Johnson as Robert Bettencourt, R - Pennsylvania; Matt Malloy as Louis Laffer, R- Nevada and Mark Consuelos as Andy Guzman, R - Florida.






Archer (FX)
Archer is an animated TV show for adults. The show is about a spy agency in New York run by Malory Archer. Her son, Sterling Archer works for her, along with Archer's ex-girlfriend and agent Lana Kane. Other employees include accountant Cyril Figgs, human resource director Pam Poovey, secretery Cheryl Tunt and research head Doctor Krieger.

Florida II

 Other favorite photos taken with my cell phone camera in Florida.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan  
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade  
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross  
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer

Currently Reading: Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky

Spring ahead

Shutterstock/BrAt82

Don't forget to move your clocks forward one hour Sunday morning. It is time to spring forward and begin Daylight Saving Time.

I don't mind losing the one hour of sleep in exchange for warmer weather and longer days.

1000 Meter

Ken Morris

Oiselle athlete, Lauren Wallace, won the US Indoor 1000m championship Sunday in Boston, MA. Wallace led the group for 600m before dropping back in the pack. Running towards the finish line on the last lap, leader Charlene Lipsey went out wide. Treniere Moser and Stephanie Brown were running toward the finish in lanes 2 and 3. Leaving lane 1 open, Wallace out sprinted Moser and Brown to the finish line in 2:40.42. Second place Moser and third place Brown finished in 2:40.62.

After the race Wallace said, "I knew that everyone was going to swing wide, that seems to be the tactic on an indoor track. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham. Last night when I was going over my race plan, I just decided to stay comfo in lane one. I knew there'd be a gap opening up, so I took advantage of the gap and gave it my all the last 50 meters."

Wallace went on to say, "It's unreal, it hasn't set in yet. The coolest part was running through the tape. I've never been able to do that before. The tape was really, really cool."

Season 3

House of Cards Season 3 debuted on Friday, February 27 at midnight. I had to wait until later that evening to begin watching. I started the new season around 8 p.m. Friday and finished all 13 episodes Sunday around 6:30 p.m. In between the times of watching House of Cards, I did manage to squeeze other activities in.

I liked the new season. I won't say much to ruin it for others who haven't seen it yet. I did like how it ended. So much build up for Season 4. Can't wait to see it.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan  
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade  
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross  

Currently Reading: Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer

Florida I

My husband and I took an 8 day trip to Florida recently. We traveled to St. Augustine, Titusville and Daytona Beach. I loved every second in Florida, as it was my first trip ever to the state. I took many photos with my cell phone and my DSLR camera. These are just a few of my cell phone camera photos that I loved. More will be coming. I still need to download the almost 600 photos I took with my DSLR.

Red Coats - Mackinaw City, MI

Wheelbarrow - Mackinaw City, MI

Evil Queen drawing

I have never watched Snow White, but I saw a picture of the Evil Queen and wanted to draw her. I found a coloring book page of the Evil Queen and a bird and loved it. I used a 2H pencil to draw the Evil Queen.

Millrose Games

Ross Dettman

The 108th NYRR Millrose Games took place Saturday at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armory in New York.

Brycen Spratling set a new American Indoor, world best and Armory record in the 500m. Spratling won the race in 1:00.06. The old American record belonged to Ken Lowery who ran 1:00.17 in 1987.

Ross Dettman

Matt Centrowitz beat Nick Willis in a close finish in the Wanamaker Mile in 3:51.35 to Willis' 3:51.46. Bernard Lagat finished the race in 3:54.91 for 4th place. Lagat's time also set a new world masters record. The old record was 3:58.15 and held by Eamonn Coughlan.

Another close finish took place in the men's 5000m. Lopez Lomong won the race in 13:27.60 over second place finisher Ryan Hill in 13:27.80.

Ross Dettman

Other winners of the meet were Aleec Harris with a world-leading time in the men's 60m hurdles in 7.50. Phyllis Francis won the women's 400m in 53.14. Shannon Rowbury ran away from the field in the women's Wanamaker mile in 4:24.31. Erik Sowinski won the 1000m run in 2:21.18.


Ajee Wilson won back-to-back Millrose Games 800m in 2:01.57. Sally Kipyego was the women's 3000m winner with a time of 8:41.72. Murielle Ahoure won the women's 60m in 7.05. Winning the men's 60m was Marvin Bracy in 6.53. Sharike Nelvis was the winner in the women's 60m hurdles witha time of 7.91. Jesse Williams won the high jump by clearing 7-7.

Art model

I volunteered to be an art model this week. The class is figure study at the college I work at. The students are working with clay to sculpt a bust. Practically all the students are forming people that they know. They are working off of photos and one student is using a mirror. As she is doing a clay bust of herself.

Besides myself, there are two other models, male and female. The first time I volunteered, I was asked to model three times. The times I wasn't needed, I was sitting at a desk. When a student asked for my assistance. I would look and face the way they wanted me to. When asked to face them, I had a difficult time making eye contact. I would look at the ceiling or just over their head. As an art major, I had my share of working with live models. So many pairs of eyes are on you. To me its just a weird feeling.

The second time visiting the class, I was used five times. Most of the students in the class don't ask me to pose for them. That is OK. I just like being able to help out if they need it.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade
 
Currently Reading: Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross

Left Shark

The Super Bowl took place February 1 in Glendale, Arizona. I wasn't able to watch much of the game because I had to go to bed early. I had to work the next morning at 4 am.

As I was reading my Twitter timeline early Monday morning, I kept seeing #LeftShark. Since I had no idea what it was, I had to Google it. During Kate Perry's halftime show, she had dancing sharks on stage with her. After seeing the video, the left shark was having trouble with its choreography. It didn't match his partner on the right side.

Uncoordinated Left Shark made me happy and I thought it was cute. Who has not messed up at one point in life? What I loved about #LeftShark is that he kept going. Never give up.

The internet did have a bunch of #LeftShark photos. I picked some that I liked.

New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

Victah Sailer

The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix took place Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Big winners of the night were the New Balance Distance Medley Relay team of Sarah Brown, Mahagony Jones, Megan Krumpoch and Brenda Martinez. The group set a DMR world record with a time of 10:42.57. The group ran a 1200m, 400m, 800m and 1600m. Nicole Tully of the New York All-Stars passed Brenda Martinez with two laps to go. Martinez was able to chase Tully down to set the world record.

Bernard Lagat's second place finish to Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethopia in the 3000m set a new master's world record. Gebremeskel won the race in 7:48.19 to Lagat's 7:48.33. Lagat lowered the world record by 13 seconds. The former record was 8:01.44.

The final record of the night was set by Jenny Simpson in the Two Mile. Simpson pulled away from the field to win the race and set an American Record with a time of 9:18.35.

Other winners from the night were Matthew Centrowitz in the men's 1000m with a time of 2:17.00. Trell Kimmons was the 60m winner in 6.51. Treneire Moser beat training partner Mary Cain to win the 1000m in 2:37.86. New Zealand's Nick Willis won the Mile in 3:51.61. Newly signed Oiselle pole vaulter Mary Saxer won with a height of 14-9. Chaunte Lowe won the high jump with a leap of 6-2. Ryan Whiting was the winner of the shot put throwing 70-3.75.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin
 
Currently Reading: A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade

Super Bowl XLIX

Associated Press/David J. Phillip

The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 Sunday in the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

I watched about five minutes of the Super Bowl. I needed to go to bed early because I had to work at 4 am Monday morning. I was happy to see that New England won the game. I'm not a big fan of New England, but I do like Tom Brady. Brady did go to Michigan. As for Seattle, I'm not a fan of theirs. Never have been. Probably never will.

Pleased that Brady has won four Super Bowl titles and was named MVP for a third time. #GoBlue

Hot Chocolate Hustle 5K

I ran the Hot Chocolate Hustle 5K Saturday.

It was 18° with a feel of 9°. I decided not to run with pants. They just felt too bulky. So I ran in an Oiselle Oynx jacket, Oiselle Bird of a Feather long sleeve, Oiselle Long Rogas, stocking hat, gloves and compression socks.

When the race started my legs and toes were numb. Eventually my left toes warmed up, but not my right toes or legs. My hands did get warm, so I popped the top off the gloves and unzipped my jacket.

I ran 8:25 for the first mile and was keeping pace with a large group. After passing the mile mark, I was running stride for stride with another lady. I like running with her during races because our pace is similar. We stuck together for probably the entire second mile. Then with a mile or less to go, she and another lady started pulling away. I finished the race in 27:05. I was first in my age group and was the 14th overall woman.

I was disappointed that I wasn't able to stay with the two other ladies. But this was the first race of the year and there is nowhere to go but up.