Happy Day (and sad day)

Happy St Patrick's Day! Today is the day when all of America gets to drink like you were all Irish. I guess we'll let the Canadians drink like you're irish too. So put on some green and kiss somebody just because you can!

I am actually Irish. That being in the American sense that if you have one small drop of Irish blood in you then by God we are claiming you as being Irish weather you want to or not. I'm sure there's lots of other cultures mixed into my genetic makeup. But I'm a Flynn, and there are four main branches of Flynn's in America. Mine stems from William Flynn, who came to America from County Cork in Ireland in 1842. I think he landed in Virginia, but I'm not sure about that. Since the name is still intact, that's all going back through my dad's side of the family. So I'm IRISH by God, and southern by grace.

An interesting side note since I'm on the subject of genetic lineage, going back on my Mom's side you will find a British Duke of something (born in the 1640's), and a family that used to own about 80% of Manhattan Island in the 1700's. The ownership of Manhattan Island thing resulted in a lawsuit over heirs to that family that was just settled about 10 years ago. I didn't see anything from that lawsuit, but my great-aunt did get a notice to appear in court for it.

Kelley's family has some famous connections too. We recently learned that we are related to the Jonas brothers. It's funny that they wear promise rings and be all celibate and stuff. Turns out their grandmother or maybe great grandmother got knocked up as a high school kid by some cousin to one of kelley's grandparents. So the Jonas brothers are our cousins, distantly. and maybe their family has a dirty past? hmmmmm....... Of course I have no proof of anything there, it's just something that someone in her family found and told her mom about.

UPDATE: I have been corrected. Kelley's grandmother's niece (her sister's kid) got knocked up when she was in high school. She went to florida to have the baby, the baby became a preacher, moved to New Jersey and is the father of the Jonas Brothers. So they are not so distant cousins, we might even run into them at a funeral or something. end of update.

So it's a happy day! kiss me, I'm Irish.

It's a sad day too. I had a doctor's appt yesterday to follow up from the one a few weeks ago. The blood test showed some liver enzymes that were a little out of whack, he wanted to figure out why. Turns out, they are way really high out of whack, and he was pretty concerned. I also told him about a myofacial problem I've been fighting in my left shin since maybe december. I'm 90% sure it's muscular like shin splints and not a stress fracture, he wants to be more sure than that. It might even be related to the liver thing. I take advil when it hurts and before every run as a precaution. But the shin shoud have healed up by now, so I was a little concerned.

He drew some blood for testing, he's going to check the liver enzymes and my testosterone levels. We also x-rayed the leg. I couldn't get a digital copy like Sarah did, but I still gotta admit that those bones were quite sexy. Everything looked silky smooth. But the bad news is that he still said no more advil and no more running until he clears me to run again. The leg thing could be a collection of toxins or a small clot or something that is causing the liver thing to react with elevated enzyme levels. So if the liver levels look good, we're going to do a high density bone scan to check for a stress fracture. if it's not a stress fracture, he figure it out from there. something will have to unlock the muscular "bruise" or whatever it is.

I got in that 10 mile run on saturday, it was the first double digit milage since before the taper when I missed the marathon, i think feb 3rd was the last time I had 10 miles or more. then sunday/monday I was having real trouble getting down the stairs into the office. I certainly didn't want the guy to tell me to stop running, but the shin should have healed more by now. So crap, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it. I'm going to back off of the swim and biking some too, but keep going with the yoga and Tri Power workouts. My next race is a 60k bike ride through the North Carolina mountains in 2 weeks, so I can keep training for that without running.

Finally, something humorous. I hate people from Spartanburg county, the next county north of where I live. The local news reports today that someone in Spartanburg actually STOLE $300 worth of girl scout cookies from some kids selling in a parking lot. Police are looking for surveillance tapes now. But is the economy really that bad that rednecks have to steal from girl scouts? You can't find something better to steal than Thin Mints? They let Glaven into Spartanburg county? Once again, proof that I am surrounded by dumbasses and rednecks.

So have a great St Patty's day! We Irish consider getting drunk and having sex with strangers "an introduction". So go meet somebody new today! Have fun. And don't forget to vote for me on Steve's blog if you haven't done so already. You don't have to have a blog to vote, just follow the link and vote on the right hand side of his blog.