Blood is Thicker than Water

No, really. It is.

The viscosity of blood is about 3-4 cP at 37  °C .  The viscosity of water is 0.890 cP at about 25 °C.

So?

Well, this little tidbit of science was first turned to metaphor by Heinrich der Glîchezære, author of Reinhart Fuchs (circa 1180).  His intent was to illustrate his belief that familial ties were stronger than the bonds of friendship ever could be.  Obviously the masses believed there was some truth to this, as his Blut ist dicker als Wasser became a common proverb still used today.

In 1920, Aldous Huxley put a slightly different spin on this phrase in "The Ninth Philosopher's Song:"
Blood, as all men know, than water's thicker / But water's wider, thank the Lord, than blood.

That is obviously open to many different interpretations, mine being: Screw viscosity.

Jim Butcher, I believe, said it best:

“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching -- they are your family. ” 

The Bucket List

Over the last year or so I came to realize that life is finite.  "Duh," you say, I know.  I just simply never gave it much thought until recently.  I was very guilty of an "it won't happen to me" mentality, and generally sucked at planning for the future (in the extreme sense, I mean: I raised my eyebrows at friends who stockpiled three years worth of dry goods in their cellar and rolled my eyes at the stodgy 40-something men at the gun range who talked about building a bomb shelter).  

So, the idea of a "Bucket List" always seemed a bit morose to me, and I never gave it much thought (besides a fleeting thought of John Travolta whenever the phrase was mentioned).  Now I embrace it.  I want to stop saying "someday I'll ______" and be able to say "I just ________!"  I currently add to this list faster than I cross anything off of it, but that's okay.   The most important part is that I've started to approach life's opportunities with a completely different attitude -- I take the chance instead of playing it safe.  I close my eyes and jump.  I "just do it."  

Bucket List Item 42: (Note: these will be completed/attempted in no particular order)  Run a 5k.  

I am an extremely competitive person.  Ridiculously so, at times, and especially with myself.  I could kick myself now for not sticking with track (I joined once in 9th grade, and that's it), as competitive running offers the perfect mix of self-competition with competitor-competetion.  It's the best of both worlds.  Yet, stupidly, I waited until my 30s to finally capitalize on the interest I've had since my early teens.  And now I can just barely churn out a 13:00 mile.  It's pathetic, really, but it's a starting point.  I try to remind myself that this is the hardest part -- the getting back into shape -- because the pain is so severe and so fresh that it makes it that much more difficult to be motivated to go again tomorrow.  That's why I created a bit of accountability for myself...and registered for that 5k.  On 10/20...4 weeks away.  It'll be rather ridiculous, and right now my goal is to finish in under an hour.  But...again, it's a starting point.  

It's about time!

I've been saying "I think I'll start a blog!" for....10 years?

I tend to live by the motto "Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow."

I have decided this can no longer be put off until tomorrow!  Writing -- in some capacity -- has been a dream of mine since I was 5 and putting together my own self-illustrated storybooks about my teddy bear with cardboard, contact paper, and staples.  KC had lots of adventures.  And while I don't see myself revolutionizing a new fiction genre anytime soon (Vampires...taken.  BDSM...taken. GD, what's left??), at least now I have an outlet.