Over the Hump Thanks to Amazon.com

Don't you love it when a friend recommends a new artist...and you buy something by that artist...and it's great? Happened to me this week. Amazon.com (my best friend in the whole world) recommended Welsh singer/songwriter Judith Owen and, though I suppose you'd classify her as a jazz singer, I'd call her an appealing merger of the Jones twins: Norah and Rickie Lee. Anybody that can pull off a jazz version of "Smoke On the Water" and convince Cassandra Wilson, Richard Thompson, Tom Scott and Keb' Mo' to come along for the ride is worth a listen.

Today's training swim was 2,600 yards. The main set was interesting to say the least: a 400 swim N/S (N/S = negative split, meaning the 2nd half is faster than the first half.) After a :45 rest I launched into a 4X100 descend (meaning each 100 is faster than the 100 before.) Then 300 N/S and 3X100 descend, 200 N/S and 2X100 descend and, finally, 100 N/S and a FAST 100. Great swim.

After a Sushi lunch I hustled home to get in a bike ride before the forecasted storms dump all over the Great Suburban Outback, at least to hear the Weather Geek tell it. An hour of 95+ cadence easy spinning did the trick. I'm starting to feel human once again.

Now I'm equipping my sensual, gorgeous, elegant traveling companion with new music for the weekend. Yep, that's right. My iPod. It has only 3,300 songs on it, or 10.2 days worth of music. Hardly enough for a long weekend, 'specially one with 4 flights. So say 'hello' to John lee Hooker, Marcia Ball, Pat Metheny, Cindy Alexander, Elmore James, Keith Jarrett, George Shearing, Ralph Towner, Muddy Waters, Shawn Colvin, Kate Bush, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, the Charlatans U.K. and the North Mississippi Allstars. Oh yes, and Judith Owen.