What’s the point of working out when you can work?

What is the essential difference between work and working out? I’d say that work is done to achieve a result, while working out is spending lavish time upon yourself so that you’re healthy enough to actually work at home or at a job or you can look good not working, just kicking about, as the Brits say. I have been working this week painting the outside of my house. I’m talking climbing up and down a big 28-foot ladder or bending low like a crouching dragon with a titanium hip. I haven’t felt this bad since high school and college August football camp when I would lie prone in a skinny hard bed and look down in admiration at my perfect body that hurt like hell everywhere, and I just loved feeling so bad. I’d rather drive a 7-man sled 100 yards than run a 5K any day.

Tab Hunter - There were two prominent blond actors back in the day noted for having that blond guy on the beach look. One was Tab Hunter and the other was Troy Donahue. Dewey Beach lifeguard Dennis Walters, 56, ran in last Saturday’s Venus 5K and ran a respectable 27 minutes. I have much respect for Dennis for continuing to do what he likes to do and most importantly he’s a good lifeguard and teacher; I could tell by watching him help the rookies during the recent rookie test.

Mike Keenan -The Mike Keenan shown in this photo running the Venus 5K last Saturday in Dewey Beach is the brother of Maureen Keenan who lives locally so he gets space. Mike is the former president and later chief financial officer of the Cleveland Browns, having joined the club in 2006 after serving on the NFL’s management council. Mike was let go as part of the changeover in December 2009 to Mike Holmgren as president. Holmgren retained coach Eric Mangini and his entire staff. Eric’s father-in-law is super sports agent and sports labor negotiator Ron Shapiro. Shapiro has a house in Bethany and is a friend of mine, so is Maureen Keenan; that’s how close I am to running an NFL franchise.

Favre is a fraud - Bret Favre is a poser, a multimillionaire quad-cab-diesel-Ford-driving good old boy who will make $20 million this year. All the rich guys I know have at least one alligator sweater and pink polo in their closet. I give Bret credit for taking hits after 19 years of pro football, and maybe it’s not his fault that he is hounded by sports media who are too lazy to find a story hiding in plain sight. It reminds me of an angler finding the fleet of fisherman and trolling around with 200 boats instead of going someplace else where fish may be schooling about. I never knew that fish don’t hang out anywhere unless humans have given it a name like hotdog or hambone.

Kids are cool! - Chilean author Isabel Allende looked at her first granddaughter and said, ”Quick, tell me where you come from before you forget.” Pictured here sitting on the beach last Monday night is 6-year-old Ella Risko waiting to run a leg on the soft sand relay. Ella is quirky cool, athletic and beautiful, having also played machine ball with the boys last Little League season. Ella is the daughter of John and Nelia Rishko and I am the grandfather of a batch of her first cousins because my daughter-in-law Liza is Nelia’s sister so maybe I’m a great uncle by marriage or grandfather by marriage but not far removed.

Turf rules! - That is a sign next to the new sprint turf field at Cape that lists all the things you should not do, and may I add spitting like an early morning drunk with congestive heart failure and tuberculosis. No sports drinks, just water, and here’s an idea, if you take the time to put water in your mouth why not actually swallow it? And no throwing shot puts or spraying your own lines with an aerosol can.

Snippets - I jumped the trolley car on the Phillies but I came back on board as I always do; I just like the static sounds of summer baseball, especially AM in the car. St. Thomas More Preparatory is looking for qualified head coaches for baseball and men’s lacrosse. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to Bill Windett, athletic director, at wwindett@saintmore.org. Defenseman Matt Conlon of Lewes, about 6-foot-4, is entering his sophomore year at Thomas More, and it is going to be a great one. Jokingly I suggested he come to Cape and he suggested I talk to his mom and although I know Mary Lou and her entire extended Burton clan forever I’m not about to offer my opinion where resident Cape families should send their kids to school. Well, maybe if asked I will venture an opinion; I just don’t want to be declared an ineligible sportswriter by the DIAA sportsmanship committee and risk losing my press pass. August is here and the surf is up. If you swim on an unguarded beach please bring your stolen buoy, a spinal collar and backboard, and waterproof police radio.