need more proof that gun nuts are a bunch of paranoid morons easily manipulated by faux news & the power mad nra?  
http://news.yahoo.com/gun-industry-thrives-during-obamas-term-office-073353804--election.html

So, it’s been quite awhile that I haven’t posted.  We had computer trouble & now have a new macbook air, also we had Isaac.  That was a mess.  Three days of wind & rain, lots & lots of rain.  Missed a couple of runs & haven’t been able to run on the beach since the storm.  Right now it’s closed while they clean up the dead nutria.  They will be dealing w/ the mess through October most likely.  

I’ve been running in the neighborhood which is ok but I do miss the beach.  It’s been hot & w/out the seabreeze I suffer.  

Thoughts from Sunday’s LSD run

It is not my fault that I don’t recognize women that I know from somewhere else when I pass them running.  This has happened several times lately.  It is the fault of women runners who look at me like I’m some kind of pervert when I smile or make even brief eye contact.  I understand the world is full of weirdos & you have to be careful but hey, come on, I’m an old, slow, funny looking guy who can barely muster a feeble wave & a nod, lighten up.  I’ve gotten so that I just look at the ground when I pass a female runner.

after reading this article
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-08-16/Mississippi-clumsiest-iphone/57091820/1
earlier in the week, I thought of a great new app for the iphone!  It’s the Target App!  It would be marketed to the moron gun nut demographic & would consist of. . .  wait for it! . . . a target!  Ta Da!  Of course they’d only get to use it once & then there’d be that “Oh dang” moment that we hope will be captured for youtube.

I really like Greek food.

Even though it is in fact still August, there has been just a hint, a very small hint, of Fall in the air for the last couple of days.  My sunrise runs this weekend were very nice & I’m looking forward to this week’s runs.  I know there’s still a good bit of hot weather ahead & that we are not out hurricane season by a long shot but I’m excited at the idea of long cool runs getting ready for the October half marathon in New Orleans.  I love Fall.

My sweat smells funny after I eat Greek food, that’s what made me think of that.  But I do, I really like Greek food.

peace.

Yesterday afternoon, at about mile 4 of a 5 mile run, as the seawall rippled in the heat, a young lady, possibly a vision, ran toward me.  Lovely as she was, all pink shorts & blond hair, what I noticed most was the bounce in her step.  It’s August, I don’t have a bounce in my step.  I haven’t had a bounce in my step for months.  The most generous observer would not compare me to a giselle.  They might compare me to a mortally wounded rhinoceros.  It is a generous observer that calls what I’m doing running.  A less charitable one might call it lumbering.  I lurch forward, a sweaty dripping mess, hoping I don’t die & that if I do die that I won't poop myself.  I read that once, that when people die they poop themselves.  It’s bothered me ever since.  I have a beautiful son & a lovely wife, I would hate to leave them, would hate to cause them pain, I love my life, but what I worry about as I stumble down the seawall is leaving a corpse w/ a load in its pants.  Now I can also worry that I am a shallow person.  Thankfully, I don’t die & I don’t poop myself.  My wounds were not mortal after all.  The giselle bounded off into the sunset, the rino made it to his truck.  August will end, Fall will come, & maybe, if I keep running, I will get to enjoy this life a little longer.

On Saturday I got to try stand up paddle boarding, something I’ve been interested in after seeing people using them in Pensacola.  I rented a Hobie board from Da Beach House, a local paddle board & kayak business, & got some basic instruction from Tod, the business owner.  After a bit of wobble, I started to get the feel for it & took off down the coast.  It was cloudy & drizzling when I started & the water was pretty flat.  There had been a storm the night before so there was a good bit of debris from the islands & quite a few jellyfish.  The first hour or so stayed grey & flat & calm, at one point I just stopped & sat on the board for awhile, watching the pelicans.  I guess because the weather was kind of crappy I was the only one on the water.  When the sun came out, there were more boaters & a little chop.  I really enjoyed myself & plan on doing more.  I want to rent a couple more times here & also try to get in some time in Pensacola where there will be some surf.  I think I need some more instruction as well.  It definitely gives one a full body workout & seems like a great cross training exercise.

Regular beach run yesterday evening & did my sunrise neighborhood run this morning.  Just as I was to start the beach run, my ipod gave out which I guess is better than having it go out later & then just having something useless to carry.  I thought I’d charged it, it may be time for a new one.  My shins seemed to do a little better, I didn’t have to stop at least.  About a mile in I heard a big splash & turned to see what I think was an eagle taking a fish just off shore.  He was a good deal larger than an osprey which we don't tend to have here anyway & our eagle population has grown after Katrina, I think  because all the dead trees made for good nesting sites.  It was pretty cool to see.

First day of school today!  My best buddy’s starting second grade.  Went to meet the teacher yesterday, turns out she’s a runner so she’s bound to be OK!

issues edition.

continuing computer issues at the home site are making my posting difficult.  We are in contemplation mode at present concerning the purchase of a new one, (I’m lobbying heavily for the new Mac)  & I may be taking ours to the Dr.  

ran Tuesday evening my usual 5 beach miles but missed Wednesday morning’s sunrise run as I was up much of the night before w/ a sick youngun.  Nothing serious & he’s feeling fine now.  Yesterday evening’s run then, was the first run of August.  Ah August, my old nemesis.  If I keep to my current schedule, there will be 8 more evening runs in August.  The evening runs make the early runs seem oh so much more bearable but there’s not much else good to say about them.  

equipment issues.  Tried the yurbuds again yesterday & maybe my sweaty slippery ears are not the norm, but they just don’t seem to work for me.  Several times during the run I had to stop, find, & reposition the bud as one side or the other had fallen out.  I think I’ll be leaving them at home.

physical issues.  I continue to have shin pain for the first 1.5-2 miles, so much so that I’ve had to stop & stretch & even rub my shins.  Oddly, rubbing the shin seems to offer the most relief.  I’ve iced, rubbed, ibuprofened, stretched, . . . I don't know what else to do.  Thinking of getting one of those stick rollers, if one among my legion of readers has ideas feel free to reply!  After that 1st mile & a half, I’m good.  No pain, no problem.  

lot of bitchin & moaning I know, what can I say?  I have issues.

peace.

We are having some computer issues at home so I’m late posting.  The weekend runs did get done, 5 miles on saturday & 7 on sunday.  It was hot & sticky both mornings even that early, w/ little wind & a few clouds.  All my pelicans, cranes, herons, gulls & fishermen were out along w/ one guy kayak fishing & a couple on stand up paddle boards.  The water was pretty calm both mornings.  

I was all happy about being able to carry my phone until I took the case off after a run & saw it was full of sweat.  Don’t know how I managed that but I'm pretty sure it’s not good for the phone.  Carried my ipod sunday & it died on me at the turnaround.  Think I drowned it.  Let it dry for awhile & put it on to charge last night.  Seemed to take a charge so I’m hopeful.  I love my istuff.  

later.

I started running a couple of years ago, at first all I wanted was some exercise to help me sort of “keep up” w/ my then 4 year old son. I’ve come to really enjoy running & I do it now just because I want to. This past week, I’ve had the great pleasure of running w/ my now 7 year old son. So far, we’ve kept to 1 mile, some walking but more running than walking. He’s enjoyed it & wants to do more. I’m happy.

Breaking News:  It’s still HOT!  

Yeah I know, it’s July.  In other news, it’s almost August!  Forecast for August?  HOT!  Might rain.  Might not.  Sometimes there’s Hurricanes.  Sometimes they go somewheres else.  Sometimes they come here.  Then it’s September & eventually it’ll start to cool off.  But right now, it’s hot.

Film at 11:00.

Had packages waiting for me when I got home from work, I love packages.  Got my Sorbothane insoles, my drymax socks, my Marware shell for my phone, & my Sennheiser earbuds!  Life should be good, my runs should all be smooth, & I should be running much faster than I ever have before!  Well, life’s pretty good anyway.  The insoles & socks did what they do & well.  The Marware shell is the best I’ve tried at keeping the phone secure & DRY.  I sweat a lot.  The earbuds actually were pretty great, comfortable, killer sound, what’s not to like.

As I was now able to carry my phone, I was now able to listen to Pandora!  Yay!  Made me feel really old & out of touch.  Instead of setting it to a station I’d created, I just set it to “Alternative”.  I liked what I heard well enough but I didn’t recognize any of the bands or songs.  I’m such a relic.  

Yesterday’s evening beach run went ok.  Strong crosswind as I got started which is what you want, doesn't help or hinder but it’s nice to have a breeze.  About a mile & a half in I realized it was now blowing more from my back & at two & a half miles when I turned around it was blowing hard & I was running directly into it.  The run back was a struggle.  Not only was it a hard steady wind, but the sand really stings.  I think I lost a layer of skin & my legs felt like I’d run up a two & a half mile stairway.  

peace.

I’ll be giving blood later this afternoon, so I ran this morning rather than doing my usual Tuesday afternoon run.  I’ve given blood in the evening & then run the next morning w/out issue, but I figure running just a couple hours after might be ill advised.  The early morning is a pleasure in itself, Venus & Jupiter are very bright right now & w/out a moon, the sky was full of stars.  I ran in the neighborhood & all the houses were dark & quiet, everyone asleep, still the pre-dawn dark so the birds hadn’t even gotten started yet.   Just the sound of my breath & footsteps.  One fat old raccoon waddled across the road in front of me.  A couple of years ago I often saw a fox on these early mornings but I guess she’s moved on.  As I finished, the sky was brightening & the birds were cranking up.  Makes for a good morning & good mornings make for good days.   

Sunday sunrise run went very well, I somehow managed to get to the beach a bit earlier than usual so my start was in the pre dawn grey & I ran into the rising sun.  As difficult as it sometimes is to live in an area so determined to maintain its backward status, I do love the natural beauty we are blessed with.  I can get up on a Sunday morning & run on a seawall, watching the herons, cranes, & pelicans compete w/ wade fishermen & dolphins for their breakfast or take the kayak out either on the bayous or on the sound if the water’s calm.  One of these days, I’m going to get me a SUP & I’ll be out there w/ the dolphins on calm days!  If I’m craving more surf & emerald green water, Pensacola’s only a couple hours drive away.  We camp at Ft Pickens on Santa Rosa Island & eat oysters at Peg Leg Pete’s after playing in the water all day.  I love it there, my retirement plan is to buy a camper & park it at Ft Pickens.  I’ll run early, walk the beach all morning & then ride my bike to Peg Leg’s for lunch.  

Update on the Yurbuds, they’d done well for Saturday’s 5 miles but became irritating somewhat during Sunday’s 7.  I think it was just the size, they really are quite large,  & weight pulling at the ear.  They still did well & it wasn’t so bad that I’m getting rid of them but I did go ahead & order the Sennheiser’s.  I do like the behind the neck type.  Will see.

Yesterday afternoon I realized that my Dailymile mileage counter was at 1999 miles so my 7 year old & I went for a quick 1 mile run to make it an even 2000!  He’s the reason I started running in the first place, I was a 50 year old father of a 4 year old & figured I better do something if I wanted to keep up w/ him.  

Peace.

Picked up a set of the Yurbuds on my way home from work yesterday, tried them out this morning & was very pleased. Once I got over the idea that they were as large as they are & followed the instructions, I realized what a good idea they were! They sort of lock in the ear, I could tug on them pretty good w/ out worrying that they might come out. As to the sound, they are a bit bass heavy, surprisingly, compared to others I’ve tried but more than adequate for my needs. After just the one run, I’m not ready to give an unguarded endorsement but so far I am happy w/ them.

The sky had cleared this morning & the sun peeked out! It was still fairly cool & there was a light breeze which made for a very pleasant run. The tide was out & the water in the sound was like glass. Wish I had a SUP!

We’ve been having an abundance of rain here on the Gulf Coast, feel guilty about it when I read about the drought conditions other areas are experiencing.  I’ve gone whole summers w/out running in the rain even once but this year it’s becoming the norm.  Not that I mind, a good rain is just the ticket when it’s in the mid 90’s.  During the winter, not so much, I’ll run in the cold & I’ll run in the rain but I’m not real happy about running in the cold rain.  

Yesterday we had a pretty fair thunderstorm come through in the afternoon & by the time I went for my run it was still drizzling & COOL!  MID 70’S!  IT FELT GREAT!  Most of my summer runs are sweaty plodding acts of stubbornness that are to be endured more than enjoyed, this was a lovely taste of why I run.  Had a few folks honk at me, I try to think they are being supportive but I know they’re thinking “what an idiot, out there running in the rain.”  Personally, I don’t know why everyone doesn't strip down to a pair of shorts & go for a run on a rainy afternoon!  Really, how many chances do you get?

I’m having earbud issues right now, I’d had a pair of the behind the neck type that I liked well enough until one side quit on me.  I tried a pair of the JVC Sport Clips, they wouldn’t stay in my ear but wound up sort of dangling near my ear which wasn’t terribly satisfactory.  I may go w/ a pair of the Yurbuds but I want to look around a bit more.  Things I liked about the behind the neck type were the ease of one handedly taking them on & off & that I could easily hang them around my neck.  I carry a handheld water bottle & fumbling w/ twist in earbuds might be a pain.  

ok, took the shoes back to the store (Run -n- Tri) & they exchanged them w/ no problems.  Brought home this pair of Brooks Glycerin.  1st run in them yesterday evening & I loved them!  Even felt a bit decadent.  I’m running nearly all my runs now at the seawall which is a hard cement surface so I thought I might do well to get one of the more “cushioned” shoes.  These certainly are that but w/out feeling mushy.  W/ so many competing theories & opinions out there as to what shoe does what & might be best & what running style might be best it’s hard to know what to do, I try to pay attention to the information that’s there but in the end I just do what feels best to me.  My main objective is to be able to run & to be able to run for many years to come.

So, good runs yesterday evening & this morning, my earbuds gave out on me yesterday about 2 miles into a 5 mile run.  I’d have thought they might last longer than a few months even w/ my sweaty ears but oh well.  I’ll be looking for a new pair this afternoon.  Decent sound from buds that stay in my ear is what I ask for.

Sunday sunrise long run did get done, I’m just now getting to posting it.  The run itself went fine, I left the new shoes at home & ran in my faithful Cumulas 14’s.  I just couldn’t get over feeling like I was wearing clown shoes in the new ones, I think 12.5 is just too large.  I’m going to take them back this afternoon & see if I can exchange them.  I’d like to try the Ghost 5 as I was happy w/ the Ghost 4 other than a bit tight in the toe.  Will see.  Plus, I like the Brooks colors, when you’re old, slow & gawkey like me, flashy gear makes all the difference!

I’d loaded up the ipod Friday night but didn’t carry it Saturday as it was raining.  I’d selected the Shins, Oh, Inverted World, & listened to that on the way out, running into a cloudy sunrise.  After the turnaround, I skipped ahead to the live version of Jane Says for a little aural palate cleansing & then finished up w/ the Pixies Surfer Rosa for the return.  Just as Jane Says ended I looked up & saw a double rainbow.

It was a windy, overcast day so the temp was pretty good.  The tide was up & the water was rough for the sound.  Lots of my birds, had a group of at least 20 Pelicans flying in front of me in a large V.  They were w/ me for quite a ways allowing me the illusion of meaningful contact w/ the world around me.

thought I’d share this, it seems like really good idea. I’m not involved in any way, it just seems like something that’s needed.


http://www.bia-sport.com/

had the alarm set for 5:30, woke to thunder at 5:00, thought about staying in bed but wanted to try out the new shoes. It was raining but gently as I drove to Courthouse Pier, sat there in the truck for awhile, looked at the weather map on my phone a few times, pretty good bit of lightning but the rain wasn’t getting any harder so I went for it. Had to leave the ipod behind but running in the rain was pretty nice actually. Hardly anyone out, couple diehard wade fishermen & one very determined golfer. My birds seem to have gotten over the fireworks & made their way back, they were huddled on the sand & pilings. All in all, it was a pretty nice morning & a good run. The new shoes felt good although I’m still getting used to them being a half size larger. Feel a little like clown shoes. They’re stuffed w/ newspaper drying now. Extra bonus, it’s still raining so I won’t be cutting the grass today!

so, I got the new shoes, switched the laces for white & they are a little easier on the eye. Give them a try in the morning. Loading up the ipod now.

Back to normal after yesterday's political rant, my afternoon beach run did get done.  It’s still crazy hot, imagine!  The seawall I run on is about 10’ wide & white cement.  It soaks up the sun all day so that by the time I get there it’s hot enough that I think it could melt the soles of my shoes if I stood still long enough.  The breeze felt like the furnace some friends of mine used for glass blowing.  

I’ve been having some problems w/ pain in my shins, particularly my right.  It goes away after about 2 miles but at times has been bad enough that I’ve considered stopping.  I am also having an issue w/ my left shoe which has suddenly become too small!  Don’t know how the hell that happened.  Anyway, I think this afternoon will involve some shoe shopping.

Ordinarily I blog my little thoughts about my days run, simple observations of birds & weather.  Occasionally something like this happens.  I apologize for the rambling & disorganized nature of what follows.

With the recent Supreme Court ruling concerning the Affordable Care Act this great lumbering brute of a country moved another increment forward, in our convoluted meandering fashion we managed to put the needs of others above our own selfishness.  There have been screams of anguish & much gnashing of teeth & there will still be setbacks to come, but these screamers & gnashers will become more & more irrelevant as they always do.  It is an ongoing mystery to me that they do not recognise themselves, that they do not look at the old films of klansmen & segregationists, of the schemers & haters, the small minded bigots who love their little power & can only hold onto it by denying someone some small something, that they do not see themselves in these images & know that they are on the wrong side.  

Nationally the response was swift & predictable, Speaker Boehner announced another misguided vote at taxpayer expense, Romney said yet again that it was a good idea when it was his but now . . . not so much, Faux news spent the day reporting on, well Rupert Murdoch actually, go figure.  

The outrage was particularly intense here in Mississippi, Bryant quickly gave the old segregationist standby about the “over-reaching federal government”, he knows his audience & his audience knows him, the infant Palazzo was quick to puppet the party line like a good little boy, & our tea-party adoring local media, all smirks & sneers, reported the news as if they’d stepped in something.  

But why should it be this way?  Why is Mississippi, a state that stands to benefit the most from the new law, certainly a state w/ the greatest need, determined to fight to the bitter end any attempt at progress?  What is it exactly that we want?

We speak reverently of Haley Barbour & praise his “leadership” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when his accomplishment was to tell us how strong & independent & self reliant we were while squeezing every dime of disaster relief he could get out of the Federal Government.  Even w/out the funding that results from natural disasters, our state gets back far more than we ever pay in in taxes & yet the tea party yahoos run rampant, a festival of self congratulation & bile spitting hatred.  

After electing a Republican Governor & majorities in both the House & Senate on the promise that “now we can get something done”, what was the agenda?  A draconian Immigration law that would have encouraged racial profiling, a demonstratively unnecessary voter ID law designed to deny the poorest & most disenfranchised among us the right to vote (think of these together as Jim Crow Lite), & legislation designed to force the closure of the states only abortion clinic denying women a legal right to exert control over their own bodies.  

All of these were certain to wind up in Federal Court, w/ little hope of implementation, costing the state considerable time & resources, w/ no discernible benefit to anyone but the politicians involved & all have proven to be very popular.  Again, what is it exactly that we want?  What “good old day” do we wish to return to?  How is it that we have come to celebrate the bullies among us?  Why do we now openly sneer at ideas like fairness & diversity?  Why are so many ideas & attitudes that ought to have died off during & after the Civil Rights era now making a comeback?  Why are so many using this disturbing trend for political gain w/ no thought to the consequences?

The two most pressing issues in Mississippi are poverty & education & yet we spend our resources in legal battles.  Our elected leaders are selling us out for political advancement & to advance a national political agenda. (The fact that a number of Southern states are currently in legal battles over immigration & voter ID laws is no coincidence.)  Rather than working w/ the Federal Government for the benefit of the people they represent they follow orders, using the power of their office to put pressure on the current administration in the hope of influencing the upcoming elections.  

Wednesday sunrise run done, very nice, Venus & Jupiter bright in the east, sky turning pink & purple as I finished.  Have a great day!

evening beach run, cloudy & cooler but no breeze. I’d loaded up English Settlement & London Calling on the ipod & had set it to random. As it turns out, that was sort of a disservice to both bands. This is impression, not opinion; the Clash seemed authentic but not quite realized while XTC seemed a bit clever clever. It’s been quite a while since I’ve listened to either record & random juxtaposition while running down the seawall is hardly a fair assessment. As I’ve gotten older, I find that the music I’m most drawn to is the music that these guys were reacting to anyway. 

missed a couple runs this week w/ lower back issues, got out there today though. Overcast, breezeless, thick, muggy morning, beach covered w/ trash from the 4th, couple of homeless guys sleeping on the benches, sirens from police cars & ambulances, I’d loaded up the Allman Brothers 1st album. Was that kind of morning.

The garbage on the beach really gets to me, I can’t understand why people refuse to pick up after themselves. Mississippi has a considerable amount of its natural environment left but there is no interest in preserving it. Another thing I noticed this morning was that there were no birds. Usually I see lots, today I saw none. Run off by morons I guess. We really need to move.

As it turns out we did get to make a short trip out in the kayak, we put in at Courthouse pier & paddled up to the harbor & back. Less than 5 miles but still a nice time. Water was very calm, hoped we’d see some dolphins but I guess it was too late in the day. I’ve been seeing quite a few on my early morning runs. Did get to see pelicans up close & the occasional jumping fish.

beautiful morning! cooler for some reason & breezy, a little overcast so there was a nice sunrise, had a great run. No work today so I went to the beach instead of doing the usual wednesday neighborhood run & was able to get in 5 miles instead of 3. Win win & all! Thought we were going kayaking but the family appears to be sleeping in. This is why I need a paddle board, or a smaller kayak.

Happy 4th!

Yeah, yeah, it’s hot, blah blah blah. sweat, sun, frying eggs on the seawall & so forth. Still, the overwhelming distinguishing feature of my runs lately has been that it’s FREAKING HOT! It’s so hot I can’t properly use language, all my metaphors have melted like crayons on the backseat, it’s so hot the rest of my surroundings have faded into the background. I’ve heard angels sing, I’ve thought it was raining & it turned out to be sweat dripping into my face from the brim of my visor, I’ve found momentary enlightenment in Beatles songs (as it turns out I’m not actually the Walrus), & it’s just the beginning of July! I tell myself I’ve got just the 2 months to get through but I know it’s a lie, it won’t start to cool down until the end of September.

Today's run started that way, thick muggy breezeless hot. Right about 3 miles in, just after my turnaround, I notice the sky in front of me has gotten dark & just as I notice this I’m hit w/ an icy cold headwind. Seriously, it was like stepping from a steamy sidewalk into a dark air conditioned building it was so fast. Lightning starts flashing around the road ahead & the cars coming toward me have their lights on. I find that my pace has increased.

It’s surprising how invigorating an icy cold headwind & the threat of electrocution can be. I finished strong, at what felt like my best pace since we had temps in the 70’s. I didn’t get rained on & I felt great. This time of year my runs are not so much enjoyed as they are endured, today was a nice little taste of enjoyment. 

Sunday long run done, hot & muggy 80 degrees at 6:00 am & no breeze but it’s done. 25 miles for the week which is pretty good for me, plan to keep the mileage up over the summer, should help w/ the half in October & maybe w/ a full in February. Rehydrating now, one of these days I’ll remember to weigh myself before & after a run just to see how much fluid I lose. I drink a 20oz bottle of water during a run, I freeze it overnight & drink it as it melts. Some days that works better than others.

Talked to a fellow yesterday about renting one of the Stand Up Paddleboards. I’ve been interested for awhile now, having seen them in Florida & wanting to give it a try. I’ve looked at the YOLO boards in Florida, this guy rents & sells Hobie. I’d like to find one used but that’s not likely around here. Anyway, that’s on my list of things to do when we go to Puerto Rico at Christmas so maybe I can get some practice locally.

Have a great Sunday!

Up early for my Saturday sunrise run, got to the parking lot before 6:00. Sun just peeking over the trees & buildings, fishermen putting in their boats, pelicans after their bait, it’s good to be up so early. Nice temp this morning, mid 70’s, slight breeze. Knocked out 5 miles before the sun was up good. Seeing a lot of dolphins lately, I see the small fish jumping first, a flash of silver out the corner of my eye, then I’ll see the dolphins that are chasing them.

Been thinking lately of trying to do a full marathon. I like the half, it’s a good distance, long enough to be serious but not so long as to be obsessive. The Jazz half in New Orleans is my favorite & not just because it’s near my birthday. It’s just a really fun party & being so near Halloween, lots of runners are costumed & being it’s in New Orleans, lots of the costumes are . . . interesting. Anyway, the Rock n Roll Marathon is in New Orleans in February, I may try to do it.

Have a lovely day!

so, today this great lumbering brute of a country moved another increment forward; today, in our convoluted meandering fashion we managed to put the needs of others above our own selfishness. There will be screams of anguish & the gnashing of teeth & there will still be setbacks to come, but those screamers & gnashers will become more & more irrelevant as they always do. It is an ongoing mystery to me that they do not recognise themselves, that they do not look at the old films of klansmen & segregationists, of the schemers & haters, the small minded bigots who love their little power & can only hold onto it by denying someone some small something, that they do not see themselves in these images & know that they are on the wrong side. 

cooler today than it was tuesday, only 92 when I went to run. Poured some water on my head at about 3.5 miles, thought I heard angels sing.

Today is astonishingly hot. I understand that the high was 99, this afternoon when I arrived at the beach it was 96. We are still getting wind from the tropical storm but it felt like the rush of hot air from an oven. It is hot enough to bend light, making the seawall seem to ripple in waves. It is breathtakingly hot.

So, I went for a run. 

Sunday longer run got done yesterday, I’m just now getting around to posting it.  We had something of a busy weekend, my 7 year old son had his first “party”, inviting some friends over Saturday afternoon.  We bought inflatable pools & cooked burgers & hotdogs.  It was a big success.  At one point he turned to me & said “you’re good at this party stuff, Dad.”  I didn’t mention that I’d had some experience.  Anyway, yesterday was cleanup & take a nap day.

It was windy & the tide was much higher than usual, but other than that I couldn’t see any effects from the tropical storm that’s in the Gulf.  I’d left Astral Weeks on the ipod & reloaded Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home.  It was cloudy which made for a nice sunrise to run into while listening to Astral Weeks.  Got to see some Dolphins chasing a school of Mullet & my usual Pelicans & Herons & Gulls.  I was tired & settled into a nice slow easy pace, enjoying the music & the scenery.  It’s a blessing to have a place like that to run.

lovely morning for a run, good temp in the mid 70’s, light breeze, but even w/ all that I found myself struggling. Didn’t eat very well yesterday evening, just a sandwich, & didn’t eat anything before my run this morning so that was a factor. I was feeling empty at about 4 miles & thinking I might should walk a bit when I was passed by a fit young woman in a pink skort. Guy runners call that getting chicked. I don’t mind getting chicked, I often find it inspiring, One of my favorite signs I’ve seen at a half marathon said:

This is easy,

just find a butt you like

& follow it for 13.1 miles!

So, I finished strong & feeling young. Thankfully, she was running about a 9:15-9:20 pace, any faster than that & I might have killed myself & this would be an entirely different post. Have a wonderful day!

neighborhood sunrise run done, good temp, birds, & turtles.  No pain in the shins I’m glad to say.  I’m liking the variety I’ve got going now, running just once a week around the neighborhood has made that a much more refreshing run & doing the beach runs at different times of the day helps to keep that from getting old.  In the Fall, I think I want to add a trail run.  There’s the 10 mile (5 in, 5 out) Tuxachanie Trail just north of here that might do nicely, at least until hunting season opens.

Finally getting back out for an afternoon run after missing them all of last week as I was busy being the dutiful Daddy. Today, my wife got in on time to take our young man to his Taekwondo & I can get back on my regular schedule. Last week I added a 5 mile run on Saturday to make up for one missed. I enjoy the weekend sunrise runs & I think I will keep a 5 miler on Saturdays which will put me at 25 miles weekly. I can promise you that I never thought I’d hear myself saying that. It wasn’t that long ago that the notion of running for 3 miles seemed like something only crazy people do. I’m hoping (a little anyway) that keeping the mileage up during the Summer will pay dividends when I do my usual half marathon in the Fall. I’m not one to worry about time, I’m at peace w/ my slowness & even have a tortoise tattooed on my left calf as my “running tattoo”, but it would be nice to at least approach the 2 hour mark. My fastest half was 2 hrs 16 mins. We won’t talk about my slowest.

So it was a good beach run, hot as um, the dickens whatever a dickens is, but done. Don't suppose they meant Charles do you? My shins were hurting badly at first, even stopped at the 2 mile mark to stretch a bit. Let up after that & didn’t have any more difficulties.

Busy day, Father’s Day, so I’m just now getting to this.  Had a very nice day, starting at 5:30 when I got up for my run.  It’s my long slow distance run, so I loaded up Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks & Graham Parsons GP on the ipod.  Don’t know why that seemed appropriate, there’s nothing particularly similar about them, but the two albums actually worked well together.  Contemplative I guess, & well suited to my needs.  

It was a beautiful morning, & quiet.  Got to the beach by 6:00 am, everything was just waking up.  Light breeze & a great temp (69 degrees) made for a good start.  Headed out East, running into the sun, watching the pelicans & other shore birds fishing as well as a few fishermen w/ cast nets or wade fishing.  Usually, I’ll have the ipod on shuffle, but neither of these albums work well that way.  I listened to Astral Weeks as I watched the sun rise & then Graham Parsons on the way back.  Made for a very nice run.

Father’s Day was wonderful.  At 53 years old I’m the very proud father of a 7 year old.  Having a child late in life, I appreciate the honor maybe a bit more than I would have earlier.

very nice beach run, sunrise, birds, breeze, nice temp, did 5 miles, the last half mile I was belting out Back in the USSR w/ Paul & the boys. Seemed to have made an older couple happy. “take me to your Daddy’s farm!”

Up again this morning for a sunrise run, started out w/ the sky just beginning to lighten, crescent moon & some herons or cranes flying over on the way to the bayou to fish.  Three miles & some twenty some odd minutes later, the sky was pink & orange & the neighborhood birds were fully awake.  Speaking of neighborhood birds, I went out when I got back to check on the baby birds I rescued yesterday.  We have a small vegetable garden that has a fence around it & they had settled in there yesterday evening.  I was worried that they may have experienced a cat or raccoon overnight but they were still there this morning.  I put some water in there & some bread crumbs.  Don’t know what I’m going to do, I have squash I need to pick!

6.12.12 Tuesday afternoon.
It’s been raining here since Friday, 5 days & counting!  Saturday & Sunday we got somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 inches.  I got up @ 5:30 Sunday morning to get my 7 miles in, stood for a while at the kitchen window watching the rain fall & the lightning flash.  “You know,” I told myself, “I do this for fun.  I do this because I want to.”  Then I went back to bed, because I wanted to.

That’s OK.  I do run for fun & because I want to & I really missed that run.  I told myself I’d try to get it in if it slacked off later but I didn’t.  It kept raining, the family had stuff they wanted to do, yada yada yada.  It’s not that I don't run in the rain, in the winter that’s a deal breaker but in summer rain’s fun & grown ups don’t get that many chances to play in it.  Running single mindedly down the seawall in a downpour, I may look like an idiot but I can tell myself I look determined or committed, even hardcore.  Dancing around in the yard doesn't offer that opportunity for self-delusion.  It wasn’t even the lightning, I’m kind of stupid that way, I like lightning right up until it gets too close which is about an hour after I should have sought shelter.  No, I didn’t run because at that moment, getting back in bed seemed more attractive than getting out in a torrential downpour.

6.12.12 Tuesday evening.
I was really looking forward to this run. I didn’t get to run.   My son has a belly ache.  Daddys are flexible.

6.13.12 Wednesday morning. 5:00 am.
Finally!  Managed a short & quick 3 miles at sunrise.  Birds waking, herons flying over, raccoons straggling home, got home & rescued a turtle & 2 baby birds from the dog . . .  all before breakfast!  

muggy & overcast this afternoon, little or no breeze. Surprisingly the run went quickly & at what seemed to be a good pace for this time of year (I slow down considerably in the Summer). 

Wednesday morning sunrise run done, HOT!  78 degrees, 94% humidity, no breeze, a long hot summer looms ahead.  During June, July, & August I pay for my pleasure.  

Heard a news segment this morning about Germany’s Pirate Party.  Thought it was interesting that the complaint against them seemed to be largely that they didn’t fit either into the Right or the Left.  Our US political system has come to depend on the deep divisions, which are in fact relatively few, while ignoring the things we hold in common.  

We would benifit, I think, from a close look at who profits from this division.  Beyond the obvious perpetrators & profiteers such as Fox news or MSNBC, who stands to gain by keeping our attention on the things that divide us?

Back, sadly, from a quick mini vacation on Santa Rosa Island & missing it already. It’s one of my favorite places, a perfect combination of good food, natural beauty, & beach life. The Gulf water was wonderful, clear & blue green, light surf the first day & heavier the next, watched Osprey fish & bring the catch back to the young ones in the nest, & ate oysters at Flounder’s & Peg Leg Pete’s till I had my fill. We camp at Fort Pickens which is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore Parks. It’s a very nice little campground, clean & quiet & a short walk to the Gulf on one side & the Bay on the other. The Park area is pretty pristine, sand & scrub oaks, all sorts of birds, Cranes, Herons, Osprey, you name it. Up the road a ways is Santa Rosa, condos, hotels, & laid back beach clubs, good food & good times. Had hoped I’d get to try paddle boarding this trip but wasn’t able to fit it in. Something to look forward to next time!

Tonight’s run went well enough, rough headwind on the return & think I lost a layer of skin to the sand but it got done. Our local beach is a poor substitute but still better than none at all. 

Great Googly Moogly! What a beautiful morning! 64 degrees, light breeze, sun rise crisp & dry after all the rain. World washed clean & sparkly, water flashing blue & silver. Pelicans, cranes, fishermen, shrimp boats strung across the horizon. Felt like going for more but stopped at 7 miles because I have big important things to do today! Later!

Decided to go for my run even though we’re under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning & things were darkening up ominously. Got to Courthouse Pier as the rain started or restarted & headed East. Got about a mile out when the wind picked up to where I thought I might possibly be blown off the sea wall. Turned around & ran into the wind back to Courthouse. That was the worst part as the wind was gusting & the rain stung. At Courthouse, I decided to keep going & ran on to Hewes Ave. as the lightning got closer & the thunder got louder. Turned around when I begin to think I could smell the lightning. So, I ran just over 4 miles in the rain & wind & lightning. A few people honked their horns at me, I tried to imagine it was to be encouraging but I rather think their intentions might have been less generous. It was a good run.

I’ve begun reading a novel, Little, Big, that I’d not heard of before & that was written by a novelist, John Crowley, who I am not familiar with. I’ve read just a little of it, although as I’m reading on a Kindle that’s not really very easy to determine, but I am finding it quite a nice surprise. It is apparently a long novel, I felt that I’d been reading for some time but when I exited the book it showed I’d read less than 20%. That’s an odd aspect of reading on a Kindle, one engages the book as a single page w/ a sort of independent physical existence. My reading of War and Peace, for instance, was different than the reading of In Watermelon Sugar in ways that begin w/ simply picking up & holding the books. On the Kindle, that quality is missing.

It makes me happy to think that it will be long, it is a world that I am enjoying inhabiting. In some ways it reminds me of One Hundred Years Of Solitude, but I don’t think it would fit w/ what one ordinarily thinks of as magic realism, more of fantasy I suppose. Even so, the feel/taste/smell of reading the two books is, so far, very similar.

This Kindle has re-excited my reading life. I’m liking the experience of pulling random books from the air at will & the physical experience of reading on a Kindle, which I’d had my doubts about, is a nice one. I have a heavy leather cover that opens & holds like a book so I’ve maintained the comfort of habit.

So, this evening I ran 4 miles in the rain on the beach while thinking of a house that is many houses, a wood that grows larger the deeper one goes into it, & a lovely, tall girl named Daily Alice.