I'll run in the rain 'til I'm breathless

"When I'm breathless I'll run 'til I drop, hey!"

You can see that's pretty much what I did today. I was exhausted by this run in the rain. I've done 6-milers plenty of times now, but not with so much booty in haul. I must be the only runner who gains weight during a run. I don't know how much today's treasure tipped the scales, but it was a few pounds. And I learned a little something about carrying bags of crap while you run.

I knew it was gonna be a big day when I'd picked up half a dozen cans in the first couple blocks. But I had no idea. Eighty-seven cans, folks--87! That means 87 stops, bending over to pick up, soaked gloves from puddles, stomping the ones that weren't already flattened... Plus the other goodies I gathered today. Lots of good stuff. I picked up so much I had to stop at Hy-Vee on Henderson Street and swipe a plastic grocery sack out of the recycling barrel.

Heading up North Seminary Street, across from the Seminary Village et al, I spied with my little eye a clean-cut piece of wood with a number 2 affixed to it. It appeared to be a piece of a door or something, a laminate of two pieces of thin wood over a Styrofoam core. I had to have it, but I wasn't about to cart it for four or five miles. So I leaned it against a nearby fire hydrant and resolved to alter my commercial route to be able to return to the location to pick it up on the way home. That I did.

The unseasonably warm weather and rain combined to destroy nearly all the snow we've received, revealing loads of cans and some other stuff as well. Like those black socks I spotted along Carl Sandburg Drive months ago, across from Lowe's. Yeah, I picked 'em up. They'll get a thorough washing and I'll donate them or something. I WILL NOT wear them. Near the No. 2 door I also ran across another ID tag, this one for a nurse at the Western Illinois Kidney Center. It's in pretty bad shape now, having lain in a puddle for who knows how long, but I'll return it to the Kidney Center so it's not floating around out there for some unscrupulous soul.

The lesson learned today about running with armloads of trash is that the extra few pounds really takes a toll. My shoulders ache and my arms are sore and I nearly collapsed when I got home. Also, strangely it feels better to run with all the weight on one arm, leaving the other free to pump, than to try to balance it out with a bag on each arm; that was just annoying and slow. Maybe I need to wear a daypack.

Today's Stats

Temp: 52 degrees F (steady rain)

Distance: 6.09 miles

Weekly Total: 15.03 miles

Treasure: 87! cans; 3.5 pairs of black socks; 1 nurse's ID badge; 2 gloves (white fleece, Wells Lamont work glove); 1 child's Toy Story shoe; 1 Remy Martin bottle (fine champagne cognac); 1 gold towel; 1 automobile gas cap; 1 fairy princess wand (no magic left in it).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

All About Soul - Billy Joel

Reno - Bruce Springsteen

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot

Covered in Rain (Live) - John Mayer

Ticket to Ride - The Beatles

We'll Be Together - Sting

Allentown - Billy Joel

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor

Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? - The Waterboys

Tin Man - The Avett Brothers

You Shook Me - Led Zeppelin

One of These Things First - Nick Drake

History Will Teach Us Nothing - Sting

Cradlesong - Rob Thomas

25 or 6 to 4

That's really apropos of nothing. The temp today when I hit the streets at 7:10 a.m. was a balmy 25. There you go. Old Sol was just raising his weary head, casting a pretty pink glow in the east-southeast sky. Floating high above that sea of pink was the crescent of Sister Moon, bidding us farewell  as her brother prepared to take his watch.

The temperature, while warmer than the single digits of a couple weeks ago, was still below freezing, so the gutter terrain was rough. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Chick, chick, chick. Shhh, shhh, shhh. Footsteps make a wondrous variety of sounds as they compress snow and frozen slush in various formations.

It made me think of the cliched legend of the number of words Eskimos supposedly have for snow, depending on its qualities. I'll bet they have as many for the sound of footfalls on different types of snow and ice. Then I realized something. So do we Anglos. Really, descriptive language is limited only by one's imagination. What sounds to one runner like "schick" as Nikes crush crystaline snow layered thin over pavement may be heard as a "kish" by the runner behind him.

Running in the winter you might hear the usual sound of footfall on pavement, slightly muffled by your ear-warmer headband, or it may sound like snick ... skitch ... critch, crunch, schiff ... scrit or skiff, depending on the consistency, composition and corrugation of the snow, slush and ice under foot. Then there's swoosh--THUD! OW! DAMN! as your foot slides on hidden ice and you find yourself on the ground (I've avoided such mishaps so far).

So, the Eskimos got nothin' on us except that their beer is always ice cold and ready to serve in frosted glasses.

Anyway, Christmas is past and the new year is almost upon us. Hopefully you've sent your Christmas cards (ours went out yesterday, but I declared them valid because we're still in the midst of the Twelve Days of Christmas) and any thank-yous necessary for the lovely gifts you received. I mention the thank-yous because I found one in the street today; I hope the intended recipient had a chance to read it before it blew away.

The note was pretty special, done in pink and purple crayon and decorated with volleyballs. The writing inside was a dark sky blue. 

Today's Stats
Temp: 25 degrees F
Distance: 4.19 miles
Weekly Total: 8.94
Treasure: 6 aluminum cans; 1 handmade thank-you note (in crayon).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)
The Ballad of Billy the Kid - Billy Joel
Ordinary World - Duran Duran
Real World '09 - Rob Thomas
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
Slight Figure of Speech - The Avett Brothers
Ten Thousand Words - The Avett Brothers
Texas Trilogy: Train Ride - Lyle Lovett
Mutineer - Warren Zevon
The Burn - Matchbox Twenty
The Night is Still Young - Billy Joel
The Entertainer - Billy Joel

"Like a ghost into the fog"

"... where no one notices the difference between white on white."

That's what it was like this morning when I left the house at 8:45. Needless to say I was perturbed though not surprised to see so many cars without headlights on. Amazingly I wasn't run over. Aren't we all happy for that.

Photo from The Register-Mail.

We're a little less than happy about the initial productivity of this errand run. You see, sometimes I set off on a particular route with a goal of accomplishing something, like picking out a Playaway audio book, or visiting the post office or shopping for a desired item at Store X. That was today's errand. Sunday morning my wife and I rose early and headed out for the post-Christmas sales. We bought some holiday goodies on clearance at Target, then hit JCPenney to see what they might have that we just had to have.

I was intrigued by the Sharper Image U-Video Camera on clearance for $35.99. It's a knock-off of the popular Flip USB video camera. I couldn't decide how badly I needed it at the time, however, so I passed it by. Only three remained in the display. My bad. I looked up the camera online when we got home and decided it would be worth it, especially if I took the $10-off coupon from the Sunday circular. But the store closed at 6 and I was too late.

So today's route took me north on Seminary Street to Carl Sandburg Drive and out to the mall. Imagine my consternation when I discovered that JCPenney was back on its regular schedule with a 10 a.m. opening time. Thus it was that at 44 years young I accidentally became a mall walker, hugging the outside wall and following it like a slot car. I must have made half a dozen half-assed circuits (yeah, I skipped Bergner's Court half the time and didn't always venture all the way to the end-court exits by the anchor stores). Still, I think I clocked a couple miles, which I did not include in the stats below. In the end, however, it was for naught, for the U-Video cameras were gone. Had I wanted camera binoculars or grilling tools or a knockoff mp3 player I would have been set.

I decided then to stop by my favorite Galesburg store to see if it had any similar video cameras. Big Lots, too, was fresh out of that style of simple, YouTube-ready camera. But I contented myself with a search of the video bins and checked out the Wii accessories (got one for Christmas as a family gift). Catch of the day, even though it was a purchase and not a street find, was "Star Trek: The Animated Series" on DVD (all 22 episodes) for a mere $10! As a bonus I picked up "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" Season 5 on DVD for the same price. The great thing about that one is that season has the "Trials and Tribble-ations" episode, which blends vintage footage from the original series for a time-travel scenario. Great fun!

I did add nine aluminum cans to the collection today and my one road find was actually on the terrace just off the sidewalk -- a big plastic mug from Rask Transportation in nearby Victoria, Illinois. Rask receives an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Bee Mine Bear reigns supreme now, seated like a king on a
throne flanked by guardian dragons. He's come a long way
from his frosty, bedraggled beginnings (below).

Finally, because I was thinking about it for some reason, I have a couple of updates on past treasures. Most recent and also most disappointing is the status of the Hy-Vee Little Smokies I snagged on Willard Street last Friday. A more careful inspection of the package, which is still perfectly sealed, shows they were intended for sale by February 2008. Somebody must have been cleaning out the freezer. I'm guessing there's enough chemical preservatives in those tiny dogs to keep them safe for a decade, but I'm not that daring just now. Out they go. On a happier note, you may recall the Sweetheart Bear I picked up on Mary Street back at the start of the month. He was covered with a layer of frost and what appeared to be dog slobber (a theory supported by the tears in his golden fur). Well, he's all better now. I washed him, dried him and stitched up his holes, even secured his big "Bee Mine" heart to his tummy again for safe-keeping. He's looking pretty good these days. A very happy bear.

Today's Stats

Temp: 16 degrees F

Distance: 4.75 miles

Treasure: 1 large plastic mug (Rask Transportation, Victoria, Ill.); 9 aluminum cans; Season 5 "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" on DVD; Complete Series "Star Trek: The Animated Series" on DVD (DVD series were bought, but at bargain prices).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

The River of Dreams - Billy Joel

Yesterday - The Beatles

Fool In The Rain - Led Zeppelin

Stop - Pink Floyd

Is There Anybody Out There? - Pink Floyd

If I Fall - Matchbox Twenty

Penny Lane - The Beatles

Lonely Girl - Pink

Lightning Crashes - Live

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) - Green Day

Fireflies - Owl City

Slow Down - Ryan McCullough

Two Steps Behind (Acoustic) - Def Leppard

For You I Will - Teddy Geiger

Sullivan Street - Counting Crows

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Like we have any real control over it anyway. So it seems the laissez faire policy is a good one when it comes to the weather. I suppose that's more a philosophy than a policy. Again, we cannot control the weather (well, you and I cannot), so it is best to not fret it.

There really wasn't much to fret at the time of my run. The flurries were light and pretty, the air not too cold, the ground not too slick. I will say running over bicycle tracks and footprints set in thick ice is hazardous at best. That terrain, found mostly on sidewalks where I divert when I hit busier streets like Fremont and Losey while cutting over to the next side street, is bound to give an ankle a turn. I've been careful and lucky so far.

The morning started off rather uneventful, just a couple of soda cans on my old neighborhood route, the first route I created when I started the Couch to 5K program back in April/May. On the one hand it was heartening that my 'hood was so clean. But I wanted some goodies. Well, St. Nick didn't disappoint. Christmas Eve brought as much bounty as Christmas surely will.

For the second straight run I happened across what I believe is a do-rag. I haven't thawed it out yet -- it remains frozen stiff in a bag out in the garage with the rest of today's haul. What is it with the do-rags? Dudes tired of 'em? Was there a scuffle? Hard to say. Next street over I picked up the top half of a plastic gift card from Dollar Tree. Too bad it wasn't the bottom half!

From there it just got weirder. Within a block on Willard Street, one street east and about a block north of my abode, I found two flip-flops -- mismatched, one clearly a child's, the other larger and plain-- half of an ugly necktie, and then the prize to top all prizes: A full, unopened package of Hy-Vee brand Little Smokies! That's right, Little Smokies! WTF!? Yesterday was garbage day in the neighborhood, so I suppose they could be out of date and simply fell out of someone's garbage can when the haulers dumped it into the truck. But it's also the holiday season and party time, and what better party dish is there than Little Smokies in barbecue sauce? Maybe they fell out of some poor mope's shopping bag on the way into the house. That's too bad, because that means somebody's looking at a party that's just a little less appetizing this Christmas. But hey, maybe they'll make a nice addition to our Christmas dinner tomorrow. Hey, if Homer Simpson can chow down on "floor pie," why can't we enjoy some Willard Wienies? :-)

Today's Stats

Temp: 28 degrees F

Distance: 3 miles

Weekly Total: 14.6 miles

Treasure: 5 aluminum cans; 2 flip-flops (mismatched); 1 do-rag (I think); 1/2 necktie; 1 gift card hanger (Dollar Tree); 1/2 CD jewel case ("Unforgettable: With Love," Natalie Cole).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

Something's Missing (live) - John Mayer

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

Tik Tok - Ke$ha

You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones

Lovesong - The Cure

Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin

Piano Man - Billy Joel

Running to Stand Still

Bonus post this week. I shot some video Monday and finally had some time to fiddle with it. Forgive me if it bores you or if my breathing is creepy or annoying. It's my first attempt at video. Soundtrack is from my favorite U2 album, The Joshua Tree. I love this poignant song of addiction.

Don't Pass Me By

"... Don't make me cry, don't make me blue."

So pleaded Ringo Starr in his first solo composition back in 1968. So, too, sang dozens of aluminum cans nestled in recycling bins along my running route today. But I ignored their siren call, believing that it wouldn't be right to build my collection by swiping from the curbside bins. (That attitude may change.) In part it seems like stealing. Sure, the residents who put them out don't want to cash in, but as aluminum is the only recyclable that pays its own way, it would be cutting in on the recycler's profits. Not to defend the "big" company, but if recycling is less profitable, it might go by the wayside.

As it is, I gathered up 10 cans from the ground, so that's something. And the Chevy truck hub cover I spotted in front of Churchill Junior High on Monday was still there, though it had been moved -- some kid probably investigated and tossed it aside. The bulky, sturdy-looking cover is made of high-impact plastic. Its composition led me to ponder: "Like a Rock" vs. "Built Ford Tough." The Ford hubcap I found in mid-November is made of metal. It's dinged and scuffed, but I'll bet it would withstand more abuse than the plastic part from Chevrolet. Probably that's a moot point; what matters is that both were dislodged from their wheels, so maybe the toughness needs to go into the attachment mechanics.

It was quite a haul today. Mostly trash stuff, but interesting tidbits nonetheless. I find I am still compelled to pick up losing lottery tickets in hopes that they're eligible for a second chance drawing. I guess if nothing else I'm clearing a little bit of litter from the streets of my hometown.

Today's Stats

Temp: 27 degrees F

Distance: 6.22 miles

Weekly Total: 11.6 miles

Treasure: 1 child's mitten, blue camo pattern; 1 Chevy pickup hubcap; 1 No. 2 pencil from Staples; 1 plastic shower curtain ring; 1 Master padlock (maybe I can get a key for it); 2 Holiday Cash Illinois Lottery scratch-off tickets (losers); 1 plastic bubble container from a gumball/prize machine; 1 black nylon "do-rag"; 1 black sun-visor CD holder by Bell; 1 plastic shopping bag from Bergner's.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

18 Wheeler - Pink

Tell Me What You See - The Beatles

And It Spread - The Avett Brothers

Caring Is Creepy - The Shins

Let The Day Begin - The Call

Three Is A Magic Number - Blind Melon

And A Bang On The Ear - The Waterboys

The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel

Vera - Pink Floyd

Captain Jack - Billy Joel

Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me - Warren Zevon

Mr. Jones - Counting Crows

And So It Goes - Billy Joel

An Innocent Man - Billy Joel

Bed of Lies - Matchbox Twenty

Goodnight Elisabeth

"I woke up in pieces and Elisabeth had disappeared again."

I thought he would succeed. As I lumbered along the streets west of my home, running from near the bank where daughter No. 1 works after leaving her car in the lot for her (drove her to work and daughter No. 3 to school), I listened to the story of Jack Seward's attempt to kill the vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory. I was certain he would slay her, prompting me to conjure the title of the Counting Crows song. Spoiler Alert! It wasn't to be. The former sanitarium director, now an itinerant vampire hunter and morphine addict wasn't up to the task.

The episode alluded to is from Dracula The Un-Dead (The Sequel to the Original Classic) by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt. Dacre Stoker is the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, one of my favorite books. I bought the book some time ago and started to read it but became sidetracked. Fearful it would go unread on my shelf, I picked up the Playaway audio book (unabridged) at the Galesburg Public Library the other day. At first I wondered if it was cheating to divert to the audio version, but my wife, who works at the library, assured me that "listening is reading, too."

The audio book was a pleasant diversion to take my mind off the cold. The double-digit temperature today was deceptive. I've run on colder days recently, but this morning seemed overly chill for 25 degrees. Too much time this weekend in the warmth of the house perhaps. 

Street scavenging continues to be a challenge with snow on the ground, though it wasn't a wasted run. I did garner an even dozen aluminum cans over the course and picked up a losing scratch-off ticket, remembering the old second chance option. Unfortunately there were no directions on the back of this one for mailing it in to the state lottery offices for a drawing. Into the trash with it. On Maple Avenue in front of Churchill Junior High I found a Chevy hub cover, likely off a big pickup. I started to take it to display next to the Ford hubcap I found this summer, then decided to leave it in case the driver who lost it should retrace his/her route and recover the lost cover. If it's still there Wednesday, it's mine.

Farther along Maple Avenue I found a heavy 3-inch bolt, which I added to my collection for some reason. The only other discoveries were a couple of fun(ny) signs.

Ah, the District 205 "Dream Big" campaign
to boost attendance. I don't suppose they
wanted students dreaming of Big Macs.

Today's Stats

Temp: 25 degrees F

Distance: 5.38 miles

Treasure: 12 aluminum cans; 1 3-inch bolt; 1 Chevy pickup hub cover; 1 losing scratch-off ticket (Illinois Lottery Diamond Dazzler 5X game).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

Again no tunes, just a few chapters of an audio book. Today I caught chapters 6-10 (partial) of Dracula the Un-Dead.

Quotable:

"Mina backed into a corner, cowering in fear. She was angry with herself for being so weak; she would not be a prisoner in her own home, to anyone or anything, least of all to herself. Her previous experiences with the supernatural had taught her that shrinking away like a frightened schoolgirl would not force evil to recede. Confronting it head-on was the only way to combat the darkness."