Cold Hands Blues Man

A couple of gloves and a dented but playable mouth organ are all I have to commemorate my first Ash Wednesday run. Why is that significant? Well, it isn’t, but when the run and the writing are separated by 14 hours, 12 at the office, three of those in company training on ethics and online storytelling/website optimization, I find that whatever train of thought was on the line has long since left the station without me. That rather perturbs me because I feel like I’m letting you down and not really stretching my writing legs.

It was a balmy day as we approach spring here in central Illinois. I almost begged off the run when I heard what I thought were raindrops pattering on the roof. It may have been rain initially, but by the time I mustered the will to poke my head out the door, I saw only fog; must have been drips off the branches of the backyard maple that is slowing dying. It’s sad, really. It was once quite a beautiful tree, but now is bare in spots and sports more than a few dead branches, even after a professional trim two years ago.

Knowing I had to go to work early today for the ethics training session, I kept the route short. But I didn’t want to take the usual neighborhood 5K. I ended up downtown via Churchill Junior High. Climbing the slight incline of Broad Street between the BNSF tracks and Main Street, I caught a flash of shiny metal on the sidewalk in front of the old National Guard Armory, which happens to be across from Fat Fish Pub, a relatively new blues bar in town. So, was the harmonica a cast-off or a lost instrument from one of the bands? Given that it’s a First Act, a beginner-level instrument, I doubt it was used by a professional. But perhaps some player carries a couple cheapies to hand out to fans. Don’t know.

Today's Stats

Temp: 45 degrees F

Distance: 3.4 miles

Weekly Total: 7.9

Treasure: 2 gloves (1 leather and nylon work glove, 1 knit "magic glove"; 1 First Act harmonica (dated 7/12/2009VW); 21 cans.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

We Can Work it Out - The Beatles

Heartbreak Warfare - John Mayer

Little Wing - Sting

In The Waiting Line - Zero 7

This Ain't Tennessee - Garth Brooks

The Lazarus Heart - Sting

The Longest Time - Billy Joel

Mad World - Michael Andrews

The Promise - When in Rome

Anna Begins - Counting Crows