Three by Three

OK, so this is kind of messed up. I ran last Thursday and dutifully recorded the stats. I even came up with the clever title (shut up, it is so). And I was going to make an illogical connection between my clever title (yes, it is) and the phrase “five by five,” which was uttered by Faith in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Here’s what the Urban Dictionary definition.

Obviously three by three, does not mean the same thing. Really it doesn’t have a meaning. Well, other than the meaning I attribute to it because of the circumstances that conjured it in my head. You see, last Thursday was the day of our bit “blizzard” in the ’Burg. Granted, the roads were lousy, leaving cars and trucks lining highway ditches for the next 24 hours. The gusty winds nearly blew me across Main Street as I pedaled along on my errands to the library and the post office (to mail my Christmas cards). But we received all of 2 inches of white stuff. Hardly on par with the Blizzard of 2011. Now that winter storm lived up to the name.

Anyway, I hit the streets that morning about 10:30 or so. It was well before the real weather began. It was 35 degrees when I headed out and raining lightly. Within about four blocks the rain transformed into sleet. That shit stings! OK, I’m not a sissy, but, you know, teeny ice crystals flying at your face at 20 miles per hour or so hurt. Just a little. A mile later (that’s purely guesswork) the sleet softened. Slowly it expanded and big, fluffy flakes began fluttering around me. They disappeared as soon as they hit the ground.

The wind made this inflatable quiver like he was quaking
from the cold. Pretty nice effect.

Thankfully I finished before it got slippery. And by Christmas the roads were clearer so there was little to fear, though I dodged the occasional patch of ice as I tried to keep to the side of the road.

While colder Tuesday, the run was clean and exhilarating. Being Christmas Day, there was nobody else out. No runners. No drivers. No bikers. Nobody. OK, so there were probably a few cars, but very few. And that’s always nice. And as I finished (just five blocks from home), I spied with my little eye a pair of pliers in the gutter. I’m amassing quite a collection of found tools: two pair of pliers, two crescent wrenches, a Snap-On socket handle. I could open a shop. 

Today’s Stats (12/25/12)

Temp: 17 degrees F

Distance: 3.1 miles

Weekly total: 11.1 miles

Treasure: 1 pair of True Craft pliers

iPod Playlist (Shuffle for 2, then alphabetical by song title)

New York, New York – Ryan Adams

No Better Place – Fountains of Wayne

Sink or Float - Aberdeen

Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC

Werewolves of London(cover) – Adam Sandler (Note, it's not warewolves nor wearwolfs)

Walk This Way - Aerosmith

Very Special Love - Alabama

Today's Stats (12/20/12)

Temp: 35 degrees F

Distance: 3 miles

Weekly Total: 8 miles

Treasure: Nothing. Wasn’t looking today.

iPod Playlist (Playlist for a friend):

Lightning Crashes(acoustic) – Live

Reno – Bruce Springsteen

Streetcorner Symphony – Rob Thomas

Everybody Got TheirSomething – Nikka Costa

I Don’t Wanna – The Call

Distance – Ryan McCullough

Rest Stop – Matchbox Twenty

Drink (acoustic) – Fiction Plane

Alright Guy – Todd Snider