What’s Write With the World? Or, ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’

OK, so what do you write about when the theme of your blog is sidetracked? I know, “one” is the appropriate term. As in, “What does ‘one’ do…,” but you know, this is personal. I can’t stand all that impersonal writing.

So, I’ve kind of sworn off scavenging while I “train” for the upcoming Run Galesburg Run Half Marathon Express half marathon. You see, even the briefest of pauses on a run – to pick up, say, a pop can – serves as quite the refresher. While that may sound great – it is – it is a cheat. It allows the body to recuperate. And while that may be necessary on the upcoming half marathon, I need to train as if I cannot have such a respite. No rest for the weary – or the wicked.

So I’ve given up treasure hunting when I run in hopes of conditioning my old body to do without all those little rests. As much as they might help, I think they’re a hindrance when it comes to preparing for a half marathon.

Ha, that’s a joke. This is turning into a sporadic online journal. Not my intent. Not my purpose. Not gonna stay that way. The joke is that I’m training for the half marathon. Oh, I’ll run it, if it kills me. But my training regimen, such as it was, is out the window. Here it is almost two weeks later and I haven’t run since March 23^rd. That’s going on two weeks ago. What started out as laziness and lack of motivation became an unintentional but needed rest period for my perpetually lame left knee (it’s that pain-in-the-ass patellar tendon still).  

Being doubly sidetracked (blog-wise and run-wise) my mind is scrambled. And scrambling. But mostly scrambled. My latest rumination:

Ah, the wisdom of the Internet.

You see them all the time on Facebook, those pithy words of encouragement. "I am alone, but I'm not lonely" and crap like that.

I get it. More than a kernel of truth exists in those words.

Being alone does not (necessarily) equal loneliness. Just as being in company does not equal togetherness. And if you're alone but not lonely, great. I am happy for you. Sinceriously (I’m trademarking that word, by the way). I find myself there sometimes. Not often enough, I'm afraid, but it's not a foreign concept to me. And I am honestly making efforts to get there. Everyone says it’s important and necessary in life. Be comfortable and happy with yourself before you look for a relationship and all that.

As you might suspect, my loneliness manifests primarily within the confines of my apartment – perhaps because I spend so much time there, having given up the bar scene except on rare occasions. Oddly the primary alone time when I don’t feel lonely is when I am biking. I am doing better at home, though.

But frankly, I am more often lonely than simply alone. And much of the time that I feel lonely I am in the company of others, friends and acquaintances, family, random patrons of a bar or the video store or the grocery store or Target or some other public space.

Look, this ain’t no pity party (I know that’s not grammatically correct and I don’t care; it’s poetic license, exercised in prose, so bugger off). Point is, I’m not looking for sympathy or empathy. I just need to write and I haven’t been writing and a personal journal no longer does it for me. Call me an exhibitionist, but I need to know someone’s reading me. Maybe that’s the cue for the pity party. 

OK, let’s pick it up a bit. I’m watching “When Harry Met Sally” – call it a peculiar prelude to “Cabin in the Woods” – and there is so much here that speaks to me. And I’m not saying that scene does, but it is hilarious. You know that scene? The diner. The fake-out. Yeah. H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. And well, I’ve confessed before, rom-coms do it for me. Hey, nothing wrong with being in touch with your feminine side. Try it guys (especially if your single – haha).

Finally, for a real laugh: Some dilweed has been hogging the dryer all night and my clothes are lying wet in the basket, waiting for a good, warm tumble. I think said dilweed is poking his or her head out the door and listening for the dryer to determine when the load is done. Well, genius, since they “fixed” it, the dryer now spins and blows warm air seemingly indefinitely; I’ve been drying two loads for the price of one for the past month and a half. That’s only fair, considering it used to take two rounds just to get a single load dry before.

In conclusion: It’s my turn!

Today’s Stats (March 23)

Temp: 45 degrees F

Distance: 3.92 miles

Weekly Total: 8.92 miles

Treasure: Nothing

iPod Playlist (Shuffle) 
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

Soul – Matchbox Twenty

Downbound Train – Bruce Springsteen

If I Knew Then – Lady Antebellum

The Lazarus Heart - Sting

Oooh Baby – C+C Music Factory

The Wanton Song – Led Zeppelin

Corazon Espinado – Santana feat. Mana

Clocks - Coldplay

Today's Stats (March 20)

Temp: 20 degrees F

Distance: 5 miles

Weekly Total: 5 miles

Treasure: Nada

iPod Playlist (Shuffle):

Animal – Neon Trees

Wild Boys – Duran Duran

What the Hell (Bimbo Jones Remix) – Avril Lavigne

When Love and Hate Collide – Def Leppard

Got to Get You Into My Life – The Beatles

Miracles – Jefferson Starship

Fraulein O. (live) – James McMurtry

Only the Good Die Young (live) – Billy Joel

Brick – Ben Folds

Dig a Pony – The Beatles

Big Log – Robert Plant

College Days – The Great Divide

Smile – Avril Lavigne