It’s been
a while. Six weeks in fact. And after all that talk Jan.1 about a new
beginning, a fresh start. Well, I really have no excuse. Sure, it’s been cold,
snowy, icy — the usual winter weather in Illinois. But I’ve run in it before.
For some reason, though, this year is different. It’s colder. Snowier. Icier.
And my
focus is elsewhere. While I haven’t been running, I have been writing. Would
you believe love letters? Nearly 60 of them in the past couple months. She
lives all of three miles away so most people think I’m a little nuts for
writing. What’s wrong with email, text, Facebook, they wonder. We use that for
everyday communication like anyone else. But expressing yourself to the one you
love is best done the old-fashioned way. Even with lousy handwriting like mine.
Hold on.
I took a break to organize my blog files — recently migrated to a Macbook Pro —
and discovered I did run twice in January, the second time around Jan. 12,
though I didn’t complete a blog. (See note on distraction and focus above.) Hooray
for me. So it was only a one-month hiatus, not six weeks.
Anyway, I
wouldn’t qualify this single run as really being back on track, but I came up
with the seemingly clever — all right, clichéd — title when I crossed the
railroad tracks on Farnham Street near Fifth Street. It seemed a good location
for a selfie with the tracks stretching out behind me. Unfortunately I didn’t
get the effect I was going for, as I’m pretty inept at self-portraiture. I do
know someone who is maybe as bad, but I won’t mention any names. Would that I
could capture myself with the skill of my friend Jane Carlson, who makes the
most awesome self-portraits for her Facebook profile pics.
So this
isn’t the most satisfying or interesting blog. I’m struggling getting back into
the swing of it. I need a really good run — one that is not only physically and
emotionally uplifting, but also productive in the scavenging. I haven’t found
squat in months. Winter used to be so rewarding: gloves, hats, scarves, stuffed
toys, frozen foods. I need to find something good … and soon!
Today's
Stats (Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014)
Temp: 17 degrees F
Distance: 3.66 miles
Weekly
Total: 3.66 miles
Treasure: 2 cans
iPod
Playlist (Shuffle):
Radio –
Matchbox Twenty
New Deep
– John Mayer
The
Difficult Kind – Sheryl Crow
Can’tFight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon
I Want to
Know What Love Is – Foreigner
Let Her
In – John Travolta
City Love (live) – John Mayer
Don’t Ask
Me Why – Billy Joel
BlindedBy the Light – Manfred Mann
