From runs to runs

I was sick a couple of weeks ago. Very very sick. Yesterday I went for my first run since, and am surprised at how well it went. I was anticipating having to either run much slower than usual or end the run much earlier than usual, but I was right on my usual 50-minute-ish pace and felt fine afterwards. While I tend to go for my runs in the mornings or early afternoons, yesterday I went at around 6 p.m. which is the latest I've ever gone for a run. Today is a beautiful day and I'm probably playing tennis with my dad later. I'm tempted to go for a run right now. I think I will.

By the way, I am still thrilled that I am able to run with the doggies on forested trails and next to a river without having to drive anywhere.

Calgary is close enough. For now.

My watch is still set fifteen hours ahead of Vancouver time, but it's the date not the time that tells me it's been far too long since I've seen you.

What categories are you?

• “You like an epiphany or you like a surprise”
• “You talk loudly in airport lineups or you are Canadian”
• “You say ‘I love you’ or you say ‘I love you too’”
• “You say ‘Fuck you’ or you say ‘Oh yeah? Fuck you’”

- from this Georgia Straight book-review article, excerpting “Good Egg Bad Seed” in Susan Holbrook's Joy Is So Exhausting.

Running like a swimmer

I've moreorless kept up my increased running routine of late. The past few outings, though, there have been many, many bugs hanging out at face level in the middle of the path. A sure sign that summer's here. After having one too many of said bugs ending up in my mouth, I decided to adopt a swimming technique. Specifically, the breathing component of the front crawl. I would turn my head to the left to inhale, and then face forward to exhale. It worked like a charm, but it was annoying as puck and took my body and mind off of running's forward-progress mentality.

More running

I've been running more lately. Running more and doing more post-run exercies/stretching than I used to. My regular running routine, when at its most regular, would be every second day. Recently, though, I wondered why I didn't run every day. After all, if the dude from a post in mid-January can run a marathon a day for five straight days, then take two days off, then run a marathon for five straight days, and keep up that routine for a full year, then surely I can run for approximately an hour every day.

Well, I'm not quite there yet. I did run two days in a row, but then took a day off and simply walked the dogs. Then I ran two days in a row, and today would be le troisième jour, mais I'm feeling like it's going to be another walking day. I'm sure that I'll be doing three days in a row soon enough, then four, then five, then six, and so on. But hey, even my body needs to be conditioned.

the sooner, right now

On the one hand, the sooner he gets older the sooner we can play tennis together. On the other hand, right now his hands are so adorably cute and soft.

On the one hand, the sooner he gets older the sooner he can ask me questions that make me look at the world in a whole new way. On the other hand, right now he sees the world as an entirely innocent place.

On the one hand, the sooner he gets older the sooner he'll say the darndest things. On the other hand, right now I love watching and listening to him create his own sounds and "words" as he communicates.

On the one hand, I want him to be older. On the other hand, I want him to stay like this forever.

ow ow ow owwWWWW

You don't know pain until you've had a cat attempt to jump onto your lap while you're wearing boxers and a t-shirt, and the cat doesn't quite make it and is clinging to your unprotected thigh with three of her four skin-penetrating razor-sharp claw-paws. Love ya Tildy.

Meeeeeeoooowwww. Sllrrrp sllrrrp slllllrrrrrrp.

Lately I haven't been sleeping well. It's either a restless night or a too-early awakening. For those that know me, or know us, the culprit isn't who you might think. Little L has been sleeping through the night for a long, long time now. The only ones to blame are the bloody cats. Meowing obnoxiously in the middle of the night or cleaning themselves loudly just a few feet from my should-be-asleep head or scratching on a door. On the shower door, Tildy? Really? Come on! If it's not one cat, it's the other. Please, make it stop. I'd close the bedroom door, but we need it open in case L has a rare middle-of-the-night awakening. Plus, the cat(s) would then simply scratch on our door.

Plus one of the cats, the not-Tildy one, has a habit (a cute habit, some might say) of vomiting every time he eats. Yes, I've made the eating disorder jokes, but now it's just annoying. Super annoying. There's enough to deal with already with L and two large dogs and a bun in the oven, do we really need a vomiting cat? Why do we feed him, anyway? It just comes out whole onto the dining room/bedroom/hallway/kitchen floor.

Hey, anyone want a black cat? He's so purrfect and has so many cute habits. It'd be very hard to see him go, but please, TAKE HIM! TAKE HIM NOW! DO IT!

Not a New Kids song

Step by step.

Literally, when running with the dogs (49:14 Wednesday, 49:30 today).

Literally, when walking to work and/or walking home.

Figuratively, when eating healthier foods.

Figuratively, when doing basic exercises more often.

Step by step.









Ooh baby, you're always on my mind.

Name acronyms - acronames?

I have a niece whose first name starts with G, middle name E, last name M. Therefore, her name acronym (acroname) is GEM. Very nice. My wife and son and I recently travelled to Malaysia for a wedding of two friends. Cexylizzienegligee's brother has twin girls, whose first names start with C and O. The last name starts with W. So when discussing both girls together, it's easier to just say COW. The kicker is that they were born in the year of the cow!

While we were in Malaysia, our son turned one. The use of la/lah is common in speech and writing in Malaysia, and we used it ad nauseam. "Don't be kayu, lah!" "Don't think, just do it, lah!" It was just recently, about a month after our return from Malaysia, that I learned of COW, and it reminded me of GEM, and I thought of what our son's acroname is. It's LAA. If only our last name started with an H! But hey, LAA is the next best thing. As cexylizzienegligee said, considering he celebrated his first birthday in Malaysia, and has an acroname of LAA, he certainly seems to have an affinity for all thing Malaysian! As long as he doesn't bring home any durians, that's okay with me.