I'll be good to you. You'll be good to me.

“That corner of the world smiles at me
beyond all others.” - Horace

Sorely (heh) tempted to run every day, fighting the temptation to do so. The running feels great. Walking about the rest of the time, not so much.

Lovely times, lazing about the cove. Reading, talking, drinking snacking, washing dishes. Avoiding work emails. I have received more than the usual number of communications, other years I would fret about responding to them. I just can't. Family is more important. 

Distance: 3.5 miles
Duration: 32:50
Pace: 9:22

Why does my ankle hurt after rest? Why does it not hurt when I am running? I need to remember to ice and take pain reliever -- I think of doing this, but then fail to do it.

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 74°
Climate: sunny & warm
Mood: very good
Stretches: yes
Water: no

Planks: yes

Pushups: yes

The elder, their partner, have gone, also, too, my brother and his family. But we're not going anywhere! We have another week in paradise.

BorderLight | Fringe Unleashed Playlist 

The Giver - Duke Dumont

Good to You - Claptone

Kackvogel - Solomun

Kuar (Henrik Schwarz Remix) - Emmanuel Jal

Liquid Spirit (Claptone Remix) - Gregory Porter 

Happy birthday ... to me!

Flood's Cove: Run Four

Happy birthday to me. You know what hurts my knees? Standing. Standing and cooking, for example. Or teaching. These things hurt my knees, much more than running. or in addition to running. 

Yesterday, in advance of my birthday, but because insisted upon it, all occupants of the Barnstable went to Thomaston to watch Deadpool & Wolverine. It was okay.

Distance: 1.25 miles

Duration: 12:00
Pace: 9:30

After two days of (well-received) clouds and rain, it is once again sunny and clear. Just what I asked for for my birthday!

Route: Martin Point Run
Climate: sunny & warm
Mood: good
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Pain Reliever: TBA

The boy and I took a run out of the cove, turned around at one mile, walked for a bit and ran down the hill back to the cabin.

Flood's Cove: Run Four

Sleeping exclusively on my right side for two weeks last year, recovering from eye surgery, I injured my right shoulder. The pain lasted several months, and I began doing upper body exercises in an effort to build up strength in those muscles.

Apparently I have succeeded. I didn't bring any free weights on vacation with me, but I think I'll be all right until I get back. Or maybe I could just find a nice sized rock to swing around.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 32:58
Pace: 9:25

Route: Martin Point Run

Temperature: 72°
Climate: overcast

Mood: good

Had a lovely birthday yesterday. Went to Damariscotta for a brief shopping excursion, and to get ice cream from Round Top. The niece made spaghetti Bolognese, the wife a delicious carrot cake. The cousins were over, and we even caught the match. 

Stretches: yes

Water: yes

The kids have decided to just risk it on Saturday -- but they do want to participate. The 1 mile short haul is at 7:00 AM, the 5K long haul is at 7:50. They will decide on the day if they want to do one, the other, or both.

Listening to Sinéad O'Connor this morning.

Run for your children.

Today, our son turns eighteen. Can you imagine?

Distance: 2.5 miles

Duration: 24:06
Pace: 9:38

Route: Forest Hill Loop

Temperature: 49°
Climate: sunny & cool

Mood: all right

Oof. Full stomach, woke at five, wearing a jacket. It was a slog. But it was nice. Maybe run the Heights 5K Saturday? I will rest tomorrow.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I'm Always Chasing Rainbows - Alice Cooper

San Francisco - The Mowgli's

Poor Girl - X

This Is the Day - The The

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine

I Will Dare - The Replacements

 
Stretches: yes
Abdominals: 90 sec.

Upper body: 10 rep. (3x)
Water: yes

Breakfast: coffee w/cream, crepes w/whipped cream, pork sausage, mango juice

Coffee Break: latte w/oatmilk

Lunch: smoothie bowl w/blueberry, raspberry, mango, vanilla granola & agave

Snack: banana, English muffin w/butter & marmalade

Happy Hour: Hazecraft IPA

Dinner: Alsatian gnocchi w/pickle, bean salad

Keeping track of the diet again. It's been a month and I haven't lost any more weight. End of the day I get compulsive. But you know what? I am never not compulsive. I am no weaker today than I am any other day. Just be mindful. Relax.

Baseline: 195 lbs.

Current: 178.5 lbs. (-2.5)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Beer on Thursday? Yes. I just put up the NEW porch lights. I shall sip and enjoy.

Father had had such hopes.

"Every band has at least one good song ... except the Decemberists."
- Mary Luchia, The Current

The Boy

Today my son turned sixteen. The one who lived. The one who was horribly injured in my care. The musician, the thinker, the Communist. The biggest smartass in my life. Well. He is his father's son.

Today I choose not to do morning pages. After 618 consecutive days of writing, every morning. Today, I rose to make him breakfast and we opened presents and the morning is moving on and I could write, but I choose not to. Instead. I will run and wash and get to work.

Because the writing is not about records. It is about so much more than that. And today I choose not to.

Here are songs from the year my son was born.  

2005 Playlist

DARE - Gorillaz

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

The Sporting Life - The Decemberists

Chicken Payback - The Bees

Pon de Replay - Rihanna

The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails

Technologic - Daft Punk

Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:58
Pace: 9:40
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 66°
Climate: sunny & warm

Mood: very good

Until I get there.

Take one of the Captain.

The long run, or not the long run? Today should be a break day, but I took a break on Wednesday (no gym) and I will be in transit on Sunday.

That's not true, I will be in transit some time during the day on Sunday. I could run twelve miles in the morning, not a problem. I would even be nice, if I got up early enough.

There is a 5K tomorrow. I think I should rest today, run the race tomorrow, and perhaps twelve miles Sunday morning.

But then, it's my birthday. I can do anything I want.

Distance: 3.5 miles
Duration: 29:02
Pace: 8:11
Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 72
Climate: sunny skies, relatively low humidity
Mood: good, truly
Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Snack: Blueberry bread, macaroon. It's my birthday!

And so I did. Beautiful day, and I love to run. Stopped in to say hi at my Aunt Dede's place (I always run past it on this route) and then pressed on, very fast today. Or at least it felt so to me. Driving up hills, and down again, straight back, free of pain. Mostly.

What's That Lyric?
I'm a Ram - Al Green

Take one last lap around.

Yesterday I believe I destroyed my diet. Maybe, not sure. I have a policy of eating whatever is handed to me, out of politeness and a general desire to enjoy life. A piece of cake? Sure, thank you. Ice cream? How could I say no.

But seconds on ice cream? No, that is unnecessary. Another bag of Doritos for the house? Just thinking of others, sure.

It was my niece's birthday yesterday, she who is two days shy of forty years younger than I am. My birthday is tomorrow!

Distance: 6 miles
Duration: 51:24
Pace: 8:31
Route: Rte 220 Out-and-Back
Temperature: 66
Climate: bright skies, beautiful
Mood: all right
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Gorgeous day. Why do people say gorgeous day out? Regardless, that it is.

Running Martin Point is not quite perilous, it's not a through road so traffic is light, rarely are you caught with cars passing each other. It happens. Not very often, though.

Out on Route 220, however. You really have to be a careful runner. Traffic going both ways, very often trucks. Some stretches have no berm, where there's railing no way to escape oncoming traffic at all.

Keep your head up. Keep your eyes forward. Take out your earplugs. Be vigilant.

What's That Lyric?
Kick the Dust Up - Luke Bryan

Look up here. I'm in Heaven.

This is 50.

The week has been damp. A damp, foggy week. Not particularly cold, but absent the sun it feels cooler than it is. Nice to sleep with the windows open, with just a sheet. To listen to the rain on the roof. The dreams this week have been deep and faraway. Animals and adventures. No idea of what, where or when.

Today is my birthday. Please enjoy the new banner, incorporating a photo by Amy Arbus. We move on.

Prepared dinner last night, it was aggravating, there is no counter top at the proper height, I have to bend over to chop. Even in the car, running some errands during the afternoon, there was pain on my left side. I did exercises after dinner, resting overnight has quelled the pain, but it lingers.

I intend to do exercises every day. I have to do them every day. I do not wish to do them every day. I want the pain to stop.

Distance: 3.5 miles
Pace: 8:37
Route: Martin Point
Temperature: 68•
Climate: misty & cool
Mood: decent

Good run, brisk. Mornings you run into people you know! Mom was headed back from a walk in the woods as I hit the first hill, I passed my cousin Nathan on my way back from the turnaround just after Camp Evergreen. There's a little pain, but it felt good to move and to move swiftly.

Foggy, moody, breezy, nice. They say there will be a party this evening. I wonder if it will be indoor or out.

Exercises: yes, god dammit

Three years after we started dating, I gifted my (then) girlfriend with a cassette of songs commemorating our time together. I was unaware at that time that I had begun a triennial ritual.

Included were not just pop songs from the era -- songs we both liked, not just me -- but also clips from films we had seen together, scores from dance concerts or songs that were used in plays we had seen (not produced, but had attended together, in the audience.) They did not need to be contemporary, they could be from the past as long as they had relevance to us.

This worked well from 1994 to 1997, and from 1997 to 2000. But what happens when your life takes some unfortunate turns? When you lose a child or your nation is lunged into chaos? It turns out there are songs for that, too.

She received a new set of discs as we set out Saturday morning, and that was intense. So much loss. But also, so much life.

"We'll Figure It Out"
(Music From the Big Love 2015-2018)

Disc One:
Hello - Adele
Lazarus - David Bowie
Stardust (Live at Oberlin) - Dave Brubeck
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison & Prince
Wait For It - Leslie Odom Jr. & Company
Come To the Fun Home - Sydney Lucas & Company
Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Cash
Hallelujah - Kate McKinnon
Immigrats (We Get the Job Done) -  K'naan, Riz Ahmed, Residente, Snow Tha Product, K'naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC & Residente
How Far I'll Go - Auli'i Cravalho
Careless Whisper (Live at Mountain Winery) - Ben Fold & Rufus Wainwright
COH-CAINE - Stilly Dan

Disco Two tomorrow.

All this energy calling me back where it comes from.

Photo: Chuck Thompson

This is how my brain works. We're packed, we're driving. I'm driving. It's hot, and I am wearing shorts, new shorts which I had just purchased, nice new shorts for the vacation. Generally, I avoid shorts when I want people to take me seriously as an adult. I'd just as soon wear jeans than khaki shorts. But it's vacation, and I have learned to calm down, I am an American on the highway and I can wear shorts.

Only the air conditioning is on full blast and I am cool. My arms are cool and my legs are cool. I am thinking these things, as I am driving. We're talk about brain time, these thoughts, from the beginning of the post and through the next paragraphs were thought in the time it took to type "This is how."

My arms are cool, did I pack enough my hoodies, for evenings? Yes, I have, but I know it's going to be hot and I only have two pair of pants, and will that be enough but I also remember I have long pajamas as well as short, and if it does happen to be cool in the morning, I can wear those.

But what about my feet? I have flip flops but not my cold weather slippers, will I regret that? But no, because when I get up in the morning I can come downstairs and keep my feet warm in front of the fire because Dad will have already --

And my eyes well up because I have surprised myself again.

We hadn't even left Cleveland Heights.

Father passed in February. Upon learning of his death, the proprietors of Flood's Cove made the trip to Friendship to pull the chair he would sit in out of storage and place it on the porch in his honor. That was beautiful. It meant a great deal to know it was sitting there for him.

We're all here, Mom, my bother and his family, and even my niece from England, on her own. It's very hot. I have all I need. I am glad we are all here.

Distance: 3 miles
Avg Pace: 8:31
Duration: 25:33
Route: Martin Point
Temperature: 79°
Climate: hot
Mood: good

Yes, It is my birthday. Today I am forty-eight years old. Big first day, much reading and resting but also an excursion to mackerel fish from the motorboat. I manned the boat, the boy did the fishing. In the old days he was content to fish from the dock at high tide, but now we must trawl. He is eleven, he can manage is own line, entirely, and any fish he catches.

I manage the boat. I can manage the boat, but I find it stressful, so much so that I pulled a muscle in my shoulder. Before my birthday dinner we had our first wine hour of the season (our last wine hour was Dad's birthday) and by the time the meal was over I was headachy and very sore.

What to do? Take a run. It was either that or go to bed, right? After two days of driving and all the time not running lately, it was arduous and invigorating. Very glad I went out.

Did not go all the way the end of Martin Point, just far enough to log three miles. It's too darn hot.

My co-workers have made a tradition of going out for ice cream on my birthday ...
... when I'm usually on vacation. Thanks for the photo, guys!

Why Me? Playlist
Save It For Later - The English Beat
The Boys Are Back In Town - Bus Boys
No Way Out - Jefferson Starship
Eyes Of A Stranger - Payola$
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Destroyer - The Kinks
Cleveland Rocks - Ian Hunter

Come on, it's time to go.

It was a day much like today.
Only with snow.

This morning we rose early. It is the girl's thirteenth birthday, she was born the morning of January 30, 2003. She also has Science Olympiad at Solon High all day today so I made her a special birthday breakfast before she and the wife headed out.

I got up at 4:30 on a Saturday. And I have no head pain at all. So that's it. Sleeping in makes me hurt.

Distance: 3.58 miles
Route: Forest Hills Loop

Keep putting my shorts away for the season ... then taking them out again.

Beautiful, breezy and brisk.

Temperature: 52°
Climate: cool and overcast
Pavement: dry
Weight: 162.5 lbs. (-1.0)
Mood: good. anxious?

I’ll be tweeting at ‪#‎InTheCLE‬ for one week beginning this Sunday afternoon! So, I need to get out and do some stuff. Please feel free to suggest any arts and culture events you want me to consider checking out and commenting upon, and follow me @InTheCLE

2003 Playlist
Reality - David Bowie
Slow (Chemical Brothers Remix) - Kylie Minogue
It's My Life - No Doubt
An Area Big Enough To Do It In - Prophet Omega
Comfortably Numb (Original ATOC Extended Remix) - Scissor Sisters
You're So Damn Hot - OK Go
The Districy Sleeps Tonight - The Postal Service

If the fish swam out of the ocean.

July 26, 1982

Who makes the peach fritters? Dad makes the peach fritters.

Okay. A run today, none tomorrow, rise fresh and early on Saturday for the Friendship Days 5K. Sound good? Besides, tomorrow is my birthday. Man, when was the last time I was in Flood's Cove for my birthday? I always used to hate that, yippee, away from my friends.

Except when I turned fourteen, that's when I learned I was getting an Apple II+.

Temperature: 66°
Climate: overcast, cool & humid
Distance: 3.8 miles

There has been fishing, kayaking, playing of board games, visiting with relatives ... well, the wife tells it better.

Nothing Decade
Exquisite Corpse -  Hedwig & The Angry Inch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Under Control (170 bpm) - Parachute
Let's Get It Started (Spike Mix) - The Black Eyed Peas
Love Today - MIKA
Three-Way - The Magnetic Fields
Boom Boom Pow (Guetta Mix) - The Black Eyed Peas
Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
Daft Punk Is Playing at My House - LCD Soundsystem