My heart is heavy. My head is confused.

New read.

My birthday was okay. The best part was spending time with my wife. Taking a friend to the train station in the morning, lunch in Damariscotta. Then it was time to entertain the cousins, the family, all afternoon, all evening. This is where we see them, yes. But I do not feel relaxed in company at the moment. I really do just want to sit on the deck and read and write. Weird that my birthday (so far) has been the most stressful day of my vacation.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 32:37
Pace: 9:19

It has been so helpfully cool. Fire in the fireplace most mornings, the runs have been largely sweat-free. Reports have it that our last few days will be soggy, but until then ...

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 69°
Climate: sunny & beautiful 
Mood: not great? okay.

Stretches: yes 
Water: yes

80s Running Alternative Mix

This Corrosion - Sisters of Mercy

Infected (Single Mix) - The The

Accidentally 4the Street (Gloria) - Figures On a Beach

Borderline - Manic Street Preachers

Still in Hollywood - Concrete Blonde

Liberator - Spear of Destiny

A Girl Like You (Live) - The Smithereens

Okay. Usually algorithm based mixes are just a collection of songs I have already saved somewhere on this app. Today, I was surprised. Yes, I started with a familiar title, but the rest were unfamiliar to me -- except "Infected" but even this was a radio edit. Loved them all.

I may stick with this one a while. 

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Come running back to me.

This photo is from last July.

Was looking forward to running with others this summer. That is not happening, I am on my own.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 33:05
Pace: 9:27

Completed a novel, Nosferatu by Jim Shepard (1998) a book I started a year ago and set aside, intending to return. It is not the story of Nosferatu: The Vampire, instead it is a fictionalized telling of the life of F.W Murnau, the director of Nosferatu (1921) and many other films.

I love the story of how things are made, in this case, silent film. I love Nosferatu, and indeed, the imagined journals of a queer German expressionist filmmaker.

Running Summer 2026

It Feels So Good - Matt Sassari ft. Hugel & Sonique

It's Not Right But It's Okay - Mr. Belt & Wezol

Beggin'  - Chris Lake ft. Aluna

Afraid to Feel - LF System

Wacuka - Avaion ft. Sofiya Nzau

10:35 - Tiesto ft. Tate McRae

2 Times - Dimitri Vegas ft. Steve Aoki, Ann Lee, Sound of Legend

So Much in Love - D.O.D.

Where Are You Now - Losy Frequencies ft. Calum Scott

Bless Me - Dombresky ft. Discrete

Talk to You - Anotr ft. 54 Ultra

Take It Off - Fisher ft. Aatig

That's a good one. Thanks for that.

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 68°
Climate: bright & warm
Mood: all right

Yesterday evening a few of us headed out to see a local theater production. Earlier this week, the wife and I took a wrong turn in Damariscotta and I was surprised to see a large banner advertising a stage adaptation of an early 20th century science fiction short story which I have a long personal history with, including producing a radio drama of Eric Coble's adaptation, and even making reference to it in And Then You Die.

“Man is the measure. That was my first lesson. Man's feet are the measure for distance ... his body is the measure for all that is lovable and desirable and strong.”

Hot take? Never write a letter-size page of director's notes to be inserted in the program, explaining what you meant and how the production came into being. That's what your blog is for. Telling people how to think about what they are about to see (single spaced, man!) just before they see it is never wise.

As for the production itself, it would appear that a very effective thirty-five minute adaptation, rich with movement and sound and style and passion, performed by high school students and intended for a high school audience, has been expanded to an hour and now includes laborsome tangential stories meant to provide additional modern relevance, to wit; opinions about Covid and Liberal government overreach. 

I imagine the high school version was a hit, those young people deserved it. Wish I had seen that.

Stretches: 
Water: 

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

Leftover fried clams, like guests, begin to smell after three days.

A velvet sweat.

It has been rainy and cool. I am happy
with this. The kids make trips into town to get groceries and ice cream, while we lounge around the cabin.

I am working on Metropolis. I am reading the text again, and creating a synopsis. Of course, I could just feed the text (which is available online) into ChatGPT and have a synopsis of whatever length I dictate, and immediately. I could stick my head in the oven. 

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 33:02
Pace: 9:26

This is a summer playlist I can depend upon:

Sweeping Up at Grebe's

Little Red Corvette (Special Dance Mix) - Prince & the Revolution

Don't Change - INXS

Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me - Trio

Saved By Zero - The Fixx

Whenever You're On My Mind - Marshall Crenshaw

Our House - Madness

Is There Something I Should Know? (Monster Mix) - Duran Duran

See link to hear Amir "Questlove" Thompson talk about why the Special Dance Mix of Little Red Corvette is his number one song by Prince.

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 69°
Climate: sunny & bright
Mood: all right

The other day I learned that Duncan Bowen Black, author of Eschaton, is a runner. He wrote a short piece (they're all short pieces) about how AI summaries have been forced onto his running app, and how they are all non-specific but always super positive, which is not only useless but terribly unhelpful. 

"I'm always doing the right thing, somehow. Long and fast? Smashed it! Short and slow? Perfect recovery run! It never says, That was a shit run, pal."

Stretches: yes

Water: yes

Total bummer, however ... the eldest and their partner have had their flights canceled not once (Tuesday) but twice (today). They have decided to cut their losses and are making no new arrangements. This is due to global climate change (see: Canadian wild fire smoke, tornados and flooding in NYC) and the fact that airlines are horrible.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

It seems my weaknesses just keep going strong.

Hey! Me, too!

We settle in. We relax. Long mornings on the deck. No rush. A day can last a long time, if you use it well. Or don't use it at all. The cousins visit, we stay right where we are. We drink, a lot. It's cool.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 32:29
Pace: 9:17

Monday we planned a brief excursion to Damariscotta, it took the day. That's how we roll, out by ten, or ten-thirty, back around three-thirty, then a nap. We did discover a new favorite spot, King Eider's Pub, so that's news. Our old favorite place there, the one with the Bigfoot iconography, that's under new management. Alas.

The evening spent drinking and reading. Oh, and we visited the library. All good.

Except our other child had their flight bumped two days because of air quality. That's life in the 21st century. Not happy about that. 

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 65°
Climate: overcast & cool
Mood: good?

Summer Hits of the 80s*

Working for the Weekend - Loverboy

Head Over Heels - The Go-Go's

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Don't You Want Me - Human League

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves

Toy Soldiers - Martika

Faith - George Michael

Addicted to Love  - Robert Palmer ft. Eric "E.T." Thorngren

I didn't make this playlist. Most of these are not summer hits. No, they are not. I will do better next time.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

I'm chill like that.

Pretty epic.

Here's the thing about my last run, or my last two runs. They were slogs. Often, I am feeling down but when I hit the road I feel great. It's kind of why I do this.

The last two runs, especially on Monday, and in spite of the lighter weather, it took effort to lift my feet. And then on Tuesday I just tapped out at work. I almost passed out, twice, I think. Not feeling well. No pain, no temperature, just malaise, dizziness, exhaustion. I slept thirteen hours on Tuesday night.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 32:19
Pace: 9:13

The consistency, it has been a gift. Sometimes you need time off. We have been driving to Maine, getting in and out of a car has been arduous. Just sitting down. Just walking. Sitting down is actually more difficult that standing up. I need to see a doctor. 

Route: Martin Point Run
Temperature: 67°
Climate: light fluffy clouds & breezy
Mood: good

90s Summer Hip-Hop

Fantastic Voyage - Coolio

Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature

Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) - Digable Planets

They Reminisce Over You - Pete Rock & C.L Smooth

Full Clip - Gang Starr

Slam - Onyx

Award Tour - Tribe Called Quest ft. Trugoy the Dove

Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

And now, we are on vacation. We are in Maine. I did not know if she would be with me, but she is. Beside me, holding hands, reading, drinking, writing, loving. It was a difficult drive (my leg, the weariness) but here we are. Currently at peace. 

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Feeding the rhythm.

Did it, though?

Forty years ago, we were playing at being adult. What does it do to one's immature psyche to be made to believe that just graduating high school is the most monumental thing you have ever accomplished, and that you are an adult and now you need to do adult things? Which is to say, nothing at all. To not have to think about school. To go out, to dance, to have sex.

Not to work, to learn adult skills like cooking, cleaning, accounting. Or how to properly care about other people, to care about anyone but yourself.

I was so in love. I felt freer than I ever had or ever would again. I was lost in the stars.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:50
Pace: 9:37

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 70°
Climate: sunny & warm
Mood: all right

Summer 1986 Mixtape

Sledgehammer (Dance Mix) - Peter Gabriel

The Lady in Red - Chris de Burgh

Danger Zone * - Kenny Loggins

Take My Breath Away * - Berlin

Venus - Bananarama

Howard the Duck - Leah Thompson & Dolby's Cube

Boys Don't Cry (86 Vocal Mix) - The Cure

Not actually a great year for music. Oh, well.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 170 lbs. (+5.0)

We indulged this weekend, it was a mania. Got high, saw lots of shows, drank lots of beer, ate lots of fried food. Yesterday, I had the chance to decompress. The wife and I watched Novelle Vague and Kansas City.

We have listened to the Kansas City soundtrack for thirty years, but never seen the film. The soundtrack is better. One thread of the narrative is a young person, a teenager, who has taken the train from Joplin to Kansas City to go to a maternity hospital. They don't spell it out in great detail, but it is made evident that there are many maternity hospitals in Kansas City, and that young women and girls come from all around to give birth there, for adoption.

What if I had seen that film thirty years ago? Would I have made the connection? Would it have made a difference to my father? 

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

I paid for the beer, man.

Still in the Seventies. Last weekend, our elder child humored me, they let me show them Dazed & Confused, Richard Linklater's second motion picture. Released in 1993, it takes place on the last day of school in 1976, in a small town in Texas.

I told my kid that it's not like other "teen movies" though watching it for the first time in decades, I'm not sure they would agree. It's not zany like some of John Hughes' movies, but it does dwell a great deal on the rude behavior of teenagers and some of it must seem downright psychotic.

Don't care. Love Linklater, love this movie. And it was the first great step into the 1970s revival of the 1990s. We'd spent the 80s loudly mocking the fashion and music of the Me Decade, and then we were handed this gem of a soundtrack. 

And the 90s truly began.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:08
Pace: 9:04

Dazed & Confused (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer

Slow Ride - Foghat

School's Out - Alice Cooper

Jim Dandy - Black Oak Arkansas

Tush - ZZ Top

Cherry Bomb - The Runaways

Fox On the Run - Sweet

Low Rider - War

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 78°
Climate: light clouds and hot
Mood: spirited

The run was great, felt great, not terribly hot. No pain. And yet, my continued exercise is certain exacerbating my sciatica. Also, both knees hurt, and sometimes a lot. I've been seeing many shows at BorderLight this weekend, the plastic chairs are not helping.

Maybe I should take a day off. Today was not that day.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

It's you and me. Forever.

A respite, of sorts. I do not know how long. Mornings spent talking, loving. We drink our coffee black now. I used to drink coffee black, until I met her. She taught me cream and sugar. And then only cream. We change. Coffee is a blessing. I mean, it is the result of conquest, so I probably shouldn't call it a blessing. But I am grateful for the drink.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:45
Pace: 9:35

Still a band of pain around my right calf, and when I sit or stand it can be a minor ordeal. Some days. Other days no problem. The wife thinks I should see a doctor, and she is correct.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: (Spirit of) 76°
Climate: sunny & clear
Mood: grateful

Bicentennial Top 10

Silly Love Songs - Wings

Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band

Kiss and Say Goodbye - The Manhattans

Get Up and Boogie - Silver Connection

I'll Be Good to You - Brothers Johnson

Sara Smile - Hall & Oates

More, More, More Pt. 1 - Andrea True Connection

Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore

I made this playlist last month, expecting to use it on Independence Day, but forgot about it. I probably wouldn't have played it then, anyway. These are songs from Casey Kasem's Weekly Top 40 on July 4, 1976.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-2.0)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: yes

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you.

Homecoming. For now.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 31:26
Pace: 9:40

Music From the Big Love (1994-2024)

For Your Lover Give Some Time - Original company of "Standing at the Sky's Edge"

How Far I'll Go - Auli'l Cravalho

Crosseyed and Painless - Angelique Kidjo

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show

Missing (Little Joey Remix) - Everything But the Girl 

The Luckiest - Ben Fold Five

Tightrope - Janelle Monae

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 73°
Climate: partly cloudy
Mood: hopeful

• London (2024)
• Cleveland (2023)
• Cleveland (1996)
• Cleveland Heights (2022)

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 167 lbs. (+2.0)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

Update: 3:00 PM, flashing in my eye, not sure which, started as small arc before expanding into a large "c" shape and then disappearing without my noticing it had gone.

Nobody said it was easy. Nobody ever said it would be so hard.

It has been nearly a week. I want this to end.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:21
Pace: 9:28
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 73°
Climate: cloudy, clearing
Mood: sad

Music From the Big Love (1994-2024)

The Scientist - Coldplay

Calling All the Monsters - China Anne McClain

Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand

Make Me Feel - Janelle Monae

Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey's Song - Jarvis Cocker

Shenandoah - Rufus Wainwright

All Night Long - Peter Murphy

A Tale - Cirque du Soleil

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

• Cleveland Heights (2023)
• Cleveland (2000)
• Orlando (2000)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

I don't want to feel like we're apart a thousand miles.

I love to make her laugh. I love to hear it.

Distance: 5.9 miles

Duration: 55:01
Pace: 9:19

Music From the Big Love (1994-2024)

Before Today (Adam F Remix) * - Everything But the Girl

No Tomorrow - Orson

Fare Thee Well (Dunk's Song) * - Oscar Isaac & Marcus Mumford

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy

Hell You Talmbout - David Byrne

Life in Quarantine - Benjamin Gibbard

Rehbab  - "Glee" cast

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash

Chaise Longue * - Wet Leg

Wait for It - Leslie Odom Jr.

Flathead - The Fratellis

Run On - Elvis Presley

Honeymoon Suite - Suzanne Vega

Magical Trevor - Mr Weebl

Winnie the Parakeet - Sherry Crane

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus

Route: Forest Hill-Cain Park Loop
Temperature: 81°
Climate: sunny & hot
Mood: not great

• Cleveland (1996)
• Cleveland (2018)
• New York City (2016)
• Memphis (2000)

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: yes

Remember me to one who lives there.

July 2, 2006: Four our seventh anniversary (wool) my wife got me five albums that had the word "wool" in them, either the artist or album title. She got me the "TOCA Race Driver 3: Official Soundtrack" It's the soundtrack to a video game, composed by Plastic Man & the Wool One. Pretty sweet.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:58
Pace: 9:39

Music From the Big Love (1994-2024)

Bandits (Live) - Josh Ritter

Doctor Who Theme (2005) - Murray Gold

Old Town Road - Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

Wise Up - Aimee Mann

Girl From the North Country - Rachel Stern & Company 

Devil Doll - Roy Orbison

Hips Don't Lie - Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean

Dead Sea - Lumineers

This Land is Your Land - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Brimful of Asha - Cornershop

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 81°
Climate: sunny & hot
Mood: coping

• Tucson (2023)
• Clearwater (2000)
• Memphis (2000)
• Chicago (2017)

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Pain on the top of my right foot, around my right calf, in my right glute. All down my right leg.

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Run and hide.

Old friends.

Brother in town, he loves the side porch. So di I. Later the two of us are going to the game.

Taking part of the day off to escort my beloved to a medical consultation.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:30
Pace: 9:11

Fifteen runs in June. Consistency.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 75°
Climate: clear & sunny
Mood: working on it

Sophisti-pop 80s Workout Playlist

It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) - Eurythmics

Blow the House Down - Living in a Box

Mothers Talk - Tears for Fears

Above the Clouds - Paul Weller

Cars & Girls - Prefab Sprout

Tinseltown in the Rain - Blue Nile

Get Back Together - Everything But the Girl

This is my happy place. And I need a happy place right now.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

No, seriously.

Showing out, showing out, hit and run.

Cleveland!

Twenty years ago today, June 27, 2006, marathon training officially began. I happened to be in Vermont, looking after the kids while the wife took classes, pursuant to her MFA.

"Out on RT 2, lush trees and mountains ... and the occasional semi. I'd try to find a path through the woods, but it rained for a day solid yesterday, I can't imagine any of them are at all dry."

A three mile run at 5:00 am in Vermont. Nice.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:37
Pace: 9:13

Brother comes into town this weekend. Time to clean up the house a little. Or at least the spare room.

Sophisti-pop 80s Workout Playlist

Cue Fanfare - Prefab Sprout

Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You - Robert Palmer

What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Pet Shop Boys ft. Dusty Springfield

Love Changes (Everything) - Climie Fisher

Home Town (Live at the Roundabout Theatre) * - Joe Jackson

Robert DeNiro's Waiting - Bananarama

Love Is the Drug - Roxy Music

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 68°
Climate: sunny & warm
Mood: good

Beautiful day, beautiful run. No pain. So much to do, I didn't want to tax myself with a six miler. Maybe next week. Maybe Monday.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

Keep up with the exercises, man.

I think I'm done with the sofa.

The peaceful days. We take the bus. We take the stairs. We watch the games.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:59
Pace: 9:20

I try to avoid eye contact, but this guy really wanted to use my phone to call his woman (that's what he calls her) and I let him, but then my bus arrived and I had to just take the phone out of his hands.

This is a true story.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 74°
Climate: after the rain, perfect
Mood: good!

Outside Playlist

Outside

Spinning the Wheel (Forthright Edit)

Soul Free (Special Radio Edit)

Monkey (Extra Beats)

Careless Whisper (Tonight The Music Seems So Loud) sped up

I Want Your Sex (Rhythm 1)

Too Funky

Happy birthday, Yog.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

I'm saturated.

So, I have developed another bout of sciatica. Alas. It's on the right side, just above the glute, and goes all the way down through my calf. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that's also why it feels like I pulled a string in my right big toe. Or maybe that is why I feel that. 

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:37
Pace: 9:13

"He looked at his friends. He saw these beings who never wearied, unless from sport -- who never sweated, unless for sport -- who were never out of breath, unless from sport. Beings requiring their joyous games in order that their food and drink might agree with them, in order to be able to sleep well and digest easily."

- "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 62°
Climate: lovely
Mood: good

Lovely day off yesterday. Much personal work accomplished. Return to my desk for the first time in three weeks, all of June. Imagine working.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (+2.0)

Okay, working on a period accurate summer mixtape for the year 1988, and by that I mean tracks I was actually listening to at that time -- and recently released. Which begs the question ... should I include a song from Joy Division? A CD collection called Substance (also the title of New Order's greatest hits collection, released the previous fall) dropped in July 1988, exposing myself and countless others to the band.

This is is why, amongst Never Tear Us Apart by INXS and The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen, it makes sense that Love Will Tear Us Apart is in Donnie Darko.

I think I just answered my own question.

Summer 1988 Mixtape (in progress)

Guns In the Sky (Kick Ass Mix) - INXS

Monkey (Jam & Lewis Remix) - George Michael

Spark (acoustic) - The Church

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Suedehead - Morrissey

(Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: TBA

Incidental highs.

Gabriel & Dresden's eponymous debut album was released twenty years ago, on June 1, 2006. My first record of having run to any of its tracks was Tracking Treasure Down, in February 2007.

The first time I ran to the entire album was on April 28 of that year. 

"I have been waiting some time to attempt a run listening to the entire Gabriel and Dresden album. That's my record of the year. I picked up a track on iTunes a few weeks back and really liked it, and then they started the "complete your album" promotion and so I got the whole thing — which includes the entire album mixed as one, uninterrupted track. Except for this Pink Floyd-esque thing right in the middle, the entire record makes for a dynamite run."

Distance: 5.9 miles

Duration: 55:35
Pace: 9:25

A few downbeat tracks are a bit of a drag, and the whole thing is one hour thirteen. Today, I have chosen a mix which suits my recent summer weekend loop. It's one of the only albums I have returned to (and more than twice) as part of Albums For Running.

Gabriel & Dresden - Gabriel & Dresden (2006)

Let Go

Enemy

Dust In the Wind

Mass Repeat

Closer

Sydney

Dangerous Power

Tracking Treasure Down

 

Route: Forest Hill-Cain Park Loop 
Temperature: 69°
Climate: nice
Mood: mostly good

So, no. It was not something I listened to while training for New York in 2006. But it was a major inspiration while I was writing And Then You Die. It is my mid-life crisis soundtrack. Regret, yearning, aspiration, doubt, determination, guilt, and on and on. 

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 163 lbs. (-3.0)

Heading out I had pain in two points in the back of my right knee. Unpleasant, not debilitating, and it subsided soon enough.

Around mile five, I got a sharp pain on the inside of my left knee cap, and that was debilitating. I stretched, I hobbled, I endured. It, too, subsided. Oof.

Anyway, here's Father's Day.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: tba

Sit-Ups: yes

Girl, indeed. I can run it.

Camp has closed for the year. And a perfectly wonderful Bunbury it was.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:43
Pace: 9:15

Managing the rest of the season should (should) be a breeze. A more flexible schedule, and the opportunity to cross-train. To maintain. There are also vacation moments, which should not necessarily be taken as a chance to pack fried food stuffs.

I also hope to get a lot of reading in.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 61°
Climate: clear skies
Mood: good

"I didn't know much about Shakespeare before I came here" Arif said. "I'm learning so much about him and his work everyday. Each time I read something that Shakespeare has written, I get the feeling that I understand everything that he is saying. The next day, though I discover something else in those same words that I didn't know the day before. And the next day, one more thing."

- "Shakespeare in Kabul" by Stephen Landrigan and Qais Akbar Omar

I’m enjoying this book. I was an arrogant young man, and I have found the only way forward is to learn humility. It is a hard lesson.

And it's Juneteenth, white man. Atone.

Clean Juneteenth Party Playlist (up tempo)

Can You Feel It - The Jacksons

Golden - Jill Scott

Good Times - Chic

Run it! - Chris Brown ft. Juelz Santana

Bustin' Loose - Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (+2.0)

Last night, to celebrate the end of camp, I packed myself with fried food stuffs.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

When I’m moving too fast.

Something else summer makes me think of: R.E.M. My interest in the band dropped off after they signed with Warner Brothers, their IRS cannon is just spectacular. 

While I enjoyed singles like Pop Song 89 and Losing My Religion (one of my favorite songs of all time) albums like Green and Out of Time don't hold up ... and don't get me started on every Gen Xer's favorite, Automatic for the People, which is straight-up trash.

No, seriously. If you like listening to Man on the Moon, you're an idiot. 

Distance: 4 miles

Duration: 37:50
Pace: 9:27

The jangling pop stylings of this Athenians quartet came at just the right moment for me as I was expanding my musical sensibilities as I was approaching adulthood. I jumped on in the summer of 1985, with their third album, Fables of the Reconstruction, and worked my way back.

For me, Reckoning is a long drive down a rural two-lane highway (in my case, one in Maine) lost in thought and regret. It's peaceful and melodic and ruminative but also spirited and upbeat. 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 59°
Climate: bright & cool
Mood: good

Reckoning - R.E.M. (1984)

Harborcoat

7 Chinese Bros.

So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)

Pretty Persuasion

Time After Time (Annelise)

Second Guessing

Letter Never Sent

Camera

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville

Little America

The other night, the wife and I watched a documentary about Squeeze. It was apparent how the band lost interest for me, and everyone else, when they became overproduced and immediately sounded like absolutely everyone else.

I appreciate that artists need to expand, to create new things. But when what they did in the first place is so affecting, and what they do later is not, I don't need to remain a fan.

You know who is good at experimenting and can also return to form and also consistently creates great work? That's right. Elvis Costello.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 163 lbs. (+1.0)

When I was a sophomore at O.U. I bought the VHS collection of music videos called R.E.M. Succumbs.

"An introductory clip at the beginning of the collection features guitarist Peter Buck and the band's then-manager, Jefferson Holt, introducing "citizens of the future" to an "outmoded artform" called the "video", predicting it would have a staying power similar to that of Nehru jackets and other forgotten fads." - Wikipedia

He wasn't wrong. But what the tape did include was an experimental (see: non-narrative) short film called Left of Reckoning, directed by James Herbert and shot at Whirligig farm. The soundtrack was the first ("left") side of Reckoning without drawing any literal or figurative connection to the music itself.

I must have watched that short film dozens of times during my college years, and then never again. 

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Seem to have pulled a string in my right cheek. It is a pain, indeed. Standing, sitting, getting out of the car — having to drive well over thirty minutes, both ways. I wish I could take the bus.

A clock in my heart.

Summer will always take me back to my teenage years, and specifically the summer of 1983. It was kind of a big deal. So, the music. The "Sweeping Up at Grebe's" playlist is an epic for me, a real crossing over point, from what to what else I do not know. But the masturbation was compulsory.

Too much? I don't even care anymore. The staged reading this weekend was so rewarding, how do I capitalize upon that?

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:21
Pace: 9:28

Sweeping Up at Grebe's

Pleasure of Love (Instrumental) - Tom Tom Club

Promised You a Miracle (US Remix) - Simple Minds

Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

Oblivious - Aztec Camera

Time (Clock of the Heart) - Culture Club

I Melt With You - Modern English

The Safety Dance (Extended Dance Version) - Men Without Hats

Yes, very important (especially on a morning like this one) to have chosen the music in advance. I did not have the bandwidth for much even after an hour of drinking coffee, water, and writing.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: overcast & cool
Mood: all right

Big storms last night. We were spared the worst. Brought the temperature down. Light cool run.

I do not even remember running through the woods, at all. Most of this run I was way back in my subconscious.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 162 lbs. (-1.0)

The readings on Saturday were very special. I've been wanting to hear this play read before a live audience for years. And the laughter was full, the jokes were understood, and the story shocked. It rocked. People cared. And they believed. It was so rewarding.

What will happen?

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

Like a perp frozen in your headlights who forgot to run.

"Comedy of Errors"
Cleveland Shakespeare Festival

Big month for the writing. Progress on a new work, a reading today at Clague Playhouse, and a new publication!

Distance: 5.75 miles

Duration: 52:18
Pace: 9:05

Good habits. I still take the stairs, always. And I have incorporated a glass of water into my morning routine, every day.

Route: Forest Hill-Cain Park Run
Temperature: 74°→76°
Climate: hot!
Mood: good

... but a little headachy. Allergies? Slept too warm? This has happened twice recently. Don't care for it.

Still, awesome run. Juneteenth celebration starting up at Cain Park. People on the streets. And yes, a longer run -- I get IDEAS. I need to jot them down, but they are very helpful.  

New 2026 Playlist

Situation - Johnny Blue Skies

Switch Up - Mike D

Be Great - Jill Scott ft. Trombone Shorty

Hoes - LIzzo ft. Sexyy Red

Going Shopping - The Strokes

mangetout (the Dare remix) - Wet Leg

The Deal Pt. 2 - Aaron Tveit, Nicholas Christopher & the company of "Chess"

Riptides - Death Cab for Cutie

Victim of Luck - Metric

Somewhere Else - Tomora ft. Aurora & Tom Rowlands

Fabulous - Meek

Universal Soldier - Depeche Mode

Talk to Me - Robyn

Ready, Steady, Go! - Harry Styles

Maybe I'm the Reason - Dev Lemons

I have been writing, consistently, for two weeks. It has been a while since I have been or have had the capacity (i.e. time) to keep a consistent schedule of creation. Mostly it's been journaling, which I have to remind myself is also a good thing to do, but I also need to storyboard, to think about the world of the play, to create a backstory that makes the narrative make sense. Today I made progress on a very important scene, one which will be original to this adaptation, and provide a history to certain characters whose past is shrouded in myth in the original.

How did this place come to be? And how, in such a relatively short period of time? Why here, and now?

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 163 lbs. (-2.0)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

Don't forget me when I'm gone.

Last day of camp for the week. Isn't that great? The week ends Thursday. I'll be in the office tomorrow, it will feel like a day off. The kids have been super, so far. The high school team is working on splash scenes from The Importance of Being Earnest. 

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:49
Pace: 9:18
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 73°
Climate: overcast & hot
Mood: all right!

Yes, morning run. Well done. I got eight hours last night, the first in some time (honestly, two nights in a row is too long) but I woke at 1 AM to jack up the a/c. I had a headache. I no longer do.

Forget About Me (The Breakfast Club Play) Playlist

Oh Yeah - Yello

Jerk - Olive Tree

Dream Montage - Gary Chang

Are You Ready for the Sex Girls - Gleaming Spires

Left of Center - Suzanne Vega ft. Joe Jackson

Garden Song - Phoebe Bridgers

If You Were Here - Thompson Twins

Sunflower - Post Malone ft. Swae Lee

Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) - Glass Tiger

We have been properly abstemious. I had a beer last night. One drink. Because I was writing and relaxing. I have told myself never to drink when I am making dinner, I'll just want another one.

Clear head. A little weary. Ready to face the day. 

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: yes

Stay on the streets of this town.

Theater camp! So many moving pieces, and yet. It’s cool, you know? And it’s a great team. And great campers. I know it’s only the second day, but things feel healthy.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:35
Pace: 9:13

Last night we went to the game, we lost in the tenth. You know, they keep doing these things to pick up the pace, but they can’t speed up the time it takes to put in a pitcher.

And yet, I feel good. And the camp week is now half over. Funny how the time goes by.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 85°
Climate: sunny & hot
Mood: good!

Forget About Me (The Breakfast Club Play) Playlist

Don't You (Forget About Me) 12" Version - Simple Minds

March of the Swivel Heads - The Beat

Dancing in the Dark - Lucy Dacus

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

She Plays Bass - beabadoobe

The Middle - Zedd ft. Maren Morris & Grey

Weird Science - Oingo Boingo

See You at Your Funeral - PUP

Got a Zoom rehearsal tonight for a public reading of a new play script this weekend. Made what the kids call an "inspo" playlist.

Stretches: does camp count?
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-2.0)

Hot run!

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

I sense. I feel.

Pride weekend in the CLE. I thought of dropping in, but I have many things to do, many beautiful, creative things, right here at home. That, and the cat always wants to be outside these days. He used to rummage around in the tall grass, now he just wants to laze in the sun. Who can blame him.

Distance: 4.4 miles

Duration: 41:00
Pace: 9:20

Metropolis - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1984)

Love Kills - Freddie Mercury

Here's My Heart - Pat Benatar

Cage of Freedom - Jon Anderson

Blood From a Stone - Cycle V

The Legend of Babel - Giorgio Moroder

Here She Comes - Bonnie Tyler

Destruction - Loverboy

On Your Own - Billy Squier

What's Going On - Adam Ant

Machines - Giorgio Moroder

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 68°
Climate: light fluffy clouds & breezy
Mood: determined

Georgio Moroder's experiment in reviving this classic silent film has dated somewhat, the film is timeless but the songs aren't -- with the exception of his own instrumental themes. Machines is a very important track to me. 

Machines is 1984. It is the future. It is Metropolis. It's iconic. Timeless. 

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 167 lbs. (+4.0)

It's not just that we returned to drinking, those those calories are real. It's the junk food that comes with it and I ate a lot yesterday, a Saturday. I even had a stress dream about driving into a McDonald's (not like, crashing into it, I was driving my car down an aisle) that had a build it yourself burger bar that was utterly disgusting.

It gets worse, after building my burger I accidentally dropped it into a wastebasket and fished it out. That is how bad my subconscious feels about the dinner I had last night.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

It's great to see you but I'm running late.

Took a dip yesterday, I was so thrilled to wake up all alert and positive on Wednesday only to be totally exhausted by the end of that day and dragging my ass Thursday morning. But hey, you're not twenty-one anymore. I mean, in maturity, sure. But just because you have briefly stopped intoxicating yourself, you're not just going to reset.

Speaking of being twenty-one again, I choose College Music.

"Fields suck."

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 28:04 (no lights!)
Pace: 9:03

Four dry days. All right, then.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 78°
Climate: sunny & hot 
Mood: apprehensive

Time to make the calls.

College Playlist (1986-1990)

Monkey (Extra Beats) - George Michael

I Don't Want to Be a Hero - Johnny Hates Jazz

Kiss - Prince & the Revoilution

Begin the Begin - R.E.M.

Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix) - Depeche Mode

Guns in the Sky (Kookaburra Mix) - INXS

The Beaten(en) Generation - The The

Was It Worth It? (12" Mix) - Pet Shop Boys

Stretches: sorta
Water: yes
Weight: 163 lbs. (-1.0)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: TBA

He running the game.

Twenty years ago, on June 11, 2006, I received confirmation that I had been accepted into that year's New York City Marathon.

"How the hell does one train for a marathon? I have books, and have consulted websites, and yet I am still trying to figure out how to work it into the schedule. Not the race, the training."

This language, or something very close to it, was used in And Then You Die. I was very aware that I would be directing, which is to say directing a production of HAMLET, directing a production of Hamlet ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN at the same time I would be deep into training.

"I am going to have to spend the month of September going to bed at midnight and waking up at 4."

And indeed, I was.

June 11, 2006 Playlist

All That She Wants - Ace of Base

Push It - Salt N Pepa

Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson

8 Mile - Eminem

The Way - Fastball

Crystal Wrists - Peter Murphy

Someday, Someway - Marshall Crenshaw

Let Go - Frou Frou

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 27:38
Pace: 8:54

These are the beautiful days. So often, we go straight from too cold and rainy directly to hot and torrid. These days are cool in the morning, but not too cool. Wrapped up on the deck, writing or reading, then parading about town in a light jacket. It's lovely.

And the runs are swell!

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 56°
Climate: perfect
Mood: very good

Two days dry. I think I woke for a moment in the night, and went right back to sleep. Slept until my alarm and woke refreshed, head clear, free of pain. It's a decision, the pleasant torpor of drink and drugs, or energy and awareness. I haven't wanted to be aware, for months. 

90s Pride Playlist

Finally - CeCe Peniston

Fireball - Pitbull ft. John Ryan

Red Alert - Basement Jaxx

Can't Get Blue Monday out of My Head - Kylie Minogue

It's My Life - Dr. Alban

Show Me Love - Robin S

Love Me Right (Oh Sheila) - Angel City ft. Lara McAllen

Okay, so? Not all from the 90s, I'm not mad.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 164 lbs. (-1.0)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA

Sit-Ups: yes

Make you feel like a queen on a throne.

Got to choose the playlist the night before, just got to. And what better way to celebrate the first day of June?

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 27:38
Pace: 8:54

And speaking of new beginnings, I need a detox. This last week -- no, let's be honest, for weeks, months, even, I have been drinking consistently, every night. At least one drink, but usually two. And since the wife has been out of town, there has been a nightly use of additional toxicants.

It is June, The school year is complete. You can rest now. And you need to prepare for camp. 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 60°
Climate: perfect 
Mood: strong!

Straight back, full chest, tight stomach, head high, feels good.

80s Gay Club Party

Relax (Come Fighting) - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys

Express Yourself - Madonna

Love With Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

Stop! - Erasure

Boy - Book of Love

Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite

Enola Gay - OMD

But seriously, I spent twenty minutes looking absolutely everywhere I went yesterday (inside the house -- I never left the house yesterday) from attic to basement and everywhere in-between, searching for my earbuds.

I gave up, resigned to eventually run without them, and returned to the book I had set on the deck ... and there were my earbuds, next to the book. No reason. Just took them outside this morning. Give them some air.

I really need to lay off the brownies. 

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

What if no alcohol?

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Life is short.

A chore-free Saturday. How far will we run?

Distance: 5.75 miles

Duration: 53:45
Pace: 9:20

The wife is having a tremendous west coast adventure (see photo) and I am celebrating the completion of the school year.

When she goes out of town, I have these fantasies of organizing and de-cluttering and that often lasts six hours on the first day.

As she is out over two weekends, not just one, I am hoping to accomplish more than usual. The weather has lifted my spirits.

Route: Forest Hill-Cain Park Loop
Temperature: 60°
Climate: ideal
Mood: good

Yesterday and today, I have felt pain across my chest. Not like "chest pain" but more like muscle pain, perhaps from overexertion, I do not know. After this run, I do not feel it any longer. 

High School Run (1982-1985)

Fantastic Day (12" Version) (152 bpm) - Haircut One Hundred

Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade

Doctor! Doctor! (Phil Thornalley Remix) - Thompson Twins

New Religion (Carnival Remix) - Duran Duran

Don't Box Me In (160 bpm) - Stewart Copeland ft. Stanard Ridgway

Two Minute Warning - Depeche Mode

New Kind of Kick - The Cramps

Hello Again - The Cars

Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life - Indeep

What Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) (Unsocial Mix) - Wham!

Black Diamond - The Replacements

Baby I'm a Star - Prince & the Revolution

(You Can Still) Rock In America (165 bpm) - Night Ranger

I Confess - The Beat

Remarkable, a longer run, a slower run, a casual run, a beautiful run. The result? My mind went places it does not normally go on a shorter run. I started thinking about the future, not the past, making plans for camp, for the writing workshop, and also the Wilde scene work.

Exercise is good. Thinking is better.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

If you watch a David Lynch movie before bed, don't be surprised if you have odd dreams.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

We did it again! Fifteen runs in a month. Consistency. Three months running, a streak I have not maintained since 2023, the last period when I would try to run every day. It is a conscious choice not to run every day (unless making up for a missed day) and it has kept me, for the time being, from injury.

Leaving me here on my own.

The days are full and occupied. I have something of a groove? The running, yes. And the writing, journaling mostly, but there's also the reading. Turning old ideas around in my head, trying to see something new, to interpret a classic story through a modern lens.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 27:42
Pace: 8:55 

Putting things away, throwing things away, selling them on eBay. Yesterday, I adjudicated the annual Shakespeare competition at a local independent school. That went well. Making phone calls, trying to learn new things about potential candidates.  

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 61°
Climate: beautiful
Mood: good!

"Can one confide oneself to somebody of whom one knows nothing but how his laugh sounds."

- "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (-0-)

Stayed up a bit too late last night, the kid came home from the studio and we sat up, just hanging out on the deck. Then Tiger wanted some 2:00 AM attention. Anyway, I didn't think I'd be up for a run this morning. But I am.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

What's That Lyric?

Cruel Summer - Bananarama

I need to choose what I am going to run to the night before. It is stressful trying to choose right before I step out. Not like big stress, but it brings me down. And it's not necessary.

Saturday run? High school music. I think.

Nice try. Get out the way.

One more week in the school year. Soon we will put this mess behind us, I hope. It's not even a full week, and yet. It feels as though a month is laid out before me.

Last night, I heard some reassuring words. Sometimes I lose faith. Sometimes faith is provided to me without my asking.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 27:53
Pace: 8:59

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 63°
Climate: gorgeous
Mood: let's go!

"Nothing happens in Metropolis which does not come to my father's ears."

- "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou (See: Matthew 10:29)

Stretches: yes
Water: no
Weight: 165 lbs. (+1.0)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

What's That Lyric?

mangetout (The Dare Remix) - Wet Leg

Wonder why you stopped getting high.

The wife has departed for points west, not to return for almost two weeks. The elder will join me in a day or so, but they have such a busy schedule I will still be largely on my own.

The school year winds to a close, there is so much yet to do. The question is whether I will be able to take advantage of my time alone to be productive, remain focused, and feel satisfied with how I am spending my time.

Distance: 3.2 miles

Duration: 28:35
Pace: 8:55

Prepared my first batch of cannabis brownies last night, yes, a 57 year-old man making the pot brownies. Would I be successful? I was. They hit after about an hour, I wisely took a modest sample because they turned out to be pleasantly potent. For the first time in many days, I slept well and long -- and still woke up before eight am. What a weekend! 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 68°
Climate: partly cloudy & nice
Mood: mellow

"For the inventive spirit of man there is no Utopia: there is only a Not-yet."

- "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou

"And if you use crack now ... get help now!"
- Jenny Lewis (1986)

Block Rockin' Weekend - The Current

Charles Bradley:

   Changes

   Heart of Gold

   Stay Away

Hank Williams:

   Your Cheatin' Heart

   Jambalaya on the Bayou (165 BPM)

   Honky Tonk Blues

Jenny Lewis:

   Red Bull & Hennessey

   Heads Gonna Roll

My shins, both of them, have been stressed. No doubt the result of a week spent on my feet, teaching three days of classes in schools. I will take additional ibuprofen and wear some bandages.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 164 lbs. (-1.0)

It's easier to manage my intake when I am alone. I set alarms for meals so I'm not thinking about it. But then I don't have to wonder; when does she get home? Six? Seven? Eight-thirty? We had dinner Friday night after 9 PM, of course I was snacking before then.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes