The crime was looking up the truth.

Thank God, it's Presidents Day. We had a lovely weekend with my wife's family, celebrating the life of her eldest uncle. I do love spending time with her family, very much. They are all so thoughtful, compassionate and creative. The service was remarkable. It was held in a chapel in Hyde Park, the priest gave the most sincerely affecting homily, I don't believe I have ever left a memorial service feeling so hopeful.

At the same time, I was nursing my cold and felt a bit stand-offish. I wanted to thank her, to thank the musician at the reception, our hosts, but I kept losing the moment. I can still do these things (well, not for the guitarist) and will make a note to do so.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Duration: 34:21
Pace: 9:49

We took the Lake Shore Limited. We discussed the possibility of never flying into NYC again. True, it takes half a day to get there, but so what? It's so much cheaper, the taxi from LaGuardia to wherever we're staying -- one way -- is one hundred bucks all by itself, and you get dropped off in the heart of the city! And it's not like air travel has anything to recommend it, it's maybe half the time, all told, right? Six hours, as opposed to twelve?

And you can read on the train, take a walk, relocate for a bit, they have acceptable food options, or you can bring your own. 

Then again, returning home today. Not sleeping on the coach, and it was so cold. I am so sick and tired of cold. Pulling in at 4:00 am. The day is a complete write-off. Thank God, it's Presidents Day.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 50°
Climate: sunny & lovely
Mood: more determined than ever

Pavement damp, puddled, or clogged with crispy snow. Nearly wiped out twice from slipping, once almost falling forward, the second to the side. Still, ran steady but easy, stopping when necessary, into the street when the sidewalk was high with snow and the street was free.

First outdoor run since the Turkey Trot, first park run since November 22. The gym is so even, so controlled, so predictable (others notwithstanding) the outdoors makes me breath harder, think harder, move harder. It is more taxing to run outdoors. It is more rewarding.

1992 Playlist

One Place (Acoustic) - Everything But the Girl

Eastern Bloc - Thomas Dolby

Mama's Always On Stage - Arrested Development

Television is the Drug of the Nation - Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

We Are Each Other - Beautiful South

Humpin' Around - Bobby Brown

Galileo - Indigo Girls

The King of Wishful Thinking - Go West

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 161 lbs. (+1.0)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: TBA

Straight to your heart.

Twenty years ago, on February 14, 2006, I noted how I felt running would prolong my life. I said that I hoped our elder child to be "older than this before I die." I was thirty-seven then. They are now twenty-three. So I just need to hang on another fourteen years.

February 14, 2006 Playlist

Remember the Time - Michael Jackson

Closer to God - Nine Inch Nails

Party Machine - Hoodoo Gurus

All Night Long - Peter Murphy

Burning Love - Elvis Presley

Atom Bomb (Atomix 1) - Fluke

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

Run On - Elvis Presley

Distance: 3 miles

Duration: 28:36

This weekend we took the train to Poughkeepsie for a celebration of life event. I have suffered a cold the past few days (it started in while I was teaching Wednesday afternoon) and while I could have taken the mile long walk from Toni's cousin's place to the hotel, I am weary of being cold.

Temps pick up this week, for a bit. But will the pavement in East Cleveland be clear enough for the first outdoor run of 2026? We shall see.

Site: Heartwood Hotel at Vassar (exercise room, treadmill)
Temperature: 30°
Climate: cool & clear
Mood: addled

2012 Playlist

Another Night - Claptone

Five Seconds - Twin Shadow

Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch

I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift

Default - Django Django

Youth Without Youth - Metric

Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

We're reading more books! I made it a goal to read twenty books (or full length scripts) in 2026, and recently finished both Dark Renaissance by Stephen Greenblatt and Monsters by Claire Dederer.

"Love is not reliant on judgment, but on a decision to set judgment aside."

- Claire Dederer, Monsters

Now onto the play script, Up Your Ass by Valerie Solanas. Happy Valentine's Day!

Interlude

CLE in CHI

We are in Chicago. And by we I mean Chris, Allie and I. We began this journey together and we will finish it together, I on the course, and they showing support.

We decided upon the train. Chris had never taken Amtrak! I am not certain, but I believe I have not taken a train since before we had living children. I wondered if it was the same, or if cutbacks had made it unpleasant.

Rest assured, it's the same. Wide seats, and plenty of them. Years of legroom. We boarded at three in the morning, and I stayed awake for a short while, writing, looking out into the darkness. And while coach is not the most comfortable place to sleep, sleep I did.

It's very relaxing taking the train. No one rushes about, it is a very not-tense way to travel. And quite possibly the cheapest. I keep waiting for the airline industry to collapse, but it won't. The government will continue to prop up planes, and Amtrak will go the way of the streetcar and the stagecoach.

Chicago was raining was when we arrived at Union Station, and we had a choice; take our car to Andersonville and drop off our things first, or to head straight for the Expo.

We chose the latter. I am quite used to carrying my bags with me through crowded spaces, and we successfully got our packets (Chris calls it the $200 T-shirt) and I was able to get a new glasses strap and some yummy, yummy gels.

We are staying at the apartment of Chris's best friend Ben. It's a beautiful place, and a real Chicago townhouse, with a wood pantry off the kitchen, cabinets in the short halls between rooms. It is a gift to be able to stay at a place like this, on a weekend like this.

Apart from a bagel just before the train arrived, however, we had not had anything to eat. "Breakfast" was at 1:00 PM (CT) at Pauline's Breakfast which was just exactly what was necessary, in sustenance and decor.

A little later there's a reception for members of TEAM CHALLENGE, and our apartment is literally a five minute walk from the Neo-Futurists ... so guess what we're doing tonight?