Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy.

Domino run.

So, shortly after we went running yesterday the temperature dropped, and about four inches of wet, heavy snow dropped on the ground. Now it's all melting everywhere.

Sorry. Oh, so sorry. Weather, weather, weather. BORING.

Time to get into the bright, sunshiny slush and beat feet around the neighborhood. Fifteen runs in March.

Temperature: 36°
Distance: 1.75 miles

A bit winded. Tired of this, had to stay in the street in my neighborhood. One day soon, I will take the girl with me on my traditional 3.25 miles route. That will be a good day, indeed.

1970 Playlist
Domino - Van Morrison
Canto de Ossanha (Let Go) - Astrud Gilberto
Mama Told Me Not To Come - Randy Newman
Everyone - Van Morrison
Lola - Kinks

All the heaven’s in motion.

Feels like I have not run in a long time. It has been since Sunday, and that is too long. Much to do, no time for myself. Yesterday we had something like a Spring day in the morning, my drive to work left me irritable, because I knew it wouldn’t last.

Hate this part, waiting for the better weather. Not today, not tomorrow. Tuesday should be in the sixties. You read this? Living for the future … but not in the good way.

Temperature: 34°
Distance: 4 miles
Weight: 173.5 lbs.

Shabbos. Time to accomplish something. Filling a notebook with words, in my terrible, terrible handwriting. With pages I can go back and forth in time, taking brief glimpses of rubbish constructed in half-sleep, and entire sheets of dialogue which doesn’t suit but can be edited.

What did we lose by abandoning the typewriter? Composing everything, errors and all, then thoughtfully correcting with red pen, for a final rewrite. Two sheets of paper. Today, I print the margins wrong and print it again to find I spelled the recipient’s name wrong. That’s three sheets of paper and I’m not through yet.

I’m not speaking in the abstract, that happened yesterday.

1990 Playlist
New Power Generation - Prince
Vogue - Madonna
Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
World In My Eyes [Mode To Joy] - Depeche Mode
Tokoloshe Man - Happy Mondays
Now I’m Following You (Part 2) - Madonna
Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe

Never trust a big butt and a smile. Word.

Had a cramp for the first time in I can't remember how long. Flared up in my back, inside my left shoulder blade. Just keep running, that's all you can do. Hurt at the time, can't feel it at all now.

Girl Run
Temperature: 36°
Distance: .85 mile

Made a to-do list for such a day, things to do with kids or on my own which are both helpful (for example, chores) or just for fun. Board games, mopping floors, reading, organizing the attic. Also on that list was “go running with girl”.

We keep pace together, she is running very well. Her breathing very good. She has been diagnosed with asthma, but it doesn’t flare up often and she rarely uses her inhaler.

We took a quick lap of the block, so much more easily than last time when the sidewalks were chock-a-block with mounds of ice and puddles. If the weather were nicer I would have encouraged her to take another lap.

Talk about moving.

Ran past a fat-breasted robin on Euclid Heights Blvd. with a worm dangling from its beak. Reals.

SOON ...

Temperature: 21°
Climate: Snow. Sure. Whatever.
Distance: 3.25 miles

Cold day, but bright. Some days it's just about the running, or the music. Today it was all thinking, turning over words I have been reading, or writing. People I plan to engage in conversation, and what I will ask them with the precious time allowed.

Longing for better weather, and longer runs. I want to reach the India pavilion on MLK, to commune with the Mahātmā. Today we slept in late, which was odd and refreshing. No writing this morning, just rest. And that is a good thing, too. But with warmer weather I will be inspired to earlier runs, and I look forward to those.

Time expands, thoughts churn and define themselves. Two weeks ago I thought I had no story. Now I have one. Soon I will have two, and then three. And then the great work will begin.

1980 Playlist
Pretty In Pink - The Psychedelic Furs
Take This Town - XTC
She's Lost Control - Joy Division
Funkytown (12" Version) - Lipps Inc.
Red Light - Linda Clifford
Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project

Afternoon update:

Girl On The Run
Temperature: 23°
Running: 2.2 miles
Walking: 1 mile

When I got back from my run, I remembered I had promised the girl a run today. We headed out to the track, and I was impressed that she could run one mile without stopping, and then after a short water break, a second. We walked a mile, I gave tips, she filled me in on her partners in GOTR, and then a final lap to make a complete 3.2 miles.

The GOTR 5K is on May 18th, which is also the boy's ninth birthday.  She hopes to make the entire 3.1 mile course without stopping, and I assured her that at this rate that will not be a problem.

I was just some towhead teen.

Last week one of the younger people I work with was stationed at my alma mater. He must have been seriously bored, because he went through all the yearbooks in the library, found pictures of me, then posted them on Facebook.

I was impressed. Not merely because I didn't know I looked that good in high school, but also by the photos themselves. It wasn't until I moved into the larger world that I realized how many people I went to school with were obsessively good at what they did. Our yearbook had higher quality layout, photos and design than the New York Times.

Temperature: 37°
Distance: 3.25 miles

As the wife put it, today was a real Cleveland day. The ladies went to orchestra rehearsal at CIM, then we all took the Rapid to Tower City for the Cleveland International Film Festival, for a series of family-oriented short film (several of which were horrifying and made children howl to leave the theater) and the feature-length Anina, which was really super.

You know what's depressing, though? We knew Tower City was a boondoggle - because all shopping malls are eventually, often sooner than later, vacant, depressing hobo traps. However, I did think it had been that long since I have visited Tower City, and what appalled me is the fountain. At the very least, the fountain was always something to look at and enjoy. But it's broken, several spouts are spraying harshly, the waters no longer dance. It's just like this insane, over-sized middle school water fountain.

Anyway, the cinema was bright and festival and very-well organized, and crowded and exciting. So bravo to those guys. After, we took the train back and had big dinner at Tommy's.

So I just ran on an M.R.4 and a my share of a plate of fries. I like running, but forethought would have been nice.

Still waiting for that nice, cool Spring weather. Apparently I will be waiting until Thursday.

2010 Playlist
Fuck You! - Cee-Lo Green
Down By The Water - The Decemberists
Cynthia - Millionyoung 
Melodia de Semba - Killamu
Firework - Katy Perry
Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette
Like 'Em All - Jacob Latimore ft. Diggy Simmons

I'm not here. This isn't happening.

2000 Playlist

- or -

"Kid A" by Radiohead

Everything In Its Right Place

Kid A

The National Anthem

How To Disappear Completely

Optimistic

Idioteque

Temperature: 36°
Distance: 3.25 miles

Happy first day of Spring.

They're generating steam heat.

Girls On The Run
Temperature: 38°
Distance: 1 mile

The girl brought a friend along and we hit the track - this time, five laps. Thought it was fifty degrees, but apparently not. Gonna do another quick two before taking the boy to drum practice. No time to reflect.

Distance: 2 miles

Five day forecast: Rain, snow, rain, snow, sun. Cleveland!

1976 Playlist
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Rip Her To Shreds - Blondie
Teenage Depression - Eddie & The Hot Rods
Dancing Queen - ABBA
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Beat On The Brat - The Ramones
Car Wash - Rolls Royce

Well, you may run on for a long time.

We will ruin everything.

1966 Playlist

Run On - Elvis Presley

Substitute - The Who

Goodbye Sadness - Astrud Glberto

Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones

The Last Train To Clarksville - The Monkees

Sock It 'Em J.B. Part 1 - Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers

Sunshine Superman - Dovovan

Barefootin' - Robert Parker

Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys

Temperature: 21°

Distance: 3.25 miles