Running Between The Raindrops

Morning weigh-in: oops! forgot to weigh in...

Good towpath ride last night. Radar showed storms to north & south, but I-78 corridor was clear so I took the chance. Not a fast ride, but steady -- until it looked like a storm was coming so I cranked up the speed on the way back. Time was 1:36, not bad, and I just barely beat the storm.

Tonight is the gym.

Reading: Still on Black Swan Green. Interesting, it's all first-person singular, following one character, but the book's structure is still pure David Mitchell: every chapter is a new story, each fairly separate from the rest but each building a part of the larger story. What was that word, vignettes?

I Am The Owl

Morning weigh-in: 178#, 12% BF

Everything Comes Back To A Dead Kennedys Song: The CIA took themselves a big document dump, of stuff they did from 1959 to 1973 or so, that they thought might have been illegal -- they're calling it the "Family Jewels." For the past few days this has been the buzz internet story -- but this ain't news, any more than it's news that professional wrestling is fake, even when a wrestler admits it's fake.

"...in ten years or so we'll leak the truth,

but by then it's only so much paper!"

-- Dead Kennedys, "I Am The Owl"

Anyway, Svaroopa yoga last night, followed by dinner at Which Brew, where I saw Fred & Lara fresh (or not so fresh) off the plane from France. They were there for a friend's wedding, just got home, jet-lagged and no food in the house... I had some Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat, presumably Maine blueberries in it because that's where Sea Dog is located. Meantime, I'm all for local stuff, but I bought a pint of NJ blueberries last week, and they are the blandest berries I've ever tasted, blander even than California agri-biz strawberries. Judging by that beer, those Maine berries must have been sweeeeeet...

Yackety Yak

Morning weigh-in: 177.5#, 12% BF

Not much being said here lately, sorry. It's not that that I have nothing to say, maybe more like too much, and not enough time to get to putting it down, and so the words are lost along with the moment.

Quick Recap: Thursday was run/gym, then Which Brew; Friday was towpath/Sals, then which Brew/Porters; Saturday was yoga/gym, then Which Brew; Sunday was a good solid 20 miles at Allamuchy with Bob and Joe & Cindy. Last night was yoga followed by dinner at Porters while the laundry cooked.

Vignette #1: Been fighting the weight again; as soon as I hit 175 the "nutritional discipline meltdown" comes into play, incredible urges for greasy foods, burgers & pizza etc. I think it's time for a closer look at my diet: I may be eating too much, but really not getting enough of what my body needs, hence the binges.

Vignette #2: Friday's band was smoking hot at Which Brew, could hardly tear myself away to go see Post Junction at Porters. But that was even better: ended up dancing with my (tipsy but married) neighbor as she celebrated her birthday. Dirty dancing, as the kids might call it -- the block party could prove awkward this year...

Vignette #3: Saw KEF at Which Brew on Saturday; their bassist is a blind black guy. I remember thinking wow, racism must make even less sense to blind people.

Vignette # 4: Rode surprisingly well on Sunday (actually, it's not really a surprise anymore), despite a tough start. When we got to the top of one not-as-difficult-as-it-seemed climb, one of my friends said "Yeah, the old Don is back." After a year of injury and recovery -- Yes!

Vignette #4.1: The latest energy food crazes are Clif Shot Blocks (like jello shots), and Jelly Belly's Energy Beans. I realized on Sunday that, as an adult, I spend most of my free time in the woods, riding my bicycle and eating candy...

Bloody Mary: For some reason I was thinking about this again recently.