Work Talk, Pancakes and Wheelchairs

I start my new job next week. After working in twenty-five states, I will once again have the opportunity to work in the town I live in.

I will miss the job I left. My former employers are great people. I will miss them. I think I might also miss my nightly trips to the health club also. I took great pleasure parking my dented, muddy, eleven year old truck in the same parking lot next to Teslas, Mercedes, BMWs, and the like. Sometimes I parked in the spaces next to those cars. Hey, now that I wrote that I understand why no one ever talked to me in that club. It was my fault. (Ok, the 74 year-old, ex-construction worker janitor talked to me. I don’t know what he drove or where he parked. He is a great guy with a bunch of stories, who used Spanish “construction language.”)

That’s enough “work” talk

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My kids talked me into running another 5K race. I’m not sure why they continue to ask me to run. Not once in my entire life did I ever ask my dad if he wanted to run with me. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember my dad running. Oh, I’m sure he ran to his truck in rainstorms and stuff like that, but that’s not really running.

I do remember my Mom running. I remember one day when in my pre-teen years my mother told me not to get my shoes muddy. It was like she was daring me! I jumped in the mud. I looked around to see Mom running across the backyard straight at me. I would have got away, but an older brother helped run me down.

Two lessons were learned that day. The first lesson was Mom didn’t really dare us to get my shoes muddy. The second lesson was run in a zig-zag pattern when running from a brother, at least, until you can just out run them.

Where was I? Oh yeah, I ran a 5K. (They call it a 5K because it sounds farther than 3.1 miles. 5 is bigger than 3.1.)

Ivy: Dad, to you want to run in the Peach Festival 5K, or possibly the Human Race 5k? Me: Don’t you get peach pie after you run the Peach Festival 5K? Of course, I could just buy a pie and not run. What’s the other race? Ivy: The runner’s start downtown, run to City Park and then run back to downtown. Me: That seems silly. Why not just stay downtown? Ivy: You get pancakes when you get back! Me: Pie or pancakes, I can’t decide, let’s run both.

Yesterday, I ran for pancakes. From downtown to City Park is uphill. Driving a car you might not notice the climb. Running from your Mom or brother that climb would not be a problem. Running uphill for pancakes will make you wonder about your decisions. How many pancakes can you eat, anyway?

When I was a kid, I didn’t need special stuff to run. Mom would never allow me to put on special shoes, special shorts, a special watch, and special earphones. No sir, when you saw Mom coming you ran with what you had!

I had all the special stuff. Running to City Park I noticed my special shoes sounded like I was riding a horse. I could hear me clopping down the road. I turned up the volume in my special earphones. It didn’t work. I still could hear clopping.

I haven’t run a race since January. My hip had been giving me trouble, so I decided to take a break from running. It wasn’t long before the pain in my hip returned. I’m not sure if it didn’t hurt earlier or I just didn’t notice it. Actually, everything hurt. Every bone, muscle and hair. I took some inspiration from a young woman racing in a wheelchair.

It seemed like it took forever but I made it to the turnaround at City Park. I was headed down hill for pancakes, when I heard some yelling. I could hear yelling over my clopping shoes and special earphones.

Someone was yelling, “On the left, on the left!” I thought about looking around to see where the yelling was coming from, but no time for that; I was headed for pancakes. In a matter of seconds, the young woman in the wheelchair went flying by. Flying? God bless her, I don’t think cars go faster than she was. 30 mph in a wheelchair takes courage!

At the three mile mark a woman volunteer was yelling encouragement to the runners. She singled me out.

Volunteer: You are almost done. Only 1/10 mile left. You are looking great. Me: You are saying that to everyone. Volunteer: Only the good looking guys.

Hmmm. Who knew?

Ivy had run a 10K (6.2 miles) which started before the 5K. I finished the 5K and started looking for Ivy in the crowd. I saw a couple of EMT’s with a gurney at the finishline. I didn’t see Ivy. I don’t know why I do what I did next. I went up to the EMT’s and asked them if they could give me a ride to the water station. One laughed, one DIDN’T. I didn’t get a ride.

I found Ivy or she found me.

Me: Let’s go get pancakes! Ivy: Dad, its too late. We need to open YOUR DAILY FIBER. Me: I’m stopping for a burrito then.

I am seven days from my (really old) birthday. Yesterday, I ran a 5K faster than I have ever run before. Thanks, Mom. (and the young woman in the chair)

That yarn crawl thing started yesterday. I have been dyeing (special) yarn for the yarn crawl.

Go get some.

Our crazy lives!

Monner