Zzz-running

I dream a lot. Not just of the day variety as my econ prof lulls me to sleep. Pretty much every night I dream. Most nights I will remember the fullness of one or two dreams, sometimes I will just remember the vagueness of a dream. As much as I run anymore, you would think that I would have a fair amount of running dreams, but I guess my subconscious isn't ready for me to be a runner yet. When I do have a dream in which I am running I am usually running after or from something/someone, it's very rarely a dream about me just out for a run.

There is one very specific exception to this trend. I can't recall when I had this dream, but it was within the past year or so. I was running through a city that may have been a village and it was autumn. For one of those unknown dream reasons I knew I was in Germany. I was waving to people, I ran over a small stone bridge, it was beautiful. Then I made a turn up a hill and it was winter. I was running through the woods, through the snow. Sound familiar? Yeah, and this was well before I had ever considered the idea of trail running. I am hoping and praying that this is some sort of prophetic dream, because trail running in Germany would kind of be amazing for me [I heart Germany]. It would truly be a dream come true, which sounds cheesy, but it really does work on both levels. I might not be able to fall asleep for a while just thinking about what it would be like to take a lap around Eibsee, maybe maybe up into the foothills in the shadow of Zugspitze. Sigh. Other things that I am excited about right now: watching the new episode of Heroes in the library tomorrow, rumors that the WGA strike is over and broomball on Saturday. Goodness. you have my love.

Okay submarines hide beneath the snow

I have a lot on my mind, but I'm not sure what to write about. So maybe a little of everything; kind of like a Thanksgiving meal. I ran today, in the woods, in the snow, in the cold. My lungs were burning, my thighs were so cold, my feet were slipping, but I kept going. I lie to myself and tell myself that I'm running today because I love to run, but today's reason is that I needed to be in the snowy woods by myself. I pushed myself and I loved it. If my lungs and ankles could have handled it I would have done another loop. I put some John Prine on my computer. This is an inherited musical trait from my parents. They have taken me to several of his shows, and I really do enjoy what he does. LSU lost, which means that the nation has lost. Why? The BCS championship game this year will most likely be the combination of two of these three teams: Kansas, West Virginia, Ohio State. It's bound to be awful.

But mostly I've been thinking about a dear friend of mine. The whole drive home I was trying to reconcile myself to her in my thoughts, but I don't know if I can do it. Ever since we became friends eight years ago I've cherished our friendship, and at times we've been really close [never romantically though, and that's okay]. But over the past couple of years I hear from her less and less. I've emailed and left voicemails on occasion, but I haven't gotten any reply in the past six or eight months. I guess I've just left our friendship in her hands, and tried my best to move on, but damned if it isn't tough. And this isn't the first friend that I've had to do this to. For someone who cares so much about his friends, it's one of the hardest things for me to do. It's what has me in my room listening to old country music and drinking a pint [Oregon brewed] tonight. If only it were light enough out to go for a run. You know who you are, you still have my love.

No cape for I

No cape for I

Now that I'm caught up with Heroes, I feel like I can share with you my secret: I have no super powers. I had a friend that once dreamed that his spiritual gift was The Force. He was super excited when he woke up, but then realized that it had just been a dream. It's a sad story. Anyway, watching Heros got me to thinking about what super powers I would want to have, you know, in case we have to battle the evil Pyramonster. So it's a top five list for you all.

five. Superhuman strength - This would be cool, as long as I could control it. I would attempt to harness it into some sort of running ability, but other than that I can't really think of what I would use it for. Also, I wouldn't have superhuman speed [like the Flash] to manipulate my running, because that would just be cheating.

four. Telekinesis - Occasionally I throw things into trees [discs, golf clubs, etc.], this would help with getting those down. Also, no need to interrupt a conversation to have someone pass me the salt. It would be fun and useful in a great many ways.

three. Flying - My mom has flying dreams fairly often. Every once in a while I dream that I'm gliding, as though traveling in zero gravity. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever want to fly above fifty feet or so. If I ever turned an ankle while running I could just fly back home. I would also use this ability to impress the female population.

two. Innate capability [the ability to learn things quickly] - Think Trinity in the Matrix, learning how to fly a helicopter or something. I would learn a lot of things. Languages, sports stats, memorizing literature and the Bible, music, historical facts, and on and on and on. This would also be used to impress the female population. Though I would be tempted to be really prideful and act like I knew everything ['cos I would], so I'd have to be careful about that.

one. Manipulation of the space/time continuum - Yeah, this would be fabulous. Lunch with Rachel in Japan? Tea with the Pai's in London? A midnight donut run with the Sanchezes in Portland? All possible as I manipulate the space continuum and visit my friends across the world at any time [I'd call first though]. Also terribly useful if running late. Since the space continuum is closely bound with the time continuum, I would have to have the ability to travel across time as well, but I probably wouldn't. I mean, it's pretty dangerous, and more than likely would create a temporal paradox, i.e. mess up history. Not good. So I would just stick to traveling instantaneously across the space continuum.

Super powers that I wouldn't have? Okay: Invisibility - this would come with to much temptation to do far too many things that I shouldn't do. Healing - yeah, it didn't really work out well for Wolverine. It would eventually grow old, especially if it allowed you not to age, but everyone around you did. Bad news. Telepathy - again, there would be far too much temptation to use the ability to read minds for my own benefit.

Waking up early is not a super power, but if it was I would want it. The problem I have with waking up early is that I always seem to convince myself that there is nothing to do at such an early time. But the past two days I've been able to convince myself to get out of bed and stretch and do some ab work, so that's good. I'm also going to go ahead and believe that there is no correlation between getting up before six and being ripped up by this cold. If immunibility to common colds and flus were a super power, I would definitely want it. Okay, here's to dreams that mean nothing but seem so real. you have my love.


Also, what should I read this winter? I was thinking War and Peace or The Idiot, but after Les Mis last year, I need something a bit lighter. Thanks for the input.

Numbers fail to satisfy

Numbers fail to satisfy

Five years ago I had just begun blogging, I thought my blogiversery was the seventeenth, but I was wrong. Every time I look at those old blog posts I find it humorous how much and yet how little has changed in my life. Still inconsistent, still unsure, still single. Oh well.

The other day I celebrated my 9600th day of life. Next December, I think the twelfth, will be my ten thousandth day of life, I'm definitely having a party. With donuts.

I ran four miles tonight. Part of my run was in the dark, through some corn fields and then some woods that I'm not too terribly familiar with. It was strange, but I managed to not freak out. And the temperature drop in the river valley was so amazing; my legs were in air that must have been ten degrees colder than the air around my face. Also, I worked on my stride count, and I think it made me faster. I'm not entirely sure what that means though.

One year ago I entered into a bit of a dark period. I retreated from the world, read Les Mis, watched way too much television and talked to too few friends. Looking back on it, it may have been the realizations of poorly made decisions and the failed hopes. I hated it but survived, and in all honesty I feel like I might be slipping into that state of mind again. These aren't easy times, so I'm searching for the goodness that must lie within. With all that said, I anticipate appreciation for your prayers. Thanks.

A last number: one. The least amount of viewings you should give The Darjeeling Limited. I know that it was fated that I would really enjoy this film, but seriously, it's good. And Mr. Anderson sheds some of his tendencies and it surprises you and moves you and go see it. you have my love.

From the ground up

I got back a little while ago from our annual high school youth group fall retreat. It was quite the fun weekend, full of basketball, unusual smells, poor building design - bringing about way too much heat and humidity in the rooms, squash stealing and dressing like a sleazy Hollywood agent. But what I came away with the most was various means of pain. For your enjoyment I've listed out the various injuries that I incurred this weekend.

Feet
- If-I-had-played-one-more-game-of-basketball-I'd-have-some-nasty-blisters.
- Sore toe: at several moments thought to be broken, I'm not entirely sure how this happened, but did notice it after a seven-mile run.

Legs
- Anterior shinsplints: from running seven miles on gravel roads, and not really having a lot of miles in the past few weeks.

Knees
- Rug burn: I was, without warning, attacked by one Jordan Oakes - a stellar welterweight - and we proceeded in an impromptu [unsanctioned] wrestling match. I won, but I will say that he's a beast.

Back/shoulders
- Sore and tight: I'm not sure why, but it's probable that the wrestling match and a horrible mattress contributed. My back is, as I'm writing this, still hurting.

Hand
- Bruised fingernail: this is one of those weird injuries that is fairly minor, but it hurts like the dickens when it happens; this one was made possible by some wood paneling.

Elbows
- Rug burn: also from the wrestling match.

Face
- Bruised eyelid: I'm not entirely sure how it's possible to bruise one's eyelid without getting a black eye, but I somehow managed to do so. It occurred during the wrestling match, and probably caused by my glasses.