Mad

Mad. That's a doberman when it is too hot to run. It is also the state of mind of a doberman when he doesn't run. He is mad as in insane.

Even though I am working for most of the summer my schedule is more lax. School is not in session so I do not necessarily have to get up at 5:00am to run. By the time I roll out of bed at 7:00am it is a little too late for to run with B.Emmett and it makes him mad.

He barks, he whines and he scratches at the door all futile attempts to get me to take him on a run. B.Emmett is not rationale when it comes to two things, running and me.

When he sees me he tracks me with his golden eyes always looking, begging, asking for me to take him with me. 

For him it is so clear what he desires.

Wouldn't it be nice to have that kind of clarity? Dog clarity. They know what they want period.

I want so many things that it tears me up at times. I want to go sky diving again, dive in a shark cage observing great white sharks, and so much more.

Today was a day of clarity. I was thinking of making a choice which would have been a major change in my life direction. The universe basically hauled off and kicked me in the head letting me know that I was in the right place.

I love it when it is that clear, right there, obvious, in plain view...

Dog clarity, yea I like that.

B.Emmett we will run again soon.

The Bucket List

Summer is here and the runs are getting hotter. With summer comes lots more time for B.Emmett and I to spend quality time together. Also lots more time to reflect and write.

During today's run I thought a lot about my bucket list. It is something I have been working on for a little while. What amazes me is how rich my life experiences have already been and how much more I cannot wait to do. Randy says that I am a young soul because I am not settled and always restless. I guess I agree. It is fun to try new things and continue to challenge myself and push my limits.

The one thing I would like to do on the bucket list that got stuck in my mind on this morning's run is to visit Los Angeles and just wander aimlessly with no real plan (but a nice hotel or somewhere to stay). I think I would find the mixture of the pure self absorbency of the city and its inhabitants and the beauty of the surrounding nature just out of LA repulsive and attractive at the same time.

It would be neat to explore LA on foot, running with B.Emmett. I am thinking of running the LA marathon sometime in the next few years. Unfortunately, B.Emmett cannot run it with me but he can train with me.

That is just one of the many adventures on my bucket list. Life is for living and following your dreams....Sleep when I am dead.

Summer's almost here!

Summer is almost here. One week left of school and then B.Emmett and I will get to run together every day.

Today we went five miles and ended at our usual spot, Starbucks. As we meandered through the roads of Gainesville thoughts of summer swirled in my head as signs of summer were all around us.

There was the baby pool that we saw outside of one of the houses that we past by. Our neighbor has his summer flag up and the grass is growing mighty fast.

What I like best about summer is the pace. Things naturally seem to slow down, days get just a bit longer and nothing seems rushed.

There is more time for the kids, swimming, running and relaxing.

B.Emmett seems to sense that summer is almost here as well. His gait was a bit more easy going. His coat glistened in the sun (I gave him a shower yesterday).

Yep, not much to say today except it was a nice, easy going summer kind of run.

I love my dog!

R-Evolution

Today was another attempt to get back into the regular rhythm of running. B.Emmett and I headed out the door a little late and happy to find it still overcast.

We headed north my mind wandering still reflecting abut how much fun I had at the R-Evolution show the night before. I started to think about all the things that made it so unique. What it really all came down to was the people in it.

It is one of the few places in the school where there are performing arts students, band students, athletes, tech crew, etc all in one place with one goal...to put on the most amazing show ever.

 It is such a diverse group that comes together to create a performance like no other. I cannot describe why I like it so much. Part of it is the amazing music but most of it is the amazing students that create it. The only thing I can really say is that it is a PK thing.

Since I was in high school I have loved music and had musically inclined friends. From my travels following the Grateful Dead around the country to Jane's Addiction in a small club in Denver to Metallica to...I have always felt alive listening to music. 

R-Evolution brings me back to my roots. It allows me to remember the things that matter in life.

In my life I have had the privilege of hanging out with a lot of musicians including my wonderfully talented husband. The students in this show are talented to the extreme both musically and creatively.

So as I ran along Newberry road on my way to Starbucks I replayed the concert in my mind laughing out loud at the memory of the video.

At the end of the night after the stage was clear I turned to my husband and said, "I want to go home and see my dog."  

That's where my run ended, R-Evolution memories fading out and the love I feel for B.Emmett flooding in. He's a great dog. It's a doberman thing. If you have hung out with one you know what I mean. I love you B.Emmett!

Hot Days are Here

Okay, I admit it, I like, no I LOVE to sleep in. Well according to B.Emmett my days of sleeping in are over and summer is officially here...hello 5:00am runs...argh.

Saturday I woke up, read in bed and decided that I was officially cured from my sinus infection and could attempt a run. B.Emmett and I headed out the door around 9:00am. Everything seemed like an ordinary run. I felt a bit sluggish coming back from a week off but not too bad. 

After mile one I realized it was hot with a capital "H." I think B.Emmett handled it much better than me. I kept forcing him to cross a four lane road. I was stalking little patches of shade. I am fairly certain that this was just a mental thing to make me feel cooler and that it actually extended the amount of time and distance that we ran.

At the end of the run I promised B.Emmett that I would get up earlier on Sunday. Of course that was before this little thing called chaperoning prom until 12:00am got in the way.

This morning I woke up to the quiet of a kid free home. They were still over at their mimis' and papas' houses from their sleepovers. Who could blame me for wanting to catch a little extra sleep? I mean there are not a lot of kid free mornings so I lounged around in bed.

When I finally got up with intent to run it was 10:00am-oops! Once I explained how sorry I was to B.Emmett we settled on a compromise...two miles (not our usual long Sunday morning run) and a shady route.

Off we trotted and I realized how pathetic it was but I was sore from yesterday's run. B.Emmett on the other hand was just fine and raring to go. It was really fun to go two miles. It passed quickly even in the heat.

My favorite thing was watching B.Emmett drinking water out of a large metal bowl outside Starbucks. He laid right down while he drank with his goofy grin. Moments like these always make me appreciate my running partner just a little more.

I love you B.Emmett!