I feel it coming
Monday, Apr. 24, 2017 - 17:05

Yesterday evening as the wind picked up and the black clouds roiled, rolling to the south of us, ever nearer, ever nearer, the puppy and I discovered a new alley! In the alley stands a grand old house, now stripped to its creaking, weather-worn boards, wind blowing through the cracks, door to nowhere up on the second floor, like they used to do. The puppy peed on some weeds. We walked on, dodging mudpuddles. The tin roof on the top of another garage is only attached on one side, the panels blow straight up into the air, making a creaking shrieky noise. The puppy is a very brave dog and was only a little scared by this.

Two people were hogging the park playing frisbee - human frisbee - using up a large swath of space, and they had a dog with them who could barely walk. I couldn't very well let the puppy off his leash because he'd run up to their dog and want to play and would ruin their important frisbee game. So instead we walked, on the leash, through the park and down the streets and up the alleys.

I changed my car battery. I've been bragging about this - the last time I had to get a battery was when Obama was first elected president. When I returned the old battery I bragged some more - "It lasted eight and a half years," I said, very pleased with myself and everything. The guy behind the counter said the one in his Toyota lasted 11 years. But the tires only lasted two months!

I've also been bragging about my IT band - I've never had problems with my IT band, I don't even know what that would feel like, I don't even know what the IT band is because I've never had to find out, I've never had IT band problems because of yoga, etc. You know where this is going. On Friday I got up from my desk and the outside of my left knee was hurting terribly. Not when weight-bearing, just when moving it. This has happened to me one other time. A terrible thought occurred to me. Later, I asked the puppy's roommate about it. "IT band," he said. "NOOOOOOOOO," I said.

My lower back has been hurting too, when I walk. Normally for lower back pain I'd think it was weak core, but my core is stronger than ever. The puppy's roommate says it's because I'm using my lats too much, using my lats instead of my glutes, or something. He's explained all this stuff but as I've never taken anatomy nor have any medical background it doesn't register with me. During my rainy run yesterday I was thinking about it, trying to use my glutes for propulsion, but it's hard to know exactly what your body's doing, other than arms.

The 5Ks I've done the last few weeks were faster and faster - 26:44, 25:44, 25:26. The streak had to end at some point, and Saturday morning I was 26:03, almost 40 seconds slower than the race the night before. I still did spectacularly fine, and it was my second race in 12 hours, so I ain't mad. I'm signed up for my first 10K of the year this coming Saturday. I ran 6 miles yesterday, my longest run since probably last September.

I need to schedule the 120,000 mile service for my car, and make a massage appointment for me, and take the CD player out of my car and shake it around, and plant more lettuce.

I am doing well but had to get cake again this morning.

What do you think Michael Jackson would think of The Weeknd? I think he'd be happy.

And how long do you think I'd have to keep my arms straight in order to get rid of these elbow wrinkles? Two months? Ten months? It's probably impractical anyway.