It Hurts Me

It was bound to happen. 710 now has what I had three days ago. 

We spent two days in a car, three days in a hotel together and the rest of the time eating and drinking - save that 26.2 miles we were separated. 

How could I not have passed it on to him? 

Granted, when we came home I did sleep in the guest room for two nights not just to minimize his exposure, but to not keep him up since I knew I wouldn't be sleeping. 

But.......he has it. 

I'll give it this, it is moving somewhat fast. My clogged head isn't nearly as bad as we are now down into the chest. 

Now that hurts.  

I'm at the coughing phase, especially when supine. And even the anticipation of me coughing has me cringing in pre-pain, should that make any sense. The energy to suppress the cough isn't much better and probably takes more energy. 

So we are both at home trying not to bring down the western hemisphere with our plague. Or plaque. 

I cannot imagine handing out candy tonight. Not that I have purchased any. I suppose I can Instacart it and leave a bowl outside the door. It's gonna be pouring anyway, so I'm not sure how much traffic we'd get. 

In this down time, I've gotten through some books and as I told Dr. Spo, I'm making my third (and final) attempt at Mrs Dalloway. 

Honest to g-d, if Woolf wanted to kill herself, she should have read some of her own work. 

Song by: Elvis Presley

Signs

I know I should write about the Marine Corps Marathon, but honestly, I'm still processing it all. I always write too soon about some things giving myself no time for perspective. 

Technically, this is an MCM post. 

It's short on images for the post I wanted, and while I ran with my phone, it was strapped to my arm so I took no pictures along the course. 

The crowd support at the MCM was amazing. Save for a small section in Rock Creek Park and some of Georgetown, the crowd were out for the entire route. Usually there are some big dead pockets, but not so here. 

Making no assumptions of who has run a race or not, should there be spectators, there are usually signs that go along with them. Many are very specific to a certain runner. Others are cute until you realize they are extremely trite: "You Run Better Than Our Government" comes to mind. It's political party proof and this go round I saw it no less than six times. "Run Forrest Run" is another. 

On long runs like these, I sometimes laugh or give the thumbs up to the good ones, though later down the line I forget a lot of them. No difference here. 

But one guy moved around - and it was the same guy - as I saw him no less than three times. And he made me and others laugh. People on the MCM Facebook page mentioned him and someone DID get a picture. 

The women in the group said they told him he was over confident. One said they asked him if she was running two races.  At least the sign was seemingly original. Honestly, you wanted him to be hotter, no?

The rest I don't have exact pictures for, but I can describe one or two. 

THINGS CRUSHED THIS WEEKEND

1. Your PR

2. The East Wing of the White House

RUN FASTER

HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU

That guy got a huge thumbs up from me. And he gave me one right back. 

(btw - that is some mocked up pic of JD Vance, in case it wasn't apparent,)

So did the ladies who had

FUCK ICE ** FREE DC

I Love Illegal Immigrants.....and You

I'm blanking on other signs, but some of them I wanted to make sure they were seen and their creators / holders seemed appreciative. 

As I neared the Department of Labor I saw this.......

Not knowing, or caring, about anyone behind me or their political affiliation, I raised both hand and used both middle fingers for a few hundred yards.  Sorry Teddy, it wasn't meant for you. 

I encourge people to go out and support their local races. I am pretty sure not everyone there had a someone in the marathon, but I could be wrong. 

David from Adventures of Travel Penguin was to see me at Crystal City (mile 23-ish), but that place was PACKED. I looked left and right for him on the way in and out of the area, but alas never saw him, nor him me. I was prepared to stop and get pics. I was bummed, but had to keep going.  Honestly save for one place on the Mall, no other area was quite a dense as Crystal City. 

Song by: the Five Man Electrical Band

I'm Sick

I'm down, not out. 

At least not yet. 

I don't think it's Covid, just a upper respiratory infection. 

My sinuses hurt. My teeth hurt. My throat is a tad sore. And it's moving into my lungs. 

I'm really just tired. Sleep does not come easy, even through exhaustion. There is a fear of drowning in one's own snot 

So, I'm just hanging at home and reading. And doing lots of nothing. 

Hopefully a real post tomorrow. 

Maybe. 

Song by: Black Flag

Get Better

I have stuff to write about, but coming back from DC - well, actually while in DC - I got, and am, sick. 

Congested to all get out. 

Sneezing too - which rarely happens with me.

A neti-pot is in my future this morning. It's disgusting and satisfying all at the same time. 

710 keeps harping it's "only allergies", but je think not. 

I've moved around enough these last few days to be in and out of allergens ways, and it's just getting worse. I don't think they followed me the entire way. 

Oh - and I was around 40,000 people who were mostly all mouth breathers. So I'm not ruling out Covid at this point either. 

The reality is I've ironically let my body weaken by way of exercise and exertion. 

A neti pot, a really good sleep and hydration and I hope to be back at it. 

See ya tomorrow. 

Song by: Nothing But Thieves 

My Music Monday

I'm just saying that it is probable I am the only one who will like today's selection: "Dancer" by the IDLES.

They are a post-punk band, and that's the part I'm guess that won't appeal to many. 

I like the song, I don't love it. And for me the verses more than the chorus. Still I like the energy and the immediacy of the music and vocal. 

While I might be wrong - though I don't think I am - I'm thinking you're all surprised when I post a song like this. The last one I did, I believe it was the Hives, also post-punk.

My musical tastes are varied. I won't lie, I am kind of surprised that this video has over 5 million views. 

.....and trust me, I don't blame you for not making it through the entire song. 

Thanks a Million

Well, here we are.  

When I hit 8 million views back in June, I stated that I had been getting one million hits about every 6-8 months. 

This last million was about 2-4 months earlier than anticipated. 

I'm not complaining. 

Yes, this blog is on track to hit the 9 million mark sometime today. Most likely this morning (EST).  

Update: Ooops, it happened last evening.

I thought I'd be getting there in a few weeks, but lo and behold, I had to squeeze this post in during my trip. I suppose I could have waited until next week, but eh, what the heck. 

Thanks to all of you for coming back time and again. It is appreciated. 

Once, it's an accident. Over and over - that's on you. 

Song by: Louis Armstrong

Chasing Birds

 We got dogs this week.  Dogs only. 

I'm drafting this days early, as we will be on the road. So should kitten pictures come my way, they'll have to be included in next week's grouping. 

Shep is in daycare this weekend. It just wasn't in the cards to take him to DC.

Ridic from two weeks ago. Man, he is tall. 

Boy and dog shadow. 

Bailey getting rid of geese. 

Autumnal Pup. 

I got Ridic to join me in the guest room where I was staying. 

Now and then, we'd find him in the bed by his lonesome later. 

Great Fall day out with this guy!

Song by: Foo Fighters

Brushes**

Lord - I totally know why the suicide rate amongst the dental profession is so high. 

According to Choices Psychotherapy, they are #2 on the suicide by profession list, right behind medical doctors, but ahead of veterinarians. 

Though percentage rates change if you look by educational level. It seems construction workers might actually top the list. 

Anyhooo......

If I had to look not just at these images, but the actual things too, day in and day out, I'd cut out early too. 

.....and I'm saying that knowing that those are my teeth. 

The upper right quadrant of the multiple images - especially the third from the right - looks like Lee Press-On Toe Nails. .....except they're my chompers. 

The entire composite looks like a chapter right out of the Big Book of British Smiles. *

It's been six weeks since my periodontal procedure. So far I've had four (!) follow-up visits. And yesterday (!!!!!) was the first time since September 10th that I've been allowed to brush or floss the affected areas!

Yes, I've heard you all just go "ewwwwwwwww".  I know, because I have said it on a daily basis for weeks on end.

I usually floss twice per day and always brush twice per day. So the idea of almost seven weeks is just brutal to me. 

As Morty will say "it's better to be anal about your oral hygiene than oral about your anal hygiene."

Words to live by. Words to live by. 

Mind you, I can only do both flossing and brushing very very very lightly, at least for the next six months!!!  

Hey, it's better than nothing. 

*it's a joke UK readers - don't hold it against me. 

Song by: Fleetwood Mac

**the working demo title for what would become "Never Going Back Again"

Cooking with Blobby

Technically, I did the cooking. But the recipe came from Meredity. So, it's Cooking with Both of Us. 

The Tuscan Chicken Rigatoni sounded good, and I thought I'd try it in a little while (she just sent it two days ago). Then I thought - it's Race Week. I'm carbo loading all week. Why NOT do it now?

It's got the pasta carbs and it's got the chicken protein. It seemed kind of perfect. And it wasn't something 710 or I had before and why not mix it up as opposed to some of the standard things I would make this week. 

....and it seemed easy enough. Though honestly, unless you're doing a very intricate Julia Child recipe, most dishes are not all that complex.  (though hold that thought till you read further.)

Ingredients 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced 

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups) 

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 

1 pound dried rigatoni pasta 

4 ounces baby spinach (4 packed cups) 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 

It did not call for it, but I have many Parmesan rinds in the fridge. And I left oregano out of the picture. 

Instructions 

Season 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (it might not be cooked through). 

So, I started the recipe on a wrong note. I grilled the chicken outdoors, possibly robbing me of some chicken flavour and some tasty schmaltz. Recipes are easier if you read them and follow them, I suppose.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 finely chopped medium shallot, and 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Stir in 4 thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste is darkened in color, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Stir in 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 pound dried rigatoni, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until the pasta is al dente, 18 to 20 minutes. 

Stupid me didn't remember to add the salt. It was needed. I almost never salt my food after it's at the table, but it did call for some, so we did. 

This was also where I added the Parmesan rind. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, the chicken, and any accumulated juices in the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pasta, and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. 

Stir in 4 ounces baby spinach until wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. 

Serve garnished with more grated Parmesan. Like I need to be told twice!

This is a great cold weather dish. Which is good because it was like 43F and raining all day. 

It tasted good, but I think it has 'great' potential. The salt for starters. I'd also do maybe twice as many sun dried tomatoes and add more tomato paste.  .....but that's it. 

The broth is good and I had rustic bread to sop it up.  

710 says it is a keeper. We both had seconds (partial seconds, that is) and we still put a good four servings in leftover containers.  ......so as I carbo-load, guess what I'll be having for lunch tomorrow?

Thanks Dith!

Why Not Me

I have not even run my 2025 full marathon (btw, it's a 'go') and I'm already looking into 2026. 

Notice I left out the words 'forward to'. 

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm doing applying for Chicago.........again. 

The Chicago Marathon was just one and a half weeks ago, but they opened up the lottery yesterday for their October 2026 run. Naturally (?) I tossed my hat in the ring. 

Perhaps third time will be a charm. 

The stupid part of me wants to have one 'major' under my belt. I'm not getting younger (duh!) so.....what the hell. I'm kind of assuming it will be a 'no' and will get all weirded out if it's a 'yes'. Not only that but I'll know 10 months in advance, so lots of time to go nuts.

I also knew yesterday was the opening of the NYC Half Marathon. Half. Not full. That doesn't open until January. 

The half obvi isn't all encompassing for the five boroughs. It only runs through Brooklyn and Manhattan, but hey - it's New York. That one is in the Spring, so I'll only have three months of wringing my hands, should I be selected. 

As I am a glutton for punishment, depending on the Chicago selection (or not), I will most likely apply for the NYC full.  Hell, I've already been rejected for the 2026 London race. 

So yesterday, I threw my credit card out on the web to be selected for both races, or one, or neither. 

At some point, I have to believe my luck will change on one of these lotteries, right? 

Song by: the Judds

The time has long passed to be relavent, but I don't know why SNL didn't do a Judds sketch, but with Hirsch and Nelson as singing partners. 

Rattled

It turns out there is no good image for today's post. 

I was looking one that would be the red flashing lights of an EMS going down the street that still gets in your windows and room even with the blinds drawn. 

This is as good as it gets. 

Anyway...........

Blobby, as always, has a hard time sleeping through the night. It's been going on for ages. I can fall asleep with almost no problem, but staying asleep is difficult. In the past few years, I've found out I can go back to sleep for short amounts of time. Mostly. 

Saturday night / Sunday morning, I was semi-awake when I saw bright red flashing lights seep through our closed bedroom window blinds. It was from a slow moving vehicle. Due to no corresponding blue lights, I deemed it to be an ambulance. 

But then it stopped a house or so up from us and left the lights going. For the record there was no siren, which was good...........and maybe not. 

Me, being Gladys Kravitz, I get out of bed (sans glasses) to peer out through the slats in the blinds. No surprise, I can see nothing. I'm not even sure which house where EMS is attending. 

I go back to bed and don't really fall asleep. I am attacked by angst on a bunch of 'what ifs'. 

Just going by my parent's experiences, an emergency vehicle making a non-emergent visit means one of two things:  someone needs help off the floor after falling.  Or there has been a death and this isn't a rescue as much as it is a recovery.  I went with the latter. 

From there it (read: I) just spiraled. 

There are still a few people on this street we have never ever ever seen - and the two houses where the ambulance could be are two of them. So, I don't know their story but in my head one of them lost a husband or wife in the middle of the night. 

From there it was: what if I lose 710?  what will I do?  how will I go on?  and then it just got worse from there. 

About this time, I heard a car pull up and it seemed like a cop. It seemed (to me) like more probability of a death at home.  BTW - I have nothing to back this up. 

But the thought of being alone without 710 just kept me up for the rest of the night. Anxiety filled. 

At some point, Shep, who hasn't slept with us in years, comes into the room and sits by my side of the bed. He eventually lies down next to me, but on the floor. I don't know if he was watching out for me or not, but it seemed that way. 

I left earlier than usual for my Sunday morning run because I was wide wide awake. I pass the house in question, every single light in the house is on. I've walked into my parent's house like that after one has left via EMS.  Or hearse. 

The entire thing - fictitious as it might be - left me rattled all day. Not so much for the unknown neighbors but how it shook my psyche. This isn't the first time, I've had stories like this over my blog throughout the years. I'm also smart enough to recognize I'm doing it on sleep depravation as well. 

No doubt over the next few days I'll be back to normal, but I've added it to the list for my shrink. If I'm paying the guy, he should know from where my crazy begins, no? 

Song by: the Traveling Wilburys

My Music Monday

I am by no means a music know-it-all. I feel I'm somewhat aware of a lot of music things, even if I don't know a lot of bands actually by their music. I mean, I don't think I've ever heard a Jonas Brothers song, but I know they exist. 

Though now and then I kind of run across a song or a band of which I had know knowledge and it just kind of stymies me. 

Bad Lieutenant for example. 

This was a side project for Bernard Sumner back in 2009. 

Sumner was already in a side project with Electronic, though to be fair, they hadn't released new music for a decade prior to Bad Lieutenant. 

I wouldn't call New Order a side project of Joy Division, but as you can see, Bernard had been keeping busy in the downtime of any one of this bands. 

Another member of Bad Lieutenant is Phil Cunningham who joined New Order in 2005. 

It might not surprise anyone that both bands sound similar. Not that Electronic was a huge huge departure either. 

Maybe it's Sumner's limitations as an artist, but there is a certain comfort and familiarity with his style that doesn't make me dislike any of his alternative projects. 

Bad Lieutenant had one disk. New Order hasn't released a new disk for a decade. Electronic for over two. 

Tick tick tick Bernard. 

I selected Bad Lieutenant's "Twist of Fate" (not the Olivia Newton-John song) for today's selection. 

Maybe don't watch the video as it has puppets or marionettes or the like. Those are always creepy and kind of distract from the music. 

Revolt

No Kings Redux.

I knew it was coming. Unlike last time, I couldn't get jazzed. 

I'd love to tell you I talked myself out of going at the last minute, but in reality I never made plans to attend.

My spirit is dampened to say the least. 

I can do 'woe is me' at home. And while I get that's not the point of these get togethers, I just couldn't muster the energy to go. 

The day here was perfect for it. It reached the upper 70s and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I can't tell you how many people came to the downtown Cleveland event - not because I was not there, but the new orgs I Goooooooogled just said "thousands". 

Yeahhhhhhhhh.......that tells a story, doesn't it? 

There were to be over 2600 protests country-wide. Ohio had a fair share of them. Even the NE Ohio red areas like Strongsville, Mentor, Hudson and the likes. 

I heard over 40,000 in Portland. 100,000 in NYC and Los Angeles (each). San Francisco had 50k. Chicago had "tens of thousands" - so that narrows it down. One report said there were over a million in Boston, but that last number seems highly unlikely. 

Many cities reported a greater showing than the one in June. 

That's great. 

But can we stop calling it "kings"?   

This fucktard doesn't want to be king, He wants to be - no IS - a dictator. 

Anymore, King / Queens are ceremonial figureheads at best. They are for show. 

Let's call this what it is. Even our own protests stifle the reality of the situation by not calling that out. Maybe "king" sells better in marketing shit, but it is so not the reality. 

I have to give it up to my Old Man's Running Group. Just about everyone who showed yesterday to run and eat at the bakery were leaving to go to one rally or another. It's a group where we rarely talk politics, but these guys were gonna go. 

Someone posted a few weeks back that the US is doing this all wrong - and maybe we are. They pointed to France where when they protest, they do it for days, weeks or months at a time, shutting down systems, cities, infrastructure. 

Let's be honest, like the title image, the Frogs have some history behind their success in that area. I mean, I'd PAY handsomely to go to a public execution of BLOTUS. 

What, if anything, comes out of these protests is to be seen. So far, no one in public office seems to be running scared of anything. Maybe we need to step up the game. 

Song by: Muse

Ridiculous

Pet Pics?

We got 'em. 

Last week I was in Columbus and the folks there were hoping that Ridic would make last week's post. No such luck. I had pre-drafted before I left home so I wouldn't have to blog all weekend. 

....because I'm smart. 

So Ridic makes an appearance this week. And I have enough shots taken where he can probably include him next week too. 

Here we go!

Ridic was loving my pets, but he's a little skittish. 

I had to win him over each and every time I came back in the room. Like a gay bar in the '90s. 

Shep out in a park in Shaker. Bored by it all, it seems. 

Bailey looking back to make sure her ward is still doing their duty. 

One kitten up high. Don't ask me which - I don't know. 

More fall foliage Shep. 

The angle is weird. It looks like an AI pumpkin photoshopped on his back. 

Same kitten, just closer. 

Being told it was past dinner time. 

Ridic is a tall boy. But oh so handsome. 

Song by: Bowling for Soup

Hateful

Jesus Fucking Christ - is it any wonder I'm on multiple antidepressants and in therapy for depression and anxiety? 

Is it any wonder why I don't read or watch the news? 

Even via social media - which I am trying to limit - this took me two days to see it. 

While I wish I never had, somewhere inside of me is weirdly "grateful" that I truly see what it's like out there. 

And don't say it isn't and that this is only a small subset. I don't think that to be true. Not anymore. 

I'm soooooooo fucking tired of the libtards being the seen as the groomers of things - being trans, woke, drag queens and whatever else they throw into that bucket. 

I'd say grooming and hoping for a new holocaust is slightly worse than men in dresses reading to kids. 

And JD Fucking Vance. What can I even say about this fuck twat?  Secret Service can interview me should this filter to the NSA, as I won't go after him, but if he died today it wouldn't be too soon. And I don't care how it happens. Painful would be preferable. 

But I thought I'd post some of the Young Republicunts texts. Make it a thing. A humiliating thing. But for some faction, seeing it in print is a badge of honour. 

Part of me is amused that they didn't spell out 'retarded'. Because some lines just can't be crossed? 

If anyone wants to help me ruin the above folk's lives, and wants to do some sleuthing, I'd be appreciative. 

Seems like Peter Giunta has been fired from his job. He also put out a non-apology apology:

“I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republican National Federation. While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored,” he said. 

FUCK. YOU. 

And to be petty and personal:  Tell me he's not one of the biggest incels ever. 

Alex Dwyer is out after they shut down the Kansas Young Republican group.  

After that, I kind of got bummed and looked no further. But I'm all for keeping their names alive and reaching out to whomever knows them and making their life hell. 

I'm not Hillary fan, but fuck she let them off easy calling them "deplorables". 

Ugh - I can't believe I have to wait two more weeks till my next therapy session!

Song by: the Clash

Right on Track

As of yesterday, despite the government shutdown, the Marine Corps Marathon  (MCM) is still slated for 11 days from now. 

That doesn't mean it's a "go", but as of now it's not a "no go". 

Last Sunday the Army 10 Miler went off with almost 19,000 participants, which is about half of what the Marine Corps does and with more than double the distance. 

More importantly, that race shares some of the same route as the MCM. This bodes somewhat well for the race to still happen. 

The issue isn't with the road closures or finances. It has to do with the US Parks in which runners go into. Technically, the US Parks are to be closed during shutdown, but it becomes an issue of liability if something happens to a runner on those locations. 

The online chatter has calmed down a bit about possible cancellation since the Army did their race. But it amazes me that people purchased non-refundable airline tickets (nationally and internationally) for this race. 

My indignation has nothing do with the race cancellation, but having had several injuries, I wouldn't purchase a non-refundable anything for a race - especially a destination one. 

Others claim if it is cancelled they'll come anyway and run. I'm assuming not the actual route as streets won't be closed. 

While I love DC, if the MCM is cancelled I'm not going to the District just to go. What's the point?  Monuments, Museums, Buildings etc are all shut down.....at least to the public. I don't need to drive 300 miles to eat out - though the restaurants and hotels I'm sure are taking a beating. 

Luckily, we can cancel our hotel room 24 hours beforehand and not get charged, so I don't think we'll incur any costs. 

Should this be 86'd, I've done a lot of marathon training for nothing. There might be small marathons open to me somewhere, but the bigger ones are all sold out.

I'm in my taper now, which has been the most pleasant one yet. More importantly, mentally I'm strong. Usually I spiral for weeks, but with this one, I'm feeling confident. But I still have 11 days to crumble. 

My biggest marathon stressor?  The line for the port-a-potty before the gun. 

Song by: Breakfast Club

Venus

So, I'm reading this book, the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (so far so good), when there is a one line reference to a story I read as a pre-teen.

All Summer in a Day (I had to Gooooooogle the title, as I did not remember it) was a short story written by Ray Bradbury (something else I didn't know until I Goooooogled it). 

This is the second time this story has come up for me in the last 15-20 years. Last time was like in 2007 and a co-worker was trying to remember if it was something they had actually really read or something they imagined.

I was the only person there who confirmed it to be true, but man it took me back immediately, as did the this literary reference.

Neither took me back in a good way. 

Honestly, I think I repressed the whole experience of the story as what came flooding back in both instances were possibly my first story experience of bullying. It was such an act of cruelty and I remember it shaking me to the core at the time - and these two times decades later. 

I never reread the story, but perhaps I should. Perhaps it is not as cruel as I remember, but I think that not the case. 

As many schools are claiming (but not acting on) zero-tolerance bullying, I wonder if this is part of their curriculum. I don't recall there being a teacher-led discussion on this story after the fact, but I think there are huge life lessons to be had. 

While the one character is locked in a closet, the experience is fluid with any other personal "oddity". I'm sure I equated it with being queer - though not quite sure what it all meant at the time - but others could use looks, personality, intellect etc, as their catalyst for being picked on. 

The Wao reference was just so out of nowhere it jarred me. It was days ago I stumbled across it and I'm still thinking about it all. 

Did anyone else read / remember All Summer in a Day?  If so, thoughts on it or if I'm overthinking (again)?

Song by: Bananarama

Free at Last

While I'm not reading news articles, it's hard to miss that the hostage exchange has happened in Israel and Palestine.  

For this I'm glad-ish. 

Obviously for the hostages who did not die within the last two years, it is wonderful. Still there is an underlying stink to it all.

I came so close to clicking on an article to read, but then saw BLOTUS' fat fucking self in pics with Netanyahu. Any deal that was even remotely touched on by that douchebag has bad things written all over it. 

First off - the "man" is NOT a negotiator. He claims he is, but at best in a diplomatic situation, he's a figurehead from all the work someone in the State Department completed. He's a bulldozer, in every regard - mostly in hue and weight. 

I am guessing (again, didn't read), that with this ceasefire nothing has truly changed. There seem to be no peace talks. There seems to be no resolution to conflict itself - not even a faux one. 

There is very temporary peace, I'm assuming. No prize to go along with it - meaning Nobel. 

The prize currently are for the hostages and their families. I'm sure Ben and BLOAT will be doing a lot of back-patting in front of any camera in a 10km radius. They are both shysters. 

But I'll take the hostages being freed as a win. And still mourn the ones who were killed during the last two years.  Along with the hundreds or thousands who have died in this conflict in the last two years. 

It's a black cloud / silver lining kind of thing. 

Song by: Al Green

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 186th 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore.  

01:23. My first wake-up. 

I spent the weekend in Columbus with the squad. 

04:52. Second wake-up and bathroom stop. 

07:12. Starting my morning run: 6.27 mi. 

07:45. Pic on my run. 

Ran up to, and around, Antrim Lake. Steam coming off the water. Looked more impressive live. 

08:50. A little dab will do ya. Just some lotion for some problem facial skin. 

09:13. Post run, post shower nutrition. 

09:47.  New friend. 

Meredith's dog, Zero Ridic was on-site. We semi-formed a bond. 

12:09. Headed back to the 216. 

14:13. Arriving home. Being greeted by Shep

14:48. Checking running friends marathon results. 

19:51. Pasta for dinner

21:33. Getting ready for bed.