Go, you chicken fat, go away!

It was so hot and humid yesterday.  Just walking out to the car to go to church was almost unbearable.  I talked to Rich Porter after church and he asked if I was still running.  I said just a little.  He said he keeps trying to talk himself into doing it, but it never happens.

The sky was overcast this morning with thin puffy clouds.  It was actually kinda nice.  Right when I started I saw two ladies running together at the intersection.  When I got to the Floodway I could see a man running on the other side ahead of me.  I knew right away that it was Rich.  The ladies were now directly in front of me, but they were walking.  They had a pretty good lead on me and I knew if they started running again, I wouldn't be able to catch up to them.  After a little bit, they did start to run and they started to put some distance between us.  Rich was running slightly faster than me, too.  As I approached Brown I really hoped that Rich wouldn't come over to my side of the Floodway because he usually runs with me.  I enjoy his company, but I'm so slow now that I would just feel dumb.  Luckily he turned around and started running back.  The ladies also turned around.  I waved at Rich not knowing if he could see me, but he waved right back.  When the ladies passed me I said, "Wow, you ladies are fast.  I couldn't catch you!"  They laughed.  I went to the other side of the Floodway.  Now Rich was walking, but I couldn't catch him.  I saw a lady coming and I wondered if it was Edythe.  It was.  I saw another guy running on the other side of the Floodway.  He looked fast.  Then I saw another lady walking.  It looked like Sis. Jorgenson.  It was.  I told her, "The whole ward is out here today."  She took her ear bud out and said, "What?"  I said, "The whole ward is out here today.  That's Sis. Ray ahead of us.  There's Bro. Porter."  Then she said that the fast guy was her son.  That'w why she is on the other side because she can't keep up with him.  Her son recenlty got his mission call to Italy.  He's an amazing violin player.  I mean, he's really good.  He has a sister in the ward.  She's married to one of the Rookhuyzen's.  They have a daughter his age.  I believe they all live together, so it's kind of funny that her uncle is the same age as her.  I'm the ministering brother to the senior Rookhuyzen's.  But I don't visist them that oftern.  Br. Rookhuyzen was just released from the high counsel last Sunday.  So he's pretty solid.  But their youngest daughter died unexpectedly a few month back.  I might have blogged about it.  They also have another son that recently got married.  He is their oldest, I think.  Probably 35.  Maybe older.  He was our Sunday School teacher for the longest time until he got married and moved out of his parent's home.

My wife's alarm went off at 4:55am.  I haven't woken up early by myself like I normally do.  So I got up.  We both went upstairs to go to the bathroom.  Luckily we have two working bathrooms now.  When I came back downstairs I heard something crash.  I'm still not sure what it was.  I asked Vickie what that noise was, but she said she didn't hear anything.  So I looked out the window and noticed it had been or was raining.  Vickie got upset because she was dressed to go running, but she doesn't like to run in the rain.  I do.  So I got dressed and went for a run.  It was just barely sprinkling.  There was more people out than I would have expected.  I saw two ladies in front of me when I got to the Floodway.  I wondered if they were the same ones from yesterday.  But they kept walking, so I knew they weren't.  I saw a man running towards me with a dog and right away knew it was Jesse Lee.  We said good morning to each other.  Then I passed the ladies going really slow.  Much slower than yesterday.  They were old ladies.  One of them said, "That's how we feel some times."  I said, "I know."  But the truth is, I have no idea what they were talking about.  Did I look like I was about to die?  Probably. 

I got to the other side of the Floodway and saw a lady walking towards me.  Edythe?  Yep.  She was wearing jeans.  No running today.  When I passed by her I said, "No umbrella?"  She said, "I know, right?  It feels good!"  I agreed.  It had started to come down a little more, but not too much.  When I got home I skimmed the leaves out of my pool.  By the time I was done my shirt was soaked.  I bet 70% of it was sweat, though.