Rancor

I am tired of the rancor that seems to be a permanent part of modern society.  Everything, everywhere feels like it involves folks grumpily "taking a stand" on something or other.  It just feels tiring and.... FOR MANY things.... irrelevant.  

• 13.1 miles (~21 km) this morning.  I was not feeling like running when I got up, but I forced myself to get my feet to the pavement.  It was very densely foggy this morning, which made for a more interesting run, however.  Yet, due to the fog, and my initial lack of enthusiasm, I decided to run the small pattern (~2 miles) again and again, so I would a) not have to worry as much about what was ahead of me (the fog was VERY dense) and b) I did not feel much like focusing or thinking about where I was going.  As is my typical, the Capuchin Mass from yesterday and my praying of the Rosary accompanied me on my foggy running journey.
• I am bound and determined to get a whole helluva lot of paper-work issues ready for my Fall courses today.  I have a goal to be DONE with the set-up of ALL my classes so I can start off on the right foot without having to scramble with things.  Four of the five courses ARE all done, but this last one, my embryology lab is stubborn.... I (perhaps stupidly) decided to "revamp" some of the lab materials, and this unfortunately adds many layers of nit-picky minutia I have to be sure to adjust, fix, and develop.  It DOES NOT feel it is worth it at the moment, and I wish I would have just left well enough alone..... BUT..... I do know that IF I get this revamping done, it will be a MUCH NICER experience for this furry-faced professor AND for the students as well.
• I am in the last stages of the "revamp" of my one research lab.  I was a bit way-laid for a week or so, so I still have some things to accomplish.  Again, it is the annoying nitty-gritty minutia that is left.... running cords and re-hooking up machinery and gizmos to power, making sure the lists of where items are held/stored/available in the "Lab Directory" book is updated, that sort of minutia..... which are not my favorite tasks.... are primarily what is left. 

PCS = 7.5.... it feels like my urge to smoke my pipe has increased.  I am hesitant to label it an "8" today, but it does feel like it is inching in that direction.  The "apple pipe" dream I had was such a pleasant memory of a rather whimsical time.... a time of just being "silly" and "carefree".  I am thinking I am missing that FEELING of being "carefree" that had been such a part of many days, especially in the past... and in so many of those memories of "carefreeness" I can also recall the beautiful, soothing, pleasant enjoyment of smoking my pipes as well.  

PipeTobacco