Rain

 

The morning was absolutely the best I could ask for in terms of running today.  It was only 70 degrees (~21 C), and the skies were HEAVILY clouded and there was a gentle rain!  I hoofed out 11.1 miles (~18 km) in the gentle rain in what has been the most enjoyable run I have been able to have in the last few weeks!  It was incredibly nice!  I almost went "Sasquatch Mode" in my run.... probably I should have.... that would have been even more comfortable....  but I wore a thin, bright yellow shirt so as to not frighten the wildlife.  

Heading up to the on-line meeting with the book publisher folks this early afternoon about the new edition of the A&P textbook I need to adopt.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will have done the work they need to help make the transition to the new edition and its electronica easy to incorporate.

Also preparing for the meeting I have with the Dean tomorrow about a new U program I want to propose to our U Senate.  Hopefully he will be in a non-snarly mood tomorrow and it will go smoothly. 

Going swimming with my wife yesterday.... helped me to feel so very refreshed.  It wicked away the heat down into my core and made my skin feel so wonderful after the last two days of extreme sun.  We are hoping/planning for another swim late this afternoon.

But, in mid-afternoon.... HOPEFULLY... FINALLY..... we may have a working dryer again.  The dryer we have is only ~7 years old, but it has stymied the repair fellow so many times now, I am starting to get annoyed.  This will be his 4th attempt to repair the damn thing.  And, this is a repairman that is an official repairman of the company we bought the damn dryer from in the first place..... and at least in "theory" this is a reputable company who has been in business in our town for close to 70 years.  But, we shall see.  It has been close to 5 damn weeks since we had a working dryer.  

My friend Pat commented to my post a few days ago about me possibly finding a way to go visit the wonderful pipe shop that is only ~45 minutes away from my home..... without "falling off the wagon".  I agree whole-heartedly with Pat's idea.  I just wish I knew a way to make it so.  I still reminisce regularly of that virtually perfect trip to Iwan Reis when I visited Chicago.  It was pretty close to pure bliss.  The place was congenial and staffed by knowledgeable, friendly folks.  And, the bowlful of I.R. Three Star Blue was so extraordinary, palate pleasing, mentally comforting, and soul invigorating.... that I cannot create enough accolades to do justice to the experience.  And the deep disappointment I felt at the failed attempt to experience the same in Des Moines... has me have a very earnest worry and concern that IF I did allow myself to re-enact that experience in my relatively close-to-home establishment..... well.... I can imagine myself finding and figuring out all manner of reasons to be heading to that neck of the woods..... QUITE regularly..... hence the deep worry about the "slippery slope" and the strong potential of completely "falling off the wagon".   I wish I had a planned trip to some distant city with a good pipe shop coming up, for then I could easily allow myself the opportunity TO indulge.... but with the distance providing a forced "break" away from the indulgence.

My younger sister (along with her husband of course) is moving to a different house, and she has been purging a lot of her items as she wants to have this new home to not be cluttered.  She has had a beautiful, round coffee table that she found and refinished back in 1976.  I had always admired its form and its beauty.  In talking with her, I was surprised that she was not going to take that table with her to the new home, but instead was planning to have it be part of a "whole house" sale she and my brother-in-law are having in about two weeks.  I asked her if I could get that table, and she was excited that I wanted it for even though she was committed to her uncluttered new home environment.... a lot of the items had significant sentimental value.  I went and picked that table up this morning (after my run) and my sister was also able to convince me to take the steamer trunk she had of my Mom's that my Mom originally found and bought herself when she was in her "antiquing" mode back in the mid-1960s.  It was a trunk made in the late 1800s.  

PipeTobacco