Array of Days

 

For whatever reason, the post I had for last Friday didn't post and saved as a draft.  So, here is the gist of what I said, with the tenses of the sentences corrected for posting of this today:

Thursday night when I arrived home from the U, I was already exhausted, but I FORCED myself to get on the damn infernal treadmill and put in an additional 7 miles (~11 km).  I was finished with that around 7:30pm.

In order to keep on my goal in terms of mileage for the week, I then got up Friday morning (5:55am) and finished the week's goal with a 9.7 mile (~15.5 km) run.  Since I did reach my 55 mile ( ~88.5 km) goal for the week, I was able to forgo running on both Saturday and Sunday!!!  Normally, I only aim for having a break on Sunday.  This was a treat of sorts having he extra day.  

* * * * *

Back to today, Monday:

Awoke at 5:15am.  Ran 11.1 miles (~18 km).  This felt good in that I got up early enough to not feel rushed in getting to the U, and it also felt good because if I get my miles in during the morning, I a) feel like I have at least accomplished one thing that was valuable in the day, and b) I do not have to think about sandwiching in some additional time to run. 

Then onto the U where I was imagining I had 4.5 hours of "big voice" lecturing as I normally do on Mondays.... but I had forgotten.... 1.5 hours was when the students would be taking an exam!!!!!!  When I remembered that on the way it, it gave me a sense of glee!  I would only have 3 hours of "big voice" and I could get some things done on the computer while the kids were taking their embryology exam.

Zooming with a few students, and then a Zoom with the U's retirement planner to receive assurance that my wife and I are doing "ok" and will not be penniless paupers when I do get to retire.   It *sounds* like we will, when the time eventually comes, be able to retire in an "ok" state.... as long as my wife and I can find some sort of appropriate way to get a supplemental insurance that is affordable as an add-on to  Medicare while still having enough funds to be able to eat and afford a place to live.... at least that is the hope.  It is truthfully shameful that we do not as a nation have universal health care for all.  I have a deep seeded fear of not being able to afford healthcare, and a deep seeded fear that whatever my retirement income will be that there will be some sort of massive wave of inflation or another Depression or some such thing and my wife and I will end up on the streets.  I have had that worry for most of my adult life.  

Pat asked me in the comments several days ago about my dream issue.  Unfortunately, no.... I have still not had any recollection of my dreams and it has been a few months now.  It is a bit frustrating.  I miss my happy dreams about pipe shops, about travel, about being with family who are long gone in the present, etc.  The only "dream" I have remembered was actually a NIGHTMARE that I awoke from in shock and panic.  It was about two weeks ago that it happened, I believe.  In this nightmare (which I think I remember because I startled myself awake during the dream), I was in a park in the Summer with family and friends, and we were having a cookout.  About a 1/3 mile away, I could see a gold car, that in my mind looked like an early 1970s Impala, slowly drive towards us, and then it parked a few hundred feet from us.  Somehow, I *KNEW* there was an assassin in the vehicle and that they were going to try to kill me.  So, I ran away from the group.... both trying to escape, but also to keep the gunfire away from my family.  I kept running, and peering back over my shoulder.  I saw a large fellow in the front lean out a long rifle and take aim at me.  I heard the fire of the rifle, and felt the bullet strike me in the head..... and then I woke up.  

My heart was racing, I was panicked and disoriented.  After about five minutes, I got up and shuffled downstairs and went outside to get cool in the snowy Winter air and to try to shake the anxiety I had experienced from the damn nightmare.  I stayed outside for about 15 minutes, and a fair amount of snow stuck to the flannel of my pajamas.  I then went back upstairs and tried to fall back asleep. 

PipeTobacco