Dear Diary: How's my trip to Oregon thus far?

Arrive at noon Friday. Bro hid keys to Mom's car in gas cap. Check.

Drive to Florence and unwind with the kids and Mom. Check.

Swim with kids. Check.

Saturday run 9 miles. Check.

Soon after, on the way to visit Dad at Regency Nursing home get ticket for speeding in a 25mph zone & driving uninsured vehicle. Check.

Swim with kids. Check.

Saturday night, make delicious meal w/Scott and Ann's CSA plus regional wild caught Coho--perfection. Check.

Sunday morning, long run staged through the town: 2 miles solo, 3 miles with running buddies Kris and Kathy, 3 more miles to Regency to drink cranberry juice with Dad,  2 miles to Scott & Ann's for power bar and sports drink, 5 more miles home.  Took three hours, but it sort of added up to my 15 Iron Training. Check.

Then to the big celebration, Zelma's 100th birthday party!  Years ago, I used to play tennis with Zelma's husband, Virgil, and a whole host of players in a daily round-robin tournament.  Those were my summer days at Addie's age.  

Swim with kids. Check.

Quite an occasion for a party.

Daughter Dolores, left, organized the whole thing for Zelma.

 By the end of Sunday, the kids are running bikes and bare feet up and down our quiet street.  Laughing and working on this misty evening. Poetry.  I love these kids.

I LOVE my teenager!!!!

Tired and finally motionless.

 Monday morning. More running (of course). After Mom's mammogram we were able to pay a visit to the Florence Courthouse/Justice Center.  I had evidence to prove that we did indeed have insurance on the car (which will knock 260 bucks off of my ticket), but I have to wait until the ticket enters the system to do anything about the moving violation.  When I learn that it may not be in the system until later in the week I worry that I may be gone by then, but the friendly guy behind the counter ensured that I can do it all over the phone. In fact, I may be able to go to traffic school ONLINE!  Happiest news I've heard yet on this trip.   He asked me if I had a computer, and I said, "Yes...more than one!"

I'm gonna go into that courthouse and reverse this injustice!

Look! It's a stuffed bear & a number that I can call in a week! How civilized!

In other words...we're not in Illinois anymore!

 And then, finally, Therapy time for Dad.  The kids park themselves in Dad's room while he sleeps.  When the therapist arrives and tells him it's time for exercise he complains like a pro, but by the time we get him into the therapy room he rallies and behaves like the champion he always was.

Over What hill? Where? When?

Just pedal and keep the green smiley face on the screen.

Looking at Dad's cycling program, I couldn't help but think it's merely an extension of all the training that I do.  One of my fondest memories is of the Manatee Open Water swim that I competed in a number of times in Lake Del Valle.  One year, my Dad and I participated (each swimming one mile), and another year Peter and I did the relay.  Today as Dad's session neared an end, the therapist eyed me and indicated that this was some of his best work, today.  I was proud of my guy, but also sad, knowing that it's impossible for me to somehow provide that sort of inspiration long term, when I am far away.  This isn't a condition that is gentle on the mind, and honestly, when I'm not there talking about our trip along the Oregon Coast or about the swim we did or about Dad's relentless exercise at the Elks, well, he sort of slumps in his seat and stares into space.  That's where We're at.  So. If you're trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your day/month/year/life, you might as well get going!

The Long Run, Again



Ready to Rock and Roll, photo credit: Addie.





It's running!!!



I told Peter that I was going for a long run today and he said, "I thought you already did your last long run?" I replied, "this is my first long run." We laughed, he said, "Oh, yeah, the last one is in Madison". Yeah, real funny, smart guy. What can I say? He's always been there for the insanity, thick and thin. I might as well indulge loyal reader and let you know that I'm on the pristine Oregon Coast. Thank goddesses I finally got a break from that heat because insanity can only carry a middle aged mother so far, every run was costing me loads of sweat and causing stomach upset. The recovery time after these hot, humid runs is really something to behold. Why do I know this? Because I've run for three days running (heh heh) and I feel almost chipper! Yesterday I set out to plot my run course and even went to the lengths of driving the course to measure distance (a rare indulgence). I also wanted to take Dad's Subaru Loyale out for a ride to see how it's running. Mom is trying to get rid of the auto and I'm heartbroken that I can't drive it or ship it home without undue expense. We'll see how this storyline ends, I'm not completely surrendered, but goodbyes are likely on the horizon, sniff, sniff.  And yet, I digress, yesterday afternoon I took the car out and plotted a fabulous twenty mile ride/run. Loyal copilot in the backseat, we took a few shots, this is what we've got, not an over-documented run, which is a good thing, if you think that I was running, instead of walking, standing around, sitting, etc...So now that it's all over, how did it go, you ask?  Not so bad. Not really fast, but that's the way it rolls.  I stopped once at the Casino to use toilet (urgent) and refill water.  This is about 4.5 miles in.  Then again stop at mile 8 at roadside store for gatorade.  Both of these stops were unnecessarily long, so it definitely slowed me down.  Sometimes you just get to talking to somebody or doing something and there goes the run. poof! 



Mile 12.9...thinking about tomorrow morning. This is the North (and South) Jetty of Siuslaw River



I stopped again for water refill at mile 13, although I had hit the bushes or portolet more than once between.  Then at mile 15.3 stopped at public restroom where I had planted powerbar over a light fixture, then up the last hill to golf course, down into town on my usual loop, and back home.



On top of the hill, parking lot of golf course, mile 16





Pretty cheerful for a nearly four hour excursion.  Total?  64 oz. gatorade, water 64 oz. or less. 3 power bars.  Started at 51 degrees Fahrenheit and never rose above 70, negligible humidity and no wind.  4 significant hills, and numerous rollers. 

I ran into Kathy only minutes after I left Greentrees, and she was on her way back home.  We hugged and chatted, I told her how long I expected to be out, and she said I better get going!  Needless to say, as I turned the final corner onto 9th Street (mile 18.5) a red hybrid with a yellow ribbon magnet zoomed by, beep beep!  There she was, waving at me after so many hours out on the road. I knew I'd hear about this later, and I sure will!



No post-run photos, it was that sort of day.  I walked into all sorts of activity here at the house, but I finally got the new camera up and running so later on I had Addie take a few decent photos of the now-famous swimsuit cover-up of 2011.  I'm so proud of this piece, if you haven't heard, yet! 








Addie: "Smile, Mom!"





It doesn't get any better than this...



The back is a little slouchy, and crochet aficionados,

summer wear does, ahem, stretch out.