Feeling Vaguely Lifelike

Ran a 5K this morning to prove it. Didn't go fast, not at all. Just ran, and didn't even hack up more than half of one lung. It helps that it was a nice morning, in the high 30s. It's supposed to get up to 60 today, which'll be really nice.

(Of course, there's a 20 percent chance of snow on Thursday. Looks like I won't get my garden planted until mid-May, at the earliest.)

Having passed the snot along to my youngest, I felt appropriately guilty when he made a pretty brave effort at getting up this morning. Didn't take much to talk him into going back to bed, although he's a bit crabby about missing another school day.

Spent an hour going over algebra with John this afternoon, felt somewhat helpful. Gotta keep him rolling on this course while he's into it. Still can't get over his volunteering to do some school work on a weekend.

My peeps are going to require a little more patience. I almost stir-fried 46 of them last night. They got out of the brooder and did what free chickens generally do -- make a huge mess. I cleaned up, and then put some cardboard over the top of the brooder to keep them penned. They got the message. For once, they shut up and went to sleep. I think all they needed was a little darkness. But really, it was the first damn time in their two-week lives that they've shut up and slept at night.

Still, I desperately need to get off my butt and finish the coop annex. It'll give them an extra 120 square feet or so (in addition to the 24 square foot coop). It'll also give the bathroom back to Gray Kitten, who's starting to get a bit testy about the whole peep-peep-peeping sound coming from her former domain.

On things animal-related, I need to start taking the dogs out on my short runs. They're getting a bit round. Not much, but a bit. Rather like their owner feels after a week and a half of doing nothing.

I'm off to NYC tomorrow night for a three-day conference. If an honorarium weren't involved, I'd likely skip it. Unfortunately, you actually have to show up to get paid. And this conference, of course, is one of those deals that starts at 8 am and goes on ... and on ... and on ... and on ...

If I'm complaining about peep-peep-peeping, I'm thinking I'll be in a really good mood after two nights of nonstop horns and car alarms (urban crickets). I'll be lucky to get one run, much less two or three. And I'll be staying up near Columbia. I guess I might be able to run in the park, but I really, really don't like running in crowds.

Which is kind of a dumb thing to say and think, since I'm trying to remotivate myself here by signing up for some races. I'm doing a 10-K in Bennington on Sunday and a 10-K in Brattleboro one week from Saturday.

I'm guessing the number of people running in those two races -- combined -- will be roughly half the morning running crowd in Central Park. But that's just a guess.

Anyway, I think I'll wear this shirt running and hope people get the message: