The enchiladas made us sick, Tome 2: Mongolia and Blowing Rock

If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;

                                               If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 1

...the sun was hitting my eyes. I had fallen asleep outside the tent. The remaining embers of the fire were still going, but barely doing anything worth writing about. I had no idea what time it was. My watch was somewhere. I had no idea where we were. We stopped and made camp somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. I wondered if Jommy was up. There were some early anxious thoughts about what I was going to do if he wasn't up. 

Sometimes it's best to keep things to oneself. It was the year before I graduated from college and I took a trip to a foreign country with my roommate. We went to Mongolia. Why exactly? I had heard that it was a pretty awesome country to travel to. That it resembled Montana. Well I had never been to Montana before so I'm not sure how accurate to judge that statement. I left with Jommy* to the capital and then we kinda backpacked throughout the countryside. Hitching a ride here and there. Walked countless miles on back roads, no roads, and hanging out with people who didn't communicate in English.

*(Here's the story behind the name of Jommy. One night in college I was drinking and had the bright idea that when I was going out I was going to speak in a Jamaican accent. After many beers the accent slowly morphed into where I placed a j at the beginning of every word. When I came back I started talking to my roommate about drinking and said Jome on Jommy. Never mind the fact that I didn't put a j on on, that would be plain silly. So I called him Jommy and would say Jome on Jommy. And it would have ended at that point, but he got annoyed by it, and that was my cue to continue to call him that. And eventually the name stuck).

...I woke up before the alarm went off from my cell phone. I got up, walked my dog, and then ate some breakfast. I packed up some things. Took shorts, boxers, and another pair of shoes. I took two Kashi bars for the run. I got in my car and got ready to go. I stopped for gas and got a Gatorade. I was going to Blowing Rock to run. It had been nearly 19 months. It had been to long my friend. The last time I was there was in October of 2010. That was a long time ago. Back when I was a different person. I was thinking about that time the night before. That was back before so many things had gone down. 

The drive up wasn't that bad. It was less than two hours. I got to Moses Cone and realized that I had never been here this early before. It was a little weird. The parking lot was kinda full. I ended up running a mile warm up around Bass Lake. It was warm. I was slightly bummed out. I had traveled here to get away from that. But it wasn't humid. I ended up changing out of my flats and put on my regular running shoes. I thought back to all the times that I have been up to the park. So many memories. So many thoughts crept back to my head.

...the first time I went in 2004, the guys that I drove quoted Anchorman the entire time and named the island in the middle of the lake Whore Island

...the time some guy on a horse called me a faggot

...the time some guy on a horse yelled at me and my runners for stopping when we saw his wife's horse bucking. And then yelling at us and asking us don't we know what to do when a horse does this? To which I replied, no I live in a city and drive a car.

...the time when I first ran at the park and had to walk because my calves were so tight.

...the time I ran there after I got booted from CCHS and ran the fire tower route in 73 minutes. I called Spells before I went and he was wondering if this was my suicide note, and I kinda realized it does sound like I'm going to kill myself. 

...the time my team had a huge snowball fight at the manor.

...the last time I went with CL and Kent.

It's not like Mongolia has a reputation as being a place to hang out and crash and burn. It was actually cool. Not really that much of ruins or stuff of that nature. Just a herding society. We had made camp that night and had a great time under the stars. We woke up and knew that the nearest village was a couple of miles. Well why not go there and see if they have a hostel/hotel that we could crash in. We were dirty and I really wanted to use a bathroom that had a seat. We ended up walking through the country fields, it was pretty cool. Long stretches of land that you could see forever. We talked about goofy stuff, that in all honesty the themes and language haven't changed in the years that have passed when I converse with other individuals.

We made our way into the town/village. We started to walk down the main street. The scene has been set. You had Jommy a guy from the mountains and me a goofy guy with bleached hair that looked really bad. We were walking down the street. Everyone was looking at us. No they weren't looking at us, they were staring. It was unnerving. Then all of a sudden we realized that we were surrounded. There was a circle of people around us. Welp this can't be good, I thought. I was hoping of the faintest hope that maybe somebody spoke English. Then what happened next was like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. A sea of people parted and there stood this guy, who was like 6'5 300 pounds. Making some sort of noise at us, well not us, me. Jommy was being held by someone in the crowd and that's when I realized I was the one this huge guy was pointing and yelling out. This might not end well. I thought back to Raiders, I just need to get my gun out and shoot the guy. Well that wasn't going to happen. So I slowly started to walk back. The guy is still yelling at me, flailing his arms, looking rather unhappy. I slowly walk back and I stop. Well actually someone stopped me. Someone was holding my arms right by the triceps. Welp this can't be good, I thought.

...I thought about the steps that I had ran so many times in the park. The same steps retraced. The same route retraced. They finally got 321 fixed into two lanes on each side. It only had taken seven or eight years. I thought about all the good times I had here. I thought about the time I ran here when I thought it was rock bottom. I remember that run. It was September 19 2009, and it was a rat shipping out on a sinking ship. I ran up the fire tower and climbed all the way up top it. As some people know I have a severe fear of heights. The fire tower is like five stories high (maybe). I don't know. I usually make it two stories where I start to freak out and look down. I can make it to the top and then go straight back down. But not this time I climbed all the way up and gave out some yell. I thought about jumping. I thought about it. I looked down and realized that it probably wouldn't be that good of an idea. I figured that I hadn't seen a single soul that entire time I ran, and that the fall probably wouldn't kill me and that I would be paralyzed and would spend the rest of my life in that state and it wouldn't be that much fun. 

For this run I did the fire tower route first. My calves were killing me within ten minutes. This was not a good sign. I ran to the fire tower. There are many memories here. RyGuyWhit crapping off the side of the mountain, my brother dropping as well. There are some cool views to see but I wasn't here for that. There are so many switchbacks it gets hard to get a rhythm. And then there is the end, its rather anti-climatic. It just kinda ends and you see the fire tower and you're like oh there it is. I walked up to it. I could see all the things carved in it. CCHS XC 07. Moments like that when you think about all the things. That you think of things back then and you realize..

I was being held. Jommy was telling me this was not good. Yep. Do you think we will be all right. Nope. Then it happened. The guy who was holding me, started to take my shirt off, then my pants, then my shoes, and then he pushed me back in the middle of the circle. There I was in my socks and boxers. Staring at some huge Mongolian guy who was wearing what looked like a diaper. He was yelling and pointing a finger at me. Yep I'm going to die. And then he started to run at me. This can't be good. There's not much you can do in a moment like that. He got me. He gave me a big bear hug. And then what seemed quite amazing he flipped me and there were my eyes looking at the ground. He had me in a bear hug and was jumping up and down. Oh this is how I will die. Then he flipped me around again and then placed me on the ground. Then he started to laugh.

...I stayed for a bit at the fire tower. I didn't want to climb. I ended going back to manor to eat my bar and get some water. I decided to travel down to Trout Lake and maybe go to the other mountain that kinda blowed but it would be worth a chance to see. I didn't know that much about this trail and got lost the last time I was here with CL. The one thing I remember about the train is that it starts out downhill. Crap you have to run back up this. And I forgot the whole trail to the lake is downhill. Double crap. Then I saw the sign to Rich Mountain. I remember the name and what it was like. Kinda lame. Not really that cool. I think I ran through cows. Not a cow field, but actual cows. And then it kinda ended up a spiral and you got some sort of weird rock platform that greeted you. I ran the trail. It wasn't that glamorous. It was what I kinda remembered. I remembered the raptor pen gate and knew I was close. I remembered the clearing cow field that kinda didn't have a trail and that I had to trust myself that I remembered running this part five years ago. I ended up running a circle at the top and then remembered that you had to take a side trail to get to the top. I hadn't seen a soul the entire time I ran. And there at the top was an old couple and their dog, a corgi. I kinda forgot that I look kinda homeless with long hair and a beard. I exchanged some pleasantries and said what up dog. The couple didn't return anything. I left. The run back was not that enjoyable. I was getting dehydrated and the sun was out. I stopped at some waterfalls and got some water and got my hat wet. I got back to the manor and ran back to Bass Lake. I passed two women on horses, without incident.

We came to realize that they had someone in the town see us walking through the countryside and decided that we were Americans and wanted to give us a scare. There was some guy who spoke English, and he relayed this information to us. Apparently this was some old ritual where they greeted visitors, but that was something from a long time ago. They wanted to treat us to a good time. And frankly we had a good time. I can't really tell you what Mongolian wine, beer, or spirits taste like because I can't remember. We ended leaving the next day. Can't say that I would forget something like that.

...I got done running. Twenty something miles or longer? I wasn't sure. I figured whatever was fine. I stretched and then changed. I drove to Woodlands BBQ. Even though it's not that great, I go here after running and it seems good. I forgot to order the sliced pork and got chopped but it still tasted good. I had some blackberry cobbler. The steam opened up the pores. The drive back was uneventful. Nothing to report. I left realizing that I may not go back to this place for another year. It wasn't some sort of quest or vision or self-realization that I have gone before in previous times, but I thought about the people I've run with on those trails. The times that I've had. Those ghost were with me. The feelings, the conversations, the experiences. They will always be there for me. Things like that never go away. 

Jommy and I lived together for my last year of college and as the year went on it became apparent that we were going to go our separate ways. I had lived with him for three years. That was pretty long and I wasn't sure what was going to happen after that. Would I ever see him again? What would he do? What would I do? Or lease to our apartment didn't end till July 31. That day we cleaned up and moved the remaining stuff out of the apartment. I really can't remember what I said to him or what he said to me. I was hoping that this wouldn't be the last time that we saw each other, but in the back of my mind I was kinda realizing that this was probably going to be the case. I remember when we were saying our good byes, he wanted to give me a hand shake and I slapped his hand and gave him a man hug. He was a little off put by it and thought it was a joke. But it wasn't a joke. He was more than some random guy I roomed with, he became one of my good friends. After that it was hard to stay in touch. I called him a few times, but we weren't the ones that did that sort of things. He ended up moving to Greensboro then to Michigan. He got married. He still lives in Michigan. I think. The last time I saw him was on July 31st 2004. I still miss my friend.

The Mongolian story was on my old blog, so if this sounds familiar it's because it is. I've ran all the trails at Moses Cone, on this trip I did not run the Maze, because it's lame and the the trail that is to the right of the manor that leads it's way back to Bass Lake, because it's longer and I didn't want to run anymore than I had to. 

the enchiladas made us sick: Tome 1

...I was making my way from the bathroom. I was somewhat slightly disturbed by the looks the police officers had given me. I was trying to think what I could have done to cause them to look at me like that. I looked in the bathroom mirror and looked at my reflection. I could say that my hair was longer and that my beard was coming in, but at the same time I guess I was kinda derelict-ious, whatever that means. I wasn't sure. I wasn't use to people staring at me because of how I looked. Living in DC, I guess, kinda changed all of that. As I was walking out of the bathroom I noticed this women getting up and having a gun sticking out of the back of her pants. Oh let me replay that sentence again: THIS WOMEN HAD A GUN IN A CHICK-FIL-A...AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

There was a split second thought: tackle her to the ground and be the hero to all these individuals or stop and think. Well there were police officers here and there were a bunch of emergency vehicles in the parking lot. If I put two and two together well that equals...oh of course she's probably five-O as well. That was how I spent the first twenty minutes back in North Carolina.

Coming back is what it is. There is the standard response to questions, I'm half tempted to pull a "it was a great game, both teams play hard" routine to the same question over and over again. In a way it's been nice to be back home for a short while. I have been able to run.  Well let's go further into that. You can't fake fitness. No matter how hard you try. Here I am standing on the line at Myers Park about to run a mile, and deep down knowing that this is really going to suck, and maybe just maybe I can fake it and run something special. After the first quarter and we split a seventy, that's when my advanced math kicks in, I'm on pace for a 4:40 and I feel like crap already. You take that as a sign that...is it worth it? Is this what I should be doing? I'm going to be limping in to a time that isn't that great. Well I would take that time any day. It's brutally hot. It's humid. The cheer up brigade comes in. It's the same track as it was the first time I ran this in 2005, but in a lot of ways it's changed. Eight dollars! (Hold on I need to yell at some kids to get off my lawn) The same people that use to run it are gone, the same people that run it are the same. It's just the sense that man I came back and wanted to run well and that totally didn't happen. Total bummer!

Well the ride to Charlotte wasn't that bad. If you include a stop for gas and lunch it was six and a half hours. I would take that anytime. There was some minor traffic in DC (tourist!) but after that well it wasn't half bad. I got home and watched some soccer. I was bored and went for a run after that. Welp it's hot. Not much more can be said about it. Can't spill the ink to wax poetically about it, but the air quality is something that can be written romantically about it. For me it's a wet blanket put over my head, suffocating me ever so slightly. It's a thin air, just like altitude, that comes and not much can be done about it. Mentally you have to adjust. Physically things can be looking fine, it's just that sometimes it' hard to run when you're breathing at seventy percent. That's something that takes time to get use to, and well time is relative.

I quickly rush from the track meet to have dinner. I meet mentors and former coaches. The phrase more mature is thrown about. Looking mature. Acting? Well that's another thing. The same jokes never get old (that's what I tell myself). It's not close to the time to grow up and think about your future. There's the off chance that I can still focus on what I want to do and do it in a manner where I don't have to compromise. That's the spirit. Whatever that is. Put on the ipod and run to songs that are at least a decade or two old. That will show them. Fight the man!

In the days that follow what will happen. What will occur. There is no script. There is no timetable. There is a freeness that enables me to go about and basically do what I need to do without that much care in the world. Responsibilities exist, but not in the way that causes me to bunker down...

Maybe, possibly, perhaps this will be a running series of the summer. Check in for more tails of what will shirley be a must read.

We are here and we make you dance

...this is a bit overdue. It's a review of a concert that I saw on Tuesday. It was during the last week of school. I didn't go to bed till midnight and I was pretty tired the next day. This all reflects a theme that will present through this narrative: that I am old. There were many instances when I was at this concert that I felt that I was old and out of touch with the scene. But as I was leaving I had a smile as I was walking to the metro station.

My workday ended at 5:15 and I drove back to my apartment building. I knew that I had time to get a run in and then get a brief dinner. I was able to run nine miles and then decided the best way to work on smashing the state was going to a fast food company, Wendy's which was right next door to my building. 

(A brief back story. I went to a show in Carrboro in 2001. It was at the Local 506, and it was a pretty hardcore scene. It was a bunch of hardcore bands from the area and a Dutch hardcore band called Anti-dote. It was pretty intense. I went with this guy who lived across the street from me in Charlotte and also was at NC State. We ended up going to some KFC right across the street from the Local 506. It wasn't that good. My friend ended up having severe stomach issues at the show. I'm only relaying this because this is how is my stomach was feeling at the concert. And if you know the bathroom situation at a club you know that it's crappy. Sorry couldn't resist.)

The doors opened at 7:30 and I figured that first band would start at 8. I left my apartment at 7:35, hopped on the metro and was soon walking on U Street to the venue. I got to place around 7:50 and encountered the first of a series of events where I knew that I was an old man. You get X's if you are underage. The five guys in front of me all got them. Then it was my turn and I got a red stamp. Yep I am over 21 and I'm old. I walked up the stairs to the hall and was pretty nervous. It was a nice size place and I walked around. I was nervous before a show for some unknown reason and decided to have a beer. I drank a Yuengling and stood and did some people watching.

The first band came on at 8. They were called Luther. Maybe I haven't been to a lot of shows, but I want my punk bands to not have guys who look like they should be in a metal band and have guitarist that don't look like hipsters. I was debating what jokes I could come up with this band. Maybe I would call them something called Luther or Luther the BBC show that stars Stringer Bell > Luther the band. And then out of the corner of my eye I saw the guitarist from the Bouncing Souls, standing watching Luther play. Then I saw the lead singer, then the bass player. In a split second I was like OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I didn't know what to do. Here were member of one of my favorite band literally ten feet away from me. I was going over multiple ways to go over there and do something. I saw one guy shake their hands. I wasn't sure what to do. And really what was I going to do? Go up to them and tell them that their music always got me through dark moments. That their songs were reasons why I was able to get myself through dark moments. That whenever I heard the Souls a smile cam across my face. It reminded me of when people would come up to me after races and tell me that I was fast or that I did a good job. It was kinda awkward and a little weird. I usually don't know what to say, except thanks. And that's how I guess they would react if I said all those things to them. So I just stood and watched Luther play.

And let me tell you something. It had to be the Souls standing in the club watching this band play, but I swear Luther got better or I accepted them. It had to be the Souls. And that's what got me to thinking. In punk music there aren't that many bands that are universally accepted. It's hard to find a band where almost everyone likes them, and the Souls are one of those bands. The fact that the Souls were there watching this band, when they didn't have to, when they were in the top five of punk bands right now, they've been the top dogs for so long, and they were out there supporting an opening band. That's why I like the Souls so much. They didn't have to do it, but they did. Luther finished their thirty minute set. I was left to get some water and wait till the Menzingers came on.

In between sets I saw what I had made fun of many years before. The old guy at the punk shows. I never wanted to be that guy. But Christ I was that guy now. I was old. And when the Menzingers came on I got really old. My thinking was here is a band that I have no idea who they are, but they must be pretty popular because a lot of the kids know their songs. I have to say that the Menzingers were not my cup of tea when it comes to punk music. I can't really say why, but I was just not feeling them. They had some good songs, but really I was just hoping that they would stop playing so I could see the Souls. They ended up finishing and the Souls came on right before ten.

When the headlining band starts to set up that's when the crowd swells up. That's when there is a rush to the front, that's when people start to get antsy. I saw the roadies setting up the stage. There were tv's on stage, and I was thinking "come on Bouncing Souls you guys don't need this, this is below you". I was then trying to convince myself that you know what I bet they can make it work. There were chants of Ole breaking out and then the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly music came on. That's when I knew it was going to go down. I was thinking ok with all these tv's it's going to be either really awesome or it's going to be a train wreck. The first song came on, the crowd turned into an angry sea, I made sure to stay out of the pit and was on the side. The first song (which I later found out was on their new album) left me wondering what it was. I didn't sing along and didn't really like the song that much. Then they played their next song...hey hey where have you gone you use to be the one we looked up to...it's funny how one chord can change so many things. How something that you may not have heard in a couple weeks, months, years can all come back. With that I was into the show. I was able to do some really awkward pogoing and was able to sing all the songs that I knew (which were most of them).

It was funny because this was the first show of their tour, and also their new album came out the same day. So I was wondering how they were going to perform. You never how a band is going to come out, but the Souls weren't that bad. They played one song called, Coin Toss Girl, that was from their new album and I said to myself that's a good song. They played it and you could tell that the crowd got into the song as it went along.

I liked how they mixed up the songs, they had some that were at a breakneck pace, playing the fast ones almost back to back to back. No let up. And then they throw the curveball and play a slow more melodic song that really captures who they are as a band. Of course having seen this band about five times, I realized that with a couple songs when they played them in the main set that I was like, oh I remember when they were the encore songs, now they are just regular songs. I guess they have their new stuff that they play now. It brings me back to the first album that I bought from them in summer of 99, Hopeless Romantic. It's a great album. It's at their peak. It was a great time in the genre. And throughout the years, many bands have tried to do things that make you question if they are straying from their sound (I'm looking at you Dropkick Murphys) or bands just become a total caricature of the music (Rancid) that it makes it hard to like bands that you grew up listening to. That's what makes it sucks sometimes when I listen to old records and it takes me back to those times when I would first listen to those albums, and then I know and hear what that band is doing now and it depresses me.

That why I'll always like the Souls. Greg, the lead singer, is someone who is more awkward and stiff than I am, and yet he pulls it off. His goofy movements on stage are at best can be described as muted but then he bust out that smile and you know he's having a good time. And that's what the Souls bring. You know you're going to have a good great time. That's what I knew I was getting when I saw them. They got me through some tough times, and I knew that this band was going to deliver because that's what they do. Listening to records and watching DVD's you feel some sort of connection to a band, and you hope that they continue to exist the way you imagine them in your mind. And when that's no longer the case it can be detrimental. That's why I can't believe as I get older I still care that much about something that's been apart of my life for so long, but I do and I will continue to do so, because honestly I don't know any other way.

(A side note: When I went to the show I was rocking my Against Me! shirt. In total support of Laura Jane Grace. I hate to say that this makes me like the band more, but yeah it's the sort of thing that gives the band a lifetime pass from me.)

Set list (from what I can remember and not in order):
Neurotic
Here we go
Cracked
Say Anything
K8 is Great
East Coast F U
Hopeless Romantic
That Song
Private Radio
True Believers
Lifetime
Late Bloomers
Gone
Apartment 5F
Kids and Heroes
Sing Along Forever
Highway Kings
Lean on Sheena
Midnight Mile
Baptized
Fast Times
Coin Toss Girl
Comet
Ship in a Bottle

Things change (well not really)

...I'm slowly reaching the end of the teaching year. It's funny to think that at this time last year I was packing up and getting ready to leave Charlotte. I wasn't sure what to expect, I wasn't sure if I was really going to be doing the things I had been doing forever (running). In a literal sense this was a big move. I moved over four hundred miles, seven hours north, to a new city. But it was also a sense of moving on figuratively. It hadn't been easy for me for a the last two years in Charlotte, and mostly it was of my own doing. I have to say that things have improved for the better. But this wasn't some sort of move where I radically changed my persona and changed my outlook. Actually I still do the same things that I have been doing. I still run, and do so in a predictable manner. I've traded in McMullen for Rock Creek. I get my hair cut short and then grow it out.

There are still things to think about...

On Friday will be my last day at work, and it's going to be sad because I'll be saying good bye to all the fabulous people that I have worked with. There have been times when I have been transfixed on someone teaching and when they ask a question, I have had to stop myself from shouting out the answer. That's something that I aspire to, to have that way you carry yourself. I feel that very slowly it's come in running. Working with all these sets of different individuals has made me realize how lucky I am to be with people who are passionate about what they do. It's been an eye opening experience, and I hope that what I can continue to do what this for years to come.

(file under #humblebrag) I think it was in June. I think it was the last run I did at McAlpine (and still the last run there) when I was talking to Billy. We were talking about when I would come back to visit Charlotte. I really wasn't sure, but was hopeful of running the marathon in November. I don't think I had thought about it that much, and wasn't really sure if I was going to do it. I think I just threw it out there. I had no idea if I was really going to do. I remember when I signed my contract and saw that the hours were from 7:15 to 5:15 that running was either going to happen in the early morning or not at all. I was going to see if I was really dedicated and determined to see if I could do this. I signed up for the marathon on the last day of July and knew that this was going down. I had the advantage of sleeping in my parents house and getting the traditional Harris Teeter meal that I always eat before a race, but other than that I wasn't that prepared.

Fast forward through the weeks. When I realized that with my work schedule workouts would happen on the weekend. That I needed to focus on long runs. I went into the marathon literally not knowing what I could run. I told Lamperski that it could be in the range of 2:40 to 3:10 and that I was serious. I remember running the first mile and thinking, I can't believe I'm really doing this. Not really understanding the seriousness of it all. Of course it helped that once I locked in. It also helped that I had so much support out there on the course. That really made the day. I have to think after the race. I went back to work and just went about my business. I told people that I did ok, not telling time and place. When the vice principal was told how I did by my sister, she mentioned to the other co teachers at a meeting. It felt a little weird to have all that attention on me. But you know what I'm proud of myself for that race. I went out and ran a distance that I hadn't done in forever and achieved a time that made it ok. Sure I didn't run that well, but it was good. It took me a long time to get over the race, but I feel that it got me to where I need to go. And the Vermont Marathon, well to be honest I don't think I need to spill anymore words on that race. The words are there. I did enjoy the one email I got that said it was a good twenty minute read (#humblebrag2). It is what it is.

For my summer plans it's not that clear. I'll be back in Charlotte for a week. I'll try my hand at the summer track series and hope to run under five minutes in the mile. Run the Summer Breeze 5k for the first time since 2007 (I think) and then after that I'm not sure. I would really like to take a cross country trip. I have this idea of just going to a place, finding the nearest camp site, plunking down and sleeping in a sleeping bag there. Then getting up, running for two hours, and then driving seven or eight hours and repeating the process again. That's the goal.

Of course I'm still undecided about running a fall marathon. I feel that in the two weeks since Vermont that I haven't had any serious setbacks like I did after Charlotte. I actually feel stronger and fit. I still consider the race to be a fluke with so many things happening that have never happened before. I guess if I am going to run a fall marathon, then it's going to be Charlotte. And the reason in really simple. It's the roads that I know, it's the familiar feeling I get when I run the course, and it's people that are on the course shouting encouraging words (whether they really mean it our not). I guess I have till August to make that decision, so I have plenty of time to see where my body is and how my mind is.

With all these things in my mind, it will be an interesting summer to say the least. I would really like to get back on this blog. It's really slacking and not where it could be. I know that I started things off strong, but have gotten slack. So I'll have to give it a go. Other than that things are about the same. I haven't shaved since Vermont and haven't had a hair cut in six months. So I guess things don't really change.

Sunday Evening Ramblings

• And we start off with a link to....maxim, por que?! Yep that's where we are going. When I think of hard hitting journalism for an oral history of a great show, the first place I always check is Maxim. It just so happens that The Wire premiered ten years ago this month (or something like that). Yes it's that good of a show. I'm gonna leave the opening intro the show below.

• With the summer break that will be happening to me very soon (oh just ten more days). A couple things that will happen. A) no more waking up at 4am (sometimes) to go out and run (well for a while that is). B) I can take naps. C) I can go out on a vacation (ALL BY MYSELF). What will probably happen is that I will stay in my apartment and not really do much. Watch TV, run, play video games, etc. 
• Thanks to those who offered their feedback from the very long rambling marathon post. It was important to hear it.