Monthly Archives: April 2007

04.02.07
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New Month’s Resolution for April

Yikes! I forgot that yesterday was the first of the month!

This is a tough month for me to have a resolution. I’ll be spending nearly half of this month traveling.

Well, actually that lends itself to a perfect resolution. Between the feasting of Easter and the necessary eating-out that accompanies a road-trip of 15 hours, I resolve to be extra careful about portions and types of food I select while on the road. I do intend to indulge at least once in a big juicy burger from Wendy’s (hold the onions, please), but other than that, I’ll be focusing on the soups and salads on the menu or on (gasp!) leaving half the food on the plate, since I really don’t need to eat 1000 calories at one sitting.

What is your new month’s resolution? Comments are open!

04.02.07
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My morning run

Going for a run without the dog is similar to leaving a clingy toddler at home while running errands.

There is the false cheerfulness, the plastered smile and the happy “see you soon” as the rejected family member sorrowfully begs to accompany you…

…and there’s the amazing ability to accomplish the task in noticeably less time.

On the other hand, I’ve gotten quite used to my personal body guard. We run early in the morning, in the dark, on dimly-lit streets. Frequently we encounter non-military pedestrians on their way to or from their low-wage jobs stocking shelves at the retail stores near my home. It’s comforting to have a 70 pound German Shepherd trotting obediently to my left.

Today, with no dog by my side, I was acutely aware of the absence of any patrol cars (I usually see at least two or three Military Police on routine cruises through the area); I didn’t notice any of the usual government vans that ferry workers up to the nearby gate that opens at 5 am who must look for me every morning; and not one of my early-bird neighbors was out running or walking their dogs at the same time and along the same path as I usually espy them. My only security was the decades of Hail Marys being counted on my fingers as I scooted along.

Perhaps that’s why my run was so fast.

04.01.07
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Meeting the Joneses

Billy came running into the house.

“Mom, there’s a boy from CCD playing in the alleyway…”

“…Ryan…”

“…yeah, Ryan. Can I play in the alleyway?”

“Sure, Billy, for about 20 minutes.”

And then they all wanted to play, including Pete. So I grabbed my calendar and my grocery list and thought I could plan my much needed shopping trip while I kept an eye on the kids as they flew up and down the alley on their scooters and bikes. But Ryan’s dad was tinkering in his garage, and he decided to come over and chit chat. We’ve met at CCD, and I knew his house was one of the ones that shared the alley with ours.

“How many kids do you have? They just seem to keep pouring out of the house…”

I’m sure it seemed that way. They kept going in and out giving the illusion of a never-ending stream of children. He wasn’t being mean.

And so we made small talk and my list didn’t get made. Then another garage door opened, and a woman I had never met came out with some garbage. She knew Ryan’s dad, and so she joined us in our idle chatter. “Hi, I’m Michelle,” I said.

“I’m Chris.”

She sur-veyed the activity with amuse-ment. Pete was there on one of the riding toys. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-one months, yesterday, actually,” I replied.

“He’s cute. {pause} I saw him earlier. In the fort.” She gestured at our swing set, clearly visible from the alleyway. “He was standing in the doorway. Not a stitch of clothing on. He waved.”

“Great...” Yeah. Lovely.

Hi. Nice-ta-meet-cha. Have you met my children? Oh, you have…