September 29, 2005

The Joys of Running

My dad has informed me that there is an annual 10K race in town at the end of October, so I’m going to signup. The race according to one Hal Higdon is “One of the most scenic 10K’s I’ve ever run”. It begins by our art museum, crosses our three rivers, through our historic neighborhoods, and ends at the actual fort that lends our small town its name. I’m pretty excited about it, but I think I’m more excited about a future time in my training when my legs aren’t sore every morning. To be frank, it was tough to run today (Wednesday). Abbey and I both felt it and we definitely went at a slower pace.

However, I’m beginning to enjoy running again. When I was in the middle school, I ran the 100 and 200 meter dash (even winning the 200 meter at the city meet) so I never had to run the long distances that a marathoner would. Even during soccer there is something about the distraction of the ball to keep your mind off of the mileage your knees are racking up. So, imagine my surprise when I started enjoying the little things during my run today. No, not the little aches of my knees, or the minor stiffness in my quads, or the slight fatigue of my legs challenging me up the hill, past the charcoal singed two-story or the abandoned turned crack house.

I notice that after living in Fort Wayne for most of my life, and always being scared of the south part of town - Pontiac and Creighton streets were and still are home to numerous murders each year - I live in and love the “scary” neighborhood now. It feels more comfortable now than my parents’ home in ex-urbia. It is the little things that a historic neighborhood offers that I discover and appreciate during my runs. The decorative iron fences instead of the Home Depot wood fence; the large front porches instead of patios; and the little ethnic restaurants instead of the large homogenous restaurants. And, as I get faster and build more endurance I will be able to explore more of my neighborhood at a pace not afforded to a car or even bicycle. It is a place untouched my gentrification because most of the homes are cared for – maybe not the way Neighborhood Association or Better Homes and Gardens would classify it – but cared for because they are lived in. “Lived in” in the most human definition of the term.

Excerpt from email

I've been typing about my days to a very close friend lately, so I haven't wanted to write the exact same thing later in my blog ... here's an excerpt...

I've been a "hazy daze" for the last week because of my trip to Chicago. It’s the kind of dream that you remember as extremely pleasant but can’t pinpoint why. Whenever people ask me what I did in Chicago, I can never remember, can never give a solid answer. I just know that I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

A decidedly different haze enveloped me when the alarm went off this morning (Tuesday) and Abbey and I went on our second run. Yesterday, we went out for an hour and split the time between walking and jogging. We realized how under-equipped we are, and our cotton shirts and socks were sopping. While I could have kept running (how I underestimated my endurance!). Abbey did win the “first blister” contest. Today we woke up at 6:00 and ran for about 40 minutes, probably walking more since we were recovering from the previous day and most likely because I was a bit sleepy still.

I registered for the Indy mini-marathon yesterday, which forces me to continue training, or else lose 40 bucks (I had no idea what time to put in so I entered 2:20 but my goal is to do it in 1:45). "Maybe,” I think to myself, “Kimberly is also running right now. Feeling the pain of running and the pleasure of breathing fresh air.”

Hearing: Bloody Motherfucking Asshole by Martha Wainwright
Reading: Lolita by Nabokov

September 26, 2005

Chicago - City of Inspiration

I spent the last 4 days in Chicago with Kimberly under the assumption that I was just seeing a Sigur Ros concert but things progressed decidedly unexpectedly and I ended up staying a few extra days.

I'm back in Fort Wayne now. I started a book club with my friends - pretty much cold calling them and asking them to join. I've decided on Lolita for this month, with a discussion and potluck at the end.

Abbey and I start training for the Indy half marathon today. A 30-40 minute run/walk kicks it off.

More later, I'd suppose...

Hearing: Flunk
Reading: Ulysses by Joyce and Lolita by Nabokov

September 18, 2005

Manhattan Film Festival

Maybe this posting stuff will turn into a regular thing again.

Today was an absolutely relaxing day. I'm not sure I would have had this kind of day if I hadn't gone on my trip. Being at peace doing nothing, yet feeling accomplished because I'm enjoying life. My parents and I have started eating breakfast every Sunday morning together. It still feels very novel, but I think we are cherishing our time together before I head off to the Peace Corps - my sister even comes. Today was no different, plenty of laughs and great food. Common experiences.

I hung around the house and continued to store all of my music on my external hard drive so I can finally get rid of all of these cd cases. I sorted papers, started organizing pictures from my trip, and began a new book. At 7:00, I met Amanda and Steve at Cinema Center Tech for screening of the Manhattan Film Festival. Most of them were absolutely awful, an offering of artistic after school specials. Many were so bad that I just wanted to scream, literally scream, loudly in the theater. My mouth was actually open in disgust for at least two of them, and once I actually audibly scoffed at the piece. Is this really the best we can do? Two good shorts did emerge though.

"Crickets" is from Isreal and it's about a man who's parents are blown up in a suicide attack. To deal with the trauma, he begins betting on which buses in which cities will be blown up next. He of course is excellent at predicting, but then the peace process begins and he has to deal with the pain himself which almost paralyzes him. The last scene shows him sitting of the floor of his apartment building a bomb.

"Everything Goes" is from Australia and is based on a Raymond Carver story. Man becomes divorced. Man sells all belongings. Couple stop at yard sale. The three spend the day drinking. Man and girl dance around the yard while boyfriend sleeps on sofa. The couple buys most man's belongings. The girl never forgets the moment.

I voted for "Crickets" even though I probably preferred the latter because it was an original idea. Fort Wayne has had a bit of luck lately - Tony Hawk came to check out our skate park unannounced last week and many of my students were able to meet him and now the Cinema Center scores a film fest. Just when I thought this town didn't stand a chance...

Hearing: Jazz on NPR
Reading: Taking it Home: Stories from the Neighborhood by Tony Ardizzone

September 17, 2005

Frisbee, Football, Flowers

After school, as I am usually apt to do, on Friday I play Ulimate with the students. One of my favorite students, Watson Brown, was there this Friday. He is the quiet, smart, funny student in class who reminds me so much of Chris Rupley, my best friend in middle school; except while Chris and I would be outside digging in mud, riding bikes, and playing swingball, we could never play actual sports because I was taller, faster, and more adroit. Chris, I don' think had the same competitive spirit that so he simply amused me by trying things that I liked to do. Watson on the hand is Chris Rupley with the competitive wherewithall. I always look forward to talking with him in class or throwing Frisbee.

This observation doesn't quite jibe with how I've been feeling overall lately though. For the better part of a week now I've been rather depressed. This summer I had an amazing trip - I reconnected with old friends, met new people, and more than anything had plenty of time for myself. However, after spending so much time with old friends, introspective friends, best friends - I returned home to "transition friends". The time that I'm living in my hometown before I head off to the Peace Corps feels more temporary than before. Aside from but sometimes including Stephen, I don't feel particularly close to any of my friends in Fort Wayne. Maybe this is a grass is greener argument, but if I could hang out with Steve-o or Kimberly I think I would feel more fulfilled because they ask challenging questions and enjoy things the way I enjoy them. And I think the big difference is age. My college friends, my best friends, are all about 28. I'm currently 25, but my current friends are all 22.

Don't think I don't see the irony here.

So yesterday after we went to see the 9:50 showing of "Broken Flowers," and I wanted to go home there was a palpable moment of misgiving abou the fact that I didn't want to continue the night. I would prefer reading a book and falling asleep to another night of drinking.

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Homecoming Game:
We lost to my Alma Mater 35-14. Our quarterback broke his leg early; we never recovered. I had chain duty - the best nonseat in the house.

"Broken Flowers"
Ok, I get it, Jim, but your movie still sucks the life out of me. Hey, Bill, we are all impressed that you can do so little and express so much, but let's try a different role sometime soon. While your "acting", I'm napping.

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Reading:
"Naked Economics" by Wheelan

Hearing:
"Castaways and Cutouts" by The Decemberists

September 7, 2005

Back to the Drama Mill

I am back safely from my trip and teaching freshman English or rather English to freshman. I have 70 rolls of film to dig through. New digs with Stephen. We are going to see November later. So short.... will get back into the swing of blogging shortly - 10 months until Peace Corps.