Sort of.
Since God gave it to me, it has been the one day that was mine, the one day that I didn't have to watch the clock, didn't have to do a chore, didn't have to make a deadline. Of course, we always work the Friday before a new semester starts. That is always dull. And then last Friday was filled with necessary chores at the Ski Lodge as we sold 93 acres. Now, it is my day again.
I met John at the pool at 4:00 a.m. He does not realize that I have let him set a deadline for me, a time to be somewhere. And he does not realize that I am not a morning person although I have told him that over and over and over. He comes through the door asking questions like an ancient juke box spitting out Lester Flatt playing "The Wabash Cannonball."
He has some sort of problem with the ignition on his car. He can't turn it off or get the key out without an ordeal that takes minutes. I heard him when he drove up, on time for the sixth time in 650 swims. I was stretching while he turned the car on and off trying to get his key out of the ignition switch. He finally burst through the door and asked it I heard him out there. I shook my head up and down which the last time I checked meant yes. He asked again. I shook my head up and down again. He asked a third time.
I yelled, "Yes! Yes! Yes! I heard you! Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"I'm not a morning person, John. When you get here, just get in the pool and swim."
"Have I offended you in some way?"
I can't make him understand although we tried to talk about it in the past and we tried again Friday. At 4:00 a.m., I am a dangerous man. When I am home in my bed at that time, which is where I always want to be, I am usually murdering people in my sleep. No joke. When I wake up at that hour, I am usually dreaming of murder, mass murder, and the abuse of corpses. Don't mess with me in the morning. Don't.
I am better a few hours later. I am not dangerous after I have had a quart of coffee. Actually, I am nice then, and cats flock to me and want to lie on me and purr. And I let them and I enjoy it and we are sweet together.
At the pool, I swam
3,000
25 brick kick
200
25 brick kick
200
25 kick with board
200
25 kick with board
200
500
200
total: 4,500 yards = 4,113 meters
So I went home, had breakfast, drank a quart of coffee, and hung out with the cats. I then had the patience of Job and the sweetness of a do nut shop.
Despite all that coffee, I took a nap, slept like Rip Van Winkle, and woke up like it was a brand new day. I dressed and went out for a shuffle, I did 7.36 miles. The reason I did not go farther is my shoes are worn out and I am so broke I can't pay attention. Next Friday I get paid and will buy new running shoes.
An interesting thing happened on the run, a shocking thing. When I was running south, back into town over the Tallahatchie Bridge, I saw an alligator in the river below. I knew there were gators down there, but it was broad daylight and it was cold. It has been cold for the past five days the temps never rising above 47 and falling at times into the 20s. I watched him for a bit. He was drifting with the current, his head only showing. I yelled out to him, "Hey!" and he responded by turning into the current, but ever so slowly. He is in trouble, I thought. Then I realized, I needed to get a picture, which I did, but if I had retrieved my cell phone when I first saw him, I could have gotten a much better photo.
It was an odd experience, and it caused me to think of River the little cat we rescued from right down there on the bank. He was furiously hungry when to took him home and fed him, but he would not drink water. Obviously River had been drinking out of the river. That gator was big enough to eat the cat, which is just one of the things that could have led to his demise.
I ate lunch and began to watch TV, hanging out with River. The other cats were occupied with watching birds out the windows of the back porch. It was cold outside, and I was tired. I decided that Plate City would go unused for the day.
Penny came home from work and the grocery store, and we went to the Crystal Grill for supper. I ordered the chicken livers, which is what I have eaten on our last three visits there. I even ate desert, lemon icebox pie. Wow, what at meal.
Thank you, Jesus, for an enjoyable, productive, and memorable day.
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