I have been running a long time folks. I have run though San Antonio summers, Vancouver's Stanley Park, Back Bay sunrises, marathon training and everything else in between. It has helped me take back a sense of control over my life when, as a college student at UF a serial killer was terrorizing my town. Although I am sure none of my family and friends were that happy with me running at the time. It has helped me clear my head on the verge of my marriage breaking down and helped me find the strength to keep putting one foot in front of another. It has reminded me almost constantly to keep breathing. With my marathon experience, it reminded me to persevere and to remember to lift my head up and enjoy the scenery on occasion. Running and I have been life long friends, albeit with an occasional lapse due to injury or being just plain tired. I remember I stopped running for awhile and began to spin almost exclusively because I just wanted to close my eyes and move to the music and that is a really bad idea when you are running. Most of you know that music fuels a lot of my runs unless I have the luxury of a partner. And I am always amazed at the random song that will come on when I just let the playlist shuffle. Case in point. I was running Back Bay yesterday. Me and my ipod. Having a lovely afternoon. "Jealous Again" came on by the Black Crowes. Kids, that song came out in 1991. I have been running to that album for almost 20 years. And it still has a good beat. The most amazing part to me is how as soon as that guitar starts I can see myself taking off from the sorority house where I lived at the time over to 12th Street. I would head up 12th to W University, over to 13th and back down toward the house. It was only maybe a 2.5 to 3 mile run, but I would grab my Walkman, yep Walkman, and run to the Crowes. Jealous Again, Hard to Handle and She Talks to Angels keeping time to each foot strike. And yesterday when Chris Robinson started with "Cheat the odds that made you brave to try to gamble at times", it was like a hug from an old friend.
This was the most surreal hour and a half of the whole trip. We made our way out to Howard Air Force Base (which is no longer an AFB) and found our old house. Just looking at the photos I get emotional all over again. Not that I broke down crying or anything but it was really weird standing in a place that holds so many memories. Here is me freaking out that we found it!!! Our old Street! Coffey Avenue! Exploring the old digs! This stairwell led up to the door in the kitchen. It was a little creepy so I just filmed from where I was. :-/ I don't do creepy. Here we are in front of 60A Coffey Ave! That "hill" behind my mom seemed so much bigger when we lived there. I remember my dog running down it and tripping, which led to a head over heels tumble that still makes me laugh when I think of it. And that fence used to be a favorite spot for three toed sloths to hang out. ...
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