FIRST WEEK OF APRIL,
AND THE RUNNING IS COMING UP,
AS FUTURE PLANS CONTINUE TO BE MADE
APRIL 1—7, 2001
Spring forward! It was actually this computer, which reminded me what time it was and that it was an hour later than I had thought on this April Fool’s Day. So, I have re-set my clocks, and packed up my running gear to meet Joe Aukward after his church and mine. I had received a call this week from another fellow who identifies himself as a blind runner, who was seeking a guide runner, so I suggested to him by phone that the three of us get together so that he might be less guided by me (he still has some residual sight) than inspired by Joe. We may try that at a later time this week, but I have a couple of engagements with Joe for this week.
So, on Sunday, I re-set all the clocks and typed up a few addenda, and went to church for a communion service. I drove back to Joe’s house calling as I went to find the house in some degree of turmoil. Both little Joe and Maria were all dressed up having just come from mass with the whole family—a big outing, since last night Betty, at her 30th week in pregnancy had some cramps and a bit of bleeding and had to go to the hospital. Now, in any other household, that would mean the husband would assure her everything would be all right, and drive her and the kids to the hospital; but in this instance, Joe would have to take the kids all right, but Betty would drive them all to the hospital. The TV sets were all tuned to the Maryland/Duke game, in the Final Four, in which Maryland was ahead by twenty plus points, and faded to lose, so that Duke goes on to play the Arizona Wildcats for the National College title. By the time everyone was pulled away to take note of Betty and Joe, she was assured that everything would be all right, and they could go home again.
It is for that reason that they wished to celebrate mass this morning, and see the kids go to a program called FOOT (“Faith of our toddlers”). But there is another reason this is a big week; Saturday is Joe and Betty’s tenth anniversary. Little Joe was born around the time that Andrew was and the next baby is due when Michael and Judy’s twins are arriving. Although Betty is supposed to be at bed rest today, she had hoped to carry out her work until the April 28 date when she was going to quit work, and I started incubating a plan that could celebrate their anniversary early.
Joe and I went to Ken-Gar with the initial plan that we would run eight miles, but re-considering that he had not run long since he had last year with me, and that we have a ten mile race coming up in the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, we should put on some extra miles. We decided to go ten miles this time and found that it was cool with just a little spitting rain, a good running day for tights and a long sleeve shirt. Off we went.
We were doing well until the turnaround at the five-mile point, when the miles were starting to show on Joe and he asked for frequent checks on how far we still had to go. For the first time in our long-running career, I was hauling Joe up hills, where he usually excels. He could not get over how well I was doing or how poorly he was doing, and he managed to kick his own backside to get half way to the next goal and halve that again until we kicked back to the drinking fountain at Ken-Gar.
It was then we packed up for the anniversary surprise: I remembered this rather neat family style restaurant, which serves good food and is not a fast food place. I often think that I might some day cater out a full Thanksgiving Dinner anonymously from their good menu. On the Rockville Pike is “Chicken Out” of which there are now about 16 in this area alone. We belted the kids into the Camry car seats I secured in back, and drove up as Betty stayed at home resting after we returned. We got seated in the restaurant and ordered whatever the kids would like. Little Joe was “captured” by a big affable black fellow who was our waiter, and carried to the back where he picked out a very big dinner-plate size cookie. The staff was very nice to us, recognizing the unusual combination of our running togs and Joe’s white cane. We had a good dinner with all the fixings for the four of us, and then I picked out what Joe suggested Betty might like as a carryout to take home. It was a good day, and a fine way to celebrate a tenth anniversary that I never had.
THE LATER WEEK RUNNING AND ATTEMPT TO GET THE LONG-RUNNING PHD THESIS COMMITTEE PROCESS BACK ON WHEELS
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