Solitary Running

I resolved to work an hour late Tuesday but wound up staying an hour and a half longer than that just to get half caught up from the recent landslide that fell on me. I was sad to have missed dinner with Sandi and CB, so I hurried home to see them before they went to bed. By the time I got home it was too late for our typical afterwork play, so I just changed over and started stretching. I was poking around to spend as much time with CB as possible when she came over and did a few stretches with me before flopping onto my stomach. She smiled. "Daddy only", she said. "That's right, only jump on daddy!" I confirmed. She jumped on me a few times more before leaning close and pressing her nose to mine. With wide eyes, she whispered, "Lub you daddy". I picked her up and hugged her tight, "I love you too!"

Sandi reminded us both that it was getting late.

With them off to read before bed, I drove down to the track. A family was playing softball in one of the school's diamonds, but with the exception of the mosquitos and other bugs that would eventually wind up in my hair, the track was empty. I ran an easy six while daylight faded. The "tinks" from the family's aluminum bat soon disappeared while I began my 880's in the half-moon light. Listening to only the crickets and my breathing, I imagined some satellite zeroing in on my solitary speck of movement from above while some Defense Department pogue watched and waited for something interesting to happen. No luck. Just me, the track, and a desire to win.