Saturday 1/18/25
Not a remarkable day for fitness, but sufficient I suppose. Walked five miles and did 150 push-ups and five circuits of stairs in the Monument.
It's easier to put on weight in the winter and that is not something I'm looking to do.
I have this protuberance on the back of my right leg, in the middle above the ankle. This triangular--well, roughly triangular--bump. It's sort of disturbing looking. I've had it for years. I notice that it's more pronounced when I'm running a lot of stairs. I believe I looked this up at one point and it's something people who run can get and it's harmless. I figure if it's some cancerous tumor I'd know by now. Doesn't hurt, but I was looking at it tonight at the cafe--because I am that guy who wears shorts to the cafe in winter and when doing local errands--and thought, "Yikes."
Today in the Public Garden, I heard a woman ask her friend, "Have you ever read Here Come the Ducklings?" It's Make Way for Ducklings! Gotta know that here. Especially in the Public Garden of all places.
A woman next to me at the cafe tonight got up to go use the restroom. She took her bag and her drink, but left her gloves on the table. I was talking to my mom on the phone, and she said maybe the woman was leaving them there to keep her spot, but I said I don't think so, not when you take the drink with you. You'd leave the drink if you were keeping your spot. Anyway, I stood by the two tables, waiting for her to leave the restroom, and when she went straight for the door, I caught her from behind with a "ma'am, you forgot these," and gave her the gloves. But yeah, you'd leave the drink if you were coming back, I think.
People will say anything to your back when they think they won't see you again. I was coming down the Monument stairs and there was a man in front of me moving at a glacial pace. I politely said, "Excuse me," because I had no intention of being stuck behind him for the next 200 stairs. He didn't move. I repeated myself--a bit louder--and he stepped aside. I passed, and as I did so he called me "fucker."
It's like with these publishing people. I never wanted to be lighting them up on here. I hate doing it. Anyone who knows me knows that. It's why I put it off like I do. I eventually do it. Because I have to. But I dislike having to do it so much.
The thing about a guy like this guy in the Monument today is such a person isn't smart enough to consider that they might be seeing me again soon. In this case, within the next minute. Because unless that's my last circuit of the day, I'm going to be coming up again, and my back won't be to you. Funny how that produces a different attitude with people.
To this person, upon my return while he was still coming down, I said, "Anything you want to say now, tough guy?"
He just looked at the ground. Couldn't even look me in the eye. It's weird, too, because I don't exactly look like someone about whom you'd think, "I can have a go at this man."
A ranger came out to get me today and let me in before they open. That's always helpful.
Went to Trader Joe's and got some flowers. Also to Haymarket where I acquired peppers--big red peppers this time--bananas, and tomatoes.
Sent a birthday card to my buddy. Not much of a selection at the CVS but I think I got a pretty good one. I wrote a note to her on the inside, and so did the Little Ghost Girl, who'd been working on hers.
She wrote: "Happy birthday sweet Amelia!!! Live for me!!! Love, Little Ghost Girl."
That's awesome. Live for me. Funny. The Little Ghost Girl writes in a shaky ghost girl hand. The return address on the envelope said the card is from CF + LGG.
My own grandmother would have said that Amelia is "fresh" and also "too big for her britches." And she would have been pretty near the mark. But that's part of the reason I get a kick out of Amelia.
The older kids were playing Life with their grandmother/my mother. I don't know what Life is. But I was told that in this game, an uncle of theirs landed in jail. They have two uncles. My mother asked, "Which uncle is it?" and both kids were adamant--they had no doubt--that it would be me.
Now, this isn't quite what it seems. I think they think their other uncle is usually at home, with his baby (whom Amelia is a huge fan of, incidentally). Whereas, they see me as out and about. They think I go to a lot of things and places. Shows, plays, concerts, museums, the Aquarium, and I'm always walking somewhere across the streets of Boston and they both cited the Monument (and with both of them having gone to the top of it this past summer with me). So I understand their thinking. Something like today with that guy isn't that atypical.
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