The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner

Many of you will be amazed at the fact that I went running today. Yes, yes, it's true. As soon as I had the chance this afternoon I changed out of my pajamas and into better running clothes and put on sneakers for the first time since basketball season ended. I wanted to go barefoot, but I decided that, seeing as it's about 90 degrees right now and the concrete has been storing heat all day, I'd rather not burn all the skin off of the soles of my feet. Then I jogged across the street with a bottle in one hand, my mp3 player in the other, and my camera bag holding my camera and my cell phone hitting my back with every step. I looked more like a tourist than a runner, but I wasn't giving up the music and my mom made me take my phone. So I did pretty good running down to a lake near my house and I only stopped once to take a picture of some flowers. Ran past the lake and into another neighborhood, got lost, turned around, and decided I was done running. I chose to practice photography instead and took pictures of random things. It got kinda awkward when a guy drove home while I was standing in his yard taking a picture of the fire hydrant. All in all I think I did good. Out of the maybe thirty minutes I was out I ran like ten and I got a bunch of beautiful pictures, two of which are posted here. (Actually, the fire hydrant is pretty dirty looking)

I pulled the little story from which this post got its name (written by Alan Sillitoe - 1959 if you care to read it) out of a stack of school papers from two years ago. It was buried amid scraps of paper with random German song lyrics written on them in two different handwritings (yes. You know who you are, my accomplice in fending off boredom in English.) and a couple addition worksheets where you color sharks based on what answer you got (Don't ask, I have no idea where those came from). I have a little problem getting rid of school work. There's a small stack that has stuff from 5th grade through 8th grade still that I keep telling myself I might need someday (You never know when that handout on ancient Indian civilizations might come in handy) and then almost every notebook and folder I've used since 9th grade. Most of it's trash that I'll never need ever. I'm proud of myself though, that this year as soon as school ended I went through all of my papers from the past year and recycled them if I didn't need them or burned them if they were physics. I just haven't gotten around to the rest of my closet. I'll get there eventually and will have to talk myself out of saving my German 1 worksheets on how to say "What would you like to order?" "I would like some strawberry ice cream and some french fries, please." If after four years of that language (And a 5 on the AP exam!!!!!) I don't know how to order ice cream, I think I fail.

One last thing that's on my mind, Zac Efron's face. The expressions he makes, especially when he is sad, just make my heart stop. There is only one other actor like that- Sean Astin, best known for playing Sam in Lord of the Rings. When he looks sad, oh man watch out. I was a teary mess when I watched Return of the King because Sam was always looking sad. I think I cried for most of the movie because of that and then I cried at the end because Frodo was leaving. Zac Efron doesn't make me cry, but I swear I'm gonna suffocate someday because of him. I just watched the High School Musical 3 trailer (click here if you wanna see it) and his face is just, my goodness. He must practice in front of the mirror to make it all irresistibly amazing to look at. And I'm glad he got his good hair back. The short brown mess he had last year was just plain awful. Okay. Enough about him for tonight.

♥ j.j.