I wish it were raining

Today was another scheduled 20 miler with the running club.

I'm told more often than I like to admit that I'm too old to learn anything new. I suppose the theory is that once you reach a certain age you become set in your ways so much that you can't change even if you want to. Not me! Not today! I learned something new today.

It is possible to fall asleep while running.

I couldn't sleep last night. At all. Not one wink.

I was able to drag my bones out the door on time. I fought sleep all the way to the starting line and took off. It was dark. And warm. I dosed off a little but only for a second.

Now a normal person would probably say, "Gee (I never say Gee), maybe I'm too tired to run 20 miles this morning". Not me. I'm not normal. I kept going.

I made it about 2 miles to the top of the first hill and my body tried a different strategy to force me back to bed. I couldn't breathe. Asthma. Now I should tell you that I have had problems with Asthma in the past but that was a long time ago and it's a demon I thought I'd put behind me. Sort of. I still carry an inhaler on most long runs just because I hate the feeling of suffocating. I know, I know, I'm weird but I like to breathe. A lot. Almost every second. It's just a habit I got into at an early age.

So I had this attack and it stopped me. As soon as I stopped, the sleep bug kicked in again and I staggered back to my truck desperately seeking a deep breathe and a warm bed.

I made it back home and crawled into bed next to the Little One. He's always warm and cuddly when he's sleeping. A few hours later I awoke and decided to go back out again and give running a second try. I made it 5 miles this time and walked another 4. I know when I'm having a bad day, it only takes lack of sleep, an Asthma attack, and a really bad run to convince me. I'm quick like that.

The sky has threatened rain all day but not a drop has fallen. Maybe it's the lack of sleep but I find myself looking forward to some rain. I really want it to rain. Southbay girl says "What?". Yes, Willie wants it to rain. He doesn't know why he wants it to rain but he does.

So, again probably because of no sleep, I had a poem jump into my head about rain. I should apologize now for my poetry. It's really bad but if you're going to read Willie's blog you have to take the worse with the bad.

I wish it were raining
a warm spring rain
with blankets of gray clouds pulled up tight around the horizon's neck

I wish it were raining
because rain makes everything memorable
running, dancing, singing, kissing
transform from blah to a grand in the rain

I wish it were raining
because the weather should match the mood
foul mood and sunny weather make a complicated countenance
singing out of tune, a line delivered perfectly at the wrong time
a mismatch in time

I wish it were raining
to wash my world clean

One final note before I close.

Always is on TV right now. I love this movie, have since I was in school. It has everything that Willie loves. Airplanes, a stubborn pilot, a beautiful woman, and that universal problem of dealing with the future and letting go. If you haven't seen it please do.

Thanks for listening