Foggy Mountain Drive Loop

ST. LOUIS—I jogged and walked the Foggy Mountain Drive Loop, starting at 7:15 a.m. Central, in 25:25.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
He long ago jettisoned fear from his baggage, and thus would merely acknowledge the risk and proceed.

Foggy Mountain Drive Loop

ST. LOUIS—I jogged and walked the about two-mile Foggy Mountain Drive Loop 27:52, as a warmup for the St. Louis-Pittsburgh game this afternoon. I will attend with Jim, Karen, and Richard Perkins, and may now cheer for the Little Bitches, since the Reds clinched the National League Central Division championship last night.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
Ten hours of childlike excitement, tinged with the mild stress of unfamiliarity, gave way for Keith Ingram to Texas, where the Manhattan smells of salty exhaust, tobacco, and coffee were replaced by those of earth and cattle, blown across the Love Field rental lot on this day before Thanksgiving and a football game between Dallas and St. Louis.

OVERHEARD
"Who wants a beer besides me? Who's young enough to drink?
—beer vendor at Busch Stadium, during the bottom of the sixth inning of the Cardinals' 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh

Orange Street Loop

I walked the Orange Street Loop this morning in 47:15.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
Now he felt as he had at the local television studio in St. Louis the night before, intrigued by the backstage, the cameras, the lights, the crew, the slight panic all around, and Larry Moss in the middle of it, seemingly as comfortable as if he were seated in a lawn chair on his front porch.

Levy Loop

Wow, it's 53, seven degrees warmer than Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. I wore a long sleeve shirt this morning for the first time since, I'm not sure, maybe March, as I jogged and walked the Levy Loop in 25:39.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from a Different Closet
Consequently, he was as relaxed as possible, after he walked several blocks, bought two hot dogs and a Sprite from a street vendor, and had read most of a story in Newsweek about the first Reagan-Gorbachev summit held a week earlier in Geneva, when from the lobby of Larry Moss’ office he heard a familiar voice say, “You’re Keith Ingram, aren’t you?”

Maple Street Loop/Hash

I hope fall started last night. I woke up cold this morning. Now, at 11:32 a.m. Central, it's 70. Weather.com predicts highs in the 70s for the next ten days, except for an 82 stuck in there for Thursday, I think. I jogged the Maple Street Loop in 21:19, with splits of 10:54 and 10:25, as a warmup for what I hope is a crushing victory for the Green Bay Packers (1-1) over Mudville Nine (1-1).

I walked and jogged for about 40 minutes on Bill Brass' Hash run in Burns Park this afternoon, covered about three miles, and arrived home to discover the Green Bay Packers trail Mudville Nine, 118-80. I will need a big performance by the the NFL's Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tomorrow night to win.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
She—this teenager—had an air of someone long familiar with the moment; he thought she seemed to have developed an expertise about his concern, common to her, when she winked and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

Levy Loop

We had a burst of perfect weather this morning: an Internet site says it's 66, with a RealFeel® of 63. I walked the Levy Loop in 30:50.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
He waited in a room on a level large and dark enough to remind him of a parking garage; lights hung all around from the black ceiling twenty feet above; spaces were cordoned, and decorated in a half dozen ways; he was surrounded by stage sets he'd seen on television, placed in contexts he hadn’t conceived when he watched local programs on the station.

35th Street Loop

I walked and jogged the 35th Street Loop, as a warmup for the late game between the Reds and San Diego (motherfucker doesn't start until 9:10 Central) in 44:53, with splits of 10:20, 11:04, 11:27, and 12:02.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
Everyone who first heard Seale, without forewarning, was stunned this celebrated writer and editor spoke such southern colloquialism, but he forever maintained his first defense: “This here's how my mom and dad talked, my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, my cousins, and all the other grown ups and kids I growed up with, so this is how I talk; I learned how to write the right way when I was in college, and I know the dang difference.”

Levy Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this evening in 29:40.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
Anyone who watched the tape saw a gay man knock out a professional football player with a one punch; Green wasn't sure how it would affect his cause, but for the moment at least imagined it would help.

Levy Loop/Orange Street Loop/Maple Street Loop

Last night, at about 10 Central, I ran the Levy Loop in 18:09, with splits of 9:23 and 8:46. That was after the Little Bitches lost to Pittsburgh and I watched the Reds beat Milwaukee, and before I spilled water onto my laptop. I heard it sizzle, and the screen faded to black. I called James Smith, a computer tech at the paper, and he told me what to do. I was delighted when this morning it came right on.

This morning I jogged and walked the Orange Street Loop in 36:19, with splits of 12:34, 12:14, and 11:31.

Starting at about 6 p.m. Central, I walked the Maple Street Loop in 31:04.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY (for Wednesday) from A Different Closet
The enormous glass doors slid open as Ingram approached, and he walked through into the dark gray of late afternoon and a life he never imagined.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY (for Tuesday) from A Different Closet
Lockwood sensed a difference in Carmichael upon their reunion, a growth in maturity perhaps, a calmer, less reactive personality, but feared Carmichael’s dormant trait was poised for reemergence.

38th Street Loop/Maple Street Loop

I walked the 38th Street Loop this morning in 32:06.

Tonight, starting at about 8:30 Central, I walked the Maple Street Loop in 29:36.

The Cardinals lost 4-0 in Miami this afternoon; the Reds won 5-2 in Milwaukee a few minutes ago, so their magic number is six (meaning, from this point forward, if or when Reds' victories and/or Cardinals losses total six, the Reds will be National League Central Division champions. The Reds have 11 games to play, the Cardinals 13). It's pretty hard to blow a seven-game lead in 11 games.

SENTENCE OF THE DAY from A Different Closet
Ingram felt relief, a small drop in tension with the sound of Lockwood’s voice, but wariness persisted and increased as Carmichael stepped toward him, their chests now a foot apart.

Maple Street Loop/Hash

I walked the Maple Street Loop this morning in 30:03, trying to decide whether to start the St. Louis Rams' Mark Clayton or the New York Giants' Hakeem Nicks at wide receiver for the Democrat Football League's Green Bay Packers.

We ran Hash from the Emo Girl Skateboard Park on the North Little Rock side of the Arkansas River. I walked and jogged to Fort Roots, then jogged across the golf course and down the winding road back to the park, was out for 49:55, and probably covered a little over three miles.

The NFL's Green Bay Packers beat the cow shit out of the Buffalo Bills. The DFL team owned by Jeff Krupsaw is in the process of beating the cow shit out of our league's Green Bay Packers. Fuck.

Levy Loop/Orange Street Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 33:56.

Starting at about 7:30 p.m., I jogged the first mile of the Orange Street Loop in 11:38, but my legs felt awful, so I walked and jogged the second mile in 12:57 and then quit to complete two-thirds of the loop in 24:35.

Oh well. The St. Louis Little Bitches lost.

38th Street Loop

I walked the 38th Street Loop this morning in 31:33.

Ghetto Cat Loop/Levy Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 32:54.

After making a profit of $8.92 at Oaklawn Park on a trip with Tim Cooper, I walked the Levy Loop this evening, starting at about 5:30 Central, in 31:30.

Levy Loop/North Little Rock High

I walked the Levy Loop at noon in 30:45.

I walked and jogged a mile and then ran 8X200 meters with one-minute, 100 walks between. I did not look at my watch except to time the intervals, and hoped to get them under 60 seconds while meeting Kirk Elias' "comfortably fatigued" standard. I met it, but was a bit disappointed after I read my times: 64.5, 66.0, 63.1, 63.3, 64.6, 63.8, 64.2, and 63.0.

Sweetheart Loop/War Memorial Golf Course

My legs were tired this morning. I should have walked one of my two-mile loops. Instead, I walked the Sweetheart Loop in 46:44.

The Green Bay Packers defeated The 546 Possee, 146.07-122.67. Possee would have beaten any other DFL team. K-Squad, owned by Tim Williams, a clerk in photography, beat somebody and scored the league's third-most points and is ranked second with 117.99. I got lucky. I had two guys score three touchdowns each. We play Krup's Kids, our arch rival, next Sunday and Monday. Krup's team is led by Darren McFadden, the motherfucker for whom I sacrificed the entire 2007 season, who stunk his first two seasons with the Packers, and only now has begun to look like the superstar I went in the tank for. Krupsaw and McFadden. Fuck them both.

Man, I am hungry. Krupsaw beat me 91-93 to win back the Broadmoar-Levy cup at War Memorial Golf Course. I'm about to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries and watch the Reds beat the crap out of the Arizona Diamondbacks. I wish I lived in Nova Scotia. I had 1 birdie, 2 pars, 5 bogies, 6 doubles, 3 triples, and 1 quadruple. I am exhausted.

Ghetto Cat Loop/Levy Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 29:47.

The NFL's Green Bay Packers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-20, in Philadelphia yesterday. The Democrat Football League's Green Bay Packers hold a 129.74-116.88 lead over The 546 Posse, owned by Mike Livengood. We each have one player left. I have Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles, and Mike has San Diego receiver Malcom Floyd. Yahoo projects Charles to score 11.9 points, and Floyd 7.15. Whichever team wins our game will almost certainly complete the first week ranked No. 1, since the most points scored by any of the other 14 teams was 117.99. Since the DFL was formed, in 1997, Green Bay has never been ranked No. 1. The Kansas City-San Diego game starts at 9:15 p.m. Central.

Tonight, starting at about 8 o'clock, I ran the Levy Loop in 18:41, with splits of 9:31 and 9:10, fast for me.

OVERHEARD
"We heard all offseason that our running game wasn't efficient. You can either let it get to you, or let it get in you, and I feel like we let it get in us, and we used it."
—Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers running back Arian Foster, who rushed for a Texans-record 233 yards and 3 touchdowns. Foster's yards were the second most by an NFL running back in a season opener, to O.J. Simpson's 250 in 1973. Simpson later became famous for converting human beings into Pez Dispensers

Levy Loop

It's drier and cooler this morning, under 70. I walked the Levy Loop in 31:25, and am hopeful both Green Bay Packers organizations win today.

Orange Street Loop

I jogged and walked the Orange Street Loop this evening in 38:28, with splits of 13:13, 13:06, and 12:09.

The Pittsburgh pitcher, off whom Joey Votto hit a 10th-inning home run in Cincinnati, was cool. I don't think I have seen this before; he didn't turn to watch the ball. He looked at Votto, standing like a statue as the fireworks started, and then just walked off the mound. The Reds have a seven-game lead with 20 left.

38th Street Loop/33rd Street Loop

The hints of fall I wrote of a couple of weeks ago have been replaced by hints of summer, the kind that come in late spring and inspire me to say things like, "Well, you know, it ain't gonna get any better." It's 88 degrees with a heat index of 99 at noon Central. I walked and jogged the 38th Street Loop in 26:52.

Tonight, after the Reds' 12th-inning victory over Pittsburgh gave them a six-game lead with 21 to go, I jogged the three-mile version of the 33rd Street Loop in 32:04, with splits of 10:54, 10:34, and 10:36.

War Memorial Golf Course/Orange Street Loop

Randall Hunhoff and I played War Memorial Golf Course this afternoon; I scored an 87, with nines of 46 and 41. That's not as good as it sounds; the course is par-64, so probably worth about a 95 from the middle tees at First Tee. I had 6 pars, 4 bogies, 5 doubles, and 3 triples, and used 36 putts. We played the last three holes through heavy, wind-strewn rain. My score was 12 strokes better than the last time I played War Memorial, with Jeff Krupsaw last summer.

After I saw that the Reds lost, and watched the Cardinals win and New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Will Smith score zero points for the Green Bay Packers, I walked and jogged—for no more than six or seven minutes—the Orange Street Loop in 40:18.

OVERHEARD
"There is always a balance between rights and the sensibility of acting upon them."
—Tariq Ramadan

York Gary Loop/Chandler Street Loop

Last night, after dark in Nashville, I walked and jogged the York Gary Loop in 26:36.

This evening, starting at about 6 p.m. Central, I walked the Chandler Street Loop in 43:21, by far my freshest feeling walk since last winter.

Ghetto Cat Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 30:14.

Maple Street Loop/Hash

I walked the Maple Street Loop this morning in 29:10.

This evening I jogged and walked, at first with Tiny Tim Biggs and Reverend Bob, later with Bob alone, on a Hash run way out in west Little Rock. We got a little lost and were out for 1:11:48. We might have gone five miles, probably a few yards less.

Paper Route/Orange Street Loop

I walked a kind of random loop this morning that passed close to the former Walmart building and included a stop to buy a newspaper from a sidewalk kiosk in front of Kroger. It took me 31:27, so I guess it's close to two miles. I left my house at about 9 a.m. Central, when it was 66 degrees, breezy, diamond bright, and dry as straight gin.

Tonight, starting at about 8 o'clock, I ran the Orange Street Loop in 31:09, with splits of 10:57, 10:32, and 9:40.

OVERHEARD
"Are you exercising?"
—six-year-old boy, who looked like a subject of a Norman Rockwell portrait, in the dirt-poor neighborhood behind Kroger

Levy Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this morning in 32:10.

Ghetto Cat Loop

I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop, starting at about 9 a.m. Central, in 31:23, through a constant drizzle.

Chandler Street Loop/Ghetto Cat Loop

I walked the Chandler Street Loop this morning in 46:20.

Starting at about 5 o'clock, I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop in 34:01 and didn't feel well. I might eat a little more tonight.