Thoughts and Stuff

David and I went up to Berkeley Park this morning which we've been doing now for the past two or three Saturdays. I don't take Melissa to the park any more for what I've described in prior posts as "...our daily run..." Although, I think she could still keep up with me, her old hips are failing and I really don't think she enjoys the run that much anyway.

So, my days have changed slightly from when I'd load Melissa up in the Explorer about 6:30a.m. every morning, head to Berkeley park where we'd run the circumference of the lake ... about 1.2 miles. No, now, each morning, I walk her up to Highland Park and then back home which is only about, at most, a half mile. I then change my shoes and run what David and I call the "...standard route..." which is about twenty-four blocks of our immediate neighborhood or about 1.8 miles. This is the same route David, Melissa and I walk every day when David gets home from work.

Melissa and I also make a daily return visit to Highland Park so she can do her noontime business.

So, every day, I'm still running/walking about five miles (my 10,000 steps). Gotta keep moving. My parents didn't keep moving once they got to be my age -- even younger -- and, as a consequence, I believe they died too young ... an unnecessary consequence of letting age get the best of you.

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Monday, the 14th will be the first anniversary of the day we let Calvin go due to the insidious affects of Lymphoma. I've posted several of our favorite pictures of him, above. He was an absolute sweetheart who weighed in at about 135 pounds. We miss him immensely. Still.

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I have set some priorities for myself (including the upkeep of this blog) which, hopefully, will see my first novel published. I can tell you it wasn't that hard writing the 115,000 words which comprises the content, the story (the helluva good story, if I do say so myself!); no, the hardest part was/is preparing the query letter, the plot summary, the chapter summary and outline and then finding some publisher or agent to take the time to read it and hopefully request some sample chapters. It's a long, onerous process, but, that's the priority for me right now. As a consequence, these kinds of posts on this blog -- which I still value -- will be scarce. I've just simply got too much to do with my other writing (the second novel is half done). So, you'll probably be seeing more pictures and one line links to stories or sites that I think are informative, important or links that just simply provide some good reading.

So, adieu for now.