"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."

Thursday, October 19, 2006

I Didn't Run Today

Monday and Tuesday I was rained out and Wednesday I was lazy. That brings us to today.

I didn’t run today.

At 4 am I got up, woke Beth and made coffee. She showered and got ready while I let the dogs out and downloaded crossword and sudoku puzzles from the L. A. Times and the USA Today in preparation of what lay ahead.

What lay ahead was surgery for Beth.

And while this procedure is considered somewhat routine, the act of cutting into and removing a part of the body is nonetheless unsettling. Arriving at the hospital long before the sun rose; we began the long process which precedes being put under.

And then, rather abruptly, they took her away.

At that moment, the periodic bickering, the occasional disagreements and the senseless spats of the past 11 years seemed ridiculously petty. And for the next couple of hours, time stopped.

At 8:45 am, I got the call from the surgeon.

All went well.

I breathed easier and time resumed its unending march towards infinity.

I didn’t run today.

“Your heart is my piñata.” – Chuck Palahniuk

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