Year 2, Day 165—Records are for Breaking

Today I did 6.5 miles on the elliptical, in under 60 minutes. This wouldn't have been a remarkable feat except that at the halfway mark some very inconsiderate, neanderthal-browed savage felt the need to wheedle between my elliptical and the one next to mine (about 12 inches), where his slip-of-a-thing girlfriend was getting on. I shouldn't have been mad at them, since they were obviously unaware that there five other machines she could have gotten on where they wouldn't have had to endure my icy, cold stares for 10 minutes. Instead, he was just there, affecting a careless stance as if he was leaning up against a wide, blank wall, instead of a space that was not designed to accomodate a human man. Though she had all the signs that she wasn't interested in talking to him (a copy of this week's star magazine, and getting on the elliptical), he was obviously keen to display his grunting prowess that I'm sure he thought passed for clever conversation. Thankfully, he departed only bumping into me three times, which I'm sure he thought was my fault, as if I could have moved the machine to accomdate him. I imagined us coming to fisticuffs, and then it be his girlfriend and him against me. I then try to get the older man who came in a collared shirt who sits on the bicycle fan, or the four-foot woman who took great pains to sign onto the stair step machine when none of the five of them were taken, the gym was completely empty and closing in an hour. Sensing the trial would go badly, I tried hard to sweat on him as he was moving by and left it at that.

Breakfast
60g of Heritage Flakes/Kashi Go Lean
Half of a small banana
Strawberries from Quebec
Blueberries
1 Cup unsweetened soy milk
Coffee, black

Snack
2 Light Rye Vita Crackers
2.5 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
3 oz Almonds/Cashews

Lunch
Chicken Breast
Green Pea Pods
Peppadews
Emily's Cabbage

Dinner
Steak Tips
Romaine Salad with Feta and Balsamic Vinagrette

Yes, you might notice that I did have strawberries today. Early in the AM I was out at the farm stand, and noticed that the Strawberries bore a strong resemblance to June strawberries. Then, I noticed that they were alluringly labeled 'from Quebec.' It was too much for me to resist (So much for renouncing). I won't say they were as good as American June strawberries, but I don't regret buying them.

After working out today, I came home, had lunch, and rescued Ruby from a beautiful summer day of playing with her friends at the park by forcing her into a hot car so we could go to the pool. Actually it was her idea, but it did seem kind of queer at the time, what with the passing clouds making the temperatures seem like the high 60s instead of the low 70s. Naturally, I ran into parents of a a friend of Ruby's for whom we did not properly convey our inability to attend their daughter's party. So I had some 'splaining to do. When that was over, I swam my customary three laps, and on the last lap I overheard a ten year old boy say to his father: "Dad, next time you go to Stonewall Kitchen, can you get the citrus teryaki?" I thought to myself, you know, I hear "Now it's REALLY time to go" and "Because I said so" and "No, you can't have any ice cream" countless times every time I'm at the pool, but in all my years I never heard a father asked about sauces. His reply had something to do with the fact that the Stonewall Kitchen sauces are cheaper at Russo's (!) than the Stonewall Kitchen. My ears perked up, but unfortunately I had to move on because I was holding up the swim lane I was in.