Lola
First of all, the weather is so darn lovely, I'm going to try to write fast. Shorter for you, shorter for me, everyone wins!
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I have found the way to trick Gaël into taking walks with me. Walking on logs. We'll head toward the lake and jabber away while trying to balance on logs that line the road. The thought of future shared adventures is tantalizing.
I bought him a bike and prepared for a long learning curve. He got it without training wheels on the second try. We're still figuring out how to brake though (thank god for soft shrubs).
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Some would label my mornings as "ungodly" early. Don't listen to them. Sloths and layabouts - the lot of them.
In this case, this was not a chosen habit per se. It was a gift from my son. After it found a way in, it has ended up sticking around. I feel like I'm ahead of the curve, 5AM is the new 8AM. You heard it here first.
Anyway.
One of the odd benefits of this schedule is that the GIGANTIC park next to my apartment is almost always empty at this hour. Just me, the birds, trees and water. With one exception.
Around Mile #1.5, pounding what little cartilage is left out of my knees, I pass this older gentleman. I couldn't estimate his age, but he looks like Carl from the Pixar movie "Up". This year he's started making his laps with a cane. His dog's name is "Lola". She wanders everywhere, anywhere from 5 feet to a mile away from him. The only reason I know the name is I've heard him call for her a couple times. You want to know what his voice sounds like? Exactly like Carl! Weathered and warm.
We've never spoken, but we wave at each other, every single time. Of all the creatures and people I've encountered, he is my absolute favorite.
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That's it! Cowabunga dude,
DJ
PS: Starting to hang out with people again, feels nourishing. Was missing hanging with the Huck Finn to my Tom Sawyer, the Watson to my Watson, the Lloyd to my Harry. Bicycle tug-of-war surely can't be that far off.
PPS: I've never written, read and thought more. It's been a time of intense learning and growth, but it's also been exhausting. I've got three projects that I'm excited about:
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I'm building a messaging application to ingest messages from all different mediums and thread based on participant,
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A personal dashboard (getting into the quantified self stuff)
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I'm writing something - hoping to share some of these things soon
PPPS: moms - u rule - including Gaël's Mom, even though it's been up/down, appreciate everything she does for our son, she's great
PPPPS: A little playlist for you:
