Today, for the first time in many enough years that I feel guilty about it, I went running.

Now, I don’t feel too terribly guilty, mind you, I have been exercising fairly regularly this winter.  But today I stepped outside of the comfort zone, which is my living room, and out to the park and I ran.  I did a mile in eleven minutes thirty-three seconds.  No marathons in my near future, rest assured.

Before now, my fitness peak was probably just after boot-camp almost seventeen years ago.  Wow, I need a moment to let the years roll over me and make me feel friggin ancient.  Seventeen years since I really had any discipline where physical fitness is concerned.  Now, closer to age forty than thirty, I can do more push-ups (50) and have a trimmer waistline (36) than I did in my early twenties.

I ran a mile today.  Despite the Exercise Induced Asthma that I seem to be developing, and the slight wobbly feeling in my legs, I feel fantastic.

Since I have yet to finish my first cup of coffee, it is still technically morning.  I don’t really care if it is afternoon on the clock face.

My weekend starts today, do I leap into the List head first and start accomplishing things?  Or, do I take my time, finish my coffee and read a few more comics online?  Today, I can justify things…I still have tomorrow off as well.  I can accomplish things tomorrow too.  Tomorrow would be the perfect day to mow the carpet, vacuum the laundry, shave the cats etc.

When procrastinating, just procrastinate?

When balancing relaxation and the List in your head, just remember that it is you who will be reaping the benefits of tasks accomplished as well as the reward of the downtime.

On this celebration of winter & Yule & commercialization of organized religion, this is what we did…

Exchanged gifts:  I got three superhero themed garments, a leather note card thingie that I have been wanting, some high-end male hygiene products and a copy of the Absolute Kingdom Come.  A pretty decent hauls of goodies I must say.

To spead a little bit of good karma for the holiday we went out to dinner and decided to pick a random stranger and pay for their meal.  When a gentleman walked in dressed as an everyday Elvis (the hairdo, glasses, cowboy boots, and tailored 70s cowboy suit) we knew we had a sufficiently random individual that deserved some good karma for bringing an extra bit of cool to the world.

We got some coffee and drove around a bit and saw a guy on a jet-ski cruising the Detroit river.  A little nuts in our opinion, but he appeared to be enjoying himself.  If he wants to flirt with hypothermia that is entirely his affair.

We went walking/jogging in the rain.  One of those occasions that makes you feel good about having exercised, but also feels even better to curl up under a fleece blanket afterward.

A pretty good day.  A good memory day for years down the road.

I am in the midst of my first actual vacation in just over eight years.  Any time off I have had in the past few years has either been emergency type, i.e. somebody passing away or personal illness.  Also, I shouldn’t forget the occasional time off due to unemployment, not a very relaxing way to get a vacation.

Not that my wife and I can really afford to do much, but I’m having a good time nonetheless.  We have played Diablo II together, watched Hulu, done some hobby stuff and just generally relaxed for a few days.

Plus, as a side note, we went clothes shopping yesterday.  A task neither of us particularly enjoys.  I needed a couple new pairs of jeans and fresh socks and such.  I am back down to a 36 inch waist on my jeans.  A year and a half ago I was pushing a 44, now a 36.  It feels fantastic.  Granted it’s not lightning fast weight loss, but it’s consistent and I feel better, and did I mention the 36 inch waist on my new jeans?  Fantastic!

Today is Sweetest Day.  Umm…Ok, now what?  I had never heard of this most Hallmark of holidays until I moved here and I’m still not exactly sure what to do with it.  It’s just Valentines Day with a different name, am I right?  Plus, it’s like a two weeks before our anniversary (Halloween BTW) so I’m stumped trying to find good & cool stuff for her twice.  Don’t the holiday gods know that I am hapless when it comes to gift giving?

That’s about all the news that’s fit to print.  Just felt like making a few notes for later on in my life, so I know what was going on around now.

Ok, anybody out there over the age of thirty-ish, go to Youtube or some such video based amusement site and find the old Bugs bunny cartoons.  You know the politically incorrect, ultra-violent, abso-friggin-lutely hilarious ones from your youth.  Spend at least an hour watching and chuckling.

Repeat as necessary.  Also acceptable, Daffy Duck & Droopy Dog.

Never forget that you used to be a kid and enjoyed the hell out of this stuff.  Growing old does not mean losing your sense of wonder and whimsy.

A Buddhist and a Catholic school survivor are planning a date.  The Buddhist says, “Make me one with everything.”

Oh, wait.  Wrong punchline.  Ok, so it’s not really a joke, the wife and I are making time for each other and more specifically with each other in the form of Date-Nights.  The problem lies in that there really isn’t much that we want to do.  Movie and dinner is usually first on the list, but today’s movies just suck.  We both agree on that.

Dinner we can always agree upon, but does going out for dinner truly qualify as a date?  Does it qualify as a date after several years of marriage?

Neither one of us is really into any kind of social scene (at least, one that doesn’t involve the internet).  So groups and gatherings are somewhat slim.

We don’t have extensive networks of friends so again, groups and gatherings are limited.

There is a not so surprising lack of randomly held concerts-in-the-park or little theater events.  We are decidedly NOT child-friendly so the high schools plays are right out.

We have considered taking a class but the trouble starts when we try to find one that doesn’t require an hour drive and three months of advanced planning.

We don’t really drink so hitting a bar is sort of boring.  Although we did have a few martini lunches a year or so ago that were sort of fun.  They got expensive quick, but so long as they weren’t daily or even weekly, we could sneak one past the budget gods.

We could go to the shooting range, an activity we both sort of enjoy.  Similar to the martini lunch, cannot be budgeted on a regular basis, but occasionally might be interesting.

A Buddhist and a Catholic school survivor decide to order a pizza and watch Hulu.

Meet the denizens of my realm.

Since the humans are simply support staff, they will play second fiddle.  First in the household are the Hench-cats!  I know, I know, why are they hench-cats if they are the primary inhabitants of their world?  Well, because they don’t read written English so well and I can get away with it.

Ocean – The lord and master of the house!  He is an insidious sneak who cheats at hide-and-seek and uses his devious four-paw kung-fu to best you at races.  He likes to sit on the sink and take long naps in whichever cardboard box is handy.

Sin – The thug.  A brute of a cat with the lesser known claws of the hydra, if you trim one, three spring forth to seek vengeance!  He is the indignant shadow that trips you at midnight.

Joker – He is the mismatched eyes of jealousy.  He is the interruption to your tranquility and the cat-scratch that appears without warning.  His goal is to spoil your fun and lay on any important papers you may have.

Griffen – She who will vomit on your prized possessions!  The watchful lurker who appears on your shoulders without warning.  Her combat style is iron-paws that will pummel you and a sonic battle-cry that will shatter your very bones with it’s ferocity!

Friday – The fish.  He doesn’t do much.  He’s a fish.  Very good at meditation though.

Mrs. The Spider – She knows and obeys the One Rule.  If you possess more than four legs and you startle us, you will die a splattery death.  She runs laps around our kitchen light.  We don’t know why.

Welcome to the adventures of The Atomic Buddhist!  I have come to save the world from itself.  With my trusty karmic raygun and hench-cats I shall not be thwarted!  In fact, it is I that shall do the thwarting.  Thwarting aplenty I tell you!

Theme music for the day: Lady Ga-Ga and the Rolling Stones.  There’s no reason why, it’s just how I am.