Today was consecutive run #4477, with some unplanned major changes in the routine. First, was the new shoes that I was forced to buy because the packers stuffed mine along with my transistor radio in the bottom of one of hundreds of boxes sitting in our apartment. Tomorrow, they will all be picked up to start their route to Florida. On the positive side, the crew apparently found a pair of of my wife’s missing Apple AirPods that showed up mysteriously on my desk. In the meantime, she had purchased an additional pair, so I claimed these as mine. They also mistakenly packed the charging cord for my new watch so it will be powerless for the next few weeks. As a result, it was brand new Brooks Glycerin shoes with the Nike Run Club app providing GPS tracking and music over wireless buds. Welcome to the 21st century, Mike!

I’m simply transitioning away from my favorite radio station in Portland – KINK a few days early. I will need a new source of entertainment for my runs going forward and this new workout source is the ticket. Tomorrow will be the last day of my routine course after we move to a hotel and start the cross-country drive. The app tells me the half-way or turnaround point of my 3.1 mile route. I will certainly need to adjust the music since this morning it was hardcore hip-hop with a female Australian DJ named Dottie. The lyrics were about sperm and germs – hardly my style of poetry set to music. I will change that for future runs. The cherry blossoms along the Willamette waterfront are in full bloom with photographers everywhere. That everyday scene will soon change to palm trees. 

I did not find a dime today or even spot a lost penny. Fortunately the weather was warmer than normal since I didn’t have my windbreaker, also packed away in a box.  Schnauzer Tally was not part of my daily routine for the first morning in a long time, since she spent the night with her doggy niece Falco. This keeps her out of the way of the movers and hopefully reduces her stress. Although reportedly she is bummed out being away from home, suffering from fears of abandonment. Her departed sister Tinker taught her all about the trauma of seeing suitcases being packed and the need to worry. Normally, I do her first outing of the day prior to my run. She obviously missed out seeing my new shoes.