No Key Lime pie waiting for me in the fridge this morning, following my run down Michigan Avenue to the Lake. The sun was just coming up as I chugged along the shoreline. Other runners seemed to bounce, float, and dash effortlessly. Even though my legs felt like concrete, I somehow managed to get in a 5k for the 85th straight day. In looking back, it was the altitude at Crater Lake that last caused me to drop back to the minimum mile required to maintain my Streak. I currently stand at 3,556 consecutive days after checking the www.runeveryday.com website.

Last night at Guaranteed Rate Field, I violated almost every rule of the “white food” diet we’ve been diligently following. I’ve lost over 25 pounds in the last three months, so a little celebratory calories were justifiably deserved. Accordingly, I deviously devoured a plastic White Sox helmet full of nachos, a premium hot dog w/bun, and a near-carton of soft-serve ice cream in a waffle cone. After a martini nightcap, I continued my evil white ways with an Egg McMuffin and Hash Browns at McDonald’s on our way out of town this morning. There will definitely be more dietary rule infractions before we leave Indiana.

Tonight we’re lodging at the Quality Inn in Rochester, my wife’s Hoosier home town. It was a two-hour drive from Downtown Chicago, including two restroom stops between large Diet Cokes. I’m not sure that the $1 drinks are enough to pay for my frequent McRestroom visits . It’s my away-from-home McToilet stop. We’ll escort my wife’s 97-year old mother to Indianapolis for some medical appointments over the next two days, staying with family.

Speaking of family – I now lay claim to two. I will be meeting with the Banister side tomorrow evening. The Johnston members are not on our travel route this time. The Jerry Lee Banister Family Tree includes both branches, with many mysteries yet to be uncovered following my adoption by the Johnston’s 67 years ago. My 85 year-old birthmother remains adamant that I am not her’s. “Don’t you think I’d remember something like that?” has been the only feedback I’ve gotten. As a result, I have only my DNA relatives around her to discuss all the evidence that has me convinced it is her. They are about to personally hear my side of the story face-to-face.

Tomorrow is another day in the quest for the truth. I’m betting it starts with a 5k run on the Monon Trail followed by a Diet Coke. If my wife continues to recover from her ear infection, cough, and congestion, she’ll join me at a walking pace, as she did this morning. Just as my day will predictably start, it will finish with more questions than answers about the Banister lineage. But first, some KFC, cookies, and chocolate – junk food for thought.