Back on Track

Ok, so I have some direction again, at least for a month anyway. I've registered for Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon. It's set up by the Boston Police Department to honor fallen officers. I think proceeds go to a local youth organization. Either way, I now have something to train for, mildly, for the next 4 weeks. That should give me time to get things in order, mentally. The race is pretty cool actually, the beginning and ending go through downtown and Boston Common respectively, and the heart of the route is along the Charles River. Should be a gorgeous race in late May. Not to mention, it's virtually flat the entire race, so should make for good running. And, to top it off, it ends at the Harpoon Beer Garden. Ummmmmmm...I believe the term you're looking for is perfection!

Clearly, I'm psyched. Mostly, I have a project again. Events like this are the easy way out, I just sign up and show up, knowing the concrete goal. But, like I said, it buys me time to find a long-term, possibly more difficult thing to get me through the summer. I don't really comprehend why having a "project" satisfies me so much, and gives me such mental and emotional order, confidence, but it does. I guess I'm immensely fulfilled by purpose, and without one clearly defined, I feel a bit lost. And surely, looking back, I'll find purpose in the everyday things, and probably they benefit from these small projects. I'm gonna go back to a boat metaphor, kind of. When a boat has direction and momentum, it's wake is a straight line which radiates outward from that line, parallel to the wake. When it stops, and ceases movement, there is no line and no radiation outward from the boat. It's kind of like that, when I have a point ahead of me, and momentum, even insignificant ones, the energy of that momentum radiates outward to everything else. It's weird, even though I add something new to the mix, demanding extra mental and emotional energy, everything else comes into clearer focus as well, and I have heightened awareness for all of it. In some way, logically, other things should suffer with my focus on the project, but it's the opposite. Or, I feel that way anyway, ask Noreen and the dogs, may be a different story.

This weekend, we're having a Cinco de Mayo party, tomorrow actually. Should be fun. I don't know how many people will show up, that's always a crap shoot. I get nervous sometimes about that, but this time, I really don't care. Either way, I get to hang out on my back porch with my wife, brother, and dogs, eating good mexican food with a margarita in my hand. No people or lots of people, that's a great evening! I've got some Pollo Boracho marinating as I type this, and will continue till it hits the grill(chicken with tequila, cilantro, and jalapenos, translates as drunk chicken). I'm also making some fresh guacamole and picante, along with fajitas. MMMMMMMM...mmmmmm, good eating!!!

We're also going to see two plays this weekend, one at Noreen's future school(where she'll teach) and one at my alma mater and soon to be school. And, we're volunteering to recruit people for Horizons for Homeless Children at a community fair near the house. Pretty full weekend, but the fun kind of busy, not the annoying kind(errands and cleaning). I'll let you know how it all works out.