I’m at that point when the intensity and duration of workouts is less, and I’ve been doing the long stuff for so long I don’t quite know what to do with myself, so Jean thought it would be great if we went to St. Armand’s Circle shopping. I hate to shop like all real men. She bribed me by offering to buy lunch but I told her it would cost more than that (I don’t know what yet but I’ll think of something). The funny thing is that I bought more than she did. Books, mostly, including a Caribbean cookbook/bartenders guide and three John McDonald mysteries. I call them airplane books because they are easy reading and you can finish a whole book on a flight to Florida.

Did nothing Saturday but lay on the beach in the sun. Sunday did a short run (6 and 2/3 miles) and layed (is it layed or laid, I never get that one right? Is it I layed or I got laid?) on the beach. Am getting rid of my Michigan farmers tan but still have tan lines (Venice isn’t the Mecca for nude sunbathing). Besides, even though the nude body is a thing of beauty, it doesn’t include 55+ year old men.

Saw a typical Florida driving move at brother Bob’s this weekend. It was a one way street around a circle drive with a motel and restaurant in the middle with two traffic lanes. On the right was a parking lot with an in-drive way and an out drive way a block down the road. A woman (and it doesn’t need to be a woman down here, men are worse) went 50 feet past the in-drive way to the parking lot before she decided she wanted to park there. So she went to the out drive way, obviously angled the wrong way, and tried to turn in. She couldn’t make the tight turn so she backed up blocking both lanes of traffic. She went forward, ran into the curb and stopped abruptly. She backed up again blocking both lanes of traffic and pulled into the parking lot scrubbing her tires on the same curb she ran into. When she got in the lot, all the parking spots were angled the wrong way so she spent 10 minutes jockeying the car back and forth before she finally parked. It would have been easier to go around the circle and pull into the in-drive way.

We stopped at Sharky’s on our way home from St. Armand’s for Bait Buckets and on the way home from there saw another typical Florida move. We came to the first intersection and the driver, a man, didn’t even look our way. We couldn’t have been more than 20 yards from the intersection when he ran through the stop sign and pulled out right in front of us. He figured it was his turn and he was going no matter what. 

I did an easy 32.5 miles on the bike this morning. It was windy going south but good practice. I again resisted the urge to do intervals but instead practiced getting into the aero position and finding the right gears to spin. As I made the turn at Caspersen Beach I saw Jean riding the other way. A minute later I saw a mature Bald Eagle rising from the beach and coming over the Palmetto and dunes. He couldn’t have been more than thirty feet directly over my head. I have seen Bald Eagles several times before but I am still in awe every time I see them. It’s just like “Animal Planet” down here between the birds, the fish, the dolphins and the manatees.

Better close as it’s time for dinner.

Jack and Jean

PS – Jean ran short yesterday but leg still doesn’t feel good. Says she won’t do the race but I’ll believe it when I see it.