Flashback Friday: Going Back to Eleven

Yesterday marked the third week of my not running streak. After Sunday's round of tennis, the activity level around here ground to a halt.

This time it wasn't all pure laziness what done it. Instead, some minor surgery and a flash flood kept me from getting out the door. It's always something, isn't it?

Mrs. Viper had a small procedure performed Tuesday morning, and I've been playing male nurse and doing my best to take care of her as she recovers, staying home with her that day and then taking a half-day Wednesday after she tried to go back to work but ended up coming home early.

Thursday, she went back to work for real, and I intended to finally break my streak. But then the storms came. Unaware was I that Akron was under a deluge, as only a smattering of raindrops fell outside my office window that day.

Lo and behold, the foreboding clouds to the south warned of my run's fate as I drove home. My windshield wipers worked ferociously to clear the ceaseless precipitation from my sight. Cars before me drove as if they'd never seen such an event as a thunderstorm.

The sewers could not keep up with the torrential downfall. Puddles grew like great lakes. One poor pedestrian felt the wrath of my tires' spray, as I had no other choice than to conjure a tidal wave from Portage Path's narrow roadway.

At home, as I awaited my wife's workday to end, I felt the pangs of sloth. I needed to do something. And as the outside conditions forbade my run, I remembered a workout routine from long ago: the Elevens.

I dropped down for 10 push-ups, then rotated for one sit-up, repeating the alternating sets -- subtracting one repetition from the former and adding one to the latter, as I went -- until I had reached one push-up and 10 sit-ups.

Today, my body doesn't feel quite as terrible as I predicted. With an early release from work today, I'm hoping to finally break my runless streak. It's time.

Back Talk
Wherein none of you had any good suggestions for my eyeglasses dilemma

Xenia was the only person who had anything close to resembling a decent solution to my bouncing glasses while playing tennis: "Isn't there an elastic strap you can get to attach to the ends of your glasses? If you go that route, you should also make sure to pick up a pocket protector and hike your shorts up to your armpits."

Answer: Suddenly, I was reminded of the past. Does anyone remember when Croakies were all the rage to wear with your Oakley sunglasses? Anyone?

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates! Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Cheers!