Day 53: Two Walruses.

Is the plural of walrus, walruses, or is it walri. Maybe walreese. Anyway, a few months ago, Mom and Dad had the upstairs bathroom at the house on Church Street remodeled. As there was new tile on the floor, and caulking drying in the new bathtub/shower, the upstairs bathroom was off limits for about a week. I had just moved out of my apartment and back home to get ready for this trip; yes, I had to live with my parents for a while at age 32, haha. Anyway, because the bathtub/shower was out of commission for a bit, we were relegated to the stand-up shower downstairs. I've never really liked the downstairs shower much. It always reminded me of a dungeon, or torture chamber if you will. It is very dimly lit, the water pressure sucks, and most of all, I've always felt claustrophobic in it. It wasn't quite as bad when I was young, there was much more room in it back then. But a 262 lb adult trying to shower in it is quite difficult. We had a 7'0'' exchange student living with us my senior year in high school who had to shower in it for a year because he couldn't fit in the upstairs shower. I have no idea how he did it, unless he was secretly a world class gymnast with incredible flexibility. I swear, I used to laugh at myself while attempting to shower. I reminded myself of 2 walruses fighting over a piece of fish, only in a very small, confined cage. Probably sounded a bit like that as well. Has anyone has seen the movie "Tommy Boy" with Chris Farley, the scene when he is in the airplane bathroom trying to change into a suit? Yeah, it's a lot like that. If you haven't seen it, I'll give you time to YouTube the scene. I'll hold... Okay, got it now. Why am I bringing this up, you ask? Purely for entertainment value, and I just took a shower in a small stand-up shower at the RV Park in Mountainair, NM. I realized that since I've lost so much weight, it's not so bad, although not nearly as comical anymore. Ahh, its the little things along this trip that are exciting.
Anyway, the run today wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday. I feel much better, although not 100 percent, still the run was much more tolerable. And I get a day off tomorrow, YAY! I ran in honor and memory of Sidney Boggs, and I did a ton of reminiscing during the run about the many good times I had around him, and the many good conversations we had. Sidney was always ready for a joke or 6, some funny, most not so much. But I always laughed at his jokes anyway just because of the way he told them. I talked in the video this morning about how Sidney always asked how things were going in my life, and he was genuinely interested. I know I was just one of thousands of kids in this community that he cared about. I don't know how he could keep track of us all, but he sure did. Sidney was also around during bad times for me. He always had a free minute to talk, and always about me, and my life, and my issues. Sidney Boggs truly was one of a kind. A kind and gentle soul with a huge love for the kids in Roane County, and the heart to match. I am blessed to have known the man.
Thinking about Sidney today reminded me of something else. Last night, I had a chance to talk to Dad for just a few minutes because I was feeling so bad and needed to get to bed. However, while we were talking, he took the opportunity to read to me David Hedges' editorial column from last week's paper. Wow!! As Dad was reading it to me, tears welled up in my eyes and I got a lump in my throat. What a wonderful piece of writing, and I am so thankful I got the opportunity to hear it. Couldn't have come at a more needed time either. After a terrible running day, and feeling very run down, I needed a boost. I think Dad knew it just by hearing the tone in my voice. I want to take this opportunity to thank David for the incredibly kind words, and once again, thank the community for all the support. I take you all with me each day, and I can't wait to get home and thank you all in person. Til then, enjoy the journey with me. Night.