A little under the weather

I'm not sure if I'm fighting a small cold, or if allergies are getting to me. All I know is yesterday and today I've been fatigued, tired, and under the weather. I've a little bit of a sinus thing going on, but mostly I'm just tired.

Yesterday I planned to ride my bike to my parents', work on patching walls, then ride to Superman's. I'd dropped off a bag the night before with clothes and running gear so I could run to my parents' today, patch walls, then run home. None of that happened. I fiddled around too late in the morning to ride to my parents', so decided to drive there and back, then ride to Superman's from my house after. By the time I headed home I was completely deflated and out of energy. I couldn't stop yawning, which is a sure sign I'm not getting enough oxygen. I took an allergy med, but was still tired enough to nix the bike ride.

Last night, I kept thinking I was feverish. Superman's thermometer disagreed, but I definitely did not feel well. I was in bed around 11 (unheard of for me!) and slept until 8. Then I puttered instead of preparing for my run. I didn't leave the house until after 9:30, when I'd planned to leave no later than 8:30.

Superman and I have a favorite trail near his house we like to run. I knew I was tired because I couldn't remember how long it is. Again, I felt fatigued. I had in mind an 8 mile run, mostly because I'd packed fuel etc. for the 9+ miles from my parents to my house. If I ran the pace from last Sunday, which I also ran Tuesday, I had enough time. I could run the whole loop, or do an out and back if time got short.

I set Jog Log and set out. I think the first mile was spot on the pace I've been running. I say think because at about the mile and a half mark I realized Jog Log had turned itself off. I'd been waiting for the first mile announcement, but it never came.

I started Jog Log again and continued. This path is a lot of uphill going out, which means downhill coming back. I was reminded again about how my runs are all subjective. I didn't remember this path being so much uphill, but it certainly was today. I was struggling, and looking forward to the downhill part.

As I neared the section that loops back around, I remembered this is only a 5 mile path. For some reason I had it in my head it was 5 miles out, 5 miles back. I decided 5 miles was a decent distance for the way I felt. Sweat was dripping in my eyes, and I was working hard for every yard.

Right about the time Jog Log announced mile 2 (which was really around 3.5), I had to step off the path for the lawnmower guy, who was cruising at far above the posted 10 mph speed limit. I stopped running at that point, and never got started again. I walked back to my car, then drove to my parents'.

this is what I'm working on now

This is what I'm doing

We pulled the baseboards so the electrician could run wire behind them. The idea was the baseboard would hide whatever holes he left. This is all well and good on the inside walls that face the hall. On the outside walls however, we need wall to the floor. My dad is having insulation blown in before winter, and if we left these open the insulation would blow into the house under the baseboards.

I am super thrilled about the latest decision made regarding repairs. My Dad has hired Handyman to replace the kitchen ceiling, and Handyman has convinced my Dad to let him finish that ceiling with a stippled pattern. This will be much faster and easier, as he just layers on the plaster/mud and runs a pattern roller over it. No sanding. No smoothing.

The part I'm excited about is that I convinced my parents to let me do this in the bedrooms. I've already fixed the ceilings in the front and back bedroom, but there are issues. It is not completely flat, some of the plaster peeled when I painted, and in one spot that peeling revealed the crack I was trying to fix. Using this stippled pattern will fix all that. There will be a solid layer of plaster so it's less likely to recrack, and that same layer will hide the bumps I missed or didn't get well enough. It will also make the ceilings I have yet to do so much quicker and easier. I still have to patch, but I don't have to sand for days. It will also match the kitchen and 3rd floor, which makes the decor more consistent.