Janathon Day 7 & 8: Nope-athon

School was delayed the 7th by two hours. The temp began dropping. The snow was pretty light, maybe about three inches or so had fallen, another inch would fall during the day. I played with the kids, took the baby to a local mall. The closest mall is twelve miles away. Half of the mall is shuttered.  Usually malls have “food courts”, a conglomerate of marginally legal immigrant and underage employees dishing out different versions of syrupy meats and starches. There’s a Chinese place, a Japanese place, a cajun or bbq joint, a regional place, a deli. That’s like a standard set. Usually all the restaurants are managed by a single entity. So, when they go, they all go. That’s the case with this mall. The court was closed, save for an independent submarine sandwich restaurant known for using yoga mat foam in its dough, what up Jared, and a pretzel joint. I bought the baby a soft pretzel and we walked the empty arcades, passed occasionally by duos and trios of senior citizens using the building as an exercise center. Bright and early most malls function as a safe, comfortable walking trail for all sorts of older folks. They collect like dust there, falling softly around cups of Styrofoam black coffee.

Old folks love babies. Mine made all kinds of friends. He runs up and head-butts them in the groin, so funny.

Went back home, walked the older child home from the corner bus stop. Tickled the children until they cried mercy. Did about five pile-on push-ups.We went back home and wrestled. My older boy came home. I was planning on a jog when the wifey returned from work, but I was called in to cover a shift. It was busy as shit. I made decent money, and sprinted in my trail shoes from car to front porch and back through snow. The temp had reached 2F by the time I got off work. I had some cocoa after some push-up and went to bed. I guess I ran about a half mile, but I wouldn’t claim it.

Slept well. Woke up to 1F. That’s ridiculous Mars weather. School cancelled. High of 12F to be reached shortly before midnight. This is fairly scary cold. The windchill made it feel like -20F. Frostbite on wet skin within 10 minutes equals = no run.

Instead, I had to entertain the kids, but I wanted to get out of the house. I warmed up the car (fifteen minutes), bundled the children and drove to a Chinese grocery some 45 minutes away for some spices and sundries. The shopkeep followed us around the store, angrily regarding my oldborn turning the odd spoon or pickled ass nipple jar over in his hands, as unsure of him as he was of what he was looking at. I got a deal on some cabbage and bok choy, tea and shrimp crisps, haw candy and noodles. The wind was really blowing and it was frightfully cold outside. The baby refused to wear mittens. This would be a very short outing, indeed. His face was red and chapping after a block. The baby weighs 37 lbs.

Crossfit activity: Baby carry, working the biceps, shoulders, forearms, wrists, quads and glutes, a good, off-center core excercise that, using right and left hip intervals, works the abdomen like a combination dumbell curl and plank excercise together, if you want to break it down like that.

We were going to ride the PRT, a weird personal transportation system set up because moneys for Boeing. It seats eight in a little retrofuture 70s plastic, wheeled electric box. The fare was free that day, and the carts were covered in ice. Inside, the meager heating system just couldn’t keep up. It might have been 40F inside, warm enough to melt the salted ice on the floor. We rode to the first stop, changed cars, rode back.Baby’s poor hands were so icy, his cheeks rosy chapped.

Then we went to a burger joint with an indoor playground. See, the whole day was about exercising the children. My older son. “The blue tunnel smells like poop, so I’m only using the red tunnel. Is that okay, daddy?” Of course it is. I’m not Full Metal Daddy.

The kids were dozing off by the time we hit the second grocery. The baby screaming and writhing like a trapped raccoon. people staring. Bolted out of there, home, and everyone passed out for a half hour. Awoke, made dinner, checked the temp, read a bit. Exercised the old cerebrum I dids.. Readathon! Brainathon!

Had a dream I ran in a 10K race where everyone carried a large piece of luggage. The final 2/10 mile of the race involved boarding a bus in the front and disembarking in the rear, but all of the buses were parked so close together that people with a lot of baggage couldn’t board, were disqualified, and so the lesson is: I don’t know, but this bus is going to Greewich Village and I really need to get this work to the gallery. So…

No running in this mess. Nope-athon.