WifePod

It has been a busy week or so with a lot of challenges (I'll post on some of them tomorrow), but there have definitely been some highlights...such as an outstanding wife-of-the-year display of affection and humor from Julie.

I have continued my running routine, and it is getting somewhat better. I am now only cursing/doubting the existence of God about once every jog instead of the one-time standard 10-20 times a block. The joints are still a little creaky, but getting slowly into shape. I am, by no means, a powerhouse (a woman walking a poodle passed me today)...but I am still at it. I get credit for one thing and one thing only: stubbornness. I have also been equally vigilant in my decrying/complaining about running to our old tapes of sentimental favorites. As much as I love "Wonderful Tonight" by Clapton, not much fun to run to.

Well, my spectacular wife decided to make me a running tape while I was away at Session about a week ago...and while she didn't complete the task, what she has put together so far is a masterpiece. Samples from the list:

First Song: Born to Run, Springsteen

She didn't tell me what was coming when she handed me the tape, so I almost collapsed from oxygen loss when I started last Tuesday. Granted, the fact that I currently can't run and laugh at the same time proves that I was, in fact, not Born to Run, but the song still makes me feel like I was. I have decided that if you can't run to this song, you're definitely not trying hard enough. The "1,2,3,4..." followed by musical explosion part is enough to make me run right now...in slacks.

You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rolling Stones

This may seem strange at first...and, yes, it is one of the harder songs to run to on the tape, but it is an inspired choice. I've had red meat, pizza, and cheese once a piece over the past three weeks and had to watch a kid from our youth group eat a slab of deep-fried cheesecake in front of me at IHOP last Saturday. I was about to throw my ordination to the wind, burst out with a Rebel Yell, push him head-first out of the booth, and make a break for the door with the goods before Julie could catch me. Instead, I thought of my ever-hardening arteries, calmly ate my egg-substitute omelet, and cried on the inside. Sing it, Mick.

Gonna Be Some Changes Made, Bruce Hornsby

Many of you all know my affinity for the one-time ringleader of the Range. This song is another excellent "message song" that she put on the tape that makes encouraging/gently nagging me more fun for both of us. Although a closer examination of the lyrics reveals:

"Gonna be some changes, some changes made

Can't keep on doing what I've been doing these days

Better figure out something

Things are looking grave

Gonna be some changes, changes, changes made"

Grave? Grave? I know I've let myself go a little soft, but geeze. It's just a little cholesterol.

Vertigo, U2

Another inspired full-throttle choice. Good beat, good rhythm, and excellently appropriate lyrics. The song (from what I have been able to deduce) is about a person who feels out of control but eventually realizes that God is in control. The most appropriate lyric in the whole song is the final one: "Your love is teaching me how/How to kneel." A song about relying on God in the face of realizing how limited you are? Could there be anything more perfect?

And, finally, the Piece De Resistance:

War (What is it good for?), Edwin Starr

I can't tell you how much I love this song. I've belted it out at college, screamed it on baseball trips, and grunted along in my car an infinite number of times. While I definitely approved of it's addition, I found myself getting more and more passionate as I chanted along to the lyrics (slightly modified) as I ran:

Running! Hugh! Yea-a-h! What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing! Uh-huh!
Running! Hugh! Yeah! What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing! Say it again y’all!

Running! I despise,

Cause' it means destruction,

Of the muscles in my thighs!

War means tears in thousands to my eyes,

As my lungs go out to fight and lose their lives.

I said...Running! Hugh! Good God y’all!

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!

Running! Whoa-whoa-whoa, Lord...

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Listen to me…

Running! It ain’t nothing but a shin-breaker!

Running! Friend only to the shoemaker!

Running! It’s an enemy to all mankind,

The thought of running blows my mind,
Running has caused unrest in the middle-aged generation,

Induction then destruction-Who wants to ache?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Running!

And...you get the point. I hit this song in the homestretch, and I swear I was up to about 1/98th of a mile an hour singing along, growling quietly to myself.

Anyway...with our 5th anniversary coming up this Friday, I just wanted to pass along one of the many excellent, humorous, and life-improving things that Jules does for me...and also give you a brief public service announcement: That (in spite of my original theories) good music, while helpful and wonderful and workout-improving, doesn't make the side cramps stop.

Maybe I need some new shoes. Yeah, that'll do it.