11/11/10--Veterans' Day.

Today's run: 2 miles
Week to date: 13 miles
Month to date: 20.5 miles

So, this was the weather before I left on what I thought was going to be a 4 mile run:

Yeah, awesome morning, right?

Well, as I was going around the first 2 mile loop of said 4 miler, I started to notice that it was looking more and more like this:

Source

I really didn't feel like getting caught in some kind of rainstorm, so I opted to cut my run short. Again, 2 is better than nothing, right?

Well, I get back to the apartment, and lo and behold, there is nothing on the radar but thick, dark clouds. No storm.

Well damn.

Side note: no "this is what I wore" pic today. Boyfriend has the morning off, and as he is planted on the couch that is usually in the background of those pics, I opted to not take the pic. For the record, I am wearing shorts yet again. Third day in a row, and in November no less!!

I'm also in red, white, and blue, a bit of unintended patriotism on this Veterans' Day. While I was out on my run, my thoughts were with one vet who is no longer with us: 

This is my Grandpa. He served in the Air Force during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was also a Type 2 Diabetic, and had Parkinson's and heart troubles. He died when I was only 15. He was also a musician like I am, and according to my mom was a pretty darn good skater. I saw the stopwatch he used to use for timing at track meets, too, and I wonder what could have been if he had only taken care of himself better. Would he have had the chance to see me play in band, or run at the Conference finals my senior year? Would he have been there to see my sister compete at regionals or states?

I never told anyone this, but the track season after he died, I ran every meet with his initials on my hand.

This is why I take care of myself now. I don't want my descendants to sit at a computer someday with tears in their eyes, wondering what might have been. I want to be the crazy old lady with the stopwatch, or to sit and share band stories at holiday family gatherings.

Be sure to take a moment to think about and thank a Vet today.