This Place is a Zoo

Jude and I took John Patrick to the Nashville Zoo this morning, about 11 a.m. Believe it or not, I had never been to the Zoo. Jude, of course, has a season's pass. It's one of her favorite places to sneak away to with John Patrick. It's about ten minutes away from our house, is rarely crowded and is really kid friendly.

It was gorgeous in Nashville this morning, temperature in the mid-60s, bright blue sky. Apparently, everyone in the city decided it would be a great morning to go to the Zoo, because it was packed with people. We strolled John Patrick in and headed straight for the playground. He loves to swing, so we put him in one of the toddler swings and Jude pushed him, while I stood in front of him and snapped photographs with my camera. He laughed and laughed.

As we left the playground and strolled along, we ran into my cousin, David Clark and his wife, Stacy. They were at the Zoo with the children, Hope and Will. It was great to see them and we had a nice visit.

Bananarama

This morning, Jude cut up a few pieces of a banana for John Patrick to eat, while she was making his breakfast. I had just gotten back from an early morning run in the neighborhood, so I sat down with him while she was in the kitchen.

It's pretty amazing that in a relatively short period of time, John Patrick has gone from eating mashed up bananas to eating small chunks of bananas. What's even more amazing is to watch him pick up a chunk of banana himself, slowly and deliberately, then put it in his mouth . . . all by himself! In a little more than ten months, my son is already feeding himself. Crazy.

Playing Spoons

Friday night is my favorite night of the week. The work week is over and the weekend is in front of me, full of fun and family time.

Last night, Jude and I were in the kitchen, talking about what to do for dinner. I played DJ, turned the Ipod on and we listened to a couple of songs from the Radiators, an old band from her days in New Orleans at Tulane. She and I were dancing around the kitchen and John Patrick was sitting in his high chair, looking at us like we were crazy. After I got done playing drums with a couple of wooden spoons, I handed them to John Patrick. Not surprisingly, he just wanted to chew on them.

High Fives

Tonight, while Jude was eating dinner, John Patrick and I were sitting in one of my "man chairs," hanging out. Jude and I were telling him to clap, then laughing when he would do it. It's pretty cool, because he's recently gotten better at clapping. Now, he actually claps his hands together and makes noise. He was pretty proud of himself.

Well, I've been trying to teach him to "high five" me. First, we clap. Next, I hold up my hands, palms out and say, "high five." Tonight, when he held up his hands, I'd slap them with mine. He laughed and laughed, every time. It was really funny.

Here's an action shot of John Patrick, taken today while Jude and I were eating lunch. He was playing in the "Exersaucer."

Daddy and John Patrick, relaxing on the front porch swing after today's run. Note the Gatorade botte in John Patrick's hands. He had a real workout, as you can see.

The Running Men

I've been an avid runner for almost twenty years. As crazy as it may seem, it's an extremely important part of who I am. I'm happier and a lot more fun to be around, when I'm running regularly. Conversely, if I haven't run in a few days, I get crabby.

I've run in countless races, including marathons, half marathons, 15, 10 and 5 kilometer races, and trail races.

I've run the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C., the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN, the RC Cola/Moon Pie 10 Mile Run in Bell Buckle, TN, the Strawberry Stride 5k in Portland, TN, the Wild Thang 9 Mile Trail Run in Long Hunter State Park in Lebanon, TN, the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon in Atlanta, GA, the Peachtree 10k in Atlanta, GA, the Frostbite Half Marathon in Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, TN, the Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon in Louisville, KY, the Expo 10,000 in Knoxville, TN, the Run for the Missions 5k in Franklin, TN, and the Boulevard Bolt in Nashville, TN, to name just a few.

I've run on the beaches in South Carolina and Florida. I've run on trails in Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and California. I've run on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada and on the Mall in Washington, D.C. I've run in Arizona and Colorado. I've run in Costa Rica, Tortolla in the British Virgin Islands and in Edinburgh and Inverness, Scotland.

I've run in the morning, before it was light, and I've run in the evening, after it was dark. I once ran from my house in Franklin, TN, to my mom's house in Brentwood, TN, about 12 miles, in 8 degree weather. On a dare, I once ran from my mom's house in Brentwood, TN, to the Box Seat, a defunct sports bar in Green Hills in Nashville, TN, about 17 miles. I've run at night on the Forest Crossing Golf Course in a driving snowstorm, one of the most beautiful runs of my life. I've run in Phoenix, AZ, when it's 100 degrees.

I've run on a treadmill at the YMCA, Go Performance & Fitness and in the Gym at the Hilton in Sandestin, FL.

I've been bitten by a dog while I was running, badly enough that my leg bled. I've been shot at by teenagers with a water gun while running in my mom's neighborhood. I've almost been hit by a car on more than one occasion. I've fallen while running, skinning up my knees and hands badly. I've been stung by a bee while running. Once, I spend a half hour picking tics off my ankles and calves, after an 8 mile run on the Bicentennial Trail in Ashland City, TN. I've gotten sunburned, when running in the heat and windburned, when running in cold weather.

I've gotten lost on runs in Percy Warner and Shelby Parks, Nashville, TN, in Washington, D.C., in Boulder, CO.

A wild turkey once ran just ahead of me for about a quarter mile on the Bicentennial Trail in Ashland City, TN. An enormous owl hooted at me and turned it's head 180 degrees as I underneath him on the Cornelia Fort Trail in Shelby Park, Nashville, TN. I've seen deer while running in Long Hunter State Park in Lebanon, TN, and in the old days, running behind El Dorado, a subdivision near my mom's house in Brentwood, where Cool Springs is now. I've watched geese land on the lake in Shelby Park. I've seen rabbits on many, many occasions. I've stepped over turtles on the Cornelia Fort Trail, after a heavy rain. Yesterday, I saw a small, red fox dart ahead of me on the trail at Fort Granger in Pinkerton Park in Franklin, TN.

I've had many, many great runs, the kind I want to hold in my heart forever. Some of my favorite runs have been in the rain. I've had bad runs, too, where I've had to stop or I've gotten injured. I've run when I've been hurt (plantar fascitis, knee pain, back pain, etc.). I've run miles and miles on the trails in Shelby Park, Nashville, TN, probably my favorite place to run.

I've laughed while I ran, just happy to be alive. I've run with a heavy heart and I've run with a broken heart. I've cried while I ran, thinking of friends and family I've lost. I've composed toasts for rehearsal dinners and weddings, in my mind, while I ran. I've also composed eulogies, in my mind, while I ran.

Today, though, I did something I've dreamed of, almost since I started running. I ran with my son. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day for the 1st of February. After church, Jude strapped John Patrick into the Baby Jogger racing stroller, which I had been dying to take out for a spin since I purchased it a few months ago.

Although I ran my usual 3 mile route through the neighborhood, up Belmont Boulevard, through Belmont University's campus and back home, a route I've run at least a hundred times, it felt different today. It was different today, because my son was with me. It was a little harder than normal, since I was pushing the racing stroller. We made good time, though. John Patrick seemed to enjoy it. He stayed awake during the entire run and murmured contentedly to himself several times, or so it seemed to me. He just seemed to take it all in, looking from side to side, as we ran.

For me, it really doesn't get much better than that.