Well, I can say that I am glad that that week is over. With all the election shit still going on, the pandemic becoming a national issue again, the medical issues with a couple of our pets, it is has been a long week.

Election — Biden appears to have won both the Electoral College and the popular vote. However, for many reasons beyond simply losing the election, I believe that Trump refuses to concede or acknowledge the results and continues to bray about a rigged election for personal reasons than the good of the Country. It appears that he hopes to either overturn the results keeping his Presidential immunity or hold out to negotiate a deal on the way out that protects him and/or his family from legal jeopardy after January 20th. Either way it looks as though he is delaying the inevitable and Biden will most likely become the President on January 20th. It is just the not knowing what lengths he will go to retain power that worry us, although there are signs that are positive for a peaceful transfer of power that we have always had will happen.

Pandemic — Is getting out of control again, after all the election shenanigans and rallies the COVID-19, record numbers of people are becoming infected, hospitalized and dying now. From where I sit much of the problem is the mixed messages that people have received from the President and other leaders who as we are seeing falsely predicted that the pandemic would just go away or that a vaccine was coming much sooner than reality would allow.

Wearing a mask should not be a sign of party loyalty or disloyalty, it might not be perfect, but at least it is something we can do that will help manage the spread a bit.

Life will not adjust to the new normal until the pandemic is controlled and right now with this administration seemingly doing little to bring the Country together to slow the spread, that new normal is still quite a way off. The Boston Marathon has already changed its date from the traditional Patriots’ Day in April to the Fall. That is not a good sign for the immediate future when something as big as the Boston Marathon is changing major events/races for next spring — already.

Pets – Getting back to more personal stuff. On Wednesday night we had to take Bennie to Lewiston for an emergency vet visit. He was having trouble breathing, and we were scared about how bad he was becoming. After getting there, they looked him over, did a bunch of tests, expressed his anal glands and didn’t find a lot wrong other than he does have an enlarged heart. He looked and seemed to be better on the way home early Thursday morning and has done well since. So, we don’t know what happened, but are keeping a close eye on him.

The next story has a less happy ending. Isabelle our 17+-year-old cat, who came out of the bushes after Hurricane Isabelle in 2003 and jumped in Mary’s arms — as if to say “here I am!” She never willingly left the house in the next 17+ years, until Friday. Isabelle was not a lap cat, was fiercely independent and very proud. On Thursday night she was in pain, howling and not being able to walk. We got her comfortable and decided to call the vet the next morning. In the morning she was unable to walk without a great deal of pain — we knew what was going to happen and were sad, but we couldn’t let her suffer any longer.

We called and made the appointment and for the first time since we brought her home, she allowed Mary to hold her for more than a couple of minutes. The entire half hour trip to the vet’s office she just sat in Mary’s lap and either purred a little when we petted her or looked out the truck’s window. She didn’t fight to get up or anything. It was almost as though she knew what was going to happen and was ready. It was a hard trip and only Mary could go in with her. We buried her in our pet cemetery and it was a hard day. Isabelle, we will see you on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

After having lived with us as a part of our family for more than 17 years, Isabelle will be missed.

Running

This is where I usually talk too much about running, but when looking back on the week that was, my running was pretty unimportant. Yes, I got in 25 miles for the week, learned that the Razor 3 and Razor 3+ both hurt my feet after running 3-4 miles in them and have been retired.

I did my first speed work session on Tuesday since I busted up my ribs in September. While it felt good to run faster, I definitely need to work a lot more on things. I also found out the Razor 3s hurt my feet so badly I had to get my New Balance 1400 v6 back out. The 1400s do not bother my feet, but I don’t feel as fast in them as I do with other shoes, but for what I am doing for training now they will work fine. It is also hunting season out here and my white Nike Zoom Fly SPs really are not a great idea to be flashing around in.

After a lot of thinking I decided to get a pair of Saucony Triumph 17s as Christmas presents from Bennie. I looked very closely at a pair of On Cloud series running shoes, but just didn’t feel comfortable with not being able to try them on. While I have a pretty good idea of how the Sauconys will fit in a size 9, they will be a bit big (long), I will be able to wear my merino wool socks with them.

I figure by then the GoRun Ride 8s will not be runnable outside due to not having any tread and the Topo Ultraventures heels will be unwearable. I did bid on a pair of Saucony Endorphin Shifts, but after I did, I figured out that I didn’t really want to get them, so I didn’t re-bid again after someone else upped the price. I am really attempting to cut back on the number of running shoes that I randomly buy.

This week really was a tough week to keep focused on writing or much of anything else, so I am not beating myself up over not writing all that much. Life does get in the way and while the resistance seems to pile up, I also decided a while back to not attempt to move beyond my amateur writing, so I can give myself a lot more leeway than a “pro” would. I am not a professional writer and have zero plans to go beyond having fun with my writing.

I will get back to my writing soon, but still need to process the election results, all the crap that is and will happen until January 20th. Plus with the pandemic getting worse again, I have a feeling that it will bring new issues and problems that we all will have to contend with as part of our daily lives.

Yes, like everyone else, I am tired of both, but have to deal with them because I don’t see a good resolution to either in the near term. They both are and will be issues for the foreseeable future.

Bennie seems to be doing well, so that is great news. We will keep a close eye on him.

Isabelle’s being gone has been felt throughout the house and while we miss her terribly, it was time to end the suffering she was enduring. Sometimes we don’t realize how much suffering a critter is going through because they cannot tells and we love them so much that we close a blind eye to their suffering. We selfishly want to keep them with us longer than we should, at least until we can’t not see how they are suffering and realize what the correct thing to do is.

Goodbye, Isabelle, and we will see you on the other side.

Here is to a better week this week.