Nobody Puts Baby in a Lunch Box!

As the last month of 2021 rolled around, I was really close to reaching the 1,600 mile plateau for the year. So I put some effort into reaching that milestone, while turning 46 just before Christmas, with the full knowledge that squeezing in a similar amount of miles in 2022 was not likely with the amount of attention our baby would require when he arrives in February.

Speaking of, our latest digital update on the future baby Russell is that he is the size of a lunch box. And, of course, the example image sent to us is a lunch box depicting the original Space Jam movie from 1996. This comes a week after Russell's size was compared to that of a Care Bear. Yes, the objects are becoming more obscure as the weeks go by.

We get the idea of giving folks tangible objects to better understand the shape & size of the fetus as time moves along, but someone with a lesser grasp of life & reality could easily misinterpret the fact that a tiny human will soon be exiting another human relatively soon (about 49 days). Could they at least put a drawing of the fetus next to the similar-sized objects? I'd rather not see Russ as a Go-Gurt, thermos of tomato soup & bologna sandwich or the monetization of a character created by a Cleveland-based greeting card company.

So 2021 ended with my mile counter reaching 1,600.9 on the last day - New Year's Eve, out distancing 2020 by about 90 miles. And 2022 will begin with the Rear-View Mirror 5k on New Year's Day, the same as 2021. Though, the race last year was cancelled due to freezing rain and subsequent iced over course. L and I then jogged the course since we had already arrived and yes, the course was crazy slippery and I could not imagine having to run on it.  This year, however, I will be doing the race by myself because at this time in 2021 L wasn't 34 weeks pregnant. We are expecting rain, but around 50 degrees...can't complain for an outdoor January race in Central Ohio. 

The return to running for me began in the summer of 2016 and each year since, my yearly mileage has increased: 2017: 1,256, 2018: 1,301, 2019: 1357, 2020: 1,510 and 1,600.9 in 2021. I'm sure 2022 will be a decline, but I will be more than happy to replace those miles with fatherhood. Though, I will be just as exhausted mentally as would be physically - and then some - attempting to care for our coming offspring. And our yearly February trip to South Haven, Michigan for the Ice Breaker Festival and Break the Ice 5k to celebrate L's birthday will have to be put on hold, but as you can imagine we will be excited to visit again in 2023 with the third member of our family.

The Fermented Firefly is all abuzz with what the future holds. Previously up in the air on where we are going, what we want to do and where we want to be...I think we now have a better grasp of things. ROKS is seven weeks away and we are gladly cruising around our forever cul-de-sac....  #MettleMonday 

Forever Cul-De-Sac by Ages and Ages

I came up in a cul-de-sac:

Neighborhood houses evenly placed

And spread out all around until I couldn't see out

And the "world" was a word I picked up in a textbook

I tried to relate, it was hard to embrace

Because it seemed so far away

And I want to have vision

But I can't see out

Caught in this cul-de-sac

Round and round

I want to have vision

But I can't see out

Caught in this cul-de-sac

Up and down

I want to have vision

But I can't see out

Riding this cul-de-sac

Round and round

I want to have vision

But I can't see out

Caught in this cul-de-sac

And no matter how hard

That they try to convince you

They don't approve if it isn't familiar

Because they don't want

What they can't understand

And you're either a target or trying to find one

So why go in circles at all

If it's out of your hands??

(I want to have vision

But I can't see out

Caught in this cul-de-sac

Round and round...)

Always I am only

Going round and round

On this cul-de-sac to nowhere...

Photos 

The beer created to celebrate Russell's
February 2022 arrival

Goofing off at the extended family
Christmas eve gathering. The hat
belongs to my uncle

Adjusted our logo, for L, to celebrate
Russell's arrival

The Christmas ham at the in-laws with
secret glaze, 'twas tasty!

The other side of the mug

L tolerating my goofing off. Russell,
thankful the womb is keeping him from 
this awful display.