Getting there
Got my run in today. Was thinking about this guy I met on the street the other day, selling lighters. I was late to work so I’m rushing back and I say in English, “I don’t smoke” and he says in English “Wait a minute, please?” So I stopped, and we start talking, he’s Nigerian, he speaks perfect English, he also speaks perfect Italian. He asked me for 0,50 euro anyway. I didn’t have it on me, I would have given it to him if I had it.
Meanwhile, I just realized class started and I forgot to finish and post this last night! What they hell is happening? So yeah, the guy, spoke perfect English and yet he won’t get anywhere around here. When will this world give things out based on merit and not on who you know or what you look like? I don’t get it.
Alright, cutting this short because I have lots to do today, unfortunately.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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I ain’t no ox you moron
Yep, I went there. Trying to take it easy while running 40 miles a week is tough. But today’s run wasn’t too bad. It is a fine line I’m walking right now though, between doing something bad and keeping my mileage up for the challenge. But at the end of the day it’s all about the marathon, so if something threatens that I’ll stop. Right now, I’m totally on for the long run on Sunday as scheduled though. Have not decided on a route, I am really tempted to try to circumnavigate Vesuvius though.
Meanwhile, I’ve decided I will obviously stay up to date with the politics back home, it’s important. But it’s too upsetting, so I’ll try not to pay so much attention. How Drumpf keeps winning is beyond me. He is literally just copying Mein Kampf and people are voting for him. Like how dumb can you be? Something something, doomed to repeat it…Apparently, he has his own secret security force forming now. I shit you not, because you know, protestors are a problem apparently. Complete insanity is happening, and it’s too upsetting for me. But I know if he wins come November, I’ll never step foot in the United States again. Forget all the fascist rhetoric, he’s a horrible human being, and I mean that sincerely. He’s a slumlord, who then made casinos, and he pimps himself and his family out, turned his fake name into a shitty brand. Most of the things he’s done have actually failed, and he just sits there on TV now and talks down to everyone, and talks about how great he is even though he’s a miserable failure by most measures. It’s amazing. Meanwhile, the first 100% honest politician to run for the presidency in forever, keeps coming in 2nd place to Hillary. It’s like, the fuck?
So anyway, I’m going to stay out of it. I’ll vote when it’s time, and whatever happens happens, but this is too upsetting. I leave and the whole place goes crazy. Anyway, I have to go make some dinner.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Interesting Tuesday
So here it is, I ran a few today. I shouldn’t really run short even though I have a long run planned Sunday, but who knows what may happen. I do need to be careful. To be perfectly honest, I don’t want to run long on Sunday, but I know I have to.
I’ve been feeling a little down the last couple of days. It happens to the best of us sometimes. The trick isn’t to let it get to you too much. The downside is I feel like it’s been affecting my performance in the classroom, which isn’t good. I need to work harder at compartamentalizing things, for the kids’ sakes. Even the bad ones deserve consistency from me, if nothing else.
Meanwhile, it’s the Ides of March, so if your name is Julius, watch out. Just a few more months and this school year is over. Time to get on my horse and make everything happen. But for now I need sleep.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Happy Pi Day!
Yep, it’s 3.1416. Yes I rounded, I can only recite pi out to 3.1415926… I don’t have a math degree, I’m thinking English all day.
So no running today, but I did have a zeppola. Tomorrow I’ll put in a few miles. Figure out what I want to do for a long run this weekend. I started asking around about jobs come August, see if my friends needed some help over in Trani, also need to find out where to keep my stuff over the Summer. So much to do, and I have to save up for a plane ticket to wherever I’m going. The trip I want to take looks to be around $900 if I buy right now. But that also depends on where I end up. So I have to wait and see.
Rome is coming up in a couple weeks, that will be fun, I have to finalize all my arrangements there. I hope I run fast, they say it’s a pretty flat course, but I’ve had people say courses were flat and they were anything but, so who knows. I will give you all a run down when it happens.
Other than that, today is fairly uneventful. Beautiful weather, my first class was pretty easy, can’t complain. I think I’ll go with leftovers for dinner tonight, I don’t think I’ll feel much like cooking. Made myself some seitan stew last night. And I don’t have a recipe for you guys tonight, sorry about that. I had no chance to prep today, it’s been going by so fast. So we’ll hopefully pick it up next week and all will be good. Right now I’m just enjoying the zeppole.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Sunday for communion
You heard me right. I ran today, and I communed. Hit my 41 miles for the week. My brain was in overdrive today. I’m mad-tired, but that’s not important. Sometimes the best thing to do is visualize the road, no matter what it is made of: rocks, dirt, petroleum byproducts, concrete, whatever, and picture it as all the bad that week. Not just the bad you hear, or the bad people gave to you, but the bad you put out in the world. We all do it, whether we intend to or not. Either we slip because we’re tired, or lazy, or just have taken in too much that week. It happens to the best people I know. So I just thought of all the bad this week, yesterday, whatever and just stomped it under foot. It was nice.
The other thing I did was think about, of all things, Jeet Kune Do. Anyone who doesn’t know that’s Bruce Lee’s martial art. But I was thinking about the physics of his philosophy, it’s all really amazingly intuitive when you think about it. Physics is intuitive, it should be. If you look at the world, and stop to think, you can see it all in motion. When you slow down, and pay attention, there’s an amazing display right before our eyes. But the thing about JKD is that Bruce Lee realized, unlike so many in this world, strength means nothing. Not strength like we think of it. The only strength that matters is mass and speed. the acceleration of the mass is what causes a reaction in the object, timing then becomes a factor as well. Patience, it’s the key to all things. If you are moving away from your opponent’s strike when they hit you, less damage will be done, if you’re moving into it, more. Simple physics, and not that I advocate violence or anything, but it all just is so brilliant.
Alright, time to get out there and enjoy this beautiful day I’ve been given. Like I didn’t already pound out 5 miles! Next weekend, long run, last long run before Roma! Ciao!
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Just 4.4 miles to go
Tomorrow morning I only have to get 4.4 miles in to hit 40. My run today went a little further than I originally planned. 2 more weeks and this challenge is done, and I can focus fully on the Rome Marathon and then a well-deserved rest. Holy crap do I need and want a rest!
I realized that Monday is the middle of March, I only have about 12 weeks left to this school year, and I can’t wait for it to be done. but I also have to work on finding things to do for the Summer. I need to make some money, but I also need to travel and get home to visit. The plan is to go home, London/Engerland, Out of Puglia (if I’m not moving there) and get back up to Denmark. This work schedule is getting out of hand though, I have a 9 hour workday! I went on this course so my whole life wasn’t work anymore, but I found the place that makes this your whole life, all the time, and doesn’t pay you for it. If I wanted to work like an American, I could stay home. Alright, enough complaining. Sometimes you gotta vent.
So I’m looking forward to the end of the month, Easter Break, sorely needed, plus next weekend is San Giuseppe! Sooo…zeppole everywhere! That is too exciting. I can’t think of anything better. Apparently, all week there is zeppole everywhere, so I’m looking forward to a pastry heavy week. haha! While most people are worried about their “beach bodies” I’m worried about my pastries. This has never, and will never, be a vanity thing for me. I was fat, I still carry fat on me. Big deal, I don’t care, I want to enjoy life.
That’s the trick in life. Too many people spin their wheels and complain. I’m guilty of it sometimes too. (See above) But sometimes you finally have to say “Enough” and shove off from safe harbors and see what the sea has to offer you. Daunting to most, terrifying to some, but you have to do it. If all you’re going to do is complain, and stay in the same comfortable misery, using the same old systems, you have no hope. No matter how progressive, or wise you think you may be. You’re doing nothing, you’re going nowhere and nothing will ever happen. You have to go forth and make shit happen. That means being vulnerable, maybe getting into some shit and mixing it up with life. But if you’re strong enough and willing, you’ll learn something and find a better place. Gotta go out and sail on.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Some days…
Are incredibly beautiful, that is today. What a great day to run on. Granted, I’m exhausted at this point, but tomorrow and Sunday I can take it easy, just a little over 5 miles each day gets me over 40 for the week.
So then for lunch, after that glorious run, I stopped at the store near one of the satellite campuses and got myself some cashews and raisins, and maybe a Bounty bar. Yeah they don’t do Mounds here, it’s Bounty. Oh they’re still tasty though. I eat healthy I swear! I find myself constantly double-checking the labels on the things I love to eat to ensure no one’s sneaking palm oil or gelatin into things where they don’t belong. Companies really need to stop doing that, but they won’t stop doing that as long as we buy the stuff. It’s also not enough to simply not buy, but tell them why you’re not buying.
Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to explain to a person how labels, even if we’re trying to use them positively, only serve to perpetuate the current power structure and systems. That language is more than just a way to communicate ideas, but it is a way of thinking. Each language has it’s own particular patterns and ideas. It’s so difficult sometimes. I wish there was a magic button I could push where everyone would suddenly “get” that everything they’ve ever been taught, thought, or will think in the future is probably wrong. That there is a way forward in life, but it requires a knowledge that you will never really know anything 100% and that everyone else, no matter how great or terrible will never know anything either. From there, all that’s left is we are these beings, stuck on a rock together, and we should probably take a minute and acknowledge that we all have a place here and we’re all brothers/sisters.
Once you accept that, then the only thing left to do is look at everyone as if they were your own family. From there, let’s all just give each other the love and respect we all deserve. Make sure that every human has what they need to survive, and destroy any system that creates a situation where people go without, because those systems aren’t real, they aren’t proper. End of.
Soap box step down.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Sorry for the late
I had to, that’s what my students say when they’re late to class. So I’ve been running. 10 yesterday, 9.5 today. It’s been a difficult week, I’ve been short on patience, but I’ve also been under-the-weather most of the time. I schooled the middle school class today on the BEST pizza in the world, Pepe’s (even though I like Modern better, I don’t have any documentation I can produce online to back up my claim). Why, because they were saying, without me saying anything about pizza, that all American pizza sucked. It was completely offensive! I get that they’re middle school snots, but fuck that shit! You step to me about pizza, you gonna get taken to school, end of. Fact is none of them have even been away from home at all, so what do they know, which I also pointed out to them in a very nice way.
So then we had to talk a bit about respect, I had to explain the concept to them, because they keep wanting me to listen to their questions, but they don’t bother to listen to my answers. So we had a nice long talk about this. because what the hell, I mean seriously, what the hell? It is really like herding cats some days.
Meanwhile, I’ve been using “Make Donald Drumpf again” as often as possible. Come on America, speaking of respect, have a little respect for yourselves. Stop supporting this charlatan. He’s simply the biggest charlatan in a field of charlatans on that side. As far as I’m concerned there’s only one 100% honest candidate out there, and not enough people are going out to vote for him. I will be filling out a primary ballot for him, and I hope I get to vote for him in the general election, but I feel I’ll have to settle for Hillary. Senator Bernie Sanders won statewide in Vermont when people said he never could, because the people knew he worked for ALL the people, and the people, not the corporations.
So that’s where we’re at for now. Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Could not answer the bell Yesterday and Today!
You heard me right. I felt terrible all day Monday and today. I was so bad today I didn’t even run this morning. I’m still not 100% but I will get my run on in the morning I believe. 10 miles at a minimum I hope. My back is still very sore. I still haven’t had a chance to take care of the pictures from Denmark. Or even process my trip to Denmark in my head. I was that out of sorts from whatever malady has struck me.
I really hate being sick. This schedule, the strange humidity, and the general vibe down here aren’t conducive to staying healthy I don’t think. Anyway, as I said, my back hurts and it’s hard to sit here and type this, so tonight is staying short. Hope you all have a great day, and particularly all the women out there on International Women’s Day.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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A run and a wedding
I did my traditional new country 5k. So the town of Vorbasse is very flat, most of Denmark is very flat apparently. It’s very pretty here, very quiet. There was a light rain, almost a mist, and it was near freezing this morning. Glad I brought my gloves, but I forgot a hat to run in. Not knowing the area, I just hit an out and back.
But that wasn’t the main part of the day, got back, took a shower, and then it was off to my friend’s parents house. Got my friend dressed, ironed some shirts, things like that. Got the last little details done just in time as guests arrived. It was a fun, yet more subdued than I’m used to with weddings. In some ways it was crazy and other ways very conventional. It was lots of fun. I took tons of pictures, I have to go through and edit all of these now, but I have plenty of time.
I’m keeping it short tonight, I’m not feeling well right now, too many foods and alcohols is making my stomach feel not well.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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