On my way back home from running errands today, instead of pulling into my driveway as usual, I drove around the block a few times to clock out exactly how far I've been running and to work up some variations on my route. Well, tonight I got a call from the neighbor across the street, asking if everything was all right since she'd seen me circling the block. She thought that maybe someone had been following me and I had been going around the block trying to lose them. I explained to her what I'd been doing, then she told me that she'd been worried since this morning her husband had seen a suspicious car that matched the description of one used in a rape that occurred in the neighborhood recently.

So it's really impossible to feel like a neighbor is being nosy under those circumstances. I thanked her for the info and told her that she ought to call the Sheriff's department and let them know about the car. Of course if I did see a car following me I certainly wouldn't simply drive around the block a few times. I'd just drive to the Sheriff's annex and let them deal with it.

But back on the subject of running and workouts, I'm working on increasing my distance now. I figure I can add about a quarter to a half a mile each week without too much difficulty. Also, back when I first joined the gym back in November, I'd kept a log of my weight and measurements to track progress, however I stopped keeping up with it sometime in January. Yesterday I got the little notebook out and jotted down my weight and measurements for the first time in months, and was stunned to see how much progress I've made. I haven't really noticed it other than a general sense that I look better and am stronger, but I discovered that I've lost eight pounds since November, as well as two inches off my hips. Cool Beans!

And I'm definitely starting to look like I work out. My shoulders ripple when I move now and I actually have some definition in my abs. I haven't been trying to lose weight at all, other than the working out. I certainly haven't been dieting. I'm eating pretty much anything I want, and then just working out a lot. I think that if I could watch my diet for a couple of months, I'd really see some results.

Actually, today I realized that I was starting to look "buff" when an older woman in the gym asked me if I was a kickboxer. I never thought I had that sort of physique before, but after she made that comment I looked in the mirror and realized that I'm approaching that level of athleticism. I like it. Seeing results is the best motivation you can have.

I read John Sullivan's entry of May 16th...

I tried. I tried to be good. But... can't...stop...myself...Must Gloat!

I know precisely the rapier/main gauche set that you're talking about, John. You see, Hank Reinhardt, President of Museum Replicas, is one of my best friends on this planet, and he gave that same set to Jay and me as a quasi wedding present. It really ended up being more of a gift for Jay, since the rapier was too top-heavy for me, and it fit Jay's hand better, and I let him have that set in the divorce as well as a Roman short sword that Hank had sent us. But I still have a fairly large collection of edged weaponry, thanks to the Hankster. You should see the collection he keeps at his house. In his basement he literally has hundreds and hundreds of swords, knives, axes, spears, and other implements of destruction just lying around. Utterly amazing.