Training Log: PG

Event: WCOC HVO Winter Series 2024
 

With Gail, south of town. Seemed more work than it should for the pace we were going, but maybe that has something to do with my lack of proper exercise recently. Glad to have done it.

With Gail, on Silver Lane again. Time passed quickly.

Another brisk walk. Things seemed OK.

About 10 minutes in, my phone rang, a cousin (son of my mom's brother Larry). We talked for the rest of the walk and then some, catching up. Really a good chat.

We've had some sort of leak in the basement for a while. Gail had managed to find the culprit, right where the water line comes in, and we'd put a bucket under it when we left for Austin. The bucket was half full when we got back. Time to do something. It was more than we (mainly Gail) felt capable of trying to do ourselves. So I called a plumber that we have used a few times over the years. Got the answering machine, it said they were too busy and weren't taking any more repair business for a while. Hmmm.

But the machine suggested another plumber, so I called them, machine again, hmmm.

Looked online for local plumbers, up popped the name of a guy across the river in South Deerfield, I'd seen his truck go by any number of times, and on Google there were 50 reviews, every one a 5. Called him, machine again, but this time it said that he checked his phone four times a day and will call back. So I left a message.

An hour later he called back. And apologized. Because, as he recounted, he had just gotten home from about 5 days in the hospital, being rather close to dying a couple of times, but at least now doing enough better to come home. The apology being, it might be a week before he could make it to our house.

But he wanted to know more about what the problem what. So I went down to the basement and described as best as I could where the problem was, and it didn't take him long to figure out it was coming from the water meter. And then to say, you're in luck, the town will fix it, and Fred, the guy in the water department that handles repairs, is the best repair guy of any town in the area. Did I know Fred?

And, in fact I did. So I called him, got his wife, she said she'd let him know. And maybe 30 minutes later he drives up the driveway, and 30 minutes after that he's all done and we have a brand new water meter and no leak. And there's no charge.

There is time a for a chat, because that's comes easy in a small town, and we talk about the excellent water in town, always been that way, no treatment necessary. Just this year it got an award from the state for having the best drinking water in the state. And then he's off, nice smile on his face.

Last thing to do is call back the local plumber, let him know everything is taken care or thanks to him, plus wishes for a full recovery. And then just marvel at the fact that within a couple of hours after I made the first call, the leak is fixed. These days that seems like it qualifies as a miracle.

C • Nice 5

Finished my orienteering course at Gay City 9 days ago, hung around at the finish for a little while, and then walking back to my car my left knee was hurting. I didn't remember anything that had happened on the O' course that might have been the cause. But something wasn't right.

We headed off to Austin the next morning, came back Saturday. Did a good bit of gentle walking, sometimes the knee was making it clear it wasn't right, sometimes it was pretty good. Back home, seemed better, hardly noticing it and today not feeling any discomfort.

So a brisker walk today, seemed OK. Would be nice if it vanishes as mysteriously as it appeared. In the meantime, no reason to try to hurry things along.

C • Knees 2