Accomplishing, but feeling UnAccomplished

On a positive note, the photo to the right was taken when Abu, Lossine and I traveled across the sound and before I had my veins worked on. It may not be obvious to you, but the bulge is evident to me and it went all the way up the back of my leg. I am happy to say that this is no longer the case.

The case, instead, is (as I wrote to Nikki). "Just got back from a long run, but still fat."

Yep, despite my efforts, I'm morphing into a Walrus. I know this, because when I returned from a six-miler today I sat around in a towel and the reflection on the black screen of my laptop made me think that either there was a Buddha before me, a pig, or...well, me.

This made me stand before a mirror. So, I like my back and now that my vein is removed, my legs look normal again. But my love handles, stomach and chest continue to morph into additional girth. It's ridiculous. I am thinking I could easily go as a gorilla for Halloween. Just need the mask and a little more hair.

But, I'm running again. I did a marathon of grading yesterday, and slowly, but surely, I'm getting back to a semblance of normalcy (he writes while laughing because his guest from South Africa arrives on Sunday, and Monday brings the summer institutes). I looked at pictures from Denmark in 1998 yesterday and longed for the daily runs of 10 to 12 miles. My knees allowed it then.

Seriously, though, I'm glad I'm donating my body to science. It needs to be studied. They can check out  what's beneath the cloth and say, "Poor guy, then add biological knowledge to the field of medicine."

In the meantime, I will live my life working against the way this carcass chooses to be. It ain't pretty and they say it will only get worse (although Lossine promised me that the male body begins to lose weight after 50. There's hope. Then again, he got a C in that course. Not sure if I trust him).