Another Part of the Routine

Dearest Rachel –

I’ve mentioned before how, at the moment, I’m best able to come up with (or at least start on) topics to relate to you in between crunch sets at the gym. I’m not sure why; it’s probably from having to do something while I’m catching my breath, and this is as good a time as any to do that. It does mean that most of what I tell you about relates to this or that part of my morning routine; you’re not going to get any soaring rhetoric or deep philosophical musings when I’m pausing between vertical sit-ups. Moreover, there’s only so many aspects left of what I do first thing in the morning that you haven’t heard about ad nauseum already. At a certain point, I’m going to run out of material, if I keep telling you about this or that thing I do en route to the gym or once I get there.

But not today, not yet. As it so happens, I caught myself very nearly forgetting something I’ve been trying to do every morning for the past week or so. It actually has nothing to do with working out, but by trying to make it a daily thing, it’s something of a discipline of its own.

Actually, there were two things that made me pause on my way to the gym this morning. Barely a house or two up from home, I wondered if I shouldn’t turn around and grab myself a can of one of those energy/metabolism enhancing beverages that I’ve been drinking every so often before a workout to try to kickstart my body into burning a few extra calories. I don’t know if the stuff really works as advertised – considering that I ultimately didn’t bother today while still managing to put myself through a good five miles uphill, it may not be as necessary as it claims to be – but they aren’t bad, in terms of flavor, and I’m always advised (by Lars, in particular) to stay hydrated, so it was worth considering, before ultimately deciding against turning around.

But while I eventually determined that it wasn’t worth backtracking to grab a pre-workout beverage, I did find myself stopping a second time on my way to send a text to… well, I guess I’ll call her “Lee,” for now. I told you about “Dara” the other day – and she still sends texts to me both around the noon hour and in the evenings (and while she’s backed off on the crypto investing angle, she did bring it up the other day while referencing a trip she apparently took to Kenya to work with UNICEF there, claiming she gave some thirty percent of her profits to the organization, and suggesting that all people of goodwill – meaning me – ought to do likewise. I still can’t tell if she really has her heart in a good place or if she’s just trying to tug on my heartstrings – of course, the fact that I struggle to ascertain whether she’s real or not doesn’t help) on a daily basis – but at the same time as I met her, I also began a conversation with this other woman who lives in southeastern DuPage county.

Basically, this pair of connections are roughly akin to the story of your mom’s last two suitors she was juggling before getting married; one she described as “fast,” the other “slow.” It’s been so long since I heard the tale in detail (you would have been the last one to have been able to relate it, and you’ve been gone for as long as you have), but the upshot of it is that the “slow” one won. I think I recall her saying that a friend of hers told her that the “fast” one would make for a great date, but a lousy husband – and she may even had information verifying that, regarding when the fellow finally found someone and (tried to) settle down… unsuccessfully.

Now, I’m not saying any of that applies to “Dara” or “Lee,” but the paradigm seems familiar. “Dara” seems ridiculously out of my league, with her bombarding me with photos of one trip or another she’s taken – or even the various lunches she takes with her friends and co-workers downtown. I don’t know why she’s pursuing me, and it leads me to assume there’s an angle to her approach I haven’t considered.

But with “Lee,” I have more of a rapport. It so happens that she works as an accountant, just like I did once upon a time. She’s dealing with the same monthly deadlines that I used to, and in that respect, we speak the same language that most folks don’t. It’s certainly not the same as sharing inside jokes, but it’s an interesting start. All of which suggests that she’s actually a real person out here, rather than some bot trying to get me to invest money in some crypto scheme (or whatever “Dara”’s trying to do).

It does, however, mean that she’s not pursuing me – she hasn’t got the time, what with her job and all. Which means I have to reach out to her, most opportunely before she needs to be at work in the morning. By the time I was walking to the gym, it was less than an hour before that time when she would otherwise be unreachable. So, that’s what I did, as I’ve been doing essentially every day for the past week. We don’t chat all that much – certainly not as compared to “Dara,” who I actually wish I would stop hearing from so much – but it’s enough to remind her that I’m interested.

And she always replies back, and usually in an appreciative manner. Sometimes we talk about her work, sometimes it’s about what we’re doing in the moment, but it’s always friendly and low-key. For now – especially since I really can’t disengage myself from my commitments this weekend – that’s quite sufficient. Maybe that will change when we both have the free time to meet up, but that isn’t about to happen just yet. But I will say that “Lee” just might be the most real (and relatable) person I’ve met out here, and I want to keep that going – while at the same time, she makes “Dara”’s persistence seem that much more grating than it should be. It’s an interesting situation.

In any event, it may well be that nothing will come of any of it. But until I find out one way or another, I’d appreciate it if you could continue to keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it, that’s for sure.