Eric J. Gruber

I’m playing around with a little web site called Squidoo. My first entry is called “Master or Jack.”

Head over, check it out, leave a comment, rate it, let me know what you think.

Master or Jack on Squidoo

Today was the Lawrence 1/2 Marathon and 5K. As a family, we’re not really physically ready for a 5K (and I don’t see myself ever running a 1/2 marathon), so instead we participated in a smaller, third activity - the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk.

There weren’t any prizes for this race, if you can even call it a “race.” There were several parents wheeling their kids in strollers like us, and lots of kids being active.

I would have loved to do the 5K, but my body isn’t up to that yet. So, I decided to do this as kind of a christening of sorts. After being out of work from illness and a back injury, then a month of therapy, I wanted to do something to “get out there and get going.”

It was quite a bit of fun. My friend Sara wants to pick a 5K for us to train for to run this summer. I’m up for the challenge.

I have the day off work today, by choice.

Not that I haven’t had any days off of work this year. I’ve had plenty. But most of those weren’t by choice. The year, so far, has been rough.

Much of the first three months were filled with illness. Amy, Ember and I were under assult. Dental work. Ear infections. Sinus infections. Throat pains that felt like swallowing razor blades. Pink eye.

It was incredibly taxing; not just physically, but mentally as well.

About a month ago, things were looking up. I was almost completely over my last round if illness (the one with the virus that made me wish I didn’t have a throat), and I needed to cough. I went to the bathroom to cough away in private, and WHAM! … I through out my lower back.

I’ve had some lower back pains in the past year, but this was the worst. I almost couldn’t couldn’t get in the car to get to the emergency room. It was one of the worst pains I’ve ever experienced.

Things are much better now. It’s spring, and hopefully all this illness stuff has gone away. I just completed a month (two-three times a week) of physical therapy, which was really good for me - and educational. It turns out, we’re not supposed to sit for eight hours a day without getting up regularly, stretching and strengthening our “core.” I get up a lot more during the day now. I stretch. I’m walking now and even have some pilates moves to maintain what strength I’ve gained during therapy.

So what to do with a day off? Why, write a little on the blog, of course! I’m also looking forward to cleaning out the garage so thoroughly the trash collectors will really earn their keep tomorrow.

Today is a bit of a milestone for me; it’s my two-year anniversary working for the City of Lawrence, KS.

Up to this point, I haven’t worked more than a year and a half at any of the jobs I’ve had since graduating from college. I was always searching for something and never seemed to find what I was looking for. It wasn’t until I found something that I really love to do (work with the internet) and work and live in a place I love - Lawrence - that I really found a bit of contentment.

Not to say that I don’t have headaches, hangups or all the things we have that makes us a little disgruntled with our work, but I have way more up days than down minutes.

So, here’s to two years of me being able to stay in once place. I suppose it was bound to happen someday.