Well, I finished the 5K and didn't finish last.

After our mid-morning coffee break on the front porch, Marley and I will go to the camp. Sandra's going to a baby shower for sister-in-law Val and will go to the camp this evening. The weather forecast calls for freezing temperatures tonight, so one of us is balking at the idea of a sauna. We stopped briefly at the camp last weekend and saw that the ice had broken a ladder on our dock. I'll remove the broken ladder and likely we'll do without for a while; replacement ladders are pricey. One of the pins holding the dock to the shore is bent. I'll put a chain on it for now and replace it once it is warm enough to allow us to work in the water.

I don't get a runner's high, at least not as I imagine it. Mental distress does go away when I do serious physical labor or exercise hard, like Forrest Gump.

Well, I didn't get the Lexington job. I think that they were looking for a specific technical area, but I've asked the recruiter for some feedback. I'm a bit discouraged. This was my fourth interview. To get the interviews is a good thing, but I don't seem to be able to close the deal. I am scheduled for training in job search skills; the training will cover interview techniques.

More April showers, followed by a nice weekend, and then more rain forecast for Monday.

Yesterday's interview went well. The company is looking for someone with a specific background, storage systems. I have some experience, but it's dated. I also flubbed one question, but addressed it in a follow-up email.

Today I will go to the Audio Journal for my training session. I might get a chance to be on the air. I confess to being a bit nervous, not only about the performance, but about making a commitment. During the last few years, I've become very wary about overcommitting my time. Today, though, I'm there just to learn. We'll talk about commitment once I decide if I can do the work.

My digital music collection is over 16 days now. I will have to make decisions about the music that I want to have on my iPod; I won't be able to fit it all. At the end of it all, I'll have my Desert Island 700 or thereabouts. I'll publish the library file on our web site soon.

Sandra asked me last night how long I would need to get ready if a job offer came through. Right now I would like a couple of weeks. I'd like a few days for working outdoors at home and at the camp, a few rainy days for reading and working in the office, a few days to do some fun things. I also want to spend time planning for Disney. We have a very good book, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, that gives good strategies for making the most of our time.

Our friend Pete is on the mend and should be home from the hospital today.

A flurry of activity on several fronts. I have a meeting with a recruiter this afternoon, an interview tomorrow, and a couple of other leads that may turn into real prospects in the next week or so. Yesterday I tried to make follow-up phone calls regarding applications that I'd submitted on the web. My word, but these people are so intent on no taking phone calls. At least one place said so, they don't take phone calls. Others put me into voice mail hell. Still others shunted me to people who had no way of finding out the status of a web-submitted application. ("That's handled by other people.") I'm not ready to give up on web submissions, but I am concentrating my efforts on channels that involve real people - personal connections and agencies.

Our good friend Pete had bypass surgery in Maine recently and had a setback after returning home. He's in the hospital again. We're thinking and praying about him a lot. He's given so much to so many. Faith, he has said, is hope with a track record. He has faith and we do, too.

Dianne Williamson, a columnist for the Worcester Telegram, is sponsoring an Apprentypist contest, where people can be a guest columnist. The deadline is 2 May. I may put together something. Writing 900 words isn't that bad. She tweaks Holden every chance she gets and with good reason. This can be a precious town that takes itself too seriously.

I visited the Audio Journal yesterday. It's an impressive operation. I'm scheduled for a training sessions on Friday and Tuesday to see if I like being an on-air reader. They also need help with their computer systems.

We stood at the finish line for a couple of hours, watching the marathon runners as they ran, walked, stumbled home. I was very emotional. We stayed until nearly six o'clock. We've posted a few pictures, including one of Sandra's co-worker, Scott, here.

Will I run a marathon some day? I'd like to think so. To get a number for Boston, I'd have to raise money for Abby's House, the central Mass. veteran's shelter, Audio Journal, or other charity. More important than getting a number, of course, is getting in shape. There are a lot of good resources for training (and friends who are eager to share their experiences), so it remains for me to find the clarity and focus needed to follow the regimen. Ask me again this time next year. The gray-haired heads in yesterday's marathon pack are certainly an inspriation.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees in extra innings.

Before the race, we visited another of Sandra's co-workers who lives in the Back Bay. Lovely condo in an old building where Julia Ward Howe lived 100 years ago. Sandra and I have often thought it would be nice to live in a city for a while during our retirement, being able to walk to cultural events, restaurants, libraries, and, for those who care for such things, museums. A place such as this would be a bit dear, at close to twice what we'd get for our current house.

So, after a weekend of family, friends, and festivities, it's back to the more mundane chores - searching for a job, paying the bills, and making some chili for supper. I have a roster of follow-up calls and emails for the day. Mid-day I'll go to the Audio Journal for orientation.

Another brief post today. We're having a wonderful visit with our friends, the Credes. They will be returning to Illinois this morning. Then, Sandra and I are off to see our first Boston marathon. A busy day and it's going to be a fine one.

Today's post is going to be short. This Sunday morning is good for reading the newspapers, lingering over that extra cup of coffee, enjoying spring. Our dear friends, the Credes, will be here this afternoon for an overnight stay. Tomorrow we'll go into Boston to watch one of Sandra's co-workers in the marathon. We'll have lunch at another co-worker's house in the Back Bay.