A simple plan

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry. And when there's no plan at all, sometimes anarchy ensues. So I'm in northern CA this week for work and it is gorgeous and cool outside, so after work I went for a run in this preserve park. It was hilly and soon felt remote on a path winding through the trees and down a ravine and across a river. I started thinking about the time I went running in rock creek park in DC the year after Chandra Levy's decomposed body was found, only then I was with a group. I started to feel very alone and it occurred to me that if anything happened, nobody would miss me until 10am tomorrow. They'd have to check with hotel staff to see if anyone had seen me, and maybe someone would remember me asking about a running path. I turned my music way down so I could hear anyone sneaking up on me, and I turned around. I took a different route back and the path eventually disappeared, but I pushed forward thinking I knew where the road was. And then I stumbled upon these bones. And further down the path this decomposing jacket. Officially creeped out, I jumped across the creek and ran up the slope on the other side, through some unfortunate underbrush that quickly felt like hundreds of needles piercing my skin. I did find the road and hustled back to my hotel with visions of poison ivy and urgent care and missed meetings. Alas, I showered and went to bed. It still burns and I have these welts like blisters on my legs but I think I will live. Perhaps I will skip the run tomorrow. Perhaps not.