Run Gone Wrong

Today I mapped out a new running route and gave it a mere cursory glance on my computer screen before heading out to execute it. 

Which was a stupid decision.

Because I screwed up, big time.  I missed a turn onto what was actually a continuation of the road I was on, and instead carried along straight ahead.  Little did I know that the road had surreptitiously changed into a different road, until I reached a sign welcoming me to the next town - TWO towns away from where I live.

At any rate, I managed to backtrack and get back on course, adding a significant but not unmanageable total distance to my run.  When I told the kids about what had happened, they found it quite amusing.

MADELEINE: Wait, Mama, did you go BACK?
ME: Yup.  When I saw the town sign I was like, "oops!" and I turned around to go back the way I came.
MADELEINE: (thoughtful) Wait, Mama, do you think anybody heard you go "Oops!" when you had to turn around and go back?
ME: Well, I don't know if anybody heard me, but there was a lady that I passed going one direction, and I said hi to her, and then a few minutes later I passed her going the other direction.  She was probably wondering what I was doing.
MADELEINE: But who WAS she?
ME: I don't know.  Just some woman who was out walking. MADELEINE: Well Mama.  What did she say?
ME: She didn't say anything.  But she was probably wondering why I was suddenly going the other direction.
MADELEINE: Wait.  But Mama.  What was her EXPRESSION on her face?ME: Uh, I didn't see.

Because I was focusing more on getting myself back where I was supposed to be running.  Sorry, honey.  I failed to fully turn my head to look her square in the eyes and see if she even registered any knowledge of me being the same runner who had recently passed by her going the other way.

Julia took the story more in stride, adding her own extended sceenarios to it:

JULIA: Wait.  Mommy.  What if you ran ALL the way up to Montreal by mistake?
ME: Uh, that would be a REALLY long run.
JULIA: Wait.  What if you ran to ASIA, and you had to swim across the ocean, and then you ran to ANTARCTICA, and...and...and THEN you ran to AFRICA, and after that you ran to KANSAS, and then you ran to AUSTRALIA-
ME: That would be ridicu-
JULIA: (continuing) and THEN you ran to EUROPE, and then you arrived HOME and you weren't even tired or sweaty!
ME: That would-
JULIA: And then you ran all the way to Na-garra Falls!
ME: Do you mean Niagara Falls?
JULIA: (looking sheepish and embarrassed.) Oh.  Wait.  THAT'S how you say it?  I just READ it in Madeleine's "National Geographic" magazine.

At any rate, I didn't quite run all the way to Antarctica and Nagarra Falls, but I am pretty beat, so we Rowes are going to be picking up takeout for dinner.  Anyone who swam across multiple oceans and ran amongst various continents knows that (s)he deserves a major break from cooking, right??