Tempora mutant

"Praise Satan, with each breath that I take!" I shouted while running in the woods today. I suppose nobody else heard it - no one but Satan, that is - but if so, whatever. About 12K in 64 minutes, including some steep climbs. My workout, especially the running, is somehow deeply connected to my religion - perhaps just because the workout is part of my life, and I live my religion. Feeling free while running in the woods, moving so swiftly with nothing but the force of my own body, I felt deeply grateful to Lord Satan for making this possible for me.

Yes, times are changing, but this my spiritual path remains beyond any doubt.

Other things end - such as some friendships, and usually when they collide with my religion.

Another thing that ended lately, and literally with a great bang, was the building known as Bonn Center which once housed my old McFit gym. I was lucky to get to watch it live when it was demolished with explosives.
I was at the other, remaining McFit (the one closer to my home, fortunately) when a guy there told me the building was to be blown up at 11AM that day. It was twenty past ten and I was pretty much done with workout, so I decided riding out to the bridge crossing the Rhine river to watch it from there. Other people were already lining the railing.
A helicopter was hovering stationary above the far side of the river. The bridge turned out to be a perfect vantage point, although more than a kilometer away, because I enjoyed the demonstration of the fact that light travels so much faster (about 1000 times) than sound.

Eyes trained on the building, at 11 AM it suddenly collapsed, and in absolute silence. The almighty bang was heard only at least 4 seconds later. Then the huge dust cloud rose; not like a mushroom cloud but just a diffuse dust cloud. It kept rising like in slow motion and then started to drift eastward, across the river.

Sorry, no photos, at least none taken by me as I didn't have a cam with me. But Google has plenty! (Including one of an octopus, I don't know why. LOL)

Here's a video too, taken from much closer by so it doesn't have the delayed sound effect as I experienced, but I liked it better that way - a bit like the delayed shock wave from a nuke... :D

The guy at the gym had told me several neighboring high rise buildings had sold tickets at ridiculous prices (30 -50 €!!) for viewing places on their roof tops. LOL

The other day I talked to a trainer at our other gym in the city, the new one that opened last summer as replacement for the one in the now demolished building. She had seen the demolition too and said it was kind of sad. I realized that years ago I'd have shared the sentiment, but by now I'm past it. I'm not above experiencing painful losses, but that would have to be something much closer to home; generally I got used to the comings and goings in this physical world in which nothing is meant to last.

"The Earth is mostly just a boneyard, but pretty in the sunlight."

 

Spring is definitely here now...

Bee porn on my balcony. LOL

Bees on my hand (2nd one is up between my fingers.)