by “tried,” i mean the bird swooped down, attempted a fear-factor style landing on my head while i was walking, touched down on said head, quickly realized said head, while bushy with fro, was not in fact a nest, and proceeded on it’s way.

Some would say it’s time for a hair cut.

Anyway, I’m on my normal run out in the sewage dump that is the Y! backyard. Midway between mile 2 and 3 I come upon a gaggle of geese. No big deal. They’re usually hanging around on that back stretch anyway. In fact, most of them kindly waddle out of my way. Sometimes they hiss, and i make sure i slow down and get on the far side of the trail to get by them.

But today, today would be different.

I’m running past this one bird who’s back is to me, and just as i pass by it flips around and hisses at me. No big deal, i’m already past the thing, so i keep running. Stupid bird. in five seconds it won’t even remember i passed by.

Well, maybe not. Before I take my next step, i hear another hiss directly in my ear. I turn my head and the damn bird is running at me hissing and squaking away. At this point, i’m thinking its nest is somewhere nearby, so i better try to scare it off. I throw my hands up and play like a big bad . . . human.

No effect.

Instead, it begins to take flight. Hmmm . .. not what i had in mind. I start yelling. I give it my angry yell. well, at least I try to give it my angry yell. It’s funny how angry yell while running sounds more like crazy, scared yell. It must be the doppler effect or something.

At this point, it occurs to me how stupid this all looks. I’m booking it so this bird won’t catch up to me, my arms and hands are waving in the air, and i’m yelling like a crazy-angry-scared person. Oh, and let’s not forget the goose flying after my ass.

The goose, by the way, is pissed. Probably thinking I’m mocking it. I’m sure it was insulted somehow.

I’m wondering how long i can continue in this manner. The goose is within an arm length. I figure i could keep this up for a mile, but that’s probably not desirable from an energy expenditure standpoint and, well, y’know, my pride is telling me i can’t be bullied by a damn goose. i begin to explore alternatives.

I turn my head to face forward and suddenly my mile gets a lot shorter. gaggle of geese, jason. gaggle, as in plural, gaggle as in two geese at twelve o’clock ten meters up. damn. The last thing i need is geese gang violence.
Well, so much for peaceful resolutions. In fact, aren’t we already past peaceful resolutions? I mean, i am being chased by a goose whose sole goal is probably to pull a reggie evans on me. Speaking of which: wtf is up with that? I mean ron-ron gives a little elbow and gets suspended. Reggie Evans purposely grabs a man’s testicles and only gets a flagrant 2? where’s the justice?

Whatever. getting back to the story, it’s about this time i begin to ponder how much force it would take to render a goose unconscious. I’m funny. I know. But, hey, I mean, i wouldn’t want to kill the damn thing cause, y’know, it has some little chickies on the way, but i need to get this damn bird off my ass quick before it turns into a three on one, man vs. gaggle.

After a split second, I decide I have no basis for judgement on how much blunt trauma to use and figure i’d just clock the damn thing and see what happens. I mean, it’s in the air just hovering there. I’m imaging either goose cartwheels with feathers flying all over the place or me whiffing badly and getting my cap peeled. Either way, something spectacular is about to happen.

I bring the arms back in, clench the fists. ready? three, two, one, and pou- . . . at that moment the goose settles down and waddles away. The geese ahead of me part to let me through, and all is well. No flying feathers or cartwheeling geese and i still have my testicles. damn straight. I bet that goose could feel my chi gathering to deliver it a deadly, five star blow. damn straight.
I guess the moral of the story is: any run is a good run if you come back with both of your testicles. damn straight.