Chapter 8, Getting My Feet Wet, and Chapter 9, Fogged In Summary

On New Year's Eve, Joan stood in a ridiculous Red Riding Hood costume, waiting to take part in a footrace. This costumed race to ring in the new year was a local tradition. Joan knew that she was out of shape, having spent her entire life trying to forget that her body was a part of her, and just trying to cover it up. She now had such pains from aging that she knew she had to start taking better care of herself, so she decided to cement her decision by beginning the year at a full run. Once the race started, she was exhilarated, but she quickly got tired and felt like she was going to die. Joan was heartened by the horn-honking encouragement from a...