Tuesday

Really not a lot new here.  Winnie and tax returns pretty well define me right now.

On our early walk at 0515 this morning, there was a group of 6-8 runners coming down the middle of Maplecrest with miner-lights on all their headgear.  Kind of surreal.  (This pic is only an example of night runners.)  I'm guessing that they are group-training for an event, maybe the NYC marathon on 11/6?  A person needs to be committed to get out on the road like that, in the dark.  Argentinian miner-like.

One of the thoughts that I had when I was on the course at the Twin Cities marathon last week was the story behind each runner's goal that day.  Unlike the normal weekend five or ten K races, a marathon generally requires a substantial plan to complete.  Training for most people is a several-months-long effort with sacrifice to themselves and their families.  You could see it in the faces of the runners, particularly in the last third of the race when the body was tired and the mind was working the doubt-side of the equation.  There was little conversation coming from anyone.  Just a grim determination on their faces to get to the 26.2 destination.

Those baseball divisional play-off games sure are hidden on the TV channels.  That must mean that Law and Order reruns are money.

Big crash on the last lap in the race on Sunday in NASCAR.  Caused by one of the most popular drivers, Tony "Smoke" Stewart.  Talladega is a high-banked "super" speedway where there is virtually no-braking, and with the pack of cars hurtling along, door-to-door, at 200+ mph.  Momentum and drafting are big considerations, and leading the pack on the last lap is not a good place to be.  Stewart was there, and tried to drop down to block a two or three car train that had the momentum and was coming forward on the inside lane.  He was late, and the carnage was massive.

All but a handful of cars got collected.  Really an economic disaster.  The equipment destroyed had to have been worth several hundred thousand dollars.  If a rookie had done that (or worse, Danica!) heads would have rolled.  Smoke will be given a "that's racin" pass.

Here's a final pic from the weekend.  Always a good shot when I can be with one of the girls after the completion of a good event,a fun trip or just a glass of wine on the driveway.

Thanks for reading.  Make it a good day.

BCOT