It was only today when I googled this phrase that I realized I’ve been mis-attributing it to Will Rogers. I thought he popularized the saying, “There’s lies, damn lies, and statistics.” But google says it had been mainly propagated by a different country gentleman philosopher – Mark Twain. And even then there’s debate about where […]
I awoke up this morning oddly anxious and concerned about running the Surf City Marathon. I don’t know if it was because the race organizers had made such a big deal about the parking situation and as a result I set my alarm for 2:30 AM. But I just had this weird sense of anxiety. […]
One of my family’s favorite pop culture quotes comes from David Lynch and Mark Frost’s seminal television series “Twin Peaks.” Special Agent Dale Cooper is in the Double R Diner and is talking to Sheriff Harry S. Truman: Dale Cooper: Harry, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a […]
I actually have met some people along the way who have undertaken this crazy World Marathon Challenge. Some did it for charity, some did it for themselves, some did it to say they did it. It was conceived as a means of doing seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. It’s a shortcut (sorta […]
Yesterday was the 57th anniversary of the Day The Music Died when the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing the three rock and rollers and pilot Roger Peterson. Today my iPod died. Not nearly the same thing but the mind can make […]
One of the few skill sets I have been able to consistently demonstrate over the years is my ability to pack. I’m not sure if as a child I excelled at fitting plastic shapes into their holes; perhaps I had the ability to force square pegs into round holes and just as importantly extract them […]
I’ve had an issue with my right shoulder for over 7 months now. It hurts sometimes to raise it in victory when I’m running and posing for a photo along the course. It hurts sometimes to lift things. It hurts sometimes when I’m lying in bed. It hurts. And I don’t like it. I can […]
It’s February 1st. That means next month I’m off to Antarctica. That’s crazy to think about. After literally years on the waiting list, I’m finally going to be setting out and eventually setting sail for the last continent on earth. I’m still ever so slowly gathering layers and supplies for the adventure. Just the other […]
A while back, my brother mentioned the prevalence of news coverage that invariably included the WHO in the story as being, “Florida Man.” The WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW also invariably were about how this Florida Man did something incredibly stupid and the news story helped point out just how stupid was this Florida Man. […]
It was 32 degrees at the start line of the Callaway Gardens marathon. The race announcer kept prattling on about the temperatures and a warming trend forecast as the day continued. Mom made an aside comment that this guy was really into the weather; moments later he revealed he was the local affiliate’s meteorologist which […]