This Is A HUGE Grape!

I like my fruit cups from Kroger. This week's medley was cantaloupe, honeydew and grapes. Upon opening the container, I thought they had put grapes with seeds into my mix. No biggie. But once I bit into the fruity goodness and realized they were seedless, I was shocked. These things were enormous. I had to document my finding. 

It looks delicious, doesn't it?

Stories From The Road

Another weekend, another place to go. Piqua was the lucky lady this trip. Lots to do and we gots it done.

I had to drop off some files in Cincinnati Thursday and I took advantage of an early departure by heading to the Echo for breakfast with my friend, Gerry, whom I hadn't seen in some time. He worked for Envoi when I started, getting our lunch, but he mostly shuttled my boss's teenage son to and from soccer practice, tournaments and school. That teenage son has since graduated and gone on to college leaving Gerry without much to chauffeur. So I don't get to see Gerry like I used to, but enjoy Echo breakfasts with him when I can. He's as far to the right as anyone I've ever known and absorbs more information in a day than I do in a month, so it's always good to hear what he has to say. Gerry's one of those guys that, had I grown up with him, would've gotten me into loads o' trouble... but we would've had a good time doing it. He's legendary.

Before leaving in order to get back to Columbus before dinner, I headed out to Lunken for a jog. I wanted to do the loop twice as I planned a 5K on Saturday and would inconvenience others if I tried to get my long run in following the race. So I got out there around 5:45. The thing about Lunken is that there's a looooong stretch that parallels the runways between the Little Miami and the property. Other than the path and the airport on one side, there isn't much back there. It's not the greatest place to be when it's dark. The first loop went fine although it was dark for the majority of the backside. Fellow joggers would appear out of the darkness with a surprised look and a wave. I made the turn and decided to head back into the black. After a mile and a half, I passed a runner as he yelled out a warning. Apparently the raucous barking in the hills was due to coyotes... as far as he could tell... however that worked. Well, it was enough of a warning that I turned tail and headed back to the road. Wild dogs were not in the plans. But I made it to the parking lot and continued to the right on Wilmer... past the hangars and then turned right again into the golf course. It was a wicked mile and a half. Low-lying fog hung over the fairways and greens. All in all, it was a very cool run. I'm looking forward to repeating some ass-kicking routes through those hills in future trips.

So it was off to Piqua Friday night. Nothing special. We got to bed early and were up early for the 2nd Annual Lehman Alumni 5K at Tawawa Park in Sidney. The weather really couldn't have been worse, but there were still about 30 runners that made it out for the race. I knew most of the folks. I thought I'd at least try and give it a shot from the start, but within 4 or 5 minutes, realized that I wasn't going to hold up. I ended with a PR of 19:45 and that was good enough for 4th... 1st in my age group (25-34). Erica also got first in the 25-34 age group for women. Now we have matching plaques... which is humorous because of the fact that there were only 30 runners (note: My sincerest apologies to Erica for downplaying her accomplishments).

The rest of the day was filled with purchasing wedding bands, a suit and some brunch. We checked out the newly refurbished Piqua Hotel. It's historical significance was almost flushed down the toilet when plans were approved for a $2MM demolition. The entire community should be proud that this gem didn't get hauled away in dump trucks. And that was about it. We played scrabble, euchre and yahtzee the rest of the weekend. I reigned supreme but the only thing that will be remembered is how my 257 points were bested by Erica's 260 in a scrabble battle for the ages. All tiles were used and her final turn took over 30 minutes... but with a "U" and two "N"s, she found the 17 points needed. Well done.

As for the picture, I was mostly snapping shots of my mom, but she'd kill me if I posted them. So I'm it. Sorry.

November BDays

I'm off today. A long run didn't work. Coffee hasn't worked. My last option is a can of V8 sitting in the fridge. It may be time. I'm tired as hell for no apparent reason other than a restless night's sleep and some birthday partying Sunday.

After doing nothing for the entire weekend, we packed up the VW and headed to Cincinnati on Sunday to help my brother and sister celebrate their birthdays. Ryan's is the 7th and Meghann's is the 8th. My parents were watching Lauren while Ryan and Leslie were in Chicago for the OSU v. Northwestern game so we all met up at my sisters for my ma's legendary chicken & noodles. It was worth it but damn, I'm worn out.

And this week isn't looking pretty. There could potentially be a lot of running around.

What Makes Us Great

It's come and gone. Months and months of TV ads, flyers, phone calls and knocks on the door have culminated  in an historic event. It's hard to quantify what this means to this country and to the people of this country, but I do know what it means to me. As cliché as it might sound, I do feel as though the majority of the country's voice will be heard. I really don't believe that George Bush had this country's best interests in mind. I don't believe he wished it ill will and I tend to believe that he's a good father and a good husband... better than most perhaps. But I feel as though he was more concerned with the perception that the United States was a vibrant, healthy nation rather than it actually being one.

Four years ago, it was more about seeing things through and finishing what you'd started. To this day, I would still not vote for John Kerry. Maybe it's because he looked like Herman Munster... either way, I made my choice and I was able to see W "see things through"... right into the damned dirt.

I oftentimes let my temper get the best of me. I'm quick to blurt words that I'm not entirely sure are true... words that I'm not sure I even mean. My mom has a saying hanging on the fridge back in Piqua that resonates with me, and I'll try to get it as close as I can remember:

Words said in anger will be the greatest speech you ever regret.

I thought McCain grew angry towards the end of the campaign. I didn't like it. I don't like it when I get angry. So to see the patient way Obama went about the debates and his speeches was exemplary. Sometimes you have to stop screaming and search for that moment of clarity. Erica has certainly done her part to help me with that. There are so many issues that this country addresses on a daily basis... the economy, the environment, illegal immigration, etc, etc. Ignorance should not be one of them. It bothers me to see people trying to pass laws mandating English as our only language. Have you read studies about the beneficial effects of learning a second language? No, you can't stop screaming about how this is your country. After you find out about how challenging your brain by learning a second language can fight off the effects of Alzheimers, then maybe you should flip through some factual history books to find out how many Native Americans we had to murder in order to make this our land. It bothers me that people waste their time finding ways to rob others of their freedom and happiness because their beliefs tell them that a gay union isn't right. No one's asking anyone to agree with it. But give a man the right to be next to his partner when he dies. Allow him to sort through their shared life and do with it as he sees fit. Allow him the tax benefits that any heterosexual union enjoys. So we waste our time with these issues while children are abused and millions starve. Congrats. It's good to know you've made a point. As for oil, what part of the word "nonrenewable" is so hard to understand? We're smarter than combustible engines. We're smarter than Joe the Plumber, who, according to his tax concerns, endorsed the wrong candidate.

I can't say I've ever been big on the religion that I grew up with... Catholicism. Any religion, at the heart, provides a base for a good moral society. My biggest problem is that we've taken it too far as humans. I think that Jesus was a man that said and did amazing things, but I think the most amazing of them all was to call on everyone to love their neighbor as themselves. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Simplistic living. I see that in Obama. I see someone that just wants to help his neighbor. I see someone that cares about the people in his community as much as he cares about his own family. It's commendable and that's why I voted for him.

Regardless, Election Day was something to behold. The anticipation created an air of excitement. People were out and about... cheering on their candidates. It's uplifting and it gave me a little hope that we're all better than the hate radio... the scare tactics. We're not a snarling dog anymore, snapping and biting at what we don't understand. We can address our problems and the world's problems with patience, commitment and sincerity. But then again, maybe that's too much to ask of a politician.