This article doesn't mention the half marathoners.

I finished the race in a better time than the Woodinville race. I ran 429th overall and 69th out of the 353 in my division. I'll be in the old guy 40 division next year. My chip time was 1:41:04 and the official time was 1:43:27. It took a while to cross the line and get going in the beginning. For at least two miles I was trying to get clear of the crowd so I could run. A number of us were. I don't know what race is next, but I'd like to pull my time down. My watch time for the other race was 1:43:40, so I improved by 2:36. Can you tell I would have liked to have been faster?

Well, tomorrow is the race. I think that I'm ready. After wiping myself out in my 15 mile run last week, I ran on the treadmill the next day and then took a couple days off from training. Thursday I ran 8 miles at a very good pace. And then nothing until tomorrow. I hope that I have enough for the race.

The bike is in its trailer in Fall City. I don't have time to ride it in the better weather (which we haven't had) now that I'm working. I've been using the available daylight to train for the aforementioned event. I think that there were warmer days last year at this time.

1,000 Times Too Many Humans?: "Rees added, 'It would be a tragic irony if, in the 21st century, this most technologically sophisticated of human societies finally succumbs to the unconscious urgings of fatally self-interested primitive tribalism.'"

I did another 15-miler with no rain this time. Since my time last week was so slow, I was hoping to cut at least 10 minutes off of it this time around. I didn't. I was able to take off 5 minutes, so I did it in about 2:05.something. I'll run another long one on Thursday and then the long (half) race on Sunday. Then I can walk in the woods in my free (daylight) time.

I almost shoveled snow today. I thought that I'd be sent home from work this morning, but the six of us who showed went out in two trucks to check the Group Healths in Everett and Lynnwood. The convergence zone was responsible for the white stuff up there. It was nice to see snow again and very nice to know it wouldn't last. As soon as I made it onto 520 on my ride home, the roadway was dry and the weather was clear.

Thanks Anne for your link to my rather humble site. Congratulations on your new apartment and freedom.

In this article, National Park Service scientist Dan Duriscoe said of watching the stars that the "'[y]oung people are inundated with sound bites,'... 'and the process of looking at the night sky is not a quick, dramatic one. To get to know the sky takes time and patience'....'You're face to face with the universe,' he says. 'You can look up there, and you don't see any way that humanity can make a difference. I don't know if I've come to terms with it, with all my time out there.'"

I know that news of rain in Seattle is not a surprise, but that it would cancel a day of work for me was. I thought that we worked in any weather. The problem was not only the rain, but the fact that getting anywhere was a slow painful process. The commute was horrendous. The eastbound 520 bridge traffic usually backs up onto I-5 so I took I-90 instead to get back on the eastside. It was very slow going until Factoria. I called Lee and met her at the 12th Ave Cafe for breakfast. They do a very good job. After that I finally got my hair cut and then came home for some more sleep.

Make your own church sign.

I could have told you this: Guinness is good for you. So after reading this I went out and got some for myself. I feel better.

Dave Barry has a blog.

David Broder comments "that the celebrations of economic recovery in Washington may be as premature as that 'Mission Accomplished' banner hung behind Bush on the USS Abraham Lincoln to hail the end of major combat in Iraq." Try his favorite site, Stateline.org.

I've changed my archive links to a more manageable drop down menu, thanks to Phil.

I ran 15 miles yesterday. Whew. I had wanted to try 20 but I ran out of time. Looking back I was glad I did. I got started late for this time of the year. The sun goes down before 5. It was partly sunny and the temp was around 51 degrees. I started the run and the sun started to go away. By the time I reached the half way point at the Redhook Brewery it started to rain. So I'm was out in Woodinville without running pants (because I thought that the temp would hold) and was getting wet. The temp dropped and halfway back my shoes were soaked. Cold, cold, cold. I had socks for my hands so that wasn't so bad, and I had a bandana for my head. My new wicking shirt did a good job in protecting me from the cold until I was soaked. The only thing I could do was to count the distance left and to keep plodding on. I was out there for about 2:12:00. I know I can go for over two hours now, and nothing broke. It comes out as a slow run but there were extenuating circumstances.

Here is Sonya's "Happy Veterans Day" story.

I worked with Raphael and Lucio today. I walked around and picked up leaves into a rubber/plastic trash barrel. There was a sense of satisfaction in the end result but... . You know what I mean.

Hey Abby, I finally planted those Ivy clipping you brought to me this summer. I planted the ones from the sonics too. Little tasks like this can get put off for ever. I thought about it today and yesterday and imagined the job done. I had to do it then. It had its own will.

This woman drove across the country too.

For Dodie's sake, and the rest of the clan, I hope that three strikes is it. Sorry to hear about the mishaps. Maybe y'all will get a bye on the next pass. The harmonic concordance is approaching you know. Maybe the planets had something to do with it. I'm very glad to hear that everyone is all right. On a trivial note I need some ideas. When Jerry and Judy were here, Judy insisted that I get a pumpkin. She bought one for me but I didn't carve it for Halloween. What, if anything, should I carve it into now, before it turns to mush?

I called Jerry and Judy today. They were two time zones away on I-70. At the time of the call they were looking for a place to camp in eastern Kansas, near Kansas City. Tomorrow they will visit with the bird guy, cousin Mike Z. in Missouri. They have loved their trip so far. After landing in LA on Saturday they traveld through Nevada, Utah, Colorado and then Kansas where I caught up to them. Brenda, expect them back at the lake on Monday. I'm a little jealous about what they have been able to see. More traveling would be nice.

Martin showed up today and he and James were like two peas in a pod when they pulled in at the end of the day. Steve wasn't there so I drove for him today. I worked with Pepe and the day was easy. I think I'll be driving that route with Pepe for the rest of the week.

It is hard to blow leaves around when they are frozen to the ground. I miss the warm weather. We are working five eight hour days instead of four tens. The sun goes down at 4:49 now because of the time change so working until 5:30 doesn't work.
I don't know sometimes who I'll be working with from day to day. I was scheduled with Raphael and Venancio today but Venancio is leaving for Mexico for a few months and Esteban, who was supposed to work with James, isn't entrusted to drive the truck. He hit a parked car on his second day on the job. James doesn't have his license because of his legal problems so I drove. Raphael has a list of traffic infractions that read like a long rap sheet. Lucio drove Raphael's truck. Lucio had been driving James' truck but James was getting sick of Lucio changing the radio to Mariachi music and whistling and clapping at women en route and on the properties. Even though we were late today (the property is going to have an inspection tomorrow) James said he enjoyed the change of personnel. Oh yeah, Martin didn't show because his kid was ill. He was supposed to work with James and Esteban today. That reminds me when we were kids Chris used to implore Mom to write that he was sick I think rather than ill, or visa versa. He was quite adamant this.

Here is more on the media's "negativism" and what makes a "real American."

Here is an article about the media focus in Iraq: "On the reconstruction side, the Bush administration's press officers here urge reporters to write about all the schools built, bridges repaired and so on. Those numbers and details are made available. But reporters find that no one will answer questions about how much these projects cost and how the money is spent. ...The Iraqis, typically, are glad Saddam is gone. Now they want security. They expect Americans to provide it. So far, Americans haven't been doing that to the Iraqis' satisfaction. And the Iraqis complain that reporters are not telling that part of the story strongly enough. "