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Showing posts from March, 2016

Long Drives and Long Runs-Hat Race

I thought he had already left for work.  I went into our bedroom, and shut the door.  We were both surprised when he found me, on the floor, in child pose. M:  “What the hell are you doing?” E:  “I’m just trying to figure out how to get it all done” M:  “Tiggs, you’re exhausted.  You know you can sit this race out.  We kinda like having you around here, anyway.” E:  “No.  I’d feel worse if I missed it.  Besides, there are lots of people more busy than me.  I just need to re-focus.” M:  “You’re kidding, right?  You are human, you know…” I didn’t see him again to the end of the school day, when I was leaving work. M:  “Basehart!  You going or what? E:  “I’m still not sure.  I have to go home, finish that paper, check in on Nat and make sure she is set for when I’m gone, start the laundry, make a few phone calls, pack, and hop on the bike for a half hour to loosen up my legs.” M:  “Yeah...everyone is THAT busy. I’ll see you and your Tetris mind on Sunday.”   And,

Cheers----DC Rock and Roll

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I have a sister.  She is no longer with us, but I see her often in my dreams.   To set the stage, Jeannie was an incredibly beautiful woman.  She had many eyes on her and she knew it.  She was the type of woman, that even in a crowded room, your eyes sought hers out.   She  was once described to me as “not just pretty, but unforgettable”.   She also had her flaws.  She fought battles that she didn’t care if she lost.  She lived with reckless abandonment, and was never afraid of breaking more than a few rules.  She portrayed herself as confident, strong, and stubborn, but there were a few cracks in her facade. Lately, I’ve been having a hard time letting go of a conversation we shared. I remember sitting on my dad’s swing with her.  She was telling  me about a band she just went to see, and reflecting on her hero worship for the singer.  I remarked that it must be incredible having all those people cheering for you.   Her uncharacteristic response, and wh

Gotcha---Green Jewel 50k

To be honest, I’m not really sure how I ended up at this race.  But, one thing I’ve learned is that unexpected things can have the most memorable results.   Rog knows how I am at the start.  While he played Mayor--I swear, he’s the Kevin Bacon of the Ultra world--I stared at my shoes. “Gimme 4 miles”, I said “Gotcha” was his reply. Gotcha. I flashed back to 13 years ago.  Sitting on an airport floor, and strangers had just placed a terrified and exhausted baby in my arms. I had walked into the airport with a fully loaded diaper bag, and no baby.  I remember being  on the shuttle to the terminal, and a kindly lady asked Noah where he was going.  He said, “We have to get my baby sister, so we can share Mommy”.   They told me not to cry.  They said culturally, it might appear that I was unhappy with the child.  I tried my hardest to comply, as I got my first glimpse of her being pushed in a stroller, down a hallway, very far away from me. After an eternity.  T