When I got online this morning, this was the headline I saw:
CHICAGO (Oct. 7) -- In scorching heat and high humidity, the Chicago Marathon took a deadly turn Sunday.
One runner died, another 250 people were taken to area hospitals because of heat-related ailments, and thousands were denied the chance to cross the finish line in the race long known for its brisk fall temperatures and flat terrain.
Kinda freaked me out, because my friend Felicia was running in the marathon. She was worried all week about it, that she wouldn't be able to finish, that it would be too hot, etc. She was right about the last one, that's for sure. Reading that got me to worrying, so I called work and talked to her. Not only is she okay, she said, "I finished!" She did really well, too, and beat everyone in her group. She said that they told her she could finish at 24 (if you recall, a marathon is 26 miles), but once you reached a certain point, they let you finish. She said that for whatever reason, she felt really good and was able to go the distance. Great job, Felicia! And yeah, we know she's crazy for running marathons, but we love her anyway. Ha!
Later
Criminy, it's hot. I took the recycling out, and it's terribly hot and humid. And to think people ran a marathon yesterday, in this kind of heat...it's no wonder there were multiple cases of heat exhaustion. Felicia has talked about doing an Iron Man triathlon. If she can finish a marathon in this kind of weather, I think she's off to a good start!
A very productive day so far! The roast is in the crockpot, the laundry is almost done (Four loads, mind you! I did sheets and towels, too.), talked to my folks (Mom is a little under the weather, so I hope she feels better soon), and ordered baby gifts for my nephew and his wife (and their baby-on-the-way, of course). I also thought I'd try a little widget from Technorati, a "cloud" of my top tags. Looks like the Irish are leading the pack! I also added links to my most recent entries--I don't know why I didn't have that up there before. A good wildlife day here at Nutwood, too. I saw the redbreasted nuthatch this morning, along with his spouse. Yep, we have a pair! Then there were 12 or so turkeys in the back yard, and I've seen a couple of deer off and on throughout the day. Currently, the back yard and trees are full of grackles. Every so often, a huge flock will descend on our place, and they put up quite a racket. It's also a little creepy, because it always reminds me of "The Birds."
And...later
I've mentioned my friend Jillian's online book club, which will be starting November 1st. I found a neat website today called Better World. They basically salvage library books, etc., make them available for purchase, and use the money to fund literacy programs. What a great idea! They also mention carbon offsetting, but don't get me started on that. If you read this regularly, you know I have my own bugaboos about that. However, books should always be recycled, whether by passing them along to a friend or donating them to a library. (I have to admit that I have actually thrown books in the garbage...but they were written by an ex-BF of sorts, and it was more of a purge than anything else. Sort of "Here's what I think of you AND your books!" I make no apologies for that.) I think this selling salvaged books is a great idea, and I may order some reasonably-priced books on our reading list from them. I'll check our local library first, but there might be some I want to buy.
Yeah, I get it...LATER
This is from the Seven Deadly Sins NFL blog. It made me laugh.
"Bucs head coach Jon Gruden on the opposing quarterback:
"That damn Peyton Manning, he really irritated me today."
That guy can be a real jerk with his, "I'm really good, I can make every throw, I'm a really smart quarterback, I don't make any mistakes, I turn negatives into positives" routine. It just gets old. It's so selfish of him."
Ha! I thought that was pretty funny.
When I talked with Dad today, we talked football, of course. While we're both pleased with the Notre Dame win, we realize they've got a ways to go. Dad also mentioned that he watched the Colts game and he said, "They were like a machine. Every formation, every pass that Peyton threw, every receiver, they were all right where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to be doing. And they had several guys injured!" Dad speaks the truth. It kind of surprised even me, and I know how good they are. But from what I read, they are relentless in their practices, drills, and research, especially Peyton. I'm not trying to jinx them or anything--I know that anything can happen, and I'm not so foolish to believe that they're unbeatable. But they really are looking good, and dare I say it? Better than last year. I know that some don't care much for the precision of a team like the Colts--Ken says he likes smash-mouth football. I guess I'm a little different--I like the sheer elegance of a play executed well, and I like knowing that research and study can result in success. Considering that I'm not quite 5 feet tall, I think it's understandable that I like seeing brains triumph over brawn. I also like seeing a nice, decent guy like Tony Dungy succeed. What can I say? I loves me my Colts.
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