Favorite Season

Ah, my favorite season has arrived.  I know what you are thinking - FALL!  I do admit I love the colors of the changing leaves and the farmers in the fields reaping the benefit of summer's bounty.  But that is not what I mean this time.  

I admit to a fondness for news and politics, but this year has been dismal in both accounts (at least in Illinois this is the situation).   

We have a totally inept governor who is trying for re-election following his 16 years in the state capital.  On the opposite side (of the two major parties, that is) is a wealthy business man from Chicago who has invested his personal wealth heavily in the campaign.  The mud slinging began early in the competition.  Sadly, most of the ads have not been endorsed by the candidates.  I note the disclaimers added to the end of each, citing one "citizen" group or "taxpayers for ..." without stating exactly who has paid for such ads. 

Unfortunately, the rancor is not limited to the governor's race.  The state representatives are just as bad.  Only the current state senator (Dick Durbin) seems above the fray.  Lately, however, his "taxpayer" group has started to slam the challenger as being one who will cut Medicare benefits and raise taxes on all but the wealthy.  What a shame!

This election is bringing out all the skeletons in the various closets (I guess Halloween is right around the corner).  Candidates are being badmouthed for having multiple homes in various states, being out only for the wealthy, and so forth.  Durbin has the audacity to state in his endorsed ad that he is writing legislation to penalize corporations for moving out of the country, to which I say you have been in Washington for 36 years - why are you only now doing this (I surmise he has placed his wealth off-shore in a retirement account that the US Treasury cannot tap into).

Which such blatant statements accusing each side of wrong doing and taking aim against the poor and middle class, some are wondering who, if anyone, to vote for.  Church leaders are now speaking out on voting and citing scriptures that indicate it is the duty of all to be politically active. 

Personally, I love this time of the year.  Dissecting any vestige of truth from all the ads is a challenge.  One I gladly accept.  During the recent televised, so-called debate between the governor candidates (which sounded more like a recital of campaign ads), I looked into some of the more onus accusations (via my trusty internet - which one can't really trust).  I looked for the truth in both sides.  Now to select the least of the devils when I enter the voting booth.  Actually, I am considering the third candidate, who was not invited to the debate.  All I need to do now is find out who this person might be.

"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule — and both commonly succeed, and are right."  ~ H.L. Mencken

October Already!

Where has the time gone?  I guess that is what happens in retirement.  More than past time to catch up and begin my life's story here.

The last time I was about to prepare for a trip to Alaska where a marathon was the running objective for the week.  The kitties (as demonstrated by Blondie) were not thrilled when I packed for the journey to the Northwest, but the trip was about to begin.

I joined by traveling/running buddies and headed to Seattle on July 25.  We boarded the ship on Saturday morning, July 26.  And the adventure began.


We flew from St. Louis on Saturday morning, and headed to the Holland America ship to board about 1:00 PM West Coast time.  We wandered around and got oriented to the ship layout before joining the running group (a subset of the full passenger list) for a briefing by John "The Penguin" Bingham and his wife, Jenny Hatfield.  The week was laid out for us - Deck run (3 miles) on Sunday, half-marathon trail run in Juneau on Monday, with runs at Sitka on Wednesday and Ketchecan on Thursday.  By the end of the week a full marathon distance was to be completed.

The ship sailed after the mandatory lifeboat training.  We had a reserved set of tables in the main dining room so we could eat with our fellow running travelers.  Excitement set in.

The Sunday deck run was a lot of fun.  The tale will be told later (after I figure out how to capture additional photos from that event and post here).  I believe we also discovered the Crow's Nest - a bar at the forward upper deck of the ship.  Happy Hour was in the early evening with the second drink at half price.

The arrival in Juneau was accompanied by great temperatures (in the 50s) and a light rain.  We were impressed by the hospitality of the local running club who sponsored our run.  It was looking like a perfect day to conquer the elements and the trail.  

There was an option at this site - either a 5K for those only wishing to run a half marathon during the week, and the half marathon trail run for the rest of us.  

The trail had several challenges - plenty of roots and a 680-foot climb up "the hill."  Additionally, there was a "stream crossing" that required assistance to clear.  But that all went well.  My partners in crime and I continued bravely forward, and eventually (after walking most of the way on the trail) we found what appeared to be a flat trail without tree interference.  Unfortunately, I was in the lead at that point.

To keep the story short I apparently lost my concentration and did a face plant on the trail.  However, my face merely was covered with trail mud.  It was my left arm that took the major hit - I broke the humerus just below the shoulder.  Thus, my running adventure ended.  

The rescue squad came and took me down in a Stokes basket to the elevation where the 4-wheelers were about to access.  The basket was loaded on the back and we continued the decent to the location of the ambulance, where I was then transported to the ER at the Juneau hospital.  Confirmation through x-ray that the arm was broken.  I got a sling and some pain killers and made it back to the ship before it departed from the port (at 9 PM).

The trip was a lot of fun.  The people were great, and I even was granted my medal (even though it really was a DNF for me).  I joined the others in port for lunch and sight seeing after their morning runs.   The drugs were found to merely induce sleepiness, but I took them faithfully at night.  The last dose was just prior to boarding the plane back to the Midwest.

Since my return, my ambitions for part-time employment have taken a backseat to physical therapy.  I had my first appointment with the "bone doctor" in Terre Haute on August 15, and started light exercises at home then.  The next appointment (September 12) resulted in getting hooked up with a physical therapist.  I am in the third week and actually can raise my arm high enough to was my hair.  This is really progress.

There are many other tales to be told, and I hope to be a better blogger now that I can type with both hands (it was one-finger for several weeks).  Besides the mid-term elections are upon us and I am still in Illinois.  There is much to be said about that was well.

"We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails." ~ Author Unknown