The Great Pumpkin Race is history. I saw first-hand what 111 runners, joggers and walkers look like at the starting line. Within a few seconds I saw where I was going to finish?at the back of the pack.
It was half-again farther than I am used to walking, but I was making record time because I caught up with Tom Plett, who was going at a fast clip. We even jogged a few times just to give the old muscles a change of pace.
At the end I felt like I was in the Olympics and took off running for the finish line. To put things in perspective, the winner finished in about a third of my time. And it is no surprise that his last name is Yoder.
I hope this can become an annual event. Those I spoke with thought it was terrific.
n
A few years back, I helped erect a sign on a building on Ash Street pointing visitors to the downtown area. Ever since then, I thought the sign was a little crooked.
Then I looked closely again and realized the sign is straight but the building is a little off of plumb.
n
My weekend was ?Wicked? if you count our trip to Century II on Sunday afternoon.
I wasn?t sure what to expect and still don?t know whether it was my cup of tea. Since I have never seen the ?Wizard of Oz? all the way through without falling asleep, I was told it would have been helpful to have seen it.
I know professional when I see it, and this was a truly professional performance by many well-trained actors, dancers, vocalists and musicians, not to mention the sound and scenery crews.
Nancy said this makes up for all of the sporting events I have dragged her to over the years.
n
Many of Hillsboro?s Embarq DSL customers are becoming frustrated with the Internet service lately. That includes us.
There aren?t many businesses anymore who don?t rely on e-mail and their Web browsers to interact with their customers and suppliers all day long.
When the Internet connection isn?t functioning, it can create stress of untold propor?tions? and here at the Free Press, especially on production deadline day.
Because of this recurring problem, we have a backup internet with EagleCom and set it up to be wireless so we don?t have to deal with two configurations with our server.
n
Iconic Marion sports figure Dale Vogel and I attended the special-invitation open house at the new Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum in Newton?s Chisholm Trail Center last Thursday.
It is a great place to visit for anyone interested in Kansas sports history from high school, to college, to Olympics and sports legends who went on to play at the professional level in their sport.
One could spend hours walking though the hundreds, maybe thousands, of exhibits on display. I was told the museum occupies about 26,000 square feet.
n
Later that evening, I watched the Hillsboro-Marion football game with Dale and his dad while standing along the fence on the Marion sidelines. If you know Dale, then my ?iconic sports figure? comment will make a lot of sense.
The teams are very even lately?three years, three overtime games and two different winners, all by just one point.
