There are three iconic big-city marathons in the United States: New York, Chicago and, of course, Boston. Chicago is annually one of the biggest marathons in the world, with something like 40,000-45,000 runners a year on its flat, fast course. World records have been set there in recent years. The New York City...
9/11
On September 11, 2001, I was hunkering down for work on a special issue of our magazine, when I got an e-mail from Bill, our New Orleans reporter. He mentioned almost off-handedly that one story he was working on might be in jeopardy because the company’s headquarters were at the World Trade Center in...
My Friday Treat
This is my regular Friday treat to myself. It’s just a couple of blocks from my office to Jimmy John’s, and with their typically speedy service I can usually get over there and back — and buy weekend lottery tickets on the way — in 15 minutes or so. Every good sandwich starts with...
Scorcher Four – Part 2
Note: this is the second part of a two-part series; part one is here. It was raining when I left the house. By the time the race started, the sun was out. The perfect St. Louis recipe for … humidity! But no one ever said the weather conditions for today’s Scorcher Four race in...
Scorcher Four – Part 1
One year ago, I entered the Scorcher Four running race; it was my first race in three or four years after a long layoff due primarily to knee problems. The Scorcher Four is a four-mile (natch) race that circles through the streets in University City, Mo. It is sponsored by Ghisallo Running, and it...
The Early Adventures Of Mr. Fish
It’s my birthday today, so I’m going to indulge myself a little… The first dream I can remember having was animated. And when I say animated, it’s the 1950s-1960-style Disney animation, not the more-lifelike-than-reality animation we have today. It was also the only animated dream I can ever remember having. Anyway, in the dream,...
July 1980
Several key events from July of 1980, continuing my 30-years-ago reminiscenses: • Sometime around the middle of the month, I saw the Doobie Brothers in concert, with my old Mizzou roommate Bob. This was at the Checkerdome, like the earlier Who concert was, and again we had floor seats. From what I remember, it...
No Lines For The Men’s Restroom
About halfway through Lilith Fair last night, my brother Phil and I were estimating the male-to-female ratio of the crowd. I guessed 20:80; he figured it was 10:90. He may have been closer to the right number than I was. There are advantages for the males in a ratio like that—people-watching is more fun,...
Return of the Air Show
After a five-year absence, Fair St. Louis brought back one of its most popular features this year: the air show over the Mississippi River. The show, which this year was held three times over the holiday weekend, features a variety of military and private aircraft, doing some pretty amazing tricks in front of the...
Rescue At Sea
It was actually refreshing to read this story today, about the rescue of Abby Sunderland: …The countries involved in the rescue effort have brushed off questions about the cost of the rescue and have no plans to seek recompense. Rescues at sea are a no-cost agreement under international conventions regarding maritime search and rescue...