In my opinion, this whole "wild card" thing is a corruption of baseball second only to the "designated hitter" rule. In my youth (you were there too, Ribs!), there were 8 teams in each league, and at the end of the season the two pennant winners met in the World Series. So you earned your post-season spot by winning your division, not by finishing 2nd (or 3rd or 4th or whatever it is in the NBA and NHL). At least baseball goes into the postseason with only 8 teams as opposed to 32, but is it really honorable to hope your team finishes in 2nd place? Would you rather win your AG or place 2nd?

Always good to hear from grouchrunner, I mean rochrunner. Dark Horse

Reporting in late today. 45 minutes on the eliptical with leg and ab work at the Y, 5:00 AM this morning. Haven't slept much in the last few days and didn't want to run three days in a row on tired legs. Just wanted to say thanks for all the good wishes. DS#1 and I dropped DS#2 at his check-in point yesterday afternoon. Lots of tears were shed, and he made the statement "I don't think I want to do this" more than once. I told him I was sorry - I couldn't get him out of this one and this was going to be the best experience of his life - he just needed to take one day at a time. So, I cried a little on the drive home but I'm convinced that this is the best option for him. I read him the Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken" and hope that made an impact: " Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And Sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth Then took the other, as just as fair And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black Oh, I kept the first for another day Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference" Have a great evening, everyone. Jeanne

Just catching up on my reading (sorry I'm late, perfessor; did I miss anything?) dg, it's you & me in our Nike Frees. I swear they helped me get out of my PF travails. I tested them out in a 10-mile training run recently and also Hood to Coast....I think they are good to go for the marathon. And they are supah-lite! Magic shoes! PBJ...all you need is 4 hrs of sleep prior to Hartford, yup, that's it. Oh wait, I DNF'ed... heh. Have I mentioned I've dined twice with the fabulous Aamos? And sat next to her! ///back to lurking///