happy halloween and a birthday too!!

happy halloween today! i hope everyone gets a chance to do some trick or treating tonight with family and friends. if you're within traveling distance of greenwich village - don't miss the 35th annual parade tonight! if checking out a parade isn't your speed, don't pass up the opportunity to sample some seasonal pumpkin ales ;)



and there is a second reason for celebrating today: it's rob's birthday!! lucky for him, he's still a couple of years away from entering the masters age group :D

happy birthday rob!!

james bond: the "bond bound" exhibit at bonhams galleries

after we picked up our race packets at the nyc marathon expo, michael, emmy, and i walked up to the bonhams galleries to check out the "bond bound: ian fleming & the art of cover design" exhibit. between the crowded lunchtime streets and the wind, getting there via foot was practically a dry run for sunday's main event!

interestingly, the newest james bond movie, quantum of solace, had its world premiere in london the previous evening. it opens in london tonight. we, here in the u.s., have to wait 2 weeks, until november 14, to see it.

as for this interesting exhibit, which focused primarily on the cover art of james bond books (and some poster art as well), its brief run ends today. so i'm glad michael and emmy indulged me and we got a chance to see it!

fwiw, check out my review of quantum of solace!

nyc marathon: packet pick-up at the expo

i just got back from packet pick-up at the javits center. it was great hanging out with michael, pam and emmy. while michael and i had a more typical experience at the (bib, chip check and goodie bag), pam had to cancel her 2008 entry and emmy had to collect a new bib for the local competitive start. then we all headed inside and checked out the various booths together.


pam and emmy at the security check-point.


there's still time to change my mind (michael looking on).


the somber moment: saying farewell to the bib - a dns for 2008, but guaranteed entry for 2009.


after the bib pick-up and chip check, just before the goodie bags.

this year the race shirt has no images of nyc! instead, the royal blue long-sleeved tech shirt has the relatively rhetorical question, " what does it take?" on the front, with the answer, "heart pounding dedication," below it. the sleeve has the race details: "ing new york city marathon 2008."



we got to say hello to bart yasso. he's holding up his book, "my life on the run: the wit, wisdom, and insights of a road racing icon," which i had the pleasure of reading last summer.



after the expo, michael, emmy and i walked uptown check out the "bond bound: ian fleming & the art of cover design" exhibit at bonhams galleries.

"climate change" exhibit at american museum of natural history

yesterday my day started at the american museum of natural history. i wasn't there for the climate change exhibit, primarily, but i did get to check it out. the title of this post should actually read: "selected conflicts, confidentiality and criminal liability issues in estate planning," presented by stephen gillers. while i found this infrequent opportunity to be in an audience listening to a lecture - rather than giving one - relaxing (of all things) and very informative, i doubt too many non-trusts and estates professionals would.

but, after the presentation, we were offered a tour of the newest exhibit at the museum: "climate change: the threat to life and a new energy future." while my preference would have been to revisit the dinosaurs - my favorite part of this great institution, i joined the crowd and took the tour. the exhibit loudly announced its political point of view, but it was interesting none-the-less. as if to underscore the politics, this is the exhibit's dire diorama of what new york city may look like if the perils of global warming are ignored:



but, seriously, here is an interesting site that provides some great coverage of the climate change exhibit. and here is the ny times coverage of the exhibit, aptly titled, "apocalypse now, via diorama."

new york city marathon week screening of "run for you life: the fred lebow story"

what another great marathon-related event to consider (among the myriad of choices available to nyc marathon runners - and everyone else for that matter) adding to your schedule! today (10/29), at the village east cinema, begins a special theatrical screening of "run for your life: the fred lebow story," - and runs (forgive the pun) until next thursday (11/6).

this may be - if not become - a "must see" documentary for anyone interested in the history of the nyc marathon. my friends and i caught its release, as part of the tribeca film festival, last spring. here is the review i posted. hopefully, i'll get to see it on the big screen a second time. for those who can't catch it at the village east, this week marks its release on dvd.

liz robbins, "a race like no other: 26.2 miles through the streets of new york" book signing

what a great kick-off to marathon week! i stopped at the corner bookstore on my way home from work last night for liz robbins' book signing at the corner bookstore. what an intimate space to hold the reading and book signing for "a race like no other: 26.2 miles through the streets of new york" - and only 3 blocks from the new york road runners building.


dave obelkevitch directly in front of me, as we listened to liz's reading.

the audience had not only family members, fans, friends - but a one of the personalities she covered in the book: marathon streaker (in this context, clothed and running an unbroken string of marathons) dave obelkevich, who has run every nyc marathon since 1976 - when in left the confines of central park and became a 5-borough event! he has only one other peer in that category, tucker anderson. this weekend they will line up for their 33rd consecutive nyc marathons. makes lining up for my 7th consecutive one pale by comparison ;)

in addition to reading selected portions of the book, liz also gave us a look behind some of the characters, including some the time she spent with henrick ramaala in south africa and pam rickard in virginia. she confessed - despite all her years involved in sports (both playing and covering) - that she's only run 5 miles of the course (on first avenue). the rest mileage was covered via the media bus. this detail may change next year when. knees permitting, she may line up for the 2009 edition!

this photo of us was taken by her wonderful dad!

if at all possible, stop by her next book signing tomorrow night at the ny running company at columbus circle. i just started the book, on chapter 5 of the 26.2 chapters, and will post a book review next week. but so far, it's a great read!

theodore roosevelt's 150th birthday: october 27, 2008

happy birthday teddy!

theodore roosevelt was born 150 years ago today. to celebrate his birthday, the theodore roosevelt birthplace national historic site (a brownstone right here in new york city) held a two day celebration. i couldn't attend any of the festivities yesterday, which included a one-act play (not unlike the one man show, "bully pulpit," that went to see last june).

but today i did visit the birthplace and got to hear edmund morris and his wife, sylvia's, joint presentation: "theodore and edith: a conversation about the roosevelts." i couldn't stay for the question and answer session because i had to teach class at 1:25 - where, hopefully, we would have gotten word on the projected release of the third volume of edmund morris' monumental biography of roosevelt! but the joint presentation was fun and informative.

here are some photos:

giants come from behind, power past steelers in the 4th quarter to win 21-14

in a game that defied quantifiable levels of frustration for giants fans, a momentum changing safety in the 4th quarter tied the score at 14-14 and set up the giants for a come from behind victory over the pittsburg steelers. with just over 6 minutes left in the game, it was their 1st touchdown score - and, despite 2 additional possessions by the steelers - all the giants would need to head home with their 6th victory of the season.

for the first 3 quarters this was an agonizing painful game for giants fans to endure. the giants could not score a touchdown despite 5 trips inside the steelers 10 yard line! instead, they settled for 4 field goals. and, in what was easily the lowest point of the game (how could it get worse?) the giants were stopped on a 4th and inches from the end zone (after having a dubious touchdown call reversed seconds earlier).

still, defensively, the giants sacked roethlisberger 5 times and intercepted him 4 times! that's great football. but the offensive production repeatedly sputtered out when it was needed. in the end, a win is a win - you can't argue with that. the one td they finally scored was all, in the end, that was needed to put the game away :D and, at 6-1, they still sit atop the division.

police pumpkin chase 5k: race photos and results

just got home from the police pumpkin chase 5k, in new canaan. missed the first quarter of the giants-steelers game, but still 3 quarters of football to watch. this course, which includes a cross-country stretch through waveny park, was much tougher than the 5k in wilton this morning. i managed a 21:49, which was an improvement over my 22:28 last year, but well off my pr for this course of 19:45 (2005).

here are the race results.

here are some race photos.


pre-race: emmy and kate.


pre-race: kate and tom.


pre-race: jim taking care of registration.


kate, finishing.


my favorite candid, kate, rob, roy, emmy, and tom.


post-race, enjoying pumpkin pie and apple cider.


emmy, collecting her prize as first master (a pair of socks), and jim, announcing winners.
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a couple of pre-race photos from emmy:


kate, me, and emmy.


me, roy, tom, kate, and rob.

wilton halloween hustle 5k: race photos and results

just got back from the wilton halloween hustle 5k - and will be heading back out to new canaan in a little while for the police pumpkin chase 5k. it was beautiful fall weather, and a great scenic course, for the 6th annual halloween hustle. i'm positive the course was short (closer to 3 miles instead of a full 5k). not because of my 20:03 finish, but because i'm sure the course should have included a small loop around the high school before the turnaround!

here are the race results.

here are some race photos:


race registration.


pre-race. jim dealing w/race registrations.




john and emmy, before they headed out for a warm-up run.



emmy and rob, just before heading over to the start.


post-race. me, rob, john, and emmy.


post-race. emmy and darcy.


post-race. darcy and john.


post race. view of the finish, waiting for the kids fun run.


post-race. some great live music!

some "original mountain marathon" runners remain unaccounted for after sever weather cancelled race

after sever weather led to cancellation of the two day event, the number of unaccounted for participants had been reduced to 44 (initial reports had the number of above 1000 runners unaccounted for!).

a helicopter search is currently underway to located the stranded runners.

update: great news! all the runners have been accounted for (and all are safe)!!