Weekend seems like two Saturdays and a Sunday - Chapter 1

Sunday, April 17, 2016

I started a blog early this morning, but it got eaten alive by the tablet being slow. And then today got busy.  Since I normally race on Sundays and Saturday is packet pickup, tagging along with MOBYCARP on his necessary tasks today felt like a second Saturday. Tomorrow, even though it is a Monday, will feel like a Sunday morning to me.

That said, "FIRST SATURDAY" was SparkMeet Saturday. What a day! It started when I left the hotel thinking I'd stop at Walgreen's for sunscreen and proceed to the meeting point, maybe picking up coffee on the way.

Oops! Change of plans... encountered about 10,000 5K runners on the way:

So I followed along and shouted encouragement... it's what one does. Followed them down to their finish line which turned out to be pretty close to our planned Spark Meet up point.

Since we didn't plan to meet until 10 a.m., the race had time to fully finish before this group of online friends took our first selfie of the day (it was not the last)...

Left to right, that's Lauren, an online friend from another venue, OVERWORKEDJANET, JANISMKW, and lil ol me.

As a foursome we had coffee and yakked. And walked across Boston Common and yakked.  

And took a ride on the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden. It was their first day in operation for the year.

We hunted down the statues of the characters from "Make Way for Ducklings".

After that, we bid farewell to JANISMKW and Lauren. I am so glad that they came down and joined us, for that time and to share this weekend. They probably would otherwise not have seen any of the

Marathon weekend "downtown"... they came for the chance to meet me! I feel honored, really... because I know how upside down a city can get for events of this magnitude. Thanks again!

And then... enter the OWJ and OKM show. Both of us are walkers, ok? We came back and hung out at my hotel for a little bit, where Janet showed her rooting colors, holding the sign for MOBYCARP.

Here is one of me holding the same sign after I made it Friday evening.

Then we started tramping around Boston. We visited the finish line, and Janet took some photos which she posted in her blog.  She sent me one of me standing on the finish line via text, but I will have to wait until I get home to have the right tools to transfer it onto Spark.

Anyway, this is getting long, and I need to sleep SOME because tomorrow at o-dark hundred,

MOBYCARP will be boarding a shuttle to go to the START line, and 26.2 miles later, I intend to be at that finish line for him. ... more to follow...