Morning all. It’s just that I am a little creakier than last week while making my way to the laptop. Even pouring the coffee is a bit of a process; slower and more thought through. Nevertheless, the java tastes great and I am ready the share my Ramblings.

Thanksgiving 2021 – After a long wonderful autumn came Thanksgiving weekend complete with a biting wind and a bunch of rain. It also happened to be the exact same day as the running of the 112th Thanksgiving Day Race; a 10k event for which I signed up.

Waiting for the start a cluster of us stood around (for warmth) and stomped our feet (to keep water from seeping into our shoes). We were just bantering a bit when from nearby I caught local boy Earl Pitts jawing away with his take on Thanksgiving. I just happened to capture his ‘insights’;

Race Start – involved our State’s Governor, Mike DeWine. He, his wife Fran, and their twenty-some-odd grandkids all assisted in sending the 10,000 or so of us on our way. When I spotted his carefully tied shoe laces I just knew that DeWine considered a 10k as serious business.

The Race, the Event – I actually did more than walk (wouldn’t really call it ‘elite’ running), and was on track to complete in well under 1½ hours.

Dehydration is a nasty thing – especially when you don’t recognize it. I remember passing the 5-mile banner when we had to detour around some flooding to turn onto the bridge taking us into Cincinnati and the finish. That’s when I tripped over curbing, tried to outrun my forward fall, failed at that, and hit the pavement like a sack of potatoes.

Four people were required to get me on my feet. Then, shortly after I figured in what direction to head, a recovery pause, and now escorted by two new found friends; I WALKED across the finish line. Did this in a (still) respectable average 15:48-pace, in 1:37:56 total time and was #4214 overall.

That’s how you stare an 80th year in the face.

I FINISHED!  (I overheard Marcia mumbling something about my being FINISHED for good). We’ll see.

Friends – are found all over and every ‘hiccup’ also has a sunny side. The young couple who hung with me across the finish line (folks I’d never met before) also insisted they drive me home.

This became my FIRST ride ever in a new Tesla. At first I refused since both hands were dripping blood; and the car’s interior was a brand-spanking new white! They exclaimed that, that was nothing, since it was a Tesla, and Elon Musk says that anything could be cleaned off of its seats. So, I poured a bottle of water over my hands, tucked them under my armpits, squeezed, and off we went – thanks again Mark & Dawn!

A must tradition – for Thanksgiving, just has to be the reliving of the ‘Nati’s favorite; the WKRP in Cincinnati sponsored Thanksgiving Turkey drop. It’s to help “the little people” celebrate the holiday with a bit more of a ‘splash’ ‘SPLAT’.

Evidence – One uses Facts the other Emotion. The Left largely believes that the Rittenhouse verdict is wrong and the Arbery verdict is correct. The Right largely believes that the Rittenhouse verdict is correct and the Arbery verdict is also correct.

Reading – I’m well into a book which I find captivating. It’s written by the New Testament scholar, Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bart D. Ehrman PhD. The title of the book is: Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth.

Ehrman believes that yes, there was a real historical individual named Jesus, and he so concludes – vigorously, citing resource after resource; and Ehrman is a self-proclaimed agnostic! I’m finding it a ‘not-to-put-down’ read!

Fini –
• This is day 622 of the “10 days to slow the spread”.

• Spotted this on line; “Month 21 of the pandemic and still no public official talking about the benefits of eating real food, exercise, and increasing vitamin D exposure as part of creating positive public health outcomes”; kinda weird don’t you think?

• School Boards are taking it on the chin, and many rightfully so. Recently the Toronto District School Board vetoed a student event featuring the memoir of Nadia Murad, a Yazidi activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was captured and sexually enslaved by Islamic State terrorists, since it would cause Islamophobia.

• Think about it. Communism nearly always springs forth and becomes accepted when things are bad. Happy people really never opt to choose communism. All the destruction (currently much of it placed at the causal feet of the pandemic and supposed racial inequity) becomes a productive foil for communism. True?

• Our neighborhood has several of what I call “Hobbit Houses”, most have small windws, gabled eaves, and to help the curvature, cedar shingle roofs. Over the years many have disappeared. Not this one, it’s being refreshed with a new ‘Topper’.

• What does it take to be an Energy Secretary? Answer; Not much. Secretary Granholm, asked “how many barrels of oil a day does the U. S. consume”? Her answer? “I don’t have that figure in front of me. I’m sorry”. Can’t get any more pathetic than that now can it?

• To help the administration with the oil conundrum; some details. Biden will reduce the emergency oil reserves by 50-million barrels to lower the price of gas – actually, of the 50M, 18M was previously sold so thus leaving 32-million barrels. The U. S. uses 19-million barrels a day so this will be 2.6 days’ worth. Biden further stresses international assistance and lists China, India, Japan, S. Korea, and the U. K. – only China produces fuels in enough quantities. Thought you’d want to know. Goldman Sachs quote: “a Drop in the Ocean, a Symbolic Gesture has minimal effect on price”.

• Doing distance running or walking? Hint: establish a serious ‘Hydration’ plan. Giving this tip from a friend to a friend.

Enjoy the remainder of Thanksgiving weekend, then make it a great week. Stay involved. Stay creative. Stay happy. Value friendships.

Best till next weekend.

Dirk – your newly hydrated geezer