Happy Anniversary, darlin'...

Today is our 16th wedding anniversary. I can't even begin to tell you what the past 16 years have been like, other than to say they've been filled with more joy, more pain, more good times, more bad times, more moments of tenderness, and more sheer frustration, than I thought any two people could ever experience in a lifetime. Fortunately the good has been WAAAAAY more than the not so good. There are times when I don't know what either of us would have done without the other--major surgeries, death of family members, times of self-doubt, job changes, etc. But through it all, we've always been there for each other.

I took today off--we're planning on heading over to the Morton Arboretum to check out the fall colors, enjoy nature, and of course take a few pictures. Tonight will be a nice fancy dinner out and a relaxing evening. It might sound bland to some folks, but I'm really looking forward to the day.

Of course, I have to say something about running...and let that just be that I'm really, really tapering. I'm supposed to get in an 8-miler this week...probably won't happen unless I go out early tomorrow morning. But tomorrow afternoon I have to get on a plane to head to Germany, so I don't fancy running all that way ahead of a 9-hr flight, but we'll see what happens.

I posted a question on Hal Higdon's forums about the trip, and any good advice people might have about ensuring I'm ready for race day. I got lots of good advice, all of which I plan to follow next week. A friend asked me this week..."Are you ready???" My response--"Yes, I am!" Now, just waiting for the 9 days or so to pass until The Big Day comes...

More later...