Pseudo-Elite

Good news all around. It warmed up to 80something degrees today, so Bruce ran around in shorts all day. We played outside and tried to take advantage of the last of the nice weather. This is Bruce on the porch.

I got a call this morning from the director of the Hartford Marathon. It's official; I'm considered an "elite athlete." Or, at least, pseudo-elite. They said since I'm "local" ("local" = not from Kenya or Russia) they won't pay for my hotel, but they will pay the entry fee and I'll have access to "elite services" like the elite tent. I've never been in there, of course, but I always imagine it's filled with lots of masseuses and no lines for them.

Even more good news. I've been told Aldi, the uber-cheap grocery chain in the Midwest, is all over Germany. Who cares about that, right? Here's the real good news: cheap German chocolate (dark doesn't have cholesterol! woohoo!) and gummi bears. Perhaps my trip won't be so bad after all.