ICI-USRA end of year results on December 31, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: -

Time: -

Place: 3 or 7, depending on who’s doing the ranking

Prize: $750

∑ Career Earnings: $23,229

 

The Skinny: Nancy had a great year “on the circuit,” finishing 3^rd and 7^th among Master’s women in two different ranking systems. That’s how she was able to earn $750 after the Naples, FL race without leaving her sofa back in Buffalo, NY.

 

 

Coming next time: Shamrock 8 KM

Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL on December 9, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here..)

Distance: 26.21 miles

Time: 2:55:53

Place: 1

Prize: $1,250

∑ Career Earnings: $22,479

 

The Skinny: Race Director Harold Tinsley treated his invited runners like royalty. Huntsville was always a great road trip.

 

Here’s the newspaper’s writeup of the results.

 

 

Coming next time: Shamrock 8 KM

Vulcan 10 KM Run in Birmingham, AL on November 18, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 10 km

Time: 0:36:10

Place: 1

Prize: $750

∑ Career Earnings: $21,229

 

The Skinny: In our warmup run the day before the race, we were surprised to learn that Birmingham is so hilly. With the help of friendly hotel staff, we also found a wonderful Italian Restaurant which served herbed olive oil and bread as an appetizer. It’s hard to believe now, but we’d never had that before. Birmingham was a terrific host: thanks!

 

Coming next time: Rocket City Marathon

The Earth’s Rotation Ends Sleepless Night With Light Of Day

 On a recent night, I awoke with a start, consumed by a burning question: “Does the Earth rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?” No kidding. WTH? Further tossing and turning revealed that I didn’t know dookie about my home base. How old is the Earth? What does it weigh?

So I embraced the task of researching several of these questions. Possibly to save you from a similar sleepless night — OK, maybe I awoke simply for my 2 a.m. pee. Much better than not awakening…. — here’s some particulars about Mother Earth.

How old is the Earth?

 

The earth is 4.5 billion years old.

 

What does the Earth weigh?

 

1.3 X 10 ^ 25 pounds. That is, 13,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds. It’s no wonder, then, that Atlas shrugged.

 

What is the circumference of the Earth?

 

The circumference of Earth at the equator is 24,903 miles.

 

Does the Earth rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?

 

When viewed above the North Pole, the Earth rotates counterclockwise, from west to east. This is also called a prograde rotation. Because of this direction of rotation, we see the sun rising every day in the east and setting in the west.

 

Is the Earth’s axis of rotation tilted?

 

The axis of rotation of the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees away from vertical, perpendicular to the plane of our planet's orbit around the sun. The tilt of the Earth's axis is important in that it governs the warming strength of the sun's energy, and thus produces the four seasons.

 

Does the Earth revolve clockwise or counterclockwise around the sun?

 

 Its rotation around the sun is prograde, or west to east, which appears counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole, and it is common to all the planets in our solar system except Venus and Uranus

Hey, how about a picture of all this?

 

Sure. This school kid-level explanation seems sufficiently complete for me. Anything more would leave me in the dust. See if you can detect a booboo the young lady makes.

 

Hey, who cares about this anyway?

 

Well, more than a few years ago, the Catholic Church cared very much. And it threatened to put the screws to Galileo — really! That’s where the term comes from! — for suggesting that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Suddenly, Galileo cared very much, too. Looky here:

“On June 22nd, 1633, Galileo was shown the instruments of torture by the Inquisition and threatened with their use unless he recanted his expressed view that the Earth revolved around the Sun, instead of the other way round.

Galileo had seen the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus through his telescope. When he published “The Starry Messenger” in 1610, he endorsed the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus. He proposed a theory of tides in 1616, attributing the motion of the Earth as a cause of them. In 1632 he published his “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems,” again implying heliocentrism, which the Inquisition had formally declared to be heretical in 1616, banning books that supported it.

At his trial he was found "vehemently suspect of heresy", banned from holding or teaching heliocentric views, and was sentenced to life in prison. He was a frail 69-year-old, and the sentence was commuted on the following day to house arrest. He spent the remaining years of his life under house arrest at his villa near Florence, until he died aged 77.”

* ° * ° * ° * ° * ° * ° * ° * ° * ° 

As I was tidying this up for submission, I found myself listening to a podcast featuring astrophysicist Sandra Faber (No kidding. Who knew?) The discussion is really big-boy stuff, and highly recommended if you enjoyed my initial research on the Earth. You can find it

here.

Capital Trail 10 MI in Raleigh, NC on October 14, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 10 miles

Time: 1:00:09

Place: 1

Prize: $500

∑ Career Earnings: $20,479

 

The Skinny: Nancy was the first Master and 8^th overall.

 

 

 

Coming next time: Vulcan Run 10 KM

New Haven 20 KM in New Haven, CT on September 4, 1989

(I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 12.418 miles

Time: 1:15:29

Place: 1

Prize: $500

∑ Career Earnings: $19,979

 

The Skinny: The $500 prize offered by this small regional race was quite impressive.

 

Coming next time: Capital Trail 10 Mile

Bix 7 MI in Davenport, IA on July 29, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 7.000 miles

Time: 41:54

Place: 3

Prize: $250

∑ Career Earnings: $19,479

 

The Skinny: Laurie Binder won the Masters’ division.

 

 

Coming next time: New Haven 20 KM

Casey’s 4 MI in Buffalo, NY on July 15, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 4.00 miles

Time: 23:05

Place: 2

Prize: $400

∑ Career Earnings: $19,229

 

The Skinny: Nancy Oshier won.

 

Jim Nowicki got Subaru to bankroll this race annually, and it began to draw premier athletes over the years. But July 15 in the afternoon usually meant a too-hot day for Nancy to thrive.

 

Coming up next time: The Bix 7

Utica Boilermaker 15 KM in Utica, NY on July 9, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning here.)

Distance: 9.321 miles

Time: 56:05

Place: 2

Prize: $500

∑ Career Earnings: $18,829

 

The Skinny: Ngaire Drake won in 55:05.

 

This was Nancy’s 5^th and last Boilermaker. We remember all the Boilermakers fondly for their challenging course, their great post-race parties, and for Earl Reed’s thoughtful consideration.

Checkers 8 KM in Buffalo, NY on June 30, 1989

 (I started writing about Nancy Mieszczak’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning HERE.)

Distance: 4.971 miles

Time: 28:40

Place: 2

Prize: $200

∑ Career Earnings: $18,329

 

The Skinny: Nancy pocketed $200 for finishing second to a woman named Benzoni. Somehow I forgot to record her first name back then.

 

There’s a good reason I might have been a bit distracted. The old Duck hisownself actually WON the Master’s Division of this race (26:13) in our hometown, winning his first-ever, and last, cash prize of $250.

 

Not a bad day at all!

 

 

Mediterranean Baked Pheasant Cutlets

I discovered a veal recipe online that I thought might work with pheasant breasts. It did in fact work wonderfully well. It would probably work just as well with boneless chicken breasts. The veal will only happen after we win Powerball.

 

The olives are an important and tasty part of the flavor signature. The tomatoes and mozzarella make it look great. The recipe is very suitable for company, delivering both great taste and eye appeal. And it’s lean!

 

Pounding the breasts to uniform size is a good idea. I did that after the brining. I dissolved ¼ cup kosher salt in a quart of water. I laid the breasts in a Pyrex bowl, covered with brine, covered the bowl, and chilled 12 hours overnight in the fridge. Otherwise, there’s nothing to it.

 

You can find all the details here.

Lilac Festival 10 KM in Rochester, NY on May 21, 1989

(I started writing about Nancy’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning HERE.)

Distance: 6.214 miles

Time: 35:56 

Place: 1 

Prize: $500, plus $300 appearance money 

∑ Career Earnings: $18,129 

The Skinny: Nancy was always treated royally by the organizers in Rochester, and she returned the favor with strong performances. This race pushed her career earnings above $18K.

On The Joys Of Hunting Solo With Your Dog

 I don’t have many photos of my dog and me hunting alone. Actually, I don’t have any. Right? Think about it.

 

Photos or not, I simply wanted to toss out here that whenever my dog and I hunt without a human companion — and that’s most of the time — I never ever feel alone, let alone “lonely.” I imagine that more than one “dog man” feels exactly the same way.

 

Here’s a few post solo hunt snaps of my buddy Gordie with the day’s bag. You’ll have to take my word on the solo part.

 

 

I went two-for-two that day, a feat I tried to celebrate in the photo. Over time, I have discovered that doggie-hunts-man-shoots is a better division of labor than the converse.

 

 

 

Milk Run 10 KM in Boston, MA on April 9, 1989

(I started writing about Nancy’s 32-year-old races back in 2010. I thought they’d been too much fun to be enjoyed just once; and, maybe just a little bit, I wanted to show The Kids how the Old Folks used to roll back in the days of yore. Anyways, I initially crammed a bunch of her races into one continuing post. Lately I’ve been writing them up one by one. If you’re interested, you can start from the beginning HERE.)

Distance: 6.214 miles

Time: 35:54

Place: 2

Prize: $250

∑ Career Prizes: $17,329

The Skinny: Gabby Anderson won in 35:00.

Shamrock 8 KM in Virginia Beach VA on March 18, 1989

 Distance: 4.971 miles

Time: 28:55

Place: 8/ 1

Prize: $400

∑ Career Prizes: $17,079

 

The Skinny: This was Nancy’s first race as a Master. So while she was the 8^thwoman to cross the line, she was the first Master.

 

The organizers down in Virginia Beach always treated Nancy very well. Shamrock was an annual highlight of the new year’s race calendar.

Let’s hear it for American Workers who keep the Wheels turning around

C&W group Alabama released “40 Hour Week for a Living” in 1985. This amazingly prescient tune could very well be the anthem thanking millions of Americans for their essential services 35 years later. Here’s how it starts:

“There are people in this country

Who work hard every day

Not for fame or for fortune do they strive

But the fruits of their labor

Are worth more than their pay…”

 

Yes, indeedy.

 

Enjoy this tribute to the wage-earning American man and woman.