Goodbye to a man I hardly knew....

This week-end seemed to be all about fighters. Saturday saw my fastest time on a 5K course. I didn't place, again! But, I was only 1/2 second behind an aging 48 year old. Woohoo! Something to be proud of...I guess. Unless the timing crew goes by 10th of second timing and I see the photo finish to tell me otherwise, I know in my heart that I tied for third place in the tough 40 year old group! I really can't complain too much of a 20:49 5K dash, except for the fact that the older guy who came in with me told his organizer/timing buddies that I ran through the chute ahead of him and stole the place slot. Then he had them change my slot from 12th overall to 13th. The awards should have at least mentioned that his finish was closely fought. It only makes me tougher, right? Mike McSkane, I wish you were out there this time!

On a much more sadder note, Ronnie James Dio passed away this week-end of stomach cancer at the age of 67. I met the man about 15 years ago when I worked for Professional Visioncare Associates in Sherman Oaks. I was an optician there and helped him and his wife with their eyeglass needs. Other than his appearance, this guy would never pass as a rock legend. As with all the reports of people who have had contact with him, he was truly a gentleman and all around good guy. He was a sharp man with a business head, I respected that. Rockers are not all stoned ass drunks, I could tell that Ronnie had vision a hell of lot better than the brightest people I knew. I remember him talking about cleaning out his warehouse full of all that old tour stage props. He described of all the fire breathing dragons that had to be dismantled. You know I offered to help! He was nice enough to let me down easy and say that it was a liability issue and he didn't want me to get hurt. The guy was a very hard worker and seemed to never get tired. That appears to be the theme of this blog I have created. Good men die too young!

I hope all of you who read this understand that this cancer thing will never go away and we all are affected by it. I also hope that you mistake me for a better man.