"...there's a great chase scene!"
"Have you seen Steele Magnolias? So sad!"

I really hope you have seen that commercial. Also I just needed to set the tone for my entry today. As you might remember, tomorrow, October 1st, was the day set aside for Jim and I to conquer the Timberline Trail. I came to work today intent upon leaving for the mountain as soon as the clock struck 4. However, as Jim and I perused the weather report, we noticed a trend of increasingly nasty weather and decided (reluctantly) to bag the trip. Here's my thought...I've known all along that the physical act of encircling the mountain in day would be difficult slash miserable. I can handle that - the end goal is a efficacious motivator. But the thought of spending 15 hours in the rain slash snow and not really have a shot at finishing the trail...NO THANKS.

I spent about an hour pondering this decision, sinking lower into the Slough of Despond. Here, therefore, I wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and I, because of the burden that was on my back, began to sink in the mire.

Then Jim had a brilliant idea. Instead of going to the mountain, we could hit the beach! Last year we did a 25 mile hike along the coast, and it would be the perfect substitution for our challenge. So tomorrow we will depart. It's not as lengthy, and it's not as prestigious, but we're doing something we've never done, and it will definitely be a significant accomplishement. Plus, there's this great pizza place in Canon Beach...can anybody say "Family Size!"? Woop, woop!

So let's foucs on the connotative meaning of that commercial (funny guy making a fool of himself), rather than the denotative meaning (actual sadness).

PB......out!



PS - Remember Brian Dunkelman??