This year we were blessed to have some friends give us season tickets to our favorite theater, Actors’ Summit Theater in Hudson. We were not in a position to buy them ourselves this year, but we are now able to continue a tradition that is now in its sixth season for us (I believe).

On Thursday, Nov. 5th, we went to see the opening night of For Better. Neither of us had ever heard of it, and with good reason – it is a very new play by a Cleveland-area playwright. The play explores (through near-farce) the dangers and complications of modern cell-phone/internet-dominated lives.

I enjoyed the play very much – I laughed through much of it, and there was one scene where two drunken friends were discussing women that was very funny. The characters were not deep, and the play did not radically change my outlook on life, or even give me much to think about (except to be very happy I am not a cell phone addict), but it was highly entertaining. The scenes were tightly choreographed as multiple actors carried on multiple cell phone conversations with each other. It worked very well.

One of the things I love about going to the same theater over and over is getting to know the actors. I think the actors at Actors’ Summit are quite good, and the core actors are very strong. This play had a couple of new actors in it, and they did a nice job. One of my favorite actors, Sally Groth, was in this play, and I believe it is the first time I have ever seen her in a comedy. She is a very intense dramatic actor, so I was curious to see how she would do. She did well, but was more or less the “straight man” in the play, so I do not feel I have really seen her in a comedic role yet.

The biggest negative of the night was after the play, in the car, Meredith reminded me that we had to go to work the next day. I’m so used to going to plays on Friday or Saturday that I had forgotten that it was only Thursday.

Halloween day was “my day,” meaning I was in charge. I don’t always plan these things out too far in advance, and so this Saturday morning found me looking online at our favorite cheap movie theater. A movie called The Time Traveler’s Wife caught my attention. I knew nothing about it, but clicked on it and read the tag line. It seemed interesting enough to risk $2.50 on, so the early afternoon entertainment was set.

The Time Traveler’s Wife was a story about a man who could jump around in time, but he had no control over it. He does meet a girl (several times throughout her lifetime, in fact), and they do get married. The movie follows the courtship and married life of the two, and while the story follows the time traveler for much of the movie, the film did a nice job of showing you the wife he inadvertently leaves behind. As a bonus, the movie was filmed in Chicago, where we used to live. Mer and I both found the movie thoughtful and liked it very much – highly recommended.

Later in the day, we decided to go pick up pumpkins and then go out for a walk at the Ledges park. Every year that we have been married, as well as for a few years before that, Mer and I have carved pumpkins. It is our oldest tradition, with the only other one that we even have being having a Christmas tree every year that we have been married.Once we had picked out the on-sale pumpkins (score for the procrastinators!), we headed over to the Ledges, where the view was very pretty, but the wind was very cold. We did not stay long. We went home and dropped off our pumpkins.

Eating out seemed like a good idea, so we headed to the Valley to go to the pub where we had the $6.00 worth of coupons (from the playbill from the week before).

Point of interest: if you are teetotalers, you may want to avoid a pub/bar on Halloween. Clue one – you pull up to the strip that has the bar, and it has a sign up that reads, “Six great bars, one great party!” Clue two – as you get out of the car, a tour bus (yes, a tour bus!) pulls up and disgorges soon-to-be-disgorging revelers in full costume. Clue three – as you walk up to the door, you see through the glass two women going into the bathroom, presumably looking for the rest of their costumes. Clue four – as you get back in to the car to quickly leave, you are passed by a “police woman” in a miniskirt carrying real handcuffs.

I ended up driving through the Valley to get to the west side of Akron, where we had a much quieter meal at the Macaroni Grill, a restaurant where we had a gift card to. We both ate too much (the bread is wonderful), and were able to come home happy and with a half pizza each.

Once home, I prepared the pumpkins for carving. Mer always has a ton of grading to do, so I scoop all the seeds and stuff out of the pumpkins for her, so she can concentrate on being creative. I was not feeling too inspired this year, so I carved a candle. After the fact, I wish I had carved a pumpkin inside of a candle. Ah well. Mer’s pumpkin was much better than mine. Our cat Emma has a bunch of mats on her back that make her fur stand up. We have jokingly called her “stegosaurus kitty,” so that is what Mer carved this year. What was cool about our pumpkins is that mine was thin enough so that the whole pumpkin glowed orange; Mer’s allowed enough light through that there was an image of a stego-cat on our ceiling that was kind of eerie to see. The tradition lives on!

As you may know, Mer and I alternate Saturdays as far as who is in charge of the day. We find this makes us actually plan and do things more often than the “what do you want to do today?” method of weekends. Saturday, October 24th, was Mer’s weekend.

I had been given a gift certificate to Bob Evans a while ago, and so Mer started her day out with breakfast at Bob Evans. We are both huge fans of big breakfasts, and so this started the day out right.

Once we got back home, Mer wanted to watch the film version of Henry V with Kenneth Branagh in it. We were pretty pleased that it had a star-studded cast, including a very young Christian Bale (Batman), who was only 15 at the time. The film was quite well done, and I understood it pretty well this time around (I had seen the film, or at least large sections of it, when I was in my early 20s). After the movie, I was looking up historical information to see what the play/film got right and what it exaggerated, when Mer pointed out that we were watching it on the weekend of St. Crispin’s Day (which is October 25th). The major English victory over the French in the play happens on St. Crispin’s Day, so we were pleased to be seeing the film on the right weekend.

To finish off her day, Mer took me to the Akron Weathervane Community Playhouse to see a play that neither of us knew anything about – The Last Night of Ballyhoo. The play is by the same author who wrote Driving Miss Daisy. It turned out to be a play about a Jewish family who lived in the south in the late 1930s. The play looks at how this family was Southern first, and then Jewish. It also examines some of the conflict between European Jews and Russian Jews. It was thoughtful and at times very funny, and I quite liked it.

The Weathervane set was just a dining room and a living room with a front door and a staircase, but that was enough for the play. It never felt limited or crowded; most of the action just takes place in the living room (with a couple of short scenes that were done on small stage thrusts to the far left and right of the main stage). The acting was very fine, with the only negative being accents – some of the actors had trouble staying in character with accents, and some (probably wisely) did not try. It did not take away from the play, at least not to a Northerner like me (it may have driven a real Southerner crazy). It was a good play, and since Mer and I are in education, we got in for half price, which was a bonus. The music before the show and at intermission were all period pieces, so the music was lots of fun swing tunes and the like. As a final treat, the programs had $3 coupons to a local pub that could be used for food, so we had another excuse to go out some other day.

Mer and I flew out to Maine for Gram’s funeral. The flight was generously supplied by Carleton (Gramps), so we were able to make it. We left out of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and flew to Portland via Washington, D.C. We got in and picked up our rental car and were on the road by about 11:30 or so. Our car was huge – they did not have my economy car in stock, so we got an upgrade. This car was nice – it had satellite radio (all 80s, all the time!), heated seats, heated steering wheel, and electric everything. I almost turned down the wrong way getting on the turnpike because I was trying to find the window control for the toll booth. The tool booth guy looked at me strangely – he probably though I was drunk. Anyway, we did make it safely to Rockland and to Rankin Street by about 1:30 a.m., where we were greeted by Mer’s parents.

Gram’s funeral service was on Thursday, and we were up in time to be ready for it. The service was held in Gram and Gramp’s church, the First Baptist Church of Rockland. I have always liked this church, and I was glad the funeral could be held there. Leona had organized the service before she died, so it was special because it honored her and her wishes. We opened by singing “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” Then Dale (Mer’s dad) read 1 Corinthians 15:42-58:

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I have always loved the “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” – wonderful verses at all times, but very appropriate at a funeral. Logan and Kasey, the great-grandsons, then read Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 John 3:2-3:

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

At this point, Meredith and I were supposed to sing a duet of a modern hymn, “The Holy Heart.” It is a very pretty hymn, and on good days I can actually sing it fairly well with Meredith doing harmony. On this day, however, I was still recovering from a long cold, and my voice was shot. As a compromise, I read the hymn’s words so that people could understand the hymn better, and then Meredith played it on piano and sang it as a solo. (I think she did a wonderful job, but I am biased.)

Dale then got back up to read an excerpt from a sermon by Spurgeon (a 19th-century British preacher). Dale has a wonderful voice for reading. The basic gist (as far as I remember a month later) was that we are foolish to wish for our loved ones back when they have have died trusting in Jesus and have gone to Him. Since our loved ones are in the presence of God and free from all sickness and sadness, it is foolish (in the big picture) to want them back here on Earth.

We then sang “What a Day That Will Be,” and Pastor Gabe (Gram and Gramp’s pastor) got up to give a homily (a short sermon). He talked about Leona’s life and how she had served at the church and had been a constant encouragement to him. He said Leona always encouraged him to preach the truth of the Gospel, even when it was hard, and he had appreciated it. He talked about how she faced her cancer with strength and confidence, knowing that Jesus would not leave her. He did admit there were some times of Gram being scared, but that her eyes never lost their hope. He also relayed how she insisted that he preach the Gospel at her funeral, and that nothing would make her happier than if some people trusted in Jesus as a result. I have liked Pastor Gabe from the first time I heard him; he is open and honest and sticks to what the Bible has to say as best as he understands it. He did very well this day.

Before I forget to include it, Gram’s favorite verse was printed in the order of worship. It is Isaiah 41:10:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

We finished the service with the hymn “Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand” and then we (the family) went to make a receiving line. The church was full, even on a Thursday afternoon. Gram was well loved, indeed. Mer and I stood and shook hands (some people refrained from shaking my recently sick hand), and tried to be polite and appreciative of people we had never met. The people were very kind. One lighthearted moment that I took delight in, even on this occasion:  one very kind man told Meredith in a well-intentioned way, “You have a lovely voice and sang beautifully. Thank you for adding to this sad day.”

Once just the family was left, the funeral director opened the casket one more time for the family to see Leona. She looked as good as any body I have ever seen in a casket, but Mer and I both agree that when you see dead people, they are not really there. The real them is gone, and just the shell is left, and it does not look quite right. This is not really surprising since the soul and spirit have gone on, but it always catches me slightly off-guard. We both much preferred the portrait that was made from a photograph of Gram – it looked like the real her, with life and spark in the eyes.

We then moved the casket to the hearse for the drive to the graveyard. I was honored to be a pallbearer. There were no issues getting the coffin into the car, and we all lined up and made the short drive to the Rockland cemetery. I did have a little trouble in helping with the casket at the gravesite. We had to walk it past the open grave, and my side was very narrow and was not level. I’m afraid I stumbled a bit, but the coffin was in place, so I was able to help ease it on to the supports without falling in to the hole myself.

Pastor Gabe then prayed, and we stood for a short while. The cemetery is located in a beautiful setting, right at the foot of some small mountains, with lots of trees around. The day was cold and windy and cloudy, but that was all right; it would be a bit strange to bury a loved one on a sunny and warm day.

We then headed back to Rankin Street, where Mer and Carlene and Dale laid out some finger foods, and some others in the family brought along some food as well. I grabbed a quick bite to eat, but then excused myself. Between the really late night and the illness I was almost over, I was very tired. So, I went upstairs to my room and slept.

Mer made sure I was awake in time for the whole family going to a nearby restaurant, the Offshore. We had a semi-private dining area, and the tables were pushed together, so it held all 20 (or so) of us. I think it was good to gather as a group and eat together. While not an inappropriately rollicking time, we had a nice time, and it is my hope that it helped Gramps to be surrounded by that many people who love him.

The next couple of days were low-key. On Friday, Mer and I wandered over to Bricks, a local restaurant, to get some lunch. We where about halfway though when Dale, Carlene, and Carleton walked it. It was not planned, but it was a happy thing to happen. We grabbed some more chairs, and all sat together. The woman who owned the restaurant saw Carleton, and, knowing Leona had recently died, hugged him, her eyes welling with tears.  At another restaurant the next day, a server asked where Leona was. Carleton explained with a simple “She’s gone,” and the woman gasped and apologized profusely. Carleton and Leona liked to go to the same several eateries, and got to know the people that worked there. I’m afraid these kinds of encounters probably happened to Gramps several more times after we left.

Mer and I walked around Rockland, as we always do when we are there. It is a very pretty oceanside town, and we love to walk the main street. After our stroll, we went home and got the car and made our way to visit Gram’s grave. It was pretty amazing – everything was perfect. The grass was all in place, and you could never tell that Gram had been laid to rest just the day before. This day was very sunny and pretty, so Mer and I wandered around looking at tombstones. We discovered that people in Rockland die early (in their 30s or 40s) or late (80s or later).

Saturday, no one had plans for the morning, so Mer and I arranged to meet my dad in Augusta, at the Augusta House of Pancakes. It turns out Dad and we were both sitting in the parking lot for 15 minutes or so, because we were on opposite sides of the lot, but we met up at last in the restaurant. We had a tasty breakfast, and got to visit with Dad for over an hour. I wish Kellee had been able to come, but she works Saturdays. We did not get to see Jeremy, either – he got a place a few months back. We just did not have time to see folks from my neck of the woods, but I am grateful that we were able to eat with Dad. That meant much to me.

Back in Rockland, Dale and Carlene and Gramps and I and Mer piled in Dale’s rented mini-van (which he was concerned I would not ride in because he thought it was an SUV), and Mer’s cousin and her family went ahead of us, and we headed out to the Owl’s Head General Store. The Store really is just a small general store, but they have a very small restaurant which makes wonderful hamburgers. We managed to get all nine of us at one table, and we had a very good lunch, as well as getting to chat.

Later in the evening, I was feeling peckish, so Mer and I went to the Rockland Cafe for a light(er) supper. And yes, we did pick up some whoopie pies for dessert. It turns out the Rockland Cafe has some very good whoopie pies. We split four over two days, which is pretty restrained for us.

Mer and Dale and Carlene went out that evening to see Julie and Julia, a movie about Julia Child and a writer who was making all the recipes in Julia’s cookbook. They enjoyed it. I stayed home, and Gramps and I talked for over two hours at the kitchen table. We talked for a long time about Carleton’s 30+ years working for Central Maine Power and how he came to retire slightly early (they bought him out). After awhile, we talked some about Gram. Gramps told me how it was the hardest thing he has ever gone through (and keep in mind that he served in the Pacific in World War 2). We talked about how wonderful Gram was, and how they had always planned on Carelton going first (he is two years older and suffers from bronchitis). Gramps said he is staying in the house, and I support him in this. I was honored that Gramps talked with me for so long. I hope I was able to help him a little just by listening. He is a good and great man – I want him to be as well as he can be.

I finally had to go to bed, and Mer came home shortly after. We grabbed about two hours’ sleep, and we were up at 1:30 or so. We had to get to Portland and return the car and get to the gate for a 6:00 flight. We had no trouble getting back to Pittsburgh, and the two-hour drive home was a bit sleepy, but without incident. We got home early in the afternoon, and we both took long naps. It was good to be home in Maine again, but I am sorry for the occasion. I’ll miss Gram, and Rockland won’t quite be the same anymore.

On Friday, October 9th, 2009, Meredith’s Mom called and left a message on our machine saying that Leona was not doing very well and would probably pass away in a day or two. She called back a couple of hours later to tell us that Leona had died, peacefully at home.

I not only loved Leona, I liked her. I met Leona (and Carleton) back in the summer of 1994 when I was visiting Meredith. I do not remember much of those visits – I had eyes mostly for Meredith, but for some reason Carleton and Leona liked me; I can only imagine that my Maine heritage helped. I have enjoyed spending time with Gram and Gramps ever since. I last got to see Gram in August of 2008, so I got to enjoy her company on and off for 14 years. It was a privilege, and too short.

Gram was sassy with me, and I loved it. She loved to give me grief, and I loved giving it back. Leona had a small whiteboard on her refrigerator, and I would write limericks on it that teased Gram about her lack of skills in Skip-bo (a card game we played). The next morning when I got up, she would have replaced it with her own limerick that teased me and my Skip-bo playing.

Gram and I called each other dea-ah (dear, with a Maine accent). It was a familiar nod to our both being Mainers, and it was much fun. Usually, dea-ah was followed by some gentle sparring, usually about Skip-bo. Gram and I used to trade a stuffed skunk back and forth during our stays in Rockland. The skunk symbolized getting “skunked” in Skip-bo (getting beaten without winning a game all evening), and the skunk moved about from room to room as we maneuvered to find new places for him. Gram got me good last summer by having Meredith sneak him into my luggage. (As an aside, I decided to take the skunk along on trips and to photograph him for Gram. He’s been to Alabama and to London, but I never got to let Gram know that.)

Gram loved to give me grief, but she was also very kind to me. More than once, she did my laundry or ironed my clothes, even though I never asked her to. She would make me hot chocolate from time to time, and often asked after me to make sure I had things to eat (since I am fussy).

Gram and Gramps loved each other, and it was so obvious. They loved to have battles of wits, and to give each other a hard time, but it was always with a smile. I very much want to be like Gram and Gramps when (and if) I get to be in my 70s and 80s with Meredith.

Gram actually liked it when I would bring my guitar along to Rockland. I have no great talent on the instrument, but Gram and Gramps and Mer and I would sit around and sing hymns together on some visits, and that was special. They never cared if I messed up on a song – Gram and Gramps just liked singing with us. It was nice.

Gram was always welcoming to anyone we brought along to the house. We have had several friends and my brother and his wife visit the Wooster home in Rockland. They were introduced to the magic of Skip-bo, and to the magic of Leona and Carleton. Shannon, Jo, and our other friends who met Leona have a small understanding of how special the kitchen on Rankin Street was.

Leona and Carleton came out to our wedding when they were in their 70s, and they drove to Chicago from Maine to be there. They also came and visited us in our Ohio home when they were in their late 70s, again driving from Maine. They wanted to be a part of our lives, and they succeeded.

I’m sure Gram was not perfect, but she was very special to me (and to Meredith). Visits to Rockland were an escape to a home where we were welcome and loved and we could just rest and relax in that place. Rockland is still special because Gramps is still there, but the love is a little less now with Gram gone. She was a great lady. I will miss her.

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Here is the obituary that was printed in the papers and online:

ROCKLAND – Leona A. Wooster. 84, died Friday, October 9, 2009, at her home. Born in Rockland, March 23, 1925, she was the daughter of Ephraim and Carrie Lothrop.

She was educated in Rockland schools, attending Oak Grove School, Tyler School, McLain School, Rockland Junior High School and Rockland High School.

She worked at the former Newberry’s, Rockland Wholesale Grocery and raised poultry for several companies.

At a young age she attended Littlefield Memorial Baptist Church, where she later became a believer in Christ, was baptized, and joined that church. In 1951 she transferred her membership to the First Baptist Church of Rockland, where her husband, Carleton, was a member. She remained an active member there the rest of her life, teaching Sunday school for many years and serving as Superintendent of the Junior and Primary departments. She also served many years as a Deaconess and as a leader in the Pioneer Girls.

Special joys in the last several years of her life were her great-grandchildren, Logan and Kasey Grubbs. Along with her husband, she cared for them much of the time while their parents were going to school or working. A recent joy was the birth of a great-granddaughter Paisley Leona Hayslip, born on August 31, 2009, with her middle name honoring her great-grandmother.

She enjoyed a longtime special friendship with Marjorie Bickmore of Rockland.

She was pre-deceased by her parents; two brothers Lewis Hadley, Ephraim Lothrop, Jr.; two sisters, Minnie Bunker, Effie Hupper; brother-in-law Milton Wooster; sister-in-law Barbara Wooster; and a nephew Danny Wooster. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Carleton of Rockland; one daughter, Carlene King and her husband Dale, of Casselberry, FL; one son, Raymond Wooster and his partner Brenda Harrington, of Spruce Head; three granddaughters, Dana Grubbs and her husband Dale of Thomaston, Meredith Riordan and her husband Matthew of Ohio, Tracy Hayslip and her husband Jon of Northport; three great-grandchildren, Logan Grubbs, Kasey Grubbs, Paisley Leona Hayslip; a brother-in-law Ervin Wooster of Rockland; a sister-in-law Shirley Wooster of Thomaston; nieces and nephews including Gail Jones, Glenn Wooster, Dennis Wooster, David Wooster, Doreen Genthner and Randall Hadley; as well as several others not located in this area.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, October 15, 2009, at First Baptist Church, 215 Limerock Street, Rockland. The Reverend Gabriel Rogers will officiate. Interment will be in Achorn Cemetery Rockland.

Those who wish may make memorial contributions to First Baptist Church of Rockland, 215 Limerock Street, Rockland, ME. 04841 or Kno-Wal-Lin Home Care & Hospice, 170 Pleasant Street, Rockland, ME 04841.

I had not run in a full marathon since October of 2005, when I had a rather disappointing Chicago Marathon, coming in at a 4:21 time. I had high hopes for the 2009 Akron Marathon on Saturday, September 26th, though. Since the Chicago Marathon, I had lost 10 or so pounds, and I have been running year-round for several years now (I used to take winters off, but our treadmill changed that). My running partner (and boss) pushes me quite hard on our runs with a pretty aggressive training schedule. Last year, I trained with Jim for a marathon, but I was not able to run in one because of the cost (marathons can cost up to $100 to enter). Jim ran his marathon last year in 3:35, so I began to think that a 3:30 marathon was possible for me since we train together. Since my previous best time was 3:56 (in 2000), a 3:30 marathon would be pretty amazing.

Jim and I started the training quite early this year, starting serious longer runs in June. I also started training on a hill-intensive 7-mile loop for my regular (during the week) runs. Jim and I were joined by three other guys who wanted to run the marathon – Jason (who works at CVCA), Alex (a former CVCA student) and Angelo (a former CVCA student). The extra company was encouraging, and they were training for the Akron Marathon, which was earlier than the Columbus Marathon in which Jim and I planned to run. That helped push me and Jim. Jim also wanted to make sure we got more 20+ mile runs in this year to make sure we were in better shape. I only managed two of those runs because of schedule conflicts (Jim ended up with a staggering five), but both of the runs were fast and felt good and so were encouraging.

So, once I decided to run Akron (see below), I felt pretty good about my chances, and thought a 3:30 marathon was a very real possibility. I was certainly in the best shape of my life, and while I had some nagging left knee issues, they were minor and I could run through them.

A few days before the marathon, I was in the shower, thinking (I like to think in the shower). It occurred to me suddenly that I could run this race in honor of Meredith’s grandmother, Leona Wooster. Gram had been diagnosed with untreatable lung cancer in late August, and was only given a few months to live. Many people run marathons in memory of loved ones, but I wanted to see if I could encourage Gram by running in honor of her while she was still with us. It seemed like a great idea, so I resolved to do it, but I kept it to myself. One, I like surprising people, and two, I did not want to promise to run for Gram and then get hurt and not be able to run.

I was able to get a shirt made up that said “Wooster” across the chest, and I was able to hide it under an outer button-up shirt the day of the race. Meredith noticed I was not wearing my usual blue racing shirt and tried to see it, but I was able to distract her by telling her I was wearing white in case it got sunny.

Mer and I met up with our friend Nate, who was going to run the half-marathon. Nate is a fairly new runner (he started running last September), and he trained with me some. We were going to run together until the half and full marathons split around mile 11 or so. It is always good to have company for these things. Jim (my boss) was going to jump into the race at about mile 8 to run with me and help pace me. You are not supposed to do that, but Jim wanted to help me run (and he would get an 18-mile run in himself that way).

The forecast had been for rain, but it held off. It did drizzle lightly a few times on the course, and I heard that it really began to rain about a half hour after Mer and I left, after I had finished. I was most grateful for the lack of rain. It did make it humid, but at least Mer could stay dry (she was sick), and while I don’t mind running in the rain, I prefer to run when it is dry.

I’ll spare you all of the details of the run. The start is in the dark (it starts at 7:00 and sunrise was at about 7:15 or so). We do get to see the sun coming up as we run across one of the major Akron bridges (at mile 1 and at mile 2), which is pretty. As always, Mer was there to cheer me on, and I got to give her the traditional kiss on the cheek and an “I love you” at miles 3 and 10. It is very special to me that Mer bothers to come out and cheer me on to see me four times (start, miles 3 and 10, and finish) over 3+ hours. What a trooper. Mer did have good company with Nate’s wife, Rachel, and our friend Lis (who is married to a CVCA teacher, Matt, who was running the half).

Nate and I found miles 4 and 5 to be pretty tedious. That section was run out along a commercial area, so fan support was low since there were not really any houses in the area. The race was also along a major road that was along rolling hills, and it just seemed to take a while, and this section was part of my second slowest splits out of five sections of the race.

We met up with Jim at mile 8 as planned, and we had a good time talking. Nate split off at mile 11, with an outside shot of breaking 1:40 for the half. He finished at 1:40:52, which was only 24 seconds slower than my first half marathon in 2006 (which was along a flat and faster course). Nate had a great run, and I was happy for him.

The back part of the Akron marathon takes place along the Towpath (which is familiar territory for me and Jim), and then winds along roads through park lands and then neighborhoods. It is all very pretty, but what is very tough about the back part of this race is the hills. From mile 16 through mile 24, the course is largely uphill or along rolling hills. This includes a 1.7-mile-long hill from mile 16 though mile 18. For some odd reason, this uphill section was my fastest part of the race, a good 30 seconds/mile faster than my average pace. I guess I wanted to get the hills over with. Along about mile 20, Jim asked me how I was doing. I told him I’d be doing okay if the blasted hills would stop so I could get my legs back under me. I was getting pretty tired.

There was a steep two-block-long hill near the mansion Stan Hywet that hurt quite a bit. I put my head down and ran hard up it, and happily there was a water station near the top. Since I walk through water stations so I can get a good drink, I was happy that I could take a short walking rest. The course did take us through part of Stan Hywet’s gounds, which were pretty.

Along about mile 23, I was really hurting. I really wanted to walk, but I had two factors going on. One, I was racing for Gram, and along this section I told myself I could not walk because “I can’t give Gram crap.” If I was going to honor her, I was going to give her my best. Also, I knew I still had a real shot at breaking 3:30, but not if I walked anywhere outside of the water stations. Jim was also a real help along here. We were no longer talking much (I was too tired), but it was good to have him along. It also helped having people yell “Go, Wooster!” in response to my shirt; this section had a fair number of spectators, so that helped.

I took things one mile at a time, and Jim talked me though the last hill at mile 25. We turned the corner on to High Street, where the marathon finishes, and Jim peeled off right at mile 26 (the last .2 miles are fenced in by barriers for some reason). I am deeply grateful to Jim for his encouragement in the training and during this run. The marathon finishes up in the very cool Akron Aeros baseball field, and I ran on the the field and started pumping my fist in the air. I knew I had it. I finished the race, crossing the line in 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 20 seconds (3:28:20). That works out to a 7:57/mile pace for 26.2 miles, and I broke my previous best time by 28 minutes. I was thrilled. What a great race. No crap for Gram.

Nate had waited for me (what a guy!), and so he helped me to a seat and then he went looking for Meredith. He found her, and Mer took me home, tired but happy. Here are my stats for the race:

2009 Akron Marathon
3:28:20 finishing time, 7:57/mile pace
132 out of 1,421 finishers (top 9.3%)
113 out of 976 male finishers (top 11.6%)
15 out of 144 males, 35-39 years old (top 10.4%)

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Interesting story about getting to the decision to run Akron. I had planned on running Columbus, but it was looking like that was going to be expensive because Mer and I would have to get a hotel. So, I decided to run the Towpath Marathon instead. It was about the same time (October 11th), and was flat and fast, and so I would have a good shot at breaking a 3:30 time. I had told my friends who were training for Akron that they were nuts because Akron is so hilly. I figured you could not run a fast race in Akron.

So, I was out running my hilly 7-mile loop one day and was thinking about the race. I am a Christian, but I do not “hear” from God very often. This day, I suddenly felt as if I should not run the Towpath Marathon, but that I should run the Akron instead. I started making excuses in my head and tried to talk myself and God out of that idea. This lasted for several days, and finally it came to me that I was saying that I was putting a fast Towpath course ahead of what I felt as if I was being called to do. I was basically saying that the all-powerful God of everything could not possibly make me run fast on a hilly course, so I would have to run the flat course. I finally saw the flaw in that logic, and submitted; I decided to run Akron out of obedience to what I felt was God’s call. At the time I thought it was because Akron was a Saturday race and Towpath was a Sunday race. If I ran Towpath, I would have to miss church, in effect not honoring the (Christian Sunday) Sabbath (one of the Ten Commandments). That very well may have been a large part of it, but now I’m not so sure.

I ran the race in honor of Gram. I was able to send her my shirt (washed, of course), my finisher’s medal, and a letter telling her how I loved her. She got this package, and I am told it was a huge encouragement to Gram and Gramps, which was the intent. I was blessed enormously in knowing I was able to encourage Gram.

The Towpath Marathon, which I had wanted to run so I could have a fast time, was Sunday, October 11th. Gram passed away on Friday, October 9th. God wanted me to run the Akron Marathon because Gram was not going to make it to the Towpath Marathon. If I had disobeyed what I was sure was God’s call, I would have missed my chance to tell Gram what I felt and to bless her (and myself). I am still in awe at this. God is good – I obeyed, and was able to honor Gram and still break 3:30. Amazing. Thank you, Lord.

Saturday (September 12th) was our last day in Chicago for the Wedding Weekend. James came over to the apartment, and we all headed to Jury’s restaurant. According to Shannon and Jo, Jury’s is well known for their burgers, and Shannon likes it because they are a rare place that sells hard cider (which he likes). It was a very pretty day, so we sat out on the deck in the back of the restaurant. Fair Irish Maine boys sat in the shade and were thus comfortable – most of the deck was shaded, happily. The burgers were quite good, and it was a very pleasant lunch.

Shannon and Jo decided that we had to try a nearby ice cream place for dessert, so we wandered over to Drew’s. Drew’s makes all-natural ice cream. I got a brownie with ice cream on it, and it was quite good, but if I go back, I’m going to get what Shannon got – an ice cream cookie sandwich. His looked really good.

By this point it was early afternoon, so Mer and I decided we should go. I wanted to stop by Mom and Marc’s place in Michigan for a few hours, and then try to make it to eastern Michigan to see our good friend Ellen. Staying with Ellen would make the Sunday drive home much shorter, and we would probably even get to go to church with her. I had hoped we would be on the road at 1:00, but it was a little after 2:00 when we left. We gave James a lift since we were going right by the University of Chicago area.

We got to Mom and Marc’s place about 5:30 (because of the time difference), and Mom and Marc and Kelly and Paul were just getting ready to sit down to a dinner of ribs and corn and other good stuff. Mom and Marc insisted they had enough and so asked us to eat with them, which we were quite happy to do. We ate too much, and got to chat for about an hour and a half, at which point I felt we needed to leave to have any chance of catching Ellen awake. We went out to the car and started to pull out when a flock of turkeys came wandering out. I had never seen wild turkeys before, plus they were wandering right in the road, so we stopped the car and got out and watched. They were funny little birds. They also delayed us another 25 minutes or so, so it was about 8:00 when we left Mom’s. It had been my original plan to be at Ellen’s at 8:00, but we were delayed in Chicago and I had spaced on the hour time difference. Ooops. And no, I had never told Ellen we were coming – I love surprising people. It does carry some risks though.

Ever the optimist, I was determined to drive to Ellen’s in the hope that we would get there about 9:30 and she would still be up. We made decent time, but it was almost 10:00 when we pulled into her driveway, and her entire downstairs was dark. However, there was an upstairs light on, so I tried knocking and ringing the doorbell. Mer felt as if we were probably going to wake her, and wanted to leave, but I at least tried calling information for Ellen’s number. Sadly, her number is not listed, at least not in Michigan. So, feeling a bit foolish about my bad planning, Mer and I wrote Ellen a note and stuck it on her car under the windshield wiper. We then proceeded to drive the rest of the way home, and got home about 1:00 or so. We later found out that Ellen had been awake watching a movie, and thought she may have heard a doorbell, but figured if it was a friend she would get a cell phone call. She clearly mistakes me for someone with the brains to have my iPod with me for all of my numbers.

We would have loved to stay with Mom and company or to see Ellen, but getting home late Saturday/early Sunday did allow us to sleep in and have a very mellow day instead of spending a good chunk of it on the road. Next time though, I won’t be such a turkey – I’ll bring my phone numbers along.

Friday of the wedding weekend (September 11th) was an all-tourist kind of day. Jolene had to work (sad), so that left me and Mer to be touristy, with Shannon leading the way. To get the day started off right, Shannon and I ran up to the Skokie Sculpture Park and park and back, a run of about 6 miles or so. It was fairly gratifying that I was clearly in better shape than Shannon, which is often not the case. Shannon is an avid biker, but had not gotten to ride much over the summer, and I was two weeks away from a marathon, so I was in pretty good shape.

After we showered and got ready, we headed over to Ann Sather’s Restaurant for breakfast. Mer and I love this restaurant for breakfast – they have huge and very good cinnamon rolls that we quite enjoy. We always walk to the restaurant from Shannon’s place, a walk of about 2-3 miles. It is fun to see the city neighborhoods, and we always go along back streets to get to see houses and buildings. We do this even when we visit Chicago in the winter. It whets the appetite.

After we got done with breakfast, we decided it would be fun to go downtown and see a few sights, especially the sights that had changed in the 8+ years since we’ve lived in Chicago. Shannon works for the Art Institute, so that seemed a great place to start. Shannon was able to get us into the staff area of the building to meet a couple of curators of whom Shannon is very fond. They were very nice and funny women, and specialized in ancient art. On the recommendation of the curators, we then went to see an ancient falcon sculpture that looks as if it could have been right out of the Art Deco period. We also wandered through some of the 16th and 17th century rooms of paintings to see a few paintings that are very famous and/or that Shannon and Jo like.

The main attraction Shannon wanted us to see in our limited time at the Art Institute was the new modern wing. It is beautiful. I think Shannon said it was $300 million, and it looks like it. It has wooden floors, large ceilings, huge windows that look over the city, and the art is laid out in a logical (and not crowded) manner. Much of the art we blew by, but Shannon did want us to see some of the views of the city which happen to be near art that does not pass the Matt Test (the “could I have made it?” test), and thus the art made me angry. Still, much of the modern art was at least okay, and the views of the city are fantastic.

The new wing has a new restaurant and patio that looks over the park and the city, and also has a pedestrian bridge into Millennium Park. This is a great space. While we were looking at the city and having our picture taken, a woman was being filmed next to us for some kind of Chicago-based TV show. We then wandered down the bridge (which also has wonderful views of the city) into Millennium Park.

Millennium Park is a wonderful addition to the city. It has a lot of space, and the outdoor auditorium is really cool. They have planted walking gardens and new hedges that will take 20 years to grow to maturity. There is a cool winding bridge that connects the park to the shoreline. There is a small artificial stream that runs through part of the park, and several business people were eating lunch beside it or dangling their feet in it. Mer and I dangled our feet in the stream, and it was really cold! Shannon talked to a local guide who said the stream mirrors the original Lake Michigan shoreline, which is neat (the current shoreline is probably 3/4 of a mile away from the park). We wandered over by the sculpture called “The Bean,” which has become a Chicago icon and is strangely fascinating. The park’s fountain/square was working, to the delight of many children, but the large signs on either side that usually show faces that spit water at the kids were turned off. There was also a small display of Chinese sculpture near the fountain, including a metal dinosaur.

We were hot, so we stopped by a smoothie bar. Mer got water, but I was happy to get a strawberry concoction. We then jumped on the El to go back to the apartment, but got off a stop or two early to get ice cream at a place Shannon recommended. It was quite good. We then walked to the apartment, where Jo met up with us. It was a good afternoon, and the evening was still ahead.

We all piled in Jo’s car to head out to dinner and a show. We ate near the theater we were going to, at a local Italian chain called Leona’s. Mer and I are very fond of Leona’s as well, having eaten there quite a bit when we lived in Chicago. Sadly, this night, the food was slow in coming, and Mer’s food came out last and late, so she did not have much time to eat it. We did make it to the nearby theater in time, but it was not the leisurely sort of meal we like to have.

Shannon and Jo treated us to a play called The Night Season, which is a play about an Irish family. It was about a father (often drunk), his three daughters, an elderly (and slightly crazy) grandmother, an American actor who stays with the family, and one of the daughter’s former boyfriends. The theater was very intimate, with the stage only about 10 feet away. The audience was fairly small (about 25 people). The actors did a fine job in acting their roles. I enjoyed the play, and found it compelling, but it mostly just told a story. There is certainly nothing wrong with telling a good story, but the play did not leave me thinking too deeply about it when I left. Still, I do enjoy theater and it was excellent storytelling, so I had a very good time.

Not a bad little day in Chicago.

Sorry for the lag in blogging once again – I was sick for about 18 days, and then out of town for 4 days, so much of October’s planned blogging got put on the back burner. I certainly needed to mention this entry, though – it was 18 years in the making.

Back in early August, I got an e-mail from Mom that had a subject of “Wedding.” I figured a cousin or someone was getting married and Mom wanted me to know. I was rather happily surprised when I opened the e-mail and found out that Mom and her long-time (and long-suffering) other half, Marc, were getting married on September 10th. She said she would understand if I could not be there with the start of school and all, but that was just silly. I would not have missed this wedding for the world. I love weddings, and I like Marc very much, and it’s my Mom – c’mon!

Meredith and I got permission to miss school both Thursday and Friday of that week in September, and we made our way out to Chicago after school on Wednesday the 9th. It was uneventful, with the highlight being the traditional stop at Dairy Queen near South Bend. We got to Shannon and Jo’s place late, but stayed up to see Shannon’s excellent DVD slide show of the pictures of their summer trip to Maine. The pictures were quite fantastic, and Shannon chose some fun music to go along with the pictures.

Thursday came about and we spent much of the morning puttering. Shannon made brunch (French toast) while Jo ran errands. We all took our turns in the sole bathroom in the apartment, and got spiffed up and headed down to the University of Chicago with Jo driving. We got there in plenty of time, and only a few people were there yet.

The small chapel that Mom and Mar chose was beautiful. It could only hold about 50-60 people, but the seats were carved wood, the stone was classic gray, and the altar was backed by a giant stained glass window. It was a great venue. The place started filling up, and finally we got word that Mom and Marc had arrived. We went outside to say hey, and escorted them in a side door so Marc could go to the front of the chapel and Mom could go to the foyer.

Mom went to great lengths to make sure her children were involved in her wedding. Shannon and I got to walk Mom in (a task I apparently sucked at – Shannon and I went at different speeds with me going faster, so Mom got kind of cockeyed). Kelly got to be the Matron of Honor (I’m sure she’ll be happy with her being called “Matron”). Jolene and Meredith got to read poems; Jolene read a poem by Maya Angelou that Mom had requested. Meredith read three sonnets (Shakespeare, Barrett Browning, and ee cummings) and (at my suggestion) a poem about husbands by Ogden Nash (he he!). The officiating bishop did a great job of officiating a dignified service, while still having a few moments of levity that showed how well he knew Mom and Marc. I was very pleased at the liturgy of the service – I’m not sure what one it was, but it was very sound from a Christian perspective.

Marc seemed nervous – that made me smile. Marc is usually very much in control and usually very quick to help with the levity of a gathering. His being nervous was wonderfully honest, and it was a nice testament to his feelings. Mom looked very elegant in a simple blue dress, and the space was small enough that the service was easy to hear.

The service lasted about 30 minutes, and then we all went outside to chat. The World’s Cutest Niece was quite happy to be playing with a balloon of a butterfly, and the Wold’s Cutest Nephew was very well behaved in his car/travel seat. It was good to see Kelly and Paul and the family – we do not get to see them so much as we get to see Shannon and Jo and Mom and Marc.

  After some pictures were taken (I actually did not take any during the ceremony since I was in it), we dispersed to go to a nearby Mediterranean restaurant that Mom and Marc had reserved. As an aside, when I got out of the car in my suit and fedora, a man outside the restaurant told me I looked as if I was a magazine cover. That made me very pleased. Not surprisingly, the restaurant’s food was ample and excellent, and was served up in four courses. Mom and Marc do know food, and I was happy to share in their good taste.

  After an excellent meal and some visiting with people, we headed out to the car to head northward. We were going back to Shannon and Jo’s. Mom and Marc and Kelly and Paul and family, as well as a few others, were headed to Mom and Marc’s apartment nearby. Mom and company were planning on heading to the Michigan home the next day, but we decided that we get to Chicago so rarely that we would stay in the city for a couple of days to see a few sights.

It was very much a lovely wedding, worth waiting 18 years for.

Thursday, Aug. 6th, was our last day in Amish Country, at least this time around. We slept in and packed everything up and made sure the cabin was in decent shape. Once everything was okay, we headed over to the town of Berlin, where we headed over to The Farmstead for brunch. We again avoided the buffet that every restaurant seemed to try to throw at us, and ordered single meals. It was a good restaurant, and I hope to get it on the Amish Country rotation.

After brunch, we drove over to a local furniture store. The two men in the store, who appeared to be in their 30s, were speaking Pennsylvania Dutch when we came in, and they continued to switch effortlessly between Pennsylvania Dutch and English while where we there, depending on who they were speaking to. Both men were very friendly, and we spent quite awhile lusting after beautiful wood furniture that was very reasonably priced. The owners also told us that we needed to head out to a local farm (near Miller’s Bakery) and get a “fry pie.” It turns out that a fry pie is the perfect way to get your fruit. The Amish take a fruit spread, like strawberry, wrap it in a pie crust, deep fry it, and coat it in a glaze. Wow, were they good.

We took the men up on their recommendation and went out to the farm. The fry pies were as good as advertised, and there were lots of other wonderful baked goods available as well (of course). We wandered around the yard a bit after we had our food, and we looked at the various animals.

We then pointed the car homeward, although I wanted to make one more stop. There is a store near Berlin that is advertised as a forge and iron works. It turns out the actual forge is in Pennsylvania, and this is a retail outlet, but it was still fun to look at the various metal pieces. While Mer was in the bathroom, I bought her a pair of earrings (with cats on them). And because this was Amish country, the earrings got me a coupon for a free piece of pie at an Amish bakery on the way home. We decided that Amish country was now aggressively flinging food at us wherever we went, and so we saved the coupon for another day.

Keep in mind that we were in Amish country for only ten possible meals, and we skipped three of them. In a little over 50 hours in food central, we both managed to pack on 10 pounds each (which we have since both managed to take off). On our 11th anniversary, there was just more of us to love!