56. ASPHALT

A hard surface with a purpose

* When you are out in the forest, you may wonder about whether asphalt really does have a purpose. However, how long would it have taken you to get to that forest on a dirt road?
* Broadly, it could be asked: Can unnatural things like asphalt benefit natural things like a forest?
* Thanks again to my cousin Annie and her family (c.f., "#42: Head rests") for suggesting this simple miracle, albeit simply with the cleverness and without the philosophical commentary.

55. MARATHON RACES

Where strangers cheer for each other

* Yesterday, I ran the Marine Corps 10K in Washington DC and Virginia. How encouraging it is to see so many folks along the course rooting you on!
* In theory, there are some are some folks that run marathons or 10K races to compete against others and therefore have reason not to hope for the best for another runner. But the majority of yesterday's 35,000 runners, I would guess, were not thinking about such a competition. If anything, to see another doing well was inspiration to do well oneself.
* "To do one's best and to hope for the best for another." Is this not the approach of a marathon runner? What a pattern it sets for other "races" that we run with others!

54. EXCLAMATION POINTS

The joyful proclamation punctuation!

* Do you ever begin a message just with someone's name followed by an exclamation point? (For instance, "Phil!") To me, this says, "Hello! What a wonderful surprise it was to hear from you! I'm excited to think of you! I couldn't wait to share this message with you!" Give it a try sometime.
* Consider also how an exclamation point can turn a question into a confident observation. "What, a beautiful day it is?" becomes "What a beautiful day it is!"
* I am a fan of the single exclamation point. Any more than two exclamation points at a time is very dizzying to me.

53. CHILI

Much easier than going to Chile when it is chilly

* I just made a pot of chili last night: Five pounds of ground meat, two cans of beans, three cans of tomatoes with green chilis, an onion, a green pepper, a red pepper, three cloves of garlic, tomato juice. Brown meat. Add other ingredients. Simmer indefinitely. Serve with sour cream and cheese.

52. FALL FOLIAGE

On the trees or wafting downward, what beautiful color!

* Raking leaves is one of my favorite autumn pastimes.
* Where is your favorite place to go to see the different colors of leaves?
* Back in the fall of 2002, "Leaves on Trees" was one of the very first simple miracles at CWRU.