Simply Sensational.

There's just no other word for it. Sensational. Beautiful weather day. Everything went right with the day. The only downside was I wish I could have been two places at once. OK. Let's start at the beginning ...

I had my alarm set for 4:15 AM. Never heard it go off. I woke up at 4:40 AM. Not so bad, really. Got on the Stairmaster for an hour and a half. Then got ready to leave for Decorah for Eric's graduation from Luther College. The day looked to be fabulous for an outdoor ceremony. Indeed. Couldn't have been better. (Didn't dawn on me to put on sunscreen so I got a bit of a sunburn, though.) He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Business Management and minors in Psychology and Spanish. I'm very proud.

Earlier in the week he asked if it was OK if he buzzed his hair again. Sure. No problem. It was (is) really short!! 1/8". He said he'd had a 1/2" mohawk for the last 3 days. Funny. That's a first. Harmless, though. ;-)

When we got home, I bolted out the door for the 3 post-Med-City Marathon parties, starting with Ron Giles'. I'd called Ron from the parking lot at Luther. Just couldn't wait any longer! Got the first piece of great news for the day. He ran a 2-minute P.R.--a 2:44 marathon, good enough for third place. He was very satisfied and I was very happy for him!!!

(I'll post more photos from the parties tomorrow. The day has been very full. ;-) And it's already my bedtime.) A little bit about the guy that won the marathon ... he'd flown into MN to run Stillwater, previewed the course and decided uh-uh. Way to hilly. So he came to Rochester instead, ran it and won in 2:39. Another bit of marathon news. At 2 PM, Matt turned on the TV and the EAS alert was on. They announced that the missing Med-City Marathon runner had been located. What was that about?? Haven't really heard other than it was a 27-year old female. Maybe more info will be forthcoming. One more thing ... as I was out running tonight (more on that later), I was reading all the chalk message on the 52 frontage road bike path. One of them was something like "Dan Strain Rubik's Cube Man" or something like that. I'd forgotten all about that! Dan was going to solve the rubik's cube once per mile on the marathon. I'll check into that and get back to you!!

Then it was on to P.K.'s house. Pam, Julie and Peggy ran their first, and according to all 3 of them, their last, marathon. I am so proud of them! I gave them each 6 big chocolate chip pecan cookies to celebrate their accomplishments. A masseuse was at Pam's house. Someone had hired her to give each of them a 30-minute post-marathon massage. How nice is that?? Peggy is on the table in the photo below.

Pam and Gerry had made pork on their Big Green Egg (smoker). Fabulous. Pam had a mustard BBQ sauce that was absolutely delicious. I'll have to get the recipe and post it.

Then it was over to Peg and Wally Arnold's house for the third and last party of the day. Food and fun were plentiful there as well.

Then it was home to clean bathrooms and get egg bake mixed up in anticipation of my sister and family arriving late tonight. Tomorrow we'll celebrate Eric's graduation and my niece Kaleigh's third birthday.

After all that was done, I decided that I couldn't hold off any longer. After all the running talk of the day, and the sensational weather, I just had to try going out for a run. (And I had a desire to burn off some, or hopefully all, the calories I'd consumed this afternoon grazing at these parties!) So I went out about 7:30 PM for a loop around the hill. I was soooooo pleased. I ran 7.20 miles with NO PAIN. I just ran easy, but my pace turned out to be just over 8:00 minute pace so I was happy about that too. What a way to end a sensational day. And you know what? Just as I was turning off county 22 to head up the nice long Fox Valley Drive hill, I looked up and saw an eagle. I'd seen an eagle on county 22 three other times in the last year. Wow.

Eric wanted a cherry pie for tomorrow, so about 9:00 PM I started that. Just took it out of the oven. BTW: It's great to have the boys at home. :-) Once a mom, always a mom. And I know these days are numbered. One of these days, Eric WILL find a job and move out. Then I'll be sad.

Well, it's time to wind down this day and prepare for the next. Happy Memorial Day to all of you. Take a minute or two tomorrow and to think about, and give thanks for, all those that have died in service to this country that we are so privileged to live in and call home.

Good night.