The war on autumn: the real problem with Starbucks' red cups

Me on the grounds of the Gideon Putnam Resort in
Saratoga Springs State Park. Notice the autumn
leaves in the photo.

I was in Saratoga Springs, New York this weekend for a Guideposts magazine writers' refresher workshop. Basically, it was like the quarter quell in The Hunger Games (we had all previously won one admission to their biannual workshops before.) But this event was for nice, not nefarious, purposes!

Anyhow, in addition to the great time I had learning and laughing with my fellow workshoppers, I loved seeing the fall foliage. One of the reasons I moved back to the Northeast from Texas is because I like having all four seasons. In Texas, you don't really see the brilliant colors of autumn leaves. Instead, it's hot, and as hot. But in New York, fall is terrific.I love the yellow, red, and most especially the orange colors of fall. So I was in heaven walking around this weekend and seeing fall, even if Saratoga is technically past peak when it comes to the leaves. I love savoring autumn.

From my Halloween visit to the
New York Botanical Gardens. I love fall.

When I was away, though, my Facebook page started to blow up with one of the dopiest controversies ever: the idea that Starbucks hates the baby Jesus because of their new minimalist red coffee cups. When I first saw a headline, though, I thought the story was about how it was too soon to have Christmas-related cups. I was in Starbucks a week ago, and it flummoxed me that I was drinking my Thanksgiving Blend coffee in a Christmas-related drinking vessel. 

I am officially tired of what I'm calling The War on Autumn; I am a firm believer in not having anything Christmas-related until after Thanksgiving is over. Let's stop rushing through the fall season to get to winter. I don't need to see Christmas stuff when we haven't even commemorated Veterans' Day yet. Enough already. Let me play Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" and eat my Thanksgiving turkey in peace, without having Christmas take over the holiday. (And that goes for Black Friday becoming Black Thursday, too!) That's the real issue with these cups, IMHO.

Then I heard what this kerfuffle was about -- that Starbucks "removed Christmas from their cups" (except the cups never said "Merry Christmas" or anything like that in the first place) because they "hate Jesus," according to backwards-baseball-cap-wearing doofus pastor Joshua Feuersten, In addition to wearing his cap backwards in a video, which only Ken Griffey Jr. should be allowed to do, he also falsely claims that they're not allowed to say "Merry Christmas" to customers. (Untrue as well, but at any rate, who the bleep needs to be told "Merry Christmas" when it's early November! Should I get in a tizzy if somebody doesn't wish me "Happy Easter" the day after Groundhog Day?) 

Look at the name! Shocking!

Given the outrage, and the outrage over the outrage about a coffee cup, I expected that there was some organized effort here. No, it's this one knucklehead, who misused the word "literally" (of course he did!) in his video, whining, and bragging about how he brought a gun to Starbucks. It is basically as if something I wrote in my blog became a national story, with millions arguing over it. Good grief.

This goober is a bona fide moron. How does Starbucks hate Jesus if they still carry Christmas Blend coffee, and Advent calendars? And the color of the cup does symbolize Christmas. 

And what is his solution to "prank Starbucks," as he calls it? For Christians to spend money in the store, and say that their name is "Merry Christmas," so that those baristas supposedly despise God will have to write that hated phrase on the cups. This might be the dumbest prank in world history. What he is doing is encouraging people to spend money in Starbucks. How does that hurt them, exactly?  The corporation will cry all the way to the bank! 

At any rate, this is a dumb controversy. and this pastor makes Christians look bad. Let's stick with the really wrong thing with these cups -- I don't want pumpkin spice or Thanksgiving blend coffee in a red coffee cup. End of story. Stop The War on Autumn, Starbucks!

On Andrew McCutchen, faith, and seeing PNC Park, the most beautiful park in America

The view from the PNC Park press box.

There is something exhilarating about going on a mission that most of the people in your world won't know about until it is over. That is what happened to me this week, when I went to Pittsburgh to interview Andrew McCutchen, the superstar center fielder for the Pirates, for Guideposts magazine.

This interview had been a goal of mine that I had been working toward for months, but it all came together very quickly in the last week. I didn't want to jinx anything, so I only told a few people about my trip before it happened! I even stayed off yakking on Facebook during the trip so I didn't reveal anything.

Me on the field during batting practice.

Plus, I kind of liked the idea of being a woman of mystery, if only for a few days!

Anyhow, I spoke to McCutchen for an hour early Thursday afternoon before the team's Faith Night game. Now, I can't say exactly what Cutch, as he is commonly known, told me in our interview -- you will have to read the Guideposts article when it comes out for that -- but I will say this: he is a very intelligent and well-spoken man motivated by his faith.

The schedule date of the interview was no coincidence. Faith Night is an annual event that the Pirates do, in which McCutchen and other players, coaches, and manager Clint Hurdle speak about their religious convictions. (More on that later down in the Squawk!) And McCutchen wanted me to see what the event was like.

So let me get started with Part 1 of my trip report. I also went to the Andy Warhol Museum, and to the two Pittsburgh inclines, but I will be saving the full recap of those things for a future Squawk:

Consol Energy Center. And a hockey statue.
Pittsburgh is very big on statues!

Wednesday, August 19

I rook an 8 1/2 hour Greyhound bus ride to Pittsburgh. The bus was surprisingly comfortable -- much more so than flying is these days. We had two stops -- one in Philadelphia (that bus station is a complete dump!) and one at a nice rest area in Sliding Rock somewhere in the middle of nowhere. And unlike in the Twilight Zone episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?," the bus drivers do not count to make sure everybody is on board before leaving the rest stop!

The Cambria's hotel lobby.

I read a lot on my Kindle during the ride, including reading Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon -- twice! I was very excited by what the author had to say, and have already incorporated some of his ideas to foster creativity into my current life.

At around 12:30 a.m., I arrived in Pittsburgh. I had gotten a Priceline deal for the Cambria Inn and Suites in downtown Pittsburgh. The hotel was supposed to be only four blocks away from the bus station. However, the GPS map function on my iPhone went awry and sent me on a wild goose chase around downtown Pittsburgh!

The view from the bed in my hotel room.

Finally, after over a mile of walking around in the middle of the night with my wheeled suitcase and my backpack, I looked for signs for the Consol Energy Center (my hotel was next door.) Finally, I found the hotel and went into my room, which was pretty plush. However, the air conditioning wasn't working, and the room was 78 degrees! (I can't sleep in such a hot temperature; I prefer a very cool room.)

So I called the front desk and complained, and said that they needed to put me in another room. At this point, it was 1:30 a.m., and by the time they could get the AC working, half the night would be over!

The view from my hotel room.

They found me another room, but then the entry card didn't work, and the replacement card didn't work, either. Finally, at about two in the morning, I got into my room. It was worth the wait. It turned out that the second hotel room even nicer than the first -- it had three rooms instead of two, with a big bedroom, a nice living room area, and a huge bathroom, with two separate shower heads.

The hotel room was bigger than my apartment, and I do not have a tiny apartment! The king-size bed was amazing, and I have a luxury Duxiana bed at home, so I have high standards! Even the view out the window was much better. I didn't get to spend much time in the room other than sleeping, but the room was the nicest I have ever stayed in!

Thursday, August 20

What Heinz Field looked like during my run.

My training for the Staten Island Half-Marathon in October didn't stop because I was out of town. I got up on an overcast Thursday morning and ran around downtown Pittsburgh, then over the Roberto Clemente Bridge and along the river on the North Shore, past PNC Park and Heinz Field. Then I turned around and ran in the other direction and back to the hotel, putting in a total of six miles.

After that, I headed back to the hotel and got ready for my interview with McCutchen at PNC Field. I have known John Fuller, McCutchen's marketing and publicity person, via social media for several years, but this was the first time we have met in real life. John is a great guy and the best in the business at what he does, IMHO! We met outside PNC Field and he escorted me in via the media entrance. Then we went into a lounge area, where I would be interviewing McCutchen.

The lounge area where the interview took place.

I notice sometimes when hearing interviewers that they get so focused on rattling off a list of questions that they miss following up on interesting things that their subject says. So while I did have a written list of questions for McCutchen, I ended up never looking at the list. Instead, thanks to all the research I had done on him, I had the questions in my head, and did followups based on what he said. He is a very good interview; no cliches, just sincere explanations of the role faith plays in his life.

After the interview, John brought me on the field to check out batting practice. What an awesome feeling to be on the field and see the players at work! I walked around a lot, just soaking in the great atmosphere, and even got to go in the Pirates' dugout.

Seeing batting practice was awesome!

When Squawker Jon did a baseball stadium road trip a few years ago, he said that PNC Park was his favorite. He was right; I think it is the most beautiful park in baseball.

Yankee go home? Oh, no! 

After batting practice -- I stayed on the field long enough not just to see the Pirates but also the San Francisco Giants, who were playing Pittsburgh that night -- I got to have dinner in the press dining hall. And it was one of the best meals I have ever had in a ballpark! For just $10, I had pan-seared sage-rubbed chicken breast, barbecue pork loin with peach chutney, roasted corn in a thyme cream sauce, and a spring mix salad. Oh, and soft-serve chocolate ice cream for dessert. No wonder so many sportswriters are overweight. If I were a beat writer, I would end up being 300 pounds!

I got to watch the game from the press box, which was another first-time thrill for me. The view from there is exquisite. And because you are higher up, you can see the rolling hills of Pittsburgh, as well as the bridges and skyscrapers. Amazing.

They also have snacks for reporters in the press box, as well as complimentary soda and coffee. And tons of printed information for members of the media, with pretty much anything you would need to know about each team. Next time you hear somebody on a broadcast rattle off some statistic or tidbit, chances are they got the information from one of these reports.

PNC Park is exquisite.

You know the saying "no cheering in the press box"? It is true -- and enforced! I saw two men -- one of them wearing a Pirates jersey -- in the press box. At one point, when the Pirates scored, they started cheering. About a minute later, they were told to leave!

The atmosphere for the game was pretty electric -- it was a sellout crowd, thanks to it being Faith Night. It was also Military Night, so the Pirates wore camouflage uniforms.

After the game, I went into the stands to watch Faith Night, but then John Fuller was able to get me onto the field and into the visitors' dugout, where the players' wives watching, to see the players' talking up close

Andrew McCutchen (l.) and other Pirates players
during Faith Night.

McCutchen, Clint Hurdle, Sean Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Joakim Soria, Chris Stewart, Pedro Alvarez, Travis Ishikawa and others were among the Pirates talking about their faith. They all had different stories about what their beliefs meant to their lives, and the stories were very moving.

About 12,000 Pirates fans stayed for Faith Night. I don't want to get preachy here, but the event was really well done, and gave fans a look at players in a different light, showing how they have worries and concerns just like the rest of us.

After Faith Night, I headed back on the Roberto Clemente Bridge back to my hotel and called it a night after a spectacular day.

Click here for Part 2 of my Squawk.

Enthusiasm makes the difference: My thoughts on the Grateful Dead's swan song and Trey Anastasio, my new fave guitarist

The Grateful Dead at their last show.

Before I Squawk about the Yankees/Red Sox series this weekend, I wanted to talk about something else really important: how awesome it was to see the big-screen simulcast of the Grateful Dead's last concert Sunday night. It was glorious! I really enjoyed watching and listening to the concert, and dancing in the aisles (literally!) during the show, doing those awkward twirling moves Dead fans are known for! (Don't judge.)

As my Facebook friends know, I had a busy day that Sunday. First, I went to see "On the Town" on Broadway with Squawker Jon (it was a good show, but interestingly, the female characters were much more compelling than the interchangeable male sailors.) 

Then we went to dinner at City Kitchen NYC -- it is an new upscale food court in Times Square, across the street from Shake Shack. Lots of good food and drink options, and the second-floor location makes for great Times Square people-watching.

After dinner, I was off to the simulcast of the Grateful Dead's "Fare Thee Well" farewell at Soldier Field at the AMC Theater in Times Square. (There was no way in the world Jon was going to go to this show -- he is already sick of the Dead, thanks to me talking about them all of the time!)  There was a wide range of ages of people there, I was smack dab in the middle of the ages of people watching the show. 

There was also the couple who brought a toddler to the screening. Predictably, the boy squirmed and ran around the whole time. Shocker! Why somebody would bring a three-year-old kid to a screening of a very loud, long concert with lots of pot smoking going on is beyond me. But I digress.

Me in tie-dye before the show. I have had this t-shirt
since college, and can finally fit in it again! 

Here is the Grateful Dead's setlist. If you must know, I furiously chair-danced for the first two songs, while I waited to see if others were going to dance in the aisles. Then I started dancing later, as others did (I did not want to be the outlier!) And yes, I was sober! 

Set One: China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Estimated Prophet, Built To Last, Samson and Delilah, Mountains Of The Moon, Throwing Stones

Set Two: Truckin', Cassidy, Althea, Terrapin Station, Drums, Space,  Unbroken Chain, Days Between, Not Fade Away

Encore: Touch Of Grey

Encore2: Attics Of My Life

My favorite songs were Truckin' and Touch of Grey (best two performances of the show, IMHO!), Not Fade Away, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Althea, and Throwing Stones. I could have done without the whole Drums Space thing -- that navel-gazing stuff bores me (I literally fell asleep during that part of the show!) But others seem to like it.

Overall, though, the show was fantastic. When it was over, there was nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile: and wait for the 2:30 a.m. ferry home! (I got only 2 1/2 hours sleep that night!)

But as great as it was to see and hear the Grateful Dead together (by most accounts, this was the best perfromance of their five-show tour) my MVP of the show was not an original band member. Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio is 50 years old -- the exact same age as the Grateful Dead. And he had the toughest role of all -- trying to fill the shoes of the late great Jerry Garcia.

Lots of Dead fans were suspicious of the kind of job he would do. They needn't have worried. Trey was fantastic! His able singing and great guitar playing evoked Jerry without being a slavish imitation, and added something new to these classic songs. Trey ended up winning over most of the naysayers.

What impressed me most about Trey though, besides his talent, was his enthusiasm. Norman Vincent Peale, author of "The Power of Positive Thinking" and founder of Guideposts magazine, the publication that ran my Spartan Race story, also wrote a book entitled "Enthusiasm Makes the Difference." I thought of that title when watching Trey. He was soooo happy to be there, to be performing with the Grateful Dead. Instead of a too-cool-for-school rock attitude, Trey was ebullient and smiling and as enthusiastic as I have ever seen a musician. He really made the show for me. (I also loved when Bob Weir wore a "Let Trey Sing" show for the encores, which referenced him only singing a few songs during the Santa Clara concerts; he sang much more in Chicago.)

I remember when I saw The Police, one of my all-time favorite bands, reunite at Giants Stadium in 2007. The highlight of the show for me was seeing drummer Stewart Copeland, and how happy and smiling and enthusiastic he was to be playing that music again. Trey had even more enthusiasm, if that is possible!

Jambase.com shows what I am talking about. They have a page featuring clips from a videographer named LazyLightning55, who filmed a "Trey Cam" during the shows, aiming a camera on Anastasio the whole time. (Check out the clip from "Althea" below.)

Something I have noticed in our world is that people are sometimes too afraid to be enthusiastic, to show how much they like something. Some people think enthusiasm is somehow uncool. I know I sometimes come across a little strong when I show my own passions and interests. But hey, if you can't enjoy things in life, it makes for a pretty miserable existence, don't you think?

A sports cliche is to "act like you've been there before." But it is one thing to not show up the opposition. It is another thing to be all jaded all the time. There is something to be said for saying and showing how much you enjoy something! I really appreciate how Trey Anastasio didn't act like performing with the Dead was no big deal, and was unafraid to have that goofy, happy smile. Very endearing.

One other thing I appreciated about the concert. Drummer Mickey Hart said something poignant at the end of the show: "The feeling we have here -- remember it, take it home and do some good with it. I'll leave you with this: Please, be kind." Really great moment.

Tying these two things together: let's not be afraid to show our enthusiasm. And let's not be afraid to tell others kind things, and to praise them. You never know when saying something kind to somebody else could give them the encouragement they need to soar.

How best-selling author Jon Acuff's new book explains A-Rod's career "Do Over"

Alex Rodriguez's career renaissance has been nothing short of remarkable. He has 11 homers, 28 RBI, and a slash line of .280/.386/.522 for 2015 -- all great numbers that I don't think any of us, including this Arodologist, saw coming. Now A-Rod is closing in on 3000 hits. Heck, even the "nothing is a milestone" Yankees are now openly promoting his All-Star Game candidacy!

This graphic was in an email the Yankees are sending out.
What, Stephen Drew is not #ASGWorthy anymor

I think I have a way of explaining it, though. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing New York Times best-selling author Jon Acuff about Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck.

Acuff is who I want to be when I grow up. After 16 years in the business work world, he is living the dream as a full-time author. He writes career books that offer practical, real-life advice in a humorous and compelling way. Acuff is also a really nice guy, too. Click here to read my interview with him for Guideposts.org. I loved talking to him!

Anyhow, in Do Over, he talks about how we all have a toolkit at our disposal called a Career Savings Account. This consists of the following equation: (Relationships plus Skills plus Character) times Hustle equals your Career Savings Account. As Acuff puts it, Relationships are "who you know," skills are "what you do," character is "who you are," and hustle is "how you work."

Acuff says that you need to have that Career Savings Account full, with items in every category, because chances are, each of us will face one or more of these career transitions in our lives. As Acuff writes:

You will hit a Career Ceiling and get stuck, requiring sharp skills to free yourself. You will experience a Career Bump and unexpectedly lose your job, requiring strong relationships to survive. You will make a Career Jump to a new role, requiring solid character to push through uncertainty and chaos. You will get a surprise Career Opportunity, requiring dedicated hustle to take advantage of it.

So, let's talk about how this all matters when it comes to Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. One could argue that this season has really involved three of the four career transitions:

• Getting suspended for a year is about the ultimate in career bumps! Talk about hitting rock bottom.
• Alex also had a career jump in that he moved from third base to the designated hitter role. In addition, he has even learned to play a little first base. 
• The surprise career opportunity was this -- A-Rod wasn't expected to be much of a contributor to this team, and was penciled into the bottom of the lineup for the first few weeks of the season. But he was able to become the No. 3 hitter again, a role that he was no longer expected to play, thanks to his timely hitting.

So how did Rodriguez successfully navigate all of these career transitions? By building upon the skills in his Career Savings Account, especially the two where he had severe deficits:

Relationships: Remember that handwritten apology letter Alex wrote this spring? Skeptics mocked him for doing so, but he has indeed achieved what he promised when it came to mending fences and getting his job back: 

"This game has been my single biggest passion since I was a teenager. When I go to Spring Training, I will do everything I can to be the best player and teammate possible, earn a spot on the Yankees and help us win."

I am a big fan of Jon Acuff,
and have read most of his books.

A-Rod has also signed a lot of autograph to mend his standing with the fans. He has redoubled his efforts of being a good teammate. He even seems to handle the media much better this year. All of these things have reaped benefits. He is arguably the team's most popular player now, something that was never the case before.

Character: A-Rod wasn't exactly known for his sterling character, but he spent his year away from baseball trying to improve himself. As the ESPN story "The Education of Alex Rodriguez" says, not only did he take a class at the University of Miami, but he spent a lot of time in therapy. And a lot of time trying to understand why he did what he did. 

In addition, notice how much Rodriguez has been the better man, this year, and taken the high road at every turn. No matter what Brian Cashman or Randy Levine or Hal Steinbrenner or media members looking for controversy said, A-Rod has said and done the right thing. By being relentlessly positive and humble and self-deprecating, he has made the people against him look petty in comparison.

Skills: In his career, Rodriguez was never lacking in skills. But there were concerns that he lost them after two hip surgeries and pushing 40. Fortunately, this part of the Career Savings Account is still full. He also added to his skill set by learning first base.

Hustle: Hustle is also a category he has never lacked in. A-Rod showed up early to spring training, to the dismay of the Yankees, and has been like the old Alex this year. 

Anyhow, I think the transformation Rodriguez had made this year is nothing short of remarkable. It is the Yankee equivalent of Matthew McConaughey going from shirtless himbo to Oscar winner! And Acuff's book explains it. If you are looking to make your own career transition, read Do Over. I highly recommend it!

How Squawker Lisa actually finished a half-marathon -- and lived to tell the tale!

A few minutes after the half-marathon.
I am in one piece!

Please let me indulge in this personal, (mostly) non-baseball Squawk. I wanted to thank all my friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances, both in real life and on Facebook, for all the kind words they have showered on me over the past few weeks. A lot has happened in my life recently. As you may remember, an article I wrote for Guideposts magazine -- about running a Spartan Race -- was recently published.  The magazine also did a video interview with me. Oh, and the Staten Island Advance just did an article about me as part of their Staten Island Survivors. They wrote in the article about my fitness journey, and the fact that I completed my first half-marathon two weeks ago. Yes, I still can't believe it myself!

I did the MORE/FITNESS/SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon on Saturday, April 19. All you need to know about the likelihood of me finishing a half-marathon is this -- Squawker Jon was not at the finish line, because he thought it would be at least a half an hour more before I crossed it! He was at an earlier spot at the race -- one I had already passed -- thinking that I would be much further back than I was.

If you haven't already read the articles I linked above, or followed this blog regularly, here is my basic story. I was overweight, middle-aged, and out of shape when I decided over the last year or so to change my life and get healthy. I did a Spartan Race in April 2014, even though most of the contestants were in much better shape than me. Since that time, I have run (more like plodded) my way through over 40 road races. I also won a writing contest for Guideposts magazine thanks to writing about my experience at the Spartan Race, and beat out over 5000 fellow writers for one of 12 spots in the magazine's weeklong Writers' Workshop. The leap of faith I took has changed my life.

A toast at Sarabeth's after the race.

One of the things about my story that has resonated with people is that it is realistic. I am still not at my goal weight. I am still at the back of the pack in races. This isn't one of these "Biggest Loser"-type stories where I lose 150 pounds in three months or something and become a fitness marvel. But the point is that we shouldn't give up on trying to achieve things because we are waiting to get to that perfect weight and that perfect level of fitness. I am now competing against myself, to be the best I can be. If I had waited to do a Spartan Race until I got to the right weight, it never would have happened. But doing the race gave me the confidence to keep on going.

The same goes for doing a half-marathon. I wanted to have a challenge to aim for in April, the way I did the year before. Running friends had advised me not to set time goals for the race -- just to concentrate on finishing. I had also volunteered at several half-marathons over the past year, and saw people who looked like me crossing the finish line, some of whom were literally incoherent at the end. So I had three goals at the end of finishing a half-marathon -- to finish, to finish without needing the medical tent, and to finish and actually sound coherent at the end! Fortunately, I achieved all three. My finishing time was 3:11:42, which isn't a great time, but it was not about the time. It is about completing the challenge.

I did the training for the race this winter, and had gotten up to around 8-9 miles at a time when I got two separate injuries two and a half weeks before the race. My right quad was very sore, and I banged up my right pinky toe hitting it against furniture. I was advised to shut down the training and heal. I only ran once in those last two weeks, a four-mile race in Central Park Squawker Jon had signed up for months ago. So I had real doubts myself as to whether I would have the physical and mental strength to complete the race.

The half-marathon course is two loops of Central Park, a place I had done many races before. So I knew every part of the course, which served me well in the first loop of the course. Despite my nerves, and even though I took it easy in order to save something in the tank for the end, I had PRs (personal records) for the first 5K and 10K of the course, and felt fantastic. The weather was perfect, I had great music -- playlists featuring the Grateful Dead, punk rock, and the like -- and I was very upbeat.

I became significantly less upbeat for the second loop around Central Park. I started to feel tired around Mile 8. By Mile 9, I felt like I was slogging away. Those last 4.1 miles were a particular struggle to get through. I was so exhausted, but I couldn't quit. I didn't want to hear any "Well, at least you tried" about the race. That was not what I had trained for. I wanted to cross that finish line.

All my past running experience came into play in those last few miles, reminding me of what I could do. The five-mile Fourth of July race in the heat. The 10K in 15 degree weather in January. The Pi Day 3.14 mile race, run entirely in pouring rain. All of the training sessions.

I also thought about A-Rod during those last few miles. Some male readers have insinuated that my support of him over the years was due to having a crush on him, a sexist thing to say that they would never say about a man. That is not what I like about A-Rod. While he is a flawed individual, to say the least, he has gotten some undeserved attacks, too, especially this year. Yet he has kept on keeping on, even though he knows that the entire Yankee organization wants him gone. That perseverance in the face of adversity is admirable.  

Like him, I kept on keeping on through the race, when I wanted nothing more but to be done with it. I also had to deal with men jumping onto the course during the race to do their morning runs, something those at the front of the pack didn't have to deal with. I was very cranky at this point, so I yelled at a few of them, in particular, the jerk who took water meant for those of us who paid $80 to do the race!

At about Mile 11, I was totally exhausted. I literally had to give myself a pep talk out loud, telling myself, "You got this," to the delight of several spectators cheering me on. I was extremely slow at this point, but like the proverbial turtle, slow and steady can win (or at least finish) the race.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I crossed the finish line, listening on my headphones to U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)," the song I was also playing when I gave myself that pep talk. I had visualized for months how it would be to complete the half-marathon. I was sure I would burst into tears after finishing. I imagined the crowds, and seeing Squawker Jon, and getting my medal and heatsheet.

Well, at that point, the crowds were pretty sparse, and Jon wasn't at the finish line, but I did get my medal and heatsheet. I didn't cry, though, although I was so sure I would.

The tears came later, when I finally connected with Jon about 10 minutes after the race. When I showed him my medal and said, "Can you believe I did it?" that is when the tears flowed. This was real. I had actually finished what I set out to do, and I was feeling (mostly) no worse for the wear. (My legs were fine two days later; the only thing I felt sore with was the terrible chafing I had on my right arm that lasted for the next week!) I walked -- make that strutted -- around Manhattan with my medal and heatsheet on afterwards, and had a celebratory brunch at Sarabeth's with Jon.

Two and a half weeks later, I still have a bit of a strut in my step. I still can't believe I finished a half-marathon! Now I can put one of those 13.1 stickers on my car. Now I can say to myself that I achieved something I didn't think was possible. What a great feeling that is.