Magrilless

Well, Mike Wazowski didn’t make it. I know it’s a graphic photo, but I feel it’s important to spread knowledge of how much damage these squirrels are doing in our community. Mr. Evil Pumpkin and Mr. Ghost have also had to be removed, but the carnage was just too horrific to post any pictures. Listen, people, you only have one chance to save the pumpkins. Reapply bitter spray. Keep current on red pepper flake sprinkling. Booby trap with moving parts if you have to. One moment of distraction is all they need. Good luck, fellow brethren, and Happy Halloween!

Is there any place quite so wonderful as Mackinac Island? Well, the last open weekend, anyway, is fabulous. Not very many people at all, romantic weather, grandiose architecture, lack of mechanized sounds. And it’s a Goldilocks-sized island: not too big that you wouldn’t get to see parts of it ever, not too small that you can do everything in one day.

We went to participate in the Great Turtle Run — a half marathon and 5.7 mile run/walk. We did the shorter one so we wouldn’t be stressed out training. And, no I have no idea what the rationale is for the mileage. Not a 10 K, not a quarter marathon. Just how long the course they liked happened to be, I guess. Anyway, we both did quite respectably. Bill came in at considerably under an hour, and I at just barely over an hour.

Our hotel was a couple miles outside of town on a quiet side of the island, sheltered by lots of trees. We chose to walk in the rain, although the primary mode of transportation on the island is bicycle or horse-drawn taxi. Well, Bill and I decided to walk. Our travel companions took a taxi to the hotel after picking up our luggage at the ferry (which had stayed in town all day instead of being sent up to be at the hotel for when we checked in). It was an exercise in Make the Most of It to sit around the hotel room in towels while our clean clothes and lunch were who knows where. But it felt worth it for the feast that followed: wine, imported cheeses, crisp apples, salami, and kalamata olive bread followed by chocolate-hazelnut and gingersnap-lemon-cream-sandwich cookies. And after running hard and fasting all day, we felt justified!

Anyone who thinks a dog doesn’t have facial expressions should take a look at this:

Guess who was in the New York Times today? Not either one of us. But someone we know! A coworker of mine, actually. My trainer and orientator when I started working here, and my “Why does this work this way?” go-to-girl still. The article (which starts on the front page — A1, baby!) is about prescription drugs and the decline in American use thereof. Lori is currently the primary care-taker for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and is deciding whether to stop paying for some of her mother’s expensive and minimally effective drugs. She wrote about it on her blog and the New York Times picked it up! This is the picture of her and her mom which appeared on page A18 for the article.

Lori, although a consistently upbeat and optimistic person, has a lot on her plate. She has her mom. She has a sister with advanced cancer. And her son recently returned from his first tour in Iraq, soon to embark on his second. But instead of moping, Lori donates time and creates charities and hosts benefits and does everything under her control to make things work in her (and her loved ones’ and strangers’) favor. If anyone deserves to be in the New York Times, I’d say she does. Congratulations, Lori!