Roger, Challenger...

You know the rest of that quote. And I use it with deepest respect and honor to those astronauts. I was a student at Western Illinois University when Challenger exploded. I heard about it just before my history class. As I walked into Higgins Hall to meet a friend for lunch, I paused in the main lounge to watch the reports of that tragedy. I remember thinking of that historic clip of Walter Cronkite delivering the news of Kennedy's assassination, removing his glasses and pausing to look at the clock as he reported the time of death. It was like that moment of near faltering when Dan Rather actually did falter and referred to President Nixon, then corrected himself to say President Reagan. 

For my generation it was our first "where were you" moment. Later we had O.J. (more a pop culture event than a tragedy, except for the Brown and Goldman families). Then came Oklahoma City and Columbine. Sept. 11 overshadowed them all. And yet, Challenger is the most vivid in my mind. Maybe it's that image of the exploding shuttle. Maybe it's the timing of it: college years, off on my own. Hard to say.

Remember them. Remember the Columbia Seven. Remember Grissom, Chaffee and White. They were pioneers, brave and bold and adventurous and visionary.

Segue: Speaking of visionary pioneers, how about Art Clokey, creator of Gumby. Huh? Well, today's run brought me into possession of a Gumby DVD. It's cracked and splotched but it plays, sort of. Made it through "Gumbasia" and a second Gumby adventure before it locked up. I'll keep trying.

Today's Stats

Temp: 28 degrees F

Distance: 6.1 miles

Weekly Total: 14.4 miles

Treasure: 26 cans; 1 black ski mask; 1 green washcloth; 1 plastic yard light holder (cracked, incomplete); 1 6-inch round head bolt; 1 Gumby DVD, "Gumbasia: Vol. 20"; 1 pair granny panties (frozen to the pavement, left behind -- or was in the right behind that was frozen to the street?); 1 Certificate of Authenticity, Banknotes of the USA, No. 07944, from the American Mint, for a $100 Banjamin Franklin c. 2001 (wish the banknote were with it!).

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions

Rain King - Counting Crows

A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel

Superman - Five for Fighting

Kick Drum Heart - The Avett Brothers

Hard on You - Rob Thomas

Rosanna - Toto

Message in a Bottle (live) - John Mayer

Sleep 'Til the War is Over - Rob Thomas

One of These Things First - Nick Drake

Eight Days a Week - The Beatles

Tom Sawyer - Rush

Missundaztood - Pink

Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd

You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette

Somebody' Baby - Jackson Browne