Thanks for the Love and Kindness.

Friends; I can't express how much I appreciate the notes & phone calls i've gotten over the past week. It's always been an open secret that Team Slug is not really a running "club" but rather a large circle of friends; that stretches back nearly two decades. And, hearing from you all during this difficult time has reminded me how important those friendships are. Dad was first diagnosed with lung cancer eleven years ago. He endured numerous chemo treatments, and three major surgeries; battling, and smiling, the entire way. And, thank God, he was generally "healthy" throughout the period. He never lost the will to live, and remained positive until his final peaceful breaths this past Tuesday at home in Warfordsburg. He often spoke during the past year how good his life had been, and how thankful he was for his family and friends. And, our family home has been overrun with those family and friends this week. What stories they tell, and what a joy it is to hear them. Dad decided years ago he wasn't interested in a funeral, and the traditional burial works. He always believed if people wanted to see him; they should call or visit while he was alive, and they did. Plus, he wanted to do something helpful to society with his death, and he did. Dad donated his body to Anatomy Gifts Registry. The site is www.anatomicgift.com if interested in exactly what service they provide. It's funny, but what i remember most about dad is he was a good friend. Not just to family and friends, but rather to all; i remember well from childhood, dad stopping on the road to change tires for strangers, taking groceries to some old folks, or financially helping those in need. And, listening to the stories this week; that's what i hear most. Your dad was a good friend. And, I know exactly what they mean; because he was my best friend. Today in Western Maryland is a beautiful day. My mom and I walked on the C & O Canal this morning, enjoying a mother deer and her fawns; a brisk fresh breeze, and dozens of other walkers and bikers out enjoying their lives. Today I pray for each of you that this note finds you healthy and happy. Please enjoy each moment, and love those around you. It may take a bit of time, but I promise to return each note. I appreciate everyone of you. God Bless you and yours. john @ teamslug1@comcast.net

Father passed.

Friends; Just a quick note to share that my father, Joe Harper, passed away today at about 2 P.M. He was home, surrounded by family, and left very peacefully. He was 75 years young. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers over the past several months. It is deeply appreciated. God Bless each of you, john.

The Threads of Time

Our lives are made up of threads of time, colored by individual moments. Recently my thread has been strained, and i suppose it would be easy to look back over the past several years and recognize that cumulative stressors may finally be manifesting themselves in my life. Hard times are not necessarily bad; and there's no doubt that decisions I've made regarding careers; and relationships, have made me exactly who i am today. So many of my running friends have molded me with kindness, learning, and love. And, i've become a better person because of these friendships. While i am not physically in very good running shape, my emotional well-being is stronger than ever. And, it's just in time. For, today my dad is very ill. He is in end-stage cancer; and basic tasks for him are difficult. His movements are measured and slow; only able to move, with hands steadied on a families arm. He doesn't eat, and sleeps most of the time. His eyes are glasslike, meandering around the room in a dreamlike state. He seems to have a limited awareness, with one foot in each world. Each passing day brings him a little closer to death. And he seems at peace. To this point the morphine seems to be effective; and he denies feeling pain. Friends, tonight whereever you are please know that you are each in my thoughts and prayers. The notes and phone calls of condolences, i continue to receive, bring peace to my heart and comfort to my soul. Know for sure that each of you are in my thoughts and prayers daily.

The D.E.R.T. Team of Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

Over four years have passed since the day that changed every life in America. This story is not about that fateful and horrible day. However, that day is the singular reason the D.E.R.T. team exists today. September 11, 2001 saw over 3,000 human beings murdered in terrorist attacks. Incredibly these atrocities occurred on our home soil, and all within a few hours drive of our small military base here in Delaware. Our free country suffered an incredibly destructive blow at the hands of pure evil. There could no longer be any doubt among free and loving people that evil exists. On September 11th that evil stood up and challenged our faith. The days following 9-11 are days filled with pain, suffering, and misery. It hurt every single one of us, scarring our souls, and searing our memories with previously unimaginable thoughts. Indeed, it destroyed the very foundation of our innate belief that we were safe. Suddenly we werent. During this time of trial, many heroes emerged. Those determined to find hope in fellow Americans through a deep and unshaken faith in their Higher Power. God helped the believers to close ranks and muster the strength to never give up. Those days were surreal for all of America, and the reality of despair was no different in our little corner of the world. That morning I remember sitting with Robert Sundquist in our Clinics waiting area watching in disbelief as the second plane hit the tower, and the subsequent disasters at the Pentagon and in Western Pennsylvania. The history of Dover Air Force Base in central Delaware is a long and distinguished one. Though small in size, with a shape mirroring the flight line, the base contains a major airlift hub supporting worldwide excursions in wartime and peace. In addition, the base contains the militarys only Port Mortuary. The mortuary is staffed by a diverse array of professionals from numerous federal agencies, along with active and reserve personnel from all military services. This essay is not an attempt to provide a total view of the installations impeccable mortuary service. Instead I will focus on a very small and distinct group of airmen. A group of ordinary Americans placed in an extraordinary situation and discovering that together, as a team, they could persevere and accomplish great things. This is the story of the D.E.R.T. team of Dover Dental Clinic, and its a story that I know well. While the dental clinic, like the base, has a long history of honorable service to its nation; I will pick up the story on the morning of 9-11 sitting in disbelief and watching history unfold with Dr. Sundquist. Moments after the second plane struck the WTC, and for the first time in my military career, the entire base went to real-world Delta. Gates were closed and base personnel were frozen in place. Doors in the dental clinic were locked as our staff remained in stunned silence. While I had only been at Dover for 10 months, I along with the staff knew exactly what this meant. Even before the Pentagon was hit later in the morning we realized that the mortuary would soon be filled with the tragic aftermath of what was unfolding in front of us on live television. And that meant we needed to prepare. Diane Beecher was currently in command of the clinic, and along with Roberto Lebron and Dan Hines began working the administrative side of preparations. Additional manning needed secured, chains of command needed briefing, and the dental clinic needed to get emotionally and physically prepared. And we had to do it quickly and accurately. On the information systems side our team was working hard on a dream. The subsequent buildup of hardware and technology allowed our clinic to achieve the unthinkable. Indeed, in only days the systems effort led by Hines stood up the capability and further executed the technology becoming the first forensic dental team in history to fully utilize digital radiology in a mass disaster response. On the medical logistics side Ed Anderson was working feverishly to obtain the bulk supplies that would be required for this mission. I was preparing a shift schedule, and helping to prepare the mortuaries dental area for its largest contingency in many years. This entire process was taking place in the old building. It stood in the parking lot of the new facility we enjoy today. And, it was a much more difficult place to work. The heating and cooling units were inadequate. Despite our efforts to maintain a neat and clean environment, the concrete floors, walls, and even equipment were stained with years of use. It stood for over three decades and enjoyed an incredible history of its own, culminating in the events following 9-11. So our team, along with hundreds of other professionals, were off and running. Let me remind you again, because it is important, this story is not meant to be comprehensive. Even on the dental side of the effort there are names and faces long since forgotten. We had help from numerous sources, including Andrews, Langley, and Keesler Air Force bases; along with a group of forensic dentists from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. The old building quickly came to life. Soon the dining/break area was filled by the USO with a wide assortment of snacks and sundries. McDonalds often provided breakfast biscuits, and coffee was consumed by the gallon. It seemed the entire local community wanted to assist, and we on base genuinely appreciated the care and concern. The building swarmed with the FBI, OSI, and NCIS, along with numerous other universally recognized units such as AFIP, and OAFME, the armed forces medical examiners. Within days, helicopters began to ferry in human remains from the Pentagon. Not only those military and civilian personnel killed while working quietly at their desks, but also those souls aboard American Airlines Flight 77 destined for destruction. Body bags were opened, and now the devastation only days earlier just an eerie nightmare on CNN was among us. The earliest shocking hours are eternally etched in my mind. Faces distraught with grief were all around me, and on a bathroom break looking in the mirror I realized my face was no different. Probably everyone thinks about death at some time in their lives, but being confronted with it on a scale this large hurts one desperately and intimately. These were not just ordinary deaths one accepts with a fully-lived, aged life. Rather this was the death of lives cut short, with dreams terminated instantly, leaving families grappling with pain that can never disappear. The dead lay quietly. Those of us privileged to assist identify them did so diligently and with dignity. Only three days before the dead had been like us. They were living, breathing, warm and fleshy citizens, full of hope and desire wanting only to share life and love with their families and friends. Some were young, some a bit older, but all were now gone. Closing my eyes I still see their faces to this day. The face of death is not easy to forget. One victim was wearing a Timex Ironman sports watch, still ticking, and exactly like the one I had on. They were only 22 seconds apart. It may seem unusual that I would remember that, but frankly there is no way I could ever forget.

Amidst this pain our team worked courageously. Those early days are what defined who we are today. Following three 16-hour days our team was struggling and tired. We were beat up, and worn down, but the people on that team were highly motivated airmen, and refused to give up. To this day, I am positive each member was at Dover because of a higher purpose. I do not believe coincidence exists in this lifetime. This story is not about me, or any single one member of our team, or any single moment of time. This is a story of hope, and singleness of purpose, and deep inside being determined to serve fellow human beings at any cost. And that is what we did. Sunday morning rolled around and we were running two dental radiology rooms. I worked the middle one placing films in the mouths of the deceased, and was assisted by Melanie Key. Next door my old friend Steve Sedlock, and Summer Grager were performing the same tasks. We were bantering back and forth, trying to keep spirits high, and talking about how tough a situation we were in. We were exhausted, dirty, and feeling extremely sorry for the victims, their families, and to be perfectly honest, ourselves. It was a difficult time. Steve is one of the hardest workers and kindest human beings I have ever met. It was unusual to see and hear him discouraged. Still he pushed forward and refused to quit. On a quick break I went over to look in his eyes, and encourage him in any way I could. All around us the beat went on. The FBI was fingerprinting remains, AFIP was doing dental exams, and the Medical Examiners were prepping for autopsy. This entire scurry around us was within plain view. Across Steves chest I wrote with a Sharpie marker, D.E.R.T. The Dental Enlisted Response Team was born. Though we were just ordinary dental technicians and feeling unappreciated, we too were an important part of the process. And, I refused to let our team forget it. Quickly, Summer Grager added that if we were the D.E.R.T. team then she, Melanie, and Aisha Dean would become Dust Bunnies. So Steve Sedlock became the first member of our dedicated team. Other charter members, affectionately known as the DERTY Dozen are: myself, Dan Hines, Roberto Lebron, Greg McCulley, Ed Anderson, Summer Grager, Melanie Key, Aisha Dean, Phillipia Reynolds, Rebecca Taylor-Vogt, and April Kantner. Within days, a longtime friend and fellow team member suggested we change the title to Evidence rather than Enlisted. After all, it does take dentists to perform forensic dental exams. The effort wound down. In all, 189 human remains were processed by our team in about ten days. We eventually returned to the dental clinic, to patients, and other military duties. Time passed, and we were closer than ever. We had become family, caring about and fighting with, each other as only those closest to one another ever can. There is no way to forget what we went through together, and no doubt it bound us forever through common and shared experience. The D.E.R.T. story could very well have ended right here. But it did not. Just as Dan Hines quarterbacked the digital buildup, he now chose to tackle this cause. He sensed a higher mission, and looking back, he was right. He chose an emblematic design from the 436th dental clinic, and built a challenge coin around it. The very first D.E.R.T. coin was issued to Diane Beecher, our flight commander, for commitment and leadership to her troops. In very short order the DERTY Dozen also had coins in pocket, as a small token of remembrance for what we endured together. For the record, and I assure you it is fact, the list of team leaders is short. It includes myself, Hines, Anderson, Lebron, and currently Mike Hoard and Jennifer Jones. Becoming the team leader is always by appointment and consensus of the original twelve. While officers and civilians can only be honorary members, we have had three D.E.R.T. commanders. They are Diane Beecher, Kirby Amonson, and presently William Vosburgh. There are no comprehensive lists of actual members, as there is no one person singularly responsible for our existence. Hundreds have been admitted to our humble dental forensics team. Our legacy for service continues today. Since March 2003 the D.E.R.T. team has helped identify and return to their homes 2000 American heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our team members have continued to rotate/change in the face of PCS and retirements. However, one thing remains the same today, as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. The D.E.R.T. team serves with honor and distinction and continues to embody the Air Force ideals of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Let me assure all who read this that serving with this team has been the highlight of my six assignment, 21-year military career. The people that have worked alongside me under circumstances that human beings should not have to endure are people that I love. Today more than ever I understand that God brought us together to achieve what none of us could have accomplished alone. Not one member has ever been more, or less valuable, than any other. Every single member has made me proud to be a part of something greater than myself, and a part of something that will stand long after we are all gone. If you have been presented a coin, treasure it, and know that those who came before were just like you, and determined to make this world a better place for us all. May God Bless You and God Bless America.

Editor Note: This short article was written by myself in the summer of 2005. It was meant to leave an account of the small group of dental forensics members that were dedicated to their fellow human beings; and more importantly, cared about deeply and took care of each other during a devastating period in all of our lives. Presently, I am working on a manuscript providing a much more detailed account of those two years, but also presenting the incredible emotional and physical toll it placed on the individual team members.

finding peace up on Wolf Rock....

yesterday morning i climbed up onto Wolf Rock. and, i got to thinking about old friends, and how people come and go in our lives. most of the ones that are the deepest, that teach us the most, and that last the longest are those that usually come unexpectedly. friendship, it seems, is like love. you can't go out and find it. but, when you most need it, if you're really lucky, it finds you. and thats where i'm at in my life; looking back; recalling those special folks who came and went. some for weeks, some months, some years, and some continue to this day. and each one provided some blessing in my life. all taught me something, sometimes against my will; but in recollection as time goes by, it's easy to realize why they appeared when they did. so far in my life i've learned many important lessons, but none more important than this; if you can live gently in peace, live in love - loving and letting others love you, then, things always seem to work out. sometimes just not in the time frame that we desire. i've said it before on this blog, and i'll say it again. i don't believe anyone is reading this by accident. i don't believe in coincidence. you are here to receive a loving message, and if it's meant to be, then you will give in return. either way is ok. things are happening exactly as they are supposed to. so tonight my friends, go in peace and go in love.

TSI Congrats to all 10-day Runners...

New York Self-Transcendence 10 Day (12th annual) Race
at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY
April 25 to May 5, 2007

1.02 mi, loop, 99% paved bike path
Weather: 40F to 78F, some monster rain storms with serious flooding of paths
--------------------

1. Petr Spacil, 29, Zlin, CZR 670
2. Glen Turner, 47, Louisville, CO USA 654
3. Pavel Seraz, 31, Komjatice, SLK 636
4. Trishul Cherns, 50, Middle Village, NY/ CAN 625
5. Bob Oberkehr, 52, Northvale, NJ USA 624
6. (1W) Surasa Mairer, 48, Salzburg, AUT 595
7. Vladimir Baltalsky, 35, Graz, AUT/ Ukr 566
8. Manfred Edinger, 45, Vienna, AUT 542
9. Igor Mudrik, 33, Vinnitsa, UKR 533
10. Garry Wise, 60, Yuendumu, NT, AUS 531

11. Sergey Sydenko, 34, Donetsk, UKR 531
12. Luis Rios, 59, Brooklyn, NY USA 525
13. (2W) Tatyana Jauk, 36, Graz, AUT 523
14. Christopher Muellauer, 34, Zurich, SUI 518
15. David Luljak, 51, Baltimore, MD, USA 517
16. (3W) Pratis. Khisamoutdinova, 63, RUS 507
17. (4W) Ingrid Kirschner, 41, Munich, GER 503
18. Frederick Davis III, 59, Bedford, OH USA 500
19. Zoran Marinkovic, 43, Leskovac, Serbia 493
20. (5W) Svitlana Samarina, 32, Kiev, UKR 486

21. Rastislav Ulicny, 26, Presov, SLK 481
22. (6W) Dorothea Vogeli, 43, Ettingen, SUI 478
23. Valentyn Ionov, 36, Kiev, UKR 472
24. Uwe Postler, 43, Innsbruck, AUT 472
25. (7W) Karina Ward, 31, Canberra, AUS 454

Mighty Frederick Marathon Team...ROCKS!

Congrats to Ms.Melanie Key and her "big" sister with a sweet 5:51:25;
and daddy Larry in 4:14:12; at the Frederick Marathon this past Sunday.
We are proud to consider them all "Slugs" of the highest caliber...
wishin' y'all well from Key West. Flatfoot Freddie

Slug News from Key West....

...hope all Spring-training and runs are going good for da' slugs...if ya saw message on front page, tis true; da' hitman is again di-verted. who knows when/where he'll show. in the mean-time all with TSI goes on. Rob Powell continues to send sweet messages of hope, as he preps for the RBC in Sept. joining him in that event will be Pokey Slug, Tony Creszendo, William from VA, Frank Schuetz, Gregory Calloway, Larry Macon, and Rick Beyer....so far. remember friends, we've got to cap it at 17; so if y'er interested in gettin' that black slug shirt; please get the apps in...from the far south, keyest westest; flattest foot freddie...

Slug News

From Pokey Slug
Hope all is well with you. Just wanted to drop you a few lines and update you on me and some other slug news. I ran the MtPenn Mudfest in Reading April 6th and had a complete blast. It was cold and there were some serious water crossings, but a race I will do again. Down and Durty Slug Derrick Hills finished Bull Run over the weekend with a time of 11:30ish. He ran with James Moore for a bit and also with John Straub.
In Other News
The RBC 50K is well on track. Plans are being made, the governor has been notified, and of course John Clark will not show up.
Hope you all are enjoying your spring racing seasons.
Hope to hear from ya soon.
John.

Team Slug Tribute to USAF SMSgt (Ret) Steve "The Real Steve" Boudreaux

lotsa slug fat-butts (courtesy of u.r.magazine).......

the new ultrarunning magazine arrived in the mail this weekend. i enjoy it every month, but i always particularly look forward to the march edition. it has the national fat ass results, including our own fattest butt edition. but more than that i enjoy looking through other results to try to find wayward slugs, and i am seldom disappointed. first off, our heartiest congrats to da' muddstomper hisself, mr douglass bartocci; who finished the mid-hudson fat ass in staatsburg, new york on january 7th in a fine 7:03. that's sweet. and also to the slug king; rob powell who won the cleveland fat ass 50k in 5 hours flat. in the same event mr. don baun took second in 5:30. not to be outdone ms angela ivory finished two (i hope i'm not missing any); on dec 30th in huntsville in 8:09, and one week later in atlanta in 7:17. no doubt there were many other slug fat-ass finishers this yr, and no doubt i'll hear about it :) and, that's the way it should be; still friends after all these years. special thanks to ur magazine (don allison) for posting full results and nice article on da' slugs.

Peyton Manning has NOTHING on Ms. Angela!

i watched the super bowl like another estimated 89.99 million world citizens. and, while some people say they read playboy for the articles (not me!), i really do watch the super bowl for the commercials. nothing against the athletes, no doubt, they work very hard to achieve that level of success. however, not even peyton himself could have worked any harder than my fellow slug, dear friend, and one of my personal heroes, miss angela ivory of nashville, tennessee. i had the good fortune to meet her back in october at the rbc50k here in the first state. she toed the line with da' slugs, and proved highly slugworthy, and a genuinely kind and humble human being. a month later the december 2006 running journal (www.running.net) arrived in my mailbox; and who to my wondering eyes should appear (on the cover) than one of our newest sluggos. yes, ms angela herself appeared in full stride. and, on page 12 the magazine profiles her wonderfully. it seems ms angela (Vanderbilt '90) is quite the accomplished endurance athlete. in fact, on january 8th, 2006, on her birthday in newport beach, california; she completed her goal of finishing a marathon in each of the 50 states and d.c. most folks would consider that accomplishment enough. but not ms. angela. rather she decided to pursue an ultramarathon in each of the states. she is a tough human being. oh, i forgot to mention; ms. angela also had to fight her way through chemotherapy, after diagnoses of the big C, and removal of 22 lymph nodes. the author of the article dallas smith says, "Chemo is tough, right? Tougher than the Tour de France, Lance said." so my friend, ms angela runs on. a true life hero. all this week, and for months to come, people all over the world will be admiring peyton and the colts. not me, i choose angela. she is an inspiration; and i am thankful to consider her a fellow slug and friend. happy days, da' hitman

Slugs in the news...

congrats to U.S. Navy pilot, Lt. Commander Rick Ryan, for accomplishing his one-year goal of raising over $35,000 for the families of those military members wounded and killed in the middle east. Rick did this by completing 30 marathon/ultra events in 2006. tsi was blessed to have him here for his twenty-sixth event at the russell b. cheney 50k in the fall. at the Slug event Rick ran in memory of LCPL Cory Palmer, LCPL Richard Chad Clifton, and LCPL Richard Z. James, three of the seven Delaware Marines who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rick is still accepting donations for service members at marathonsforhope.org. Rick was also profiled on page 22 of the March 2007 Runner's World.

One Mister Phillip Hester.....

.....is the proud owner of a brand-new Slug name; conferred by "Pokey-Slug" herself...and she writes, " As the RD for the Fattest Butt and self-proclaimed most wonderful Slug namer in da' history of Slugdom, I, with the blessings of all slugs NEW and OLD, hereby declare you "Sir Sweet Cheeks." Use your name wisely....any un-sweetcheek behavior could result in immediate revocation of said name, and you will be unceremoniously rendered, 'Sir DooDoo Shoe'. " So heartiest of Congrats; brother phil; it is an honor to share da' trails with ya.... happiest of da' days forever, flattest foot freddie, suckin' SUN AND SUDS in key west.....

Congrats Dirt Diva on HURT 100K Finish!!!

TSI sends heartiest congrats to Catra, and all finisher's at the HURT 100 this weekend in Hawaii. The Dirt Diva continues to motivate and inspire all da' slugs. No doubt, she'll soon post a report on her blog (link on Slug homesite); which will be full of wonder and delight; and, will make me personally want to go outside and run. Thanks Catra!!! Also today; Brother Claude, TSI Hall of Fame 1993, posted the race application for the 2007 Crowder's Mountain Run in Gastonia, North Carolina. Please read the disclaimer carefully; "RFH/Team Slug reserves the right to refuse anyone who they don't like from running in this race. You know who you are. If you are offended by this application then you are too sensitive to run this course. It will probably be cold, raining, snowing, or something and you will probably fall. People fall and are killed yearly at Crowders. Usually it is a drunk trying to fly like Superman off one of the cliffs. I release all of those involved in the race from liability. I have been informed not to complain about the hills." Sluggos be careful, ultra-super-secret-society THE Slugs From Hell lose a couple of members a year down there. If this madness continues, who'll still be alive to buy da' beer. any-who; happiest of days, mr.clean.

Please send ALL POSITIVE VIBES Far West....

....as Catra and friends challenge H.U.R.T. (See link on TSI front page.) Here in the East planning has already begun for the 2007 RBC50K; now just 258 days away! The trail is currently under construction, and while the sleek, wooden handrails have failed to materialize; flattest foot freddie was down at da' guvner's house yesterday for a hoedown (beer and wings). Seems the guv agreed to allow TSI to erect a large butter carving of old john clark hisself out at the trailhead. So we're bringing in world-renowned dairy creamer Nikolov Aemilius, of Sofia, Bulgaria to begin the job. Chief Slug has agreed to trade two cases of Pete's Wicked Ale, and a half-dozen t-shirts for the butter. Which is all fine and dandy, 'cept this year da' hitmans chili will have to go. Rather we're bringing in about 15,000 ears of corn. That should satisfy demand. Of course all rules are subject to change! Hope all da' slugs, and all friends, all over the world are enjoying this beautiful saturday morning. happiest of days, mister clean.

Congrats to TSI's 2007 Fattest Butt Finishers!

Another Fat Butt in da' books old friends. Congrats to all who toed the line this morning in the Central Flats of Delaware. An unseasonably warm 73 degrees challenged the runners, and all responded with incredible efforts. A.J. Johnson of NJ, Jason Cooper of TN, and Ryan Carter of DC shared the win in 4:42:05. Top female in her ultra-debut was Katie Ka of PA. Crazy Horse went to Jason Mattis of PA in 7:11:46. A full report will be posted to www.teamslug.com in the next two days. happy trails, flatfoot freddie.

fattest butt eve...my favorite night of the year :)

from our fearless race director, the most-pokey slug, "hey, the guidedogs are ready and the blind squirrels are on their worst behavior, ready for tomorrow; see all in the a.m." and from the national weather service (and, i'm not making this up), "highs in the lower 70's." bring da' sunscreen, it's gonna get hott. finally, good news from ms katy and hubby. day do expect to be's here. happy days, flattest foot freddie.

I know it's 268 days away; but.....

...da' King Slug has been named FIRST OFFICIAL ENTRANT into the 2007 Russell B. Cheney 50K non-event here in the Central Plains of Delaware. Dat's right...one mister rob powell has chosen to preside over the Great State of Ohio, and all its Slugs. Congrats, bro. The Final Countdown is on for 2007 Fattest Butt....everyone take a deep breath :) happy days, da' hitman.

Happy New Year Slugs!!!

sluggos and future sluggos! the year is off to a great start here in the first state. sixty-five degrees and pouring rain most of the day. received a note today from eugene bruckert of illinois. he is the 22nd, and probably final victim into the 2007 fat butt field. to get in now will require a personal note from big bertha, and as bad as she's missing john clark; it ain't likely she'll write you one. final preparations are nearing completion; official tsi slug-shirts are in for all first-time sluggos, and official 2007 finisher's awards for current slugs will be picked up by wednesday. the course is receiving it's final comb-down, with bright orange markers and glow lights planted approximately every twelve yards. handrails are expected to be installed by friday afternoon --- barring any foul weather. we've never lost anyone yet, but in 1996 wrongway charlie became disoriented and ran all the way back to the maryland line. not this year! this year we will have a perfect non-event. fresh pondwater is being boiled, and two week old bread is being bargained for down at the local food shelter. remember, ya go over seven hours; you receive EXTRA CREDIT. see ya on saturday!