SURPRISE!

Going to the mailbox in the summer is usually one of the highlights of my day. You just never know what surprises you may find there. Today was no exception.

I opened the lid, pulled out a stack of mail and thumbed through it. There they were: the 8 x 10 envelopes with red, white and blue lettering...Peachtree Road Race. I hurried inside and ripped open the one with my name on it. It is always exciting to see what number you get each year. The Big D and I never know, but they are always consecutive numbers. They could range anywhere from 10,000-99,999. Well, probably not the 10,000-24,4000 sections...those are for the really fast runners.

I pulled out all the many inserts. There is a brochure with 2009 Official Instructions (The 40th Running) with everything you ever wanted to know about the rules of running in the Peachtree. Then there are all kinds of advertisements stuck inside. One for UPS, one for AJC, Atlanta's newspaper, and of course, REEBOK. But what I was looking for was my number. I felt it's smooth silver peach that always is in the top right hand corner first. I slid it out slowly hoping to find something in the 30,000 range where we have been for the last couple years. A perfect spot.

The paper it was on was green. That didn't mean much, because each set of numbers is a different color and each year they are different. Green is nice, I thought. Then I saw it!!! The number!!! It was 99,772. Yes, 99,772!!! WHAT??? That can't be! That means I am at the END of the pack...the VERY END!!

I quickly repressed any guilt I might have, and opened The Big D's packet. I was sure he would have 99,771...we were always one number apart. But, NO....his number was...37,616. Right where we BOTH should be!!!

So, here's the deal. If we want to run together, and we do, he will be running at the back of the pack with me. Unless, there is someone out there who would be willing to trade me numbers for anything in the 30,000 range. AND, if you got 37,617...you have MY NUMBER!!!