4th of July Weekend is here!

It's a half day at work, the Braves are at home tonight and Dad is on his way to Atlanta!!  I'm so very excited about this weekend, but it isn't exactly as planned.  Patti's mom, who we call Nonnie, is sick in the hospital recovering from surgery.  Patti is needed in Orlando and will not be making it trip with Dad.  I'm so sad that I won't be able to spend quality time with her this weekend, but I 100% understand the reason for her staying home.

I have some important things planned for me and Dad and sometimes Stephen and the rest of the weekend is up in the air.  The most important thing for me this weekend (besides our reservations at Rathbun Steak) is the Peachtree Road Race on MONDAY.  I'm in Corral W.  It's the last corral before the final two corrals for racers that didn't submit a time.  I guess they knew I could run?  My corral's slowest time for the race is 2:00 - I should beat that no problem.

Here are some fun facts about the race from the Atlanta Track Club:

• The first Peachtree was in 1970, with 150 runners (though only 110 would finish). There were no T-shirts, no water stops, no food and no post-race entertainment. The entry fee was $2.
• 26 percent of participants in the 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race will be running it for the first time ever.
• The coolest starting temperature on race day was 62 degrees in 1986 and 1989. The warmest was 80 degrees in 1970, ’73, ’77, ‘80, ’83 and ’91.
• Participants in the 2011 event will represent 48 states and the District of Columbia.  The only two states not represented are South Dakota and Nevada. See a map of the breakdown here.
• Three women participated in the first Peachtree in 1970. Today, close to half of the participants are women.
• The PRR Expo has more than 100 different exhibits, including gear and apparel, gift items, races and food items.
• A medical team of more than 150 people will be at the race.
• This year’s 60,000 participants will burn 36 million calories running the course.
• What does it take to produce a successful race? It takes:

–250 tables
–250 cases — that’s 600,000 — cups
–200 trash cans
–110 hoses
–50 rolls of duct tape
–40 rakes
–12 pairs of pliers
–17 pallets — that’s 42,500 — peaches.