Why does my heart skip a lively beat, my hooves feel like flying feet? 'Tis love from one yet unseen...when one is in love the whole world is green>>>River of Humanity

On April 23, I caught a stomach flu. After severe vomiting and diarrhea(woo hoo!), Miimii drove me to the emergency room. I sat on a chair for three hours, shivering, before anyone saw me. Miimii said she thought I was going to die--she tended to be a little paranoid. She also noticed there were children with minor scrapes who came in after we did, being treated before us. She became angry and blew up at the staff for not seeing me. I was too weak...I just sat looking pitiful, and watched the wrath of Miimii. Once I was treated, it took another three hours to re-hydrate me. I went home six hours later, nine pounds lighter.

I was in sad shape, and lost three days of work. I vaguely remember the cable guy coming around to hook up our very first cable TV, and trying to keep our cat, Lunch, from kissing him. One night, when I was half asleep, I remember hearing Miimii stomp around the house and scream that she was so bored! She didn't seem happy. On my first day of work, I drank a gallon of Gatorade before lunch and it didn't fill me up.

Days later, the hospital phoned me about the emergency room incident, and I suggested they have a separate room with beds for the sick and suffering while they wait to be seen. They took my advice, and shortly thereafter, the hospital began offering beds to emergency room patients.

Mike checks time as he crosses the line at Bloomsday
I recovered from my illness and raced the 'big one'. This is Bloomsday...I'm the guy to the far left of the first photo (top of page) wearing my 'Second Seed' vest which I've since given away. Ironic that I started in second seed, considering I was second-born in my family too. It just never ends...

This was the world's largest timed run in 1991--59,497 runners started this race over hilly roads of Spokane, Washington. I finished an undistinguished 203rd, but still faster than 99.65% of the runners, and even with my second seed start position, it still took 15 seconds just to reach the start line. There were three blocks of runners on parallel streets for the first mile and then all 59,000 runners merged. You had to be in front before the merge or you'd be in a bottleneck. First prize was a BMW automobile. I didn't get the car. These were the best runners in the world.

My official finishing time was 44:05 (photo shows me crossing at 44:08) for 7.46 miles, but in reality, it was 43:50 after you subtract the 15 seconds it took to reach the start line. It was broadcast on ESPN, the start was shown on CNN (to the best of my foggy recollection), and they showed the race live on local TV and ran re-runs of the finish all day. It's the largest event in Spokane.

May 5, 1991
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Hey Horsey where am I? When can I take this blindfold off? Why do I smell people?>>>
***Miss Paul has requested her picture not be shown here to protect her identity***

I talked Miimii into entering Bloomsday too. She hadn't had a very good time since she arrived in Washington, and this was the event of the year, so I thought she'd enjoy it. She agreed to participate but on the morning of the race complained about having to wake so early.

When I finished I received the covetted Bloomsday T-shirt, which changed every year. People were so thrilled about that T-shirt (it was purple). Then I ran against the 59,000 runners who'd finished behind me and found Miimii in the crowd (it wasn't easy!), expecting her to be upset.

When I found her she ran away before I could get her attention. I caught her she said,"I HAVE TO CATCH MICKEY MOUSE!" There was a lady in the mob who wore a Mickey Mouse shirt, and Miimii's goal was to keep up with her. She'd walk a little and then dart off in pursuit of Mickey. Miimii's the one with the pink cut-off top, and a smiling Horsey behind her. I held my Bloomsday T-shirt in my hand, and people in the crowd asked me if they could see it. The design of the T-shirt was always big talk because it was kept secret up until the race.

As we approached the finish, I left the course so the cameras didn't film me finishing twice. As I climbed through the ropes, 100 meters from the finish, the spectators yelled,"Don't give up now! Keep going!"
Miimii's time of about 1 hour, 50 minutes was good for 25,000th place. She still finished well into the top 50% of competitors.