Cotton Ball Car

The sun was just coming up and it was still a bit dark out so I wasn't sure what was all over the car parked on Aldwick. As I got closer to the car, I realized that they were cotton balls. Someone had covered a car in wet cotton balls as a prank. An interesting sight at 6:30 am. I've heard of flocking (putting lots of plastic flamingos in a front yard) but I had not heard of cotton-balling. I went home and I googled "cotton ball car" and found a few funny images. The last picture is my favorite. Enjoy!

American Graffiti

Over the years I've watched my favorite pieces of art come and go - when the city of Dallas removes the graffiti at the lake. Here is "art" that I enjoyed today. The second one is a bit PG-13, please ask your children to leave the room.

1. Hot dog pic. He's my favorite. Hot dog used to also be on the Mockingbird bridge last year but was unfortunately removed. :(
2. Is p____ slippery when wet?
This one made me LOL. The old lady who watched me take this picture didn't laugh.
3. Mmmmm. This one makes me want an ice cream cone.

Windy Hill

I love running hills. I eat hills for breakfast. But the hill I ran up this morning was particularly windy. I was blown away. Literally. The wind was angry and the hill was long and steep. I was being pushed to the right, to the left, to the front, to the back (tootsie roll). Out of breath, heart pounding, legs like jello, I pushed on and reached the top of the hill. I stopped, put my hands on my hips and breathed in the cool air. I thought to myself, "whew, that was a WINDY HILL." Then I looked up and noticed the appropriately named road I just ran up...

Flesh-Colored Shorts

As I ran through my neighborhood this past weekend, I saw a man approaching. He was out for an afternoon run too.  Then I thought to myself, "Is he nude?". As he got closer I saw that he was not nude but was instead wearing flesh-colored running shorts. But not just any flesh-colored running shorts. These were short, flesh-colored running shorts that were drenched in sweat. They had become short, flesh-colored see through running shorts. As we passed each other, I think I saw “it”.

Rhino Boy

Okay, one more thing I saw while running NYC. Rhino boy. I first saw him at packet pick-up the day before the race and then again that night on the subway. That's where I took this picture of him. I didn't see him during the actual race. But I know he did finish.

Italian Chateau in NYC

The New York City Marathon is this weekend. I ran it last year. A person who runs the NYC Marathon is like a Vietnam vet. If you get us talking about it, we won't shut up. We have stories. Just like when a Vietnam vet starts talking about 'Nam. Yes, I could go on and on about the many things I saw that day. But I'll just write about one thing that sticks out in my mind.

As I turned the corner at Columbus Circle near the finish line, with bleachers full of spectators cheering me on, I saw Italian chateau man. He was running with an Italian chateau atop his head. It was about three feet wide and two feet tall. The chateau was very detailed. Florentine facade, terrace, the works. I'm not sure what it was made of. Maybe a covered styrofoam of some sort, because it didn't seem too heavy. But go ahead and picture Ryan Hall with an Italian chateau balanced on his head. I've included some pictures to help you image what I saw last November.

Cocaine

GALVESTON — A jogger on Galveston Island discovered a bag in the surf Tuesday containing 25 bricks of cocaine with an estimated street value of $2 million. The jogger, whose name police are withholding, discovered the bag about 9:30 a.m. near Indian Beach, police spokesman Cpt. Jeff Heyse said.

He lugged the heavy bag to his residence and slashed it open to find 25 bricks of cocaine, each weighing 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds, bundled in plastic wrap and rubber, Heyse said. Recognizing the packages as cocaine from television programs, the jogger phoned police, Heyse said. The bricks tested positive for cocaine, he said. The wholesale value of each brick is about $675,000, he said.

1900s Guy

With Halloween approaching, I'm reminded of the time I saw 1900s guy at the lake. It was Halloween 2010 when I saw him on the Mockingbird bridge. I looked around hoping there was someone else around to share my excitement. But no one was there. I was alone in this time travel journey. Back in time, that is. He was wearing a brown, wool 3 piece suit with top hat circa 1905. His bike was from a similar time period. One big wheel, one small wheel. The following images best depict what I saw that day.

Man in a Parrot Suit

I went for a run in the Sparkling City by the Sea aka Corpus. I ran up Airline, took a right on Alameda and then to Ocean Drive. 6 mile loop. That's when I saw him. Man in a parrot suit. I waved at him and he waved back. Later that day, I saw a flyer in a local coffee shop. That's him!! Guy in a parrot suit advertising for the apartments that I ran past.

After the race

1. A blood blister on the side of my big toe. Successfully popped.

2. The ugliest race medal. Ever.

Odd things at the Tyler Rose

I ran the Tyler Rose Half Marathon this past weekend. The pain of the many hills in Tyler, TX was dulled by some interesting scenes I witnessed.

1. As I waited at the starting line, I glanced over to the girl standing next to me. Then I noticed it. Her race bib number. 666. I'm not sure if she caught the look on my face but it was difficult to hide my reaction. Ewwww, I thought as I squished my nose up in disgust. Bad omen, no PR for her.

2. Around mile 3 I saw it. The van parked in front of a house. The side of the van said, "City of Tyler Crime Scene Unit." Something must have happened to the girl with the 666 race bib.

3. I saw two dudes running during the race. One had "dumb" written on the back of his t-shirt and the other had "dumber" written on his back. Then at the finish, they were leap-frogging over one another for a few yards and into the finisher's chute. No PR for them either.

Welcome!

I started running in 1993. I turned 14 that summer. I would run from my house to the Hardee’s on Everhart & Alameda with Leet almost every day. It was 3 miles, out and back. He went away to college that August and I’ve been running ever since. Over the past 18 years, I've seen some odd things while out for a run. And lately I've been taking mental notes.

This blog chronicles real life accounts of strange, unique or funny events that I have witnessed, with my own eyes, while out for a run. I will occasionally run with a camera or phone to capture these strange and/or funny events on film.