Great Races, My Writing & The Zion Curtain

Congrats to Mrs. 'Hat Rack who successfully completed her umpteenth marathon last Sunday. Along with a dozen "Crazy Marathon Maidens" from Salt Lake City, she finished the Nike Women's Marathon from downtown San Francisco to the Great Highway on the Pacific Ocean. The 'Hat Rack road trip included a stop at Sugarpine Point State Park in Lake Tahoe where the 'Hat Racks were wedded almost seven years ago. The entire race is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and 12,000+ runners raised nearly $20 million for the cause. It was profoundly moving to see so many purple running shirts in one place - the cause has grown so much since Teri and I met while running and fundraising for the Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage in 1999.

Back in SLC, I am submitting my 40,000-word manuscript to Fodor's today - the basis for a 2008 book tentatively titled "Pocket Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks." It's been a huge project for me and I'm eager to get some editing feedback and put the final touches on it in the weeks to come. To say it's kept me busy is an understatement.

The October edition of Connect hit newstands (libraries, at least!) and features my 2,000-word story on Utah's $1 billion winter sports scene entitled "Turning Powder to Profits."

Finally, in luscious local politics, one member of the ultra-progressive Utah Liquor Commission wants to sequester inanimate bottles of liquor at state restaurants and bars because the sight of alcohol might offend members of the predominate religion here. Bottles would have to be placed behind partitions being referred to as "Zion Curtains." I hear they might put all computers in dark closets too, because Utah has one of the worst records in the nation for googling pornography related terms. And did you know this is the #1 consumer in the nation for candy? Maybe they need a gate on that aisle in the grocery store?

Comments

[Randall Howes]

Sigh...

I think that non-drinkers have too much say in the liquor commission. Too many people believe that the goal is to eliminate drinking. That is false.

Champaigne has bubbles so next we will ban club soda and seltzer (including Alka-Seltzer). Sprite & 7-Up can't be far behind.

IMO, responsible drinking is not evil (or even a sin) unless the drinker has made a solemn promise not to do so.