Saturday doin's in Eugene

How's your Saturday going so far? All is well here. I've got some energy I may need to burn off with a short walk down/up the hill, which is good to see.

Just finished a delicious and healthy lunch -- 'diet' hummus (made without tahini and with less olive oil that usual), carrot and zucchini sticks, purchased Naan bread. And believe it or not, after this and other planned foods for the day, I still have a hundred calories of indulgence I need to decide upon eventually. Not exactly hungry at the moment, however.

Eugene is again hosting the NCAA Track & Field Nationals, and I've been enjoying watching it on TV. Our guys won the men's title yesterday, and the girls have a pretty good chance with the women's title today. I was tempted to head down there, buy a ticket and experience it in person, but laziness got the better of me. I like having the camera close ups and the ESPN commentaries so I know more what's going on.

Next spring, however, I am determined to attend at least one of these big events at Hayward Field, so I can experience what's known as the 'Hayward Magic'. I have to admit, it's a pretty special place even without a big event happening. I've volunteered for Masters events there in past years, and being on the field always seemed a bit magical. I could feel the history pervading the place. After all, this is the home of Steve Prefontaine, among many other stars in the sport, and the birthplace of Nike. Next summer it'll host its third T&F Olympic trials in a row, and is slated for the next two as well. Athletes love competing here. So -- I really feel the need to be there at least once. I was a volunteer at the 2008 Olympic trials, but worked behind the scenes and never got into the field enclosure or saw anything that was going on. No freebies!

This morning I read that Eugene and its surrounding area have had the worst allergy counts in the nation for a couple of days, and that'll probably last for a few more. Grass pollen, people! Oregon is a major supplier of grass seed for this country and other countries as well, so there are acres and acres of grasses growing all up and down the Willamette Valley. My eyes have been itchy and watery for a few weeks now, but not bad enough to be anything more than annoying. Others really feel it.

Hope your day is a good one.