Today Samsonite made his pilgrimage to Marathon Mecca and ran – unsupported – the course of the Boston Marathon. From the start line in Hopkinton to the most significant left hand turn in all of sports onto Bolyston, everything was epic. The course, even 7 months after the most recent race, is still well marked with paint on the street where every water stop used to stand. In the end, Samsonite ran from start line to finish line in 3:36, but he figures he deserves AT LEAST a 5-minute time credit for time spent stopped at intersections and taking pictures. And would you believe it – right at the finish line is a Dunkin Donuts!  With a nod toward Brother T3 and his OKC Memorial Marathon tradition, Samsonite went in for some much craved Hot Chocolate and a – what else? – Boston Creme donut.

Today’s fun has inspired Samsonite to take up a new running-related hobby: running marathon courses solo and unsupported. Next week he’ll be in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game, and hopefully will be able to add Philly to the collection.

Foot on the start line in Hopkinton:

Wellesley College – Samsonite could hear the girls in his head (in his head is about as close as he usually gets to a girl anyway)

Newton – what hills?  Samsonite couldn’t even tell which one “Heartbreak” was supposed to be…  Speed bumps, really.

That silly Citgo sign, it looms in the distance FOR-EV-ER!

Finish line:

Pirana hat and butt-sweat on the finish line:

Dunkin Donuts Hot Chocolate – the Boston Creme donut was long gone before Samsonite could get the camera out:

The Pirañas read this with interest:

With appropriate pomp and circumstance, still-the-President George W. Bush let two happy birds off the dinner table hook just in time for Thursday’s feast.

“Pumpkin and Pecan are hereby granted a full and unconditional president pardon,” Bush announced Wednesday, much to the relief of the two plump birds. “In recent weeks, I’ve talked about sprinting to the finish,” W. smiled at the cameras. “Yet, I’ve assured these turkeys they will not be trotting to their finish.”

PETA, an organization which seems literally impossible to please, isn’t happy with this decision from the Prez. “You might be a lame duck, but you still have the power to help lame turkeys, who are made that way by the cruelty of the meat industry,” Ingrid Newkirk, president of the organization, wrote to Bush, asking that the birds be delivered to an animal sanctuary instead.

The two birds will fly to Disneyland (by jet – let’s think about the strangeness of that for a moment), where Pumpkin will serve as the honorary marshal in a Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“Together, these birds will gobble the rest of their days in ‘The Happiest Place on Earth,’” Disneyland’s nickname, “I just hope they stay humble there,” Bush added with his trademark grin.

Whatever.

The Pirañas wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful that God has blessed us with friendship, fellowship and family. We are healthy and happy and blessed to be living in freedom and peace. as you relax and/or overeat today, please take a moment to reflect on the many blessings you have. Sometimes we don’t realize how good we have it until we think about it.

Gobble, Gobble.

The Pirañas were present during the Coldplay concert at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City last night. It was an amazing show! Chris Martin was in full form and the stage show was one of the best the Pirañas have ever seen.

Coldplay moved easily back and forth between older numbers and cuts from the newly released “Viva la Vida” album and varied the presentation from full on all out performance to almost intimate acoustic moments.

Set List:

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Glass Of Water
Speed Of Sound
Cemeteries Of London
Chinese Sleep Chant
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)
Talk (techno version)
The Hardest Part (Chris – piano instrumental)
Postcards From Far Away (Chris – piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
The Scientist (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic – Will singing)
Viva La Vida (remix interlude)
——
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
——-
Yellow
The Escapist (outro)

During “Lovers in Japan” about a zillion paper butterflys fell onto the crowd on the floor from the ceiling, first in pastel colors and then in dayglo colors that glowed under the blacklight coming from the stage.

Probably one of the coolest things that ColdPlay did was to break form and head up into one of the most remote seating sections, away from the main stage – the nose bleed section. With the Ford Center completely darkened and only a direct spotlight shinning on the group… ColdPlay casually hung out, right next to their loving fans. Playing an acoustic arrangement of “The Scientist” — they had all fans literally “singing” along — right out of their hands. A unique and classic ColdPlay concert moment – for all. Very cool.

What wasn’t cool was the security detail that gruffly hearded people who tried to get closer to the band back to their seats. A little power corrupts little people.

As they always do, Coldplay also used the concert venue as an opportunity to promote free trade and justice in third world countries by partnering with OxFam. Volunteers handed out pamplets urging people to do something, however small, that would further the end of poverty and promote justice in other countries. While you can agree or disagree with their particular solutions, you have to give credit to the band for using their popularity to raise awareness of a real issue that has devastating consequences for millions of people worldwide. If you don’t like their solutions, come up with one of your own, but don’t pretend the problem doesn’t exist.