The Little Rock Marathon was in shambles. Almost without exception, entrants' race numbers were registered in other people's names, and the course was so poorly marked that runners were spread all across downtown.
Fortunately for Rock, he knew every turn of the new route. He was running very well and thought the disorganization might work to his advantage. He had a chance to win.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Monday, December 26, 2016
A living
It was a nice way to make a living, but it confused Rock at times. For instance, he wasn't sure what tracks raced on Monday nights. He couldn't find the past performances anywhere, but he soon realized it didn't make any difference. Golden Gate Fields was the only American track still racing and it was a minute from the ninth and final race.
Monday, December 19, 2016
A declarative statement
One of the students in an English literature class offered the teacher a breakdown of a thoroughbred race on Turfway Paradise's Monday card as her example of a declarative statement. It seemed to Rock that the teacher, Ms. Fuller, was lost in some other matter and did not hear what the student had to say.
"Pardon me, Ms. Fuller, did you hear that?" he said.
Ms. Fuller did not respond. She rather kept her head down, apparently absorbed in whatever she had turned to in the book she held open. Several students laughed softly.
Rock tried again. "I beg your pardon, Ms. Fuller, did you hear what she had to say?"
"Pardon me, Ms. Fuller, did you hear that?" he said.
Ms. Fuller did not respond. She rather kept her head down, apparently absorbed in whatever she had turned to in the book she held open. Several students laughed softly.
Rock tried again. "I beg your pardon, Ms. Fuller, did you hear what she had to say?"
Real time
He wasn't sure why, but Rock had been asked to reenact a great deal of his past. There was no way for him to know when he began, but he suspected he was getting close to the present. It was daylight in his back bedroom and, according to his watch, Monday morning.
Rock was in his kitchen, making coffee. He was nearly certain this was real time and not something he had lived through before.
Rock was in his kitchen, making coffee. He was nearly certain this was real time and not something he had lived through before.
Monday, December 12, 2016
No cheering
Stadium seating was set up in a bus station, and Rock and people scattered throughout the facility were watching a football game that involved the Washington Redskins. There was no doubt Rock wanted the Redskins to win, and he couldn't help but cheer out loud for them.
A woman seated near one of the many television sets tried to shush him, which seemed odd to Rock. He wondered why anyone would care one way or the other.
The Redskins scored, and Rock cheered once again. This time the woman seemed angered. "Shhhhh," she uttered as loudly as possible.
"Ma'am, I am not going to not cheer," Rock said, though somewhat weakly, as though he were losing his voice.
"Yes you are," she said.
A woman seated near one of the many television sets tried to shush him, which seemed odd to Rock. He wondered why anyone would care one way or the other.
The Redskins scored, and Rock cheered once again. This time the woman seemed angered. "Shhhhh," she uttered as loudly as possible.
"Ma'am, I am not going to not cheer," Rock said, though somewhat weakly, as though he were losing his voice.
"Yes you are," she said.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Church group
The men in Rock's church congregation were in a habit of gathering in line near his bathroom to await results of some sort. It wasn't clear what, at least not to Rock, but he had grown somewhat self-conscious with these strangers in his house on Sunday mornings.
He decided they might be interested in a long-drive competition, only not today. It was raining outside, and Pam wanted in.
He decided they might be interested in a long-drive competition, only not today. It was raining outside, and Pam wanted in.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Practice cats
A high school football coach somewhere in the Little Rock metropolitan area had worked out a way to use house cats in his practices, and Rock and an old friend named Rex Nelson showed up to see how.
It was overcast and bitterly cold out, so the practice had been moved inside the school's gymnasium. Rock and Rex walked in through a crowd of football players and worked their way to the back of the gym where a table was set up for the press.
Two units of players worked through drills in front of them. As they did, at least a dozen cats sat behind the players on a row of old wooden school chairs. They seemed uncommonly patient for cats, yet eager to participate.
It was overcast and bitterly cold out, so the practice had been moved inside the school's gymnasium. Rock and Rex walked in through a crowd of football players and worked their way to the back of the gym where a table was set up for the press.
Two units of players worked through drills in front of them. As they did, at least a dozen cats sat behind the players on a row of old wooden school chairs. They seemed uncommonly patient for cats, yet eager to participate.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Team captain
As this experience unfolded, it seemed unimaginable to Rock that anyone would choose to become the captain of the Arkansas Razorbacks and Lady Razorbacks track and cross country teams. Nevertheless, he was it.
Practice was over for the day, and Rock was required to direct an apparently daily ritual that involved running miles of laps from the UA campus to downtown Fayetteville and back. This potentially endless process included a progressive state of undress for Rock. He wondered why he had never heard of such an insane tradition, apparently put in place by legendary but long-since retired Arkansas track coach John McDonnell.
All at once, late in the afternoon, Rock was at his house in Levy, and the sun was coming up. He ate a PayDay bar, established it was Friday morning, and then went back to bed.
Practice was over for the day, and Rock was required to direct an apparently daily ritual that involved running miles of laps from the UA campus to downtown Fayetteville and back. This potentially endless process included a progressive state of undress for Rock. He wondered why he had never heard of such an insane tradition, apparently put in place by legendary but long-since retired Arkansas track coach John McDonnell.
All at once, late in the afternoon, Rock was at his house in Levy, and the sun was coming up. He ate a PayDay bar, established it was Friday morning, and then went back to bed.
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