well, the marathon is over. i am alive, and sort of in one piece. my mental state is questionable, but overall, i feel the experience was a pretty good one. read on for my overly-long, florid, too-detailed account of my mano-a-mano battle with the evil 26.2 miles.

Well, I'm back from my first visit to the west, or "godless" coast. I had a good time, saw a lot of California, and will be writing about it more later. But for now, allow me to share three fascinating tidbits about the Golden State

• The only seasons are "normal" and "rain", and Californians react to rain the way we react to snow. My friend Jeff, observing San Diegans on a day with light drizzle: "This is literally the worst thing that's happened to these people in six months."


• Odds are about even that Republican paraphenalia will be interpreted as being worn for ironic intent. This is probably accurate.


• All food must legally be categorized as "burrito" or "sushi"

As you can see, this trip was too short to learn much new information, so I focused on reinforcing ridiculous stereotypes. Fortunately, my Californian friends seem to think these stereotypes are mostly accurate. So, as time allows, expect a hackneyed city-by-city rundown of The Only State That Matters Because That's Where TV Comes From.

For right now, though, I'm anxious to dive back into the world of creating dynamic, integrated e-business solutions. Hurrah!