#$!@%?

Back from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. During my trip, I decided for some reason to eliminate diet soda from my diet. I love Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi! Never was a big fan of the regular stuff, but really loved the zero calorie varieties. And now my love is gone (or at least limited to one single 12 oz can a day). No longer am I greeted in the morning by that wonderful carbonated beverage. No more 44oz ice cold love dispensed from the fountain machine. In its place is water. Mmmmm, plain, old water. Very similar to the tear I am crying thinking about my lost love. I must be strong! The reason for running a marathon is to get my health in check, and I do not think a 100 gallon a day diet coke habit was good for me. Wish me luck, but you might be wise to stay clear for a few days, or at least until the withdraw shakes have subsided to a little less then a paint shaker.

In other tidbits, here is a final list of all the pens and SWAG (stuff we all get) I collected at this year's WAWGG Conference:

37 pens (35 not including the two I grabbed from my hotel room)

1 stuffed bear

1 golf ball

3 magazines (all of which I already had subscriptions too and found the current copies waiting for me on my desk when I got home)

4 reusable shopping bags

7 sticky note pads

1 calendar all in French

A lot of candy, which I limited my intake to a single piece, after an eight mile run!

And a few items that my wife and I are stilling trying to figure out.