Archive for September 2014

10 years of Marathon Training experiences: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

While I’m not training for the Chicago Marathon this year, I have run it a dozen times since the noughties  began.  That means Marathon Training has consumed most of my summers over the last decade. This part of the season known as The Taper, was always my favorite part of the training season.  Because when... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 29, 2014 at 4:41 pm • 

Being neutral in a Friend Cold War isn't always the right thing to do

Have you ever had two friends who had some type of blowout and now won’t speak to one another? Maybe it’s over something really stupid, like liking Coldplay or maybe it is a friendship breaker, liking balking on reimbursing someone for Coldplay Concert Tickets.  Either way you might be caught in the middle. Sure all... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 23, 2014 at 7:20 am • 

Being caught in the middle when friends fight is awful

A long time ago, in a Liberal Arts College far, far away, a couple friends were not getting along. Actually to say they weren’t getting along would be like saying Russia and Ukraine are having growing pains.  What they were fighting about isn’t important, but it is amusing so I’ll share. Cindy was pissed at... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 23, 2014 at 7:18 am • 
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Marathon Training: Group Leader Confidential

Every summer thousands of people train for the Chicago Marathon and many of them join running clubs like CARA. Although I’m not doing it this year, I’ve group leader since 2003 and have trained for both fall and spring marathons, so I’ve led a lot of different groups of runners over the years. Two of... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 22, 2014 at 7:15 am • 

The ups and downs of keeping your baby names a secret

About seven seconds after we shared the news that we were pregnant, people have been asking all sorts of questions. When is Nightingale due?  Are we going to learn the sex of the children? Do they have a favorite cognac and preferred smokes? You know, the standard FAQs. Like an episode of Lost, every question led to... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 20, 2014 at 10:02 am • 

My thought process on how I tip

Every so often the When to Tip or When Not to Tip debate comes up. “Should one tip when you pick up Chinese takeout? Should you tipped the guys who delivered your new gas range? What about a hotel bellhop? A parking valet?” Wash. Rinse. Repeat. What I’m gonna do instead it share my thought... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 19, 2014 at 7:26 am • 
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Seven things to expect when dating someone training for the Chicago Marathon

<strong>Going to bed early</strong> <br><br>Chances are good your partner does her running early in the morning to beat the heat and get the mileage out of the way.
So you met that special someone this summer, perhaps at a street festival, a sporting event or even a friend’s annual 4th of July Party. You hit things off and everything is going great except you are starting to notice they have this hobby which borders on addiction. It probably started out as a minor... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 16, 2014 at 9:31 am • 

What to say about September 11th that hasn't already been said

Today is the 13th anniversary of the biggest Al Qaeda terrorist attack on the United States of America. It’s one of those days that will forever have significance in my life. In the category of  Unexpected Tragedy and Senseless Death, it ranks right up there with Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy Assassinations and the shuttlecraft explosions.... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 11, 2014 at 4:43 pm • 

One Bears loss does not end the season...yet

Wow judging from all the chatter around Chicago, you’d think the Bear’s season officially ended last Sunday, 15 games early. Relax people. see if your ObamaCare can spring for some Xanax or something. Yes there were turnovers and missed tackles and mental lapses. It certainly wasn’t as bad as last season, we have a lot... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 9, 2014 at 11:11 am • 
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Crummy Jobs: My former life as a Paralegal Assistant

Every so often, I think back to my first post-college job as a Paralegal Assistant at BIGNAME LAW FIRM.  The PA position was created to offload the non-billable work the paralegals had to do — otherwise known as Things the Paralegals Didn’t Want to Do — so they could focus on the more substantive legal... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 2, 2014 at 6:45 am •