JOINT SENATE/HOUSE INVESTIGATION OF MISSING SINGLE SOCKS REVEALS STUNNING RESULTS

A joint U.S. Senate and House of Representative three-year investigation concluded Monday with the extraordinary findings that Black Americans and White Americans lose single socks after a washing/drying session at nearly identical rates.

 The joint committee, chaired by Joe Manchin (D-South Virgina,) found out that for every 100 washing and drying episodes, White Americans lost a single sock 34.72% of the time, while Blacks lost a single sock 34.74% of them time.

 “I know many Americans were initially outraged that senators and congressional representatives took three years to get these findings, but with these fascinating results, I am almost pretty sure they will understand the time and millions of dollars spent were well worth it,” said Manchin, a professional bitch.

 Others said the findings were extremely “telling”.

 “Although it was closer than I thought, 34.72% to 34.74%, it is clearly a win for White Americans,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, a relatively well-known fecal matter. “Maybe the darks should organize their clothes better, or at least look harder in the dryer for a missing sock.  Hey, I just realized that darks probably don’t separate dark and white clothing. That sure says something.”

 When pressed by Bob Woodward what that actually “says”, she refused to answer.

 After releasing the findings both the senate and the house announced they would be on summer vacation and would resume meetings in early October to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, more importantly to figure out a way to lower the price of gasoline by six cents per gallon without resulting in block-long lines at gas stations across the United States of America. Congressional  analysts has stated a  drop of 6 pennies for a gallon would mean that American drivers could save 96 cents – nearly one dollar - on a single 16 gallon fill-up.

 “To some, that may not seem like a lot,” said fecal matter Taylor-Greene. “But if you fill up 400 million times, that would really add up.”

BAN THE LEFT TURN

Last week my uncle Johnny and auntie Sheila from Chicago came to visit. They had not been in Los Angeles for 45 years and, though they both thought it was a bit corny, they really wanted to see some of our city’s famous tourist spots.    

“I know it’s for kids, but we’d really just like to go sightseeing,” said aunt Sheila, 72, almost apologetically. 

No problem, I told them. Heck, I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the spots that have brought tourists to the town of my birth myself. 

So, I took them to the Chinese Theater – that I still call Grauman’s Chinese - and uncle and I we put our feet in Humphrey Bogart’s, Paul Newman’s and Steve McQueen’s shoe imprint while auntie tried out Ava Gardner and Natalie Wood. 

Then we went to the La Brea Tar Pits and marveled at the mastodons and mammoths and that saber-toothed tiger, (now, politically correct, called a saber-toothed cat) still the coolest name of any animal. Ever.  

Then I took them to see the storied “NO LEFT TURN 7 AM - 9 AM  4PM - 7 PM” sign at Beverly and Normandie. That’s a classic I never get tired of seeing and love to take out-of-towners to gaze at it.  It’s such a sweet thought back to memory lane. Those wonderous days when the morning rush ended at 9 a.m. and the afternoon rush didn’t start until 4 p.m..  Imagine that. Back then, from 9 am to 4 pm - seven hours! – drivers hummed along in Los Angeles streets like they were Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton zooming around the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. 

My uncle and aunt stared at the sign it wistfully. “Wow, what a, well, I guess, in a way, a melancholy sign,” said aunt Sheila, who was born in Manchester, England and grew up fairytales about Los Angeles allowing left turns from non-“left turn only” designated lanes. “So back in the day, the evening rush hour didn’t start until four? And only lasted three hours? That’s crazy. What a delight that must have been to drive in those days.”

Since we weren’t that far away, and I had an hour before dinner, I continued the tour. I drove west on Beverly, past the Wilshire Country Club, hung a right on June Street and another right onto Melrose and headed back east. 

“Get your cameras out,” I said as we drove past the intersection where Rossmore Avenue transforms into Vine Street ( that’s a whole ‘nuther story). “Now watch as this two-lane road becomes only one lane because three or four people get to park on Melrose.”

I lucked out. Only one car was parked on Melrose a block west of Larchmont, but it was enough for 100s, more likely 1,000s of cars to have to squish over, honk, nearly side swipe each other all for one car to park. 

My uncle was impressed. “So, let me get this straight.  A thousand cars pay the price for one car to park. A two-lane street becomes one-lane all because of that silver Camry. Now that’s democracy.”

Democracy? No, this is more like stupidity. Two lane roads turning into one lane so a few people can park? People legally turning left up until 4 p.m.? Hey Garcetti, hey Transportation Department bosses, wake the blank up. The rush hour in Los Angeles does not end at 9 a.m. or start up again at 4 p.m.,  Time have changed. Change the damn signs.

Make it, I don’t know, left turns allowed from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on certain streets?  How about no left turns at all? Make three right turns.  Suffer a little. The left turn is the most dangerous thing most L.A. residents do all day anyway.  Ban it. Let us going-straight folks go without having to veer into the next lane. 

The point is do something about the traffic on the streets. .  

Every time I drive on these roads – two, three times a  day – I think “Do the people that run this city ever actually drive?”  They couldn’t possibly drive here and think this is okay. These rules 30, 40 years old.  

Where is the Coltrane, the Miles Davis of the transportation department?  We need some outside the box. Or, rather,  outside the lane thinking. This current way is not working. Try something different. Anything. 

The rush hour is no no longer 7 am to 9 am and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. It’s a lovely thought but it’s just not true. It’s fiction. It’s make believe.   

Whoever is in charge of traffic, please, like Frank Sinatra sings in “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”,  use your mentality, wake up to reality.

FRONT LINE CAMPAIGN WORKERS LIKE RALPH WAXMAN HELPED WIN THE "BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF AMERICA"

In a war, nobody ever knows the names of the front line soldiers except for their family or friend. Only they can tell you a name or a soldier who actually fought in the 2nd Battle of Fallujah or who defended the tractor factory in Stalingrad.

Same thing goes for the front line soldiers in the “Battle for the Soul of America”, those front liners who make the phone calls, go door-to-door hammering home their and their candidates views, trying to convince anyone to vote for their person.

Here at Krikorian Writes we would like to single out one of those front line workers because we know him, Ralph Waxman.

Waxman, a community activist, comedian, Osteria Mozza server and a kind, decent, goodhearted human being with a mind that frequents the gutter, has been working the streets of Arizona, going door-to-door, getting warmth and harassment. getting hugs and threats, and getting his word across that America needs Joe Biden.

I’ve singled out Waxman among the tens of thousands of workers who make this campaign happen and made it successful because he’s a friend, he works for my girlfriend, he’s dedicated to helping the downtrodden, loves Bruce Springsteen and, perhaps most importantly, because I owe him a few bucks.

But, it is those Waxmans of America that helped win this election for Generals Biden and Harris, for Colonels Abrams and Lewis, for all those other famous folks you know of and who urged you to vote for the Democrats. Its is those Ralph Wamans who fought the battle in the trenches. They fought it and won.

ANOTHER CEASEFIRE HAS CEASED IN KARABAKH

26 October, 2020 23:10

By Michael Krikorian

“What ‘cease’? says Gevorg Haroyan, a CIVILNET photojournalist, with a very rudimentary knowledge of English, allowed to go to one of the fronts of the war here. “Only fire.”

As he stood Monday afternoon on a ridge overlooking a valley a few kilometers from the embattled town of Martuni, Haroyan and a team of journalists from seven countries, accompanied by several soldiers, watched and sensed / experienced as explosions of varying significance detonated, some outgoing, some incoming.

Another ceasefire had ceased. 

At 8:00 am, local time, Monday, October 26, a ceasefire between Armenians and the attacking Azerbaijani forces was to go into effect throughout Karabakh, which has been a war zone for a month. The ceasefire had been announced the day before with much fanfare. Even the heretofore-silent American President Donald Trump publicly referred to it in a campaign rally.   

But, this ceasefire hadn’t even officially begun when, inexplicably, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan accused the Armenian forces of “grossly” violating the agreement. How does one violate an agreement before it starts, social media asked. The Azeris quickly deleted this statement, but it did not help their credibility and supported skepticism about their commitment to a ceasefire.   

Shortly after the 8:00 am start time, the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh announced that the Army was strictly adhering to the agreement.

By early afternoon, this was all a moot point as the artillery shells were heard throughout the region.

The van carrying the journalists was forced to continue traveling by soldiers and came to a stop near an abandoned store. From near a 20-foot wide crater in the adjoining field. A single German shepherd appeared and curled up against a twisted metal fence. Whenever an explosion was heard, the solders went quiet, the journalists worried and the dog yelped loudly, then put his head back down.

A crusty, silver-haired man about 65 years old with a Kalashnikov slung across his back walked by the group. He smiled big time at one journalist and said “Fuck them” about the other side in this war, and walked down the road.

Another Kalashnikov carrying man, this one 34, overhears the older guy’s comments and laughs. He is a history teacher in peacetime, but since September 27, he has been in battle. He looks forward to the day he can return to the classroom and teach his students about this particular bit of history. He says he will teach this chapter “with a lot of pride.” When asked who are some of his favorite people of all time to lecture about to his history students he quickly said “Hannibal”, referring to the great Carthaginian general who fought - and the defeated the Romans famously in 216 BC. at Cannae and in 217 BC. at Lago Trasimeno just a few kilometers from Panicale, Umbria. He laughs again and says “You know General Hannibal was Armenian. And he treated his soldiers with much respect.”.

Read this and other stories on Civilnet, the Armenina online newspaper. click or copy and paste this link https://www.civilnet.am/news/2020/10/26/Another-Ceasefire-Had-Ceased/404220

Michael Krikorian is a writer from Los Angeles. He was previously a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and for the Fresno Bee. He writes under the pseudonym "Jimmy Dolan" for the Mozza Tribune. His website is www.KrikorianWrites.com and his first novel is called "Southside".

CHEF HIRO SONE SHATTERS NAPA SPEEDING RECORDS IN WILD DRIVE TO SAVE LISSA AND BIBI FROM GLASS FIRE

Hiro Sone had a transformation for the ages Monday.  From someone who makes a living emulating Joel Robuchon in his own Michelin-starred kitchen, someone who derives soulful satisfaction emulating Eric Clapton on a Stratocaster at his St. Helena home, Sone, with a whoosh, transformed himself into Juan Manuel Fangio, the greatest race car driver who ever speed the Earth.

Told - and blocked - by several law enforcement agencies he could not return to St. Helena from Calistoga where he had gone to gas up his essential generator, Sone argued, pled and came close to out-and-out begging, all to no avail. Then Hiro made the transformation to Fangio.

Why go from chef/guitar player to “El Maestro”, the alias of Fangio, the mythical five-time World Champion Formula One driver from Argentina known for a determination and will unrivaled on the road? Why? . Because the love of Hiro’s life, Lissa Doumani, was stranded at their home in St Helena surrounded by the Glass Fire and he had to get back to save her.

At the fire-surrounded home, too, was Bibi, their new dog that had lifted the couple’s spirits after the sudden gut-wrenching death of the beloved Koko. (For the record, a local “dog whisperer “ who viewed a video of Bibi staring quizzically at Lissa during this madness claimed the dog was asking Lissa “And just where the fuck did Sushi boy run off to? Please don’t tell me to get more guitar picks.”

Hiro was only 20, 25 minutes away, in normal times. He had left Lissa and that blabbermouth Bibi only after a lull in the Glass Mountain Road Fire which had torched much of their land, including the  family shed where Lissa would occasionally make Hiro sleep when he was bad.

Their home itself had been spared so far, thanks largely to a 25-foot fire break that Cal Fire had helped clear. .This is from a Washington Post report quoting Lissa - The entire back of our property was on fire,  we are on a small hill that is flat land behind it the big mountains to Angwin and Pope Valley. We are pretty good at knocking down the weeds around the house,  about 20' deep. This help but the cal fire guys set back fires to stop the move forward. It's a great idea but scary to watch. We had about 8 guys at our place.  For the rest of the day and into the night it was fighting the fires as they come up. This kind of fire burns the bottom of the trees and that causes the trees to fall and create more fuel for the fire.

Late last night the Cal Fire guys felt we were good and Jared also so he went back to get Katherine. Hiro was on patrol. Still putting out flare-ups as they happened. Sometime before midnight there was a tree that was really worrying Hiro so he called Cal Fire and they came back and worked the tree fire a bit but basically said he just had to let it burn its self out.

At a lull, Hiro took a opportunity to rush to Calistoga to get fuel for the generator. Told he could not take the short drive south back to his home, Hiro went Fangio. driving a Porsche 917, he head toward Petaluma like a bat out of Mar-A-Lago.

He gunned the 917, the same Porsche featured in the 1971 Steve McQueen film “Le Mans”, made a turn Gale Sayers woulda admired and headed toward, or all places, Petaluma. For New Yorkers, this is the equivalent of going from the Plaza Hotel to the Empire State Building, by way of the South Bronx.

The speed limit meant as much to Hiro as federal tax laws meant to that punkass in the White House. Bystanders, even firefighters stopped and stared. The 917’s Pirellis screamed. The engine sang Wagner. Petaluma came and went as Hiro headed for Napa.

In Napa, he ricocheted north like he was late for a reservation at Fredy Girardet. Vineyards, some on fire, whizzed by his view as his home was getting reeled in.

Meanwhile at the home, Bibi looked at Lissa and shook his head. That dog whisper, mentioned above, reportedly said the dog was saying a version of “You married him, not me.”

Seconds later, the Bibi’s ears went on alert. The howl of the Porsche 917 was piercing the smoke-filled air. Then, dramatically reducing his speed, Hiro pulled into the driveway like he had just finished a typical Sunday drive. He rushed to Lissa and all was lovely. A scary day and night, but happy ending.

(EDITOR’S NOTE - The dog is named “Bibi” which is Lebanese for ‘love’. When a reporter late Tuesday afternoon asked if the dog was named after the nickname of the punkass Israeli prime minister, Bibi went on attack mode. The reporter is listed in critical, but stupid condition at Silver Oak Hospital.)

EDUCATION SECRETARY DEVOS BOTCHES SCHOOL QUESTIONS BUT TAKES CREDIT FOR CHEF TRACHT'S IMPROVED CONDITION

In a bewildering nationally televised interview, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos fumbled badly on questions regarding the reopening of public schools and somehow managed to make matters worse by bizarrely saying the Trump Administration should be credited for the vastly improved condition of a hospitalized Los Angeles chef.

Devos, speaking on CNN, said schools “need a plan”, while offering none, but then switched directions like Gale Sayers in the open field when she went off on a tangent about Suzanne Tracht, the chef/owner of Jar Restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Tracht who has been at Cedars Sinai Medical Center for 12 days showed marked improvement over a mysterious illness that was originally thought to be Covid-19, but - after five negative tests - left doctors scratching their heads as to wait was the actually medical problem. Tracht suffered from some of Covid’s classic symptoms such as high fever, body aches. weakness and most disturbingly a near shutdown of her breathing system.

This weekend her condition improved dramatically, so much so that her daughter, writer Ida Trevino, actually got her an Egg McMuffin. This seemed to inspired DeVos, considered among the stupidest education secretaries of the modern age.

“I’m not sure about how the schools will reopen, but I am sure Chef Suzanne is doing better,” DeVos told CNN’s Dana Bush who couldn’t have looked more perplexed if an aardvark showed up and asked her to dance. DeVos went on to say, “Thanks to President Trump it looks like pot roast will be available sooner, rather than later.”

Tracht’s press secretary Michele Huckabee Rivera. who has been at her side throughout the ordeal, said she was not surprised by DeVos statements because “she is a stupid idiot. Damn. that lady is dumb.”

Doctors at Cedars were very encouraged by Tracht’s progress.

“When she first came in here, she couldn’t cuss at all,” said Dr.. Julius Irving, a lung and dunk specialist. “But, this morning Suzanne said “DeVos is a dumb fuck” six times. That’s terrific. If she can maintain that tomorrow, and maybe add a “stupid shit” or two, we will release her.”

UPDATE - Tracht followed Dr, Irving orders and was released Monday at 3:27 p.m..

Nancy Silverton To Mission Control; "The Stomach Has Landed", Eats At "The Three O's" In Three Days

“A "High fly ball into right field,,, she is gone! In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.'“

If Vin Scully was around to call the last three meals of Nancy Silverton, he coulda used those classic lines from his call of the Krik Gibson ’88 World Series home run.. Against most odds, Nancy Silverton accomplished what she set out to achieve; to dine at Italy’s “Three O’s” - Dario Cecchini, Massimo Bottura and Franco Pepe - on consecutive days.

Other than the journalist who accompained her on this quest, no one in recorded history has ever done this. The feat required the 1,000 kilometer drivng skills of Juan Fangio driving, the timing of Delta Force, and the connections of, well, of Nancy Silverton.

It was capped off Sunday night in the quiet hilltop town of Caiazzo when the two, after an arduous nightime pouring rain drive through a narrow, twisting mountain road, arrived at Pepe in Grani. the storied pizzeria of Franco Pepe, the best in Europe and made famous years ago by an article entitled “The World’s Second Best Pizza” ( see linke below.)

Silverton and Michael Krikorian sat down and were quickly brought their favorite pizza, Il Sole de Piatti. better known to Americans as the Dream of Caiazzo. It lived up.

There was a lot more; two fried pizza cones filled with ham and pinieapple, another with mozzarella, a pizza of bufala bresola and half-melted bufala mozzarella, a calzone of escarole and anchovies, another pizza with a lemon dipping sauce. Okay, let’s just say I’m not Ruth Reichl when it comes to - among other things - describing food. Just go if you are somewhere in Europe.

AFter acomplishing the feat, Nancy was pushed up the stairs by Krikorian and into one of the two guests rooms at Franco Pepe. Nancy Silverton had landed.

The Three O’s were, as we knew they would be, all we had hoped for.

For the previous article about Franco Pepe see this - http://www.krikorianwrites.com/blog/2013/9/2/the-worlds-second-best-pizza

"She's Ruining Mozza", I Am Part of the Resistance Against Nancy Silverton, An Anonymous Op-Ed

In a shocking and controversial opinion-editorial published anonymously in the Los Angeles Times, the writer of the scathing piece, a high-ranking employee of the celebrated Mozza Corner,  asserts schef/owner Nancy Silverton  is dangerously close to ruining her beloved restaurants at the intersection of Highland and Melrose in Hollywood South.

The Op-Ed paints an organization in turmoil with other high-ranking employees banding together like a renegade outfit in effort to reign in Silverton, perhaps the single most admired chef in the United States.

However, the Times is getting tons of criticism for publishing the piece anonymously, and Silverton and her cadre have expressed disgust and worse. While Silverton herself has called the writer "gutless" and and "a nimrod", her chief of security, Michael Krikorian, has vowed to find the culprit and "spray paint his or her bitch-ass hair purple and drop the gutless wonder off in the Nickersons," referring to the Bounty Hunter Blood-controlled Nickerson Gardens housing project in Watts which is associated with the color red. In other words, a death sentence.

Below is the actual op-ed.   For the record, we here at K Writes do not agree, support or condone anonymous articles. 

"I am part of the resistance to chef Nancy Silverton and her running and, dare I say, close to ruining the Mozza Corner. As a high-ranking member of her staff, I can say I am not alone. I will list a few particulars that I feel paint a portrait of a woman who travels too much. whose "inspirations and creations"  are often stolen from other chefs from faraway lands and who always seems just a wee little too nice to strangers.

For example, from June 19 to July 25, the peak of summer business, Silverton was not at the Corner at all, choosing instead to travel to Umbria, Italy and leave the city's most important restaurants in the hands of two young Korean-Americans, a white girl with the last name of Nguyen and an Italian American whose mind is focused almost entirely on someone named Zoe, his girlfriend who lives 2,299 miles away in Washington D.C..

Can you imagine Girardet or Bottura or Soltner  or Cecchini leaving their restaurants for a month during the busiest season and putting glorified teenagers in charge?

In the office, a confusion not seen since Watergate cover-up reigns supreme. The conversation there runs the gambit from Donald Trump to wedding planning to geometric purses to the Dodgers, but rarely does the topic of how to improve the restaurants come up  Though Silverton does not have a desk. she has a "Slot box" on the wall where her mail goes. and she often uses the desk of her chief aide-de-camp. Kate Green, as a drop point.. 

In one recent incident of thwarting Silverton's travel plans, a group of us in the "resistance", took out an invitation for Nancy to cook in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Iraqi army retaking Mosul from ISIS.  She is so excited to travel anywhere she often doesn't do research into where she is going. A trip to Mosul could not possibly  benefit Mozza. Thanks to myself and others, she never knew of this hair-brained invitation.

To be clear, ours is not the popular “resistance” of the left or right. We want the Nancy administration to succeed and think that many of her policies have already made Los Angeles a far better dining city. 

But we believe our first duty is to the Corner, and Nancy Silverton continues to sometimes act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our beloved Mozza..

"The Fastest Dreamer" Daniel Zaragoza, Mozza2Go Go Go's Marathon Man, Is Off To Boston

Last year, while eating at the counter at Mozza2Go, I struck up a conversation with a new employee named Daniel Zaragoza. He told me a little about himself and, when I asked more, he said he was a Dreamer, having come to California  from Mexico at age two or three and then, almost casually, like it was no big deal, added he had recently run his first marathon, the L.A. one, finishing as the 20th fastest racer in the event and fifth fastest American.

I nodded and said said something like "Good for you", all the while thinking to myself, "Yeah, sure you're right. And I play centerfield for the New York Yankees."

Later that night, at home, I, for the hell of it, looked up the results of the 2017 Los Angeles Marathon. Damn, that dreamer wasn't just dreaming. Listed at 20th overall and the fifth American. with a time of 2:35.24.  was Daniel Zaragoza,  aka Mozza2Go Go Go's Marathon Man. The Fastest Dreamer. 

For the stat folks out there, Daniel was only 52 seconds off the time of the woman's professional champion, Hellen Jerkurgat of, big surprise, Kenya and less than. 12 minutes off the fastest American professional marathoner,  John Pickhaver. 

Daniel Zaragoza, 24,  was born in Veracruz, Mexico on October 4, 1993, but he has no memory of there. 

"My earliest memories are of Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles," he said, adding he attended Griffin Avenue Elementary, Florence Nightingale Middle and Abraham Lincoln High School.   At Lincoln High, he ran cross country and track & field in his junior and senior years. Daniel won his league's champion for cross country and made it to the finals for the citywide event.  "As a kid, I didn't understand what it was to be undocumented," he said. 

It wasn't until he was a senior ii high school that he fully understood the ramifications.

"Everyone was talking about universities, but i didn't really have a option," Daniel said. That troubled  him. "I am the only dreamer in my family. All of my cousins and siblings are citizens and so are most of my friends. It's hard sometimes not to be able to talk to someone about it.".

 So he escaped. With a pair of worn out running shoes..

"When I ran, i felt equal. It didn't matter where you came from, how much money you have. It was about who wanted it the most and who would train the hardest."

After high school, Daniel went to East LA College. He received a $500 scholarship which covered his first semester. He couldn't work because he didn't have a social security card, but his parents saved up and paid for the another semester. 

Daniel credits the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, (DACA) for allowing him to continue his education.

"Thanks to the Dream act, i was able to transfer to Cal State LA. where I ran for the team there with a partial athletic scholarship," said Daniel, who graduated in May, 2017.

Daniel runs and trains with BlacklistLA, the "Run Organization" founded in 2013 that you may have seen at a late night red light near you.  You know, those 200 or 300 crazy folks running through the streets at midnight? All them seemingly smiling and loving this city. They make you want to park your car and join them, even if your not in running shape.  

"BlacklistLA has been an terrifically positive influence for my running," Daniel said as he prepared to leave Mozza2Go and get on a plane Thursday night bound for Boston. "They have supported me and without them I wouldn't be going to Boston" 

Daniel credits BlacklistLA founder Erik Valiente for being a mentor to him. 

"Erik is someone I talk to about my goals and he does his best to guide me."

Now, the soft spoken dreamer - who I didn't believe at first - is all about motivating others.

"My goal is to make my own company.that inspires others to become whoever they want to be. I want to be able to go around the nation and talk to people and give them motivation, specially dreamers. Being a dreamer is very difficult. I used to hide away from it all the while others where out there fighting for my rights. Now that I'm older, i feel more secure about who I am and not afraid to stand up for dreamers, but in my own way."

And those worn out shoes? They been replaced by some $300 Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%ers.

It's supposed to rain Monday on the Marathon in Boston, but that won't slow this dreamer down.