BRACK: Climbing out of holes, vice presidential candidates and a cold snap

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher, GwinnettForum  |  Let’s consider three unrelated items today.

15.elliottbrackThe Quarry Crusher run taking place Saturday morning at the Vulcan Quarry on Beaver Ruin Road sounds fun…..and tiring.

Years ago, when I was much younger and physically fit, a friend and I walked down into the Grand Canyon for an hour. (We didn’t have time for the entire long trek to the bottom.) It was an amazing walk. As we strolled down and down, we were amazed at the many colorful layers of soils along the way. It was as if we were seeking how the earth was formed over eons, one distinctive layer after another.

Yet we never recognized what we had gotten ourselves into. Walking down is easy. Walking uphill is another thing altogether. What took only an hour to descend seemed like forever to climb out of that part of the canyon. As we struggled upward, we no longer looked at the beautiful layers of soil. All we could see was the top, hundreds of feet ahead. At least we both had on hats, but my buddy took off clothing and became bare-chested. We thought we would never get out! The ascent took more than two hours!

All this is to introduce you to what is about to happen on a much smaller scale when the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District hosts the first of what may become an annual event, the Quarry Crusher Run Saturday.  It really sounds like a fun event. But this time, I’ll pass participating in trying to climb the way out of a deep hole. Done that!

YOU PROBABLY WON’T VOTE in the upcoming presidential race based on the candidate’s age.

2016After all, the major contenders are all near the same age. Ms. Clinton on Inauguration Day will be 69, while Mr. Trump will be 70.  If it’s Bernie, he’ll be 75.

Yet while there are no relatively young contenders left in the presidential race, you might give age a factor in voting. With the presidential candidates relatively old, it might become important to certain voters who their vice presidential candidate is.

While we’ll not seek to predict who might be chosen as a running mate, still considering the main candidate ages, a sudden heart attack is not uncommon among people their age.  Hence, the importance of the vice presidential running mate.

A vice president has not become president because of the death of a president since Jack Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.  That was 53 years ago.  (Yes, Gerald Ford became president after Richard Nixon resigned, but not through death.)

So watch out: age may play a factor. Look at the running mates when determining how you will vote.

HERE’S A SIMPLE RECIPE particularly tasty during the coming hot summer months.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mixed frozen berries.
  • 2 cup yogurt
  • 1 cup fresh fruit, cut up.
  • 1/3 cup of orange juice

Put the frozen berries in the blender and chop fully. Add fresh fruit and continue to chop. Then add the yogurt and orange juice and continue to blend.

Once all is blended, put in the refrigerator to chill before serving. The recipe makes about four servings.  Wow!  Is it tasty and refreshing!

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