Another Howard Hughes phase by your inconsistent, lazy, turbid blogger. I am sorry. Starting in June, I resolve to blog at least once a day, hopefully more often. Let’s see if I can keep that promise starting Monday.

Anyhow, in 19 hours, give or take a few minutes, I will be in Wichita, getting ready for the Kansas State High School Activities Association state track and field championship meet. The meet, which is the largest high school meet in the United States, gets underway at 7:45 a.m. Friday morning at Wichita State Univesity’s Cessna Stadium.

Weather permitting.

That usually isn’t a problem, but this year, it very well could be. The good people at the National Weather Service are predicting a 60 percent chance of rain Friday and Saturday. The rain will not be a huge problem, especially for runners, but lightning is a differnet story.

Once lightning is detected within a six-mile radius, there has to be a minimum delay of 30 minutes with no lightning. If there is another flash, the clock starts all over again, even if there’s only 10 seconds left on the clock.

Last Friday’s regional meet at Beloit was not the best as far as the weather goes. It was cloudy and there was an intermittent mist, not hard enough to call anything off, but just enough to be aggravating. It rained that morning and most of the week leading up to the meet, so the disucs and shot put rings were slick since those are concrete. The track was fine. Those al-weather tracks are something else.

Beloit wanted to move its regoinal to last Thursday, when the weather was much better, but one school said no, so guess what? Can’t move the meet.

Thursady was a glorious day for a meet, and Smith Center had a good one. Unfortunately, something got the better of my emotions and I left before the running events began. I was upset over a text message, and I kciked some gravel. Steve Schmdit, who used tob e athletic director at Philllipsburg–thank God he isn’t anymore–got on me, so I told him to go to hell. At least I didn’t curse or threaten physically. I soon left the meet and drove back to Russell.

Since I returned from Beloit Friday night, it has been dead, save for the work I have had to get done for the various newspapers. I didn’t leave my house until this evening, when I made a run to the office to see Jack. However, tomorrow will be my first excursion outside Russell since last Friday, and it will be my longest trip since going to Kansas City at the beginning of the month.

Speaking of Kansas City, I don’t know when I’ll get back. The plan right now is to return to Russell Tuesday or Wednesday from Wichita, and then I have an appointemnt with Crista Thursday morning. The 8-man All-Star football games are Saturday at Beloit, and then comes three medical visits in four days: Dr. Jones for my eyes Tuesday, June 9; Crista two days later; and then Dr. Patricarca at High Plains Mental Health the next day.

Right now, the earliest I could depart would be the 13th. The Brewers play the Royals in Kansas City the 17th and 18th, so I want to be there for that for sure.

Right now, I can’t worry about KC. It’s all about the track. Rain, hold off until Saturday at 9 pm. Then the heavens can open.