That’s Odd

a daily experience for people who are Black, Indigenous and people of color,” said the county.

“Racism and racist reactions to Black, indigenous, and people of color wearing face coverings is a reality. And yet we know face coverings can help people stay healthy and save lives. Multnomah County does not tolerate discrimination or violence toward individuals because of their race, ethnicity or identity.”

Cool Social Distancing

Social distancing has just gotten cooler.

This week, Dos Equis is giving away coolers perfect for hanging out with friends during these times. The “seis-foot cooler” is six feet long so socializing can take place from a safe distance.

“Just because we have to social distance doesn’t mean we have to skip out on summertime entirely,” Edith Llerena, senior brand manager for Dos Equis, said of the promotion. ”There’s a responsible way to drink responsibly throughout the summer.”

“With the new seis-foot cooler, beer drinkers can reclaim a piece of the vision they had for a normal summer, hanging out and drinking beer with friends. Just sit on opposite ends of the cooler to keep a safe distance apart.”

The extra-large chillers can hold at least 12 cans or bottles, plus room for ice.

Let’s get the party started.

Missing ID

“Everyone, I need help. I found this picture on a Tel Aviv street,” Ariel Plavnik, a 43-year-old tourism salesperson from Kfar Saba, Israel, wrote in Hebrew and Spanish in a Facebook post with the photograph. “I want to return this old, beautiful photograph. If you share it, maybe we can find the owners! Thanks to all.”

Plavnik’s plea touched many people’s hearts. His post was accompanied by a yellowed photo of a smiling couple. More than 8,000 people shared the photo. Throughout the world, several Jewish Facebook groups devoted to genealogy posted the picture on their pages, hoping someone would remember who they were.

Some people were able to identify the couple, noting that it’s of their relatives. But none of them were correct. Indeed, the couple in the photograph were actors, who portrayed the parents of a character from the movie “Back to the Future” years ago.

Plavnik, who immigrated to Israel from his native Argentina about 20 years ago, said he had aged the photograph and used it initially as a joke for his friends.

“Listen, I really only wanted to make my Facebook friends laugh, but then it got shared like crazy because all of these genealogy groups and it sort of took on a life of its own,” he said.

The joke works, he said, especially because “Back to the Future” is about time travel, “which is kind of

what happened with the photo.”

Ariel, we sort of missed the punchline.

A Gem of a Find

When Beatrice Watkins visited the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park last week, she thought she’d enjoy the trip with her daughter and granddaughters.

And she did. It was quite enjoyable and then became even more fun when, just 30 minutes into stay, Beatrice found the largest diamond that had ever been discovered at the park so far this year.

She was dry sifting soil near the center of the park’s search area when she saw the diamond.

“I was searching with my daughter and granddaughters when I picked it up,” Watkins said. “I thought it was shiny but had no idea it was a diamond! My daughter Googled similar-looking stones and thought it might have been iron pyrite, so I stuck it in my sack and kept sifting.”

Watkins didn’t learn the true identity of the stone until she and her family took at break an hour later. Park staff looked over Watkins finds and informed her the rock was a brown diamond weighing 2.23 carats.

This is the largest diamond found at the park since October 2019.

Watkins named her diamond after herself, calling it the “Lady Beatrice.” She said she will probably keep it as an inheritance for her family.

What a gem of a find.

A Daily Marathon

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Ask about our bonus additional-year warranty and our pre-owned StairLifts you! Perhaps you’ll appreciate some tips from Alyssa Clark. She’s been running marathons every day for the past few months.

Clark, originally from Vermont, had been living in Italy when the pandemic struck. As an ultramarathoner, Clark had been ready to start on her marathon schedule. But then the government shut everything down, and Clark was stuck. What to do when you’re all ready and can’t compete?

Clark took it to the streets.

On March 30, Clark decided to run marathons – on her own – outside every day as long as guidelines allowed for it.

“We were supposed to have some restrictions lifted [in Italy] on April 14, so I thought I would do about fifteen marathons,” she said. “When it was extended to May 1, the game was on…. In all honesty, there are a lot of benefits to the treadmill. In many ways it is easier to run indoors. The temperature is controlled, there’s no wind or elements to take into consideration, no need to carry water or food with you, and a bathroom is available at all times.”

She completed 30 treadmill marathons before restrictions slowly began to lift across Italy. At that point, Clark announced that she was going to chase the world record for most consecutive days of running a marathon – despite the fact that she and her husband were going to be moving back to the U.S. soon.

On the day of marathon No. 57, Clark, alongside her husband Navy Lt. Codi Clark, began their multiday move from Naples, Italy, to their next duty station in Florida, making stops in Germany; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina, along the way. The travel logistics alone threatened to get in the way of Clark’s challenge – but she persevered, and completed her marathons during this time.

“The most challenging aspect of the transition was the sleep deprivation and general fatigue of traveling,” she said. “In Germany, we didn’t arrive until 10 p.m., and we had to be back at the terminal at 9:30 a.m. or would risk not being allowed on our flight. Codi was a trooper and ran to the only place open at that time which was a gas station, to grab some frozen meals, and I didn’t end up going to bed until almost 11 p.m. The plan was to start at 2:30 a.m. to make sure I finished the marathon on time, but I ended up waking up at 12:45 a.m. and decided I would start.

“It was very strange to be running a marathon at one in the morning around an Air Force base in Germany, but it is truly a memory I will never forget. I even had a local Air Force runner join me at 4:15 a.m., which was incredible to have the company and so greatly appreciated.”

After landing in Virginia, Clark and her husband drove the rest of the way to the Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City Beach, Florida, which gave the ultramarathoner plenty of time to run marathons. She covered 26.2 miles in Virginia Beach, Virginia; twice in Charleston, South Carolina; and once in Neptune Beach, Florida, before arriving in Panama City Beach.

And it was in Charleston that Clark surpassed the unofficial women’s world record for consecutive days running a marathon distance at 61 days. To celebrate the milestone, her husband called up her family via Zoom, so they could see her finish the marathon, and a friend brought a bottle of champagne to spray at the end.

Clark, who runs her marathons between a 9:20- and 9:40-per-mile pace, shared that although she sometimes maps out 26.2 for a specific route, there is a certain joy in ‘just going out to explore.’ And though her scenery changes, her routine stays the same no matter where she is.

“One of the most important parts is setting my clothes out the night before and making sure my running pack is ready for the morning,” she said, adding that she likes to make it as easy as possible to get out the door in the morning. “I have my water bottles filled, my food in the pockets, and all watches and headphones charged.”

“[It] normally takes me about 45 minutes before I’m out the door,” said Clark, who also carries two watches with her to make sure her data is correct, and so she doesn’t risk losing the information. “I break the marathon into parts, and try to celebrate each part of it, and I also try to avoid looking at my watch for the first two hours or so to concentrate on enjoying my time and not being upset if the miles aren’t moving as quickly as they can.”

So far, Clark has surpassed more than 85 consecutive days running a marathon – and she’s aiming for 100.

We are not worthy.