COWTOWN MARATHON

Now before I gripe, I have to say this is for a good cause. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
BUT... The race comes down our street. The entrance to our street at both Riverside Blvd and Seamas Ave. are blocked off to traffic. If you need to leave the street you better go park your car on the other side of Riverside the night before or early in the morning or your stuck for a while. There are police officers in their cruisers at either end of the street. Apparently to direct traffic. It doesn't matter whether they would let you in or not, there are so many runners at this time that you couldn't get past them anyway. They certainly don't stop to let you through.
This is Sunday morning.. they start at William Land Park and hit our street around 8:30-8:45am... Forget sleeping in as there are people on the corner (we are 2 houses down from the corner) who are cheering on the first runners and ringing cowbells.. this is the first year for cowbells, it's rather irritating to constantly hear that thing. It's about 10:00 now and the mass of runners have thinned out a bit. There is a water station down the street at the little park and as the runners finish their cup of water they are supposed to throw them in the garden trash piles but as I look out my window there are cups on the sidewalk and on the neighbors lawns. Not as bad at the first year. The first year the whole street was littered with cups. I did call and complain to the organizers and was told the people passing out water and the other volunteers were supposed to police the area and keep everything picked up and that the runners were supposed to throw the cups in the garden piles... yeah right.
This is the third year of the race, I have to say it has gotten a little better as far as litter.
I took the dogs out for a bit to watch the runners, they weren't impressed.
I wanted to take them to the dog park this morning, but I can't get out. I think that is the most irritating part, being stuck here. I hope the majority of people have passed through here by noon.. I definitely have to be out of here then... if not there may be some marathoners laid out on the road.. no, of course I wouldn't do that, I don't think. But I am supposed to be going on a trail ride so maybe. I think the police pack it in around noon, the serious runners are done long before that. We have had stragglers come through here as late as 2:00pm looking half dead. I guess I have to give them credit to stick it out, though by the way they look and sound it doesn't look like it could be good for your health at that point. Me, I think I'll take a cup of coffee and go sit out on the front porch and watch.. that's the extent of my exercising. I feel better now for bitching.