Hustle up the Hancock

Could you do it? Run up the stairs in the Hancock Building in the Chicago Loop? How about halfway up? Five floors? Two floors?

Well, maybe not; but Mark Barden plans to. Mark is Stacy's brother. You know Stacy - Harmony Falls, a Therapeutic Oasis? Right here in Woodstock? www.harmonyfalls.net/

On February 22 thousands will raise funds for the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago to promote healthy lungs and to fight lung disease. You can support this non-profit organization and Mark's run by visiting his secure fund-raising page and helping him run right past his personal goal by making an online donation today.

Just go to http://my.imisfriendraising.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=28932

You can send Mark some encouragement at markbarden@sbcglobal.net

"Everything's okay so far." How many times have you heard someone say that?

Every time I hear it, I am reminded of a story I heard when the Hancock building was under construction in the late 1960s. "Everything's okay so far" was the favorite phrase of one of the steelworkers. Whenever anyone asked him how he was, he'd say, "Everything's okay so far."

One day he was working on the 99th floor, and a strong gust of wind blew him off the beam on which he was standing.

As he sailed past his friend, Larry, who was on the 2nd floor, Larry called out, "How are you doing?"

The worker shouted back, "Everything's okay so far."