Unseasonably Seasonal Weather Graces Fall Party

Mother Nature smiled on the all-staff fall party on 16 September, atoning 
for the chilly hailstorm of 1993 and the scorching temperatures of 
preceding years.  Picture-perfect blue skies and ideal temperatures 
(though a tad warm for runners and cyclists) made the afternoon a 
success.

The divisional relay race wasn't exactly Chariots of Fire, but it did include 
chariots.  To fulfill the requirement that each team bring at least 20 
pounds (9 kilograms) of weight to the mesa top, several divisions opted 
for some sort of wheeled device.  The toga-clad team from the NCAR 
director's office gallantly overcame an early mishap only to come in 
trailing the pack, while the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology 
Division claimed top honors.

Two new records were setÑboth by womenÑin the bike and foot races.  
First-time NCAR racer Sue Healey, a frequent on- and off-road 
competitor, smashed the women's record by nearly a minute at 5:57.  
Another newcomer, Leslie Mayer, broke the women's foot race record at 
9:31.  Deirdre Garvey placed second in both races.  As for the men, in the 
absence of Alan Hills (who placed in world cycling championships the 
same dayÑsee page 7) perennially close competitor John Clyne snagged 
first place.  Andrew Crook added to his raft of first-place finishes in the 
foot race.  Afterward, competitors and spectators retired to the tree plaza 
for the usual food, drink, and frivolity.  -- BH