My parents have a camp (translation to Midwest: cabin) in an old summer camp on a lake in Maine. It gets closed in October for the winter, and opened again in May. In the middle of the winter, they have a gathering with several of the other camp owners to celebrate that they are halfway to opening day.

I’ve already decided that New Years Day is an arbitrary time to start the New Year, and that deciding that New Years falling on Birkie Day makes much more sense. (It is already the demarcation between ski season and drinking season.) As such, I propose a series of gatherings across the country on the fourth Saturday in August celebrating halfway to Birkie. We’ll go for a run or rollerski wearing our Birkie bibs, and then have some Northern Wisconsin training—brats and beer.

Details to come!