Passed a huge Mylestone the other day when I packaged up 80% of Myles Traveled and with fingers crossed - and $6.95 postage - mailed it off to Wisconsin and my first reader. Until now, no one but Bill has read the manuscript. Not Jenny. Not Curt. Not anyone. But the time has come. So it was with great trepidation that I dropped a huge bundle in the mail to my Buckeye friend Harry.

It is like baking a pie. The last thing you want to do is let someone taste the pie when it is half-baked, and that of course is the reason you don't show it to anyone until it's time. Even now, I am breaking that rule a bit. The work I sent off still needs another round of grammatical polishing and some further editing. At 400 finished pages, it will have to shrink some yet - it's supposed to be a book, not an epic - before anyone would be interested. And the last four chapters aren't quite ready so those will follow soon.

But, I shipped off what I had because things couldn't wait. Harry is the perfect reader to help me - he is articulate, intelligent, witty, and a lifelong fan of Buckeye football. We went to school together, so Harry knows me well enough that he can tell me if it is bullshit or a piece of crap. I know he will do that, because we worked together for 36 years, and he has never hesitated before!

I can also help Harry though, and that is why I went ahead and sent him something a bit less than finished. You see Harry is suffering through ALS disease. Though his body is slowly betraying him, his mind is still good. Reading is something he can still do and sharing my work is something that will help him pass the hours and help me get a litmus test. He has been looking forward to reading this and I am glad to have made this milestone for him.

So go to it Harry and when you are done, give me your best shot. You have never held back before and I expect nothing less now.