My day started bursting with anticipation and good mood for what is traditionally my favorite day of the year.  The Boston Marathon.  The festival of athletic achievement, people running for their friends, people running because they can, people in chicken suits and people who outrun our local train system.

But today new words will forever be associated with my beloved Boston marathon.  Explosions.  Death.  Critical but stable condition.  Fatalities.  And it will never the same again.

It was very surreal to watch Back Bay, where I always go for a bit of shopping fun after work on the front cover of every newspaper in the world.  It was also surreal to hear President Obama speaking about my beloved marathon of my adopted hometown in such a sad and tragic way.

I hope I never have to post an image like this again: