Millerton
I remember that race! Steve and I drove down from Davis for a Wildflower tune-up (Steve had heard Chris Lieto had raced there the year before and thought he might show-up again). That race was a great chance to see Steve at his best. We got up, raced (he won, of course, but I covered my handicap, so he bought burritos on the way home), and despite the long drive back to Davis, Steve hung out for the awards and just to chat with the other racers and the organizers. And, for Steve, the post-race routine was not a chore or something he did because he was obliged to do so for his sponsors. He did it because he genuinely liked that part about being a pro athlete; he felt you had to show respect for the race, your fellow athletes, and the organizers by being involved in the whole experience of the event, not just what happened between the start and finish lines. There is probably a metaphor in there for how he lived his life, but I am too emotionally drained after today to articulate it. However, that Millerton reference triggered a great memory of a great time with a great guy. Here's to more such memories and less of the abject sadness that today has been about.
Cheers.