Five in the morning in San Diego.

I was out for a run at 5 a.m. in the harbor area of San Diego. Down around Petco Park, I heard some young men off in the distance, yelling out marching commands. I came across a building complex that looked like a convention center that had some killer stairs going up, which I climbed. From the top, I observed a band of fit, short haired young men in t-shirts and trunks come into view on the street below. They stopped, and I listened as their leader told them how they were going to "take" the stairs I had just run up. (Right: The waterfront in San Diego is a delight to run along.)

Up he went, then he turned on the landing below me and bellowed, "Come on!" The squad of six young men started up the stairs, arms and legs pumping furiously, yelling lustily. I turned and ran on, down the backside of the complex towards the harbor. (Left: A pretty nice set of stairs for a workout.)

A few minutes later this tiny band came running by me on ground level. As they swept by, I said, "Here comes the Army!"

"No sir!" barked the leader.

Instantly I realized my mistake. "I meant Marines," I said.

"Yes sir! The Army is still in bed asleep," said the leader as the band ran off into the darkness laughing. (Right: Soldiers or Marines? You make the call.)