Sometimes while covering stories, I wonder: Could I do that? Would I want to do that?

Earlier this week, I was at the starting line of a unique race, one that requires an oar and lots of upper body strength. The Missouri River 340 Boat Race runs from Kansas City to St. Charles. As the name implies, that's 340 miles for the kayakers and boaters who take part in this grueling trip.

Last year, 15 boats were in the race. Five finished. In other words, it's not easy. Some of the boaters never leave their vessel, which means doing lots of uncomfortable things out on the water. The contestants have 100 hours to finish and last year, the winner completed the course in a little under 54 hours.

So, do you think you could do it? I couldn't help but think about that as I stood on the shore and watched the excited boaters get ready to paddle away. There was a true feeling of excitement in the air, the sense that an adventure was beginning. Not the type of experience most of us only have in movies or video games these days, but a real fantastic voyage. Okay, it's exciting at the start, but what about 18 hours later when you're dog tired, still paddling, and it's a dark night on the Mighty Mo? Not quite as glamorous.

Bottom line: I'm extremely impressed by everyone who's giving it a shot, but I'm not sure I would be able to pull it off. I think I'd be booking my hotel rooms along the way with a nice comfortable bed and air conditioning. Are there any pizza joints that deliver to the river?

If you're going to stay up all night, Friday wasn't a bad time to do it. A comfortable summer evening highlighted the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life in the Northland over the weekend.

I had the honor of speaking briefly to the walkers before they started their trek at Oak Grove Park. As I told them, the true inspiration was all of the cancer survivors who were gathered there, doing their part to find a cure. Luminaries lined the trail in honor of those who died from the disease. I've had the opportunity to attend several Relay For Life events and they are always a great mix of fun, remembrance and hope.

And the greatest of these is hope. Looking out at the crowd Friday night, I was filled with hope that, indeed, a cure will be found. All of those dedicated walkers were doing their part to make sure that happens. That's worth staying up all night.

So, do you have your new iPhone yet?

In case you've somehow been able to miss all the hype over the past six months, the iPhone is the must-have gadget of the year, maybe of the past several years. Diehard tech fans lined up outside Apple stores all around the country and right here on the Plaza recently to be the first people to have this cell phone/handheld personal computer.

What drives us to become so enamoured with gadgets? I'm definitely guilty. I remember years ago, as a teenager, when I practically salivated over a fancy new Walkman. For the kids out there, it was the iPod of my generation. With a Walkman, you could actually listen to the radio and cassette tapes everywhere you went. What a concept! It was a pretty big deal at the time, before you could have tens of thousands of songs on a tiny MP3 player. The Walkman that I was excited about was one of the first to have a digital radio with presets. (Wow!) So, my gadget love goes back a long way.

And I'll admit, I'm a little jealous of the new iPhone owners. I've seen one up close and it's pretty darn cool. But here's the thing: I have no real need for it. I want one, but why? I hardly use my cell phone now. I don't text people either. And while I love to surf the internet, I can happily do it on my Mac at home.

But a still long for an iPhone. So... if you're wondering what to get me for Christmas...

Today I've got a couple of personal congratulations to pass along...

First, a belated congrats to a member of our First News team, reporter Robb Yagmin. Robb and his wife, Candice welcomed their second child into the world last month. George Montague Yagmin was born on June 15th. The Yagmins now have two children under 18 months old in their house, so they are very busy. Congratulations... and good luck!

Secondly, you've probably heard about all the weddings that will be going on tomorrow, July 7th, because the date is believed to bring good luck: 7-7-07. I'll be attending a wedding on the lucky day as Louis Bar and Laura Cantu tie the knot. You may remember, Laura was my dance partner in the Kansas City Dances with the Stars competition earlier this year and Louis was Donna's partner. They are truly a wonderful couple and I know their wedding will be fun and filled with dancing. Best of luck to you, Louis and Laura: May your marriage be as beautiful and graceful as your dancing.