Ragnar Del Sol Relay Run

Last weekend I ran Ragnar Del Sol with 11 other teammates. Our team, Adventure Boot Camp Dos, ran a total of 202 miles from Friday morning until Saturday afternoon. We started in Prescott and ended up in Mesa. There was little to no sleep, but lots of time either in our vehicle or running. Now that I look back on it—it really was a fun experience—even though I managed to fall during the night and skin myself up pretty good. I think we were all sore and thrashed afterwards.

I flew Kayla out from Michigan to run on our team. She was definitely the superstar in our vehicle and I was quite proud of her. She had her best run at night running 7.5 miles through Wickenburg in 55 minutes.

I thought I'd share a few photos and as I get more (I have none of our teammates in the 2nd vehicle) I'll post them. Click on photos for a larger, up close view.


Here is ABC Dos vehicle 1 runners at the start line. From left to right: Me, Heidi, Kayla, Nikki, Dave and Brianna


Heidi waiting at the start line.


Heidi on the first leg of the race.


Nikki halfway through her run to Skull Valley (near Prescott).


Kayla on her last run between Rio Verde and Fountain Hills (Note the two dudes she passed behind her).

Trip to Burgundy

Last week Matt and I went with his parents and Aunt and Uncle to the Bourgogne a.k.a Burgundy area of France. We stayed at the same place that we were two years ago near Macon (the closest large town with a supermarket). I really love this area with vineyards all around, rolling hills and farm country. The wines from the Burgundy region are wonderful and inexpensive and sans the extra sulfites that get added to the imported wines. Needless to say, we enjoyed a bottle or two and sometimes three every evening. The fun is the "degustation" or tasting at a Caveau (cellar) or driving up to small vineyards where the family winemakers let you taste.

I also got to experience running down the narrow country roads as I needed to get in some marathon training runs. I was a bit worried as my only recourse would be to jump in a very deep ditch if a driver didn't see me. After the first day, I learned that the French drivers are WAY more courteous than American drivers. They actually would turn on their signal to let me know they were moving over to the next lane and in the early morning, when it was still a little dark, they would give me a quick flick of their lights to acknowledge that they see me. I felt very safe and managed to get in a couple of shorter runs and a long run. The driveway to the condo we stayed in was a run in itself. A half mile all uphill which I did several times for the a good "buns of steel" workout.


Friendly, fat and happy French Cows. We met them on a walk to a chapel being restored close to our condo.


Jonni and Roger having a taste at a wine Caveau in Beaujeu with several wines from the Beaujeu area.


Matt and a view looking down on the town of Cluny.


Brouilly wines are hard to come by in the United States. They are in my opinion the best of the French Reds. Mont Brouilly is close to Beaujeu and we drove up to this small vineyard. Our hostess (behind the bottles) was very nice and we really enjoyed this vineyard and their Brouilly.


Matt Sr. and Wanda trying to decide what Brouillys to buy. This wine shop had all Brouilly wines. If only we were so lucky to have this selection in the U.S.!

Quick "e" Update

Every now and then, I'm reminded how lax I've been on my blog. Apparently, people are keeping tabs on me—which is kinda scary. But who am I to disappoint? So here's a few quickie comments on what's happening on the home front.

Arizona Weather
Still HOT! Although, we are enjoying cool mornings and now some cool evenings.

Running
It's official. I've actually paid money to run in the Tucson Marathon on December 7th. Now I'm going to be totally paranoid about getting injured. My longest training run so far has been 13 miles. At least I know I can complete a half marathon! October is the month where the training really gets ramped up. I'll be adding quite a bit more mileage. Who would have thought I could even run as far and as much as I have.

Travel
I just got back on Friday from a week in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I was cat sitting for my Aunt and Uncle. Good weather and a nice little hang out. The leaves were just starting to change when I left. Bummer.

Next trip is at the end of October to Burgundy, France. I'm looking forward to that. My marathon training will get me down some long country roads and fall should be in full swing. I'll make sure I get some photos to post.

Home Improvements
I'm finally tackling the "closet" or what is really the spare bathroom that's become a closet. It will be a bathroom again. Hopefully, I'll be able to eek out enough days between training and traveling to get some tile on walls and floors. We had a new tub installed last week. A new sink, toilet, lights and accessories will be installed after I get the tiling out of the way. My goal is to have it done before the holidays if not sooner.

We also got a new roof 3 weeks ago. We're quite happy with the roofing company and the roofers. They did A+ work!

A Job Change
Matt is now on day 2 of his new job at DDCI. He got recruited to help DDCI take a product they bought from Honeywell (that he formerly worked on) to the market. He'll have a couple more of his former Honeywell pals join him next week. Matt's always wanted to work on useful things. This will be his opportunity to finish something started and work for a company not afraid to get it to the market.

The Economy
Oh geesh... I made the mistake of taking a look at my portfolio yesterday. Yikes! The economy is in a freaky state. However, I'm not worried about it—the market will come back and I'm only losing if I'm selling. I'm slightly torqued that the government is attempting to bail out the banks and sub prime lenders. I can go on about that forever.

So my friends that's my quick "e" update. Lots of exciting stuff coming up for the last few months of 2008. I should have some nice photos of France, the holidays and maybe Matt can get a shot of me as I throw up at mile 20 in the marathon.

Labor Day Weekend at Zion National Park

Over Labor Day weekend we took a hike in Zion National Park. It was an EPIC hike to say the least. Almost 10 miles of pure uphill with some spectacular views. We camped over on Saturday night and hiked back on Sunday. There's so many more hikes to do and I think Matt and I will go back for another adventure for sure. We had a group of seven organized by Matt's co-worker, Jeff Getzlaff (a.k.a. Happy "G"). Also in our group were Andy, Suzanne, Quan and Larry who are college buddies of Happy "G". For all the photos check out my Web Gallery.


Larry coming up the switchbacks on our way to Angel's Landing.

On the way back from the hike, Matt takes a short break. His legs were really sore from the uphill climb the day before.

Matt on Grotto trail. We're still going up on our way to our campsite.

Quan and Matt crash and burn after reaching our campsite. It took us almost 7 hours to get there.

Farm Life

Going back to the family farm for vacation is not all rest and relaxation. However, it can turn out to be a gratifying experience. Not only did I get fresh vegetables from my Mom's garden, I also got a nice farm work out by helping my Dad unload wagons of hay. My brother Alan was also home for the 4th of July holiday and he got to partake as well.

Here's how it works. My dad drives the tractor with the baler that shoots the bales into the back of the wagon. My brother walked along side picking up the bales that get over shot or under shot. Once the wagon was full, I threw the bales out of the wagon and my Dad picked them with his little bulldozer like tractor and took them into the barn where Alan stacked them. I have to say that my job was a bit "easier" than Alan's as I wasn't inside the dark enclosed barn. He also got to do a couple extra wagons while I was visiting friends.






You can see a bale being "shot" into the wagon in this photo.


The hay before it's cut and dried.

Dublin, Ireland

I try to never turn down an opportunity to travel to places I've never been before. So when my friend Audrey needed a travel buddy to Ireland for her nephew's wedding, I was happy to tag along. Later in the planning phase, her girls Kayla and Sierra were able to miss some school and make the trip. Sierra flew out with us, while Kayla flew out a few days later. Audrey and I took a couple of days at the beginning of the trip to walk all over Dublin while Sierra headed to the country to stay with her cousins.

Below are a few photos from the Dublin part of the trip. More of the rest of the trip to follow later.

I think it's fair to say that we experienced something most people don't in Ireland... continuous SUNNY days! Out of our nine days we had eight with blue skies. Ireland was green and blue which certainly makes Irish eyes smile!


A view from the River Liffey that runs through Dublin.


Audrey was the designated Dublin "Map Girl". I took photos and she found the next stop.


With sunny skies, everyone was out enjoying the good weather. We walked through St. Stephen's Greens where everyone was lounging on the lawns by all the flowers. All the blooming tulips were beautiful.


Audrey in front of Christ's Church Cathedral.


Me in the courtyard of Trinity College.

The BIG Bruise....

Sorry kids... I'm so woefully behind on my "e bloggin". I'll try and catch up right after the taxes are done.

In the meantime, I'm posting a few picts from the now infamous snowboard crash in Canada. If you hadn't already heard--Matt (a.k.a. Cricket) landed on a nice bunch of rocks and broke his hip while on the annual snowboard trip. The photos below are supplied by his fellow trip snowboarder, Ed Hager. When I first got the call I was told that it was "a rock". After seeing the photos, I think a "rock" really meant boulders!

This happened almost 3 weeks ago. Although, Matt tested the Canadian healthcare system through 3 days of hospitalization... I think we can all be thankful that he didn't land on his head!

He's made a remarkable recovery. He ditched the crutches after a couple days at home and is now riding his motorcycle, taking rehab walks and getting about without much of a limp. Per the Doctors--he was lucky to have broken his Iliac crest-- which is a non weight bearing bone. Any further down and he would still be in a world of hurt.

Back At The Farm

I went back to the farm in Michigan to spend Christmas with my parents. It's always a good experience and a reminder of how quickly times goes by when the work day consists of farm chores such as taking care of animals and cutting wood to keep a big old farm house cozy in the winter.


Winter lamb. It's a good thing they have wool coats!


Giving me that sheepish look.


My Dad as a lumberjack.


Mom treating the farm dogs.


Farm dog Zach after getting a "snow" drink.

All Things Ancient

I'm back from my Black Sea Cruise with a cajillion (that means A LOT) photos. This weekend I'll be sorting through them all and posting a few on my blog and web gallery. However, to appease those that are already asking why I haven't posted anything, I'm posting a few from our last day that we spent walking around Rome.

First, let me say that our Cruise took us to many places of ancient and historical interest. "Must see" places as far as I'm concerned. Both at the beginning and end of our trip we spent some extra time in Rome. Two days still wasn't enough. Rome is one of those cities where you just start walking and around almost every corner there is some marvelous piece of art and beauty. I'm kind of a fountain freak so I got an overdose in Rome.

Our last day in Rome was beautiful. Crisp cool air with gorgeous blue skies. Everyone was out enjoying the day.


Token "old guy" photo taken by the Pantheon.


Wanda and Julie (Greenbank) at local market. We bought some really cool spice blends for Italian cooking. I always love the markets with fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil and more.


Up close fountain photo with fresco buildings for contrast.


The Pantheon. This photo doesn't do it justice. I'll have more photos of the Pantheon when I get them uploaded to my web gallery.


When in Rome... you MUST have gelato!

Matt's In-Between-Jobs Motorcycle Ride

I should have had this blog up a couple weeks ago, however, I got a bit side tracked with a temporary office management job in which I had to drive to work on a day to day basis. I forgot how little time one has before and after work when you add in drive time etc. Needless to say, I'm happy to be home working today and so are my animals—many animals—more on that in a subsequent blog.

For those of you that still don't know. Matt decided that change would do him good. He resigned from his job at Honeywell after 20+ years and started working for Kutta last week. His first week of work was spent in West Virginia helping to test Kutta's subterranean radio in some mines. Prior to that he took his new motorcycle on a pacific northwest swing to visit relatives and friends. He went to Portland, Seattle and then stayed over with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Gaylene in Wenatchee, WA. Matt Sr. and I caught up with him for the weekend in Moscow, Idaho. It was a full house at Gary & Marilyn Pope's. HIs friend GK (Gary Kindorf), Jim Pope, Matt Sr., Matt and I all stayed at the Pope B&B. We had such a great time going fishing, hiking, going to get Huckleberry shakes and playing Texas Hold'em. I particulary love Moscow as it always reminds me of how much I like being in a small town. Thanks again to Gary & Marilyn as well as Alice & Erol Barbut for the hospitality. Also thanks to Jim for trying to get me to fly fish correctly. I still need to WORK on that.

Photos are on my web gallery. CLICK HERE for that.


Matt (a.k.a. Cricket) catch.

Milwaukee

I'm finally getting around to posting some photos from the Milwaukee part of my vacation. I stayed in Milwaukee before and after my Michigan excursion. It's very easy to take the Lake Express Ferry across Lake Michigan to Muskegon (Michigan side). I find this more of an adventure than just flying into Detroit. Admittedy, I really don't like the Detroit airport and flying into the smaller Milwaukee airport for less money was WAY better.

My Uncle Tom and Aunt Kathy were their usual awesome host. They made sure I got in a long bike ride along Lake Michigan and another to see more of the city (We found a nice little Inn and had an icy cold Milwaukee brew on the latter trip--that was an added bonus!). They also booked me on a schooner outing which was a nice way to see Milwaukee from the lake.


Milwaukee's very cool Art Museum. We saw the Pissarro exhibit here on my last day.


The schooner we sailed on.


Huge sail on schooner.


Uncle Tom & Aunt Kathy at one of their favorite local dining cafés.


Sychronized duck competition.

Lake Michigan

I camped for 4 nights in Northern Michigan (yes, I actually slept in a TENT) and was lucky enough to camp with my friend Audrey and her girls for the first night. Audrey's spouse Collin was in a softball tournament in Traverse City so I didn't see much of him as was in games all day.

We camped in the rustic park by my old summer stomping grounds in Interlochen, Michigan. I spent 3 summers working as a camp counselor for the music camp while in college. Some of my most memorable summers. It was strange, yet comforting, to go back and see that almost everything was the same. The Fireplace Inn where Wednesday polka nights took place to the same pizza place (Ciceros) that we ordered from on a regular basis. The campground was on Green Lake where I spent lots of time lifeguarding and no doubt getting skin damage.

We took a ride just outside of Traverse City and visited a light house and played around on some pretty Lake Michigan coastline.
My only regret is that I was too lazy to lug my camera on the mile walk to the beach where my parents were camping (Platte River Campground on the Sleeping Bear Dune shoreline) as the view was beautiful there as well. I did take some pictures with my Mom's camera so maybe if I can get her to e-mail them to me, I'll post at a later date.

Here's some pictures of the Smith girls.


Audrey, Kayla and Sierra getting ready to walk down to the shoreline.


Sierra showing her usual "cute-a-tude".


Kayla is going into high school next year and is on her way to being a track star. She's turned into quite a beautiful young lady.



Kayla and Sierra are NOT shy when it comes to getting their picture taken. I keep laughing at the "photo shoot" photos where I just let them strike poses while holding the shutter down. I love hanging out with Audrey and her girls. They are too fun and even though the girls think we're "old" they certainly make us feel younger.


Audrey and Sierra having a little fun on the rocks.