birthday week

So I turned 34 last Thursday. Crazy. We had a busy, and OUTSTANDING week. Lots of fun kid stuff, some great birthday swag, topped by a concert in Ames (Storyhill, my fave duo/musical performers of all time) with Kari. I'm listening to them as I study and type, after 'fixing?' the anti-virus on our computer. I was convinced that our desktop was shot tonight. Running crazy slow and doing all sorts of dumb stuff. Suddenly, it hooked up and let me download the new AVG and away we go. Victory! I would say that the week has been victorious; I am so loved and so lucky. What an amazing thing.

Crazy rain, thunder/lightening, and basement flooding. Ugh. But this too shall pass...

Pole Vaulting

Tonight Drake Relays held the pole vault inside Jordan Creek Mall. Thousands showed up, according to Keith Murphy and Channel 13. Murph rules, btw. Had it been earlier or a diff night, we would have been there. How sweet would it be to be on the 2nd level of the mall and look eye to eye with an athlete rocketing skyward on a 20 ft. pole? Are you kidding? I am really intrigued by the Relays -- I must go on Saturday some year and watch the pros do their deal. I love to run, but am not great at it. To see the best in the country go, that would be amazing. Not sure where this running bug came from, but it borders on addiction. My new trail runners came in via UPS tonight -- Montrail Streak shoes. Excited to hit the dirt with them. Good to move, good to run, good to be out. And good to sleep. Good night, all.

today

So I started this thing @ the kids' school last fall; Monroe Milers. It is a running/walking club that meets on Mondays; we get together on thier 1/8 mile track, warm up, and then walk or run until 4. We ended the fall with 50 kids; we started this spring with 60, today we had close to 75. It is a riot -- literally at times -- to see these kids in perpetual motion. Some have such great attitudes, they run and laugh and seem to enjoy it. Some complain the whole time, stop frequently, and ask when it is time to go home. I felt almost track-coachish today -- "keep moving, speed up, keep it up..." REALLY REALLY ODD, if you know me at all. It is crazy fun, though.

We went to Sports Authority looking for a few things this evening; it always seems like a great idea to go bump around the SA and see what you can find. I usually leave disappointed. They've got a ton of cool stuff at prices that make my head hurt. I know that Nike and North Face stuff are super cool, but come on...a tank top for $30 on sale?!? I can make one cheaper than that. Unreal.

Reading a friend's blog tonight -- use of the word "kick ass" in the context of baked potatoes nearly had me rolling off the couch. I am a fan of said word, especially when it is used in the descriptive sense. And the baked potatoes in question are in fact kick ass.

Reading in the Register (on, actually -- love the free Internet version!) and there were some pretty wild opinion posts concerning the cyclist who got hit last week in Madison County. One in particular made my stomach turn -- the cycling community has seen a bunch of folks get buzzed/hit by cars in the last year, many injuries, some deaths. And cyclists can be downright rude about sharing the road as well...but this particular quote had me ready to spout. Some jerk made a bunch of comments, like "if you cyclists knew how stupid your little outfits look, you wouldn't be out riding anyway" and "I hope more of you end up like this (guy in the hospital w/ broken pelvis and fractured skull). REALLY!?! How far down the human scale does this commenter find themselves?!? You have issues with bikes -- fine. You feel the need to spout off about a father and husband who nearly died, accidentally or not. So be it. But to spit such venom...that is ill. Really, really ill.

Night, world.

Columnist

Watching Marley and Me...I think I could be a columnist. What a cool gig...write about what you see, experience, and say what you think? Sweetness.

Great weekend w/ the family -- Dance recital, man time in the backyard w/ Dad and BW, good food and all sorts of fun. I saw angels last night and today; they happen to be my daughters (and their friends!). So proud.

Running, training (i guess?!?) for Dam to Dam. Feeling pretty good thus far...looking at a long run this week, Thursday maybe, we'll see how it goes.

And I am glad Bria is NOT Marley. No way...