Live Beyond The Norm

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Amy is in school from 5 to 9 or so. Tristan and I hang out and watch movies or play games or something, and I am really enjoying this extra time that we are spending together.
I think I'm going to get our fishing licenses and some fishing gear and start making Tuesday afternoon a "fishing day". Of course we can go on the weekends too, but we're usually doing something as a family. This will be fun to just be the youngun' n' me. I'm not sure if Amy would want to touch a slimy fish, but if she does, well, I'll hook her up with a license too.
Anyway, I need to be a more proactive dad. I try. I do. It's just that I work so much. Two jobs even. As I've said before, that's all going to change pretty soon if things go as planned.
In the meantime, I'm going to take advantage of our "father son time".
He'll love it.

In other news, our mountain expedition planning committee of two has finally come up with a tentative itinerary for the "Guy's Trip" coming up in July. I'll just paste it here for you and for me.
It's going to be a spectacular trip. I just KNOW it!


Sunday, June 28

Arrive Denver International around 4:00 pm (haven’t got my ticket. Looks like most flights come in at 4 and 8 pm. Continental has some for $266)
Rent car, eat dinner, and pick up any latecomers at airport
Drive to Boulder around 8:30 pm (arrive 9:30)
Stay @ Boulder Twin Lakes Inn (I have made reservations - 3 star - $70 for a room that sleeps 6 !!! - good reviews)
6485 Twin Lakes Road, Boulder, CO 80301
Toll Free: (800) 322-2939

Monday-Thursday, June 29- July 2

Get onto the trailhead and start packin’ it in
Try not to get eaten by any bear
Summit Long's Peak
See some unforgettable scenery
Don’t forget the tent poles
Bring the bear mace
Swim in an ice cold lake
Take some pictures
Relax with good friends and have good times

Thursday, July 2

Exit the trailhead and stay in Boulder
Anyone who needs to can fly out
(Haven’t got hotel reservations yet. Twin Lakes was booked. Plenty to choose from. None as nice for the money though)

Friday, July 3

Grab breakfast and head for the airport
(Early or late flight?)

And finally, I would just like to mention this:

A man, Paul Ridley, has rowed a modified rowboat 2950 miles across the Atlantic, from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in 88 days. I saw his story on Yahoo news, and followed up at the website and blog. The website is:
www.rowforhope.com.
It was all done for fund-raising and to create awareness for cancer research, a worthy cause if ever there was one.
His mother died from skin cancer a while back.
His blog site can be found right HERE on Blogger where he blogged about the trip day by day from his computer. He got power from a solar panel and communication through a satellite phone. During the trip he ate freeze-dried food like the Astronauts. It was all pretty high tech and well organized.

I wish I would have known about it from the beginning. It would have been cool to track his progress from day to day.
More importantly, it makes me want to DO something... I mean, THAT is an adventure. Who thinks to row a boat across the Atlantic ocean?? A crazy person? Or maybe someone with a desire in life to go beyond just existing.
I want to do that... it's why I train and race, to go beyond the "norm".
How much more so to do something like this guy?
What adventure awaits you?

Think about it.




KoP

One Time

One time, I was April's Fool.





KoP

Athens Sprint Triathlon Photos

I finally have the photos from the Athens Triathlon.
While it was a lot of fun having new friends join me in it this year, I don't know if I want to do another one that early in the year again. It's just too cold, and the weather has been crappy for the past two years now. I think I'll wait until April next year.

As this year goes, I've got another Sprint Tri on May 2nd that should be a lot of fun. Then I'll start my 70.3 Ironman build up in June. I have at least a few friends that are going to do that one as well so the competition factor will be alive and well.

The Starters.
What did I tell you last year? I am among them THIS year. wooho! Just a little bit intimidated...



The guy standing next to me is a 30 year Tri veteran, but only seriously for the past 10 years. Great. He's the only one that past me in the swim though.



Making the goggles stick.



Swimming.



Done with the swim, now out into the Arctic air.




Transition Area.




Leaving transition area to the bike course.




Leaving second transition to the run course.




Taking a cup of water even though I don't need it... I just feel rude if I don't take it, ya know?




More running.




Finish!
The girl in front of me seeded number 8! I caught up with her from seed 41. I though she was going to blow the doors of this race when I saw her seed number before the start.




THIS is the guy... this is the guy who beat me by 23 seconds. We are locked in a serious competition right now. haha




Changed into some warmer clothes after the race.



All the guys in our group that did the race. Good times!



I dunno, maybe I will do Athens again next year...


KoP

Tired Today, But A Good Sunday

Man...
My workout was really hard this morning for some reason.

I did a 3 mile run and then an unenthusiastic leg workout. I don't know why I felt so blah.
When I got home I weighed myself and I was 4 pounds lighter.
What I am guessing is that I either didn't eat enough this past weekend, and/or I drank too much coffee over the weekend and got a little dehydrated. I'm still pretty zonked, but I'm sure the energy will come back when I get some more food in me.
I should try that Green Goodness stuff that MauritaMason was telling me about, a fruit and vegetable concoction that will fill you with happy happy energy and joy.
Today seems like a perfect day to try it.


Yesterday afternoon, we took the top off the Jeep, packed up a lunch and our cameras, and rolled out to Brenham, about 90 miles away. We got some cool shots of these huge fields of Bluebonnets, the state flower, dontcha know.
Got a few good ones and had a great time even though it was a little chilly on the way back home. Allie, our Boxer, loved it. It was her first time in the Jeep... and maybe the last because she sheds all over everything, God bless her.


Here's way too many pictures of it all.

Hot girl and hotdog




Hot girl, hotdog, and cool kid




Bluebonnets






Bluebonnets



These people were trespassing. I tried to make a Citizen's Arrest, but none of them would put on the plastic handcuffs.





Bluebonnet




Bluebonnets






Bluebonnet and some other wild flower.





This is what Tristan would have preferred to do the entire time.





Allie enjoyed the Jeep ride, especially when she would hang her head over the side to let her jowls flap in the wind. HILARIOUS. It was a good day.



KoP

A Sunday Drive

Today, we're getting in the Jeep and heading out to a place called Brenham. Here there be Bluebonnets and we're going to shoot them.
I hear it's beautiul there this time of year with wild flowers blooming everywhere.

It will also be fun just driving around. The weather is perfect here today.
72 degrees and sunny.
Sorry to all you guys that are stuck inside from the snow and/or rain.
No, really.

See ya tomorrow.


KoP