What a gloomy Monday. It's bad enough it's a Monday - we don't need the added cruelty of bad weather. I want my money back!
Over the weekend we had the TCM team Victory Party at Gasthof's. Saturday night at Gasthof during the last weekend of Oktoberfest made for a fun and interesting evening. We were in the basement and had our half of the room to ourselves for a couple hours before things started really cooking. Everyone shared their stories from the marathon and enjoyed the adult beverage of their choice.
While we were eating and socializing we were watching a slide show that Julie had put together with photos from the season and from race day. 900 pictures in all, and she had already deleted quite a few! There is one of me from the Pasta Party that will definitely be posted in the next day or two, so keep you eyes open for that.
Hey, check this out. I think I found my Halloween costume.
Friends of ours got a new puppy on Friday and we went to visit them Sunday. Jen and Kyle bought a yellow lab and named him "Buddy". He's all of 7 weeks old and is the cutest little guy. Gotta love puppy breath and their sharp little teeth. It's their first dog so we gave them some tips on how to get him to stop biting. Tough love, baby, tough love. Julie was of course in heaven playing with him and holding him, teasing him and playing tug with the rope we bought for him. I definitely see some dog sitting in the future.
The breeder they got Buddy from also raises championship dogs. He told them that he can alter the temperature of the sire's sperm and that will help determine the sex of the puppies. If he lowers the sperm temp the litter will have more females which generally are more in demand than the male dogs. Who knew? My only question is - how do you lower the temp? Have him sit in a bucket of ice cubes? Gives new meaning to "Love on the Rocks".
18 days to Bruce!
It takes extreme concentration, but I'm getting there.
Everyone have a great week!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
For All the Little People
Happy Friday!
Leslie Ecklund, a TNT alumni and great friend, has started her own line of chic handbags and was just in the Macy's "Distinction in Design" competition. She started this as a fundraiser when she was training for Tahoe earlier this year and it's really taking off for her. A portion of her proceeds benefit the Society as well as other charities so please check out her stuff! Her website is here and an article on the Star Tribune website featuring her can be found here. I've also added her to my growing list of links to the right. Way to go Leslie!
Last night we had the travel meeting for our runners and walkers heading out to San Francisco to complete the Nike Women's Marathon or Half Marathon. Everyone is excited and nervous. Event weekends are such an amazing experience - even though I've been to quite a few I still get excited about it. All the work these people put into training and fundraising all pays off at event weekend. There's nothing like crossing that finish line knowing what you've done not only for yourself but for those battling cancer. It really makes your heart fill with pride and we just love being there to help others experience the same feelings. GO TEAM!!!
I had a glimpse of my future and this is what I saw.
So a few of us were having a discussion recently about what their earliest memories are as a child. The average was around age 4 as being as far back as people had vivid memories. For me it was age 3. I distinctly remember sitting on the floor playing with my friend Ann. We were playing with Little People but I don't remember much beyond that until age 5 when kindergarten started. And it was the classic, original Little People. Nothing beats the original. Ann had the barn which would make a "moooo" sound when you opened it. Way cool.
Don't ever think you're too old to make a contribution to society. Just look at what these nice folks are doing. It gives Julie and I something to look forward to 40 years from now.
You all have a great weekend!
Leslie Ecklund, a TNT alumni and great friend, has started her own line of chic handbags and was just in the Macy's "Distinction in Design" competition. She started this as a fundraiser when she was training for Tahoe earlier this year and it's really taking off for her. A portion of her proceeds benefit the Society as well as other charities so please check out her stuff! Her website is here and an article on the Star Tribune website featuring her can be found here. I've also added her to my growing list of links to the right. Way to go Leslie!
Last night we had the travel meeting for our runners and walkers heading out to San Francisco to complete the Nike Women's Marathon or Half Marathon. Everyone is excited and nervous. Event weekends are such an amazing experience - even though I've been to quite a few I still get excited about it. All the work these people put into training and fundraising all pays off at event weekend. There's nothing like crossing that finish line knowing what you've done not only for yourself but for those battling cancer. It really makes your heart fill with pride and we just love being there to help others experience the same feelings. GO TEAM!!!
I had a glimpse of my future and this is what I saw.
So a few of us were having a discussion recently about what their earliest memories are as a child. The average was around age 4 as being as far back as people had vivid memories. For me it was age 3. I distinctly remember sitting on the floor playing with my friend Ann. We were playing with Little People but I don't remember much beyond that until age 5 when kindergarten started. And it was the classic, original Little People. Nothing beats the original. Ann had the barn which would make a "moooo" sound when you opened it. Way cool.
Don't ever think you're too old to make a contribution to society. Just look at what these nice folks are doing. It gives Julie and I something to look forward to 40 years from now.
You all have a great weekend!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words...
Some pictures of late that I found interesting or amusing...
Cuff Me
Julie crossing the finish line at Iron Girl
And the part of Mrs. Roper will be played by Julie...
The TNT cheer station at mile 22.75 at TCM.
This pretty much sums up the day...
Just two of the reasons we all do it...
Never forget.
Cuff Me
Julie crossing the finish line at Iron Girl
And the part of Mrs. Roper will be played by Julie...
The TNT cheer station at mile 22.75 at TCM.
This pretty much sums up the day...
Just two of the reasons we all do it...
Never forget.Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Glass-Eyed and Completely Lethargic
What a difference a couple days make. Today would have been a perfect day for a marathon. Such is life, I guess.
One thing I do have to ask, tho. What do weather folks do anyway? They called for rain on Sunday - didn't happen. They called for sun today - didn't happen. Do they have any clue what's going on? Sometimes I wonder...
I was talking to Ann, a friend of ours from Ohio, and we got on the subject of Halloween costumes. She informs me that Bald Britney is the in-thing this year...
If you would like to read a great post about the experience one runner from TCM on Sunday then read Kimmi's blog post. She's a little spitfire. Great job, Kimmi!
So, Molson, our Golden Retriever, has had a minor sore on her leg over the last week which we've been taking care of. Last night we wanted to let it air out and didn't want her to do anything to irritate it so we gave her a doggie vicodin if you will. Just one little pill totally knocks her silly - glass-eyed and completely lethargic. Pretty funny actually, it's like someone slipped her a mickey and she has no idea what's going on around her. Actually, what am I saying? I'm like that all the time...
Jeez! Here I am minding my own business...
Here is a picture of Julie and I at our wedding reception...
Hopefully in the next 24 hours I'll be posting some pictures. Stay tuned...
One thing I do have to ask, tho. What do weather folks do anyway? They called for rain on Sunday - didn't happen. They called for sun today - didn't happen. Do they have any clue what's going on? Sometimes I wonder...
I was talking to Ann, a friend of ours from Ohio, and we got on the subject of Halloween costumes. She informs me that Bald Britney is the in-thing this year...
If you would like to read a great post about the experience one runner from TCM on Sunday then read Kimmi's blog post. She's a little spitfire. Great job, Kimmi!
So, Molson, our Golden Retriever, has had a minor sore on her leg over the last week which we've been taking care of. Last night we wanted to let it air out and didn't want her to do anything to irritate it so we gave her a doggie vicodin if you will. Just one little pill totally knocks her silly - glass-eyed and completely lethargic. Pretty funny actually, it's like someone slipped her a mickey and she has no idea what's going on around her. Actually, what am I saying? I'm like that all the time...
Jeez! Here I am minding my own business...
Here is a picture of Julie and I at our wedding reception...
Hopefully in the next 24 hours I'll be posting some pictures. Stay tuned...
Monday, October 8, 2007
Hot and Bothered
As I'm sure most of you know Sunday was the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. The weather made the race very difficult, not that it's an easy course otherwise. The TCM is a great but challenging marathon, and Sunday it more than lived up to the billing.
Prior to the marathon was the TNT Pasta Party on Saturday night. Everyone came, enjoyed some good food, shared their nervousness, and heard from our two fall-season honorees, which reminded us all why we're doing this - for the cause. Coach Mike gave some last minute advice and everyone left to try and get some sleep.
Sunday morning was hot and humid. Just standing around you were starting to sweat, and meeting inside the Dome where it seemed to be even hotter made it all the more interesting.
Julie and I left as the team headed to the start line. Mile 4.5 was our first stop and we got there just as the first elite runners were passing by. As everyone passed us they all looked good and seemed to be doing ok, just some minor issues with the heat.
Once all the TNT folks passed by we headed over to Snelling and Summit which was right before the 23-mile mark. We knew it was going to be an interesting day when the first elite runner went by and he had at least a 5-minute lead on the rest of the pack - very unusual.
Most of the people who were on a 3-hour or less pace seemed to be handling the heat ok and were still running when they went by. But after that it changed considerably.
We had already heard this was the hottest race day in TCM history and the humidity was stifling. After the 3-hour marathoners went by it seemed like everything slowed down. I would guess 80-90% of the runners from then on where walking - understandable considering the heat and the fact that where we were was near the end of a long up-hill stretch.
Nearly all the TNT runners were quite a bit off their anticipated pace and a few ended up dropping due to the heat. I did some looking on-line and only 31% of the registered runners finished the race and the average pace compared to last year was about a minute per mile slower. Everyone was being affected by the weather.
Our TNT cheer station at mile 23 was our official TCM-judged cheer station. We had a great turnout of nearly 30 people and we made a TON of noise non-stop. When the judges rode up on their bikes they said they heard us quite a ways down the street and that we were probably the loudest ones there. All-in-all I think we put a great face on the TNT program.
Congrats to everyone on the TNT TCM team as well as the many TNT alumni who were out running. It had to be about the worst conditions you could imagine and they left everything out there on the course. We're so proud of all of you!
Prior to the marathon was the TNT Pasta Party on Saturday night. Everyone came, enjoyed some good food, shared their nervousness, and heard from our two fall-season honorees, which reminded us all why we're doing this - for the cause. Coach Mike gave some last minute advice and everyone left to try and get some sleep.
Sunday morning was hot and humid. Just standing around you were starting to sweat, and meeting inside the Dome where it seemed to be even hotter made it all the more interesting.
Julie and I left as the team headed to the start line. Mile 4.5 was our first stop and we got there just as the first elite runners were passing by. As everyone passed us they all looked good and seemed to be doing ok, just some minor issues with the heat.
Once all the TNT folks passed by we headed over to Snelling and Summit which was right before the 23-mile mark. We knew it was going to be an interesting day when the first elite runner went by and he had at least a 5-minute lead on the rest of the pack - very unusual.
Most of the people who were on a 3-hour or less pace seemed to be handling the heat ok and were still running when they went by. But after that it changed considerably.
We had already heard this was the hottest race day in TCM history and the humidity was stifling. After the 3-hour marathoners went by it seemed like everything slowed down. I would guess 80-90% of the runners from then on where walking - understandable considering the heat and the fact that where we were was near the end of a long up-hill stretch.
Nearly all the TNT runners were quite a bit off their anticipated pace and a few ended up dropping due to the heat. I did some looking on-line and only 31% of the registered runners finished the race and the average pace compared to last year was about a minute per mile slower. Everyone was being affected by the weather.
Our TNT cheer station at mile 23 was our official TCM-judged cheer station. We had a great turnout of nearly 30 people and we made a TON of noise non-stop. When the judges rode up on their bikes they said they heard us quite a ways down the street and that we were probably the loudest ones there. All-in-all I think we put a great face on the TNT program.
Congrats to everyone on the TNT TCM team as well as the many TNT alumni who were out running. It had to be about the worst conditions you could imagine and they left everything out there on the course. We're so proud of all of you!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
New Blog Alert!
I have added two new blogs to my growing list of blogs which are in the blogs section over there to the right. No, not there. Yeah, there.
The first one is by Ms. R, a fellow TNT alumni, mentor, and all-around great person. She is now training for the Iron Man Wisconsin in 2008 and she has started a blog to document her experiences. Check it out.
The second one is by Bryon who is the husband of Karen, another TNT alum. Julie and I rode with Karen at Sea Gull last year and she was a mentor on the team. She's a great friend although a little crazy - she actually LOVES to do hills on her bike! What's up with that?! Anyway, Bryon and Karen are expecting their first child and Bryon is writing a blog about it. Pretty cool.
The first one is by Ms. R, a fellow TNT alumni, mentor, and all-around great person. She is now training for the Iron Man Wisconsin in 2008 and she has started a blog to document her experiences. Check it out.
The second one is by Bryon who is the husband of Karen, another TNT alum. Julie and I rode with Karen at Sea Gull last year and she was a mentor on the team. She's a great friend although a little crazy - she actually LOVES to do hills on her bike! What's up with that?! Anyway, Bryon and Karen are expecting their first child and Bryon is writing a blog about it. Pretty cool.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
And Tigger, Too
Ok, a lot to blog about...
First off, what a game on Saturday! I'm sorry if you happen to be a Gophers fan but as a Buckeye fan the game was great! We had a ton of fun hanging out with friends at the tailgate before the game (thanks again, Bill!) and then had awesome seats just feet from the end zone! Great food, great beer, great friends, great football - who could ask for anything more?!
Sunday is the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and TNT will have a team of about 50 out there running - plus numerous alumni. TNT is sponsoring cheering stations at various locations so stop on out to support the runners if you can. Julie and I have been watching the forecast for Sunday over the last few days and everyday it changes. It started at rainy and 50's, then changed to sunny and 75, and now it's rain and low 70's. I'm curious for the 10 o'clock news so I can see what they're saying now. Again, if I could be wrong half he time at MY job and still work there....
I really need to figure out how to post pictures on the site...
Bought the new Bruce cd (Magic) yesterday and overall it's pretty good. I'm surprised I'm not saying I LOVE it but I'm sure it will grow on me. Half the songs I think are really good and the rest I'd say are average Bruce songs, nothing that blows my socks off. The Rising was a much more consistent album I think. And he has a couple of songs on his new cd that are a little too political for my taste, but to each his own.
As I think I've said in a previous post I happen to be a fan of John Stossel from 20/20. Here and here are two columns dealing with health insurance that are really informative. Worth the read.
I hope Julie doesn't read this, but here is a picture of her dream home that we'll be moving into later this year. Shhhh. Don't tell her.
Well, that's it. TTFN.
First off, what a game on Saturday! I'm sorry if you happen to be a Gophers fan but as a Buckeye fan the game was great! We had a ton of fun hanging out with friends at the tailgate before the game (thanks again, Bill!) and then had awesome seats just feet from the end zone! Great food, great beer, great friends, great football - who could ask for anything more?!
Sunday is the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and TNT will have a team of about 50 out there running - plus numerous alumni. TNT is sponsoring cheering stations at various locations so stop on out to support the runners if you can. Julie and I have been watching the forecast for Sunday over the last few days and everyday it changes. It started at rainy and 50's, then changed to sunny and 75, and now it's rain and low 70's. I'm curious for the 10 o'clock news so I can see what they're saying now. Again, if I could be wrong half he time at MY job and still work there....
I really need to figure out how to post pictures on the site...
Bought the new Bruce cd (Magic) yesterday and overall it's pretty good. I'm surprised I'm not saying I LOVE it but I'm sure it will grow on me. Half the songs I think are really good and the rest I'd say are average Bruce songs, nothing that blows my socks off. The Rising was a much more consistent album I think. And he has a couple of songs on his new cd that are a little too political for my taste, but to each his own.
As I think I've said in a previous post I happen to be a fan of John Stossel from 20/20. Here and here are two columns dealing with health insurance that are really informative. Worth the read.
I hope Julie doesn't read this, but here is a picture of her dream home that we'll be moving into later this year. Shhhh. Don't tell her.
Well, that's it. TTFN.
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