An old photo resurfaces and a new photo is taken.

I found this photo of Gabe taken in SeaTac airport a few years back. Anyone recognize the man under the Mohawk? We were en route to Reno when "the dude with the really cool haircut" appeared and Gabe just walked up to him and yelled out, "Mister, I really love your hair!" They ended up talking about Gabe's loose tooth, Gabe's brother and our pending trip to Lake Tahoe. It was a joy to watch the interchange.

Click here to go to the link for the Monroe Monitor, our local paper. You may need to click on the "read story" link to see the photo. I am the second guy from the right in the yellow and purple. "One of these things is not like the others..." Were were hiking out on Mann Road to investigate two men stuck on a pick up truck in the waters. they were about a mile from where this photo was taken. Seven of us (two behind photographer) ended up hiking out a mile or so, carrying the kayaks, to the area of road that was covered by about 3 1/2 feet of water. The brand new silver pick up was submerged half way up the grill in the cold water after the driver though he could make it through the water, wrong. He attempted what appeared to be a speed crossing and ended up hydroplaning half way across the 200 foot wide expanse of water covered road. Amazing! His vehicle drifted to a stop at a perfect 90 degree angle to the road. We arrived to find the two men in the bed of the truck in hip boots having a cigarette. Just as we arrived the Sheriff's helicopter also arrived but was unable to assist due to the power lines directly above the truck. We floated the kayaks in, loaded they up and floated them out, then proceeded to walk with them out to the main road where the aid vehicles were waiting. A successful rescue.

Tony

Memories of becoming a runner.

I opened up the New Year's running with a hard workout at The Y while Cheryl played racket ball with a friend, but the true start of the year's running was yesterday. I hearkened back to my running roots and rediscovered the trails of Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue. I stopped in to log a few miles on the wood chip and boardwalk trails. My memory recalled a few stairs but, whoa boy, not as many as I found yesterday. Hundreds of stairs can be found in the well established Kelsey Creek trail system. It is part of a an extensive Lake to Lake trail connecting Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington; some day I'll have to do the whole thing. (The last link has an interactive map of the whole 7.5 mile trail.) Onward......While I attending Sammamish High School in the mid-80's the XC team regularly trained in the park utilizing the hilly wooded

area for training. Somehow the trail system received the title of "Nairobi" back then. I was not part of the naming but embraced the designation none the less. (There was also something about "XC 22" but I won't go into that.)

(Photos of the 1984 SHS XC teams, at Kelsey Creek Park) So yesterday I ran through "Nairobi memories" of hard repeat laps, hills, speed work and the few races hosted there. Kinda pitiful to imagine a forty year old reminiscing high school but sometimes it helps my soul to go back to my roots and remember. I was humbled as I recalled my fitness level back then compared to today. I was never one of the leaders, one of the faster runners, but I was recognized by Ed, our head coach, as, "A pole vaulter with a little endurance." I ran XC to prepare for the spring Track season, it was not my primary sport. I was a vaulter. But as I improved I discovered the value in cross training. The Sammamish XC team was known for its goofiness and "creative" coaching. Ed and Dave seem to have found a way to get the most out of their athletes focusing on fun and unusual training endeavours.

(Photos are the 1985 SHS XC teams. I am under the the car's bumper next to Ed and top lining up at the far right of the starting line.)

I joined, as a "jogger"/cross trainer having only played with running. (I find it very difficult to even type the word...jogger ugh.) This is where I first became aware of real running. The exact race was a JV race out at Salt Creek in Port Angeles. I was number two on the the JV team. Ed and I chatted a bit prior to the race about how to stay alive by not running off a cliff, into a tree, another runner, or a poison oak bush. All in all a very safe race course. The race started in a wide grassy field and quickly funneled down to a single track trail that twists and winds through the woods. The woods we meander through are a dense collection of old Douglas Firs, Salal, Oregon Grape, ferns and the like. The undulation root filled trail was so narrow passing was considered a full contact activity, hence the warning about the trees. Older Douglas Fur trees have pretty rough bark and blood has been known to flow from resulting impacts. I placed myself comfortably in about 15th to 20th, mid pack, going into the woods. The race course skirts sandstone cliffs providing amazing views to the Straight of Juan de Fuca. My pace was slow, in running terms it would be called, "pedestrian". Back then I really didn't know how to "race" I just ran not wanting to lead for fear of not knowing where to go, so I began the race at a comfortable non-threatening pace. The two mile course circled around the park allowing for spectating and coaching. Ed urged me on in the first open area, "Move up, Move up!" Having never been coached in a race before I was not sure what he meant. "Move up where?" It took a few seconds for me to understand he was urging me to pass the runners in front of me. So I did, with very little effort. "Hey this is fun", I thought as I worked my way through the string of runners, passing one more just before re-entering the woods and avoiding the dreaded Doug Fir Bark Rash. On the second lap I passed a few more and experienced a new feeling. I was churning along at my regular pace when everything kinda went quite. I felt lighter and faster. Somehow a door had opened to a new level of running, like a barrier I never knew existed, holding me back, had just been surpassed. Freedom to run faster and harder. It was as if I reached an awareness level of a whole new meaning of running. My heart rate jumped, my energy level increased, and my legs were stronger. I had become a runner. Right then I became a runner. There was less than a half mile in the race and I felt like I could fly. With only five runners between me and the lead I rounded a bend to a paved road leading to the finish. The road sloped downhill. Ed ran across the grassy meadow screaming, "Lean forward, lean forward!" Apparently I was leaning back, a body position that creates breaking while running, where your point of contact with the ground is ahead of your center of mass. I leaned forward and accelerated. "Wow, I never knew running could be like this. I can breath and this is FUN!" With less than one hundred meters to go I accelerated using a gear I never knew I had, passed two more and made my way across the finish line, now a runner. Ed's smile involves his whole face, and that is what greeted me at the finish, the smile and a few knowing words. He saw the difference in me, he knew what had happened out there. The "Pole vaulter with a little endurance" who had toed the line a few minutes ago was now a runner. I don't remember much more about the race (place or finish time) or the trip to PA. I do recall attending the PA High School football game the night before and witnessing some of our top runners, also part of the SHS Marching band, borrow instruments from the PA band and break out in a spontaneous and broken version of "Tequila". It remains one of my all time favorite XC road trips.........As I descend down the trails back toward Kelsey Creek I run under a roost of crows. Their raucous noise and the rain of bark, moss and lichen sprinkling down from the tree tops pulls me back to present day. I laugh out loud at the memories and find myself grateful for the opportunity to revisit the waterlogged wood chip trails. I finish my run cooling down and recalling the faces of those SHS XC Teams. For many of those faces this was the height of their running career for me it was just the commencement.

Tony

Snow-maggedon2008 2.0

So we are at 16 fresh inches on top of the consolidated 5 inches that are now a solid sheet of ice. Jonathan is checking the level with the 24 inch measuring level.

In the last 48 hours we have had 21 inches of snowfall. And yet the kids were out sledding in the arctic tundra risking their lives with my permission, what a bad dad. I wonder if the Seattle schools were out today?

I enjoyed a life-threating 3 mile run on our trails in knee deep powder. It was a great time.

The woods were a quiet wonderland of snow and trails. It was great.

Tonight I was scheduled to be on shift at the Fire Department. Here we go with a great example of why... well just look at the Honda Civic Snow Plow...

I spent 45 minutes gaining 100 or so feet of my own driveway. It was amazing. The whole back and forth thing could have been out of an America's Funniest Videos. After securely anchoring the Civic in a frozen hole I contacted the department letting them know it was becoming evident I may not make it in. They filled the shift quickly with a local volunteer. Then I switched to the wife's car...

As you can imagine that didn't go so well either. We spent a large portion of last night getting Cheryl and here car home, finally deciding to park it in the neighbors driveway because we could not get into our own. As I made some very husbandly attempts to free her vehicle from the glacier, I, uh, well. The wonderfully secure cable chains were quickly entangled in the front axle after a few well practiced "back-and-forths" and a good rear ending of the neighbors shrubs. I called the department and confirmed I would not be in tonight, they understood. Cheryl and the boys were excited to have me home for the night.

Tony

Snow-mageddon 2008!!!

A local radio personality is doing a hearty tongue in cheek broadcast on the day's snowfall, highlighting the tremendous and utterly ridiculous media coverage of what has become another bust of a forecast. The people of Seattle are speaking out from their fully automated and stocked bunkers, from their Honda's with chains on the rear wheels, from their child filled homes due to school closures, and from places of employment with stories of commutes taking an amazing and ridiculous 30 to 45 SECONDS longer than normal. Mass hysteria has gripped the area...I am so glad we are better people than our parents. We look back on the snow days of the past with fond memories of hours of freezing fantastic fun, when in fact, according to today's safety procedures and warnings our parents would be locked up for endangerment!! How dare you allow your children to frolic in such a dangerous environment!! How dare you allow them to lose a glove or a boot, For the LOVE OF...DUCT TAPE IT ON!! Better yet don't let them go outside it's practically 34 degrees outside. We should declare an environmental and geographical emergency!! Where is global warming when we need it? (I think I'm gonna hyperventilate...where's my paper bag?)

Jonathan made a Calvin and Hobbes-esque snowman eating a carrot. Thankfully his frostbite was minimal and he will recover quickly, phew, potential disaster averted all in the name of snow sculpting. I've downloaded the latest legal description of jumps on sledding runs and have found out maximum height limits have again, for the safety of all children young and old, been reduced from a bone breaking height of 1.5 inches to a much safer politically correct 1/2 of and inch. I am so thankful we are safer now. No more bruised buns or jumping over dad, there will be none of that 'round here. A kid down the street was just arrested for using a...SLED, gasp!

Not to be out done and in a effort to utilize his school sponsored snowman building kit Gabe crafted a well rounded second to his brother's snowman. It was a test of endurance to brave the ever endangering temps hovering at a water freezing 32 degrees with wind chills dropping the temp to a freeze drying 31 degrees. The brave and intrepid artist pushed himself past the limits of most human endeavors to get the corncob pipe placed with incredible accuracy just in time to retreat to prevent hallucinations due to his hypothermia.

Oh, Mac&Cheese and hot cocoa have never saved a better pair of explorers. Later today, per or insurance carrier, we will have safety fencing and flood lights installed to prevent anyone from be placed in a dangerous situation while viewing the statues.

I hear rumors of an underground movement to actually build an illegal sledding run in the neighbors back yard, the jumps will be well over 3 inches high. I must do my part to squash any such action......or at least test the thing out!! WooHOO!! Were off again!!

Tony

P.S. The Psycho Cookies are on Cheryl's camera...I'll get them posted soon.

Interuptions...

I seem to have misplaced my camera and therefor I will delay the Psycho Cookie posting... On to other topics... It seems some of you have an opinion regarding the amount of life miles I have recorded. Well if you think I have an issue with running let me refer you to the Running Streak List for a dose of real fanaticism. These folks are a bit, well let's just say the are serious about running. I have found counting miles to be a bit more manageable than a running streak. Even with my meager collection of miles I don't even come close to the all time cumulative miles list. It seems I'm just an average Joe Runner. I feel so much better now. And yet I did pull off a 3.5 mile ice/snow run yesterday. Next topic... Our Christmas tree is up and twinkling. The boys, with help from a couple friends, decorated the side of the tree they could reach and in time, when the weight of all those trinkets reached a dangerous level, the tree came down. Yes we had a "TIMBER" moment in the living room. We have since recovered from the trauma and the tree is connected to the wall via super strong stealth string and a drywall screw. Last year's cookie caper has been repeated although to a smaller scale. Last year around this time, Sodhi, our 60 lb Goldendoodle, escaped (in the middle of the night) and decimated our collection of Christmas cookies, including the espresso laden biscotti. Fast forward to yesterday, and he managed to take advantage of the Buckeyes cooling on the back porch. Buckeyes are basically a frozen ball of peanut butter, powdered sugar and real butter dipped in chocolate, the perfect 15,000 calorie snack in a neat and tasty package. So they get dunked and need to cool for the chocolate shell to harden for freezer storage. I fill the chest freezer in the garage and having run out of available room, put the last tray of 20 or so balls of goodness on the back porch (It's 20 some degrees outside). He found them. I hear an odd sound of cookie sheet on ice with the added accent of wax paper crumpling and happy dog noises. My brain instantly remembers leaving the cookies on the back porch and I know exactly what the noises mean COOKIE THIEF!! Sprinting to the location of the crime I arrive in time to rescue about 25% of the valued morsels. The dog, caught re-pawed, quickly retreats to the 5" of crusty snow in the yard knowing I would not initiate a barefoot chase. I figured he'll get his when the pound or so of peanut butter and chocolate start to digest. Last night he didn't eat dinner and WOW did he have gas! Usually such an act of disrespectful behaviour would generate a stern, "BAD DOG!!" But in this case it might need to be, "BAD HUMAN!!" for leaving the cookies out in the open. Psycho Cookie photos and stories to come, I promise. Tony

Updates

Hello from Monroe where it is snowing and cold. We have about 2" of white stuff on our back porch from last night's dumping. Currently the temps are dropping and we are expecting more snowfall tonight , WooHoo

Thanks to all of you who have asked about the job search. Things are going as well as expected in the first two weeks of unemployment. I have submitted the paperwork to update my teaching certificate and have apps. pending in Monroe and Sultan School Districts. we'll see what comes up. I am also going to pursue full time firefighting in that I will be testing soon,and applying with many fire districts around the Puget Sound region.

On to the snow. We have a wonderful lace-leaf maple outside our living room window. It has a full canopy of leaves in the summer and a wonderful blaze of fall color. But not anymore. he heavy wet snow overloaded the branches and over night the tree split perfectly down the center in three equal sections. The maple is no more.

Tonight is the 8th (or 9th) annual PSYCHO COOKIE night. I will update with many photos later. Our friends from the Graham area driving up for the night. I will encourage Steve to swim down the Puyallup river to Puget Sound, head north to the mouth of the Snohomish River and head upstream to the fork of the Snoqualmie and the Skykomish rivers, left turn Clyde. Proceede up the Skykomish river to the Lewis Street bridge and then another left turn will send up Woods Creek to the Bollenbaugh Hill bridge. Exit the stream and the transition to the run portion of the journey to our home. Although today if may be a cross-country ski leg instead.

See ya in a few hours with cookie photos.....

Tony

Updates

That whooshing sound you ask.....no it wasn't Superman, it was November.

The month of November 2008 has come and gone and with it a few life changes and updates.

Gabriel still fits in the dryer and has yet to produce two new teeth to replace his missing from chompers. He starts winter Basketball season tonight.

Jonathan just finished a fun soccer season, making new friends along the way. The team had a great time improving their skills and working together.

Cheryl and I have now reached 12 years of marriage. We celebrated with a relaxing "boy-less" dinner out.

I am now unemployed. The last month was a challenging time for me professionally and personally. It became apparent my current job did not have the ability to meet some basic family priorities. I fought with this realization for a time and in doing so learned a lot about myself and my behavior patterns. Cheryl and I have begun a new marriage chapter (#12) as we work hard to become a stronger couple, better parents and attain our family goals. We are both very excited about the future for the four of us resting in the knowledge that God has everything under control and we only need to know the next few steps. We have been very blessed over the past 12 years and know that the path we have chosen remains the same. It will be an interesting month of December and 2009. We love you all very much and appreciate your support.

I can' quite find the words to describe what Gabe's sketch stirs deep in me but I know I will do whatever I can to keep holding his (and Jonathan's) hand.

Tony

P.S. Anyone hiring?