CrossRoads Blog

It was exactly what we hoped, for the most part anyway. We got the perfect ‘romanticized Southern Plantation life’ and also the ‘horrible realities of the real deal Plantation life’ all in pretty much a 24 hour period.

What a perfect way to spend a pre New Orleans night and morning. Just up the Mississippi about an hour or so from the Crescent City is ‘The Great River Road’. Basically a stretch of the River where there were (and some survive) many Plantations that were built back in the dark days of Slavery. Most of these plantations are all Sugar Cane as the soil from the river was perfect for growing the profitable crop back in the day. One of the best preserved, and most beautiful Plantations is Oak Alley where we spent a wonderful afternoon, night and morning. What makes Oak Alley particularly spectacular is the ‘Alley” of Oak trees that leads almost from the levee on the Mississippi up to the big house. What’s extra cool, is the Oaks pre date the Plantation itself, in fact they are over 300 years old. When the folks that built the Plantation were looking for a spot, they saw these already perfectly planted 180 year plus (at the time) Oaks and built the house based on the trees location. Aside from the Alley of Oaks, there are Oaks throughout the property. The Oaks are the highlight of this place. They have to be seen to be appreciated. We took a ton of pictures, but they truly do not do them justice.

They have several out houses on the Plantation including a couple of cabins. We took one of the cabins for the night. Though the location is remote, it was perfect. We did our own dinner (full kitchen) and then were able to walk the grounds of the whole plantation by ourselves (only folks staying there are allowed to so this. It was so neat, just the two of us walking around at dusk, in a place that made you harken back to Rhett and Scarlet. Course Kimberly is for sure driven like Miss Scarlet but perhaps a bit less crazy, as for me, I like to think I do have some of that Rhett Butler suaveness . Either way, it was special walking around that place with MY Southern Bell Miss K.

The next morning we did what we do – it was time for a long run. Seeing we had spent the night on the banks of the Mississippi, what better place to run then. All along this stretch (and presumably most others) there is a levee. The top of the levee here more or less is about the width of a single road. Nice packed sand made it perfect for a run. The weather was hot and muggy. Not ideal, but the hazy foggy like conditions made it way cool visually with the River and the Sugar Cane and the Trees and the quite, it was definitely a ‘destination run’. We did get indoctrinated to humidity as by the time we were half way back on the levee with each step I took my shoes squished like I had stepped in a mud puddle. They had to have been 3 lbs extra weight – crazy!

After the run we did a quick clean up and headed over to the onsite restaurant for some great morning southern cooking. The breakfast was included in our stay as well. A quick tour of the gift shop, and it was time for an inside tour of the Plantations main house. It was nice, kind of what you would expect, though not many original pieces as over the years it had seen its share of owners and up and downs. The best part was the view of the Oaks from the Balcony. We again did a few pictures up there you will have to see. After the tour Kimberly partook of the obligatory Mint Julep and started talking in Gone with the Wind accents for the next 20 minutes.

Leaving Oak Alley mid day just up the road is Laura Plantation. A whole different vibe at Laura. Though not truly a ‘historical account, a fairly close representation tour of what life was like for the Creole (means first generation by the way) owners and the enslaved peoples. This tour was much more enjoyable, the property took some damage in a fire a couple of years back but it is getting close to being restored. There is also a few slave cabins on the site and the grounds offer some decent walking around. A worthy stop on the Great River Road for sure. After the tour, we had a quick snack bar and buckled in – within an hour we would be in New Orleans - and within an hour of that, I bet sitting in some low down funky Bourbon street bar drinking and listening to the Blues…

PICS HERE

Heck it had been three and half months already, must mean time to go see the Grandkiddo again right? Well, true that but this time we wanted to send a little love Great Granny’s way as she had some (as they would say on the old Beverly Hillbillies show – which seems appropriate seeing we call her Granny..) ‘doctoring’ going on as of late. It was a very enjoyable visit as always – we love dem’ Okies ya’ know. Though of course, AGAIN, everyday it seemed to either be storming or threatening a storm. They tell us it’s just a coincidence and aberration that this has been the case every time we visit but frankly I have their weather on my iPhone now, and it’s not so odd peoples . It’s called tornado alley for a reason!

Truthfully we did catch one decent weather day. And by decent I mean non-rainy, because it still was hot and muggy. We took advantage of this by scooting up to a little festival on Lake Eufaula with M2, Antoinette and the Grand Mikey. M3 being a young sawed-off still wasn’t able to do all of the rides, but Grandma took him on the Carousel and his Daddy slide down the (somewhat scary in a cheap Carni’ put this ride together sort of way) sack slide thing. FYI he enjoyed both ‘rides’. We got him a balloon, a fish, and whatever else he wanted before he just plum tuckered out. Joan Jett was to play later that day and we planned on being part of his first concert experience – but alas, he wasn’t the only one beat down by the heat and humidity. So we grabbed a lunch at Gator’s on the lake, did a quick little Jellystone Campground stop and headed back home.

We mostly chilled the rest of the days enjoying everyone’s company and hanging out. One of the best days was the day we picked up this cool Horse tree swing thing for M3 and got to watch him swing and play with it. It might not yet be the favorite over the sandbox, but I think he will have years of fun with that thing, and we got some cool pictures to boot.

Well, I am sure it will not be long before we are back in the “OK” state again. In fact, from all the talk, sounds like I may be watching the Lions get beat down on Turkey Day in McAlester this year. The good news (no not the Lions) is that we now have another shower option just outside ‘our room’ thanks to Great Grandpa…. You da’ man!

PICS HERE

For folks that like to run races there are a lot of options out there (well except for maybe Phoenix in the Summer). Seems like just about every mid size or bigger city has a Full or at least Half Marathon at one time of the year. Smaller 5K’s and 10K’s are almost a weekly thing in the larger cities. Many of those are tied to some charity as it’s a great way to do a little fundraising, promote the cause and have some fun. Because we fall into the ‘love to race’ category you get to (have to) be choosy on what races you attend (of course the qualifying races like Boston etc. are an exception). So when it comes to what are called ‘Destination Runs’, those races that require at least an overnight stay somewhere, we are really particular. Net is, if we are going to go somewhere the run just has to be part of the whole package, we want to be able to explore the area, or take advantage of doing something while we are there. Heck sometimes it even works the other way in that if we have to be somewhere for business or family, we look for a weekend race in that area while we will be there.

So… long explanation to how we ended up running in the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. First seeing we had road-tripped it to Tahoe, it was on the way home (or close to it anyway). Second, it would for sure qualify as a true ‘destination run’ as Bryce Canyon National Park and the whole area is an amazing place and considered one of the top US National Parks. And the one that cinched it – guaranteed PR (Personal Record, as in we would almost for sure have the fastest race we ever have ran because the race is essentially running down the canyon the whole 13.1 miles!).

The weekend pretty much was exactly what we expected. With an amazing race that is run on the main road leading into Bryce Canyon National Park being the highlight. You get views of the famous Hoodoos almost the whole run. The race descends some 1700 feet over the whole course with a couple of spots being so steep you actually have to slow yourself (let’s just say our thighs are still sore…). Kimberly and I both set PR’s as expected. Kimberly’s time was good enough for the top 25% of all females, and my time was in the top 8% overall. This is nice of course, except that I don’t think we can ever match those times unless we run a similar downhill type course!

We did hit the Park for a nice hike the day before the race. Even though we knew a hike down into the Canyon and out would not necessarily be best before a run, we just couldn’t come here and not get down into the Hoodoos. So we packed a lunched and had a great day hike. One rub was the trail said 2,000 feet elevation change. We figured okay, that’s not too bad, less than half of the Grand Canyon inner trails back up from the river. EXCEPT what they fail to mention is this is more like ‘from top of trail to bottom is 2,000 feet change’ and not the hike itself. Turns out the hike we took went down into the canyon, then back almost all the way up, then down, then up, then….you get the picture. I think this is as big of contributor to having sore as heck quads as the runs effect.

Overall the Canyon is a very worthy trip. We might not do the race again (and btw if we do, we would book it early so as not to have a “cabin” as our accommodations – just ask us about the slanted room), but would for sure recommend a trip to the National Park as it is an amazing place.

Check out the PICTURES HERE

I got two things to say; first and foremost I will never hack on my sister again about her buying a timeshare. Second, we want to spend every Summer on Lake Tahoe! Man-o-man did we dig this place. It’s got the perfect vibe and a lifestyle that matches up exactly on how we like to spend Summer days.

Since the boys ‘left the nest’ for good, we have been of course contemplating the old ‘what’s next’ from a living type of perspective. Staying in a two story family oriented home sure doesn’t make sense. Seems we spend 99% of the time in one of three rooms – and that’s counting the backyard as a room. So one thought was to have a couple of smaller condo type places, one here in AZ and one somewhere the Summers are Monsoon free. For darn sure, the Lake Tahoe area just moved to number one on that Summer spot wish list. So will someone please buy our family house so we can have a place in Tahoe? I promise you can visit all you want

There was some work I had to do every day, but for the most part it was eight days of hikes, bikes, runs, beaches, sun, Blues festivals, Shakespeare, perfect weather, and even daily views of snow capped mountains! Having a kitchen in the timeshare made it even more perfect because we were able to do our own meals (yeah we have become such picky eaters this is a must).

I really could go on and on about the whole Lake Tahoe area, we truly enjoyed it that much. Instead I will just touch on a few of the highlights for us. Just do know, it was like a cruise in that you just could not come even close to getting to all of the enjoyable things you could do in this area in a week or so – heck, I’m not sure a month would do it.

We stayed in the town of South Lake Tahoe which is in California but right on the Nevada border (so yes Casino’s walking distance away too), but the whole Lake Tahoe area covers a fairly sizable area and you could pretty much stay anywhere. There are four major ski areas on the Lake; Heavenly (our timeshare was right at the base of the lift), Squaw Valley (site of the Winter Olympics in the 70’s), Incline (a very cool area of the lake), and Northstar – plus about 10-20 other areas. There is more weekly type resorts, hotels, cabins, camp sites, etc on the lake than I have seen about anywhere. There are a zillion hike and bike paths and trails to explore. So needless to say, more than anything this area is all about outdoor activities and being in nature. It sure makes sense, because as from a ‘beauty in nature’ perspective, it doesn’t really get much better – it just has it all.

Okay, before I sound too much like a Tahoe Visitor convention commercial, on to some of the things we enjoyed most. Without question it was the hikes and bike days. We even did one bike trail 2 days, though a little different track. For sure if you get there you have to do I guess you could call it the ‘SLT Bike Trail’. For the most part they have created a bike path that parallels the road in one of the cooler parts of the Lake. There are several great stopping and exploring stops along the path, or you can just make you own way and explore. For sure connect up with the guys at Anderson’s Bike Rental. They were just good guys who will give you the low down on what to hit, a map, and whatever else. By the way while I am at it, not only were the guys at Anderson’s like extremely friendly, so was everyone in this area. It was almost to a point of being weird. Everybody seems extra nice, friendly, courteous, etc. Even the dang teenagers where great. I guess living here does that for you? Or maybe it’s a California thing?

Anyway, back to the bike trip(s). Along the trail is several cool stops, each of which you could easily spend a whole day at. Camp Richardson is an old camping, campground, forest service type area. The Camp may have the best ice cream stop in all the US! It’s like this old school little shop that is perfectly matched to the area. We hit this place both days. Advice is to order the kids size and split it – the regular portion singles were like a half a carton I swear. Next along the trail you have a couple of historical areas that are pretty cool. Basically early settlers to the area in awesome homes, and outhousesright on the Lake (Tallec and another I can’t recall the name). There are two awesome beach stops (Pope, etc.) that are huge with full ‘whatever you want to do on the lake’ activities. We stopped for lunch one day , check out the duck with the cheetos on his face (no of course not from us!). Then there is an area called Taylor Creek Preserve which is very cool. Another couple of beaches, or you can cross the road over to the Fallen Leaf Lake area (we did this the second trip and had a great ride and lunch) or you could even head to the road and toward Emerald Bay. Anyway, a great place to do a bike ride for sure.

We have taken a lot of hikes in our time. And I have to say, perhaps other than the Grand Canyon inner trips, the Rubicon Trail through D.L. Bliss Park has to be my favorite. It’s like every 10 yards had views and images you wanted to stop and take pictures at. How do you beat walking a trail that follows a cove and then lake of emerald and blue waters that are so clear you can see 100 feet deep? You do this while hiking in a forest with giant Pines and Cedar Trees that have been there for ages. And you have these wild looking (I think) Sugar Pines, and cool rock formations framing the views of high majestic mountains with snow caps! It was most excellent. The hike starts, and ends for that matter as we did an out-and-back at a place called Vikingsholm Castle. Vikingsholm is a historic home right on Emerald Bay now owned by the CA Parks (thankfully so it is a preserve area). We did the tour after the hike and it was nice. Our tour guide who works for the Parks dept actually lived there when she was young. She was the first CA Park female ever hired and I think must be 70 years old and all still loving her job. She even wrote a book about the place. Very cool, check out the pictures we took.

One of our days consisted of doing a nice trail run up on the Northwest side of the Lake. Kimberly fell and got a little boo-boo but it didn’t distract from what a perfect spot for a run this was. Again, through a great forest following the lakeshore of Emerald beaches and coves. Which by the way, a few of them happen to be ‘clothing optional’. There is another story there too, but we will save that for the verbal version of our trip. That night, after a nice nap of course, we got to see a ton of great Blues and Soul Artists at the Lake Tahoe Blues Festival. The lineup included Elvin Bishop, three Chicago Blues legends: Lonnie Brooks (more Texas to me), Jimmy Johnson, and Eddie ‘the Chief’ Clearwater, and even the most excellent Ms. Mavis Staples who’s version of ‘Wade in the Water’ brought chills to my soul! It was a great show. Actually the one cooler night of the trip, but the Cabo Wabo’s and wine helped warm us up!

Another day we did a hike up top of Heavenly. You ride the gondola up to the ski area and essentially you can head anywhere from there. Even though that day we were at 11,000 feet or so, it was still a warm hike. But like most days, we found we were about the only ones on the trail and we just pulled up a big rock for the most excellent lunch location. We did a beach day one day at one of those perfect Emerald Coves secluded spots. That night we hit a Tahoe annual staple the Shakespeare Festival and saw an outstanding performance of ‘Measure for Measure’. Again, it may seem like I am repetitive but it was a perfect night. The venue is actually on the beach. You look at the stage with the Lake maybe 50 yards behind it. We brought our own cooler (as does everyone or you can get just about everything there too) with wine, cheese, veggies, etc. You just sit in the beach chairs with your feet in the sand, under a blanket with the one you love (it cools at night for sure), drinking the vino, munching the chocolate, and enjoying a great performance. Just another ‘it doesn’t get any better’ experience.

We of course also did a ton of running. You put in your headsets there and just run and enjoy the views. The elevation you get used too. Makes it a little tough, but everything else more than makes up for it. We hit the spa a couple of nights. We did one meal out and it was great, a place called Blue Water Bistro where the food matched the perfect sunset you get sitting on the outside patio tables right over the Water. We hit a little Art Festival where Kimberly helped one group of performers with some South Pacific dancing (I have video I’ll get on the site someday). Lastly we had a great little breakfast at this place in Incline Village after a long run one morning that we really enjoyed. It was a Sri Lankan place if you ever get there check it out.

I guess that’s about it. We obviously took a lot of pictures, which you can see HERE. Also did a decent amount of video but that won’t make it to the website until I get to last year’s videos. And again…. Please buy our home so we can get a place in Tahoe for the Summer.

Whenever you run (or least for me) with any real effort there comes a time where you start to feel the fade, a time where the energy levels start to lesson and the run gets a little tougher. There is all kinds of logical, rational and scientific explanations of course, but ever since I began running I call it “Running with the Devil”. The reason being it’s like the old movies and shows where they had one devil and one angel on each shoulder. Each was giving advice and of course it was the exact opposites.

When the ‘Devil’ for me starts in it’s always like.. “okay, we are getting tired, time to slow down and call it day”. “You did enough today, you are old you know”. “It’s crazy hot, if you keep pushing it may not be a good thing”. “I think your knee is going to pay for it if you keep going” etc., etc. etc. Basically it’s your body tiring and your mind (the angel in this case keeping with the analogy) that keeps pushing: “You can do it, don’t give up, keep pushing on, pick up the pace don’t fade, you need to do this if you are going to have a decent time in the race” etc. etc. etc. Anyway, lots of explanation, but the main point being, I, and Kimberly too always called it “Running with the Devil” – and we like to never give in to his temptations so-to-speak.

Well, as you can then imagine when I was looking for unique running races on a website and I came across one called (get this…) “Running with the Devil” I knew in an instant we had to do it! Next thing you know, we find ourselves about to run in one of the craziest races out there.

The ‘Running with the Devil’ is really several events, a 5K, a 10K, a Full and Half Marathon and even an Ultra. The event takes place in the Mojave Desert just outside of Las Vegas. The course is actually run right along the road that parallels Lake Meade on the Nevada side of the Hoover Dam. The road has several eight percent (8%) grade hills and the average race day temperature is about 110 degrees!

Seeing it was so close (4 hour drive) we decided to make it a simple overnighter and back. We headed up the day before the race and checked into the Hacienda Hotel near Boulder City (would not be our typical choice but it’s the one right across the Dam and less than 5 miles from the start line – plus it was race headquarters and we could pick up our packets and run into some of the other nutcases that night perhaps). We dropped our suitcases in the room and hopped back in the car to go check out the course for the run. Let’s just say after driving it we were looking at each other saying ‘I think we might be crazy”. It looked tough, two long hills for the 10K (Kimberly was running) and another two for me (I was doing the Half). A couple of the climbs were about (or at least it seemed) a good mile long. Yowzer… well, what are you gonna’ do, we are committed now (or maybe should be committed?).

Heading back over to the hotel we grabbed our bibs and cool Devil race shirts then went up to the room to lay out our gear for the run. This time, our ‘gear’ was a little different as it included horns, tails, and a lot of red. Yes of course, we are talking about Kimberly here, you know if she is running in a race called ‘Running with the Devil” there would be a costume involved. Like she says “costumes are not just for Belly Dancing you know”. I also partook of the experience with a red do-rag and some horns from and old Halloween getup.

We had a fun night actually at the Hotel. We ran into Jay who I had traded emails with on a running website and had dinner with him. Dinner was the hotel buffet, which we normally would not do but choices were thin. Seeing it was Friday night, the buffet included all you can eat King Crab. Let’s just say I think I ran the next day with 5 extra pounds and 30 extra legs in my body . After dinner we chilled in the spa and met some great folks from California that were doing the race too.

Race morning came early of course with all the stuff you have to do before heading over to a race, though a little different this time as Kimberly’s race started at 7:00 AM and mine was starting at high noon. We headed over to the start area by the Lake and got ready. I took my position with the camera and watched as ‘my little devil’ tore up the first hill and on her way. Even though it was earl morning, the Sun was beating down and the car gauge showed about 90 degrees. I chilled out (an odd term considering I know) for a bit and in just 10 seconds over an hour, Kimberly came humping it through the finish line with her face color matching the red of her Nike shorts. She did great, 3rd in her age group (40-49) and 39th overall. After getting her cooled down some, we hopped back in the car and back to the Hotel where I could get a quick bite and get ready for my race at noon.

We were off at the crack off noon. Needless to say with temperatures that hit 112 (plus heat off the pavement) I was feeling the love right from the get-go. It was an out an back course and I felt fairly strong considering the climbs and the heat the whole way out. Though I think it may have had something to do with knowing I would see Kimberly at the turn-around. She had volunteered to take times at the turnaround spot for Joyce (the Calico Racing Founder who runs the event). As I hit the turnaround and saw Kimberly smiling and taking pictures, my mind was given a brief respite from “the Devil”, but he was soon to return. I can’t tell you how tough it was for me to keep pluggin’ and finish this race. The last 2-3 miles were brutal. I passed one guy down for the count with ambulances to the side of the road (I even though they may shut the race down). So I dug down, fought the Devil best I could and finished just under two hours 1:59:04 to be exact. The time was good enough for 8th overall and second in my age (40-49). I can tell you for sure I have never ran a harder race. With the heat and elevation change, this half was harder than the full Marathon in Sand Diego. For sure, the name of the race is perfectly matched!

Will we ever run this crazy race again? Hmmm… Kimberly said when was running the sun was in perfect position - she looked to her side and saw the shadowy figure with a long tail and horns coming from its head. Was it her shadow – or perhaps that old running nemesis who will once again someday coax us back to the heat and hills of the Mohave?

They say there is a correlation between happiness and getting older. Seems the older you get the happier you get. I always thought that this was odd, why would you be happier the closer you get to the end of the party? But the older I get the more I understand it. I could say it’s because you truly learn that it’s all about family, friends and health and the rest is just minor nothings so why sweat it – and you don’t. Or we could say that getting comfortable with who you the older you get are plays a bigger role. Or maybe even there is some genetic thing? Well I have a different take. It may be all of those, but the BIGGEST reason you get happier the older you get – because your kids move out of the house!!! (I’m only half kidding here ).

But of course we love our kids, and when you they are gone you miss the heck out of them. So when Zac told us that he and Amanda had planned to vacation out Phoenix way we were thrilled. We wouldn’t get to be seeing the youngin’s as they are off doing their Summer thing, so Zac and Amanda would be by themselves this trip. Bummer no little ones, good news it means a couple of day’s Adult time in Vegas would be on the agenda!

We ended up having a great time. We got to really get to know Amanda a lot more (we really like her by the way ). The whole time they were here I think we were on the run, which is fine for the twenty something’s, but afterward we needed a vacation from their vacation.

The day after they arrived we were headed up Sedona way and hiking the West Fork. This is our ‘must do’ agenda item for every ‘out-of-towner’ that comes AZ way. We had a great hike, took lots of pictures and did our packed lunch on the creek. After walking the shops and scoring some Mackinaw recipe fudge, we were headed back home and sill had time for a nice night hanging in the pool and doing up some BBQ.

The next day we did the Scottsdale thing during the day as Zac and Amanda wanted to do a little shopping. We did one of my favorite local joints, Dos Gringos for lunch – hard to beat Margarita’s and fish Taco’s on the Patio in old town for lunch. That night the Robinson clan came over for dinner. We reminisced with some old Zac stories for Amanda and had a nice night. A short sleep later and we were off for Vegas (the other thing you do when visitors come to town..).

Vegas was the typical lots of walking and good food trip it always is, though a little check in issue at TheHotel was a little frustrating. We hit Sea Blue in MGM with Zac and Amanda and the next night we split up with Kimberly and I hitting up Rao’s and Payard again (man do I love that Chicken Cacciatore – and we both think Payards is the best chocolate on the planet). During the jaunt we also spent one whole day hanging at the Mandalay Pool. They redid the design some, and improved on what is still my favorite pool/beach in Vegas. They even have a nice ½ mile or so loop around the outside that Kimberly and I ran that morning.

All in all a great trip and so nice to spend the time with Zac and Amanda. And of course then back to that happiness after – we love you, great to see you, now time to go, momma and daddy be likin’ the empty house

PICS HERE

Well we did it… We are now officially “Marathoners”! Kimberly and I completed our first (of which I am now sure, or at least hopeful, will be many) 26.2 mile full Marathon at the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon. It was without a doubt everything it was ‘cracked up to be’, and worth every weekend morning training long run we did - which actually, was not that many. The reason being, we decided to do the race only a couple weeks before it took place.

Typical training logic dictates that you are suppose to train some 17-20 weeks prior to running a Marathon. You are supposed to have 15 weeks where you have at least one ‘long run’ (growing distances from about 12 miles each Saturday when you start to about 22 the couple weeks before the race. Plus, you are to do another 15-20 miles each week in addition. So…. it’s not that we do not buy into this logic, it’s just that we only had 3 weeks before the race when we decided to do it. In any event, we came out fine and had an amazing experience. I don’t think you could wipe the smiles off our faces (even if it looked like a painful grimace after 20 miles) the whole race.

The whole weekend was about perfect. We arrived in San Diego and the very first thing we did was hit lunch at Anthony’s Fish Grotto. The Fish and Chips there are the best we have ever had, and this week was no exception. It’s like our San Diego ritual, and it never disappoints. After lunch we checked into the Hotel and did our last little easy run before the race. A nice little 3-4 mile slow pace run along the (kind of) boardwalks and pathways around Seaport Village. It’s a great vibe running along the water, seeing all the people, the cool shops, and the unique vegetation of that area. After the run, we headed back to the hotel, and chilled for a bit before heading out toward the Gaslamp District for dinner.

We did what you do in the Gaslamp , you walk all around, and up and down 5th Street gazing at all the restaurant menus, before you decide which one to do. Wanting some sort of pasta dish of course, we settled on Trattoria La Strada. It was great. They even had a ‘Marathon special’ on the spaghetti with meatballs (made of beef tenderloin..yum..). Some more walking around on a perfect night with my lovely wife, a stop at Morton’s Steak for a glass of Vino at the bar, and we called it night.

The next day was all about the Expo, walking around Seaport village shops, and an easy pace. We picked up our bibs, and all the swag at the Expo and spent a good amount of time walking around all the booths. So many free samples stuff I don’t think we were that hungry for the Spaghetti Factory lunch. After the expo we walked over to Seaport and did some more walking around (getting the body good and tired so we could sleep early hopefully considering we had a 3:45 wake up!@). Late afternoon we hit up the local Ralph’s grocery for our dinner food which we could have back at the hotel (a big homemade sandwich with lots of bread and some baked chips). We pulled the drapes, laid out all our items we would need in the morning, and tried to hit the bed.

Considering all, we actually both got some decent sleep. I think we figured about 4 hours each. Which again, considering the nervous excitement of the day ahead and such an early rise was pretty good. Sleep is mooey-importanto when you are our age and have that long of run.

We had our breakfast of Oatmeal and bananas (thanks to the microwave in the room) and scooted off to the Start area which was about 4 miles away at Balboa Park. Luckily when we went downstairs there was another young lady headed that way too so we were able to split the cab. Unluckily, I think we had the only cabbie in town up that early that had no clue there was a race with 20,000 people that morning and a ton of the roads were closed! A little drama, but we did end up getting there with plenty of time to spare.

The morning was perfect, about 58-60 degrees, a slight mist even and a good marine layer cloud cover. In fact the whole race ended up being pretty nice at least until it warmed up late. We walked a bit with the other 20K people in the darkness as the light came up. Had a couple more bananas, me another cup of coffee, kiss the wife, hit the corrals, and before you knew it we were off.

The course for the most part heads around Balboa Park (where the Zoo and a ton of Museums are) then heads back toward downtown, through the Gaslamp, around by the harbor, back up toward Balboa, onto the freeway for awhile (way cool running on a freeway with no cars – except for the slant of the road which was tough), and then does a full loop around the Bay before you finish on a Marine base. The whole course is really a tour through San Diego and all its areas. The crowd support was incredible. Aside from a stretch on the freeway, it seemed that people lined every street and cheered the whole time. There must have been 40 bands playing along the way, a ton of aid stations and spectators galore. It really makes you feel like a rock star when you pass cheering people and you are really the only one around – hey – they are cheering for me! What a cool feeling. Kimberly even got an ‘Otter Pop’ along the way from one of the crowd and supporters. In one neighborhood there was even a group of 20 guys dressed up as cheerleaders doing cheers as you passed. Gotta’ love that one.

As happy as I was crossing the finish line, and trust me, I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT, there was a part that still wanted to be out there cruising around. I got my Bling (runner talk for the finisher’s medal), pounded some more water, ate a banana, and found a good spot in the bleachers to watch my woman run down that finishing shoot with the crowd cheering. It was another one of those ‘never forget moments’ in life watching and cheering Kimberly as she sprinted toward the finish and crossed the line beating her goal time. A proud man I was seeing that Grandma rock 26.2!

We took a few pictures that weekend, not too many but they are HERE in our race folder. We both were also real happy with our times considering it was out first Marathon. I came in at 3:41:05 which was in the top 10% overall and Kimberly hit 4:58:31 which was better than goal and in the upper 50% of age, gender and overall – beating more than half the men even.

Now…back to real training and the next planned race (a crazy Race in 110 degree temperatures and up and down hills, some that are over a mile each!). Life is good…

Did we mention that it gets hot in Phoenix? It may only be mid May but it’s been a hot one here in the Valley of the Sun. We are not complaining, heck the weather is one of the main reasons we live here. That said, there is a couple of times the heat is not so convenient. When you are planning on running n a Marathon in a few weeks and need to do a training run of 20 plus miles being one of them. We have braved the heat for the last couple of week’s runs, but afterward were just dragging big time. Wanting to get in a good Long Run (the term ‘Long Run’ is used in Running as the typically once a week longest run you do when training for Marathon’s or Half’s, normally done on a Saturday morning) and do so with a good effort, we decided to hit the road for a cooler local, so off to Sedona it was.

While we were only going to be there one night and one morning, we still wanted to take advantage of being in one of the most amazing places on the planet. I wrapped up work early and by midday Friday we were off to the Red Rocks. Upon arrival we went over to the area around Boynton Canyon where we planned to run. After a quick drive up and down the area we figured that would not work out too well. While I wasn’t too excited about the space on the side of the road, it was the brutal hills that put the whammy on running 3 hours in this area. Long story short with no time to really look for better spots, we ended up settling on Bell Rock Trail (plus connected loops). While it would still be lots of hills and elevation changes, it was off the road and would be a gorgeous place to run.

We spent a the rest of the day doing the obligatory Sedona walk around – this time Tlaquepaque Shops and galleries, then called it an early night and headed back to the Hotel. We had packed our normal Friday night homemade pizza dinner (better to eat good when you have to get up early and run) in the cooler along with some salad. We enjoyed the pizza, put on a movie and tried to get to sleep a little early.

We were on the trail by 7:00 am (pretty much first light). The trailhead is just off 89A and West of Bell Road about 2-3 Miles as the crow flies. It turned out to be a great place to run. Not only was the view just incredible all morning – I mean how do you beat Bell Road, Cathedral Rock, Pine, Mesquite, Junipine, Birds, Rabbits, etc being your morning views – but the trail was not too rocky at all in most places. With views like that Kimberly and I kept smiles plastered on our faces the whole time… well maybe except the big climb back toward Bell Rock the second time out and back. We ended up running for 3 hours total. The weather was still very hot by the way, even if it was less than in Phoenix. But this run was the one that let us know that we would be good (enough) to go for our first Marathon upcoming in a couple of weeks in San Diego.

After the run we headed back to the Hotel, had a nice breakfast and hoofed it back to the Valley. We were going to need a nap as that night we had tickets for Miss Saigon at the Arizona Broadway Theater, and it was with the whole Bellydance cast of characters (so who knew what evil may happen afterward)

Our recent trip to OK for the Half Marathon was really not for the race at all. In fact, it was just good fortune that it lined up. There were actually three other reasons we needed to get over to the ‘heat-humidity-tornado alley’ neck of the US woods. First, of course there is the fact Grandma needs to see Michael III every few months or she gets to be ornery. Second, good family friend Michael Larose was tying the knot with the lovely and already his much better half Marianne. And lastly, it would give us an opportunity to hang out for several days with Clay and Kathy – which means great company, lots of golf, amazing pine nut pasta, and good vino that I didn’t have to spring for (how can you beat that?).

The whole couple of weeks were perfect as planned. Though if we could get some non rain days in McAlester it would be nice. The grandson is growing by leaps and bounds every time we see him. I am sure next time will be the same. We also got to meet Zac’s ‘very close friend’ Amanda and her wonderful brood of youngin’s. We got to score M3 his first bike (yeah it’s a tricycle so what) – we can’t wait until he is big enough for his first Electra Rat Rod! And of course as always it was enjoyable hanging with the old folks , M2 and Antoinette.

Down in Texas Mike and Marianne’s wedding was great. A really cool island vibe, a lot of sentiment, and a good night for sure. We ended up topping that night off with a trip down to The White Elephant Saloon in the Ft. Worth Stockyards to see a very young talented singer-guitar player friend of Kathy and Clay’s that was performing that night.

The week at Chateau Reeves was great as always, and of course included all of the aforementioned vino, pasta, golf, and great company. The only bummer in Texas was they canceled the Mayfest and Mayfest run because of the swine flu thing going on… that’s just silly!

As always, you know we got some pics of the trip. You can view them HERE

It was one of those ‘everything lined up perfect’ situations. We were well due a trip to see the Grandson and family again (at least according to Grandma Kimberly). I also needed to get down to Texas to see Clay, do a little business, play a little (or a lot of) golf you know the story. So we picked a couple of week stretch that seemed to make sense and started to make plans. As I do now when we travel like this I search to see if there any little local running races close to where we’re are staying that would give us a little something to do on the weekend. Well low-n-behold, not just a little race but the OKC Memorial Marathon and Half Marathon events and was the weekend we would be in OK. Not only that but when we were in Texas the Mayfest Run was going on over Memorial weekend! (the Mayfest ended up being canceled because of the swine-Flu – stupid, but a whole other story). Anyway, we signed up for the Half Marathon and we were good to go.

We got into Oklahoma a couple of nights before the race. We would be staying with family for the next week so it was nice to get in early and check out Oklahoma City some. The race is ran in honor of the victims (168 lives lost over 600 injured), survivors and all the people who helped out during the tragic bombing at the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. In fact the whole race and weekend are really focused on the event. This would be the 9th annual event. It starts and ends right at the Memorial (which is of course on the grounds of the old Federal Building).

Like most big races (this one has 19,000 runners and walkers for all the events) there is a pretty big expo where you pick up your bib and other items. This one was at the OKC convention hall just up the street in downtown OKC. We got there early on Saturday to walk around and grab the freebie stuff too (always fun). When first walking in we noticed a table with volunteers that were talking about the victims. Turns out, one of the things you can do (and many do) is run in honor of one of the victims. Of course many locals would have known someone directly or where touched by the bombing somehow, but we did not so we really did not know who to ‘run in honor of’. One of the ladies there suggested that there were a many of people that no one was yet signed up to run for. Well… that was perfect, it made it feel like we really were honoring their memory then.

Kimberly found a young little three year old girl named Peachlynn Bradley who was at the daycare. Peachlynn’s Mother, four month old brother, and Aunt were also victims (her Aunt and Brother perished and her Mother was severely injured. I found a father who was a Stevie Ray fan, loved his kids and was and seemed like a kind soul named Lucio Aleman. We already knew this race would be an emotional one. Now it was going to be that much more. What was cool was there would be banners (we actually found them before the race so we would know when we passed) along the course with Peachlynn and Lucio’s names.

Along with your race packet came admission to the Memorial Museum at the bombing site. We had not seen this when we were here before. We had seen all outside the museum is the reflecting pool, the chairs, the Memorial Tree and of course the fence with all the items left in remembrance. So after getting all the Cliff bars and free rubs and GU’s we could, we went over to the museum.

They did an amazing job I think with the museum - a perfect balance of honoring and informing without exploiting. We really appreciated our time there. There were so many heart-wrenching stories and so many amazing volunteers. The place brought smiles and tears for sure. The only part we skipped was the area where they had a bunch on the trial of the piece of #%$% that did this. In my mind no reason to invest any time learning about him.

Jumping forward to the night before the race, we have to give a huge plug for the Italian restaurant we ate the night before the race. When I think OKC, I sure don’t think Italian, but we needed some pasta carbs and rolled the dice. The place was amazing – Bellini’s. Both our dishes were outstanding. In fact, Kimberly’s pesto may have been the best I have ever eaten. For sure if you ever get to OKC check it out.

After dinner we went back to the hotel to get some rest and watch the tv for weather updates. We were actually getting a little concerned that we may not get to run the race. There had been extreme storms and tornadoes for the last couple of days in the area. Each night the storms barely missing OKC with the worst, but still huge winds, rain, and hot humid weather. It was for sure a risk. That night in fact less than 20 miles from us there were tornadoes and 100+ MPH winds. Luckily, we fell asleep, and awoke to what seemed like weather that would be hot, humid and WINDY – but no severe storms.

I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed this race. The city is great, the support from the fans and neighborhoods you run through was amazing. And the emotions….wow. From the very start where you observe 168 seconds of silence (in honor of each victim) until the end where you run down the finish line shoot to huge fan support all cheering you on, this race is great. The weather was another story. Both Kimberly and I were very thankful we had Lucio and Peachlynn helping us over the hump. There is a stretch of the run from about mile 9-11 I think that seemed all slightly uphill the whole distance, plus the winds of about 25-40 MPH were right into your face. It was tough, but it was where Lucio and Peachlynn’s banners were too – so it was the extra kick needed when we passed those.

We both had good runs. I weaseled into the top 4% overall at 1:45 and Kimberly hit 2:11 which was top 20% in her age group and woman overall. After the run they gave out Carl’s Jr. burgers – HA. Funnier yet, we both had a half. We walked around a little more, dropped off our bibs with special messages for Peachlynn and Lucio at the fence, then hit a real lunch and within a couple of hours were sitting on the porch with our Grandson on the lap. Life is good….

SOME PICTURES IN OUR RUNNING FOLDER HERE

Seems like if it gets more than a few months or so we get the need for what we call a “RCB Fix” – a need to see the Robert Cray band live. The fix was well due when the Tucson show was to roll around. Between no new albums recently, our travels having been more grandparent oriented than groupie driven, we just hadn’t seen the band in quite some time. This would also be the first time to see the band without Kevin and Karl. We also knew seeing there is an album due we were going to get a few new tracks previewed. So while the (perhaps best said…) disappointment with the personnel changes still lingered, we were pretty excited to see the show and catch up with our buddy, the man myth and legend, Mr. Jim Pugh.

It was a great night and a really good show. We did get to have a nice dinner and hang with Jim before the show. He really is a great guy and we always enjoy his company – I think it’s half the reason we enjoy seeing the guys live. Anyway, seeing I did a semi review for the show on the fan site, I’ll just finish by copying and pasting that here following.

RCB YAHOO CLUB POST I DID

As for the new tracks and the new lineup, I’ll be brief. I, like I am sure a few others here on the site, have still not really grown accustom to the idea of the RCB without Kevin and Karl. Maybe a little corny but it just seemed like the Band was `family’, and now it’s …. well…. changed.

Quick thoughts on the lineup. On the positive, Richard seemed engaged and I enjoyed his playing. His mix seemed right, and some of the old cuts even seemed a little more genuine for lack of a better term. Though he, like it seemed the rest of the guys, kind of “night at the officed” Bad Influence. I think that one needs to step away from the set list for bit. His tempo and groove was especially nice on the new tracks.

The other positive, we are obviously going to get a new Disk any week now is my guess. There were 3 new tracks, maybe 4 but I think 1 is a remix which may or may not be on the album?? And by the way, all were a treat!

Now for the not so positive. The drum mix was awful. I really tried not to be biased, but the freakin’ bass was WAY TOO LOUD (T get your man on that okay?). Every foot stroke on several tracks was like `oh yeah here I am forget about any of the other instruments’… With Robert’s vocals under-mixed, it made for a couple of quite, how to say…., less enjoyable than could be versions. Okay enough of that.

Sadly, as time has passed I have I am sure forgotten several things I would have mentioned. But best I can recall:

1. Our Last Time – A little bit of `day at the office’ but still a great track and a better opening choice than other could have been

2. Poor Johnny – Nice… what can I say, feels near the same as I have heard live now I think all shows since release.

3. (NEW) Chicken in the Kitchen? – Great old vibe as others have suggested. The Strat is there, some real, real nice Organ vibe from Mr. Jim. Overall an old school backyard bbq fun done wrong Blues track.

4. Right Next Door (BOM)

5. 12 Year Old Boy – not near as `energetic’ as several version I recall. Seemed more subtle on purpose.

6. Bad Influence

7. One in the Middle – Nice as most always, though I still long for the time where we got extended solo versions from Robert and Jim.

8. (NEW) Love 2009 (assumed name as I think this is what Robert said) – It’s good, could be real good hard to tell Live from Studio of course, but for sure a track that seemed to say RCB circa SPP. I which I had written down more, I know I had some comments at the time. I guess it will require another show soon.

9. Back Door Slam – my first thought here when I heard the first few beats was somehow this seems wrong. Funny I think Kimberly thought the same as we looked at each other smiling as we shook our heads. Now having said that, wow, a real nice version. Tony got after it on this one doing right by our man Kevin. Though no `mouthing of the words’ which of course is much missed.

10. (NEW) You’re the Reason I Can’t Fail (assume name of track is some such) – freaking sweet! Man it’s so nice to have another new track like this. It’s why RCB has always stood out. Now of course with caveats that I only heard it once, I of course have been beyond jonesing for new material, etc. etc. it is at least a notch above `Lotta Lovin’ quality. Mature lyrics, presented as only RC can, sweet Strat (that actually speaks again on this one), perfect organ and bass accompaniment, etc. This had the feel (again 1 listen) of one of the most
musically articulate “Man Love’s His Woman” material. Can’t wait to hear it again.

11. Smoking Gun – yep (in a Hank from `King of the Hill’ tone)

Encores

1. (NEW-REMIX??) Keep Me Rockin’ (assumed name) – I am sorry, I am sure, at least I think, I have heard this, though without lyrics to do a net search and seeing I forgot them a couple days after we were gone anyway, I just can’t be sure. So it could be a remix, that may or may not be on the album, or it could be a new track. If new, it for sure would be the most `old school-up tempo-bop and rock type tune the guys have ever done. Fun for sure, and I want to hear them do it again as it came as such a surprise, but I am not sure anything groundbreaking here.

2. Time Makes Two – Man-o-man this is still worth whatever it takes to get to an RCB show. It just is something special to be exposed to. Still to my ears the best track over the last several albums. Damn near trance inducing.

A real, real enjoyable night. Nice to hear some new tracks, and can’t wait for more that will soon be on the disk we have and the live shows we see. And lastly, did we mention we love that guy up there on the Hammond…

There are a lot of things that make the Lake Pleasant ‘Dam Good Run’ one of our favorite local running events. It is sponsored by, takes place in, and of course supports the Maricopa County Parks. Between Kimberly and myself we use “our local parks” multiple times every week and much appreciate having them. So to me when they get a chance to showcase (if you will) a Park it’s a great thing. Plus the fact that the Rangers and folks who work for the Parks are all really great people who do one of heck of a job with the resources they are given. This event is one of the places this is highlighted for sure and I love to see the passion they bring to what they do.

I also really like the course. It combines many way cool aspects that most local runs don’t share. The biggie for me being about 2 ½ or so miles of the 7 Mile course is Trail. And cool trail at that. Aside from the Cactus ChaCha, and a couple of long ones by the Arizona Road Racers there are just not that many organized local trail runs. You also get to run across (and back) the New Waddell Dam as part of the course, and it is the only day of the year that you can do this.

Kimberly and I got out to the Park about 8:00 to check in. The race did not start until 9:00 but they have a nice little setup and it’s always good to have a few minutes to check in and say hello to some of the folks you have come to know from other races (or friends in general – Hi there Coulson family ). They have a nice little setup for the races including some cool birds, snakes, and lizards which you know the young runners dig.

There are 2 courses, a 7 Mile and a 4 Mile. While the 4 Mile does get some runners, for the most part I think a lot of the Hikers do the 4 mile and Runners do the 7 Mile. Overall there seemed to be about the same amount of people as last year, maybe a little more. As a quick side, I think this year they would have gotten a ton more runners had it not been the same day as Emma’s Run, the Pioneer Days Run, the Havasu Half, and the Sabino Canyon Tucson event (see report from running friend Pat HERE).

We were running the 7 Mile course. The race started on time from the 10 Lane Boat Ramp Parking lot. You head out and almost immediately begin a fairly quick decent down toward the Morgan City Wash. While not a true ‘technical trail’ per se, with such a steep decent and the loose gravel, washes, etc you have to be pretty careful running down. When you get to the wash maybe 1/3 mile into the run the next 1/3 mile or so presents a good challenge on the ankles as you are essentially running in the dry river area and it’s that quick sand type of gravel where you sink in some. Good thing this lasts just a bit and soon you are running along water in a true Riparian area. It’s amazing how this seems to come from nowhere. If you drive around Lake Pleasant area you would never guess this type of topography could be there. It’s really nice for the next ¾ or mile or so as you duck branches, cross the creek a couple of times hopping on whatever to miss the water, squeeze between trees and the such. I wish the whole track could be this.

As soon as you head out of the Wash you begin an accent that lasts about 2 miles and 400 foot or so of elevation gain. For a bit of this you are still in the dirt before hitting the service road. While 400 feet may not seem like a lot, the steady, for the most part even, climb up sure makes you happy when you see the Dam finally and know the uphill muscles get a rest (1200 ft elevation gain and decent total for the race). Right before the Dam there is a paved quick drop, maybe 100 foot but you do it in about 10 seconds – so it is very steep (umm… nice to fly down carefully, but you know on the return you will have to climb it). You get to run across the Dam for what seems to be about a mile then return, a quick left off the service road and then a nice mostly even trail run for the last 2/3 mile or so.

The race is really non competitive, but they did do a ‘trial run’ this year for timing the folks who wanted timed. They also gave out medals for the Top 2 runners in each race (2 is odd I know?). This was nice however because I managed to weasel into 2nd Place overall in the 7 Miler this year. The medal was cool with a Lake Pleasant logo and the year customized it. Kimberly while unofficial I am sure was first among any females close to her age and about 12th overall. We also were lucky enough to win one of the better raffle prizes too - a whole basket of rubs and BBQ sauces from Famous Dave’s.

We of course will be back next year. I hope the timing lines up different with the other races though as we would have loved to do Emma’s run up in Anthem and hang around with family that live up there or even Havasu would be a riot.

We finished the day by heading over to the Glendale Blues and Jazz show for some good Blues, chair loungin’ and a really good caramel apple. That’s what I call a nice Saturday.

MY RUN INFO HERE

COURSE MAP HERE

“This weeks race” (almost seems the proper way to say it lately seeing we have been finding a local run almost every weekend the last month or so) was the Safe Baby Haven 5K. We chose this one over some other options for a couple of reasons. First the cause seemed pretty good. Safe Baby Haven is an organization out there to promote the Safe Baby Haven Law that allows protection for unwanted newborns. Basically gives the mother an opportunity to relinquish the baby at birth without fear of legal and criminal consequences. You can check out the site by clicking here at Arizona Safe Baby Haven. Second reason was the event is really just up the street from us. We can hop on the 101 and be there within 15 minutes or so. Add that to a nice (late) 8:00 start and it meant we could actually ‘sleep in’ until 5:45. We also liked that the event was at Westgate, the new(er) Sports and Entertainment complex in Glendale that houses the Coyotes and Cardinals stadiums and a bunch of stores, restaurants, a movie theater, etc.

The event production was handled by Red Rock Company. They seemed to do a real good job, it was even chip timed (some old school ones). I have not seen them do this type event, they seem to be more the ‘local triathlon event production company’. Maybe some personal tie-in, not sure? The course was decent, nice and flat for the most part. A great starting and finishing location right by the fountains. You run out to the end of the complex, a little loop back and some zig-zags in the parking lot (the only weird spot) and back. There were no real squish spots save for the first little bit where they wanted everyone on the sidewalk – but you could go out on the street too without compromising the mileage.

For the second week in a row we got to see an amazing young (14 years old) runner tear up the track. Sarah Fakler I believe is her name and it will be interesting to see how she does if she keeps at it. She did sub 6 minute miles again at this race. I’m not sure on the whole age-grade thing but that has to be National Class level speed for her age. She seems to run so easy too. This race had a young man also rip it up. I think his name was Oscar and he had a 5:54 Pace and he is 15! Ahh to be young again….

Kimberly and I had a respectable run. Kimberly came in first in her age group and I came in second and 11th overall with a 6:51 pace. Sadly, there was no “medal bling” at this event (for age group winners) but there was a very cool shirt. The actually customized the event shirts with your name and bib number which I thought was way cool. We also liked the bi-plane fly-overs which was also very cool. Hard to beat the whole thing for a good wake up Sunday morning. Oh and BTW, we needed more miles so we went off and did another 8 after the race. And yes.. there was a nap in the afternoon

Note to self – Never plan a get together celebration dinner party thing the night before you have to get up early for a morning race. This is particularly true when the party crowd happens to be Belly Dancers.

Kimberly and I ran in the Kids Camp USA 5K race this weekend. Considering with the above mentioned get together at our house we both ended up with about 3 hours or less sleep, I think we did pretty good. Heck, we did good just getting up at 5:40 seeing our heads didn’t even see a pillow until after 1:00.

Anyway, enough of the complaining (err excuses), we had a great time both at the race and of course with the friends at the get-together. Kids Camp USA seems a great cause. We of course found the race, then found the group behind it. Kids Camp sponsors various events for young ones such as (what this event was supporting) a camping trip to Apache Lake for 100 plus kids. There is no criteria per se for the kids to attend, just youngin’s in need of some adult support for a good time. They really seem like a good group and we will for sure see what we can do to help ongoing.

The 5K was at Thunderbird Paseo Park. One of our favorite venues as it is fairly close to home, is in the SPR canal, and makes for a good out and back track. A couple mini hills up on the course but nothing drastic. The event was run by Arizona Running Events Company and as always, good folks who make these small races as professional and fun as possible.

The race itself was fairly typical, although it ended up being a tad short for a 5K. My Garmin showed 2.8 miles and in fact when they posted the Results they listed it as 2.8. While I do look down on occasion at my Garmin timing watch, I had not for the last mile or so. You can imagine my surprise seeing as I was coming up to the finish line and seeing a little over 19 minutes (I’m not that fast in a 5K)!

Again with the qualifiers, the Mrs. and I had good runs. I think I felt as rough as I have during a run for quite some time, but still managed to come in 8th overall (19:30) though I was 4th in my age group (dang old guys need to stay home ). Kimberly took home the “Bling” for the family with a 3rd place medal in her age group. I told she was a rock star – 3 hours sleep and still getting in on the metal action!

After enjoying the post race festivities and grabbing the medal, we hung out and did another 7-8 miles or so in the canal – got to keep up with those long runs you know. And of course, as always, there was a Sunday nap…

By Kimberly

Dinner in the Desert with the Flowers and S.O (that’s Significant Others in Blog lingo).

On Saturday night we hosted a Texas BBQ themed dinner to celebrate the Macy’s Day Parade Entry DVD that my dance troupe The Desert Flowers recently performed in. (As a side note special thanks to all who helped out so much in the making of the DVD and the setting up of the church for the event.) Michael made some awesome Texas Brisket and chopped chicken and even some great homemade slaw. We had a nice dinner and then, as per normal with the Flowers and friends, did a bit of drinking. It was a fun evening and….no one ended up in the pool, which was a big bonus considering that its still a little nippy and non too sparkling!

Sorry no pictures gallery link yet until we do some editing - iffin’ (Texas talk) you know what I mean

By Kimberly

On March 18th the Desert Flowers performed at the Desert Gardens Church Fellowship Hall. The church was kind enough to allow the show in their facility and many members attended the show. The performance was recorded in order to put together a promotional DVD for our Macy’s Day Parade Application as well as for other events. There were quite a few practice nights set aside prior to the performance . We had some unique Bollywood style dances as well as Gypsy style dances and some more traditional belly dance. The Desert Flowers brought in Desserts for the evening to treat all attendees. It felt like a successful event and was a lot of fun.

Here’s hoping we are spending thanksgiving in Manhattan! -

PICTURES FROM SHOW HERE
THE VIDEO (will add link when online)