Still running!

Ok, so I promise not to keep updating this blog with boring news about running. But I had to say I completely blew my scheduled runs this week. Well actually I cheated...to some degree, if you can call it that. Monday we got to play basketball at the Delta Center for two hours. That's right, I still call it the Delta Center because to name it the Energy Solutions Arena is ridiculous! So now I just call it either the Delta Center or the Jazz Center. Back to running, I ran for two hours there shootin it up with my mad basketball skills that don't really exist(at least I didn't get hurt like I did playing flag football). And then after work this evening I busted out a 10 mile run! No biggie! I could have kept going I suppose, but there are other perfectly worthwhile activities to pursue on a Friday night so I stopped at 10. But that was it for the week. A little b-ball and a 10 miler and call it good for the week!
The story about flag football is a different entry all together, but suffice it to say that when a person gets hurt playing no contact, grab the flag, football, and the ground breaks your arm, it means I'm getting old. I suppose it's time to settle down and realize that the only thing left to do that's sports related is yell at referees at my kid's games. I have mid-life crisis-ees about once a year lately. My young buck days are over, my hair is pretty much gone except for my ears and nose, I turn my head to hear from my better ear, I may need glasses soon, I'm eating more fruit...willingly, and I'm the one saying, "not tonight honey I have a headache"! If this wasn't a family blog I would swear about right now!! My next high intensity sport...Fishing!

Run Forest, Run!!

Many of you know that my sister Staci and I are getting ready for a 1/2 marathon on May 17th. I completed one back in September of 07. I took it easy over the winter and I'm back to training again. December and January I spent a lot of time on the treadmill at the gym, but my outdoor running just started again last week and as you can see below the gym time really helped maintain.
Here's a quick breakdown of my progress after 2 weeks with 12 to go:
Week 1: 3 miles / 5.5 miles
Week 2: 6 miles / 8 miles today. Other than running there's a lot that can happen in 8 miles such as getting chased by a dog, stepping on a dead squirrel, playing chicken with a train(the train always wins by the way..but not today), 27 beer bottles along the roadside, a buick stuck in the mud, two flying fourwheelers, one very dead deer carcus, and a partridge in a pear tree!
Week 3 coming up: 3 - 6 - ??

Soon to be stuffed!

I wish I could take credit for this, but my buddy in Springville got this one just a couple miles up the canyon. If you're an animal lover, as am I, I would prefer to see these amazing animals in one of two ways: First, alive and very far away, or second, up-close, personal, and dead! This is a sub-adult, male cat that weighed in at around 150 lbs. The claws pop right out with a little push on the pads and the teeth are proof enough that this is an animal you wouldn't want to run into. I come across their tracks regularly while hiking in the hills and mountains in the area. Even though encounters with Mountain Lions are rare, most hunters have a story to tell, some are pretty tall, some aren't tall at all.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/publications/pdf/newlion.pdf

Hey a new template: Mario Bros.

Love this game! I can't tell you how much money I spent on this game at the arcade when I was a kid. The good thing is that I could make 25 cents last about an hour. The Wii, Playstation, and Game Cube can all say thank you to this one game right here that caputured the attention and addictions of teenagers of yesteryear. And I can't leave out Atari, Odessey, and the good old black and white table tennis. I should probably mention somewhere in here the Apple IIe, our first computer, DOS based of course. These days if I need to play a video game I just whip out my Blackberry and I can play anywhere, anytime. Technology has now brought us to the days of seeing random strangers talking to themselves, although they are talking to someone...supposedly! It really comes down to that darn 'S' word. 'Supposedly' this is such an important conversation it HAS to take place anywhere, anytime!! I hate to admit this so please keep it private, but sometimes I screen my calls! If I'm in the restroom and someone keeps calling me over and over and freaking over and they really want to talk to me, next time I'll just answer it!
(This message brought to you by LAHOT. Lovers and Haters of Technology)

Londyn and Sky

Sky is our newest addition. She's a 6 yr old Paint mare. It's been very interesting to watch the pecking order evolve, which really didn't take long at all. Kip is in charge, Sky is not, but Sky holds her own. They've done well together, but it's easy to tell whose in charge. Courtney and I took them out riding yesterday and even while riding, Kip has to be in front or she gets very worked up. Once she's in front she's always looking behind her to know where Sky is. If they ride side by side, the walk turns into a trot and then quickly into a race so they're very competitive.

Lucy - Color Coordinated

Lucy's father just happened to dress her on this particular Saturday. The goal was comfort, not style. Pink shirt, purple pants(for comfort), and red socks(tis the season..or was). The hat thing is her own doing. If there's a hat lying around she's sure to put it on. She loves to wear everyone's shoes these days, but somehow she knew she was outmatched with this cowboy boot!

What's New

Why is it that it takes the holidays forever to get here and then when they're over, times goes by so fast? It seems like the last two weeks have been a blur! Lucy started out with a cold last week and she passed it to Courtney and I and now Londyn has missed some school due to the same bug. Adam has escaped it for now.
On Saturday Londyn had her first basketball game and she did great! This little girl has got some potential and she didn't get it from her Dad and you would know that's true if you've ever had the misfortune of seeing me play basketball. She made 7 or 8 baskets and is one of the better players on her team.
The kids are always asking me when we're going on our next Daddy/Daughter date or Father/Son outting. They must have fun because they're always asking when we're going again. I took Adam to see the new D-League basketball team about a week ago and so on Saturday after her game, I took Londyn to the horse auction. Sounds redneck right? Well it is and they have one here every Saturday and from now on we're just going to stay away because we came home with another horse!! What were we thinking? Driving home I kept saying..."We are crazy" and Londyn said, "Dad, you've said that a hundred times!" I couldn't believe we had just bought another horse. Long story short, she was such a steal that I couldn't help but bid on her. Final price...$175.00. People have too many horses and don't want to feed them through the winter or don't have the time to spend with them so this year and probably this year only the prices are unbelievable.
You wouldn't believe this horse, she's a beautiful Paint with very nice markings, sorrel and white with a white mane and she is just friendly as can be. I'll post some pictures of her another day. We named her Auburn Sky and we'll call her Sky for short. We had a professional rider come over and run her through various exercises to see to what extent she's been trained and he just couldn't believe what a great horse we got. It was with his help that we bought her on Saturday otherwise there was no way we would have bid on a random horse. These two horses take up a lot of our time, but we just love it and the kids are fantastic about their chores and taking care of the animals. At the same time we've been very busy re-modeling our basement and you should see Adam go to town on that. I've never seen him so excited to swing to hammer and he's been a very hard worker. He wants to work on the basement every night and we do, but not every night.
So that's what we've been up to. We hope you are all doing well and enjoying the new year!