August 25, 2009

Randoms

April?? Really?

The last time I posted to this blog was in April. Wow how time flies...

So much has happened... So many places, so many people, so many laughs...

So here is the 1 paragraph recap, meant more to rattle my memory when I look back at this in 20 years than to give you the details about my life recently. If you really need to know the details, you probably already do and so this stuff will make sense anyway... Here goes.

The Leftfield Pictures project died quickly and with not too much bitterness. TLC wanted it - imagine me the American dad haha! - but Emily had reservations about kid exposure and, through the good and bad, we are on this co-parenting adventure together so I of course respected her opinion. June brought my epic trip with the kids that I'm sure we'll be talking about forever. We flew to Seattle, then took the Amtrak to Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and finally San Diego. We caught up with our friends Hailey in Seattle, Laura in Portland, and Leslie in San Francisco. Saw Seattle Sounders game, and a San Francisco Giants game. Sea World in San Diego. In July Emma and I went to Colorado and stayed in Leadville, camped at the base of Mt Elbert and climbed both Mt Elbert and Mt Massive. On Mt Elbert we ascended through 2 hailstorms and a 30 degree temp drop to summit. Emma was amazing. Now that the kids are all in 5 day a week school I'm starting to feel like I have a little more me time, a little less draggin-my-ass tired time. I started teaching an ICM 1 class (1st year medical students learning how to take a history and do a physical exam) and so far this has been quite rewarding. I've registered for a Masters in Health Administration at UAB, although I'm still not 100% sure whether I will actually do it. It's not a small financial investment, and I'm still in debt to my eyeballs (although there is an end in sight for that too!!). Also, the first on campus classes week (it's 8 days on campus for each semester, the rest by computer) is going to make me miss the 1st 2 Auburn football games (which of course I realized the day AFTER I paid my $2500 for the season tickets... grr).


This weekend is Ironman Louisville! I checked out the weather this morning -- high temp of 72 degrees!!!! I was a little bit dreading a humid mid 90's day, so low 70s sounds AMAZING. I haven't really trained for this race, so it will be interesting. I haven't ridden a century since last August. I did run Country Music Marathon this spring (with zero training specifically for the race) and did ok. I also did the Gulf Coast tri half iron race in the spring and did ok. I hadn't swam any since gulf coast until a couple weeks ago when I needed to make sure I still knew how to swim - ;) - I went through a 2 mile swim and felt fine so that was a big confidence booster. Anyway, I'm sure I'll finish, I'm sure it won't be a PR, I'm sure I'll hurt, and I'm sure it will be more fun than should be allowed by law!

Last night I ran with the Trak Shak group and had a great time. I don't think I ever have run with a group except in a race. I'm just more of a solo kinda guy I guess. But my neighbor Don has been running with this group and asked me Sunday to come give it a try, so I did. There were only about a dozen of us, men and women, thin and a little not thin. I went out with the 2 guys that obviously were going to be the fast ones (of course, cuz that's just the way I roll, er torture myself). It was just a 4 mile run so I figured I could handle about any pace for 4 miles. Hmph... After 2 miles of 630 ish pace I was drifting it back... I recovered a bit, but still finished the run a solid 30 seconds back of them. Next time I need to change my mindset from racing, to just running...

Well, I think that's enough for now. I guess I likely will post another in 6 months or so! Or not...

Thanks for joining me for My Daily Spin...