My new favorite website...

This is perhaps the coolest website I have ever seen. What are they going to come up with next? THIS IS AWESOME!

The neighbors...

My neighbor Kyle has two children, Jordan (12) and Kylie (6), who come stay with him in the summer, a quick vacation from their Louisiana home. They spend a lot of time at my house when their Dad is at work. This weekend I taught them how to play dominoes, Mancala, and Scrabble. They are also a great companions when I go to the pool down the street. Dallas is not a pool rat like I am. So it works out well that I can "take the kids" to the pool to cool off. Our neighborhood pool has both a 1 m and 3m springboard. Kylie has no fear and Jordan kept attempting his famous double front flip. Check out the quick movies...

4th of July

First of all, I now completely understand why so many dentists take off Wednesdays. Having a day off in the middle of the week means that you are never far (no more than 2 days, in fact) from your next day off.

Our 4th of July began with the Freedom Run in Provo, UT. Few cities in the US can rival what Provo does for the 4th of July. It's a month-long event. Last year we attended Stadium of Fire. This year, I decided at the last minute to run the 10K. The funny part of it was that online registration closed before I decided. Us last minute participants had only one option: register on-ite no later than 6 am. I was up at 4:45, our the door by 5 am, and at the registration site by 5:27 (Draper to Provo in impressive time :)). Since the race didn't start until 7, I had plenty of time to mill about. FYI -- racing and fun runs are much more fun when you do them with friends and family. Rufus -- I missed you as my buddy -- you would have loved this run! As I was walking to the starting line, a tall rather athletic looking gentlemen asked "Is this the way to the 10K starting line?" It was none other than the infamous, or famous if you are a 49er fan, Steve Young. Apparently he runs this race as a tradition. I responded "I think so, but I certainly don't want to be running next to you!"

The race course starts at Kiwanis park and has you run up 9th east until you make a left on University Avenue. Nothing says patriotic like a 1 mile uphill start! Then you drop down past the stadium, hang a left in front of the Richards PE Building, and run 2 miles down Freedom to Center street. It was AMAZING how many people had lined the streets in preparation for the parade. Provo lets you "stake your claim" several days early. It would have been more dramatic if they all would have cheered, but some of them were just waking up!

I finished in just over an hour -- impressed with myself as I had also passed about 15 people on the last hill which was nearly 1 mile long. My average heart rate was 163 and I peaked at 175 (that's the info Dad wants to know :)....

The neighbors, Dallas, and Cindy and Scott McEwen met me at the finish. Afterwards, we all headed down and watched the parade.

New York For Pleasure -- And It's Not NYC

Dallas and I left last Wednesday for Buffalo, NY for vacation. That's right, Buffalo. For those of you who have never been there, Western New York in the summer is spectacular. I have a dear friend that lives in a small town of about 5000 people who we stayed with as we gallivanted around. Our adventures included: a trip to Niagara Falls complete with fireworks, the jet boat ride up the Niagara River, a "nine-and-dine" couples golf tournament, a friendly round of 18 at the Fox Valley Country Club, and a tour of the Erie Canal locks and Old City Hall in Lockport, NY, just to name a few! May I also mention that we ate, ate, ate....Dallas will now be entered in a chicken wing eating contest, at the request of our hosts, when we return! Buffalo has restaurants that rival NYC and SF. The weather was spectacular -- 75 degrees and very little humidity. Now I wouldn't necessarily recommend Buffalo in the winter, but everyone should make a trip up there sooner or later!

We have been traveling maniacs lately. Three weeks ago we were in San Diego visiting Ruth and Janean. Two weeks ago we made the drive across the Nevada desert so I could compete in the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon. I'll need to catch up on postings. I only share that information at this point to let you know how funny it is that when our neighbors, Kyle and Carrie, picked us up from the airport last night, they said "You guys are only here for a few days and then you'll be off to Saskatachawen." They crack me up...

P.S. I'm registered for IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene 2008.

Benefit of Sitting In Front of a Computer ALL DAY

The new job is in full force. I've been here three weeks, have taken my first corporate trip (to Charleston, SC and I'll blog on that later), created a to-do list that is currently 17 items long for today, and received my business cards. It's been nice to have an office to go to daily (especially considering that it is less than 3 miles from my house). I have become an "office employee", meaning that I participate in pot-lucks, meetings in a conference room, pranks and sit in front of a computer quite often.

It's been a shift, but one of my co-workers introduced me to this website: http://www.steepandcheap.com/

Anyone who is into anything outdoors must add it as a bookmark. I warn you -- as he did me -- it is quite addicting. But, damn they have some great deals.

P.S. We run on MAC's at the new company -- I'll never go back.

One of the Best Cleaning Tools Ever

If you don't already have one of these, you must get one. I think Suzi was the first one who originally introduced me to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I wish I knew what was in it....it is amazzzzzzzzzing. Since I haven't quite taken on the project of covering every white wall in my house with paint, there were quite a few ding/black marks on the walls and floors that needed to be taken care of. I went through 4 of these things getting most of them "erased."

Random

It's 11:07 pm. I can't sleep. We've been in Idaho for the past three days helping Phil and Buelah on the farm. OK, as helpful as one who grew up in the city could be. I did learn how to move handlines and stake them so they don't fall over. Dallas fixed one of these pivots by adding two new gear boxes and motors. He calls them "a real man's sprinkler." Work starts Monday. Stay tuned...