Rattlesnake Ridge

I got up at the ridiculous hour of 5:00 am to run the Rattlesnake Ridge trail with Shawn and Marty - couple trail ultra runners (Marty a veteran of many 100 milers and Shawn training for his first this September). We ran with headlights and tried to not trip over the roots. There was a few inches of snow at the top which was fun to run in with the slipping and sliding.

It was drizzling and cloudy, so we didn't get to take advantage of any of the terrific views along the way. It even snowed on us a little on the way back over. Now it's time to try to warm up in the shower!

15 miles running today

18

Wholly Cow! My youngest daughter turned 18 years old today. I sure am proud of her and the woman she is growing in to.

Should I feel old now? I'll have to think about that.

Work

We're back to windy conditions here, but still no rain yet. I got to work early today to try and do a snorkel install on a 2010 FJ Cruiser but found out I'll have to do a little fab work as the 2010 is different from earlier models.

I really need to get a storage shed or carport roof up before the rain starts up again! I'm getting tired of moving all the motorcycles around in the shop, and I don't have the space to keep storing the pressure washer, paint sprayer, table saw, etc. in the shop any more.

Tomorrow is another Ski Patrol day at Alpental. I'm hopeful the snow conditions will be better than they have been.

Cedar Butte

I just got back from my first Cedar Butte hill run of the year. The trail was in great shape, and it's nice not to have to blast through brush (a benefit of winter trail running). As always it was great fun through the middle twisty rooty part!

I'm having great fun reading all the backlash from the State of the Union speech. It still amazes me that Obama says the buck stops with him and yet continually blames Bush for all the nations' troubles (not that I'm/was a big GB fan). Geez.

Here I am supporting my business by charging all bills and paying for product with the credit card all due to a big customer who always pays their bill 60+ days late. They don't see or care what this practice does to my business. Arghh. Thankfully I'm starting to get a little bit busier at work now with the phone ringing a little and orders trickling in.

Ran 8 miles today.

Winter?

The weather this morning is incredibly nice. It's 38* and rising with a bright sun and light breeze. It's pretty tough to not feel good today! This winter has been a huge disappointment for those of us who enjoy snow, and I feel guilty when I start thinking how much I have enjoyed the nice sunny days. The skiing has largely been more akin to ice skating, and I've only been snowmobiling once this year. On the plus side I have been out a couple times on my motorcycle.

Today is a run around day. I have parts and materials to pick up and will spend a large part of the day driving (and not in the shop getting things done). It's just one of the aggravations of being a one-man show at work.

Ran 4.2 miles today

Frustration

Last night I got an angry-toned phone call from a career firefighter regarding my participation in last year's VSET (a program requiring volunteer firefighters to work a scheduled shift each month with a career crew at the career station). This is the third issue this year I've had to deal with on this and related matters with my department.

Most of us volunteer firefighters joined up to help our neighbors and community in times of need. It can be a very rewarding experience - though it is also a time-intensive endeavor with all the training, station maintenance, paperwork, and other objectives that keep piling on. It is getting very difficult to remain a volunteer firefighter these days. I could go on and on about this, but in the end the day will come when I'll have to make a choice, and that day may be coming sooner rather than later.

6.3 miles running today.

First entry!

I am starting this on a lark. I'm not too sure about the whole idea of blogging. Do other people really care what I do and think? Probably not. Perhaps I'm the one who will get the most out of doing this. Maybe it will help organize my thoughts and experiences, and it will certainly be an easily referenced source of historical penned thoughts to look back on later.

5.5 miles running today.