Hello all.

I have been so busy that I have not had a chance to write, neither here, nor anymore on the novel. We went to the Christmas Bazaar at the Fairgrounds last weekend. We sold some stuff and handed out many cards. It was a good experience and we think that we are going to try again next year, and maybe in the summer at the Farmer's Market. We will see how it goes.

The house is decked out for the holidays. I think that this is my favorite time of year. I love the carols, the lights, the smells, the giddy anticipation of much loot! Actually, the loot part takes a back seat to watching Zoe open her presents. Speaking of Zoe, she is playing/hauling around the xylophone and singing the ABC song, while wearing my Birkenstocks.

Yesterday was the Snowflake parade. We didn't go. We had plans for me to run, and Zoe to ride in one of the snow-blowers from the base, but none of the worked out. So, we had Monte, Debbie, and Travis over for sausages, and french fries. Mmm. It was pretty good. We then watched the first part of "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer". It got too late, and one of us got tired and had to go to bed.


All in all, things are going well here. Things are getting done, and we are almost ready for Christmas. Have a happy holiday and a great, lovely, and joyous time of it.

Working Hard

Hello all. We are doing well here in K-Falls. Both Amy and I are working hard on our novels. Take a look, if you haven't already.

Also today, Randy, Isaac, Zoe, and I went down to the Daily Bagel. We had some coffee and pastries. It is always nice to sit down there and enjoy a cup of coffee.

We are going to be in a craft show! It will be at the fair grounds on the 3rd and 4th of December. I am working hard on that, and on Randy and Sandy's benches, and a screen door for another client, and we are trying to get the gas installed. Plus running and writing: I am busy! Not too busy to post on my blog, it would seem. Great. Now I have guilt that I am not in the shop. I will head there shortly.

Did I say we are also getting ready for Thanksgiving? We sent out invitations this morning. If you didn't get one, its because we forgot! If we missed anyone and you would like to come, we would like to have you. Just let us know. And, if you are coming from out of town, we have places to sleep.

Finally, I added AWADs A Word A Day and Quote a day on the sidebar. Some people have had to scroll all the way to the bottom of the blog in order to see the sidebar items. If they don't appear at the top, then look for them at the bottom.

Take care everyone. I'm going to get to work.

Snowy day

We woke up to more snow. It is so nice. Then it snowed all day. It was pretty wet, so not much accumliated, but now that it has cooled off, it is still snowing and no we have about three inches. I like it. Oh no! I just remembered that our sled is over at Mimi and Papa's house so we can't go sledding tomorrow.

The novel is going well.

First Snow

Well, winter is upon us: this morning as we arose and Amy started to get dressed, she exclaimed: "It snowed last night!" I stared out the window, shocked and excited. I think that I love winter, but fall is my favorite season because of the anticipation of winter (the fall colors are nice, too). Not too long now and we can go skiing. We have to find (or make) a pair of skis for Zoe, and build our pulk (a sled that she can sit on and that I can pull behind while I ski). It used to be downhill skiing, but now we are cross country skiers all the way. In the old days (specifically the high school days) I would get out my skis try them on in the living room on the carpet, then tune them up and have them ready to go by the end of September. These days I eagerly await the first storm up on the pass. We don't need a lot of snow before we can get out and enjoy the cold: it only takes six inches and we can go all day)

On other fronts, running is going well. Yesterday, Zoe and I ran down to Shasta and back, about four and a half miles. Today we are running out to Mimi and Papa's. Zoe will stay with Papa and then I will run home, stopping off at KU for a few pick-ups on the track.

Writing is going well. 4000 words in two days is quite a lot and a bit of a shock to the system. Amy and I were talking after our writing session that in some ways it would be better if it were National Novel Writing Two Months. Writing would become more of a habit and less of a mad dash once a year. A thousand words a day seems much more manageable. I suppose that if I can just take a couple of days off after November is over, and then set a goal of writing or re-writing then I could do it, just like running. We'll see.

Cheers!

All Saints Day

Happy All Saints Day, everyone. Halloween was a great success, at least Zoe didn't cry when she had to go and trick-or-treat. She made a wonderful Fairy Princess with her hat from Ashland, her dress from Erika's wedding, and her wand from her dad's lathe.

Last year, she would jump at the chance to hand out candy, but this year she wasn't as sure. I think that she thought too much about it: it was something to be pondered, not jumped into with both feet. As for the Trick-Or-Treating part, I took her out to Mima's work (Mazama High School) where she was showed off for awhile, then over to Oma's house for a fruit roll-up and some candy, then to the library for a goody bag. When they arrived back at our house (with Papa) Amy and I took Zoe to the neighbors for a little more candy. It went pretty well, though usually she forgot to say "Trick or Treat". She did remember to say "Thank You", though, so that was good.

For dinner we had Pumpkin Tureen (cheesey, oniony, goodness baked in a whole pumpkin, a volunteer that grew up at our place), and pop-overs. It was very festive, and very tasty.

Today begins the first day of the rest of our novels: NaNoWriMo is upon us. This evening we will start the writing: 1600 words a night. It is easier than you think, and if you have any inclination at all, you should give it a try. The trick is to just start typing and not even think about what you are writing. I am going to try to upload each day's writing on the Words blog (link at right). I will check it for spelling, but don't expect perfect grammar!

Wish us luck.

Our Week So Far

We ended (or started, depending on your perspective) our week as we often do at the Klamath Grill. We sure enjoy going down to see all the people and have some good greasy food. Usually I have the chicken fried steak, Zoe has pancakes and eggs, and Amy has either biscuits and gravy or pancakes, or an omelet. If you haven't been, you should go. The staff is friendly and the prices are right.
Monday we had dinner with Bill, Vanessa, and William. We cooked soup and home made bread, Challah, made with lots of butter and eggs. Mmm, it is so good and rich.

Tuesday Zoe and I did not go over the hill for vegetables because the season is over. We were a little lost the whole day, not knowing exactly what to do with ourselves. Wednesday I didn't feel that great. I am wore out from not getting as many calories since Amy became pregnant: no beer for anyone, just to be fair, you know. So, I took a nap and ate much food (not at the same time). Today I feel better.

Also, I made a spoon and a box on the lathe.

Cheers!

The Saga of Scarecrow

Once upon a time it was Library Day. On Library Day, Jeff and his lovely daughter Zoe would go to the Klamath Country Library, Klamath Falls City Branch, and hear stories and sing songs at Story Time. Also, they would do crafts (not "craps" as Zoe would say; finally her dad convinced her that it is "crafts"; "Not crap," she would later say, "crafts." Finally, her dad would think).

The Ides of October had fallen, and the library summoned. On this day they sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (Knees, and Toes)", and "Old MacDonald (Had a Farm)". Also they heard stories about scaredy cats, farm animals and falling leaves. The craft, most difficult craft ever, was to be scarecrows. After an admonition from the librarian that Zoe should be doing the (most difficult) craft (ever), her dad finished. It stood five inches at the shoulder, then straw hat looking more like a sombrero. They carefully carried it around the library while collecting videos and books. The spoke to a reference librarian, a rare occurrence, because they could not find anything on plumbing natural gas.

Finally, natural gas bookless, they left.

Upon exiting the library they found that the wind stormed from the south, across Lake Euwana. Man did it stink. Autumn leaves swirled with dust and weed seeds as they carefully put the scarecrow in the stroller. They made their way to one planning department, and then another before securing a permit to install a gas line in the house, and made their way home.

When they arrived home, the scarecrow was missing.

Zoe's dad thought that he would not say anything in the vain hope that she would not notice. But, as the reference librarian had left a message saying that she had found a book, he decided that they would return to the library and secure another craft packet. Before they left, they read a story about going to camp. Along the way back to the library, they stopped and searched for the missing scarecrow, but without luck. The librarians were happy to provide another scarecrow craft packet. The book about gas line plumbing was retrieved and, as they made their way home, Zoe's dad dreaded the thought of making another scarecrow. They returned home, had lunch, and tackled the craft. It proved easier the second time around.

On an unrelated note, see the picture above at right of Nana and Zoe reading last weekend.

New Shoes

I bought new shoes! I am excited to have something different. I had been running on Brooks Adrenaline for a number of years (almost since the day that we moved to Klamath Falls). But the latest edition, 5, just really didn't do it for me. They broke down way too fast and never felt that good. So, I did some shopping around town and finally found the Saucony Regulate at Big 5. I didn't know anything about them, but they felt good on my feet, they seem like they will wear for a long time, and they were on sale. I have run on them twice and think that they may be my new shoe. I am going to buy another pair today, if they still have any in my size out at Big 5.


Speaking of running, yesterday we had a great workout at Moore Park. We warmed up, then did a pyramid: 30 seconds, 45, 60, 90, 60, 45, 30, then three steep hills at 20 seconds each. My legs were pretty much like jelly when we were done. Zoe didn't get to go for this run, though I couldn't have pushed her up the hill anyway. Instead, she spent the afternoon with Papa.

Tomorrow we will be in Ashland for the State of Jefferson Cross Country Meet

Days Behind on Posting

I am days behind on posting. Hopefully I can catch up in one day and then tomorrow (or this evening) I can stay caught up. I am going to start with today and work back:

Today, Zoe and I are having a pretty good day. We are watching a Tingo video. It is just over and now we will get some food. Some days Zoe talks me into watching more than one video, but usually that ends in a cranky, hungry girlie. Uh oh, now she has talked me into doing a little reading in a Let's Learn Japanese Picture Dictionary.

Good news everyone: she has eaten and is no longer being cranky.

Yesterday we went over the hill for the last delivery of vegetables. We are a little sad, but we will be able to clean the fridge finally (in a few weeks, anyway). And we are looking forward to eating up our Halloween decorations (squash and pumpkins).

Monday, Zoe had a cold and we spent much time watching videos. In the afternoon, I had an appointment with a nice lady who needs a new screen door for her house. It is made of oak, which is pretty exciting, and she wants it done right, which is even more exciting. My only worry is finishing as usually when I finish something it is for inside use, or we slap on a coat of paint.

Sunday we went to the Harvest Gathering out at the Whistling Duck Farm. It was fun, though we didn't stay as long as we might have since it took place all the way over in Ruch (west of Medford) and we needed to get home at a reasonable hour. We brought chocolate chip cookies. Zoe had a grand time touring the fields, she even ate a couple of strawberries.

On the way to the Harvest Gathering, we stopped in Ruch and had breakfast (second breakfast, really) at the Magnolia Grill. We will definitely go again. It is a nice drive out past Jacksonville and the food is tasty.

Saturday, we drove to Medford, picked up my mom and headed to the Chieftain Invitational Cross Country meet. We enjoyed ourselves, but the kids were not spectacular. That is okay, we are making progress (though there were not a whole bunch of PRs this day). We will see what happens at district (in three weeks).

That's about it. Whew. All caught up for now.

Library Day

Friday, as usual, was story time at the library. We really like library day, and the more we go, the more Zoe participates. She is doing hand motions and calling out when questions are asked. And, it is good for her to interact with kids. She doesn't get much of that (I am a little worried about sending her off to preschool next year).

We made a spider for our craft. Our stroies were mostly about spiders, and we sang about the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. The librarian had a puppet that actually swallowed things. It was kind of disgusting, actally. Back to the project. We taped legs on the back, and the eyes on the front. Lastly we tied the string on so that we can hang it up for Halloween. I tried to let Zoe do most of the work, only directing a little, and helping with the glue.

Create Your Own Blog!

I would like to formally encourage any and all of you to create a blog. It is so easy, and then I can read about your lives as well. When I created this blog, it took only about ten minutes and I had my very first post posted. All you have to do is go to Blogger.com, explore in the "What's a Blog?" area, or go directly to "Create a Blog in 3 Easy Steps". Or click on the "Get your own Blog" button at the top of the page.

Yesterday the kids ran a pretty good workout: 9x400m at pace, then 3x300m cut-downs. I didn't run because of an ongoing groin injury (so frustrating).

Tuesday we went to Pasta Piatti in Ashland. While you are there be sure to try the Ravioli Di Zucca; it is amazing.

Great Run

We had a great run yesterday. Zoe and I went out with the Mazama cross country team and we ran up to the Shasta Hill on the east side of town. Zoe and I ran the hill once (I should have made some of the kids push her), and then ran back to the school with Randy and Steven (a senior). On the way back, there was a little consternation because Randy was taking a turn pushing Zoe. When Zoe realized this, it made her cry. We had hugs, and she said that I was sweatty; then everything was okay again.

Have a great day, all.

Big News

Hello everyone! I am so excited and proud to announce that we are having another baby (one just wasn't enough!) Amy is just about two months along, the due date is May 12th, and, more good news, Amy has accrued exactly enough sick leave to take her to the end of the school year.

Zoe also is excited to have a sibling. She says that she wants a sister. The whole process boggles her mind, every now and then: we will say something like, "The baby is in mommy's tummy," and she will stare off into space for a moment, trying to work that all out. She is so cute (and we say that way too much, but it is true).

In other news, I started a Blog recently, as you can see. I try to post each day, but sometimes, especially on the weekends, I get a little lax. So check back often.

Yesterday, I started a purely writing blog called "Words". The link is at the right, if you are interested.

We are doing well down Klamath way. I am so happy this morning to be sharing this news with you all. Come and see us sometime, or we will come and see you when we get a chance.

Love to all,
Jeff, Amy, and Zoe



P.S. You can leave a comment by clicking on the "Comments" button just below. You will have to type in some funny looking letters before your comment will be accepted (just follow the instructions). This is because of "comment spam" (and I think that you can figure out what that means). Cheers!

A Good Weekend

We had a pretty good weekend. I didn't go to the Cross Counrty Meet in Albany, and am a little sad because the kids did so well. Good job everyone.

On Friday, Zoe and I went to Story Time at the library. We were joined by Randy, Isaac, and Isaac's cousin, Brandon. We heard some great stories about fall, and wind, then made leaf pictures. Unluckily it was about one day too early for real leaves, so the kids had to do with cloth leaves and tissue paper. Even so, we had a good time pasting. Zoe chose the "pink" (red) acorn.

We caught up on our sleep this weekend, which was really nice. And both days, I did some woodworking. The benches are on the way, Randy and Sandy. They should weigh just under a ton each as they are made of hard maple which is quite heavy, and, as you might guess, hard.

Zoe got some new gloves; she can even put them on herself. We had gone to Rite Aid for vitamins and a stereo cable. While there we noticed the glove rack had been put out. Well, why not shop for some gloves? I thought. We will need some soon, and the ones that she has are too small. Well, one of the first that I saw, were these blue ones with pictures of the Disney Princesses on them. Zoe, of course, loved them right away. I then found some mittens that are waterproof; they looked pretty warm. Zoe was unconvinced, however that we should get them. I assured her that we could get the princess gloves also, but the waterproof ones were a no-go.

Saturday evening, Zoe, Mima and Papa, found some leaves that had fallen over night and so made them into an authentic Fall-Leaf-Picture. I think that it looks pretty good.

On Sunday, after working on the benches, while Zoe and Amy drove, I ran to the Hill's. It rained a bit, and the wind blew, but overall, I had a good time. The fire in the earth stove warmed me up when I got there, and then we all shared a relaxing afternoon while catching the last half of The Fifth Element on TV.

Watch this space tomorrow for a big announcement. Until then, cheers!

Done Painting the House, Finally

Randy prepping the final side

We are done painting the house, finally. It was a three year Odyssey, but, with Randy's help and motivation, we finally have finished with it.



This morning, I put the last coat of paint on the east side windows and trim. It was a strange feeling to step off the ladder knowing that I could wash my brush and then be done, not having to worry about not having the trim painted.



Hopefully it will be done until we die: we painted with Sherwin Williams Duration, which has a lifetime guarantee. We will see.



As a celebration, Randy, Isaac, Zoe, and I went down to the Daily Bagel for coffee and bagel sandwiches. Thanks Randy for all your help.

Another Tuesday Trip Over the Hill

Tuesdays are vegetable days and also lunch days with Nana. Yesterday we met Nana at Si Casa Flores on Barnett in Medford for some delicious Mexican food. I had Chile Verde, Nana had an enchilada and a tamale, and Zoe had a quesidilla which she took apart and then reformed into a burrito with chicken, rice and beans.

The food was pretty good, and Zoe got a baloon.

We picked up vegitables from Mary and Vince in Ashland, then headed back over the hill. The drive was fine, and Zoe slept right through unloading, and didn't wake until we arrived at Mazama for cross country.

Yesterday's workout was a good one: 2x800m, 4x400m, 5x300m cut-downs, and then a cool down as long as four miles. I didn't run as I had Zoe and still a sore shoulder. The kids, however, did pretty well (for the most part).

The Lone Pine

Yesterday we ran up to the Lone Pine on top of Hogsback Mountain just east of Klamath Falls with the cross country team. When I say we, I don't mean Zoe and I but the other coaches. Man, could you imagine running up a rocky dirt trail that is like climbing stair sometimes pushing a girlie? I told Amy in the morning that I could tie the stroller to my waist and pull her up...maybe I will try that some other day.

I made up in about 30 minutes. My calves were like rocks, but not the good kind, and my thighs hurt quite a bit, but overall it was a good experience. About half the kids made it to the top. Four of them didn't make it because they took the wrong trail (luckily they weren't lost for too long) and the rest just didn't have it. The view was great, something that I don't see that often now that we have Zoe. Soon, she will be strong enough to climb high with me and we will share those views.

Pictures that I couldn't upload eariler today

Zoe on Papahorse

Zoe spelled out her name (almost) by herself

Relaxing in the autum grass

Happy Monday

Happy Monday! We had a good weekend, though it was much too short. On Saturday morning, I awoke at 5:15 so that I could go to Eugene for the Northwest Classic xc race. We had a good day and many good performances, with most everyone having PRs. There was one incident that took away from the experience: one of our runners was hit on the head while he was (grrr) wrestling. We took him to the medical tent and had him checked out. The trainer said that he probably had a minor concussion and that we needed to look after him for the rest of the day. He felt much better by the time that we left for home and by the time that we got back to Klamath he seemed pretty normal (as normal as can be expected, anyway).

The funniest part about the whole thing is that when we came back to where our kids were sitting, telling them what the trainer had said, two of the kids were wrestling, again! I couldn't believe it. Not ten minutes before a kid had been bopped on the head hard enought to warrent a trip to the first aid station and here they were wrestling again! I was just a bit angry and told them to stop.

Yesterday, Sunday, was pretty uneventful. We spent the first part of the day at home, Amy resting, mostly. Then we went to Amy's parents for the afternoon, and dinner. Amy has traded all day sickness for all day fatigue. hopefully that will go away soon.

Well, Blogger.com is having problems uploading pictures this morning, so I will try again later.

First appointment with Rebecca

We slept in today, because Amy had her first appointment with Rebecca, our midwife. It went well, though it took awhile to get everything done; partially that was because it was the first visit and so there were many questions about personal and family health histories. Zoe went too, and she enjoyed herself, though she wanted to join the conversation sometimes when we were trying to listen to what Rebecca or Tara (her assistant) were trying to tell us. That was okay, though, I think that it helped her to understand what is happening to the family. Speaking of the family, Amy and I were talking last night about when we go to Alaska (not next summer but sometime in the not too distant future) with the "kids". Aaaaaah! In less than eight months, we are not only going to have a kid, we are going to have kids!

Rain is falling today. Really, we don't mind it too much, though the temperature is hovering around 40, which is a little cold this early in the year. Randy and I hadn't planned on doing any painting today, so that works out fine.

Zoe and I did, however, make it to the library...in the car. Everywhere she goes, she is recognized: one of the librarians knows her from the summer reading program (actually I think that many know her from the summer reading program), and also happens to have a daughter in one of Amy's classes. Today, we heard four stories, mostly relating to apples (though one was about farmyard animals) and then we made prints with cut apples. It was quite fun, and made me think about composition, as the picture is basically an abstract. The paint that we used stuck to our fingers, but when we rubbed it with a damp cloth, came off in little chunks.

No XC practice today, but a big meet tomorrow in Eugene.

I almost forgot, I put a link to Vanessa's Blog in the links list as well. Enjoy.

A good day so far.

So far today, we have been having a good day. Randy and I finished painting the north side of the house. The only think left is the east side: predicted finish date, next week sometime.

Zoe is laying in bed, but not sleeping. I will have to get her up soon.

My shoulder hurts a bit, probably from climbing around on ladders. It sure is healing fast, though. I am glad, because it is no fun having a hurt shoulder. Yesterday, I ran with the kids at xc, but couldn't go as far as I wanted because of the pain. It hurt on both the forward and back arm swing.

Zoe informs me that it is "time to get up," so I had better go get her. She still hasn't discovered that she can get out of bed on her own. Shhh, don't tell her.

It really was a long day

Boy! Yesterday was long, long, long. It started off on the wrong foot, when Zoe couldn't articulate why she didn't want to wear pants. We had five minutes of whining, arguing, and crying that she didn't want to wear pants or her Elmo shirt. Finally, we figured out that she wanted to wear her dog dress. My goodness.

Then yesterday's blog didn't want to upload right, and that made me cranky. Then Zoe didn't want to eat her oatmeal. I left her to it, and when I came back after five minutes she had eaten half a bite (the other half was smeared on the table). I couldn't get into the truck with her and drive to Medford if she hadn't eaten anything! I almost lost it at that time, but then thought, "Hey, maybe she wants some toast". She did! So, toast it was.

We loaded up and the ride over was fairly pleasant. Zoe mostly read her books. We met my mom at her work and she introduced us around. Zoe got a sucker (a cherry tootsie pop) and we shook many hands. Everyone thought that she was cute with her quail tail.

We had lunch at Rooster's, which, as Zoe will tell you, is decorated with many roosters. The food was pretty good, especially the cinnamon roll. When we go there next, we will be sure to have cinnamon rolls, again.

After lunch Zoe and I drove to Ashland to pick up the vegetables. Vince was a little late in getting back, but not too late. We loaded up (I was careful about my shoulder, which is doing quite well, by-the-way), then headed back over the hill. The drive home went quickly, and Zoe, even though she reassured me many times that she was "not tired" fell asleep not long after we got to the summit on Dead Indian Rd. ("Not tired. Not tired," she said. "Can you think happy thoughts?" I said. "Not tired, not tired," she assured me. "What about sand?" "...At the beach...zzzzzzzzz.")

That would have made a full day, but it was not over by a long shot. Zoe slept while I unloaded vegetables, and then loaded up the computer and printer. We had about five minutes at home and then we drove to Mazama for the big Mud Run. We arrived just as the first race started. We set up the computer, then watched the finish of the first race. Then we went to work. Zoe helped me score the first two races (she also watched the runners out the door) then her Mima picked her up and took her home.


The rest of the meet went pretty well, though one school, who shall remain nameless, couldn't seem to get their scoring envelopes to me, so that delayed the whole process. And even though outside showers were provided there was still much mud in the hallways and the locker rooms. I don't know what the solution might be to mud everywhere except to close off the locker rooms altogether.

Finally I made it back to the Hill House for dinner of hamburgers, pickled beets, and potato chips. Travis is leaving for SOU on Thursday, and since he has to work his final day at Walmart today, we had dinner with him. Good luck Travis!

We made it home and put Zoe to bed, then watched a bit of the Lord of the Rings before falling asleep ourselves.

Race Today

Today is the annual Mazama Mud Run. The mud pit is deeper than last year, and we are having an open race, so it should be interesting. Also, the course is only two miles long instead of 5000m. Somehow, we need to have more mud, and even a couple more mud pits. Unluckily, I don't think that the grounds crew wants us digging up the soccer field.

Also today, Zoe and I go to Ashland to get vegetables. It is going to be a long day indeed.

Yesterday was pretty normal. My shoulder seems to be healing quite nicely. I haven't had it in the sling (except for about 30 minutes on Sunday evening), and it does sometimes feel a little creepy, but it is much less stiff and sore than it has been in the past. I worry that maybe it will be looser because of this, but really, it seems to be healing more quickly.



On another note, the other day I finished "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie. Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, but I don't think that very many people actually read the book these days. I highly recommend it. It is an easy quick read and well worth your time.

Cheers!

The Long Prefontaine Weekend

This weekend was the big trip for the Mazama Cross Country Team (and many other high school teams in the area): the Prefontaine Memorial Run in Coos Bay.

Friday:

We left after school. Randy and I got started a little late getting to the car rental place because we couldn't find Marvin at Mazama (he is the head coach and had the check for the vans). But we made up time at the rental agency when we breezed through the rental process. Marvin headed back to Mazama to round up the troops, while Randy and I took care of our kids, he picking up his babysitter and I dropping Zoe off with Amy at ponderosa.

I picked Randy up at his house, he had left his van back at the rental agency while driving Isaac around. We found when we returned that he could not open the passenger side door from the inside. Not a big deal, but we wanted to be sure that they knew that there was a problem so that we didn't get charged for it.

We loaded everyone up and headed west. The trip was uneventful except for the near accident that we were in. A semi slowed almost to a stop in front of about six cars (three of which were in our caravan). I was driving the last car. The car behind us slowed and was fine until the car behind it slammed into it, pushing it off the road with a bang. It wasn't a big accident but it was a bit scary and surely would have ended our trip had we been hit.

We arrived in Coos Bay Fire Station (they are nice enough to host us in their weight room/meeting room each year) just after 9, got our sleeping areas set up, went to the store for some junk food, then settled in for a movie and went to sleep.

Saturday:

We awoke around 7, the kids included, which was quite odd; usually, they sleep until eight or nine. The race started at ten. I went for a 15 minute walk, then a 30 minute jog to get warmed up. I tried to go a different way than I have gone before and found that there are about five thrift stores in a five block radius in downtown Coos Bay. I was scoping them out because I had forgotten my book and so wanted to find a place to buy a new one. I had to wait until after the race as they were closed until 9:30 or ten (plus, I had left my wallet back at the fire station).

The race went better than I had expected. I was almost three minutes faster on the way back in than on the way out. I was timed in 45:32, not my fastest but much better than the sub 48 that I was hoping for.

After (most) everyone finished, we made our way back to the fire station for showers, then a walk through the street fair where we had oriental noodles, teriyaki beef on a stick, and fudge. We also watched a bit of the parade, and went to one of the thrift stores to finally get my book. I picked up four: "LaBrava" by Elmore Leonard, "Eight Great Comedies", "The sinners" by W. Somerset Maughm, and "Nice New Neighbors" by Franz Brandenberg (for Zoe). Then we went to the beach.

We played tackle football, I made it for about half an hour before I dislocated my left shoulder for the fourth time (in 15 years). Luckily, I had read of a technique where sitting on the ground you lace your fingers across the opposite side knee, relax and gently pull. It popped back in on the third try. It wasn't as bad as sometimes, but it is quite tender today.

After the beach, we picked up some pizzas, and ate them back at the firehouse while watching the duck game. We put on a movie, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and I was asleep by 8:45.

Sunday:

We got off early (these kids like to get up!) and then were home by 2:30. I had Marvin drop me off at the Hill house, where we had dinner, then home for early bed again: All that travel, running, and chaperoning (sp?) wears a guy out.

Did a lot of Paint Work, Yesterday

Yesterday Randy (Bailey) and Isaac came over and we scraped and scraped and scraped the north side of our trim. He is helping me to finally finish the painting of our trim that we started three summers ago (including this one). The end is in sight and we are very grateful for Randy's motivation.

In the afternoon Zoe came to cross country with me. I pushed her in the jogging stroller out toward Highway 39 on the OC&E Bike Path. I noticed that she had been quiet for some time. I assumed that she was engrossed in her book ("My first ABC Book"), but when I checked on her at the turnaround point, I found that she snoozed soundly, head lolling to the right. We ran back and she awoke when I stopped at the school for a drink of water.

While Zoe and I ran and snoozed by ourselves, the cross country kids ran their pre-race warm-up. When we returned, they seemed warm, but it is always hard to tell what they actually did. Maybe we should make them take their heart rate and then we can see where they really are as far as a warm up goes. It is so important to be ready to race when the gun goes off, and not expect to get warm on the course.

Today they are going to the Pre-district Meet at Lake Selmac, hosted by Illinois Valley. Good luck everyone.

Tuesdays are Vegetable Days

Yesterday, Zoe and I went over the hill to pick up, and deliver back to Klamath Falls, vegetables for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Whistling Duck. We trade a weekly share of vegetables for delivering 23 shares to Klamath ten times in the summer season (we also delivered in the winter season for the first time last year).

In our box this week: butter lettuce; mesclun (mixed salad greens); three large beets with beautiful beet greens attached; zucchini; cucumbers; pears; an onion; spinach; basil; and tomatoes. Mmm, they are so good and tasty (and organic). If you live near a CSA, I highly recommend looking into becoming a member.

Also while over the hill we had lunch with Nana (my mom, Linda) at No Ho's, a Hawaiian restaurant on Main St. in Medford. Man was it good. I had teriyaki pork and Nana had teriyaki chicken. Zoe, ate about a cup and a half of sticky rice. The portions were huge, and delicious, and by the time we left, the place was packed -if you go, go early (they open at 11am).

Nana is doing well, getting used to her new job at Moss Adams, and making friends of her co-workers.

Right now, Zoe and I are finishing up "Baby Galileo" learning about the planets, stars, galaxies, etc.

Have a great day all.

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