Sun - July 24, 2005
Lance Armstrong retires on top with 7th consecutive Tour de France victory
Another three weeks of intense cycling and
another Tour de
France victory for Lance Armstrong, arguably the worlds greatest
cyclist. The man is simply amazing, not only in his athletic achievements, but
also in how he has inspired so many people.
It was this time last year that I really began to understand and appreciate what Lance Armstrong has accomplished as a cyclist and cancer survivor. Although I'm not fighting cancer, he has inspired me to never give up in life and to always push forward. The $1 armband I've worn on my right wrist for over 12 months says it all: "Livestrong". If I'm ever feeling down, I look at that armband and remind myself of what Lance had to fight through and how small my problems really are. It helps put things in perspective.
For the last three weeks I have eagerly woken up at 6 am to catch the coverage of each Tour de France stage before heading off to work. It's hard to describe why I would sit through 3 hours of racing daily to watch an American from Texas, but it was something I always looked forward to. Now with Lance leaving the sport to spend more time with his three children and girlfriend Sheryl Crow, I feel as though a void will be left in professional cycling. There are new faces that will try to make up for the loss, but no one person will ever be able to change the sport as much as Lance has over the last seven years. Thanks for the memories Lance!
It was this time last year that I really began to understand and appreciate what Lance Armstrong has accomplished as a cyclist and cancer survivor. Although I'm not fighting cancer, he has inspired me to never give up in life and to always push forward. The $1 armband I've worn on my right wrist for over 12 months says it all: "Livestrong". If I'm ever feeling down, I look at that armband and remind myself of what Lance had to fight through and how small my problems really are. It helps put things in perspective.
For the last three weeks I have eagerly woken up at 6 am to catch the coverage of each Tour de France stage before heading off to work. It's hard to describe why I would sit through 3 hours of racing daily to watch an American from Texas, but it was something I always looked forward to. Now with Lance leaving the sport to spend more time with his three children and girlfriend Sheryl Crow, I feel as though a void will be left in professional cycling. There are new faces that will try to make up for the loss, but no one person will ever be able to change the sport as much as Lance has over the last seven years. Thanks for the memories Lance!
Posted at 01:27 PM
Tue - July 5, 2005
First Golf Outing
While visiting my parents in Redmond, Oregon over
the 4th of July weekend I played my first round of golf. Despite the short
greens on the nine hole course at the Missing Link Family Golf
Center, I still managed to shot a 29 over a par 27 course. How about
that? I can't wait to play again!
Posted at 05:01 PM
Thu - June 30, 2005
Podcast support in iTunes
So have you listened to a Podcast yet? If not,
head over to Apple's web site and download iTunes 4.9. While
iTunes isn't the first piece of software to link to podcasts, it certainly is
the most prevalent software for organizing music and syncing music (and now
podcasts) with an MP3 player like the iPod. In addition, Apple has added their
user friendly design to finding, updating, and syncing podcasts.
Apple is maintaining a directory of podcasts on the iTunes Music Store, making it available to both Mac and PC users. With a simple click, you can subscribe to a podcast and add it to the new podcast category in iTunes 4.9. Once you have a podcast loaded in iTunes, you can listen to the cast, download additional episodes, and load the cast onto your iPod for portable listening.
I've had success finding many interesting podcasts that cater to my interests. Among my current favorites are:
this week in TECH
Active.com: The Sports You Do Show
The Al Franken Show
Cinecast
Apple is maintaining a directory of podcasts on the iTunes Music Store, making it available to both Mac and PC users. With a simple click, you can subscribe to a podcast and add it to the new podcast category in iTunes 4.9. Once you have a podcast loaded in iTunes, you can listen to the cast, download additional episodes, and load the cast onto your iPod for portable listening.
I've had success finding many interesting podcasts that cater to my interests. Among my current favorites are:
this week in TECH
Active.com: The Sports You Do Show
The Al Franken Show
Cinecast
Posted at 10:25 PM
Sun - June 26, 2005
Double Dipsea Challenge
In my first race back since the Boston Marathon I
took on the famous Dipsea; actually I took it on twice in the Double
Dipsea, an extended version of the famous 7.1 mile race that runs from
Mill Valley to Stinson Beach on the California coast line. The Double Dipsea
comes in at around 13.7 miles, give or take 1/2 mile or so depending on one's
knowledge of the course and its many shortcuts. It starts at Stinson Beach,
heads over the mountains (4500+ feet of
climbing) towards Mill Valley where you turn around and run the Dipsea
in reverse back towards Stinson
Beach.
The Double Dipsea is a handicapped race, meaning that people started at different times depending on their age. Being the young gun that I am, I started with the "scratch" group (aka last group) around 9 am, nearly 35 minutes after the first group of runners started. While starting so late could be seen as a disadvantage, I really like the handicap format. It ensures that I am always chasing someone down and "moving forward" throughout the entire race. However, chasing people down on the Double Dipsea course proved to be a challenge due to the narrow trails and technically challenging terrain; there were points where I was literally running off of the course in the brush--where the footing is much worse--to pass people.
I pushed forward throughout entire race; I really felt like I was in the zone. The formidable mountain became a "hill" as I continued to run upwards as others stopped to walk and catch their breath. The decent down the mountain became an obstacle course: moving at the point of loosing control I was running to and fro, jumping over uprooted trees, dodging fellow runners, and putting on the "brakes" at the sign of a tight turn. It was GREAT!!! I love this kind of technical running that tests not only our physical strength but also your bodily control and reflexes.
In the end, I passed 322 of the 344 runners who competed in the 2005 Double Dipsea, finishing in 12th place (2nd in the 20-24 age division) in a time of 1:54:22. The Double Dipsea ranks among my favorite race courses to date. The mix of trails, pavement running, and stairs (yes, there are lots of stairs) created a very interesting and challenging course. Toss in the incredible scenery provided throughout the course and you've got the a great race. I'll definitely be back next year.
The Double Dipsea is a handicapped race, meaning that people started at different times depending on their age. Being the young gun that I am, I started with the "scratch" group (aka last group) around 9 am, nearly 35 minutes after the first group of runners started. While starting so late could be seen as a disadvantage, I really like the handicap format. It ensures that I am always chasing someone down and "moving forward" throughout the entire race. However, chasing people down on the Double Dipsea course proved to be a challenge due to the narrow trails and technically challenging terrain; there were points where I was literally running off of the course in the brush--where the footing is much worse--to pass people.
I pushed forward throughout entire race; I really felt like I was in the zone. The formidable mountain became a "hill" as I continued to run upwards as others stopped to walk and catch their breath. The decent down the mountain became an obstacle course: moving at the point of loosing control I was running to and fro, jumping over uprooted trees, dodging fellow runners, and putting on the "brakes" at the sign of a tight turn. It was GREAT!!! I love this kind of technical running that tests not only our physical strength but also your bodily control and reflexes.
In the end, I passed 322 of the 344 runners who competed in the 2005 Double Dipsea, finishing in 12th place (2nd in the 20-24 age division) in a time of 1:54:22. The Double Dipsea ranks among my favorite race courses to date. The mix of trails, pavement running, and stairs (yes, there are lots of stairs) created a very interesting and challenging course. Toss in the incredible scenery provided throughout the course and you've got the a great race. I'll definitely be back next year.
Posted at 03:09 PM
Wed - June 15, 2005
Allison's U of O graduation
This past weekend I flew up to Oregon to attend
my sister's University of Oregon
(UO) graduation ceremony. Allison graduated with a bachelors of
science degree from Education school at
UO. In addition to my sister's graduation, I was also present to
celebrate my cousin, Heather Hensley, graduating from UO with a bachelors of
arts degree in Psychology.
entire family was present for both graduations, spread across two days. Allison's graduation was Friday afternoon outside the Education School's quad. The weather started off nice, but being Oregon, proceeded to rain about 25 minutes into the proceedings. Despite all the students and many of the parents/friends in attendance becoming human sponges, the selected speakers did little to make their remarks brief. If it were not for the umbrella of Allison's friend Christy, I too would have become a victim of the weather. After nearly 45 minutes of speeches and ceremonial remarks, the diplomas were awarded to the deserving students. It was a bitter sweet moment for my sister; while she has completed four years of her education, she still has one more year ahead of her to receive her masters in education (required by state law).
Following the graduation proceedings, family and friends gathered at my sister's apartment for a homemade spaghetti meal, a small portion of which I helped with (go fruit dip!). During dinner I had a chance to meet many of Allison's friends. It's clear that she has made many positive friendships that will last long after her college years are done.
The next day, Saturday, the whole family jumped back in the van and headed towards campus again for Heather's graduation. The psychology school's graduation took place in the famous MacArthur "Mac" Court, home of the Oregon Duck basketball team. The format of this graduation ceremony was slightly different than that the education school. Each graduate was allowed to write down a few sentences to be read when their name was announced. We heard everything from "I would like to thank my parents ..." to "Call me if you hire psychology grads." Very cool idea!
I'll end this entry by saying that I'm very proud of both my sister and my cousin. They spent four years of their lives studying till dawn, four years of their lives struggling to live outside of the protection of family, and four years of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to grow into two wonderful people who are ready to attack this thing we call life. God bless.
Pictures from Graduation
entire family was present for both graduations, spread across two days. Allison's graduation was Friday afternoon outside the Education School's quad. The weather started off nice, but being Oregon, proceeded to rain about 25 minutes into the proceedings. Despite all the students and many of the parents/friends in attendance becoming human sponges, the selected speakers did little to make their remarks brief. If it were not for the umbrella of Allison's friend Christy, I too would have become a victim of the weather. After nearly 45 minutes of speeches and ceremonial remarks, the diplomas were awarded to the deserving students. It was a bitter sweet moment for my sister; while she has completed four years of her education, she still has one more year ahead of her to receive her masters in education (required by state law).
Following the graduation proceedings, family and friends gathered at my sister's apartment for a homemade spaghetti meal, a small portion of which I helped with (go fruit dip!). During dinner I had a chance to meet many of Allison's friends. It's clear that she has made many positive friendships that will last long after her college years are done.
The next day, Saturday, the whole family jumped back in the van and headed towards campus again for Heather's graduation. The psychology school's graduation took place in the famous MacArthur "Mac" Court, home of the Oregon Duck basketball team. The format of this graduation ceremony was slightly different than that the education school. Each graduate was allowed to write down a few sentences to be read when their name was announced. We heard everything from "I would like to thank my parents ..." to "Call me if you hire psychology grads." Very cool idea!
I'll end this entry by saying that I'm very proud of both my sister and my cousin. They spent four years of their lives studying till dawn, four years of their lives struggling to live outside of the protection of family, and four years of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to grow into two wonderful people who are ready to attack this thing we call life. God bless.
Pictures from Graduation
Posted at 08:49 AM
Fri - June 10, 2005
Hello World ... again
So ..... I've been away for a bit. Well, a bit
may be an understatement, more like two months. That last two months has been a
mix of highs and lows, some of which I wanted to write about but "couldn't" find
the time to type (I'm so lazy) and others that just don't belong in a blog.
Anyways, I'm back and hope to make more periodic entries. Till then
...
Before I go ... I have posted images from the Boston Marathon. I finished in 3 hrs. 22 min. 20 seconds.
Boston Images: part 1
Boston Images: part 2
Before I go ... I have posted images from the Boston Marathon. I finished in 3 hrs. 22 min. 20 seconds.
Boston Images: part 1
Boston Images: part 2
Posted at 03:21 PM
Wed - April 13, 2005
Boston approaches ...
It's been a long time since I've updated this
blog. I guess you could say that I've been busy training for the Boston
Marathon. Adding 50-60 mile training weeks to my already busy schedule at work
has a way of lowering the priority of this blog. However, the time has come to
continue my conversation with ... well ... myself.
Only five days until the BIG day. Nervousness doesn't begin to explain how I feel. I'm confident my training will pay off, so I'm really just nervous for the whole thing to begin. It is my goal to complete the marathon in 2 hrs. 45 minutes. My first marathon was completed in 2 hrs. 59 minutes and 21 seconds, so my goal is a realistic one, provided I stick to my strategy.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Boston Marathon, it covers 26.2 miles of city streets and rural highways from Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA. It is ranked among the largest single-day sporting events in the world, second only to the Super Bowl. Over 20,000 registered competitors--and countless "bandits"--will toe the starting line at 12 p.m. EST (9 a.m. PDT) on April 18th and begin a quest to complete the greatest of all marathons.
There are numerous ways for you to experience the Boston Marathon remotely and share in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Track Andrew live on race day:
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/ [on race day site will allow tracking]
-->Enter Bib #2314
Live TV coverage by OLN:
http://www.olntv.com/showviewer.asp?sid=249
Learn more about the Boston Marathon:
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/109thMarathon.asp
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/CourseDescription.asp
Good Books on the Boston Marathon:
26 Miles to Boston
I look forward to posting my story along with pictures/video following the race. Keep checking back.
Only five days until the BIG day. Nervousness doesn't begin to explain how I feel. I'm confident my training will pay off, so I'm really just nervous for the whole thing to begin. It is my goal to complete the marathon in 2 hrs. 45 minutes. My first marathon was completed in 2 hrs. 59 minutes and 21 seconds, so my goal is a realistic one, provided I stick to my strategy.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Boston Marathon, it covers 26.2 miles of city streets and rural highways from Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA. It is ranked among the largest single-day sporting events in the world, second only to the Super Bowl. Over 20,000 registered competitors--and countless "bandits"--will toe the starting line at 12 p.m. EST (9 a.m. PDT) on April 18th and begin a quest to complete the greatest of all marathons.
There are numerous ways for you to experience the Boston Marathon remotely and share in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Track Andrew live on race day:
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/ [on race day site will allow tracking]
-->Enter Bib #2314
Live TV coverage by OLN:
http://www.olntv.com/showviewer.asp?sid=249
Learn more about the Boston Marathon:
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/109thMarathon.asp
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/CourseDescription.asp
Good Books on the Boston Marathon:
26 Miles to Boston
I look forward to posting my story along with pictures/video following the race. Keep checking back.
Posted at 08:33 PM
Fri - January 21, 2005
Ready or not Boston, here I come!
I just received an email from the Boston Athletic
Association that my entry has been accepted. I'm going to be running in the
109th Boston Marathon
on April 18, 2005. You can see it for yourself by visiting the entry
list page and typing in my name.
Posted at 06:12 AM
Sat - January 15, 2005
Just registered for Boston Marathon
Well, I just registered for the Boston Marathon. They have a
cut-off of 20,000 participants, so I hope I registered in time. They are
supposed notify me in three weeks if I made it in. I've got my fingers crossed.
Posted at 12:19 PM
Apple reports Q1 of '05 financial results
What a quarter for Apple. Actually, that's an
understatement. This was the BEST quarter for Apple in the company's history! On
January 12, 2005, Apple
reported a net profit of $295 million on revenue of $3.49 billion
during the traditional holiday quarter. These numbers represent a 74% increase
in year-over-year revenue. Few companies in Silicon Valley will report those
kind of numbers this year.
What's even more impressive in the number of computers and iPods Apple sold in Q1. Apple shipped over 1 million Macintosh computers and 4.5 million iPods. Yes, I said 4.5 million iPods; that's a 525% increase from the year-ago quarter. Not to be outdone, computer shipments increased by 26% from the year-ago quarter. The so-called iPod "halo" effect appears to be bringing Macintosh sales up, which are Apple's highest gross-margin products.
Apple is growing at an amazing pace, although nothing like the growth experienced in the late 80's. We're on track to be 10 billion dollar company by the end of fiscal year '05. With the new products like the Mac Mini, iPod Shuffle, Tiger, iLife '05, and iWork '05, the company continues to head in the right direction. It will be interesting to see what numbers we report in Q1 of '06.
What's even more impressive in the number of computers and iPods Apple sold in Q1. Apple shipped over 1 million Macintosh computers and 4.5 million iPods. Yes, I said 4.5 million iPods; that's a 525% increase from the year-ago quarter. Not to be outdone, computer shipments increased by 26% from the year-ago quarter. The so-called iPod "halo" effect appears to be bringing Macintosh sales up, which are Apple's highest gross-margin products.
Apple is growing at an amazing pace, although nothing like the growth experienced in the late 80's. We're on track to be 10 billion dollar company by the end of fiscal year '05. With the new products like the Mac Mini, iPod Shuffle, Tiger, iLife '05, and iWork '05, the company continues to head in the right direction. It will be interesting to see what numbers we report in Q1 of '06.
Posted at 12:15 PM
Sun - January 2, 2005
It's official; I'm a fool for running a marathon
Well, maybe I wasn't a fool for running a
marathon. I was really just a fool for taking my first marathon out too
fast!
Let me take a few steps back. I had two goals for the marathon: (a) run a sub 3 hour marathon and (b) qualify for the Boston Marathon. In the months leading up to my first marathon (Redding Marathon in Redding, CA), I had mapped out my strategy: I would take the first 20 miles (the "warm-up") at 6:45-7:00 minute mile pace--a reasonable pace for my conditioning--and attack the last 6.2 miles as a 10k (the "race"), because ... well ... 10k is about 6.2 miles and I'm use to that race distance. Mind you that that strategy was designed before I had (a) seen a course map, (b) had actually run 26.2 miles, and (c) put my competitive necklace on; yes, I have a necklace that I wear only when I race.
Now that the back-story is complete, on with the main event. The Redding Marathon started at approximately 8:00 am January 1st, 2005 on the eastern side of the Shasta Dam. The weather lived up to the forecast the night before; overcast with a chance of rain and temperatures hovering in the mid-to-upper 30's. Despite the cool temperatures, I chose to wear shorts, a long sleeve dry-fit shirt, and a baseball cap. I figured that I would surely warm-up during a 26.2 mile race and wouldn't have to worry about cramps. Please note this as mistake #1.
With the sound of the race gun, I--along with 70 or so other participants--began the 2-3 mile decent over the Shasta Dam and down an access road into the valley protected by the massive cement dam. Whatever pacing I had hoped to maintain over the "warm-up" period was tossed out the window in the first few miles; the lengthy decent led to a sub 16:30 5k and quickly moved me into an elite pack of seven runners. I found myself about 100 meters behind a group of four and about 100 meters ahead of a group of two; yes, I was already in "no mans land." It wasn't until mile 7 that this stager changed; around that point a 30-something old guy named Jonz Norine passed me while we both traversed a 6-foot wide creek of ice-cold water running off the neighboring valley mountains into the Sacramento River, which we were running parallel to at the time. I let Jonz pass without much resistance, but kept within about 50 meters of him.
As the miles continued to pass, I continued to pull up to Jonz. Eventually I pulled side-by-side and started a conversation. Boy, was that nice; it sure made the miles go by fast. Before I knew it we were already at mile 12 and closing in on the lead pack, which at this point had been reduced to two (Jonz and I had passed two of the runners who lost contact with the pack earlier). It was also at this stage that I realized I wasn't on pace; in fact, I was far ahead of pace. However, I was feeling good, so I continued to push at a ~6:00 minute mile pace. Please note this as mistake #2.
Around mile 13 Jonz let me go and I continued to put the pressure on the leaders. I got so caught up in catching (it's that mojo from the competitive necklace kicking in) them that I neglected to monitor my pacing (mistake #3); I'm sure I was running sub 6:00 minute miles from mile 13-17, because my legs started to cry out in pain around mile 17 as we proceeded to traverse the rolling hills on the paved River Trail. I was within 10 feet of the leader at this point, second overall in the race, and realized that I had pushed myself far too hard, far too early. I immediately started to throttle back, but the damage was already done; I had reached my lactic threshold.
I don't remember a lot from the last 8 or so miles of the race; it's all kind of a blur at this point. I know I stopped for water and gel packets several times, walked a couple times when the pain from the cramps/tightness in my calfs and quads was just too much to bear, and mentally focused on pleasant things to get me through the other moments. It was by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to fight through in my life. There were moments when I thought about just stopping a cutting my loses, but I quickly realized that was not an option. I'm not a quitter and always finish what I start.
And I did finish, accomplishing my two goals in the process. My final time of 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 21 seconds--placing me 1st in my age division and 3rd in the overall standings--is good enough to qualify for the 2005 Boston Marathon. While I made several mistakes throughout the race and ended up paying for it in the end, I never gave up. That's what a marathon is all about; pushing yourself to your limits, and then pushing a little more for good measure.
Mission accomplished. Time for some Boston Chowder!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Andrew nearing finish of race
Let me take a few steps back. I had two goals for the marathon: (a) run a sub 3 hour marathon and (b) qualify for the Boston Marathon. In the months leading up to my first marathon (Redding Marathon in Redding, CA), I had mapped out my strategy: I would take the first 20 miles (the "warm-up") at 6:45-7:00 minute mile pace--a reasonable pace for my conditioning--and attack the last 6.2 miles as a 10k (the "race"), because ... well ... 10k is about 6.2 miles and I'm use to that race distance. Mind you that that strategy was designed before I had (a) seen a course map, (b) had actually run 26.2 miles, and (c) put my competitive necklace on; yes, I have a necklace that I wear only when I race.
Now that the back-story is complete, on with the main event. The Redding Marathon started at approximately 8:00 am January 1st, 2005 on the eastern side of the Shasta Dam. The weather lived up to the forecast the night before; overcast with a chance of rain and temperatures hovering in the mid-to-upper 30's. Despite the cool temperatures, I chose to wear shorts, a long sleeve dry-fit shirt, and a baseball cap. I figured that I would surely warm-up during a 26.2 mile race and wouldn't have to worry about cramps. Please note this as mistake #1.
With the sound of the race gun, I--along with 70 or so other participants--began the 2-3 mile decent over the Shasta Dam and down an access road into the valley protected by the massive cement dam. Whatever pacing I had hoped to maintain over the "warm-up" period was tossed out the window in the first few miles; the lengthy decent led to a sub 16:30 5k and quickly moved me into an elite pack of seven runners. I found myself about 100 meters behind a group of four and about 100 meters ahead of a group of two; yes, I was already in "no mans land." It wasn't until mile 7 that this stager changed; around that point a 30-something old guy named Jonz Norine passed me while we both traversed a 6-foot wide creek of ice-cold water running off the neighboring valley mountains into the Sacramento River, which we were running parallel to at the time. I let Jonz pass without much resistance, but kept within about 50 meters of him.
As the miles continued to pass, I continued to pull up to Jonz. Eventually I pulled side-by-side and started a conversation. Boy, was that nice; it sure made the miles go by fast. Before I knew it we were already at mile 12 and closing in on the lead pack, which at this point had been reduced to two (Jonz and I had passed two of the runners who lost contact with the pack earlier). It was also at this stage that I realized I wasn't on pace; in fact, I was far ahead of pace. However, I was feeling good, so I continued to push at a ~6:00 minute mile pace. Please note this as mistake #2.
Around mile 13 Jonz let me go and I continued to put the pressure on the leaders. I got so caught up in catching (it's that mojo from the competitive necklace kicking in) them that I neglected to monitor my pacing (mistake #3); I'm sure I was running sub 6:00 minute miles from mile 13-17, because my legs started to cry out in pain around mile 17 as we proceeded to traverse the rolling hills on the paved River Trail. I was within 10 feet of the leader at this point, second overall in the race, and realized that I had pushed myself far too hard, far too early. I immediately started to throttle back, but the damage was already done; I had reached my lactic threshold.
I don't remember a lot from the last 8 or so miles of the race; it's all kind of a blur at this point. I know I stopped for water and gel packets several times, walked a couple times when the pain from the cramps/tightness in my calfs and quads was just too much to bear, and mentally focused on pleasant things to get me through the other moments. It was by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to fight through in my life. There were moments when I thought about just stopping a cutting my loses, but I quickly realized that was not an option. I'm not a quitter and always finish what I start.
And I did finish, accomplishing my two goals in the process. My final time of 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 21 seconds--placing me 1st in my age division and 3rd in the overall standings--is good enough to qualify for the 2005 Boston Marathon. While I made several mistakes throughout the race and ended up paying for it in the end, I never gave up. That's what a marathon is all about; pushing yourself to your limits, and then pushing a little more for good measure.
Mission accomplished. Time for some Boston Chowder!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Andrew nearing finish of race
Posted at 10:42 PM
Christmas Vacation Recap
What a great Christmas break! I had a great time
visiting with family in Redmond, OR from December 24-30 '04. Because there is
just too much to talk about, I'll try to summarize my trip
day-by-day.
Friday, December 24th
Left Cupertino, CA around 4:30 am for Redmond, OR. Made a stop at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA to pick-up three 25-lb bags of fresh oranges. Each bag can be had for only $8.50; you won't find less expensive and better tasting oranges this side of the Mississippi.
The real "fun" part of this trip was when I hit Highway 97 just North of Weed, CA. For those of you that haven't traveled on Highway 97, it's a relatively flat highway that stretches between Northern California and Central Oregon. While providing beautiful scenery during my drive to Redmond, Highway 97 also provided an opportunity to have some fun with my Mustang without worrying about cops. The adventure began when I was about 20 miles outside of Dorris, CA which rests on the CA-OR border. I found myself stuck behind a slow automobile and a two-trailer semi-truck. I attempted to overtake both vehicles when we reached a flat stretch of road with high visibility, but the semi-truck cut in front of me and overtook the slow automobile. Once the semi-truck has completed its pass, I made my move; as I approached the semi-truck I took a quick glance at my speedometer--to my surprise I was traveling at 90 mph and barry overtaking the semi-truck. Suffice it to say that the semi-truck was moving far above safe limits for a vehicle of its size and weight. Due to the safety issues, I quickly passed the truck and tried to put in some breathing room. However, the semi-truck followed me at nearly 100 mph into Dorris and continued to cling to my ass as we made our way through the 90 degree turns in Dorris at speeds of about 20 mph. However, once we left Dorris, I floored it up a steep hill at nearly 85 mph and left the semi-truck in my dust. I love my car!!!
The night before Christmas was spent with family at my grandparent's house on "higher ground." There we opened some of our Christmas gifts; part of my family likes to opens gifts Christmas Eve and the other part Christmas day. Mary, my step-cousin, and I played the rolls of "Santa" and distributed gifts to the whole family. Highlights included ...
-Receiving "Mustang 2005: A New Breed of Pony Car" documentary book from Tim and Karen
-Giving Uncle Doug a 20'' iMac G5
-Giving Grandma and Grandpa a roaster pot
-Seeing my family, especially my step-cousins Mary and Ellie
Andrew holds Uncle Doug's new iMac G5
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Saturday, December 25th
Christmas is here! The morning started out by opening gifts from friends and family. Personally, the biggest highlight was an amazing piece of custom artwork my sister, Allison, gave me. Allison came up with the vision for the artwork and watched it come to fruition under the talent of her good friend Katie Clark, an up-and-coming artist. The artwork is a collage mixing some of my passions and interests: a picture of me running has been transformed to appear almost liquid, taking a cue from my passion for running and love for the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the whole things is superimposed on a 10x close-up of circuit board traces, obviously pulling from my electrical engineering background. It's really an impressive piece of work.
The whole family came over to my mom and dad's house that afternoon for the traditional Christmas lunch/dinner. Suffice it to say, everything was amazing. Mom did a great job this year with dinner.
After the food had settled, my sister and I took the other grandchildren (Heather, Steven, Mary, Ellie) ice-skating at The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, a local resort just outside of Bend, OR. The day we arrived was actually the grand-opening of the resort's brand new outdoor ice-skate rink. It wasn't the biggest rink in the world, but it was certainly big enough for a few hours of fun. I was definitely the ... ah ... less skilled of the bunch. I didn't fall down though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad; I just couldn't generate much forward motion. By comparison, Allison, Heather, Steven, Mary, and Ellie looked as though they skate on ice every day; they were skating rings around me all night! However, Allison stood out as the family pro, benefiting from having taken an ice-skating course while attending Southern Oregon University. I'm just glad I didn't seriously hurt myself this time around (it's a long story).
From L to R: Heather, Mary, Allison, Andrew, Steven, Ellie
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Sunday, December 26th
What should have been a relaxed day turned into a busy one. I tagged along with my mother and sister shopping; trying to take advantage of day after Christmas sales. Although I picked up my annual NBA Basketball collection Hallmark ornament, a new pair of Nike running shoes for my marathon January 1st, a nice American Eagle sweater courtesy of a gift certificate from Aunt Kathy, and scored Short Circuit at Wal-Mart for only $5.00, it came at a price. We were out shopping non-stop from 9 am to 5 pm. I can only take so much shopping. With my mother and sister it becomes a never-ending episode.
Monday, December 27th
This was the relaxing day I was looking for.
Tuesday, December 28th
First stopped at Tim and Karen's recently purchased home to give Tim a chance to "evaluate" my Mustang. Tim's a car enthusiast--he's owned more cars than I have toes and fingers, including those I don't like to talk about--and wanted to put the new 'Stang through it's paces. Without going into details, I'll just say that he enjoyed taking it out for a spin.
After saying goodbye to Tim, Karen, Mary, Ellie, and in spirit a sleeping Steven, I traveled out to Sunriver, OR to have lunch with Uncle Doug, who recently moved up from Southern California following his retirement at Bethany Luthern. Enjoyed a good bowl of chili with gourmet, albeit aged, cornbread, and a fresh fruit/vegetable salad. You see, Uncle Doug was feeding me so I would setup his new 20'' iMac G5 that I presented to him on Christmas Eve. It worked!
Wednesday, December 29th
Another relaxing day and very little motivation to leave home thanks to 3'' inches of fresh snow over the night. Since I don't see much snow in South Bay, I took advantage by going for a run and building a snowman with my Dad.
Mom/Dad's home with 3'' fresh snow
That evening, the family went out to dinner at McMenemins, a unique restaurant/pub/hotel chain that likes to restore old buildings to provide that authentic and historic ambiance. They also have a playful menu with some interesting choices. I ended up having "The Dungeon" burger and "The Terminator", a dark beer brewed in-house.
Thursday, December 30th
Left for Redding, CA to prepare for my marathon. More on that in another post.
Friday, December 24th
Left Cupertino, CA around 4:30 am for Redmond, OR. Made a stop at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA to pick-up three 25-lb bags of fresh oranges. Each bag can be had for only $8.50; you won't find less expensive and better tasting oranges this side of the Mississippi.
The real "fun" part of this trip was when I hit Highway 97 just North of Weed, CA. For those of you that haven't traveled on Highway 97, it's a relatively flat highway that stretches between Northern California and Central Oregon. While providing beautiful scenery during my drive to Redmond, Highway 97 also provided an opportunity to have some fun with my Mustang without worrying about cops. The adventure began when I was about 20 miles outside of Dorris, CA which rests on the CA-OR border. I found myself stuck behind a slow automobile and a two-trailer semi-truck. I attempted to overtake both vehicles when we reached a flat stretch of road with high visibility, but the semi-truck cut in front of me and overtook the slow automobile. Once the semi-truck has completed its pass, I made my move; as I approached the semi-truck I took a quick glance at my speedometer--to my surprise I was traveling at 90 mph and barry overtaking the semi-truck. Suffice it to say that the semi-truck was moving far above safe limits for a vehicle of its size and weight. Due to the safety issues, I quickly passed the truck and tried to put in some breathing room. However, the semi-truck followed me at nearly 100 mph into Dorris and continued to cling to my ass as we made our way through the 90 degree turns in Dorris at speeds of about 20 mph. However, once we left Dorris, I floored it up a steep hill at nearly 85 mph and left the semi-truck in my dust. I love my car!!!
The night before Christmas was spent with family at my grandparent's house on "higher ground." There we opened some of our Christmas gifts; part of my family likes to opens gifts Christmas Eve and the other part Christmas day. Mary, my step-cousin, and I played the rolls of "Santa" and distributed gifts to the whole family. Highlights included ...
-Receiving "Mustang 2005: A New Breed of Pony Car" documentary book from Tim and Karen
-Giving Uncle Doug a 20'' iMac G5
-Giving Grandma and Grandpa a roaster pot
-Seeing my family, especially my step-cousins Mary and Ellie
Andrew holds Uncle Doug's new iMac G5
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Saturday, December 25th
Christmas is here! The morning started out by opening gifts from friends and family. Personally, the biggest highlight was an amazing piece of custom artwork my sister, Allison, gave me. Allison came up with the vision for the artwork and watched it come to fruition under the talent of her good friend Katie Clark, an up-and-coming artist. The artwork is a collage mixing some of my passions and interests: a picture of me running has been transformed to appear almost liquid, taking a cue from my passion for running and love for the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the whole things is superimposed on a 10x close-up of circuit board traces, obviously pulling from my electrical engineering background. It's really an impressive piece of work.
The whole family came over to my mom and dad's house that afternoon for the traditional Christmas lunch/dinner. Suffice it to say, everything was amazing. Mom did a great job this year with dinner.
After the food had settled, my sister and I took the other grandchildren (Heather, Steven, Mary, Ellie) ice-skating at The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, a local resort just outside of Bend, OR. The day we arrived was actually the grand-opening of the resort's brand new outdoor ice-skate rink. It wasn't the biggest rink in the world, but it was certainly big enough for a few hours of fun. I was definitely the ... ah ... less skilled of the bunch. I didn't fall down though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad; I just couldn't generate much forward motion. By comparison, Allison, Heather, Steven, Mary, and Ellie looked as though they skate on ice every day; they were skating rings around me all night! However, Allison stood out as the family pro, benefiting from having taken an ice-skating course while attending Southern Oregon University. I'm just glad I didn't seriously hurt myself this time around (it's a long story).
From L to R: Heather, Mary, Allison, Andrew, Steven, Ellie
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Sunday, December 26th
What should have been a relaxed day turned into a busy one. I tagged along with my mother and sister shopping; trying to take advantage of day after Christmas sales. Although I picked up my annual NBA Basketball collection Hallmark ornament, a new pair of Nike running shoes for my marathon January 1st, a nice American Eagle sweater courtesy of a gift certificate from Aunt Kathy, and scored Short Circuit at Wal-Mart for only $5.00, it came at a price. We were out shopping non-stop from 9 am to 5 pm. I can only take so much shopping. With my mother and sister it becomes a never-ending episode.
Monday, December 27th
This was the relaxing day I was looking for.
Tuesday, December 28th
First stopped at Tim and Karen's recently purchased home to give Tim a chance to "evaluate" my Mustang. Tim's a car enthusiast--he's owned more cars than I have toes and fingers, including those I don't like to talk about--and wanted to put the new 'Stang through it's paces. Without going into details, I'll just say that he enjoyed taking it out for a spin.
After saying goodbye to Tim, Karen, Mary, Ellie, and in spirit a sleeping Steven, I traveled out to Sunriver, OR to have lunch with Uncle Doug, who recently moved up from Southern California following his retirement at Bethany Luthern. Enjoyed a good bowl of chili with gourmet, albeit aged, cornbread, and a fresh fruit/vegetable salad. You see, Uncle Doug was feeding me so I would setup his new 20'' iMac G5 that I presented to him on Christmas Eve. It worked!
Wednesday, December 29th
Another relaxing day and very little motivation to leave home thanks to 3'' inches of fresh snow over the night. Since I don't see much snow in South Bay, I took advantage by going for a run and building a snowman with my Dad.
Mom/Dad's home with 3'' fresh snow
That evening, the family went out to dinner at McMenemins, a unique restaurant/pub/hotel chain that likes to restore old buildings to provide that authentic and historic ambiance. They also have a playful menu with some interesting choices. I ended up having "The Dungeon" burger and "The Terminator", a dark beer brewed in-house.
Thursday, December 30th
Left for Redding, CA to prepare for my marathon. More on that in another post.
Posted at 07:51 AM
Mon - December 20, 2004
Passing of a dear friend
I don't know where to start. I don't know what to
say. I don't know how to react.
I learned this morning that one of my best friends passed away last night. This wasn't just any friend. He was my dearest friend; a friend that has been with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad, and most importantly, was just there. He wasn't a big guy by any means, but he had the biggest heart you'll ever find. While he had trouble talking, his emotions were undeniably conveyed through his wonderful facial expressions. And despite his pudgy elongated shape, he was able to overcome all kinds of physical obstacles.
This dear friend is not a person, but rather a dog. My dog. My 'Lucky.' This friend of man comforted me through some very difficult times growing up. It only took one look at his puppy dog eyes and wet nose to forget about all my fears, concerns, and problems. He was good at that. He was also good at getting into trouble. Like the time he decided to start chewing a piece of bubble gum; it brought new meaning to sticky situation. Like the time he tried to get in touch with his snow dog roots by running through 3+ feet of fresh powder; he came back with feet twice as wide. Like the time he decided to go on a run with me but mid-way through decided that he had had enough; I was forced to carry him over a mile back home.
Lucky lived a long, fruitful life. He passed away after over 14 years (69 in human years) of service to his four masters, Andrew, Allison, Connie, and Dennis. He enjoyed pig ears, dinner table leftovers, long naps, and well ... long naps. He will be buried in his final home of Redmond, Oregon.
My only wish this Christmas was to see my dog one last time before he passed away, but I guess a higher power had other plans for him. Good-bye my friend. You will be missed sorely and never forgotten.
I learned this morning that one of my best friends passed away last night. This wasn't just any friend. He was my dearest friend; a friend that has been with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad, and most importantly, was just there. He wasn't a big guy by any means, but he had the biggest heart you'll ever find. While he had trouble talking, his emotions were undeniably conveyed through his wonderful facial expressions. And despite his pudgy elongated shape, he was able to overcome all kinds of physical obstacles.
This dear friend is not a person, but rather a dog. My dog. My 'Lucky.' This friend of man comforted me through some very difficult times growing up. It only took one look at his puppy dog eyes and wet nose to forget about all my fears, concerns, and problems. He was good at that. He was also good at getting into trouble. Like the time he decided to start chewing a piece of bubble gum; it brought new meaning to sticky situation. Like the time he tried to get in touch with his snow dog roots by running through 3+ feet of fresh powder; he came back with feet twice as wide. Like the time he decided to go on a run with me but mid-way through decided that he had had enough; I was forced to carry him over a mile back home.
Lucky lived a long, fruitful life. He passed away after over 14 years (69 in human years) of service to his four masters, Andrew, Allison, Connie, and Dennis. He enjoyed pig ears, dinner table leftovers, long naps, and well ... long naps. He will be buried in his final home of Redmond, Oregon.
My only wish this Christmas was to see my dog one last time before he passed away, but I guess a higher power had other plans for him. Good-bye my friend. You will be missed sorely and never forgotten.
Posted at 10:05 PM
Sat - December 18, 2004
It's official; my first marathon is set
It's official. I will now enter into the ranks of
the crazy fools who run 26.2 miles for "fun." Yes, I will be running my first
marathon soon; the Redding
Marathon on January 1st of 2005. Instead of welcoming the new year
with champaign and those little cocktail wieners, I will be subjecting my body
to pain and suffering that will last several
weeks.
My good friend Beth Yakes mentioned the event months ago when I was toying with the thought of running a marathon. Further research revealed that this would be an ideal location for my first marathon. It's a low key race that takes place in the beautiful terrain around Shasta Lake in Northern California. The course is run on a combination of roads and packed rocks through mountains just North of Redding, although there is not supposed to be very hilly. In addition, the race is sanctioned by the USATF association and registered as a Boston Marathon qualifier.
I have two goals for my first marathon: (1) break 3 hrs (3:00:00) and (2) qualify for the Boston Marathon in April. To qualify for Boston, I have to break 3:10:59 (18-34 age bracket); not too difficult since that averages to around 7:15 mile pace, but anything can happen in a marathon.
My training has been going well. I've been maintaining a 50+ mile base with long distance runs on the weekends. Last weekend I ran my longest run yet; 19 miles in 2:05:00, or around 6:45 pace. I felt good after the run and recovered within a day, which I consider to be a very good sign of my current conditioning. With less than two weeks to go until the marathon, I'm now starting to tapper a little bit and cut back on my mileage. If I can avoid stuffing myself with all the fixings over Christmas (my Mom's a great cook), I should be in good shape come January 1st.
My good friend Beth Yakes mentioned the event months ago when I was toying with the thought of running a marathon. Further research revealed that this would be an ideal location for my first marathon. It's a low key race that takes place in the beautiful terrain around Shasta Lake in Northern California. The course is run on a combination of roads and packed rocks through mountains just North of Redding, although there is not supposed to be very hilly. In addition, the race is sanctioned by the USATF association and registered as a Boston Marathon qualifier.
I have two goals for my first marathon: (1) break 3 hrs (3:00:00) and (2) qualify for the Boston Marathon in April. To qualify for Boston, I have to break 3:10:59 (18-34 age bracket); not too difficult since that averages to around 7:15 mile pace, but anything can happen in a marathon.
My training has been going well. I've been maintaining a 50+ mile base with long distance runs on the weekends. Last weekend I ran my longest run yet; 19 miles in 2:05:00, or around 6:45 pace. I felt good after the run and recovered within a day, which I consider to be a very good sign of my current conditioning. With less than two weeks to go until the marathon, I'm now starting to tapper a little bit and cut back on my mileage. If I can avoid stuffing myself with all the fixings over Christmas (my Mom's a great cook), I should be in good shape come January 1st.
Posted at 10:40 PM
Thu - December 16, 2004
Project Management Training
So ... it's been a while since I last posted.
I've been ... well ... enjoying my new toy (Mustang). More on that
later.
This past week (Dec. 14-16) I attended a three day project management training course in Sacramento with the blessing of my manager. The course, conducted by the Catalysis Group, covered the four key steps in project management--plan, execute, control, and close. Several interesting strategies for project planning, execution, and risk management were explored, may of which I had never been exposed to before. I have to say that I really enjoyed the course content and presentation. I went into the course having an instinctive feel for project management, but now I have several tools and models which I can wrap my head around to improve execution.
As an aside, I'll say that downtown Sacramento is pretty nice. I ended up staying in the Embassy Suites on the Sacramento River Promenade, less than a mile away from the state capital, Old Sacramento, and Raley Field, home of the Sacramento River Cats. Through morning runs I was able to explore a large portion of downtown Sacramento and the surrounding territory. The city is well laid out, doesn't have an excessive amount of traffic, and seemed safer than some other large cities I've visited in the past. In addition, I discovered a really nice river-front trail that starts in Old Sacramento and goes on for several miles along the Sacramento River.
This past week (Dec. 14-16) I attended a three day project management training course in Sacramento with the blessing of my manager. The course, conducted by the Catalysis Group, covered the four key steps in project management--plan, execute, control, and close. Several interesting strategies for project planning, execution, and risk management were explored, may of which I had never been exposed to before. I have to say that I really enjoyed the course content and presentation. I went into the course having an instinctive feel for project management, but now I have several tools and models which I can wrap my head around to improve execution.
As an aside, I'll say that downtown Sacramento is pretty nice. I ended up staying in the Embassy Suites on the Sacramento River Promenade, less than a mile away from the state capital, Old Sacramento, and Raley Field, home of the Sacramento River Cats. Through morning runs I was able to explore a large portion of downtown Sacramento and the surrounding territory. The city is well laid out, doesn't have an excessive amount of traffic, and seemed safer than some other large cities I've visited in the past. In addition, I discovered a really nice river-front trail that starts in Old Sacramento and goes on for several miles along the Sacramento River.
Posted at 10:04 PM
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Published On: Jul 24, 2005 01:27 PM
Published On: Jul 24, 2005 01:27 PM