Ready for Launch?

Last Night was pack meeting. It was the all anticipated Rocket Derby. So, for this past month scouts and dads alike surfed the internet trying to find the secrets to making the best rocket, Aaron (and Harris) leading the way. Disappointed, there is a lot more to be said about the Pinewood Derby that the space derby. So, Aaron and Harris did their best to make theirs (yes 'theirs', never forget with events like this, the dads are as interested as much or more that the scouts are) the most aerodynamic. For those of you who don't know, the rocket is propelled along a wire by the force that is given from rubber bands unwinding and turning the propellers. So the key is to wind the bands as tightly as possible with out breaking them. One dad had gone so far as creating a winder out of a coat hanger and a drill. It was found to be the best method to getting the rockets to go the furthest. See what I mean, this dad and others, including my own hubby, are so in to these things. I remember my dad drilling his hand when working on one of my brothers pinewood derbys. It had something to do with putting lead to weigh it down in the bottom making it go faster. Luckily, we had no trips to the emergency room. What we do to see our kids succeed. So after sandings, painting, and greasing up the rubber bands with soap they were ready. 1st heats: Harris' rocket went the furthest. Finals: Harris's Rocket had a malfunction. Fooling around after: Harris's went further than any rocket had gone the whole night. A little disappointed, he still got the award for the fastest rocket. Also, he got his wolf badge. Yea Harris! I can't believe we'll be celebrating big number nine here soon.

My Running Partner

What is better than on a day when my motivation has sunk to find a bit of solace in the suburbs and a little girl telling me to "ready, set, go!" Thanks Anna, the best running partner ever! Sorry Whitney, Jenny and anyone else I have run with, who could resist those round cheeks?

P.S. All you mommy runners: I totaly tripped out my jogger with bmx bike tires. No more flat tires for me! O.K. My tires were pretty worn and all they sell at Walmart (sorry dad) is bmx tires.

I got the better end of the deal

Aaron-

Thank you for letting me be a mom. I was sitting with Anna in her rocking chair, after calming her ever-running tears and realized I definitely have the better deal. Here I am holding the most scrumptious girl in the world with her mess of blond curls against me. What could be better? I get to hear her talk and sympathize with the pictures in her book and listen to her melodious giggle. At the library I watch her strut up to the checkout desk with her Elmo CD and assurance in tow.. I get to watch her say, "see ya," to the clerk at the grocery store. I' m privileged enough to be able to calm her down, that is a bounteous reward. The best part of all of this is it is the second time around. So, I still get to be home when he walks in the door full of tales and jokes. I get to see him struggle then triumph. He even teaches me a thing or two. Sometimes, I even get to be a fly on the wall and see the secret interaction of eight and nine year old boys. I take the kids to the park, to the church to play basketball. I discover great running trails and places of solitude. Then after the day is done, I get to write it all down. I know it must seem unfair but, I am glad that you put up with cranky patients for me. So as I embrace my motherhood, I thank you for loving me enough to give me this gift.

Fall smells like....

Last night we had our monthly gathering with A's family. Somehow the conversation turned to smells. All of Aaron's family who has been out of the country was trying to describe what said country smells like. Un-ha, my sweet sister-in-law from South Korea, said that the United States might smell like sweat. Not all agreed on that statement. Anyhow, Heidi, another great sis-in-law, said it is already smelling like fall. I have been thinking what does fall smell like? I definitely think that early fall smells like dry weeds. The ones that make me feel a bit wheezy when I run. Today as Anna and I were out running, I thought it does smell like fall. Though, I couldn't pin down why. I lit a pumpkin spice candle this morning trying to create a pseudo-fall smell. Yet, it wasn't what I think Heidi was talking about. Is it the culmination of dry, cool air and ripening fruit? I would say that the smell given off with the first start of the furnace definitely makes me think fall, yet, ours is still cold with only cool air passing through the fans. So what is it? I know as fall descends, the sky seems to change shades. Of course we all know what autumn looks like, the brilliant colored leaves are magnified against the faded sky. So I am asking you what does fall smell like? Give me your answers in your comments.

Half Marathon Post, on request.

So, I did run a half-marathon. After Whitney telling me that she kept checking the blog to see how it all went, I decided maybe I should post about it. I'm not trying pass it off as an insignificant event. I just thought for most of you it would be quite bored to hear about my triumphs and weaknesses as a runner. So here are three observations I made while running the Salt Lake Half, last Saturday.

1. Runners like their tunes more now. This observance is not just from Saturday morning. Any running event I have attended for the past year all runners take the sounding of the start of the race as a queue to start their music. It is a bit amusing watch everyone put their ear phones in adjust the volume, and start running. I was missing the day of the pre-run chats. Nevertheless I had my tunes too and I was just as anxious to get in my zone. What do I listen to? Paul Simon, U2, Jack Johnson, The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Mozart, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a bunch of music that I have stolen from your blogs. Not actually downloaded from your blogs but, heard it, and said that would be interesting to run to. Thanks for the Suggestions.

2. My body likes uphill better than downhill. I love Emigration Canyon. I have spent many a good Saturday morning running up the way of the zoo then coasting down the cool, winding canyon. That was four years ago. Since then most my training has been flat comfortable surfaces. So, I was much more worried about making it through the first four miles of uphill than the last nine of downhill. I felt superwoman-esque when I saw the crest of the last hill and four mile marker, no walking just a nice steady pace. Much to my demise, after the next five miles of downhill my legs were complaining. My legs kept it up through the last four miles, making me run/walk miles 11 and 12, and kept it up three full days after the race.

3. I love Emigration Canyon. Even though I am still a bit soured by the downhill factor, I love Emigration Canyon. I love the shady corridors, the small creeks, the houses I could never afford, and the familiarity. I loved racing the sun to Little Mountain, where Aaron took me to my first star party. It's my old stomping grounds. The first place I ran ten miles, the only place I ran twenty. As I looked to the north, I could see the hill Aaron asked me to marry him on an Indian summer evening this same time of the year.

It all carried me to finish this race in 2 hr 8 min. Eight minutes past my goal but, there will be other races and I'll be waiting.