Wild Horses

Grayson Highlands State Park is famous for its wild ponies. But last week, when we went there, all we found were tame ones.

Actually...I take that back...

One ate our bag!

40

The number 40 has always symbolized endurance, struggle, and adversity.

Take Noah and the animals: they endured 40 days and nights of rain.

Or the Jews: they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Or Jesus: he fasted 40 days before kicking into mission mode.

There must be something about the number...

Take me in high school: ever trying to gulp down (and hold down) "the 40"

Or the 40 mile hike in the Smokies we do every couple years or so.

And now there's a new one: Two weeks ago, I ran in the Triple Lakes Race - a 40 mile endurance race around three lakes (believe it or not) in Greensboro.

Speaking of believing it or not - somehow I got fourth place! A total surprise to me. My watch had malfunctioned and had added a solid hour to my time. Plus, the last fifteen miles I didn't see a soul. I spent a good chunk of it wondering if I made a wrong turn (which would have been the end of me, because I had no clue where I was and I didn't have any gas left in the tank!). Needless to say, it was quite the adventure.

Which leaves me with this question: what 40 challenge will be next?

You-Taw!

Here are some shots from our recent vacation to Utah. Utah paid me nothing to tell you this: but y'all need to check this part of the country out for yourselves.

Pioneer Park: St George, Utah, after eating Olive Garden to go while watching the sunset.

Left to right: Lia, wearing a monarch butterfly necklace made by A-Ro; Ned, wearing my new cool green shirt; Paul, sporting one of his fifty triathlon shirts; and Stef, who is simply, purely, all around sporty.

The next morning on the trail. Zion Park: sixteen miles down river. Here we go!

Either the walls got higher, or we got smaller.

Feeling small.

This is one of the many obstacles we had to navigate. Fortunately, this one required some off river scrambling instead of a waterfall plunge! Although we did experience one casualty here: Paul's dry suit (aka Star Trek Costume) disappeared.

Ned and Lia and our poop bags, post coffee and oatmeal...guess who had to carry them...

Miraculously, a hiker found Paul's Star Trek Costume! Have you ever seen a happier Spock?

Taken at Big Springs. Did I say this already? The trail IS the river. I think I may have forgotten to share this minor detail to Paul and Stef as well!

That little ant right there is Lia! By the way, this picture only gets half the wall!

We journeyed east to Page, AZ the next day to explore the Antelope Canyons. Here's Stef. For a second, we thought we lost her!

It's even more spectacular in person.

We only took 1,000 photos.

Paul and Stef jumped in our photo! Just kidding.

I saw this high point and took off. I looked over my shoulder to discover no one following me.

Can anyone say, Christmas Card 2011?

This photo was taken at Houston's Family Restaurant. Hands down, our best meal of the week.

It was raining everywhere in Southern Utah except in Bryce Canyon, where it was snowing. Guess where we decided to go?

Photographers would tell you that the first snow of the year at Bryce is one of the best photo ops there is. From this amateur's point of you, I'd have to say I agree.

We were on the Queens Garden Loop when this man coming from the other directions says: "There's a must stop ahead. You can't not do it."

He was right.

Around the bend there were hundreds of tiny rock piles. Whoever started this, thanks! What fun! Let me say: If it's been awhile since you played with rocks, do so soon. It's more fun than it sounds.

I told the team that the guidebook called this place Kissers Arch. Lia fell for it!

We bought the hats at the lodge.

Cliffside, Paul and Stef didn't trust me with the camera.

Our last day of hiking took us back to Zion where we journeyed up to Observation Point. Quite a view, I must say.

Paul only had to take 10 pictures to get one of me actually in the air! Ha!

Same day, different world: Las Vegas, the Venetian, Tao restaurant, a floating fifty foot Buddha behind us. Our waiter said that last week a couple got in a fight and the lady threw her wedding ring into the fountain underneath the Buddha. The next day she came back looking for it. According to the waiter, the ring was never found. All this to say, even after all the adventure, our marriages (and our friendship) managed to evade a similar fate.

What a trip! Looking forward to the next one...

Grunt

A few weeks ago, A-Ro and I were on our way back from the bagel store when she asked: "Daddy, what's a grunt?"

I had to think a moment on that one, before saying: "Well, it's a noise you make when you exert a lot of energy."

"No," she said, "a grunt, like in Charlotte's Web."

"Oh," I said, understanding. "I think the word is runt."

"Wilbur was a grunt," she said.

"I guess you could say that. Pigs do grunt."

"You know, Daddy, you're like a grunt."

I nodded as I looked back at her through the rearview mirror. "I guess I am." She had a point, after all. Her Daddy is not the largest of men.

"You know what they do to grunt's?" she asked.

"What's that, Sweetie?" I answered.

"They kill them."

Hot Momma

She's so cool.

Congratulations for kicking some serious triathlon tooshie.

Redeemer Middle School Rocks

Recently, I was given the opportunity to hang out with the Redeemer School's middle schoolers for the weekend. In addition to playing in the band (that's JT on the bass and Jennifer Wolfe Steele on the mic) I was asked to speak. I figured what better audience to experiment with some Clay themes.

Is there any time more formative than the early teens?

I spent the first night talking about the things that shaped me when I was a teenager. You can probably guess how that turned out.

The next day we talked about what happens when we let the one who made us shape us.

The first time I looked at this picture, I was like, 'Shoot, I've got zero attention going on,' until I realized that this picture was taken after I had given them clay and told them to pay attention to it. Ha!

It turned out to be a very transformational experience. At least for the speaker. Thank you Redeemer for asking me!

Blue Ridge Relay

I want to shake the hand of the man or woman who came up with this. A 208 mile relay race through the mountains, through day and night, from Grayson Highlands to Asheville.

My friend Jorge (running below) only had to ask me once. That's Emily above enjoying a pristine segment along the North Fork of the New River.

Emily and I were the only non-BB&T members of the team. Below, that's Oscar, Hernan (with four arms), Matt, and Jorge as we cheered on the Van #1 runners.

Each team member ran three legs. I totaled 21 miles for my part. We had just enough time to recover, so in Van 2 we ran each segment to the point of vomit. Now, that's team spirit.

After finishing my 7.5 mile middle of the night run. I chugged two waters, ate a bagel and Snickers bar, changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and then Jorge asked me to run his 3.2 mile segment with him. I said, No. Then, the excitement of the event overtook me and I tore off my pajamas, threw on my shoes, and ran after him without a vest or reflectors. I went 1.5 miles before the bagel, Snickers, and water coagulated into a giant mass in my stomach and gave me the worst stomach cramp in the history of cramps. I had to send Jorge on, but I couldn't stop or I'd be left behind. So I gutted (literally) out the last 1.7. It was awesome.

This Van is an example of the Team Spirit we were competing against. Representing a bank, we kept our van clean. (But inside, we all wanted to do something to it.)

In Asheville, we finished the last leg together, drank a beer and ate a burger to celebrate. We ended up 37th of 100something teams. Pretty good. Our Van walked down 59 runners over the course of the race (not that we were counting.)

I want to personally thank the Best Bank in Town for the opportunity to tag along. Thank you also to Lia, who let me go on the adventure. Maybe she can join the team next year!

Gangstas in the House

Yesterday, the fam went on a walk to find puddles. On the way, A-Ro and Dave Dave decided to make things more interesting by making guns out of sticks so they could shoot stuff.

...this was just about the time the cop car drove by...

...which inspired these words to come forth out of my daughter's mouth:

"BAM! BAM! I just shooted the police!"

Dave Dave smiled, pointing his stick-gun at me: "Bam! Bam! Daddy."

It was then I officially tossed that dream of my children one day winning the Nobel Peace Prize out the window.

Fifth Graders Rock

Karen, also known as El Presidente of New Growth Press, had this great idea of getting kids to read Clay. So over the last couple weeks, I've had some families take on the task. Thanks Trollingers, Gayles, and Kaufmann's.

After some encouraging reviews, I decided to contact Summit School. I called Bekah Sidden in the Guidance Office to see what interest she might muster up. I was hoping for a few courageous fifth graders. An hour later, Teresa Tsipis, one of the fifth grade teachers, gets in touch with me.

Next thing I know the entire fifth grade is going to not only read Clay, but illustrate it, give me written feedback, and even work with some clay of their own! They're practically building an entire unit around the book!

Last Thursday, I had the chance to speak to them. I had the zoom lens with me, so I only was able to fit half the room.

It was awesome. Bekah told me before the assembly that Teresa (top right) was a little worried that I was too humble and soft spoken for fifth graders. I had to laugh. Never have I been given such flattery.

Humble, soft spoken. I wish. If you can't be excited around fifth graders, who can you be excited around?

If anyone is in Ned's wheelhouse, it's fifth graders. Fifth graders and old ladies. They love me. Everyone else, not so much.

I just hope these fifth graders love Clay. If anything, I know I'll at least get honest feedback!

Here's to you Summit! Thanks! You rock!

First Day of Kindergarten

Look out world. Here comes A-Ro.