Westmoreland Asays

Tonight was Trophy Night at Bush Park , so we had to be there. Being that I had already embarrassed myself within the past week from my poor running, there was no need to show again how poorly trained I am. So Aaron got to enjoy all the attention in the 500 meter race. He started off well and was having a blast running with so many other kids. But as we got through about half the race, he started whining and crying about how tired he was. His face was all red, his breathing was clearly maxed out--but that's no excuse, right (at least for quitting before crossing the finish line ). I did my best to encourage him and coach him to the finish line, where he got the number 40 popscicle, which translated to 4th place in the 3-4 year old boy division--just one slot shy of a trophy (I know his pain all too well). I think he finished around 3:30, but I won't know until I find the official time posted on the web. Aaron then had fun playing with Eliza Peterson , a girl a few month

Here's the condensed version of H2C 2006; see my races blog for the gritty dirt on the actual runnin' and racin' (although I won't finish this for a while, so be patient). My team turned out to be a good group of guys to hang with for the weekend--oh, and to run a 197-mile race with. I believe all of the guys were lawyers, most of them in their mid-late 30's. So I was the baby on the team. I was scared about running the race, because I hadn't trained at all and, frankly, my 8-10 mile runs with Edward on Saturday mornings (which I have missed from time-to-time this summer), didn't give me much of a foundation. I ran about 4-5 miles each day of the week leading up to the race, but these runs served more to help me to remember to focus while I ran (I'm usually the tour guide for Edward, always looking out for stuff to show him), as well as to get my body somewhat acclimated to running again; they did nothing to help me physically run long and fast. Team G

I know that I said I wouldn't run the Hood to Coast relay again, unless I ran on a team with Steve Prefontaine , Sebastian Coe , and Said Aouita . My main gripe in 2004 was that our team lacked the competitive edge, which led to some of us running extra legs or switching our lone easy leg for another hard one because some team members just couldn't cut it. But I have figured out a great methodology for running Hood to Coast in the future. I wasn't even thinking about the relay--let alone signing up to race--until last week, when a few co-workers mentioned that they would be participating . . . As the race draws near, there are tons of teams publicly looking for substitute runners. Team abilities run the gamut of competitive to slow. Some teams even offer to pay for everything (which amounts to a couple hundred bucks)--they'll even go so far as to pick you up and drop you off. So if you wait long enough, you can find a team desperate enough to essentially pay you to run.

I took today off so we could celebrate our anniversary (Meg is going to work on Wednesday, plus it was more convenient to take time off consecutively). Even though we hired the boys' favorite babysitter, Katie (a very distant cousin, actually), Aaron was terribly upset. He ran up to his room and hid under the covers, crying. He normally welcomes a sitter with excitement, so this was strange. He of course quickly recovered once we left, and he was all smiles when we returned home that evening. While driving downtown, we stopped by a couple of used car lots to find the elusive Celica. I've decided I'd rather have a two-dour faux-sports coupe than a 2wd pickup. I rarely drive as it is, so why not have something fun and economical. I refuse to buy anything fancy or expensive or new, because I can't justify it, but I've thought about older Preludes, Celicas, Integras/RSXs, Civic SIs, and 240SXs, but the Celica best fits my needs and personalities. Alice (our Corolla)

Meg and the boys picked me up at the office in Portland around lunch time, so we could attend Meg's sister Sara's wedding at the Portland Temple . We had arranged for our Beaverton babysitter, Courtney, to meet us there so the boys would have some supervision while we attended the ceremony. She last saw them four or five months ago, but she commented that they both seem so much bigger and developed since then. I believe Sara was married in the same lucky 13 room that me and Meg did nearly six years ago . . . After the ceremony and lots of pictures (what a struggle with two energetic boys ), we left for Sherwood. We changed our clothes, and I took the boys to the nearby park. It's a pretty amazing place for a city park: two soccer fields, basketball courts, two or three different playgrounds, and a mock beach (water fountains and a huge sand pit). THPRD in Beaverton was the ultimate neighborhood park, but there is nothing like this at all in Salem. Sara and Matt held

Meg went into the office for a full day of work on Wednesday, so we interned the kids at a neighbor's house for the day. When I got home, the garage was open, and the house was empty. So I figured Meg had just beat me home and was picking up the boys four doors down. In the distance I spotted the crew walking home, so I went to meet them in the middle. Meg was pushing them in the double stroller, with Aaron sitting in the front, crying. I figured he was just sad to leave (he really enjoys having friends come over and vice versa), but apparently a hornet had stung him on his right shin. I carried the wounded boy into the house and gently layed him on the recliner, as he was whimpering that he couldn't walk. Meg concocted a salve of water and baking soda, and lovingly spread it over the affected area. For the next hour or so, we babied him as he watched cartoons on DVD, until he perked up again and was running around as usual. No abnormal swelling, and no apparent fear o