whirlwind

the crew:  Keith Sheridan, cousin Jill, Uncle Larry, Uncle Mike

whew.  what a whirlwind week or two that i've had.  several days after Jen from Idaho called me to tell me that she wasn't going to be coming down to pace me at Wasatch, Ashley stepped up to fill the void.  had to do some switcherooskis to cover the night shift for the event, and Butch said he would run the night shift so Ashley would be up for the final 25 miles.

then two days later, Butch emailed me that he had company in town that weekend and was going to the Willie Nelson concert.  (that was about a week ago, and i haven't talked to him since sending him a curt email in response.)  what a let down.  i've been checking in with him for months, making sure that he's still in and ready to go, and then two weeks before the event he bails on me.

but miracles never cease, and Jen called me the following day to say that she was back in for pacing.  YeeHaw!  so all shifts were covered.  then Ashley's boyfriend Steve stepped up for driving the crew vehicle and agreed to stay up all night.  Yes!  all of this several days before leaving for Idaho to go to my brother's wedding.

me and cousin Jill

also contributing to the roller coaster of emotions and financial despair:  the head gaskets blew on my Subaru the week before leaving for Idaho for my brother's wedding, so i had to get a rental car, the main water line to my house was leaking, so i had a plumber digging up my front yard and installing the new line literally as i was walking out the door to drive north.  i had to do two days of medical education the week before leaving too (so my certifications wouldn't expire), and actually got to work a day at the clinic.  what a busy week.  thankfully, Carl stepped up to take the fluffy muffin dogs, so they were well cared for while i was in Idaho for the weekend.

Bryan doing the "dead man's drop" zip-line technique

it was a great weekend in Idaho.  got to see my cousins and aunt and uncle from Colorado (my cousin Jill is fresh back from 4 years living in New Zealand), and my aunt and uncle from Michigan.  my dad and his lady-friend from Germany were also there.  Dad paid for me to stay in a hotel in Hot Lava Springs, so i could hang out with the cousins.  we went zip-lining outside of Lava the morning of Stefan's wedding.  super fun!  got caught in a thunderstorm, but thankfully no one was fried while up on the wire.

i literally drove straight up to Park City when i got home, and went to a memorial service at the Utah Olympic Park for a friend and former co-worker of my brother's.  he was known as the "ice meister" and was respected all over the nation and the world for his giving spirit, good natured attitude, and excellence of prepping the Olympic luge tracks.  he was only 43 years old, and died of cancer, leaving behind two great boys who played at his memorial in their band called "Amp".  a bobsled was sent down the track in his memory, and his picture and name were up on the light board/big screen.  it was an amazing send-off for an incredible individual who touched so many people.

Utah Olympic Park

a pile of rocks for David Dinger

so now it's just about 10 days until the big dance, the walk in the woods.  i'm feeling pretty good.  i took the dogs for our favorite loop in Millcreek last night, and cut down the overhanging log that has hit me so many times in the shoulder, and hit me in the head two weeks ago giving me a slight concussion.  since my car is in the shop (getting the head gaskets replaced) for a few days, i rode my road bike out to Cottonwood to the library to return a couple of books.  i'd rather run trails, but the bike ride was nice too.

overhanging log

bastard log cut in half

dogs approving of my handiwork

tools for the trade

i'll be number 190 for the event, and you can follow me online at www.wasatch100.com on race day, September 10th and 11th.  i'm looking forward to a great couple of days hanging out with my friends and eating from the buffet tables at the 100-mile catered hike!