What a year

2010 brought new jobs to both Tiff and I, a cross country move, 2 marathons, a new tattoo, a new puppy, an amazing wedding, a new house... it was a great year. Thanks for the ride. Happy New Year all!

House

As a kid, didn't we learn the only thing you needed to build a house was to have all three properties in one color and then the banker would hand you your prized little red houses? Thanks monopoly for throwing off another life lesson. I am still bitter there is no real "Free Parking" out there.

It's funny how buying a house that is not built yet gives you countless hours of mental diversion. Niether Tiff nor I profess to be very patient people, so having made the biggest purchase of our lives and having nothing but a sign and a lot of paper work can be unnerving at times. At other moments, it's as exciting as lottery ticket fantasies. All in all, it feels good but odd. We both miss Chicago considerably, but feel very good about our investment towards Colorado. I just wish they would break ground soon. It will feel good to see our plot of dirt begin to transform.

It has been a whirlwind holiday season thus far. Working in retail has so many challenging days. It's been a new perspective to have some resposibility for getting products on the shelves. What I have learned is that patience really is a virtue. I am grateful for all the folks that showed some undestanding. It's still busy with so many people coming in with gift cards and the standard statement of, "I didn' know it would be this busy." That phrse is trying the virtue of patience constantly as I know how long it took me to park. All in all, I m hanging on to the good moments and waiting till school is blessedly back in session. That will cut 80% of the crazy at my job.

Happy Tuesday Picture

Nostalgia

Over the last couple days, the memories of Chicago have been playing pretty constant. One of my goals before leaving the Second City was to figure out why people like living there so much. I did and then some. It was a fantastic town to live in for the better part of the last 10 years. Always I had this belief that Colorado would again become home some day. I am not sure if it's because there was such a brief time to realize that someday was about to happen (3 weeks to be exact) or that my affinity for Chicago was going to take longer to say good bye than I imagined, but its been tough. I know I have a natural tendency to desire the greener grass, but it's hard to remind myself of that when it has a good grip on the mind. Chicago became home and Denver has always been home for me. When I can get out of the mental tug of war and just enjoy that I have a couple great towns vying for the title of home in my head and just enjoy home much appreciate them, it helps. From Mile High City to the Windy City, I miss ya!

Candy Cane Hangover

The day after. It always has a strange introspection for me. After hearing my first Christmas song of the season in early October, it's odd that the day itself is now completed. It went well and as per usual there were the surprises, twists and turns, the loved ones not close enough, and the gift that made you sure the tag could not have had your name on it. It was grand though. What's strange is the new outlook that, with the exception of New Years, there is not another holiday insight that wields nearly the same punch. If anything we begin the 3 month stretch of talking about the weather. For a change, I will get a chance to focus on some daily maintenance. That sounds fantastic to me, I don't know about you.

Here's hoping that the big day yesterday found you well and there were moments you can still think about that make you smile. Happy Boxing Day to all and to all a good day, eh?

Happy Christmas!

This is my first Christmas as a married man. It's fun to be starting some new traditions. Hell, it's already wonderful getting to enjoy Christmas Eve with Tiff. It's unusual for either of us to not be traveling today or trying franticly to wrap presents today. It is tough to not see some of the family this year, but we have truly been blessed to see everyone just recently. This year seems to be a year of transition. It's good.

From one tired and humble Captain Stupie to each of you, Merry Christmas! May your cocoa never be empty and cookie plate never be too far!

Just for fun

Good To Know

I'm out front of one of our great farmer markets waiting to have dinner with a couple old friends. I'm excited as distance keeps me from seeing them often. It got me thinking how close friends froms days past are like living time capsuls for me. Forever when I get together with Beki and Travis, I will @ some point think of the GWAR shows or finding unique reasons to not want to travel through Idaho. It usually makes me pretty happy having those glimpses as I feel like the great people I have had these adventures with have been well worth continuing to hold onto the friendships when proximity makes it tough. With less of a social life these days beyond my new family, I still consider my friends close to me.

Tired but Worth it

It's been a hell of a day. Working retail at Christmas time is a true test in patience. None the less there are some surprisingly nice folks out there. It was a long and tough one today. All I wanted to do tonight was eat and crash. That however is not in the cards. Tonight is a full lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. This the first time in many hundred years and will not happen again, I am told till 2090. Times like this, I have always found it important to take advantage of the moment. The motto of you can catch up on sleep when you are dead has provided many a fantastic experience. Tonight it will be to see the moon completely shadowed by the earth. A good friend said that from the perspective of the moon, every sunrise and sunset will be visible at once. Kinda cool!

Home Ice

It doesnLt seem possible to still be surprised at a days events and yet today is one of those days. This morning Tiff and I went to Reunion to get an idea on the finishes we want in our home. That alone was wild. Now I'm sitting at the Pepsi Center to see the Avalanche play. Mom is here too and it's exciting as hell to see them as the HOME team. Little by little, Colorado is feeling more like home. The odd part is no step has felt familiar.

Saturday Morning

It still amazes me the power a calm Saturday morning can have. No matter the stress, buzz, or festivities of Friday night, there are Saturday mornings that seem absolute cure-all's. Of course this isn't always so, but when they come around it is so sweet. The morning light is more brilliant, the coffee is better, and the view on life that much more optimistic. It just feels good. It's like waking up as a kid in time for your favorite cartoon and having your favorite cereal on hand. the world is yours. Hope your morning is going well, where ever you are.

Cheers!

Productivity

Work has been super busy as of late and kept me buzzing about at an accustomed speed for the year thus far. It's ice when that energy spills over towards actually getting some things done for myself. As example, today so far I have walked and fed the dogs, cleaned the kitchen finished the laundry and paid some bills. This being my first day off in nearly a week, I am excited to get all this done to free up the rest of the day. It's been a long time since I have had a stretch without a lot to do. The paradox here is with this high energy, free time is a goofy notion. You just keep trying to get more things done. Inertia, man. Maybe I can get a haircut. Starting to blend with my living room.

The good life

When I can step back from the daily thoughts and challenges and see how much I have in my life, there is really no big troubles today. That perspective is pretty damn good to have when I can get it.

Staying present

It has become a big challenge to stay present as of late. With the signing of a house we can't move into till next summer, the mind is often drifting to the future. What will the house look like? What will the commute be like? How will the dogs react to a yard? All of these are fun questions to think about, especially for someone that has never had their own home. However, the future is a dangerous place for my mind to spend too much time I have found. When I spend too much time thinking about the future or the past, my present gets neglected. When that happens, I tend to lose out on a lot of great moments. While I would like to spend lots of time considering what it will be like to have a garage to work with, it keeps me from appreciating where I am right now. It's fun, for sure, but I am also so aware that where I am right now is pretty damn good too.

Early

It's still very dark outside and I am minutes from heading out the door to head to the store. Holiday time in retail is a challange for sure. What I know is it is way too early to head to the Doll House. Even the dogs aren't interested in waking up right now. Glad to have a job though. Here's hoping the vast majority remember to play nice out there today.

Perspective

Funny how much perspective can change. Where my life is today, I doubt I could have seen even a year ago. When I look back further, the view is even more askew. What makes me happy is that for several years, my life has been filled with some amazing people and I know I am not at the healm of this facinating ship. I am very grateful for the now as well as the yesterday, no matter how the perspective has shifted.

Denver Train

It feels a little more urban to be sitting here on a train platform, waiting for my ride home. This is my second crack at the Denver Light Rail. Aside from not enough tracks, it's great. As an added bonus to a ridoculously busy day, all employees of the mall were forbidden to park at the mall. Last time I tried riding the bike only to find that on top of not being able to shift (suck on hills), my rear tire needs replaced. Honestly, I want to ride again! The traon is here, time to go.

Routine

The on thing 2010 has not had a lot of is routine. While that word has made me cringe on more than one occasion, it has also proven itself to be a solid foundation for high productivity. Over the last week, I have begun to see some elements of routine beginning to form. It has felt like relief. I have had much more time available and a new found sense of energy. Much like the calm after a storm, there has been considerable lack of direction in its wake but slowly I feel some progress. I may actually achieve the final goal for 2010. Stay tuned.

Momentum

So much seems to have been happening so fast this year. It's startling to realize that this time last year, Tiff and I were living in Chicago with very few of today's realities on the horizon. I think we only knew about the wedding, but certainly not the date at that point. From the time I left for tour in February, it has been one big thing after another. All is good, but wow it has been a lot. While we are so happy with each step, with it happening so fast it is tough to not feel frequent pangs of sentiment. We both miss Chicago a lot. It became our home and is a fantastic city. That being said, there are signs of new love in our Denver home. It takes a while to get established, especially when the elements that make it feel like home aren't always the easiest to find. A good Thai place. The coffee shop that feels familiar. Even the spot you go to to get away. All of those type of things become home after some time but there is no getting around it taking some time.


With a home now under contract, we have fulfilled one of our major goals. It has also left me feeling a little lost for the last couple days. I don't have a marathon I am training for and there are no houses to seek out when I get home. I find a ton of momentum all of a sudden crashing into my back. What d I do now when I have some precious down time? I started running again yesterday and will head over to the gym today before work. The bike needs serious work (post on my pioneer ride to work in Colorado to come) and I can start figuring that one out. I still work in retail at Christmas time, so at least the job is anything but dull currently.

There's a lot of energy without a clear direction right now, but it's good. Maybe now we can find that coffee shop that feels like home.

Happy Picture Tuesday

New Perspective

It feels different walking into work the day after buying a house. When I punched the time clock today, there was an internal sigh of relief. I am very grateful to have gotten to this point with Tiffany. We continue to explore uncharted waters together. On the whole though, I will be content to consider 2010 wrapped as far as big changes go. We've had quite enough to adjust to. All great things, but ready for some good old-fashioned down time.

Home New Home

We bought a house today! Well, there will be a house back there! Yeah!

30 Seconds

What can be said in a 30 second note? Not much. Working in retail poses a challegne to staying joyful in a season filled with music advising it. I am finding it thus far not so tough. It really depends on the mind set going into work. Sure there will be the people that demand the impossible, but that's not so bad. If their demands were actually possible, then there would be an issue. On behalf of my retail team, I ask only that we all try and be a little kinder to the people rocking the name tags this year. I've got somw amazing people working for me, vastly overqualified for their jobs. Give them a smile. It helps, trust me.

Kidding me

It's an odd time to consider it, but I've been seriously considering quitting smoking again. It is as hectic a time as ever and with the prospect of looking at houses, change is still happening. I am wondering if the window of opportunity is going to come again soon or if I need to start looking more aggressively. I'm sick of the habit and yet keep turning to it. I know through experience to get a decent start at nonsmoking, it takes some persistence. So here's a public declaration of renewed attempt. I truly hope to be quit again soon and buying my time till the never ending craving subsides.

Cyber Memory Lane

It seems odd now to recall how recently so many of the conveniences we don't even think much about now were not even in the picture. I realize this will make me sound old, but fuck it, I think it's kinda cool to remember when parents had kids because they were tired of getting up to change the channel (all 4 of them) on their own. I am not jumping that far back though today. What launched this train of thought this morning was my attempts to make sure my gym membership had been cancelled. I signed up for it in 2006. Within that very short stretch of time though, I have moved from my first email account at Hotmail to Gmail. In an attempt to see if this was the email address on file, I reopened my Hotmail account to see if I had confirmation. Out of sentiment, I still have it and still take a little pride in the handle "tcjester." I made a new account as this one was besieged with SPAM and when I opened it today, I could still see why. However, as I deleted page after page, I got to look back at where I was when so many of those companies got me on their mailing lists. The one that furthered this online journey back were the emails telling me I had a new message on Myspace. Of course, they were all bands I had never heard of nor knew anyone in, but it made me smile a little that "Death Ye Pizza" extended the offer. While this isn't as mind blowing as say firing up the original Nintendo in my parents basement, it was fun. At times like this, you know Ferris Bueller's final words of advice were pretty accurate.

Thank you... seriously

As has been obvious lately, I am trying to write more frequently. A daily post was not my original intent, but seems to be a decent pace to try and maintain. In the void that marathon training opened up and the circus of having a new puppy at home, this has proven to be a great outlet. It has served as a good place to let loose frustrations over holiday shopping and thoughts on house hunting. To me this still feels more genuine that a Tweet or Facebook status update. I am also sad to see so many friend's blogs that have gotten so quiet. It's selfish, but I like hearing extended thoughts they share on their worlds, many of which are not even in my time zone. The consequence of jotting down so many thoughts lately has been an unanticipated concern from some loved ones. By trying to just get more words out there, my posts have not always been as clear. Ergo, I have fielded a couple calls of late to see if I am OK. To set the record straight, all is well with the Captain. I have some great "problems" today and am trying to remember that every time they feel otherwise. As we proceed into this exciting final month of a jam packed 2010, I will continue to try and stay active here on Stupie. Glad to have my three readers with me and love hearing all manner of feedback. I hope this holiday season brings many laughs and contentedness to each of you!

Happy Tuesday

It's decidely so

Funny when you just know. That moment comes often without any warning and in my case usually way ahead of plan or way behind it. Stupid plan. There is a strange comfort when you just know. The struggle comes for me when the mind has other plans. As elementary as this may sound, while it's happening, it's impercetible. It always feels good though when the mind gives way and the gut is clear. Here's to just knowing tonight.

Little Boxes...

Striking while the writing iron is hot, here is another conundrum Tiff and I are looking at. As has been mentioned, we are house hunting right now. I am finding many of my preconceived notions about the place I want to buy are dated and not fitting where my life is now. Tiff has her own bag of ideas she is sifting through, but together we are on the same page mostly. The big dilemma for us is location. There are places in Denver we love and would love to live, buy our budget would necessitate a pretty small place. on the other hand, we have a couple friends that just bought a place in a development a bit outside of town with much potential for growth. Both sides have appeal and I am surprised how much the place in the burbs meets a lot of the ideas we both want. We will have more information to decide soon, but either way it will be wonderful to not have a unit number after our street address if all goes well.

What's It Take?

Once again, sitting here on break at work. The line of thought today is on attitude. Today it feels like there is a heavy, frustrated attitude in the air. I've often subscribed to the belief that if I encounter more than 3 assholes in a day, I am probably one of them. That being said, I'm trying to stay positive, realitively. It's tough though. It feels like wave after wave of irritation and after a while it just seems easier to be irritated. That's less fun. So, what does it take to remain ok when everyone else seems more focused on bitching? I'm not sure, but I will be humming Wave of Mutination and thinking of rainy day in the city to stay where I feel better. We'll see if it helps.

Black Friday from the other side

I'm sitting here at the mall on Black Friday. The only reason I'm here is because I have to work. Oddly, today is not nor ever has been a holiday as far as pay goes in the retail world. For those on the other side of the counter, there are fewer days as tough to work. It's not that it's unreasonably busy (which it is), but that most people seem to forget they are in public and dealing with people at these stores. They get ugly and tale it out on the folks just trying to do their job. While I know there are other lines of work, it's hard to see so many hard working people being so poorly rewarded. I say Black Friday should be deemed a mandotory holiday pay. Hell, most places can afford it today. Me, I'm observing Buy Nothing Day.n

Mayhem

So Tiff and I set out to look at some houses on Halloween and stopped by our little, local pet shop for some food for Estes.

As the picture will show, we ended up with a little more than we intended. Since Estes was pretty young, we knew we wanted to get a second dog for companionship. as it turns out the opportunity finally arose. I present to you, our new Westie puppy, Maggie Mayhem. She's 12 weeks old and definitely living up to her name. Yet another memorable moment for an incredibly eventful year thus far. And yes, I did memntion we were out looking at houses... more on that to come.

New York by the Mile

New York was such a great run! I am very grateful to all that offered their encouragement and support. A special thanks to Tiff for all the moments of support on all those many days I had "a quick training run" to go do. I also wanted to thank the tremendous Jack Finnegan for putting me up in his Brooklyn pad. He's in the midst of an ambitious project with City Love song (his show) and if you can, give him a little help.

Here's how the marathon weekend and run went.

Friday:
Arrived in New York and Jack treated me to the "best jerk chicken" in New York. Well fed, we hit the town and actually walked most of the island of Manhattan that night. awesome conversation and great company.

Saturday:
The adventure to get to the Expo. Pretty smooth, but again a ton of walking. I secured my bib, my bag, and my ride to the start. They set me up on the 6am Staten Island Ferry. I was just glad to get the start transpo taken care of. Jack took me to an fantastic local Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. In true marathoner spirit, I ordered 2 dinners and was able to crash by 9pm.

Sunday:
In order to get from Brooklyn to the SIF by 6am, I had to get up at 4am. that in and of itself, wasn't bad until you later see what time I started actually running. I was out the door by 4:45am and at the Ferry by 5:40am. The Ferry and bus to the Start was pretty cool, it helped that the sky started getting light while on the boat. I arrived at my particular starting village at 6:50am. I had nothing to do but check my bag, eat a couple bagels, a Powerbar, and drink a large amount of complimentary Dunkin Donuts coffee. Having unlimited DD coffee was a fantastic perk on an otherwise very chilly morning in the shadows of an intimidating bridge, The Verrazano. I was called to my starting corral at 9:40am and had to shuffle around a bit to make sure I got into that start.

Miles 1-2:
All bridge. I was on the lower level so had no idea when we got to the top, but the views were fantastic. Very crowded and I was bent on not going out too fast so I got passed, A LOT on the bridge.

Miles 3-9:
Seriously, these were so much damn fun. the people in Brooklyn were the best! They were rowdy and very supportive. It was a surprise each time the mile markers came up. The pack was moving comfortably and not real troubles on the course.

Miles 10-15:
It was starting to feel a little surreal that we were still in Brooklyn. The people were great still, but you knew you had 3 more boroughs to get to. When crossing into Queens it felt good. The people in Queens were also fantastic. The legs felt strong and the conservation seemed to be paying off. To avoid the wall, I was very determined to refuel and do everything I could. This included a salt packet and baby aspirin at the start and another salt packet at the halfway point. The salt packet (from In n Out by the way) @ 13.1 was sadly a little empty. Rounding the corner before mile 15 and seeing the buildings of Manhattan coming up was encouraging. It was also exciting to see what one of the big bads of the marathon was going to be like.

Miles 15-19:
The Queensboro Bridge was unanimously touted as the hardest part. It was a good, long incline but not so tough. I know I trained in Colorado, but it wasn't so bad. Actually, the steady up through Manhattan began to wear me down. The people were great too. The route was very wide though and while I was in a pretty decent groove, the crowd support was vital by this point. I had to run towards the fringe and enjoyed it. I started to feel the miles but not too bad.

Miles 20-22:
The Bronx were fun. It felt good knowing I was on the next to last borough. The few and proud out to support were great. My legs were feeling good and I was starting to feel like the wall may not be as bad. I popped a Jolly Rancher I brought from work and quickly found out where the rest of the salt had gone. At that point, a salty, blue raspberry hard candy was actually friggin fantastic!

Miles 23-24:
Great reserves in the legs, but weary of burning out in the infamous final 6.2miles I wanted to hold back still. Loved the crowds. I began pushing faster limits when I was open.

Mile 25:
One mile to go and deep in Central Park, it was time to let loose everything I had left. I actually had a lot of leg left. With runners at a slower pace I gunned it on the outside. Now I know in Minneapolis, I thought I was flying and actually was running normal. When I had a chance to finally check, I was on a 6:45/mi pace. It felt so good to cross the line so strong.

Again, thank you! I finished at 4:15:37. Damn proud of that!

A Nice Message

Friggin Great Project to Know About

More on my New York Adventure very soon, but wanted to share this in hopes you can help or spread the word (which is helping too)!

In Brooklyn

I have arrived in New York and am all sorts of excited. It's one thing to know you are running the NYC marathon but it's another when you are actually standing in New York. I have been so well received by "Pastor" Jack in his digs here in Brooklyn and took a vigorous foot tour through much of Manhatten last night. I am excited for tomorrow's run, but am also just enjoying the hell out of being here. I'm about to head out on my own to the expo and start unwinding on a notoriously hard day to relax. This is something amazing.

One week and One hell of a year!

It's one week till the new york City marathon. The gamut has been run both physically and mentally already and I am peacefully content for the upcoming run. It's a fantastic opportunity to reflect when training for a marathon. There are a lot of quiet miles out there with little to do but put one foot in front of the other and think. This has been an incredible year already and there are still 2 months left. Thus far it has included a new job, cross country move, 2 marathons (and their 17 weeks of training each), and getting married. It's been anything but normal most days.

With the marathon in sight and little to do but try and sleep and eat well, I feel like I am getting my first chance to really take it all in. It's truly been one wonderful experience after another. I was talking with Bill yesterday and able to to put my finger on the most incredible common thread. Not one of these big events has occured because I was unhappy where I was at. I came to love Chicago before I was give the chance to come home to my long loved Denver. This has been the case each time. I am humbled and grateful when considering this

It still makes me laugh to remember vividly telling friends a couple years ago, "I think I want to try a marathon because I just think I could."

As far as the NY trip coming up, I am excited. I think it will be a lot of fun. I have reflected long hours on the wall I hit in the Minneapolis marathon and feel confidant I can adjust. Plus, it's New York! This race is so big, it's nationally televised and broadcast in 135 countries. It makes me laugh that this habitual smoker, often sporting combat boots is about to be in a nationally televised sporting event. Life takes some fun twists.

If anyone is interested in tracking the Stupie, my number is 39833,

Butterflies and excitement

I don't mean to sound repetitive but it's tough to have my mind on anything but New York right now. I did my last 20 mile run yesterday and it was rough. In theatre terms that would be a good sign for a great openning but this isn't theatre. Ever since Chicago's marathon last year, I've been hooked, but lately running has been tougher. I hope to meet my goal but am nervous of not having it in me. Overall, I just want to enjoy it. I can't seem to shake the butterflies. Any advice?

Getting Ready for New York

It was like whiplash coming back from the wedding and jumping right into the height of my training schedule for New York. The last couple weeks have been some tough mileage and this is my last big week. So far so good. The two experiences I have had with marathons have been so different with Chicago and Minneapolis. One was effortless and the other I hit a big wall. I enjoyed both, but for very different reasons as well. I am mostly trying to remind myself to have fun with this. It would seem to me that if I can do that, good results will come. I may actually be able to break the 4:00 mark. My training runs have been all over the boards as far as predictions on what I can do as far as time goes, but I know if I am having fun, that is the most important thing. It also seems from experience that the crowds will be a fantastic help.

For the few interested I am posting the link to the NY marathon broadcast info. It's nothing shy of amazing to me that I will be in an event that is broadcast nationally. Here is the link: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/broadcast_schedule.htm

That's it for now, off for my "short" run of the week, 5mi. I know the course in New York is tough, so I am trying to get out and hit the hilly roads nearby. Hopefully the combination of embracing the hills and alttitude of training at altittude will give me some strong endurance for the Big Apple.

Looking for suggestions for a shirt to wear. If you have an idea, let me know.

Married

I am thrilled to report the wedding went wonderfully. Thank you to everyone that made it out to Ohio and to all that sent such wonderful well wishes. Tiffany and I were blown away by all the fantastic people and moments that have happened in the last several days. It truly was a day that will be remembered fondly for a very long time. I want to say a special thaks to Adam, Scott, Cody, Nate, and Chip for being the best groom's men I could have ever hoped for. I also wanted to say thank you to Jack for honoring us by performing the services. They were perfect!

I am humbled and grateful for everything.

Five days and Five minutes

I am at DIA about to join Tiff in Ohio for our wedding! That statement alone is pretty damn cool to say. It has been a whirlwind since getting back from San Diego. Much to my surprise, I think everything is covered. Tiff has run point on this whole operation and I am so impressed at all that she has done for us. I think it will be a fantastic wedding and I am thrilled.

On the way over to the airport, I was talking to my Dad. He said what so many have said recently. This will be a time I remember for the rest of my life. it's an interesting idea. It's also a lot of pressure to make the right choices and say the right things. I have decided to make each moment as good as I can by trying to enjoy it and be of service where I can. Hopefully doing that, I will look back on these days often and smile. Who knows what will be the the key points beyond the actual vows? I am excited to be a part of it. This is an experience in and of itself I am humbled to be a part of.

That's it for now, time to catch a plane. See you all soon!

Traditional Post

It seems a tradition for me to add a few thoughts while waiting at DIA to fly out. This time I am off to Southern California with Caldera. It's odd timing with the wedding now within a month, but honestly, Tiff and I have most of our work finished. There seems an endless number of choices and adjustments to make, but we are getting there. I am very excited at this point.

The rest of life feels like it is a constant hum right now. There is the still all too new job I am learning. There is the training for the New York Marathon. There is the exploring our "new" town. I say new as after 5 months, I fully understand this is not the Denver I lived in 15 years ago, nor am I the same guy. It's been good all around, but I am excited for a little down time later this year.

All things considered, I am pretty good with where everything is. This week away will be surreal, but I think beneficial. I miss Tiff and Estes already.

Denver buzzing

Running and planning. It's a good life to be sure. Right now I am trying to keep all the balls in the air and it's not bad. The job is always presenting a chance to learn a new trick. My bag is gaining some I never thought I'd like. It's a living and I am thrilled to be working with some great people. I miss the carefree aspects of my Chicago employments though and I am learning that my various attempt at sustaining myself have led to some damn weird stories.


Slowly, Denver is starting to feel like home again. I am continually reminding myself, this ain't the same town I left 15 years ago. Tiffany has truly helped me remember this. Just last week, she showed me a neighborhood I never knew existed. As a bonus, it had one of the best sushi I've ever had in my life. Sushi den, go there.I t helped to find this spot that had a charm I have been missing. While the conveniences of the suburbs are still nice to have at the finger tips, there is something so great about a block you will never see the same shops on another. The inspiration began to flow.

There is a lot, as usual, happening. I am enjoying it, but still looking for that normal feeling. Maybe I just need to get back on the bike. Heh.

5 Minute Rant

I am fascinated by being able to publish Stupie from my phone now. Thought I would se what I could say in a short break frrom work. So much goin on. Wedding plans, full time job, tons of free-lance design, and marathon training. I yearn for a free Saturday afternoon, but could not be happier about the full platr I have. Asking for a stronger back has never felt better.

Getting there

The invitations are out (mostly). The plane tickets have been booked. So much for the wedding is done and yet the to-do list still seems endless. Tiff has been extraordinary. Her trip to Ohio for her shower ended up with several decisions finally made. I am so grateful for all she is doing. It amazes me how much there is to getting a wedding planned. I now understand why there is an entire occupation just to plan these things. There are some brilliant moments of victory and excitement. Those are the times that make the endless questions that make no sense more bearable.

On the other hand, it has continued to reinforce how much I love her. Despite several ideas throughout my life as to what I thought my wedding would or should be like, I have come down to the simple desire for one thing. I just want Tiffany there and to say yes at the right moment.

Rain

Sometimes, just sitting in the rain seems to be the best cure-all. It washes away the stresses of everyday to me. The air smells good, the world looks fresh. Not sure why, but it has always rejuvivated me. Perhaps it's because it is still one of those sensations that can not me artificially replicated. Perhaps it's simply pure. I only know I am always glad to see those dark clouds outside.

Missing the cold!

Can Not Connect

Ever forget your cell phone when going out? There's that initial panic/frustration. Then, at least for me there's a small relief in knowing no calls can be made or received for a while. It's a nice reprieve to me. As of late I have been wanting to forget my phone intentionally. That would defeat the purpose though. Why stage an accident when I can just be an adult and acknowledge I don't want to deal with it? After all, my cell is for my convenience not anyone elses.

It's been more than just the phone though lately. I've actually been enjoying the wi/fi outage at our aptartment for the last week. No Facebook status updates unless I was hardwired, no Netflix watch instantly on the PS3. It's kinda been nice. Hell, I haven't even been checking emails at work that much. That is probably less good though. Heh.

Personally, I have never been that need it or hate it with all these tech conveniences, so finding myself uninterested has been new. It's just been nice to unplug.

wedding, wedding, wedding

Tiffany is in Ohio right now, enjoying her bridal showr. Slowly, plans are coming together. It is amazing how many components go into a wedding. I am very glad it has brought Tiff and I closer in the planning. I still stand by my statement that the most important things to me are to have her and our loved ones there and for her to say "yes" at the right time.

Good coffee and dancing would be pretty ok too.

Interesting and sad

Courtesy of MoveOn:

You might have heard this: BP is so well connected in Washington that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, the company still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon rig that's now destroying the Gulf.1

But BP's not alone in using its DC influence. Check out the list below of other companies' outrages—then pass it along. And be sure to sign our new Fight Washington Corruption Pledge to support 3 key measures that will protect our democracy from corporate lobbyists!

http://fightwashingtoncorruption.org/?id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x

1. Exxon Mobil made billions in profits, and yet paid not one dime in federal income taxes in 2009.2

2. The 2005 energy bill had a little known provision, commonly called the Halliburton Loophole, which exempted natural gas drilling from the Clean Water Act. The result? Water so contaminated that you can light it on fire.3

3. Massey Energy was cited more than 2400 times for safety violations in its mines, but chose not to fix potentially lethal problems because low penalties meant it was cheaper to simply keep paying the fines. This spring, 29 miners were killed in an underground explosion at a Massey mine in West Virginia.4

4. Michael Taylor was the FDA official who approved the use of Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows (even though it's banned in most countries and linked to cancer). After approving it, he left the FDA—to work for Monsanto. Until last year, when he moved back to the government—as President Obama's "Food Safety Czar." No joke.5

5. Internal Toyota documents outline how the company was successful in limiting regulators actions in the recalls last year—saving hundreds of millions while the death toll continued to climb.6

6. GE and its lobbyists—including 33 former government employees—have successfully lobbied Congress to override Defense Department requests to cancel a GE contract to work on a new engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE will need $2.9 billion to finish the project.7

7. Top executives at 9 top banks including Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley paid themselves over $20 billion dollars in bonuses just weeks after taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of 700 billion dollars.8

8. During the waning days of the Bush administration, officials responded to a long-term lobbying campain by pre-empting product liability lawsuits for dozens of whole industries. They bypassed Congress entirely and rewrote rules ranging from seatbelt manufacturing regulations to prescription drug safety.9

9. Sunscreen manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough, in the interest of profits, are opposing an FDA proposal requiring full reporting on sunscreen labels. The New York Times just confirmed that current SPF ratings don't even measure sun rays that cause cancer.10

10. BP—a company with a record of 760 drilling safety and environmental violations—was granted safety waivers in order to operate the deepwater drilling rig that ultimately created the worst environmental disaster in US history.1

Mad yet? Sign the pledge here and we'll pass your name on to your member of Congress, and ask them to Fight Washington Corruption too.

http://www.fightwashingtoncorruption.org/?id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x

Thanks for all you do,
–Ilyse, Robin, Milan, Amy and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "BP's latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse," Newsweek, June 2, 2010.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=88880&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=2

2. "GE, Exxon Paid No U.S. Income Taxes in 2009," ABC News, April 6, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89262&id=&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=3

3. "Why is Dick Cheney Silent on the Oil Spill?," Newsweek, June 10, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89263&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=4

4. "Other Massey Mines Showed A Pattern Of Violations," NPR, April 13, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89264&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=5

5. "Monsanto's man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role," Grist, July 8, 2009
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/

6. "Toyota tried to cut costs on recalls," Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89265&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=6

7. "GE vice chairman openly challenges Gates over F-35 fighter jet engine," The Hill, June 17, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89266&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=7

8. "Bankers Reaped Lavish Bonuses During Bailouts," The New York Times, July 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/business/31pay.html

9. "Bush Rule Changes Curtail Rights of States, Consumers," Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89267&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=8

10. "UVA Reform: It's Not PDQ," The New York Times, June 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89268&id=21534-10464590-yCEkq5x&t=9

This sums it up

"The iPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO video making the rounds has gotten 1.7 million views, but when Best Buy found out it was their employee that made the video, they weren't so much amused as angry.

Corporate asked them to take the video down, but the employee Brian Maupin declined, saying that it didn't mention Best Buy anywhere. (It also didn't mention Best Buy in the description either.) But Best Buy suspended him, and now might be fired, claims NBC Action News."

Anyone in any form of customer service can relate to this. Sady so true.

June 23, 2010
A letter from my Dad worth sharing:

PRESIDENT
FRONTIER AIRLINES
7001 Tower Road
Denver, Colorado 80249

RE: Handling of Son Troy’s Return Air Travel from Minneapolis to Denver to Attend Grandmother’s Funeral Service on Monday, June 7th.

Dear Sir:

As President, you carry overall responsibility for the success or failure of your airline. If the handling of my son Troy’s return flight from Minneapolis to Denver on Monday, June 7th was in keeping with your concept of “customer service”, the future of Frontier Airlines is certainly in doubt.

I have been a most loyal customer and proponent of Frontier Airlines (old and new) since 1963 and was extremely disturbed with how my son Troy Coleman was treated by your people on Monday, June 7th when he needed to alter his scheduled return flight to Denver to attend my Mother’s funeral services. While your policies regarding any ticket changes are clearly stated, compassion and real customer service are always in order, but especially so under these special circumstances. Unfortunately, both were denied – rudely!!

Without getting into all of the details (although they can certainly be provided should you desire), the following recaps events.

Troy booked his flight with Frontier from Denver to Minneapolis with return for the purpose of participating in the Minneapolis Marathon on Sunday, June 6th. Subsequently, he purchased (on Price Line) another ticket with return for me on the same dates so that I could attend the event and see him run. My tickets were both for early morning (on Friday, June 4th and Monday, June 7th) at 6:30 AM while his were for later in the day on the same days.

After my Mom’s passing in Seattle and arrangements for her flight and funeral in Denver were made, I decided that I could not go to Minneapolis so my tickets would go unused. We also realized that Troy’s return flight (on Monday, June 7th) would be too late in the day for him to attend the funeral services so he (and his brother Adam who also has Frontier status) tried (on Thursday, June 3rd by phone with Frontier) to alter his return flight to the one at 6:30 AM on which I was booked. He (and Adam) was told that to change the flight to the earlier one at that time, even given the extreme circumstances, would cost $270.00 ($100.00 change fee and difference in cost). Ironically, at that time, the cost to purchase a new one-way ticket on that flight (6:30 AM) was $135.00 and there were only 16 tickets sold. He was told that he could wait till the day of the flight, Monday, June 7th, get to the airport at 4:00 AM, pay a $50.00 same-day change fee, and get on the 6:30 AM flight. Only 16 tickets on the flight had been sold at that time so, greatly frustrated, but thinking that such was the best he could do, he decided to follow that path.

After running the 26.2 mile Minneapolis Marathon on Sunday, he wound-up taking the last train to the airport at Midnight so he could be there when the ticket counter opened at 4:00AM on Monday. Having spent the night in the airport, he was at the Frontier ticket counter at 4:00 AM. At that point, and thinking that he surely could get on the 6:30 AM flight since he knew that there would be at least one seat available (the one that he had purchased for me which was not to be used), Troy related to me that “the Agent at the counter was dismissive in telling me that all flights were full for that morning and seemed annoyed that I was there. The woman with him chuckled at his direct delivery”.

Totally disgusted, he went to the United Airlines ticket counter and had no problem purchasing a ticket for their 6:15 AM departure for Denver. Unfortunately, the aircraft incurred a mechanical problem and a part had to be flown in from Boston. Their people however, unlike Frontier, were very compassionate and told him that they would put him on another flight, at no charge, if they could not get a quick fix on the original aircraft. They did get it fixed and he got on his way. Now that is customer service!!

Troy was subsequently able to arrive at Crown Hill in Denver on that Monday, and participate as a very tired but proud pall bearer at his Grandmother’s funeral.

I have taken the time to chronicle these events and provide them to you still thinking that there is a lot of good in Frontier Airlines and that, as President, you have a need to know. What happened to “The Spirit of the West” that we loved? My entire family was shocked at Troy’s treatment under these circumstances and has vowed to never again fly Frontier Airlines - even though it had been our favorite airline with tens of thousands of miles flown! This is not the Frontier Airlines that we have preferred for years, is not the image that you advertise, and this is not the way to stay in business!!

Sincerely,

Donald S. Coleman


CC: Mr. Steve Snyder, Director of Corporate Communications
Ms. Bobbi Murray, Manager Customer Relations
Mr. Douglas Skelton, Director Customer Relations
Better Business Bureau
United Airlines

Something to consider when shopping for flights...

Whirlwind

With the last week containing a cross country trip, a marathon, a funeral, and my birthday I can honestly say I am eager to get back to some normality. The plans for the wedding are coming together and it's exciting to see. we have Save the Dates out and are registered at a couple places. Tiff even has a very large, whit garment bag in our closet that I am not allowed to see till September 25th! Very exciting.

Holy Funny Birthday Card!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Minneapolis Marathon

The race on Sunday went well and I thank everyone for all their support! Special thanks to 3 particular groups though. First, thank you to my folks for being so accommodating to my training while I was living with them on the move out here. I know they thought I was a bit off my nut when I would head out to train in the snow or at 5am before work, but they were always so supportive. Dad even learned when he saw the Cammelpac in play, not to expect me within 3hrs. The second thanks was to the Solas' in MN. You guys were an incredible hometown support team! From going out to carb out Sat night to finding 3 places on the route to cheer, you guys made it so very special! The last and deepest thanks is to Tiffany. You keep me going and always help temper my ridiculous expectations of myself with reason and humor. I could not do this without you!

In keeping with tradition from Chicago, here is how the 26.2 miles broke down (literally at times). It was harder and a considerably different challenge in many ways.

Here goes:
Miles 1-5: These were fun and a short loop through downtown Minneapolis. the sights were beautiful and the running pack was not too dense. They started the half marathoners and full at the same time so this was all of us. I was trying very hard to hold my tempo down, but the thrill of the race and the abundance of oxygen from training at altitude were hard to suppress. I saw myself take some fast passes that seemed dangerous so early.

Miles 6-10:
Temptation was getting the best of me and I was enjoying running quicker, as I had most of my training. There were no clocks on the course to keep me aware of my tempo and I often forgot to check when crossing mile markers. According to Nike+ I was running around 8:30-8:45 tempo. That was faster than I knew I should, but it felt good. When I passed the pace team for 4:00, I wondered if that might be a mistake. I also only knew I might have friends at mile 10, but missed the connection. The fans were already thinning and when the half group hit the turn around, the running crowd became so thin as well, there were points I had to remind myself I was in a marathon. No crowds on the course or off it at several points.

Miles 11-13:
Great cheer sections. I enjoyed interacting with them and felt euphoric every time I passed. So far, I only hurt where I knew a blister had formed on one foot, a problem spot from training. Not so bad as to stop though.

Mile 13:
This is where thing changed. The course left main roads and headed into a state park on a narrow trail. The overhead canopy of trees was fantastic, but it was obvious there would be no one watching this section of the course. The running pack had thinned so much that it was common to only see about 5-10 other runners from where I was at. I know enough from my few races to know that I get huge energy from two things. People that are cheering and passing people. Neither was going to happen at this point in the course. I tucked in behind a group of 4 that were keeping a steady pace a stayed there. They would become my pace team through this beautiful, but lonely part of the marathon.

Miles 13-17:
My pace team was running faster than I wanted to go here, but I did not want to lose them. I was keeping about a 8:15 tempo at this point. At the only water stop in the park I let them go on and held about 50yards back. The course was muddy through here and I slid a few times. There was also a significant hill to climb near 17 that stopped the entire field. When I came around the corner, it was a hill of walkers with numbers on. The hill did not slow me and perversely felt good using different muscles. My pace was not quick but I did not walk. I was rewarded at the top with seeing my friends. Huge boost.

Miles 18-20:
These were not easy. The sun was in full force an there were few places of shade. Additionally, the course was right next to the freeway mostly and dull to run. Thus far, except for a bum foot was was still good, just tired. The heat was breaking me down quick though. I was taking large amounts of water at each stop and had drained my little bottle on me. There were few runners around too as you can see in the picture. My friends made it here too (ergo the picture) and that was the best part of this section.

Miles 21-25:
This was a darker time. My knees were hurting. it felt like exhaustion but I had to walk a lot more and it hurt like the devil when I would transition from a run to walk and or vice Vera. Several runners were now doing the same thing. The sun and humidity seemed to be equally leveling most of the field. It was with humility, I saw the 4:00 pace runner pass me here. His pack was reduced to one other runner. I just wanted to finish and knew even if I had to walk it I would cross the line.

Mile 26:
I ignored all the pain and thirst and just ran. It was a humbling pace but I wanted to get to the line and could not endure walking any more. It was starting to concern me when I would walk that I may not be able to run again, the legs hurt so much. There also seemed to be a huge hill to ascend there too. Didn't care just kept going.

Mile 26.2:
The crowds were back and the ground level. Adrenaline kicked in and I ran a good clip the last stretch. It felt good to have that last burst still in the tank and would have told you it wasn't there for the last hour. My friends had made it to see me at the finish and I was so glad to have them there.

When all was said and done my time was 4:06:55, a new PR.

The adventure continued, but for now that's enough.

It was a great experience still and good contrast to Chicago is ways. I learned a lot of humbling and valuable lessons here but aside from one, I achieved my goals. They were simply:
1. Have fun
2. Finish
3. Match my Chicago time
4. Get a negative split (sure that did not happen, but I don't mind)

Thank you again, for all the support!!

Running

It's been an unusual week. My Grandma Coleman passed away Memorial Day. She was my last living grandparent and her tenacity always made me feel better. Even in the end, I'd like to think she was certain to leave on her terms. None the less, I miss her much. Each of my grandparents held a certain affinity for me. My Grandma and Grandpa Ohlrogge were the ones I knew best. My Grandpa Coleman passed when I was pretty young and yet I somehow still remember his laugh. It feels very lonely, somehow, to know that my last connection the that generation in my family has gone. I could go on and on about living on in our hearts but that is something that needs no explanation. I will miss her much. Soon I hope to "just quit" smoking as she did (and told me about repeatedly). That feels like a nice way to honor her.

The other element that has weighed in has been the timing of the Minneapolis Marathon I have been training for. It is this Sunday. It seemed like a no brainer that I would drop out and be here for my family with the likelihood the services would be this weekend too. When it was decided that the funeral would be Monday, the dilemma became acute. My priorities are sound and I only had to deal with wishful thinking (like I wish the race was 2 weeks out). Then Dad said something that changed my mind. He said Grandma would have wanted me to run. He said it made her very proud to hear that I did the Chicago Marathon last fall.

With that said I am now sitting at DIA waiting to board my flight.

My Dad could not come. Tiff could not come. Mom could not come. For my second marathon, I will be doing it without my family offering encouraging cheers. With the risk of sounding overly sentimental though, I do feel like I will have someone with me. With deep gratitude for the ability to do this I ask only from god to watch over my loved ones. Grant me light feet to match a heavy heart.

Time to run...

Company Man

Needless to say, there have been more changes over the last couple weeks than I can hope to catch up on them all. To me, it feels like one minute I was riding my bike through Chicago subzero snow to my server job with time a plenty to send out headshots and go running. The next I am commuting in my Jeep to a job I wear a tie to, admiring the Rocky Mountains and scrambling to get in my training runs. It all happened so quickly. Tiff and I are for the most part settled in our suburban oasis and beginning to explore the new town around us. I realized that while I lived in the Denver area once, it has not been for 15yrs. I left Colorado in 2000, but was a full time Ft Collins resident when I left. Additionally, I have changed my views a little. When I left, big chain restaurants were great, driving even three blocks was normal, and I had a frustrating tendency to be talking with police for something or a another.

Things have changed.

It's good, but it's hard to remember how new all of this is for me now too. I am face to face with that fact everytime Tiff asks about something or another. I mostly just know how to get there. It's fun to learn, when I have time.

As for the now, we are proceeding with wedding plans full steam. The date has been picked (I think), and if you don't know it yet, we have not announced it fully so hang in there. I am in the taper period of training for Minneapolis' marathon on June 6th. The bike is almost road ready after some serious degunking from Chicago's winter.

Life is settling a little on one hand. On the other, exciting events are being planed. It's good.