~:[CH4 - Day 273]:~ It's Cold Outside ... Not Really

~:[CH4 - Day 273]:~ It's Cold Outside ... Not Really

We had a morning meeting so I was at school early and proceeded to make it through the day. With a stop at TapEx, I had a pretty good morning. At lunch, it was time for the Homecoming Premier where they revealed the theme of "Frosted Affair" and announced the top 21 candidates including two of our XC athletes and a number of MUN students. Practice went well with a short run, stretching, and mental drills. We took care of business and got out of there. I made the poor decision on stopping at Tpumps and so I got to LA pretty late. Regardless, there was patience and I was glad to sit down and enjoy a nice dinner. I ended up watching some a dance class before heading back and just relaxing a bit. It was a pretty good day despite having to fight the traffic. Of course, a little adventure didn't hurt anyone, as I had my gas tank go on empty on the way home. I ended up stopping in a questionable area, but the main key is, I am alive and well. Did I mention that I made spicy poke with gold flakes and rose petals? It was awesome. More pictures with that tomorrow!

~:[CH4 - Day 272]:~ Trying to Stay Healthy

~:[CH4 - Day 272]:~ Trying to Stay Healthy

In the mid-point in the season, one of the keys is trying to stay healthy. It was another one of those days where we nursed the injuries we needed to and pushed with those who were good to go. The workouts played out pretty well with the groups coming together and it looks like they'll be mostly ready for Thursday's races. The day itself went by pretty quickly as I am actually ahead of schedule. I enjoyed lunch from Northern Cafe again, which definitely is a plus. My day was bested though with a stop at Tpumps and being recognized when going there! In any case, I got a lot of work done after I got home including beginning the shifts in my room to reorganized it. I already have more space than I did before and really haven't thrown away much yet. Can't wait to get some of that work done. For now, it's go with the flow and with only one thing left to do before Thursday's meet, I think I am in pretty good shape! 

~:[CH4 - Day 271]:~ Just Cruisin' Along

~:[CH4 - Day 271]:~ Just Cruisin' Along

Mondays are challenging but this Monday wasn't too shabby. I was able to get up and get some work done, pack my lunch and felt prepared for the day ahead. Amazing, right? In class, we pretty much finished up the delegates guide and are a step away from being prepared for the conference. I was able to get TapEx during the break and even got a comment on my IG from Tapioca Express! Practice just kind of flew by as we ran the course and look ready for Thursday. In the end, I was able to enjoy a Monday at home, eating chicken soup and watching MNF! It's a great way to end a Monday. In the end, after a long day's work, I was able to catch up on most of my picture posting with just one small meet left to post. Mammoth photos are finally up. It definitely feels good when you're just cruisin' along! 

~:[CH4 - Day 270]:~ Comfort

~:[CH4 - Day 270]:~ Comfort

I can do a lot in a day and while it's great to be able to experience a lot in 24 hours, some days, I rather just be at home, getting work done. That was today. I got to sleep in with no alarm. I woke up, ate breakfast and just got some work done. It feels good to finish up work that you have on the table especially when you don't feel rushed to do it before a certain time because you have to be somewhere else. I watched some football, finally got my hair cut and enjoyed a delicious dinner. What more can you ask for? Sure, I was working most of the day, but I felt no pressure at all and got most of what I wanted to do done. I wanted to stay up for the lunar eclipse, but I ended up taking PM medicine, so I knocked out pretty quickly thereafter. It definitely was a restful weekend (or at least Sunday).

~:[CH4 - Day 269]:~ The Long Dusty Road

~:[CH4 - Day 269]:~ The Long Dusty Road

I slept late last night and had to wake up early ... before 5am early. I actually left the house at 5:05am, headed to 7-11 before stopping at school. The bus actually was there early. I realized that I put in my bus request for too early of a time. We should have left then, as on the way down, the bus I was on started to spark and had small flames. A car frantically honked at us and cut us off trying to get us to pull over and alert us to it. We ended up pulling off the freeway and evacuating the bus. You could smell the smoke, but wasn't as big of an emergency (at that point) than it may sound. We got to the meet on time and the boys jetting off the bus to get ready for their race. The new CIF course is not so pleasant. It will be super dusty and probably hot. The races finished before 11am, so we were able to beat the heat. My top varsity boy finished 12th overall and I had a fourth place finisher with two team third places. Not too shabby! After we ate at Northern Cafe. What a treat! After cleaning up the car, I headed to LA but stopped at Tpumps first! My favorite cashier was there again and the awkward fight for who was going to pay made another scene with her. It was funny. The drink was fabulous as normal. I ended up eating at Feast and ran into Shrineel. What a great surprise! It was nice hanging out and catching up with him and Tanisha. I was exhausted though so when I finally got home, I crashed and called it a night. It was a full day, but definitely a great one. The word of the day??? ... chocolate!

~:[CH4 - Day 268]:~ Getting Together

~:[CH4 - Day 268]:~ Getting Together

It's always nice to get the team together for something non-running related. This year's first potluck was a great success as it was just a relaxing and great time. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, we had a good food selection, I didn't have to take too many leftovers and we got out relatively on time. It's always a little exhausting getting everything together, but in the end, it was a great night. The day itself was filled with food. From the potluck to two trips to TapEx to Northern Cafe and Fusion, it was quite a fulfilling day. I ended the night driving out to LA to make a pick up and it was definitely a great way to end the night. I packed up my car before heading back into the house and so I can go to sleep without any worries. Well, we'll see about that. A 5:30am departure is no easy business. Good night world.

~:[CH4 - Day 267]:~ On the Mic

~:[CH4 - Day 267]:~ On the Mic

The school day zoomed by as I still had my lingering cough. It's been tough having it, but I feel like I am almost there breaking through. I ended up getting TapEx during my break and then wrapped up a few things I needed to finish including this week's newsletter which was late. We got on the course today and was able to see part of the SGV league cluster. I headed to our coaches meeting which went pretty well. I got home and helped on Skype and just ended up staying on it for a bit and got a little work done on the side. Overall it was a relaxing day as I am trying to get over this cold. We will see if I can kick this cold. For now, I will just spend time with my Yeti. 

~:[CH4 - Day 266]:~ Back At It

~:[CH4 - Day 266]:~ Back At It

It was another one of those days. I was getting back in the routine of things as I struggled to talk a bit because of my cold as I am talking most of the period at this point; however, I survived. I was able to grab Northern Cafe for lunch today which was definitely a plus. We made it through practice as today was "finish off adoptions" day. Most of the families were completed today. I had to leave right after we finished up today, as we had our MUN parent night. For me, that means scrip night. It was a relatively quiet night, but we did get a few sales to make it worthwhile. I headed home, ate some soup and just relaxed. I was going to do some work, but my body simply said no, so I complied. I ended the night over Skype (I don't Skype much) and finished a bit of the work that I wanted to, but overall, it's been a lot simpler days as I try to scrap this cold once and for all.

~:[CH4 - Day 265]:~ Warming the Soul

~:[CH4 - Day 265]:~ Warming the Soul

Sickness has been spreading. My own cold is getting a little bit better, however, it still has impacted my teaching and coaching a little. Regardless, I am surviving. I had a few good conversations today as today was kept pretty simple. I was home for family dinner night and so my mom made chicken soup for me since I am still at the tail end of my cold. It's always nice to have a bowl of chicken soup. It's soothing on the throat and good for the soul. While I wanted to do some work, I knew that sleep would be the best, so I allowed myself to just sleep and eventually I did. It was a simple day, but those sometimes are the best as I definitely ended the day in peace.

~:[CH4 - Day 264]:~ With Every Chord

~:[CH4 - Day 264]:~ With Every Chord

It was not too challenging to wake up in the morning, although I felt tired from the late night arrival. I made it through the day and finished up our 9/11 essays and discussions. It's always interesting to see how they respond and every class did so differently. As the hot weather saw the winds and clouds moved in, I was sure that it was going to rain. I hit up TapEx, grabbed some medicine after practice and then headed out. I stopped off to get coffee and quickly caught up with a friend and dropped off her doughnut from Portland before heading up to Tpumps. While I ordered the wrong drinks, I was fine with the less sweet drink today. After hitting three trains and venturing through traffic, I finally arrived at 11. Walk down by Hitch and ended up at Rieber and Rendevous. It was great just hanging out and relaxing without too much to worry about. I found comfort and that's all I wanted. After capping off a great night, I drove home. I was almost home when I got a call since I didn't think my last stop was going to happen, but I decide, why not just turn around. I looped back and stopped off in downtown for a bit. At the base of Troy steps, I had a quick chat before heading back home. Every word, every beat and every chord had it's own place in my day and I appreciated each. Sometimes the bigger picture is not always how we want it, but if we appreciate all the moments we are given and see what happens, sometimes, we fight off the impending storm and allow the blue skies or starry nights to own our skies. 

~:[CH4 - Day 263]:~ At the Stroke of Midnight

~:[CH4 - Day 263]:~ At the Stroke of Midnight

I woke up in the morning and while still sick felt pretty good. I was drenched in sweat when I woke up, but I think that helped me more than anything else. As we headed out, we got all the bags in and headed off to the zoo. The MAX was packed because of the breast cancer walk. I chatted with a walker before they headed off as we continued to the zoo after the train emptied out. We got to the zoo before opening so we can very little traffic throughout the park which was awesome. We got a up close and personal look at a lot of the animals and I was amazed at the zoo. While a lot of things were closed for construction it was worth it. We ventured around and saw most everything, although we missed a lot of the feedings (timed events). We jumped on the train together and while it was not as good as I expected, I am glad that we went on it just for the experience. We headed to the Portland Saturday Market where we shopped around. We got our Voodoo Doughnuts and called it a day, well almost. We made one last stop at the Nike Factory Store. I got my discount and then we headed back. We left early for the airport and good thing we did because there was a long line at the security gate. We made it through and had time to eat. Our flight was delayed and while I am normally upset at these things, I believe it was because the flight that came in on our plane was filled with WWII veterans! They had a special welcoming for them as they came off the plane with bagpipes and more. We got to applaud them and welcome them home from DC. It was awesome! It reminded me of how we are so indebted to so many people who risked it all for this country! I guess it came full circle with the day starting out with an eagle, one of the symbols of our country. In the end, we boarded our plane and our trip had finally come to a close. While we rolled in late and left the airport at the stroke of midnight, I still enjoyed the trip, as I overcame sickness and still managed to come home with all our athletes. 

~:[CH4 - Day 262]:~ Stomp a Mudpit

~:[CH4 - Day 262]:~ Stomp a Mudpit

I felt miserable when I woke up and almost thought about not going out to the course in the morning. I saw them off to breakfast and stuck around for a bit before heading back to the barracks to try to feel better. It didn't help much, but I managed. Since I missed my meals, I felt a little strange, but in the end, I survived. We rain fairly well with a pretty good showing with our top seven in boys and girls. When walking the course, the athletes were sad to find out that the low rainfall had caused the mud pits to be low in water, however, while it may have seemed like it would have been easier, the kids came out with muddier shoes and more athletes than in year's past came out with no shoes. This was the first year that one of my athletes lost a shoe in the pit. We ended up taking home 24 medals out of 31 athletes. I still felt bad on the ride home, but managed to get down two hot wings and three wedges. I felt bad the whole way down when suddenly, my headache disappeared when we got to Portland. I didn't feel completely better, but definitely better. I ate a little more at the mall and although I was planning not to skate, I ended up doing so for a few laps before calling it a night. Today ended up being a pretty good day and I hope that this momentum can continue moving forward. 

~:[CH4 - Day 261]:~ On Campus

~:[CH4 - Day 261]:~ On Campus

We woke up pretty early and packed our bags, stored them away, and headed to Nike Campus to visit my wonderful friend Annie! I am so lucky to be able to follow all of her adventures and am always so jealous of what she gets to do on a daily basis! She showed us around campus as the athletes got to check out the various buildings and even compare their amazing workout room to ours. They seemed to enjoy looking at everything and it's always so cool to see someone different every time we visit. Since most of the athletes don't return (since they're mostly juniors or seniors), they get to soak this experience in one last time. As we said our goodbyes, we headed to Pioneer Square again to enjoy a quick bit with the food trucks. From there, we headed to the Chinese Garden which was a pretty good stop, but not as great as the Japanese Gardens, mainly because of the size of the gardens. It was still amazing beautiful and picturesque. We headed back and loaded our stuff onto our bus. We headed into Seaside and grabbed a quick meal, drew for courses, they got to our spot at the barracks. Before heading to bed, they all got their run in, stretched out, rolled out and we had our pre-race preparation talks. I felt terribly sick and couldn't stay awake, so I laid down and went to sleep early to try and get rid of this cold. I haven't felt this sick since in awhile. 

~:[CH4 - Day 260]:~ Making Our Way North

~:[CH4 - Day 260]:~ Making Our Way North

I felt so disorganized as I rushed to get everything together. I forgot my MarkII at home and thought, this was not the way I wanted to start off the trip. However, we continued on and despite heavy traffic, made it with time to spare to the airport. The kids got to gate check their bags, which was nice for them and we ended up cruising to our hotel with plenty of time to enjoy Portland, unlike in years past. The groups ventured through Pioneer Square and saw all the stores and food that it had to offer. We made our rounds to as many places as we could as well. We got to sleep early so the kids could rest or do homework and I also needed some rest, as my cold really started to flare up. The same day, Allen was heading to Seattle on Alaska too. We tried something. I left him a note and snapped him where to find it. He found it! It's amazing how technology is, but it's so cool that it actually worked as our flights were 11 hours apart! In any case, it was a great day, but I am hoping to get some good rest. 

~:[CH4 - Day 259]:~ From Place to Place

~:[CH4 - Day 259]:~ From Place to Place

I knew today would be chaotic. I didn't know it wouldn't feel too well by the end of the day. My head is pounding and as I tried to get my things together, I just wanted to go back to sleep. I got up, however, and loaded the day with so much information as I wanted to get it done before I left. After fourth, I headed out and grabbed lunch at Northern Cafe and North Shore Poke with a stop at Fusion. It's really sad when you have to say goodbye to people and today would be my last with one of them with the other moving further away. It helps you realize how you cherish the moments, no matter how small and all the small things that you may have taken for granted. I appreciate them both and am confident in their abilities to soar moving forward. After a good afternoon, I headed to practice and we got in a solid run before we left for Oregon. As a treat, I had Bruster's delivered to me (thanks so much) and tried to eat it before it all melted. With team shirts to pass out and forms to collect, it was a crazy day, but wait, there were more. I changed real quick and headed to Back to School Night, which happened to be the day before we left. As usual, I ran out of time and no time for questions. I beat out traffic and made a stop off at Tapioca Express before heading home. At home, I had a lot to do and ultimately wrapped it all up after doing the laundry, packing, charging and more. It's going to be a crazy weekend, but I am confident that things will work out in the end.

~:[Spotlight]:~ Allen Lin

~:[Spotlight]:~ Allen Lin

As a freshman, he drove me nuts. He couldn't sit still for a minute and his energy level was through the roof, but little by little he matured and by senior year, he was there every time I turned around with an incredible group of senior boys who would take the lead in making sure everything was set up and taken care of. 

When he set off, I figured it would be like most alumni who find their way into the new world ahead, something that I love to see them do. However, our paths crossed again as somehow it worked out that he would join me on my road trip that I originally planned to do solo.

Aside from his knowledge of how to do things and his resourcefulness and despite the fact that he always gave me a heart attack since he was a risk-taker beyond my levels of comfort, I was happy to have had the opportunity to get to know him. He changed a lot since freshman year as he balances his love for adventure with his ability to hold a deep conversation.

Over time, we discovered our similarities in our love for alone time, yet also found our ability to hold discussions in a number of areas which we had common interests in. He was both a little crazy, but also a very deep thinker. I enjoyed the balance and found that I treasured our connection.

As he continued to do things such as bike down the entrance to the Arches or into Canyonlands, ride in the back of the truck, or climb to rocks that were not always the most stable, I realized that our journey was coming to an end. 

Tomorrow, we both leave from LAX on the same airline in the same direction with Allen traveling further north. As his plane passes overhead, I will know that he has the skills and ability to connect with people while also never losing himself and the things he loves. Who knows what the future brings and when and if he'll ever return, but I know that his adventure will be an amazing one. 

On your journey, grow, learn, love, and soak in all that is around you, as no matter how great or terrible things may be at any given point, you're doing something that your heart told you to do and you followed it. For that, you deserve this spotlight. 

While I am sad that you are going, as you said, this is but a "see you later," an adieu, as it will not be long until we meet again. 

*****  

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 258]:~ Weathering the Storm

~:[CH4 - Day 258]:~ Weathering the Storm

The storm clouds hovered overhead as it poured throughout the morning and soaked the normally damp course. The rain forced the closure of the river channel and thus, a course change. The course change resulted in a short course of 2.81 miles, which might have hurt us a bit, however, we still had a number of performances that stood out. In the end, we took home both junior varsity championships, which we had to combine due to the river channel being closed, and the individual boys junior varsity championships and a good number of medals. I got to relax a bit after the race as I ate dinner and visited Fusion AGAIN. I had to drop off the memory card that was used that day and it worked out because I got to say goodbye to Allen. At times, things will get difficult, but just keep working, as eventually the storm will pass and soon you'll see the rainbows and blue skies that follow.

~:[Spotlight]:~ Jae Park

~:[Spotlight]:~ Jae Park

Typically the spotlight is reserved for those who "may never make headline news," however, this next individual is already making headlines as part of the group, Day 6 in Korea. So why then focus him in the spotlight? 

I think part of what makes his story special is the leap he took to get to where he is today. I think we can all learn that if there is something that we want (or might want), it doesn't hurt to take that leap of faith to go after it. While you want to be realistic, you also need to give it a shot, as you never know where it will take you. We all have goals and dreams and Jae's story shows that if you go after it, you might just end up in the spotlight of your own. 

As I think about where Jae came from until today, I am always inspired and know that I also need to take that leap of faith from time to time to see where the road will take me. He definitely took a risk as he started his journey and it paid off and I hope that you find continued success as you have tons of talent and I think the best is still yet to come. 

Check him out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3sFsHrUyLQ!

Oh and happy birthday!

*****  

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 257]:~ One of Those TEAriffic Days

~:[CH4 - Day 257]:~ One of Those TEAriffic Days

It was Monday, but I was fine going to school. Sure I was tired from a busy weekend, but I didn't have the Monday dread like most. I zoomed through the day, got to down my spicy chicken for lunch and arrived at TapEx for my first of three unplanned tea stops. It was nice feeling relaxed and still making it back to do what I needed. I got a lot of work done today, but also found time to enjoy the day. As we wrapped up practice, I headed over to BCD for a meet up as I kept track of the games for the day. Dinner was great and with a stop at Sharetea after, it was even better except for the volcanic eruption within my stomach. (tehe) I headed home and caught the 49ers game which was the center of my day today. In the end, they won and made me a very happy man, as I took the lead on Vegas, at least for this weekend. As I was about to wash out my hair, I got a message and ended up at Fusion just as it closed. I felt free and while I was a little tired, I just had a bunch of goodness running through my veins. These are the kinds of days that I will treasure, as while there were a lot of simply pleasure, those are the ones I cherish most.

~:[CH4 - Day 256]:~ A Whole Latte Awesomeness

~:[CH4 - Day 256]:~ A Whole Latte Awesomeness

Today was my day to sleep in. I woke up at 7. Of course I would, however, I made it into a productive day, as I had the newsletter done just as the NFL games were about to start. I got in some good work while watching football. Andrew Luck and Seattle let me down of course, Seattle was not a true upset, as the pro betters all picked St. Louis to win, but of course, when you allow a touchdown late in the game and try an on-side kick to start OT, you deserve to lose anyway. The afternoon went much better as I went undefeated in my picks. I had some errands to run then ended up at Fusion and the mall. It was a good impromptu meet up and was kind of chill. The time passed by quickly as I was getting work done. I ended up at Yojie's and got my shabu shabu meal pretty much for free. My tip was double of what I paid, so that is a pretty good deal! Yay for membership points. After dinner and some good conversation, we ended up at Cafe Maji. It was my first time and I enjoyed it except for the fact that they closed the kitchen an hour before they closed so we couldn't order waffles. Regardless it was good and realized how awesome today turned out. I am sad that I missed the Festival of Children Performance (sorry), but I will make it up to you, I promise!

~:[CH4 - Day 255]:~ Getting It Together

~:[CH4 - Day 255]:~ Getting It Together

I got to sleep in a bit today as I woke up with no need to hurry through the morning. I ended up meeting a few alumni for brunch to celebrate a birthday! After, I headed to Sports Authority and got pretty upset because normally they let me exchange the canopies in store, by the "manager" made it challenging and was rude in the process. Regardless, I moved on. I cleaned my car and was at school by 2pm. The weather was crazy with it raining in the morning and when we arrived, it was hot. However, it cooled down just before the freshmen girls race, leaving good times to be had on the course. The young athletes seem to be getting it, so I'm glad that the are getting long just fine. The races kept getting better as our performance improved. Just as one of my best runners was on pace for a quick time, the lights all around went out on a night meet. You could barely see and ultimately, they had to cancel the last two races of the day. It was a long and exciting day that ended with TapEx  What a day!

~:[CH4 - Day 254]:~ Not a Single Piece of Trash

~:[CH4 - Day 254]:~ Not a Single Piece of Trash

The only bad part about today was that I forgot my camera at home which left me shooting the Gahrbage Rally on my phone. I still was able to capture a few good pics and some video as well. This day is always pretty fun as we get to dress up. This year, after I made Jepsen dress up, I added Justin Bieber to my "trash" outfit, which got mixed reviews. It was a little warm, so when I went out to lunch, I changed real quick. I met up with trifenix for lunch, which was a great catch up and a nice meal at Boiling Point. After our food run, I changed and headed to Disneyland. Our original plan to go Thursday got changed since they closed at 5pm, but ultimately, it worked out because it was the first day of Halloween. After getting fairly good lines and a nice full night including Pizza Port, I found myself alone at the park. No need to fear, there were other people I knew there. I found new company for the rest of the night, which ended up working out nicely. Things turned around nicely today and I was happy when I finally put my head down to sleep. It was a great day and there was nothing trashy about it. 

~:[CH4 - Day 253]:~ Cooling Off

~:[CH4 - Day 253]:~ Cooling Off

It was cooler than yesterday, but in my opinion., it felt hotter. Regardless, even when the sun rose so early, I still wore long pants and made it through the day. My IAs taught their first lesson in class today, which was nice and hopefully, they'll connect well with their class. I downed my pieology leftovers and ended up getting Northern Cafe even though I won't be around to really eat it tomorrow. I got some surprise visitors during sixth as I was finishing up some stuff, which was a nice surprise as we stayed out of the heat as best as possible. We cruised through practice and I gave out popsicles to cool them down and reward them for dealing with the heat. I think they enjoyed it. We ended up heading to Roadrunners after, which was a nice stop since I haven't been for awhile. In the end, I got home and was able to relax just a bit before getting back to work. 

~:[CH4 - Day 252]:~ Greater Than Us All

~:[CH4 - Day 252]:~ Greater Than Us All

It's days like these that you can't help but be reminded that there is something more divine and greater than us all. As while the hours rolled on, the heat poured itself upon us, which forced our meet to be canceled. We still got out to run and when looking to the skies, storm clouds rolled in. Sometime after, the clouds looked so epic and divine. Sometimes you think, the clouds shape themselves so perfectly to create this image, but what if it's all not by accident? Is every movement precisely planned and everything that happens meant to? Do we meet people, grow apart from people, grow old with people at a precise moment? Do we make the wrong turn, the right turn, or simply stay in place right on schedule? It's such a deep thought process and you can only help but wonder. For now, I'll take it all in and hope that I find my way to my plan and my path, no matter where it may lead. As while I want to be happy, I don't want that happiness to be temporary. 

~:[CH4 - Day 251]:~ Around and About

~:[CH4 - Day 251]:~ Around and About

I woke up in the morning and pieced things together, recovering from a busy weekend. It was suppose to be a long and restful one but while enjoyable, it hit me hard. I cleaned up the last bit of paperwork from the Great Cow Run and then finished up class, beginning the MUN grind. It was burning hot today and I was on the look out for the fate of tomorrow's district meet. While delayed, it ended up still being on. Today was definitely a food trek day, though as I went from Nordstrom's to Fusion to Tea Station to Tpumps and then ended up at Pieology. In the end, it was a very full day but I had a pretty good time. It's always hard to come back after a holiday, but today, was not too shabby.

~:[CH4 - Day 250]:~ When in Paris ...

~:[CH4 - Day 250]:~ When in Paris ...

I woke up in the morning after the best night's sleep of the week. There was a chorus of snoring in the room and it was freezing, but just staring out the window made it all fade away. The night before, the water show of the Bellagio put me to sleep and this is what I got to wake up to - the Eiffel tower. I guess this is why I love Vegas. You feel like you are somewhere else when you really are in a baking desert. While my friends stuck around for awhile, I headed out and on my way. I was going to go to Raising Cane's but because of Labor Day, it was closed. So I met Jemerald at South Point. I placed my sports bet for the week and then we sat down and ate breakfast. It was nice catching up, even though I saw him the day before. I headed on my way and to my dismay there was a lot of traffic. I kept myself entertained through the ride and did not stop a single time on the way home, which amount to over five hours of straight driving. I came home to clean up and just relax a bit. It was nice to have that time and to be able to clean up and get some work done before we start again tomorrow. I guess it was a nice little getaway even though it was quite short. Sometimes, you just got to go on a whim to discover that there is truly paradise out there waiting for you if you do something out of the ordinary. 

~:[CH4 - Day 249]:~ Diamond in the Rough

~:[CH4 - Day 249]:~ Diamond in the Rough

I was a bit upset that I was in corral G. So much so that I almost didn't run. I'm glad I did. I had to Bob and weave and at a few points walk, but I ended up feeling good at the end and finished strong with Apple Jack. There were 18k people and I ended up at the back of corral G so I was probably behind 17.5k of them. In the end, I thought to myself, why was I so mad? I should be so grateful that I can even have the opportunity to run the race. Sometimes we complain and get emotional over the simplest of things but we fail to see how lucky we really are. It's a constant reminder that we need to appreciate all the opportunities we have. With my friends in Vegas, as crazy as it sounds, after a short nap, I drove to Vegas. Sure I ended up just eating and hanging out but again, I am grateful for the time I had and it didn't hurt that one of them is a masseuse. This long day truly represented the diamond celebration of Disneyland as I found the diamond in a rough situation.

~:[CH4 - Day 248]:~ The Weight is Lifted

~:[CH4 - Day 248]:~ The Weight is Lifted

As I was finishing up preparing for the run, I noticed something ... there were teams missing from the chip list from the timing company. I contacted them hoping they would rectify the situation. I went to sleep not knowing. I got about an hour of sleep, as I woke up at about 3:30 and headed to the park at 4:30. It was peaceful and even though I was doing some heavy lifting, I didn't mind because I was alone, the stars were shining above and you could hear everything around you, almost as if I was not longer in the suburbs. Slowly, people rolled in and we got setup. The timing guy arrived a little late, but brought the packets and had the additional ones as well! I was relieved. It was a little hectic at check in as always but after a little bit, something weird happened ... there were relatively no issues to deal with except for maybe having to give out too many medals in the boys varsity race. Sure, collecting the chips at the end was a bit of a headache, however, the meet went much better than in years past. It was great having such an amazing team working together to make the meet work from the athletes to the parents to the alumni to the coaches and other supporters. I almost felt like we had all-start team out there and while not everyone had the easiest of jobs, no one really complained. Thank you SOOOOOO much for all those who helped make this year's meet a success whether you worked or participated! It definitely helps to have so many willing and able people at the meet! It reminded me of how blessed I am to be surrounded with such an amazing group of people who truly make each and every day of my life special! Afterward, I had a lot of help cleaning and loading and we were able to eat by about 2. I wasn't as exhausted as I was, as I cleaned up a bit when I got home, did some work for the meet, and then finally, decided to take a nap as I was deciding if I was going to race Disneyland in the morning. I woke up to do a little more work, go down my to-do list (which is a lot shorter now) and then just catch up with people I have not talked to in awhile. I am so happy as I felt the weight of the meet lifted off my shoulders and now I can focus on my next item of business, but first, I'm going to really enjoy this weekend. 

~:[CH4 - Day 247]:~ Every Which Way

~:[CH4 - Day 247]:~ Every Which Way

I had a feeling in my stomach all day and it wasn't a great one. I woke up in the middle of the night remember that I forgot something and that feeling stayed with me. The bells were off again today, which meant an extra long snack but a short third period. I ran to Home Depot to pick up last minute supplies and I ended up with a bunch of leftovers. I needed to calm down, so I grabbed some TapEx and headed back for practice. Practice went smoothly and so did the course setup. Of course, loading was a challenge and we pretty much didn't have any space left over in the cars, so we'll have to make two trips in the morning. I realized there were some errors on our timer side of things so we'll have to deal with that tomorrow and something gives me the feeling that I'm missing something, even though I don't know what. I love bringing the cow run to the cross country community but don't really like all the baggage that comes with it. I can't wait until 2pm tomorrow :) Good night!

~:[CH4 - Day 246]:~ Always Cherished

~:[CH4 - Day 246]:~ Always Cherished

Today was going to be a busy day. I knew it. Of course, it didn't help that my alarm didn't go off and I wasn't able to wake up at 5:30am! Oh wait, I mean, I didn't set it. Luckily, my internal clock went off and I got to work. I did what I needed to and head out. It was our fourth day of school and our fourth different bell schedule ... go figure! The DAOs came in and introduced themselves today, we also had our book check out appointment today and of course Sneak Peek was today as well! I like Sneak Peek because we get to see what's ahead but also see some of the past as well as they show some of last year's events. I quickly headed over to Disneyland during my break to pick up my bib for the half marathon. Sadly, I forgot to send in proof of my time and they put me in corral G. I am not sure if I want to race anymore because it might be a waste of time with 10k people in front of me which will probably force me to walk the first 3 miles or so. Practice went smoothly but since I didn't really eat because of my schedule, I was pretty tired and took a quick nap. I then headed to Costco to get everything for the race Saturday! I still have some shopping to do tomorrow too! In the end, I got home and had the best part of the day ... I got to celebrate with my family! You always should cherish these days as you never know how things will every change in the future. While I try to think about it as often as possible, today was definitely a day that I appreciated all the wonderful things my mom has done for everyone and to be reminded of just how awesome she is! I love you mom! 

~:[CH4 - Day 245]:~ Ya Know ... Just Another Day

~:[CH4 - Day 245]:~ Ya Know ... Just Another Day

It was just another day that has gone by, but every day has it's special moments. I am definitely not used to this bell schedule, so I kept mistiming the end of the period. It didn't help that the bells were off from the printed schedules; however, I dealt with it. I was able to swing by TapEx for a quick stop before getting work on finishing up the entries. Hopefully, I got all the names in, but if not, we'll just have to see what happens. I realize, I'll need to find a way to be productive since someone is in my room during 5th and going away will be more common. Maybe someone will meet up with me during that stretch ... let's say like tomorrow :) Practice went pretty well as we head to learn the district course even though we didn't race Cow Run yet. I thought this picture would be cute and it was. There was a lot going on today at practice, but in the end, I was able to get home and get some work done for Cow Run and Oregon. I'm trying to get ahead so I don't have a pile of work to do on Friday. I've already printed the signs and am working on trying to get all the paperwork printed today so I don't have to worry about it. Can I really get ahead? We'll just have to see about it. Yeah ... it was just another day, but every day is special so I won't take that for granted. 

~:[CH4 - Day 244]:~ Simply Incredible

~:[CH4 - Day 244]:~ Simply Incredible

The second day of school went well. With our bridge project in full force, we ended up having a very good showing with the classes. Strangely enough, my second period did the best, which is normally flipped since the word gets out on the project. Regardless, the class had 36 textbooks held on six bridges with ten being the max. I ended up with five bridges holding ten books! Practice also went pretty smoothly as the weather is starting to cool down. We headed to John's Incredible Pizza for the evening for our first school year team event! It was fun as usual. I ended up hitting a jackpot on the Wheel of Fortune coin game! I was exhausted from a full day and after finishing up some Cow Run work, I went to bed. It was a long day but it was simply incredible.