Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Adams Elementary Invitational Triathlon...


No, those bikes aren't waiting for triathletes to come running in from the swim - they're actually waiting for the students at Adams Elementary to come out and ride them home. It's unbelievable how many people ride bikes in this town. Corvallis has a population of about 55,000 and over 55 miles of bike trails and bike lanes. And do they ever get used. There are people biking on the trails every minute of every hour of every day...and that extends right down to the K-5 students at Adams.

Build it and they will come.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Hey, hey, hey, it's some new ink...


That's right, the October/November/December issue (let's just call it the "winter" issue) of RaceCenter is out. And what do you know, Sr. Writer Scott Lommers has another article in it. How did I fool Editor Brook Gardner into making me a Sr. Writer? Andrew Jackson has yet to let me down, my friends.

So in this issue, I dial up a little something called "Running on Superstition," which is, oddly, an article on Running...and Superstition. It's got a nice little story about my brother in there...we'll see if he reads it. I'm not going to mention it to him, that's for sure.

What else is in the issue? Well, there's "Toe-Roping," "Running with Purpose," and "Girls on the Run." All quality stuff, if not all from Sr. Writers on the RaceCenter staff. But you know where to find that, right?

Also, I notice a photo of a pretty young women named "Jami" on page 43. And, I must add, it is not the first time I've seen "Jami" in the pages of RaceCenter. I'm a-thinkin' Editor Brook has a little crush on this "Jami."

Or maybe she knows the power of a Jackson as well. She might just be the new RaceCenter Sr. Cute Runner Girl in the Photos. It's a prestigious position, believe you-me.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's a Corvallis Festivus Miracle!


After many, many, many (I really can't empahsize the "many" part enough) attempts to interest Payton in bikes and biking, and an equal number of failures, the move to Corvallis was apparently all we ever needed to do. Payton is now riding his brand new bike to and from school, around the lake by our apartment, and over the Trex pathways in the wetlands surrounding our apartment. In fact, he's becoming one of "those" kids that wants to go ride his bike every second of every day.

Where did this bike-loving kid come from? We're not sure, but we like him, so we've decided to keep him.


RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 13th TO OCTOBER 19th

October 18th / Pre's X-C Challenge 7k, 5k, and 3k / Eugene, OR

October 18th / Howl and Scream Scram 10k and 5k / Richland, WA

October 18th / Mt. Erie Road and Trail Runs, 3.6 and 2.5 mile / Anacortes, WA

October 18th / Chelan Chase 5k / Chelan, WA

October 18th / Free to Breathe 5k / Tacoma, WA

October 18th / Lewis-Clark Half-Marathon / Clarkston, ID

October 18th / Barkley Autumn Trail Run 8k / Bellingham, WA

October 19th / Oktoberfest Brewski-Daddle / Vancouver, B.C.

October 19th / Rippling River Run / Eugene, OR

October 19th / Beaver Fever Duathlon / Philomath, OR

October 19th / Run Like Hell Half-Marathon, 10k, and 5k / Portland, OR

October 19th / Girlfriend's Half-Marathon / Vancouver, WA

Saturday, September 27, 2008

34 Days Until Nanowrimo!


Start cooking those plots. Just over a month now until the actual writing starts for National Novel Writing Month. Don't make the mistake I made last year and wait until November to try to figure out your plot. November is for writing - not plotting!

For inspiration, here's a little writing from the old WoolleyScott.com site. This one was called "Carson the Liberator" and was originally posted on April 21, 2007. Enjoy.

CARSON THE LIBERATOR
So Carson and I are at the trial-size Sedro Woolley Library and, as usual, we stroll past the sign stating “Please do not leave your children unattended.” Yep, sure, whatever.

“OK, Carson, I’m going to go look for some books. I’ll be right back,” I say, with oddly no foreshadowing whatsoever.

After grabbing two books over in the mystery section (an Elmore Leonard that I’ve read two or three times before and a Randy Wayne White that’s new to me), I head back over to the children’s section and see the librarian chatting with Carson.

“Hi,” I say, wondering what fantastic behavior the librarian will compliment Carson on, while at the same time handing me a well-deserved back-handed compliment on my superior parenting skills.

“Hi,” the librarian says. “I was just asking your daughter where she put the Zoobooks magazines that she had liberated some pages from.”

That sounded vaguely un-complimentish. “Liberated how, exactly?” I ask.

“Well, she ripped out a few pages.”

Carson pulled up the two Zoobooks magazines to display the ripped out center “to-do” pages. “Oh, we let her rip those pages out at home,” I explain helpfully. “Obviously, I didn’t want her ripping them out here, but we don’t bother with the ‘to-do’ pages at home.”

“I see,” the librarian says, looking at me like not only does my progeny destroy public property, but she also has parents that let her look at the pictures while she throws away the “learning” part of the magazine.

“I’m really sorry,” I try.

“Not a problem,” she says, this time with a look that clearly says I’m not the first white trash parent she’s dealt with today and I probably won’t be the last.

Ah, parenting; every minute is a new reward in itself.

Monday, September 22, 2008

No, that's not a Duck...it's a Beaver...with feathers


So we noticed just before we sent Carson off to school today that she was wearing her Pink Oregon Ducks Hoodie. Oh boy. Of course, we had purchased said sweatshirt way back when Eugene was still in the running for "the city that we're going to be in for the next 13 years" before we ultimately decided on Corvallis as our destination. So we stared at Carson for a moment, thinking of the 40-50% of the Adams Elementary students that wear their OSU Beaver gear on a daily basis...then I remembered that she's got anywhere from two inches to two feet on the rest of the students in her kindergarten class..."Carson, if anyone gives you any grief about your Ducks shirt, just sit on them," I said.

She nodded, and we were on our way.

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 6th TO OCTOBER 12th

October 11th / Domestic Violence Awareness 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

October 11th / ORRC Blue Lake Runs 15k and 5k / Troutdale, OR

October 11th / Fall Frolic Foot Race 10k and 5k / Kennewick, WA

October 11th / Autumn Leaf Run 10k and 5k / Omak, WA

October 12th / Gresham Jazz Run Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k/ Gresham, OR

October 12th / Victoria Marathon, Half-Marathon and 8k / Victoria, B.C.

October 12th / Great Pumpkin Run 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

October 12th / RunningShoes.com Duathlon / Bellingham, WA

October 12th / UW Dawg Dash 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

October 12th / Spokane Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5 mile run / Spokane, WA

October 12th / Sun City Half-Marathon and 5k / Yakima, WA

October 12th / Bog Jog 10k and 5k / Grayland, WA

October 12th / Great Columbia Crossing 10k / Astoria, OR

October 12th / Miles for Midwives 2.8 mile run / Seattle, WA

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

High-falutin brownies!


What, you mean you don't mix your brownies in a 10 pound cut-crystal bowl? Why not?

OK, fine, we still can't seem to find the moving box with the mixing bowls in it...are you happy now?

It seems inevitable that we'll be getting into the true fall weather here soon and will be running races in the rain, but for now, it's sun, sun, and more sun. Don't let it go to waste - get out there a enter a race.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 29th TO OCTOBER 5th

October 4th / Lava Bear Open 5k / Bend, OR

October 4th / Mighty Oaks Acorn 5k Run / Corvallis, OR

October 4th / Grape Crush Rush 5k / Kennewick, WA

October 4th / Octoberfest Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

October 4th / Mud Mountain Dam 5k Run / Enumclaw, WA

October 4th / One Meal, One Hope 5k / Seattle, WA

October 4th / K-Rod Memorial 5k Run / Vancouver, WA

October 4th / Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon and Half-Marathon / Leavenworth, WA

October 4th / Portland Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 5th / City of Trees Marathon and Half-Marathon / Boise, ID

October 5th / Fallen Leaf 5k Run for SIDS / Spokane, WA

October 5th / Walk/Run for Hope 5k / Seattle, WA

October 5th / Haunted Hustle 10k and 5k / Puyallup, WA

October 5th / Rotary Run at Salmon Days 10k and 5k / Issaquah, WA

Saturday, September 13, 2008

247 Straight Days of Sunshine!


Wow, we've been in Corvallis for about two weeks now (one week in the Best Western and one week in the apartment) and we haven't seen a cloud yet. I mean, we haven't seen a cloud. It's been quite an introduction to our new home. Every day has been somewhere in between 80 and 92 degrees for the past 14 days. Now I know why they keep the outdoor pools and play areas (Otter Beach) open all through September at the Osbourne Aquatic Center. Man, the kids and I love us some Osbourne Aquatic Center.

The ankle, you ask? I'm hoping to attend a nice Halloween race as my first race back. If you know of a good one in the Valley, let me know.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22nd TO SEPTEMBER 28th

September 26th and 27 / Endurance Festival (Just about every kind of run and bike race you can think of) / Pocatello, ID

September 27th / Sumner Rotary Run 5k / Sumner, WA

September 27th/ Cascade Lake Run 10k and 5k / Cascade, ID

September 27 / Arlington Airport Run for Hope 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

September 27th / Northwest X-C Classic 5k / Eugene, OR

September 27th / Autumn Classic Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

September 27th / One Race One Village 5k/ Seattle, WA

September 27th / Walla Walla Crush 5k / Walla Walla, WA

September 28th / Corvallis Fall Festival 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 28th / Mosier Twin Tunnels 12k and 5k / Hood River, OR

September 28th / Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5k / Bellingham, WA

September 28th / Alki Beach Run 5k / Seattle, WA

September 28th / EdgeRace 5k / Edgewood, WA

September 28th/ TTTS Race For Hope 5k / Kirkland, WA

Thanks to the EdgeRace for the photo. Note the runners in full football uniforms...if you can't outrun the guys in the full football uniforms and helmets, it might be time to kick the training up a notch.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Do what I say, not what I do...


...for I am still not running. The ankle seems to have finally turned the corner this week (it'll be four weeks tomorrow since I injured it), and I'm not limping at last. But I'm still not running. I think maybe one more week, and I can give it a try. Until then, get out there and run one for me. Thanks.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15th TO SEPTEMBER 21st

September 20th / Kirkland Triathlon for Kids / Kirkland, WA

September 20th / Steve Prefontaine Memorial 10k / Coos Bay, OR

September 20th / St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5k for Women and Children / Boise, ID

September 20th / Run 4 US 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 20th / Cobb Street Harvest Run 8k/ Roseburg, OR

September 20th / Shore to Shore Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10k / Chelan, WA

September 20th / Baker Lake 50k / Concrete, WA

September 20th / Run Wild 8k and 5k / Eatonville, WA

September 20th / Late Summer Madness Sprint Triathlon / Vancouver, WA

September 21st / Kirkland Triathlon at Carillon Point / Kirkland, WA

September 21st/ Mutha's Nature 51k, 25k, and 10k Trail Runs / North Vancouver, B.C.

September 21st / Fremont Oktoberfest Brew Ha-Ha 5k / Seattle, WA

September 21st / Salmon Run 10k and 5k / Leavenworth, WA

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Get those pencils sharpened right up...


...because NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. You don't know what NaNoWriMo is?!? Are you kidding me? Well, let me illuminate your dimness. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which just happens to be from November 1st to November 30th. It was created for anyone and everyone on this world to sit down and write a 50,000+ word novel, on any topic that strikes your fancy. No, really. Check it out here. And if you think that it's too early to start thinking about it on September 9th, take it from someone who only made it to about 20,000 words last November because he was to busy spending the first two weeks of the month thinking about the plot.

THINK ABOUT THE PLOT IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER - WRITE THE STINKING THING IN NOVEMBER!

That's my one and only piece of writing advice for you. Now about your Amish Lesbian Vampire Romance Murder Mystery...I think it's got potential. Maybe just a little tweak here and there. Good luck.

Monday, September 1, 2008

We're here...no, really.


After a little vacation at the dunes in Florence, we've officially arrived in Corvallis. Just enough time to let Payton try on a new haircut before heading to school on Wednesday. But only Payton! Apparently, they ease their kindergartners into school...by not making them go to school for the first four days! Slackers. So Carson gets to hang out for yet another week while her poor brother has to go back to school.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8th TO SEPTEMBER 14th

September 13th / Black Diamond Half-Iron, Olympic and Sprint Triathlons plus Half-Marathon Run / Enumclaw, WA

September 13th / Salmon Marathon / Salmon, ID

September 13th / Tri-Trail Challange / Eugene, OR

September 13th / Timberline Marathon Trail Run / Government Camp, OR

September 13th / Oktoberfest 10k and 5k / Mt. Angel, OR

September 13th / Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15k / Bellingham, WA

September 13th / Grand Columbian Iron, Half-Iron and Olympic Triathlons / Grand Coulee, WA

September 13th / MLPD Run for Your Life 10k and 5k / Moses Lake, WA

September 13th / The Ridge Run Half-Marathon and Tater 5k / Ridgefield, WA

September 13th / Agros 5k Fun Run / Seattle, WA

September 13th / Flowing Lake Triathlon / Snohomish, WA

September 14th / Pine Mountain Hillclimb 11.5 mile run / Bend, OR

September 14th / Run for Sustainable Schools / Eugene, OR