THE SUMMER IS ALREADY GONE...

IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG. I AM NOT USED TO HAVING EVERYDAY OF MY SUMMER ACTUALLY BE SUNNY WITH BLUE SKIES. SARA AND I SPENT LOADS OF TIME OUTDOORS THIS SUMMER, AND PLAN TO CONTINUE TO BE OUTSIDE ALL THROUGH THE WINTER. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SKI SEASON, MY SECOND AND SARA'S FIRST REAL SNOW SEASON. NOW IF SUMMER WOULD JUST LET GO AND WE COULD TURN OUR AIR CONDITIONER OFF LIFE WOULD BE GRAND.

SO... WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

SARA HAS LOGGED OVER 750 MILES OF MARATHON TRAINING RUNNING SINCE APRIL 1ST!!!
SINCE THE PORTLAND MARATHON SOLD OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY SHE WAS FORCED TO LOOK ELSEWHERE, LOOSING THAT SEA LEVEL ADVANTAGE SHE IS GOING TO RUN RIGHT HERE IN DENVER AT OVER 5000 FT ELEVATION. STAY TUNED FOR SOME PICS WHEN SHE COMPLETES THIS CHALLENGE SHE HAS WORKED SO HARD FOR.

I DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY ROUNDS OF GOLF I'VE LOGGED, TOO MANY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY PLAY AS WELL I WOULD LIKE...BUT I THINK THAT IS THE DISEASE WE CALL GOLF.

TOGETHER WE HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF MOUNTAIN BIKING, ALTHOUGH SARA DIDN'T WANT TO RISK ANY INJURIES SO CLOSE TO HER MARATHON, WE HAVEN'T BEEN OUT IN A LITTLE WHILE, AND IF OUR SNOW DANCES WORK, WE PROBABLY WON'T HIT THE SINGLE TRACK AGAIN UNTIL NEXT YEAR...

WE WERE ABLE TO SUMMIT SEVERAL FOURTEENERS...NOT MANY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, BUT OUR INTERESTS HAVE KEPT US MORE BUSY ELSEWHERE.

I FINALLY GRADUATED FROM THE THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO'S NURSING RESIDENCY PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A NICE RELIEF. I AM ENJOYING NOT BEING A "STUDENT" IN THE TRADITIONAL MIND SET. PLAYING IS HARD TO GET TIRED OF.

WE HAVE LOGGED SEVERAL MILES ON TRIPS TOO, SMALL ONES OF COURSE. MOAB THREE TIMES, MONARCH AND CRESTED BUTTE ONCE, SARA HAS BEEN TO PORTLAND TWICE AND HOME TO SPOKANE ONCE. I THINK THE FALL AND WINTER WILL BE MUCH MORE QUIET AS WE ARE BOTH WORKING SOME OF THE MAJOR HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS, WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN A BLACK FRIDAY (THANKSGIVING) DINNER FOR THOSE THAT ARE WORKING ON THE ACTUAL HOLIDAY.

PROBABLY THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHT FOR THE SUMMER WAS SARA AND I SKYDIVING MOAB FOR MY 30TH BIRTHDAY. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THIS YEAR TURNING 30 HURT A BIT MORE THAN ANY BIRTHDAY I HAVE HAD BEFORE. SOMETHING ABOUT BEING SO CLOSE TO 40 KIND OF MAKES YOU THINK A BIT. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE LIVING LEFT TO DO, BUT A BIT OF URGENCY SEEMED TO BE ADDED. I FIGURED WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE, OR MOURN THAN TO JUMP OUT OF PLANE AT OVER 10,000 FT IN THE AIR AND FALL AT OVER 120 MILES AN HOUR FOR 6000 OF THOSE FT...A TOTAL RUSH AND I WOULD ADVISE IT FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO REALLY FEEL ALIVE.

SO HERE ARE SOME PICS OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO...I HOPE TO DO A BETTER JOB UPDATING THROUGH THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME