Thirty One Years

Sue and I got married thirty one years ago.  That is a crap ton of years as Sue likes to say.

We flew to San Francisco for our honeymoon.  Sue's brother Rick drove us to the airport and offered to buy us a drink, but he didn't have his wallet so we ended up paying for the drinks :)

One of my first memories of what was to come in our lives together occurred when I hailed a cab to take us to our hotel in Downtown San Francisco.

The cab I hailed was pink and inexplicably to me, Sue found this to be hilarious.  She giggled all the way from the airport to our hotel.

Years later we would describe this as road tripping, when Sue and Laura would begin to laugh uncontrollably about something that may or may not have been funny.

Adam and I would look at each other and wonder what in the world is happening.

Cab Drivers reaction when encountering road trippers...

When Sue and first got married she had only been to other other state(Nebraska).

Sue saw the ocean for the first time on our honeymoon and in the years that have followed we have crossed two oceans together, raised our two incredible children Laura and Adam in a house filled with love. 

We said our goodbye's to people we loved who shaped us into the people we are. 

My Grandmother, Sue's Mother and Grandmother, my Aunt Joy and Uncle Norm and my dear friend Kelly. 

We have shared the disappointments during our career's, job loss, a failed business, extended bouts with auto-immune diseases.

Maybe nothing all that remarkable that any couple that has been married a crap ton of years and it is in the ordinary that we find that which makes our lives together extraordinary. 

Thanks for choosing me to share your one wild and precious life with. 

“Instructions for living a life. 
Pay attention. 
Be astonished. 
Tell about it.” 
― Mary Oliver

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TGIF(Trust-Gratitude-Inspiration-Friday)

We went to the Colorado Rapids game last night with my soon to be son-in-law, Chris and my family. 

I saw this tweet from Chris that he had posted earlier during the day and I thought this was a wonderful intention that we could use not just on the 4th of July, but any day. 

Before the game started Chris, Laura and Adam set up shop giving away red, white and blue beads to the fans arriving for the game.  They were giving the beads away for free to anyone that wanted them and they asked for people to make an optional donation to the fire fighter relief fund that is being managed by the Red Cross.  By the time we headed into the game, they had collected $225.00 for the relief fund.  

Unfortunately, our state has numerous wildfires that are raging across the state.  Last week 19 firefighters lost their lives in Arizona fighting a wildfire.  This was the greatest loss of life of firefighter's since September, 11, 2001. 

This is a cause that matters greatly to Chris.  Chris and Laura are getting married next week and they have set up a special charity registry where all of the money that is raised will be donated  to the Red Cross. 

Please click here if you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross and support the efforts of the firefighter's and provide needed assistance to the families that have been displaced by these terrible fires. 

I am so grateful to Chris and Laura for thinking of others, to cast a beautiful ripple effect in wake of this ongoing tragedy. 

So get out there and make a difference, inspire someone! 

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With great love for Laura and her Kitty

Paws

A sad day for the Kinney's.

Laura's kitty died today.  She was 16 years old.

She had been abandoned when she was a kitten.  I am not sure if she ever got over that trauma.

It is never easy to lose a pet, no matter how prepared you think you might be for that day to come.

To my daughter Laura who endured many scratches and bites on her arms when Paws would decide she had been petted long enough.

You gave her a home, a life she wouldn't have had.  You filled her life with love and she loved you.  You were her favorite.  I don't think anyone could have loved her more than you did.

To the day when you meet her again at the Rainbow Bridge.

I love you  ♥

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Epic and Stupid Fourteener Adventure

Laura, Michelle and me at the top of Mt. Evans, 14258 feet above sea level

I added climbing a fourteener to my bucket list two years ago. I finally get to mark it as complete.

My daughter Laura and I set off Sunday morning at 5:45 with Michelle(Laura's friend from high school)  and headed to Guanella Pass to begin our ascent and for me to discover the reason why people climb Fourteener's.

Michelle and Laura gave me their top reasons.

1.  Because it is so pretty.
2.  You get to see Mountain Goats!

We thrashed through the bushes and marsh for the first 1.8 miles.  We kept seeking higher ground as we didn't want to get our shoes wet :)

Through the marsh and about to start climbing in earnest.   

Early on in the ascent, Michelle proclaimed this will be an "epic fourteener adventure."

The parking lot from where we started is in the top left hand corner of the picture. 

What do you mean we have to cross a stream?                                                   

We leap frogged back and forth with this group of fellow climbers.  The person in the lower left hand corner took our picture at the top of Mt. Evans with his camera and e-mailed us the photos!

Regrouping after ascending through the Rocks

We made it!

Top of the world!

Laura shows off her scrapes!

Not even Laura's kitty could do this!

Michelle shows off her "white socks"

Apparently this is the real reason to climb a Fourteener, Mountain goat sighting :)

Our fearless energizer bunny leads us on the descent

Laura tackles the descent through the boulders

When you see the stack of rocks, you know you are on the correct path.  See the little Marmot peering out on the right corner of the rocks.

Back where we started from! 

At the end of the day, we had climbed 3,426 feet according to my Garmin watch. 

At some point the "epic adventure" was deemed to be "stupid". 

We had waded knee deep through stretches of muddy marsh.  Our attempts to keep from getting our socks wet were utter folly. 

Michelle has no fear when climbing or descending.  Laura and I, not so much. 

The air above 12,000 feet is indeed rare.    I have never heard my heart beat so loudly in my ears.  Sometimes I would take 15-20 steps and have to stop until I could no longer hear my heart beating wildly in my ear drums. 

There is a definite sense of camaraderie that you share with your fellow climbers. 

I had no idea what it would be like to climb a Fourteener.  Mt. Evans is not a climb for the faint of heart.  There were several times where I felt like I couldn't do it.  We were at 14,000 feet and still had a mile to go to get to the summit.  That was a discouraging feeling.  Kind of like hitting the wall at the 20 mile mark of the marathon and knowing you still have 6.2 miles to go. 

Some of the views were indeed incredible.  The camera never can do justice to what we can see with our eyes.  This was  a rugged climb.  Lots of boulder's, rocky terrain.  

I am not sure that seeing mountain goats will be enough of a reason for me to climb a fourteener again.  

I think everyone needs to discover the truth of why to climb. My top reasons for climbing. 

1, I got to spend an epic day with my daughter Laura and her friend Michelle. 

2. See #1. 

I want to send out some extra light and love to Michelle.

Michelle's Father passed away unexpectedly on the morning of July 20 as we awoke to a world that had changed as we were sleeping.

Here is to father's and their daughters. 

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Thank Heaven for my little girl

Dear Laura,

Twenty five years ago today, you came into our lives.

A day much like today.  Blue skies.

I played 9 holes of golf with my Dad that morning.

Today I went for a run not far from where I played golf that morning.

Your mommy and I were at the medical center this morning where you were born.  Strange, somewhat similar and so much has changed.

We live in the same house that we did when you were born.

Mommy and I lived with there with our dog Erin and our cat Shasta.  She was a friendly kitty.  Imagine that.

Today we had lunch at East Cafe, a birthday cake at home with 25 candles.

You blew them all out with ease.

23 years ago, we lit the candles over and over again and sang Happy Birthday to you.  You would blow out the candles, clap your hand and say "Do again."

So we did.

Many times.

Memories of that moment, etched into my mind forever.

Adam graduated from high school when you turned 21.

Reenacting the FAU Tipsy Table :)

You actually ran a 5K on your birthday when you were 23.  Yes, you did!  I looked it up.

Thank goodness, Vicki tricked you into running your first Bolder Boulder the year before.

Two years later we ran a marathon in Paris together.

I have lost track of all of the 5K's we have run together and each one is a special memory.

Swim meets beginning at the Aurora YMCA.  Who knew what that that first summer of swimming would bring to your life?

So many high school and MACS swim meets.  Hours spent at the pool to watch you compete for 1 to 2 minutes.

Holding my breath watching you race against the clock to get your sectional qualifying times.

I can't swim 15 yards of butterfly.  You could slice through the water, looking so fluid and powerful.  Wow, what a pair of shoulders you had.

I remember riding our bikes all the way past the Paul Beck Center when you were a little girl.  We rode over 20 miles that day.  You always were a distance athlete.

Now I can't keep up with you on the bike.

Do you remember your first Bronco game?   I think it was in 1994 or 1995 against the Atlanta Falcons. Would anyone be surprised to know you wore a pink coat to the game?

We have gone to Yoga classes together.

We watched Kelly graduate from high school together.

It has been seven years since you graduated from high school.  Almost seven years since sob fest of 2005.

Seven years since you ran a 5K in San Francisco in the only flat spot in the city and couldn't walk the next day.

We watched this movie the night before you left for your freshman year in college. We used to joke about this line from the movie, "you have a daughter?"  Well we thought it was funny.  I think you would roll your eyes.

Thank heaven for little girls
Thank heaven for them all
No matter where
No matter who
Without them
What would  little boys  their daddy's do?

I am so proud of the person you are and have always been.  I am blessed that you are my daughter as well as my friend.

I love you.

Happy Birthday on your special day.  Now no jumping from moving objects this year :)  K?  K!!!

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Endings

Write about endings.

Interpret that prompt however you would like.

That is the homework from a couple of days ago.  I am not writing at all about what I thought I would and this has sat in my drafts folder.  When I started this writing classes, one of my commitments was to write and publish and not judge whether it was good or not.

I was involved in a hit and run over six months ago.  The person that rear ended my car, thought about it for a minute and decided to drive away.  My car was totaled and tomorrow at some point a tow truck driver will come and pick up my car and drive away with years of memories. 

Laura and Adam both learned how to drive in my car.  They preferred the Chevrolet Malibu to Sue's car. 

There were three road trips to Cut Bank, Montana in the Malibu.  

A trip in March 2006 with Adam, for Kelly's prom in her junior year.  What a trip that was and so many precious memories.   My profile picture on Facebook, Twitter and this blog is from that trip.  Nine months later Kelly's  cancer returned. 

A trip with Laura in 2007 for Kelly's high school graduation.  A day filled with so much emotion as we watched Kelly walk with her class and receive her diploma. 

A final trip to Cut Bank in March 2008 with the Sue, Laura and Adam to lay Kelly to rest. 

Maybe I am writing about my car because it is easier then it would be to write about other endings. 

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Laura's birthday present to me on her birthday.

I got the nicest birthday present possible from Laura on her birthday.

An inviation to go run on 5K.  We drove up to Flatrions for the Bolder Boulder Flat Out 5K.  This is a qualifying race for the Bolder Boulder 10K road race on Memorial Day.

At the end of the race, you are seeded into the appropriate qualifying wave.

I hadn't done any training for this race, hadn't run for 12 days.  I told Laura as we were driving up that we had changed identities.   When Laura swam competitively her only training for 5K road races was the prior 5K race which could be weeks or months apart.

When you are a teenager and have a fantastic aerobic engine, one might get away with that kind of a training plan.  For me, it doesn't work so well.  Duh...

The flat out 5K is not really flat, but you are supposed to run flat out, at 100%.  Now I can sometimes run at 100% for the final .1 of the race, but through either very poor design or a sadisc race director the last .1 mile is all uphill.  There were two people in front of me that I might have been able to pass if I was willing to pay the price and suffer.  I opted out as my left brain told me it would hurt too much.  It isn't worth the effort. 

I crossed the finish line and was handed a card that told me I had qualified for the ED wave. At least I got into a qualifying wave.  

As we waited in line to register there was a young boy, I am guessing who was about 6 that had the same color coded card as me :)  I will never get a big head about my running abilities.

It was a fun morning for me to spend time with my little girl this way.

Laura, I am so proud of you.

You are the only person I know that has friends from the age of about 18 months, two year olds, 3 year olds, 5 year olds that all fight over you, cry when they can't sit next to you. 

I love how you play all out with your kids at Kids Club and come home with bruises on your knees from chasing after them.

So to my running and roadie buddy, I look forward to many more runs and rides with you, having fun,  playing all out.

Happy Birthday, little girl.

I love you :)

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Cycling and Family traditions

Laura and I went for a bike ride this afternoon.

When Laura was a young girl, we did a 20 mile bike ride. Laura had a 3 speed bike.  I had an old Schwinn 12 speed bike.

Things are quite different now.

We rode 26.5 miles today and tonight I am sore and tired.  I think Laura is going to be an awesome triathlete.

She has the huge advantage of being able to swim.  That seems to be the weakest link in the chain for most people when they move to that sport.

I spent most of the ride today, trying to grab her rear wheel and by the time I would finally catch up to her, my legs were screaming. 

Tonight Sue made one of our family favorite meals, "Chicken A La Sue". 

Laura had a tiny helping of mashed potatoes for dinner tonight.

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31 Days of Wishes: Day 13

Last night at the Track Suit Pub Crawl, we had an unexpected visitor.  Santa!

Laura, Santa and Sue at the Pub Crawl for Cancer

I can't remember the last time Laura had her picture taken with Santa.  It has been many years, but how I cherish those memories of going to the mall to see Santa with Laura.

My wish for today is for everyone to cherish those moments of joyful innocence with your children and hold those memories near in your hearts.

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30 days of Thanks: Day 6

Today I am thankful for:

The wonderful friendship that Laura and Adam share with one another!

Seeing the love that Laura and Adam have for Keegan!

Sharing my life with my amazing wife and best friend!

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30 days of Thanks: Day 5

Today I am thankful for:

Being able to run with Laura and Keegan at the Race for Fetal Hope 5K.

Seeing all of the young girls from the Girls on the Run. 

Being a part of a community of runners that come together to support a great cause.

Hearing an inspirational message at a church we visited tonight.

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30 days of Thanks: Day 4

Today I am thankful for:

Hugging my wife before starting the day.

Being able to enjoy a six mile run on a beautiful fall day in Colorado.

Being invited to Yoga class with my daughter, even though the instructor didn't show up today.

Having lunch with Laura at PF Chang's.

Feeling more at peace and joyful with who I am.

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30 days of Thanks: Day 3

Today I am thankful for:

My daughter Laura telling me to come look outside her bedroom window and I was treated to this wonderful sunrise to start the day. We have lived in the same house Laura's entire life and I don't know if we have ever shared a sunrise together like this. What a beautiful way to start the day.

I am thankful for finally waking from what seemed to be a dream only to find myself wide awake and realizing that I had fallen in love with my wife again.

WOW!!!

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52 weeks + one day

A year has come and gone since I last ran a marathon.

Last year, I ran the Denver marathon with a heavy heart. It was my first marathon I had run since Kelly died.

This year I had to drop back to the 1/2 marathon distance. The injury that began over a year ago still hasn't healed completely.

I am not sure if my heart has completely healed, but the experience this year was very different.

I had no sorrow in my heart this year. I still miss Kelly very much. She will always be my hero.

I had done very little training for the 1/2 marathon. A year ago, it seemed like I ran six days a week. Now it seems like I run one day a week. I wasn't overtrained for this event.

The neat part for me this year was being able to run with Laura. Laura ran her first half marathon on Sunday. Well, I lined up at the start line with her and she disappeared in the sea of runners during the first ten seconds of the race. Still, it was neat to know she was running ahead of me. I wondered how she was doing, mentally guessing how far ahead of me she was. What would her experience be like.

Another blessing, Kelly brought to me. My daughter the swimmer, now a distance runner :)

One of Laura' friends from high school, Vicki talked Laura into running the 1/2 marathon. I think Vicki totally rocks!

Laura and I did a couple of training runs together. The runs didn't feel very good, but how I loved being able to spend time with Laura this way.

I had run a grand total of 18 miles during the month of October. Interestingly I added 18 minutes from the last time I ran a half marathon. Good thing, I didn't train any more than that... Who knows how much time I might have added.

I saw one of the Rocky Mountain Chapter's team heroes(Sharon) early in the run. I ran over and gave her a hug, thanked her for providing inspiration to us in her journey. I had hugged Sharon last year at the finish line. It was neat to see her out there, living full out.

It was kind of sad running by Coors Field seeing the Rocktoboer 09 sign. The playoffs ended so soon last year. In 2007, running past Coors field was magical.

The miles passed by fairly quickly. I was wearing my TNT purple singlet. I had pictures of Kelly and Laiken on the back of my singlet. Running for and with my angels.

Surprisingly, the miles passed fairly quickly. My pace was consistent. I tried to put on a burst of slow the last two miles.

No tears this year as I crossed the finish line.

Laura did great on her first 1/2 marathon. I was so proud of her for taking on something she didn't think she could do.

Next year, the Denver marathon will become a Rock and Roll marathon. I wonder what that will do to the growth of this event.

I hope next year, I get to find out. Maybe next year, Vicki will talk Laura into running the marathon. How cool would that be?

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Fans on the Field

Today was the 4th annual Fan on the Field 5K and 10K run.

                                            Keegan shares some last minute advice for LaLa

The 10K runners(Laura and I) get a chance to run through the Pepsi Center, Coors Field and Invesco at Mile High.  How I hate that name.  I will always call it Mile High stadium.

The 5K runners(Adam and Keegan) hit the Pepsi Center and Mile High stadium.

The race director completley rerouted the 10K race course this year as we hit the Pepsi Center first, then ventured to Coors Field and finally coming back to Mile High.  Not sure why they did it.  It may have been to alleviate congestion on the course and it did seem somewhat better this year from that standpoint.

Fans on the Field is a fun race that benefits the National Sports Center for  the Disabled.   

It was great to see so many kids out running with their parents today and I felt very lucky that this is an event that my kids and I look forward to each year.  Adam only does a couple of 5K's each year so  I think there need to be more 5K runs that have something to do with the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets and the Avalanche and he will be there :)

I got to high five the Nugget mascot, Rocky.  Hands down the best mascot in profesional sports.  I wish I had gotten his picture.

The run was a bit of a struggle for me.  I have down so much slow running this year, I am having a hard time trying to get back into a faster pace. 

                                                  The runners hit the Pepsi Center

                                          Off to Coors Field.  The little girl with the pony tail was fast!

Heading to home plate to greet Dinger!

My obligatory water picture :)

                                                       A little Kung Fu fighting, courtesy of Keegan

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