Getting closer !

Last day of February, and I have to say it has snuck up on me.  What a difference a year makes.  Last year at this point I was running 3 hours or more at a clip and now . . . I'm not.  I think it is hitting home how far behind I am with 26 days until the Tiadaghton Challenge.  I am also going to be doing the Run around Egg Hill the day after that with Bass and Joel.  It is a really nice afternoon in Spring Mills benefitting the Penns Valley track team.  I've missed only a couple of these since they began and it will be great to hook up with Bass and Joel again for the relay.  In fact, it is the pressure of running with/for someone else that, I think, will provide the impetus to get me moving.  It has worked the past few days, anyway.

We took the kids to see 3 Cups of Tea today at Schwab Auditorium on the Penn State campus.  it is a one person show put together by Literature to Life.  It was nicely done and I think the kids received it well.  We had planned to go snow tuning afterward, but the threat of thunderstorms kept us from that part of the day.

I am about to embark on the fundraising for this year's diabetes event.  The JDRF has changed its focus and is now looking not only at curing diabetes in the near future, which does not seem likely, but rather emphasizing ways that people can live with diabetes and avoid the complications that are so common.  I wrote a lot about these last year.  Heart disease, kidney failure, amputation are some pretty heavy duty results of the failure to control blood sugars.  It makes my reluctance to get out of bed and off my butt seem pretty wimpy.  Just as I wrote earlier, a temporary inconvenience is way better than a permanent result.

I enjoyed teaching AWANA last night at our church.  I'm not sure I do nearly as good a job as Chris, the usual teacher does, but the kids are involved and seem to be attentive.  I know it is good for me to have to think about God's Word and to apply it to my own life.

Still haven't traded the power tools.  Check them out on the State College, PA Craigslist if you have a notion.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

The microscope has gone, tools available.

I realize that the last couple of posts are not strictly related to the run toward a cure, but I hope you find them fun and interesting.


Today, I traded the Bausch & Lomb microscope for these two BRAND NEW hand power tools.
Thanks to Stuart for this trade !

Black & Decker Firestorm 4 1/2 inch Angle Grinder. Brand new, never been used.

Craftsman Rotary Tool. Single speed, 1/8 inch complete with wrench and instructions. NO BITS Included. Brand new, never been used.

I started a year ago with 3 golf balls. I traded them for a pair of cross-country skis. I recently traded the skis for a Bausch & Lomb compound microscope. Now, the microscope has been traded for the tools described above.  What will I trade for?  Who knows !?!
I have a goal of getting a solo canoe eventually. Mostly, it is just for fun.
If you have something you would like to trade, let me know. This is a project in the vein of one red paperclip. Check it out online.

I'm feeling better about my physical condition.  Although I've not been doing much actual running, I've been skiing, riding the trainer bike, climbing the treadwall (Which is really cool!), rowing and enjoying the elliptical.  Now, some time on the roads and in the woods will get me to where I ned to be for the Tiadaghton Challenge in 1 month.

Thanks, Pete for the help in getting out in the wind on Saturday.

Away we go!

'Scope in Hand

I made the trade yesterday.  I passed on the cross country skis and picked up a Bausch & Lomb compound microscope.  It is in the original styrofoam packing and has the 3 objectives in sealed containers, even the original plastic dust cover.  This would have been a school model  I'm sure as it looks just like the ones I have in my classroom now.  The serial number is on it, but I'm not sure if the the model is 255 or not.

Anyway, I am looking for the next trade.  I will post photos as soon as I can.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain today, so I spent some time on the treadmill.  I'm going to hit the hay soon so that I can get up nice and early tomorrow and put in some distance.

I'm excited to call Ray Zahab later this week.  He emailed me back again, gave me his number and said I should call this week.  I hope we can work something out for the fall to get him in to talk to the kids at my school.  His efforts on behalf of others are certainly inspiring.

Little Things Mean a Lot

When I got to school today, I checked my email and WOW!

Last week, I had emailed Ray Zahab about the possibility of coming to our school.  I basically just told him what we had done last year for raising funds for diabetes research and what the plans are for this year.  I was very pleased to get a return email from Kathy Adams, Ray's wife, acknowledging my email and letting me know that Ray was due back from Chile soon.  I was so pleased to get such a nice response.

This morning, I got a note from Ray, himself.  Having just finished Running the Sahara this very morning, this really excited me.  I couldn't wait to share this with one of my colleagues who had originally shared Ray's and Kathy's organization, Impossible2Possible, was doing.  As usual, I haven't gotten my rear in gear to have my students follow the adventures, but each day holds new opportunities.

Ah well, just wanted to share the joy.  As the title of the post states, it is the little things that we do that often mean the most to others.

Making progress

What a beautiful day!  The weather is nice, but the beauty of the day has little to do with that.  I got out of bed at 5 AM and got on the bike for an hour, did some sit ups, pushups, etc. and even stretched.  Whew!  I know, not much to speak of, but more than I've been doing.  The journey of a thousand miles as they say.

We had a great weekend.  Molly and I went to a marriage conference at our church on Friday and Saturday.  "The Art of Marriage" was really well done.  It is a video series with short projects to be done with your love between the sessions.  As corny as I thought it might be, it was anything but.  The love that I have for Molly has never wavered, but the like I have for her was renewed.  What a treat.  I strongly recommend it

The trade mentioned in the last post is coming to fruition.  I am trading the cross country skis for a microscope.  I'll post some details on the 'scope a little later, but the deal is done.  If you're interested in making the next trade drop me a line and we'll check into it.

I finished watching Running the Sahara this morning while I was on the bike.  I can not imagine being with the same small group of people for nearly 4 months without any kind of break.  The run was a physically amazing accomplishment, but the time spent in close quarters would be the challenge.  I've done week long backpacking trips where others were ready to eliminate me.  The run and the documenting of it in the movie will help bring an audience to the scarcity of clean water in Africa through a program called H2OAfrica.  Check it out.

TIme to get ready for school.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love
1 Corinthians 13:13

Trading . . .

Last year, I decide to try to emulate the "one red paperclip" endeavor.  For those of you unfamiliar with this project, Kyle MacDonald decided to trade a paperclip for another item and then trade this new item for another.  You get the idea.  He wanted to get a house.  It all began rather "normally," until he traded a keg of beer for a snowmobile and a snowmobile for a trip to Yahk, British Columbia.  Long story short, too late, he traded a movie role for a house.  It took him a year.  Big difference between Kyle and me, he was willing to go anywhere in the world to make the trade.  I'm really not able to do that unless this thing goes viral (I know they make medicine for that now ;)  ) and I make tons of money in appearance fees.

Anyway, I traded 3 new golf balls for a pair of cross country skis.  This week, I am trading the cross country skis - I'll let you know what for later.  Who knows where it could all go, but I would eventually like to end up with a solo racing type canoe or kayak.  I really enjoy doing run, bike, paddle triathlons and this would make them more fun.

So, you may notice the addition of ads to this page in addition to the signs of supporters of my runs.  I decided that I would go ahead and "monetize" my site.  Any money that comes in because of this will be donated, in full, to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  I hope that this doesn't offend anyone, as I think the end justifies the means.

Well, time for some rest.  I plan to get in a snowy run tomorrow.

Winter Time and the Living is . .

The winter is flying by.  It is awesome to see the daylight so early in the morning and so late in the evening.  Six o'clock and it is still light enough to get around outside !   I'm really excited, as you can tell, because the lack of daylight is one thing that makes getting moving difficult.  Any obstacle I can get out of the way has to help.  I've even started doing some core work.  Not a lot, mind you, but some.  That is a big step up since last year.
So, my brother registered for the MegaTransect this year.  It's not that I'm competitive, but I don't want him to run me into the ground.  Actually, I'm hoping to have to wait for him along the way :)  I sure hope no body tells him.  He's ten years younger than I am.  He doesn't need the added advantage of being more motivated to whoop me.
It is awfully icy around here, but the treadmill, the stair climber and the rowing machine have been kind to me.  Not nearly as punishing as running on the roads either.  I even got out on cross-country skis a couple of times.  Cross training is a good thing.
Thanks to all for the support and encouragement.

Colossians 3:17  And whatever you do, in word or in act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving praise to God the Father through him.