Anchorage Besh Cup Races

This past weekend, Besh Cup #1 and #2 were held in the Anchorage area. Saturday's race was a sprint race at Kincaid Park. Everyone has to do a qualifying 1K interval start race and depending on your age class and how you placed, you either move on to the next level or not.

This year was really cool as not only were Heather and Megan racing in the Besh Cups but Michael (jr) was as well in the J3 class. Here is Michael finishing his qualifying race. Michael did great and moved on to the next race. Overall, in his class, Michael placed 5th.

Here's Heather coming down a hill in her qualifying race. She qualified to move on a quarter final heat.

Megan at the start of her qualifying run. She looked so cold and was it ever. Air temperature was -2 but the wind was just awful! I don't really know what the windchill was but it was brutally cold.

Megan coming down the hill.

After the qualifying races, Steve and I took a break to do some errands in ANC and then ended up at the hockey rink as Matthew and boys were in town for a hockey tournament. We got to see the 2nd and 3rd periods of Riley's hockey game and actually got to see him score! Homer won 3 to 2. I thought I had taken some pictures but apparently not as none were to be found on my camera. (I think it was frozen from the morning races.)

We returned to Kincaid Park to watch Heather race in a quarterfinal heat. Heather waiting for the start.

and they are off......

Though Heather didn't qualify to move on to the semi-finals, I think she placed 20th overall.

Saturday night, Kristin & Gary, Matthew & Riley & Christopher, Steve & I, Heather & Megan & Dave all converged at Michael & Karyn's joining Rachel, Judy and family for steaks, potatoes, and some great Caesar salad. Aunt Kristin brought flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures though Pia took a few fuzzy pics with Michael's blackberry. It was really nice that Michael and Karyn were willing to host all of us. Much appreciated! As always, we had a lot of fun...well, at least I did. I think the girls also enjoyed getting to spend some time with relatives whom they haven't seen in since in a while.

On Sunday, most of us headed to Chugiak to watch the 2nd race. This was a classic interval start race. Michael raced for 5K while Heather and Megan's race was a 10K.

Michael at his start......even Santa was there making sure no one took off too early!

Megan going out.....

and then it's Heather's turn.......

For results and points, refer to http://www.crosscountryalaska.org/site/besh-cup-race-series

The Besh Cup races are a series of six races which is used to determine who is selected to the USSA Junior Olympic National Championships, and also this year the biennial Arctic Winter Games held in Grande Pairie, Alberta, Canada.

Heather summing up the weekend for all.........

Mom in Santa Rosa

This past week, I had a workgroup meeting in Santa Rosa, California. Yes, wine country; however, with working all day and wine tastings closing at 5, we didn't get to do much tasting at all. I didn't take any pictures but a colleague of mine took a few and sent these to me. The countryside was so beautiful with all of the various colors. Here's a huge pumpkin outside a winery with grapevines in the background.

We were lucky to arrange to met the wine maker of a pinot noir we had all enjoyed at dinner earlier in the week. He makes three different small lot (9 to 22 barrels) pinot noir's (one each from separate vineyards and then a blend from both.) We learned that pinot noir is one of the most challenging grapes to grow which is why he just makes pinot noir. Here is Ted (Elliot) of TR Elliot Wines giving us a small taste from one of his barrels. He gave us the opportunity to try two different wines; one was from the side of a hill while the other vineyard was at the top of a hill. His goal was to see if we could determine a difference in smell and taste. Even though the two vineyards are relatively close to one another, the climate and conditions can be so different. By the way, for only being barreled for two months so far, we thought both wines tasted quite good. (Michael if you are interested, check out the website http://www.elliottfamilycellars.com/mission.html.)

The group in the winery where Ted also makes, barrels and stores his wines.

Most of the group enjoying dinner at the Syrah Bistro, Santa Rosa. The food was wonderful as was the wine listing. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend this restaurant.

A Thanksgiving of Desserts

Steve, the girls and I had a nice Thanksgiving dinner by ourselves at home. Megan wanted the usual; turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, etc... I had everything covered and didn't realize until days later that I had pulled "an original Nanna" forgetting to bring out the cranberry sauce.

Later that night, we all went over to the Boyer's for dessert where Dave and some other friends had been invited for dinner. Turns out, we had enough dessert for everyone to have half a pie or cheesecake! I made two cheesecakes; triple chocolate as well as a pumpkin streusel. The line up....


Heather and Megan eyeing up the desserts. They also happened to the first ones to break into the fun.

The Boyers had a kick laughing at us in our "Puff" jackets.

Being Active at Twenty Below

My start at chronicling at what we wear and look like being active in the frigid cold.

At the airport where Cathy and I work, the temperature Friday morning was -28 and we were thinking how awfully cold it was going to be running. We pondered not going for a while but no one would give in first. As you see here in the Interior, no one wants to be the first one to wimp out thereby being responsible for impacting someone else's workout. So at last check of the temperature around noon, it had "warmed" up to -21 so we decided to give a go. After a short three miles.........

Yesterday the first of the Nordic Skiing Town Series races was held. Temperature -22. The elementary and middle school races were canceled but for the High School teams and Adults, the races were on. (I felt for the visiting High School teams as these kind of temperatures call for additional weighted long underwear and ski pants/jackets.......something more than spandex!)

The following pictures of Megan were taken by Bob Wilkinson, a Lathrop parent and active volunteer with the ski team.

Megan finishing her race.....respirator and all.

The latest in mascara.........

A Ski Race, A Raven, A Fox, and A Birthday

Steve and Wenonah hanging out last weekend. This cat was never a lap cat but now that Steve and the cat have bonded over the pellet stove, things have obviously changed! or is it that Steve is wishing Lilly was here?

Megan the 7th in from the left. Due to the wonderful October we had and lack of snow in November, this was first High School race of the season.

Go Megan!

As everyone may remember, over the past few years we have been trying to feed ravens though the grey jays & chickadees seem to be the major benefactors, and also since July, we have had a rabbit (not a wild hare but someone's pet) choose to live in our yard and lean-to. Last Sunday, a few ravens were hanging out in the yard interested in whatever we had placed on the platform when the fox that has been a frequent visitor ran through the yard straight to the platform. The fox kept trying to stretch up the platform and the ravens would caw angerily at the fox. The fox would give up and meander away and then a raven would land on the platform, and the fox would immediately come back interested. The raven(s) would fly away to a nearby tree and again caw away at the fox. This went on for some time. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right camera ready and was trying to take pictures from our upstairs window.........

The raven..........

The fox.........

Also, and more importantly Sunday was Megan's 16th Birthday. She chose to have a small quiet family birthday with filet mignon, crab legs, potatoes, and green beans. Oh and also a lot of ice cream!

Sweet sixteen.......

Still Life by Megan

Nanna sent this picture of Megan's artwork to me today. One may ask how did Nanna get a picture of Megan's artwork? Well apparently, Megan's mom is totally clueless to the fact that her art teacher selected Megan's most recent piece on still life done in chalk, to be displayed in the Lathrop library. The librarian is a friend of Nanna's who took the photo and emailed it to her and now Megan's mom is clued in.

Thought I would share as it is very wonderful....a quote from the email, "It really 'pops' and adds so much to our decorum."

Roving Reporters Hit Apple Ridge Again

Our roving reporters are at it again, this time returning to Yakima to watch Heather participate in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 24th. Friday night, Poppop and Jean were invited to attend the banquet with Heather and her friend Becca.

Poppop, Jean and Heather at the Banquet. Heather you look so nice! (We are so used to seeing you in running T-Shirts....looks like someone else got to it before you.)

Heather first time around looking great..........

A proud grampa noticing that Heather was ahead of his boss' daughter running for NNU #25. Go Heather!!!

Heather 3rd time by........

Coming in for the finish.......

From what we hear, Heather woke up late, ate breakfast one hour before the race, and then promptly proceeded to get a cramp during the race. She finished 44th in a time 24:44 (6K.) Oh well, let this be a lesson to be sure to get up in plenty of time before a race!

Heather and Becca with the Mascot.......hmmm, funny how the mascot changes teams/colors; being both a Nanook and a Malemute which I guess morphs into a Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix!

A group photo - and what a group!

Thanks again to Poppop and Jean for the great photos, cheering on the team, and for the apples which are greatly appreciated (and are so juicy!)

U2 and Coyotes in Phoenix

Well usually when I travel for meetings, a few of us in the evenings go to some great restaurants and have fine food and wine. But this meeting was very different! I had learned a few months ago that U2 would be playing but it seemed no one was interested. Well, I was wrong, and six of us found ourselves at the University of Phoenix stadium for the U2 concert after one heck of a long tedious drive that took over 2 hours sometimes with us not moving at all. The traffic was unbearable but we did make it time as the Black Eyed Peas were just starting. Here is Fergie on the big screen, you can see the stage below.







I didn't bring my cell phone into the concert but borrowed one of my peers cell, and tried to call both girls during the Black Eyed Peas, but of course they were too busy for Mom and missed their chance at hearing Black Eyed Peas live. All of us with teenagers actually knew quite a few of the songs and boy can Fergie "shake it"...boom, boom, boom. During the Black Eyed Peas, we were trying to figure out the stage which we thought was some kind of spider. During the break, we still couldn't quite figure it out but when U2 started, the whole theme was around a space ship. Here's a picture of the stage during the break.....Bono as well as other band members would move out onto the outer ring. At one point, he brought up three sisters and at another time, a young girl. Boy were we envious.......

Here's "The Edge".......always wearing a stocking cap like someone else I know and love very much.

Here's Bono....

During the playing of "Vertigo", the screen dropped down as shown below and the video was spinning around, I was definitely feeling the vertigo affect.

So I didn't really know if this work, now that I know it did...wish I done one of my favorite songs as U2 played them all! It was a great show!

U2 played about three encores and throughout there was some "politicalness" to the message but it was very neutral about peace, helping others and what Americans do for the rest of the world. It was just great that's all I can say.

Then on Thursday night, several of us went to see the Phoenix Coyotes play Detroit Red Wings NHL game. Traffic wasn't so bad this time as we left much earlier....we were at least moving at a very slow crawl.

I was told that Osgood is one of the best goalies in the League.

A meeting of sorts.... :)

Riley and Christopher, I tried to get some video for you........

The game was actually quite exciting though I jumped every time the players hit the boards, the noise was so loud. Coyotes won in Overtime, 3 to 2.

The Phoenix meeting was one of the best ever! Well, at least after hours.....

Raindrops in Portland

Yesterday, Megan raced in rainy wet Portland, Oregon. This is the first year that Lathrop Cross Country has offered team members the opportunity to participate in the Concordia/Puma Classic; a huge Northwest high school cross country race. Several 5k races were held; Junior Varisty, Varisty Invitational and Varisty Elite. Megan participated in the Varisty Invitational and according to the on-location reporting crew, she looked strong (and wet) throughout the race coming in 5th overall in a time of 19:42.2!!! It's so great having grandparents living close (to Alaska standards) and willing to drive to watch Megan and Heather. Thanks to Daddy and Jean, I have these pictures to share.........

Coming in for the finish.....the race was 3 laps with a finish on the track. It's so unusual to see so many umbrellas at a race.

On-location support/reporting crew with smiles, signs, state flag, and cheering dog to boot. Apparently, when people around Candy would really start to cheer, she would also cheer with one "arrrrrrrrrrrrfff" not really a bark but a true cheer.

While talking to me on the phone, Poppop pointing to the mud. Apparently it was a warm rain as these finishers don't look too concerned about getting warm-ups on.

What a wonderful picture.......

If interested in overall results of all the races, try this link......

http://www.dyestatnw.com/?pg=reg7-2009-Cross-Country-OR-091017-ConcordiaPuma-XC-Classic#wt

And here's the link to the article in today's Fairbanks Daily News Miner..........even though the article is more about the West Valley girls and they were in the elite race, Megan was still the 2nd fastest girl from the Fairbanks.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/oct/18/interior-runners-make-strong-showing-race-portland/

Thanks again Poppop and Jean for making the trip!