Just glad to FINISH

It was a cold Sunday morning when my sister Emily and I made our way to the middle of the starting line. Detroit is cold this time of year, and the wind blowing pretty hard down the streets. One of the big challenges for a runner is knowing what to wear...our body is so cold at the beginning, but after a few miles a coat and hat turn into ovens. The solution is cheap, used, over-cloths that can be thrown on the sidewalk.
Emily was lacking a jacket, and refused to wear a very stylish clear-plastic trash bag that I had found for her, so I switched with her, and poked my head up through the hole in the top of the trash bag. It is amazing how nice and warm I was, and how cool I looked. :-)
The Detroit Half-Marathon course had some nice views: we ran over the Ambassador Bridge and along the Canadian side of the Detroit River. Running back through the tunnel was especially fun since the gently downward slope really propelled us along until we got to the painful upward slope. It was coming up out of the bridge that my body started suggesting that maybe a short nap would be a great idea. But not wanting to be like the Hare that slept too long, I kept going, going, going. I passed by soreness and into numbness. My goal: to beat last years finish time of 2:09. When I finally crossed the finish line I knew that I had made it. 2:08 was my finish this year.
Emily crossed the finish line very soon after, doing great for a 15 year old's first 13 mile race. Also finishing with us this year was Dr. Mike Singleton, our favorite family dentist in Saline.

After a nice massage the rest of the day seemed very bright knowing that I was done running...for that race at least.

Lots going on

It has been one of the busiest 10 days of work in my life. We have purchased a new quality inspection and customer communication system called CleanTelligent. It is the latest and greatest web-based tool available for our industry. I am responisble for getting it up and running from start to finish.
This has involved purchasing the equipment, organizing and training our employees, and setting up one of our larger customers with the proper access.
Everyone in the company is excited about it--I overheard our operations team talking about the new Pocket PC phones yesterday and how amazing they are. Just wait until I show them more about what they can do....then they'll really be amazed. Wireless uploading of job specifications, inspections that follow the specs, web messaging that tracks performance. Crazy, huh?

Well, I've got to get back to work.

Dogs in the House

Joshua and Maria (and Anna) made this dog mask out of the kids magazine (Spider). They were running around the house barking at us and eachother...what fun!

Got Milk

Atheists

On the first day of school, young Lucy took her seat in science class. The teacher began to explain why there was no God and why she was an atheist. The students all listened carefully. At the end of the class the teacher asked how many of the children wanted to be atheists like her.
Not wanting to contradict the new teacher all the students raised their hands — except Lucy. The teacher said, "Lucy, why didn't you raise your hand?" Lucy responded, "Because I am not an atheist and never will be. I am a Christian."
The teacher was perturbed and said, "Why are you a Christian?" Lucy answered, "My mother is intelligent and she is a Christian; my father is very intelligent and he is a Christian — so I am a Christian too."
The teacher was angry now and asked, "That is ridiculous. If your mother was a moron and your father was a moron, what would you be then?"
Lucy thought for a moment and then said, "I'd probably be an atheist!"
From Steve Ray's Blog

Go Tigers

Joshua and I got to see the Tigers at Comerica Park during their last game with the Yankees. What a great experience. Joshua had so much fun, cheering, dancing around, being friendly with all the people that we came in contact with.
My friend Matt Rost was kind enough to give us two tickets to the game, and boy were they great seats! Sec 133, Row 22. We sat next to someone he works with, Shannon. Her husband was so nice--he bought Joshua cotton candy and had a great time playing with him. Dr. Mike Singleton was there too with his wife, Mary, sis in law Cathy and her husband. They were so cool, paying attention to Joshua, being generous with us.
The only thing Joshua did't like to much was the loud noise, but luckly I brought ear plugs for him, so it wasn't too bad, and he got used to the loudness of it all after a while. I am sure that baseball games are always fun, but is it much more fun when your team wins...and decisivly at that. (Tigers 8, Yankees 1)

Line Rider

Please make sure you try this at home, cause it is way too much fun to play with at work.

ps. once you think that you have made the coolest sledding hill possible, check out what other people (with way more time than you) have come up with. Tobaggon Escape

Back to some fun stuff: Bullets in slow motion

I don't know what you ladies out there think about this kind of stuff, but to me it is incredible. Click on the picture to watch how a bullet travels through objects with such unstoppable force. Wow.

Thank you

Thank you to all of our friends who were able to attend the funeral of Anthony Francis! Your presence was a great comfort and consolation! Thank you also to the many more friends and family who were spritually present through your prayers! Because of you God is showering our family with graces and consolations! Yesterday, during the mass, whenever Fr. Ed held up Jesus in the Eucharist I heard Anthony laughing with joy. To know that my son is playing and laughing with Christ himself is such and incredible and overwhelming gift! Thank you so much for sharing our joy and sorrow as we gieve the lost of Anthony's physical presence to us but rejoice in his entrance into eternal life. Anthony Francis pray for us!

Who is caffeine for?

On our way to the grave site for Anthony, Joshua and Maria were in desperate need of a snack; Joshua asked for a Clif Builders bar which is a choclate covered protein bar. While we were at the grave site he was still nibbling on it. Grandpa Ray asked him what we was eating, and the interchange that occured made everyone who heard it laugh out loud.

Joshua said, "a chocolate clif bar."
Grandpa said, "whats in it?"
(Joshua must have remembered Anna saying that chocolate has caffeine in it)
Joshua responed, "caffeine!"
Suprised, grandpa asked, "what's caffeine?"
Joshua pointed his finger and said in a manly voice, "caffeine is not for little boys."