Graduation day

The weather was just spectacular for the ceremony on Sunday. Angela looked so pretty and grown up. I am very proud of my kids. How they ever grew up so well with me as a Dad is a mystery. Must have been the beatings.

Angela's Graduation

Thursday night I left for Virginia for my Daughter Angela's graduation. She received her degree in business and is interviewing for a job in North Carolina. I can't believe how fast that 4 years flew by! I met my son Tyson at Dulles and we got into Harrisonburg Friday night just in time for dinner with all the relatives that drove down from PA including my Mom, Brother Jon, Sister Becky and her husband Bob with their 2 girls, plus Angela's boyfriend Ernest. What a great time seeing everyone.

Marianne made a friend

Fragrant Hawaii

Riding around on base I had noticed these tree's in base housing which were blooming like crazy and snowing yellow flowers. So we went back and took these pics. That's the old Hickam water tower in the background. This is the most beautifuly landscaped base I've ever seen and all the buildings and Hangers are built in the art-deco style which I love. I guess after the attack on Pearl Harbor a lot of money flowed in over the years to preserve the original look of the place.

The perfect end to the morning occured when we were driving over a little overpass on base to get out the front gate. I saw my favorite black Ironman running hat lying in the middle of the road! I left it in the back of the truck yesterday and figured it had blown out on the highway and was gone forever. Bonus! Marianne risked her life by running into traffic to get it. You go Baby! Had to wash a days worth of tire marks and 3 months of sweat out of it but it's saved.

After a quick briefing by the Hickam beach they said go and it was game on. Although he'd never admit it, our friend Jesse is a fantastic athlete so I figured a win for me wasn't in the cards. My goals were to have good legs, perform to my potential and boost my confidence for my Ironman qualifier next month, which I did. So..... I came in second and Kristy kicked butt as always winning the womens race and placing 4th overall. Way to go! I think we talked the services guy into putting a swim in the ocean in front of it next time and have a straight up triathlon.

Hickam AFB Duathlon

Today was the Duathlon down on Hickam. It consists of a 5K run, 25K bike and then another 5K run to the finish. Marianne and I woke up at O dark thirty and got down there just in time to enjoy this great sunrise over the mountains.