Happy Holidays 2

Happy Holidays

I haven't been posting much lately due to training my ass off for a race I have coming up in March. I'm not saying I don't have the time, I just haven't been doing anything besides riding, running, swimming, lifting weights and going to bed early.

That did change Saturday before last when my Daughter Angela and her boyfriend Ernest came to visit from Tucson. I was excited to see them and had told Marianne it was a shame my son Tyson couldn't come out from Albuquerquetoo so we could all be together for Christmas.

Well a half hour after I got back from picking Angela and Ernest up from the airport, Marianne walks in the door with Tyson right behind her. She had been bragging that she nailed my Christmas present this year and it turns out that her and Tyson had secretly arranged for him to fly out also. It was awesome having both my kids here. I couldn't have asked for a better present.

We showed them quite a bit of the island including a Luau, hiking, snorkeling, parasailing and of course, jumping off the rock at Wamaia.

New HACC recruit

One of the members of our bike club, the HACC is doing some recruiting for the club while he deployed to the sandbox. I'm not sure about it though. I heard this guy just likes to ride off the front all the time

The new arrival

Marianne had made a friend on her bike commute to work and had been feeding it for a few weeks. She was torn as to whether to bring it home or not so one day I drove down to it's hangout spot and there it was. We named her Cali but so far "Kitten" or "little one" seems to fit her better. Kitty wasn't happy to share her humans but she's warming up to the idea. Next week she get's to see the vet for a fixing.

Honolulu Marathon

Marianne and I, along with four other HACC riders volunteered as escorts for the wheelchair racers yesterday in the Honolulu marathon. With my IM New Zealand training in full swing and a crazy full season of racing behind me I decided not to run it this year.
The wheelers start right before the runners at 0455 and finish in the dark also, so we provided some visability with our lights and ensured the road was clear ahead. Some early morning showers dampened things up a bit but it was a great experience and we'll definitley do it again next year.

A new Ironman

We'd like to give a shout to our friend Lisa Alessi who just completed Ironman Western Australia this weekend. It was her first Ironman distance race and she nailed it with a time of 11 hours and twenty minutes. Way to go! We''ll see you in Kona soon I'm sure.

Another one bites the dust

Marianne and I attended the retirement ceremony of a friend of ours a few weeks ago. Col Scott Kimsey served in the Hawaii ANG for almost 25 years and retired as the C-17 squadron commander. Somewhere in that time he also became a kickass triathlete.

His ceremony was held at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. Ford island is an all but abandoned military airfield and docks in the middle of Pearl Harbor. It is were the USS Arizona monument and the USS Missouri battleship is located. This museum just recently opened and was a perfect venue for the ceremony. Sitting among the old aircraft and displays was great. I like history and old machines of any kind so I was in heaven.

I never had much contact with ANG guys while I was active duty but they seem like a professional, tight knit bunch. Similar to the active duty AF but without all the PCS moves.

One of the stories that was told was of a sign that used to hang on the wall at the squadron that read, "There is no regulation we can't waiver" which is of course, how it should be.

So Scott gave a good speech, (not too long) and we enjoyed some tasty food and beverage. He is now moving on to fly interisland with Aloha air. Good luck Scott, see you on the road.