On Wednesday, we had a long break for lunch, so Doug, Mark, and I decided to take a tour of the Capitol area. We hopped in the rental car, with a vague idea of a plan. Mark was very familiar with the area, so I felt confident we’d have a good time. Read the rest of this entry »
Running – National Harbor,MD to Alexandria,VA
January 26th, 2010
On Tuesday, after the conference, I met with Don W. to go for a run over to Alexandria, VA. We ran from 5:45pm to around 7:15pm, for a distance of about 8 miles.
Wonderful run, up to Woodrow Wilson Bridge, then across to Alexandria. When we got across the Potomac, we headed south on the Mt. Vernon Trail, and turned around at the rest room building. The damp & humid air made it feel even colder than reality, but once we got off the bridge, we felt much warmer…
Military Health Systems (MHS 2010) Conference
January 25th, 2010
This year, I was selected, with 2 of my co-workers, to attend the Military Health Systems Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. It’s in a resort area south of Washington, DC. The conference would last from Monday to Thursday, and I was to be there the entirety. Read the rest of this entry »
Running – Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute
January 18th, 2010
As a tribute to the struggle for human rights, I decided to go for a long run (and struggle myself!). The weather was beautiful, with a bit of snow still covering the ground. I ran for just under 7 miles, at a fairly decent pace. I came back home covered in sweat, but happy knowing I fended off a day of lethargy!
This training run also marks the start of my training to do the Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon. I have made reservations for a campsite on the North end and plan to run on May 22nd. I will need to run over 20 miles, and survive greater than 10,000 feet of elevation change in one day.
Emma’s 13th Birthday
January 15th, 2010
One advantage Emma has, over other girls, is that she has immediate family in separate states. So, when she turned 13, she got two birthday parties; one in California and one in Denver. (If our brother Jon had thrown her a party, she could have had 3 parties!).
In California, we took her out for Thai food, and she had a large white cake with Fresh Strawberries and Thai Coconut Ice Cream.
In Denver, she had a sleepover and the girls enjoyed Pie & Ice Cream. The following day, we took them to the Denver Aquarium (pricey!!!). I liked how the Aquarium had an extra focus on the local stream & river environmental systems, that was a nice touch. The downside is that 12 year old and up are considered adults! It was quite a bit overpriced, in my opinion, but we all had a nice time and learned something while we were there!
After two weekends of celebrations, I was worn out completely. But, I’m sure she’ll always remember the beginning of her teen years!