My work life all in one picture!  LOL

Enjoying the snow capped mountains in Southern Arizona near Nogales.  This happens about twice a year is it's really nice to see.
What is it?  You tell me!

This should be on EVERY job site!  Yeah, there was "some" blue sky today, but mostly clouds and rain.  All my sites got well over 3/4" and a couple over 1-1/2".  Tough having a job in Arizona that relys on the rain!

Yummy!  Green butterscotch cookies a baking tonight!  Left over mixing ingredients from the Christmas baking, so I thru this together.  19 minutes until paradise in the mouth!

Busy day out doing the post rain event inspections at the sites that we are contracted to manage.  It rains 1/2" or more at the site we need to perform a stormwater inspection within 24 hours following the event.  The forecast is for more heavy rains the rest of the week, so I guess I may be going back out again!  It's a job and I get paid to do it!

Yeah, they're mine!  So what?!  YOU wanta' make something of it?!  They are my collection of keepsakes from my wife given over 19 years of marriage.  (Didn't get out of the house today, so had to figure out what to shot.)

The saying "Red sky at night, sailor's delight", doesn't hold true for the on coming storm systems we are expected to get hit with this week.  Big rains are coming for Arizona.

Day 8 - Crossfit workout was 1970's theme, so we spent some time shoping the thrift stores looking for 70's clothing.  Obviously I did not work out (my training for the weekend was cycling heavy and wanted to keep from doing any additional!), so I played head photographer and cheerleader.  We found a 70's dance jump suit for Tricia and my outfit.  Everyone did the work out and we enjoyed a party afterwords.  Great fun.
Day 9 - Dinner out at Maynards where I bought a bottle of wine for Tricia.  Headed back to the car she noticed the sign on the sidewalk ... well that's were I left her!  As far as I know she's sitting on the proper side of that sign enjoying the rest of that bottle!

Jack, a.k.a. "Fat Cat" has decided in recent days that he wants to be "High Altitude Cat".  Leaving the cabinet door open was my mistake.  He reluctantly came out with a minor protesting growl.  I just hope he doesn't figure out how to open the door himself.  FYI - he's staked out the top of the refrigerator as his own sniper location, thus affording him a birds eye view of the adventures of his buddy Chester.

First goal … Holualoa Tucson Triathlon … March 21st, 2010.

Got the confirmation for my entry into my very first triathlon this week! I am both excited and a little concerned with my ability to complete the swim without stopping at the side of the pool. It’s a Sprint distance triathlon with distances of 825 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 3 mile run. My main objective is to simply be able to swim then entire 825 yards without stopping. I’ve talked until I’m blue in the face with other swimmers and triathletes I know. All have said don’t sweat it, it’s easy! Okay I guess I have to their word for it!

I’ve got my initial training schedule set with the emphasis on swimming 3-4 times a week. With 10 weeks remaining, I think I may have gotten in over my head? As someone who pesters me on a weekly basis is famous for saying, “We shall see” (add Latin accent).

This past week I got 2 swims in during my “lunch” breaks lasting about 30 minutes with one getting me a 100 yard run without stopping. Need to relax and concentrate on my form and technique.

Obviously the bike is not any concern and the run should be pretty easy going with a slow jog. I can always walk it! LOL.

Someone I know is doing this too and it's inspired me to follow along.  It's amazingly simply; take one photo everyday for a year.  Sounds easy!  Well we shall see, eh?  Since I am getting a late start (8 days or so) I'm on Project 357.  I just might have to take the obvious photo sometime along the way to mark the project.

Not sure how often I will post, but will try to get regular updates so things don't get out of hand.  Now for my first couple of picture.  The obvious selection is related to my weekend habits of cycling.  I regularly get together with a group of friends for a "breakfast" ride.  The route is selected by the route leader with a stop along the way for a qualified breakfast stop.  The qualifications are simple for the breakfast stop.  It must be a local shop (not a chain) and what you would normally consider a "greasy spoon" establishment.  There is not any room for the high society, pinky finger extended, cafe' stops for this group.  If the average breakfast plate costs more than $6 then it definitely does not qualify for the group's "high standards".

The rides are highly enjoyable and entertaining, with riders of all abilities along for the fun.  Distances range from an easy 20 to the more challenging 65 milers.  But you can always count on a stop for "refueling" past the halfway point and the route after breakfast is always the easiest part of the morning.  Some weekends the ride leaders schedule 2 rides, one on Saturday and again on Sunday.  That was the case this weekend.  So here are my first two photographs of my Project 357.

I can’t exactly say why, but today was the beginning of my journey to potentially 14 hours of agony. Sometime this week I consciously made the decision to go ahead and commit to begin training for what can only be described as the longest and most difficult endurance race there is in the world. Yeah there are the “super” endurance races that individuals test their bodies over 24 hour periods or 100 miles or climbing K2 or Everest crazy stuff like that. But for the Average Joe an Ironman is the ultimate test of endurance and will power.

I’m surrounded by Ironman athletes and most of them women. Call it peer pressure or male pride, but I just can’t let it go by without at least a decent attempt at the event. Sitting around at breakfast recently while receiving the usual harassment from those young ladies and others, someone barked “Hey, what about doing an Ironman?” Little did I know that statement escalated from doing some local sprints to looking at signing up for Ironman Brazil 2011.

My weakest sport is the swimming portion of the event. Now don’t miss understand, I swim and even hold an advanced scuba diver rating. My wife talked me into doing an eight week adult lap pool session a couple years ago and after 8 weeks in the pool I couldn’t do 200 yards without stopping to rest and catch my breath. That “breathing” thing has me concerned because there’s not a side of a pool to hang on to in order to recompose myself.

Now I know what you’re thinking; I’ve heard it time and time again from experienced swimmers and many others. “Just give it time and you will eventually find a rhythm that you can swim and breath.” … argh!!! Well I have until May 2010 to find out IF I can find my rhythm in the pool. All of these Ironmen events sell out literally in 2 days, so we have to sign up the day after the event this year. This allows me to “train” in the pool and grow some gills!

So why was today the beginning? Tricia and I headed to the pool and I got in 1,000 yards for the first time in the pool in over 2 years. Yeap, that stupid breathing thing was an issue and I could only do 100 yards at one time without hanging on the side of the pool “recovering” my breathing. I did time how long it took me to get in 800 yards for the sprint this March and now I have to revise my swim time to 37 minutes!