What did you do today?

Today would have been any other day at the office except for one thing, it is national Take Your Dog To Work Day. As you can see in the photo above we had a nice turnout at the office. Goliath was one of 52 dogs who came in today. I was not quite sure about doing this, but I figured if it did not work out, I could always take him home. I am happy to say, he made it the entire day, but really pushed to go home in the last hour. He will sleep well tonight and dream of large biscuits.

Swim, Bike, Run...oh my

Well, Matt's first race of the season is behind us. We had a busy weekend preparing, enjoying, and reflecting on our time at Maumee Bay State Park. We started off on Saturday morning with a 5-mile walk downtown to get us all moving around and help wear us out so that we could fall asleep around 8:00 that night. We enjoyed the cookie from the little neighborhood bakery, the sites of the various sculptures on the city streets, and watching Goliath chase squirrels in the park. What we weren't expecting was for Goliath to fall face first into a pond. We were strolling through the park when we came to a large pond surrounded by an elevated sidewalk. The top of the pond was covered in green algae, so you could not see into it. Goliath strolls right up to the edge to check it out and I cautioned Matt not to let him too close. Matt, assured me that Goliath would not jump in and the next thing we know, he had gone in head first and disappeared under the surface. Within seconds, his little head came up and Matt was on his knees pulling him out. All we could do was laugh as Goliath staggered around from the shock.

Sunday morning had us starting out at 4:00 in the morning for the trip to Lake Erie and we thought it might rain on and off for most of the race. Luckily, it stopped raining shortly after we arrived at 7:00, but the muggy heat took over. I would have preferred the rain. This was the first time we have been to Maumee Bay and I must say it is a lovely state park. The bugs are huge, but the grounds are wonderful with plenty of bike paths, dunes, and more importantly a swim lake, so you can avoid Lake Erie when the water does not look good.

Matt met up with several of his teammates and we left him alone to get prepared, but caught up with him shortly before the start of the race. There were over 500 participants for the various races and Matt competed in a field of 150, finishing 74th. He looked great coming out of the water and I could tell that all those hours of swim practice paid off. Matt used to look exhausted coming out of the water. This time, he flew right past us on his way to the transition area to get on his bike. He then was able to navigate his way around a small bike pile-up to start his second leg, where he averaged around 20 mph. Once more, we caught up with him as he began his 10K run and he took the time to say "hello." By this time, it was very hot and humid and Goliath and I grabbed shade wherever we could find it. Considering all that he had done, I was surprised to see Matt ran an 8:41 pace, but I don't think he was happy about it. Oh well, he has 5 more races this summer to improve his time. The Sunday after we move, we journey to Caesar Creek State Park. We should be able to sleep in until 5:00 that day!

What does a week's worth of food look like?

Photo from bigfoto.com

In one of the blogs that I read, there was a mention of the book "The Hungry Planet" where a series of photographs from around the world are taken of families with their food for the week (see a sample of photos here). It is really amazing to see what other cultures are eating and even more shocking to see what they are paying ($68.53 for what appears to be a family of 12 in Egypt!). What is disturbing is the amount of processed foods and sodas that can be found in many of the pictures. So my challenge to you is the next time you go to the market, unload your groceries and take a picture, then email it to me with the cost. I will do the same and post my results later this week. Now is the time for farmer's markets, so go out and buy local ingredients instead of ones shipped hundreds of miles away. You will be supporting your community and helping to cut down on oil consumption used to power the boats, planes and trucks used to haul all of those items. Remember, even the smallest action makes a difference. And don't forget to take your own bags for those great finds at the farmer's market instead of collecting more plastic along the way (you can do this at the regular market too)!

Oh, what fun

The winner for the biggest laugh of my day goes to this commercial Matt just email to me about what it takes to be a triathlete (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk). He said it would be a great way for me to help him train. Of course I said yes, anything to help him succeed.

Sigh.....

I have been neglectful in my postings for more than a month. Many times I thought of entries, but just never got around to it. The truth is, I am wiped out and a little melancholy. I have been standing outside on the deck with Goliath today, just looking around at all the beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers Matt and I have taken care of these several years and it makes me a little sad. The reason -- we are moving. At the end of April, someone made an offer on our house and we quickly found a new place to live that will be more suitable for us. The first week of July we will be moving into our condo in Dublin, located about 3 miles from my parents. I am excited for the change and look forward to many things. We won't have to worry about mowing the yard, getting the siding replaced after a nasty storm, and no more figuring out what I am going to do with the deck. I will be able to walk to work every day, even though Matt is concerned about what I will do in foul weather. I assured him that for 4 years I walked myself around campus at Akron in some of the worst weather I have ever experienced. We will be moving into a smaller space (so that means less energy for heating and cooling), there is a small stand of woods and a creek behind us (for wildlife to explore), and for the first time, we will have a dining room. I have spent so much time packing, going to inspections, setting up a new loan, and arranging for the movers, that I haven't taken any time to look around. We are leaving the first house we ever purchased. Here is where I watch the geese on the pond behind us, and where I wait anxiously for the hummingbirds to return each year to the honeysuckle over the deck. This is also the place I have celebrated holidays, birthdays, and the arrival of a little puppy that would change our lives. It is just walls and carpet, but it is my memories that I now have to pack up. I know that the most important things are going with me and wherever Matt and Goliath are, I am home. Maybe it is the muscle I pulled in my back yesterday, but the whole thing is making me weepy. Yet, I have a new chapter ahead, and I am looking forward to what comes next.