Ahhhhh...

Besides being with my family, another perfect moment in my life! 

Some of My Racing Competition...

Glen Wesley and Ray Whitney approaching the stage. No competition for me, though, as neither ran! (-: 

Lord Stanley...Lord Stanley...

Instead of brandy, we were drinking Gatorade out of the Cup today at the Stanley Cup 5K. 

Stanley Cup 5K

Only Pete Friesen, strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Hurricanes, would choose to spend his day with the Stanley Cup working out. Thankfully for the people of Raleigh, he decided to share the day with runners, for the 1st (and hopefully more to come) Stanley Cup 5K this morning.

Being the great runner I am (chuckle, chuckle), I decided to run it, and met Jenn, Robin, and Ashley there as well. More players participated then were scheduled (and I use participate loosely--most wore sandals and I presume just stayed to fill out autographs!) It was a good time and even better cause.

Afterward, I got my hands on the Cup, so I was happy with that!

Busy Like No Other...

Phew! Just when I think things cannot get busier, they do. Between the new job, new baby on the way, the piece of junk Ford, and home repairs---we never stop these days!

Things are well though. The new job provides some challenges, but that's what I wanted. I think I was spoiled at the old school with all the technology, so now I can help all these ready and willing teachers develop lessons with what exists. The staff really promotes a high energy ethic too--of course 25% are first year teachers, so that makes me one of the most experienced on staff, but it's all good!

Lucy is doing well. The girl is smart! Or is that S-M-R-T? Only Homer knows for sure! She figures things out so quickly, that Mommy and I are even amazed. I cannot wait for the cooler weather to be outside more with her--she loves the playground, walks, and just being outside. I took her for a run this afternoon, and we had such an awesome time! I am such a Dad!

Speaking of running--I will get back into the races as I run the STANLEY CUP 5K on Sunday. How cool is that? I can just envision myself, running the last mile, Stanley Cup raised above my head. I am definitely ready to get my hand on it again! (-:

Kerry and the new baby both continue to grow! Heehee! I'll post some pictures soon. Mommy is a little tired, what with energy girl running around, but I try to give her time to rest as much as possible. Of course she uses that time to clean or cook, but what can you do! (-:

Hopefully I can update more often...check back soon!

So Do You Think Lucy Likes Trains??

 

Bonnie's 50th Surprise Party

Happy Birthday, Nana!

Tim, striking a pose!

Coloring Buddies!

They're heeeeere!

made with picasa

Fun at Idlewild Park!

Riding the train!












Our little piggie! 

A Shortie For Now...

A full update coming later. Just wanted to tell everyone we're home from our PA trip and ready to begin at the new school tomorrow. Had a great trip, went to my childhood park with Lucy (which was very special!), had Mom's surprise 50th party, and we even went to the NC Museum of Science with Graysen before the trip.

An Awesome Feeling...

The hat says, Dad's Lil' Flutterbug. Enough said! (-: 

Who Says Gluten Free Dining Can't Be Delicious?

Certainly not Lucy! A few months into the GF diet, and the girl is back! Now that Mommy is doing an incredible job of preparing food, like freezing a bunch of GF pizza crusts and 'bunny noodles' (thank you Anne's!), Lucy seems to be returning to her old self. She eats non-stop, has an endless amount of energy, and wants to be outside all the time. Unfortunately we're plumb stuck in the middle of a NC heatwave. We do the best we can! (-: It is definitely great to see her energy and playfulness return. We'll continue to update you--please also leave us comments! 

Our Little Beach Bum

Lucy and Kerry visited Wrightsville Beach today to catch up with an old friend. As you can see, our little 'moviestar' loves wearing sunglasses and loves the beach!

She also loves playing outside. This lasted until Mommy and Daddy were eaten alive by the mosquitoes.

  

And every fun day ends the same way--being washed up in the sink! (-:

My new school, Pearson GT Elementary

 


Still has some work, but we're primed for a August completion date. 

Lucy--The Next Bob Ross?

 

The girl loves to paint--that's for sure! Didn't get those skills from her Daddy! She so far seems to like abstract art. We'll keep you posted. But for now, keep painting those 'happy little trees!' 

Let's Go Canes!

My Video from Game 5 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals!

Even More From the Zoo...

A Bunch of Monkeys!














Panda Cub getting himself in trouble!

More From the Zoo...

Lucy and her Daddy look at the Baby Elephant

The Laziest Living Beings in DC...

No--not our Congressmen or President--I'm referring to the animals at the National Zoo! (-:

We visited Grammie this weekend and took Lucy to the National Zoo downtown. While it was a very humid morning, we actually did see many animals. Knowing our daughter, of course the exotic animals did not impress her. What did she like most? The horses! They had two smaller-miniature like horses, and she just loved them! She did like the pandas and monkeys too. They have one of the newer panda cubs, who amused himself by rolling down a hill. Great fun!

That was our last mini-trip for awhile, as I finish up with Williford this week and begin Pearson next week. I'm looking forward to the challenge--especially with some more advanced web design applications. Should be fun!

Ford really does mean Found on Road, Dead...

Ok...so most of you know my family and Fords go waaaaaaay back. My dad's pride and joy, a 69 Mach One Mustang, would surely have been traded for us kids after the '77 Johnstown Flood. So Fords and Us-es go way back. My first car, a 1999 Ford Escort ZX2. While not running into many problems, sans the CD player, it met an untimely end between two old steel-mobiles in Ocean City, MD.

Now, my new (2000) Focus ZTS is running into the graveyard. Some of the recent repairs include an AC upgrade, that lasted for 2 months, a new battery, wheel bearing replacements, and now the window regulator for the FOURTH time. Twice in the passenger rear, once in the driver rear, and now this time is the driver window. Currently, my car is parked in our garage since the window will not go up. That leaves our new Kia Sportage out in the hot hot hot Carolina sunshine.

Grrr...I hate Fords. It's sad that the American ingenuity of the 1900s-1970s has gone the way of the dodo. No wonder GM, Ford, Dodge, etc continue to lose market share to the foreigns. Made in the USA? Only if it's Usa, Korea. Blah on Ford!

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Also--if you want to set up your own website, click the Dreamhost link on the right side. Fill out the info, then scroll down and type in GO_CANES2006 for a $16 discount on your order. I use this company, for http://www.eelementary.com, and they are great!

A Jolly Good, Sweltering 4th!

Summer returned like a banshee today. 97 degrees and high humidity. Lucy got some time in her pool this morning, but we've been sucking down the air conditioning all day. The house feels like it's slowly falling apart. After rotating tires on the Kia and changing the oil in the Focus this morning, the dryer decided to die this afternoon. Seems to be related to when we moved in, clogged dryer vent, so I'll try to fix that up tomorrow.
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Hurricanes signing with other teams all over the place. We've lost A. Ward (which I thought we'd really keep), Weight, Gerber-baby, and Matt Cullen. Just goes to show you, when you build a family instead of a team all year--money still talks. Oh well, at least we've got the Cup to show for it. Can't ever take that away from us!

Dontcha Just Love Cheetoes????

 

Another from last winter--soon this will
be 4! 

Lucy, after a fun day this past winter!

 

How We Love a Parade...

Lucy and her 'mini-CUP'

Especially when it is to celebrate the STANLEY CUP!!! Awesome time! It was hot, upper 90s, but the enthusiasm was there!! Neat to see the players in their rides, although at first I didn't recognize them without their playoff beards. And to think I thought they would be passed out all day--they were at the barber shop!!!

Lucy liked it too--especially how close we were to the CUP!!!!

Neat that the zambonis went out on the parade route too!!

Lord Stanley...Lord Stanley...Let's drink some brandy...

The 2006 Stanley Cup Champions

Man, does that feel good to type!! That's what the Carolina Hurricanes are though--the best in hockey. What a game it was too. Once we took the 2-0 lead, I knew, just knew that is was ours. And what a celebration at the end! Lucy, Kerry, and I will head to the parade this evening...so look for more from that!!

Some Sights and Sounds From Sunset Beach, NC

No Lie--My Villa Number...
A good sign going into Game Seven!

And So We Come to a Game Seven...

Would not have thought my Game Seven ticket I bought on a whim would come in handy. I surely thought we would end it in Game Five, then definitely in Edmonton in Game Six. Alas, we head to a Game Seven tomorrow. Unfortunately we're a team on the ropes. We're tired. We're injured. We're struggling right now. Cole came back to add a spark, but seemed hesistant at times and did not crash the net like we're used to him doing. Hopefully it was timing, and he fixed that for tomorrow night. I'll be there doing my best to cheer them on.
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Heading from Sunset Beach, NC (IMPACT Conference) to Raleigh for Game Five was quite the experience. I drove I-40 through what was then Tropical Storm Alberto. Rain was pretty hard, but nothing like the 7.5 inches Raleigh received. Crabtree Creek flooded, as usual, and Crabtree Valley Mall closed. I read in today's N&O that the Mall is built in a flood plain. Genius developers and genius city councilmen.

GAME FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! One game away from winning the CxP. We have three chances to do it, but let's finish it off in Raleigh Wednesday. I head to a conference in Sunset Beach tomorrow, but plan a one day road trip back to tailgate, and *hopefully* see the game. We shall see!!!

GO CANESSSSSS!!!!

Game 3

Wow...An hour before game time in what can become a major step toward bringing the Stanley CxP to North Carolina and the fine people of Raleigh. An unbelievable Game 1, then a good Game 2. I attended Game 1, and you can see some pictures below. Began tailgating at 4, and this was after returning from the NASCAR race in Dover, DE at 2 AM. Then Robin, Sue, her husband, Bridget, and her husband, and her sister joined us.
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How do I feel about our position? Good. Considering that if we take 1 of two in Edmonton, we can clinch in RALEIGH!!! I currently do not have tickets to game 5, and I am scheduled to be in a conference in Sunset Beach, NC, but I began surfing eBay to check out possible ticket prices.
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Lucy is doing awesome! She had a great visit with Nana and PapPap, then met Ashley and Greysen at Playspace today. I'll post pictures soon!