Life on the Runn...

It is certainly true that sometimes unexpected or unplanned events can  make a person's day. Monday, for example, I made what I thought would  be a very brief stop at my aunt and uncle's house to drop off a book.  I wasn't sure anyone would be home, but I thought I would swing by and see.   Instead of running in and out, I got to spend a bit of time catching with the both my Auntie Bunna and my Uncle Ed.  After he was done with his chores and between practicing his hurdling (he's definitely got a future in track!) I also was able to spend some time talking  with my cousin Dylan. We got to talk about all of the comings  and goings in my cousins' lives, and we talked about my upcoming  travel plans, school, and everything in between. I was reminded how  lucky I am to have such a wonderful family, and at a time when I am  very stressed and busy, taking a moment to slow down and enjoy time  with loved ones reminded me of what life really is all about.  And to add to th

Several weeks ago, our friend Mark extended an invitation to both  Brian and me; he and some of our other gym friends would be traveling  to Kentucky for a week of climbing and thought it would be fun for us  to come along. The climbing team at the gym would also be in Kentucky  for its team trip, an event that Brian and I used be responsible for  organizing when we were coaches. Brian would not be able to join in the fun, but  being that it is summer, I have some time on my hands, and I was able  to join Mark, Patty, John, Heather, Howard and Kathryn. The trip started out on Saturday afternoon with a short jaunt to Indianapolis,  where the kids were climbing. We grabbed dinner, chatted a bunch and drove the four hours to our hotel.  On Sunday morning we watched the kids  climb in finals, and in the late afternoon we were back in the car and heading  to Kentucky. We arrived to pretty significant storms, but luckily they  cleared quickly, and we were able to take a look at Mark and Pa

Just over a week ago now, Brian and I headed to Kentucky for Memorial  Day weekend. We left Friday after I was done with work, which meant we  hit a little bit of traffic on the way down, down, but when we woke up  Saturday morning, we realized it was so worth it. The weather was  gorgeous, especially for this time of year, anywhere able to avoid  much of the crowd that descends upon the Red River Gorge on Memorial  Day weekend. We climbed both Saturday and Sunday, and spent evenings  on the deck roasting marshmallows, drinking wine and bourbon, and  enjoying the great company. While I certainly wasn't ready to leave,  Monday's drive home was quite pleasant, which helped; there was almost  no traffic to speak of, so we were home by late afternoon. Not so long ago, I would have laughed at the idea of driving seven  hours south, to Kentucky of all  places, to spend the weekend outside  doing things like hiking and climbing, but quite obviously it is  become a major component