Nightly Rounds

I flick the lights off and wander from room to room in a daze. The routine of shutting the house down is something I always dread at the end of the day. The position of the light switches are ingrained in my head as I feel along the wall of the living room and then the kitchen.

I step outside to lock the gate and notice the cool air hit my face as I approach the backyard. Standing on the edge of the grass I gaze up into the night sky thinking about the day and looking forward to waking to my morning coffee. I realize that my favorite parts of the day are at sundown and sunup. The air has a distinct feel to it and the world smells of new beginnings and letting the day's worries slip away.

Back inside I turn on the faucet in the bathroom...after a few burns I have learned that it requires a full turn for the hot and just a slight turn of the cold. The water splashes over my face as I wash away the days worries. The citrus smell of my facewash relaxes me and puts a smile on my face. I splash the water over my face a few unnecessary times because the warm water feels good.

Slipping in bed I give a big sigh as my head hits the pillow. Goodnight.

Sueños de Comida

We arrived at the restaurant two mintes late. I make a concerted effort to get to places at least a few minutes early so I was feeling a bit rushed. I was instantly reminded of bygone margaritas and days filled with no responsibilities upon entering the cantina. As you enter Su Casa the bar opens up to the left and the restaurant is to the right. I've been going here for almost nine years and I just recently entered the restaurant for the first time.

The United States v. Mexico soccer game was playing in the bar area. Families, young surfers and old washed-up locals were all enjoying themselves over cold beer and chips and salsa.

Though I desparately wanted to join the soccer crowd to the left I entered the restaurant area to the right. I inched my way into the ten person seat and scanned the table for chips. Instantly there was a pitcher of cadillac margaritas in front of me and I found myself gorging on chips, salsa and delicious margaritas no longer concerned with the soccer crowd.

Two tacos, rice, beans, more chips and an hours worth of conversation had me as full and content as I could be. I made a mental note to start coming here again more often. Although now maybe I've graduated to head right to the restaurant instead of left with the soccer crowd. Nah...the soccer crowd is more fun.

Ironman St. George race report

I recently competed in, and finished, Ironman St. George. It was as hard as everyone said it would be. However, with the proper amount of training it is definitely doable. I was going to write a lengthy race report but my friend did such a good job at explaining the experience I thought I would post the link to his race report instead.

If you are thinking of doing Ironman St. George, you should read this first...don't let it scare you though...it was a great race.



http://ideationlab.blogspot.com/2011/06/st-george-ironman-2011-race-report.html

Morning Walks

The smell of dog breath and the touch of wet nose to my cheek were the first sensations I had this morning. "Cooper!", I shouted as I wearily threw the sheets off me and got out of bed. Putting my contacts in is always a chore at this hour. The dog sat at my feet and looked up at me as I fumbled with the flimsy pieces of plastic polymer I place in my eyes each morning.

After putting the leash on the dog and grabbing an extra bag we headed out the door for the morning routine that I am responsible for every Thursday and Friday. My wife takes Monday through Wednesday so I can start the week off with plenty of sleep. Cooper leads the way to the park whether by memory or instinct so that he can chase a tennis ball and scout out puddles to roll around in.

We were able to break into the park without incident when I realized, much to Cooper's chagrin, that I didn't have a tennis ball with me. Fifteen minutes of running around the park so Cooper could chase me instead of the tennis ball found me heading home with a happy, yet tired, dog.

The smell of vanilla scented coffee struck me as I opened the door to my house. I filled the water and food bowl, a daily occurrence that Cooper looks forward to, and laid them before the dog. Panting, he dove in head first spilling water all over his snout and the surrounding area.

I smiled, knowing that my dog was a happy dog and headed in to find out how that vanilla coffee was doing in the kitchen.