DAY 20, ROADTRIP

Today marked my first time "outside the wire." I rode in a convoy from Camp Victory (on the outskirts of Baghdad) to the "International Zone" (IZ) in the heart of Baghdad. We had to wear full battle gear and load our weapons. We normally bee-bop around base with the clips out of our weapons. So, it immediately became stressful when we loaded, climbed aboard the armored vehicles, and drove out.

The streets were full of normal auto traffic, people walking, bikes, kids playing, etc. Some of the suburban neighborhoods were somewhat nice, but there were definitely slums, too. It was very strange to be driving around city streets in a military convoy.

Once inside the IZ, we unloaded from the armored vehicles, met up with our coworkers based there, and dropped off our battle gear. The IZ is probably 10-20 square miles. We drove around in a suburban amongst the populace. That was weird. We stopped for pictures of the "crossing sabres" near some Iraqi soldiers. They all wanted pictures with us, so we obliged. I was on edge though, as I could see some of them looking at us sideways.


Anyway, we saw the old and new embassies, another of Saddam's palaces, the current Iraqi gov't HQ, and a few other highlights. The IZ is continually getting mortared from across the river. Usually it's just one or two, but enough to get attention. We made it through the day unscathed.

Seeing the young boys playing in the streets on the way back was surreal. It's just like what I had seen on TV. They waved, we waved. If it were only that simple . . .

159 days to go.

DAY 16, LONG RUN

Today is X-mas. Our cool boss made us show up on time for work this morning. We sat around looking at each other. I had enough of that and left for PT (physical training). I went for a long run (11 miles) around the base. Here's a sample of what I saw . . .

This is an MRAP. The army is trying to use these instead of HumVees when driving "outside the wire." They do much better against mines, roadside bombs, etc. This particular vehicle parks right outside my hooch (room).


An AAV (armored assault vehicle).

All the guards here are from Uganda. They guard the perimeter and all the buildings on base. They're very friendly - much more so than the Iraqis we meet. The Ugandans always smile and greet me with "AIR POWER" even when I'm running.

This guard was on break and more than willing to show his skills.

This is Lost Lake -- one of the many lakes on base. This one is unique because it's stuck off in a quiet corner of the base. It's about 2 miles around and I rarely see any traffic when I run here -- VERY unusual for this base. I can see myself wearing out the dirt path along the water in the upcoming months.

Perimeter Road -- dirty, desolate, but usually quieter than the center of the base.

Here's what I have to dodge when running the roads. These guys driving were born in the late 80's and would just love to run over a clueless Air Force Major out jogging.

Here's a fleet of new vehicles just waiting to be used and abused by any number of organizations over here -- DoD, State Dept, defense contractors, you name it. YOUR tax dollars at work.

163 days to go.

DAY 15, 2 MORE PICTURES

3 of us at the former Ba'ath Party headquarters. There were private docks, a swimming pool, palacial rooms. Now it's just a bombed out shell of a building.



Santa Claus travels to Baghdad. Who knew?



164 days to go.

DAY 13, PICTURES

A bunch of grunts waiting to go from Kuwait to Iraq.

My room at Camp Liberty.

A "fancy" Thanksgiving feast at the chow hall.

The outside of my room behind concrete protective walls. When the mortars come in, the walls limit the damage to a confined area.

166 days to go.

DAY 12, TOURISTS

Today was Sunday, so we didn't have to come in until 11 AM. There's another new Major in the office. She got here the day after me. The boss let us go down to Camp Slayer for the Sunday tour. Slayer was the location of many of Saddam's palaces and included the Ba'ath Party headquarters.

We got to tour all the bombed out buildings that were struck the first night of the second war (2003). The palaces are unbelievable - so much opulence. It's easy to see how Saddam kept the loyalty of his confidants. They lived like kings. All the palaces are surrounded by man made lakes and segregated on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Water is power in the middle east, so Saddam had water diverted from the Tigris River to this area we're in to create all the lakes. The general population of Baghdad never knew of these lakes (the whole compound is walled off). All they knew is that the city would go without fresh water for long periods of time. People were dying of thirst and Saddam was using 8 of the 9 city main water pumps to keep his lakes filled.

Anyway, it was a very interesting tour. Kinda' sad in a way. I got to see first hand one of the ways Saddam abused his power.

167 days to go.

DAY 10, CAMP LIBERTY

I've been at work for two days. Standard hours are 7 AM - 9 PM everyday except Sunday (11 AM - 9 PM). Civilians get paid for 80 hours per week. Military get a pat on the back.

I work at Camp Victory in a trailer and live at Camp Liberty in a trailer. It's about a 4-5 mile drive to work (I carpool with three civilians). I don't have to share a room, but I have to walk about 100 yds to the bathroom/showers. Having a "dry" room sucks. Lt Colonels and above have "wet" rooms (sinks and showers).

The food is pretty bad -- mass produced, high calorie, and low quality. The air quality is terrible. Things just suck all around. It will take some getting used to, but I need to adapt quickly or I'm going to flip out.

169 days to go.

DAY 8, BAGHDAD BOUND

3:30 C-17 flight to Baghdad. Gotta' go.

171 days to go.

DAY 5, YEP - KUWAIT STILL

This is getting ridiculous. I sit around all day with nothing to do waiting until 5:30 PM to see if the schedulers reserved a spot for me the next day. If nothing happens tonight, I'm going to collect my gear, get a ride to the airfield, and just sit there watching each flight load up and verifying there are no open seats (the military version of "stand-by"). I would be willing to bet there have been some open seats at some point in the last 5 days.

Anyway, I decided to do what I normally do for stress relief - I went on a long run. I had had enough of the rat machine, errr treadmill. So, I grabbed a couple bottled waters, my music, and left the secure compound for a jog around the runway service road. The route I chose was approved by the wing commander, but I could tell by the look on the SP's (gate cop) face that not many people go out there running. Exactly the type of run I like.

The weather was pleasant - about 60 degrees, no wind, and a low sun. The service road was new, so the running surface was fine. There were spray painted mile markers and a few "5K turnaround" markers, so there have been at least a couple other crazies like me through this place. It turned out to be about 9 miles by the time I did a loop around the secure compound on the way back in.

IT FELT GREAT. It reminded me of all the running I did in Las Vegas, well except for the bombed out aircraft shelters and the shot-up lookout towers surrounding the base (the Iraqis stormed through this base in 1990 during the invasion of Kuwait). It was kinda' weird being passed by small pick-up trucks full of Kuwaitis staring at me. I did cross paths with some Japanese Air Force dudes out running. That reminded me of running in Hawaii.

Speaking of the Japanese, after my run I hit the weight room. There were Japanese in there lifting weights with US airman. They were laughing, high-5'ing, and generally having a good time. It was sort of surreal to me. ~70 years ago we were mortal enemies (Bataan Death March, kamikazes, Pearl Harbor, etc). Now, it's as if nothing happened. I actually think that is cool, but I couldn't help but be struck by the fact that this was occurring in Kuwait, where we are here in part because some cultures just can't get along and hold grudges for thousands of years. Anyway, it was strange.

174 days to go.

DAY 4, STILL IN KUWAIT

Remember my reference to Catch-22? So, I'm all set to leave Kuwait yesterday. I call my new unit and tell the Sergeant my military flight number. 2 hours later, I get a frantic message from the local base ops that says "get to the airfield ASAP." I get a ride and find out along the way that they had me on the wrong flight. The sergeant at my new unit caught the mistake.

So, I get to the airfield and all the flights to Baghdad are full. I collect all my gear and head back to my crappy tent for another night. As of today, I still don't have a seat. It takes a while to get me loaded. Hopefully they'll get the proper location this time.

On the bright side, the sergeant at my new location was sharp enough to look up the flight number and verify the destination, rather than except the info as correct. Too bad the folks here in Kuwait aren't as sharp.

175 days to go.

DAY 3, KUWAIT/IRAQ

Headed to Baghdad in a couple hours - guess they finally found a seat for me. Kinda' excited, kinda' nervous. I'm ready to get settled in a location, for sure.

I'm going to DCMA (Defense Contract Management Agency) Headquarters for Iraq/Afghanistan at Camp Victory. I'll be the Operations Officer for the region, reporting directly to the commander, an Army O-6 (Colonel). Sounds like I'll be busy.

I did see a flyer today for a marathon they're going to have at Ali Al Salem on Jan 3rd. Obviously I won't be here for it, but I was encouraged to see it and hope they have something like that at Camp Victory.

176 days to go.

DAY 2, KUWAIT

2 days, 2 blogs. You can tell I'm pretty bored. I keep calling the scheduling folks about my flight to Baghdad and they keep saying "no update." My deployment clock started when I got to Kuwait, so I shouldn't be so anxious to move on. I can stay here and be safe.

Problem is, I'm stuck in an 8-man tent and the power was out all day today. So, the living conditions suck enough that I'm willing to go to Baghdad and start working my 13-14 hour shifts now.

I did manage a 7-mile run today (5 on the treadmill). It was crazy windy today with dust/sand everywhere, so I was forced inside. I even tried a nap, but the tent kept banging on the side of my bunk bed and waking me up.

I've had 3 web cam sessions with the family. I don't know who invented web cam, but I owe the dude a beer, or 12. Greatest invention ever for people separated from their family.

As bad as this deal is, I'll probably learn an incredible amount. I'll definitely learn what's truly important to me and what's worthless. I'll also learn what it's like to be in the military. Over here, I'm around enlisted troops all day, eating crappy food, and living in tough conditions. Throughout my career to date, I was always surrounded by officers, eating great food, and living a pampered life. By the time I leave here, it will have taken 15 years, but I'll finally have spent 6 months in the military.

177 days to go.

DAY 1, KUWAIT

Well, it took 45 hours, but I made it to Kuwait. I took some pictures, but can't download to the gov't computer I'm stuck with right now. Check back later for pics. For now, here's one from the internet:

Anyway, the 45 hours was divided between 5 airports and 4 different flights. It included a bus convoy and more waiting then you can imagine. It did NOT include a shower or a change of socks. Lesson #1: feet sweating in combat boots for more than a day is nasty. The cool Converse boots I was issued now have a perma-smell to them. Damn.

Right now, I'm at Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait - about 30-40 miles from the Iraq border. I'm waiting for a military flight to Baghdad.

So for now I get to chill out a little. I actually got a run in today. Only three miles (1 of which was on the treadmill). I ran to the gym to check it out, hit the treadmill, then ran back to my tent which I share with other officers coming and going.

The dining hall is okay -- typical large scale cafeteria. Everyone is pounding the free soft drinks and Gatorade. I'm going to try to lay off the caloric drinks and get my calories from food. That will probably last only a day or two. But, day 1 is over and I was successful. The dining hall is on my walk back tonight, so I'm going to check out the midnight meal.

178 days to go.

LATER

I'm headed to Iraq on Dec 7th (the irony of the date is not lost on me). I'm not sure if the blog will be firewalled or not where I'm going. If it isn't, I'll update my situation via the blog. Otherwise, hasta mi amigos.

TOO MUCH RUNNING

Thanks to running buddy Craig (RBC) for supplying a picture of how I feel lately trying to chase down some personal goal only I care about.

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM SOCAL

With all my alone time lately (see previous blog), I've had ample opportunity to ponder some big issues:

1. Running with your shirt off on November 7th is awesome. What's more awesome is being so hot during that run that you hose down your head every mile in the free-standing surfers' showers along the strand. Did I mention it's NOVEMBER? I love SoCal.

2. Are leaf-blowers really worth it? Let me get this straight - spend 20 minutes creating noise and burning gas to blow dirt and debris across an invisible "property" line only to have the same dirt and debris get re-scattered after you leave (pun intended). I mean come-on, sweep the shit up. Don't blow it onto someone else's swath of land - especially public land like a street! All it really does is prevent late 30 year-olds from taking mid-afternoon naps.

3. Forget beer goggles. Women who are exercising are immediately more attractive.

4. If I were Obama, I'd put a full sized basketball court just off the oval office and have some kick-ass lunchtime games. Think of the trash talking he could do!

4b. I remember about 15 years ago, ESPN did a segment on Cal Ripken during the middle of his iron-man streak. He had a indoor court at his house and held pick-up games all winter. Can you imagine being the chump who undercuts him during a lay-up and breaks Cal's ankle? No 2131 - streak over. Steve Bartman would have nothing on that guy.

5. Dan Dierdorff is the worst NFL "color man."

6. My daughter and I recently watched a Bon Jovi concert together. She is the same age I was when I sang "You give love . . . A BAD NAME" on the school bus home.

7. The president-elect is younger than all my brothers save 1. You dudes are O-L-D.

8. Why does gay marriage scare so many people? I debated a co-worker at lunch the other day. He's concerned legalized gay marriage will lead to legalized beastiality. Really? Wow.

8b. That was almost as strange as what a friend recently told me. We were debating whether or not being gay is a choice. I posed a theoretical question: "What if your brother came out as gay - he'd still be the same person to you, right?" The answer: "Of course not, it would be like finding out he had a dark secret like murdering somebody." Really? Wow.

8 is enough.

MILEAGE

I had a semi-secret goal to run 2008 miles in the year 2008. I was doing pretty good until I came down with a lame hammy in July. As my running buddy Craig pointed out, "no shit you got hurt, you were trying to run 2,ooo miles" (paraphrased, of course).

Anyway, I was trying to whittle away at the total when the whole "you're going to Iraq" thing came down. My initial reaction was, fuck the 2008 miles now. I won't have time to run and I should relax before I leave. Then, I realized that if I give up on my goal, then I'm allowing this Iraq thing to screw up my life more than it already has.

So, I've recommitted myself to nailing 2008 miles this year. Take a look at these stats then I'll explain my predicament:
DATE ...TOTAL .....PROJECTED MILES
1 Feb .......176 ................ 2008
1 Mar ......309 ................1849
1 Apr .......506 ................2008
1 May ......682 ................2040
1 Jun .......857 .................2044
1 Jul ........990 .................1975
1 Aug .....1136 .................1938
1 Sep .....1280 .................1907
1 Oct .....1446 .................1919
1 Nov ....1602 .................1911

So, here's the problem. I have log 400+ miles the last two months. I have a week of combat training which won't allow me time to run, plus 10-14 days en route to Baghdad without time to run. That leaves me about 40 realistic running days. Do the math - that's 10 miles per run (ON AVERAGE).

This will easily be my biggest running challenge, but I need something like this to keep my mind off what it will be like to leave Tiffany and the kids for 6 months . . .

IRAQ

I recently sent a mass e-mail to friends and family letting them know I'm headed to Iraq for 6 months. I got many different replies - plenty of support and I appreciate it greatly. My favorite response was from my nephew, Matt, who asked me to share my thoughts on the Iraq sitaution. I love it - someone was willing to listen to MY opinion and not just thier own.

Anyway, I was inspired and wrote back. Below is the main part of my reponse.

I have always been very proud to be in the military, even here in beachtown California where I get some sideways glances now and then. Don’t get me wrong, some people in the military have done terrible things over the years. Despite that, the vast majority of the people I work with are there not for pay or glory but because we’re part of something bigger. There’s a whole public service aspect that keeps me pumped up. People dog lawyers, but I think there’s no worse profession than being a corporate exec making 250 times the pay of some of your own employees. How do they sleep at night? They have employees that work for their own company – THEIR OWN COMPANY – that make shit. This is the company the execs are supposed to embody. Where’s the leadership? How can they have any sense of pride when they’re cruising around on their yacht? Anyway, that’s why I’m proud to be in the military – it’s for the common good. (I know, I know, the whole “mom and apple pie speech.”)

So, 9/11 happens and I’m thinking, “this must have been what it felt like on Dec 7th, 1941.” I was ready to go get the bad guys. Then, all of a sudden we’re invading Iraq. Huh? Fine, I’ll give W the benefit of the doubt. He’s the pres, I gotta’ have some level of trust. He says there are WMD. Still a weak argument (invading just because someone has the ability to do something), but Saddam did gas his own people, so I’ll go along with the logic.

Then, we don’t find any WMD anywhere in Iraq. YGBSM (a common military acronym for You Gotta’ Be Shittin’ Me)! Now, I have never been a fan of politicians of either the Republican or Democrat persuasion, but W’s decision to go into Iraq has killed and maimed tens of thousands of Americans AND Iraqis (and others, too). For what? We have the luxury of hindsight and hindsight is 20/20 in many cases. Things are pretty clear right now.

Am I being overly harsh on W? Not even close. As the Commander-in-Chief, he has the sole ability to commit troops to battle anywhere he wants anytime (the whole Gulf of Tonkin thing). It’s actually one of the few powers the president actually has. That’s why it makes me puke when I hear Obama and McCain argue over taxes (or abortion, or health care, or any other issue the president has NOTHING to do with). The only role as pres they play in taxes is 1) they pay them (sometimes) and 2) they can veto a proposed tax law. They have absolutely NOTHING to do with setting tax policy (other than being the figurehead of their corrupt political party).

Back to Iraq. In this case, W got congress to go along and pass a resolution, but that meant nothing. Congress doesn’t send troops to battle – the CinC does. One man, one choice. Dude is liable.

So, as a US citizen, I’m pissed we’re in Iraq right now and pissed to be leaving my wife and kids for 6 months. As an Air Force Officer, my job is to do what our CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP tells me to do (the president is ELECTED, then appoints the Sec Def, Sec AF, etc). At some level, we’re putting blind faith in these people to use us righteously. I know, I know, blind faith is naïve.

Anyway, I take pride in my job and this is a unique opportunity to be part of something big (not necessarily good, but definitely big). As a military member, I’m actually looking forward to going. How ironic – worst thing to ever happen to me personally, but one of the best things to happen to me professionally. I say “best” only because I’ve been in 14.5 years and have rarely been involved in “real” work. It doesn’t get any more “real” than Iraq.

Anyway – feel free to fire away and tell me I’m full of shit. I don’t take it personally and like to consider myself open-minded. Trust me, I’ve had brothers tell me I’m full of shit and I still respect them. So many people have made up their minds and aren’t interested in hearing other inputs. Those are the people I feel most sorry for.

DAMN CUBS

They have now lost 7 straight play-off games. 7 STRAIGHT! Maybe it's because the 3rd base coach (Mike Quade), is looking at Erin Andrews instead of where the ball is at . . .

CUBBIES

World Series starts on 22 Oct. Games 3-5 are at Wrigley, 25-27 Oct. Anyone else going?

VALUE OF TIME

So, I'm leaving work today. The building I was at is exactly 1 mile from my house. It makes for a nice commute, but crappy for listening to music.

Anyway, I was walking out of the building with another Air Force Major. She was headed home, too. Her house was 100 miles from our work parking lot. Yes, that's right, 100 miles. I've never been so thankful for my commute as I was today when I saw her headed to her car and thought, "her commute is 100 times longer than mine" without the slightest of exaggeration.

It got me to thinking about the VALUE OF TIME. Time is probably our most precious commodity. We can always make more money, buy more things, make new friends/relationships. But we can never make more time.

So, it really comes down to how we want to spend our time. Do we spend it teaching our kids multiplication, or drinking beer with our buddies, or surfing internet porn, or going to the gym, or talking with friends? I guess it's a way to gauge peoples' personalities - look how they spend their time.

It's also a way to see if people truly care about you. Are they willing to spend some of their precious time for you?

My co-worker spends about 4 hours a day in her car (sometimes more depending on the state of the 405). That's an interesting way to spend time, to say the least.

HAWAI'I

Tiff and I just got back from Maui. Wow - good stuff! I talked her into doing the Maui Half Marathon. It was her first race, ran the whole way, and finished strong. Results are here: http://www.pacificsportevents.com/Races/Maui%20Marathon/2008/Overall_Half_08.htm

Pretty cool place to run a race. Perfect weather, great scenery, friendly people. We started at 5:30 and were done by 7:45. Walked back to the hotel, showered, and it was like we slept late, but still got a long run completeted.

We spent the rest of our time getting sun burned, drinking "lava flows" (pina colada over strawberry puree - yum), and swimming.

Awesome place, that Maui.

MT WHITNEY

[please excuse the mistakes - typing fast and not proof-reading today]

I tried climbing Mt Whitney yesterday. It's the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. Thought it would be cool.

I went with 4 other Air Force dudes - all in great shape. Even worse for me, they were all 6-10 years younger. I knew going in it would be tough to keep up.

Things I learned trying to climb Mt Whitney:
1. Living at sea level and doing all my training on flat surfaces was not the way to prepare for an 11 mile climb up to 14,494 feet.
2. Having a fever is a signal to NOT start a climb.
3. Falling behind your co-climbers in the first 2 miles is a signal to turn back.
4. Stumbling on the side of a shear drop at 13,500 feet really gets your adrenaline pumping.
5. Trying to climb Mt Whitney in one day is a bitch.

The fever / head cold thing was dissappointing. Because Mt Whitney climbers are limited to 100 per day and we had to get our permits months in advance, I had to try it even though I was doomed from the start.

We woke up at 4 AM and were hiking in the dark at exactly 5 AM. I felt like shit from the beginning. John, Grant, Dave, and Scott were cool - routinely stopping and waiting for me the first 7 miles. But, when we were at the highest camp (trail camp), it was time to part ways for good. They cruised to the top while I staggered up the "96 switchbacks." My head was pounding and the fever wouldn't go away. When I stumbled just below trail crest, I knew it was time to turn around.

I was about 3 trail miles and 1,000 vertical feet away. It was 11 AM.

The trip down sucked! I was totally under-prepared. If I had any kind of head medicine, I would have been better off. John had the water purifier with him at the top so I had to blow past all the running water on the side of the mountain. "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink."

Luckily, I stashed some water bottles at 10,000 feet. It felt like an oasis.

My new climbing buddies got down 2.5 hours after me. One of them got real sick at the top and was puking / moving slow most of the way down.

I can't decide if I want to try it again.

NUTRITION

Recently, I've been trying to study nutrition a little more. The way I figure it, the only way we exist is by putting food in our body. Seems like it should be more important to everybody. Think about how many people have no idea what they put into their system. Think of all the frustrated 50 year-old men with expensive cars who only put the best fuel in their pet Corvette yet eat all kinds of crap themselves. Kinda' ironic.

Anyway, why don't we put more emphasis on teaching nutrition to our kids? Other than that lame food pyramid, I didn't have any nutrition education until I got to college. Even then, is was a quick 10 lesson PE course taught by some dude who could golf, but his only nutrition experience was reading the textbook one lesson ahead of the students.

Here's where we could improve: start teaching nutrition in school. I mean REALLY teaching nutrition. Have qualified nutritionists with real credentials. We require math and science teachers to be qualified and let's face it, I have never used Calculus in my adult life, yet I put food into my body at least 5 -10 times a day. Seems like I would have benefited much more if someone had told me what that daily big gulp from 7-11 was doing to me while I was in high school.

It would be great if our young kids knew why they're obese. Yes, I know some kids have genetic issues that cause the obesity, but I would venture to say the vast majority of obese kids are obese because they eat too much and exercise too little. They have no idea that a soft drink is not good for their system. They've been programmed to think soft drinks are normal sources of hydration.

As I parent, it's ultimately up to me to make sure my kids know what's up. I just would like our society to put as much emphasis on nutrition in schools as we do other subjects that have far less impact on the rest of our lives.

That's it - I'm going to have a piece of cake.

RUNNING TO BOSTON

I've been running for a while now (20 years, but not continuously). I figure it's an easy way to ensure I can continue to fit into my uniform. I thought I was doing pretty good, running marathons, then moving up to ultra-marathons. I was proud of myself.

Then something very bad happened -- I bought a GPS watch. What I thought was easily a 9:00 min/mile pace was actually 10+. How did I slow down so much? It was a gradual degradation I never noticed. Hell, I might as well have been power walking.

So, instead of succumbing to the usual "getting old" excuse, I decided to see if I could get faster instead of slower. It worked. I ran my fastest marathon in March (Los Angeles, 3:44), then bettered the time in June (San Diego, 3:31).

I was tempted to call it good, but that damn GPS thing kept hounding me. The only thing I could think of was qualifying for the Boston Marathon, probably the most famous marathon in the US.

Problem: for a 36 year-old male, the qualifying time is 3:15. It wasn't that long ago that the thought of qualifying for Boston was as ridiculous as the Cubs winning 4 games in the 3rd week of October.

I'll spare you the math. 3:15 means I have to average 7:26 min/mile FOR 26.2 MILES. Good freakin' luck!

We'll see. I've got the Air Force Marathon on Sep 20th. If I can keep my hamstring in one piece that day, I'm going to give the whole qualifying thing a shot. I think the Olympics got me overly pumped. It's all M Phelps' fault!

The reason for putting this in the blog is the "put up or shut up" I have to live with now. So, here's the plan:

1. 20 Sep: Air Force Marathon

2. 27 Sep: Noble Canyon 50k (31 miles) Trail Ultra-Marathon (I should skip this and recover, but the race is 15 miles from where I grew up - I can't miss it!)

3. 23 Nov: Santa Monica Mtns 30K (there's a 50K version, too, but I'll refrain)
4. 7 Dec: High Desert 50K (a great winter Mojave run)
5. 25 Jan: Carlsbad Marathon (my attempt to run 3:15)
6. 20 Apr: BOSTON, BABY

But no matter what happens with the whole Boston thing, I won't become a Red Sox fan . . .

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today was the kids' first day of school. I took the day off work so I could walk them to their new classrooms with my wife. I'm sure my boss (no kids) was a little confused as to why I thought it was worth one of my vacation days. I didn't try to explain -- you have to live it.

So here's where I see a need for improvement: TEACHERS.

We send our kids off to school and they spend 6+ hours a day with their teacher(s) for 9+ months a year. On a daily basis, our kids spend more time talking with and listening to their teacher(s) than they do their own parents.

Question: why isn't the profession of teacher one of the best paid, hardest to get hired into, and most scrutinized professions in our society? Teachers do more to shape our youngsters development than any other profession I can think of.

We should pay teachers an incredibly high salary. More people will want to become teachers. The competition will be tougher, the hiring process can become more stringent, and we can have better qualified, more motivated teachers. Every year, we can cut the bottom 10% and bring in new hires. The teachers will stay on top of their games.

Instead, we shell out $30 bucks to sit in the upper deck of Dodger Stadium for the chance to eat a $4 Dodger Dog and drink a $7 lite beer. But hey, it's for a good cause: so sub .500 pitchers can make $8M a year and send their kids to private schools.