Snow...Part II

Once again, predictions were made from the weather communitie, that we were to receive a couple of inches of snow - that's when the disagreements began.

Depending upon your favorite news forcast, we could receive between 1-3 inches, 2-5 inches, or it could miss us altogether. Snow started in Overland Park around 9:30, blew pretty well for about 30 minutes, then left as quickly as it showed up - and the sun came out! It appeared that we were finished for the day and side-stepped another storm.

About 2pm, the snow started up again. At first, it was a flake here and there. After about 30 minutes, it picked up a little more and kept a steady pace for my drive home. It's a little after 8pm now and the wind and snow are still blowing - not a lot of accumulation, but cold enough to justify me starting a nice fire. Of course, it doesn't take much to convince me that a fire is necessary...one reason why I love the winter time.

My running has really suffered this week. I have another 12-16 I'm suppose to put in on Saturday morning - that may become a max of 12...we'll see how I feel. Temps are suppose to be back in the 40's this weekend - I'm definitely ready for some HOT weather!

Blowing Snow in KC

Yesterday when I ran, the wind was blowing out of the Southwest and we had temperatures in the 60's. This morning when we left for work, we had a few rain showers move through the area, but the temps were still in the mid-50's.

As I was listening in on a meeting, I was daydreaming and looking out the window to see snow slowly falling. In a matter of minutes, the breeze changed direction and the snow started blowing hard out of the Northwest and the temperature is now in the mid-20's...Welcome to Kansas City!

We're not expecting much accumulation, but it's definately a sign that we're still in the winter months here. My running schedule calls for 5 miles of hills today (speed training) - I'm going to have to get very inventive with this one. One nice thing about the snow - it's great to watch from the comfort of a warm room!

Stephan's Dog

Stephan's dog, Kylie, was found to have a lunp under the skin a year or so ago. We took her to the Vet and was told that since it was not sore to the touch and the size was not increasing, he felt this was not a big issue.

Last week, Stephan found another lump and had some real concern. You see, he's had Kylie since he was in 4th grade and even named her after his girl friend at the time (I warned him, it was a bad idea - he just wouldn't listen). Upon my coaxing, he took her into the Vet again and a biopsy was performed on one of the lumps; luckily, it just turned out to be fatty tissue.

I added 14 miles to my January total when I put in the miles Saturday morning in an older part of Kansas City. As a matter of fact, we ran right past Muriel & Ewing Kauffman's old place (owner's of the KC Royals, before their death). My old doctor used to live across the street from them and since my mom worked in his office, we went to a Christmas party there one year.

It was in the 20's on Saturday, but not much breeze - turned out to be a great day for a run! Sunday was a pretty lazy day...Steph and I went out for some breakfast and I worked on the Master bathroom (finishing the trim and painting). It was very productive. The other bathroom is next!

Good Weekend...Busy, but Good!

As always, we tend to have a lot going on during the weekend - more than usual lately. Saturday morning I braved the cold and went for a short run (1st, it was in the single digits and 2nd, I usually run farther with a group) of about 8 miles. I decided upon the Lincoln Marathon in early May. A few runners I know have said it's a pretty flat course that's fast...hopefully, I'll be fast enough to qualify for Boston with this marathon.
I went out and picked up Stephan following the run and we had a good time hanging out Saturday night. Now that Stephan and Shallen can both drive the stick (my truck is a manual transmission), they took turns driving the other one around all day. We still have ice on our street...Stephan found out first hand just how well my truck does in snow & ice - that was a beauty of a 360 in front of our house!
Sunday, we went over to Steph's mom's for lunch. Steph's brother Dave, from Springfield was up; he had an interview with the TV station up in St. Joe on Monday - so when there's an opportunity to get everyone together, we're happy to oblige. Dave's daughter Molly came up with him and stayed the night - she's really a great kid; we love having her around. I took Stephan back home so he could work on his car the next day - No School, Martin Luther King Day!
Today is my mom's birthday, so last night Steph, Shallen, Stephan and I took her out to Red Lobster...her favorite restaurant. The food was good, the conversation was great. I think mom really enjoys seeing the grandkids and spending a little time with her oldest son (she kind of likes her daughter-in-law as well).
Today, over lunch, I ran an easy 6 miles and plan to do about the same all week. I'll keep you all up to date on my progress for the Lincoln Marathon. Have a great day!

Go MU!

Just a quick hit for my good buddy Paul who grew up in the area and now lives in Tennessee: Found in The Kansas City Star today, was an article on MU being the national champion for 2007.

According to the Anderson & Hester College Football Computer rankings - a component of the BCS ranking system - Missouri is the national champion for the 2007 season. The same computer rankings listed Kansas at No. 2, .005 points behind the Tigers. The slimmest of differences between the 12-2 Tigers and the 12-1 Jayhawks was apparently Missouri's victory over the Jayhawks and a stronger strength of schedule.

Atleast Mizzou made it atop of one computer ranking! Great year Tigers, we look forward to next year!

Let It Snow...

Yesterday started out with rain followed with the promise of snow by evening rush hour - Perfect! This turned out to be one time the weathermen had it all figured out, or atleast it was a good guess. As I sat outside Applebee's Corporate waiting for Steph at 5pm, I watched the rain turn to snow before my eyes. I am always impressed with the little things that God has created for us to experience.
Shallen was home from school sick and now feeling much better after getting rid of most of it that we called her on our way home and told her to be prepared when we pulled up in the driveway to come out and go with us for some dinner.
We decided to pickup and take home from Applebee's (go figure)! We wanted to be home to watch the second night of the auditions for American Idol. This is the only part of this show I like...when people who have absolutely no talent, yet think they are the next Carrie Underwood, will step up on stage and be devastated when three people tell them the truth about their chances to ever record a song or be a big star - not gonna happen!
I woke up about 3:45 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. After getting up, I figured out why. I am still just a big kid at heart. I went immediately to the living room window and looked at the street light where snow flakes were magnified as the wind blew them from one side of the street to the other. I love the snow...especially, from the warmth of my living room in my shorts. Waking up and driving to work in a winter wonderland, especially in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle is great!
Everybody, enjoy your day and see where God touches your environment - be amazed!

Dr. Visits are a Wonderful Thing!

Yesterday was Stephan's monthly Dr. visit for his ADHD. We go in the office, the doctor asks Stephan how things are going at home, school, life and then the doctor writes a script for his Adderall - it usually flows that easy! Yesterday, there was a hicup!

Stephan has wanted to go into the military following high school since he was about six. More specifically, he has prepared himself to be a Navy S.E.A.L. He is a Sophomore this year; that gives him about a year and a half to get off the meds before he is to enter boot camp. When it comes to concentration, the meds work like magic. As an example, without the meds, if he is in a classroom and has an assignment to finish, it's like trying to hold 30 different conversations at the same time and make sense of all of them. On the meds, he can differentiate between the 30, and respond in a normal way allowing him to complete his work.

I have the task of contacting medical personnel within the Navy to confirm his ability to get in with/without daily meds and more importantly, confirming the S.E.A.L.'s acceptance. Stephan is prepared in every other way to step into BUDs (the SEAL's boot camp).

This is a real passion for him, so needless to say he gets very angry when he thinks that this could stop any chances of him getting his dream. As his father and a Sailor myself, I plan to do everything I possibly can to make this opportunity available to him. Please pray for Stephan that he will know God's presence through this time and be prepared to handle the outcome, whatever it may be.

Weekend Drill @ Whiteman

This may sound a little odd to some of you, but, I have Navy drill this weekend on an Air Force base (Whiteman AFB in Knob Noster, MO) in the middle of the country - no water to be seen for miles. My unit was originally known as "dirt sailors" because we maintained port security from the land for ships that were loading and off-loading freight. My unit has recently changed over to a Security Detachment and will be doing alot of the same things, but without the Operations side of the house, just the security.

Whiteman AFB is where the B-2 (Stealth) bombers are housed! They often have air shows down here and on opening day for the Kansas City Chiefs each year, a B-2 will do a fly over - very cool. The Navy has a building on the base and we are attached to the Kansas City Reserve Center.

Drill is drill. With two deployments under my belt - I'm definately ready for a break away from the military. Steph and I are still in negotiations about me doing 20 years and getting all the retirement benefits. Just to put it into perspective, I'll be 58 when I have 20 years under my belt and I can start drawing on that retirement at 60! Definately, something to think about.

Shallen had a swim meet today in Sedalia, MO, about 20 minutes east of where I drill in Knob Noster. I had the chance to see her come in first in her heat in a 400 meter event (I'm not sure what it's called - they do multiple strokes during the swim). She came out strong and held the lead throughout the event - she looked terrific! I believe she said she took 6 seconds off her best time and 3 seconds off a 100 meter race! Way to go Shallen!

Still Warm Before The Rain

Yesterday, was still a pretty nice day for January in Kansas City. The weather was in the upper 40's and definately a good day to get out for a run. I ended up doing about 6 miles with a nice cool down on our indoor track at the Sprint fitness center. It had been a few days since all the snow had melted, so most of the ground had absorbed the water - not too many nasty spots out there.

One of the many perks of riding to work with my wife each morning is, stopping off for breakfast on the way in ever so often. We stopped at Bob Evans and had a good breakfast with wonderful conversation. I really enjoy having time to talk with Steph about things that influence both of us like the kids, politics, religion and our future. We seem to always have something new to talk about - she truely is my best friend!

I've started a new book, titled: The Jesus Chronicles...John's Story - The Last Eyewitness. The book is by Tim LaHaye, co-author of The Left Behind series. In beginning the read, I questioned a few of the facts and wasn't sure if this was a part of his fictional story line. I'm doing research on the side to substanciate his data and am enjoying his story - he does paint a very good picture. I'll give more specifics as they become available.

The rain started here this morning; the temp was 37 degrees so not much of a chance of freezing. It looks pretty gloomy now, but we have to remind ourselves this Spring how much these days will bring out the fullness and beauty of this world we live in - with all the new bulbs we planted this last fall, I'm really excited to see what the Spring brings to our yard!

Have a great day!

Addison Came To Visit...

Sunday, Colby and Addison came over. We had Colby come over around noon so she could have lunch with us before she colored and cut Steph's hair. I got the fun job of keeping Addison entertained. What a joy it is to have grandchildren!

Addison is making it very difficult for Colby to work a regular job - the only time she eats is when she's breast-fed. Sitters have tried giving her a bottle with no success. Addison still likes to eat about every two hours, so Colby's on a bit of a tight schedule.

After lunch, Addi and I took to the living room where we played and even went outside for a little walk around. Everytime a gust of wind would catch her in the face, she would draw in and panic a little. It was a nice day out so we took a few, short strolls around the yard. After about an hour, Addi was really fighting sleep. We walked up and down the hallway, me patting her on the back and quietly talking to her. She finally fell asleep.

Colby looked so tired. After she finished with Steph's hair, we told her to lay down for awhile and we were going to take Addison out for a ride and just run around. We went to a few open houses in our area and Addison gave us her two cents on each. We also stopped by and saw Aunt Shallen while she was working at HyVee; we really went in to pick up a bottle and some juice - this little one wasn't going to beat us...we want her to be able to spend the night soon and to do that, she needs to be on the bottle.

Steph sat in the back seat on the way home and worked with Addison. She drank some from the bottle - I think she just needs more time with Grandma & Grandpa and everything will be just fine.

It's Been Too Long

Sorry for the length of time between posts to my Blog - I have no excuse other than laziness! I will work harder to get them out atleast every other day. I guess this needs to become one of my new years resolutions...to be more attentive to my documenting of family life!

Saturday was a great day to run! It was on the warm side, between 48-55 degrees, depending on what part of the city you were in. I ran 12 miles that morning. With all the snow melting, the side roads were pretty wet and the grass pretty soggy! We ran through the Plaza area of downtown - what a great place to run.

I'm definately ready for Spring & Summer...it was very nice to wear shorts and just a long-sleeved t-shirt for my run. As I understand it, it's suppose to be about 17 degrees this Saturday - no wonder people are getting sick all over the place.

I'm trying to keep a running total of my miles run in 2008 - you can see it down the right side of my blog.

Saturday evening, Shallen participated in District Band and they put on a concert. They did a wonderful job! I didn't realize the NorthEast District of Missouri included so many schools; there must have been a good 25 schools represented. The only thing I ask for next year...please select a few more upbeat songs - I was so tired, the slow ones nearly put me to sleep!

Running Inside

Each week day, around noon, I go to the fitness center here on the Sprint Campus in Overland Park, KS to workout. Today, the temperature was around 20 degrees - needless to say, I wasn't real fired up about running outside. I chose to stay in shorts and a t-shirt and run on the indoor track (120 meters).

That's where the dilemma started. Running on a track from my high school and college days has always been for speed work. Trying to slow my pace to run for about 45-60 minutes is a little complicated. My mind keeps telling my body, "run faster...the next person I need to pass is just a head of me." I'm constantly overruling my mind by telling my body not to listen to it..."this is a different kind of run we're doing today on a track." In an hour's time, I had to remind my mind probably 15 times to back-off and slow my pace down, that it wasn't a race.

Between running around walkers and constantly slowing myself down, I got in about 5 miles today. My coach in high school always taught us that if you are going to pass someone, you blow by them. This same technique I took into my college years in cross country and track. It's pretty tough to shake an idea that's been with you for the past 30 years. Now, on a day like this, to convince myself that we're not playing by these rules, it makes it even harder.

Luckily, I had my iPod and could settle in with a little Whitesnake or Aerosmith to ease my miles out. Have you ever tried to slow your pace down in the midst of FreeBird when it's really going toward the end of the song - it's almost impossible. Today, I completed 5 miles of fartlek run (sprint, jog, sprint, jog, etc.). I'm looking forward to the rest of the week; the weather people in the area are saying mid 50's by Saturday - that'll atleast get me off the track!

Happy New Year - "the year in review"

Now, I don't want this to seem like an expose' from a news telecast...it's just the quick hits from the past year in my family's life! 2007 brought about many happy memories:

• Stephanie had her 41st birthday and enjoyed celebrating with family and friends (I'm sorry I missed it while I was out of the country on deployment)
• I returned to the states in early June and spent a wonderful week in San Diego with Steph, Shallen and Stephan. We enjoyed time at the beaches and visiting family up in Riverside. It was so good to be back home after a 14 month deployment
• The day after we returned home, I ran in the Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City; all the running I did overseas helped to keep me in shape - I didn't do too bad for my first race back home
• Shallen attended Band Camp at NWMSU in Maryville, MO for a week - this makes her 5th year in a row to attend
• I finished painting the house when I got home and Stephan earned a few extra bucks painting a neighbor's house - it was good to spend time with him after being gone for so long
• My boss from Sprint asked me to attend a sales conference in Denver even though I wasn't back to work yet. It was nice to meet all the new folks in our Call Centers and find out what new obstacles we had to overcome when I got back. It was also great to spend time with my peers and meet new team members
• Stephan turned 16 on July 17th; he took his driving test a few days later and passed. The only problem was, a new law in MO requires you to have your permit for six months before you can get your license (he had only had his for about three). Stephan had to wait until October to finally be able to drive; needless to say, he was not too happy
• I returned back to work at Sprint around the 1st of August - many things had changed in the year I was gone: I had a different boss, we were fully integrated with Nextel and there were new systems to learn and people to meet
• On August 8th, I turned 45...now everytime I look in the mirror, I see my dad looking back at me; I miss him, so it's nice to see a familiar face
• Stephan and I took a geneology trip up to Northeast Missouri (around Kirksville) to uncover info about my family; I found out I still had distant relatives living in the area and also in IL and IA; walking through grave yards wasn't exactly Stephan's ideal vacation, but we enjoyed the time together and he got excited everytime he found a headstone with either Elkin or Elkins on it
• We had the annual Elkins family birthdays at a shelter house at Lake Jacomo in Blue Springs, MO. My siblings and my birthday are all in August: Steve-8th, Jeff-15th, Caron-29th and Derek-31st. We had a lot of extended family there including my Uncle Charlie (my mom's brother) and his family. I love seeing family and just spending time together
• Steph's company, Applebee's, was bought out by Ihop and a lot of consolidating took place. Steph could see the handwriting on the wall and moved from company-owned real estate to a position in accounting where she is very busy, but enjoys finally working in her college major
• Shallen turned 17 on August 31st - what a beautiful, young woman she is turning into...now, if we can just get her to keep her room clean
• I took a trip to Norfolk, VA for Sprint to visit a Nextel Call Center and understand how they differ from our Sprint centers - I have a lot to learn
• Colby (my middle daughter) had a baby girl on September 5th - Addison Lynne! She weighed 8lbs, 11ozs and was 21 inches long. She was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Blue Springs
• Through September, I trained hard for the Kansas City Half Marathon - I put in a lot of miles and dropped a few pounds (the ones I added when I returned home to the convenience of fast food)
• Shallen made 1st chair flute this year in band and also qulaified for District competition - she practices a lot on her flute and even got a little extra coaching from a music professor at William Jewel College
• I ran the KC Half Marathon in October - I started too far back in the pack and finished well below my expectations for the race. If you've not been to KC, it's pretty hilly in places around town...the benefit I received was seeing parts of Kansas City I'd never seen before
• Steph and I had the opportunity to spend an evening with Garth Brooks at the new Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City. Garth put on a great show and the tickets were incredibly cheap
• My grandaughter Morgan had her 6th birthday at the end of November and is currently in Kindergarten in the Independence school district. She is getting so big and acting so much older than six
• Steph and I ran in the Turkey Trot run Thanksgiving morning in Parkville, MO. This was a 5K and a very fast course down by the Missouri river. It was very cold that morning, but we were glad we ran so we could justify all the turkey and pumpkin pie we ate that afternoon at my brother's house
• Steph and I took a belated honeymoon the first week in December (our anniversary is 12/6) - we took a cruise to Montego Bay, Jamaca, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We had a wonderful time and have plenty of pictures to relive those memories in the future
• Erin (my oldest daughter) had her third interview with hopes of landing a job in the Independence school district. Erin really enjoys working with little kids - she always has
• I was able to spend time with an old friend, Paul Turner, and his family after his mother, Frances, passed away just before Christmas. It's always a great comfort to know that friendships last through years and years of separation only to be picked up where you last left them
• Christmas Eve morning was spent with Steph and the kids at our house. The afternoon, we loaded everyone (including Steph's mom) into the car for a short trip to Overland Park where we had a wonderful lunch and good family time with Steph's brother Craig and his family. We then loaded back up and made the jouney down to Springfield, MO to wake up Christmas day at Steph's other brother's house, Dave, where we had a great time. We don't get to see Dave and Charlotte and the kids very often, so it's nice to spend time with them whenever we get the chance
• Christmas with my side of the family was held on the 29th at my brother Jeff's house . We always have a lot of fun, and this year was no exception. The kid's exchange names when we get together on Thanksgiving and the adults always plan on a White Elephant exchange - and with Derek's past gifts, it can be quite strange! We had a nice meal and enjoyed catching up on everyone's lives through this past year - it's always a great way to bring the year to a close - with family all around!

I look forward to 2008 as a year that will help to define my running as well as my friendships. I have a long list of things to do this year - know that each of you who read this will be a part of that!