San Francisco Marathon Race Report

Short Form:  4:13 (who knew it would be so hilly?)

Long Form:

I had trouble getting psyched up for SFM.  I had a great marathon in Missoula two weeks prior and had a few great runs in Maple Valley the following week, but my last run in Maple Valley lasted just over a minute.  My hamstring seized up and it hurt unlike any time before.  I knew to keep running would mean more damage and I hoped if I stopped that it would have time to heal.  I hardly ran again.  It is tough to prepare for a marathon while camping, in my opinion. I began to entertain thoughts of not running SFM.  In my quest for running a marathon in all 50 states, I already had California.

Saturday before the race, we picked up my shirt and number early in the morning and began our ad hoc self-guided walking tour of San Francisco.  After we were done and I sat down with gmaps pedometer, I figured it was somewhere around eight miles.  I slept okay on Saturday night – better than I usually do prior to a marathon.  Getting up extra early isn’t the big deal it used to be.  The alarm went off at about 4 AM and I stood up.  Instantly, I thought “Screw it.” and climbed back in bed.  I told Bruce to forget it, I wasn’t going to go.  He said some things I forget, trying to make me feel better, and then said “We can go down later and watch the runners go by.”  then I heard my sister’s voice “I’d rather be a DNF than a Did Not Start.”  There was no way I could stay in bed and live with myself.  By this time, Bruce had fallen back to sleep, so I poked him repeatedly and said “I gotta do this.”

Getting to the start line took just a few minutes.  When we rented the house in Potrero Hill, we didn’t realize how convenient it would be for running the marathon.  It was a few blocks to a view spot and just three miles to the start/finish.  It was dark and the usual pre-marathon hoopla was going on.  I had my video camera, so I started filming and wondering if I would see anyone I knew.  I chatted briefly with the woman next to me in wave 4.  It was her second marathon and she was hoping for a PR.  Her first marathon was 4 and a half hours.  I wished her well.  I wouldn’t be getting a PR this day.

In the first four flat miles, the sun gently illuminated the fog.  My right leg hurt, but I’d expected that.  My left ankle started hurting and I thought of those guys at the Seattle Marathon during mile 1.  The first guy was listing his aches and pains to the second guy.  The second guy finally said “Look.  26.2 miles is a long way to go.  You do NOT need to tell me about every little ache and pain.”  I laughed at myself and tried to focus on something else.  There were a few chatty people, but no one I felt was going the right pace for me.  This was not going to be a run in which I would try to hold a pace.  I would just run.

I looked at the Golden Gate Bridge appearing up ahead and noticed how much higher it was than we were.  Could this course have hills?  I am not sure why I didn’t think it would.  Perhaps I was just thinking of the first four miles.  The hill was highlighted by some “Burma Shave” signs with stats about the biggest hills in San Francisco.  Worried I would forget them, I filmed them.  When I learn how to edit the film, I will post it on You Tube.  Funny I still call it “film.”

The Golden Gate Bridge was an out and back.  I saw about half a dozen people I know on the bridge.  That was fun.  After the bridge I saw a sign warning of coyote crossing.  Only in San Francisco, I guess.  We ran through some lovely neighborhoods on our way to Golden Gate Park.  Mostly, I think we ran up hill.  Coming into Golden Gate Park, we passed the half way mark.  I forget my split, but it was over two hours.  The second half was going to be ugly.  I could tell.  I stopped to film the buffalo in honor of all the buffalo we’d seen in Yellowstone.  Around mile 15, I put my iPod on and took off my long sleeve shirt.  I had overdressed for this marathon and loaded up with a fuel belt and water.  I don’t know why I had so much stuff with me.  I felt like a pack mule.

Coming out of Golden Gate Park, we ran through Haight-Ashbury.  I had always wanted to see it and it didn’t disappoint.  I wondered about what life was like there in 1969.  I was glad I could run a marathon instead of lie around in a drug-induced haze.  I ran past a banner telling me to break through the wall.  I had no wall.  This whole marathon was hard.  So hard, I forgot to take my Gu.  What was I thinking?

Running into Potrero at about mile 21, I really hoped I would see my family.  I didn’t.  I tried not to let the disappointment get me down.  It’s tough to be a marathon spectator.  But then I saw Bruce and Charlie down the block.  I think I set my fastest time running towards them as Charlie ran towards me.  I picked him up in a big squeezy hug.  We chatted briefly.  He wanted to run the last three miles with me, but was discouraged to learn we’d have to walk three miles back to the house after that.  I trudged on without him.  I did not enjoy the last three miles.  They took forever.  The bands there to cheer us on were loud and not to my taste.  I ran past Barry Bonds Little League Field and I wondered about how healthy it was to have his name on the park as a role model for kids.  I ran past the AT&T Park, which was PacBell Park last time I was in San Francisco.  I ran to where I could hear the announcers at the finish ridiculing some poor guy for failing to wear nipple protectors.  They didn’t let it go and it made me mad.  28 years ago when I ran the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, I was so fat that my legs rubbed together.  After 8 miles, I was a bloody, embarrassed mess.  I think if the guys at the finish line had ridiculed me, that I never would have run again.  The announcers should be there to cheer on the finishers, not make fun of them.  They said absolutely nothing about me as I finished.  Not even my number.  I was fine with that.

The finish had enough food to keep me supplied as I walked the three miles back to the house.  I was a little disoriented, so I think I went 3 and a half miles, but after a kind woman gave me her map, I was fine.

San Francisco was fun and I would do it again in a minute.  Only next time, I would prefer to do it with a healthy right leg and some hill training.

Vacation Report #5

It stinks that I left my camera in my parents’ van.  There have been so many things this week that I wanted to take pictures of.  I did take some video of the Von Wyman Family Singers around the campfire.  It is such a special time.  The camp out was nice, but cold.  Better too cold than too hot, I think, but I was still cold.

Today we drove to Ashland and I had another experience that ranks up with the best of the trip.  While walking through the park, we found the Ashland City Band playing a free concert.  They were excellent!  And there was such a pleasant mix of ages in the band.  Charlie enjoyed learning what all the different instruments were and trying to pick out the sounds that they made.  Afterwards, we asked one player what kind of instrument he was playing and he told us it was a contrabass clarinet.  He was so nice and helped explain what many other instruments were and the differences between them.  He also told us that they receive their music on Wednesday night and play it in the concert on Thursday night!  What an impressive band.

I have been thinking about backing out of the San Francisco Marathon.  My hamstring is iffy and I haven’t been able to log the essential miles.  I’ll see how I feel.

In the car today Charlie learned how to read a map.

Vacation Report #4

It’s been tough to get consistent Internet access since we left Missoula.  We stayed from Monday night to Sunday morning on the floor of the house my parents are selling.  They have moved into a cottage that is a much more manageable size for two retirees, but not for two retirees plus an active family of five.  I don’t think sleeping on the floor is the best way to prepare for a marathon, so I am just hoping I can finish San Francisco on Sunday, but that’s another story.

While we were at my parents’ we enjoyed running with my sister and her buddies, going to the farmers’ market (great entertainment provided by Jim Hanna and his band!  We just visited a farmers’ market in Oregon and all Charlie could do was complain about the music and say how much better Uncle Jim’s band was.  I thought so, too, but with my bad ear for music, I am not as bothered by flat, out of key singers.), going to the King County Fair and whale watching.  To be honest, the whale watching was not worth the cost, but it is something I have wanted to do for years.  We saw Minke whales, but no Orcas.

I made multiple trips to the Enumclaw Transfer Station with my dad.  He says no one appreciates it like he does and I think he’s right.

On Sunday morning we left for Portland to visit family.  They have a lovely home and a VERY comfortable bed!  Kathy is an excellent chef and we had a great time.  We visited the rose garden and the Japanese garden, although the quiet zen of the place was disturbed by two very chatty teenagers as Mary and her cousin, Amy, caught up on lost time.

Monday I went to the laundromat in Lake Oswego to wash Cory’s sleeping bag that I had not properly dried a few days earlier.  Note to self: thoroughly dry down sleeping bag or it will stink in a few days.  I popped quarters into the drier like a slot machine in Vegas and still it took all morning.  Just after noon  we headed for Corvallis and some blueberry picking at Anderson’s Blueberries.  Charlie is quite the blueberry connoisseur, but once he finds a variety he likes, he’ll eat a pint by himself.  We brought a few bags to the coast with us to share while camping with family in Newport, OR, but they had 12 pounds to share when we showed up.  It’s good to be here during blueberry season! We’re going to pick more tomorrow to take home with us for freezing.

Now, I am sitting in a laundromat with free wifi.  I just popped another quarter in to continue drying my already dry load so i could snag a few more minutes to blog.

Missoula Marathon Race Report

Short form:  3:48, second best marathon time yet

Long form:  We had a nice dinner the night before with all the kids, Mary, Cliff and Tony at an Italian restaurant in Missoula whose name I have forgotten.  Cafe Mambo, maybe.  There were a gaggle of other marathoners there and Cliff had wisely made a reservation for us.  Afterwards we walked to Bernice’s Bakery so Mary could get her requisite piece of chocolate cake.

Marathon morning I woke up at 3:30 AM thinking, yet again, “Why am I doing this?!”  I questioned my sanity, which seems to be dangling on a thinner thread as I get older.  After I got ready, Bruce walked me to the bus.  Our hotel was located rather close to everything we wanted to do.  We did a lot of walking in Missoula.  The bus ride to the start took forever.  I was sure he’d made a wrong turn, or missed our turn entirely.  At the start, Mary connected with old friends, but I didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

The gun was terribly loud and I was lucky to get to the start just seconds before it went off.  We ran the first nine miles past beautiful farm land and a paper pulp mill, which I found interesting.  The pacer for the 3:50 pace group was driving me crazy, so I set my goal to beat her.  I ran for many miles with Kim, a local woman who was running her first marathon.  She ended up placing in our division and beating me by over 10 minutes!  What a great first marathon!  She has a farm in Missoula and I enjoyed chatting with her.  At around 10 miles or so, she was feeling very good and decided to speed up.  But by then I had found Ed, a 37 year old from Idaho.  His goal was 3:40 and we seemed well matched.  He had served in the middle east like my brother and he had four kids about the same ages as mine.  He was good company for much of the marathon.

At around the halfway point, we turned into a wooded area and ran up a hill.  Ouch that hill took more than I thought it should.  I loved the downhill that followed.  The last ten miles or so were through neighborhoods that I didn’t find as interesting as the farm land.  Maybe because the last five miles were tougher than I thought they should be.  I had lost the spring in my step.  I had tried to take Gu every five miles so I wouldn’t bonk, and I didn’t, but my stomach wasn’t happy at all.  It was hot.  I was sighing a lot and wishing for the end.  Much to my pleasant surprise, the end wasn’t where I thought I was, it was closer by two blocks!  That felt great!  My boys were there to cheer me on at the finish.  My sister was stunned to see me.  Her goal had been to beat me by an hour and here it was just 29 minutes after she finished.  That was fun.

The volunteers were great all the way along the race.  The course marshals did a fantastic job with traffic control and telling us where to go.  The drinks were plentiful and there were even two gel stops, although I carry my own, it was nice to see.  The half marathon walkers, who were on the same course, were very nice about moving over when I shouted “On your left!”  (I had little lateral movement left and they were often spread four and five across making it difficult to pass them.) The only bad part was at the end.  There was no plain water at the finish, just flavored water and I really sincerely just wanted plain water.  I would absolutely recommend Missoula to any marathoner.  Nice town.  Lots of fun.  Well done race.

Later in the afternoon, my sister, Charlie and I hiked up the mountain behind the football stadium to the M.  I have pictures of it somewhere and will try to remember to add them later.  It was fun and a great way to recover.  I don’t feel sore at all.  Ready for SFM in 10 days!

Missoula Marathon Pre-Race Report

Just got back from the expo.  I love this marathon already!  They are taking steps to be green and I took my own water bottle to refill.  The expo was not too crowded.  The bag was great – I can use it for groceries later!  And then we went over to the farmers market.  There were women spinning yarn with wool from their own goats.  Lots of fresh organic produce, home made soaps, beeswax candles and other amusements.  We bought some baked goods for breakfast tomorrow.  What a gorgeous day.  Friendly, helpful people.  I am ready to go rent a bike and explore some more.

Sissy is on her way.  I wish she were here already.

Vacation Report #3

So much to catch up on since the last vacation report…  We have been out of electronics range, which is a good thing.  No wifi.  Minimal electricity.  No cell phone service.  Sometimes it’s nice to unplug.

We did go white water rafting on the Snake River.  It was a lot of fun.  The most exciting thing was that Charlie jumped out of the boat at the swimming area and was quickly picked up by the current.  Luckily, Bruce was down river and was able to grab him.  Charlie had been starting to panic and it is unclear if he was panicking because of being carried down river or because his shoe was falling off.  He caught his shoe.  Bruce caught him.  Then our guide deftly maneuvered the boat to pick them both up.  A good time was had by all.

The next day was my birthday.  I started the day with a beautiful run through Wyoming farm country.  But it was downhill from there.  I was in a bit of a mood.  I just wanted everyone to get along for my birthday, which they had been doing, but under the pressure of performance. people were coming unhinged.  And, I was to take Charlie horseback riding that morning at the Grand Targhee Ski Resort before we drove to Yellowstone, but they didn’t have room for us.  I was mad because when I had inquired a few days prior, no one had mentioned needing reservations.  My birthday is typically marked by the carrot cake quest, but there was nothing promising on the back roads we drove through Idaho to Montana.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful drive and the carrot cake quest continues.

We were lucky to have reservations for camping at Yellowstone.  They were jammed!  We enjoyed viewing the wildlife and the geysers.  I have more pictures of wild buffalo than we can count.  I threatened to invite people over for a slide show.  We discovered the secret to enjoying the geysers.  Wake up early.  (That’s pretty much the secret to anything, I think.)  By noon, the area is jammed like Disneyland on a Spring Break afternoon.  But in the morning, with the steam from the geysers entwining with the morning fog and some lazy buffalo strolling by, the place is magical.  We were lucky to see the illusive Beehive Geyser erupt as well as Old Faithful and some others I forget the names of.  The most memorable part of camping was the hail storm.  We counted our blessings that everything held together.  It was bitterly cold in the mornings.  In the 30s.  But I’ll bet I know people in Phoenix right now who would love to have some weather in the 30s.

After Yellowstone we went to Chico Hot Springs, Montana.  It is a beautiful spot that was first built as a resort over 100 years ago.  I did not sit in the springs, but I had a wonderful run up the canyon to Old Chico that still has some buildings from the mid 1800s.  Charlie and I had a horseback ride.  We went on Thursday at 4 PM, but the concept of time is different for this highly structured city dweller and our laconic ranch hand who doesn’t seem to worry that the 4 PM ride doesn’t get on their horse until almost 5.  By the time we were riding, a storm had rolled in and the cold wind drove the rain drops into my face like pellets from Dick Cheney’s shotgun.  Charlie did not have a jacket and wouldn’t take mine, so I asked the guide if we could go back.  She graciously complied and five of us who were on that ride opted to go again the next morning.  This morning the sun shone brightly and we had a terrific ride with views that reminded me of the movies.

After we left Chico Hot Springs, we drove to the Gallitan River near Big Sky to go white water rafting again.  This time, we had a 6 person boat so in addition to being a different river, it was a different experience.  We had a good time.  I hesitated to spend the money, but it was quality family time and everyone enjoyed it.  I guess we are making memories here.

Now we are comfortably settled in Missoula.  Everyone else is asleep.  I am so excited about the marathon that I can’t really sleep.  My next post will most likely be a race report.  I expect my sister to win outright, based on last year’s results.  I probably will not place at all, but if I finish, Montana will be in the books.

Vacation Report #2

I had read that in Driggs, Idaho on July 4 there are free hot air balloon rides.  While I mentioned this to Charlie at one point, I had no idea how deeply it resonated with him.  He became fixated on the idea of riding a hot air balloon.  I had no idea what time the balloons were going up, but I guessed it would be early.  As I was brushing my teeth, I saw the first one rising in the sky.  “Quick, Charlie!  If you want to go see the hot air balloons, you have to get going now!”  He went from asleep to dressed and at the front door ready to go in under two minutes.  I don’t think he brushed his teeth.  No one else wanted to go, so off we went.  I had no idea where I was going, but I thought I would head for the balloons.

It was at the fairgrounds, just past the airport and pretty easy to find.  the place was wall to wall people.  There must have been a few thousand there.  I had no idea how one made the short list to be one of the two or three in the balloon basket, but it was clear we weren’t going to win that lottery.  There was only one balloon still on the ground and as I watched the crew, I grew uneasy.  I don’t know what it was about them, but I knew I wouldn’t want to fly with them.  Charlie was very disappointed that we didn’t get to fly on a hot air balloon, but he seemed pleased with the hot chocolate I bought him, along with a local paper for myself.  When we got back to the cabin, I found the local paper had a two page spread on Fourth of July activities.  The Grand Targhee Ski Resort up the road was having $4 lift tickets and a bike race.  There was also a running race, but I was sure that would be over.  (Lesson learned: keep running stuff in car at all times.)  I also read that the balloon festival continued to July 5.  We vowed to try again with the balloons and be earlier this time.  According to the paper, the festival started at 6, and breakfast at 5 AM.

There was still snow on the ground in some places at the ski resort.  It was like a super compact Telluride.  More my speed – less Beverly Hills, more Santa Monica.  We went for a great hike about three miles long that gave us some great views of the valley below.   Charlie and Bruce wanted to ride the ski lift to the top.  I was happy to stay at the bottom with Mary and Cory, but after watching for a short while, I thought it looked like fun.  Somehow, I talked them into it.  As soon as the lift left the station, my stomach was in knots.  I questioned my sanity.  Cory and Mary chatted on and on about how this wasn’t as bad they had expected and it really wasn’t that high up.  It wasn’t helping me.  Finally, I asked them to talk about something else, keeping my panic to myself.  At the top we ran into Bruce and Charlie.  It was worth it.

We ate burgers at the bottom.  This was Day One of Mary’s vegetarianism and I helped her order a burger without the burger.  I wondered to myself how long this will last as she ate only the bun and some mustard.  We watched the beginning of a mountain bike race.  That looked so hard!  The runners were just getting ready to head out as well.  I was jealous.

We came back to the cabin to nap so we could stay awake long enough to see the fireworks at 10 PM.  Charlie wanted to drive to town, so I took him.  The other three stayed at the cabin to watch from here.  I was amazed at the recklessness of people in town launching fireworks.  I consider us lucky that we have no injuries.  The firework show was very nice, but according to my calculations, 15% of the fireworks launched were duds.  I wondered how they conduct quality control on fireworks and if a 15% fail rate was acceptable.

We set our watches for early Sunday morning.  Bruce decided to come with us to watch the balloons, but Cory and Mary would have none of it.  We got there just before 6 and paid $5 to park.  The place looked deserted compared to the day before.  There were maybe a dozen other cars already parked with people sitting inside watching.  We sat inside our car until after 6 and then Bruce said “Let’s walk around.”  I saw the people from the day before who made me nervous about their skills.  Charlie begged me to ask someone for a ride, but I was just checking it all out.  A woman overheard him and said to me “Would you like to crew for me?  My passengers canceled and I have no crew.”  I was a little surprised but said “Sure!”  She told me later that because this area is heavily Mormon, they won’t attend on Sunday.  That’s why Saturday was jammed and Sunday was comparatively deserted.  We followed her to her balloon where her husband and a few others were standing around.  They had us sign waivers and told us how to help set up.  They explained as we went and it was so interesting and fun.  I grew slightly apprehensive after signing the waiver.  What if the canopy caught fire and we fell to the ground and died?  What would Mary and Cory do?  I told myself to go with the flow and not freak out.  We launched the balloon at 6:35 with Pat, our pilot, Bruce, Charlie and me.  It was amazing floating above the landscape.  The sun was just rising over the Grand Tetons, so the view in that direction wasn’t great, but the valley was beautiful and it was awe inspiring to see all the other balloons taking off and in the air.  Turns out, Pat was one of the most experienced pilots there.  She could land on a dime, it seemed.  We saw the people who made me nervous.  They were trying to land near where we did, but they missed the mark and bounced wildly along the pasture before becoming entangled in a fence.

We came back to the cabin and made blueberry pancakes before heading over to Grand Teton National Park for hiking.  We stopped at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort and it was $24 per person for a lift ticket.  More for one person than we paid the day before for the entire family!  We left quickly and drove on to GTNP.  We got lucky and found the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve.  Without question, this was the best national park experience I can remember.  And I have had many of them.  They made us wait before parking because they are trying to limit the number of people on the trails.  We used the time to apply sunscreen and didn’t even mind the wait.  The trails were so well done – preserving nature, but easy to navigate.  A woman warned us of a bear sighting, but we didn’t see one.  We did see a huge bald eagle fly low overhead as we stood in the lake.  It took my breath away.  The people we ran into on the trail were friendly and not too plentiful, but this was obviously a popular spot.  The Preserve Center was gorgeous!  The multimedia exhibit of four screens showing wildlife up close with natural sound was the best I have seen.  I wished my colleague, Frances, were here to see it.  I think she would really appreciate it.  They also had a sound room that reminded me of a meditation chapel at the Franciscan Renewal Center.  The three dimensional maps of hiking trails throughout the park made me want to hike them all.  I am amazed at the generosity of the Rockefeller family donating this land.

Leaving the park, we saw 5 or 6 moose on a hillside next to the road.  We stopped and got out to take a look at them.  I learned the other day that a moose can dive up to 30 feet to get something to eat under water and can stay submerged for a minute.  I had no idea moose were such adept swimmers.

Tomorrow:  white water rafting!

Vacation Report #1

We pulled out of our driveway at 9:31 on Wednesday morning, pretty pleased with ourselves for being ahead of our planned 10 AM departure.  We made it three blocks before we realized that we hadn’t brought any maps with us at all.  We turned around and went back to get them.  That wasn’t all we forgot, but more on that later.

We drove to Jerome first and walked around a little bit.  The state park was closed, which was a shame because I remember the museum as being excellent and there was so much to learn about Jerome history.  20% of us did not enjoy walking around at all and wasted no time in sharing their discontent.  I started thinking this was going to be a long long vacation.  Then we drove to Tuzigoot and had a picnic.  I made turkey and cheese sandwiches for everyone and was pleased that we were saving money.

We drove through Sedona on our way to our campsite.  We stopped at Slide Rock, but the line was too long, so we kept driving and got to our campsite outside of Flagstaff at about 4 PM.  It was the same site we used last year and it is quiet, secluded, and beautiful.  We made dinner of vegetarian chili and corn muffins I made the night before.  Afterwards we had s’mores and talked about our early morning departure to get ready for the long drive the next day. It was about this time that I discovered I had neglected to pack any underwear, but that might be TMI for a family blog.

We got up early on Thursday, as we usually do, and it took us about an hour to pack up both tents and get on the road.  It was just after 6 as we pulled out of the campsite.  I praised everyone’s participation and raised the bar a little, suggesting we try to get out before 6 the next day.  We drove north on 89A through occasional drizzle and the changing landscape of the Navajo Indian Reservation.  I wonder why there are tires on so many of the roofs, but I don’t know who to ask.

We stopped in Page at the Wal-Mart to pick up what I had forgotten.  Then we went to the visitor’s center at the dam.  It was perched on too high a wall for 40% of us, but I was not bothered.  20% of us were offended by the excessive security, but I didn’t mind.  Although I did wonder if it would make security any less effective if the guards were polite.  Back on the road we continued on 89 to Kanab and north to the road to Bryce Canyon.  We drove through Red Canyon and stopped at the visitor’s center.  I marveled at how the landscape looked like the Thunder Mountain ride at Disneyland.  Now I know where their inspiration comes from!

We arrived at Bryce Canyon at about 2, made sandwiches, set up the tent, and went for a hike.  80% of us hiked a short way down the Navajo Loop Trail to see the cliff walls, while 20% of us, concerned with dehydration, stayed on the rim.  I realize that I need to be more aware of the whole family’s hydration because sometimes people forget and we don’t want to have a problem.  Everyone has their own water bottle this year and we are refilling them as needed.  The canyon was impressive and I was sorry we couldn’t go farther, but knowing my fear of heights, it’s just as well.  After dinner, we had another rim hike and I tried to see the stars that night, but there were many low hanging clouds so the viewing wasn’t as spectacular as it could be.

Thursday was going to be a big day.  We needed to drive from Bryce Canyon to Driggs, Idaho, which is long enough, but we also wanted to stop at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, which was going to take us out of our way a little bit.  We got up and go going early.  The whole family singing Jason Mraz tunes. I have to say that people in the back seat of gotten along really well on this trip.  Sometimes, Charlie is playing a Game Boy, Cory is playing a PSP, and Mary is playing on a Nintendo DS.  Sometimes they play together.  Sometimes they look out the window, sing songs, or talk.  All the time they remain at passive attention waiting for those of us in the front seat to talk about them.

We drove through Utah thinking about how beautiful it is.  The traffic was horrible around Salt Lake City and I wondered “Don’t these people have a holiday?”  Once we got through to Idaho, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Lava Hot Springs wasn’t too far away and we were going to make it.  Charlie had been dying to go ever since a friend at work recommended it to me and I asked if anyone wanted to go.  It is a historic little town of 540, according to the population sign on the edge of town.  Bruce just wanted to soak, Mary, Cory and I wanted to go tubing and Charlie was dying to go on the water slide.  Bruce and Charlie headed for the water slides and the others came with me.  I am prevented from telling you what happened next because Mary says it is her story to tell.  But if I had to do it all over again, I don’t know what I would do differently.  We were back on the road three hours later having experienced hot springs.  I would like to go back and tube some more, but I am not sure when that will ever happen.  It was really fun.  For me.  With the exception of The Incident.

The weather from Lava Hot Springs to Driggs was miserable.  Lots of rain and high wind.  Bruce had to drive.  We found our house before dark and it is perfect.

Right now I have to go see the hot air balloons and if I keep writing, I will miss them.  So, July 4th will be in the next report.