Catching up on the past year or so

A lot has happened sense my last post, so I have created some photo albums to check out. Enjoy!

October 2010 - December 2011 recap...


Winter Break Vacation 2011...


New Year's Eve 2011-2012


North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit...

The Chicago Marathon 10.10.10

Peru pictures

Here are some pictures from Peru. Natalie and I can't say enough good things about it!

Quality of Life Index 2010

I ran across a list that was recently published. It shows which countries have the highest quality of life, based on several factors. Check it out: Quality of Life Index 2010.

You may have guessed that the US is not at the top of the list. France, Australia, and Switzerland come in at the top, while the US came in at 7th place. Compared to the top countries whom placed ahead of us, we scored lower in: Leisure & Culture, Economy, Environment, Freedom, and Health. Certainly the Europeans have more vacation, have better awareness of their actions on the environment, and have universal health care, but I was surprised at the lower scores on Freedom and the Economy. First, their economies suffered just as badly as ours in the recent crisis, so I am not sure what makes it better. Also, since many citizens and foreigners look at the US as a "free" nation, I am little surprised at the lower score for Freedom, but then I am reminded of the Patriot Act or other measures that our government has taken in the last several years that have taken away some of our privacy and freedom.

I think the end of the list is just as interesting as the top. Make sure you scroll to the bottom to see which countries we probably would never even want to go visit. They are fighting an uphill battle.

Winter 2009

Haymed and Enka Lake Triathlons

This year I have been training for various races and having a bunch of fun. About a month ago, I ran a 22 min. 5K, which is the lowest I have done in 10 years or more. Here are some pictures of the two triathlons I have done this year.

Family Pictures

I have lots of pictures to post, but I will do it slowly. These pictures were taken a while back, but they are still great. Enjoy!!

Anna on film

These videos are a bit dark, but turn the volume up and enjoy!

Spring has come

The grass is turning green, the dogwood trees have bloomed, and the sun is getting higher and higher in the sky. Spring is here!

Things are going great on my end and I hope they are going just as well on yours. I have not written lately, since I have not been traveling as much as I have in the past. Instead, I have spent my time working a lot more than I usually do. Luckily, I am really enjoying it.

At home, Natalie and I starting a vegetable garden, the dog is in obedience classes, and we are setting up training schedules for some races throughout the spring and summer. I have been running quite a bit, but today I took my longest ride of the year, finishing 40 miles with over 3200 feet of climbing. Also, yesterday I took my first swim of the year. I have to work on my overall speed for all of these sports. This week I will be meeting with some people at work to just that.

Oh yea, Phish is back! What else could be better:)

March 2009 pictures of Anna

Dupont State Forest - Triple Falls

Cedars of Lebanon State Park

Before I head out for the new year I was able to get a few photos off my phone. Above you can see Natalie, Anna, and I visited the Cedars of Lebanon State Park outside of Nashville, TN. On Saturday we had all day to return home from Paducah, KY, so we stopped for a hike to stretch the legs and exercise Anna. We knew that the park had a two mile loop to hike, which was perfect for our time constraints.

We pulled off the exit and six miles later we were at the park. I stopped at the visitor center and found out that there was no fees to pay, so we drove on and found the trail head. The hike was mostly flat and was through a beautiful forest filled with cedars and pine trees. Also, there was lots of sink holes dotting the landscape, which I have never seen before.

After the hike we stopped at the outlet mall at the same exit and I found a great deal at Eddie Bauer, where I fulfilled my American duty to buy!

Have a safe and happy new year!

NYE 2009 plans

we just got back from a trip to KY and St. Louis. I got the opportunity to meet a lot of Natalie's family from both sides. It was a great time and we came home with a trunk full of gifts. Now we are headed out for DC and NYC tomorrow. New year's will be spent hanging out with old friends and seeing My Morning Jacket at Madison Square Gardens. The rest of the time of the trip will be spent on a whirlwind touristy tour of NYE and another night in DC on the way back to Asheville.

This will be the first time that the dog will be boarded. As she is sleeping at my feet right now she has no idea that she won't see us for five days. She is being boarded at the same place that she goes to for doggie daycare, so it will be familiar to her and I am sure she will have a great time. We will certainly miss having her with us.

I hope everyone had a happy Hanukah and a merry Christmas and I wish you all a happy new year!

2008 Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Competition

The Shortest Day of the Year

It is all uphill from here. Now the days will get longer and I won't be living in the dark for very much longer. The past couple of weeks have been very cloudy and rainy and therefore, I have noticed the lack of sunshine. Today a break in the clouds has come and the sun is shining, which is very much welcomed.

Jay, a long time friend of mine, stopped through town last night. We has a good time and before he left I got a few pictures from Thanksgiving that he had taken, as well as some we took last night. Check them out below.