I finally bit the bullet and got my own domain. I am moving my blog to the new site:
susansharplesssmith.info. Please come visit!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Stormy Beach Weekend and a new iPhone
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Very Busy Spring
I just realized that my last posting was over 2 months ago. This isn't because my spring has been boring. Quite the contrary - I have been so busy that blogging has taken a back seat to trying to stay on top of things!
April saw the start of the triathlon season, which is going to be more low key this season, strictly because of all the other obligations I have going. But I did manage to try a new race at Belew's Lake in April (where I won my age by default) and co mpl ete a half ironman at White Lake, NC in early May (did poorly due to the heat, but proved I am not a quitter!).
Post White Lake with blisters
Mother's Day came along somewhere in May:
Ron's 60th Birthday wasn't far behind and we had a big party to celebrate:
Then, on May 24, I left town for 17 days, going on the Social Stratification in the Deep South class trip once again, this time with Erik along to work alongside. You can see what I spent my time doing by looking at the class facebook page, twitter stream and flickr site. A few postings by Erik and me give an idea of the experience. We just arrived back in W-S on Tuesday, and there is enough pent up stuff that has to be taken care of now, it will probably be another month before I have a chance to do another update!
April saw the start of the triathlon season, which is going to be more low key this season, strictly because of all the other obligations I have going. But I did manage to try a new race at Belew's Lake in April (where I won my age by default) and co mpl ete a half ironman at White Lake, NC in early May (did poorly due to the heat, but proved I am not a quitter!).
Post White Lake with blisters
Mother's Day came along somewhere in May:
Ron's 60th Birthday wasn't far behind and we had a big party to celebrate:
Then, on May 24, I left town for 17 days, going on the Social Stratification in the Deep South class trip once again, this time with Erik along to work alongside. You can see what I spent my time doing by looking at the class facebook page, twitter stream and flickr site. A few postings by Erik and me give an idea of the experience. We just arrived back in W-S on Tuesday, and there is enough pent up stuff that has to be taken care of now, it will probably be another month before I have a chance to do another update!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A Day at the Zoo
What could be more fun than going to the zoo on a beautiful spring day? In all the years I've lived in North Carolina ( just over 26 years) I had never managed to go to the NC Zoo in Asheboro, NC. When the children were small, we lived in Charlotte. Even though the kids managed to go with friends, I wasn't along. I don't know if there were work conflicts or it was just that after growing up in the DC area with the National Zoo as a regular school field trip, a North Carolina experience just didn't have the same cachet so I passed off the kids?
But, now there is Meredith, and experiencing the NC Zoo for the first time with my granddaughter was just perfect. Her main stated goal a few days ago was to see "elephants and penguins." She had to make do with puffins, but she was suitably impressed with the elephant exhibit, which turned out to be our grand finale of the day since the kids in our group (Emma, Caden and Meredith) faded by that time.
This is Easter weekend, and I didn't realize the importance of that fact until mid-morning when the zoo started to fill up with a big crowd of people. By the time we left in early afternoon there was a line waiting to enter that numbered in the hundreds. So, our decision to start out at the opening time (9 am) was a smart choice.
Take a look at a slideshow of our day. I wouldn't be surprised if they inspire you to take a trip to Asheboro in the near future!
But, now there is Meredith, and experiencing the NC Zoo for the first time with my granddaughter was just perfect. Her main stated goal a few days ago was to see "elephants and penguins." She had to make do with puffins, but she was suitably impressed with the elephant exhibit, which turned out to be our grand finale of the day since the kids in our group (Emma, Caden and Meredith) faded by that time.
This is Easter weekend, and I didn't realize the importance of that fact until mid-morning when the zoo started to fill up with a big crowd of people. By the time we left in early afternoon there was a line waiting to enter that numbered in the hundreds. So, our decision to start out at the opening time (9 am) was a smart choice.
Take a look at a slideshow of our day. I wouldn't be surprised if they inspire you to take a trip to Asheboro in the near future!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Robert Did It: Trials and Tribulations
Last week, our first destination in Key West was to visit "Robert the Doll" at the Museum @ East Martello. Robert is 105 years old and began his life as a doll belonging to young Gene Otto, who blamed Robert for every" misdeed, treachery and mischief." We were told as we entered the museum that we must ask Robert for permission to photograph him, otherwise bad things could happen to our camera/digital image.
When we arrived at the display, the wall nearby was full of letters from previous visitors, most detailing things that went awry after their visit.
My sister and I were very polite and asked for his permission. I figure he granted it with his silence. We had no problem taking the pictures (there are stories of malfunctioning equipment and blurring images). But my brother-in-law scoffed at the whole affair and mocked Robert. I didn't hear about this until afterward, or I would have made him apologize. You may not know this about me, but I am superstitious about this sort of thing.
So, I figured I was on good terms with Robert. Imagine my surprise when odd things began to occur a few days later. First my engine light came on in the CRV, followed by the engine stalling out as I sat in a long line of traffic on Rt. 1 in the Keys. When I went scuba diving, my weight belt suddently fell off my waist and dropped 40 feet to the bottom of the ocean. Then, mysteriously, my laptop shutdown when I went to battery power and blew out my profile settings (still not fixed at this writing). Once home, I turned on two different light fixtures, only to have the light bulbs blow out. And finally, the battery on my cell phone shut down even thought it usually runs for over a day. I sit here afraid to touch anything else! Not only because of what else might go south, but because I've already established a bad luck reputation at work after sharing my sad tale. When a colleague's IPhone wouldn't display, she immediately asked if I had touched it!
I have found that Robert has stayed up with the times, having his own blog (although it's a bit dated - what's the deal with that, Robert?). So perhaps I can send him a link to this posting and ask his forgiveness so I can return things to normal around here!
When we arrived at the display, the wall nearby was full of letters from previous visitors, most detailing things that went awry after their visit.
My sister and I were very polite and asked for his permission. I figure he granted it with his silence. We had no problem taking the pictures (there are stories of malfunctioning equipment and blurring images). But my brother-in-law scoffed at the whole affair and mocked Robert. I didn't hear about this until afterward, or I would have made him apologize. You may not know this about me, but I am superstitious about this sort of thing.
So, I figured I was on good terms with Robert. Imagine my surprise when odd things began to occur a few days later. First my engine light came on in the CRV, followed by the engine stalling out as I sat in a long line of traffic on Rt. 1 in the Keys. When I went scuba diving, my weight belt suddently fell off my waist and dropped 40 feet to the bottom of the ocean. Then, mysteriously, my laptop shutdown when I went to battery power and blew out my profile settings (still not fixed at this writing). Once home, I turned on two different light fixtures, only to have the light bulbs blow out. And finally, the battery on my cell phone shut down even thought it usually runs for over a day. I sit here afraid to touch anything else! Not only because of what else might go south, but because I've already established a bad luck reputation at work after sharing my sad tale. When a colleague's IPhone wouldn't display, she immediately asked if I had touched it!
I have found that Robert has stayed up with the times, having his own blog (although it's a bit dated - what's the deal with that, Robert?). So perhaps I can send him a link to this posting and ask his forgiveness so I can return things to normal around here!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Annual Keys Week
We are half way through our annual Florida Keys vacation. As in recent years, it's a gathering of siblings and husbands at my godmother's house on Lower Matacumbe Key. Aunt Jean just lets us take over and hopefully we provide her some company and a few laughs. The weather has been superb since we arrived Saturday and we've taken advantage of every daylight minute. We've been biking, swimming, kayaking, lobstering, fishing and doing a great deal of lounging by the boat basin
Today we are finally venturing out for an afternoon trip to Key West to visit "Robert the Doll" dine at the Pier House and watch the sunset from Mallory Square.
Today we are finally venturing out for an afternoon trip to Key West to visit "Robert the Doll" dine at the Pier House and watch the sunset from Mallory Square.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Busy March with a Trip to Seattle
The month of March has been extremely busy, both at work and at home. The semester has been hopping with projects, students and faculty needs. On the personal front, I am half way into my training schedule for a May half ironman (never mind discussing how that's going). So, I was glad when a trip to Seattle to attend ACRL broke my routine. It was a valuable conference, both in content and for networking and we had a few magnificent days of sun and sightseeing at the start.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Full Speed at ZSR
It's been a very busy time since I returned from ALA in Denver. We have a number of projects going on: new copiers (Thanks to Erik and Tim), Gov. Docs/Microtext consolidation (Thanks Roz, Mary S., Elizabeth N., Erik, and Carolyn), Digital Forsyth changes, Institutional Repository start up, Laptop program discussions in CIT, new LSTA Outreach Grant proposal, etc. etc., etc.
So it was nice to have a break from all the pressures of the semester, and celebrate Mary Lib Slate's retirement after 25 years of service to the University. And I didn't even have to go through my usual hostess anxiety, thanks to the able talents of Mary Scanlon and Ellen Daugman, who orchestrated the party. And more thanks to all who helped: Craig (for his invitation and card design), Patty (for the beautiful cake), Renate (for the lovely flowers) and all the rest of the staff for bringing delicious food and drinks.
So it was nice to have a break from all the pressures of the semester, and celebrate Mary Lib Slate's retirement after 25 years of service to the University. And I didn't even have to go through my usual hostess anxiety, thanks to the able talents of Mary Scanlon and Ellen Daugman, who orchestrated the party. And more thanks to all who helped: Craig (for his invitation and card design), Patty (for the beautiful cake), Renate (for the lovely flowers) and all the rest of the staff for bringing delicious food and drinks.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ALA Midwinter Conference in Denver
I just returned from the annual ALA Midwinter Conference, held this time around in Denver. Conference in Denver in January, you ask? Why not Miami, San Diego, someplace warm? Must have to do with pricing. As soon as I hit town, the mercury dropped and temperatures stayed in the single digits to highs in the teens for the entire weekend. So, I was able to stay focused and actually devote 100% of my time to the conference activities of committee meetings, presentations, discussion groups and networking opportunities. My detailed activities are chronicled in the ZSR Professional Development blog and my Flickr site.
Monday, January 19, 2009
January is Home Improvement Time
Frigid, nasty weather with early sunsets makes us stay in and nest. And that makes us notice all the things that need to be done at home. Our first project that we are tackling is the master bathroom, that has been untouched for 12+ years since we moved in. It's time to remove the out-of-date wallpaper and select fashionable paint. Ron decided to tile above the shower stall, since all the wallpaper has been peeling from there for years. He started the project by removing the paper, which was a big effort. But when he took down light fixtures, we realized they were shot and we need new ones. So then we need matching drawer pulls and towel racks. New color schemes mean new "accents" aka rugs, valences and towels. .......
And this is just the first project!
And this is just the first project!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Christmas Season 2008
I ended up with a 3 week holiday vacation this year. The first was spent on vacation in St. Maarten. It was a bit hard to return from a tropical experience and jump into Christmas mode, but a variety of planned family activities brought me back into the proper frame of mind.
Ron and I spent our annual day making our now famous (to our friends and family) sugar cookies. I'd acquired some new cookie cutters this year, so we had some new shapes to enjoy.
My mother flew to NC this year to join us for Christmas. We spent Christmas day in Durham with Josh, Nancy, Meredith, Kate, Sarah and Mom. The following day, we took the party to Pinehurst where Mary and Rick entertained us, along with Matt, Michelle and their kids. It was especially good to see Matt, who left on Dec. 29 with an ultimate destination of Afghanistan for the next several months.
The final week of my vacation was spent traveling once more: this time to Baltimore to visit Ron's side of the family and his parents' new condo. Then we finished the year out in Rehoboth, where we were treated to an unexpected snow storm on Jan. 2.
It's been a good hiatus from work, and I managed to have plenty of quality time with family, but I do admit, I'm ready to get back to a regular routine, both at work and with my fitness regime.
Holiday season photos tell the whole story.
Ron and I spent our annual day making our now famous (to our friends and family) sugar cookies. I'd acquired some new cookie cutters this year, so we had some new shapes to enjoy.
My mother flew to NC this year to join us for Christmas. We spent Christmas day in Durham with Josh, Nancy, Meredith, Kate, Sarah and Mom. The following day, we took the party to Pinehurst where Mary and Rick entertained us, along with Matt, Michelle and their kids. It was especially good to see Matt, who left on Dec. 29 with an ultimate destination of Afghanistan for the next several months.
The final week of my vacation was spent traveling once more: this time to Baltimore to visit Ron's side of the family and his parents' new condo. Then we finished the year out in Rehoboth, where we were treated to an unexpected snow storm on Jan. 2.
It's been a good hiatus from work, and I managed to have plenty of quality time with family, but I do admit, I'm ready to get back to a regular routine, both at work and with my fitness regime.
Holiday season photos tell the whole story.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Week in St. Maarten to Bring in the Holidays
This week, Ron and I are in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, spending a week on vacation with both my sisters and my brother-in-law. They had come last December and liked it so much they wanted to come back this year. And invited us to tag along, so we have.
I'm sitting in the "Upper Deck" bar of the timeshare we are staying at: the Royal Palm Beach Resort. It has WiFi that is free if you buy a drink! The resort is right on Simpson Bay, a bit to the west of Philipsburg. We have water views from the front and back of our units, and it's hard to take my eyes away from the beautiful views.
The weather has been fabulous and as we watch news about the ice storm in the northeast, it is even better! Everything is decorated for Christmas, but with an islands touch.
We have been chilling out the first few days, but took a drive over to Philipsburg today for a little duty-free shopping. Mary got new diamond earrings, while Ron bought a Panama hat and I got a new D90 Nikon! You wouldn't think the economy is bad looking at us. But I've decided to keep on fiddling while Rome burns.
Our pictures show what we've been up to since we arrived in St. Maarten's on Friday.
I'm sitting in the "Upper Deck" bar of the timeshare we are staying at: the Royal Palm Beach Resort. It has WiFi that is free if you buy a drink! The resort is right on Simpson Bay, a bit to the west of Philipsburg. We have water views from the front and back of our units, and it's hard to take my eyes away from the beautiful views.
The weather has been fabulous and as we watch news about the ice storm in the northeast, it is even better! Everything is decorated for Christmas, but with an islands touch.
We have been chilling out the first few days, but took a drive over to Philipsburg today for a little duty-free shopping. Mary got new diamond earrings, while Ron bought a Panama hat and I got a new D90 Nikon! You wouldn't think the economy is bad looking at us. But I've decided to keep on fiddling while Rome burns.
Our pictures show what we've been up to since we arrived in St. Maarten's on Friday.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
OBX Half-Marathon 2008
cross-posted on wakeobx:
It wasn't the same being back at the OBX without any of the original wakeobxers except Ron. But we returned for the Year 3 event with our daughter-in-law's family. They had selected the OBX half/full marathon for their yearly family race event. We rented a big house that ended up being right on the race course, which made it handy for the folks that didn't race (including Meredith who cheered hundreds of racers as they passed by). Four of us did the half this time around: Ron, Nancy, Sue (Nancy's mom) and me. Nancy's cousin Karen was the lone marathoner this year.
The course had been tweaked a bit since the inaugural event we attended. They moved the finish line to the waterfront in Manteo (at the Maritime Museum). The made the finish so much nicer: right on the water, a big street party and tons of activity. The starting points were a bit different, but for the most part the route was the same. The biggest difference (beside the fact they did much better with the number of port-o-lets at the starting line) was that the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Once the sun came up, it was a cloudless beautifully sunny day with enough breeze to keep the racers cool. The number of racers had also grown, with 3000 starting the half and around 1200 the full. They started us in waves, which helped with preventing too much jamming up in the first few miles.
I had a much better race than I anticipated, particularly a week after the half ironman. I did the 13.1 miles in just under 2 hours, 15 minutes, at a pace of 10:18. That got me 12th out of 68 in my age group, which was the fastest pace I've managed in over a year!
If you wonder who that pirate guy is in the picture, it's not Ron! They had this whole pirate theme going (giving prizes for costumes, no I did not participate.....). But I did get my post race picture with a wandering pirate as we waited for everyone to come in.
Hey, OBXer's, we should put this race back on the table for next year, it's really a very nice event when the weather is perfect!
It wasn't the same being back at the OBX without any of the original wakeobxers except Ron. But we returned for the Year 3 event with our daughter-in-law's family. They had selected the OBX half/full marathon for their yearly family race event. We rented a big house that ended up being right on the race course, which made it handy for the folks that didn't race (including Meredith who cheered hundreds of racers as they passed by). Four of us did the half this time around: Ron, Nancy, Sue (Nancy's mom) and me. Nancy's cousin Karen was the lone marathoner this year.
The course had been tweaked a bit since the inaugural event we attended. They moved the finish line to the waterfront in Manteo (at the Maritime Museum). The made the finish so much nicer: right on the water, a big street party and tons of activity. The starting points were a bit different, but for the most part the route was the same. The biggest difference (beside the fact they did much better with the number of port-o-lets at the starting line) was that the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Once the sun came up, it was a cloudless beautifully sunny day with enough breeze to keep the racers cool. The number of racers had also grown, with 3000 starting the half and around 1200 the full. They started us in waves, which helped with preventing too much jamming up in the first few miles.
I had a much better race than I anticipated, particularly a week after the half ironman. I did the 13.1 miles in just under 2 hours, 15 minutes, at a pace of 10:18. That got me 12th out of 68 in my age group, which was the fastest pace I've managed in over a year!
If you wonder who that pirate guy is in the picture, it's not Ron! They had this whole pirate theme going (giving prizes for costumes, no I did not participate.....). But I did get my post race picture with a wandering pirate as we waited for everyone to come in.
Hey, OBXer's, we should put this race back on the table for next year, it's really a very nice event when the weather is perfect!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Beach2Battleship Triathlon
Yesterday was the Beach2Battleship Half and Full Triathlon. This was an inaugural event in Wilmington, NC. The triathlon community is very large and active in North Carolina, and there has been a demand for a full distance event (aka Ironman, but that is trademarked) for a long time (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run). An ironman competition has been a goal for Erik for several years, but it is hard to get a slot in these races since there aren’t lots of them and the competition is so fierce that they often close out registration within an hour of opening! So when this event was announced early in the year, Erik jumped on it and talked me into coming along since they also offered a half distance race as part of the event (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run).
Training for either of these events takes months of dedication on the athlete’s part and Erik was focused and well prepared. I wasn’t quite as ready as I should have been due to my foot problems this year, but was fairly confident that I could muddle through. During the last few weeks, we finished our “build” period of training and worked hard at the recommended “taper”, which was hard for Erik and too much like my regular regime for me. We had to figure out what clothing and equipment to bring, which is harder than it sounds but since it was a Nov. 1 race, we had to be prepared for all types of weather. Think about what is required in equipment: warm up clothing, swim goggles, wetsuit, bicycles, cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, running shoes, sunglasses, hats, arm warmers, cycling shorts, running shorts, nutition, well, you get the idea! So we pulled it all together and headed to Wilmington Friday morning to check in and be ready to be at the race site by 5:30 am Sat.
The most daunting part of the race for me this time was the swim, because of the cold weather. Erik had to be in the water at 7 am for the full distance. We half distance racers got some small break and didn’t have to swim until 8:30. But the air temperature was low to mid 40’s and IMHO, the water wasn’t much warmer. Even with the wetsuit, it was enough to take your breath away it was so cold. And that was after standing around outside waiting for 3 ½ hours! My teeth were chattering before I even got a toe wet. The good part was they timed the swim to take place as the tide came in (It took place at Wrightsville Beach in the Intracoastal Waterway), so the swim times were very fast (the fastest full distance guy did 2.4 miles in 39 minutes!). I managed to have a decent swim, but it took quite awhile to warm back up as I biked.
The day (after the sun came up) was picture perfect for racing: sunny, cool, minimal wind. I had a good bike segment but tried to conserve some energy for the run, which is always torture for me. And I hadn’t been able to properly build for a 13.1 mile run since I only started running again a few months ago. But I actually had a tolerable run and felt good 7 miles into the 13. Then I faded but was able to keep up a steady jog, with a little walking at the food stations (which were every mile and very nicely done).
I completed the race in 6 hours, 44 minutes which pleased me since my goal was to get in under 7 hours. I pulled out first place in my age group (I think out of 4, but they haven’t posted all the results yet).
Erik will tell you his own story, but I’ll simply report that he had a fantastic race and finished in 11 hours and 52 minutes, a real accomplishment for a first iron distance race.
(also posted in wakobx, but I'm just too lazy to write two separate stories!)
Training for either of these events takes months of dedication on the athlete’s part and Erik was focused and well prepared. I wasn’t quite as ready as I should have been due to my foot problems this year, but was fairly confident that I could muddle through. During the last few weeks, we finished our “build” period of training and worked hard at the recommended “taper”, which was hard for Erik and too much like my regular regime for me. We had to figure out what clothing and equipment to bring, which is harder than it sounds but since it was a Nov. 1 race, we had to be prepared for all types of weather. Think about what is required in equipment: warm up clothing, swim goggles, wetsuit, bicycles, cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, running shoes, sunglasses, hats, arm warmers, cycling shorts, running shorts, nutition, well, you get the idea! So we pulled it all together and headed to Wilmington Friday morning to check in and be ready to be at the race site by 5:30 am Sat.
The most daunting part of the race for me this time was the swim, because of the cold weather. Erik had to be in the water at 7 am for the full distance. We half distance racers got some small break and didn’t have to swim until 8:30. But the air temperature was low to mid 40’s and IMHO, the water wasn’t much warmer. Even with the wetsuit, it was enough to take your breath away it was so cold. And that was after standing around outside waiting for 3 ½ hours! My teeth were chattering before I even got a toe wet. The good part was they timed the swim to take place as the tide came in (It took place at Wrightsville Beach in the Intracoastal Waterway), so the swim times were very fast (the fastest full distance guy did 2.4 miles in 39 minutes!). I managed to have a decent swim, but it took quite awhile to warm back up as I biked.
The day (after the sun came up) was picture perfect for racing: sunny, cool, minimal wind. I had a good bike segment but tried to conserve some energy for the run, which is always torture for me. And I hadn’t been able to properly build for a 13.1 mile run since I only started running again a few months ago. But I actually had a tolerable run and felt good 7 miles into the 13. Then I faded but was able to keep up a steady jog, with a little walking at the food stations (which were every mile and very nicely done).
I completed the race in 6 hours, 44 minutes which pleased me since my goal was to get in under 7 hours. I pulled out first place in my age group (I think out of 4, but they haven’t posted all the results yet).
Erik will tell you his own story, but I’ll simply report that he had a fantastic race and finished in 11 hours and 52 minutes, a real accomplishment for a first iron distance race.
(also posted in wakobx, but I'm just too lazy to write two separate stories!)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Mini Getaway to California
My sister, Kate, and I went to visit our older sister, Mary, in San Jose last week. Mary has been working a temporary (6 month) assignment at a hospital there. Before she returns East later this month, we took the opportunity to spend some time visiting so we could have some quality "sister" time, as well as tour the region. We visited for 5 days (including two travel days....). After we arrived on Wednesday, Mary showed us her favorite local hangout, Santana Row, where we dined, shopped and had manicure/pedicures. While Mary worked on Thursday, Kate and I had an adventure traveling to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park and we went the the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. On Friday, Mary took us to her favorite coastal town, Half Moon Bay, and we drove along the coast down to Santa Cruz. On Saturday, it was off to San Francisco (by way of Palo Alto for breakfast).
We really packed a lot of sightseeing, shopping, dining and visiting into our time in California! It was a most enjoyable break from a hectic, busy fall schedule.
Check out my trip pictures to see everything we did!
We really packed a lot of sightseeing, shopping, dining and visiting into our time in California! It was a most enjoyable break from a hectic, busy fall schedule.
Check out my trip pictures to see everything we did!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
LITA Presentation
Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Cincinnati to attend the LITA National Forum where Erik and I will be making a presentation on Saturday afternoon. Look for blog activity on the professional development blog for the library, and for pictures of the trip.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wake the Library 5K at ZSR Library
For months, Erik and I have been planning the first annual Wake the Library 5K. As athletes, we've both competed in many races. But we quickly learned that coordinating a race is a complex, time consuming endeavor. So, naturally, we were nervous about all the things that might go awry. Weather, course, onsite registration, food delivery, volunteers, sponsorships, marketing, finish line timing - these were just a few of areas that had potential for disaster.
But the weather was gorgeous, 160 lovely people came out and ran or walked either the 5K or the 1 mile fun run, volunteers were superb, Greensboro Running Club did a fine job calculating results, the music sound system was loud, food was plentiful and The Demon Deacon came and worked the crowd.
The pictures show that a good time was had by all.
All in all, a very successful event. Whew, we were both relieved and delighted!
But the weather was gorgeous, 160 lovely people came out and ran or walked either the 5K or the 1 mile fun run, volunteers were superb, Greensboro Running Club did a fine job calculating results, the music sound system was loud, food was plentiful and The Demon Deacon came and worked the crowd.
The pictures show that a good time was had by all.
All in all, a very successful event. Whew, we were both relieved and delighted!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Pinehurst Triathlon
Finally, after months of being sidelined, I competed in an Olympic distance triathlon in Pinehurst. The event took place at Lake Pinehurst where we visited with the Coburns to picnic and swim over the summer. The swim was 1500 meters and went well, even with the fog that made it difficult to see where I was heading. The bike portion was tough; Moore County is very rolling hills. The run, a 10K, was the longest race I had run in months, and it was difficult and slow going. But I did well overall, finishing 2nd out of 7 in my age group.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Starbucks: Grand Opening
After 6 months of planning, meetings, and rapid decision making processes, ZSR Library held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovation of major spaces over the summer. Most welcome is the addition of a full-service Starbucks which is already popular after 1 week of operations!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Hit the Bricks
To help publicize our upcoming "Wake the Library 5K" and to help charity, ZSR Library fielded a team to compete in the "Hit the Bricks" event. From 11 am to 7 pm, up to 10 members of a team took turns running/walking around the Hearn Plaza brick walk. Each lap counted one point, unless you carried a backpack filled with 15 lbs. of sand. Then a lap value was doubled. The afternoon was great fun and we covered about 200 laps. Read more on the Library blog.
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