My One and Only

This is an early morning picture from the one time I have trained for and completed a marathon. I'm feeling good. But perhaps not as focused as I might have wanted to be. I'd just finished a hotel-lobby breakfast and was able to walk right to the start. Kirk took the picture.

I look sleepier in this one, I think. Don't let the Salt Lake City Marathon 5K shirt fool you. The marathon I chose to be my first was the Park City Marathon. My training for this one included many workouts at the Rail Trail, a part of the course for the day's event. My training runs had also taken me to London (Serpentine Club 5K, Hyde Park), the streets of Paris, Antelope Island, and Mill Creek Canyon. My big workouts were on Sundays and usually took the better part of the day. But this one, the Park City Marathon would prove to be my one and only 26.2 miler.

Here's the last photograph Kirk took that morning. I've got a skier's legs or hockey quads. But not exactly a marathoner runner's ideal build.

I finished the run. Slowly. In the last few miles, I had so much back pain that I could hardly lift my feet. Had it been a training day, I certainly would have stopped. Iced it. I didn't really give it much thought at the time, but I was in enough pain that the change of surface from gravel to, say, a wooden bridge, would be enough to have me groaning. In hindsight I realize that I should have been running in trail-oriented shoes, if not for the day's event, at least for all those workouts on the gravel surface of the Rail Trail. Or I should have chosen gentler terrain for my workouts. You want to emulate the conditions for the event, sure. But not so much when you're prepping for a marathon by completing 15 or 20 mile workouts.

But I finished. And Kirk was there. Concerned. And ready to take the photograph as I crossed the finish line. I'll dig up the photographs later. But for now I want to emphasize that the marathon wasn't the only one and only on that day. I really like these photographs because Kirk took them. I look dorky, of course. I always do. But that Kirk was there that morning, paying his dues as my supportive partner. He was there at the start. He was there at the finish. And Kirk is my one and only. Someday, who knows, I'll probably run another marathon. But there will only be one person who is truly my partner, one who is truly with me. Even in the early-morning crowd at the start line of a marathon.

Trip coming very, very soon

Next Sunday, we will begin our trip to France, Monaco and, I hope, Italy. I bought a few more guides and maps today. That brings our list, just for this trip, to include the following:

• AAA France & Benelux Countries, 12/06-03/09
• Frommer's Provence & the Riviera Day by Day, 2008
• Rick Steves' French Phrase Book & Dictionary, Sixth Edition, 2008
• Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary, Sixth Edition, 2008
• Streetwise Paris, Revised 2009
• Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Paris, 12th edition, 2009

I visited our local AAA and the only item they had to offer that day was the map and visiting their Web site together. They were very nice. The map has actually been immensely handy. As we make train, day-trip, and hotel plans, the regional map helps put things in perspective. We've purchased Suzy Gershman's guides for years. Even if you weren't born to shop, they offer just tons of practical advice about many cultural, monetary, and practical aspects of our trips. I chose the phrase books because, when I travel to France, my companions usually depend on my (notorious) French language skills. And I'm always rusty in the first few days of the trip. Kirk knows and understands this. He's seen me as we leave Paris-Charles DeGaulle (CGD) Airport nervously, confusedly interacting with RER or Metro staff. But he's also seen me, usually on the first or second evening of our trip, drinking wine and swapping stories with our oh-so-kind and gentle Paris friends. In an easy-going and fluent-seeming, if crude, French. But this time, ah, this time I will have my handy phrase book to help. I'll read it on the flight to Paris and on the trains to Reims and Monaco. When I disembark, I'll be ready to speak the language, read the signs, and be the champion of the day. Then, since we will be in Monaco, oh so close to Italy, I bought the phrase book for Italian, as well. I have never taken any Italian lessons. And I want to enjoy the first opportunity of my life to be in Italy. (Yes, I've been in transit through Aeroporto Malpensa (MXP). But that does not count for much, as memorable as it was.) Maybe San Remo? We'll see. We've had a number of friends recommend the Streetwise maps. We've borrowed copies to get all around Paris. Mind you, we also made our own discovery that we like even better. They are the Moon Metro Travel Guides. We have used them on previous trips (Washington, DC and London). They are neighborhood-by-neighborhood guides. Each section has a fold-out map of the neighborhood. Then recommends restaurants, shopping, and sites in that area. It is strongly oriented to public transportation. That is, the Tube in London. Or the Metro in Paris or Washington, DC. And it so works for real, on-the-street situations travellers may want to overcome: Where to have lunch near the Tate Modern? What sites are in the area around our friends' place? Will that neat bookshop near Dupont Circle be open on Tuesday night? Are there second-best alternatives? Sadly, the last time a Moon Metro series covered Paris was back in May 2005. So, we bought the Streetwise map instead. I did not purchase a Streetwise Map for the Cote d'Azur. They had one. But the Streetwise format, an admired classic one, is better suited to cities, I think. In the Cote d'Azur, our precise destination is a resort hotel in Cap d'Ail. It's on the Bay of Monaco, and is within a couple of kilometers of the Monaco train station. in Paris we'll be staying in the 16th Arrondissement near the Parc de Trocadero and then in the 8th near the Parc de Monceau. Funny thing is that my brother and sister-in-law will be staying at the hotel in the 8th before we do.
As far as the kitchen renovation goes, we picked up our KitchenAid wine cellar. And then we stacked the Franke sink and the Danze faucet in the TV Room. Our poor house sitter. There will be a lot going on during the week we're in Europe. We're so glad he'll be there.

About hardware and a chandelier

Here's what's new. We placed our order for hardware and a chandelier. Here's what we did. We went to the Rejuvenation Classic American Lighting and House Parts Web site. (I've referred to this company in previous posts as Rejuvenation Lighting. Lighting has been their hallmark product, I think.) The island will have a fairly ornate, William Morris-looking bunch of bin pulls in polished nickel. They call the style Eastlake. Above the island will be a chandelier finished in polished nickel. The design is called Kilpatrick and, like the bin pulls, is fairly ornate. It is designed to look like a gas light from the early 20th century. It's very certainly from the era the house was built: 1911. But, like the house, it isn't drawing from a Bungalow or Mission perspective. We like the Mission aesthetic very much. So, for that look, we have chosen Arched Mission drawer pulls and Mission Pyramid cabinet knobs, all finished in polished nickel. The thought is that the finish will pull together a couple of design aesthetics. With its wine rack and more ornate styles, the island will appear to have been there from the moment the house was built. The cleaner, more angular pantry, cabinets, and appliances will appear to have been added over time. It will create a story for the eye. We have not gone as far as to have a contrasting finish on the island. It's a popular look. And although I liked it at the beginning of this project, my eyes have gotten tired of it. I hope that the granite counter tops, the oak flooring and the mix of metal designs will add just enough variety. We have a great source of lighting here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kirk and I have purchased several lights from them as well as gifts for each other. It's called Retrospect Water & Light. (I couldn't find their Web site. They're at 68 East 700 South.) I mention them because they are one of the best in the region and I hope that you'll visit them. I know you'll fall in love with their authentic, mostly early 20th century lighting. Lately, we've been finding more and more wonderful things at Sugar House Furniture. Then, outside of Salt Lake City, Historic Lighting in Monrovia, California is a favorite. Whenever we visit Kirk's family in Southern California, we visit the store and visit the gifts we've received from his family. We also know that we can always find gifts that they'll love, too. I add all of these mentions because, although Rejuvenation got a big chunk of our business this week, they are just one of several favorite vendors. And if you're interested in learning more about your old home or early 20th-century furnishings and art, I can recommend a magazine published in Sierra Madre, California called American Bungalow.

Tonight, I arranged what I'm calling a Team Captains' Closer at the Bayou. I invited all of the Team Captains from the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation's Tour With a Ranger (TWR) program. Just a casual get-together to chat and figure out our shut-down for '08-'09 season at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude. It'll be interesting to see how the Bayou staff handle private-club membership issues. They have operated as a private club. Mostly, they're a craft beer-oriented club. But since many craft beers around the world have a higher alcohol content than our state allows to be sold without difficult-to-administer restrictions. Those restrictions are to be lifted on July 1st (Utah relaxes liquor laws). So, from their online comments, I can tell that a couple of the captains are expecting things to have changed already. And it might be that clubs in Utah will have to adjust their practices. In the past, a person would by a year-long membership. We'll see what they do tonight. I'm not sure whether my membership is current or if its in my name.

Last, Joel Shoemaker posted video from the Giving is the New Black event I wrote about a couple of days ago. If you have access to his profile on Facebook, see it there. Or go to the In Utah This Week Web site for links.

If Giving is the New Black, What am I Going to Wear?

One of my cousins, Greg Gravelle, is participating in Relay for Life. (Follow the link, donate what you can.) I partipated most of the years I lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The event is really cool. Your team commits to stay on a running track for 24 hours. All the teams set up tents around the track. Friends and family come to see the spectacle. All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society (ACS). And it's great for raising awareness. Every local TV station will not be able to resist sending cameras to such an odd, moving event. Along those lines, Kirk and I went to a charity event last night. It too was a spectacle. Giving is the New Black turned out to be one of the most interesting things we've done in a while. We stopped by our friend Darrell's house first. I always like to do that. Seems like you set a mood and THEN head out. It seems to work. As soon as we parked the car, paid for entry, and started to mill into the crowded room, we ran into Joel Shoemaker with In Utah this Week. He's a nice guy we've known for years and years. He set a such a good mood. He's one of those guys. Cute. Hunky. Nice. Then I didn't feel as poorly dressed as I'd expected to feel. There were all kinds of styles and people. Mostly fun to look at. And some really, really fun. Some hot looking people. The fashion show itself was pretty wild. The clothes were constructed of re-used materials like newspaper. And the models, although they hit their marks, were doing crazy, athletic dance routines. Pretty impressive. I'll look for more photos to appear online. There were many, many images being taken all around the crowd. So far, all I've found are some pictures on Joel's Facebook profile (find it yourself, no link). I'll look for more and share them. It was tough to get up this morning. But we made it to Market Street Grill Downtown for brunch with friends. It had been a while and it was so good to catch up. We heard about a trip to New York. One conducted by our friend who is an artist and professor. So, the good news was that funding came from the university and a grant. The more complicated news was that he lead a group of university students. Another friend is winding down from a season as an instructor at Deer Valley. Like me, he was itching to enjoy the sunshine and late-season, deep powder we've had lately. And he was also relieved that he could sit down to brunch with friends. Soon enough, he'll be conducting a tour group to all of the Utah National Parks, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Another friend has begun to build a guitar. He's got this wonderful habit of finding guitars that have been left behind at charity thrift stores. And he restores them with great care. It's such a nice hobby to have. We discovered that one couple had never been to one of our favorite, local cafes. It's called Mazza and is an easy walk from our house in the East Liberty Park neighborhood. So, our next plans pretty much made themselves.

Froth

A rainy/snowy Saturday. Kirk woke up early and went to the gym. He couldn't sleep. I'm sure he's concerned about the our renovation and our upcoming trip. And that his partner is looking for work. Ahem. I got up soon after he did. Feeling concerned, too. I started right in, cleaning the house and doing laundry. We also looked a new wall color at Kwal Paint. We picked a color called Froth (CL3241W). It's a neutral grey. Now Froth is not a bad name. But I'll tell you this. There were some odd choices on the rack at that store. We were just reflecting that Womb was a bit odd when we found one called Last Breath. Now, that's just not an inspiring name! After we had a small portion made up, we went to Finn's for lunch. I had a veggie burger and Kirk had an omelet. It's been a while since we had been there. Everything was just great. Very, very attractive staff. Good service. Delicious food. I dropped Kirk off at the house and went grocery shopping. I've been clipping and using coupons for the last couple of years. And the store we usually shop at, Smith's, keeps me busy with all kinds offers that relate to the reduced-calorie frozen dinners, fat-free yogurts, and whole-grain cereals that we buy. Since our kitchen is unavailable and the weather makes it difficult to barbecue, dinner at our house has become low-calorie frozen. Plus, I've kept some of the habits from previous diets: fat-free whipped cream, sugar-free gelatin, sorbet, popcorn, low-fat string cheese, and fat-free cream cheese. We're doing OK. But we will oh-so-appreciate having the kitchen done. When they first introduced them, I resisted the affinity cards. Now I take them for granted and try to take advantage of them as much as possible. I had an old friend call me. I met him during my CompHealth days. He'd seen me on Facebook and decided to audio friend me. By way of the telephone. It was great to catch up, compare notes, and to make lunch plans. He just celebrated his eighth year with the company. Their marketing team has grown to 35-plus team members. He's a talented (and lovely) graphic artist and he has a great role there. It's a stable position. He travels. But not too much. Now, we did see Duplicity last night. And we were both underwhelmed. We usually don't agree on movies. And Kirk is so much more forgiving than I am. He is better able to enjoy a mainstream movie than I am. For example, he enjoys summer blockbusters as events. As long as he is entertained and interested. To me, mainstream movies usually include just enough unconscious racism or sexism to get me upset. So, we have very different tastes. But Duplicity just didn't happen for either of us. Kirk said that if he'd been watching it at home, on DVD say, there is absolutely no way he'd have made it through the movie to the (mildly) surprising end. It seemed, to me, that half the dialogue was attempting to explain rather than to show us what was so very, very intriguing about this plot and these characters. All of this said, we were pretty well relaxed and in a good state of mind by the time we got home. So, a successful Friday evening out.
Tonight (Saturday) we're going to a friend's place for drinks and then to an event called Giving is the New Black at Pierpont Place in downtown Salt Lake City. Oh! And tomorrow (Sunday) is Meet the Press and brunch with friends at Market Street Grill downtown. So good.

Rainy, snowy Friday

It's a rainy, snowy Friday. Our little Pit Bull, KD, is just so bored. I suppose I'm bugged a little bit to be cooped-up in the house. But in Utah, we always like to have the snow and rain that comes with this kind of weather. Our snowpack had been melting. But beginning about March 22nd, we started to see more (and more and more) snow. I volunteer for the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation's Tour With a Ranger (TWR) program. Every Sunday until March 29th, our teams were up at the Cottonwood Canyon resorts (Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude). We'd been having warm, sunny days with mediocre conditions but huge numbers of cheerful, bluebird participants. However, the last day of our program, the day we'd have to take banners and signs off the mountain, was an immense blizzard day. Cold, windy, and very snowy. It's still that way in the mountains and I'm not sure when its going to end. That's good for our water supply and good for the resorts. It never hurts to finish strong and with great snow. This weekend, I'll be free to watch Meet the Press with Kirk and go out to brunch with friends (Melissa, Patrick, Sterling, and Steve). I made plans a couple of weeks ago. Every Sunday since the season began, I've been up and early at Solitude. Now that the 2008-2009 TWR program is done, I'm looking forward to taking my time on a Sunday morning. Hey! In fact, the weekend is practically here. It's Friday! We've been planning to see Duplicity for a while. We missed it last weekend. Saw I Love You, Man instead. I enjoyed it and thought it had something interesting to say. And it inspired me to make an effort with my guy friends, especially ones I've made recently. I'm also going to try to allow acquaintanceship to flow more readily into friendship.

Today began early. 6-9 am at the KUER pledge drive. I admit, I had one or two difficult calls today. Perhaps some public-radio listeners hadn't had their morning Joe? Then, after checking-in with the contractor (The Stetan Company), I traveled way out to visit our granite slabs. Oh, yes! we have three slabs of granite with our names on them. I brought a sample of our kitchen cabinet color, Ralph Lauren Home Country Stove White WW02 on maple. Also, paint chips for two other whites:

• Lattice White WW46, trim
• Basic Sand IB42, ceiling

We've used the trim and ceiling colors before. They're good, warm whites. The cabinet color is a new discovery. And it looks great on the sample cabinet door. Our cabinet makers Above and Beyond Custom Cabinetry.

Then there is the wall color. I brought piles of other paint chips, mostly greens and yellows. The granite, the cabinet, the trim, and the ceiling all got along fabulously. The other colors, the ones we'd like to use on our walls, not so much. So, we have the challenge of finding a wall color that will work. Right now, we've got a test coat of Sage Sweater VM105 on the walls. It's a great color. But, with one coat over primer, it's a little bit too hard-candy green. Cheerful. Very green. And not quite right. I should also mention that we could veer away from the Lattice White WW46. It's not yet painted on any kitchen trim. The Basic Sand IB42 is already on the ceilings and isn't likely to change. Some of the other knowns-we-know include:

• GE Cafe appliances, stainless steel
• Franke Oceania sink, stainless steel
• KithenAid Architect Series II wine cellar, stainless steel
• Danze single-hand kitchen faucet with spray, polished nickel
• Common red oak, natural finish, 3 1/4 inch width flooring
  

Then we're likely to have, but haven't purchased, the following items in polished nickel from Rejuvenation Lighting:

• Mission, single-pole, art glass chandelier
• Eastlake bin and drawer pulls

We'll see what color we determine to paint the walls. We're doing that ourselves. And I just had buy-in from Kirk to find another white. So, we could end up with three or four whites, brushed nickel, stainless steel. Neutrals. In that case, the only color would come from the granite counters and the oak floors. After all, the new windows will need treatments. Why muslin Arts & Crafts roller shades from Anne Wallace?

I DID manage to read the newspaper today. Of course, I'm concerned about the news regarding Tim DeChristopher. Of course, this is the same day we're reading about how Ted Stevens may be successful in having the OBAMA-HOLDER Justice Department reverse his convictions. The juxtaposition of the two stories is poignant. A 20-something student who, for ideological reasons, attempts an act of civil disobedience, one that the Bureau of Land Managment (BLM) could have detected and prevented by simply verifying DeChristopher's qualifications. And DeChristopher is facing 10 years. A lawmaker with many years of experience manipulating and, even, willfully abusing the law may have his conviction reversed. Mind you, though I agree with his positon, I myself don't advocate the methods DeChristopher used. And I understand that, at 27-years old, he's not so young that he should be excused. But why are we wasting taxpayer funds in an effort to punish him to the extreme. The effort only draws attention to DeChristopher's position and to the inefficacy of the BLM auctions. And that, incidentally, encourages those who might like to emulate DeChristopher.

Happy April Fools' Day!

I took calls for the KUER fund drive from 6AM to 9 AM today (April 1st, 2009). Snowy morning. But not like Monday had been. I had lots of calls. One from a Society for Technical Communication (STC) colleague. At that early hour, he didn't recognize my voice, even after I joked around a bit. Another caller thought I was Doug Fabrizio of Radio West. And that's nice because there are many, many people who have a voice crushes on the guy. The first time I encountered this, I mentioned his name and an entire advisory board, men and women, sighed and blushed in unison. Needless to say, whatever story I was telling at the time got lost. Oh well. I volunteer again 6AM to 9 AM tomorrow (April 2nd, 2009). For more, see the KUER Web site. Pledge what you can.
Now, I'm home and enjoying a quiet house for a while. We're renovating our kitchen right now. The cabinets are not yet started but the oak floors are in, the new windows installed, appliances purchased and stored around the house. Many, many steps to go. So, when there are quiet moments in the house, well that's a good thing.
I'm concerned that Governor Huntsman signed Senate Bill 216 into law. It enables the Air Force to build a resort in an area that Park City and Summit County have set aside as open space. Mind you, the area was set aside several decades ago and has played a part in creating a pleasant gateway corridor for the Park City resort community. For more, see Guv signs, then scuttles, plan for Air Force resort.
Last, be sure to check out the April Fools' Day edition of The Daily Utah Chronicle, the University of Utah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890. I am still laughing at the picture accompanying the article titled Sakoda working to set new punting records. Which gives you an idea of how verily advanced is my sense of humor.