10 Random Things For Tuesday

I didn’t think I was going to write a 10 random things for Tuesday blog, but then I came up with 10 random things. And it’s Tuesday. So here we go, 10 random things for Tuesday!

One not-so-random thing first, though — my standard introduction! If this is your first time here, I’m a father of three and a marathon runner. My middle child, 6 1/2-year-old Jack, is severely autistic. I recover fairly quickly from marathons, so I decided to try to take advantage of that gift and I’m trying to run 61 marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. So far, I’m through 35 marathons, I’ve raised a fair amount of money and people from Washington to Florida to Maine are now aware of Train 4 Autism. So, I think it’s working.

OK, so I like to come up with 10 random things on Tuesdays. Here we go!

1. I thought this year was flying by pretty quick and I just did the math in my head and I have five months left until race 61. What a mirage this calendar is — I thought I was so close! But I know the year will be over before I know it and then I’ll miss it.

2. We got through a bunch of testing and final start our new bio-medical routine with Jack yesterday. Just when we thought our daily grind was tough, we cranked it up even more. Creams, supplements, dietary restrictions … you name it, Tiff is consumed with administering it right now. We don’t have enough on our plate, so maybe this will help us pass the time. Obviously, that’s sarcasm, but we don’t mind this. Any of you who are parents understand that there’s nothing you won’t do for your kids.

3. I’m going to hit you with a couple of fundraising things in here. I haven’t pushed the fundraising much here lately, but that’s still a big goal. We have t-shirts, tech shirts and sweatshirts. If you have one, do me a favor and leave a comment and let others know what you think. I know most people seem to like them.

The point is, we use them as a fundraiser, but they’re also a great tool to help get the word out. If you want a t-shirt, tech shirt or sweatshirt, leave a comment and tell me you want one. If you want to wear one, I want you to wear one. I just need to cover our costs, which aren’t as bad as you’d think. E-mail me and we’ll get it rolling. Or if you just want to go with the standard donation, check the levels here.

There are I think three of you out there who we still need to get shirts to. They’re coming, they’re coming.

4. That San Francisco course was a killer. I feel like I got run over by a truck. And not a little toy Tonka truck. I’m talking F-350 here. It was the day before yesterday and now I have to start carb loading tomorrow. These Saturday races following Sunday races are a killer!

5. Benjamin didn’t like tee ball and turned away from tee ball/baseball after kindergarten. That’s three years he’s been away from the game and he’s never really face live pitching. He wants to play little league in the spring, but I’m concerned with how far behind he might be. I’ve played with him a little bit and hit seems like his hand-eye coordination is at least OK, so I’m thinking of spending the summer and fall working hard with him with wiffle balls so he can get used to adjusting his swing on pitches that move. Then we’ll start going to the cages. I’m guessing that might help? Anybody have any other ideas?

6. You know what Manhattan, Minneapolis, Arkansas City, Ottawa and Pittsburg all have in common? They’re all cities in Kansas! Another reason why the Sunflower State is my favorite!

7. I don’t know that there’s a better value out there than all-you-can-eat pancakes at Denny’s for $4. Seriously, $4? That’s about the cost of a happy meal.

8. Booking travel is probably the biggest pain of this whole thing. Sometimes, it only takes me an hour for a trip. But sometimes, there are so many different options that it takes me a lot more. I’ve probably spent five or six hours trying to figure out the weekend of August 14-15 and I absolutely must book today.

9. Just want to point you towards the 10×10 program I have. I haven’t pushed it in a little while, but it’s a really easy way to help. I get a lot of visitors here and I have no idea who a lot of you are, but if you believe in the cause and want to try to help by doing something that’s a whole lot easier than running 61 marathons, take a look at this. I’ve said all year that I’m counting on a lot of people to do a little tiny bit, not a few people to do a lot. So, if you want to do a little tiny bit, this is a great way.

10. One week from today until my grandparents move to an assisted living facility that’s about 5 minutes from my work and 15 minutes from my house! They currently live about 45 minutes away, so I’m pretty excited! I think I have to go say goodbye to their house on Sunday, though. They’ve been there since 1968 (way before I was born). It’s gonna be sad to go up there for the last time.

Wow … look at that. That’s 10. Have a great Tuesday everybody! See you tomorrow!