I suppose I'm setting myself up more more ridicule, but there have been a few members inviting me back. I initially told them I would not return, but after much thought, I will not be driven away from a community that I have established some good relationships. You L&O folks have fun with that, OK?

Anyway, I'm still running. In fact, Running With The Bears is this Saturday and I leave tomorrow for it. Hopefully I'll have a better time than last month's Davis MOOnLight HM. That was my worst ever. I've never been fast, but that was terrible. I think a lot had to do with my mother passing away just 5 days prior and that took an emotional toll and really took the wind out of my sails.

The death of my mother is really the culmination of a year of "bad things" for me. October of 2012 a bicep tear...November a home invasion and my wife brutalized...April a hernia...and just alst month I lose my mother and my cat in the same weekend.

I am still running though...and trying to remain positive. I wish you all well and leave you with this, what I think of each day as I awaken...

"Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got(,) but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance, but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters."

And remember to always tell those in your life that you love them. I was told that the last words my mother spoke before she died was about me. She told the nurse "He's a nice boy." And I know that the last words I spoke to mother mother was "I love you Mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

Anyway, hopefully I'll have a good Race Report from the Cascades of Nor Cal come next week

Hey there and welcome back.

::waves::

hey Dave!!! Glad you're still running....good luck this weekend. Sorry to hear about your rough year, hope things start looking up! Nice to see you back here!!!

We're happy to have you back, Dave. You're a good man, I hope that things start improving for you very soon.

Welcome back! Again!

Sorry to hear about your losses, I've got a few more decades before I have to hear those words (knock on wood), and I can only imagine what you are going through.

Thanks all. Just about ready to head out on the road. One bit of good news I'd like to share is that a few weeks ago we did get paid a visit by the investigating detective regarding the home invasion. They positively ID'd the guy who beat my wife through DNA taken from the cigarette butt he left on the driveway. Marina positively ID'd him out of 6 pics provided. They know who he is. He has a whole list of priors, now it's just a matter of bringing him in...but it'll happen. We won't get any of our "stuff" back, but at least this guy will be locked away on felony charges for what they did to my wife, ya know?

Thanks all. Just about ready to head out on the road. One bit of good news I'd like to share is that a few weeks ago we did get paid a visit by the investigating detective regarding the home invasion. They positively ID'd the guy who beat my wife through DNA taken from the cigarette butt he left on the driveway. Marina positively ID'd him out of 6 pics provided. They know who he is. He has a whole list of priors, now it's just a matter of bringing him in...but it'll happen. We won't get any of our "stuff" back, but at least this guy will be locked away on felony charges for what they did to my wife, ya know?

I don't understand why that man felt the need to beat up your wife. If he thought he needed to steal from you, fine. But why beat up an innocent woman? People like him are way more dangerous than we think. When he's caught, does his time and come out again, he will still be a danger to society. People like that scare the hell out of me, there is something wrong with them mentally and emotionally. But at least, Marina gets her closure when they catch him, knowing that justice, for her, was done.