A "Grand Plan" re-planned!

"A Simple Choice"

Well, "the grand plan" has taken a back seat since my last post.  I have been consumed with testing for a paramedic position at Unified Fire in SLC.  I have not tested in some time and the dust that needed dusting off was more than I had imagined.  Regardless, after resume, certs, tests and oral interviews I am still in the running but just barely.  Out of one thousand original applicants 36 remain... I am at number 30 and hoping for a miracle.

 

The point to all of this is that this summer more things where planned than we had money or time for...we needed to make some choices!  The Choice was simple, Jake has qualified for the Washington State track finals...He will be running in the 110 and 300 hurdle events and that is where we will be!!!

So for every time there is a season and going to state is how this season will be spent!  No kayaking, concerts or "grand plans" could replace seeing Jake run in his senior year at the Washington State Championships.

So here we are back in Seattle for the first time in a decade!  I barely recognize the place...the first thing we did to insure time well spent was purchase a Garmin GPS so Deb doesn't have to read maps and I can argue with "miss garmin" when I take a wrong turn!

Well more to post soon with results, pictures and updates about our newest adventure...but for now we are happy spending time with family and friends and rambling about rambling with the people we love...

GO JAKE!!!

a day with a friend

monkey see monkey ski...
I guess when your as good as I am it's easy to be on the other side of the lens...  Seriously, what a great day!  The snow was made for hero's and Shan made it look  great... I won't post many pics of me (singular) but I couldn't help myself.
FREE THE HEEL...FREE THE MIND...ONE LUV SON...

The TOA of Water

Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho  photo by: b.dowd

During recent readings I came across a description of water as percieved by Taoist... DENG MING-DAO,paraphrased it goes something like this. Water is flowing.  Every drop is made of the same substance. Water never fears being divided, because it knows it will flow back together in time. It is eternal. Water is powerful. Although it can be soothing, comforting, and cleansing, it can also be enormous, mighty and overpowering. Its nature is constant. It is true to itself at any extreme...Water is unafraid.  From any height, it will plunge fearlessly down. It will fall and not be injured.  Water is balanced. No matter what the situation is, water will seek its own level as soon as it is left alone. Water will always flow downward to the most stable level. It conforms to any situation in a balanced way. Water is nourishing. Without water, no plant and no living creature could survive.  Water is still. Water can be completely still, and in its stillness, mirror heaven perfectly.  Water is pure.  It is transparent, clear, needing neither adornment nor augmentation. For all of these features-to be flowing, powerful, profound, unafraid, balanced, nourishing, still and pure-one who would follow Toa only need emulate water in every way.  Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday TAO

 

faher and son...

...AND LIFE SIMPLY WAS. s.finch

Surface "Save Life" and me.

Mike S. and I were kickin'it about this time last year discussing the upcoming ski season...I quipped that with all the "Life" skis he really should make a "Save Life" that was Ski Patrol specific!  We joked about it being mean and green and in giving back to the Wasatch...we rolled a few other ideas around and that was that.  Fast forward a year and there is a ski, money is being raised for WBR (Wasatch Back Country Rescue)  and ICAR (International Commission for Alpine Rescue) and Ski Patrollers everywhere are "flying the cross" with the Surface brand!  Hey, as karma would have it I showed up at the shop just in time to help unload the 43' container and snag a pair for myself...  When I was a kid I skied on garage sale goods and worked a paper route for night ski money at Stevens Pass, Washington.  This last year I got to be part of a new ski idea and work for less money patrolling at Sundance than I ever made as a twelve year old pedaling papers...cool!  Thanks Mike your a good friend and here's to the whole Surface Team-Cheers! http://www.surfaceskis.com/gear/all%20mountain/save%20life/index.html

News Years Day With Zachary!

This last month has been full of comings and goings with the kids, Jake and Brooklyn were in for the Holiday and we had a great time with them!  On the first day of the new year we had a small family outing on top of Rays summit at Sundance to remember Zac and spread some of his ashes.  This time was poignant and memorable.  Prior to the day we had had ten days of snow and rain, including gale force winds and downed trees...I was beginning to think that the time we had planned just wasn't going to happen.  January 1, 2011 brought blue skis and calm cold weather with a fresh blanket of snow...one of the most beautiful days that I can remember in the mountains of Sundance!  On Navajo cornice we were treated to a 360 degree panorama of the Timpanogas Massif to the west, Snowbird and the Pfieferhorn to the northwest, Deer Creek Reservoir and the Uinta Mountains with Kings Peak in the distance to the northeast,  Daniels Summit and the mountains of Colorado to the southeast and Cascade Peak, Provo Peak and Mount Nebo Summit of the Wasatch to our south.  I know I felt a certain comfort and peace and perhaps even a whisper in my ear reminding me, "see dad you knew I would be here", and indeed he was!  Then we all shared a few fond memories with each other under one of Zac's favorite nap trees. Little Hanna put the capstone on a wonderful day, she sculpted a perfect snow angel and while sprinkling some ashes into the arms pronounced proudly,"hey look Zachary is my wings"!  WOW.  One love Son...we miss you... 

Deb in the B.C.! Specific place-unspecified.

I don't have many things that I enjoy more than being out and about...except being out and about with my favorite person in the world!  Sometimes getting out there can take time, what with food stops, potty breaks and "just one more thing and we can go" tangents.  Its like living a day in the life but feeling like the clock has stopped.  This particular day in question is one that I could relive again and again and again...that would be nice!