*love more packets: KB showers”

This running early morning, I kept my music off since i wanted to join WII and TG in silence…just meditate and feel my breathing. My HR was off the roof…and you’ll get an idea of what i was talking about through BT.

Anyways, as i was running after my pissy fit, since i had to force myself to go really slowly… I turned around and saw all these people washing their cloths, their teeth, taking “the morning shower” right after the KB bridge. I saw this lady in particular who was living off her car, you could tell she once owned a home which probably had plants in it…and i just felt soooo sad..so so sad…and then i thought how nice it would be for them to come to the public shower one morning and find a little packet of fresh cloths, shampoo/soap/toothbrush a book of photos of beautiful places and people and breakfast. That would be like a really nice surprise i think. Mostly for those who don’t even own a vehicle, but just have like a little bicycle or grocery cart.

i could envision the packet and wish my eyes could be hooked up to a printer so I could print an image of them, make the packet with a big creme coloured bow and put the picture on top. I feel soo lucky and i wanted to hug all these people and give them kisses all over and tell them i love them, because they make me realize how lucky I am and how beautiful life is…how there are just too many reasons for me to be amazingly happy nad thankful with the world…for they have a story too, and i bet amazing stories, they could be me in 10 years, or could have been me, they are beautiful and i LOVE THEM ALL.

So, i will do this as my gift to us for our number 9 in August…

*Rainbowing love*

“Go to the people.

Live with them.

Learn from them.

Love them.

Start with what they know.

Build with what they have.

But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say

“We have done this ourselves”.” Lao Tzu

I think we should try and “build something” once we make our break out of what we have now.

We have some resources…and that is something that we can work on and get more of, if we have the right pitch and the right project. After IM this is all I’m doing with my free time, it’s going to be our art life project, GIVING LOVE.

Educational institution is probably the safest most efficient way of helping(knowledge). I was thinking maybe we could have a community center- Education/besic Medical and recreational…but i dont know about liabilities with the medical? -

Our strongest tool right now is who we know. Motivation is the only thing we need, right? whats keeping us? we need to be more proactive, we are 26, i’ll be 27 and I have not helped enough people at all, I’ve been pretty selfish.

Next summer should be our first goal, we should choose a project, find a venue and start scouting the area out. We can find a place that is foreign for both of us, or a place that one of us in familiar with.

People we know that would help, somehow:

Medical: Andrea(in fact we talkeda bout this yesterday!) her parents + their friends, Meg and Alex, Maria Juliana.

Educational: Jane, Meg, Tom Sr., Rebecca, Phyllis and Dan, Gibson, Norwood, Christian’s sister, Peggy.

Recreational: BIlli, Mikey, Tico, Pipe, Jane, Kiki, Humberto, Tom Sr., Cristian.

Project/Structure/ Funding: Billy, Billi, Mike, Kurt,Anna, Pipe, Christian, Josh.

(Billy helped build schools in Mexico for a while. He stopped doing it pretty much because of all the corruption he saw.)

For losgistic purposes, maybe we should look at the southern hemisphere this continent first..like Peru (Cristian could help out a lot), Colombia , Guatemala, Nicaragua. We should explore a place that attracs us and that has a very low literacy if we go with education, or very low access to medical iF we choose to go that route. We can then try and recruit our players and then we can execute. We need to start planning now. We need time to play with ideas and research.

Im very EXCITED ABOUT THIS…I Know that together we can accomplish unbelievable things together…we will be rainbowing love….

*Also- Quiz on Africa next Tuesday (I better get more than 2% this time around) and as a team we should cover it all.

I know some orphanages in Mexico where we could really help out as well.., We just need a cause that will keep us going, that like you said will be the fuel to keep us going.

What to do after Tri Season?

Come November 2nd, Tri Season will be over.  Tom will have finished as many as 2 sprints and 2 olympic distance races.  And Caro will have finished a sprint, an olympic, a 70.2, and an IRONMAN.  The triathlon equivalent of batting the “cycle”!  But after Nov 1st, what do we do??

Option #1:  Train for more triathlons.  If Caro qualifies for Kona, she is doing it.  If so, Tom will do a 70.2.

Option #2:    Adventure Racing.  AR requires learning new disciplines and will take time.  But that is most of the fun.  Mountain Climbing, Treking, Orienteering, Land Navigation, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Rappelling, Trail Running, canoeing, and X-country skiing.  Obviously, living in Miami makes practicing some of these sports difficult.  But there is plenty we can do.  We can find short races up at Oleta or other parts of Florida.  We can practice Mountain Climbing right here in Miami.  We can work all of these things into that backpacking trip out west we have been planning.  One day, years from now, perhaps we get so into it that we do a Primal Quest race (check out some amazing photos of PQ Montana here).  The great thing about AR is that it is a team sport.  Meaning we working together during the whole race.  And we can recruit others along the way.

Option #3:     Toyko Marathon.  Or another Marathon out west if we can’t leave the country.  Much easier to work into a vacation than a Tri!

NYC TRI—-here we go!!!!!!

So today we are in route to the big apple!! for our big race!!! itinerary!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, July 18, 2008
12:00 PM – 8:00 PM UnitedHealthcare Sports and Fitness Expo at Hilton NY
12:00 PM – 7:00 PM Mandatory Age Group Briefings (beginning every half hour), followed by Packet Pickup at the Hilton New York
7:30 PM Chipotle Underwear Run/Central Park, start at Cherry Hill and finish at the Triathlon Finish Line on Dead Road (registered participants only)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM UnitedHealthcare Sports and Fitness Expo
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mandatory Age Group Briefings (beginning every half hour), Registration and Packet Pickup at the Hilton NY
2:00 PM Pro/Elite Age Group Briefing Session
2:30 PM Accenture PC National Championship Briefing Session
3:45 PM Special screening of “Armed for the Challenge,” a documentary film on Willie Stewart, 2002 Paralympic Silver Medalist and 3-time Ironman World Triathlete – brought to you by Accenture
2:00 PM – 9:00 PM Mandatory Bike Check-in / Riverside Park & 79th Street Ball Field
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM RCN High-Speed Transition Zone Tours, every half hour / Riverside Park & 79th Street
Sunday, July 20, 2008
4:00 AM – 5:30 AM Athlete Shuttles from Hilton to Transition (79th & Riverside)
4:30 AM RCN Transition Area Opens / Riverside Park & 79th Street Ball Fields
5:30 AM – 7:00 AM Athlete Shuttles from Hilton to Swim Start (96th & West End Ave)
5:45 AM RCN Transition Area Closes
5:50 AM Nautica New York City Triathlon Starts / Swim Start – 99th Street & Hudson River
(athlete wave start times attached)
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM JetBlue Airways Finish Fest Celebration / Central Park at Dead Road
10:00 AM Pro & Elite Age Group Awards
12:00 PM Age Group, PC, Iams Doggy Du and Specialty Awards
2:00 PM RCN High-Speed Transition Zone Closes
4:00 PM Results available at www.nyctri.com

first we are setting up tommy and Marc and then we are setting our stuff!!! so exciting!!!!

yeah

TRANSITION YELLOW—–

BILLI, WI AND ME

TRANSITION RED—–

TOMMY AND MARC

Carlos.

World Court seeks to Block Executions of 5 Mexican Nationals on Death Row in Texas.  Could Be Good News for Carlos.

some of my favorite pics of S:

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WIDE WORLD!!!!!!!

A

WKNDS in SARASOTA-

PART I—MAY 4 GATOR HALF- HALF IRON DISTANCE TRIATHLON-1.2 MILE SWIM, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 miles run!!   pipe: 4:45 caro: 5:26

Tommy, caro, pipe and Anna—we had so much fun this weeknd!

TOM AND ANNA BEST PARTNERS EVER!!!!!!!!!

wetsuits YEAH!

this pic shows how much concentration u need to clip on! ha

Mile 6 and the dude is as fresh as a lettuce

hammerheads representing hahahah so cheesy

most supportive FAMILY EVER!!!!!!!!! LOVE THEMMM

PART II- TAVERNA’S WEDDING

Awesome pic of the boys

shinny pants Sean shows his skillz!!!!!!!!!! pocket size SEAN PLEASE!!!!

Tmac’s favorite picture!

ALL THE DUDES

best picture of all time!

t

a persons nightmare is someone elses dream..

With storms and stories of horrid weather encounters, last night as the flashing continued, i found myself scared shitless in bed with Dante, under the covers thinking…:” wow, i can’t even escape nature by the most primitive form of protection- covering your eyes-, this is instopable, i can still see the reflection of the lightning in my eyes.” So, i tried covering myself up with darker sheets, even extra covers…nothing worked… which is why i am so scared of lightning…there is no protection from the threat…which is really horrible…again…impotence…whether initiated by humans/nature.. .impotence…the worse feeling…

Then i thought of the ones that cannot see… and how MAYBE, just MAYBE some people that are considered blind, but have some percetage of perception from their nerves might possible feel this…see it??? If so, i can imagine they must see this as the most fascinating orchestra or senses…the feeling of being alive…of being remembered by nature…

Walter de Maria “The Lightning field” 1977- land art in New Mexico

So a part of me, wishes i could take all blind people to Walter de Maria’s “The lightning field” piece in New Mexico…This is land art, where he placed 400 polished stainless steel rods -two inches in diameter and averaging 20 feet and 7½ inches in heigh- 1 mile by 1 kilometer apart. This area, is known as big lightning activity area…. its a beautiful piece that I have always wanted to see…despite my fear

With that, last night i was humbled and felt very greatful…i think i have a new found appreciation for lightning and thunder…maybe its the world’s way of remembering that small percentage of people who can see but only sometimes….

A Netflix-style Service for Magazines

Time Inc. is releasing a netflix-style service entitled Maghound.com to mix and match magazine subscriptions in Septmember with over 300 titles to choose from.  Perhaps, I’ll wait until then before renewing my economist subscription and getting that outdoors magazine subscription I’ve been pondering.

Donations to Aid Organizations — Great Bday Gifts

Today’s paper contained a great article in Kristof’s about foreign aid, through the prism of Beatrice Biira, a Ugandan girl who was able to go to school because of a goat given to her family through Heifer International.

Kristof gave a list of suggestions on his blog, reprinted below, for readers who want to help their own Beatrice. Donations to these types of groups would make for fantastic gifts for our future birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries (not to replace paintings, drawings, and music, of course).

“You can go to Heifer’s on-line catalog and buy anything from honeybees to heifers for impoverished families abroad. Every Christmas, my parents buy my three children flocks of geese or chickens or ducks; the animals are donated in their name to needy families abroad. Sure my kids might prefer an I-Pod, but they recognize that geese are probably a better use of the cash.

Another direct kind of aid is child sponsorship. I sponsor a child right now in Dominican Republic through Plan USA, and other groups arranging sponsorships include Women for Women International.

The large aid organizations tend to be well-run, efficient and have finely timed development models with a good record of success. I have huge respect for major organizations like CARE, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, and International Rescue Committee, and they offer creative ways to donate and support particular projects. Among religiously based organizations, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and American Jewish World Service are all standouts. Don’t forget BRAC, a Bangladeshi-based group that is one of the most successful development organizations in the world and is now taking its approach to Africa.

Donors often like to see exactly where their dollars go, and one interesting website that addresses that desire is www.globalgiving.com. You can browse a variety of grassroots projects that need money and then fund donations with a credit card.

For anyone interested in supporting a specific small-scale project, I suggest a maternity hospital in Somaliland, a new fistula hospital in Niger, a hospital in Congo, and an anti-trafficking group in India. And there are many, many others. A guest blogger on this site, Josh Ruxin, works with a fine one, Orphans of Rwanda, that sends Rwandan orphans to university.