Thursday, June 26, 2008
Aruba...
Well, we just got back from our family vacation in Aruba. We rarely go on vacations with just our family and while we do enjoy vacationing with other families it was nice to be by ourselves and enjoy each other's company. With Judd in college, it's hard to say how many more opportunities we'll have to vacation with just of the 5 of us and for that reason alone, this trip was very special.
Aruba is an interesting place. It's hot but very windy so its very comfortable to be outside. The resorts are beautiful and everyone we met was very nice. The Marriott Surf Club, where we stayed, was very clean and the staff was friendly beyond belief. On the flip side there are many parts of the island that are dirty, run down and undeveloped. From what I understand, this is not uncommon with some of the other Carribean islands. I think we saw many of the sights to see, the island is not very big. I would definitely go back to Aruba but if it were up to me, I'd close the place down for a year, clean it up and put up some decent signage so you can easily find your way to some of the attractions across the island. Having said that, we had a great time, it was very relaxing and some of the best memories are of the futility we had trying to reach destinations like Baby Beach and the Ostrich Farm as well as the incredible trek out to the Natural Pool. Words can't do justice to that adventure.
So vacation is over and it's time to get refocused on work. Aaron is actually going on a mission trip to Mexico this weekend and a friend has invited Abbey to go to Florida next month...Judd needs to pile on the hours working at the golf course so he can have some money when he goes back to school.
I have a doctors appointment on Monday and will get another maintenance treatment. I had scans done yesterday and hopefully they'll come back clean. I actually feel better than I have in a long time, many of the aches and pains I've experienced the past couple years have faded away.
Hope all is well with all of you. Best wishes for the upcoming 4th of July weekend!
Aruba is an interesting place. It's hot but very windy so its very comfortable to be outside. The resorts are beautiful and everyone we met was very nice. The Marriott Surf Club, where we stayed, was very clean and the staff was friendly beyond belief. On the flip side there are many parts of the island that are dirty, run down and undeveloped. From what I understand, this is not uncommon with some of the other Carribean islands. I think we saw many of the sights to see, the island is not very big. I would definitely go back to Aruba but if it were up to me, I'd close the place down for a year, clean it up and put up some decent signage so you can easily find your way to some of the attractions across the island. Having said that, we had a great time, it was very relaxing and some of the best memories are of the futility we had trying to reach destinations like Baby Beach and the Ostrich Farm as well as the incredible trek out to the Natural Pool. Words can't do justice to that adventure.
So vacation is over and it's time to get refocused on work. Aaron is actually going on a mission trip to Mexico this weekend and a friend has invited Abbey to go to Florida next month...Judd needs to pile on the hours working at the golf course so he can have some money when he goes back to school.
I have a doctors appointment on Monday and will get another maintenance treatment. I had scans done yesterday and hopefully they'll come back clean. I actually feel better than I have in a long time, many of the aches and pains I've experienced the past couple years have faded away.
Hope all is well with all of you. Best wishes for the upcoming 4th of July weekend!
Monday, June 09, 2008
The Lake Tahoe Ride.....
I wanted to take a few minutes to let you all know that we successfully made it around Lake Tahoe on June 1st and had a wonderful experience. The ride is billed as 'America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride' and it definitely lives up to the billing - the scenery was simply spectacular and there is no better way to absorb it all than on a bicycle. Our coaches had us very well prepared for the ride and we didn't run in to much difficulty. The climb up to Emerald Bay went very well and even though the last couple miles of the 8 mile climb up to Spooner Lake (80 miles in to the ride!) got a little tiring, we were passing other bikers all the way so we obviously were in pretty good shape. Once at the top of Spooner, it was clear sailing as the next 4-5 miles were all downhill at speeds of close to 40 mph. We finished the ride in 7 hours and 15 minutes and that includes about an hour of time off the bike to get something to eat, refill water bottles and go to the restroom.
Our team from Southwestern Ohio raised close to $60,000 collectively and the entire Team In Training (TNT) effort raised about $7.5 million dollars - there were 1,800 TNT riders! It appears that my total will be close to $8,000 when all the funds have been recorded.
I can't thank you all enough for your support! I've participated in several TNT events over the years and everyone is always so generous to support me in these efforts. This one was tremendously fulfilling when you consider that two years ago at this time I was at the end of my chemo treatments and could hardly walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in this event and could not have done it without your encouragement and support.
I'll try to send out some pictures via e-mail when I get a chance. We had some issues with our camera so I'm hoping some of my team members will have some shots that I can forward. Thanks again for all you've done to support our family. We are blessed to have all of you in our lives.
Peace and blessings,
Vince
Our team from Southwestern Ohio raised close to $60,000 collectively and the entire Team In Training (TNT) effort raised about $7.5 million dollars - there were 1,800 TNT riders! It appears that my total will be close to $8,000 when all the funds have been recorded.
I can't thank you all enough for your support! I've participated in several TNT events over the years and everyone is always so generous to support me in these efforts. This one was tremendously fulfilling when you consider that two years ago at this time I was at the end of my chemo treatments and could hardly walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in this event and could not have done it without your encouragement and support.
I'll try to send out some pictures via e-mail when I get a chance. We had some issues with our camera so I'm hoping some of my team members will have some shots that I can forward. Thanks again for all you've done to support our family. We are blessed to have all of you in our lives.
Peace and blessings,
Vince
