international road trip

Words 132

            The problem with running and being successful is that to maintain this level, I have to try really hard every day.  And what’s more, when you get a good result, the thrill is not nearly as satisfying.  Today, I broke the 1-minute barrier.  You might say I cheated a bit—I walked for some
25 seconds before I began the sprint. 

            I added a new column for arm presses.  This is an exercise during which you place your hands on two bars that are perpendicular with the ground.  Then you jump up high enough to have your arms straight, holding your whole body straight up.  Then you bend your arms so that you elbow is less than 90°--until your chest is almost level with your hands.  And then straighten the arms.  

An open letter to everyone:

15 April

Hi everyone,

You may be aware that I no longer have a vehicle in the States.  This summer, the boys and I are planning a trip from Des Moines, Iowa to Grassy Plains in northern British Columbia.  This is the home of a good friend who we met in Kazakhstan—a man who lives in the bush and slaughters his own turkeys—as I’m sure many of the people reading this message have done.  Google maps says that it is over 2000 miles one-way.  We are going to camp, and visit friends along the way.  We are going to visit rivers, lakes, national parks, and laundromats.  (Why can’t I add the plural of laundromat to my dictionary?  Why isn’t it there in the first place?)

So what?  Why am I writing to you?  Am I asking for sponsors to assuage the cost of such a mind-opening, nature-loving, gas-guzzling trip?  No, the reason is much less self-serving.

If anyone has a vehicle that would make this long trip…a vehicle that they don’t need between May 25 and August 11…a vehicle into which they won’t mind me installing a radio that has a input port so we can listen to an iPod…a vehicle that is some manly color like dark green (just kidding)…please allow me to pay you $800, or $1000 if it already has a suitable radio…and I will drive this machine to the north.

Please pass this message to anyone you know who might have such a vehicle.  The dates are negotiable, but we plan to be out of Iowa from July 6 to July 29.