A Mouse in the House

Last night Kelly and I spent an exciting evening evicting a mouse from under our refrigerator. You see, he wasn't paying rent, was eating Heidi's food, and kept using up all of the hot water in the morning during his shower. Basically he was a total freeloader. He didn't do anything except maybe gather a few dustbunnies from off the floor. He even caused a little damage to his compartment under the fridge, gnawing the plastic coating off the ground wires to the fridge and what not. He could have been helping around the house using said dustbunnies to add insulation to known drafty areas. He could have helped me rewire the house for surround sound without making to many holes. But no, he just ate, slept in and watched Mickey Mouse on our TiVo ( I had been wondering who kept recording that). If he had just done his share around the house we may have not had to give him the boot but he just wasn't pulling is weight around here.
Therefore last night using several highly advanced trapping procedures including:

vacuum cleaner
high pitched screaming (admittedly from all parties involved)
trained mouse detecting dog
non conductive mouse poking stick (because of the bare wires)
forefoot soccer pass towards the door
and finally the most successful,
the broomhockey mouse slapshot

we were forced to evict him from his humble flat below the refrigerator and return him to his wild ways
among the johnson grass and sagebrush.

Mr. Mouse left the house with more than likely a mild concussion, but may have survived as I threw him what looked to be a rather homey bush in the field across from my house. My theory behind not terminating this little mouse lies behind the fact that I realize his native habitat is dwindling and if I had a choice I would probably take my chances too (AC, good dog food, no birds of prey, etc). I also feel that just like when Batman took people to and from his cave they were usually knocked out so they wouldn't know how to get there, Mr. Mouse was in a similar state when he left and hopefully won't know how to come back, because if he does . . . let's just say I won't be so kind.

Bedell Makes Finals in 1500

Erin made it into the final heat of the 1500 against the best junior runners in the world. She will look for a high finish early Sunday morning our time. This is her fourth National team appearance. We are very proud of her. Go to www.baylorbears.com for more info.

Finals were Sunday and Erin is 10th in the World

Terrorism Expert Makes Doomsday Predictions

Q&A with "The Capron's"

Click on the picture
to see the video

Who does this guy think he is. . . honestly? Professor? Dogged?

I bet he reads a great deal

Why do all terrorism experts have beards?

Maybe it is because they have been on vacation all summer since the terror expertise business has picked up.
Would you say that he is a glass is half full or empty type of guy based on this interview?

I bet it depends on wether the glass has taken proper security measures to ensure its safety, only then can we say for sure, then determine the threat level of said "glass."
Man, I wonder what his kids are like?

who knows, but if increased terror is "exciting," then hopefully they aren't too wild and crazy

What do you have to do to become a terrorism expert?

First obviously, the beard, then school, add in travel and you're in like flynn.

Promotion?

Well I must say that Assistant Head Cross Country Coach has a nice ring to it, but much of my job will remain the same. I will know a little more by the end of this year about where my team will stand. This is a big year for my distance team both on the course/track and from a recruiting standpoint. If you want more info, follow the link. Promotion 

Want to see some pictures of our trip?

Seek and you shall find:

Spain, Alhambra, Gibraltar, Lisbon

Innocents Abroad

So we are back in town and caught up with things on the homefront, at least enough to pretend that I have enough time to spend organizing the photos from our trip.
We had a incredible time and will be ready to go back if anyone knows of a good sponsor that would like to fund our trip. I would be happy to go and chronicle it all by photo and short prose. That is of course if someone wants to watch the dog.
The trip began as we dropped in on the Zutaverns, who graciously allowed us to stay at their lovely home and gave us a ride to the airport. It was great to see them and I hope that we are able to make more time to visit each other in the future. On the way to Madrid we had a layover at the Miami airport (not the US' best international foot forward). We landed in Madrid, Spain early the next morning after an extra 7hrs of evening at the beautiful Barajas International Airport (new terminal 4). Monique was there to meet us at the airport, and we caught a cab back to their apartment, went down the street to the school to pick up Josh, and laid low that afternoon trying to stay awake long enough to fend off the worst of the jet lag. We were confident that if we held off long enough we could sleep at the newly established bedtime. Russell returned to the apartment shortly after one of his last finals to find us in his living room, and remarked that it seemed strangely familiar. We felt welcome immediately, which was good because by the late afternoon Kelly was asleep, and I could barely keep my eyes open as well. We stayed with the Browder's for three days and toured around Madrid, visiting the Prado, the Royal Palace, and the Plaza Mayor. We also took a day trip to Toledo. Next we caught a high speed train south to Malaga on the Costa del Sol. It was great to see them, and we appreciate them opening their home to us. We hope we can return the favor.
Kelly and I arrived in Malaga around lunch time and met up with my Dad and Rhonda, who were on a Tour de Europe of their own. They looked as though they had settled comfortably into the beach town lifestyle. My dad especially looked the part as he sported a perfect Tommy Bahama-esque shirt, his Teva's, and a $5 pair of aviator sunglasses. Fitting in wasn't that difficult as it seemed every person around was here on holiday. We had about a 45 train ride to the town down the street from where we were staying, which was an adventure because about 300 middle school kids seemed like they had the same idea as they almost stampeded Kelly, so they wouldn't miss the train to the beach.
Due to its somewhat central location to the Andalusian region and the fact that my father was brave enough to both rent and drive a car in the area's constant traffic jam, we used Malaga as a jumping off point for a few day trips to "nearby" towns. Our first day took us to the town of Granada, where we greatly enjoyed the Alhambra and ended up having little time for much else. As you may be able to tell by the number of pictures that we took (read Kelly used up a 1G card). Anyway though it was almost 2hrs away and required some serious navigating, we were glad that our buddy Rick Steves told us we should make it a priority.
Our next day trip took us to the rock of Gibraltar mostly due to its curious history (Great Britain vs Spain), my fathers desire to eat some real fish and chips, interesting geology, and my desire to see uncaged monkeys . So off we were, and needless to say we were not disappointed. The following day we really put my dad's driving skills to the test as we raced up the mountains in a Citroen to the white hills town of Ronda, birthplace of the modern bullfight. Bullfighting season had not yet begun, and we thought it would be best that we didn't attend a fight because my dad assured us that he would be rooting for the bull. Ronda was a neat town with a amazing bridge that seems to separate the old town from the business oriented modern side. On our last day we tried to blend in a little more by going to the beach and getting the Mediterranean suntan. By this I mean the reddish hue that the British, Germans, Swedes, and others seem to take on while visiting the Costa del Sol. The beach was great but we definitely weren't the only ones with the idea.
After saying goodbye to my parents we embarked on the only part of the journey we would undertake by ourselves. We weren't worried about going to Portugal but were definitely conscious of the fact that we were on our own, and Kelly doesn't speak Portuguese. Luckily we found the Portuguese much more accommodating to our inability to communicate in their native tongue. We got to know Lisbon pretty well thanks to a good public transportation system and good recommendations from the front desk at our hotel. We happened to catch the 50th anniversary of the tall ships races, apparently quite an event as huge sailboats from all over made their way back out to sea. We were even able to squeeze in a day at the beach on the Costa Caparica, which is part of the Atlantic coastline.
All in all we had an amazing time that we will remember forever. It was great to visit family and friends and to see a new part of the world with them.

Floyd Did it . . .

He did it. By "it" I am referring to the Tour de France. I am going to delay the guilty verdict regarding the other "it" (a positive drug test) a little longer; however, it does not look good. While I am happy that another American is atop the podium, it was seemingly to good to be true. At this point even if Floyd does clear his name the second drug scandal for the famous, Tour, cycling has taken a tremendous blow, with the sport of Track and Field not far behind (read Justin Gatlin). What probably angers me the most is the time frame that these tests are reported. Floyd had already stood on the podium, Gatlin had already won USA's (mid June) though he tested positive in April. They have already claimed what may not belong to them, no amount of shuffling places or prize money will ever rectify that injustice.
I am also starting to wonder if we Americans are just as sneaky at cheating in the drug game as everyone else, or we just have better drugs? Hopefully that is not the case but for everyone that is working on a testing method there are more than likely 4 or 5 that are working on a way to stay ahead and unfortunately they are probably better paid. Sadly my knowledge of exercise physiology makes me all to aware of this possibility.
So kudos for all of those working hard in a drug free training regimen, may your glory never be stolen by someone who didn't. And if you aren't guilty good luck with the media/doping authority/public opinion, I hope you get to the bottom of things.

Possum Kingdom is a pretty place

Whoever wrote the words Possum Kingdom across the map for the first time should have worked on the name a little longer. More than likely there is story here that I have not heard, but I would guess that a quick online survey would come up with a title that had a slightly better connotation. To me Possum Kingdom just does not conjure up images of a beautiful place to relax, recreate, and enjoy oneself. That is, of course, unless you are a possum.
Regardless, our short trip to PK was all of those things without the possums. We enjoyed our time greatly and appreciated the invitation from Tricia and the rest of the Durand family. Kelly was bound for ABQ on Sunday so I was destined for a drive eitherway. We decided to take Tricia up on her offer and put a stopover at the Lake in Kelly's run to the airport.
The Durand Lake house is a great place to relax however there are very few dull moments. Perhaps that is due to the pack of dogs that descend upon the house when Tricia graciously invites her friends (and thier dogs). The weekend was no different as we had enough dogs to start a small circus, that is if any of them minded their owners and knew any good tricks.
Wether it was the swimming, dogs, fireworks, wakeboarding or the great food, we look forward to the next time we can return to the land of the possum. Watch the Video

Say it ain't so Jan, Ivan, . . . . . . . Lance?

My excitement for the Tour has been marred yet again, this time from the biggest players in the whole race. In a race just about to get interesting with the departure of Lance, two of the favorites have been left off the starting list amid swirling accusations of doping. This while Lance continues to fend off accusations of those very close to him. Clean it up gentlemen, either the sport, the media, or both. This is sad. Velonews

Kelly's Table Arrives

Well, Kelly saved her pennies, taught during summer school and finally found a dining room set we both liked. The other one held up the dinner plates as well but I guess this one is more sophisticated. She is very proud of it, I am assuming because she took pictures of it. I must say that I like it too, however I hope I never have to move it because it weighs a ton.

Arrrgh

Well I thought it would go better than that. I guess I will have start cheering for the Germans now. I think I can rightfully claim them, but I would have rather rooted for the good ol USA. Mostly because no one ever expects them to do good. I can't say I am happy with any of the ref's so far but we didn't earn that one either. I still say it won't be too long until we do quite well but I guess it will be at least four years from now. Next couch activity planned, TOUR DE FRANCE!!!! without Lance, it could be very interesting.

Home Again Home Again

Well, what can I say, it's good to be home. Despite the knee high grass of the lawn waving to me as I walked in it was great to be back

California Cool

Last week I spent a week and change in California which provided me ample opportunity to visit most of the members of my immediate family. I count it a blessing any time my work carries me to their near vicinity. On the front side of the meet I went to the CA state track meet for recruiting purposes and after much thought realized that Cerritos is not too far from Irvine. Eric and my surfing excursion to Doheny merely proved that I am still not even a novice surfer. I was pleased; however, when I was mistaken for someone who looked they knew what they were doing (in the parking lot) by another newbie. That unfortunately was the finest surfing achievement of the day, well that and getting my wetsuit on.
Later on we relaxed at the house. Andrew and I got to hang out a little. What a kid. We had a blast. We piled into the Prius, went to Target, and Leslie found him an Andrew sized pool, perfect for splashing. A task he is more than proficient in. Check him out
After an extra day in LA I had to catch back up with the team headed to Sacramento for the NCAA national meet. The meet went well but could have gone better. We had a large group there, which is a start, but failed to get enough of them to finals. So going to the meet on the "final" day proved to be less exciting than it could have been. It was nice to be in Sacramento and to be able to see my dad, sister, Rhonda, and her parents all while "working." Yeah it's tough but truly Kelly has the hard part; during my stint as a Californian, she was back in Waco braving the 100 degree heat while teaching summer school. As if two track meets weren't enough Coach Harbour and I stayed after the team returned to go to one more HS meet in Folsom to keep an eye on some of the recruits we had spotted. After the meet we caught the red eye back to Waco where the heat greeted me like a blast furnace as I stepped off the plane. I must say free parking at the Waco airport is nice, but there is something to be said about the cool evenings in California.

My First Post

This is the first time that I have posted anything, thus far. In the future hopefully there will be more current updates relative to the capron home.

jon