Jeff's Fitness Journey

Father's Day Weekend vacation

2009-06-22T19:33:00.002-10:00

Well we decided to get away for a night to the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Sat night. We had it all planned out, 1 night at the hotel, check out and go look at some homes in Hawaii Kai and Kailua then return home Sunday evening. We had so much fun, we decided to return to the Hilton on Sunday and stay for 1 more exciting night. We all had a blast paddle boarding (as seen below). Not sure we are ready for any waves but it was a lot of fun for everyone. Lynn & Amanda were awesome

View from the lobby of the Hilton

View from our balcony. 31st floor was up there.

Sunset with Diamond Head, beautiful weekend in Waikiki, (when isn't it)?

Those are people on the beach

Tallest mural in the world. Rainbow Tower 286 ft high, 26 ft wide,over 8,000 pieces of hand painted tiles

Lagoon where we paddle boarded

It was a great weekend with the family.

Happy Father's day Dad. I love you

Tour de Big Island stage race

2009-06-16T07:32:00.003-10:00

This past weekend was my first ever stage race. It was held on the Big Island of Hawaii. I traveled with Ben and Dev and they made the trip enjoyable. 1st of the 3 race was a 6 mile time trial up the Kona coast. Perfect place to have a race except for the mile climb to the finish line.

As you can see my speed quickly dropped off once I hit the hill

2nd race was the .07 crit race with about 25 riders in my group. This was a very difficult race due to the 13% grade climb to the finish line.

As you can tell speed and elevation are completely opposite.

Final race on Sunday morning was a 19 mile loop for the final road race. Incredible scenery and exciting descent, but the climb was tough and long. As you can tell from the picture we came down the hill then had to climb back up.

I think it's obvious where the downhill stopped and the climb begin.

Overall a good trip, however after each race this is what I looked liked.

Action packed weekend

2009-06-08T12:05:00.002-10:00

Friday evening after a long day of removing the shed and planting grass seed we decided to invite Ben and head over to our favorite Italian restaurant - Buca di Beppo. As always plenty of good food. Sat we took the kids to build a bear workshop to let them make a couple stuff animals. Afterwards we tried a new restaurant in the mall that had some really good burgers.

Amanda and her rainbow bear

Jake and his new puppy

After the shed was removed I planted some grass seed and covered it to hopefully prevent the birds from eating it.

The guy that bought the shed hired "Two guys and a moving van", and they loaded up the shed and platform in 15 mins.

Sat. evening, we went for a family bike ride with Lynn and Jake's new wheels. They did great

Map of Sat. & Sun rides. Sat. was mostly flat with lots of speed work and Sun was mostly hills and little extra distance

Total miles: 98.5

Total time: 6 hrs

Total calories: 5800

Avg speed: 16.7 mph

Max speed: 37 mph

Avg heart rate: 146

Max heart rate: 177

Excellent month of riding

2009-05-31T14:35:00.002-10:00

This morning was yet another good day of training. 46.5 miles, 2hrs:52mins, out to Barber's Point and back. I'm noticing my aerobic conditioning improving on each and every ride. Decided to head to the Big Island (June 12-14) with Ben and Dev for a couple days and 3 races. Should be a good learning opportunity for me and to enjoy the sights of the Big Island.

Month of May statistics:

525 miles

31 hours : 31 mins

avg speed; 16.6 mph

max speed; 42.8 mph

avg heart rate; 139

max heart rate; 178

calories burned; 30,790

Sea life park swimming with the dolphins

2009-05-29T20:18:00.005-10:00

This morning we headed out for Sea life park to enjoy the dolphins. This was part of Amanda and Jake's birthday from Nana to swim with the dolphins. Here is Jake and I getting on our life jackets before we did the dolphin encounter. He's is too young to swim with the dolphin's but he enjoyed petting, kissing, dancing and learning about them.

Amanda and Lynn did the dolphin adventure. This was in a private pool in back of the park and the only people allowed were the ones doing the adventure and family. It was really cool, as they had two pregnant dolphins that really enjoyed showing off for everyone.

Amanda hanging on and getting pulled through the water

Jake dancing with the dolphin

dolphin kissing Jake

After lunch we enjoyed several of the other animals and caught a couple shows. This is a quick sea lion appearance

This is one of the trainers getting pulled around the pool

more videos and photos to follow later this weekend

Lynn's Electra Gypsy fashion bike

2009-05-28T14:51:00.002-10:00

This morning, I took Lynn to my favorite bike store to see if she could find a bike to her liking. After test riding several she kept coming back to this Electra cruising bike. The main reason for her to get a bike was to hook up the trailer bike for Jake to ride behind her when we go out on family bike rides. It also has a very loud bell on it. It has some very nice art work

Importance of teamwork, espically during a hot lunch time ride

2009-05-26T23:49:00.002-10:00

I was prepared for a very fast and fun normal Tuesday lunchtime ride, what I was prepared for was the hot-humid weather. The importance of teamwork was obvious today. Thanks Ben and Dev. As the speed ramped up to 31 mph I was feeling pretty good until I needed to catch back onto the draft, thank goodness Ben and Dev pulled me along at a very intense pace. I felt very strong cardio wise today, just couldn't get the legs to fire as fast as I needed to maintain the 30+ mph.

Overall it was an excellent workout pushing me passed my threshold.

Today's Stats:

DST: 16 miles

Time in saddle:53 min

Avg Speed:18.5 mph

Avg HR: 150

MX HR: 176

MX Speed: 31.3mph

Calories Burned: 1,000

Atlantis submarine dive

2009-05-25T15:18:00.003-10:00

This morning was the day for the submarine dive from Waikiki with the Atlantis sub. Amanda and I have done this several times, but it was Jake's first time on a boat. He was so excited. This is the boat that ferries you to 1 0f 2 submarines about 1 mile off shore. Amanda & Jake on Waikiki beach

Amanda and Jake by Hilton Grand Waikikian hotel

pulling up to the sub

Also got to catch some surfers with 2-3 foot waves

The sub crew is patiently waiting for us to board the sub and dive to depths in excess of 100 feet.

Jake checking out a star fish while we wait to board the boat at the sea urgent display

Before we board the crew took this awesome photo of us with Diamond head in the background

Afterwards we decided to walk to Red Lobster for lunch. It was a wonderful day and both of the kids were wonderful to go on a submarine dive.

Memorial Day weekend activities

2009-05-24T20:21:00.004-10:00

Wow, what a weekend the Soots family has enjoyed. Talk about fun in the sun! It all started early Friday morning with Amanda having a school musical (High School musical). This is the light house tower next to Hickam Elementary School. All of the seats and grass areas were taken by eager parents watching their kids perform

This is the Radford High School posting the colors for the Pledge of Allegiance

The entire 2nd grade class singing and dancing to the music. These guys put a lot of work into their play and they all did really well. Amanda was so proud to be in a musical play.

Jake wanted his picture taking by the statue before school started.

Jake and his new friend Katelyn, who moved into the neighborhood a few weeks ago, a very cute and nice 6 yr old girl. They play very well together, I think Jake likes her.

Jake asking me for something during a BBQ with Ben, Dev, Marita and Robert. Oh yea Katelyn was able to attend as well. It was a very good evening of friends, food and laughter with a little Wii action thrown in.

During the BBQ Ben & Dev totally surprised me with a retirement gift! An awesome jersey and shorts with the Hele Mobile Broadband team logo. These are by far the best jersey and shorts I've ever worn while riding. Thanks guys!

This morning we headed out 30 mins later than normal to allow the roads to dry from the nights rain for a 45 mile ride. Today's ride was at a nice recovery pace to Iroquois Point. I've been there before to watch a kids triathlon, but never on a bike. Looked like some good new training grounds. Good week on the bike with 120 miles on the bike. (7 hours 49 mins; avg heart rate 140; max heart rate 178; avg speed 17 mph; max speed 43 mph; calories burned 7800).

After today's ride, I was able to get the bike cleaned up and over to Ben's Bike Shop to replace the extra long shifter/brake cables and housing. This is the factory cables and grey housings.
reminded me of a bird's nest on the front of my bike

This is after Ben's magic and a nice cable kit from Jagwire road racing. As you can tell much cleaner and the black housing match the bike much better than the grey cable housings. Thanks Ben, it's awesome!

To top of the weekend - tomorrow Jake, Amanda and I are heading out bright and early for the Atlantis Submarine ride in Waikiki. This will be Jake's first time (Amanda has done it several times). It's an amazing experience to see all the underwater sea life.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Birthday Lu'au

2009-05-10T07:12:00.005-10:00

What an incredible time we had last night at the Pardaise Cove Lu'au. Amanda invited 3 of her classmates to the Lu'au, and we all had a really good time. What a nice picture Another nice picture of the kids

Kids with all thier lei's

all the girls in a canoe

Jake and his new girl friend

Jake and Leah doing the hula dance up front

Climbing the cocunut tree

Jake giving his girlfried a flower he got

all the girls enjoying some shaved ice

lets eat

Amanda's puppy birthday cake

The drive to the lu'au was too funny, here they are singing to Hannah Montana

oops wrong one

2009-05-08T18:21:00.002-10:00

Due to all the activities planned for this weekend we decided to have Lynn's early Mother's day edible fruit arrangement delivered this afternoon. The guy called as planned and said he was 2 mins out. Perfect I said. Amanda and I met him at the road to get Lynn's basket. The driver quickly realized he didn't have Lynn's basket but instead had someone else's (minus the mothers day balloon). He offered a even swap if we would take the one with chocolate dipped pineapple and chocolate/cinnamon dipped apples instead of the balloon. I said sure no big deal.
We brought the beautiful arrangement in the house, took a few pictures and started sampling the treats, yummy! Then the phone rings not 10 mins after the driver left. I answered the phone and the driver informs me the other person wants they one we have instead of the balloon one. I said, we'll we are already eating this one. He said ok, thanks. The phone rang again from the main store and they apologized for the mix up and said another one would be coming shortly as we originally ordered. This is the one with pineapple and apples.

This is the one with the balloon

They both were very tasted and a nice mother's day surprise. Pineapple hearts were a very nice touch.

Life is good

2009-05-07T14:00:00.002-10:00

This morning started out with a nice 45 mile bike ride followed by lunch with the kids at the pasta bar. As you can tell Jake loves pasta Here is Ben in his Hele riding kit with Barber's Point beach in the background. Perfect day for a ride.

Ben and Casey leading the way

Overall it was a good easy spin ride.

45miles, 2 hrs - 43 mins

Avg HR 140 - Max 170

Avg speed 17 mph max speed 35 mph

calories burned 2561

Nice route we took, going against the traffic most of the way. There were a lot of cars on the road this morning and I'm sure we made better time than most cars.

On the way back I had another wheel spoke break and then while disassembling the wheel to take to the bike shop another spoke snapped. That's 4 total. I hope Easton realizes the wheel is defective and replaces the entire wheel.

Amanda's 8th Birthday

2009-05-04T21:13:00.006-10:00

Today was Amanda's 8th Birthday and it was a really good one. Here is a pic of Amanda and Jake after school by Pearl Harbor Here is Amanda getting ready to have a lunch with me. Instead of having lunch at school I brought us some lunch to have by Pearl Harbor. Amanda loved her Lei' for her birthday

15 mins before school finished Jake and I brought the whole class a few treats for Amanda's birthday. All the kids just love Jake.

Here we are at Farrah's Ice cream parlor for dinner. Lynn had both cameras going for tonight's special occasion.

Of course the kids took full advantage of ganging up on me

Here is the link to the Amanda's birthday slide show and all the pictures from today's events. All in all it was a very good birthday for Amanda and she felt very special all day long. Tomorrow we are off for a field trip to the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium

This is the birthday song from the Farrah's crew.

tomorrow is my "little girl's" 8th birthday

2009-05-03T22:28:00.006-10:00

Where is my little girl? She is growing up way too fast, how can I slow life down to ensure I enjoy each and everyday with her. What a beautiful girl she's becoming!

Happy Birthday

Final day as an active duty member of the Air Force - amazing

2009-04-30T15:08:00.003-10:00

This reflects the highlights of my career, crew my own F15 in Alaska and work Jet engines on the test cell at max operating power - what an incredible experience This is the certificate from the Pentagon with a flag that was flown in honor of my retirement.

Thank you Air Force for all the wonderful memories.

Easy morning spin, and some incredible biking skills

2009-04-25T10:19:00.008-10:00

This morning was perfect weather (64 deg's, 0-mph wind, 80% humidity), for a easy spin on the bike. I decided not to join the fellows this morning as I just felt like riding easy and enjoying the morning without trying to catch the speedsters. I was the only one on the road for most of the morning. 20 mile ride just over 1 hour long and 1100 calories later.
Cockpit view of the Garmin. as you can tell I wasn't pedaling when I snap the picture (hence the 0-rpm).

Nothing like a homemade waffle with berries for breakfast.

Now this guy has some serious biking skills - Danny MacAskill

Comedy/juggling show and then movie under the stars

2009-04-24T21:11:00.005-10:00

What an action packed Friday evening!

It all started off with a free comedy/juggling act on base by the gold champion Team Root & Berry (click the link to watch a similar performance). These guys were really good and put on a good 1 hour show for all the kids in attendance. Thanks Hickam Services for putting this together it was amazing! Then it was home for an hour and Lynn says OK let's go to the movies at Amanda's school. I helped them get the beam-bag chairs and blankets and they were off for more adventure. Since the weather held out and it was a nice evening they showed the movie outside under the stars and it was really nice. Shortly after the movie began I decided I was bored at home and joined them for the rest of the movie. The movie was The Tale of Despereaux

mixing it up a little at lunch

2009-04-15T19:01:00.003-10:00

Since i was unable to ride yesterday during the normal Tuesday lunch ride, I was able to break away today at lunch and get in a quick 70 min ride with Ben and Dev. The wind was very strong as it has been for the last month.
Saddle time: 71 mins
distance: 19.5 miles
Avg HR: 153
Max HR: 177
very wind but a really nice day for a ride

Jake's Birthday Party

2009-04-11T20:01:00.003-10:00

Today, was Jake's birthday party and it all started as soon as he got up to find all of his Lego's were assembled and ready for playing. He was so excited he didn't know which one he wanted to play with first.
This year Jake wanted a Thomas Train & Friends ice cream cake that turned out really nice

He also wanted a Thomas pinata

The big surprise of the day was an edible fruit basket from Nana & Papa, this thing was incredible and the kids thought it was soo cool.

I think everything is ready to go for the big party

Looking good on the outside as well, Lynn is such a good party coordinator

Jake and Sammy, enjoying a snack during the party

Jake and a neighbor friend playing

It's cake time

Everyone loves the cake

All in all it was an excellent party and good day for everyone, especially Jake

Jake's birthday dinner

2009-04-10T20:40:00.004-10:00

Tonight was the family birthday dinner for Jake who wanted to go to Farrell's (his new favorite restaurant). What an incredible time we had with tons of fun and a special treat (magician) First we started off with a few presents from Nana, Grandma, Uncle Nathan & Mary and us.

Since Jake loves building things Lego's are his new favorite toys, and of course remote controlled cars

A soccer ball

As you can tell Jake made out on the Lego's.

He's so excited he is speechless

Now Amanda and Jake are deciding what kind of dessert Jake would like for his birthday

Jake patiently waiting for his dinner

The special treat was a magician that showed up at the table with some really incredible tricks. The kids loved it. He did several tricks that had us all guessing

Jake decided on the clown dessert

But the biggest treat was the Happy birthday song, this is a classic

Thursday lunch ride

2009-04-09T19:18:00.003-10:00

Today I was able to break away for the normal Thursday lunch ride to the small hills around base. It was obvious I hadn't rode any hills in quite some time, I was able to complete 3 loops and felt better after each one.I was able to complete 3 loops (good thing the weather was cool) and overhaul felt better after each loop.

distance: 18.5 miles

saddle time: 73 mins

avg HR: 157

max HR: 181

max speed: 40 mph

Night of haircuts

2009-04-08T21:43:00.002-10:00

Tonight we decided the kids were getting haircuts. Amanda already had an appointment downtown and Jake decided he needed one too. Jake loves getting his haircut and doesn't move while sitting in the chair. Here is Amanda's haircut, it look incredible. Probably the best haircut she's ever had.

Kids soccer practice, Tuesday lunchtime bike ride

2009-04-07T21:49:00.003-10:00

For the past several weeks, we've been taking the kids to a great 2 hour soccer practice with "Uncle Clay", previous student of Lynn's that teaches kids basic soccer drills. Incredible practice field with tons of kids everywhere but no one is crowded. Uncle Clay helping Jake during stretching portion

All the kids coming together in the end of a really good 2 hour workout. It was freezing tonight with very high winds, wind chill must have made it feel like it was in the 50's.

Back on the bike for a nice Tuesday lunch ride. Several riders turned out along with some very stiff winds.

I was able to hold on at the back of the pack for quite awhile before my lack of endurance kicked in and then I was left in no-mans land battling the wind.

Saddle time: 1 hour

Distance: 17 miles

Avg HR: 149

Max HR: 190

Total Calories: 1000

Family camping

2009-04-04T06:40:00.002-10:00

Since it was the last day of spring break, we decided to have a special treat and have a camp-out in the back yard. We set the tent up (along with the air mattress and computer to watch a movie). Jake decided he needed everything from his bed in the tent

We had to improvise a little for the smores, it worked pretty good on the grill

Jake and his very own smore.

Jake giving me a kiss for another smore

Amanda and I made it through the night, but around 11:00 Jake decided it was time to go back in the house so him and Lynn heading in to sleep in a real bed

A full day with the kids, before I travel for 2 weeks

2009-03-07T06:26:00.002-10:00

Today, I took a day off from work to spend a little more time with the kids before I leave on a business trip for 2 weeks. It started with breakfast at Amanda's school where they make fresh bread every morning. It was really good and Jake loved having bk with Amanda. She is such a good role model
Then Jake and I headed over to the Navy bx store for a little shopping and Jake wanted his picture taken by the waterfall

Then, it was back to pick up Amanda and take them to the Hickam Officer's club for lunch (stir-fry). Now this was an incredible lunch as you can see there was only one more person having lunch when we got there (several more showed up later). These guys are so good in a restaurant

And to top it off with a game of "thumb war" at a Mexican restaurant.

I leave late tonight for a week in Macon, GA then a week in Oklahoma City. Hopefully it will go by quick and will be good weather.

Not what you want to see 5 min. before a bike ride

2009-03-03T20:14:00.002-10:00

Today was going to be the normal Tuesday HACC lunch time hammer fest. I came home got dressed pumped up the tires placed the water bottle in the cage and started to head out when I noticed the rear tire wasn't rolling. After a little investigation I noticed one of the spokes had broke allowing the wheel to become out-of-round. So that meant no riding for me. Dropped wheel off at the local bike shop tonight and since it's under warranty they are going to try and replace the wheel (this is the 2nd spoke that's broke). At least it didn't break while I was riding, I suppose.

Incredible Friday

2009-02-27T18:48:00.006-10:00

What an action packed Friday I had today. It started with a good friend / co-worker having a very nice retirement ceremony at the HQ PACAF bldg (court yard of heroes). Very nice ceremony and Joe with his 5 kids below. Then at lunch I decided instead of having lunch with Amanda at her school we would take off and go somewhere for lunch. We went to the officer's club for the Friday's special (stir-fry). She kept saying how special it was to have such a wonderful lunch and she felt like we were on a date.

Food was exceptionally good and hopefully we can do it again before Amanda gets out of school.

After lunch I had my quarterly reading to the 2nd grade class. Today's book was Balto (a true story of a very brave Alaskan dog that saved the city of Nome AK in 1925) still today considered the bravest dog in the world.
After reading I had about 15 min's before school let out so I decided to walk down to Pearl Harbor and just enjoying the beautiful day. What an incredible place

Then it was off to run a couple errands and get a bite to eat. While we were waiting for food Jake showed me his "lady-killer" look. He is such a ham

Then it was off for one last treat for the night. A scoop of ice-cream. While we were eating our ice-cream a young lady came up to us and gave the kids a doll her husband won out of the dollar machine. It didn't take the kids long to figure out how to have even more fun. It's so nice to hear the kids laugh so hard.

Now we are ready for the weekend!

Hawaii indoor sleding

2009-02-26T17:42:00.002-10:00

Here is Jake practicing his indoor sledding down the stairs on his homemade sled (cardboard box and trash bag)

Honolulu Zoo

2009-02-21T15:24:00.003-10:00

Since Amanda had the day off from school, Lynn decided to take the kids to the Honolulu zoo for the day.
Of course they had to visit the petting zoo. This is Jake's favorite part

This is Amanda's favorite part (almost swimming with the fish)

Jake showing off his climbing skills

Jake and Amanda riding the giraffe statue

Lynn and the kids enjoy the zoo

To the love of my life

2009-02-15T12:40:00.002-10:00

just for you dear

A good week of exercising

2009-02-15T12:21:00.002-10:00

Finally got a full week of exercising under my belt. I haven't been able to put 6 consecutive days together in a very long time. However this past week was a good week, with 60 miles of biking (3 hrs, 12 min) & 13 miles of running (2 hrs, 33 min) and a 100 meter ocean swim, for a total of 6000 calories burned this week. Hopefully the trend will continue of at least 6 days of exercising and a couple days of swimming thrown in for a complete workout.

Looking forward to an easy bike ride for a couple hours tomorrow.

It doesn't get much better than this!

2009-02-12T20:50:00.008-10:00

What a wonderful birthday I had today. Everyone wished me happy birthday(home, work & friends) and made me realize just how many true friends I have in life. Lynn had to teach tonight and Amanda needed some valentines for school tomorrow, so off to the mall we went. Once there Amanda suggested we go to Farrell's for dinner (which was in the mall). I said sure that shouldn't take us too long. Quick and easy dinner
Just as the waitress brought the bill she asked if I would fill out these cards and they would mail birthday coupons. Amanda jumped into action and said today is my dads birthday. The waitress quickly jumped into action and got all the employees together for a quick birthday song (this is the same waitress we had tonight singing). When she asked how old I was Amanda quickly answered for me. The kids loved it and felt like they really got me good.

This was the first song I heard this morning when I got in the car and it stuck with me all day.

All-in-all it was an excellent day for me to just stop and realize just how wonderful my life is with a wonderful family, great parents and in-laws, the perfect brother and a few good friends. Then tonight as I took the kids to bed both Amanda and Jake said to me just as they were falling asleep, happy birthday dad and I love you. What more could I possible ask for in life? nothing, but exactly what I have - thanks to everyone

What a weekend of fun, swimming, and special treat for Amanda

2009-02-08T20:27:00.003-10:00

This was a weekend to remember. We were all over the island doing all kinds of fun things this weekend.
First and foremost this is a Mai-tai toast to my younger brother (Nathan in Anchorage) who had is 32nd birthday today and hopefully this will remind of the nice warm Hawaiian days
Jake and I, have a photo moment in the pool. Little Jake is becoming quite the little swimmer.

Jake doing is favorite activity of all time - eating ice-cream after Amanda's special evening and wearing a little on his face. He says it taste better that way.

Jake getting in on the photo shoot prior to one of our weekend adventures.

Here is Amanda the morning after getting her ears pierced. She was incredible and loves her new ear-rings and hair style. I'm sure glad I have plenty of guns for the boys in the near future.

Amanda in the "hot-seat" after getting her ears pierced

Amanda getting the first ear pierced. She said it didn't hurt at all.

Before all the serious action we decided to take in a quick game of glow-n-dark mini golf. This is always a great place for some good family fun

And prior to arriving to the mall we drove around Kaneohe Bay to look at some neighborhoods and stumbled across an open house for this brand new 3000 sq ft home overlooking the bay. It's in an area called Bay View Estates, this particular home is called the Gardenia , (check out the photos) and comes completely furnished (fake grass and all) for a whooping $1.4 million dollars. It was a very nice house, but not for the Soots family.

What a great weekend, now it's back to the office and school next week. We need an extra long weekend soon!

karate kid/muscle man

2009-02-05T18:44:00.008-10:00

Here are a couple video's of Jake in action.

karate kicking a water bottle

more water bottle kicking

Mr. muscle man

10 year anniversary

2009-01-24T17:17:00.006-10:00

Here is the restaurant where we had our anniversary dinner, Top of Waikiki

The view was incredible with a great sunset

Very nice view of Diamond head

Here is Lynn watching the dvd movie.

Lynn had the seared swordfish with fresh ginger, it was very good

I had the roasted garlic rib-eye steak

Here is the video dedicated to my lovely wife, capturing pictures and event from the last 10 years.

just another day at the park

2009-01-21T18:50:00.001-10:00

When I got home from work today, I found all of the neighborhood kids playing together and Lynn had just finished snapping a few shots of them all. This is the typical crowd that plays daily at the park behind our house.

Winter in Hawaii

2009-01-19T06:52:00.003-10:00

What a beautiful Hawaiian weekend we have had. Perfect temperatures and lots of sun.Friday started off with the state pretty much shutting down for predictions of high winds (30-60mph). Schools, state offices and most military members stayed home, however the high winds never produce and Hawaii escaped the wrath of mother nature

Yesterday Lynn and Amanda went to see "Hotel for Dogs" and loved it. A must see for all pet fans out there.

When the finished they walked over to the "as seen on TV" store and purchased two snuggie blankets, since it is winter in Hawaii.

This weekend as also been filled with helping a friend move from one house on base to another a few blocks away. He has done all the work except when it comes to the big stuff

He also discovered this very nice credenza from this Navy guy that is moving. This thing was very nice and verrrry heavy, but we were able to get it into his house

All in all a near perfect Hawaii weekend

Family day

2009-01-11T19:44:00.002-10:00

Today was a nice day with the family enjoying each other's company. It all started off slow this morning as we waited for the heavy rain to pass. Once it past we decided it was a good morning for breakfast at Anna Miller's. We call Ben and he decided to join us for a muffin and coffee. We came home and completed a few chores and errands. Amanda thought he would be a good idea to go to the base pool so we changed clothes and loaded up the van to go to the pool for a little dip.

It was a very nice day at the pool, the water was a little cool but not too bad once you got used to it. The kids had no problem with the water temperature

After the pool we thought we haven't been to Ruby Tuesday's in forever and we were in the mood for a good salad bar. We got there just in time as it started getting busy.

We all had the salad bar and it was very fresh and tasty. As we left we heard Ben had just arrived to eat there as well

After dinner we walked down to Starbucks for a warm beverage to end the evening.

All in all a very nice day just chilling and enjoying each other's company.

Aloha Friday

2009-01-09T19:23:00.002-10:00

What a beautiful Aloha Friday we had today. It all started off with a nice sunrise and very nice weather for the entire day. First thing this morning I had to go pick up copies of my medical records from Tripler medical center, this is where Jake and I both had operations awhile back. This is a massive place on top of the hill overlooking Oahu

Here is the view from Tripler looking toward Waikiki

Then at noon my work had their quarterly picnic and I brought the kids for a quick lunch. We left the picnic and decided to go to the windward mall for a round of glow in the dark mini golf. These guys love this place

picture of the indoor golfing facility

To top it off we had some good bbq chicken and homemade pasta salad.

Nice surprise (no-special occasion) dinner

2009-01-08T19:17:00.005-10:00

Tonight Lynn and the kids planned a nice (no-special occasion) surprise dinner for me when I got home from work. It was a healthy manicotti, salad and fresh fruit. What a very nice surprise. Tasty manicotti

Jake's very own salad with a little help from Lynn

Jake making a fresh fruit bowl

Jake making homemade salad dressing

Today was also a big day for Jake, he decided to donate his Thomas train table set and trains to some less fortunate Hawaiian kids. A co-worker does a ton of community service and has a perfect home for this well taken care of train set and knows a bunch of kids that will really enjoy playing trains. Both of our kids or so thoughtful to those less fortunate. Way to go Jake!

Angels in bed

2009-01-07T18:01:00.002-10:00

Every since Amanda is been on Christmas vacation these guys have been wanting to have a sleep over with each other, so last night we gave it a try.
They both went right to bed and was asleep in less than 20 mins. All was well till 0200 when Jake had a bad dream and Amanda came in to tell us. She quickly seized the opportunity to swap places with mommy. These guys really get along well with each other for being so young.

Hammerfest followed by invisible shield

2009-01-06T20:58:00.002-10:00

I received my ZAGG's invisibleSHIELD™ for my blackberry bold today, it is a thin polyurethane film originally created for the military to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades. What's unique about this military-grade, patented film is how tough it is - it doesn't scratch. What makes ZAGG's exclusive invisibleSHIELD™ so strong, flexible and scratch-proof? Its Nano-Memory technology™. With this technology, it also allows it to curve and contour around an entire device (not just the screen) and adhere to the device unless you want to remove it (without leaving adhesive). Pretty cool stuff to hopefully prevent any scratches on my Bold
Today I was able to get in a lunchtime ride (seems like it's been forever since I rode at lunch). Great turnout of riders and it was nice to mix it up with the speedy guys for a short duration.

I will miss Hawaii weather that is for sure, it never changes 72-88 with a slight breeze

Homemade pizza (kids style)

2009-01-04T18:47:00.002-10:00

This evening Lynn and Amanda decided they wanted to make homemade pizza (dough and all). Of course Jake and I had to get in on the fun and it turned out really good. The pizza on the left is Jake's and the one on the right is Amanda's. Both were very good. Amanda being photogenic evening while making a pizza

Jake and I with the "Shaka" signs after his pizza creation

Both of the kids being extra lovely to each other before we took them to toy-r-us to spend some of their Christmas money. They can be so cute together sometimes.

50 mile ride and New Year sales

2009-01-03T12:57:00.004-10:00

This morning was a real treat to knock out a 50 mile ride. The weather was cloudy but there was no rain and the roads were dry. On the ride out we had a 20-25 mph tail wind that made the ride nice and fast. On the ride back we know had a head wind that made it a little more difficult and we were unable to maintain the same speed as we did going out. All in all it was a good ride. 51.5 miles, 3000 calories, 3 hrs 21 minutes.

I've also decided to try and sell my first road bike. This was an excellent bide to start with and now I've listed it on Craigslist to see I can find a new home that can enjoy it.

Also selling is a very nice child trailer. We used it about 6 times and there is no need for it where we are heading.

2009 will be the year of change

2009-01-02T15:38:00.002-10:00

Now that we have thawed out from our Alaska trip, we are ready for 2009 (I think). This is going to be a big year of change so we are going to roll with it and make the best out of it. I only have 6 months till I retire from the military and 4 months before we move to Colorado Springs. Still working on lining up the job but it shows lots of potential for me to step into. Not sure how the fitness goals will pan out this year, but I've decided to get in what training I can and enjoy each and every minute I have to do something aerobic/anaerobic. Due to all the changes ahead in 2009, I will not be racing any this year (not that I was a threat) biking or running. I will try to maximize all my training efforts and minimize any injuries. I will also try to keep up with the blog as much as I can.

Wish everyone a safe and healthy 2009.

Last full day in Alaska

2008-12-28T14:38:00.002-10:00

Today is our last full day in Alaska (until next time) and we enjoyed it to the fulliest. Papa, kids and I ran a couple of errands this morning and Mt. McKinnely was in clear sight (280 miles) away. The sky was crystal clear with unlimted visibility, that's why it's soo cold. This is a very nice print Nathan and Mary got me for Christmas, showing an F-22, F-15 flying over the Elephant Cage at Elmendorf Air Force Base by artist James Morris . To the best of my knowledge this is the first print of the Elephant Cage on Elmendorf. This will be nice to have framed and matted for our future home in CO that will match my other F15 print

We also tried a cool little expirement this morning of throwing hot water into cold air to watch it vaporize. It was pretty neat to watch and have the kids ask tons of questions on how it works.

I doubt there will be any bike riding in the snow in my near future, just doesn't seem like much fun if you ask me

A couple pics of mom and dad's house with all the animals on the wall. A true Alaskan house.

Buurrr -5 degrees this morning, and good eating last night

2008-12-28T09:00:00.002-10:00

This morning we woke up to -5 degree temperature in Anchorage. I doubt the kids will be playing much outside today. Last night Nathan, Mary, Lynn and I went to F-Street Station for some good food and a frosty beverage. This is the best kept secret in Anchorage

Beer battered halibut

Calamari and french onion soup

Alaskan amber beer, another favorite

dessert

Drive down south to see the wild side

2008-12-27T17:15:00.003-10:00

Today Papa suggested we take a drive down south via Turnagain arm to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which was really neat. It's about a 35 mile drive south of Nana and papa's house and was a very nice day for a drive. Here are a couple of pictures of the drive along Turnagain arm.

Afterwards we drove over to Portage Glacier, even though we were unable to see the glacier due to all the snow it was a nice.

Along the drive we spotted a few mountain sheep along the rocks next to the highway.

Now the girls are at the movies watching Marley & Me, I'm sure Amanda will love it since it's about dogs.

After the movies Nathan & Mary are going to bring Madison over and we are going to go to my favorite pub "F Street Lounge" for a beer/snack.

H2Oasis waterpark & Moose's Tooth Pizza

2008-12-27T02:59:00.003-10:00

Today's was another action packed day of fun. We decided to take the kids to H2Oasis water park for a little warm fun in the water. What a blast we had and there wasn't many people there which was a big surprise. Nathan, Mary and Madison met us there to join in on the fun. For an indoor water park it is pretty big and a ton of fun. We've been here before with Amanda but this was Jake's first time and he had no problems enjoying all the water.

This was Jake's favorite, the pirate ship

The big green slide in the background was Amanda's favorite, a very fast tube ride

Of course everyone enjoyed the warm river walk

Afterwards we all enjoyed some gourmet Pizza from Moose's Tooth pizza. This place has tripled in size since the last time I was here and was more busy than I've every saw it.

This vacation stuff rocks and we are having a blast.

A Christmas day of fun, sights and plenty of food

2008-12-26T10:43:00.006-10:00

What a Christmas day we had at Nana & Papa's. It all started bright and early with Nathan, Mary & Madison showing up at 7:00 to open the presents that Santa brought and it didn't take but about 1 min to get the kids out of the bed and downstairs to open gifts.

Here is Amanda posing with a Nutcracker at Hotel Capt. Cook when while we were looking for the Gingerbread village Below are some pictures of the famous Gingerbread Village on display at the hotel Capt. Cook

It took over 4 months to construct the village and was a very nice display

After the Gingerbread Village we drove by some of the neighborhoods that had nice Christmas light displays and this is a video of the best one. They had this one broadcasting on the radio station so you could listen to the music from the vehicle and watch the lights. Best Anchorage Christmas light display

Entire family opening gifts bright and early on Christmas morning

Mom's very tasty pumpkin roll that was enjoyed by all especially Jake and Amanda

A sea-salt roasted prime-rib that was a nice addition to our Christmas dinner

A garlic butter turkey that was tasty as well

And a honey, apricot jam ham to top off the dinner meal and of course all of the normal fixings

We also had a ton of laughs playing our new Wii Carnival mini golf that everyone took turns at playing

We hope all of our friends had as good of Christmas day as the Soots', and we wish everyone a happy New Year and joyous 2009

Beautiful day for sleding

2008-12-24T06:15:00.002-10:00

Today in Anchorage turned out to be a beautiful day to play/sled in the snow. Temps were in the mid 20's with a few inches of snowfall throughout the day. We couldn't have asked for better weather for our winter activities.

Here we are at the top of Hillberg Ski resort on Elmendorf Air Force base. We decided we should learn on the small hill before trying to take on the big boy hill. The kids loved it but they didn't like too much climbing all the way back up after the slid to the bottom.

Jake is a true master of the balance arena. It didn't take him long to figure out how to steer and go very fast. He even had a couple wipe-outs but jumped right up and ensure everyone he was ok.

Here is Amanda and I getting ready to race to the bottom, she has the advantage since Lynn is pushing her. What a blast it was

today we have some shopping to finish up and see what we can show the kids that beautiful Anchorage as to offer. They are having soo much fun they haven't even asked about Santa in the last several hours.

Buuurrr from Anchorage

2008-12-23T08:46:00.002-10:00

First day in chilly Alaska was a blast with the kids getting all bundled up to play in the snow. Kids taking some time to get a picture with Nana before they head outside.

Jake in his new spiderman jacket

Plenty of snow for everyone

Off to the ski slopes today for some extra fun in the snow.

Hawaiian Christmas over, Alaska here we come

2008-12-20T21:20:00.004-10:00

We leave late tomorrow night destination Anchorage AK to bundle up at Nana and Papa's house and play in the snow. Jake has never seen the snow and Amanda barely remembers snow. The 5 hour flight will take us from 75 degree weather to 15 degree weather. It should be a bucket of laughs to see how the kids handle the cold and enjoy the snow.
Santa came early to the Soots home and we had a really nice Hawaiian Christmas to include a delicious ham (made with apricot jam) secret recipe from a co-worker that was out of this world. The kids were up at 5:30 and went as hard as they could all day, now they are in bed and getting ready for the big flight to AK.

Next blog should be from the frigid north!

Santa coming & rockin reader

2008-12-19T19:19:00.005-10:00

Tonight is Christmas Eve at the Soots home. Yes it is a couple days early, however we are leaving late Sunday night and decided to let the kids have an Hawaiian and Alaskan Christmas this year.
On Monday I signed up to read to Amanda's 2nd grade class, it's called rockin reader. We've done this several times over the last 2 years and it's amazing to watch how much the kids love someone reading a story to them.

In the spirit of the holidays we made all the kids little holiday gift bags with 2 cookies and Amanda helped make each and every one.

Rainy day leads to staying indoors

2008-12-11T19:21:00.005-10:00

Extremley wet day on Oahu. Today was one of the wettest days every recorded on the island.
So, what did Jake do on a day like today? He is the new Wii boxing champion. Check out his style and latest win

Not everyday is another day in Paradise

2008-12-11T05:53:00.002-10:00

Today we are under a flash flood watch as the skies have opened up over Oahu.
So we only have 364 days of perfect weather this year, not too bad.

Wii

2008-12-06T16:18:00.005-10:00

We have been playing the Wii games almost every night and what a blast we've been having. We all have our strengths and weaknesses but it is a lot of fun.
Here is a video clip of the Wii Fit system/games

Here is a video clip of the Wii Sports games

Here is a video clip for the Wii play games

Specialized Christmas card

2008-12-03T20:59:00.002-10:00

For the non cyclist this is video from Specialized bikes for the holidays.

Happy Holidays

Fall Festival, old friends, school project & cleaning time

2008-12-02T20:49:00.006-10:00

Tonight was the annual Hickam Elementary Fall Festival. Several neat little games and a spaghetti dinner was included. Good time had by all

Jake observing Amanda throwing balls at the dunk tank, he even gave it a try but couldn't quite throw the ball hard enough

They even had a soft serve ice cream truck

Everyone loves a little ice cream

Amanda and I eating our ice creamThis is Jake hitching a back ride from Katlin who was visiting with her parents who are some really good friends from Tucson that spent their Thanksgiving holiday in Hawaii and we were able to hook up with them for a nice dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in WaikikiAmanda's book project for class. Her assignment was to make a 3-D scene using recyclable material of her favorite book. This is her project about horses in the wild.

After today's lunchtime ride I discovered my road bike looked more like a mtn bike. So it's prepped for a good cleaning and waxing tomorrow.

Maybe Santa will find our house

2008-11-30T09:35:00.002-10:00

All set for Christmas. Here are the lights we bought last month to replace our other lights that were 6 years old. Nothing to big but very nice according to the experts (kids).
Our very first "real" tree. We were going to wait till next year when we move to get our first real tree, but we seen a clip on the news about a place on the island that grows trees and it is very nice.

Norfolk Pine tree is originally from Australia's Norfolk Island, the Norfolk pine tree came to Hawaii in the 19th Century. Some Norfolks are more than 100 feet tall. Once cut down, Norfolks will stay green, healthy and gorgeous for over a month.

They also had these very nice wreaths that matches the tree.

Only 25 days till Christmas, are you ready?

Stranded on "Black Friday"

2008-11-28T13:37:00.003-10:00

This morning a couple of bud's decided to brave "black Friday" and go shopping. They headed out early (03:30) with a good game plan and hit the streets and was ready to go when the doors opened at 5 a:m.
Everything was going as planned until they came out of a store only to find their car being towed. Not because they were illegally parked, not because the time had expired, but because they walked across the street and left the premises of the restaurant where they parked. What a scam!

This is for you guy's.

Family and Friends is what it's all about!!!

2008-11-27T18:23:00.006-10:00

Today was an exciting action packed day right from the start. I decided I would get back into running. No my foot hasn't got any better but I've decided I would run anyway and try to force it to heal (not the best thing to do but we'll see what happens). So @ 0630 Ben, Dev & I met for a slow 5 mile run. I could tell it had been awhile since I ran but was able to complete 4.6m in 42 mins avg. 9:15 pace. HR was higher than normal but that will come down after a couple weeks of running again. I came home to find the kids up and ready to go. They were so excited this morning being it was thanksgiving day. So Lynn and I decided we would give them their Christmas gift from us early and let them have a little fun. Yes they got a Nintendo Wii bundle pack with the Wii Fit board.

We opened the game at 9:00 and started playing by 9:30 and we didn't stop till almost 6:00. It's a amazing game and even Jake can play several of the games. We played baseball, bowling, fishing, boxing, tennis, ping-pong, laser hockey, billiards, shooting range, tanks and cow racing. We also played a couple of the Wii Fit games which are pretty neat.

Jake is fast asleep and Amanda is almost out. (I would be sleeping if I could). It was soo funny watching these guys play with each other trying to beat the computer.
Then before we knew it, it was dinner time. Lynn out did herself this year with a very nice honey baked ham.

But the best part of today's meal was this incredible turkey. The juiciest turkey I've ever ate. It was incredible. Must be a Hawaiian Paradise turkey (just kidding).

We also had mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, stuffing and pumpkin pie. I'm stuffed.

I better get a good bike ride in tomorrow to work off some of today's calories.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone and I hope everyone had as much fun as we did with family and friends today, cause that is what's really important.

Lunch with co-workers

2008-11-25T19:25:00.003-10:00

Today we had our annual thanksgiving lunch with the entire section (over 100 people). Of the 3 I've attended this was by far the best one. We had plenty of room for everyone and the food was incredible. They started almost on time and the line went very fast so no one had to wait too long for their turn.
Since Amanda was in school, Jake and I attended and had a really good time. He is such a good boy.

This is BGen Litchfield speaking to everyone before we ate. He will be leaving PACAF to go to Oklahoma for his next assignment by the end of the year.

A little wet

2008-11-22T04:56:00.002-10:00

As you can see from the radar picture it is a little wet and doesn't look like it is going to clear up anytime soon. So far we haven't got heavy rain which is a good thing, however there is a flash flood watch for the entire state.

Hawaii sunrise, sleep over

2008-11-20T20:23:00.002-10:00

What a nice Hawaii sunrise this morning on the way to work.
Tonight Amanda got to have a sleep over with a school friend Rachel. She is staying over with us tonight so her mom and dad can stay at the Army medical center during birth of her little brother or sister. So this is how they wanted to watch a movie together in bed.

Tomorrow night is Amanda's school Fall Festival which should be a ton of fun.

Windy but fun

2008-11-19T05:53:00.003-10:00

Yesterday we were able to dodge the rain for a good lunch time ride with 13 other riders at lunch time. Wasn't the fastest ride of all time due to some extreme head wind but made for an overall good ride and some mental toughness.
The winds were 10-20 mph with gusts above 25 mph

Lynn got her replacement blackberry in the mail yesterday afternoon and I was able to recover all of her previous phone information and get her back up and running.

Little Angels, broken blackberry, rainy weekend in paradise

2008-11-16T09:17:00.002-10:00

Here is a picture we had made with the latest edition to the Soots family (Madison, Nathan & Mary's 6 month old girl) when they were here visiting a couple of weeks ago.
Upon returning home from Korea, Lynn was having problems with her blackberry. Basically it will not come on, tried different battery, sim card, media card, still broken. Took back to At&t and they said it was a fatal operating system failure and the phone would require replacement. Luckily it's still under warranty.

Not your typically weekend in paradise with heavy rain since Friday with more in the forecast. Hopefully the sun will return soon.

Mission Complete

2008-11-13T23:25:00.002-10:00

Wow! what a week it has been at Kunsan AB Korea. A 5 person team arrived a few days ago with very clear guidance to go to Kunsan and ensure they are preforming safe and effective maintenance on F-16 aircraft.
Needless to say, Mission Complete and it was an incredible opportunity to make a difference that will effect those I had the opportunity to inspect. I was able to recognize 1 individual (out of 1100 assigned) on his performance and enthusiasm. His Commander was shocked with my insight to what was truly important and stated I personally affected that individual as well as him.

Now I'm setting at Incheon airport heading back to Honolulu to have lunch with Amanda tomorrow.

From Hawaii to Korea

2008-11-10T10:56:00.004-10:00

Late last week I was informed I would need to go to Kunsan AFB Korea to inspect the maintenance to ensure they had "safe and effective" maintenance practices. So quickly I had reservations and was on an airplane to Korea. Upon arrival to Osan AFB for a one night layover the team was informed Kunsan's Commander (see link)had been relieved of duty.

Now it's off to Kunsan for a few days of inspecting and ensuring maintenance preformed is nothing short of PACAF's standard in the Maintenance Pursuit of Excellence.

Fun day at the carnival

2008-11-01T20:44:00.004-10:00

This morning we decided we better get a good breakfast since it was going to be a long day at the Hickam Carnival (50th Anniversary edition). We went to the Wright Brothers Cafe on base which is next to the entrance to Pearl Harbor (we also got a quick glimpse of a submarine leaving the harbor). Today is Nathan and Mary's last full day before they leave tomorrow for Maui for a week.
As soon as Lynn returned home from teaching this morning it was off to the carnival

But first we had to ensure Madison was ready to go, and Jake was the first to volunteer to feed her.

Then it was Amanda's turn

Now we are at the carnival and we rode just about every ride and Jake and Amanda loved them all.

Amanda seen a lot of her friends and got to share a ride with most of them

Another one of Amanda's classmates

Amanda and I on the Ferris wheel

Amanda's face painting

Of course Jake had to get in on the face painting action. He wanted a green race car painted on his face

The view from atop the Ferris wheel

The crowds weren't bad at all and we only waited a few minutes for most of the rides. Overall it was a great time and you can view all the pictures taken from the slide show on the top right hand side of the page.

Here is a quick video of Jake and I going down the slide.

Enjoy

Teenage Rock star, race care driver, wizard, pirate and Little Bo Peep

2008-10-31T21:40:00.007-10:00

Tonight was a great evening for Halloween and the kids had a blast terrorizing the neighborhood. Here is Harry Potter a teenage rock star and race-car driver. Jake is ready to go.

Amanda was a natural at her teenage rock star role.

This is Madison (6 month old pirate) after a fun night of trick-or-treating.

Aunt Mary (Little Bo' Peep ) holding the little pirate.

Isn't she just the cutest?

Ben, stopped by for a short moment before the weird-o's hit the street.

This was the "tub" full of candy before the evening begin, after 2 hours of kids it was empty.

Jake taking a little rest before the evening begin.

Alaskan's in town

2008-10-27T21:02:00.002-10:00

This evening my brother Nathan, his wife Mary and their 6 month old baby girl Madison arrived for a week stay before they head off to Maui for a few days. So a trip to the Lei stands prior to their arrival was in store.
Amanda loves shopping for Lei's and tell the ladies who is coming to visit her and why the Lei has to be extra special. She always gets the best discounts.

Even the little one gets a Lei

Amanda is getting tall enough she can put them on guest as they arrive.

Jake decided he needed to read his Oreo book to Madison.

Pizza party, $900M Golf ball

2008-10-24T21:35:00.002-10:00

Today Amanda's class and several of the parents planned a Halloween Pizza party for lunch. Lynn volunteered to assist in the activities center as long as Jake could come along (which wasn't a problem) he fits right in with all the kids. The kids were so excited to have pizza for lunch in their rooms.
After they all finished their pizza they had little Halloween stations set up for the kids to take little treat bags with some cool stuff.

When I took Amanda to school this morning before class we got to see (yet another time) the $900M dollar golf ball heading out to sea.

Sea-Based X-Band Radar is a floating, self-propelled, mobile radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. It is part of the United States Government's Ballistic Missile Defense System.

Sea-Based X-band Radar stands 280 feet tall & 380 feet long tall and has a crew of 75 individuals. SBX is powerful enough to spot a flying baseball in San Francisco from New York, and more importantly, to tell the difference between a real missile heading for America and a decoy.
SBX Radar

Week of Transition

2008-10-22T19:54:00.002-10:00

This week has excluded all forms of exercise and 4 days of class to help transition into the Civilian workforce. This class is mandatory for all military members prior to retiring. It is called TAP (Transition Assistance Program). Very good course with tons of info
Now that I have to find a job in Colorado Springs, I will be using USA Jobs to help assist in the search of a Civil service job. If I can get all the stars and moon to align correctly, I will have a job working for a good friend at the AF Academy performing Quality Assurance on the aircraft maintenance. To assist in the transition is the Veterans Affairs (VA). These are the individuals that provide all the benefits a Vet receives once retired from the military.

And of course they are all helping with the resume writing. Wow it's only Wed. and it feels like the end of the week.

Long weekend

2008-10-19T21:58:00.002-10:00

What a long weekend, that ended on a good note. Today was a really nice day to ride to Barbers Point and enjoy the views at the beach. The ride consisted of Ben, Dev & I, thankfully they didn't hurt me too bad but I was not feeling my best today. 45 miles in 2 hours 45 min., 2500 calories
It all started on Friday with the mandatory flu mist. Just haven't felt that well since.
I also finally broke down and reformatted my computer and spent all weekend getting all the programs and files loaded back correctly. What a royal pain but everything finally seems to be working much better now.

The highlight of the weekend was watching these two play in the pool both days. Here's yours truly back-flipping in the pool.

Field Trip with Amanda's class

2008-10-16T17:57:00.003-10:00

Today, I got to join Amanda and her class on a field trip to the Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch is one of the most historically significant destinations on Oahu. Ancient Hawaiians considered Kualoa one of the most sacred places on Oahu. It was a residence of kings, a place of refuge and sanctuary - a pu`uhonua - and a training ground for royalty who were instructed at Kualoa in the arts of war, history and social traditions.

This estate, Kualoa Ranch, was so named in 1927 and has been used for various purposes over the last eight decades. During World War II, some of the lands of this estate was used as an auxiliary airstrip with many of the large monkeypod trees providing natural hangars for small planes.

The photo above shows the ranch entrance off Kamehameha Highway just beyond Kualoa Beach Park. There are two major areas of the ranch: the northern half of the ranch including Ka'a'awa Valley which contains most of the movie locations sites, and the southern half that includes Hakipu`u Valley, the 800 year-old Moli'i fishpond, and Secret Island. If the ranch's views look familiar, that's because Kualoa Ranch has been the site of many television shows and Hollywood films such as Jurassic park, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Tears of the Sun and 50 First Dates. TV shows include Hawaii Five-O, Magnun P.I. and most recently the hit show LOST.
This above aerial view shows the main ranch houses on the left, the fishpond above and Kaaawa Valley in the middle
Amanda petting "Ralph" the horse

Jake and Amanda swimming with a dolphin (well almost swimming with a dolphin)
Jake's new haircut, he's going to be a "lady-killer"
Jake playing with his new girlfriend Sammy

Team Specialized

2008-10-12T15:27:00.002-10:00

This morning, Ben organized the ride and had a couple Coasties that flew in from D.C., Dev and Wade (from the Bike Shop) made for a 6 man team all riding Specialized. It was quite the sight to see ($$$$)
The ride is called "5 Sisters", all hills on the leeward side of Oahu. This was my first time doing all 5 climbs in one day and it was quite the challenge. 43 miles, 3 hrs 35 min, 4100 feet of climbing and 2800 calories burned.

Today was also a small milestone for me on the Roubaix, I've rode over 2,000 miles on the bike since mid March, 126 hours and over 121,000 calories burned on the bike.

Movie, fall break, recovery ride

2008-10-05T19:12:00.003-10:00

This afternoon we decided to take the kids to watch the latest family movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". It was very funny and overall a good movie. Amanda laughed the entire time and Jake kept saying he wanted to get a dogie. This was a nice way to start the week off since Amanda is out of school for "fall break".
I also took the kids to the base book fair (1st Sat. of every month), what a deal. Paperback books for $.25 and hardbacks for $.75. They had a really good selection of Pre-teen books and Amanda is determined to get all of her new books read before she goes back to school.
This morning I met up with Ben (and waited for someone else who never showed) to climb 5 of the hills on the leeward side. We decided to change our plans since it was raining in the mountains and didn't want to risk safety on the descend with very wet roads. So we decided to stay local and just enjoy the morning ride.
Nice little 35 miler without any major hard efforts. Hopefully hill climbing next weekend

"bunny sitting", play date, rocking reader and Hananh Soots

2008-09-27T18:32:00.002-10:00

After school on Friday was the day Amanda had volunteered to bring on the 2nd grade bunny to watch over the weekend. His name is Whiskers. It has been really funny watching them with the bunny over the weekend not to mentioned Amanda cleaning up after the bunny.
Today was the day when Amanda invited a couple of friends over for a play date and some crafts. When her best friend from school arrived she had a little brother (Anthony) who was 4, needless to say Anthony & Jake were best buds and Anthony convinced his mom he needed to stay and play with Jake. It was a blast! Here are some of the custom cards the girls made
Amanda with her best friend from class, Madison
Jake with his new best friend (Madison's little brother) Anthony
Friday was the day Lynn and I volunteered for "Rocking reader". This is where parents take turns coming to class and reading a book to the class. We also did a quick little project (making a discover book) and gave out little treat bags with popcorn and raisins. The kids loved the story, craft and of course the treat bag. It was really fun reading to over 20- 2nd graders and seeing how enthused they were to read

Of course Jake made some new friends and all the boys wanted to set on the couch with him after class
Amanda and her friend Madison enjoying their treat bags

When Lynn returned from PA, she brought Amanda the coolest wig (for Halloween). We have our on little Hananh Soots now

The second most important thing in life that really matters

2008-09-20T08:47:00.004-10:00

This is for the happiest little boy in the world. Thanks for all the laughs, hugs and kisses.
I will always love you, Dad!

Waikiki dinner, sunset, ice cream, fireworks and lunch with big Sis

2008-09-19T21:33:00.003-10:00

I made a deal with the kids if we had a good week with Lynn being gone we would spend Friday evening in Waikiki, so here's our story. I took the kids to one of our favorite restaurants the Yard house and the kids loved it. We really had a good time and the food as always was fantastic. We then headed over to the beach to catch the sunset. As always it was fantastic. Then we headed over to Hilton Hawaiian Village to the best ice cream parlor on island Lappert's and it was fantastic. We topped the night off with fire works on the beach and they were fantastic as well. All in all a wonderful evening with the kids in Waikiki.
Fireworks over Waikiki beach
Kids posing for a picture at Fort DeRussy Park
Restaurant in Waikiki
Ice cream parlor in Waikiki
In front of the Yard house restaurant

Jake and I also had lunch with Amanda today at her school. He was so excited to have lunch with his big sister. It was a good lunch and the food was good as well.

Jake carrying the blanket for the picnic lunch.

One of the Truly important things in life that really matter

2008-09-19T09:54:00.004-10:00

This is dedicated to Amanda. She makes sure everyone around her smiles and enjoys life. She is always looking to help anyone she can that is less fortunate. Amanda you are a true blessing.
Picture below (Amanda on the left and dad on the right)

Hickam Art night

2008-09-16T19:52:00.003-10:00

Tonight was art night at Amanda's school. So after dinner we headed back to school to check out the activities. In front of the school is a statue where the kids wanted to get a picture.
Aren't these guys cute?
They had 3 different types of art (water paint, Hawaiian theme and Pastels). Here is Amanda's completed project made from pastels. She made this all on her own without any ones help. Due to over 200 kids RSVP'ing for this event we were only allowed to pick one event. This is Jake's new look when he doesn't get the answer he wants. Not sure where he learned this from.
Amanda and Jake going busy at art table. We were surprisingly treated to their favorite babysitter (Victoria) and family who joined us for the art night.

Jake carefully drawing his crab. It had to be all black according to Jake.
I think he just wanted to see how much he could get on himself.
This is Amanda's 1st grade school teacher (Mrs. Oyadama). She was awesome last year as a teacher and helping Amanda make the transition from a different school.
Amanda is very artistic and creative. Once she sat down it was all business and she just wanted to work on her project with no distractions.
What a good time we had. Now it's bath time!

Lynn arrives to PA, new shoes and homemade cookies

2008-09-15T20:27:00.005-10:00

With Lynn making it safely back to PA, today was our first full day without her. Everyone was up bright and early and we were off to school and to get Jake some new shoes. He's growing out of them faster than he can wear them out. We arrived to the NEX a little early and so we decided to do a couple of rides. 1st the submarine
Then the jet-ski

Then the Mac truck
After we picked out a nice pair of Vans size 10 1/2 we decided to get a smoothie at Jamba juice

Once we got home with Amanda, Jake had enough and crashed out for an early cat-nap before dinner.
Since both of the kids were such a big help today and I decided to treat them to some healthy homemade oatmeal cookies. It shouldn't be too long before they can do this on their own
Jake is a self proclaimed "best mixer in the world"

Leadership Challenge Program

2008-09-14T20:36:00.005-10:00

Last week I had an incredible opportunity to attend a 3 day Leadership Challenge Program on Hickam offered to 26 SMSgt's. This was the very first class that was about ME! (and each of the other 25 students) They didn't teach you how to be a leader they taught you about yourself (strengths and weaknesses). It was taught by Barry Berglund and Pete Ellum from the Center of Creative Leadership out of N.C. These guys have been teaching Senior leaders from all branches of the Military and CEO's from around the world. This was by far the most comprehensive look into how I'm wired to think / react and predict how I will handle daily life and critical decisions. Below is the complete summary of my leadership abilities-style, my behavior, personality preferences and my behavior in conflict situations.
No need to continue reading unless you are just curious or bored!

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) offers an exclusive focus on leadership education and research and unparalleled expertise in solving the leadership challenges of individuals and organizations everywhere. What is creative leadership? It's the capacity to think and act beyond the boundaries that limit our effectiveness. They believe leaders are made, not born, and that they can adapt and change. They believe that strong interpersonal skills, grounded in personal reflection and self-awareness, are the key to effective leadership.
My report was a comprehensive survey from my supervisor, peers and subordinates. I had an overall rating in the very high range with the following qualities; experienced and well-informed (ability to offer long-term, big picture views), an enterprising person, dealing skillfully with complex issues and unexpected challenges. I'm seen as a leader with savvy, one who can identify new business ventures and turn them into reality. I demonstrate trust in others, which enables me to give them latitude and opportunities to learn and grow.
The purpose of the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation report (FIRO-B) is to provide a three dimensional view of expressed and wanted behavior, which define how much a person expresses to others, and how much he wants from others.
My report basically states the following; Control is my lowest priority, I won't be much concerned about order and structure until my needs for inclusion and affection are satisfied. I don't want to be closely supervised, I'm self-sufficient, I prefer to work on projects that aren't politicized, I avoid being the focus of attention in meetings, I find recognition less important than accomplishment of the task, I tend to be task oriented and businesslike, I neither seek reassurance from others nor provide it.
The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment is an instrument used to measure opposite ways of gaining energy (extraversion or intorversion), gathering or becoming aware of information (sensing or intuition), deciding or coming to a conclusion about that information (thinking or feeling) and dealing with the world around us (judging or perceiving).

My report states I'm the following Extraversion (E), sensing (S), thinking (T), judging (J) or ESTJ. Only about 9% of the population are considered ESTJ's however some successful individuals are Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Sandra Day O'Connor.

As an ESTJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.
ESTJs live in a world of facts and concrete needs. They honor traditions and laws, and have a clear set of standards and beliefs. They expect the same of others, and have no patience or understanding of individuals who do not value these systems. They value competence and efficiency, and like to see quick results for their efforts.
ESTJs are take-charge people. They have such a clear vision of the way that things should be, that they naturally step into leadership roles. They are self-confident and aggressive. They are extremely talented at devising systems and plans for action, and at being able to see what steps need to be taken to complete a specific task. They can sometimes be very demanding and critical, because they have such strongly held beliefs, and are likely to express themselves without reserve if they feel someone isn't meeting their standards. But at least their expressions can be taken at face-value, because the ESTJ is extremely straight-forward and honest.
The ESTJ is usually a model citizen, and pillar of the community. He or she takes their commitments seriously, and follows their own standards of "good citizenship" to the letter. ESTJ enjoys interacting with people, and likes to have fun. ESTJs can be very boisterous and fun at social events, especially activities which are focused on the family, community, or work.
The ESTJ needs to watch out for the tendency to be too rigid, and to become overly detail-oriented. Since they put a lot of weight in their own beliefs, it's important that they remember to value other people's input and opinions. If they neglect their Feeling side, they may have a problem with fulfilling other's needs for intimacy, and may unknowingly hurt people's feelings by applying logic and reason to situations which demand more emotional sensitivity.
The ESTJ puts forth a lot of effort in almost everything that they do. They will do everything that they think should be done in their job, marriage, and community with a good amount of energy. He or she is conscientious, practical, realistic, and dependable.

The Thomas-Kilmann Instrument is designed to measure a person's behavior in conflict situations. "Conflict situations" are those in which the concerns of two people appear to be incompatible. In such situations, we can describe an individuals behavior along two basic dimensions: (1) assertiveness, the extent to which the person attempts to satisfy his own concerns, and (2) cooperativeness, the extent to which the person attempts to satisfy the other person's concerns.
These two basic dimensions of behavior define five different modes for responding to conflict situations: Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Avoiding and Accommodating.
My report basically states I tend to compromise the most during conflict situations and accommodate the least amount during conflict.
Compromisers provide a practical, pragmatic force for moderation, a compromising style is helpful in finding fair, workable settlements. It puts less strain on goodwill than does a competitive style and takes less time than does a collaborative style

Hawaiian Water Adventure Park

2008-09-07T20:03:00.004-10:00

Today we took to the kids to their all time favorite spot. Hawaiian Waters Park

They have a new ride called the Tornado. It is 145 feet tall, cost more than $2M to build and was a real blast to ride
Up to four people can ride the inter tube at a time (like below) but we only rode it with two at a time. It was a real adrenaline rush and a nice quick ride. The lines weren't long at all and Lynn and Amanda rode it twice.
Amanda in her new bathing suit
This is our favorite spot to make as our staging area with all our clothes and towels. This is a very nice wave pool that Jake and Amanda can both have lots of fun. The 6 foot waves last about 20 mins and then they shut them down for about 10 mins to let everyone take a break

This ride is called the Volcano. It's an all out drag race to the bottom. On today's race it was just Amanda and I until the attendant called for 2 more people to join. During this time she had Amanda move up on her mat as the attendant held the mat with her foot to keep it from sliding. When she took her foot off and said go Amanda was long gone and had already gained a complete body length on me and I was unable to catch her before the end.

This is the very nice River walk. You can swim, float or do just about anything you desire. Jake likes floating and swimming. We did 2 consecutive laps today since there wasn't many people at the park.

This is the kids play area and today Jake went down the pink slide all by himself like all the other much bigger boys were doing.
This is the wave rider (for experienced surfer's only). We sit and watched today but Jake's wants to learn how to do this soo bad.

All in all a wonderful day in Hawaii and a wonderful day with the family at the water park

Ice Palace

2008-09-06T17:05:00.005-10:00

This morning we decided to take the kids Ice skating. Amanda has skated before but Jake has never attempted blades. We arrived about 40 mins before they opened so we were able to kill some time in the local shops by the Ice Palace
Here is the sign out front reminding everyone to be safe.
It was a nice place with lots of people. The ice was thin and bumpy but both of the kids did very well
Jake in his new outfit for skating - long pants/long sleeves - no real need for this type of clothing in Hawaii except when ice skating
Mommy had her hands full in the beginning with both Jake and Amanda but Amanda quickly got the hang of it and Jake wanted to play the arcade games
These walker things made it easy for Amanda to get the hang of what she needed to do to keep her balance

We had the kids wear their helmets just in case they had a nasty fall, but both escaped without any bruises

Jake sharing his french fries
Self portrait of Jake and I having a snack

Lynn's Birthday Weekend

2008-09-01T20:36:00.005-10:00

Due to the Labor Day holiday and an extra day off from work on Friday we decided to make it Lynn's Birthday weekend. So tonight Amanda and I picked up a nice bouquet of flowers to go with the dinner we made for the family.
We made BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, baked beans, asparagus, and some pasta salad for Lynn's birthday dinner

After dinner we had a nice ice-cream birthday cake with a musical candle. Jake can't figure out where the sound is coming from.
Jake is helping his mom blow the candle out.
Last night we decided to get a babysitter (Amanda and Jake have been bugging us to go on a date) and join up with some good friends for a dinner downtown in Waikiki. We have ate at this restaurant before and really like it. It's called the Yard House (with over 100 different beers on tap).
Here is Ben trying out a fruity drink
Here is Ben taking on the Yard House sampler. 6 different beers. The paper he is reading tells the name of each beer. It also stated that since beer is made mostly of bread it must be part of the 5 daily food groups.

Here is Dev and Marita deciding what to order from the menu (they have a huge selection to choose from)
Here is why it's called the Yard House. You can order beer by the Yard glass (this is a half-yard glass of beer)
To top it off Lynn and I shared a piece of Macadamia nut cheesecake
And to get the weekend off on the right foot I finished a project Lynn is been wanting to complete for a couple of weeks. We figured out how to block the opening as you entered the front door which made better use of the living room.

History in the making; new haircut

2008-08-30T09:13:00.003-10:00

2008 Presidential election with out a doubt will be history in the making regardless which party wins. Below is a picture taking 3 months ago with now Republican VP nominee (AK Gov.) Sarah Palin holding my niece Madison at an Anchorage event held a small airport. Who knew 3 months ago the AK Gov. would be the talk of the country. If Americans really want a change in politics they might get it after this election.
Here's Jake after his new haircut yesterday. He didn't like the stuff they put in his hair so I had to get a picture quick. He is such a cutie.

Simply Priceless

2008-08-23T11:27:00.003-10:00

This morning started out with some intense climbing intervals (more on that later). When I returned home the plan was to take the kids on a bike ride to the local cafe by the Harbor. We loaded up the van with the kids bikes so Jake could ride the 1 mile path to the cafe. I jogged along side and took pictures. What an incredible time we had on the bike ride.
Everyone we passed on the path were cheering them on, it was fantastic
It doesn't get any better than this

Below is the elevation chart from the climbing intervals. It's not that high but it's a great place to knock out short hard efforts to try and increase my overall climbing strength
Complete slide show from today's ride is posted at the top of the right hand column

Amanda's 'Ohana school project

2008-08-20T20:16:00.004-10:00

Part of Hawaiian culture, ʻOhana means family in an extended sense of the term including blood-related, adoptive or intentional. It emphasizes that family and friends are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another. Below is Amanda's 'Ohana project she completed for school. She was very excited to do this project and very proud of her work.
click on images to enlarge
("ʻOhana means family and family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.").

Hickam Half Marathon

2008-08-16T12:01:00.003-10:00

This morning @ 0500 I met up with Ben to knock-out the Hickam Half Marathon (13.1 miles). After a 1 mile walk in the dark and through some construction areas we made it to the base track with plenty of time to spare for the start of the race. My plan was to start of slow and get into a good rhythm for the duration of the race. When the gun sounded we were off and so much for my plan, the first 3 miles were very fast for a half marathon pace. Race was pretty much uneventful, I finished 1 hour 55 mins which was a little slower than I had hoped but well within the 2 hour mark.
Below is the path we took which had a ton of volunteers at every intersection and several individuals on bikes directing traffic. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped out it really made a difference.
After the race we waited for a much needed massage by the Hickam fitness center staff. It felt really good to have some of the soreness that had already started to set-in worked out on the massage table. After the 1 mile walk back home, I decided to try a ICE-cold bath to help prevent any muscle soreness. Overall not to bad of a morning.

Newest HACC member, Jake's first race

2008-08-08T18:50:00.002-10:00

Tonight Jake wanted to ride his bike with another boy around the playground. I asked Jake if he would like to wear his new HACC jersey (just like the one Dad wears) and he was so excited to have his own jersey.
As you can see Jake was focused and not about to let the other boy pass him
Jake on his victory lap
Race #2 with a sizable lead
Jake stopping to ensure his friend was okay

Incredible 10 mile bike ride, 40 year old pictures, dive in the pool

2008-08-02T14:18:00.004-10:00

It all started this morning at 0500 when I got up to go on a bike ride for interval training on some hills close to the house. After I got dressed I decided to change it up today and get Amanda out of bed and ride to the Mamala Golf course on Hickam for breakfast instead of doing the planned hill training. I waited till 0700 to wake her and she got right out of bed and was so excited to go riding with me early in the morning. She must have thanked me 10 times for waking her up. She did great for the entire 10 mile bike ride. I will make this a habit in the future!
She has quickly acquired some good riding skills for a 7 yr old and listens to my instructions very well when we are on the roads.
Here is a view of the Mamala Golf course where we had breakfast
When we returned home Amanda got the idea she needed some ICE COLD water to cool her off. Lynn was more than happy to help her out.
On the way back the road passes directly underneath the main taxiway for Honolulu - Hickam airport and we got the pleasure of seeing the finest fighter aircraft in the world as we approached the bridge.
Dad sent these pictures to me a couple of days ago and said mom had stumbled across them. They are pictures of me when I was just a baby almost 40 years ago, I didn't know they had colored pictures back then.
me and my dad

me and my mom
just me
Here is a quick little video of Jake pool diving in the back yard.

He is very athletic. Video was taking with my Blackberry phone

Today was one of those days that seem to good to be true, the kids full of laughter and enjoying life. I wished everyday could be like today!

Family night at the movies

2008-07-31T21:26:00.005-10:00

Tonight after dinner we decided to take the kids to the movies on base to see Kung Fu Panda. It was hilarious and we all had a good time. I just hope the movie doesn't give Jake any ideas about doing Kung Fu.

Here is a short clip of the movie, a must see for anyone needing a good laugh.

Funny wife video

2008-07-31T08:23:00.001-10:00

you will love this video that a friend just sent me.

1st day of school, playgroup and chess game

2008-07-29T19:08:00.003-10:00

Today was Amanda's 1st day back at school. She had a good day and likes her new teacher and classmates. She is growing up way too fast.
Jake after making his parachute man at playgroup today. There was about 10-12 kids and we had a really good time.
It doesn't take much for a 3 year old to have fun, especially when you throw something up in the air and he tries to catch it on the way down

After craft class we decided to stay for the 2nd hour which was a music class. Jake made a new friend today and his name was Nathan. They were a blast to watch running around.
One of those truly important moments in life to watch Jake having a wonderful time with his new friend
While cooking dinner Amanda decided she would show Jake how to play chess. She has learned the rules of chess and plays very good for her age.
Jake thinks he has mastered the game already.

Amanda's creatative school supply box

2008-07-28T16:12:00.003-10:00

Amanda's 1st homework assignment was to create a supply box for her school supplies. Instead of using a milk carton, Lynn was able to find these really nice boxes and all we needed to do was add Amanda's little personal touch.
We started out with just a few pictures but decided to add almost 60 pictures to her box.
School starts tomorrow and we are hoping for another good teacher like we ended the school year with last year.