Amanda's Second Triathlon

It was freezing cold camping Friday night (July 15).  The altitude is 7300 but I didn't expect 32 degrees and frost all over the ground.  Miserable night for all.  Amanda had left her wet suit inside out over night and it had ice in it.  Brrrrr.

The 67 degree reservoir was warmer than the air.

The boys were moderately happy that morning and awake so I ran off with them to see their mom race.   John stayed with Autumn until she woke up.  So well, I didn't have my camera again...although I got to see every transition and cheer her on.   Finally, John and Autumn showed up and John hiked back to the car for a camera.  He was able to get Amanda running and finishing.  So I apologize but this is what we have:

Autumn holding wild flowers for mommy

 

Closer shot.  Amanda ran in 5fingers.  She said she won't do that again.  Calves are shot after the bike ride and a different shoe is necessary.  But its a great shoe for training.

 

Yay Amanda!  Good job!  Next triathlon...Herriman???

Mermaid Autumn

John got a sweet underwater camera (by SeaLife) and decided to practice on the family's resident mermaid.  Autumn amazes me with her fearlessness of water and that she can be so photogenic underwater!  No one told her to smile or keep her eyes open.  Mermaid beauty instincts?

Even with a big breathe of air, you can see the smile.

She was excited to Scuba.  Took to breathing correctly underwater right away.

Becky and Topher's Baby Diaper Cake

Fishing Frog

Check out the Alligator eating the Monkey.  That is a children's story.

Ultrasound baby picture in frame (and another alligator)

Traveling to Baby Shower

The base is a play mat.  Fun book in background called Laugh Out Loud Dinosaur..

The Family Fun Triathlon...

This is what Becky calls fun...

2 months ago Becky invited me to do a family sprint triathlon with her sometime around July 23.  She had access to the Air Base pool, with a place out back to transition to our bikes, a great perimeter road used for base triathlons, and to get the distance, a duck pond loop run with a last lap on the track.    We meant to invite lots of family members and friends too.

However, feeling pregnant and less confident about July 23, she called me up beginning of last week and said let's do this thing Friday.  Why not???  I then cornered John into joining us.   Needless to say, it was a pregnant women, a fat lady, and an out-of-shape man who did the competition.  What a sight.  Was it really a competition???  At least we now know our abilities and the times for PRs.

Becky schooled us both on swimming, but she started having cramps on the bike so I caught up to her.  By the end we both sped walked together.   John got lost I think...

So as I see it, I am excited for having completed the distances.  I learned how to spell triathlon, I re-learned free-style from Becky (not gonna mislead ya though--I had to breast and back stroke to get enough air)  I biked a distance I had never tried before--and I liked it.  I learned that the dismount onto noodle legs is a shock, and I have no stamina to run/jog a 5K.  Ugh.  How do people do it?  I am so proud of my friends and family members who can compete in half marathons, marathons, triathlons, and bike across Canada.  Kudos!

Becky tells me that the Air Base has a triathlon in October.  I hope to beat my time by 20 minutes after I've learned to run.

 (And, um, no, I'm not going to post times, thank you...)

You know, Becky might have something going.  It really was fun.

Seeing the road better

One side foggy. One side done.

Have you ever thought the lights on your car were too dim? Perhaps its not the bulbs at all, but the scratches on the plexiglass and the yellow foggy UV damage. Last year John went to Jiffy Lube to have them polish up the glass on the headlights and for $40 they did a crappy job. John knew it could be done much better, and proved so today.

So here's what you can do. For only $25 dollars you can do it yourself and do it better than the sloppy Jiffy Lube of Tooele. (The kit lasts a long time). Before/After

Before/After

First clean off dirt w buffer. Use sanding grit to take out scratches.

Wipe off wax and grit. Buffer off the wax. Viola. Shiny!

Both sides done!

Haniwa

In ancient Japan, haniwas were clay figures found on graves and represented the culture and the deceased. The clothing and animals represented in the haniwas reveal details of Japan during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th century AD). The assignment was to use the red terracotta clay and make a representation of myself living in Utah. I chose to represent the jewelry store I worked in for a while (neckbands) the stain glass shop I worked in (cut out and lamp), the frustration of living in Utah while single (the flames that come out of both arms--not shown). The blue represents the blue of lapiz which I love and the wrap represents the cortes of Guatemala where I served a mission. The choice to make this piece appear southwestern/mesoamerican also comes from studying mesoamerica while in Utah. I chose to make the figure fat initially because I find the girth charming, but I also shaped her to represent the lovely 30-60 lbs I gained in Utah (at different times). Her head is small for stylization and acts as a stopper for the kerosene lamp. The light bulb in the center also represents the new burning in the belly I have here in Utah after marrying John and starting art school.

Last Year in my 3D class we were challenged to come up with a unique shape. Design it in Adobe illustrator and then cut it out on a glossy paper in at least three different sizes. (We were allowed to use the shop's laser cutter thingy). Then I assembled my shapes with rubber cement afterwhich I came up with an arrangement and added electrical tape for black contrast. I like the movement in this piece and all the different sides that are interesting so much that next time I'd like to do this shape larger and sculpt it out of a smooth white plastic. I would add at least one other sister to create a series.