Date: 2008-06-28
To: Race Race Race
Miles today: 200.0

Another day of racing all over town and then some. Between work and trek planning, I'm exhausted before even starting the trail! Here's a few typical days this past week. Tuesday, 7AM weekly business meeting until 8:30. 9AM sales call. 10:30 weekly staff production meeting. 12 noon, school's out half day today, race to catch the bus to get #2 kid. 1pm, Sales call w/ daughter (#2) tagging along. She's so good. Hopefully she'll mail a package or two, like when I'm low on contact lenses or need some cookies. 3pm, final sales call for the day (still w/ #2). 5pm, we race to NYC to B&H to pick up a camera I've wanted for about 2 years (Sigma DP1, more on that another time, but in short, it's a small camera with a big chip - amazing images). Construction, George Washington Bridge Traffic, 79th Street Boat Basin traffic, Red lights, Taxi Cabs, Argh!!! They close at 7pm! 6:50, Argh, where the hell can I park, I missed the turn. Midtown is grid lock. 6:55, illegally parked at a Taxi stand. 6:58, stepped inside B&H (put this place on your must-visit list if you've never been), bought camera, memory chip, and extended warranty to protect against accidents/bumps/bruises/bears... Another 20 or so minutes to get out of the store with my purchases (items have to travel along their in store conveyor system, long checkout lines, long lines to pick up merchandise after paying... there's nothing like B&H). Race back the few blocks to my dirty dodge, no ticket, we hop in and shoot over a few blocks to the moonstruck diner. I used to each lunch there at a great little table next to one of those nice salt water aquariums. Tonight we sat in the front corner round window facing the street so we can eat and watch the people. Jana got a kick out of a dozen or so dogs in the space of about an hour all marking the same pole, and then the tourists/shoppers/business men w/ young pretty girls on their arms all step in the dog pee without ever noticing. Not exactly my favorite way to enjoy a meal (food/service was good as always) but she had a blast, which is what I wanted. Oh, it was her first visit to B&H, I'm sure that'll make a lasting impression. Phone call, must be #1 Kid calling from Penn Station. No, it's a new sales trainee I'm meeting w/ the next day to train. OK, I call #1, his train is late. Why did I eat so fast then??? Way too much coffee, as always. When asked how I'm doing, one of my standard replies is 'most excellent and adequately caffeinated, thx for asking' sometimes like today my answer would be 'overly caffeinated again, thx for asking' Haven't even had a sip yet this morning, but I'll be firing up La Pavoni in short order (manual piston espresso machine, a true classic workhorse design, pulls an amazing shot, I've squeezed thousand's out of this beast). OK, dinner is done, so we hop back in the Dodge. WTF?? A Ticket?? I was parked legally, but my registration sticker expired a few days ago. Of course, the new one is sitting in my console and I simply didn't take the time to scrape off the old one and stick on the new one. NY Sucks. Enough about that. We drive through mid town for a bit until train gets in, pick up #1, and race back to Westchester because it is late and Wednesday is even busier...Here we go again. I set up the day for #1 and #2 to hang since #2 had a last half day of school (and Thursday is only 2 hours or something ridiculous like that and then it is finished). I'm up at dawn to take care of some pool headaches. Good advice- never buy a house with a pool, find a neighbor with one. That's a book in and of itself. Cook breakfast for the kids, 8:15 mtg w/ teacher who wanted a conference and I couldn't coordinate until the last day of school. Very nice. 9:15AM at my office to blaze through emails... And you know the type of blazing I'd rather be doing... 10AM, pick up NYC trainee at the train. 10:15 AM sales call. 11:30, stopped by my house for more espresso & apple pie, check on #1, race out to 12:15 sales call. No show. WTF? OK, I can use the time so it's all good. I create and leave a brilliant proposal, spoke with the customer yesterday, she's thrilled. Wonder if I'll ever see the commish for that sale... 1:30, drop trainee back at train, 2pm, conference call. 3pm, sales call. 5pm, sales call (was supposed to be 6 but they were home so I moved it up). Previous customer, signed on the spot, race cross town to my 7pm, another No Show, so I race back to my office, catch up with Mr. 7pm by phone who totally forgot but it's my fault too since I didn't give a reminder call the day before, which is only partly my fault since it wasn't my customer but I was covering for a peer who took my Tuesday 12:15 appt. It's all good. Swap cars at the office, race back home, eat w/ kids, race #1 back to NYC because he needs to get back, speed across the bridge and down the west side highway. My favorite road to speed along... Train is at 9:41 but the 10 minutes we took to eat messed up our timing. The parking gods shine on me, although we still missed the train by a few minutes. Cross town traffic is the worst. So I show the kid to the ticket office, buy his ticket, show him the track to wait for his train. He's a smart kid but just doesn't have enough experience in and out of NYC. Let's hope he can spot blazes and follow a trail data guide... Hop back in car, race uptown, meet my new great friend (Mr. NYC sales trainee), dropped off half an apple pie w/ him, race back to Westchester...Now you have a bit of an insight why I've planned this hike. One day at a time on the trail. I won't be in a hurry, but my nature will be to make progress as best I can without racing along. Will I blue blaze on occasion? Will I take side trails for vista / photo ops? Stay Tuned.Here's #1s schedule this week. Tuesday night w/ me, Wednesday was his day to relax a bit by himself in the early AM. He needed that I'm sure. One of the cats kept him company. Then his kid sister ran him ragged until I met back up w/ him to get him home. Thursday, Graduation Rehearsal, then out w/ friends. Friday, Prom & After Prom (back into NYC, all night). Saturday, 2nd graduation party for family (yes, that means I need to drive another 100 miles each way later today). Sunday, actual Graduation! Congratulations kid!! Ugh, I have drive back there on Sunday too!!! Monday, we're on a bus from Port Authority at 8AM for 13 hours and then I can relax. Oh wait, I'll have Katahdin to contend with at the start of the next day, and then I can crash. Phew! Thx for reading.