I Got No Gas
This might seem like a good thing, but when the gas you're missing is natural gas, and when the reason you don't got none is because your gas line is broken, and when you've got a gas furnace and gas water heater that you count on for heating up the house and heating up the water, it ain't so great. So we discovered the gas leak when our contractor was out looking for the water main, so he could shut off the water to the house so they could fix the pipe that created our cave (which he found, which he shut off, which they repaired, which they filled in, and which they cemented over), and the gas company wasted no time coming over and shutting off our gas (I guess they have some kind of concern about a minor problem like, I don't know, someone lighting a match and blowing up a good portion of the neighborhood). So then we had to wait a couple of days for the utility companies to come out and mark their lines so that we could dig a new trench for a new gas line to replace the old gas line that had a leak. That got done, and now we've got a beautiful trench running across our backyard. The good news is that while all this is being done, we're enjoying a beautiful stretch of days with temps in the upper 70's, so the "no heat" part isn't really a problem. But cold showers just aren't a lot of fun. Hopefully, we'll be up and running again by the middle of next week.
Speaking of running…
Tomorrow, I'll be participating in the Tucson marathon, which ironically enough starts in Oracle, continues to Catalina, and ends in Oro Valley (which means, technically, none of it takes place in Tucson). I'm hoping for a nice medium-hard run, which means I should be able to finish somewhere under four hours (3:45 would be great).
Speaking of running (and cycling, and swimming…)
I just signed up for another fund-raising season with Team in Training. So during the next couple of months, I'll be once again raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During the past five years, Katie and I have raised around $25,000 thanks to the generous donations sent in from a variety of friends, family, colleagues, and other assorted characters. My official event this go-round is the Deuceman triathlon, which is a half-ironman (yes, now that Katie's done one, I feel obligated to give it a go) and takes place in beautiful Show Low, Arizona in June. So in addition to continuing to help coach our marathon team (getting ready for marathons in San Diego and Anchorage), I'll be training for the 50-miler in March, then I'll start putting in some miles on the bike so I'm ready for the tri (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and a half-marathon). The good news is I don't have to worry about what I'm going to be doing on the weekends (and most days before/after school) for the next half-year. Once I've got my fundraising site set up and ready to go, I'll be actively soliciting donations from all of you - so get those checkbooks/credit cards warmed up and ready to go, cause I just know you're eager to lend a hand (seriously, your continued support is appreciated more than I can express).
And now, a kitchen update
It's actually starting to come together. Once the whole "cave" issue was cleared up, the guys came in and put up the walls and ceilings, and the whole room got painted yesterday, so it looks pretty good. We've got the cabinets scheduled to be installed next week, and once they're in, they can take a template for the counter, retile the parts of the floor that had to be torn out, and put some of the appliances in. So Katie and I will be doing some stove/microwave/faucet/light fixture shopping this weekend. If all goes well (can't imagine how anything could go wrong - can you?) we should actually be nearing completion of the whole project when we ring in the new year. Keep your fingers crossed.
I've got to head out for the expo to pick up my number, t-shirt (hoping for a technical tee this year) and timing chip, so until next time, may your gas continue to flow freely, may your pleas for assistance be heard and heeded in a timely fashion, and may your days remain sunny and clear.
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