IMCDA Are you ready? (Page 28)

Call the Chamber at 664-3194 and they can fax it to ya!

Went downtown a little while ago.  Merchandise store is open and things are getting put together.  Saw a few folks swimming and all commented it wasn't too terribly cold!  Looking good down there and merchandise with new logo is great!

To answer the original question...

I better be ready as I just rolled into town.  I'm sitting in my hotel room, about to go out and pick up some groceries and get dinner.  It's kind of surreal, but hey, I can't wait!!!

Steve is in the House!  Arrived about the same time as Stake.  Drove up from the Bay Area -- a beautiful 12 hour drive spread out over 3 days.  The drive was important because it forced a taper.  Unfortunately, it also left me plenty of time to eat like a pig.  Drive-Thrus are pure evil. 

It was also interesting to experience foreign cultures like the one in Oregon.  After passing a shack in the middle of nowhere advertising: "GUNS, AMMO, BEER, WINE, LIQUOR", I was still scratching my head when I realized I was running low on gas.  Coasting on fumes, I pulled into the only gas station I had seen for about a hundred miles.  I didn't even care that the gas station was unbranded, though I'll admit to taking comfort from the familiar pump mounted credit card swiper -- a small sign that I hadn't left civilization entirely behind. 

As I was about to slide my credit card into the card reader, a frizzy-haired woman came bolting out of the converted trailer home/food mart, shrieking "I'll do it, I'll do it!!"  I had no idea what "it" was that she was going to do but from the annoyed look in her eyes, I knew I had either screwed something up or had been about to screw something up.

She saw the bewilderment in my eyes and the CA license plate on my SUV and quickly explained that I had been about to violate a state law prohibiting me from pumping my own gas.  I told her that I had been pumping my own gas for nearly 22 years and that I felt pretty confident in my abilities.  But she insisted that, notwithstanding my sterling gas pumping credentials, in Oregon, I was not permitted to pump.  Then Frizzy-Hair spent the better part of ten minutes filling my tank with the wrong octane gas while she delivered a sermon on safe pumping.  After the gas was securely in my SUV, I asked her if the law required her to wash my windows and dispose of my Taco Bell wrappers.  She struggled to enjoy my joke with me.

Anyway, I went to the Ironman Village tonight, where some of the vendors are already set up.  The village will be awesome.  The town itself seems pretty cool too -- the Iron-wife found at least a dozen shops she wants to visit while I'm busy seeking greatness through mediocre performance.  

An interesting sidenote:  If the few hours I spent bumming around were any indication, it's a local sport to guess who is here to do Ironman.   In fact, if you're wearing running shoes and a tee-shirt, it's only a matter of time before someone asks you if you're doing Ironman.  Kinda like going to Maui with your wife and being asked whether you're newlyweds umpteen times a day.  I suggest "how did you know?" as the answer.  It seems to make them happy. 

Nope, in the summer we get lots of sun, and it does start coming up in the middle of the night (as in by 4 you can easily tell that it's getting pretty light out there)  Technically sunrise isn't until 4:49 tho, so don't feel so bad, it's really only an hour earlier than in DC. 

Famous no....infamous no....loco in the head...yes!  Just trying to catch OldAg92 on his fundraising.  Quite the stud! 

Glad everyone is enjoying the town.  If you need something please give me a holler...208-771-1150.  Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at 8am for the swim!!

Well, I'm here, posting from Java on the corner of 4th and Sherman. I did the swim this morning, but I'll be there tomorrow for the 8AM. Monday night sounds good as well.

My only exitements so far have been 1 day-long layover in Phoenix, and my bike pump EXPLODING! It was mildly entertaining to see little gray parts fly over a gray stone driveway...twice. We found all the parts the first time and put it halfway back together. Then I realized a part was jammed in backwards and tried to dislodge it with a pump...more parts in the driveway. This time no luck finding them. The folks down at Vertical Earth, the closest LBS, are great, but they apparently have had an unexpected run on floor pumps. I'm now the proud owner of a WFP 200 bright pink floor pump.

See you all tomorrow and/or around town.

I'd loan you my flashlight, but with the predicted 90 degree plus temperature forecast I'm thinking I'll need it to find the Advil in my run special needs bag. 

P.S.  I rode the run course today and I have to say it is surprisingly flat except for a not-so-terrible hill at the turn around.

See you all at the swimming hole around 8 a.m.

Steve.

 I'm sitting here in my dark hotel room and read this post, then looked outside. I can't believe the sun is already up. I might actually finish in the daylight

Hey Stake, I think Chippy was on our flight from Seattle. I didn't want to say anything because I couldn't remember her real name and didn't want to say "Are you Chippy?"

Funny, the first thing she said when she got here was "hey, I think the Cow's were on my flight.  You know, Mad, Happy, Stopitdadyoureembarassingme".  Heh, small world...

...

Duuuude! I was calling out to Happy Cow as I was in line to get on the plane going "Sheila! Sheila!" ... she didn't turn around so I though "Hmmm... maybe the name isn't Sheila?" and I was already getting weird looks, so I didn't want to push it with the "Happy Cow! Happy Cow!"

I was just looking at the ironmanlive website and saw WhatcanIbreaknowcow is in the photo album. http://ironman.com/events/ironman/coeurdalene?show=photos&slideshow=1&page=7&columns=3&rows=2&photo=ironmanlive/races/2006/coeurdalene/6342b0919519e34bbb411eabbc7a2593.jpg 

He was the last kid to finish. I think Happycow was holding him back...Pretty cool

"WhatcanIbreaknowcow...YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" 

Very cool, Tom!