T.G.I.F.

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers who are moms. You deserve your special day. Hope you are able to enjoy your day surrounded with those you love, and those that love you.

I'm trashmeister for May. I've been keeping an eye on it. There's been a little, but not enough to schedule a pick-up session. If one becomes necessary, you'll all be the first to know and the first to be invited to help clean it up! ;-)

Our Charter service has been down all day. Email still isn't working (can receive but not send--everything stays in our Outboxes) and hasn't been since 1:45 am. I know ... I was up. (Someone at Charter must be working long hours 'til this gets fixed. Reminds me of my many years as a software developer at IBM and being involved in a crit sit--Enterprise Rent-A-Car--definitely not fun. You have to stay with it until the customer is back up. Everytime I hear 'Enterprise' I cringe ...) But today's given me an opportunity to catch up on other things, which is a good thing. Also gave me a chance to take a long nap this afternoon. I got about 3 hours sleep last night, and about 2 the night before. I have a good friend who doesn't eat when she's all stressed out. I'm just the opposite. I eat when I'm stressed. Hence, I've put on weight the last year. I wish I were her ... I'd be skin and bones right now... Let's move on. I'm living up to my "Ramblin' Renee" handle...

Yesterday, I sent a color version of the May RTC News to the webmaster for posting in the Members Only (remember when those jackets were popular?? 80s) section of the website, so hopefully that will be posted in the near future. The pictures look so much better in color, especially Carlo's photos from Antarctica.

Mike Schmitt had a great idea for the RTC. A scholarship to be awarded to a student in the RTC running community. Details and funding are to be worked out. If you are interested in helping in this endeavor, please contact Mike.

Jim Mason has crafted pencil holders to hold the handmade walnut pens to be awarded to age group winners at Chester Woods . They're very nice.

Member spottings yesterday: The lovely Lorraine Benike at the Y. She said she was working off the monster cookies that Jim brought home on Monday. (They were the cookies of the month auctioned off last December on the RTC website ). Also spotted ... the ever cheerful Angie Macken running west on 6th St SW.

Nice Post-Bulletin story about RTC member Larry Pederson and his trail run series and club. He's the race director for the RTC event In Yan Teopa which is a 10-mile trail race. BTW ... we have two Larry Pedersons. The other Larry does not have a beard and is our membership chair and co-director of the All Comers' meets.

Speaking of All Comers. Volunteers are needed. It takes at least 12 volunteers to staff the meets each week. They begin at 6:00 pm on Tuesday evenings beginning June 3. Not all volunteers need to stay 'til the end. The first hour is the busiest. Please contact Fred Woolman or Larry Pederson if you are able to help out on any of the evenings. A fresh layer of cinders has been applied to the track. This is a VERY good thing. Congratulations to Larry (and Janie) who are grandparents once again ... two granddaughters. ;-)

The RTC is looking for a graphic artist who might be willing to do some work for us for our membership materials. Contact a board member if you know of, or are, such a person.

Assistance is also needed for Med-City packet pickup at the following times/locations:
Fri at Running Room from 4:00 pm-9 pm (3:45-6:30 and 6:30-9:00)
Sat at Running Room from 9:30 am-6 pm (9:30 - 12:30, 12:30 – 3:00 and 3:00 - 6:00)
Sun at Byron city hall from 5 am-6:15 am.
Please contact Lin Gentling if you are able to volunteer.

There is a Med-City short-take on page 24 of the lastest 'rochester' magazine. On the same page, a blurb about Stay Out of the Sun Run. Speaking of that event, here's a photo of race director Tim Burris this noon at Running Room:

I'm always happy to share a cookie with a friend! Here's a few more (Dan Edwards, Jim Martinson, Mike Holmes):

Whoever showed up at the Y at noon was eligible to share in the bounty. I parked at the Y but must have missed the guys at noon. So I ran down to the library to get a reserved book for a friend who's on vacation and wanted her book (The Omnivore's Dilema) picked up so she wouldn't have to wait on the list again. I was happy to go green and do so on foot! Seen on the way to/from the library, Kevin Lund (on bicycle), LaRee Etter (looking, feeling and running great--she's told me to share her blog with anyone and everyone anywhere! She's a very talented writer) and Gloria Gunnon. In what's got to be a first, they greeted me (by name) first! I'm lucky if I get replies to my hellos most of the time, so this was a definite first. Ran back and there were the guys! So they were able to enjoy a couple of cookies before heading back to work. Then I drove to my garden and planted some cabbage. Then I drove over near the Fetzer finish line and ran west on the trail to take some photos of the bluebells. They're resplendent in their purplish blue glory. If you haven't seen them, you should. Hopefully the rains predicted for the weekend won't get the best of them.


After the bluebells, I went over to the History Center to check up on K.C. Reed and son Conner who were working on Conner's eagle scout project--building a deck and steps for the schoolhouse on the property. Photobucket isn't responding so I'll post the photos individually:

Conner working the palm nailer (?) something like that. It's loud. And fast.

K.C. Reed, chief supervisor of the project (and wearing a Douglas Trail T).

Conner dug these holes, several feet deep and flared at the bottom, by hand. There are MANY of them. Very impressive. They earned their cookies. :-) I left them all but 5.

Here's a photo of the original set of steps, circa 1910.

They also have to make it handicapped accessible, so a long ramp with a 5' landing is also to be built on the north side of the building.

Well, What Not To Wear will be starting momentarily, so I'll close for now. See you at the Mother's 5K (cross country) in the morning...I'll be working registration and then timing with Paula. Hopefully, there will be photos to post tomorrow.

Until then.