Alis' HS Graduation

There is really something special when one of your children finally graduates from High School. My daughter recently graduated and I'm so proud of her. Sometimes I wondered if she would make it, but she hung in there and did it. I will have to admit though,it did take a certain amount of yelling, hitting, grounding, and generally putting her on "Dark Age" restriction - for those of you who don't know, Dark Age restriction is where you cut off electricity to your kid's room - on my part.

Now that she has finished, the next stage of life is open to her. She has decided to go to a Beauty Academy and learn Costomotolgy. She will be very good at that. She has plenty of experience is doing her own hair. She spends hours and hours sitting in front of a mirror, staring at her own face. At times she seems fascinated by her face, as if it is going to change colors or something. I just hope that she takes advantage of this opportunity and makes the most of it.

BSNCO Course

Well, Class 004-006 Battle Staff NCO Course at Fort McCoy WI is finally over. After three weeks of Map Overlays, Graphics, Combat Service, Combat Service and Support, and a number of other mundane classes we are seprating to the four courners of the U.S. It was quite an experience. I met some really good people and had a pretty good time. Sometimes when I think about it, it seems that the time went by really slow, other times it seemed as if I had been there forever. Out of our class of 16, five made the Commandant's List - top 20% of the class. Out of our sub-group of five, three made the list. I mostly hung out with a couple of Yankee Bastards from the Conninicut National Guard. One, I named BB, for Big Bastard and the other LB for Little Bastard. A great bunch of guys. BB said one thing to me at the begaining. He looked at me and said - or so I thought - "I don't think I have a BD, but it's close to it." That's what I heard, but what he actually said was hernira instead of BD.

The last week was spend conducing a Command Post Excerise (CPX). It only lasted 1 1/2 days instead of the three that it was supposed to. I worked as the MCS Main operator. My job was to monitor chat traffic on the the AKO between the different units and to maintain commo with the BDE. It was a good job. While I did not want to come to this course, I'm glad I did. I learned a lot and meet some great people.

It won't be long and I'll be home. I really missed the family. Can't wait to get home. Well we are now starting to board and I've got to go.

Easter at BSNCOC

Today is my third day at BSNCOC at FT McCoy.  I'll write a little on how I got here and what I've done since.  BSNCOC is the Battle Staff NCO Course and here at Ft McCoy it is three weeks long.  It is in two phases, the first one being distant learning and the second phase being resident.  I kinda of sign up as something to do, and it seemed like a good idea at first.  I really think it will be a good school, I just hate being away from home, especially at the beginning of Spring.

 

The leaves were just beginning to come out and the flowers were starting to bloom.  The weather had warmed up and I was ready to get serious about my running.  The kids are still in school and Gil is working a lot.  It's really hard on her to come home and take the kids where they need to go after a hard day at work getting "pluses".   I really miss Canim and the kids.  I think that this will go by fast for me - because we are so busy here - but slow for them.

 

I arrived here on Friday after a long extended lay over in Chicago.  I thought I was the only one going to miss the 1800 deadline, but there were 16 of us on that plane.  Once we got here, we immediately changed into APFT's for the weigh in.  This is no problem for me because I can weigh an additional 12 pounds then what I do.  After in-processing and drawing lining, I finally went to bed around 2230. 

 

Wake up was at 0500 for the 0530 APFT formation.  It was cold and you had to change into shorts and short sleeve shirt for the push-ups and sit-ups.  I managed to do 55 push-ups, 64 sit-ups and ran my two miles in 13:52 - 12 seconds slower then I did on my test three days prior.  The hard part was that I caught a cramp in my left calve while doing the sit-ups.  It is still hurting today.  This sucks because I want to get back to running.  Anyway, back to the APFT.  My grader was a hard grader who docked my 1 or 2 push-ups.  He turned out to be my Small Group Letter for this course.  He seems like a good guy.

 

Today we studied Map overlays and symbols.  We will be doing this for the next four days and will take the test on Friday.  This is supposed to be the hardest part of the course.  I sure hope I pass it.  I don't want to have to retest.  I'm usually pretty good with these things, so we'll see.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Today, SFC Biddix and me are going to Colleys house for Easter dinner.  I'm just waiting on Biddix to get back from his class so that we can leave.  Hope he hurries up.  

 

Well, Biddix didn't show up.  Colley came by and inspected the spartan living quarters that I now call home.  It is maybe 10 x 12 with a small bed, night stand, and a desk.  He made sure he told me about how nice it is at the ARTEC with a TV in every room and maid service.  Here, we have common showers, common shitters, and a day room in another building.  Anyway, we left a note on Biddix's door and left.  Colley had chicken in the smoker, cold beer, and cheese curds.  Not a bad deal.  Biddix called soon after and Kim and I went to pick him up.  We had a great time talking about the Guertz / DeBerry days.  I also got two beer bottles for my collection: a local beer called "Fat Squirral" - no I'm serious, and a brew called "Blue Moon" which was a pumkin beer.  The Fat Squirral actually had a nutty taste but it was better then the pumkin beer.  Got  back around 2230 and went to bed.  Will get up tomorrow and start drawing rectangles again.

 

 

Exercise and Christmas

Yesterday I ran for the first time since the race. I only ran six miles and this morning I'm sore. I can't believe it. I thought that I would take a month or so off and then start refresh. I guess that I have regressed more then I thought I would.

I also found out that it is hard as hell to get back into it. The motivation just isn't there so I have to find some. Gaining 10 pounds sure does help.

My wife, daughter and I have started a contest where we weigh in every Monday morning. Who has lost the most weight percentage wise, will get paid by the two losers. One dollar for each percent. The starting weights were: Me - 171, Wife - 147 Daughter - 144 I found out that I have lost a total of one pound which is .58% of my body weight. My Daughter also lost one pound and scored a .69%. My wife lost two pounds and won with a percentage of 1.36% I have to really ramp it up this week.

We went home for Christmas and had a wonderful time. I was so glad that everyone was able to get off of work so that we could spend the four days in Galax. We had the usual big breakfast and supper. We all received money from Mom and Dad which was badly needed because of having to fix the water pipes.

One of the highlights of the visit was visiting Maggie - my Dad's Sister - and her giving me a family photo taken in the early 1970's. I really miss those Sunday visits "below the mountain" with my Dad. Those visits are some of the best memories of my childhood. I really wish I could go on one more visit to my Tilley relatives. I wonder what fond memories will my children think back on. I hope they some as good as mine.

JFK 50 Miler

Well, I finally finished it. After training for months and spending long boring hours on training runs, it's finally over.

All in all I had a very good run. My wife and kids decided to go down with me at the last minute. Alis really wanted to go but we had to drag Andrew kicking and screaming. He was real supprised when we picked him up at school and told him that he was going with us.

We got to Hagerstown pretty late - around 1700. We went immediately to pick up my race packet at the motel. Afterwards we decided to go and eat. We got lost and couldn't find the restrauant that we saw on the way in. As we were driving around, Paul Sweeney called to check on us. We planned on staying with him and because we had not reported in, he was worried.

When we told him that we was looking for a place to eat, he recommended that we meet at the Stadium Bar and Grill. It is a real nice place with wonderful food. It was really good to see Paul again. He gave us directions to his trailer. He wouldn't be staying because he had to go to NY.

We spent the night in his trailer and got an early morning start. We left at 0500 to make sure we made it to Boonsboro by the briefing at 0630. We got off to a wrong start when Gil headed west on Interstate 70. It was really my fault because I told her to take the wrong exit. Luckily she caught it and we turned around.

We arrived at 0615 where Gil dropped me off at Boonsboro school. Our plan was for her to meet me at Weaverton Station as I came off the Appalachian Trail. Because the tempature was 17 degrees I debated as to wear just shorts or not. In the end I decided to go with the naked legs. It turned out to be a good decision. The tempature ended up in the mid forties before it was over. After the race briefing in the gym, we all proceeded outside and up the street to the starting line.

There was a lot of people - 951 runners finished the race - and I had not quite got up to the starting line when the gun sounded and race had begun. As I got to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail at the top of the hill, I looked behind me to see how many were there. There wasn't too many. My main concern was that I had taken it too easy and might not make the cut-off time, so I tried to pick it up. The problem on the trail is that it is mostly single track, except for the part that is hardtop.

Because I had done a lot of trail running, I considered the trail portion of the race as my bread and butter. This is where I would make up time, because I figured that I would be passed on the C&O marathon portion. The going on the trail was slow because of the rocks and it was hard to pass anyone but I was still 30 minutes ahead of the cut-off at the first Aid Station.

As I came out of the mountains at Weaverton Station I was hoping that Gil and the kids would be there. I really needed to change my trail shoes for my running shoes. As I got to the bottom there they were. It really makes all the difference when your family is there. It gives you a reason not to quit. After all, how can you quit when they came all that distance just to be with you. I quickly taped up a blister, changed shoes, grabbed a banana, and then headed out onto the C&O trail, where I would be for the next 26 miles.

I felt really good at the start of the trail. I ran for a few miles with a Brit who lived in Baltimore and who had ran it before. We talked about Europe, running, and our families. It really made the time go by fast. I then moved on ahead and ran by myself until about mile 30 where someone asked me what time it was. I replied and then he asked if I wanted company. I said , "Sure, it'll make things easier." So for the next 20 miles to the finish Michael Kennedy was my running partner. We would run five minutes and walk for one. It really paid off having someone to run with. It was because of him that I kept to my running schedule. I figured as long as he was running and not complaining then I would also. He inspired me to keep going.

Once on the C&O trail the main thing is to focus on getting off. It seems as if it takes forever. It's just one Aid Station after another. You know in your heart that you'll make it once you get off, then it is just a short eight miles to the finish. We meet Michael's girlfriend and son several times at the Aid Station. His son had started out running with him but had hurt his ankle just six miles into the run. When I meet him for the first time, he was on crutches.

We finally came off the trail and onto the road. We then decided to diveate from our plan of running for five and walking for one. Now we would run as long as we could and walk all the hills. This worked out good and we passed quite a few of people. This is where we made up a lot of time. I had told Gil that I would probably finish between 11 and 11 1/2 hours. Instead I saw that we were going to come in around 10:30. I should have called Gil to tell her, but I was afraid if I told her that I would jinx myself. I figured that her and the kids would be waiting away.

As we approached the finish line it felt good knowing that all the hard work was going to pay off and I would finish in less time then I thought. Leading up to the race I was just worried about making the cut off of 12 hours. Now I knew that I would finish well under that time. We came in at 10:22. Unfortunately Gil and the kids were still in the van because of the cold and missed me coming in. She was very upset that she had drove all the way down there and didn't get to see me finish.

We then immediately packed up and left for home. Gil had to work the next day. It was a long drive back, with me sitting in the back with hurting legs. I am now looking forward the next one. I don't think I will do the JFK again. Been there, done that, plus there are too many runners. One of the reason that I don't do marathons anymore is that they are just too crowed.

I ran this race with my trusted Camel Back. I had to fill up the liter and half bladder once. I also ate six or seven chocolate gel packs. At the Aid Stations I ate bananas, preztals, M&M's, and one cup of chicken noodle soup. I also drunk one cup of Mountain Dew and one cup of Coke. This is the first time that I drinked soda since 1997.

Link to JFK 50 Mile Race: JFK 50 Miler

Some Things Never Change

Today the doctor called and said that Alis' was OK and that there was nothing there. Thank God. It had us pretty worried.

Today is Halloween. I was the only one to give out candy. We ended up having approximately 25-30 kids. It was real fun to give candy out to them. There doesn't seem to be as many kids as there once was. When we fist moved to the Hawthorne apartments, there was kids everywhere. My kids would go out with a pillow case and return just long enough to dump the candy on the floor and then would head out again. Those was really fun years.

The weather today is really nice. It got up in the mid 60's. It is supposed to be nice the rest of the week. I guess this is what they call an Indian Summer. Hope it continual.

Andrew got up this morning with a bad cough. He has been getting over a cold and a fever. He went ahead to school and started to feel better. He then came home and played football. Now as I write this, I can hear him coughing downstairs. Hope he gets to feeling better.

Today Alis watched a movie with me. I told her this morning that I wanted a date with her and that she had better not break it. She said OK and that we could watch this really good movie together. It is called "Crash". It's a great movie. I watched it last night but thought that Alis would enjoy watching it also. I was not supprised when she said that it was a good movie.

I really like spending time with her and Andres. It seems like now that they are getting older, that they don't have time to spend with their old parents. They always have something to do with their friends. I guess that it part of growing up though and that it has always been like that and always will. Somethings never change.

Beautiful Day at RCSP

This morning--after setting the clocks back-- I went up to RCSP to run. I first stopped at McDonalds to get a small cup of coffee because even though it was supposed to get up in the mid 60's, it was still cold in the morning.

I parked at Mineral Springs and ran in a clockwise direction. It was very nice and I had most of the trail to myself. I didn't see anyone until I was about 3 miles up the Heritage Trail from the trailhead. It was then that I ran into this guy in his twenties, with a pale face, a dress jacket, and a water bottle hanging from his belt loop. A very strange charter indeed.

After crossing the road on the Heritage Trail I ran into John and his son Eric. They are both training for the JFK 50 miler. I hope to see them down there at the finished line. Other then that it was uneventful. I'm just glad that I went. It might be the last really nice weekend that we have left. Being in the woods running on those trails is really peaceful. I really like it when I don't see anyone. It seems like it is just me and the creatures of the Forrest. I think that I may go back next weekend as well.

Winding Down Training & SAW II

Today I finished the 26 mile long run. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I started around 0730 at mile six on the Montour Trail. I had planned to run up to mile 19 and back again, however, I just didn't feel like running all the way up there. It seems like once I get passed mile 13 it is a different place. Home for me in between miles 6-13.

I ended up running from mile 6 to mile 13 and then from mile 13 to mile 0, and then back to mile 6. All of this ended up making the 26 miles. Althought I was dreading it, it ended up being a great motivator. I felt really good and could have gone another 4 miles or so with little problem. I really enjoyed going down to mile 0. I had forgotten how pretty it was down that way. The only problem is that it is a little crowded.

When I got back home Gil, Andrew, Aaron, and I went to the movies. We saw SAW II. It was Ok, but not as good as the first one.

Waiting

Today we waited on the results of Alis' CAT scan. The doctor said she would call today but never did. Gil called and talked to the Nurse who said that the people at the hospital said that everything looked normale and that the doctor would call on Monday. I'm very relieved but still kind of scared to get my hopes up.

Tomorrow I have to run 26 miles to keep up on my training schedule. I'm really not looking forward to it. These training runs are the worst. They are long and now since I'm up to five hours--really boring. Another reason they suck, is that it doesn't start to get daylight until around 0715 or 0730. By the time I get home, the day is almost half way done. Can't wait to set the clocks back.

CT Scan

This morning I got up real early so that I could come in to work and finish my slides.  I have a presentation this morning and need to finalize the slides.  I finished them and did a presentation to all the AGR 79V about the WO, Direct Commissioned, and 79R missions. 

Afterwards I had a meeting with all of my WOANCO's about the upcoming fiscal year.  I'm not that worried about making the WO mission or the DC mission; however, the same can not be said for the 79R mission.  Sixty packets are going to be tough.

Gullu called me around 1300 to tell me that Alis' doctor was trying to get her an appointment at either Allegheny General, or MPC hospital.  TRICARE will pay for a CT scan at Mercy, but the doctor doesn't think that they do as good a job.

At 1500 Gullu called me back to say that TRICARE would only pay for Mercy Hospital and that an appointment had been set up.  I left work early and we went downtown for Alis' CT Scan.  They would only let one of us go in with her and that was me.  I held her hand will they put the IV in.  I thought that she would break all the bones in my hand.  She actually started shaking.  After  they put the IV in, she said that it wasn't as bad as she thought.  They did the CT Scan and said that the doctor would call us tomorrow.

Andrew was sick today and stayed out of school.  He had a sore throat and a high fever.  His rash seems to be getting better.  The doctor said that it was a virus that he has.  The rash spread from his chest up to his face.  It looks like it is going away.

Good News?

Today we went to Alis' doctor appointment. It was downtown across from Mercy Hospital. I was a little worried because of how fast they gave us the appointment. I was hoping that it was a bad sign that the doctor wanted to see her right away.

We went in to see the doctor. Again, she is very nice and is the one who is treating Gullu's migraine headaches. There were two nurses in the room with us. Again, it looked like a bad sign to me. She sit Alis down and pulled out her MRI results. She asked Alis about her headaches and some other questions. She said that Alis' MRI was very good and she was reasonably sure that she didn't have an aneurysm but that she wanted Alis to have a CAT Scan done just to make sure. She believes that her headaches are migraines. I really hope so. I told Alis now that she's not sick, we can take her clothes back.

Today when I got home I found out that Andrew is sick. He has a sore throat and a fever. He mostly slept the rest of the evening. He didn't even eat. When Andrew doesn't eat, then you can be sure that he isn't feeling well.

Aneurysm

Today we all received a big scare. I was called by Alis' doctor that her MRI showed that she may have a small aneurysm in her brain. I can't tell you how it felt to hear those words. The nurse gave me the name of a neurosurgeon to call.

For a couple of hours I repeatedly tried to call the doctor but could only get voice mail. I left two messages for the doctor to call back. I also tried to call Gullu, both on her cell and the home phone but could not get anyone to answer. The LTC told me to leave so that I could take care of things at home. I finally got through to Gullu and told her the news. She made the call to the doctor only to find out that they could not see her until January. She then called her doctor - a very nice female doctor from Russia- and got an appointment for tomorrow morning at 0800.

After I arrived at home, we took Alis out shopping. She didn't show that she was overly concerned. She was just worried about having her hair shaved if she has to have surgery. Alis, Gullu, and I went to the mall at Robinson. She bought some cloths from American Eagle. She got a brown hoody and some other things.

We also stopped at a little stand in the mall run by some Turkish boys. They sell gold colored dog-tags and some other knick-knacks. Alis got hers with ALIS down the front and TUCE down the back. The "C" was replaced with the Turkish crescent and star. It looked very nice. It was Alis' idea. She's very creative. The Turkish boy gave her another one for free. It had ALIS down the front with a "Baby Phat" emblem next to her name.

I really hope she had a good time. I'm pretty worried about her. It is pretty scary to have one of your kids with something serious like this.

This morning at work we has an APFT for all of the RTO AGR's. We did the push-ups and sit-ups in the drill hall and then proceeded to Moon High School track for the two mile run. I'm glad I did mine yesterday. Today was very cold and rainy which turned to sleet before we left.

APFT Slacker

Today I did something that I can't ever remember doing....I didn't push myself on an APFT. For the first time as long that I can remember, I didn't score more then 290 points on the test. Today I just did 40 push-ups, 40 sit-ups and ran in 15:27. It really was too easy.

The reason that I did this was because I'm afraid that I might hurt myself before the upcoming race. I've worked too hard with those long hours of running to hurt myself and not be able to run. I didn't want to push myself on the run, because I had just ran 20 miles the day before and 20 more the day before that. I had to take it easy.

On the run I ran with SSG Durden. When we started he took off like he was shot out of a cannon. I think he did the first quarter mile in less the 1:25. I let him go, but he slowed way down by the end of the second lap, which is where I caught him. I then ran with him and paced him the rest of the race. He ended up doing 15:27. I enjoyed the run and felt as if I could have broken 14 minutes; I just felt guilty for not going all out.

RCSP and Meatloaf

Today I went running at RCSP. I really enjoy running up there. I ran the loop; however, this time I started the loop at at Mineral Springs. I felt really good even though I had ran 20 miles yesterday. The trail was a little muddy and the temperature was cool--43 degrees--starting out. On the Appaloosa trail I meet my first trail runner on that trail. Until today I thought I was the only one. I said, "Good Morning" and he replied in kind. I meet him again at the end of the Forest Trail by the lake. I stopped and spoke with him a little. His name is John and he is also training for the JFK 50 Miler. The only other event worth noting is that I almost busted my ass. I was running on some west 2 x 6's and slid about 1 foot. Scared the crap out of me. I felt like a surfer.

The natural beauty of the fall colors never ceases to amaze me. So many times on my run I wished that I had a camera. I'm thinking of going back and getting some photos. I hope the Ritz Camera guy can fix my 35mm. I can't wait to get out this winter and get some scenery shots.

The only thing about these long runs is that I feel guilty about being away from home. No matter how much fun I'm having, I can't wait to get home. This time Gullu had her special meatloaf with tomatoes and peppers on it. Everything she cooks is good, but this stuff is excellent. I really think we could make a fortune if we opened a restaurant.

Signing Soccer Balls

Today I ran on the Montour Trail. I ran from mile 6 to mile 16 and back. It was cool and raining. I tried to take it slow, but as I was coming back the rain got heavier. The harder it rain the harder I ran. I hope I didn't wear myself out because tomorrow I'm going run the RCSP loop. I hope it's not raining then. It really sucks there when everything is wet. The weeks and grass conspire to soak your legs and shoes, and the mud gets thick.

I called Gullu when I was about one hour out. I knew she was going to Ross Park mall, but I wanted her to wait for me. I hate shopping but I usually have a good time when I go with her. It's just that if I stay too long I get antsy.

The best thing about going to Ross Park Mall is stopping at the Half Price Bookstore. I found several books that I wanted, but ended up not buying any. They'll still be there when I go back. I'll get them then. I also like the Outdoor store at the mall. It's just that everything is a little expensive.

Today I picked up Andrew at Dean's house where they are having a Halloween party. He had to go to the Pizza place in the shopping center next to the Imperial Gym. The WA soccer team was signing soccerballs for the Senior players. I tried to get Andrew to write big and to write a little personnal note. He ended up just printing his name real small. Just like Andrew

Locked In

Day 5
423 Miles
2997 Total Miles
Charlie Lake - Liard Hot Springs BC

This morning we got up early so that we could be the first ones in line to leave the park. We got there about 0530 and sure enough we were the first in line. We should of saved ourselves the trouble because when the gate opened at 0700 we were still the only ones in waiting.

We passed through Fort Nelson and Summit Lake. At Stone Mountain we saw the unusual rock formations of the mountains. Summit Lake was very beautiful. As we passed through the area between Summit Pass and Muncho Lake we saw a black bear and numerous stone sheep. These sheep are the dumbest animals because you can't get them out of the road. The road is very curvy with lots of steep hills and the sheep makes it that much more dangerous. Between Muncho Lake and Liard River we saw a wild herd of buffalo and horses. They eat the grass on the shoulder of the road.

We arrived at Liard River Hot Springs Park. Here they have two large hot springs that you can soak in. One is nine feet deep where you can actually swim around in. The water is very hot but the mosquitoes is very bad and will eat you up. Andrew and I did the swimming while Dad watched.

Here Andrew built his first campfire and chopped a log into with a hatchet. He got two blisters for his hard work. He a great help and does a lot of things without being asked. I'm glad that he is along to share this trip with me and Dad.

Charlie Lake Provincial Park

Day 4
661 Miles
2574 Total Miles
Battleford Saskatchewan - Charlie Lake, British Columbia

We got up at 0330 and had the tent broken down and everything loaded up by 0400. We made good time and there was little traffic until we went through Edmonton where there was a lot of construction.

We finally made it to Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alaskan Highway. We took time out to do the usual tourist thing like having our pictures made with the Mountie under the sign that designated the start of the highway. We decided to drive a few more miles to Fort St. John and then find a place to camp. There wasn't a good place to camp there so we drove on to Charlie Lake Provincial Park. We quickly located a nice place to camp. The price was $14 to camp and an additional $5 for firewood. The firewood was damp but my Dad - who was known by my Scout Troop as Bonfire Tilley - quickly got a fire started. I went for a quick run and ended up at the front entrance to the park. I noticed a sign that said that the gate would be closed from 2300 to 0700. I asked the girl that worked there if there was anyway to leave before 0700 and she said no. This was a problem for us because we had made it part of our routine to get an early start. We had noticed that most of the big campers didn't get on the road until the afternoon. By then we would have most of our traveling done.

I returned to the campsite and informed Dad. He wasn't too happy but there was nothing we could do other then to pack up and leave. We decided to get up early so that we would be the first ones lined up and the gate.

Crossing the Border

Day 3
690 Miles
1913 Total Miles
Jamestown ND - Battleford, Saskatchewan


We woke up at 0400 and by 0500 we were on the road. We went up HWY 52 and starting out it was very dark. I was following a tractor and trailer and every so ofter he would hit his brake lights for now apparent reason. The road was very straight and there was no traffic other then us. We finally figured out why he was hitting his brakes so often, there were a lot of deer by the roads. I sure was glad I was following someone because I would have hated to his a deer this early in the trip. I did hit a bird which flew into the windshield but there was no damage.

We detoured off Hwy 52 and took a scenic route at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. Andrew drove about five miles on the dirt road. On the surrounding hills the local High School graduating classes color rocks white and lays them out in big letters and numbers. The earliest that we saw was the class of "57".

We crossed the border and the Candian Border Guard asked me if I had written permission from my wife to take my son into Cananda. I said, "No, but you can call her." He said that in the future we would need a notirized letter from my wife allowing me to take Andrew out of the country.

We drove to Battleford. We camped out at David Laird Campground. We went to the Fort Battleford National Historic Site where we took a tour of the fort. This was the site of fighting between Native Americans and the RCMP.

It took a little work but we managed to get the tent up. This is our first night sleeping in it but would not be our last. Dad went to sleep early and Andrew and I stayed up playing connect the dots. The prairie dogs are farting althought it smells a lot like Andrew.

Jamestown ND

Day 2
510 miles
1223 total miles
Fort McCoy WI - Jamestown ND

This morning I got up at 0500 and even though Matt said he would be up to see us off, we left quietly after fixing us a cup of coffee. Today we planned on stopping at my wife's sister house in Jamestown ND. We plan on stopping long enough to meet and greet and then to push further north. At Jamestown we will leave Interstate 94 and pick up HWY 52 to the Canadian border which is approximately 260 miles from Jamestown.

We ran into our first heavy rain since leaving home. Just as we entered Fargo it started raining. For some reason they ripped up the east bound lane of Int 94 for about 10 miles. There is nothing but dirt where the road used to be.

We made it to my Sister-in-Law's house. we had some trouble finding it because 7th Ave. stops and then starts again on the other side of the college. Her and her husband was very nice and we had a great time. We went walking down by the Jamestown reservoir. We walked to the small island there and afterwards they insisted that they take us out to dinner. It was a great dinner and we all had a wonderful time. I missed seeing my niece who is in Germany with some classmates.

Enroute to Alaska

Day 1
713 miles
Pittsburgh - Fort McCoy WI

After about a year of planning we are finally on the way to Alaska. We plan to drive from Pittsburgh PA to Fairbanks Alaska via the Alaskan Highway.

The travelers are: my father, James; my 14 1/2 year old son, Andrew; and myself. Andrew was a little upset this morning. He's not quite the adventurous traveling type. He's been moping around and isn't talking much. Andrew wants to stay behind and try out with a Soccer Cup team with his friend. I told him that he can play soccer anytime, but this is a trip of a lifetime. I think someday he will appreciate spending three weeks with his father and grandfather while camping and driving 8,000 miles.

Today we left home with the intentions of stopping at Tacoma WI, where I have a friend there named Matt Colley. We was stationed together here in Pittsburgh before he had to PCS. He's now an instructor at the ARTEC at FT. McCoy.

We covered today's leg in 11 1/2 hours, driving 706 miles and only stopping three times. I myself drove to the WI state line which is approximately 550 miles. We meet heavy traffic coming through Chicago. We also discovered that the road from the PA Turnpike until we got onto Interstate 94 in WI was just one toll after another. In Chicago it was 80-cents every five miles or so. It got annoying very fast.

We had some problems finding Matt's house. He had emailed me the directions; however, I forgot to bring them. I printed some directions from YAHOO, unfortunate Tacoma isn't the best when it comes to posting the names of their road signs.

After passing a key turn off, we backtracked and finally found Matt's house. It was easy to spot because it had a large Pittsburgh Steelers flag on the front of his house.

We was welcomed with open arms and was treated to smoked ribs and chicken. There was plenty of beer as well. He also gave us packs of Cheese curds from WI to take with us. We had a very restful night--maybe our last for sometime-- with Dad sleeping in a bed in one room and Andrew and me sleeping in our sleeping bags in another.