Thoughts along the Pavement

Went running yesterday, the first time in two weeks and something all too infrequent since I got this ‘walking pneumonia’ back in April timeframe.  I had a couple thoughts:

·         Taking an alternate route through an alley is fine, unless you’re dumb and choose one behind the restaurants – at lunchtime.  Talk about scrumptious BBQ!  I even pondered what type of wood they used – hickory, I think.  I was ‘a sliding around on my own drool…

·         It was a four-mile loop, but I made myself stop three times so I’d pace myself and stretch a bit.  I think that frustration was the toughest part; panting while Oompah-Loompah’ing down the road is a lot easier.

·         As I huffed and puffed up a hilly road, here comes this guy, running backward a minute to show off.  Where’s a missing manhole cover when a guy (as in - him) needs one?!

·         I feel like Bilbo Baggins, already saying wistful goodbyes to my favorite running routes.  And I don’t even like DC.  Interesting.

It’s Time to Ramble On

We’ve been awhile in DC, my friends, almost eight years of watching the pale morning become the light of a new workday.  But I’ve never been caught up in the Governmental Lights of DC, and now a neat opportunity came up. 

Where are we going?!  Well, it’s a relaxed city of 205,000 that sits at 2,700 foot elevation and gets but 19 inches of snow per year.  We’ll also be six hours from two legendary national parks (Yellowstone & Grand Teton NPs) and ten from another amazing swatch of wilderness (Glacier NP).

Did you figure it out?  Yep, you’re right – Boise, Idaho. 

We report Sept. 10 to my new position:  computer information systems administrator and project manager with the US Forest Service’s Fire and Aviation Management division at the National Interagency Fire Center complex.  There’s big changes afoot, so I don’t know my exact duties but they’ll involve bringing together federal and state firefighting and emergency prep offices as we thirty staff members help develop and run fifty computer systems.  Helping protect people and their property, as well as the firefighters and their aircraft -- talk about a meaningful job. 

Wow!  BAM!  It’s been a long time coming and I’m so grateful to ALL of you because you each bring something unique to the mosaic of my life.  Seriously, folks.  My life journey means all that much more for it, and I carry on with humility and (yes, Mom) a determination to live up to my potential.

If any of you would like to adopt one of our cats, please call me ASAP.  They cannot come along and we really want to have a good home for each one of these neat little folks!

And, If you want to contribute more to this conversation and unfolding story, email or ring me sometime to share your wisdom/advice (work: 202-690-7245, cell: 301-751-5921).  The TMM blog, and my emails to you, will continue awhile so I can share with you my wonderment of this upcoming adventure.

Best Wishes ~ Jose